A Most Incredible Book: Science Of Being

Several days ago, a friend told me about a book called "Science of Being" by Eugene Fersen.  I read it the following night and I am in the process of reading it again.  Similar to The Kybalion in terms of exploring Hermetic Laws (Universal Laws) and their applications, I found it difficult to stop reading.  It's a milestone book for me.  Within its pages are powerful truths - secrets of the universe - which are expressed in a thoughtful and eloquent way.  Wonder abounds.  The way in which the material is explored and the information presented is methodical and easy to understand, complete with lesson reviews at the end of each of the book's seven lessons.  Practical application of the truths contained is also presented, as if the book was written with intention, personally for a friend.

Despite one's belief system, combinations or lack thereof, the author expresses fundamental universal truths in such a way that the overall teachings transcend any one particular spiritual discipline, and rightly so, just as a return to complete unity with Source or All That Is is beyond any belief system.  As penetrating as the material is, the underlying simplicity of the nature of the Universal Laws and their application is beauty in itself.  Not to negate faith in any way, but there is nothing to believe per se within the book, rather, to understand or "innerstand."

Conscious realization of The All is explored, as is vibration, emotions and how to simply focus Primal Energy that is flowing all around and through us constantly.  There are profound answers to questions that have obsessed and troubled humankind for thousands of years... why we're here, what it is we have to learn and how to practice same in order to ultimately unite once again in spirit with All That Is.  Anyone who is practicing raising their vibration and maintaining same in daily life knows that mindfulness is key to such practice.  This book gave me a nice, gentle boost in terms of mindfulness that I had not had prior to reading it.  It's just a couple of thoughts and a pause when the thoughts bubble up, but it has been recurring nicely at a frequency that causes me to connect with it many more times per day.

Also found within the book is a rather detailed description of the Great Fall from "Heaven," which eventually led to the world we find ourselves in today.  Despite years of theological studies in earlier years, this was a story that I had always wanted to hear in detail, and which is not found in modern Christian scripture to any extent, similar to details about what is only a fleeting mention within the Bible's Book of Genesis of the "Great Men of long ago," referring to angels taking human partners.  If that did happen, two different spiritual forms merging, in essence, it would be news or at least written about for future generations.  From my time reading about the Fall and the Great Men as a child, it had bothered me that such grand stories were not preserved in detail for everyone.

Reading about the Great Fall here aroused old suspicions that many of the older spiritual texts and contemporary translations we have today have been truncated, edited and censored, in order perpetuate control.  Imagine, for example, that the Star Wars trilogy was in fact a history of some species in a distant star system.  Technically, it was written based on the great myths of our planet, but let's just say for a moment that it took place somewhere.  Why would anyone reduce the story to a paragraph or two within widely available so-called holy books unless there was some agenda there?  I doubt anyone could begin to transfer the grand spectacle of a story so full of awe and wonder into a couple of paragraphs.

Source, All That Is, is revealed in a unique light in the story of the Great Fall and throughout the book, transcending any dogmatic boundaries with immeasurable love.  Fascinating.  Another mind-blowing element for me was the nature of Love versus Mind, embodied / personified in the Christ versus Luciferian energies in the Christian traditions.  During my Cosmic Initiation many months ago, this constant struggle and the need to overcome same was a central theme that I was shown from Source throughout the intense time, including the elements of falling due to mind (ego) in an historical sense, karma wheels created hence, spiritual warfare and Love's innate quality of just "being" that transcends Mind.  I believe that any seeker who reads this book with an open mind will find many treasures within its pages that they can take forward, providing perspective on life as well as methods to cultivate and maintain simple mindfulness that can lead to greater realization(s).

Born into Russian royalty, Baron Eugene Alexandrovich Fersen,wrote the book in 1923. The first run was printed in gold ink, which is made from gold leaf and honey.  It has been said that the original copies are embedded with magnetic healing vibrations by the author, who crafted the original books himself.  I've heard from the person who turned me on to the book that copies of the original printing have sold on Ebay for over $3000.  Fersen eventually moved to the United States and founded The Lightbearers Organization.  During his lifetime, he was associated with many of the world's most eminent teachers, scientists and philosophers.  You can read more about his life story on the Science of Being website.  The book, "Science of Being," is available through the same website as a PDF download for $12.98.

*photo from Science of Being [dot] com

~ Namaste. ~

The Lake Shrine

My awareness has continued to change over the past year, and it seems as though as time goes on, my awareness continues to change and shift at a faster rate, as if it's getting to be more expansive and accelerating while doing so.  A friend recently invited me to go to the Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades, California, which is the community that neighbors Santa Monica to the north, on LA's west side along the coast.  She gave no reference about the facility other than to say that she and other friends (some of whom I have met recently) often go to the Shrine to walk, meditate and enjoy the energy.  "It's beautiful.  You'll love it," said my friend.

After agreeing to go, I Googled the Shrine and was amazed to find out that it was started by Paramhansa Yogananda, who's "How To Be Happy All The Time" was a book that I had been using as a daily inspirational text for the previous two months.  I had purchased the book a few years prior, and it resurfaced after my move back in September and had been on the table next to my bed.  I had been reading it daily.  "A pleasant seeming coincidence," I first thought, which was followed by a "must-go" energy just because of the measure of same.  I had no idea that since my first two trips, days apart, that my awareness would change again, once during my first visit and again during the second, which is an awareness that is strong and I've managed to hold it since.

The Shrine is a fascinating place.  It's part of the Self-Realization Fellowship, which was founded by Yogananda.  There is a spiritual wishing well and a area that serves as a monument to the world's religions.  On the higher end of the grounds (it's spread up over a hill), there is a temple that holds weekly services and times of teaching. Territorially, it's not that large, but it contains both a beauty and an energy that is uncommon, at least to my experience.  I've spent a fair amount of time in nature, and I am easily awed with beauty.  That much has been true my whole life.  As a rebellious teenage punk in Greenwich Village around '81 or '82, I was taken by a friend to a shop for the first time that was then on 8th Street called Poster Mat.  As we walked around in the store, one particular laminated word collage poster caught my eye.  At the center of the word collage was the phrase, "Never lose your sense of wonder."  The rest of the poster had compelling words in different colors.

"That works for me," I thought, and I bought the poster.  It really resonated with me.  Many years later I was searching for something completely unrelated online and came across the author who was said to have originally coined the phrase that had become one of my mantras.  I don't recall his name at the moment.  I was going to say Dalton Trumbo (one of the original Hollywod Ten and an ultimately blacklisted author during the McCarthy era) but I don't think that's correct.  Perhaps it was a quote from Shel Silverstein, author of "The Giving Tree" and a man with many, many memorable quotes.  I know there's a band from England called Yeti who released a song by that name, but the saying is much older than that.  Words to live by wherever they came from.

Back to the Shrine.  This place is like a living diorama of the world in balance, at least that's what I was perceiving in terms of the energy that I felt there.  It's very powerful.  The Yogananda's teachings had already become a part of my daily practice by this point, and I considered it a real blessing when speaking with one of the staff members there who was kind enough to give us some of the history of the site.  Yogananda had a saying during his time here, "Whenever you think of me, there I will be," or words to that effect.  I couldn't help thinking about the seeming measure of coincidence after going through a few months of consulting "How To Be Happy..." on a daily basis.

When you look into who this being was, the people whom he affected and the nature of the Shrine and how it came to be, it's astounding.  The Beatles, in particular George Harrison, played a role in the development of the site, which was in its previous incarnation, according to the staff, a gravel pit.  The Yogananda had then been living in the LA area for some time and had the desire to construct such a place.  Without any physical effort, though only meditation, Yogananda placed himself within the mind of the gravel pit owner, repeatedly, over time.  Eventually the owner came to him in person, to which Yogananda replied, "What took you so long?"  and plans ensued for him to to secure the space for the Shrine from the then-current owner, whom I believe gave him the land or did so at a special price.  For me, this was a huge spiritual lesson.  If only I could do such things... if we all could... and if we could... surely the world would become a much more interesting place where unity could grow, instead of division.

I have since returned to the Shrine and taken some photos, which maybe at some point I'll put into a slideshow of some kind.  As I said, the energies there are very powerful.  I'm so glad my friend turned me on to the place and I hope to go there regularly.  I have since found that listening to George Harrison's "Dark Horse" album and its lyrics have taken on a whole other level of meaning, especially the song, "Give Me Love," which is a masterpiece.  My respect for George, which was already high, has hit all new heights as a result.  What an amazing individual.  It was also he (George) who financed Monty Python's "Life of Brian".  What fascinating person and bringer of good great things to the rest of us.  Without Python, my life would have been different.  They rewrote the concept of comedy on so many levels.  Harrison's insights into the human condition, which is found in the music he left behind, are profound and have such a delicate, true-feeling resonance to me, as if the universe itself was singing through him.  I'm so thankful that I haven't lost my sense of wonder.