Levi H. Dowling - The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ

10. You have been born a slave; you have no rights, and you must be contented with your lot, for there is no release for you until you die and go from hence.

11. Now, after certain years the day of reckoning came; the nobleman called up his sons to render their accounts.

12. And when he knew that one, his eldest son, had seized the whole estate and made his brothers slaves,

13. He seized him, tore his priestly robes away and put him in a prison cell, where he was forced to stay until he had atoned for all the wrongs that he had done.

14. And then, as though they were but toys, he threw in air the throne and armor of the puppet king; he broke his sword, and put him in a prison cell.

15. And then he called his farmer son and asked him why he had not rescued from his galling chains his brother on the desert plains.

16. And when the son made answer not, the father took unto himself the flocks and herds, the fields and flowing wells,

17. And sent his farmer son to live out on the desert sands, until he had atoned for all the wrongs that he had done.

18. And then the father went and found his youngest son in cruel chains; with his own hands he broke the chains and bade his son to go in peace.

19. Now, when the sons had all paid up their debts they came again and stood before the bar of right.

20. They all had learned their lessons, learned them well; and then the father once again divided the estate.

21. He gave to each a share, and bade them recognize the law of equity and right, and live in peace.

22. And one, a sudras, spoke and said, May we who are but slaves, who are cut down like beasts to satisfy the whims of priests--may we have hope that one will come to break our chains and set us free?

23. And Jesus said, The Holy One has said, that all his children shall be free; and every soul is child of God.

24. The sudras shall be free as priest; the farmer shall walk hand in hand with king; for all the world will own the brotherhood of man.

25. O men, arise! be conscious of your powers, for he who wills need not remain a slave.

26. Just live as you would have your brother live; unfold each day as does the flower; for earth is yours, and heaven is yours, and God will bring you to your own.

27. And all the people cried, Show us the way that like the flower we may unfold and come unto our own.

Table of Contents

1. In all the cities of Orissa Jesus taught. At Katak, by the river side, he taught, and thousands of the people followed him.

2. One day a car of Jagannath was hauled along by scores of frenzied men, and Jesus said,

3. Behold, a form without a spirit passes by; a body with no soul; a temple with no altar fires.

4. This car of Krishna is an empty thing, for Krishna is not there.

5. This car is but an idol of a people drunk on wine of carnal things.

6. God lives not in the noise of tongues; there is no way to him from any idol shrine.

7. God's meeting place with man is in the heart, and in a still small voice he speaks; and he who hears is still.

8. And all the people said, Teach us to know the Holy One who speaks within the heart, God of the still small voice.

9. And Jesus said, The Holy Breath cannot be seen with mortal eyes; nor can men see the Spirits of the Holy;

10. But in their image man was made, and he who looks into the face of man, looks at the image of the God who speaks within.

11. And when man honors man he honors God, and what man does for man, he does for God.

12. And you must bear in mind that when man harms in thought, or word or deed another man, he does a wrong to God.

13. If you would serve the God who speaks within the heart, just serve your near of kin, and those that are no kin, the stranger at your gates, the foe who seeks to do you harm;

14. Assist the poor, and help the weak; do harm to none, and covet not what is not yours;

15. Then, with your tongue the Holy One will speak; and he will smile behind your tears, will light your countenance with joy, and fill your hearts with peace.

16. And then the people asked. To whom shall we bring gifts? Where shall we offer sacrifice?

17. And Jesus said, Our Father-God asks not for needless waste of plant, of grain, of dove, of lamb.

18. That which you burn on any shrine you throw away. No blessings can attend the one who takes the food from hungry mouths to be destroyed by fire.

19. When you would offer sacrifice unto our God, just take your gift of grain, or meat and lay it on the table of the poor.

20. From it an incense will arise to heaven, which will return to you with blessedness.

21. Tear down your idols; they can hear you not; turn all your sacrificial altars into fuel for the flames.

22. Make human hearts your altars, and burn your sacrifices with the fire of love.

23. And all the people were entranced, and would have worshiped Jesus as a God; but Jesus said,

24. I am your brother man just come to show the way to God; you shall not worship man; praise God, the Holy One.

Table of Contents

1. The fame of Jesus as a teacher spread through all the land, and people came from near and far to hear his words of truth.

2. At Behar, on the sacred river of the Brahms, he taught for many days.

3. And Ach, a wealthy man of Behar, made a feast in honor of his guest, and he invited every one to come.

4. And many came; among them thieves, extortioners, and courtesans. And Jesus sat with them and taught; but they who followed him were much aggrieved because he sat with thieves and courtesans.

5. And they upbraided him; they said, Rabboni, master of the wise, this day will be an evil day for you.

6. The news will spread that you consort with courtesans and thieves, and men will shun you as they shun an asp.

7. And Jesus answered them and said, A master never screens himself for sake of reputation or of fame.

8. These are but worthless baubles of the day; they rise and sink, like empty bottles on a stream; they are illusions and will pass away;

9. They are the indices to what the thoughtless think; they are the noise that people make; and shallow men judge merit by noise.

10. God and all master men judge men by what they are and not by what they seem to be; not by their reputation and their fame.

11. These courtesans and thieves are children of my Father-God; their souls are just as precious in his sight as yours, or of the Brahmic priests.

12. And they are working out the same life sums that you, who pride yourselves on your respectability and moral worth, are working out.

13. And some of them have solved much harder sums than you have solved, you men who look at them with scorn.

14. Yes, they are sinners, and confess their guilt, while you are guilty, but are shrewd enough to have polished coat to cover up your guilt.

15. Suppose you men who scorn these courtesans, these drunkards and these thieves, who know that you are pure in heart and life, that you are better far than they, stand forth that men may know just who you are.

16. The sin lies in the wish, in the desire, not in the act.

17. You covet other people's wealth; you look at charming forms, and deep within your hearts you lust for them.

18. Deceit you practice every day, and wish for gold, for honor and for fame, just for your selfish selves.

19. The man who covets is a thief, and she who lusts is courtesan. You who are none of these speak out.

20. Nobody spoke; the accusers held their peace.

21. And Jesus said, The proof this day is all against those who have accused.

22. The pure in heart do not accuse. The vile in heart who want to cover up their guilt with holy smoke of piety are ever loathing drunkard, thief and courtesan.