This blog is part of our 2022 Enlightenment Course, an exclusive benefit for members of Edgar Cayce's A.R.E. Each month John Van Auken provides a lesson with a worksheet, a video, a blog, and in each issue of the member magazine, Venture Inward, he writes an article about this topic. For 2022, we are focusing on Cayce's insights into achieving health, happiness, and a meaningful life. Members can access all of the available material in the Member-only section of our website at EdgarCayce.org/members. 

The wisdom and understanding that is expected of us is much more than earthly stuff. Since we are beings from the heavens, conceived in the image of the Creator, we also need to understand the universe and our place in it.

This lesson in wisdom and understanding begins in Proverbs:

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom and in all your getting, get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7)

Here’s another lesson from Scripture, found in Ezekiel 28:12-15, and though it is directed to King of Tyre, it is a message to all of us about our original perfection made in the image of our Creator so long ago when we were walking in the Garden of Eden in conscious companionship with God.

“You were the seal of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
"You were in Eden,
the garden of God.
"Every precious stone adorned you,
settings and mountings of gold,
on the day you were created they were prepared.
"You were anointed as a guardian cherub,
for so I ordained you.
"You were on the holy mount of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
"You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
until iniquity was found in you."
(Ezekiel 28:12-15)

In Genesis 1:27 we find our original creation:

"God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Notice that both male and female were created in God’s image. Of course, our training into the mysteries teaches us that they were one, yin and yang were originally united. These were not separated until Genesis 2:18-25. God saw that we were lonely in this world of duality, so he separated yin and yang to be “helpmeets” (Genesis 2:18) to one another in this world of duality. The true reality is oneness but here we have light and dark, day and night, good and evil, left and right, above and below, and so on.

The problem developed when man and woman disobeyed by eating the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil – very symbolic of our original purity and perfection ingesting and assimilating evil in the form of willful disobedience. Oh how humanity gets restless with obedience. Our gift of free-will naturally drives us to use it as we see fit. In the Ezekiel quote the word “iniquity” is used to describe what was found within us. Iniquity is defined as “immoral or grossly unfair behavior.” In Cayce’s reading of the Book of Life, he described our Original Sin as self and selfishness without regard for the effect on others and the creation and Nature. He said that all sin originates when we only have self-centered thinking and acting. Especially when this is from our lower self. We have a higher self, though we rarely think and act from that level. Cayce often recommended that we get in touch with our better self and allow it to come through.

With our perfection changed by original sin or more accurately willful disobedience, the result was our fall from grace and lose of our conscious companionship with our Creator. The other way to look at this is that we are out of harmony and cooperation with the flow of the river of life as directed by the Creative Life Forces. This is the Eastern view of sin and illness. We are out of harmony, and it is the result of wrong thinking and wrong acting.

So now what do we do to repair this? The answer is that we seek to gain wisdom and understanding. We were originally perfect but we were also naïve. Now we need to learn from our childlike mistakes. As God said about willfulness, “You must master it.” (Genesis 4:6-7) The disciple Paul wisely wrote: "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11) We need to gain wisdom and understanding in our journey to soulful adulthood and companionship with the Infinite, Eternal Creator – who wants our companionship.

Cayce guided us to step back, observe what we’re thinking, feeling, and about to speak or do. Compare it to a more mature, wiser standard of behavior – one that is more in harmony with goodness. We all know deep down what is good and what isn’t. Cayce: “Good – as virtue – must be its own reward. For, good is as God is – and is a law unto itself. No one may buy goodness. No one may sell goodness. Goodness – as godliness – is lived; and is first the basis of thought in an individual's inner self. Goodness does not beget self-indulgences but is that which another soul appreciates. Hence, find self in shaping self's destinies—for ‘the fates are kind’ to those who love goodness for Goodness’ sake, and not for payment's sake or that self may be exalted.” (349-13)

Goodness is lived. As the law is clearly known: “What goes around comes around.”

Goodness is not just for us but for all those we meet day by day. Why? Because as Jesus taught: “Not one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, until all be fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:18) And what is the law that makes this so strong a promise from Jesus: As we sow, as we reap; as we act and think, so will we become. Therefore, as we understand mistakes by others, so our mistakes are understood. As we forgive what others have said or done, then our words and actions are forgiven. The law is perfect. What goes around comes around. When we begin projecting goodness, forgiveness, and kindness, the unavoidable law brings these back upon us.

But Cayce pushes us further. He stated that our ultimate reason for existing is to once again be fully conscious of our companionship with God, our Creator and with each other. (5753-1 and 1602-3) FULLY CONSCIOUS AND COMPANIONABLE? Imagine us being fully aware of the mind of God. Imagine us, as finite as we feel, fully companionable to that infinite, all-knowing mind of God. This is a level of wisdom and understanding that appears to be beyond our capabilities. Fortunately, Cayce and other sources give us the key to opening to that greater consciousness and companionship. The key is to tune our mind to God’s.

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