Every religion has its 'holy' books, and we, the multitude, have been taught from childhood that the path to hell and damnation is trodden by those who dare to question the 'sacred' and 'undistorted' truths of these man-created books and think for ourselves. In all religions there have been priests, ministers, monks and nuns who, not being content with second-hand experiences of God, second-hand beliefs about God, have striven for direct, personal experience of that great, intelligent force. They know that it is not enough to love God with their hearts, but must love through their own minds and within their own spirit, or psyche. So instead of constantly repeating the myths, legends, truths and distortions of truth found in 'holy books', they begin the great inner journey to God themselves. They are to be found amongst the mystics of all religions. And it is they who keep the truth alive.

There is a minister of religion on the Sunshine Coast who held a copy of the Holy Gospels above his head and warned his congregation, "Don't think that all the truth is to be found in this book." Such people keep the teachings alive, and though they may shock the fundamentalists who are unwilling to think for themselves, they encourage others to start their own journeys within God.

The blind belief in the sacredness and the absolute truth and authority of our holy books is not very different from the mindless, blind obedience of the Hitler youth in the thirties. "Don't think, don't question authority, just do it!" When Jesus of Nazareth spoke of himself as a shepherd caring for his flock, it was not his intention that we became sheep-like in our thinking.

Any Christian who does not contemplate seriously the teaching, "If you seek the kingdom of God which is within you, all else is added unto you," is denying himself his birthright and inheritance, is denying the Spirit of God within himself and is denying the eternal validity of his own great Psyche. To seek that which is within you requires both contemplation and meditation. The two should not be confused. Contemplation is a mental process, meditation is a spiritual process. They should work in harmony. When in doubt, you should follow the promptings of your heart, and not your intellect.

Continual bible study, which is similar to the continual chanting of the Buddhist Sutras has absolutely nothing to do with seeking the Spirit of God within us. At best, they are intellectual pursuits, at worst they degenerate into a habit and a ritual. Continually mouthing the words God, Jesus or the Buddha will bring you no closer to God-realisation than mouthing the word food will bring you closer to satisfying your hunger. That way, you will never find the God that is within your own Psyche. God is not found by separation, by looking only outside yourself. Books may inspire you, but you will not find God within them; only second-hand knowledge of God. Truly, YOU are the temple of God.