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There is, and can be, only one Esoteric Teaching. The Esoteric Teaching is the spiritual ontology. Remember, an ontology is a collection of stories that explains how things got to be the way they are, and how they are likely to proceed in the future.

Our ontology provides a context for meaning, in exactly the same way as a map provides a context for traveling. Everyone has an ontology, whether they know it or not. Our ontology gives meaning to our experience, and helps us to make sound decisions based on the likely consequences of our actions.

The typical materialistic ontology goes, more or less, like this:

“In the beginning was nothing. Then for no reason at all there was a big bang, when time and space, matter and energy came into existence all at once. Everything was chaotic, but gradually settled down into the orderly cosmic universe we now observe. There is no God in control, and there is no soul or afterlife. Everything from stars and galaxies to human beings is just a collection of atoms and molecules that go through different arrangements and transformations according to the laws of physics and random evolution. The explosion of the Big Bang is still expanding, and it will continue to expand until everything runs down, the stars go out and everybody dies. The End.”

Not a very convincing story, is it? But materialists are willing to bet their lives and their souls that it is the truth. It is easy to understand why the materialists are so dry, envious and full of anxiety. They thing that we only have a short time to enjoy life before death destroys us forever and the universe runs down like a spring-powered clock. How depressing! Certainly we can do better than that.

Just as the materialists have their ontology, people who are interested in spiritual life have a different ontology, and this is the Esoteric Teaching. Most spiritual paths use only a small part of the complete Esoteric Teaching, and many use a distorted copy of the Esoteric Teaching, but all spiritual paths and religions share more or less the same ontology.

The spiritual ontology of the Esoteric Teaching goes, more or less, like this:

“The spiritual world exists eternally, without beginning or end. In the spiritual sky, an uncountable number of spiritual planets emanate from the transcendental body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. An unlimited number of spiritual living entities also emanate from Him, and He maintains wonderful ecstatic loving relationships with all of them. Since the living entities are given free will by the Lord, some of them desire to live apart from Him. Although this is not good for them, out of love He satisfies their desire by allowing them to live in the material world, which is a temporary dark cloud in a far corner of the spiritual sky. The material world emanates from an expansion of an expansion of an expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and within this cloud, the Lord is not visible to the living entities. When its time of manifestation is complete, the material world is again withdrawn into the transcendental body of the Lord. The spiritual living entities in the material world transmigrate from body to body according to their karma, suffering in separation from their loving relationship with their eternal Friend, the Supreme Lord. Finally one day, they grow tired of material suffering and separation, and desire to revive their eternal loving friendship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. At that time their good fortune manifests, and through the kindness of the Lord and His devotees they rediscover their eternal identity and perfect spiritual form in ecstatic relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. At this time they transfer back to the spiritual world, which is their real home, and live happily ever after with their dear friend the Supreme Lord.”

Now isn’t that a more hopeful, rich and beautiful story? It carries a much more positive set of values than the dark material ontology. Even if this story isn’t literally true, it provides a much warmer and more optimistic view of life than the materialistic ontology.

The good news is that the ontology of the Esoteric Teaching is true. In fact, it is the Absolute Truth: that truth which remains true throughout all dimensions of time and space, in all conditions and states for all living entities. The bad news is that so few people in this sorry material world accept the spiritual ontology. This is their great misfortune.

The spiritual ontology of the Esoteric Teaching is the background for all spiritual paths, practices and religious teachings. You will find that the complete Esoteric Teaching contains everything that is found in all the other religious teachings in the world, and a great deal more besides.

The Esoteric Teaching is the most complete spiritual teaching in the world. There is only one spiritual ontology, and that is the Esoteric Teaching. All other religious teachings and spiritual paths are derivatives, portions or distortions of the original and complete Esoteric Teaching. Don’t just take my word for it; become a student of the Esoteric Teaching and experience it for yourself.

Next: Transcendental Ontology