Absolutely Yours

Is The Infinite Way An Absolute Teaching

A woman once asked me, “Allen, what’s the difference between Joel Goldsmith (Infinite Way) and the Absolute?” Because they make similar statements, it’s easy to think they’re the same. They are not. In his seminars, Joel often said, “The Infinite Way is not an Absolute teaching.” I think the man knew what he was talking about. Still, inquisitive minds want to know what makes them different. What distinguishes one from the other?

Can You Detect The Difference

Below are two excerpts. The first is by Joel Goldsmith from his book The Infinite Way. The second is by a former student of Goldsmith and the most well-known author of the Absolute – Marie Watts. These contrasting excerpts point to one major difference between the two.

[Excerpt #1 – Goldsmith]

“On Awakening in the morning, and preferably before you get out of bed, turn your thought to the realization that ‘I and the Father are one … Son … all that I have is thine … The place where thou standest is holy ground;’ and then let the meaning of these statements unfold from within your own Consciousness. Gain a conviction of your oneness with the Father, with Universal Life, the Universal Consciousness.”

[Excerpt #2 – Watts]

“All that is manifest, all that is active in You or as You, all that appears as Your experience is known to the All-Knowing Mind. This is the only Mind that exists and functions as Your Mind, now, this instant. Nothing forms itself outside or apart from this Mind. Nothing exists contrary to the uninterrupted activity of Perfect Mind. There are no opposites, no conditions, no comparisons in the One Infinite One, All.”

Starting Point Or Stopping Point?

Do you see the difference? I once handed a pamphlet of the Absolute to a metaphysical minister. She read a paragraph or two, closed the pamphlet and stared at it. I knew the cogs of her brain were turning, searching for a genial response. Finally, she blurted out, “What can I do with this?” – a typical first-time response to the Absolute.

In the first excerpt, Goldsmith gives a procedure to follow. In the second excerpt, no procedure – just Revelation of Truth. This second excerpt is a fine example of the Truth that unfolds as a result of following the procedure of the first. A book of the Absolute is light on procedure and heavy on Revelation. In fact, some books of the Absolute give no procedure at all.

Let’s say you’re digging for gold. You are loaded down with shovel, pick and gold pan. In your back pocket is a concise guide to gold digging. You follow it to the letter and strike gold. The digging is the procedure. Yet, the procedure is worthless without striking gold. Gold is the “goal.”

The Infinite Way is unmatched in procedure, but it’s worthless unless you strike gold – Revelation. Too many people seem to love the procedure and stop there. They boast about the long hours spent in meditation. They pat themselves on the back for giving it so many years. Yet, they forget that procedure is the starting place, not the stopping place.

Many books of the Absolute seem to have no practical value to those who stop at procedure. However, as soon as they keep digging and strike gold (Revelation) it all comes together. “Allen, now I get it. No procedure is necessary. Before, I thought you were crazy.”

Know this, reader. There comes a time in your spiritual practice when there is less procedure and more Revelation. And ultimately, there is a point when no procedure is necessary. It must be this way, for God Is All.