Ascended Master Lord Maitreya through Kim Michaels.

This book is not for everyone—for the simple reason that not everyone is ready for the teachings that will be revealed in this book. This book is a gift from the spiritual teachers of humankind to those who want the full truth about the path to spiritual freedom. There are, of course, numerous religious and spiritual organizations which claim they have this truth and that it has already been defined by their doctrines. Yet it is a fact that such earthly organizations too often restrict people’s spiritual freedom through a set of rigid doctrines and rituals. This book is for those who are willing to consider the cause of the readily observable phenomenon that religion often reduces people’s spiritual freedom rather than giving them greater freedom. The book will expose the hidden forces that operate in the religious life of this planet, forces that often pervert the original purpose of religion. That purpose is to set human beings free to be – while still on Earth – the spiritual beings they were created to be.

When I say that not everyone is ready for this book, my statement does not in any way imply a value judgment. I am not trying to hint that those who are ready are more sophisticated or spiritual than those who are not ready. We who are the true spiritual teachers of humankind have no reason to judge and we have no human values. The simple reason is that we have risen above the condition of duality from which all judgment springs, a condition that will be clearly explained in the coming chapters. In fact, because we are above duality, we have no need to play the game of pretending that is so common among the members of religious movements. Thus, I am not trying to appeal to the pride of those who are using spirituality to satisfy their need to feel better than others.

My statement is meant to insert a dose of practical realism. I know that not everyone is ready for this book, yet I also know that everyone has the potential to become ready—if they are willing to make the necessary adjustments. Which then leads us to a discussion of what it will take for you to get the maximum benefit from this book.

The basic dilemma faced by all seekers of truth

When you look at humankind, it is obvious that many people display no interest in the spiritual side of life. Some actively deny that there is a spiritual realm beyond the material universe, while others are indifferent, focusing all of their attention on the material world and its pleasures or problems. Based on this observation, many people reason that the spiritual teachers of humankind evaluate people based on their outer interest in spirituality. Many people seem to think that God loves the most outwardly religious people – specifically the members of their religion – more than others. Such people might reason that this book is aimed at those who are openly religious or spiritual.

In reality, a spiritual teacher does not evaluate people based on outer appearances. Instead, we look beyond all such appearances and look at the inner condition of a person’s total being. Our concern is not what people currently believe or don’t believe with the outer mind. Our only concern is to what degree a person is willing to look beyond his or her existing beliefs and belief system. We are spiritual teachers, so our calling is to teach. And in order to teach people anything, people must be teachable. In order to be teachable, a person must be willing to look beyond his or her existing mental box. Why is this so?

One might think that all of the people who see themselves as religious or spiritual people should be open to a higher understanding of the spiritual reality, and thus they should be teachable. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. In order to be teachable, you must be open to the possibility that there is more to know about the spiritual side of life than what is defined by your current belief system, your current mental box. As can readily be observed by anyone willing to take an honest look, those who already have a spiritual or religious belief system often close their minds to any knowledge that goes beyond the mental box defined by their belief system. For example, many religious people are afraid to consider ideas that contradict or go beyond the official doctrines of their religion. They think it is dangerous to consider such ideas and that various calamities might befall them if they open their minds to anything beyond the “safe” framework of their belief system—which they consider to be the only true religion. Thus, it is an unfortunate fact that religion often closes people’s minds to a higher understanding of life, making them unreachable for the true spiritual teachers who are always seeking to raise humankind to a higher understanding.

We now see the basic dilemma faced by any seeker of truth. You already have a certain knowledge about the spiritual side of life, and you have likely received that knowledge through one or more outer religions, gurus or teachings. This knowledge forms a belief system, a mental box, and it gives you a sense of security, even a sense of who you are. Yet if you have started reading this book, you must consider yourself a seeker of truth, meaning that you have questions about spiritual topics that have not been answered. You must have an inner knowing that your search for truth has not been ultimately fulfilled. You sense that there is more to know, and you are longing for a higher understanding. Thus, the central dilemma that determines whether you are teachable is a battle, a tug of war, between two forces in your own psyche:

There is a force that seeks to make you cling to what you already know. This force has an insatiable need for security, for feeling that it is already saved, and it wants you to believe that by following an outer belief system, your salvation is guaranteed. This force is what I will call the ego, and I will describe it in greater detail later in the book. The important point at this stage is to understand that those who follow the voice of the ego will read a spiritual book primarily to get their existing beliefs confirmed. Thus, when they come across statements that contradict or go beyond their existing beliefs, they will judge the book as being false, often using one statement as justification for rejecting an entire book. Such people obviously are not teachable, and this book is not written for them.

There is a force that is never attached to any knowledge expressed in the words and images of this world. This force always seeks to inspire you to look beyond your current mental box and increase your understanding. This force is the voice of your Higher Self, your spiritual self, and it will also be described in detail. People who listen to this voice are always seeking to expand their mental boxes, and some have even understood that the ultimate goal of spiritual growth is to escape all human boxes.

We now see that the factor that determines whether you are teachable is the balance between these two forces. To what degree do you cling to your existing beliefs and to what degree are you willing to look beyond your current mental box?

It might help you to recognize the fundamental reality that guides all human progress. What keeps people trapped in limitations and suffering is ignorance. Human society has progressed beyond the stage of the cave dwellers precisely because modern people have a greater understanding of all facets of life than people did in prehistoric times. So the key to your spiritual progress is that you must expand your understanding of the spiritual side of life—with all thy getting, get understanding (Proverbs 4:7). Yet how can you expand your understanding? Where can a higher understanding be found? Well, a higher understanding can be found only by looking beyond your existing beliefs, your current mental box. If the higher understanding was found inside your current mental box, you would already have that understanding and your questions would be answered. Thus, it remains a basic fact of life that only those who are willing to look beyond their mental boxes will rise to a higher level of understanding. Being teachable means being willing to look beyond your current mental box—not indiscriminately, but with discernment, as will be explained later.

NOTE: The rest of this dictation is available in the book Master Keys to Spiritual Freedom.