Law of Retribution

I have been thinking about what it meant by “retribution”. Maybe it means that we don’t get away with anything – even our thoughts or actions, good or bad. We are all under Spiritual Law, which tells us that God has made laws that govern everything in the universe – here and hereafter. Yep, it’s true.

The Law of Retribution “simply means for every wrong we do, we pay a penalty, and have to do something to make up for it”. If we do wrong to a person, real or imaginary, we must do something to correct our action(s). We will suffer under the Law of Cause and Effect. This law tells us that for every cause, there is an effect. The Law of Karma tells us that we will make retribution for our wrongs in one way or another. Retribution, there is that word again. Retribution is forgiving another person for the wrong(s) we believe they did to us. To repay a debt or ask forgiveness for saying something to another person we regret saying. To go to jail for our wrongs, if that is what is necessary for the other person(s) to forgive us. The Bible says in the Lord’s Prayer: “forgive us our debts (sins) as we forgive our debtors”. The Bible also tells us “to forgive others seventy time seven if necessary.” It also means that they have to forgive us or they will suffer the consequences of their actions.

One writer has said, “Reciprocity isn’t always instantaneous, therefore persistence is vital. Even if you’ve found yourself saying, I’ve tried that and it doesn’t work, don’t give up! At the proper time we will reap a harvest. By understanding and using the power of reciprocity, you can improve your relationships and avoid mistakes that can permanently damage your relationships. In life and work, you get what you give”. Swami Sivananada says, “You suffer on account of your own wicked actions. Sow the seeds which will bring pleasant fruits and which will make you happy herein and hereafter.” Otherwise, practice the Law of Personal Responsibility. If you take re­sponsibility for everything you do or say, you are on the right track. The Law of Continuity states that, Natural Law is continuous and applies to both the earth plane and the spirit world. Life is continuous. You don’t die. Your body does. Your body is a physical thing and you are not. You are spirit (“essence”).

This law does not start and end with material existence, nor does the law apply only to spiritual life; rather, the law covers the entire spectrum of being to include both matter and spirit.

Natural Law is continuous and applies to both the earth plane and the spirit world. Life is continuous. You don’t die. Your body does. Your body is a physical thing and you are not. You are spirit (“essence”). It also states that there is no break between physical and spiritual law. This law does not start and end with material existence, nor does the law apply only to spiritual life; rather, the law covers the entire spectrum of being to include both matter and spirit.

For all of the above reasons, we must do what is right towards others by practicing personnel responsibility. When we practice personnel responsibility we have no need to make restitution for are wrong actions because we just don’t make them. However, if we do, then we must make restitution for those wrongs.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The last time Martin had gone to the mountains for his annual vacation hike something happened to him. When he came down from the mountains, he saw that a few things had changed. The colors of everything he looked at were different, and he was surprised that the people who he said hello to didn’t say hello to him. He walked around for a while trying to get someone to recognize him, it was like people could not see or hear him. What was going on here? He even found that when he tried to get into his car to drive home that he could not grasp the door handle. He tried and tried but nothing happened. In fact, the more he tried to get into his car, the more frustrated he got. Martin didn’t know that he had died.

When a person dies, they learn very quickly that they are still very much alive and nothing has changed for them, except, that things are not as they were. They find that they are able to go where they want, and say what they want to whomever they want seemingly by thought. The only thing is, no one hears them or responds to them. The person will often go to family members and try to talk to them. Again nothing happens.

It must be extremely difficult for a person who dies suddenly to try and talk to people and to have no one hear them or respond to them. What can they do? Some will realize that something has happened to them and even think that they maybe dead. When they realize this, they will sometimes cry out to a deceased friend, God or a parent or grandparent for help. When the person called for appears, the deceased is normally surprised. The person’s friend or parent will tell them that they have died and its time for them to move on.

Move on? Yes, if a person knows something about the fact that there is life beyond the physical, it is easier for them when they die. They may not realize at first that they have died, but will soon come to that conclusion when everything they learned about dying was true. A deceased person will call out to a deceased loved one for help. They may even call out to a Saint or God or Jesus. People don’t want to be alone when they die. They want people around them who can help them to understand what has happened to them and help them to ingrate into the afterlife.

Death and dying is a subject I talked about during a course in pastoral skills that I had been conducting. Ministers often have to talk to a dying person about the afterlife. Most denominational ministers know only that the dying person should be Christian. If they are, then the person will go to be with the Lord when they die, if not, sleep in the grave until the “Great Day of Judgment”. It is recognized by all denominations that there is an afterlife, but the afterlife consists, for them, of two places – heaven and hell. For Spiritualists, there is only an afterlife called the Spirit World – multiple denominations of light and darkness. It depends on what it was that the dying persons did during their physical life that determines whether or not they will go to a spiritual denomination of light, heaven, or a dark Spirit denomination that can be considered as purgatory. The darker regions of the Spirit World is where a person will have an opportunity to make restitution for their negative wrong thinking and decisions that they were deeply engaged in during their physical life. We call the negative wrong decisions “sin.” Once the person makes restitution for their wrongs, they can advance to a higher spiritual denomination.

We believe that God has given everyone freewill and it is through freewill that we are able to make decisions, good or bad. We teach that a person should practice Personal Responsibility and “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” in their life. These two great Spiritual Laws are two of the most important laws known to man. If a person practices these laws, they will be assured a place in the afterlife that will allow them to continue to grow spiritually and work their way back to the presence of God. Even Christianity believes this.

Clarity Needed

Law of Truth

The Law of Truth encompasses the knowledge and understanding of right thinking, acting, and living. This law encourages us to search for greater awareness; as a result, we strive to know the truth of all things. It is a law of guidance, for it helps us tell right from wrong.

Although I have attempted to express myself in my writing, clearly, it has not always been so. I have tried to express exactly what I want the reader to understand. I also tried to say what was on my mind in relationship to the subject giving as much information as I believe is needed. With that being said, it is not always possible to write without typos and misspelled words. This happens because sometimes my mind works faster than I can type and typos and spelling errors occur. I think that we all have that problem from time to time when writing.

The other day, I received an email from a friend where he made a statement that was so ambiguous, that if I didn’t already know what he was talking about, I would have had to ask him to rewrite his email for clarification. I know that we sometimes think that we don’t need to be clear when reproducing what is on our minds. However, it is important that we give as much information as we can to keep ambiguity from occurring.

When a person writes an article for publishing he is expected to give exact information based on facts, or the article will not be published. It is the same with anything written. Let me give you an example of how ambiguous information can be: A few years ago when I was married, my wife and I were invited to the wedding of her niece. We were given the address as being on a certain street in St-Martin. I knew of a Saint Martin Street so I believed we could find the church easily and arrive at the church in plenty of time for the ceremony. We left the house and arrived on Saint Martin Street looking for the church; we didn’t find it. We asked people at a service station, they didn’t know the church or where it was. We tried several other stations and finally found a woman who new the church and Saint Martin Street and that it was located in the town of Saint Martin, not the street. We were not told and didn’t even know there was a town called Saint Martin. We got to the church when everybody was leaving the wedding service. We were pulling into the parking lot arriving just in time to see them release the doves – something that is often done after a wedding. I’m glad we found the church so we could follow the others to the reception hall or we may not have found the place. You can see by this example that correct clear information is an absolute must. If we had been given something more than “it’s just over there” maybe we would have been in time for the complete wedding.

This writer is well aware of the problems that can come about by writing information that is not coherent. When I was in university I was taking a class in Technical Writing. The professor told us a story of when he was in university and during the summer worked with a railroad maintenance crew. One day they were out doing repairs on a railcar that had jumped the track and needed to be placed back on the track and some repairs done. The professor said that he was under the railcar with a part in his hands but didn’t know exactly where to place it. He was told to “move it north”. Move it north? He had never heard that expression before and didn’t know what the boss was talking about. In his frustration, he asked the boss for clarification. The boss finally told him to raise the part up, so that it could be bolted into place on the under side of the railcar. When a person has never heard an expression before, or direction so that they know exactly where to go, exact and clear instructions are necessary.

After I write an article, I read and reread it many times in order to make sure that words are spelt correctly, there are no typos and what I write is clear. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how many times I read my work, I still miss the typos and other problems. What is a person to do?

Well, have someone else read what we have written before publishing. OK, but does this always work? Sometimes yes, and sometimes no! You see, a person who reads what we write tries to understand what the subject is all about and what it is we are trying to say. Then they can make suggestions that will make the article clearer and correct any typos.

One must remember that another person’s ideas on any particular subject may be different than the writers. This is something we can all relate to – I’m sure. The question now is, “where do we go from here?” Do we keep writing until we get it right or just give up and do something else – what, I’m not sure.

What is True Spirituality?

What is it that constitutes true spirituality? Is it sitting in a church service saying nothing – just being quiet and observant? Is it praying constantly to God of your understanding 24/7? Perhaps, it is nothing more than just being me/you or, maybe working behind the scenes to bring about a better way of life for others?

All of the above questions about spirituality have their answers in a positive “yes”. True spirituality has its place in everything we do, day in and day out. We are all spiritual beings here on this earth and it is one of our goals to find God and practice his teaching in the best way we know how. We are here to search the “scriptures” to find the teachings that best express our spiritual understanding and to evolve spiritually.

Throughout the history of Man, there have been a number of men and women who have come into this world to show humanity that there is a better path. A better way to look at our life: and a better way to solve our problems so that we understand them and act accordingly.

The other day, I attended a gathering of people of like mind and we talked about John Paul II, the former Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. One man talked about how John Paul came to him in a dream and healed him of his illness. It was a very moving experience for the man because he was still emotional as he told us about his experience. How can anyone really know if a dream is real or not? I cannot answer that question because it just happens even though there are billions of people in this world who have had similar dreams. The skeptic would scoff at the idea of a dead man coming to a person in his dream and healing them. However, most people wish that something like that would happen to them.

Spirituality is practicing our belief in God, and practicing our belief in Jesus and his teachings. Spirituality is something that takes place within us and it shows in our life. We can’t help showing how our love for God, Allah, Buddha, or Jesus affects us. It is something that really cannot be explained, but must be “experienced” to comprehend. It shows in the face of a person who literally “glows” saying, I’m a believer.

Spirituality is something that is being discussed throughout the world. It is a very big part of people’s conversations. It is talked about on radio and television. It is written about in books, articles, magazines and newspapers. Spirituality is something that is a bit of a mystery for us because we don’t have anyone to show us how to be spiritual. Being spiritual is within us. No one can show us what it is. We all experience it in our own way and it shows up in our lives. I know that I have not solved the question for some of you, but the fact is spirituality is in the ways we practice our faith and belief in God.