Teachers: "The Five"

The "Five"

It is absolutely untrue that Joel named five teachers as his legacy. If we take a look back at The Infinite Way in 1963, we see many more people than "five" (Sinkler, Stephenson, Bowden, McClintock, Shigemura).  It is completely untrue and misleading to say that Joel left this message in the hands of five women.

Here is the evidence:

The original 1963 Letters, month of July, has a list of the following leaders around the world, none having special dispensations: Rowland Spencer-Europe, Tom Jones-South Africa, Sinkler - Chicago,Bowden Northwestern US and Canada, Stephenson - California, Will Hoff - California, Daisy Shigemura - Hawaii, U.S. , Europe, Helen Ames -Canada, Walter Eastman-Europe. 

 We never hear that Emma was a teacher. Yet, on the tapes, Joel shares revelations, meditations and EVERY RECORDED class with her. How could she not have been a teacher?

Missing from this list are certainly others around the world involved in the work. These five were "regional" leaders. They ran The Infinite Way study centers which existed at the time. They were like reading rooms and had material available for interested students. 

"Brought to the Platform"

What does it mean to be "brought to the platform?"

In 1962 Joel had a class in Chicago, and Lorraine Sinkler, Virginia Stephenson, Lorene McClintock, Eileen Bowden and Daisy Shigemura all attended. (Perhaps the other teachers were working or had family commitments.) Likewise, many of each of these teacher's students also attended.

Joel asked each of these teachers, individually, to speak to the group. This was a gesture of support and courtesy. Each had a turn on the "stage" or "platform". 

There was no ceremony. There was no "priestly" significance in this practice for Joel.

He would often have a teacher in the city of the class lead a meditation or give a talk before class. (Read Starcke's "Joel Goldsmith and I.")

Surely, Joel was publicly introducing all of these teachers to the class he was giving. But this was never, ever any kind of "ordination."  Joel talks about doing the same exact thing in San Francisco with a teacher he thought would be a good person to anchor the San Francisco students, only to have the person lose all the student body in a matter of months.  Joel had to work 2 years to build the student body up and gave it to another person residing in San Francisco who seemed to be able to do the job. They were better, rather than losing the students in two months, it took them six. So, you see, he did not take this as a permanent dispensation.

Introduction from the "platform" was a common practice Joel exercised with many people. In the Hawaiian Hotel Talk of May 26, 1963 (found on this site) you will read that Joel had his colleague in Divine Science say a few words "from the platform" before he gave his class.

Do not be fooled into thinking it was a magical bestowing of power or priesthood.

Infinite Way Teachers 1963

As we all know, Joel never ordained any teacher. The Infinite Way teaches that we can only be called by Grace.  Joel raised up the consciousness of students through the years with the hope that some would surface to be his leaders in the work after he left the earth.

Here is a compelling statement from Joel's diary presented in the 1984 Sinkler Lawsuit  for all of us to pay very close and deep attention to:

As evidence that neither Sinkler nor anyone can be Joel’s spiritual heir, he states in his diary entries of January 25-27, 1964 (copy attached as Exhibit O):

“Once I thought of 3 who would be close to me in world work of IW.

Had to drop it. Later called 5 to me and one by one it became clear it would not work. Finally-12 out of the world. One by one so many dropped away it narrowed to three close ones-and then –all had to be dispersed. There is no one to work with me. No one is standing by me or the work.”

There is a mistaken perception that there were "named" teachers who were somehow special and permanently meant to lead The Infinite Way. ("Virginia Stephenson was one of the five original teachers brought to the platform by Joel S. Goldsmith in 1962." Found at: https://alohamystics.com/about-virginia/ A developed student of The Infinite Way with a depth of tape experience knows that this message is about experiencing consciousness and consciousness is something we must constantly strive to maintain and attain.

Here is a quote from Joel's 1955 Kailua Study Group Tape 15, side 1 (the series recommended for all students as the beginning of the study.)

"[Even if] you become a spiritual "giant", it does not say that you will not go back under the law. Don't think for a single moment that on this plane you will ever advance so high spiritually that temptation in one form or another cannot come....I have seen many tempted by good, by fame, by wealth, or by ease - tempted to go off the Path in some human way. You have to maintain your life under Grace through the [constant] activity of Truth in your own conciousness."

Clearly, this is how we explain the "temptation" for the majority of his teachers to disobey Joel's directions in The Letter to Norman and tape and publish personal interpretations of his message.

In the July Letter of 1963 (copies of these original Letters still available from Mystics of the World), Joel mentioned his teachers. It may be interesting and valuable for us to take a look at what he said to the student body at the time.

From page 12:

"During the past few years, it has been my joy to watch the consciousness of students of The Infinite Way unfold until many of them are being called upon to teach and lecture.

Roland Spencer of Manchester, England has been spending his spring and summer week ends giving talks to student groups in Germany, Holland, Switzerland, and in London, and probably will be able to add Sweden to his itinerary before the summer is over.

Tom Jones of Capetown, South Africa, has recently completed his third lecture tour of 2000 miles up and down South Africa.

Lorraine Sinkler of Chicago, editor of all The Infinite Way writings, has been giving talks and conducting classes in Buffalo, Philadelphia, Washington, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Kansas City, as well as carrying on The Infinite Way Study Center in Chicago.

Eileen Bowden is dividing herself between Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia Canada; and Portland, Oregon.

Virginia Stephenson of California has been at the Los Angeles Infinite Way Study Center and also in Santa Monica and San Francisco, California.

Will Hoff of California, who is at the Los Angeles Infinite Way Study Center, has now experienced his out-of-town debut in San Francisco.

Daisy Shigemura of Hawaii, who has been heard in California and New York, and also in England, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland when I was giving classes in those countries, has been conducting work in the Waikiki Study Center, on Maui, and with visiting students.

All this rejoices my heart.  I literally travel with these teachers because my heart and soul is with them, and with our students everywhere.  For seventeen years, I have carried the message of The Infinite Way around the world many times, and now what a joy to see that God has raised up seed!

While this has enabled me to remain at home in Hawaii were in June we move into a new home, I have not been idle. Students, teachers, and ministers from many parts of the world have come for instruction, and my talks at the Sunday luncheons at the Halekulani Hotel have produced the message that began in the "Across the Desk" of the May Letter and will continue throughout the year.  Hawaii is an idela spot for dreaming - but not idle dreaming!  The Word must fulfill Itself as flesh, as form.

Our teachers, like our writings, can only bless you as you open your consciousness to them.  Teachers and books have no power of their own to influence or to bless your life, but your receptivity brings forth the response.  How can we be even more receptive?  Pray constantly for the awareness of God's grace."

Joel's Comments from Tape

It is very much like looking at this room this week. More than 500 people drawn here, most of them from far and wide, at great expense. And you know Joel couldn't have done that. Nor could our five girls have brought them all together in this room to hear them. Just because they were in town for Joel does not mean that they would have come in to hear them.  No, these girls didn't draw them in either. That same Spirit in Joel which drew them here, that same Spirit in them drew them into the room to hear them. 

Never believe for a moment that what these girls experienced was my demonstration, because it wasn't. My demonstration was the more than 500 who came to my class. That was the demonstration of the Spirit in me.  But, that they also came to hear the girls is their demonstration. I can assure you if there had been one of them lacking in that realization of the Christ, that one would not have had them.  That's what I mean by I. 

No Joel could have made their demonstration for them. No Joel could have made them successful practitioners, which all of them are. No Joel could have done anything like that for them. Joel can only lead them to the Promised Land, but they must walk in under their own recognition of the I that I am.

You know I have been witnessing for years students going into the work and then going out of it, and sort of feeling that I'm responsible because I didn't help them. They don't really believe that I can help them. They don't really believe that I . . .  Oh, I can occasionally recommend someone to go to them, but I cannot be sure that after I recommend them that they'll go, or that if they go that they will stay. And I know that a lot of students do not believe that. They really believe that I have influence. 

Well, you know if I thought I had that kind of influence, I'd put all the Infinite Way Study Centers in the Monthly Letter, and all the names in the Letter . . .  But you see, in the European edition of the Letter, that is, the British edition, for several years we have had all of the Centers listed and all of the tape groups. We've taken it all out. We've taken it . . . All it got to be was a directory. But it didn't influence anyone.

From Joel's Note to Himself February 2, 1964

Joel's personal note is printed "from the desk of  Joel S. Goldsmith" in the top right corner.

This follows:

Study Center Leaders

Daisy [Shugamura]

Betty Lou

Stevenson, Va.

Muhl

Ulsh

Howe [Floyd]

Lorraine [Sinkler]

Marshall

Kuys [Joyce Burns]

Koehler

Lorraine

Lorene

Keep this list.

The Consciousness of The Teacher

"The earliest experience of a student is that in which he makes contact with the risen consciousness of the teacher, and he continues to do this until he has made CONSCIOUS CONTACT with the Spirit Itself.  In turn he then becomes a teacher to students. But if the student has not made this contact with the Spirit, and he breaks contact with the teacher, the result can be disastrous.  Whenever a taeahcer has the expereience of a` patient calling for help, and getting results even before the message arrives, this is the risen Christ.  "I and my Father are consciously ONE."  There is but on Consciousness, so now God Consciousness has become the consciousness of the teacher.  Shoulda  teacher violate this, he will lose IT. Why?  Once you come in contact with the Spirit and then violate IT, the penalty is great.  Therefore, the spiritual teacher must always be in attunement with IT."   -Joel Goldsmith, September 7, 1963 Hawaiian Hotel Talk