Gary R. Renard was born on the historic North Shore of Massachusetts, where he eventually became a professional guitar player. In 1987, he heard a "calling" and began to take his life in a different direction. In the early 1990s, Gary underwent a powerful spiritual awakening. "The Disappearance of the Universe," which is based on the Metaphysical studies of A Course of Miracles, took him over 9 years to complete. Today he is a private investor who writes, travels, and discusses metaphysical principles with other spiritual seekers. More information on Gary and his book can be found at: www.garyrenard.com/.

SG = Soul Graffiti
GR = Gary Renard

SG: IF WE TAKE AWAY EVERYTHING WE HAVE LEARNED AND WERE TAUGHT IN RELIGIONS AND OTHER SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS, WHAT DOES LIFE ULTIMATELY COME DOWN TO?

GR: What life ultimately comes down to is making a decision to return home to your Source. … the real purpose of life is to use this kind of forgiveness to awaken in God, which is true enlightenment.

SG: WHAT DOES LOVE TRULY MEAN?

GR: The meaning of love is beyond words and can only be experienced. That's why in the modern spiritual guide called "A Course in Miracles it says, "This Course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, which is beyond what can be taught. It does aim however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love's presence, which is your natural inheritance." According to my teachers, Arten and Pursah, the Kingdom of Heaven is our natural inheritance and is a state that can be awakened to when, like Buddha and Jesus, the ego is completely undone by forgiving the world.

SG: WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN SPIRITUALISTS TEACH THAT WE ARE ALL ONE?

GR: It means that our true reality is beyond individual identity. Individual identity is a state of separation from your Source, or God. Perfect Oneness with God, on the other hand, is a state where the false or separate identity (ego) is relinquished and you become one with God, which is a state of wholeness and completeness. The word Holy comes from the word whole. There is no scarcity in wholeness, because you are everything and have everything. In a state of separation, which includes opposites, you have the opposite of eternal life, which includes death.

SG: HOW CAN WE TAP INTO AND FEEL OUR OWN DIVINE CONNECTION?

GR: The best way to do this is to undo the ego through advanced forgiveness, which removes the barriers to the experience of the Divine. One other way to help with this, and receive inspiration, is to join with God in a particular form of true prayer, which my teachers explain in "The Disappearance of the Universe."

SG: IF YOU COULD GIVE ALL INFANTS A GUIDEBOOK TO LIFE WHEN THEY WERE BORN, WHAT WOULD BE WRITTEN IN IT?

GR: You should completely ignore what other people think of you and instead be careful about what you think of them. This is because the unconscious mind knows that there is really only one of us, and whatever you think about other people will be interpreted by the unconscious mind as a thought about yourself! Thus all people should be thought of (which is what spiritual sight is) as being completely forgiven and as their true and perfect reality as Spirit. This in turn will awaken your experience of what you really are.

SG: IF YOU STRIP AWAY SOCIETAL OR RELIGIOUS CONDITIONING, WHAT MOTIVATES PEOPLE TO BE KIND?

There is a part of the mind where the Holy Spirit dwells, and His Voice, the Voice for God, reminds us that passion and kindness are a reflection of our Source. This motivates many people to be kind even when there doesn't appear to be a logical reason.