SOCRATES, THE SPIRITUAL MAN

 

The spiritual man discovered the great truth that his Self is not exactly, contrary to God. He discovered, like Tertullian, that the human soul is Christian, divine by its very nature. Discovered, like the great metaphysics, that the real human Self, in its deepest essence, is identical to God. Discovered, like Jesus, the Christ, that the kingdom of God is within man. Discovered, like the author of Genesis, that the human soul is the image and likeness of God. Discovered, like Paul of Tarsus, that humans are divine descendants. Discovered, like Simon Peter, that the true Self is human participation in the divine nature.

 

The spiritual man does not have the crazy pretension to want to become deified, as the ignorant think; no, he just makes the great discovery of his identity with God. He knows, like all great metaphysics and mystics geniuses, especially the greatest of all, Jesus, that there is only one eternal Reality, infinite, absolute, God, and all other "realities" are not new realities, but only new modalities, new ways of being of that only Reality. He also knows that he himself is an individualized form of God, conscious and free like God is, though in lesser degree of consciousness and freedom.

 

Socrates, at 70 years of age, was sentenced to death because the Athens court thought he was a "despiser of the gods and corrupting the youth." On the night preceding his execution, his great friend Kriton bribed the guards and opened the prison doors inviting the old philosopher to escape.

 

--- Why? - Socrates asked.

--- Because tomorrow they will kill you - Kriton replied.

--- To kill who? me? - Replied quietly the wise.

--- No one can kill Socrates - he said.

 

And, pinching his skin, tapping his fingers on his head, added: - Kriton, do you think that this body here is Socrates? This body is just a wrapper around me, but I am not this body. I am not my body, I am my soul. Socrates is immortal.

 

The next morning, according to the orders of the government of Athens, he drank the cup of hemlock that ended the life of that great Christian before Christ.

 

Socrates knew intuitively that man is an universal being, although there appears on individual forms.

 

Every spiritual man knows with absolute certainty that his true Self is divine, eternal, immortal, and can never be in contradiction with God, because the human soul is God on an individual form.

 

Therefore, the sanctity of the spiritual man consists on the vigorous affirmation of his true Self, and the denial of his pseudo-Self. Heaven is not, as he knows, the extinction of the Self, but rather, the Christian rectification of the concept of personality, the final and victorious comprehension of the divine nature of his soul and the perfect harmony of the individual human will with the universal will of God.

 

According to this great truth, spiritual life ceases to be sacrificial and excruciating, eventually becoming deeply delightful and joyful.

 

The spiritual man fulfils the will of God with the same joy that would fulfil his own will, because he knows that the perfect fulfilment of God's will is the only realization of his true Self.