I suppose those who go through a harder process to see these simple truths need that time for purification. Only those who have shattered the power of illusion of separation and are One can see God in these and All of simple day-to-day life.

The hierarchy in the ethereal level consists of beings who have overcome the four levels of progress and have reached the ethereal state. In this stage also a hierarchy is established. These beings can only help a person to their level, which is the fifth level. It is two levels below the Highest. In this level still a person might fall into the illusion of the powers (siddhis) and be trapped in his or her creation. The highest realization is to reach Pure Consciousness or Oneness with God. This is beyond any illusion.

The hierarchy of God on earth is the hierarchy presented in MAP and in The Plan. It will be filled by those who are chosen (144,000) to bring about the Kingdom Of Heaven On Earth (KOHOE). The Kingdom within is when a person finds God in his or her Heart. It has nothing to do with any organized religion, philosophy, or external circumstance. It is a personal relationship between a man and God. It is God within the temple of one’s body.

There is also a hierarchy in this Kingdom (within). Each person realizes God in a different level (hierarchy) within. Any person in a level above another can teach the person below. That is why we have so many teachers, each with a little knowledge, proclaiming to be a teacher and they do find followers, those who are a little below them.

However, the greatest teacher of all is The Christ (God) who teaches all levels in the hierarchy and each one is a part of His Body.

The sanctuary in the Center is also for this purpose. In order to create a greater power of spirit in the sanctuary, and also a greater unity for the community, to perform the spiritual practices in the sanctuary is highly recommended, especially for collective meditation and prayer.

The most important part of the collective meditation is the performance of The Reminder (to understand His Will and Him in greater degree) and meditation. Of course, the other recommended, as you put it, "rituals" have great significance.

For example, Kirtan (chanting and dancing) brings a greater harmony to the participants, a greater harmony to each individual and invokes greater spirit by opening higher psychic centers in the participants.

The recitation of Samgacchadvam, which is a great mantra from the oldest Scriptures (Vedas), directs the mind toward the universe and its oneness, and the necessity to know one another, to become One.

Recitation of the "Divine Path" not only explains the Eternal Divine Path, but also recommends that we do meditation and perform The Reminder at least twice a day regularly and follow the Fifteen Commandments. It is the Fifteen Commandments which bring us to higher ethics and oneness with God. It is not a series of commandments, but the essence of them, which guides us to realize why "Thou shalt not..." It guides us to where Esa (Jesus) wanted to take humanity, that: The goal is not, to not do adultery, or any other forbidden action, but to reach a point where no desire is left to do so.

As you have said, to perform these is a request. However, remember, God never requests from us if it is not good (God) for us. His request should be a command to us.

However, different rituals appeal to different people. Each person can place more emphasis on the one they like most and feel closer to God by practicing it. Also some rituals are given to make us more aware of their effect and to become more tolerant toward other cultures which practice them, such as chanting in some religions, Kirtan, etc. This will bring greater understanding and accelerates the unity.

However, the Christ or the Messiah comes whenever there is a quantum leap necessary for the collective consciousness of a planet, in this case earth. For example, Esa (Jesus) was not just an Avatar but The Christ. This is why he brought a new religion on earth. A leap in human consciousness occurred. Also Krishna, Muhammad, Bab, etc, were the Messiah. The culmination of all these past leaps in human consciousness is now ready to reach its highest. This is presented in Maitreya’s teachings in The Holiest Of The Holies (THOTH), The Last Testament.

This will lower the tolerance of the body, because the reservoir of energy needed for the body to fight off many diseases, is reduced. Usually this type of food also gives a kind of rush energy and then a sudden crash. The reason is, some energy is released from the reserved area and then the body withdraws to rest to replace the energy lost by the stimulant.

Rajasic food such as tea, coffee, etc, may be good for the mind for a short period, but will damage the body if used excessively. People who use many stimulants are usually weak in fighting diseases, etc, especially at an old age. Salt is also a rajasic food. Sea salt is no exception.

Of course, we have to remember that nothing is bad in this universe, it becomes good (God) or evil (Devil) according to how we use it. Anything in moderation is better than anything in extreme, either way — too sentient or too tamasic!

To answer your question about seaweed, sea kelp, kelp and dulse: Kelp is any of the various kinds of large brown seaweed. Therefore, kelp is supposed to be rajasic. However, the ultimate realization about any of our teachings should come from within.

There are three categories of food: Tamasic, rajasic and satvic. Tamasic foods might or might not be good for the body, but they are not good for the mind and spirit, such as meat, onions and garlic. Rajasic foods are good for the mind but are not necessarily good for the body and/or spirit, such as coffee. Satvic foods are good for the body, mind and spirit, such as most vegetables, grains, fruits, etc. The middle path is the best way.

To bring about this Oneness not only in the spiritual realms but on the manifested plane, we follow God’s Holy Days, as the holidays. This not only is a sign of obedience to God, but also will eliminate many holidays in so many different cultures. Only the Holy Days of God are the days to honor the True Invisible, All-Pervasive God.

We accept the beginning of the New Year at the beginning of spring, when everything is renewed, the Beginning of a New Year of a new era!

If you are asking the question for others, I have extensively answered it in the Golden Keys booklets, especially in Golden Keys IV. Look at the fulfilled prophecies, the names given to me, the unifying teachings, etc., etc. Even the coming of many claiming to be "The Christ" has been foretold. It is good to be skeptical but eventually, we have to draw the line and make up our minds.

We ourselves are patiently waiting for this confusion to be lifted. We have seen many contradictory claims by those who say they represent Maitreya, or are Him, and many unfulfilled promises. These make us wonder about the spirit behind the whole thing. God does not claim things contrary to His Word (Scriptures) nor would He promise anything that He would not fulfill.

If you are the follower of appearances and sensationalism of events, then you will not realize the Spirit of Truth which is Solid and Humble. Your mind will be clouded with confusion and will follow the crowd. You will not see the contradiction in their work and their momentary success will blind you.

Those who are guided by the Spirit of God are not blinded by these things. They put their feet on the solid unifying teachings and are not deterred by temporary attractions, be it more followers, the hard Path, more prestige or whatever. You are here to weigh everything the Mission represents and compare it to others. If you have the slightest doubt, your endeavor will not be very fruitful. Your spirit has to be One with the spirit behind the teachings and The Greatest Sign. Therefore, tell them about the teaching, about The Greatest Sign, about our literature and Maitreya. Then, let them make up their own minds. They might need some help and guidance along the way but the final decision must come from within themselves.

When they arrive at such a point, then they are One with us and can work toward fulfillment of The Plan. They will first recognize it with their minds, second with their Hearts, and when they also proclaim that It is It, then their Hearts and Minds will be One and the Oneness is complete. They are One and a part of the Body of Christus (Christ-us), one of the Elders (144,000).

Universal Mind is the mind that the universe is made of and also is beyond the manifested universe. The Universal Mind in our teaching consists of satva guna (Mahattattva), raja guna (Ahamtattva) and tama guna (Chitta). The consciousness is the witness entity or Soul of this Universal Mind. The Soul and the Mind of God Is Omnipresent, Omniscient, and Omnipotent.

Therefore, seek His Grace by wanting Him with All your Heart, Mind and Spirit, by doing His Will and realizing that He has given you this opportunity to go Home.

About helping you with your meditation: All the tools given in the Mission are to help you in your meditation. Reading THOTH, chanting the HOSH mantra, reading Satsangs and lectures, gazing at The Greatest Sign, talking about the Mission with others, service, etc, are all helpful in your path. Each person can do all of them or a combination of them, according to their temperaments.

In meditation, sit somewhere where you are comfortable, but not so comfortable that you may fall asleep (sit up, preferably in a lotus pose). Do the procedure given to you, if any, before starting to meditate on your mantra or HOSH mantra. Then breathe in the first part of your mantra. Between breathing in and breathing out there is a pause. Realize this pause. Then breathe out the second part of your mantra and also realize the pause before breathing in again.

If your mind starts wandering, gently bring it back to the mantra and awareness of your breathing. The genie (mind) wants to go to new thoughts (projects) and the mantra (the tail) keeps him from doing it. So when the wandering mind stops and becomes calm water, then you can see the reflection of consciousness (God) within.

This is also true for spiritual endeavors. To meditate and/or pray alone will result in a person falling back on himself or herself. Meditation and prayer should guide us to Divine action(s).

Only the middle path, a balance between these three spheres, brings harmony to our lives and others. Therefore, those who think they can bring peace with mobilizing a collective, one time worldwide meditation, prayer, etc, only uplift humanity for a short time. These processes should be performed constantly. The end result is to realize that the Communities of Light based on the Eternal Divine Path will bring the balance between inner quest (meditation and prayer) with outer manifestation (action based on the Eternal Divine Path). Faith without action is dead!

When many realize this truth and Communities of Light start to be created all over the world, and are connected together focused on One God, then the permanent peace is at hand. Only this will bring the peace we all are longing for. Other activities, although they might have a short-lived effect, will not bring the permanent fulfillment of prophesied expectation to earth. Only meditation and prayer based on the Eternal Divine Path will...!

Those who do not realize this truth and stay lukewarm (escapists), as the book of The Revelation clearly states, will be "spued out of His mouth." God tells us also in The Revelation not to forget our first love, or not to escape from the world (your first love). "Be in the world but not of it."

Therefore, do not push him too much, let him do what he can. Otherwise he has to choose between the two. You cannot have two masters, otherwise...(Matthew 6:24). Create understanding for the situation people are in. There will be few who will be 100% dedicated.

However, even those who are not 100% dedicated can do great things and can greatly help those who are 100% dedicated. So be patient with them. Give them Love, understanding, support, and let each manifest according to their capacity. Many small helps have greater power than a few large ones! May All become 100% dedicated to God and His Will. That is the way to enter His Kingdom.

God always incarnates Himself on earth to further human evolution. The Mission presents a middle path in all levels of human existence. It is most necessary in this time of human evolution: A time when humanity has two choices, to destroy themselves to utter nothingness or to transform themselves to true civilized beings, and bring about a harmonious and well-behaved society on earth to accelerate the progress of man to his highest.

Zen meditation and social work are all good and are a part of The Plan, but they are a small part. As you have well perceived, we need leaders who will pioneer the formation of the Communities of Light. These communities are the foundation of the Kingdom.

It was these Communities which also were formed by Krishna, the incarnation of God in India. It was also these Communities that Gautama Buddha called Sanga (Community) which are based on Daharma. It is the same idea presented by the twelve tribes of Israel, the early Christian communities, the same as the brotherhood of Moslems and their communities, etc. Therefore, it is not really a new idea, yet this time the idea is crystallized in Its highest form in The Greatest Sign and Maitreya’s teachings.

God is not something remote, up there, that we cannot approach. As your letter indicates, and someone there mentioned, "...Maitreya is one of the gods like Gautama. From her tone, she seems skeptical about Maitreya incarnating as human..." As Esa (Jesus) said, God is Spirit and we must worship Him in Spirit. The Spirit (God) incarnates Itself on earth anytime His Presence is necessary. This is revealed by Krishna, that "Whenever the Spiritual Understanding is faint, and morality weak, I will incarnate to guide man to Myself." (Bhagavad-Gita 4:7)

The spiritual understanding is indeed weak and morality is low now on earth. Many are following many gods, Gurus, teachers, etc, but know very little of the Spirit. Whoever knows the Spirit, knows God. It is so simple that many miss it. Also it is so simple that many Gurus and teachers would lose their position. That is why they have to make it so complicated that they can keep their disciples. Salvation comes not by these philosophies, but only by knowing the Spirit which is All and Everywhere.

Communities of Light will bring Harmony and Unity on earth and will help each individual to realize this Spirit or God. Therefore, this is the way to salvation, physically, mentally and spiritually.

If you think this group has potential to manifest something, that is great. It seems you understand them very well. Maybe everyone has to go through the old patterns first to see they will not work, then they might be ready for the New! This always has been a problem for a new and more progressive Ideal. Read about the founder of any great religion.

We are here to manifest the Love of Esa (Jesus) with the wisdom of Buddha, the practicality of Muhammad, the universality of Baha’i, and any other qualities of God which exist. Probably our path is more comprehensive and more difficult than any of them alone. But to struggle to understand and come close to God is the only endeavor which will yield a permanent result. If you ever progress (in the Spirit), be it a little, it will stay with you forever. Any other possession, be it physical or mental, has to be left behind.

Therefore, arise above all the trivialities of life, and raise the shield of righteousness and the gird of purity with the sword (Word) of the truth, even if the rest of the universe stays opposed to you. That is the Spirit of God (Holy Ghost) manifested through His servants. Be One with this Spirit.

Therefore, if it is believed that Esa (Jesus) died for our sins and we are forgiven by God, then we can forgive ourselves and start anew. But if we believe that we are forgiven and turn around and repeat the offensive actions, then we are fools.

God forgives your sins if you ask Him, no matter who you are, a Hindu, a Jew, a Christian, a Moslem, in the Mission of Maitreya (Divine), etc. But there is a condition, that you will not repeat it and will have learned the lesson!

The more people learn this and realize that God is All, the closer we will be(come) to perfection. Then we will not sin because there is no desire left to sin. There will be peace, because we do not separate ourselves by imaginary boundaries or different nations, races, etc. We will not discriminate against one another because we are all a part of God.

No one can die for anyone’s sin. The Gurus, Avatars, and Satgurus can take their disciples’ karma (sin) and Christ takes the karma of the world. That is why he accelerates the human consciousness as a whole. However, only by sacrifice () (which is the message of Esa’s ministry) can we create the Communities of Light () which is the message of the Old Testament. These were supposed to be formed by the Children of Light (Israelites).

Sacrifice is the true message of Esa (Jesus) The Christ.

This is also revealed in the Bhagavad-Gita, where Krishna states, "Whenever the righteousness is faint, and the unrighteousness rules...my Spirit arises on earth..." (B.G. 4:7). This Spirit (God) was raised as Esa (Jesus) The Christ, as it was raised many other times. Now again it has risen on earth to manifest our teachings.

The true name of the Christ has been preserved in a manuscript in a monastery in India. His name, as he appeared as a man 2000 years ago, was Isa or Esa. He is known by this name all through the East. He also has a Sacred Name, like the Sacred Name of His Father, which cannot be pronounced in the manifested world. In their corrupted form they are known as Y'shua or something similar (for the Son or the Christ) and Yahweh or something similar (for the Father).

The Hebrews knew that his Name and God’s Name could not be pronounced. That is why it was forbidden to utter the name of the Lord. Later on those who did utter His name were stoned. The reason was that His name is in heaven and cannot be pronounced on earth. The moment you utter it as an earthly sound, it loses its true sound and becomes corrupted. His name which intermingles with the name of the Son, creates what is known as The Word (Holy Name, etc). This is what is referred to as "...if you know my Name and my Son." Only those who know His Name and His Son’s Name know Him and will enter into heaven.

You refer to his name as Yohoshua. As it was explained, this is not his earthly name. The word Yahwehshua means Savior (Shua or Shalo) of God (Yahweh). It was the title for the Messiah. It is the corrupted form of The Word. The Word in Its purest form cannot be pronounced in earthly forms, be it by uttering it, or writing it, etc.

The Word, however, is always revealed to the Messiah. Esa knew It and healed many through It. So did Muhammad who talked about the Sacred Name of the Lord. So did Abram (Abraham), and whenever the Messiah comes, He knows It.

About the story of the crucifixion that you have portrayed: The most important thing is what the Messiah did and said, not how he died, who died in His place, if He died on the cross, or even if he was crucified, etc. These are all to divert the attention from the main issue: how we can become like Him!

We also can see great similarities between the teachings of Christ (Esa) and Krishna. They both came from the same Source, through the same Source! This all confirms the interconnectedness between all works of God and the Oneness of humanity in Him.

In the Christian world it is taken to refer only to Esa (Jesus). However, as the sentence says, it is "...the Lamb of God..." or the Messiah.

Remember for man it is impossible to overcome karma (sin). He/She is born carnal. The flesh is strong and the Spirit is weak (in most). That is why we are saved only by Grace. It is for this reason that God has to reincarnate Himself on earth as the expected Messiah (the Lamb of God) and take the sin of the world, and through His Grace man may be saved.

This sentence in the Bible is very much related to what Krishna reveals in the book the Bhagavad-Gita. In essence He says, "Whenever the righteousness is faint, and the unrighteousness rules...my Spirit arises on earth, and through Me man is saved [or brought back to the right path.]" (B.G. 4:7).

Yes, Christ or the Messiah takes the sin of the world. They are saying the truth when they say this. However, when they stay short of realizing that "the Lamb of God" comes again and again on earth, they narrow their view. When they do not recognize his other incarnations, they create separation. Narrowness of the mind and creating separation are from ignorance, and ignorance is the essence of suffering.

In answering your question, yes, Esa took the sin of man. However, his death on the cross had multiple purposes. It was prophesied that he would be crucified. It was a symbol of the lamb of God being sacrificed, so the practice of sacrificing lambs and other animals would be stopped. It was to fulfill the prophecies so The Grace of God could be released to humanity. Of course, because he took the sin of the world at that time, a part of his crucifixion can be taken as he paid for them.

The world has been pretty busy sinning since the crucifixion of Esa. He did not pay for the sins committed after him!

So what we are really doing by repenting is we forgive ourselves. God never condemned us. This forgiveness is the beginning of "being born again." The belief that "Christ died for our sins" really is the same as repentance. If he died for our sins then all our sins are forgiven, aren’t they? Then we are free to approach God.

This notion really is a spiritual crutch to get you over the hurdle of forgiving the self, purifying the Spirit and feeling close to God. Now if you go ahead and continue a sinful life, then you are not really repentant. God will withdraw His Grace even further.

If you had not repented and accepted that what you do is sin, then you were in ignorance. After repentance it is a recognition that you had done sin. By returning to it, it no longer can be looked upon lightly since you are not ignorant of your actions any longer.

That is why God sends His Prophets and that is the reason the Messiah comes. They tell people the ways of God. After they give the message to humanity and tell them the ways of God, humanity no longer has an excuse. They have been told the ways of the universe. Now if they continue to go against His ways, they will break themselves against Him.

Therefore, repentance and/or accepting that God forgives our sins is the beginning of purification. It is when a man is born from flesh to Spirit. However, after this cross-point, the fall will be harder than before. The higher you go, the greater will be the fall.

Be therefore strong in your resolution and be single-eyed in your focus. When your eyes are single, your whole body will be filled with Light. Then you surely go straight to the Father and nothing of this world will divert you from your journey!

Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo here is Christ, or there; believe it not, for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore, if they say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert, go not forth, behold, he is in the secret chambers, believe it not." (Matthew 24:23-26)

Remember Christ said, "...many shall come... and call themselves Christ, and deceive many..." Therefore, there is "the Christ" and there will be many who will call themselves "christs." There will be "The Greatest Sign" but many will bring "great signs" and "wonders."

To know the difference between "the Christ" and many "christs," and "The Greatest Sign" and "great signs" and "wonders," God has revealed the prophecies in many religions. Those who claim they are "christ" or bring "great signs" and "wonders" but have not fulfilled the prophecies are the false prophets.

We take your article as a cry from your Soul which wants to find the truth. That is why we wrote this, that it may help to answer this cry, and may the true meaning of God’s words be revealed to you and His Spirit (Holy Ghost) open your eyes to the truth.

Therefore, do not be attracted to what the world offers, physically, mentally or emotionally. And do not compare what the Mission does with what others have started. There has been a prophecy that this teaching will come. No prophecies have been fulfilled by the others.

Maya, its attraction, the desires, and those things that brainwash humans to be pulled to the external world, attract many people. Like unclean spirits, false prophets make many miracles ("spirits of devils, working miracles") which are eye-catching to material life. Now is the time of a battle between God Almighty’s servants or Saints, and the power of the attraction of Maya and the false prophets.

Tell that scientist that he is closer to God than he thinks. Indeed most scientists are! God is not dogmas in the dogmatic religions. He is the very science itself. He is what scientists, especially physicists, search for as the unified field in the universe.

Electricity is that element which carries intelligence. God or consciousness is everything including electricity and intelligence. Scientists also cannot define ether. Ether is that element which carries electricity and other subtler elements in the universe.

Indeed, most scientists are closer to God than many clergy and so called "religious people." However, the best instrument to realize God is our body (the temple of God). The scientists can come close to realizing there is Spirit. This will be intellectual realization of God, which is fine.

The Atlanteans were destroyed because they misused their scientific and spiritual knowledge for self-glorification instead of using it for spiritual growth. Whenever people misuse their God-given Blessings, they are replaced by others.

Astrology has its place but like many other things, it is not the ultimate truth. Whatever is not ultimate will not give you the ultimate answer.

33- What are the causes of my present sufferings? How can I cure them?

It depends on what kind of sufferings they are. Sufferings, like everything else, can be of three kinds. In this case they can be physical (tama), mental (raja) or spiritual. Of course all these levels are greatly interrelated to one another. However, in a limited sense, you can separate them from one another.

The cities will be lit, by Love’s illumination,

The cities will be built, by man’s determination,

We’ll walk the earth in God’s own light,

Through cities ablaze, both in day and at night,

And as we grow, we’ll make needed changes,

With Maitreya to guide us, as Love rearranges.