Dear Laura and fellow seekers,

If one only uses Jesus's words instead of the words of those who wrote about him, and if one looks for common denominators in what He said, and puts into a separate category things He said that do not seem to fit, Something very inner eye-opening begins to emerge that is a revelation to some and silly to others. What emerges for me are several things, including that He uses the term "heaven" to mean "clarity of sight and thinking" -- unadulterated by the beliefs, assumptions and conclusions we acquired as we became adults and are habitually inclined to use as adults. Thus, "being born again" or "reborn" to me means seeing once more with the clarity of an unaduterated child anything that will be obscured or distorted by what one "knows" to be true because she or he insists on it being true.

For examples, see Matthew 19 and 20. for more.

By the way, speaking of Matthew 20, ask a 100 priests of any Christian denomination -- or most other students of Jesus' Teachings, how many groups went into the vineyard, and you are likely to get an answer of five. Yet He clearly says two, the first and the last. And for an obvious reason, as Jesus clearly but subtly said, the three other groups went their way instead of the owner's way. At least clear for readers of His parable who are clearly paying attention to not just what, but how Jesus is exquisitely conveying this Teaching.  Yet who among us prefers to see things wholly clearly, with a total lack of ego -- the way an innocent babe does rather than as an adult with all of the priviledges (and cognitive constraints and spiritual baggage) that come with being an adult? Of course, we find the same Teachings within Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Taoism, Wicca, and Paganism... And, of course, Heraclitus said the above as well. And got the same blank stares that Jesus did!

I occasionally give a brief course called Time and The Templix about all this and some other things which are of interest only to advanced fellow seekers, those of us who know that what much of what we know may be worth less. Perhaps, I could give it at your school same time?

Warmest regards, Yale