Gold of God

Not far below the surface of an English field a precious treasure lay hidden for centuries.  It is valued in the millions of dollars, but to archeologists the real value is the precsious history it reveals. The Anglo-Saxon artifacts, are so significant that experts believe that they will re-define perceptions of Anglo-Saxon England. Terry Herbert, an unemployed 55 year old, unearthed this unprecedented discovery using a metal detector in a farmer’s field in Staffordshire. This astonishing find includes intricately designed helmet crests embossed with a frieze of running animals, enamel-studded sword fittings and a checkerboard piece inlaid with garnets and gold. Of particular interest are the crosses and other religious artifacts mixed in with the military items, which might shed new light on the relationship between Christianity and warfare among the Anglo-Saxons—in particular a large cross that might have been carried into battle. One of the many mysteries of this discovery is a strip of gold with five gold snakes bearing a crudely written and misspelled Biblical inscription in Latin—“Rise up, O Lord, and may thy enemies be dispersed and those who hate thee be driven from thy face,” reads the biblical inscription.

Jesus says, “You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?” 
(Matthew 23:17)  Jesus was never interested in things of this world that only offer fleeting moments of happiness.  He realized that there is a far greater gold not made of metal that is eternal and offers lasting happiness.  The person who possesses this unlimited gold of God is never in conflict experiencing the most profound fulfillment, demonstrating the most sublime love for everyone even for enemies.  As he points out if you stare at the temple, you are blind to the gold that the temple is made of and if you stare at the gold you are blind to the source of the gold—that which is eternal, that which is sacred. If you stare at Jesus you are blind to what he is always showing you.  This Anglo-Saxon treasure reveals the intertwining of war and religion.  It serves to blatantly demonstrate that throughout the centuries there has been, and still is, a gross misunderstanding of what Jesus teaches.  There are many mysteries surrounding this newly discovered treasure, but the most important of which has yet to be discussed. How can the mystery of this discovery help you understand the teaching of Jesus on an even deeper level?

Jesus says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21) I have pointed this out numerous times and still there is misunderstanding of this core message and profound teaching. Look around you. What is there in the world that is permanent?  What lasts? What does not change?  How can things that are always changing offer any lasting happiness and fulfillment?

The mystery of the Anglo-Saxon treasure offers you an opportunity to contemplate the deepest meaning of life. The people who buried the treasure are no longer here—there identity remains a mystery—no one knows where they lived or where or if they are buried. The gold remains, but who wore these gold rings, carried the crosses, and wore the intricately designed helmet crests?  What happened to the people who buried the treasure? More importantly what was present when this treasure was being buried and is still present right now?  What would Jesus say about this newly discovered treasure?

This blog throws down the gauntlet, challenging you to not take my word for it, but instead to deeply inquire for yourself. People who read this blog are ready to hear the deepest Truth—The truth that offers lasting fulfillment. I am not teaching you anything—I am saying look, deeply look, where Jesus is pointing.  Where is He pointing?  Jesus reveals, “Where your treasure is there will your heart be also.”  Have you looked deeply within your own heart? What do you discover?  What are you aware of when you let your attention fall deep within?

Jesus continues, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is single, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money].” (Matthew 6:22-24)  How do your eyes become single? How do they become evil?  What is deeper than ideas of God and Money?  How can you best serve God? How does your body fill with light?  What is the nature of Light?

Jesus says, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.” (Matthew 23:25-26) What is the source of greed and self-indulgence? How does greed happen does it just happen or is there a sequence of thoughts and beliefs that leads to greed?  What are the beliefs that need to be held in your consciousness in order for greed to arise? Is Jesus talking about a cup or something far more pristine, more sacred?  How do you clean this cup?

Greed is an action that arises from the deep desire to survive.  The extent of the actions of greed can be something as small as not sharing your birthday cake with the rest of your family to something as egregious as the unabashed greed demonstrated by Bernie Madoff who stole an estimated fifty billion dollars of investor’s money to enable him to live an outlandishly lavish lifestyle. The key to understanding greed is understanding thought and more importantly understanding ego—the fundamental idea ‘I am my body.’

Greed is self-indulgent, it lives in the idea of me and mine, and the need to protect me and mine. But, and this is a big but, your body will one day die and all the money you have gathered to protect you will do nothing to change this fundamental truth.  Thoughts do absolutely nothing to prevent death. Jesus explains, “One’s life does not consist of the abundance of your possessions…. And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Luke 12: 15, Luke 12:25)

Where do your thoughts arise from?  You have to be careful and really examine where they really arise from, especially the most fundamental and primal thought—the source of the ego—or the thought ‘I’ or ‘I am me.’  If you point to yourself where do you point?  Everyone who is identifying themselves, whether they are German or Japanese, or French or English, or Christian, or Muslim, points to exactly the same place—their own Heart!  Check it out and see for yourself—If you our pointing to yourself where are you pointing?!

If you look closely at where the ‘I’ thought arises you will discover the source of all thought. So if the cup that Jesus is referring to is your own heart; how do you clean it?  How do you stop the thoughts that continuously swirl around your in your mind?  It is so simple it will make you laugh.  You know how to stop talking right? Okay, that is exactly how you stop the thoughts in your head, just exactly like you stop talking on the outside is exactly how you stop talking on the inside—you simply stop talking to yourself! Wow!

Stop. Be still. Be quiet. Do nothing, absolutely nothing, for just a moment and let your mind be still. Don’t worry about today, yesterday, or tomorrow, or what you are going to do or what you are going to pray for.  Simply, very simply—clean your cup—be still and stop talking on the outside and the inside.  What is it that you discover in the stillness, in the vast silence of your own Heart?

Jesus says to Pilate, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” And Pilate asks, “What is the Truth?” And Jesus remains Silent.  (John 18:37-38) Many think that he never answered Pilate’s question—if you look deeply within your heart you will see that he did—Really deeply directly he answered by being Silent! Who is it that hears before the sound? Are you not silent before all thoughts before all sound?

Jesus illuminates, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 19:19) Differences between people only exist in thoughts that come and go. Everyone is silence at the core. Everyone is the most sublime never ending unchanging silent Love at the core.  In discovering the truth of this for yourself you can discover true fulfillment.

Jesus is asking you to directly discover who you are at the core and in that discovery discover who everyone is at the core—Love! Once you know that you are love—how deeply, how directly can you Love? Isn’t Love the eternal Gold of God?

How will you demonstrate the vast Silent Love that you are today?