ZEN MASTER ON TODAY'S SHOW

OK, so she might not call herself a zen-master - I'll have to ask - but Audrey Carr, editor of The Zen Game website and newsletter and co-author of The Gospel According to Zen will be on today's radio program. Audrey and I have been having a written debate in the comments section of previous programs and I was able to persuade her to come on and discuss in person. Among other things, we will probably discuss her emails concerning whether or not there is only one path to God or Heaven (as we discussed last week) as well as the historicity of the resurrection of Christ (I pasted copies of the emails below). The resurrection discussion is interesting in light of last night's 20/20 program which dealt with this issue. (You can get a good summary of the show at Christianity Today's outstanding weblog.)

Here are a couple of Audrey's emails: (the original email was a response to the February 12, 2005 program and my written responses to that email are here.) UPDATE: Also, I have since posted reasons to believe the resurrection here.

1. Dear Don,

While driving home on the Freeway last night, your radio show was being heard. If there had been a cellphone available, you would have received a call -- responding to many of the questions that were posed.

Yes, there is only ONE TRUTH. And, there is only ONE GOD. However, if one is still caught in the "many," it is because words, thoughts & concepts are getting in the way. And "beliefs" are thoughts, too! Jesus said: "You have forgotten the ONE here-present; and do not know how to examine THIS moment."

Jesus was "one-with God," for he had discovered that ONLY GOD IS. It is due to the false belief that we are separated from the Source of Being that we miss seeing that. It is the "I am the body" belief, which sustains that separation. For, "dying to Christ" means to let go of the form as our identity and to discover and surrender to Christ-within -- the spiritual Essence which transcends all forms.

When one becomes a Christian, there is a partial surrender to God. However, unless the surrender is TOTAL, one continues to live in a divided state of consciousness. It is from this divided ego-consciousness that beliefs arise. For like a baby's pacifier (which is a substitute for the real thing) beliefs are a substitute for God-Realization.

"Son-of God" is an ancient Hindu term which refers to one who has realized the Divinity within. Jesus was an Enlightened Master. His term for Enlightenment was "The Kingdom of Heaven." That is why, when he was asked where one could find the "Kingdom" which he spoke of, he told them: "You won't find it here or there (in time or space), for the Kingdom of Heaven is within you."

The Bible was written not by Jesus, but by his followers, who had not reached the same Unitary Consciousness. Therefore, when they tried to explain what He was about, they imposed division on his Unitary Teaching. The division between "right & wrong," "God & the Devil," "man & God," are conceptual divisions, only. Therefore, if one tries to understand Jesus with the mind, they will fail. For, until the chattering, ego-mind is totally STILL, and receptive to the ONE here-present, one will remain in a "fallen" and divided state -- separated from God. As it says in the scriptures, "Be still and KNOW that I AM God." It is the "I AM" within which is the Universal SELF and our Divine, Eternal Reality.

Once this is recognized, then all the misunderstanding regarding other religions and paths to God become quite clear. For, the division between them is imposed by man, not by God. God is not an old man in a beard, sitting in the sky; but Formless Consciousness, and our own Innermost BEING. The differences between the traditions are coming from getting caught in the terms. But all terms are no more than pointers to the same Reality -- which is unnameable. When this is realized, then one sees that spiritual "arrogance" applies to those who have only one way of defining the TRUTH. For, all Spiritual Paths lead to God . . . since, ONLY GOD IS! Where else could they go? And, Heaven is NOT in the future, for it is Eternally Present. Otherwise, it would not be eternal! So, if one is still looking for Heaven in the future, they have not yet discovered the TRUTH. For, discovering that "Heaven is at hand" means it is already HERE-NOW in THIS moment! One who has Awakened to this Ultimate Truth sees it everywhere he looks.

"His disciples said:Show us the place where you are,for it is necessary for us to seek it. He said to them: He who has ears, let him hear! There is light within an Enlightened man and it illuminates the whole world; if it does not illuminate it, it is darkness."

2. Your radio program is being heard every week, and it seems as though one theme arises over & over again -- and that is with regard to the Truth being linked to the belief that Jesus was Resurrected.  Apparently, none of your other listeners have directly challenged the statement.  But, from my Understanding, it is FALSE, and a misunderstanding of the deepest Truth of all -- upon which the life of Jesus was based.

Did Jesus really live?  Yes.  Was Jesus, God incarnate?  Yes.  He was an Enlightened Master, who had realized his Divine Identity and Oneness with God. Did he die on the cross?  No.  Was he resurrected from the dead?  No, he was not. Your claims to know the historical Truth & Teaching of Jesus are based only on the Bible, and take the myths for Truth.  The Resurrection story came from ancient Persian myths of the Sun-God, Mithras and are NOT the Truth about Jesus at all! The Resurrection story was meant to be a symbol of Enlightenment -- never to be taken literally.

Jesus did not die on the cross.  His body was taken down (because of Passover) after only a few hours.  The blood stains on the Shroud, reveal beyond doubt, that he was still alive.  He was nursed back to health in the tomb and escaped secretly.

Eventually, he returned to India, where he spent the rest of his life.  His mother, Mary is buried in Mari (or Muree), Pakistan, a town which was named in her honor. His brother Thomas, who also accompanied him, is buried in South India.  And, the tomb of Jesus, called "Rozabal," is in Srinagar, Kashmir, India, where it has been for over 2,000 years!

Isn't it time that Christians stop being in denial, and come to terms with the REAL Jesus?  Stop professing to know the Truth, when you have barely scratched the surface.

Comments

[Greg]

"Be still and KNOW that I AM God." It is the "I AM" within which is the Universal SELF and our Divine, Eternal Reality.

Ok, first, what the heck is this dribble? Second, is she actually implying that "I AM" is saying we are god? Has she opened the Old Testament?

Its late. Just had to post.

[Audrey]

Yes, Greg, exactly........because, all there is is God! However, only the Enlightened Ones (like Jesus) are consciously aware of the fact. Everyone else is unconscious and asleep, believing themselves to be the mind-body only. And, obviously, the mind-body, ego-identity is terminal.......heading for death. That is why Jesus asks us to discover the "One Here-Present" -- the Spiritual Essence, which is our Eternal Reality. And he said, "Don't look for Heaven out there, in the future, for the Kingdom of Heaven is within YOU." But, only discovered when the I-thought (ego soap-opera of the chattering mind) is totally still. "Be still and know that I AM (is) God."

[Agnostie]

I figured that Audrey was going to come across as a kook with all this Zen stuff, but instead I actually enjoyed this show. I found it very interesting and would like to hear more. You should have her back on the show so we can hear her story about Jesus in India, I'd be curious to hear that.

[Xialo]

What about the old testament? Audrey is never going to be swayed that Jesus died (even with a compelling amount of evidence) on the cross. But what about the historical accuracy of the Old Testament and how that is completely contradictory to everything you think the Gnostic Gospels prove about the persona of God. The old testament is where God declares who he is and not just who he is, but his sovereignty his divine oneness and ability to possess personality. His awesome creation of the Universe. This is obviously true, attempting to impeech the old testament as a vald source of historical information is stupid too because of it's scientific accuracy. Early conspiracy theories about the church really have no grounds for evidence either. Don you rule man, pure domination!