ARE WE ALL GOD?

Part 1: A View From The Old and New Testaments

A persons relationship to God is a central concern of religious and spiritual traditions. I believe that both the Jewish and Christian Bibles assert that we are all, in our essential being, God. However in both these traditions this assertion has usually been considered nonsense or blasphemous. Many religious traditionalists point to the second creation story in Genesis where Adam and Eve's succumbing to the desire to be "as gods" is responsible for the fall of humanity. I believe this to be an incorrect interpretation. You can find my reasoning for this and a different interpretation in Perennial Psychology of the Bible volume 1 in this section of the website listing Writings. If this assertion of identity with God comes from the ego, our sense of separate identity, then it is not true and in fact dangerous and destructive. If it comes from a realized being, an enlightened one then it is true. There is a situation in which it is a helpful statement. If it is an assertion of our belief in our ultimate true nature that represents a realizable goal promised us by God if we undertake the necessary work to travel the spiritual path to union with Him/Her; then it can be understood as a message of hope, joy, and love. I believe it is possible to show that the Bible supports the idea that "I and God are One".
Let us start our journey with the amazing statement made by Jesus in John 10:34 "Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods". In order to fully understand what this statement means we must examine it within its context which includes Psalm 82 to which his statement refers. Let us start our analysis with John 10:30 where Jesus says, "I and my Father are one". Commentary:This is a clear statement of identity, an assertion by Jesus that he is God
John 10:31 Then the Jews took up again stones to stone him. Commentary: The statement by Jesus is obviously considered completely unacceptable by those hearing it and is judged by them to be worthy of the death penalty.
John 10:32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shown you from my father; for which of these works do you stone me? Commentary: God is teaching a lesson. I say God because Jesus has stated that he and God are one. However in this situation God had to speak as Jesus in order for the lesson to be taught. Can you imagine the immediate response if the words uttered were "I, the Lord have shown you many good works".
John 10:33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou a man, makest thyself God. Commentary: God has maneuvered them into stating the traditional view at that time which he wishes to show is not true. Contradicting tradition, especially religious tradition, has always been a dangerous task.
John 10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said Ye are gods? Commentary: Gotcha! Can't you imagine that this stooped them dead in their tracks. Jesus was contradicting religious tradition with scripture. Here he is referring to Psalm 82:6 and I will comment on the meaning of this shortly.
John 10:35 If he called them gods, unto who the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Commentary: He is driving the point home that their traditional viewpoint is contradicted by their scripture and he continues
John 10:36 Say ye of him, whom the father has sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? Commentary: He continues to use Psalm 82:6 where it is stated I have said Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High He is driving home the point that the Son of God is equivalent to "I and my Father are one". The scripture then indicates that there is a parallel here between Jesus statement of being a "Son of God" and the statement in Psalm 82:6 "I have said, Ye are gods and all of you are children of the most High". Being a child of God means being a son or daughter of God. However there is a difference in that Jesus uses a capital S and a capital G referring to himself as the Son of God rather than a child (small c) of God. Also in the statement "Ye are gods" a small g is used. One way to understand this use of small and capital letters is to relate it to spiritual development. The small letters represent people on the path of reaching union with God. The capital letters represent a person who is in a unitary state of God Consciousness in which there is no longer two; there is only One.

Now let us examine Psalm 82, in the Old Testament, which Jesus is affirming.
This Psalm is entitled,A Psalm of Asaph".
Commentary: Asaph in Hebrew means collector, gatherer, assembler. This Psalm bring together thoughts and understandings to motivate an individual to harmonize and unify their existence with God.

Psalm 82:1 God Standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.
Commentary: Who is "the congregation of the mighty"? I believe this refers to all humans, it is the congregation of the human race. And if humans are "gods" and chidren of God (the most high)then can we not maintain that humanity is the congregation of the mighty. Because God is omnipresent he exists within every person. The presence of that unconditional, selfless, infinite love is the standard against which each individuals and humanities progress on the spiritual path to union with God can be measured. It is in this sense that judging is taking place. One definition of judge is "to form an opinion about through careful weighing of evidence and testing of premises". If we have the courage we can examine our thoughts, words, and deeds in relation to the Divine standard of infinite, selfless, unconditional love and thereby determine the work we need to do to reach union with God. The purpose of this kind of judging is not to induce guilt or to assign superior and inferior status but rather to serve as a guide to attain that perfection of love which is already within us. Its purpose is to bring to full flower the Divinity within us, to evolve from being a god to being God.

Psalm 82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah
Commentary: The Hebrew word selah means tranquil, silence, pause. We are being instructed here to pause, get quiet and enter a state of mind, of inner silence, where we can contemplate the meaning of this verse. Here we are being reminded that we too often do not act in accordance with the standard of selfless love but value other things which are incompatible with that standard. In fact we often look up to people who display self serving power and materialistic orientations and/or ego aggrandizement. When we do so the standard by which we judge is unjust We then accept that which is wicked, i.e. - that which separates us from God.

Psalm 82:3 Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy
Commentary: This stands in contrast to the previous verse. This points out the opposite of operating in a way which separates us from God. There are two ways to understand this verse. One as a stipulation of just behavior, in effect a commandment on how to behave. The other way is to understand this verse as pointing in the direction of how to be, of being in a state of consciousness whose essential nature is selfless love. From that place the behaviors mentioned flow naturally without effort. They are not an expression of an ego trying to be good but rather an expression of ones essential, divine nature.

Psalm 82:4Deliver the poor and the needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
Commentary: The second half of this verse explains what is meant by the first half. If you are in that state of consciousness whose essence is selfless love you will promote a process of spiritual development in others that will culminate in their deliverance from wickedness - from all that is within themselves that separates them from God.

Psalm 82:5They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
Commentary: In this verse "They" is referring to the poor and the needy mentioned in the previous verse. Even if you are more powerful and wealthy than any other person but have lost awareness of God you are poor. You are poor because you have not attained that state of being that is infused with selfless love. That is what you are searching for and because no earthly attainments or relationships can give you that you are needy. If you fail to understand this problem then you are in total darkness without understanding the journey you are on. Then your connection to the very foundation of life is weakened and with humanity in that state the harmony and balance needed to sustain the earth and all of life is weakened.

Psalm 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. Commentary: See commentary on John 10:36 above. When this verse says "all of you" my understanding is that it embraces all of humanity and perhaps even more, all of life, and even more, all of creation.

Psalm 82:7But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes Commentary:This refers to individuals who have not achieved God consciousness. This is a reminder that no matter what elevated status you have (one of the princes)if you have not reached union with God, where you to can say "I and my father are one", you are mortal.

Psalm 82:8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.
Commentary:For an explanation of the meaning of "judge" see commentary on Psalm 82:1 above. Here we are being given a wonderful message. We are being told that are destiny is to become one with God. The end of our journey is known, how long and arduous the journey will be is determined by each of us.

Part 2: From The Tradition Of The Himalayan Masters

The sun, the moon, the stars, and all the lightsthat you can imagine in the entire external worldare but fragments of that one great Light that is within you.
It is the light of knowledge, the light of discrimination,the light of understanding, the light of life,the light of sharing and love,the light of Being that you are."Thou art that"
The light within is like a ripple in the vast ocean of bliss-that which we call Brahman, the Absolute, Infinity, the Highest.
You yourself are that ripple; you are a wave.
You should always have confidencethat the Light of life really is within you.
Physics corroborates this philosophy; it also says that life is like a particle, like a wave.It repeats the ancient philosophy that tells us thatlife is a wave born from the ocean of bliss,playing in it, and subsiding again into it.

Swami Rama: Path of Fire and Light Vol. ll