
Knowing What You Really Want
Date: Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 (CDT ) Topic: Philosophy, wisdom & the human condition
The next time someone complains that despite all their best efforts, they haven’t been able to make the highly publicized Law of Attraction work, tell them to count their lucky stars. The naive misuse of powerful cosmic tools to acquire fame, fortune, and other creature comforts can easily have ruinous consequences. In the mystery schools of old, a great deal was demanded of initiates before such potent teachings were revealed.
Yet there are many among us who eagerly assume the role of pied piper, leading the eager masses astray – as long as there’s sufficient personal payback in the form of money, fame, or control. To many in the metaphysical community, the allure of instant gratification promised by the latest book, video, channeling, or guru is little more than a cleverly veiled trap obfuscated by new age mumbo-jumbo to ensnare the innocent and unwary. Give me your money and your soul and I will give you the keys to the Kingdom in return.
That is why I was somewhat conflicted when I agreed to interview best-selling author James Twyman, to learn more about the story behind the making of his recently released movie, “The Moses Code.” The promotional email I received opened with a disheartening teaser: “Is it possible that nearly 3,500 years ago Moses was given the secret for attracting everything you’ve ever desired?”
In stark
contrast, the release ended with a compelling message that suggested
that James might be leading us in another direction altogether: “You’re
here to use the power of Divinity itself to create a world based on the
laws of compassion and peace. That is the task that lies before us.”
It was clear this would be
an interesting journey of discovery. Will the real James turn out to be
the peace troubadour that has captivated millions from Northern
Ireland, South Africa, and the Middle East to the United Nations and
the Pentagon, or did he have a hidden agenda?
We were only a few minutes
into our conversation when we addressed his views on “The Secret,” the
recently released movie that has taken the world by storm. “I felt they
(the producers of “The Secret”) were missing the deeper teaching;
that’s why I decided that another movie had to be made to continue this
discussion and take it much deeper.”
James then made a simple
declaration that made his stance on the matter crystal clear: “I
consider ‘The Secret – the Law of Attraction’ to be very dangerous. It
entices people to look at the subject of personal power from a narrow
and shallow point of view, encouraging them to believe that their lives
would be enriched by getting things they didn’t have. It enslaves
people to materialism and greed. The real message that leads to
personal empowerment lies in the opposite direction. It’s not about
what can I get, but what can I give?”
The astonishing
breakthrough that culminated in the production of “The Moses Code”
arose when James received a sudden inspiration that allowed him to view
the enigmatic words spoke by God to Moses in Exodus 3:14, "I am that I
am," in a new light. “I somehow realized that the ‘I am that I am’ was
incomplete as a simple declarative. Inserting a comma gave it a far
greater depth of meaning: ‘I am THAT, I am.’ I consider this to be the
essence of the Moses code: seeking the oneness.”
Neale Donald Walsh’s
further development of this concept in the film is profound. He
recounts a time when he attended a workshop and the facilitator asked
each of the participants to practice a simple exercise that would allow
them to better understand the oneness of creation. For the next few
hours they were instructed to repeat the phrase, “I am that,” to every
object they noticed. If they saw a tree, a dog, flower, cloud, or
person, they were to become totally present with it and project the
realization that were one with that tree, dog, flower, cloud, or
person. I invite you to try it. Within a surprisingly short time your
heart might reveal the essential meaning of God’s message to Moses,
that in all the infinite creation, there is only the oneness. Each time
you find yourself in another manifestation within that creation, you
find God. The implication of such a discovery will not only change you,
it will change the world.
When God declared, “I am
THAT, I am,” He put us all on notice that there was nothing within the
creation outside of the All That Is. James further explained that, “It
was through Moses’ harnessing the power of the name of God that many of
the greatest miracles of the Bible were created. Even to this very day
in certain cultures, speaking His name aloud is punishable by death.
The reason for this stricture, imposed by the various priesthoods over
the millennia, is to inhibit people from identifying themselves as one
with God. Doing so would make them too powerful and more difficult to
control.”
Grasping the fullness of
this principle releases you from the yoke of dogmatic sovereignty.
Viewed through this more pervasive understanding, many of the passages
in holy texts take on new and far deeper meaning. During the course of
our conversation, James cited several examples of when Jesus invoked
the Moses code in the Bible:
- Jesus said unto them (the
scribes and Pharisees who were seeking to tempt and accuse him),
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” Then took
they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of
the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. – John
8:58
-
“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” – John 12:46
-
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” – John 14:6
James stressed that the
true message of the Bible expressed by the “I am that” was meant to be
inclusive not exclusive. We are being instructed to seek God directly,
bypassing those who would wish us to believe we need intermediaries to
reach out to the heavens. We are, as Jesus points out, extremely
powerful beings in our own right: “I tell you the truth, anyone who has
faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater
things than these, because I am going to the Father.” – John 14:12.
In closing, James affirmed,
“I believe that today, more than ever before, it’s important to embrace
that power within ourselves. The purpose of the Moses code is for us to
realize that we can be the embodiment of God here in our own lives and
that we can use the power of that embodiment to change the world. I
suggest that chanting the name of God (I am that …. I am that … I am
that) may well be one of the most important steps for humanity to take
today. In so doing we will come to realize we do have the power to
change the world.
“I would like for humanity
to realize we are all interconnected and that all actions we perform
for others we actually receive ourselves. At this critical time in
human history it is important for all of us (nations, groups, and
individuals) to realize that we are interdependent and that we need one
another to survive.”
His words were music to my
ears. The choice confronting each of us during this time of
unprecedented uncertainty is simple: Am I here to serve myself or to
serve others? If I am given the power of manifestation, how will I use
it? The option you ultimately choose is far more consequential than you
might imagine. Before attempting to apply the powerful Law of
Attraction for personal benefit, I strongly counsel you to view “The
Moses Code.” There is much in its message that needs careful
consideration and the information it provides, through such celebrated
personalities as Neale Donald Walsh, Gregg Braden, Iyanla Van Zant, and
others, is an important rebuttal to the temptation of bartering your
true birthright for a few trinkets that only have value within the
temporal illusion.
©2008. Jean-Claude Gerard Koven / All Rights Reserved.
Jean-Claude Gerard Koven is
a writer and speaker based in Rancho Mirage, CA. He is a featured
weekly columnist for the UPI (United Press International) Religion and
Spirituality Forum and the author of Going Deeper: How to Make Sense of
Your Life When Your Life Makes No Sense, recipient of both the Allbooks
Reviews editor’s choice award and the USABookNews.com award for the
best metaphysical book of the year. To read the book online, please
visit: www.goingdeeper.org.
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