Ever since I had known about Paramhansa Yogananda, I have always longed to be “enlightened.” By “enlightenment” I do not mean in the usual intellectual sense, but as a state of “yoga” or union with one’s higher Self, which is very much in tune with the truth and with the manifested creation we all dwell in. The kind of enlightenment I am writing about is a permanent happiness and fulfillment above and beyond the trials and tribulations of worldly existence. Enlightenment is a freedom from addiction and the enjoyment of a kind of emotional independence or nearly perfect maturity.

I am not saying or implying that I am enlightened as a “Buddha” or “Krishna” would be. I am far from perfect, and if I was perfect, why would I even bother aspiring to anything? However, I have been very interested in the subject for many, many years, and no doubt learned much about the higher yogas and everything that the task of achieving enlightenment implies in all my own serious and sincere “trial and error” attempts. I have fasted for days, lived on 100% raw food diets, been on long mountain retreats with dozens of other yogis, meditated the entire night until dawn outside in the cold non-stop, done yoga postures until I felt like a pretzel, been initiated by gurus into complex yogic exercises and various forms of meditation, and tried celibacy for as long as I could stand it.

So it seems very, very difficult at times, having to seemingly go against one’s very own instincts, and practice hours and hours of sadhanna (yoga and meditation) every day which seemed to use up much more than just my spare time! No matter how hard I tried, no matter how much self-discipline I had, no matter how determined, I simply could not get anywhere. In fact, the only thing that changed was that my anxiety and depression (unfortunate tendencies of mine) gradually got worse! In the end I simply became too tired to do anything! I had to quit, otherwise there would not even be any time or energy left over for basic survival activities!

I really had to redefine where I was coming from, why I wanted “enlightenment” so badly and what it really meant to be “enlightened.” I was coming from a state of desperate longing and a basic discontentment with my life and physical or earthly surroundings. I felt very limited, restricted by time, short on money, and especially limited by my body’s needs and by my 100% frustrated emotional and psychological needs. It felt like I was an unwilling victim of life, and I often truly regretted being born into this side of “hell” where life on Earth definitely seemed to be at times.

“Enlightenment” as far as I was concerned, meant to be a way out of the drudgery and pain of physical existence or at least a novel perspective on life that would help me see things in a new light and gain answers to the numerous serous problems that had plagued me for years and made my life miserable. “Enlightenment” also meant having a lasting and reliable source of inner joy, bliss, guidance and love. I longed for a personal relationship with the Divine. I longed to find out whether Paramhansa Yogananda’s “Divine Mother” really existed or not. Is there a part of ourselves that is immortal? Is there a life after death, and if so what it is like?

It has turned out that the kind of “enlightenment” I have been longing for requires far more elements than I ever imagined and its requirements far more complicated than I ever dreamed. Therefore I experimented with all that I learned and picked up from various sources, personal experiences, teachers, books, etc. I decided to start a journal and write down all I could regarding those aspects of yoga and meditation that worked for me. I even invented new ideas, ideals and techniques that seemed to finally provide some answers.

What I have learned so far includes the following very important principles:

1) Cultivation and redirection of sexual desire, and the expansion of sexual energy into absolute bliss, joy, inspiration and love. I have never been able to get anywhere without some form of celibacy! However simply stopping up all one’s physical cravings would do more harm than good. One must carefully redirect the sexual energy upward through the spinal centers into an expanded bliss using adaptogenic herbs, short water fasts, infusion of body cells with prana (life force energy), and be sure one is eating at least one, complete, whole meal every day, otherwise this delicate process could get disrupted.

2) The diet and supplements taken must be perfect for the person. In order to succeed at yoga, one’s metabolism must be optimized and balanced perfectly. The right supplements, the right herbs, the right food, and the right amount of daily water fasting, must be included every day so that when one sits down or simply pauses, one should feel absolutely relaxed and content. This “pleasant state” is absolutely essential just to begin yoga.

3) Don’t go vegetarian if your metabolism can’t handle it. Vegetarianism works fine for most yogis, however some still need to include “meat” such as sardines, salmon, turkey, and chicken, otherwise there could be some difficulties in many areas of one’s life. Avoid red meat (pork, lamb, beef…) if possible.

4) Always include many raw nuts and seed such as almonds, pecans, peanuts, sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seed; and enjoy plenty of raw fruits and vegetables, raw sauerkraut, vegetable juices, rice and beans, etc. Avoid cheese, fried food, bread, sweet desserts, dried fruit, or any flower products, because at best, these foods only take up room for more biologically valuable food, and at worse, can drain vital energy and lead to illness.

5) Know for sure that there is life after death and that the spirit is a real entity. Just having no doubt whatsoever about the reality of Spirit and that there is a universal, eternal justice changes everything in the way one feels, acts and behaves toward life. Life no longer seems like an utterly unfair and nonsensical “hell” but is rather an opportunity to learn from mistakes and grow toward becoming a finer and finer human being.

6) Know without a shadow of a doubt the oneness of all life! There is only one consciousness or one observer who lives in all sentient beings. One can love others unconditionally (very important), because one now knows that all people everywhere are simply aspects of one great Soul, which means one will have to experience eventually everything one does to another person. “Enlightenment” consists mainly of a constant state of unconditional love.

7) Meditate regularly by focusing all one’s attention at one spot one inch inside the forehead (third eye) or heart center in middle of chest. Also learn how to deep relax and at least visualize the self leaving the physical body behind. Astral projection provides first hand proof that one is not the body. The body is only a physical vehicle to get around in and the physical brain is needed for the interpretation of all events within the physical dimensions of time and space. One’s true nature is space, ecstasy, love, and knowledge all embedded within a unified, but location-free, “quantum” consciousness. Identify with consciousness instead of the physical body.

8) Drink loads of fresh (preferably ionized or alkalized) water between meals instead of snacking. Exercise regularly in an external, natural environment with intent to absorb as much prana as possible into every cell of the body. Also bathe or shower regularly to keep the skin pores open to finer energy, and try to wear only clean clothes everyday because old particles tend to block the absorption and enjoyment of prana.

“Enlightenment,” as you can tell, is anything but simple to accomplish, but well worth all the trouble and difficulty once achieved. There are no short-cuts, however it is possible to discover and use more effective and direct methods. I follow all of the above steps and as a result am enjoying a lifestyle very similar to one who is considered “enlightened.” However, I still am far from perfect, and have much more to accomplish. Discovery and growth is what makes life so exciting.

More information and videos related to this article can be found here: http://www.wholejoy.com/ScienceofWholeness/index.html

Russell Symonds (Shaktivirya) has dedicated his life to finding wholeness and is living the “wholeness” lifestyle. His website, Science of Wholeness is a spiritual and nutritional information and research center dedicated to helping you find your keys to wholeness (everlasting joy, love, bliss, rejuvenation, and much, much more). There is no greater thing of beauty, value and joy as wholeness! The rest of his original articles and his free online book, Science of Wholeness I & II can be found here: http://www.wholejoy.com/wholeness/NEWS.html

If this was the case, then numerous intermediary species should have existed and lived within this long transformation period.

For instance, some half-fish/half-reptiles should have lived in the past which had acquired some reptilian traits in addition to the fish traits they already had. Or there should have existed some reptile-birds, which acquired some bird traits in addition to the reptilian traits they already had. Evolutionists refer to these imaginary creatures, which they believe to have lived in the past, as “transitional forms”.

If such animals had really existed, there should be millions and even billions of them in number and variety. More importantly, the remains of these strange creatures should be present in the fossil record. The number of these transitional forms should have been even greater than the present animal species and their remains should be found all over the world. In The Origin of Species, Darwin explained:

If my theory be true, numberless intermediate varieties, linking most closely all of the species of the same group together must assuredly have existed… Consequently evidence of their former existence could be found only amongst fossil remains.(1)

Even Darwin himself was aware of the absence of such transitional forms. It was his hope that they would be found in the future. Despite his hopefulness, he realized that the biggest stumbling-block in his theory was the missing transitional forms. Therefore in his book The Origin of Species he wrote the following in the chapter “Difficulties of the Theory”:

…Why, if species have descended from other species by fine gradations, do we not everywhere see innumerable transitional forms? Why is not all nature in confusion, instead of the species being, as we see them, well defined?… But, as by this theory innumerable transitional forms must have existed, why do we not find them embedded in countless numbers in the crust of the earth?… But in the intermediate region, having intermediate conditions of life, why do we not now find closely-linking intermediate varieties? This difficulty for a long time quite confounded me. (2)

The single explanation Darwin could come up with to counter this objection was the argument that the fossil record uncovered so far was inadequate. He asserted that when the fossil record had been studied in detail, the missing links would be found.

LIVING FOSSILS

The theory of evolution claims that species continuously evolve into other species. But when we compare living things with their fossils, we see that they have remained unchanged for millions of years. This fact is a clear evidence that falsifies the claims of evolutionists.

Believing in Darwin’s prophecy, evolutionists have been searching for fossils and digging for missing links since the middle of the 19th century all over the world. Despite their best efforts, no transitional forms have yet been uncovered. All the fossils unearthed in excavations showed that contrary to the beliefs of evolutionists, life appeared on earth all of a sudden and fully-formed. Trying to prove their theory, the evolutionists have instead unwittingly caused it to collapse.

A famous British paleontologist, Derek V. Ager, admits this fact even though he is an evolutionist:

The point emerges that if we examine the fossil record in detail, whether at the level of orders or of species, we find–over and over again–not gradual evolution, but the sudden explosion of one group at the expense of another.(3)

Another evolutionist paleontologist Mark Czarnecki comments as follows:

A major problem in proving the theory has been the fossil record; the imprints of vanished species preserved in the Earth’s geological formations. This record has never revealed traces of Darwin’s hypothetical intermediate variants – instead species appear and disappear abruptly, and this anomaly has fueled the creationist argument that each species was created by God.(4)

They have also had to deal with the futility of waiting for “missing” transitional forms to appear in the future, as explained by a professor of paleontology from Glasgow University, T. Neville George:

There is no need to apologize any longer for the poverty of the fossil record. In some ways, it has become almost unmanageably rich and discovery is outpacing integration… The fossil record nevertheless continues to be composed mainly of gaps.(5)

Life Emerged on Earth Suddenly and in Complex Forms

When terrestrial strata and the fossil record are examined, it is to be seen that all living organisms appeared simultaneously. The oldest stratum of the earth in which fossils of living creatures have been found is that of the Cambrian, which has an estimated age of 500-550 million years.

The living creatures found in the strata belonging to the Cambrian period emerged all of a sudden in the fossil record–there are no pre-existing ancestors. The fossils found in the Cambrian rocks belonged to snails, trilobites, sponges, earthworms, jellyfish, sea hedgehogs, and other complex invertebrates. This wide mosaic of living organisms made up of such a great number of complex creatures emerged so suddenly that this miraculous event is referred to as the “Cambrian Explosion” in geological literature.

Most of the life forms found in this stratum have complex systems like eyes, gills, circulatory system, and advanced physiological structures no different from their modern counterparts. For instance, the double-lensed, combed eye structure of trilobites is a wonder of design. David Raup, a professor of geology in Harvard, Rochester, and Chicago Universities, says: “the trilobites used an optimal design which would require a well trained and imaginative optical engineer to develop today”.(6)

These complex invertebrates emerged suddenly and completely without having any link or any transitional form between them and the unicellular organisms, which were the only life forms on earth prior to them.

Richard Monastersky, the editor of Earth Sciences, which is one of the popular publications of evolutionist literature, states the following about the “Cambrian Explosion” which came as a total surprise to evolutionists:

A half-billion years ago, the remarkably complex forms of animals we see today suddenly appeared. This moment, right at the start of Earth’s Cambrian Period, some 550 million years ago, marks the evolutionary explosion that filled the seas with the world’s first complex creatures. The large animal phyla of today were present already in the early Cambrian and they were as distinct from each other as they are today.(7)

How the earth came to overflow with such a great number of animal species all of a sudden and how these distinct types of species with no common ancestors could have emerged is a question that remains unanswered by evolutionists. The Oxford zoologist Richard Dawkins, one of the foremost advocates of evolutionist thought in the world, comments on this reality that invalidates the very roots of all the arguments he has been defending:

For example the Cambrian strata of rocks, vintage about 600 million years, are the oldest ones in which we find most of the major invertebrate groups. And we find many of them already in an advanced state of evolution, the very first time they appear. It is as though they were just planted there, without any evolutionary history. Needless to say, this appearance of sudden planting has delighted creationists.(8)

THE EYE OF THE TRILOBITE

T he trilobites that appeared in the Cambrian period all of a sudden have an extremely complex eye structure. Consisting of millions of honeycomb-shaped tiny particles and a double-lens system, this eye “has an optimal design which would require a well-trained and imaginative optical engineer to develop today” in the words of David Raup, a professor of geology.

This eye emerged 530 million years ago in a perfect state. No doubt, the sudden appearance of such a wondrous design cannot be explained by evolution and it proves the actuality of creation.

Moreover, the honeycomb eye structure of the trilobite has survived to our own day without a single change. Some insects such as bees and dragon flies have the same eye structure as did the trilobite.* This situation disproves the evolutionary thesis that living things evolved progressively from the primitive to the complex.

(*) R. L. Gregory, Eye and Brain : The Physiology of Seeing, Oxford University Press, 1995, P.31

As Dawkins is forced to acknowledge, the Cambrian Explosion is strong evidence for creation, because creation is the only way to explain the fully-formed emergence of life on earth. Douglas Futuyma, a prominent evolutionist biologist admits this fact and states: “Organisms either appeared on the earth fully developed or they did not. If they did not, they must have developed from preexisting species by some process of modification. If they did appear in a fully developed state, they must indeed have been created by some omnipotent intelligence.”(9)

Darwin himself recognized the possibility of this when he wrote: “If numerous species, belonging to the same genera or families, have really started into life all at once, the fact would be fatal to the theory of descent with slow modification through natural selection.”(10) The Cambrian Period is nothing more or less than Darwin’s “fatal stroke”. This is why the Swiss evolutionist paleoanthropologist Stefan Bengston confesses the lack of transitional links while he describes the Cambrian Period and says “Baffling (and embarrassing) to Darwin, this event still dazzles us”.(11)

As may be seen, the fossil record indicates that living things did not evolve from primitive to the advanced forms, but instead emerged all of a sudden and in a perfect state. In short, living beings did not come into existence by evolution, they were created.

Under the pen name of Harun Yahya, Adnan Oktar has written some 250 works. His books contain a total of 46,000 pages and 31,500 illustrations. Of these books, 7,000 pages and 6,000 illustrations deal with the collapse of the Theory of Evolution. You can read, free of charge, all the books Adnan Oktar has written under the pen name Harun Yahya on these websites www.harunyahya.com

1 Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species: A Facsimile of the First Edition, Harvard University Press, 1964, p. 179.

2 Ibid, pp. 172, 280.

3 Derek V. Ager, “The Nature of the Fossil Record”, Proceedings of the British Geological Association, Vol 87, 1976, p. 133.

4 Mark Czarnecki, “The Revival of the Creationist Crusade”, MacLean’s, January 19, 1981, p. 56.

5 T. Neville George, “Fossils in Evolutionary Perspective”, Science Progress, Vol 48, January 1960, pp. 1, 3.

6 David Raup, “Conflicts Between Darwin and Paleontology”, Bulletin, Field Museum of Natural History, Vol 50, January 1979, p. 24.

7 Richard Monastersky, “Mysteries of the Orient”, Discover, April 1993, p. 40.

8 Richard Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker, London: W. W. Norton 1986, p. 229.

9 Douglas J. Futuyma, Science on Trial, New York: Pantheon Books, 1983, p. 197.

10 Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species: A Facsimile of the First Edition, Harvard University Press, 1964, p. 302.

11 Stefan Bengston, Nature, Vol. 345, 1990, p. 765.

Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Surely, they have no firm belief.

Or are the treasures of your Lord with them, or have they control over them? (At-Tur, 35-37)

The first error a prejudiced person makes is trying to evaluate religion without giving thought to Allah. Sociologists, for example, who do research on religion, can write thousands of books on how religions arose and how they affected societies sociologically. Yet, in spite of all these great academic studies, they cannot understand religion even to a minute extent when compared with those who lead their lives within the boundaries of religion.

Such people are not capable of comprehending the reality of Allah’s unity, which is the basis of religion. Anyone who decides to learn about Islam needs first to understand the existence of Allah. If he does not believe in Allah, he will simply be investigating the Qur’an and Muslims in terms of his own limited vision of life.

The Qur’an thus expresses disapproval of such people: “They disbelieve what they cannot grasp, for they have not yet seen its prophecy fulfilled.” (Yunus, 39) Islam is not a man-made ideology about which half-baked ideas and baseless conclusions can be put forth from the outside. The individual can understand what Islam is about only when he understands the existence of Allah and lives his life as enjoined in the Qur’an.

Essentially, the existence of Allah and the reality that there is no deity other than Allah are crystal clear facts. But in “the society of ignorance” where people fail to use their reasoning due to their habit of indifference and indolence, they grow blind and cannot comprehend this reality. As a matter of fact, that is the reason why they were stigmatized as a “society of ignorance” (Jahilliyah).

One of the many Qur’anic verses about pondering on the existence of Allah records the Almighty’s advice to the Prophet on how he should address the ignorant:

“Say: ‘Think, you, if Allah took away your hearing and your sight, and sealed up your hearts, who – a god other than Allah – could restore them to you?’” The same verse goes on to say: “See how We explain the signs by various symbols; yet they turn aside.” (Al-Anaam, 46)

A brief example can help us enrich our views and remove our innate ignorance.

Let’s assume that there is a person from whose memory everything, including the knowledge of his self-being and his body, has been wiped out. If he found himself on a place like earth, what would he feel like? He would undoubtedly be so amazed and so astonished as to lose his mind out of curiosity. The first thing he would notice would probably be his body. He would not be aware that his body in fact belonged to him in the first place, thinking of it as an external object, like the other things in the scene. Then it would be very interesting for him to be able to control his body parts and make them do what he wanted them to do. He would probably try to figure out the use of his arm by moving it up and down for a while.

He would find very suitable surroundings for his body, the reason for the existence of which would still be unknown to him. There would be safe ground to stand on, a clear image to view, beautiful fragrances to smell, various animals, a proper air temperature exactly suitable to the body, an atmosphere suitable for breathing, and thousands of other sensitive balances. Edible fruits to satisfy his hunger, pure and clear water to cool his parched throat and many more things.

For a moment, let us put ourselves in his position and reflect for a while. In a place like this, would we just go and enjoy ourselves, or be wise enough to ask ourselves some very crucial questions? Would we try to understand who we were, why we were there, what the reason for our existence was, what the reason for the existence of the present order was or, would we simply ignore these questions and be concerned with how much we enjoyed our lives? Would not the first questions come to our minds be as follows:

Who am I?

Who has created me, who has created this perfect body of mine?

Who has created this great order which surrounds me?

What does He, who created everything, want from me? What does He want to show me?

Even an individual with a weak mind would think that there is nothing more important than finding answers to these questions. Someone who pays no attention to them, preferring rather to spend his life in fulfilling his physical needs, amusing himself during the day and sleeping at nights, would undoubtedly be a creature of no understanding at all. Someone must have created his body and his surroundings, and they must have come into being all of a sudden. Once he was created, every second of the rest of his life must also have been dependent on that Superior Being, Who had initially created him. What could be more important than knowing about this Superior Being, Who obviously possesses a great power?

Let us continue with our example and assume that he reaches a city after walking through the land for a while. There are various types of people there, most of whom are pretty vulgar, ambitious and insincere. And almost nobody is thinking about his Owner or the place he is living in. Although everyone has a job, an aim or an ideology, the people of the city cannot bring good order to the city, with which everyone would be content.

Let’s assume he meets some people whom the denizens of the city dislike, and towards whom they feel rage and enmity. As to what these people are like, he sees that they are significantly different from the others in many ways. He feels that, as human beings, they are amiable reasonable, and trustworthy. They look humble and they speak in a clear, moderate and sensible manner. He can easily see that there is nothing wrong with them, so he becomes confused and has doubts as to why the citizenry think otherwise.

Let’s assume he starts a conversation with them and they tell him: “We have a different view of life and think differently from other people because we are aware that there is an Owner of this place and everything in it. We are also aware that His power is above everything and He has created this place and everything else to test and educate us until the day comes when we will leave this place. We have a book which we have received from Him, and we are leading our lives in accordance with this book.”

In such a situation, he might not be a hundred per cent sure whether these people were really telling the truth or not. But he would probably understand that what they were talking about was quite important. He would feel there was nothing more important than obtaining further information about these people at that moment, and he would be extremely curious about the book they were talking about, would he not?

The only thing that stops us from being as sensible as the person in this example is our having been on this earth for a longer period of time. We have experienced a growth process instead of coming into being as an adult all of a sudden, like the person in the story. Consequently, we have to admit that most of us are in a position similar to that of the town people in the example due to our disregard of such questions in our lives. What we should further bear in mind is that almost none of the people in this city actually thought about the questions cited above, found some consistent answers on their own, and finally turned away from the Superior Being, Who created them. In fact, most of them did not even go through these steps, but simply pushed these questions aside and stopped thinking about them, because of their “collective ignorance”.

Are we aware of the fact that the “society of ignorance” we are living in prevents us from answering those crucial questions mentioned above by keeping us occupied with questions like: “What shall I eat tonight, which dress should I wear tomorrow?” or “What is she thinking about me, what should I say to him?”? Unfortunately, this shows nothing but abysmal ignorance although we claim to be living in the “information age”.

Now, you have a chance! Think about the complete ignorance you might have been exposed to by such a “society of ignorance” and ask yourselves the following question, which so far you might not have thought over, or might have brushed aside with insufficient explanations: How did I come into existence?

In order to be able to answer this question, it would be useful to start with the physical beginning of our existence and think about that extraordinary event – “birth”.

The brief history of birth can be summarized as follows:

Sperms are produced literally ‘outside’ of a man’s body. The reason for this is the fact that sperm production can occur only in a suitable environment with a temperature of about 35 degrees Celsius, which is two degrees below the average body temperature. Male testicles are the only body parts with this temperature, as they are rightly placed outside of the body. To bring the temperature to the required level, another mechanism is activated. The skin covering the testicles shrinks when it is cold and sweats when it is hot to keep the temperature of this area stable. Approximately a thousand sperms are produced per minute, and they have a special design that eases their long journey from the man’s testicles to the woman’s egg. A sperm comprises a head, a neck and a tail by the use of which a fish-like movement towards the mother’s uterus takes place.

The head part, which carries the genetic code of the future human being, is covered with a special protective armour. The benefit of this armor is noticed at the entrance of the mother’s uterus. This place is very acidic to protect the mother from microbes and other alien particles like sperms, but by the use of this armor, most sperms manage to stay alive.

Not only sperms are ejaculated to the uterus. Semen is a mixture that consists of many other liquids. These liquids contain sugar that supplies energy to the sperms. Semen, which is a base in its chemical form, neutralizes the acidic environment at the entrance of the uterus and creates a safe environment for sperms. It also makes the environment slippery so that sperms can move along easily. Sperms make a difficult journey inside the body of the mother until they reach the egg. No matter how hard they try to survive, only a thousand sperms out of 200-300 million can make it to the egg.

In the light of this brief information, let’s try to find the answers to some questions that cross our minds: How can a sperm make itself so suitable for entry into the mother’s uterus, about which it knows nothing beforehand? How can a sperm be produced in the male body in a way that it can survive and find its way to the egg in the female uterus in spite of the protective mechanisms of the female body, about which the sperm had no previous idea? How can this happen?

Since a sperm lacks the ability to adapt itself to an unknown environment in advance, the only possible answer to these questions is that it is actually created that way.

Let’s continue with the brief story of birth:

An egg is about half the size of a salt grain. The place where an egg and a sperm meet is called the Fallopian tube. The egg secretes a special fluid that leads the sperms to the egg. As they come closer to the egg, their protective armor is melted by another fluid secreted by the egg. As a result, solvent enzyme sachets appear on the cover of the sperms’ heads. By the use of these enzymes, the sperm that is to fertilize the egg, penetrates the membrane of the egg. When the sperms surround the egg, they race one another to enter to the egg. Mostly, only one sperm fertilizes the egg and from that time on, there is no possibility for another sperm to enter it. Before fertilization, the electric charge of the sperms and the egg are opposite, therefore they attract each other. However, after the entrance of the first sperm, the electrical charge of the egg changes, acquiring a pushing effect on the rest of the sperms.

Finally, the DNA of the male present in the sperm combines with the DNA of the female. At this moment, there forms a new cell (the zygote), that is, a new human being inside the mother’s womb.

After considering this bit of information, a new question comes to our minds: How is it that an egg is prepared to welcome a sperm as if it “knew” that it would meet the sperm? How can this happen? The only possible answer to this question is that the egg is created to be suitable to the sperm by the will of a Creator who has also created the sperms and controls both the sperm and the egg.

The extraordinary nature of birth does not finish with all this. The fertilized egg clings on to the womb by its special knobbly surface. The small protuberances on the surface of the egg jut out and penetrate deep into the mother’s womb like the roots of plants in the ground. The zygote starts to develop through hormones secreted by the mother. The egg keeps receiving nutrition provided by the mother.

With time, the cells divide and grow in number by the two-four-eight-sixteen model. In the beginning, all cells that are formed by the division of old ones have the same properties as each other. Then, all of a sudden, newly formed cells somehow start differentiating, showing separate characteristics, as they are to form different organs of the fetus. The science of today still lacks the competence to give a satisfactory answer to the question of why and how exactly this differentiation of cells takes place and how they form different organs with such perfect organization.

As time passes, a drastic change takes place in the jelly-like fetus. Relatively rough bones start to form inside that soft structure, all of them surprisingly, in their proper places. What’s amazing here, is that while all the cells carry exactly the same characteristics at the beginning, through the differentiating process, some of them turn out to be eye cells sensitive to light, others become nerve cells that perceive heat while yet others form those cells that detect sound vibrations.

Finally the fetus’ construction is completed and a new baby is born into the world. At this stage, it is 100 million times bigger and 6 billion times heavier than its initial form when it was a fertilized egg.

This “brief history” mentioned above concerns us, because it is the story of how we came into being. For us, what can be more important than finding the ultimate Cause and Owner of that great, extraordinary and complex event of our existence? When we glance at this short history, we come across many other questions to which science, which is under the influence of materialism, has not yet found any answers.

But there are still many questions that need to be answered. One of these is: How can cells of the same structure start to gather in groups and form different organs of the body while they multiply?

Actually, there is no answer to these questions about birth other than accepting the presence of a Creator. It would be a great mistake to think that all of these complex operations occur on their own or by chance. How can cells agree to form “human organs”? Let’s think about this a little further. Let’s assume that there are two wise adults who come together and decide to work on an engineering project. Even between these two persons, some misunderstandings will unavoidably occur and this will put the success of the project at risk. Then, how can thousands and millions of cells work together to form an absolutely perfect organization without any mishap? Who would dare to say an answer to this question: “It may be possible by chance”? Some atheist “scientists” of today explain this marvelous occurrence as the “magic of nature”. What does this mean? Who or what is nature? Has not nature also been created?

Another attempt to answer this question might be to refer to the mother and the father—which would be meaningless. The role of parents in this event is in fact, neglible. Neither mother nor the father is aware what goes on within them in the production of gender cells, fertilization and development of fetus. The exact date of birth is unknown to mother who has no control over delivery. In spite of this, mother and father are seen as the “origin of one’s life”? But are they so?

The mother and father are very important to their child, as they play a role in his existence. On the other hand, one never, or only rarely, thinks about ones real Creator. Is not the real Creator, who has the ultimate power and control ones everything including birth, life and death, worth more love and respect? His existence is clear and the existence of any other thing without Him is not possible. No one but Allah can create anyone or any matter on his own, while He neither begets nor is begotten as is stated in the third verse of Al-Ikhlas 3.

The creation is explained in the Qur’an as follows;

“We created man from a quintessence (of clay);

Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed;

Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (fetus) lump; then We made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then We developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the noblest of Creators!” (Al-Mumenoon, 12-14)

This being so, it is clear that there is no difference between ourselves and that man in the story, who was “suddenly” created and become curious about who had created him and everything around him. Of course, he found himself as an adult and without any parents who gave birth to him and raised him. But now that we also know that our coming into existence can in no way be explained by parents, we can consider our situation similar to that of the man in the story.

In such a situation, the most important thing to do is to search exclusively for the truth, to listen to those who claim they have knowledge and evidence about the truth and then to think over what we have been told. Take the man in the story again. As we know, he meets some people in the city who tell him that they can make known to him the Creator Who has created himself and everything around and that there is a book from Him. What do you think he would do? Would he listen to them, or would he simply turn away from them and prefer to be involved with such ordinary, everyday questions like: “What shall I wear tonight, what shall I say to him?” that are daily repeated and will one day become meaningless when death comes to him. Which one of these two choices is the more rational, logical and conscientious? You, without doubt, know the correct answer for this man. But, what about yourself?

What leads up to the event of creation is specifically described in certain other verses of the Quran;

“Does man think that he will be left uncontrolled, without purpose?

Was he not a drop of sperm emitted in lowly form?

Then he became a leech-like clot; then Allah made and fashioned him in due proportion. And of him He made two sexes, male and female.

Has not He, the same, the power to give life to the dead?” (Al-Qiyama, 36-40)

“Allah created you from dust; then from a sperm-drop; then He made you in pairs. No female conceives, or lays down her load, but with His knowledge. No man is long-lived, nor is a part cut off from his life, but in accordance with His Decree. All this is easy to Allah.” (Fatir, 11)

The human is a being created by Allah and as a created entity, he cannot change this fact. He cannot bring any other explanation to his own existence. Since he has been created, he would not be left uncontrolled and irresponsible as emphasized in the above verses. There is, of course, a purpose for creation. Where then will he find the answer?

There is only one answer to this question and that is in the book that Allah has sent down to him.

Under the pen name of Harun Yahya, Adnan Oktar has written some 250 works. His books contain a total of 46,000 pages and 31,500 illustrations. Of these books, 7,000 pages and 6,000 illustrations deal with the collapse of the Theory of Evolution. You can read, free of charge, all the books Adnan Oktar has written under the pen name Harun Yahya on these websites www.harunyahya.com

This is a well known fact that the subtle form of any object has infinitely more power than its gross aspect. In comparison to a pile of mud atomic energy can execute gigantic tasks. In comparison to the body our minds are more energetic. Steam is more powerful than water. The soul is invisible yet when it advances further it manifests as saints, Rishis, divine men and incarnations.

In the same way, subtlization of human existence too can take place via Yoga and spiritual austerities. A man of penance awakens his bodily divine potential. Steam can help run a train. When bamboo trees rub against one another, a forest fire is seen to manifest. This very influence manifests via spiritual practices of austerities. When on a glass lens scattered solar rays are focused at one single point, sparks of fire are seen to erupt. The same holds true for the results of spiritual practices and austerities.

Via Yoga man’s demeaned state merges into the greatness of divine worlds and this unification leads to merging of the high with the low. When wires contact electricity they become powerful and thus carry out desired tasks. A tap can give water only as long as the tank to which it is connected remains filled with water. It is very clear that the tank of divine energy is never empty and the tap united to it gives water as long as no obstruction comes in its way. When human consciousness imbibes the divine energy of God, very soon he becomes God from man, Purushottam from Purusha and great from lowly. The widespread nature of the body along with augmenting itself increases its potential too. In comparison to a lion not only is the body of an elephant gigantic but its might too is much more powerful. In comparison to a child not only is the body of an adult stronger but his capacity to work too is much greater. The austerities of a spiritual aspirant make him a Sidha (realized saint).

Austerities do not generally succeed if they are not conjoined to self control, a radiating character and a sense of service to other beings. How can a seed become a tree if it is not looked after properly and supplied with fertile soil, water etc? This precept very much applies to Kundalini awakening methods too. Kundalini awakening means intensifying and activating divine powers hidden in our consciousness. It can be accomplished in various ways for various purposes in all the 3 bodies.

There are 14 ways of activating the above. These 14 glories can be compared to the 14 jewels that emerged while the ocean was churned. Its classification can be carried out thus. The 6 Chakras along the Merudand i.e. starting from the Mooladhar upto the Sahasrar Kamal can be called a powerful medium that aids in overcoming obstacles in the production of glories of the material arena. Its attainment makes man powerful, wealthy and full of enterprise. On this basis a spiritual aspirant becomes infinitely more powerful than a layman. Our sense organs are no longer externalized and instead by becoming introverted, work in a very wide arena. Those scenes that cannot be seen by our gross eyes are clearly visible to our divine sight. The same holds true for other sense organs. Attainments related to the gross world like television, hearing far off sounds, tele-pathy, object control, vital force flow, Shaktipaat, knowing the future etc. can be imbibed on activating the Kundalini of the gross body. Through this medium one can also manifest Ojas, Tejas and Varchas.

On the basis of the 5 sheaths one can awaken the Kundalini (Divine Serpent Power) of the subtle body. The 5 sheaths called food sheath, vital sheath, mental sheath, knowledge sheath, bliss sheath are covering layers of our consciousness. In it are found the 5 elements and the 5 Pranas. They are also called 5 worlds or 5 extensions. When these potentials evolve, the spiritual aspirant starts contacting the invisible world. Ordinarily people understand only the gross visible world of names and forms (material objects). But when the Kundalini of the subtle body of a spiritual aspirant is awakened, man contacts the invisible world. He gets attached to Pitrus, demigods etc. and there exists a give and take relationship between them. He now understands the hidden mysteries of Mother Nature. He can foresee future events. Based on this wisdom and by making apt arrangements, one can benefit from appropriate situations and many obstructions can be warded off. In the psyche of laymen one can induce pious thinking and thus human civilization can be aptly moulded.

There are 3 applications of the casual body and it is called Granthi Bheda. In the middle of the head is the Brahmagranthi and is also called Kailash Mountain or Ksheersagar. It is called the Polar Centre that is always involved in give and take with cosmic energies. The second is the Vishnu Chakra in the heart region. It can be called the cave of consciousness. This is the center of sensitive emotions. Over here one gets satisfaction, contentment and peace. Apart from making our psyche high statured one should mould the understanding of others in a positive way with the help of the power of Vishnugranthi. The third is Rudragranthi. It is found in the Naabhi (navel) Chakra. In this region, one finds bodily health, radiance, brilliance, power, daring, creativity and augmentation. In this area one finds the Mooladhar Chakra. The long time resting place of Kundalini Shakti is in this region. With the attack of vital force it can be awakened, raised high and taken to the portals of Brahmalok.

The 6 Chakras of the gross body, 5 sheaths of the subtle body and 3 Granthis (knots or subtle complexes) of the casual body add up to 14 in number. Amongst them 7 are of the higher worlds (Lokas) and 7 of the nether worlds. Experiments are conducted so as to raise the 7 and the remaining 7 are experimented upon so as to stop them from a downfall. Human existence can be looked upon as an ocean and via the 3-fold Kundalini worship it can be churned. In real terms the body is a demon and the mind is a demigod. When both perform austerities of Yoga, they obtain the 14 jewels mentioned above. In the mythological churning of the ocean (Shrimad Bhagwat) its description has been given in a symbolic manner. The human body made up of the 5 elements and 5 vital forces is believed to be as deep and wide as the ocean. There is no need to stray away in the external world so as to attain desired objects. Whatever you desire is present within you. Why search outside? Like the musk of a deer it should be looked for within the body.

In short this is the outline of Kundalini worship where an introduction, description and worship methods have been given in the earlier pages of this edition. But deliberately details have not been given regarding the 14 spiritual practices. This is because it is like the experiments of atomic explosions. Before entering its methods we should know in what state, for which individual, for what aim do we want to awaken the Kundalini. To commence Kundalini activation without knowing all these details is like a child tampering with a bomb. Misuse of Kundalini power can lead to the terrible downfall of that person. For new entrants and less alert people there are paths of wisdom, devotion, action and divine intellect activation. If they do this much, it is more than enough and indirectly their Kundalini will awaken.

None should be too restless to learn Kundalini awakening and none should harbor the desire of attaining self fulfillment by hook or by crook. At least for one century I will take up the responsibility of teaching people this great application according to their individual capacity. I will continue educating them in this direction. Even if my gross physical body no longer remains in this world yet with my subtle existence I shall continue serving people all over the world in this direction.

No apt spiritual aspirant (with proper spiritual credentials) will ever experience, that because there was no one to teach him/her this method of Kundalini awakening, they could not reach their desired goal. Just as the all pervasive divine power induced me to carry out Mahapurashcharan in 24 years and not only showed me the method of activating the Kundalini Shakti of my country (India) via intense austerities of 3 years, along with it gave me whatever was needed to achieve the goal. In the same way I too will make efforts for those amongst Prajna Parivar who wish to take recourse to Kundalini Science for gathering special powers for a special goal and give them all that is required to achieve their sacred goal.

This is a well known fact that the subtle form of any object has infinitely more power than its gross aspect. In comparison to a pile of mud atomic energy can execute gigantic tasks. In comparison to the body our minds are more energetic. Steam is more powerful than water. The soul is invisible yet when it advances further it manifests as saints, Rishis, divine men and incarnations.

In the same way, subtlization of human existence too can take place via Yoga and spiritual austerities. A man of penance awakens his bodily divine potential. Steam can help run a train. When bamboo trees rub against one another, a forest fire is seen to manifest. This very influence manifests via spiritual practices of austerities. When on a glass lens scattered solar rays are focused at one single point, sparks of fire are seen to erupt. The same holds true for the results of spiritual practices and austerities.

Via Yoga man’s demeaned state merges into the greatness of divine worlds and this unification leads to merging of the high with the low. When wires contact electricity they become powerful and thus carry out desired tasks. A tap can give water only as long as the tank to which it is connected remains filled with water. It is very clear that the tank of divine energy is never empty and the tap united to it gives water as long as no obstruction comes in its way. When human consciousness imbibes the divine energy of God, very soon he becomes God from man, Purushottam from Purusha and great from lowly. The widespread nature of the body along with augmenting itself increases its potential too. In comparison to a lion not only is the body of an elephant gigantic but its might too is much more powerful. In comparison to a child not only is the body of an adult stronger but his capacity to work too is much greater. The austerities of a spiritual aspirant make him a Sidha (realized saint).

Austerities do not generally succeed if they are not conjoined to self control, a radiating character and a sense of service to other beings. How can a seed become a tree if it is not looked after properly and supplied with fertile soil, water etc? This precept very much applies to Kundalini awakening methods too. Kundalini awakening means intensifying and activating divine powers hidden in our consciousness. It can be accomplished in various ways for various purposes in all the 3 bodies.

There are 14 ways of activating the above. These 14 glories can be compared to the 14 jewels that emerged while the ocean was churned. Its classification can be carried out thus. The 6 Chakras along the Merudand i.e. starting from the Mooladhar upto the Sahasrar Kamal can be called a powerful medium that aids in overcoming obstacles in the production of glories of the material arena. Its attainment makes man powerful, wealthy and full of enterprise. On this basis a spiritual aspirant becomes infinitely more powerful than a layman. Our sense organs are no longer externalized and instead by becoming introverted, work in a very wide arena. Those scenes that cannot be seen by our gross eyes are clearly visible to our divine sight. The same holds true for other sense organs. Attainments related to the gross world like television, hearing far off sounds, tele-pathy, object control, vital force flow, Shaktipaat, knowing the future etc. can be imbibed on activating the Kundalini of the gross body. Through this medium one can also manifest Ojas, Tejas and Varchas.

On the basis of the 5 sheaths one can awaken the Kundalini (Divine Serpent Power) of the subtle body. The 5 sheaths called food sheath, vital sheath, mental sheath, knowledge sheath, bliss sheath are covering layers of our consciousness. In it are found the 5 elements and the 5 Pranas. They are also called 5 worlds or 5 extensions. When these potentials evolve, the spiritual aspirant starts contacting the invisible world. Ordinarily people understand only the gross visible world of names and forms (material objects). But when the Kundalini of the subtle body of a spiritual aspirant is awakened, man contacts the invisible world. He gets attached to Pitrus, demigods etc. and there exists a give and take relationship between them. He now understands the hidden mysteries of Mother Nature. He can foresee future events. Based on this wisdom and by making apt arrangements, one can benefit from appropriate situations and many obstructions can be warded off. In the psyche of laymen one can induce pious thinking and thus human civilization can be aptly moulded.

There are 3 applications of the casual body and it is called Granthi Bheda. In the middle of the head is the Brahmagranthi and is also called Kailash Mountain or Ksheersagar. It is called the Polar Centre that is always involved in give and take with cosmic energies. The second is the Vishnu Chakra in the heart region. It can be called the cave of consciousness. This is the center of sensitive emotions. Over here one gets satisfaction, contentment and peace. Apart from making our psyche high statured one should mould the understanding of others in a positive way with the help of the power of Vishnugranthi. The third is Rudragranthi. It is found in the Naabhi (navel) Chakra. In this region, one finds bodily health, radiance, brilliance, power, daring, creativity and augmentation. In this area one finds the Mooladhar Chakra. The long time resting place of Kundalini Shakti is in this region. With the attack of vital force it can be awakened, raised high and taken to the portals of Brahmalok.

The 6 Chakras of the gross body, 5 sheaths of the subtle body and 3 Granthis (knots or subtle complexes) of the casual body add up to 14 in number. Amongst them 7 are of the higher worlds (Lokas) and 7 of the nether worlds. Experiments are conducted so as to raise the 7 and the remaining 7 are experimented upon so as to stop them from a downfall. Human existence can be looked upon as an ocean and via the 3-fold Kundalini worship it can be churned. In real terms the body is a demon and the mind is a demigod. When both perform austerities of Yoga, they obtain the 14 jewels mentioned above. In the mythological churning of the ocean (Shrimad Bhagwat) its description has been given in a symbolic manner. The human body made up of the 5 elements and 5 vital forces is believed to be as deep and wide as the ocean. There is no need to stray away in the external world so as to attain desired objects. Whatever you desire is present within you. Why search outside? Like the musk of a deer it should be looked for within the body.

In short this is the outline of Kundalini worship where an introduction, description and worship methods have been given in the earlier pages of this edition. But deliberately details have not been given regarding the 14 spiritual practices. This is because it is like the experiments of atomic explosions. Before entering its methods we should know in what state, for which individual, for what aim do we want to awaken the Kundalini. To commence Kundalini activation without knowing all these details is like a child tampering with a bomb. Misuse of Kundalini power can lead to the terrible downfall of that person. For new entrants and less alert people there are paths of wisdom, devotion, action and divine intellect activation. If they do this much, it is more than enough and indirectly their Kundalini will awaken.

None should be too restless to learn Kundalini awakening and none should harbor the desire of attaining self fulfillment by hook or by crook. At least for one century I will take up the responsibility of teaching people this great application according to their individual capacity. I will continue educating them in this direction. Even if my gross physical body no longer remains in this world yet with my subtle existence I shall continue serving people all over the world in this direction.

No apt spiritual aspirant (with proper spiritual credentials) will ever experience, that because there was no one to teach him/her this method of Kundalini awakening, they could not reach their desired goal. Just as the all pervasive divine power induced me to carry out Mahapurashcharan in 24 years and not only showed me the method of activating the Kundalini Shakti of my country (India) via intense austerities of 3 years, along with it gave me whatever was needed to achieve the goal. In the same way I too will make efforts for those amongst Prajna Parivar who wish to take recourse to Kundalini Science for gathering special powers for a special goal and give them all that is required to achieve their sacred goal.

Say: “This is my way. I call to Allah with inner sight, I and all who follow me. Glory be to Allah! I am not one of the idolators!” (Surah Yusuf: 108)

Say: “I call only upon my Lord and do not associate anyone else with Him.” Say: “I possess no power to do you harm or to guide you right.” Say: “No one can protect me from Allah [if I should disobey] and I will never find any refuge apart from Him.” (Surat al-Jinn: 20-22)

Say: “I am commanded to worship Allah, making my religion sincerely His. And I am commanded to be the first of the Muslims.” Say: “I fear, were I to disobey my Lord, the punishment of a terrible day.” Say: “It is Allah I worship, making my religion sincerely His, so worship anything you will apart from Him!” Say: “The real losers are those who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Rising.” Is not that clear loss? (Surat az-Zumar: 11-15)

The Prophet (saas), who reminded his people that Allah was the only god, also told them that nothing they might set up alongside Allah could ever create anything nor had it any power to harm or benefit any. The verses regarding this are as follows:

Say: “Call on those you make claims for apart from Him. They possess no power to remove any harm from you or to change anything.” (Surat al-Isra’: 56)

Say: “Have you thought about those you call upon apart from Allah? Show me what they have created on the earth. Or do they have a partnership in the heavens? Produce a Book for me before this one or a shred of knowledge if you are telling the truth.” (Surat al-Ahqaf: 4)

Say: “Call on those you make claims for besides Allah. They have no power over even the smallest particle, either in the heavens or in the earth. They have no share in them. He has no need of their support.” (Surah Saba’: 22)

Most people believe in Allah but are unable to appreciate His power and greatness, fail to comprehend that He is their only friend and helper, and wrongly believe that things other than Allah can be of assistance to them. The Prophet (saas) explained these truths to his people and attempted to free them from idolatry. He is commanded in the verses:

If you ask them, “Who created the heavens and the earth?” They will say, “Allah.” Say: “So what do you think? If Allah desires harm for me, can those you call upon besides Allah remove His harm? Or if He desires mercy for me, can they withhold His mercy?” Say: “Allah is enough for me. All those who truly trust put their trust in Him.” (Surat az-Zumar: 38)

Say: “Who is going to shield you from Allah if He desires evil for you or desires mercy for you?” They will find no one to protect or help them besides Allah. (Surat al-Ahzab: 17)

Allah created man, and is his only friend and helper. Yet, people who have no fear of Him refuse to accept that. Only in times of difficulty, when something happens to clearly show them how helpless they are, do they understand that only Allah can help them. The Prophet (saas) also reminded people of that same fact. He said that in times of trouble or loss people have no other helper than Allah. The Prophet (saas) is called upon to remind people of that in the Qur’an:

Say: “What do you think? If Allah’s punishment were to come upon you or the Hour, would you call on other than Allah if you are being truthful?” It is Him you call on and, if He wills, He will deliver you from whatever it was that made you call on Him; and you will forget what you associated with Him. (Surat al-An’am: 40-41)

Believers who remember that truth emphasized by the Prophet (saas) know, without having to experience such difficulties, that only Allah can ever help them, and that only He has the power to lift their troubles and burdens. In the Qur’an, Allah says:

Say: “Who rescues you from the darkness of the land and sea? You call on Him humbly and secretly: ‘If you rescue us from this, we will truly be among the thankful.’” Say: “Allah rescues you from it, and from every plight. Then you associate others with Him.” (Surat al-An’am: 63-64)

The Prophet (saas) has warned all Muslims against idolatry in the hadiths:

“The most severe sin is to associate partners with Allah (known as shirk), while He has created you.” (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim)

He also stressed what a great hidden danger idolatry is:

“Should I not inform you of that which I fear for you even more than the dangers of Dajjal? It is the hidden idolatry: A person stands to pray and he beautifies his prayer because he sees the people looking at him.” (Sunan ibn Maajah, Volume2, Number 3389)

“Idolatry is more hidden in my Ummah than the creeping of ants across a great smooth stone on a black night…”(Tirmidhi Hadith)

Elsewhere, the Prophet (saas) stated that not associating others with Allah is both the proof as well as the necessary condition of faith:

“Whoever meets Allah, without associating partners with Him, will enter Paradise.” (Kitaab At-Tawheed, Chapter: 2)

How about the Nag´ Hammâdi library?

I begin this true story at its beginning in 1945, in Egypt, in the land just above the bend of the Nile, north of the Valley of the Kings, across the river from the city of Nag´ Hammâdi, near the hamlet of al-Qasr, under a cliff called Jabal al-Tarif.

An Egyptian Bedouin named Mohammed Ali was out gathering sabakh, a nitrate-rich fertilizer for the crops that he grew in the small hamlet of al-Qasr.

He was aghast to stumble upon a skeleton as he dug, and bewildered when he uncovered a two-foot high earthenware jar. A bowl had been placed over the top, and it was sealed with bitumen.

At first, the Bedouin thought an evil genie was within, but when he shook the heavy jar, he heard things moving and thought it might be gold.

He smashed the jar open and out fluttered pieces of gold particles that he tried to catch, but they disappeared. When he peered into the jar, he was dismayed to find twelve leather-bound books.

Mohammed Ali was illiterate, so he placed no great value on books, but was confident he could sell them and make something for his troubles. So he carried the jar filled with books back to the homestead.

Now, Mohammed Ali also happened to be a fugitive from the law, for he had wielded the weapon that spilled the blood of a patriarch during a violent incident in a generation-long family feud, not so very long before.

After a few days of mulling over possibilities, he decided to give his find to the local Coptic priest for safekeeping. You see, he feared the authorities soon would be lurking about and would confiscate his possession before he could receive any money for it.

His mother ripped out many pages to keep the home fire going, and I grieve and wonder what ancient treasures she burned.

Anyway, the priest passed it on to his brother-in-law, a traveling tutor, who brought the books to the Coptic museum in Cairo on October 4, 1946.

What was found were ancient compositions, written in Coptic that had been translated from ancient Greek. The volumes were leather-bound pages of papyrus, and no doubt the gold dust that Mohammed Ali witnessed was from papyrus fragments that had broken off.

Under the leadership of UNESCO, Egypt, and the American scholar James Robinson, these anthologies and collections of texts with titles like the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene have now been translated into many languages.

I contend that when USA Christians fall in love with the Mystery of God; we will begin the world again.

These ancient texts offer NO new answers; but they do provide us with a glimpse of Christianity at its very roots, and it was most diverse indeed.

The most likely source for these books that have become known as the Nag Hamadi Library, was the Pachomius Monastery, which thrived for centuries just three miles from the burial site.

Scholars agree that most likely a monk from there buried these books in the wilderness under the cliff of Jabl al-Tarif for safe-keeping.

These texts had been deemed heretical by those who were gaining power through the political arena; the Proto-orthodox.

In the 4th century, Emperor Constantine, a pagan warrior became the first Christian ruler, but waited until he was on his deathbed before being baptized.

I contend that the most decisive event in the history of Christendom occurred when Emperor Constantine accepted the Christian faith, for those who had once been persecuted were now protected by an earthly king.

Both a patriarchal monarchical state and church were formed at the same time.

Power struggles and debates were common among the early Christians.

Individual churches determined which texts were read, and they all had their favorites.

Constantine sought to unite his empire, and uniting the church was a savvy political move.

He announced he would pay for fifty illuminated copies of scripture to be bound, and thus the biblical canon was established and sealed.

There was fierce debate among the bishops about what should be included and what left out.

The proto-orthodox, who had now become the dominant voice, determined what was heretical for everyone.

The proto-orthodox demanded much-loved scripture to be burned, usually because it did not fit their understanding of God.

Many of these texts were considered Gnostic.

Gnosis is defined as knowledge discerned intuitively.

Gnostic texts offer deep mystery that is discerned via intuition, not rational thought.

This is not the way for fundamentalists.

A Gnostic is open to receiving intuitive knowledge of deep spiritual truth.

For students of the New Testament, this is a much greater find than the Dead Sea Scrolls. Forty of the texts had previously been unknown to modern scholars.

Thirty-five scholars worked diligently on these translations, and all agreed that the bound books themselves date back to the fourth century and were written in Coptic translated from Greek and Aramaic-which is what Jesus spoke!

The Gospel of Thomas is a collection of the sayings of Jesus, words of wisdom, proverbs, parables, and some very confounding mysteries.

About 35 of the 114 sayings have no counterpart in the New Testament, while at least 20 are almost identical, and 54 have similarities.

Many scholars concur that the sayings were originally written in Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, the language of Jesus and his followers.

It is very possible the sayings are closer to the words Jesus actually spoke than what is found in the canonical gospels.

Two thousand years ago, there was lively debate about who Jesus was, and why he came.

The proto-orthodox, who were the majority, considered these gnostic texts anathema and thus deemed them heretical for many reasons.

The main reason is that they did not fit neatly into the evolving dogma.

Gnostic texts offer us mystery, not answers.

Jesus said he came that we would have life to the full; abundant life [John 10:10] and that takes deep thought.

Falling in love with the Mystery of God is a great place to start.

TBC