ABOUT APOTHEISM
Apotheism is the belief in the divinity of humanity, and the awakening of our own internal power. Apotheists do not rely on a higher being or the existence of a supernatural entity for divine assistance. We understand that most religions come from either a lack of understanding of science and nature or are completely allegorical stories that were cleverly developed to structure human experience along with stories of supernatural beings and heroes. These stories helped delineate and map out the stars and astrology and explain ideas of birth and death. This universe is, without a doubt, a miracle and it is our constant purpose to try and unravel it's mysteries. Attempting to explain the birth of consciousness from millions of years of evolution, why we exist in the first place, and where our consciousness comes from is no small task. Ancient wisdom has long tried to explain this phenomena and decipher the worldly mysteries surrounding where our minds come from and where it goes. Apotheism does not tell you these answers, nor does it promise you an eternal happiness, but tasks you with coming up with those answers for yourself by thorough investigation of ancient mysteries and modern science.
Though many religions and ancient texts attempt to explain the supernatural origins of the universe or explain their God or Gods as beings in need of worship and reverence, some beliefs actually speak to hidden powers that all humans have or are instructions on how to raise ourselves to a higher consciousness. Those ancient religious texts attempt to unlock and awaken our inner power and teach us how to bring peace to our planet. These texts are the true nature of Apotheism. From Buddhism in attaining Nirvana, to early Christianity awakening the Christ consciousness and bringing heaven to Earth, or Yoga, perfecting the body and awakening the serpent power within, we rely on things we as humans are capable of and learn to achieve peak human form. Leaving behind the need to worship a single idea of God, we instead try to see God in everyone, knowing that each human is a divine creature that has the power to create and shape their own reality. Where religion teaches that we are nothing without the love of God, we teach that we ARE God and we are love. We are universal consciousness that has evolved in human form and can tap into our pure awareness that conventional religion has stripped of us.
Apotheism endeavors to rationalize science and spirituality, theism and atheism, physics and metaphysics so that we can separate fact from fiction and regain a true and perfect understanding of where humanity has come from and where we desire to go. We do this by reading and having a functioning understanding of all religions, their origins and effects in shaping civilization and then taking from all religions the common idea they all share on how to make the world a better place while driving our own human evolution. At present, we are animals with divine purpose and possibilities. To unlock our fullest potential, we must subjugate our egos and pierce the veil to a new awakened consciousness. Apotheists do this by any means we see fit, taking the long, rich history of those who have come before and applying it to our daily lives in any teaching that fulfills us spiritually.
Apotheists may practice in as many or as few ways as they think brings forth their conscious awakening but are absolutely encouraged to be educated on the historical truths and scientific examples of their practices and not be completely ignorant to other religions or ways of living. Apotheists are encouraged to study broad spectrums of religion, psychology, philosophy, and other arts and sciences to round their spiritual growth and progress. It is imperative that we never again allow religious dark ages to destroy human progress and scientific understanding or give rise to new wars fought on behalf of single-minded religious fanaticism. Through the practice of critical thinking, we desire to end the pandemic of ignorance that tears countries and nations apart.
Apotheism endeavors to illuminate a new age of understanding and end an era of war, ignorance, and shame. Apotheism is a safe haven for the soul who has been traumatized by conventional religion, the soul who has been told they are not worthy, who has been hurt by a spiritual leader, who has been shunned by their family or friends, who has had religion thrown in their face to shame them because of their lifestyle. We recognize and empathize with those who feel they have no place to go and have deconstructed or deconverted from their mother religion. To the initiate of a new spiritual awakening, they may feel like their religion does not answer all of their questions or has glaring and fundamental contradictions that cannot be reconciled. To the person who claims they are SBNR (Spiritual But Not Religious) this teaching is for you. It is for the ones who have been "church hurt" and are ashamed to call themselves a believer. This is your heaven where religious trauma can be healed and a new and powerful version of you can be awakened.
We as a species are only able to learn how vastly different the world is from what many of us have been taught to perceive when we begin to unlearn so much of what has been indoctrinated into us our entire lives. Through unlearning, deconstructing, and educating, we endeavor not to hate and be cynical about religion and the hypocrisy that is so deeply inculcated in it, but instead to understand the beauty that lies at the foundation of ancient beliefs. We wish to take from them those amazing and wonderful discoveries of ancient wisdom that saints have discovered for thousands of years. Like chiseling through a mountain for precious stones, we take from those holy texts only the most rare and remarkable lessons that better society and the world as a whole, while also understanding that religion is not a perfect system given to us by an almighty God, but a reflection of the ignorance and wisdom of ancient people who came before. Those rough rocks and dirt we must not hate for it hides those intellectual gems that provide the true awakening of one's consciousness. As we mine the mountain, we build an appreciation for the world and how much we as a species have evolved in it to better understand science, medicine, and civilization. Through learning where humanity has come from, we paint a clear picture of how we got here. This allows us to see with our own thoughts and discoveries how horrible we as humans can be to the Earth and our fellow man, but also how amazing and powerful we can be as well. Apotheism gives us hope for a bright future where the oneness of us all can heal the many diseases of the world.
GOALS OF APOTHEISM
There are several fundamental goals that Apothiesm and Apothiests endeavors to achieve
1. HEALING OF RELIGIOUS TRAUMA AND FREEDOM FROM STIGMA APPERTAINING TO DECONVERSION.
2. COMPLETE NONVIOLENCE TO MANKIND AND NATURE TO THE HIGHEST DEGREE ATTAINABLE.
3. PROMOTING AN EARTH CONSCIOUS AGENDA THAT EXERCISES LOWERING ONE'S CARBON FOOTPRINT AND SUPPORTING POLICIES THAT LEAD TO A FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES
4. SUPPORTING A SOCIETY THAT LOOKS OUT FOR THOSE WHO ARE LESS FORTUNATE AND PARTICIPATES IN CHARITABLE EVENTS THAT BENEFIT FELLOW CIVILIANS.
5. PROMOTES A CALL TO THE GOVERNMENT TO REMOVE LAWS THAT HARM OR IMPEDE A PROGRESSIVE SOCIETY INCLUDING HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUALITY.
6. RAISING THE SPIRITUAL VIBRATION OF THE WORLD AND ACTIVELY HELPING OTHERS ATTAIN SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT THROUGH EDUCATION AND EXERCISE OF ONE'S SPIRITUAL PRACTICE.
7. WORLD PEACE THROUGH AN EFFORT TO LEARN AND RESPECT ALL CULTURES KNOWING WE ARE ALL ONE SPECIES AND THE FATE OF THE PLANET IS THE FATE OF US ALL.
THE MERKABA
Merkaba, also spelled Merkabah, comes from a Hebrew word meaning chariot, or vehicle. Split into 3 syllables, it represents light, spirit, and body respectively. The Merkaba Symbol is a shape made of 2 intersecting tetrahedrons that spin in opposite directions, creating a 3-dimensional energy field. You can activate this vehicle of light around your own body with practiced meditation and breathing techniques. The merkaba is said to provide protection and transport your consciousness to higher dimensions. The merkaba shape reminds us of the potential power we can wield when we unite our own energies in pursuit of connection and growth. To attain wisdom, one must first learn to be willing to accept it. The true Merkaba meaning will never be revealed to people whose minds are plagued with disbelief. Because Apotheists believe in shedding ignorance to attain higher consciousness, we use the Merkaba as our symbol.
THE FOUR SAGES
The 4 Sages are the 4 most influential religious figures throughout recorded history. Their incredible teachings and impact on not only world religions but laws and social customs that shaped countries and nations are still felt and practiced to this day. Apotheism highly regards the remarkable lessons these Sages taught and tries to discover the source of their practices to help others attain similar levels of spiritual fulfilment in their life. Taking the original meanings of these teachers and leaving behind the dogmatic confinements these illuminated beings have been bound to, we are able to explore their practices with new understandings to unravel the secrets they tried to show the world.
KONG QIU (CONFUCIUS)
Born in 551 BC, Confucius was a philosopher, politician, and poet. His influence began in government where he would instruct politicians on how to rule righteously over their people. His influence on government, and subsequently most of China, his philosophy on how to live a life of moral exemplification would be one of the most powerful teachings throughout East Asia. His disciples wrote down his teachings to create The Analects of Confucius that would become a pinnacle text used to teach moral and social behavior throughout the East. Confucius' teachings weren't concerned with an afterlife so much as living a righteous life on Earth and being of service.
SIDDHĀRTHA GAUTAMA (BUDDHA)
Born an aristocrat of the Shakya clan, Siddhartha was thought to have been born between 563 and 480 BCE. After leaving his life of nobility, Siddhartha became an ascetic to better understand the causes of suffering. After almost starving under a Bodhi tree, he gained enlightenment and found the middle path and became the Buddha or enlightened one. His middle path along with the 8 fold path of Buddhism formed the basis for what has now become a global lifestyle philosophy. The Buddha's teachings were transcribed into the Pali Cannon or Tripitaka and is the primary source of Buddha's teachings. The Buddha was also not concerned too much with teaching about the afterlife. Achieving true happiness in life, or Nirvana, was a way to transcend all suffering in the afterlife.
YESHUA (JESUS THE CHRIST)
Jesus was born Bethlehem in 4 BC and was aware of his divine purpose early in life. Not much is known about his childhood years, but he spent his young adult life performing miracles and teaching an alternative version of the Jewish religion that was extremely controversial and even circumvented the religious customs of the time. After being baptized by Saint John, he began preaching and took on disciples. Jesus' teachings primarily circulated around the less fortunate, the sick, the poor, and how we are to help them and support one another. Opposite of the previous sages, Jesus spoke at length about God and the idea of the afterlife and had a vision of bringing Heaven to Earth. His sermons of inclusivity and his rebellion against religious structure and authority would eventually lead to his execution at the cross where his followers would eventually call themselves Christians.
MUHAMMAD IBN ABDULLAH (THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD)
Muhammad was born approximately 570 CE in Mecca. After being orphaned at 6 years old, he lived with extended family and would often sequester himself in a cave nearby to pray. When he was 40, the angel Gabriel came to him in a vision where he received a revelation by God and began preaching his revelations to others, believing he was the last prophet of God. Through much opposition and war, he gained many followers and eventually captured Mecca where many Muslims pilgrimage to once a year. After converting much of the Arabian peninsula to Islam, he passed in his early 60s. His revelations and teachings dramatically changed not only the religious beliefs at the time, which were a lot more polytheistic and pagan, but also influenced the laws of the land and even many social customs and brought more inclusivity to women and plenty of art and poetry to Arabia. His writings became what is now the Holy Quran and spawned several other subsects of Islam including the Sufis and the Sikh.
REQUIREMENTS OF A NOBLE LIFE
The Noble Requirements are similar to the Noble Precepts. However, these Noble Requirements are the foundational collective teachings of our 4 Sages condensed into 4 practices to perfect your life. These Noble Requirements, once perfected, will enrich your life and give you an inclusive look at the world around you and your place in it and will aid your spiritual journey and fulfilment.
Humility and Honesty in Self-Knowledge
Confucius once remarked that true knowledge is saying you know something when you know it and saying that you do not know something when you do not know it. He emphasized self-awareness in your ignorance and that knowing the extent of your ignorance is true knowledge. The Sages became acutely aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and used them to aid in their teachings. Thus, we strive to always be honest with ourselves and affirm that we have all the answers.
Passion for Knowledge with Pristine Openness
Muhammad was illiterate and could not read nor write, but his passion for knowledge with an open mind allowed him to divine new ways he thought the world should work and helped change outdated laws and customs and led him to victory on the battlefield. With a truly open mind, the Sages saw amazing new possibilities that were revolutionary at the time. Attentive study and a passion to know more helped them break the molds that they were born into to see things the way they were and not the way others wanted them to see. Thus, we study with excitement to uncover that which we do not know and allow knowledge to show us the truth without attachment to our previous beliefs.
Attentiveness to Stillness and Quietude
Each Sage practiced long periods of quietness and meditation, but none more so than Buddha who sat motionless almost to the point of starvation to find the secrets of the world. Spending time in prayer or meditation allows us to detach from distractions and gain a deeper sense of our own bodies and minds and can bestow remarkable revelations to us as we ponder our own thoughts with intention to understand our consciousness to a deeper level. Thus, we spend time to still ourselves to better connect with our bodies and minds.
Overcoming Self-Centeredness
Jesus was responsible for egalitarianism in early Christianity and his teachings were inclusive to some many would have considered outcasts to society. The Sages endeavored to dissolve the labels humans placed on each other to segregate ourselves and teach that we are beings that coexist with nature and are not above it. Thus, we strive to live a life in service to others to practice selfless care to all beings, especially the ones who need it the most.
"You are taught that you are a microcosm, because the process that creates every human being takes a single cell and develops it into a living conscious entity. This is a symbolic copy of the evolution of the entire universe. As a child you know only that which is finite and limited, but within your mind is the potential to become aware of the infinite and illimitable. A single acorn contains a potential forest of oaks."
- Robert Lomas
FOUNDER
A practitioner of ancient arts and connoisseur of esoteric knowledge, Rishi founded Apotheism to free those who have suffered the trauma of religious dogma. A search for truth and the meaning of our existence drives him to bring together powerful minds, ancient and modern, to teach a new generation of spiritual enthusiasts how to live a better life and achieve deification without the weight of oppressive religion. After his own deconstruction from fundamentalism, he discovered that there was so much to learn, and more importantly, so much to unlearn. Having realized that Apotheosis is out there and attainable, he now seeks to awaken others to their own divine light and shape a new age of humans with the power and drive to achieve the unimaginable while saving our planet.
RISHI
Founder/Teacher