The Infinite Way is a spiritual message based on principles that Joel Goldsmith received as revelations from within. The Infinite Way message echoes and amplifies the message revealed in the original teaching of Jesus in the New Testament, yet Joel’s spiritual discernment of these revelations enabled him to unveil the inner secrets of this teaching with new clarity in contemporary language. Joel taught that The Infinite Way is an experience of God and a way of life by grace, and that the message of The Infinite Way can lead sincere, dedicated spiritual students to that experience. He was very clear that the experience comes only as we seek within ourselves, for “the kingdom of God is within you.”

One writer said of Joel’s work: “Truly speaking, these teachings are an ‘infinite way.’ One never seems to plumb the depth, realize the allness, or exhaust the spiritual wisdom they contain. Joel has a marvelous way of reaching the hearts and minds of ordinary people, those looking beyond the mundane life for a vision, an understanding and realization, of the magnificent promises of spiritual unfoldment given by illumined sages in every century, men and women of all faiths who understood the darkness that blinds our human eyes to spiritual light. Joel presents principles of living that unfold for mankind the mystical experience of communion – union, realization of oneness – with the infinite source of being.”

Joel’s vision for the Infinite Way was that through the spiritual dedication of those who embrace these deepest principles of mystical teaching and reach the heights of the mystical consciousness, human consciousness may be emancipated and the Presence hidden within may come forth universally in Its splendor and glory.

What is the premise of The Infinite Way message?

The message in The Infinite Way prompted people to seek Goldsmith out as a spiritual teacher. Reluctantly, he held private classes on the mystical interpretation of the Bible. Later, some of these classes were published as the book Spiritual Interpretation of Scripture. Soon his writings brought invitations for lecture tours and classes. He traveled widely in the United States, Canada, England, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, teaching the message of The Infinite Way. The revelations that Joel received are recognized by many as the original message that Jesus revealed to the world, now coming through another messenger in the language of the twentieth century.

The entire message of The Infinite Way rests on the premise that every individual – saint and sinner alike – is an individualized expression of the Divine. While this truth may not be evident to human perception, and an individual may not be showing forth a divine nature at the moment, nonetheless that spark of Divinity, that Presence, is within each one, waiting to be awakened and to manifest. The Infinite Way teaches that it is possible for anyone with sufficient dedication to experience this inner Presence here and now in its fullness, and to live by It in peace, harmony, joy, freedom, and abundance. This Presence within each individual is what Jesus referred to when he said, “The kingdom of God is within you” and “I and my Father are one.” While this transcendental indwelling Presence is called by different names, all spiritual traditions agree that It exists and can be awakened. As Joel says:

What is the purpose of The Infinite Way message?

The purpose of the Infinite Way message is to bring one to the point of preparation for the full experience of this indwelling Presence and the realization that this Presence is one’s true identity. In that state of illumination, there is rest from human effort and life is lived by the Grace of this Presence.

How does the message of The Infinite Way prepare one for this experience? Joel Goldsmith believed that no one could have this experience until he or she was fully grounded in what he called “the letter of truth.” So the Infinite Way message first helps students divest themselves of old conditioning and erroneous concepts about God, man, and the universe, and replace them with the letter of truth.

The Infinite Way message presents the letter of truth through a set of universal spiritual principles that Joel Goldsmith received from within. There are also practices that help the student evolve from simply knowing the letter of truth intellectually to having the full realization of truth. In other words, the practices bring the principles “from the head to the heart.” The letter of truth learned from a teacher or from books can be a great help, but it is only when, through the practices, the letter of truth is imparted from the Presence within oneself that it is the truth. The truth revealed from within may be clothed in words that are different from those in a book, or it may be revealed in no words at all. But it will be the same truth.

What are the principles taught in The Infinite Way message?

Anyone beginning a study of the message of the Infinite Way should know from the outset that in the message of the Infinite Way, Joel uses words such as “God,” “prayer,” and “Christ.” Upon seeing these words, some people make the snap judgment that the message of The Infinite Way is just more of the same old orthodoxy. Nothing could be farther from the truth! As Joel said,

Joel presents the letter of truth around one core principle: the nature of God. Three other major principles follow directly from the nature of God: the nature of man, or individual being; the nature of prayer; and the nature of error, or evil. Joel says:

Those who are interested in The Infinite Way message can learn these principles through Joel’s writings and class recordings. There is a wealth of material in 49 books, and there are over 1300 hours of Joel’s recorded class work available for purchase. Because we have recordings of Joel’s class work we can hear the message exactly as Joel himself presented it.

What are the practices taught in The Infinite Way message?

Intellectually knowing the principles is a first step, but it is never enough to bring one to the experience of the Presence within, the experience of one’s true Self, or the God experience. Joel teaches that the way to contact this Presence within is through meditation, and so meditation is the foundational and essential practice in The Infinite Way.

In addition to meditation, Joel teaches the importance of what he calls “practicing the Presence” and practicing the principles. This means being ever mindful of the principles and applying them constantly in daily life. In other words, we live by the principles. Meditation, practicing the Presence, and practicing the principles are the purifying influences that gradually lead to the full realization and experience of the indwelling Presence.

Joel’s book The Art of Meditation provides an excellent introduction to meditation as it is practiced in The Infinite Way. Practicing the Presence shows students how to begin practicing the principles in everyday life.

Is there an Infinite Way organization?

No, there is no Infinite Way organization, although there are untold numbers of individuals and groups around the world who study and practice the principles embodied in the message of the Infinite Way. Joel believed that historically, organization “put the veil” on messages of spiritual truth and obscured the original teaching. During his entire ministry, he adamantly insisted that there never be memberships, obligations, dues, dogmatic codes, or structured leadership for the Infinite Way message. He believed that every individual should be free to come and go as they are led on their spiritual journey. To this day, there is no organization, membership, obligation, or formal leadership associated with the teaching. Spiritual seekers somehow find the message on their own when they are prepared for it. While those who follow the Infinite Way teaching may enjoy meeting in classes or tape groups, their core practice is individual study, meditation, and practice of the principles.

How can I study The Infinite Way message?

BOOKS:

Beginning with the timeless classic The Infinite Way, Joel Goldsmith’s books span the years of his worldwide teaching ministry and beyond. Some books were prepared from Joel’s class work around specific themes. Others are collections of the monthly Infinite Way Letters that Joel sent to students. After Joel’s transition in 1964, his editor Lorraine Sinkler continued the tradition of sending a monthly Letter to students, and prepared the Letters using the vast library of Joel’s recorded classes as source material. Some books are collections of the Letters prepared after 1964.

There are 75 English-language books and pamphlets by Joel Goldsmith available in both print and e-book editions. This website allows you to browse the books and read thoughtful descriptions and information about each one.

Newcomers often ask, “With so many books, where do I start?” Joel’s recommendation was to start with Living the Infinite Way and Practicing the Presence, followed by The Art of Meditation and The Art of Spiritual Healing. Then you are prepared to go on to any other book that interests you. Another way to begin is to browse the books, and if you find a title that resonates strongly with you, start there.

RECORDINGS:

Starting in 1950, most of Joel Goldsmith’s classes were tape recorded, so that even today, students can hear this timeless message exactly as Joel gave it to students around the world. There are over 1300 hours of recorded class work available, all of which are now available via a subscription streaming service at www.JoelGoldsmithStreaming.com.

For each of Joel Goldsmith’s books which use material from Joel’s class recordings, this website provides a listing of those source recordings. On the book detail page for any book, simply click on "chapter titles and corresponding resources.” Every e-book also includes the list of recordings used to prepare that book. They are listed as “Tape Recording References” in the Table of Contents. Some books have no recording references, since they were prepared from Joel’s early classes that were not recorded.

There is a complete catalog of all recordings at www.joelgoldsmith.com. Recordings can be purchased online at that site in cassette tape, CD, or MP3 format. Tapes and CDs are sold with two “sides,” or two one-hour class recordings. MP3 recordings are sold as a single “side,” or one one-hour recording.

Recordings can also be ordered by writing to or calling:

The Infinite Way
P.O. Box 8260
Moreno Valley, CA 92552
U.S.A.
Telephone: 800-922-3195
Fax: 951-656-1951
Email: info@joelgoldsmith.com

As with the books, students who are new to The Infinite Way often ask, “With all these recordings, where do I start?” From time to time during the course of his teaching ministry, Joel himself gave several recommendations for study with the recordings, including a recommendation for new students. These are detailed under “Joel’s Study Recommendations”.

If you are reading a book or chapter that particularly interests you, you might want to order some of the tapes that were the basis for that book or chapter, so that you can hear that particular message as it came forth in Joel’s classes. The recordings carry the consciousness of the class, and can be a valuable complement to reading the book.

You can also peruse the entire catalog of recordings at www.joelgoldsmith.com, and if you feel drawn to a specific class, you can start there.

CLASSES:

Because there is no Infinite Way organization, there are no “official” Infinite Way teachers. However, some longstanding Infinite Way students have been led from within to teach the principles and message of The Infinite Way from the perspective of their own deep spiritual experiences. These teachers give classes in the United States and internationally. Often if a class experience is something that will support a student, he or she is led to the teacher who can best serve them.

TAPE GROUPS:

Infinite Way students started “tape groups” in the 1950s when Joel Goldsmith began to record his classes on reel-to-reel tapes. Because the tapes and the tape players were very expensive, local student groups shared the expense of the equipment and met in private homes or study centers to hear the recordings.

The tape group tradition has continued even as the recordings evolved to audiocassette, CD, and MP3 format, making them accessible and affordable for individual study. While the core practice for Infinite Way students is still individual study and meditation, students also value the experience of joining with others on the path to meditate and hear the classes as Joel Goldsmith originally gave them.

Many tape groups follow the format that Joel recommended. They begin with a silent meditation as a preparation to receive the message in the recording. Then the recording is played, which usually runs for about one hour. Following the recording, there is a short meditation to contemplate what was received in the class.

What is spiritual healing in The Infinite Way?

In the chapter “The Nature of Error” in The Foundation of Mysticism, Joel says: “The subject of healing is a broad one, and these days it includes not only spiritual healing but also mental healing, psychological healing, and faith healing. Today, all of these are embraced under the title of spiritual healing … so when you hear the term ‘spiritual healing,’ do not jump to the conclusion that you know exactly what it means, because there is no way of knowing what it means except by knowing who says it.”

In the message of the Infinite Way, the meaning of the term “spiritual healing,” is far different from its meaning in other teachings. Spiritual healing in the Infinite Way refers to healing based on specific principles revealed in the Infinite Way message. This is not to say that the Infinite Way healing principles are right and the others are wrong, but only that the Infinite Way principles differ from those of other metaphysical teachings.

The secret to spiritual healing, Goldsmith says, is knowing the nature of God, the nature of error or discord, and the true identity of every individual, and this comes through spiritual discernment. In the Infinite Way, a spiritual healer does not deal with the human picture and try to change it. “We go right to the center of being, and there recognize Christ, the Spirit, the presence and power of God,” Joel says. “As we do that, we do not heal human beings; we do not enrich them, although that is the way in which it appears to the world. What we do is to bring to light their spiritual identity–that which has always been there, but which has seemed to have disappeared.” In other words, in the Infinite Way, “healing is revealing.”