Throughout the sacred texts we repeatedly find the idea that there are two aspects to a human being.

There is the earth aspect, living as any other creature in the world, fulfilling the needs of nature; living and dying.

And then there is a higher aspect, capable of knowing the lower consciously, and at the same time realizing its alignment with the Source of its being — for which there are many names, including the Divine, God, or simply, the “Truth.” This level of consciousness serves as a bridge between the higher and the lower realms, so that the higher will may “be done in earth as it is in Heaven.” This aspect of a human being is connected to the eternal. It lives outside of time, and therefore, it is “immortal.”

Every spiritual seeker works to discover and then live from this higher self. The conscious connection to this celestial seed imbues even the smallest moment — washing a dish, taking a walk, speaking to a friend — with a divine significance that fills one with gratitude, love, and a sense that Goodness is at the heart of the universe.

Here are some quotations from across time that share this message of the power of the immortal self, and the work it takes to connect with it:

Justice not only saves those who possess it but also leads many others to desire it, and always transports them from death to eternal immortality.
— Psalms, Old Testament (999 B.C.E.)

God made the senses turn outward, man therefore looks outward, not into himself. Sometimes a daring man has looked round and found himself. Then he is immortal!
— Katha Upanishad (300 B.C.E.)

 

Solomon knew there were in us two kinds of senses, the one being mortal, corruptible and human, and the other immortal and intellectual, which he calls “divine.” By this divine sense, therefore, not of the eyes but of a pure heart, that is, the mind, God can be seen by those who are worthy.
— Origen (185)

The great Architect of the universe conceived and produced a being endowed with both natures, the visible and the invisible. God created the human being, bringing its body forth from the pre-existing matter which he animated with his own Spirit… Thus in some way a new universe was born, small and great at one and the same time. God set this ‘hybrid’ worshipper on earth to contemplate the visible world, and to be initiated into the invisible; to reign over earth’s creatures, and to obey orders from on high. He created a being at once earthly and heavenly, insecure and immortal, visible and invisible, halfway between greatness and nothingness, flesh and spirit at the same time… an animal en route to another native land, and, most mysterious of all, made to resemble God by simple submission to the divine will.
— Gregory Nazianzen (328)

The contemplation of Eternity maketh the Soul immortal.
— Thomas Traherne (1637)

Each one is bound to his own ideal; he whose ideal is immortal must become immortal himself to attain it.
— Franz Hartman (1838)

So much of the pain and cruelty we see in the world today is the result of individuals living only from the lower aspects of their nature. They want only to get what they want and think they need, no matter what it costs to others. They feel divided from life, and filled with fear because they believe they are alone in a hostile universe. They often deflect the sense of fear into blaming others for their pain.

But for those who sense there must be more to life, and are willing to sacrifice their beliefs about themselves to find a connection with something outside of their small, self-enclosed world, whole new possibilities open up. Their worlds expand, a new faith is born, and out of that comes compassion and a sense of wholeness, not separation.

This is what we really want. The great sages knew it and have sent messages across time to help us rise out of ourselves into a new order of being. This is the hope of humanity, now and forever.

A Guidebook to the Discovery of Your Immortal Self

OneJourney founder Guy Finley’s book, The Secret of Your Immortal Self, can help you remember a long-forgotten part of your true, timeless nature. Here is one of my favorite Key Lessons from this book:

Fearlessness comes with the birth of this new understanding: the only reason life changes as it does is to reveal the secret goodness underlying those same changes.
— Guy Finley

Do you have a quote from your own tradition that explores immortality? If so, please click here to submit it to the OneJourney Living Book.

Best wishes,

Dr. Ellen Dickstein
The OneJourney Project