A New Outlook on Old Thoughts

For an Evolving Generation

Love encompasses all things

Love is all that is real

Love is the essence of all there is

If you want love, give love

If you need love, seek love

If you see love embrace It

If you see one who needs love, fulfill it.

© Lester F. Schone, Jr. 1995

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all those who have gone before, and who have walked with me. To those who have shed light on my mind, light on my soul, and love on my heart.

I have chosen (as many before me have done) to capitalize certain words that signify aspects or attributes of God. I have also chose to use words such as He, ItSelf, Universal Law, HimSelf, HerSelf, Him, Infinite, Law, She, etc. to identify God. Also I have used their Self, yourSelf, or mySelf to identify the God within each of us.

Preface

This book is a result of thousands of hours, of study, contemplation and meditation of all the worlds religions. The purpose of this book is not to prove anyone wrong or take away any concept you may treasure or to prove myself right, or more knowledgeable. However you may find Enlightenment here in ways you have not believed possible. If this is the case take what you find and use it. If you find nothing here that you can use discard what you have read.

I'll be the first to admit this is not a new revelation, it is however a new interpretation of timeless revelations that is free from any dogma and has application to today's needs. I am not attempting to start a new religion. However, study, understanding, contemplation, and meditation, the digesting of Truth, and honesty with the soul has revealed to me a new understanding of God and man as I see it. I hope this book will be met by many with open arms. I am sure it will be met by many more with condemnation, fear, and aggression. The attempt of this author is to share a system that has worked well in his personal life. I am not a saint. You would not have to dig too deeply to find my faults. I am however, ever changing and growing spiritually. I practice spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.

If you should not find what you're looking for here don't give up your search. Even if you do find some or most of what you're looking for continue to grow and evolve in your spiritual awareness and understanding. The greatest law of the Universe is motion, either growth or disintegration, to believe in stagnation is to believe falsely.

Those who are scholarly in the worlds religions will be able to tell you that the ideas contained within the pages of this book come for the ideologies of the Pythagoreans, Zoroastrians, Essenes, Buddhists, Christians, and the Ebonites. As every successful business must take an inventory, so must we in our spiritual and personal lives take inventory of our system.

Regardless of the purity of the original spiritual teaching, or outline, it in time becomes polluted by those who have a vested interests in the exploitation of man. Dogma is always the result of such exploitation. Only through reinterpretation (which is inventorying) of the ORIGINAL teachings, or outline, can the dogma be removed and purity restored. Don't take my word for it. Be smart and resourceful. Questions and research is all I've put before you. This is a starting point not a destination, for destinations are not possible when you are in the realms of the Infinite. I have not outlined this book in such a manner that says this came from here, or that came from there. If you want to know what came from where, put forth the effort, and spend the time in study, research, contemplation, and meditation.

Truly search, and truly seek with honesty and integrity and The Truth will be revealed to you. You need no church or preacher to tell you what truth is, it is within you, and it is there you must search to examine any doctrine that is put before you. Each individual is their own church and each individual is their own priest. Go within to the secret place close the door and commune with the Infinite, for with the Light of the Infinite all limitation is exposed.

Every individual that seeks spiritual Enlightenment must have respect for their Self, The Universal Self, and their fellow man's Self. To seek further Enlightenment for one's Self, to The Truth of The Law, is to have a love of Truth, but one must also have tolerance for those who may differ from what one believes to be Truth. Truth never changes, but one's perception of Truth can and does change as one's spiritual life evolves. To live Truth through Rightmindeness is to walk on earth no longer in the darkness of ignorance. To do this is to free yourself from a dejected heart. To wish communion with the Universal Self is to live in conformity to The Law.

It is important to bring all your willingness, all your strength, all your heart, and all of your mind into the search for Truth. The purpose of the spiritual search for Truth, of meditation, and contemplation is to illuminate the heart and mind with insight into the things of Life, and to take into your being the Knowledge of things Eternal, and lift your consciousness to a great end. Do this and you will find peace, for peace is what you seek, this is your motivation for being.

All that is, or is ever to come, comes forth from the Universal Self. Universal Self is The Law and there is no other law before it. Before things come into existence Universal Law is applied to them, and when they have fulfilled their appointed roles, in accordance with Universal Law, that thing, or things which have reached their zenith must discharge their function. This fact cannot be changed. In The Law's hand is the government of all things. The Law maintains and sustains all that it creates, and God is The Law.

God, the Universal Law, created man. In the creation It gave man the choice of free will, which is each man's personal responsibility of choice. Free will to walk in the ways of Knowledge, Truth, and Right-mindedness, or free will to walk in the ways of ignorance, darkness, and turmoil. All those who have chosen to walk in the ways of Knowledge and Right-mindedness find the way to be straight. Those who have chosen to walk in the ways of ignorance are under the dominion of their lower selfish self. Many obstacles are in their path but in the darkness they cannot see them, and they trip, stumble, and fall through their life, in the pain of dis-ease. Free will consists of God's will and the knowledge of self will. Knowledge of The Law will light ones way, while knowledge of self will leaves one in darkness. Even those who have chosen Right-mindedness and who's way is lit, still have the ability to fall into self will, they must be ever on guard of this. This is the responsibility of free will, that each of us must face.

All of man's afflictions, their moments of trial and tribulation, are do to the reliance on the selfish self, self knowledge, or self will, which is limited in it's abilities, leaving the way dark the way obscured, full of traps and burdens. Many of the ways of man are bent on ways to cause their fellow man to rely on self leaving them in darkness, this is the self's gift of exploitation to the world.

  However God, The Law, The Truth, is always their to help those who chose to rely on It, to maintain and sustain their existence, and light their way. It is God, the Universal Law, that has created free will and the ability to use it. Man may chose Light or darkness, Knowledge, or ignorance, Universal Self, or self will.

Free will is the basis of every act, the instigator of every deed, and the director of every thought. The one who chooses to follow Universal Law, their way is lit by Universal Knowledge, and they are always pleased with the results. Any decision, or action taken from the direction of self will, will darken the way of the doer, and the results bring misfortune and affliction to the doer. This is the law, of The Law. This is not inflicted by God to the doer, but is inflicted on the doer by the self, this is the way free will operates.

The Enlightenment of man's heart, the Enlightenment of man's mind, makes understandable for him all the ways of Right-mindedness. The implanting of Love, Patience, Humility, and Compassion, in man's heart is the sign of a Right, and Whole mind that is without conflict. These are the things that come to those who chose to commune with The Law, with The Truth. Those who chose to walk in the way of Universal Law, walk in the ways of health, and in the ways of well being, along with peace of mind and joy.

Those who chose to follow self will, the limited law, will always find themselves in need, lack, and limitation. Their way is darkened with ignorance and limitation, they fall victims of the obsessions of ignorance and greed. Their mind becomes unwhole, and they are blinded by a false reality. They fall victims to the tricks of pride, presumption and self deception. They fall victim to cruelty to self and others. They fall victim to a shortness of temper, to an abundance of uselessness. They find themselves bound in chains that are of their own making. Their mind is filled with conflict, and their body shows forth their di-ease, all this is the fruitation of their seeds of thought. Their is blindness in the mind's eye, dullness in the mind's ear, and hardness in their heart. To the degree that one chooses to follow the ways of self will, the limited self, is the degree that they are tricked by their own decisions. The fruitation of all those who chose to live in this way is a multitude of misfortunes both of mind and body, at the hands of their own thoughts and deeds. Their pain is sorrow and bitter misfortune, a hardening of the heart, a darkening of the mind, leading them blindly to their chosen ruin.

It is these two choices, of free will, that all are born. It is the decisions that all men make, that leads the way for them, they are heirs of the fruitation that their decisions bring. Down one of these two roads each individual must chose to walk, and the choice is theirs. According to each individuals choice, will be the things they reap. For God, The Universal Law, has appointed all people to chose what they want from life, and to obtain the results of their choice. Between these two categories all persons must chose. Those who function in deeds of self will see Truth as lies and nonsense, which makes ways of error easy. Those who are griped by self will are in a constant battle between the ways of Truth and error, for Truth and error are like oil and water, they do not mix. Each individual who chooses the way of self will, will come across an obstacle they cannot surmount, because their power and knowledge is limited. The Universal Truth, and Knowledge is always available to clear the way if one will only change their direction, change their choice. Once the change in choice is made, the mind and heart is cleansed of all error.

Like the symbolic baptismal waters of purification, the Universal Self influxes within the mind and heart, cleansing the individual of the belief in self will. The being feels lighter, the mind Enlightened, the burdens of the heart lifted.

Once one has chosen to be partners with The Law they remember their relationship to the Universe. Darkness can no longer obscure the mind, and no longer is one the victim of their own deceit, unless they change their mind again. All people have the choice of free will, the choice of Universal Knowledge, of Law and Truth, or the choice of limited knowledge, the choice to follow self will. All people walk in both folly and Wisdom, folly first Wisdom later. This needs not be the case but is seems the way we choose to learn. Man determines his own fate by the choices he makes. The Universal Law has set before man The Truth and Knowledge of the Universal Self, and The truth of the limitedness of self will. By our choices are our lives molded, not by punishment but by choice.

For those who seek the path of Enlightenment, there are two extremes that must be avoid. The first is, extreme indulgences. The second, is the opposite extreme that seems natural to those who wish esoteric Enlightenment. Total self denial is always the second temptation one must over come. Neither of these two extremes are of any value. Both of these extremes are out of sync with The Law, they are both deviations from The Law. Extreme possessions, and extreme wealth tends to lead the individual down the road of having to attain more, or it fills the individual with the fear of losing what they posses and their minds are occupied with how to protect what they have gained. Extreme poverty, or extreme denial of the world leaves the individual in want. Their minds are occupied with thoughts of lack, resentments of what others have, and self pity. Both of these extremes obscure the road of Enlightenment. They cause the individual to stumble, or fall, it causes them to lose their direction and lose their way.

Extreme attachment to things is likened to the traveler who crosses a mighty river on a raft. After reaching the other side, the traveler decides that the raft has served them well and they should hang onto it. It is cumbersome and heavy along their travels on dry land. But to let go of this tool that has served them so well, is to them an unacceptable option, even though, it is of no use to them any longer. This example shows us how we become chained to a great many things that no longer are useful to us, even thought they once were. This is how our lives become heavy with burdens.

Extreme self denial on the other hand is likened to the traveler who tries to cross the mighty river without a floatation tool of any sort. In the beginning of their crossing all is well. But the further they travel across the mighty river the more turbulent it gets. Eventually they are dragged under by the currents of the river and are lost forever. This example shows us that to not use our God given Knowledge for our comfort and well being, is as detrimental as becoming attached to that which no longer serves a purpose. The issues of life are likened to the mighty river, we as individuals are likened to the traveler. The individual who travels down the road of balance uses their God given Knowledge, they use the necessary tools to enhance their well being, which in turn leaves them in prime attunement to The Universal Self.

However the individual who travels the road of balance also recognizes when a situation, or a thing is of no more use to them and they are willing let it go. By doing this they minimize their attachment to things, they minimize their burdens in life. They are truly free, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This is the blessing of the road of balance. The important thing to remember is that any extreme is a deviation to The Law, a trap, a chain that binds us to burdens.

Avoidance of being caught by the issues of life is a learning process of not trying to grasp after things, neither so called good or so called bad. Once one becomes attached to something the struggle begins. Those who chose to walk on the road of balance will not harbor regret or cherish victories but will meet all things equally.

The need for Enlightenment exists only because of the false belief in separateness. God, Enlightenment, or The Law has no form, there is nothing that is outside ItSelf. Once union is made with The Law the need for Enlightenment It seems to disappear, but so does our belief in separateness. The road of balance leads our mind to a higher understanding of things. As our consciousness fuses with Enlightenment, the belief of separateness or anything outside The Law, or God starts to disappear. Once the belief of separateness is eliminated, so will our belief in the need of Enlightenment. We will see all things as ourSelves, there will be a Oneness of all things. It is important not to think of Enlightenment as a thing that is to be chased after. If we view it in this manner it will seem to evade us.

Enlightenment is seeing, or remembering the Allness of everything, that there is nothing outside of it. It is formless and cannot be grasped but we can join it, in doing this the illusion of separateness dissolves and so does the need for Enlightenment. One needs only to follow the road of balance leading to Enlightenment until the belief of separateness is gone. Enlightenment is the end of duality the end of good and bad, right and wrong, all things just are. The theory of separateness, causes duality, where there is day there is night, where there is abundance there is lack, where there is Enlightenment there is ignorance. As long as people treasure the idea of the ego personality they will cling to the idea of duality, the idea of separateness, and they cannot conceive of the Allness of all things.

The belief in ego gives way to the voice of judgment. One sees one thing as pure, the next thing as impure, one thing as good, the next thing as evil. Judgment can even change from one day to the next, and many cannot even agree on their judgments. This is because duality doesn't actually exists, it is just illusions of a separated, or conflicted mind belief. People fear misfortune, and desire good fortune. But most times what one thought was misfortune turns out for the best, and what seemed to be the for the best was not. This is the inconstancy of duality. It is best to meet all things in life with equanimity, neither being joyous about seeming success, or depressed about seeming failure. This is the way of recognizing the non duality of things. When we steer clear of the duality belief and the emotions associated with them, we will have peace.

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Author: Lester F. Schone, Jr..
Copyright © 1999 [Modern Mystics, Inc.]. All rights reserved.
Revised: February 08, 2003.