MYRTLE FILLMORE AND SALVATION: Ignorance is NOT Bliss!
My reading of Myrtle Fillmore's HEALING LETTERS brings me to the conclusion that Myrtle Fillmore did believe that humans need salvation. But her concept of salvation (and the need for it) was a different "take" from most of the Christians of her day.
Salvation 'from' what?
I believe that one of the central points that Myrtle was making is that 'ignorance is not bliss.' Or to use the modern equivalent: 'No brain and no pain' is not the way to go. Myrtle sees many people dying of 'thirst' because they do not comprehend that they are standing in the purest of mountain streams full of fresh and sweet water. This abundant water is free and flows constantly. To use Jesus' metaphor, this stream consists of "living water" that can totally quench one's thirst. And yet all too many people are not aware that they are standing in the stream.
I don't see any evidence that Myrtle Fillmore ever read anything by Franz Kafka. But there is a great short story by Kafka that sums up Myrtle's views on salvation and ignorance. In Kafka's story a man is in desperate need to see the King. He goes to the castle and stands in front of the castle doorway hoping to gain admittance. However, there is a guard at the castle doorway, and this soldier tells the man that he cannot go into the castle just yet. Perhaps someday soon the man will be allowed to enter the castle, the guard tells the man. Years pass, and the man remains outside of the castle doorway waiting to be admitted. Seasons come and seasons go, and still the man waits before the guard.
Kafka then writes that the man becomes very old, and he is near death still waiting in front of the castle. Right before the man dies, the guard comes over to the man and says to him: "You could've entered the castle anytime you wanted to, and I was just here to put a roadblock in your way. But now that you are too feeble to move, I don't have to block your way anymore. Goodbye." And with that the guard goes into the castle, and the man dies. (These are paraphrases from Kafka. Debbie, Rachel, and I just moved into a house near Unity Village. I can't find our coffee maker let alone my copies of Kafka--so paraphrases will have to do this week.)
In line with Kafka's story, Myrtle writes, "If an individual fails to see wherein he has transgressed the law of life and omnipresent good, he will continue to claim responsibilities that are not his and burdens that he need not assume and that hinder his progress." (p. 23) She adds that, "Each one must draw upon the source for his own sustenance, and for his own light and willpower." (p. 22) The spiritual awareness of our mothers and fathers, or the spiritual awareness of previous generations or even current friends, will not save us from fatal ignorance. Each individual has to directly experience the stream of living water--or, to use Kafka's analogy, push past roadblocks and enter the castle.
In terms of 'salvation from what', Myrtle brings in an important subplot. For many people, ignorance leads to idolatry (or worshiping at the shrines of false gods). It is from this futile direction that error thoughts and 'race consciousness' take hold of an individual. "Wherever beliefs in materiality, in the power of disease, or in adversity of any sort have been allowed to settle into the mind and result in formations of flesh or in functional activity, it takes great illumination––and not only illumination but ernest, constant identification of ourselves with Jesus Christ and his wonderful humility and obedience, and with spiritual knowledge of mastering the physical elements––to dissolve these beliefs," Myrtle notes. (p. 56)
And this directly leads in to the 'salvation by what' question. If ignorance is the problem, then Myrtle insists that "Truth" (with a capital T) is the solution. She says that the "moment a person yields his self to Godlikeness, he is letting the Spirit of God burst the shell of doubt and fear, and the light of faith reveals to him the light of life." (p. 25) Myrtle tells us that: "You are the executive of your indwelling Lord, and every instant you draw from him wisdom, life, energy, strength, power, and substance to meet the moments most pressing need."(p. 128) Returning to Kafka story, it was in death that the man learned that he could have entered the castle at any time. Salvation comes when we, in life, realize that we can enter the castle-- and we take every action to do so. But as Myrtle points out "it is not by personal might, nor by personal power, but by the Spirit of the Lord that all things are accomplished." (p. 128)
This raises the 'salvation for what' question. Here I see Myrtle indicating a twofold path. The first reason for salvation is that we "might have life and have it abundantly" (as Jesus notes). This is not possible when we are weighed down in error thoughts and race consciousness. However there is a second reason for salvation according to Myrtle. When we experience unity with the One, we are able to help others "seek the indwelling Christ." (p. 85)
Rick ~ I appreciate both your reference to “living waters” and the Kafka story, which was unknown to me. Myrtle had a way with words and you elaborated on her message artfully.
ReplyDeleteI had not considered the term “ignorance” related to “error thought” (which I reflected upon), but I see how this fits with Myrtle’s presentation of salvation. Truth is the salvation ~ the salvation from ignorance and error thought. Your Myrtle quote, “constant identification of ourselves with Jesus Christ and his wonderful humility and obedience, and with spiritual knowledge of mastering the physical elements––to dissolve these beliefs” so beautifully portrays the salvation in which Myrtle held her belief and which she communicated so eloquently in her many letters. Thank you, Rick.
What insightful writing and you offer a great story to boot. (I'm logging this one in my ministerial resources file, for sure!) :) I, too, see Myrtle as making a contrast between Truth (knowledge of Reality) and ignorance (lack of awareness of Reality) and, correspondingly, awareness of and belief in falsehood. This is how I've seen the Adam & Eve story--as a story about the falling into of "sin" or error consciousness by believing in the serpentine lies (believing in the existence of good AND evil). In my post, I mentioned the idea of suffering outright, and I'm wondering why you didn't here. I wonder: If ignorance is NOT bliss, then is it, by default it a form of suffering? It seems to me that's what Myrtle was responding to in her letters--people wanting to either change their circumstances or attitude--presumably because they suffered.
ReplyDeleteThank you Nihen.
ReplyDeleteIn Daybree's blog I left a comment that both Daybree and you saw it as salvation from suffering-- which is close to Buddhism. Nothing wrong with being close to Buddhism in my book. I saw the problem as ignorance. I then said in the comment to Daybree's post, that suffering and ignorance may be different vantage points of the same event.
So why do put the emphasis on ignorance? I do that because I see Ignorance as being the real illness and suffering as being only a symptom. Salvation from the symptom does not produce long term solutions. Until the basic problem is solved, the symptoms will keep returning. People often want relief from the symptom -- and to continue without making a basic long run changes. It doesn't work that way and I believe Myrtle knew this.
Hi Rick, I enjoyed your use of the pure mountain river metaphor. You said, "And yet all too many people are not aware that they are standing in the stream." And the Kafka story was a great illustration. Your emphasis on "ignorance" was interesting. And I liked Nhien's question, is ignorance a form of suffering? Makes the mind spin! As I'm beginning to see it, Myrtle's audience was, as we know, largely traditional Christians who were taught a different belief system about their path to salvation. She had to not only teach a "new" way (Jesus' way as she saw it) but also undo what they already accepted as their truth. Could that have been part of the reason why she said what she did in the way she said it? She had to get past more than ignorance. She had to get past minds that were largely made up already. - Doug
ReplyDeleteRick, your twofold path certainly adds a varied perspective to the question 'salvation for what'? An abundant life is out of reach if we are bogged down by error thoughts and race consciousness. I particularly appreciate your reference to our being able to help others "seek the indwelling Christ" once we experience unity with the One. We have to first come to terms with our indwelling Christ before we can help others do the same.
ReplyDeleteRick, Looks like we are on the same page this week and I loved your Kafka story. Great representation of what we all have done to ourselves at various times in our own lives. At times we have blocked our good from us. We are the only ones that stand in the way of our good. When a change in consciousness happens... we are more than willing to graciously accept the truth because we've been so busy living in a place of ignorance that we are ready for something greater.
ReplyDeleteDrRick quotes Myrtle, who arguably describes in one passage both what we're saved FROM and what we're saved BY:
ReplyDelete"Wherever beliefs in materiality, in the power of disease, or in adversity of any sort have been allowed to settle into the mind and result in formations of flesh or in functional activity, it takes great illumination––and not only illumination but ernest, constant identification of ourselves with Jesus Christ and his wonderful humility and obedience, and with spiritual knowledge of mastering the physical elements––to dissolve these beliefs," Myrtle notes. (p. 56)
Way to go. A little more commentary on this Rosetta Stone of Myrtle's thought might be helpful.
Adding your observation about FOR what ("that we "might have life and have it abundantly") is helpful, but the whole quote from John 10:9-10 raises some issues that Mrs. Fillmore may not have conceded:
I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (NRSV)
Did you find an actual instance where Myrtle invokes this particular passage, or are we back to extra-Myrtlean sources like Kafka?
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DeleteThanks Dr Tom
DeleteI did not find an actual example of Myrtle using this quote. But this is "fiction week." Yes?
In the John quote, Myrtle could view the 'thief' as being Error Thoughts.
Dr Tom
DeleteI found a place where Myrtle does in fact use the Biblical quote. See page 91 of Healing Letters.
And I believe that Myrtle used it in the way I mentioned in my draft letter.