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Philip-the-Apostle

Story-Parable on the Thirst for Truth

Paul finally got lost in the endless desert… All around him, there were sand dunes as far as the eye could see. The sandstorm was over. But that, which was the likeness of a road, had disappeared without a trace...

Now he understood how vain he was to not follow the advice to wait out the bad weather and start on the trip later.

It had seemed to him that a couple of hours of driving could not have promised danger. He had thought to himself:

“Why put off the departure for a few days, when I can just as easily get there today?...”

To repair the car — it was not possible...

... More than a week had already passed from that “today” of his departure. He spent three days near the broken and sand-covered car. Then he decided to go — to go, relying on the Will of God. His chances of survival — were already almost gone. There was no more water left. To even think about how stupid it was to spend the water, which was with him, was unbearable...

The path that he had to overcome during that day, seemed endless...

* * *

The desert — is always a desert... Modern civilization only pretends that it can affect the desert.

In the afternoon — there is exhausting heat, at night — there is piercing cold...

The cars and camels for tourists and travelers, the hotel with a hint of European comfort — all of this felt as if it belonged in another world.

... Mirages in the desert...

He considered stories of mirages as fiction. For he himself, as a famous writer, also wrote about them.

Now these “fictions” pursued him. How many times he saw as if a lake surrounded by trees — and walked out with the last of his strength to it...

He tried not to believe the mirages. But, nevertheless, he would go to where he imagined salvation. It was necessary to at least do something! To just sit and wait for death was not in his nature.

* * *

One evening he spoke to God: “If You want to take me out of here, do it right now! But if my life has meaning and is needed for You — show me the way of salvation!”

Paul did not even really know what God he was referring to. How much he has read in books!... And he himself has written about the beliefs and religions of many different nations...

But now — to Whom did he cry with all the soul?

He even almost laughed at this thought.

But the confidence that this is the only right way — strengthened in him: “There must be One Who is called the Heavenly Father, the Creator!...”.

Paul asked Him to show the way or end his life right now.

He did not insist. He just asked Him to give him an answer, a way out... into life or into death: “Let Him decide. If He exists, the Merciful and Almighty, — let me know the answer!”.

He went to sleep with the thought that he, most likely, would not wake up here in this world, in this desert.

... But, when the morning came, nothing had changed.

The cold night was replaced by the scorching heat...

He walked and walked, without hope, simply walking, losing his last strength from fatigue and from a thirst which was an endless as the desert.

* * *

Suddenly he saw footprints in the sand — the recent traces of human feet!

There was no one around. But this could not be a mirage: the tracks were here, at his feet, he could touch them with his hands!

Paul cried out, using all the last remnants of his strength.

The hoarse cry, escaping from his parched throat, seemed for him weak and miserable. He screamed again, calling for help to the person who had passed by here recently.

The desert answered him with silence.

He went on the trail of an unknown person. It was his last hope.

Paul tried to think about how God... had manifested Himself! He, Paul, had asked Him to show the way — and now he knows the direction!

It was getting dark, and Paul was not able to catch up with the unknown traveler.

Hope almost left him: in fact, to make out the footprints, which were increasingly being covered by sand in the dark, was no longer possible.

But another miracle happened: he saw a fire in the distance!

Paul strained with the last of his strength, repeating to himself, like a mantra, a phrase from some book about deserts that mirages do not happen at night.

The fire did not disappear.

* * *

Paul approached the fire in the infinitely thick darkness...

Finally, he entered the circle of light from the small campfire.

A man was sitting by the fire. He was not an Arab. He could be called European. He was dressed in light-colored clothes, with a woolen cape on top of them. If the former Paul, the one who could easily sneer over all people, had been here in his place — then that “old Paul” would say that this stranger was dressed in a costume like some kind of actor depicting a hermit in the desert in the days of the early Christians.

But now Paul was not in the mood for skepticism or irony.

The stranger nodded calmly to Paul in greeting and looked up at him with his quite amazing eyes, in which one could plunge — and seem to drown, disappear.

The man gestured to him to sit by the fire.

He pulled out from the folds of his clothing a clay bowl and handed it to Paul. The cup was suddenly filled with water...

Not quite knowing what happened, Paul said with dry lips:

“Can I drink it?”

“Yes, you may quench your thirst,” — the stranger’s voice was just as amazing as his eyes. The infinity of Peace itself seemed to sound in them... But Paul felt all this by only some part of himself, which this voice, coming from the depths of the unknown, raised here and enveloped him with the gentle presence of something mysterious...

... Paul remembered how one day he had wanted to interview a certain Indian who lived as a hermit in a mountain cave. Back then, he had spent a lot of effort to make a sensational report about the yoga of India. But the hermit did not answer his questions. He only said to Paul: “You’re not ready yet!” And then sang a single sound mantra... The way it sounded — it was the sound of the infinite Silence. It did not sound like the nasal chanting mantras of the “gurus” whom he had encountered in India at every step. Paul wrote something about this subject in his journal, but then for some reason, he almost forgot about this episode in the bustle and whirl of life...

The stranger’s voice was like that sound, but he said the most common of words.

... And now Paul... drank, and drank, and drank... He waited for all that water to deplete, but it did not end...

“You can stop for a while: the water will not end and will always be there when you need it,” — the stranger said with a smile.

Paul, with some difficulty, pulled away from the bowl and put it, still full, next to himself.

Then the stranger held out his hand to Paul, as if giving him something. Paul stared for a few seconds at the graceful palm, lit by the light of the fire, until he saw that bread was resting on the palm.

Bread — it suddenly appeared!... Or rather it could be said that the bread... had become visible...

Paul took the still warm hunk with his slightly trembling hands and thanked Him. The stranger nodded in response.

Fatigue and something else, like a thick transparent peace, enveloped Paul from all sides, and did not allow him to be surprised or frightened. Everything was... as if normal. It was as if every day he drank water from the bowl, which does not end, and ate materialized bread.

Then the Stranger offered Paul to rest.

“Can I ask You a question?”

“Ask”.

“Are You — a hallucination?”

“Yes, I thought that of all the questions you could have asked, you would ask exactly this!” — He laughed loudly and held out His hand to Paul, on which He had just materialized the bread, — so that Paul could touch it.

The hand was amazingly beautiful, with thin graceful fingers. The skin of the Stranger was covered with the smooth golden tan of a man with white skin, who spends much time in the sun. The Stranger was of the flesh, which could be touched.

“Yes, this body of Mine is a material reality right now,” — He confirmed. — “But there is also another Reality. And just because it is not material, does not mean that it is not Reality.

“But, it would be better if we talk about it tomorrow. Right now you are most in need of rest.”

Paul lay down by the fire. The Stranger covered him with the woolen cape as if it were a blanket.

Paul fell asleep almost instantly...

* * *

In the morning, upon opening his eyes, Paul tried to understand whether everything seen by him was a dream, or the fruits of thirst, hunger, exhaustion, and imagination — or, if it truly was a reality...

The amazing Stranger was in the same place.

He welcomed Paul in silence — with a slight smile and nod.

Paul greeted Him in English, and thought for a moment about what language they were speaking yesterday... From childhood, Paul was fluent both in English, and French, but recently English was closer to him, he also wrote his books in English.

“You ought to wash,” — said the Stranger in English.

“Or would you prefer to speak French?” — He said in French, speaking just as perfectly as He had done in English.

“I prefer English.

“But to wash... here — where?”

The Stranger held out His hand in the direction of a large stone. The stone with some tension and a sound like cotton being torn apart, suddenly split. From the resulting cracks, water started to flow.

Paul again was drinking, and drinking... Then he bathed with the cool clear water that flowed now in a small shallow basin near the stone. A small lake gradually formed…

“Your clothes can also be washed.”

Paul did as was said. He then laid his washed clothes out to dry on the stone from which the newborn source flowed.

* * *

Paul returned to the fire in the woolen cape of the Stranger.

Meanwhile, the Stranger laid out on a makeshift table made of pure linen — pieces of bread, nuts and fruits. As well as — bowls with water and juice.

Paul came up to this table. He turned to where he washed, checking: whether the marvelous source disappeared? But the stone with a stream of clear water, flowing out from it, was at the same place. Next to it, was a small lake. On the opposite bank — appearing as if from nowhere, antelopes were quenching their thirst. They were startled by the surprised look of Paul.

“Do not scare them, they want to drink. Sit down at the table, breakfast is ready. And then we can continue our conversation.”

Paul came and sat beside Him.

“How do You do all of this?”

“And how did Jesus feed thousands with a few loaves?”

“But that is a Christian legend...”

“But I thought that you are a Christian. You are even wearing a cross... Or is it — just: an ornament or amulet, like the Pagans wear, ‘to be on the safe side’, or to protect ‘from an evil eye’?”

“You’re almost right. Even though I was baptized as a child, I was not a very good Christian, I am still questioning many things and read the manuscripts of different nations about their ‘gods’ and beliefs...”

“Searching for Truth — is not a sin! Reading and learning — it makes sense! Even Jesus had spent years of His life for the cognition of the different faiths of different nations — before He began to preach the Truth.

“And your baptism — does not matter... Another Baptism should be taken by the soul!

“However, now — the meal.”

And He looked with an inviting gesture to the treats, arranged on the clean cloth...

Paul was absorbed in satisfying his hunger and thirst, and almost did not think about how wonderfully everything had changed since last night...

* * *

When the breakfast came to an end, the Stranger still remained silent. He did not eat much and ate slowly. Then Paul as if heard within himself the question:

“Did you want only to satisfy hunger and thirst — or did you need the continuation of your life for something more? Why would you like to live in this body: what do you want to know, understand, or make?”

The Stranger said slowly aloud the words that Paul had just heard inside himself-soul.

Paul thought. All his life, like a film strip on fast-forward, appeared in front of him to remind him of his childhood with radiant perception of beauty and goodness, studying at the institute, his growing skepticism, a career as a journalist and writer... His latest book — “Itineraries of a Lone Traveler” was a success... Then there was the fight for the circulation and quality, and a quarrel with the publisher... What did he want, when he wrote the book? Money, fame, the benefit of revealing something unknown for people? And are all his arguments about the secret teachings of ancient Egypt, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and the religious myths and legends of various nations even actually needed by anyone? All this seemed so important a few weeks ago. But now...

“Your next book could be more interesting. You now have the opportunity to ask about what is important to you and get answers. You may ask.”

“Who are You?”

“It is not the best question to start with. My name is Philip. The rest — you will learn gradually.”

The next question froze on the lips of Paul, and he did not dare to say it aloud: “Are You — the Apostle, Follower, and Disciple of Jesus? But how is this possible: that was two thousand years ago — and now... You are still alive?”

But Philip still answered this non-pronounced question — again as if by a voice that Paul heard inside. And then He repeated again what was said, slowly and quietly uttering the words:

“Why do you think that this is impossible? You yesterday were looking for a meeting with the One Who will reveal to you the Path to the true knowledge. I use the word Path, because it’s impossible to reveal the Truth to another soul directly, just as it is impossible to quench your thirst by giving a drink to another man instead of to yourself. Each person should discover the Eternal Truth for himself or herself. There can be only a little help in finding this Path by others.

“You aspired to God in the same way as how you, here in the desert, rushed for mirages. One mirage in life was replaced by another, but not one of them has brought you closer to the Truth. And a number of distractions pursued you from all sides so that you could get lost or even forget about the Goal.

“If lots of people follow each other in the same direction, it seems to them that they know where to go. But this is not always right...”

... Paul understood that the pronunciation of thoughts aloud was not necessary to communicate with Philip. But Philip was using it only as a confirmation: so that, in the mind of Paul, there would not be any doubts in the understanding of what he perceived as the answers.

Paul used to be very fond of the question on the possibility of telepathy, but he did not think it could be done so easily with himself.

Philip continued:

“Why do you think that the appearance in a resurrected body on the Earth after a large amount of time is not possible? You yourself believe in the reality of the resurrection of Jesus in a deified material body, right? You even wrote an entire article on the ‘Shroud of Turin’, which captures the negative of the bodily form of Jesus at the moment of dematerialization of His body. And you yourself argued that the One Who was able to dematerialize His body — could easily recreate the body again...

“Why do you think that He did not want to teach others to do the same?”

“And have You mastered this?”

“Yes, but not immediately.

“And now tell Me: who are you?”

... This common question caught Paul unawares: it seemed to him that Philip knew everything about him, and that He had even read his articles.

“My name is Paul,” — Paul decided to compete with Philip in brevity.

“Why are you, a person living on the planet Earth, here? Have you thought about this?”

“Yes, I have thought about this... I thought that we all are here to learn...”

“Good answer!”

“Yes, I was looking for the Truth! I expounded in my books all that I saw, learned, and considered to be significant. I also included into them my thoughts about what I saw, about the people I encountered, and about the legends that I heard...”

“What will happen with all your knowledge, when the body dies?”

“It will remain in my books... Perhaps this can help others in their search...”

“What do you think: have you lived before being born in this body? And will you live without a body after its death? And will you be born in a new body to continue to improve?”

“It’s not fair! You promised to answer my questions, but instead You shower me with questions whose answers I was looking for and did not find!”

“I help you to learn to find the right answers! I have only just begun!

“You read many times the right and wrong answers to these questions, but did not feel, did not recognize the Truth! You many times passed the Truth!

“All external knowledge is only the husk! It is possible to believe or not to believe... But this “belief” does not change anything in man!”

“Christianity rejects the knowledge on reincarnation. Hinduism...”

“And you yourself? I’m aware that you’re familiar with the modern doctrines of different directions of faith, including of those people who call themselves ‘Christians’. You read, too, the books of many other different nations... But I ask you: what do you think about this — you yourself?”

“I thought that it would be right for there to be a new incarnation — for one who made mistakes, ... for one who started to learn, but did not understand everything... I think it is more reasonable, than the eternal torment of hell or eternal bliss of paradise. The death of a baby, for example, does not seem logical to me: if its life was cut short, almost before it began... There must still be an opportunity for it!...”

“Perfect! Brilliant! You’re already making progress!”

“But people do not remember their past lives. And those minority, who argue that they recall, — cannot prove that this is not a fantasy. And the Bible and other books do not explain...”

“You just thought about the meaning of your life and the lives of other creatures, of the interconnectedness of souls, who come to the Earth, and about how God, if He exists, should be just, am I right?”

“Yes, You have well formulated my thoughts. I did not understand why various people so differently worship a Higher Power, God, claiming that only their faith is true, and that only “their God” indeed exists. But there are those who recognize a multitude of Gods or Saints...”

“You had wanted to receive an easy answer from the books. But you were looking from the outside. But the Truth must be found within.

“First, and you have already done this, — one needs to set a goal and look for it. There are so many of those who are not interested in the meaning of life, they just go with the flow, in accordance with their instincts and reflexes... But there are other people who are willing to spend a lifetime searching for the Truth!

“The second thing to do is to obtain direct cognition of the Truth through personal experience. The entrance to these states is inside of you.

“Jesus pointed the Path for approaching the Creator: ‘God is Love!’. That is, He can be cognized only by becoming soul-love by developing oneself as a spiritual heart.

“Krishna also taught about it: “Only love can contemplate Me in My Innermost Essence and merge with Me!”.

“To cognize oneself as the Atman and the Higher ‘I’, to cognize the Primordial Consciousness and to flow into Him — one has to become a developed and loving consciousness! Christians-Hesychasts believed that this stage — that is, the transformation of oneself-soul into the spiritual heart — is the most important.

“The knowledge that you get from the level of words, rather than on the basis of the experience of the soul, — remains external, superficial knowledge. It is only information for thinking, it is useful, but... But the Truth can be really cognized only through your own experience! This is the knowledge gained as states of consciousness in Union with the Creator.

“Initially, these moments are brief. But it is possible to reach the level of knowledge, about which Jesus said: ‘I and the Father are One’.”

“Have all the Apostles managed this?”

“Many. Some of Them — quickly, others took more incarnations.

“But not only Jesus and His disciples have cognized this.

“Those, Who have mastered the Mergence with the Primordial Universal Consciousness, the Great United We, Which is called by people for the sake of simplicity as God, — Those can draw knowledge directly from the Source of the Universal Love, Wisdom and Power, Which are now at Their disposal. All the knowledge, stored in the Absolute, is provided to Them upon request. And this is limited only by the ability and experience of that Consciousness, which perceives this Knowledge.”

“Do You mean to say that Those, Who have attained the Mergence, may also have restrictions?”

“I mean that the possibility to improve is boundless! This applies, too, to the Evolution and Life of the One, consisting of the Multitude.

“But for a person to start this Path, he or she needs to work hard.

“It is not possible to quickly replace one’s savage instincts by the Divine Awareness.

“Souls gradually climb the ladder of development: from the lower forms of consciousness — to the top. This evolution begins in the tiny droplets of consciousness, which grow, being fastened to the crystal lattices of minerals. Then these germs of souls grow, being connected with the plant’s and then animals’ bodies.

“Only man, who matured in a long series of incarnations, is able to improve himself or herself-soul — consciously. This is not just your first incarnation of looking for the Truth, and you now have real chances to succeed.

“You are a vegetarian. You chose this according to the conviction that man should not commit the murder of any innocent animal. This is — a serious first step on the Path of goodness.

“You are doing Hatha Yoga. However, you were doing this just as an exercise for your health. But even in this version, it has brought good results. The energies of your body are clean and are in a very good state, when compared to the average majority.

“You are prepared to try and take the higher stages of the spiritual Path. Do you want it?”

“Can there be any doubts? Yes!”

“To begin, you need to explore the intangible for usual vision, but very real structures of the organism: the chakras and meridians. They allow one to trace the relationships between the soul-jiva — and its material body.

* * *

Philip started training Paul.

He explained how it is possible to move the concentration of oneself-soul through the chakras and meridians. Paul really felt, how the state of the soul changes from simple immersion, for example, in the anahata chakra: peace and love becomes natural, and dominant thoughts disappear.

Paul devoted a few days to the clearing of these energy structures.

The second task was to learn to live as a spiritual heart. Here Paul had to work much longer: in fact, the habit of constantly thinking about something — accustoms one to life in the head chakras.

But Philip explained:

“It is necessary to master the continuous existence as a spiritual heart. It is the overriding basis for a correctly developing soul!

“The spiritual heart must become much more than the anahata chakra, located in the chest of the body, where the spiritual heart began to grow from.

“The ability to be a soul-love, which has become much larger than the tangible body size, fundamentally changes the status of the person. This is the first stage of the spiritual Path. Even just doing it — makes the achievement of paradise the natural state!

“And this step also opens the door to the secret world of the Divine Reality!

“The entire esoteric Path is needed for only mature and wise souls.

“But the ability to live as a soul-love — is suitable for every soul, it does not hurt anyone. It will bring all souls to the light and joy of life, even when the life of the body ends. And after the death of the body — it allows the soul to live in the blissful harmony of paradise!”

* * *

Paul now spent a lot of time in meditations, filling by the soul-love the space above the Earth’s surface.

The endless desert, which had once seemed to him to be such a ruthless and brutal place, now... gave him the opportunity to expand the spiritual heart more and more, covering the entire space.

His previous attempts to “meditate” — sitting cross-legged and concentrating in the head or eyebrows, now seemed like the funny game of a child who tries to show something, about which it does not know anything...

And Philip was gradually revealing to Paul the new horizons:

“Now you already have the understanding that you are a soul, not a body, endowed with a mind and with organs for communication with the outside material world. Now you have the opportunity to cognize also that God is also the Reality. I will help you to gain your first experience of direct perception of God.

“But for this it is necessary to feel the reality of life as a soul, without the limitations of perception, that overlap the material body.

“A soul, when incarnate, is connected with a body. This bond forms during embryonic development. Having been born in the material world, a person learns — through the body — to see, hear, feel, and think. A child begins to interact with the world of matter with the help of this tool — the material body.

“But the soul can do all the same things without having a body. It can see, hear, feel, and think in other planes of existence in the Absolute.

“There are enormous potentials to control matter from the Divine plan of life! But, for you, this is — the long perspective. Walking on water and materializing bread or water — this is only possible for the soul which has realized its Unity with the Primordial Consciousness, God! To do this, the soul, free from the limitations of matter, must learn to live and act in the subtlest layers of the Absolute.

“Not all the Divine Souls have reached the immortality of Their material bodies. Not many have mastered the full deification of Their bodies, like Jesus. And the body does not have to leave the material world in order to achieve the Mergence with the Creator.

“So, the main conclusion is this: an incarnate man-soul can communicate with God!

“Now, about — how.

“Let us return to our practical work. I promised you the experience of such interaction with God.

“To do this, the soul must be developed as a spiritual heart, that is, as love. If not — everything is confined by fantasy, and mental images created by the mind. This is the ‘stumbling block’, which has stopped very many beginners in their spiritual search.

“So, the most important step on the Path — is the development of the spiritual heart.

“Feel yourself in the anahata chakra completely, like in a room. Now open the front window — and clean the ‘room’ of all trash and shadows.

“Next, let your love, as a gentle light, shine and illuminate the space ahead! Just like how a spotlight or the headlights of the car at night illuminate the space in front of you — like this, the love of the soul can illuminate and caress the space and all the living in it! At first, illuminate just the space which is visible by the body’s eyes, and then farther and farther ahead...”

... Paul loved driving at night in a car on an empty road... And now he was very apt to feel the light that illuminates the space in front of him! It was as if the heart’s light was now illuminating his way through life!

Philip continued:

“Now, in the bodily primary abode of the spiritual heart — the anahata chakra — it is possible to turn back the face of the soul. You can open another window — into the space of the Divine Light.

“Try to look back from the anahata chakra — just like staring ahead... Do you see the Light?”

“Yes.”

“Come into that Light! Immerse yourself in It, as if in a vast Ocean! Dissolve in It, going as far as possible...

“Now try to look from the Light to that place where in the body you had lived before...

“And again — let it be only the Light!

“You were willing to take from God the experience of death of the body. Now — here is a part of this experience: the life in the Divine Light without feeling the body. If the body dies — then you... you remain! And you continue to live in the Light, being It, is it not?

“Being in this Light, you can feel It between the fingers of the hands of the soul.

“Or you can try to hug It — the Infinite — with your arms. This leads to a state of blissful joy, and delight!

“This Light consists of the mutually merged Consciousnesses of All Who Attained.

“You can perceive Their Desires and Intentions.

“Feel your arms of the consciousness! They — are huge and can be even bigger and bigger... They can touch everything by the fingertips or place any creature on the palms.

“In the Christian tradition, this Light is called the Holy Spirit, in Hinduism — Brahman.

“Merged with the Flow of this Light, flow by It through your material body and around it, then — from above — downwards, from below — upwards, from behind — forwards, from ahead — backwards. This is the flowing River of Divine Love! Learn to always feel yourself in Unity with this Divine Love!”

... Paul miraculously perceived himself in mergence with the Divine Light, and at the same time... his body was on the sand.

He was now a Part of this Light.

He now understood what he had read in the New Testament: one needs to go by the soul towards God-Spirit!

He was infinitely free and infinitely happy!

But this state did not last long: the fatigue of meditations forced him back into the body.

“Well, now you really have got the baptism in the Holy Spirit!” — Philip congratulated him. — “You can now be considered a real Christian!

“The process of gradual transformation of the soul into the Divine Light is called Enlightenment. And one, strengthened in the state of Divine Light, is called Enlightened.”

* * *

Between these meditations, Paul again felt like a prisoner of the body. And this saddened him.

Philip once replied to these thoughts, which were not expressed aloud:

“Not all at once! Even you — who already had significant spiritual experiences in your past lives — need time to get used to the new states of consciousness.

“You will need a long time to work on the extension-growth of yourself as a spiritual heart, and on the further purification of the structures inside the body and filling them with the Divine Light.

“Only when the complete substitution of the energies within your body by the Divine Light has been reached — will it be easy to live in this Light all the time. Then the Light will be your Home — the Home of the Soul. This Home does not have to be exited, despite the fact that the body is in the material world.”

... Philip showed to Paul every day more and more new methods of work on the expansion of the consciousness as love and replacing the energies in the body.

* * *

After a few days, one night, Philip asked Paul:

“Would you like to talk with Jesus?”

“With Jesus? Me?”

“What are you so puzzled about? You cannot decide? But you believe that Jesus can hear what people say to Him, right? And those, who recite prayers in the temples, do they also probably believe that they are heard by Him?

“Many people are crying out to Jesus. It is because they know more about Him: more than they do about the many Others, Who have also reached the state of Christ.

“All of Them and Each of Them may now be called the Holy Spirit.

“One can selectively appeal to Someone among Them.

“The Creator consists of this Sum of Perfect Ones!

“Their entry into the Creator is similar to the drops of water which flow into the ocean and become merged there with those drops that have flowed into the ocean before.

“These, the Perfect Ones compose the Great United We! Someone calls Him God-the-Father, someone — Tao, someone — Allah, but the difference is only in the words.

“The Divine Consciousness, called the Primordial, — this is the Multitude of the Divine Consciousnesses mutually merged into One!

“But Each of Them can act in the Creation, by coming out from Him. Just as a wave can rise above the ocean, while remaining an integral part of it, — so, too, can Those, Who have attained, manifest Themselves, remaining in the Unity with the Ocean of the Creator.

“So, would you like to talk with Jesus?”

“Yes!” — Paul said emphatically, understanding that, if he refuses, then he will never forgive himself for this.

Something from his journalistic past flashed as a strange thought: “I never thought that it would be possible to interview Jesus Himself!”

... A Light, similar to the rising sun, was approaching from the intangible depths. The Light came closer. In It, the image of Jesus began to appear.

And now — Jesus, the living Jesus!

He and Philip embraced...

Then Jesus went up at arm’s length to Paul. Paul tried to touch His clothes. Jesus was composed of Light, the body was not material.

Jesus said:

“It is not an illusion. This is the reality. Are you still not satisfied with the words of Philip, Who explained to you that the difference between matter and Light — is just a difference of the energy levels of subtlety?

“Why do you need My material body? In order to write a sensational report about a meeting with Jesus? So that everyone, who reads your book, will begin to seek a meeting with My materialized body?

“Well, look: My body may be material.”

Jesus condensed His body of Light and sat down next to Paul and Philip by the campfire. He continued:

“Miracles, in fact, do not change anything fundamental in human souls! However, I will be glad, if you write that for each person either praying in the temple, or bustling in a big store, or going by a train, or sailing on a ship — can stand, sit, and speak — and not notice that He, with Whom he or she is nearby, is Jesus. This has happened to Me many times among embodied people, and they did not recognize Me, did not hear Me...

“It would be nice, if everyone will know that by pushing someone with one’s elbows amid the bustle, he or she can alienate Jesus, without even noticing...

“Within all this time, people, too, have not learned to see in each person a brother or sister...

“If I come, as before, and begin to perform miracles — I certainly would be called a ‘false prophet’!

“But for those, who know Me, — they do not need My body, consisting of flesh.”

“But why did You come in the body then — 2000 years ago?”

“I was sent into this hell of suffering and misery in earthly life — to point out the medicine and antidotes against them. I did it, too, by presenting people the Teachings about the Path of Love!

“Among the darkness of ignorance, I kindled the Lamp of Truth. I have shown the ability to be only Love — even amidst the hatred and other abominations of human souls!

“I showed people the Path of Love! I spoke about the possibility of exit from hell — to the Light of the Creator, to cognition of Him and Mergence with Him!

“The Path of service to God — this is to go where things are bad, where you will be hated and killed... And one should be only the Pure Love, continuing to bring to people the Truth of God! Each of Those Who come from the Heavenly Father onto the Earth — demonstrates this by His or Her life!

“In words — everything is easier. But a Christ must live in this way — every day and hour, every minute of life on the Earth, not allowing the flame of the heart to be extinguished and without breaking the Сonsubstantiality with the Father!

“Are you ready to start this? After all, just for this our meeting was planned!”

“I do not know, if I can do it...?”

“You do not know this, until you try!”

“Tell me, did Your earthly life’s Feat help anyone? Was it necessary for people? For they have forgotten everything again!”

“My Teachings have helped many. People need to be aware of the Path to achieve the Oneness with the Creator!

“Those, who understood Me back then, — they went this Path. There were many of them. And there were many others, who just approached and then kept going their own way.

“Even when darkness thickens around and there is no hope that the Light will shine — in such times, it is only love that saves us from darkness and allows us to find a stable footing only in God!”

“And what about the so-called ‘Christianity’? The Crusades? The Inquisition? They do not fit Your description!”

“Any medicine, when used incorrectly, can become a poison...

“Even the most useful word or action, if it is not used properly or for evil intentions, — can bring about evil...

“I’m not talking about the distortions that were added intentionally by those who converted the Teachings of God — into a way to control people for the sake of themselves!

“Under the wrong application, force — can become violence, caution — can become cowardice, excessive concern — can become the suppression of development.

“Also, the belief in the existence of God can keep a person from doing evil. But the criminal leaders of religious movements make people, who have fallen under their influence, into perpetrators.

“Only the mastered love allows one to gain the Wisdom needed to distinguish between good and evil — at the level at which God distinguishes them.

“And everything is so simple!

“Everyone can now become My disciple — directly, without intermediaries!

“I would like you to tell people about it.

“And, to be My disciple, — one does not need to be close to My body!”

... Jesus dissolved His body’s image in the Light... and continued to speak. Paul easily understood Jesus, Who was now only Light-Love, Light-Tenderness. This understanding was more than just hearing the words.

In the Light, the voice of Jesus continued to sound:

“I am Omnipresent! I can be right now next to each man!

“Everyone can aspire to fulfill the principles of life, offered by God. This will be the true Christianity! Not only I, but many of Those Who have Attained will help such a person!

“Notice: now your mind is completely relaxed, and the silence has filled the spiritual heart!

“God can be perceived only by the developed spiritual heart. Only the soul that has become love can touch the Divine Consciousness, Which is Love. To this, I have called people ever since — by the words “God is Love!”.

“But this cannot be passed to anyone by means of only words!

“But you — give me a hug! My Light and Love — are waiting for you! I was long waiting for this moment! I love you!”

... There was only Jesus — the Blissful Light of God, Who immersed in Himself and dissolved in Himself...

The soft voice of Jesus continued:

“Try to feel that there are Many of Us here.

“Here is, in particular, Philip. You will now always be able to recognize Him. And it is not necessary for Him to be physically close to you — for you to continue to be trained.”

... The space of the Divine Light — the space of another reality of existence, stunning first by Its Tenderness, Beauty, Greatness, and Simplicity — it now was clearly perceived by Paul, because He was now in It and being It.

The ever-evolving Consciousness, the Divine United We — consists of the Sum of Perfect Consciousnesses. It does not know decay and death! But it is full of mature Wisdom and Omnipotence, fused with a gentle and caring Endearment of the Perfect Love!

* * *

The last day of the life of Paul and Philip in the middle of the desert had come.

Philip said:

“The time of our joint stay here is over. The stage of your training with the help of My material body is coming to an end. From now on, you can receive help and guidance for your growth without My presence on the plane of matter.

“Did you read about the meditation Cross? The fullness of this meditation, including the “Right” and “Left”, you are to cognize later.

“Now, before we leave, we have to do one more thing. In memory of our meeting, we can give to the desert a new oasis. And to be precise — to return the landscape that was here thousands of years ago.

“The water is already here. All that remains, is to sow the seeds.

“Take these seeds of dates and of some other plants that are able to take root here.”

... Paul and Philip walked around the newborn lake, throwing the seeds along the coast.

“Do you believe that here something will be able to grow? There is only sand here!” — Paul said.

“Where there is a source, life can always develop! Animals will come to the water, soon the first plants will germinate — and then the soil will be filled with power and allow other plants to germinate.

“You now also carry a source of the Truth.

“You will also need to work hard to ‘cultivate a field’ of yourself-consciousness, that is, to cognize the fullness of Mergence with God and to plant a ‘field’ with many seeds. You can grow yourself more and more, and help others to do the same. You can do it wherever you live and work. And God will harvest!

“That’s all! For our bodies — it’s time to leave.

“You have already started to learn to listen by the consciousness and understand God’s plans!

“The ability to communicate by the consciousness with the Divine Consciousnesses will help you never be without Divine Help and Advices. Not only Jesus and I have come into your life. All the Messengers of Light are always ready to help those who are turning to Them. Just call Me!”

... They embraced.

Then Philip went without looking back. A light breeze was covering His tracks with sand.

Paul filled the jar with water, folded the stock of provisions, left to him by Philip, and went to people...

Three days later, he came up to where ordinary human life was in full swing.

And he did not have any tangible evidence of all that had happened to him, in addition to that surprising fact that he was still alive.