The Path to God from The New Sun by Hilda Charleton

The New Sun

by Hilda Charlton

A Golden Quest Book, 1989

Chapter Seven: The Path to God

There are many wonderful experiences awaiting those who first begin to tread the path and who wish for purity, for they then begin to weave beauty and purpose into the stream of life. The first break from the world usually begins with a restless desire for higher things: sometimes in this stage of restlessness, a person runs from teacher to teacher, country to country, seeking outside in the marketplace of life. An ancient spiritual teacher said:

“Many ask themselves, ‘Which way do I go, which path do I follow?’ Those who ask this shall never find the goal they seek, for they scatter in the defying winds of growth like dried leaves. Holding on to nothing, they venture along the spiritual path sampling and tasting and receiving nothing. He who sits within himself firmly has the power of the universe around him and the world at his feet. He seeks not among the vines and forests but rests on his will and conviction of the omnipotent God that permeates every atom of the universe. Why should he seek in the market when he knows that God is within his own heart’s embrace, within every living creature, penetrating the universe. He who mingles in the market will find naught, but he who calls silently upon the Lord within his heart will find the love and presence of His light everywhere, and his treasured find will last through eternity.”

Every man is a king, the creator not only of his life but also of the universe in which he lives because he is the universe. A man is not bones and flesh and is even more than a soul – man is a supreme force which wishes to explode and reunite with itself. Once this great longing has ceased and man is no longer subject to illusion and limitation, he becomes one with all the forces in the universe, and he learns to master these forces. Then he may be of service on the Earth. Only when man accepts his true destiny and ceases to dwell on limiting thoughts can he give of God to man.

You who are on this path are close to the completion which your soul has longed for through the ages. The force and will of your soul is the strongest force in the universe. The great atom bomb is but a reflection of a small amount of power which originates as ideas in the mind of man and can then be brought forth on the material plane. If not even one-billionth of this power which exists in man’s mind, heart and soul can blow up the world, how much greater must be the full glory of God? Man is God. God’s gift to man is life. Man’s gift to God is his determination, strength and desire for the full glory of God to come to Earth through his own individual thoughts and life. A man’s soul longs

for completion – its fulfillment – and within each man is the explosive to awaken the beauty, power and love of God in himself, to create heaven on Earth. Man was never bound to mortality. Man seeks his freedom.

There are many wonderful experiences awaiting those who first begin to long to know themselves. How to do this? First, you must spend time in cleaning yourself up. Most people have been supersalesmen for the negative in life, fearing that the worst will come upon them. Life on this Earth will either make you or break you. You either bend like the supple green-stemmed flower in the wind or crack in the hardness of life. Stand up against adversity in ease. We know life is not strewn with rose petals but is a test of fortitude and perseverance. Go above praise and blame. If you know you are living truth, let people say and do what they will. Live above the turbulent waves of life by keeping the mind calm. Most people on this planet have Earth disease – that is, pettiness, craftiness, greed, lust, jealousy. Therefore, we can easily forgive their jaundiced outlook on life, created by Earth disease.

Become big and magnanimous. Step back and look at life. Climb onto the center of the pendulum and not on the end that swings from negative to positive. Or should I say, do not be a yo-yo with its up and downs. How to accomplish this? Find joy in life, spend time in contemplation, in looking within and cleaning up your own limitations. Don’t look over the fence into your neighbor’s garden and see his weeds when you have enough weeds in your own garden to keep you busy. Become tolerant, patient and know the joy of living a life more abundant while here on Earth. Eliminate pettiness and gossip from yourself and see life blossom forth.

I believe there is only one path to God, whether you are following jnana yoga, karma yoga, bhakti yoga, hatha yoga or some other way. I believe that one path is the path of moral conduct, or “code of conduct,” as Sai Baba calls it. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” As Jesus put it, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39) Your neighbor is yourself, created and drawn into your force field by your own actions and thoughts of this life or another. If you do not love and tolerate your neighbor, which means anyone in your life – husband, wife, mother, father, child, lover, friend – then you are not an any path to God, no matter whether you call yourself Muslim, Hindu, Christian or Jew.

Take the dare to live with all your might free from Earth disease by controlling emotions, body and, greater still, the mind, because the mind is the key that sets you free. What you will not worry about ten years hence, do not fret about now. What you cannot take to heaven with you is all flotsam on the sea of life. Do the best you can with all your heart, mind and soul, and knowing you have done your best, let go.

Life can be fun down here if you know the trick of living. Make the body do what you want. Control the body with the mind, and then these emotions get in order. The mind sometimes takes over and says, “I can’t go to meditation, I’m too tired. I can’t exercise, I’m too tired.” But with determination, you go, and something, a new energy, releases within you, and you have conquered. Your mind has conquered. Your emotions and body have been made to do what you will, and you are closer to finding out who this you is – this truth within. Every time you force yourself to break inertia, one of the stumbling blocks upon the path, you are on your way. Become the master of yourself and find out how great you truly are. Within you is the key: it is your mind. It can open the door within you to the glory of the Kingdom of God.

Hilda Charlton was a spiritual teacher, author, dancer and healer who taught classes in New York City from 1965 to 1988. From 1947 to 1965 Hilda was in India pursuing her studies of Eastern mysticism and meditation. She was guided by great spiritual masters and holy people, including Sri Nityananda of Ganeshpuri, Sri Mahadevananda of Bombay, and Sri Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi.

Her teachings incorporated the fundamental principles of the world’s religions. Foremost in her classes she stressed the importance of a life of giving, unconditional love and remembrance of God.

Hilda’s teachings had a profound effect on the lives of thousands of people from all walks of life. Alcoholics and drug addicts were known to conquer their addictions, prostitutes left the street, and those afflicted with serious diseases often reported experiencing remission and cure.