Circle of Christhood

See also: Joel's Spiritual Orders  on this site.

October 17, 1971

"Dear Emma,

...."I meant to give you this letter from Joel to Norman, written in 1964. Norman had asked Joel if there would be tapes made of Lorraine's work in London that year and this was the reply.* " [See Letter to Norman below.]

"Emma, we all appreciate the wonderful work you do.  I hope you can have a quiet Christmas at home with the family. 

"Very much love from us all,

   Joyce [Glen Burns]

*"Irene is now playing Virginia's tapes to the Melbourne students. Emma, what will happen to the sale of Joel's tapes and writings if all the teachers start making tapes and writing pamphlets and books?  I can't help feeling concerned about it, which is why I am enclosing this letter from Joel to Norman for you to have.

End of Letter

This communication was sent just weeks before Joel left the earth. It went to the thousands of students and their teachers around the world Letter to Norman Stachan (at the time in charge of the work in New Zealand) - April 10, 1964 This letter was sent to Joel's teachers and practitioners and submitted into the public record in 1984 as evidence in the lawsuit Lorraine Sinkler brought against Emma Goldsmith. It is complete and original.

“Dear Norman,

“It is indeed a joy to have this letter from you today, and of course I know that there could be a continuing fruitage in your activity, because inherently you have the consciousness that heals and draws to you those who can be comforted, healed, supplied, companioned. No, there will be no tapes of anyone other than myself, and this is the strictest rule that I have laid down for this work, that there will be no tapes of any teacher other than myself, and one thing that is assured by this is that whatever messages are taped, students can rely on as coming from the Source. While of course I know that this would likewise be true if Lorraine’s were taped, but the difficulty is that once one individual is permitted to tape an Infinite Way message, there will be no way of stopping the next dozen, and then, of course, what would become of the message is the same that has happened to Christianity, to Buddhism, to Taoism, and to all teachings where others have advanced their particular concepts of the Master’s revelations.

The principles of the Infinite Way and the consciousness behind those principles have proven themselves now for so many years and in so many parts of the world that there can be no question as to their authenticity and integrity and power. Then why not stick with the message as it is, since no one can complain of any lack of material. I believe that twenty-six of my books and about a dozen booklets are being published in England, a Monthly Letter is sent out from there, and for those who can make a very small contribution to pay their costs and postage, there is a weekly article, one of which I am herewith enclosing, available to those students who desire them, or even better than this, you in New Zealand, or Joyce in Australia can have my permission to have these reproduced, as long as I can be assured that they will be properly proofed, and you can distribute them in New Zealand and Australia for as little as it costs you to produce them down there, and with no obligation to me whatsoever. In other words, our students here in the States receive these from Mrs. Mary Newall, and they pay her the cost of her reproducing, mailing, postage, and so forth, but none of this is for me, since I am happy for the students to have it in this way. If you would like to write to Mrs. Mary Newall, 2231 Ala Wai Blvd., Honolulu, Hawaii, and have her send you copies of these, you could reproduce them for as many students down there as would like them, and charge them whatever you feel right to cover their cost. With all of this material available, and more and more books being published all of the time, I am sure there is a sufficiency for the needs of the students.

Above all things, I would like it understood among all students that no one can rise high enough in the message of The Infinite Way as to receive permission to publish Infinite Way material in any form. The Monthly Letter being published by Mrs. Eileen Bowden, 1270 Roslyn Road, Victoria, B.C., Canada, for parents, grandparents and teenagers, is an exception to this rule because Eileen has been a student of mine since 1949, has been in class with me months, and months, and months every year, in every part of the United States, and even was in England to help start the tape work there in the very beginning. And since she permits me to edit her Letters before publication, this exception has been made. In addition to this, there is a seventeen-week strenuous Study Course now published, but not yet announced to our students, because only a few can be handled at a time, which is published by our Lorene McClintock, but also was formulated under my jurisdiction. I am really trying to keep the message of The Infinite Way pure and completely free of concepts of others, so that those who receive it now or in the future may be assured that the message they are receiving is from the Source and the Fount." 

 Aloha greetings, Joel

(You will notice names in the letter above listed in another section of the website under  those who make tapes. Our only conclusion is that they were tempted by error, as we all continue to be. We remember that those higher on the path are tempted most. Let us forgive and bless.)  Here are some teachers who did not publish or tape: Shugamora, Glen, Howe, Kuys, Marshall, Koehler, Hoff

Written to Emma Goldsmith, August 26, 1975

"I have read Joel's letter to Norman very carefully and I do not feel that including that in the monthly Letter is in the best interests of The Infinite Way, nor can I agree with Joyce that when Joel wrote it "he was under spiritual orders."  If that were the case, then all Joel's writings and talk about spiritual freedom are a farce.

"...I cannot go along with broadcasting any such dogmatic statement to the world through the monthly Letter.  To do that would make the Infinite Way more authoritarian than Christian Science or Catholicism, both of which many persons left to follow The Infinite Way for that very reason.

"...We cannot stop individual unfoldment, and our safest course is to follow the principle of resist not. Then whatever is of God will survive and what is not will fade away, but regardless of what happens it cannot take our good away from us or stop the onward march of The Infinite Way. " 

Lorraine Sinkler

From 1981 Pasadena Closed Class

"Let Freedom Ring"

"Now, that letter[to Norman], which is dated April 10, 1964, I knew about and was given a copy of back in, oh, about 1975, and at the same time Mrs. Goldsmith and Mrs. McDonald received a Xerox copy of that letter, although at that time and prior to that time Mrs. Goldsmith had traveled with me around the world, to Australia three times, I think, and to Europe three times, during which time I made recordings, and there was no objection to the makings of those recordings. It is true, I did not release them until 1978. 

 "I waited a long time, but I was well aware of that letter and I know some of you are thinking, "How did you dare to do that when you had that letter?"

"But, you see, I had a wonderful teacher. I had a teacher who taught me the real meaning of The Infinite Way, who taught me that there is no authority except the authority of your own inner consciousness. 

"I was so well taught that I couldn't be fooled by such a letter.

"When the impetus came from within that these tapes should be released to the public, I had not hesitancy to do it, and I did not ask the permission of any person.

"It is interesting to note, too, that prior to December 1981, there are other teachers of The Infinite way who have also released their tapes.  But this letter[to Norman] never surfaced, even though they know about it, until this December."

As we read the above, we see a woman who feels that she has gone beyond  her teacher and no longer considers him the messenger of the Infinite Way. The Infinite Way is re-defined as whatever we, individually, think it is. Unfortunately, she is not alone. Most of the first generation of teachers had to teach the same lesson in order to answer for their disobedience to Joel about making/selling tapes and books.

Many of us are left with a legacy of Infinite Way students who have been incorrectly taught and refuse to accept Joel's teachings, mix many schools of thought, no longer meditate and do not heal.

It is a legacy that we can change with prayer/meditation, Joel's tapes and books and a deep understanding of the Nature of Error. I hope you will join us.