The Twelfth Insight: The Hour Of Decision Part 10

As he talked, I could feel Adjar softening. He, too, knew none of us had a choice. If there was a way to gain some kind of influence over people stuck in this kind of ideology, who were capable of doing such incredible damage, we had to at least try.

"I once believed," Adjar continued, "that this world was doomed, and I, too, wished for the coming of the Divine so as to bring about an ideal world to replace it. So I joined the Apocalyptics. But this group has now decided to use all violence necessary to protect their plan and provoke a total war, and that is why I had to leave them. When I escaped from them, I also experienced a Breakthrough that changed everything for me."

He looked openly at Hira for the first time, and I could sense her recalling more of her Breakthrough experience as well.

"It is the same with me," she said. "The coming of the Divine must happen. And humans must help somehow. But the end times should not be pushed to occur through violence. I had to reject the way of the Apocalyptics as well."

Suddenly, I remembered something. For some reason, the talk about G.o.d intervening to save the world brought back the mysterious point of Connection I had experienced on Secret Mountain. The memory flooded back into my mind. During the inflow of love and euphoria, I had experienced a point, or source, from which the love seemed to be flowing. I had even experienced a flash of knowing that the end times Prophecies had another meaning, not yet understood.

"The Doc.u.ment says," Wil offered, "that a template group can't go forward unless all the members realize it is their true mission to be involved."

There was silence as we looked at one another, or, as was the case in the low light, at one another's forms-and maybe at one another's spirits. Slowly, I realized we were all beginning to come together again. I could feel it in the exact same way I could feel it on Secret Mountain. And Tommy and Adjar were natural additions.

I looked over at Wolf. Were these Hopis so smart they knew how to help move us back toward Connection ... with a fire?

What ensued was a round of mutual self-revealing, where each of us described how our spiritual journey had brought us to this moment, and to our preferred religious tradition. Adjar told us he was schooled as a Muslim and in the past few years had become interested in the Prophecy of the Islamic Messiah figure, the Twelfth Imam. And Hira, who had lived all her life in Israel, said she was most interested in the Jewish utopia that would be created after the arrival of their expected Messiah.

Then came Rachel, who said she was Christian in her belief, but she had studied end times prophecies as well, especially the Rapture-the idea that all believers would be lifted up in a spiritual body and protected from Armageddon. She found it meaningful that most traditions have some ideal of a Rapture-like event in their own Prophecies.

Tommy spoke up next, looking slightly nervous. He glanced at Grandmother and then said he represented the Native peoples' tradition, as he had studied the Mayan Prophecy and grew up with both Hopi and Yaqui influences. During his vision quest last year, he, too, had been given a Breakthrough experience. Now he was most fascinated by the Mayan Calendar. This Calendar could also be described, he told us, as itself an end-times prophecy, because it called for an end of a stage in creation and the beginning of something more ideal.

"According to the Maya," he said, "we will enter a time when enlightenment is more readily available, but it will not be imposed. We must realize that the quest shared by all those alive today is to access the unknown part of ourselves from which this consciousness springs."

I couldn't believe my ears. I, like so many others, had intuited that the Calendar was pointing to something new in history. And here was a young man professing to understand it who was saying the same thing. As he talked, I began to feel that understanding the Calendar would be a big part of the coming Integrations, especially the Twelfth.

With Tommy, all the major traditions were covered, except for Eastern religions. Everyone looked around.

"I've always leaned toward the Eastern path," Wil abruptly said. He then gave us a clear summary of his life, one of a driven search for a practical understanding of spiritual consciousness.

Now there was silence again as all eyes moved to Coleman. He told us generally about his life and his movement from spiritual skeptic to explorer of our deeper nature. But when it came to religion, he just shrugged his shoulders. Everyone seemed to accept that, but I still felt he was thinking about something he didn't want to mention yet.

When I focused again on the group, I could feel all eyes were on me.

"I love parts of all of the religions," I blurted.

Wil laughed, but the others were quiet at first, and then they began chuckling, too, until we were all laughing out loud. In that moment we came together even more. We were moving toward that peak Connection we had experienced on the mountain-with almost the same ease of interaction and speaking.

"The Doc.u.ment states," Wil finally added, "that once the members of a group experience the reality of a Divine Connection, they understand that it is the same for everyone, regardless of religious background. And they can see one other thing as well: that each religion in the world emphasizes only a few aspects of this experience. Other elements are minimized, and still others are left out altogether.

"Think about what this means!" he continued. "Among all the religions, the experience is adequately covered. But taken alone, each religion is incomplete. Therefore, what is needed is for each religion to teach what it has correct about Divine Connection to all the others, and then learn from the others what is missing in its own teachings.

"This is the only way the whole experience can be understood and ultimately made part of humanity's everyday reality. This is the purpose of the template groups-to reach a consensus concerning this natural reconciliation of the religions, for all to see.

"And remember, there are many groups of this kind coming together out there. Some will have it more right than others. But over time, through Conscious Conversation, the most truthful reconciliations will evolve in the public mind and become more powerful in their influence on human culture as we all move through the remaining Integrations."

We were all following him completely, maintaining and even building on the energy level. Now we were no longer just members of various religions. We were a group of souls who had decided to help make history.

When I awakened the next morning, my head was still buzzing from the experience of the night before-especially the revelation that the extremist group already had a plan to start Armageddon. How many template groups, I wondered, would it take to reach these Apocalyptics and others like them? A thousand? Ten thousand?

As I pushed my way out of the tent, I saw that the others were already drinking coffee and watching a colorful dawn dance across a dark blue sky. I walked toward them, and when Coleman saw me, he dashed over, holding several pages of the Doc.u.ment.

"There's something else in the Sixth Integration," he said, pointing toward a particular pa.s.sage. "Right here it says another tradition should be part of the reconciliation of religion as well-one that would engage in exploring spirituality through a lens that strives to be as objective as possible."

"Whom are you talking about?" I asked sleepily.

"Us scientists!" he replied. "I can bring the viewpoint of the scientific tradition to our template group!"

Many of the others had heard what he said and all, including Wil, were nodding their heads in agreement. Coleman looked at me.

"Yeah," I said, "of course."

By midmorning, we had eaten breakfast and headed back to the circle again. Wolf had rebuilt the fire, but smaller now, just enough to break the morning chill.

For a long time, we stared at one another, embracing the feeling we'd reached the night before. Then Wil began.

"The Doc.u.ment discusses," he said, "a few basic agreements that have to be reached before a template group can move forward, agreements that are key for this process to be effective. One is this: in no way should we think that the adherents of any one tradition should have to give up belief in the validity of their chosen way-only that they must seek to integrate the best of the rest.

"And the other agreement is that no one should think of their path as the only way to Divine Connection. Remember, we all experienced this Breakthrough despite the different religious perspectives we brought with us. The Connection occurred because we were in the same place of willingness and need to open up to a greater Divine Consciousness."

What Wil had expressed was undeniable fact; we had all experienced the same breakthrough, and it meant that there were many paths, but only one direct experience. For a long moment, we all looked at one another again, the antic.i.p.ation palpable. Then Wil smiled and looked down at the Doc.u.ment.

"It says to begin," he stated, "with a focus on the element of the G.o.d Experience that has most remained in memory."

We all just waited to see who would speak first. Then everyone's eyes seem to fall on Coleman.

"As a scientist," Coleman finally said, "the first element for me of this Connection was a sense of overriding well-being and love, the feeling of having rejoined a lost part of myself, and of being cared for and protected."

Everyone was nodding in agreement.

"How, then," Wil said, "would the rest of you describe this love and belonging element of the G.o.d Connection?"

"The Holy Spirit filled us," Rachel replied.

"Allah gave us his guidance," Adjar commented.

"G.o.d rewarded our work," said Hira.

Everyone looked at Tommy.

"Spirit filled the world and it came alive!" he said with a power that surprised everyone.

Coleman seemed to be thinking again. "Wait a minute. Those are religious descriptions. We need to speak more precisely about the actual experience of coming home to love, and discern which tradition emphasizes this the most."

Rachel was about ready to burst.

"There is only one tradition," she said, "that especially emphasizes Divine Love: Christianity. I know that the word love often sounds hollow, and we fall short in always expressing love. But we do believe that, if we humbly seek this experience, we can move into and feel what we felt on the mountain. We are lifted above our old lives, and all the mistakes we've made are transcended. We are made new and more whole.

"To me, this experience felt like coming home, where we are finally free from all those things we wish we hadn't done. There's a sense that when we reach this Connection, we can start over."

No one spoke. We all knew she was right. The love and well-being we felt did feel like leaving the past behind.

"We teach that anyone," she continued, "who wants to come home and start over can find that experience. But it means refuting the idea of an eye for an eye. As we saw on Secret Mountain, at a higher consciousness, there's no justification for a Cycle of Revenge, no possibility of it. The truth is that we have to allow everyone to have the ability to change, to be redeemed in the blink of an eye."

I couldn't believe she was addressing the Cycle of Revenge. Colonel Peterson had said it couldn't be overcome. Was there another tradition that refuted the Cycle of Revenge, even if they couldn't live up to it?

Finally, Adjar spoke. "I must admit that our tradition does not emphasize this element of love and forgiveness, not the way we experienced it. And our tradition too often does hold on to revenge and punishment as basic principles. In fact, I never understood forgiveness until our Breakthrough. But we do have parts of our tradition, such as the Sufis, who say essentially the same thing-they just do not receive much attention."

Several other people then commented on the little-known scriptures found within their traditions that likewise pointed to the same idea of love and transcending the past.

"So," Wil said, "do we agree that Christianity has the best emphasis on this element of the G.o.d Experience? An emphasis that the others, to be accurate in describing this experience, should integrate as well?"

Tommy spoke up. "Native peoples have sometimes been focused on revenge and enemies. I agree that Christianity has the most emphasis."

"I agree as well," Wil said. "Eastern thought speaks more in terms of bliss, but also has currents of teaching about love and reconciliation. But transformational love, in the Christian tradition, is the most accurate."

Everyone else was nodding in agreement.

"Okay," Wil continued. "But I have to raise a question we touched on earlier. Rachel, I'll start with you. Can you acknowledge that people from other religions can reach this euphoric place from within their own tradition?"

She looked at him with total honesty. "I have to admit I have always had a problem accepting that, primarily because of our scripture's injunction that no one comes to G.o.d except through Christ. And I know others here have the same exclusive feeling about their own paths."

I looked around, sensing we had reached a roadblock. The main challenge to religious reconciliation had been put squarely on the table before us.

Then an idea came to me, and without thinking I said, "But Rachel, you do believe that, at baptism, Christ reunited completely with G.o.d, right? And became equal with G.o.d in the doctrine of the Trinity?"

She nodded.

"Wouldn't it make sense that if someone was sincerely searching for Divine Connection and really found it, even if they never knew of Christ, they would have pa.s.sed along the same path of expanding consciousness that Christ demonstrated? And so would have gone through Christ in a way? Maybe that's what the scriptures actually mean."

The group seemed stunned at my remark, and they all looked at Rachel.

She looked at me for a long moment, then smiled. "Yes, I now think so, because after our experience, I think that Connecting is a matter of letting go and opening up to a greater consciousness. Therefore, I think you are correct, although it is belief and affirmation that gets us started."

Now Rachel's gaze centered on Hira, as if to ask, Will you grant that your way is not the only way? That all other traditions can find love and redemption?

"This whole discussion shakes me," Hira said, returning her look. "Like all of you, I experienced an inner security and sense of being loved and cared for, in spite of every shortcoming. So I would have to say, in light of direct experience, my tradition must acknowledge that instant redemption can take place, and that people of other faiths can move into Connection with the one G.o.d."

She smiled, adding: "And the fact is, we have our own scriptures and prophets that have said much the same thing."

She stopped and glanced at Adjar, who was looking back at her in complete acceptance. We could all feel a thick wall, built during centuries of conflict, beginning to melt away.

"I know your people have suffered, too," Adjar said. "And I can give you your path. There is only one Divine Connection, and it is the same for us all no matter what path we choose, as long as it is loving and genuine."

For several minutes, we just looked at one another and felt the rising love and Connection.

Finally, Wil said, "Now there is another element that we have remembered: the sense of personal and collective mission that we felt during our Breakthrough, an experience that led us to form this group. Which tradition most emphasizes the knowingness that we are here on Earth to do something important?"

Immediately, Hira spoke up. "You're talking about the Judaic tradition. We believe that to be in G.o.d's Connection is to be given a work to do. The Connection with the Divine doesn't give us just love and forgiveness. It also gives us a mission that we know in our hearts has to be done. I don't know about the rest of you, but on the mountain, I experienced the certain knowledge that there is a plan, and each of us is a part of it."

Everyone nodded, and several people noted that their traditions also had strong scriptures that gave importance to mission. They just weren't emphasized enough.

"So we agree," Wil asked, "that the Judaic tradition is best at emphasizing the part of the Connection that is a realization of mission?"

I could tell that the clarity about mission-reinforced as it was with our decision to create a Template of Agreement-was elevating our consciousness even more. We had now recaptured three elements of our Divine Connection: love and all that comes with it, Protection and redemption. And now mission. I could see the elevation on every face.

"All we had to do," Wil said, "in order to hold the Fifth and Sixth Integrations was to remember how these elements felt and to seek to come back to them if they were lost. If we lose this Connection of love, for instance, it's because it has been replaced by one of the lower emotions. Seek to return to love, the primary emotion of Connection, and these other emotions will drop away. Then, once in love, Protection and mission come to us as well. The key going forward is to listen."

Wil put a special emphasis on the word listen, and I knew it was his way of hinting at the next Integration.

"Do you know anything about the Seventh Integration?" I asked.

Wil gave us a knowing look.

"We haven't found that part of the Doc.u.ment yet," Wil said, "but I'd bet the Seventh is about discovering more of the Law of Connection. We have to find our full powers of intuition and realize it is how we are guided."

THE ART OF TUNING IN.

As the sun began to sink in the west, I suddenly felt the urge to walk down the hill past the pond to the rocky area that had earlier attracted me for some reason. Wil had ended our last session very abruptly-so quickly, in fact, that I had the eerie sense we might be leaving soon, and I wanted to see this part of the homestead while I still had the chance.

As I walked, more thoughts about the Seventh Integration came to mind. The old Prophecy had predicted that, at some point, humanity would heighten its perception of those inner impressions long cla.s.sified as intuitions, hunches, and so-called gut feelings. After years of emphasizing rational thought and logic during the dominance of the material and secular worldview, it predicted we would finally take seriously the treasure of information coming from the right hemisphere of the brain: the part that gave us a sense of knowing, without being aware exactly of how we knew.

At this moment, I caught sight of a lone figure walking about two hundred yards to the left of me. It was Tommy, walking back toward the homestead. For an instant, I thought about turning around or yelling out to him, because I wanted to know more about the Mayan Calendar. Yet for some reason I kept walking, certain now that I came down here for a reason. I felt sure a Synchronicity was about to happen.

After several minutes, I entered a sandy area dotted with p.r.i.c.kly pear cacti next to a grove of large mesquite trees. Without warning, a man suddenly walked out of the mesquite. Peterson!

I grimaced. This wasn't what I was expecting.

"I need to talk to you," he said. "It's serious."

He glanced up toward the house to make sure no one else was coming, and he urged me to follow him farther into the grove.

"Do you know those extremists are still looking for you?" he said.

"We were hoping they'd left," I replied.

"Some of them did, but they left a few to search for you. Do you know who these people are?"

I nodded.

He was shaking his head, worried. "It took us awhile to piece together what they're trying to do. It's exactly what I was talking about. They're raising the stakes."