Still river with reflection of clouds going through meadow - Finding me

BE STILL AND KNOW GOD: Mystic Joseph Benner on getting in touch with divinity and the Real Self

Last updated: April 9th, 2019

[su_panel background=”#d5c38b” color=”#000000″ border=”0px none #000000″ shadow=”0px 0px 0px #ffffff”]The following has been excerpted from The Impersonal Life: The Classic of Self-Realization, in which mystic Joseph Benner delivers messages to the reader, speaking as human consciousness—as a manifestation of divine will—about living a spiritual life.

Be still!—and KNOW,—I AM,—GOD.

The Impersonal Life by Joseph Benner front cover - Finding "Me"

If you’ve learned to “Be Still,” if you’ve studied and meditated upon this “I” as God within you, if you’re able to distinguish it from the personal I, and are conscious at times of being able to step outside, as it were, of your personality and view your human self as it is, see all its petty faults and weaknesses, its base selfishness, its animal appetites and passions, its childish desires and foolish pride and vanities;

If you can do all this and have seen these things with clear vision, know that at those moments you’ve been One with Me in consciousness, that it was your Real Self, I within you, permitting you thus to see with My eyes the Reality of things.

At those moments you were freed from your personality and were dwelling in My Consciousness, call it Cosmic, Universal, Spiritual or Impersonal Consciousness, as you will; for you couldn’t have seen these things in your self excepting through Impersonal eyes, My eyes.

Again, if you’ll look back you’ll recall many times when you felt strongly impelled to do certain things, some of which you did, with perfect results; others of which you argued against, your intellect reasoning you into different action, and always with failure, disappointment or suffering as a result.

This impelling consciousness was only your Real Self, I within you, at such moments guiding you, distinctly telling you what to do. At those moments you were hearing with your Spiritual ears, My ears, and when you Impersonally obeyed, success and satisfaction followed, but when you personally thought you knew better, discomfiture, regret and unhappiness resulted.

Again, there have been moments when you’ve felt approaching events, or the nearness of unseen persons, or inharmonious vibrations when contacting others.

This is only the real you feeling with your Spiritual or Impersonal Body, whose consciousness, did you but know it, is ever on the alert to protect and warn and advise you regarding all outer things, conditions and events.

But the best and surest way you may know Me is when Selfless Love fills your heart, and there’s a strong, compelling urge to help someone, to heal their ills, to relieve their suffering, to bring them happiness, to point out the True Way—that’s the actual feel of Me within you, pushing the personality aside, using your mind and body for the purpose I created them, as avenues for the expression of My Real Nature, which is Perfect Love, the Christ of God, the one, vitalizing, quickening, life-giving, strengthening, healing, all-supplying, all-informing Power in the Universe.

Mother holding sick baby - Finding meAll this is pointed out to you in order to impress upon you that it is I, in your Spiritual body, the Perfect body within, where I dwell, Who am always thus talking to you, advising you, teaching you, warning and helping you, in all the affairs of life; yes, in every little detail.

And if you’ll but turn to Me, and will carefully watch for and study these impressions which you’re receiving every moment, and will learn to trust them, and thus to wait upon and rest in Me, putting all your faith in Me, verily I’ll guide you in all your ways, I’ll solve for you all your problems, make easy all your work, and you’ll be led among green pastures, beside the still waters of life.

Ah, My child, if you’ll spend but one-tenth of the time and energy you’ve wasted in seeking without among the husks of human knowledge and human teachings, in earnest, determined efforts directed within to find Me;

If you’ll devote but one hour each day thus to Me alone, imagining and practicing the Presence of Me within you;

I here promise you that you’ll not only soon, very soon find Me, but I’ll be to you an exhaustless fount of such Wisdom and Strength and Help, as your human mind now can’t possibly conceive.

Yes, if you’ll but seek Me thus, making Me first in your life, never resting until you do find Me, it won’t be long before you’ll become conscious of My Presence, of My Loving Voice, speaking constantly from out the depths of your heart.

And you’ll learn to come to Me in Sweet Communion, and gradually you’ll find yourself abiding in My consciousness, and that My Word is abiding in you, and that whatever you desire will in seemingly miraculous ways be done unto you.

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American mystic Joseph S. Benner (1872-1938) was one of the most thoughtful and impactful contemplative voices to emerge from the metaphysical culture of the 20th century. His books, particularly The Impersonal Life, have inspired a wide range of New Thought authors, and continue to be widely read today.


The Impersonal Life by Joseph Benner front cover - Finding "Me" Excerpted from The Impersonal Life: The Classic of Self-Realization by Joseph S. Benner, published by TarcherPerigee, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2017.
image 1: Pixabay; image 2: Kourtlyn Lott (Creative Commons BY-ND)
  1. Thanks for this! Good “voice” imo. Wow, he died in 1938. The book’s been around. Thanks for making me aware of it, whoever contributed this…

  2. I’m not sure of the exact reason it was re-released this year, but it was a good idea, anyhow.

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