COMMUNION WITH THE ABSOLUTE

This book is dedicated to showing how it is possible for an ordinary person, to attain communion with God. The early saints referred to this as a taste of “paradise” or sainthood, while here on earth.

There is nothing more important than for us to try to reach communion with God. While focusing on the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament, many have not recognized the new commandments of Christ and their “hidden” meaning; instructing us in the way to communion with God.

The New Testament instructs us to focus on the spiritual aspects, instead of on the “world,” and provides us new commandments; among which love and forgiveness is central: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another” (John 13,31) and …”forgive and you shall be forgiven” (Luke 6.37).

What is often not recognized, however, is that these new commandments are also necessary conditions for us to achieve communion with the Absolute God.

St Maximus writes, “The law of the first Testament purifies our nature of all filth by active love of wisdom; but the law of the New Testament, by the hidden guidance of contemplation, leads the mind away from the material toward the immaterial aspect of things akin to it”(5). The early Christian mystics knew this well, and reaching this state was equated with reaching sainthood, being born again in spirit, and “becoming part of Christ,” who said “The kingdom of heaven is within you” (Luke 17:21). In fact, the “kingdom of heaven” has been synonymous with “spiritual knowledge,” here on Earth, for the early saints (3).

Having lost the zeal and understanding of this call to spiritual transfiguration practiced by the early Christians, humanity focused on the “rational” and scientific aspects of knowledge and understanding. Yet, this scientific kind of knowledge can never be complete, as we will discuss in the subsequent chapters; and the yearning of the soul for spiritual knowledge seems to be implanted in all of us.

Ironically, this accounts for the growing interest in various forms of mysticism, eastern religious practices, meditation, yoga and even witchcraft, and other forms of “magic;” as most are unaware of the mystical-spiritual heritage passed on to us by the early Christian saints.

We predict that this millennium will see unprecedented interest and progress in humanity’s spiritual understanding. This humble work is meant to point out a helpful initial path.

We take the reader on a journey by the straight forward, yet “narrow way.” We discuss the preparation of body, mind and spirit; enlisting, as appropriate, help from the latest relevant scientific findings.

After presenting the practical steps, one must take for communion with the Absolute God, we provide a short scientific context, with references for further reading. This is done both to motivate the reader, and help in one’s understanding of how science is starting to confirm what the early saints knew from personal experience. Scientific understanding can also complement and aid in our spiritual quest.

Our work culminates with the directions on spiritual training from the early Church Fathers. The goal is nothing less than to achieve the knowledge of the saints while living in today’s world.