Spirituality transcends all of the intricacies
and oftentimes trivial differences that
separate us in human relations.
So, let the starch out of your shirt.
                Bodan

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep Peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep Peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep Peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep Peace of the gentle night to you.
Moon and stars pour their healing light.
on you. Deep Peace to you.
                              Bill Douglas

A Welcome Message from Bodan
Founder of the University of Spirituality
 


It has been foretold for thousands of years that the new millennium would bring about great change for humanity and this great planet earth upon which we live. The great change spoken of is one of humanity unified together in peace, spirituality and a mutual understanding that we are all children of the same creator. We are all brothers and sisters and together we have the ability to bring about harmony and a cooperative continuity to all of life. We are told that the Christ would return to Earth and establish the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. All of this wonder is forecasted to happen at some point during the new millennium. Well, the new millennium has arrived. In fact, we have been in the new millennium for a few years now. When you take a long look around, do you see any signs of this great era coming into view? Whether you do or not depends largely on where you look , how you look and what you are looking for. In some respects, things appear to be getting worse. The United States has launched two wars in recent years and has also declared to the world that it plans to put an all out stop to terrorism. There is internal strife and conflict in just about every corner of the globe. Disease and poverty are running rampant in some countries. Slavery is still practiced in other countries. Overall, there are numerous areas where the strong and powerful still victimize the weak. Some of the world’s major religions are experiencing a hierarchal breakdown as well. Much of the world seems to be gripped with fear and people are struggling to preserve an existing way of life that is crumbling beneath them.

On the other hand, people are beginning to look for answers as to why there is so much unrest and chaos. There is a resurgence of ancient customs, values and some people are seeking to return to a more simpler way of life they once knew. New churches are springing up advocating a new train of thought and perspective of looking at God, religion and how we perceive the ever popular figure we know as the Christ. There are a great number of not for profit organizations springing up whose sole mission is to provide some sort of beneficial service to humanity. These missions range from various forms of activism, environmental education, animal and human rights institutions, youth programs, and providing services in the way of food, shelter and medicines for those existing in poverty-stricken areas.

One thing is for sure. We have fallen short of our understanding of God, Spirit, Love, Compassion, and the essential ingredients we need to have a truly fulfilling life. Our lack of understanding, on the whole, is alright. It has to be because this is the way things are meant to be and the way things are. Any other perspective would be unrealistic because we cannot single handedly change the world. We can, however, in an individual capacity, change ourselves and it is indeed time for a change because we have progressed as far as we can with our current understanding.

If there is one important thing to understand about the great shift forecasted for the new millennium and the Age of Peace on Earth, it is not going to just happen by itself nor is anyone going to do it for us. Evolutionary changes have always come about as a result of humanity’s interaction. Whether positive or negative, good weather or bad weather, humanity has always stood at the forefront, either benefiting from the numerous inventions and technological advances, or suffering the consequences of bad ideas, misuses of power, and the blatant disregard for the precious gift of life itself. This brings to mind the very important and greatly misunderstood universal principle of “What you sow, so shall you reap.” Humanity is certainly reaping what it has sown.

Some sacred texts have long been mistranslated and misunderstood to where the masses have been swayed into an erroneous believe system and practice of worship. Even where truth is correctly interpreted, such findings only satisfy the intellectual side of us. Through the promotion of sin, guilt and the concept that their God is an angry and wrathful one, the majority of humanity has come to believe that he or she is unworthy of spiritual attainment of the highest caliber like the great ones. Most people could not possibly conceive of placing themselves in the same classification as one of the great saints, such as Jesus, Mary, Buddha, Krishna or Yogananda. In fact, saints such as Jesus have been placed on a pedestal so high, he can simply never be reached.

With this in mind, I pose to you the following scenario. Put aside all of your previously held convictions and what you believe to be the truth. Open your mind and heart to the following question. Do you honestly believe that God, in all His unfathomable wisdom, love and creativity, would deliver to humanity only one son? Just one and only one son? This type of thinking does not even make sense. In fact, it is irrational. If this were true, it would mean that God plays favorites.

Humanity has long strived to end discrimination and pave the way for the fair and equitable treatment of all people. Let’s take this one step further. How about the equal treatment of all life, including all of our fury friends. Now, if you consider the fact that we are pushing for equality for basic human rights, would it not hold true that we have the same equal right and potential to develop our individual spirituality and attain the heights of the Kingdom of Heaven just as the great ones? Of course it does! You have the right and you have the potential. It is a God given right and divine potential. Don’t let anyone tell you differently or that you have to go through someone else to learn and grow spiritually. Do not allow anyone to tell you that you do not have what it takes to rise above the physical arena of life. The spiritual trek is between you and God. It always has been this way and it always will be this way. It is only the external influence of other people, organizations and the world in general that sways our thinking otherwise.

Ultimately, humanity holds the keys and responsibility for ushering in the great era of peace, light, love that is forecast to unfold. In order for this change to begin, humanity must take a good long look at itself, beginning with each individual. I stress that this needs to happen on an individual basis first. You need to take a long look at yourself. Change must start within each individual heart. Each individual must open up his or her heart and mind to learn about spiritual values. Each person must open up his or her mind to understand the meaning and importance of “Individual Spirituality.” Each person must open up his her heart and be educated on the proper understanding of prayer or communion and the proper perspective and focus to have while engaging in these activities. Above all, a proper understanding of the individual relationship to God, our Father/Mother is the most important key that truly begins to open doors to greater knowledge, expanded perceptual awareness and healing and wholeness. These areas serve as the basis for ushering in the age of peace and establishing right relations between humanity. Peace on Earth, as a whole, and the return of the Christ and His/Her disciples will not and cannot happen until right and harmonious relations are established between states, countries and the great number of factions entrenched in misconstrued belief systems. Harmonious relations can never take place until one thing happens first. People must find peace within themselves first and then reach out to their closet neighbors, friends and family. Finding peace begins with a proper understanding and development of individual spirituality and the proper focus in communion. Humanity has the power, love and light to bring about global change, however, that change must first come about within the individual.

Consider the following questions:

Would you like to exercise your divine right and potential?

Would you like to discover the truth of things?

If so, what is the truth that you seek?

Do you desire to understand the truth of God?

How about the truth about yourself?

Would you like to learn about where you have come
from and where it is that you are headed?

Would you like to learn about where
you were before you were born?

Would you like to find peace and tranquility with yourself?

Would you like to find real balance and learn to live to the fullest extent possible in the present moment without worrying about the future or the past?

Would you like to find answers to all of
the questions you have ever had?

One thing is for certain. If you hold a sincere desire to learn the truth about God, you are going to have to set aside, at least temporarily, your previous held convictions to learn the truth about yourself. God and you are inseparable and any other belief or conclusion you draw is erroneous.

You can discover all of these things and more, however, consider this. You will never find the truth about yourself in the pages of any text, regardless of what they are, who wrote them, or what level of significance is placed on them. The truth about who you are and what your potential is can never be found in written words. Written words serve only as guidance. Truth, in its pure essence, is universal, non-verbal and can only be experienced within the depth of one’s perception and being. Spoken or written words, regardless of their nature, are only aspects of the thought process as self-expressed through verbalization or on paper.

The truth of the matter is that the truth is found inside of you. The truth is inside of you now, as you read this. When God created us, he gave us great potential. We have exercised that potential in countless areas of human achievement. That potential, regardless of how seemingly great, has only been made through materialistic accomplishments. Our greatest potential has yet to be discovered. Our greatest potential lies within our spirit and it is here you will discover the truth not only about yourself, but about everything. Your spirit carries not only truth, but an unspeakable love, peace and light that lies untapped within you. Where are all of these wonderful qualities inside of you? These wonderful qualities are found everywhere inside of you. Your spirit is, in essence, an energy field that, when cleansed and purified, is illuminated from the inside out rather than from the outside in. You can and will discover this unimaginable potential with a mere shift in your focus and the undertaking of a long journey.

With this in mind, I present to you the University of Spirituality. The University of Spirituality is a place to help you begin that journey. Although the University of Spirituality is a concept, an image on a computer screen, it serves as a central hub through which people can connect and support each other. We make friends at school and it is my hope that you will make friends here to share your experiences of life and inner discovery.

When you were created, God placed the key to your success in a place where very few think to look. The key to your success rests within your heart. You have the ability to slowly turn this key and allow the doors of self-illumination to open up before you. The process begins with a basic knowledge of individual spirituality. I would also point out that you do not take the journey through the University itself. Rather, the University can provide for you the direction you must take to facilitate the journey. The journey is a metaphorical depiction of a lengthy and in-depth process of self-examination that you alone must undertake.

While there are a number of classrooms to get you acquainted with the broad topic of spirituality, the course material for this university centers around “The Master Within, Building Our New Home Within the House of God.” The course is three volumes in length. Volume One is the entitled the same. Volume two is entitled, The University of Spirituality and volume three is entitled Communion and Exercise. The introduction and a brief synopsis of the course can be found by visiting the Department of Construction Technology. Perhaps of greater import, the writings on this site serve as a warm up to the course. Volume One is the only one currently available. I can assure you that this is enough to keep you occupied for a while.

The University of Spirituality centers around two major objectives, both occurring simultaneously. The first objective is developing your spirituality from the basic starting point of searching within yourself for peace of mind. There are other things for which you search, such as meaning and purpose, but peace of mind is emphasized the most. The second objective is to play your role in helping to bring about peace on planet Earth. When making a concerted effort to discover one’s inner nature and engaging in activities conducive to facilitate that process, the energy stimulated by the soul benefits both the individual auric energy field and the energy pervading the earth. In other words, your efforts add one more seed to the greater harvest in bringing about a new crop of peace on a global scale. An expanded awareness is the first major step in the peace and healing process. Expanding individual awareness multiplies to expanded global awareness. Most people, in their heart, desire world peace. The two objectives advocated by the University of Spirituality are two halves of a whole.

I’d like to make it clear to the prospective student that the University of Spirituality is a concept, an idea in the making. Put another way, it is an idea on the verge of appearing. While no structure currently exists, at least not on the physical plane, enrolling and learning from this entity requires the transformation of your existing home. Your very own living room can be both a place of education and communion. In short, wherever you wish to set up class, the University is there. Anywhere you wish to set up your altar, ‘there you are’ because the true transformation takes place within you. Attending the University is accessible only through the heart. The process of Building Your New Home Within the House of God takes place wherever you are and whatever you are doing.

In one respect, enrolling in the University of Spirituality is no different than engaging in any endeavor. You set for yourself a goal and work toward attaining that goal. In another respect, the University of Spirituality is much more difficult. In a conventional educational setting, the student uses the mind to absorb a degree of standardized information to satisfy an established objective. Translated into simpler terms, the intellectual knowledge bank has been stimulated and expanded, a diploma is issued, and the person is considered ready to hit the working world and continue on his or her career path through on the job training. In the University of Spirituality, you’ll also receive plenty of information to satisfy the intellectual side of you. The difference is that the information that you absorb into your mind centers around your mind itself. The difficulty lies in engaging in the homework. Homework prepares you for a new job working for the ‘Company of God,’ which translates to a new and transformed you. Does that make sense? Point is that if you strive to accomplish this course and attain, you must assume the responsibility and discipline to do so.

The life of a student in search of truth is a bit more difficult because the endeavor entails a deep study of the mind through direct experience with the mind. In short, I present this material to you, however, it is you who must make the journey. I can tell you from my personal experience that attending and graduating from a conventional university is a piece of cake compared to this. If you earnestly desire to learn what real truth is, you will have to sort through the countless layers of illusionary truth that have become an integral part of your perceptual reality. Attending this university requires returning to kindergarten and reconditioning your perception of reality. In other words, get used to the expression ‘things are not as they seem.’ Developing yourself spiritually translates to expanded perceptual awareness and expanded perceptual awareness is everything.

I make no claim as to my status as a spiritually enlightened individual other than to say that I have attained an expanded perceptual awareness of spiritual maturity to where I am comfortable. From my perspective I’m just a normal guy doing his part to help make this world a better place. I have compiled the information related to this course, web site and the concepts of the University of Spirituality and Building a New Home Within the House of God over a significant number of years. Long ago, I embarked on a journey of deep self-examination and the internal renovation and construction of my spirit. The journey continues. I have not graduated from the University of Spirituality because our quest for learning and self-growth is a never ending process. While I serve as the facilitator of this university, I am also a student. I am, most assuredly, an advanced student, but nonetheless, a student. From a freshmen to seniors, I share the torch of learning the higher mysteries of life. My role is to help in any way I am able. I hope that other students enroll in the University of Spirituality and begin the process of inner development, cleansing and interacting with others of like mind who have a sincere desire to do their part in bringing about peace in the world. Those who commune together help each other progress and find their place in the world. In other words, if you find the educational material here inspiring, you have received a piece of the energy I have put into this work. Simultaneously, I have received back a piece of what I have put into this work. The principle of giving and receiving all works through the process of energy exchange.

Furthermore, this is no longer the age for gurus or masters. Put simply, it is unwise to put stock in anyone or anything other than yourself. Though it can often be extremely difficult to cultivate self-reliance, discipline and responsibility, in the case of spiritual development, you have no choice because the road to true conscious enlightenment is found no where else but within your mind. There is no one and cannot be anyone in your mind but you. God’s compass will direct you through all of life experience. Follow your own heart. It will not mislead you, even when you think you are being mislead. This is the new millennium and the time has come for humanity to learn what life existence is really all about. The new millennium is the age for self-discovery in a most profound way. It is time for us to learn that we are all children of universal creation and have the potential ability to mature into full-fledged sons and daughters of God when we accept the responsibility for doing so. The emphasis of this university is on individual spiritual development, self-realization and ultimately, self-mastery. We also place a strong degree of emphasis on Self. Yes, every student has a guru, a master teacher, however, the emphasis here is not on what you can learn from your master teacher, but what you learn through your own soul. You are your own student and you are your own teacher. The Holy Spirit teaches all students of light through light. You have access to that light. You have access to everything you need. You have access to the impulse of knowledge. You have access to your individual record of life. You have access to utopia. It all begins with you.

You can take the process of spiritual development as far as you want. The teachings on this site are a preparatory measure for the three volume course in spiritual development and self-mastery. If you learn just a few things and are satisfied and wish to move on, by all means, do so. If you wish to stick with it and go the mile, by all means, do so. This school is one of self-help. It is completely voluntary and taken of your own free will. If you decide to go the mile, be prepared to have your entire being turned completely inside out. Be prepared to experience an onslaught of emotional adversity, mental disarray and more darkened negativity and opposition than you could ever imagine. I am not going to beat around the bush and paint for you a rosy picture of what the process of genuine individual spiritual development and self-mastery entails. In other words, if you want it sugar coated, you just got it sugar coated. Over the duration of my studies, I have simply read way too much spiritually oriented material that sounded oh so sweet. I am not saying that you will have a difficult time. I am saying that it is wise to prepare for the worse and hope for the best. Point is, if you want the ultimate existence, free of constraints, you must pay the ultimate price.

The path of spiritual mastery is extremely difficult for a couple of reasons. First, if you set a goal to achieve immortality and exit the wheel of reincarnation, then you must balance every once of karma that you have incurred. If such a task itself is not difficult enough, a second major barrier stands in the way. The energies of the world in which we exist are not conducive to spiritual development. The energies of the world are negative, dark, violent and aggressive. I’m not referring here to the negative energies we openly absorb through the media that indirectly affect us. I am referring more to the dark invisible energies experienced within the mind, which is where the spiritual renovation process takes place. But, please don’t allow this to deter you from the start. You can achieve spiritual mastery in one lifetime, but it doesn’t have to be this one. Given the fact that the transformation process takes place in the mind or more realistically, the auric energy field, the progress that you make in spiritual development is yours forever. You take it with you wherever you go. Put more clearly, you can do half this life and finish in your next life. This may sound a bit far fetched, but it isn’t if you approach the concept of reincarnation with an open mind and accept the truth that “time” is a man made creation. In this respect, you always have all the time that you need.

In closing, I would leave you with these thoughts upon which to ponder. There is only one way to heal the world and it is through consciousness. Regardless of how you look at it, thought always precedes words and actions. Speech and physical action are always preceded by thought or conscious preparation. Spiritual evolution for both the individual and masses requires a shift in consciousness. Allow you words and actions to be kind. If you begin to think and actively focus on non-aggression, non-violence and compassion, these calm qualities will eventually surface as reality, but it is not as easy as such. Though we may not realize it, our thoughts and conscious awareness are partially influenced and manipulated by invisible forces that are, for the most part, beyond our immediate control. These forces are very strong and influential in a negative context, but they are not all powerful. There is a force of love within the heart that, when aligned with the Holy Spirit of God, can surmount any obstacle. This force of Love, this force of God, this force of Spirituality, must be accepted and focused upon consistently. You must become aware that it is there and working in and through you. When building your fortress of light, you automatically have a positive effect on the world situation. Every once of darkness you transform with your heart sheds a bit more light, not only within yourself, but upon the world. Consciousness can heal itself and you are a vehicle for the transformation of consciousness. Remember this in the darkest of times.

I ask that you bare with me when surfing around this site. It is an educational resource for spiritual development and has been a good long time in the making. Classes will continually be added and departmental expansions are also planned. I am also, at present, only one person administering all of it.

Namaste

Bodan (Bodân)