God, Gods, “gods”, and the Spiritual Path
Vladimir Antonov, Ph.D. (in biology)
Translated from Russian
by Vladimir Antonov.
I had the opportunity — under the guidance of the Holy Spirits, Who are our Divine Teachers, — to create many books and video lectures, talking about God, the meaning of our lives, and its optimal realization [2-20, etc.]. I undertook this article, to describe the same in laconic form and summarize all the previously said.
About the Word God
The word God has different meanings.
The most important of them — God in the Aspect of the Primordial Consciousness, also called the Creator, God-the-Father, Ishvara, Allah, Tao etc. in different languages. When we say “God”, we mean, first of all, this meaning of the word.
But God is also the Absolute: Unified Universal Multidimensional Macro-organisms that makes up the Oneness of the Creator and His Creation. It is really multidimensional; it may be discovered directly by the developed human consciousness.
People name by the word God also an individualized incarnate Representative of the Creator — Christ, Messiah, Avatar.
As much as the previous, it is appropriate to denote by the word God every Holy Spirit — non-incarnate Representative of the Creator.
But we, at the same time, must understand that each of Them is only a Part of the One. And Everyone of the Holy Spirits is consubstantial to Him by the quality of the Consciousness.
God in the Aspect of the Absolute is universal and infinite in size. He is One and United.
Equally Great is the Creator, Who represents the most subtle Part of the Universal Consciousness. He is One and United as well.
The Holy Spirits exist in the Primordial Consciousness in Their aggregate and interpenetrational state. But They can issue from this state to perform the Will of the One.
All the above is not a hypothesis, nor a religious fantasy, but really cognizable Reality, which is cognized by us.
The Path to a full knowledge of this Reality is laid and presented by us. Everyone can try to go by this Path — by that part of it, which is enough for one’s desire and power. If you have not full success in reaching the end of this Path in this life — you will have an excellent base for further progress in the next incarnation.
... However, it happens that people begin to worship false “gods” — real or fanciful personages. It characterizes the level of intellectual development of those people. Though they have adult bodies, they continue to play children's games: in this case — “in religion”. Don’t despise and condemn them for this: they are — in their psychogenesis (development of the soul) — simply not yet mature for the adult's attitude to God.
The most striking examples of such “deification”, in my opinion, is Hindu Ganesh (a man with an elephant head) and the accepted in countries of “European culture” image of God-the-Father as an old man on a cloud, the right of which Jesus sits.
But the Primordial has no form, such as bodies of humans or animals. He is — in size — infinite Ocean of the Universal Consciousness. And sitting on the right (or on any other) side of the Infinite — no way!
As for Jesus, He is not terrible and formidable Judge, as it is believed by very many. But He is the Kind Love, Which we have to learn from Him!
He is Light-Fiery and manifests Himself in a relationships with a worthy incarnate people — as the Divine Love-Tenderness, Love-Care.
The same can be said about any of the Holy Spirits. They have become the Holy exclusively because They had mastered these qualities and developed them in Themselves.
What Does God Need from Us?
Most people do not think about why God needs us, why He has created us.
The behavior of such people in the religious field is reduced to the tediousness of prayers to God: they ask Him about the earthly well-being, about forgiveness of sins, the salvation from hell...
They are not yet able to accommodate by the mind, for example, that we are particles of the God-Absolute and live in His Universal Body — having a certain degree of autonomy like the mobile cells of our material bodies. And our embodiments are intended for us to realize all possibilities for reaching the spiritual Perfection — by cleansing and development of ourselves, cognition of God in the whole of His fullness, and through helping others in this.
Reasonable people can understand that common (in many religious directions) prayer practices, mostly, only deflect believers from the Creator, inspiring in them the separateness from Him. While it would be right — fully dash to Him by minds and emotions of love! Just this could allow cognition of Him, to learn directly from the Holy Spirits, to prepare ourselves for Mergence with the Primordial.
He created His Creation for all beings, embodied by Him in the material world, to grow gradually as souls — so that we in the end, after a number of human incarnations, achieve the spiritual Perfection and flow into Him to enrich Him.
But this knowledge, I repeat, can be accommodated by only those who have already achieved the adequate level of personal development in their psychogenesis.
So, we might try to understand that God does not need human prayers. And He, as a rule, does not react to them. (A rare exception — those situations, in which miracles are created to strengthen the people's faith in the existence of God).
And the prayers offered to believers in bad “prayer books” are intensively stultifying followers of such sects; forming depressions, feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, doom for the coming torment in hell... But the “shepherds” of those sects will urge and compel their followers to “pray” more and more... If the followers improve themselves and not “pray” — such sects will be unnecessary, and “shepherds” themselves lose their offerings from “believers”.
About the Quality of Souls
Our main quality that effectively lets us advance on the spiritual Path is a developed intellect.
Those, who have not it yet, are not able to distinguish the lie — and the truth, the evil — and the good.
Such grotesque religious perversions as the “holy inquisition” or “external jihad”, which so massively sent and send their adepts to hell, were consolidating and are consolidating less-developed intellectually and ethically people.
Their “religion” often involves hatred towards those who are not of my nationality, speak in other languages, have different from mine color of skin, adhere to other religious beliefs. Such people do not show diligence in mastering the art of psychic self-regulation, do not want to abandon their primitive egocentrism, their own coarse emotional states and other customary for them evil manifestations. They consider as the norm and true religious virtue — their self-affirmation in the violence against others, self-admiration...
They also will not cultivate refinement of consciousness, humility, will not develop themselves as the spiritual hearts and do everything possible to bring together — in love — with the Primordial...
On the contrary, these villains will, in particular, hate and persecute the true spiritual zealots... Due to such existence, they find hell for themselves.
But the true spiritual seekers, who sustain with honor those tests, become worthy for the greatest support from the Creator. Their bliss of communion with Him will grow as far as they are closer to Him in quality of consciousnesses.
... Only those who already have outgrown the intellectual and ethical primitivism, are able to accommodate the truth that it is a crime — before God — to hurt and kill peaceful people and animals, even to harm plants in vain. And those, who did not accept this principle in their lives, will not be able to achieve success on the spiritual Path.
About Repentance
Repentance... Without it, it is hardly possible to quickly get rid of the mental qualities called malformations. But... here the truth is hidden from the people by lies as well!
It is significant to break away from the stereotype of thinking that our ethical mistakes (sins) can be forgiven by religious pastors or God. Such mechanisms as “the remission of sins” in reality do not exist!
For God, it is important that we learn not to sin, to get rid of the very ability for ethically wrong emotions, thoughts, words and deeds! Only such a soul can be called pure and therefore worthy of approaching the Creator!
But it is difficult to attain such purity without mastering the art of psychic self-regulation and without the development of oneself as the spiritual heart.
But then, the necessary information is described in our books and shown in the films (see the list at the end). Everyone can — on the basis of acquaintance with these materials — make for oneself the personal plan for self-improvement and consistently master its stages.
What is Sin?
Our sins are ethically significant mistakes.
Sins are the manifestations of mental properties named vices.
People sin by means of bodily actions, words, thoughts, and negative emotions.
Do we know, by the way, that our emotions create energy fields influencing other beings?
The emotions of tender love, being born in the spiritual heart, not only are able to stabilize oneself in the correct state, but can really help those beings to which they are directed.
But emotions of the opposite kind — anger, hatred, sadness, melancholy, despair — can cause destructive effects not only on oneself but also on other people, animals, and even plants.
Therefore, one should learn to live in a light state of soul — even under adverse conditions — not to harm others and not to spoil one’s own destiny (karma).
There are many excellent Commandments of God intended to help us in our ethical cleansing. Especially vividly Jesus Christ and Sathya Sai Baba talked about this [12-14].
The most comprehensive and understandable, in my opinion, the main Precept Sathya Sai Baba outlined: Try even not to grieve anyone! (But do not apply this, of course, to attacking of aggressive primitives of different species).
But a lot of people, though they proud of their “righteousness” but behave in the opposite way.
For example, I remember the aggressive Orthodox old woman who screamed every day under the windows of the city-house where I lived — at drivers of cars, who stopped at the crossroads in front of a red traffic light: “Why are you fuming here?! Breathing is impossible because of you! Is it impossible to go on other streets?!”. She flooded the space around with hatred and, at the same time, was sure that she is doing a good deed...
She attended on Sundays the Orthodox temple — to relax after that, her “righteous work”...
One day, I asked her, did she read the New Testament? It turned out, no. Then I told her about the essence of the Teachings of Jesus Christ, that God is Love — and we, too, are commanded by God to learn to be love, also — that people of hatred go to hell, but to be worthy of the paradise, it is necessary to develop the emotional love. To do this — learn to be the spiritual heart and perceive the world from it! The essence of the Teachings of Jesus is in this!
A few days later, I met her radically transformed: no longer hatred, a happy smile beamed on her face! In response to my greeting — she began to thank me, embraced, and even kissed!
It would be wonderful, if in all the temples on our planet this so simple and meaningful Teaching of God be preached!
Soon that old lady (she was already more than 80) disembodied. On hearing this, I was happy, assessing the situation as a whole: I was in time to help her to get rid of hell!
... In the early years, I conducted popular trainings for physicians and all others, who wanted to learn to cleanse bioenergetical structures of organisms and to develop the spiritual heart. Successful students not only acquired the true happiness for the first time in their lives, received the first experience of the touch of Holy Spirits, but also cured many diseases, against which medicine was powerless. [7]
... One more example: another Orthodox old woman complained to me: “I’m sinning the whole of my life! And now — as well!”. But it turned out that under “sin” she knew only sexuality... But of theft — she did not refuse... She did not consider this ability to steal — as a vice...
She also often “went to church”, but there no one explained to her about sins and repentance...
... Let's look at the topic of sexuality in more details.
God has put sexuality in us — as a way to not only reproduce, but also for socialization, for growth of emotions of tender love, care, self-giving to loved ones. These are those properties that He wants to see in us — developed to the highest degree!
But... aggressive primitives, being themselves incapable of such an attitude to others, seeing in sexuality only (as in themselves) vicious passionate egocentricity, began to demand restrictions of it and announced it as sinful.
Desecration of the sexual aspect of love was carried out by well-known religious organizations, but it was taken from them also by the secular morality of many societies.
... I am convinced that the fight should not be against sexuality in general, but let the battle be against the ethical perversions attenuating it.
One example — the attitude to “adultery”. They are, according to the “current opinion”, the manifestations of lust (egocentric sexual passion). But I never heard from anyone that these sexual “treasons” may be for the opposite reason: because of the altruistic desire to help another person in need of sexual aid. Who in such situations “sins”: one who is “unfaithful” — or the jealous-spouse? (For more details on the topic of jealousy — see [19]).
... Decades ago, when there were no modern highly effective contraceptives in pharmacies, almost exclusively lutenurinum — vaginal foaming tablets were sold. (Meaning was that the spermatozoids get lost in a variety of foam bubbles and does not get to the egg cell). So, the wife of a young couple complained to me: my husband threw the pills, he said that he “needs a wife, not a fire extinguisher!”
But what was the reason to become married with such a man?
... There is much talk about the dangers of abortions, even the feasibility of a comprehensive ban. And there are countries where this ban already exists.
Yes, there is no doubt that abortions are harmful and undesirable. But who is guilty of the occurrence of unwanted pregnancies? Those unfortunate women? Or those immoral men, who inseminated them — against their will?
I am convinced that not those women who are in trouble must be penalized, but those really guilty men. And an even greater extent — those who oppose the teaching of sexological knowledge in schools.
I also believe that only very wicked people are able to demand the ban of abortion in cases of ectopic pregnancies, or, for example, schoolgirls who were raped by peers. Pregnancy and birth of a child in school age can cripple the rest of the woman’s life!
Is abortion a murder? Yes. But this is not the murder of a human being, but (in early stages of pregnancy) of a material germ of a future human body.
I'm not advocating abortion by these words. But let’s understand that God will find, by all means, another opportunity to bring every soul into another body!
... I had a chance to watch the “post-mortem” life of Seraphim of Sarov. He spent it in his self-made intangible chapel in the woods, praying on knees in front of the also immaterial icons of the Virgin Mary. Badgers lived in their “badger town” near this place. The chapel was located inside the large — about two hundred meters in diameter — soul of Mary-the Mother of Jesus, in her favorite spot in the pine forest, on the former Finnish lands.
But — the time for Seraphim to incarnate again has come. Such attempts were in the Russian cities Torzhok, then Tver. But those women had abortions!
At first, I was interested to observe the dynamics of this situation, but then, after about two years, it was erased from my perception: he, finally, had success to incarnate!
Why do I inform about this? To illustrate that God is not shocked by abortions! God has all the opportunities needed for the adequate embodiment of every soul!
And I have not seen any grief from Seraphim as well.
... In actuality, an honorable man can easily prevent unwanted pregnancies of his beloved woman. This is — the way “for all occasions”. It is necessary, just, to make ejaculation out of the vagina! And then — not to start a new sexual intercourse without washing the urethra with urine and having washed his penis of the remaining spermatozoids.
And man has the right to perform the natural insemination only after clearly expressed consent to do so from the woman. I believe that it is — an important criterion for evaluating the ethic state of every concrete man.
It is elementary, simple!
But selfish sex passion overshadows the minds... And such sex exposes a serious ethical flaw that creates karmic consequences! Actual sins — here they are! But not abortions!
... In Russia, after 1917, Ulyanov-Lenin and his associates began to create a youth organization — the Young Communist League (in Russian — Komsomol). Its basis was proclaimed as the total sexual freedom. In particular, girls were not allowed to refuse the guys in cases of sexual suggestions from them. The punishment for such “offenses” was expulsion from the Komsomol!
The organization has grown rapidly... But... suddenly… pregnancies began to appear… and children began to birth... Adult organizers did not think about this in advance...
About one million children were born in the country during the wave of this campaign... The government did not wish to feed them and educate... Therefore, it was decided to urgently reorientate Komsomol: from total sex — into the political struggle.
... Unwanted pregnancies, venereal diseases — it always accompanies a “sexual emancipation”, which is devoided of a spiritual component.
What is the correct decision? It is in widely informing people about the knowledge which we now speak: knowledge both of sexology and spirituality.
As for the fighters against contraception and abortions, it would be better if they spent their energy on their own ethical cleaning! As evident from the violent forcibility, typical for many of them, their existence in hell is well guaranteed!
Subtling the Consciousness
Absolute is really multidimensional. His multidimensionality is cognizable by developed human consciousness.
The spatial dimensions (eons, lokas) are differentiated by the level of coarseness — subtlety.
Primordial Consciousness is the most subtle in comparison with all other versions of the energy of consciousness.
Holy Spirits, originating from the Primordial, are the same as well, but They, to become visible for Their incarnate disciples, can condense a bit for a time.
At the opposite end of the scale of subtlety — roughness, there is hell: the “rubbish heap” of the Evolution. Hell is the abode of souls, which accustomed themselves during life in material bodies — to emotional roughness. (Let’s understand that emotions are the states of souls, consciousnesses).
Paradise is the abode for subtle emotionally souls.
Those, who strengthened themselves in paradise states, may gradually grow further — to the states of Divinity.
If we talk about the same in terms of the Bhagavad-Gita [4.12], the Path to God runs through the stage of sattva — purity in the emotional states and thoughts, in ethics and in the understanding of the laws of the spiritual growth.
I emphasize that Jesus taught His followers to live in emotional tenderness, without condemnation, in forgiveness, humility [12-14].
... What characterizes truly attained Holiness? The main criterion is the refinement of consciousness. So, it is very simply possible to distinguish the true Holy Persons — from impostors. Other criteria — ethical perfection, size of the Consciousness and Mergence with the Primordial.
Paradise Souls are refined, they look as an intangible light. This light fills the bodies of those who have reached paradise and are currently embodied.
But to attain the Divinity, it needs to be really big, huge Light-Fiery Consciousness, millions of times greater than the size of our material bodies. And the capacity of individual consciousnesses is proportional to their sizes.
The correct quantitative growth of consciousness is realized only through the development of oneself as a spiritual heart.
Thanks to this work of self-improvement, one finds, in particular, deliverance from physical illnesses, also obtains the natural stay outside of the material body, omnipresence, real knowledge of own immortality, the spiritual capacity to help worthy others, regardless of the distance. And what else is much more important — God becomes cognized and Mergence with Him is acquired.
What do you think: is it exemplary to go by this way?
Recommended Literature
1. Akinfiev I.Y. — Vegetarianism from Biological Standpoint. Ekaterinoslav, 1914 (in Russian).
2. Antonov V.V. (ed.) — God Speaks. Textbook of Religion. “Polus”, Saint Petersburg, 2002 (in Russian).
3. Antonov V.V. (ed.) — Spiritual Heart: Path to the Creator (Poems-Meditations and Revelations). “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2007 (in Russian).
4. Antonov V.V. — The Bhagavad Gita with Commentaries. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
5. Antonov V.V. (ed.) — Tao Te Ching. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
6. Antonov V.V. — Spiritual Heart — Religion of Unity. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
7. Antonov V.V. — How God Can Be Cognized. Autobiography of a Scientist Who Studied God. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
8. Antonov V.V. (ed.) — How God Can Be Cognized. Book 2. Autobiographies of God’s Disciples. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
9. Antonov V.V. — Sexology: Development and Regulation of the Reproductive Function. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
10. Antonov V.V. (ed.) — Forest Lectures on the Highest Yoga. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
11. Antonov V.V. (ed.) — Spiritual Work with Children. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
12. Antonov V.V. (ed.) — Classics of Spiritual Philosophy and the Present. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
13. Antonov V.V. — Ecopsychology. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
14. Antonov V.V. — The Original Teachings of Jesus Christ. “New Atlanteans”, 2013.
15. Antonov V.V. — Life for God. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2014.
16. Antonov V.V — Anatomy of God. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2014.
17. Antonov V.V — “Bubbles of Perception”. “New Atlanteans”, 2015.
18. Antonov V.V. — God-Centrism. “New Atlanteans”, 2015 (in Russian).
19. Antonov V.V. — To Understand God. “New Atlanteans”, 2016 (in Russian).
20. Antonov V.V., Zubkova A.B. — Taoism. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2013.
21. Harmony through Vegetarianism. “Society for Vedic Culture”, Saint Petersburg, 1996 (in Russian).
22. Zubkova A.B. — Story about Princess Nesmeyana and Ivan. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2007.
23. Zubkova A.B. — Divine Parables. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
24. Zubkova A.B. — Dialogues with Pythagoras. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
25. Zubkova A.B. — Dobrynya. Bylinas. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
26. Zubkova A.B. (comp.) — Book of the Born in the Light. Revelations of the Divine Atlanteans. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
27. Zubkova A.B. — Parables of Lao Tse. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2011.
28. Zubkova A.B. — Divine Stories of Slavic Lands. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2013.
29. Zubkova A.B. — Parables about the Elder Zosima. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2013.
30. Zubkova A.B. — Story about Knyaz Dmitry and Volhva. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2013.
31. Zubkova A.B. — Sufi Parables. “New Atlanteans”, 2014.
32. Zubkova A.B. — Lessons of Pythagoras. “New Atlanteans”, 2016.
33. Zubkova A.B. — Fairy Tales of Kindness, “New Atlanteans”, 2016.
34. Zubkova A.B. — Saga of Odin. “New Atlanteans”, 2016.
35. Panova V.F., Vahtin YU.B. — Life of Muhammad. Moscow, “Politisdat”, 1990 (in Russian).
36. Spalding B. — Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East. “DeVorss & Co”, 1924.
37. Tatyana M. — On the Other Side of the Material World. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2012.
38. Teplyy A.B. (comp.) — Book of the Warrior of Spirit. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
