Infinite Way Letter

April 1955

By Joel Goldsmith

Part 1 of 5

Immortality

The most prevalent concept of immortality is an existence of eternal bliss after a point of transition known as death or passing on. Another popular concept of immortality is a Methuselah-plus existence in this world. Both concepts are incorrect. The first is based upon the faculty premise that death could be a part of God’s Creation. The second is merely a gilded notion of longevity.

The only death, passing on, or transition is, in the words of Paul, “I die daily”—the transition from one state of consciousness to another. To “die daily” means simply to drop the limited, material concept for one more nearly spiritual. There is no loss of consciousness in this activity.

Sooner or later, each one on this spiritual path comes to a place in his development where he realizes the impossibility of dying or passing on. The individual going through the period of transition is merely exchanging one state of consciousness for another—as a child does when he becomes a youth; a youth when he becomes an adult; and an adult upon entering maturity. All of these are differing states or planes of consciousness, yet no death or passing on has taken place: there is only transition from one state of consciousness to another.

At first this may sound strange, since it appears that no one exists in our immediate presence more than, at most, one hundred to one hundred and ten years. So it would seem that, with the exception of a few reputed to have remained on earth for three or four hundred years, everyone, sooner or later, must experience death, passing on, or transition. This, however, is not true.

It is true that, at some period or other, we all pass from human sight. However, in the experience of those who pass from human sight, there is no body left for burial or cremation. That picture remains only to those still on the material plane of consciousness. Those who are more highly illumined understand that body and individuality are inseparable.

Throughout The Infinite Way Writings and in our class-work, it has been stated that no one has ever died. From the beginning of time, no one has ever died, and no one ever will. No one has ever passed on; no one has ever experienced death by passing on. The experience of death, or passing on, is one that takes place only in the consciousness of those who are left behind: that is, those who still entertain this belief of death or passing on.

It follows, as a natural, logical progression, that in all the world there is no disease, and there is no old age. Without disease and old age, there can be no death. Therefore, since Life is eternal, there cannot be disease, old age or death.

The second concept of immortality, that of remaining on earth for one hundred, two hundred, or five hundred years, is nothing more than a concept of longevity. Longevity is not immortality: it is merely a continuation of the present physical sense of existence.

The understanding of immortality is the realization of one’s God-being, God-identity, God-consciousness. This permits one to develop naturally and gently from infancy to adulthood, from adulthood to maturity, and from maturity to whatever planes of consciousness are necessary for spiritual unfoldment and development, and whatever work God has in store.

An interesting substantiation for this subject is to be found in the Apocryphal book, “The Wisdom of Solomon” (1:12-15): “Court not death in the error of your life: Neither draw upon yourselves destruction by the works of your hands: Because God made not death; Neither delighteth he when the living perish: For he created all things that they might have being: And the generative powers of the world are healthsome, And there is no poison of destruction in them: Nor hath Hades (the kingdom of death) royal dominion upon earth, For righteousness is immortal.”

Notice this last statement: “And the generative powers of the world are healthsome, and there is no poison of destruction in them: nor hath Hades (death) royal dominion upon earth.” There is no kingdom of death upon the earth, and the reason given is: “For righteousness is immortal.” As we ponder this, beginning with God and following out from God, we can find nothing of death, nothing of the poison of destruction, nothing of unhealthiness, nothing of the kingdom of Hades upon the earth.

In the second chapter of this same Apocryphal book, verse 23, we read: “Because God created man for incorruption, And made him an image of his own proper being.” If God created man to be immortal, there is no presence or power able to thwart the Will of God. If God made man to be “an image of his own proper being,” there is no presence or power in this entire universe that could end that Being. When these points are grasped, we begin to understand the impossibility of death for anyone. Once we accept God as the creative Principle of the universe, we see the absurdity of “the poison of destruction,” or the kingdom of death upon the earth.

Be assured of this: God has a spiritual work for each of us, and we have God-capacity to perform it. In the realization of this truth, we will no longer think of longevity as immortality; we will not be concerned with the visible span of our years on earth, but rather with the demonstration of our eternal Selfhood, forever about the Father’s business.

“And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.”

(Deut, 34:7)

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

(Isa. 40:31)

“Bless the Lord, O my soul….Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles.

(Ps 103: see 1-5)

“Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to be,

The last of life,

For which the first was made:

Our times are in His hand

Who saith, ‘A whole I planned,

Youth shows but half;

Trust God: see all, nor be afraid.’”

(Rabbi Ben Ezra: Robert Browning.)

End Part 1