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Primitive Christianity Revived, Again

Discarding the Similitudes or Masks.

Witnessing to Presence as air.

Generally speaking, we don't argue over breathing air. I mean, there are no groups advocating for a particular way of breathing air. There are no air intake traditions. There are no groups running around advocating for a particular philosophy or theology of breathing. Furthermore, there are no political groups or politicians advocating against people who do not breath the correct way or groups who would persecute others who do not breath the way they breath.

No matter we you are, or who we are not, you breath. It just happens. We breath even when we are not aware of breathing air. Air ... that is an analogy for the experience of a conscious anchored in and a conscience informed by the immediacy of Presence. The inward Light, Presence, is always there in everything and all circumstances of a person's life ... just like air.

Just as air permeates the body, Presence permeates human being. As Presence fills more and more into consciousness, it replaces those things (secular and religious philosophies, theologies, traditions, institutions, practices, similitudes, etc.) that once anchored identity. In Presence, life becomes more and more inspired rather than expired. All external secular or religious and liberal or conservative, ideology, tradition, government, institutions, that anchored and informed conscious are replaced in and by Presence itself. A new life and a renewed mind is come. In this new and ever renewing Life, all things is Presence. In the various secular and religious philosophies, traditions, politics, theologies, outside of Presence, I am not in unity. I am in unity with everyone in Presence; just as I am in unity with everyone in breathing. Just as with breathing air, Presence happens, it is not voluntary.

Outwardly expired traditions, ideologies, philosophies, institutions, communities, and on and on and on are artificial respirator masks (A.R.M.). They simulate breathing by taking the place of breathing itself. People then become dependent upon, identified with, and committed to, the particular type of A.R.M. they use to breath and they commune together around shared A.R.M. Hosts of different A.R.M. are manufactured and people are divided over which A.R.M. is better for breathing. They fight and argue amongst each other. Some even go so far as to advocate the murder of those who do not use or adhere to the appropriate A.R.M. Others renounce or ostracize those who do not A.R.M. correctly.

It has happened that another impulse is injected outside of this A.R.M. paradigm. There are those who have come to breath without any artificial respirator mask. They proclaim we can all breath without A.R.M. That they breathe through an inward respiration. They breath inwardly itself. They do not need A.R.M. to breath. They admonish taking off the masks that simulate breathing and experience breathing itself.

As long as the consensus that everyone needed a type of A.R.M. to breathe, even disagreement is tolerated to relative degree. But now there are those who do not need A.R.M. to breathe. There are those who walk around and breathe freely without outward respirators. There were always outward ideas about breathing without A.R.M., but people did not actually put aside their A.R.M. and actually live it.

As with breathing, so it is with Presence itself. People fashion and adhere to traditions, philosophies, theologies, religions, institutions, etc. to simulate the direct experience of Presence and suggest these simulations lead to or prepare for the experience itself; that they mediate Presence with the promise of future immediacy. Generally speaking, this is a false promise. It is a failed covenant. Generally speaking, similitudes or simulations lead to the bondage of the conscious and conscience to the simulations themselves; rather than leading the conscious and conscience to experience Presence itself as the anchor for conscious and conscience the inward work and illumination of Presence itself is overshadowed by adhere to outward forms. Similitudes are paganism and idolatry laundered through outward religious forms. Idolatry is identity anchored in outward forms whether they be secular or religious, statues, churches, institutions, politics, government, ritual, ideology, communities, or theology, etc. These outward forms, similitudes, or simulations of the experience itself are a hindrance to the Life itself. They are artificial respirators that take the place of respiration in itself.

The wonderful message of a conscious anchored in and a conscience informed by the direct experience of and in Presence itself is we all are able to breathe without the masks that we or others would place over against the reality within.

Each one of us is inspired, although our inspiring nature is overshadowed by expired secular and religious forms and practices.

The good news, the good story, is that we all, in our current circumstance and condition, can embrace and be embraced by the good news. The simple act of deepening down into that inspired Presence within us and waiting patiently upon the promised grace of further inspiration and illumination. Just shed the formulated masks of ideology, tradition, politics, etc. and allow the breathe of Life to fill deep down within. Rest in the quiet of the discarded masks and experience the drift of the eternal Breath within.

2 members like this

Comment by Laura Scattergood on 2nd mo. 24, 2015 at 4:41pm: What a clever analogy!

Comment by Jim Wilson on 2nd mo. 25, 2015 at 12:10pm: Good Morning:

Following up on your analogy: sometimes people come down with diseases like pneumonia. This can hinder one's ability to breathe. Sometimes during the recovery period a Doctor will recommend a device that the patient breathes through. The ones I have seen are small, plastic, devices that allow the patient to see the strength of their breathing. This is done because the device has a small, lightweight, ball that rises in a tube during the exhale. The idea is to sustain the ball for longer periods of time; in other words, to exercise one's breathing so that it can return to a more normal capacity and strength following an illness that has resulted in diminished breathing capacity. I have seen this device used by those who have severe allergies and also by some asthmatics. And there are the more ordinary inhalers used by those whose breathing, for whatever reason, has become constricted.

I would like to suggest that most of us are similarly afflicted when it comes to recognizing the Presence. The source of the affliction is the human tendency to self-centeredness, anger, vengeance, etc. The 'masks' help people to get past those tendencies in the way that the breathing apparatus helps people get past their constricted breathing.

From this perspective there is nothing wrong with these masks, just as there is nothing wrong with using a device to help in regaining a better breathing capacity. Rituals, scriptures, communal support, etc., are all there to give people an assist; and most people do need assistance in overcoming tendencies that hinder the realization of Presence; at least that is my observation and personal experience.

Comment by Keith Saylor on 2nd mo. 26, 2015 at 6:39pm: You and I share the same experience that Presence is hindered by outward forms such as anger etc. We do not share the remedy. You seek to overcome the hindrance of outward forms with more outward forms. Mine is to share the message the Presence itself is sufficient assistance to overcome the hindrance of outward forms and that adherence to outward forms to overcome outward form is a flawed and failed remedy to a conscious anchored in and a conscience informed by outward forms rather than direct exp experience of Presence.

You wrote:
"... there is nothing wrong with these masks, just as there is nothing wrong with using a device to help in regaining a better breathing capacity. Rituals, scriptures, communal support, etc., are all there to give people an assist; and most people do need assistance in overcoming tendencies that hinder the realization of Presence; at least that is my observation and personal experience."

I completely understand your experience and observation that most people seek the assistance of outward forms to overcome the outward forms that hinder direct and continuous awareness of Presence in all situations and circumstances in daily life. Where your observation and experience essentially differs from myself and others who share the experience of a conscience anchored in and a conscience informed by directly inspired Presence is we know another experience and observe it daily. This experience of a conscious anchored in and a conscience informed by directly inspired Presence itself, is the experience that overcomes outward forms. In other words, we do not value outwardly expires forms such as rituals, scriptures, communal support, ideology, politics, governmental bodies, theology, similitudes, institutions, secular or religious. To go further, our experience of and life in Presence itself is the revelation that these outward forms used to assist in overcoming outward forms do nothing but further hinder and overshadow the direct experience of Presence itself.

To press even further, faith in adherence to outwardly expired forms as assistance or preparation for a moment in time when Presence may be realized is merely replacing one outward form with another. This faith does not get at the core of the problem which is a conscious anchored in and a conscious informed by outward forms.

Our message comes from a completely different and unique impulse and experience that speaks to the current and immediate awareness of Presence within each person; without regard to outwardly expired forms. We do not admonish adherence to outward forms (masks). We nurture Presence itself as the way to overcome all outwardly expired forms that overshadow the experience of Presence itself. We know, through experience, that each person experiences innately a measure of Presence in their lives and that if they but deepen down into that measure of Presence by laying down their outwardly expired notions and waiting upon the promised grace of increased measure through resting in the Light itself, they will know victory over a conscious anchored in and a conscience informed by adherence to outwardly expired forms. We know all people are innately inspired of the Light itself share the message with the faith that by the power of Presence itself the Message, the Good Story, will reveal and increase Illumination.

Postscript:
I struggle with diminished lung capacity on a daily basis. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, however, it became more pronounced after a heart attack ten years ago at the age of forty-two. I do not use artificial apparatus to help breathing. I learned long ago to adapt and adjust my activities help grow my lung capacity and stay off artificial breathing apparatus or drugs. Just as my spiritual being adapted and grew by shedding outward religious and secular intellectual and institutional forms through resting in the power and quiet of a conscious anchored in and a conscience informed by inspired Presence itself.

Comment by Diane Benton on 2nd mo. 27, 2015 at 12:16pm: Can being in community with people who share our message hasten, deepen, enlarge, enhance one's experience of Presence?

Comment by Keith Saylor on 2nd mo. 27, 2015 at 3:33pm: Diane, I think I understand and share from where your question is coming. Just for the sake of clarity, in case my assumption is incorrect, the experience immediacy of Presence is not predicated upon being gathered with others who share our message. Gathering together is the result of personal experience of Presence itself through which we come together. If I understand you, I share your sense and experience that gathering together under and in the Light nurtures watchfullness and our innate impulse toward Presence itself. Inspired Presence itself hastens, deepens, enlarges, and enhances, whether one is gathered among many or alone; gathering does not, just as hiding in a cave alone does not.

I hesitate to use the word "community" for gathering in Presence because it also carries the baggage of institutionalized Presence which undermines and overshadows gathering under and in the Light itself.

With that said, I cherish being gathered with others in the Light; sharing that experience of deepening down and feeling for the foundation so that Presence permeates and surrounds the gathering in divine unity of experience.

Comment by Diane Benton on 2nd mo. 27, 2015 at 8:11pm: I was using "community" in a generic, organic sense. I can appreciate the concern over the institutional aspect connected with the word. Your final paragraph is beautifully stated. It's my conviction the gatherings like that emanate an energy that excites Presence in others beyond itself.

Comment by Diane Benton on 2nd mo. 27, 2015 at 8:59pm: Let me add that it happens with individuals, too, but is magnified in a gathering.

Comment by Keith Saylor on 2nd mo. 27, 2015 at 11:07pm: Thank you Diane. My hand is raised in quiet affirmation.

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