Cause of Evil & Ignorance - Three Causes of Human Spiritual Blindness

When we pose the question as to why there is evil in the world -- why does bad things happen to seemingly good people -- we will remain in ignorance about the realities of life so long as we fail to understand our own lower animal nature.   Yesterday I made a post on FB about the levels of instruction that a person can receive -- and I based this post on quotations taken from the subheading:  Animals That Walk In The Form Of Man http://AnInconvenientTruth.org#WalkInFormOfMan .  The fact that mankind is the Fourth Kingdom -- and the balance between the lower three earthly kingdoms and the upper three spiritual kingdoms -- means that man has the capacity to be a beast or a saint -- depending upon which of his natures control him.  Quoting from the foregoing link:

Animals That Walk In The Form Of Man:  There is truly great wisdom in the Gospel of Thomas teachings: (5) Jesus said, "Recognize what is in your sight, and that which is hidden from you will become plain to you..." -- the degree that this is true beyond organic man's very limited perceptive-vision and imagination, is a demonstration of his blindness to man's true reality.   In the acknowledgement in the foregoing that Paul portrayed the organic "natural"people of this world as being of an "animal-soul" level of consciousness, few people can even begin to envision the reality of what Paul's words convey -- which confirms the statement in the 88th chapter of The Gospel Of The Nazirenes where Jesus states: "Love you one another and all the creatures of God, Yet I say to you, not all are men, who are in the form of man..." (see  Organic Man Ruled Over By His Lower Animal Nature).   As explained in the foregoing link, mankind being of the Fourth Kingdom, has the lower three earthly kingdoms (mineral, vegetable and animal) within him -- and the evolutionary condition of these lower three kingdoms can and does not only intimately affect and often control our lives -- but in accordance with their condition, inhibits both our behavior and ability to understand all things.  

While there are many references to man being ruled over by his lower animal nature at the foregoing link, from the perspective of being able to receive and comprehend the spiritual meaning of the scriptures, and the higher reality of the Soul and the Mysteries of the Kingdom, there is a statement in the Gospel of Philip that explains this incomprehensible reality -- i.e., "A householder acquired everything— whether son or slave or cattle or dog or swine, whether wheat or barley or straw or hay or [bones] or meat (or) acorns. Yet he (was) wise and knew the food of each [one]. Before the sons he indeed set bread with [olive-oil and meat; before] the slaves he set castor-oil with grain; and before the cattle [he set barley] with straw and hay; to the dogs he cast bones; yet before [the swine] he threw acorns and crusts of bread. So it is with the Disciple of God— if he is wise, he is perceptive about the Discipleship. The bodily forms will not deceive him, but rather he will observe the disposition of the soul of each one in order to speak with him. In the world there are many animals made in human form— these he is accustomed to recognize. To the swine indeed he will throw acorns; yet to the cattle he will cast barley with straw and hay; to the dogs he will cast bones; to the slaves he will give the elementary; to the Sons he will present the perfect".     

What is presented is both the level of consciousness that rules over the people, and the type of instruction and knowledge in the form of food that can be provided to them in accord with their Condition of Mind.   When Paul stated that he could only provide the Christians who he had taught the "elementary" quasi-historical teachings of "Christ and him crucified", what he was stating was that they could only comprehend the allegorical symbols of the Gospel designed for "babes" in Christ.   Which provokes the question: What level of teachings can be conveyed to Christians who have yet to travail in TheWay and transform their lower animal nature?  In the above verses of the Gospel of Philip, the Householder who is portrayed as being wise, is cognizant of the ruling-consciousness of others as seen in the statement: "...The bodily forms will not deceive him, but rather he will observe the disposition of the soul of each one in order to speak  with him. In the world there are many animals made in human form— these he is accustomed to recognize".   While each person appears to be in human form, the wise man will not be deceived, and will understand that in the case of the vast majority of people, their lower animal nature will so rule over their thinking and life, that they will factually be beasts who walk in the form of man -- existing at various levels in the Soul's attempt to be fully born into the Kingdom of Man (see Entering The Kingdom of Man).   But it is also important to recognize that the animals presented in the above quotation from the Gospel of Philip only portrays those animal-natures of people who are associated with the believer-community -- and not those outside the body of believers.   Quoting from http://SoulSelf.org : When Jesus therefore portrays some people as dogs, this is because they are ruled over by what the consciousness of the dog manifests in both the Divine Mind and the Soul-Mind -- that is ruling over the person who can be likened to the qualities personified in a dog.  And this is also true of all the animals of nature -- each impressed with a fragmented consciousness of the whole of the animal kingdom.  But it is important to recognize that in the same way that on one level the animal consciousness appears to be independent, on another level is it intimately connected -- both to God, our Higher Soul-Self, as well as our own consciousness.  And there are people who can look at a person's (undressed) body, and see the faces of the animals that comprise that person's lower nature.  And the ability to actually release the lower animal nature and consciousness to accomplish tasks for the person, is an integral part of the ancient Hawaiian religion of Huna -- as well as other indigenous religions that were more in tune with man's lower nature. 

A wise man understands that every day he encounters people who are the ravenous beasts who walk the earth in human form.  Lions, tigers, bears, snakes and every type of predator.   Men prone to extreme violence and suffering perpetrated upon the unaware peoples of the earth.   Which means that an important aspect of the question as to why there is evil in the world?   Each Soul exists at greatly varying stages of evolution of mind and spirit (see The Evolving Soul) -- and there are countless cultures and philosophies that support the lower animal-nature of the people to manifest and rule over the consciousness of the society.   While the whole of the animal kingdom is represented in the lower nature of mankind, the portrayal of dogs, swine, cattle and sheep apply only to the community of faith-based believers.   And thus, in accord with the "animal-soul" level of consciousness of each believer, the Householder in the Gospel of Philip provides quasi-human people instruction and knowledge as presented in the allegorical food -- i.e.,   "...To the swine indeed he will throw acorns; yet to the cattle he will cast barley with straw and hay; to the dogs he will cast bones; to the slaves he will give the elementary; to the Sons he will present the perfect".   

Those people whose consciousness can be portrayed as that of a swine, are those who seek God only when they are in need -- and instead of change, they remain immersed in the thinking and lifestyle of this world -- dwelling in the muck and mire of life.   These people can only be provided allegorical instruction in the form of seeds as personified in the acorn.   Seeds can be defined as allegorical instruction that under the right conditions, may eventually begin to evolve and grow sometime in the future.   And to those people whose minds are ruled over by the consciousness of a swine Jesus warned: "...do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces" (Matt 7:6).   When the  Dominican friar Giordanio Bruno told the people the truth, the authorities of the Church imprisoned him, and eventually burnt him on the stake (see Spiritually Based Religion) -- as swine who turned upon Bruno for conveying to the people truth that opposed the man-made dogma of the Roman Church. 

Those portrayed as cattle can be given "...barley with straw and hay".  There were no sheep in Egypt, but Pharaoh made the Children of Israel "rulers" over his cattle.  Cattle represent physical strength, which like all the powers of man on the natural plane, must be spiritualized.  The faculties of mind, having come down into a more material state of consciousness (Egypt), take dominion over and lift up the animal thoughts and tendencies in the body and unify them with Spirit.     "To the dogs he will cast bones -- i.e., that which is drawn from the death of slain beasts.   The spiritual meaning of the Gospels and the esoteric knowledge of TheWay could not be given to those people whose lower animal nature can be portrayed as dogs and swine -- i.e., "Never give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs. Otherwise, they will trample them with their feet and then turn around and attack you" (Mat 7:6 ISV).   Of the meaning of this passage, Gill's Exposition of the Bible states: "Here the phrase is used in a metaphorical sense; and is generally understood of not delivering or communicating the holy word of God, and the truths of the Gospel, comparable to pearls, or the ordinances of it, to persons notoriously vile and sinful: to men, who being violent and furious persecutors, and impudent blasphemers, are compared to 'dogs'; or to such, who are scandalously vile, impure in their lives and conversations, and are therefore compared to  swine"   And this commandment not to reveal the esoteric knowledge of the Gospel is confirmed in the Homilies of Peter's disciple Clement were Peter is quoted as stating: “We remember that our Lord and teacher, as commanding, said to us, guard the mysteries for me, and the sons of my house. Wherefore also he explained to his disciples, privately, the mysteries of the kingdoms of the heavens.”   With respect to dogs: They will take food (knowledge) from any hand that feeds them --  wherein, the Children of the Kingdom are commanded to seek only The True Prophet.   Dogs will eat their own vomit.   Thus, those people whose consciousness can be portrayed as a dog, are consumed with the faux-knowledge of this world, and are incapable of comprehending what is Holy.  Of those people whose consciousness can be portrayed as dogs and swine the Apostle Peter stated: "Of them the proverbs are true: 'A dog returns to its vomit, and, A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud'" (2 Peter 2:22).  

The teaching in the Gospel of Philip then states that "...to the slaves he will give the elementary" -- i.e., while one portrayed as a slave is immersed in spiritual work or service, their immature thoughts and consciousness remains in the bondage of a servant, slave or faith-based worshiper.   Of those who have travailed in TheWay and have become children of the Kingdom, the above translation states  "...to the Sons he will present the perfect".   In the alternate translation   it is stated that "To the slaves he will give only the elementary lessons, to the children he will give the complete instruction".   Only the Children of the Kingdom who have transformed and overcome their lower animal nature -- overcome all inner division which enables them to be nourished by the Life-Giving Fruit of the Tree of Life -- are able to receive and comprehend with Wholeness the "complete instruction" directly from The True Prophet.    

Of Slaves And Sons Of The Kingdom: The reality portrayed in the above as "..."the slaves [who receive] only the elementary lessons [versus] the children [who receive] the complete instruction".   A similar realty with respect to the spiritual condition and level of believers is presented by the Church Father Origen where he observes this same great truth being conveyed in an early Christian scripture known as the Shepherd of Hermas, and he writes: “Hermas is commanded to write two little books, and afterwards to announce to the presbyters of the Church what he learned from the Spirit. For these are the words that are written: 'And you will write,' he says, 'two books; and you will give the one to Clement, and the other to Grapte. And let Grapte admonish the widows and orphans, and let Clement send through all the cities which are abroad, while you will announce to the presbyters of the Church.' Grapte, accordingly, who is commanded to admonish the orphans and widows, is the pure understanding of the letter itself; by which those youthful minds are admonished, who have not yet deserved to have God as their Father, and are on that account styled orphans. They, again, are the widows, who have withdrawn themselves from the unjust man, to whom they had been united contrary to law; but who have remained widows, because they have not yet advanced to the stage of being joined to a heavenly Bridegroom. Clement, moreover, is ordered to send into those cities which are abroad what is written to those individuals who already are withdrawing from the letter -- as if the meaning were to those souls who, being built up by this means, have begun to rise above the cares of the body and the desires of the flesh; while he himself, who had learned from the Holy Spirit, is commanded to announce, not by letter nor by book, but by the living voice, to the presbyters of the Church of Christ, i.e., to those who possess a mature faculty of wisdom, capable of receiving spiritual teaching”.

When James, the brother of Jesus writes that: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27 NIV), he is not saying that pure religion is to look after the wives and children of those whose husband and father has died.   Widows and orphans are those believers who are still carnal in nature.   It is these believers who see only the letter -- or body -- of the scriptures, of which Origen writes whose “youthful minds are admonished, who have not yet deserved to have God as their Father [not yet Children of the Kingdom], and are on that account styled orphans”.   With regard to widows Origen writes: “They, again, are the widows, who have withdrawn themselves from the unjust man, to whom they had been united contrary to law; but who have remained widows, because they have not yet advanced to the stage of being joined to a heavenly Bridegroom”.   The unjust man is the citizen of the far country in the parable of the prodigal son -- i.e., the god of this world. Thus, widows and orphans do not represent widows and orphans in accordance with our understanding of these terms, but rather they represent stages of spiritual growth.   Moreover, because of our modern politically correct mindset where the Bible is at time viewed as sexist, in these words we must perceive that the term widows is used with respect to both men and women.   We can never get a right sense of either the scriptures, or life, until we begin to realize that all of us are reflective with respect to our soul, and therefore we are often rightfully portrayed in the feminine gender.

In the words of James: Pure religion consecrated by the Father is for the disciple to be of the spirit, minister to the orphans and widows, while keeping oneself “unspotted from the world” (KJV).   Unspotted denotes that condition where one has absolutely no part of the world, with the exception of ones manifestation as a spiritual presence.   It is these unspotted individuals who are those who have been reborn into the spirit, and have totally manifested the Light of Christ in their lives.  Widows and orphans see only the body of the scriptures, and are yet carnal believers who the Apostle Paul describes as the Christians of the simple faith.   We can see the next stage of development in Origen's words as he describes those who are more mature: “Clement, moreover, is ordered to send into those cities which are abroad what is written to those individuals who already are withdrawing from the letter -- as if the meaning were to those souls who, being built up by this means, have begun to rise above the cares of the body and the desires of the flesh”.   Those who are abroad are the people who have transversed the sea of spiritual cleansing, and have risen above the “cares of the body and the desires of the flesh”.   It is these men and women who have consecrated their lives in the pursuit of Truth, that will see the mind of the scriptures in their quest to walk in TheWay.

With regard to the more mature in Christ, Origen writes of Hermas: “…while he himself, who had learned from the Holy Spirit, is commanded to announce, not by letter nor by book, but by the living voice, to the presbyters of the Church of Christ, i.e., to those who possess a mature faculty of wisdom, capable of receiving spiritual teaching”.   The name Hermas means the “messenger” -- thus it is only the spiritual Christians who have overcome their lower animal natures, and have become true Children of the Kingdom, are able to hear the Shepherd -- or in the Shepherd of Hermas, the Living voice of the Indwelling Logos.   Clement means merciful -- and it is only those who are themselves walking in TheWay, who receive the mercy of the Lord.   The widows and orphans -- or those believers who remain of the flesh and see only the letter of the scriptures and the exoteric doctrine or good news of the Christ -- must spiritually mature in order to begin to receive from the Lord, perceive the Gospel of God, and enter the Kingdom.   As stated in the above, those who are ruled over by their lower animal natures are blind to both the spiritual meaning of the scriptures, and the higher reality of the Soul and the Mysteries of the Kingdom. 

To understand the above one must understand the three causes of blindness that the Gospels note in the statement (quoting from Soul-Evolution - Reincarnation And Soul-Development http://OriginalGospel.Ebionite.com#SoulEvolution ):  

"Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'" (John 9:1-2).  A reality that the modern Christians does not at all understand it the fact that the Gospels portray three reasons for people being born blind from birth -- i.e., (1) the sins committed in the Soul's previous lives; (2) the sins committed by the parents; (3) and the inherent blindness as a condition of organic "natural" man -- as personified in the words: "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the... glorious inheritance in the saints" (Eph 1:18).  And it is this all-consuming blindness that plagues both Christians and all of mankind today.  

Why is Organic Man born blind?  In the parable of the prodigal son, mankind is presently dwelling in what is personified as the Far Country -- and having squandered away your inheritance on "riotous living", you presently dwell under the control of the of the Citizen or Consciousness of the earth -- unable to recall when you dwelt in the Kingdom with your Heavenly Father -- and having squandered away your inheritance on "riotous living", you aimlessly wander in this, the Far Country, as a victim of Spiritual Amnesia who is unable to recall your divine origin.   And as a victim of Spiritual Amnesia, you have been struck with blindness due to one or more of the three inherent human conditions.   What is the cause of this inherent human condition of blindness?  The answer is lack of Wholeness -- as stated in the Gospel account of Jesus in the words: "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Mark 2:17).  Which means that the Gospels were created in order to restore the amnesic and blind person you are in this world, to a condition of Wholeness that restores your True Self. 

When you intervene in the life of a person struck with amnesia, you don't attempt to reprogram them -- but rather, you present to them various catalysts that connect with their inner self in order to restore the memory of their former self (seeThe Gospels Embody The Principles Of Anamnesis).  And when rightly understood, this restoral of the True Self is the primary purpose of the Gospels.  To read the scriptures as if they were historical accounts, would be to program the person's thinking.   In contradistinction, to present to the reader a universal set of allegorical symbols and parabolic accounts that possess the ability to act as catalysts which connect the person you are in this world with your forgotten True Self, has the capacity to restore the memory of the lost, wandering, blind prodigal son who has been afflicted with amnesia -- and no longer able to recall their True Self.  And to bring about this intervention in the life of the lost prodigal son/daughter, the allegorical and parabolic scriptural accounts are composed with a seemingly historical facade that conveys important elementary concepts that are intermixed in the allegorical accounts and symbolism to create the proper foundation to bring about the restoration of their forgotten True Self.   The purpose of the scriptures is therefore not to teach you -- but rather, to restore you to the True Being that you are.   

In the recognition of the quasi-historical facade of the literal text of the scriptures, Paul portrayed the historical interpretation of the scriptures as the "letter that killeth [and] Jewish folktales" (see 2 Cor 3:6; Titus 1:14).  Why would Paul portray the scriptures in this manner?  Because the literal accounts are part of the quasi-historical facade that serves as a cover for the spiritual meaning that lies, layer upon layer, beneath the garb of the written text.  And in recognition of the elementary teachings of the literal text, Paul portrayed the teachings of Jesus and him crucified as the "milk" intended for immature believers who he portrayed as "babes in Christ" -- i.e., "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.  I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal" (1 Cor 3:1-3 NKJ) -- which "milk" the Church Father Origen portrays the physical resurrection as being designed  "...for the simpleminded and for the ears of the common crowd who are led on to live better lives by their belief.”  The fact that being a baptized and confirmed Christian did not open the mind and the eyes to the higher spiritual truths of the Gospel -- as in the statement of Paul: "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the... riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints" (Eph 1:18).  And because of the people's inherent human blindness that limited their perceptive-understanding, Jesus could only speak to the people in the enigma of parables: "And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples" (Mark 4:33-34) -- even saying to his disciples: “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding” (Mark 4:11-12 NIV).  Why were the people "...ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding”?  Because the undeveloped organic human condition causes them to be born blind to their own higher Soul and Spiritual Reality.