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‘The decisive question for man is: Is he related to something infinite or not? That is the telling question of his life. Only if we know that the thing which truly matters is the infinite can we avoid fixing our interest upon futilities, and upon all kinds of goals which are not of real importance. Thus we demand that the world grant us recognition for qualities which we regard as personal possessions: our talent or our beauty. The more a man lays stress on false possessions, and the less sensitivity he has for what is essential, the less satisfying is his life. He feels limited because he has limited aims, and the result is envy and jealousy. If we understand and feel that here in this life we already have a link with the infinite, desires and attitudes change. In the final analysis, we count for something only because of the essential we embody, and if we do not embody that, life is wasted.
In our relationships to other men, too, the crucial question is whether an element of boundlessness is expressed in the relationship. The feeling for the infinite, however, can be attained only if we are bounded to the utmost. The greatest limitation for man is the "self"; it is manifested in the experience: “I am only that!” Only consciousness of our narrow confinement in the self forms the link to the limitlessness of the unconscious. In such awareness we experience ourselves concurrently as limited and eternal, as both the one and the other. In knowing ourselves to be unique in our personal combination – that is, ultimately limited – we possess also the capacity for becoming conscious of the infinite. But only then!’
God is all that exists. By embracing the divine within and shifting our consciousness to this higher perspective, material toil and suffering can be replaced by unshakeable joy and peace.
One miracle may seem too much to ask for; two miracles are enough to soften the heart of even the most confirmed sceptic. This was the story of Joel Goldsmith, a secular Jew who would become one of the most popular spiritual thinkers of the 20th century after both he and his father were apparently healed from fatal diseases by Christian Science practitioners. He would soon pass along the favour as numerous people sought him out for prayer and were said to have been healed of their ills.
Goldsmith then developed his teachings into a method called The Infinite Way and published his first book under that title in 1947. Initially, he was sceptical that anyone would purchase the work, but it sold so rapidly that the publishing company generated a second printing – this time to a national audience. Since then, the book has garnered continuous success, and though Goldsmith passed away in 1964, his method of spiritual development has continued to find a new audience.
While most religious teachings argue that there are two worlds – the spiritual and the physical – Goldsmith asserts that there is only one. The spiritual is all that exists, so the goal is not to escape this world but to transform our understanding of it. In other words, immortality is not the shedding of our physical nature but the attainment of what he defines as Christ-consciousness. These are the lessons that great spiritual teachers of all ages have shared with us, though we often forget their message and instead revere the messenger.
So, how can we attain this state of consciousness? According to Goldsmith, we must accept the truth that all evils are, in fact, unreal. When we believe that the world is filled with anguish, illness and poverty, we delude ourselves and hide the fact that none of these things truly exist. Only God exists, and God is pure Consciousness. Insofar as we alter our consciousness, we change our reality.
We perceive the world we expect to find. So, if we quiet our minds and recognise the true divine nature of all existence, we can gradually shift away from focusing on matter and learn to focus on the soul. From this vantage point, we realise there is no death, for each individual ‘I am’ is identical with the divine ‘I AM.’ Once we dispose of the false ego that believes itself to be a physical being, we dispense with the suffering that goes with it. Moreover, by recognising that everything is God, we are relieved of fear and selfishness. There is no need nor lack, for Consciousness provides all. We have no desire to hoard nor any feelings of envy towards our neighbours for we are all part of one and the same Being.
If we wish to achieve this state, we need only learn to accept the reality in front of us. Goldsmith suggests that meditation and prayer are key. Meditation requires consistent practice, and he recommends at least three daily sessions of at least five minutes. The goal is to simply dwell upon God and God’s universe in order to cultivate a sense of His Presence and experience unity with others.
Prayer is also necessary, though it should not be directed to a being outside ourselves as this only sustains the illusion of separation. Instead, Goldsmith maintains that prayer is about recognising that we already have everything we need within our divine inner Self. Soon, we will be freed of material illnesses, limitations and wants. That’s because, for the enlightened individual, even the greatest earthly pleasures pale in comparison to the inner peace of recognising our true identity.
While Goldsmith’s lessons are often compared to his Christian Science origins, The Infinite Way shares a common core with many great spiritual teachings. Its message about our unity with the divine connects with the writings of the great mystic Shankara and his school of Advaita Vedanta. Its emphasis on Christ consciousness overlaps with many aspects of Western esoteric thought. Its assertions concerning our power to overcome all obstacles through a change of consciousness resonate with the New Thought movement and authors such as Neville Goddard.
From a practical standpoint, its value comes from its seamless blend of these various teachings into one simple package. Indeed, The Infinite Way is remarkably simple at its core. Goldsmith does not offer a 10-step program to spiritual freedom but one firm directive: accept reality for what it is. Prayer and meditation are recommended as the best means to achieve this result. However, he cautions that these practices must be properly understood; the goal is not to do anything but to silently and passively allow the overflow of the divine reality into our lives. As such, this short work has motivated countless people to take seriously the thought of the divine that lives within and through them.
