June 1, 2012
VIDEO: Discovering A Higher Purpose
Here’s an excerpt from a recent teaching I did in my hometown, the Big Apple.
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Andrew Cohen is a spiritual teacher, cultural visionary, founder of EnlightenNext, and the author of 
Lovely and clear. It brings to mind the adaptability of the Absolute. How unique is each expression yet behind it all lies a uniform whole. What blows me away though, is the realization that we can’t speak of the Absolute without directly considering its direct relevance in us. Because it is only through its reflection it will be known, only through manifest space and time, you and me, subtle or gross. Once seen it runs through us like a thread through fabric.
The Absolute is only seen in its reflection; what does that mean? Our Absolute Nature, the underlying sameness of our being, sees no difference. But once it is perceived through time and space, through you and me, it expresses uniquely a separate quality. It “turns into” whatever you form. It has no set limits nor biased preferences. The Absolute, once known deeply by oneself, will function irrespective of mans norm.
The Absolute will only ever reveal itself in manifestation. It makes no sense to speak of it, or name it outside of its purpose. It does not exist as an independent force outside of the manifest realm of time and space, subtle or gross. Once we get this, we become extremely excited, as we begin to see the hand of God in all things, in all events.
This knowledge bridges the fundamental divide between mind and spirit.
Like Prabhupada said, the Absolute has a Face, which is the face of the Lord, that he called Krishna. He remarked that it is the hardest thing to see a personal hand in creation.
If you feel a thrill to have the Absolute working through you, it must be small compared to the thrills of the angels, who have awareness of the spirit underlying matter, and spend their time producing positive effects, by their personal hand, there. They delight also in eternal life, that their God-given soul is really theirs, and never dies, across solar cycles.
But the quality of a soul is known by its effects. Talking about the Absolute is one thing, but the Absolute is not manifested that way. You can also say the Absolute reaches through the animal kingdom; and have you checked carefully to see your claim rises above this?
There is a higher dharma, based on effects on pure spirit, which arises prior to sense experience. Those capable of dwelling in this dharma never touch the ground, like Ramakrishna said about the “ever-free.” From there you get the creativity to make each moment fresh and fragrant, while the lower souls, the “bound” or “liberated,” merely rehash their sense experience, without insight from above the senses.