Healing comes to the sick in many ways. Some are healed through faith, some through the act of prayer, which is faith in action. Some are healed because the body has activated its own internal healing power. Can advanced cancer or other debilitating dis-eases be healed? Just what does it take for healing to take place?
In the healing classes of a certified healer, men and women are taught that the individual who is acting as the healer is just a channel between God and the patient. Is this all there is to healing; to have a person act as a channel for healing? No! The patient is just as much a part of the healing process as God, the healer (channel), and the patient. It is a threesome that works together to effectively produce the needed healing.
Few people today believe that God heals as he did in the days of Jesus. They are all wrong. God still heals as He did then. One must remember the words of Jesus when he said “the things I do you can do and greater things than these you can do.” So what does it take for healing to take place today?
It requires that the person acting as the healer truly understand that they are a channel for God’s healing energy. If the healer doesn’t believe that healing can take place through them, the healing energy is stopped from its flow. God can do little for the patient when the healer doesn’t believe that they are his channel.
Remember that it takes so little faith – the amount of faith represented by a mustard seed – so little, and yet so much. It is not the person acting as the healer that heals; it is God the source of all healing who does the healing. The channel MUST be open to the flow of God’s healing energy. The patient MUST know that they WILL receive the healing they desire, and be ready to accept it without question.
I hear of so many people today who are afflicted with cancer, and other diseases that lead to death of the physical body – diseases that can be stopped in their tracts. If only the patient understood that God wants them to be strong and healthy. "But, you say," However this one little word can make the difference between healing and the downward spiral to physical death.
The question is – Do you have faith, the knowing that healing takes place even today as it did two thousand years ago?
Friday, December 4, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Faith
Good morning/evening and welcome. I would like to talk to you about faith this morning/evening. As many of you know, faith, as described by Webster is a “Complete confidence in a person or plan.” Faith is more than just a vague belief in a God or a person or thing. Faith is personal. It can make the difference between succeeding or failing in a project, family planning, a trip around the world, being able to sing in front of a thousand people, etc.
Faith is some thing I know some thing about. Faith brought me and my family to Canada. Faith from the time I was in high school until a few years ago, fulfilled a dream that I would be ordained as a representative of God here in this world. And on January 10th 2009 I was ordained by the Spiritualist Church of Canada, one of two Canadian Spiritualist Associations chartered in Ottawa, Canada.
Some may ask, “Why did I think that I would ever be ordained? Well, I can only say that it was faith that God in His infinite wisdom knew that it would take me that long to over come a several childhood problems, in order that I could be one of His representatives here.
Friends, God is the source of all faith and it is that kind of faith in Him that makes the difference between success and failure in this world. Never underestimate the will of God. If you are to be a housewife, father, business man/woman, engineer or even a bum on the corner, God has work for you and me and it is our duty to have faith that He will help us achieve our goals.
Some would say that we planned this life while on the spirit side and what we could achieve to the smallest detail to the largest. If this were so, why would we need to come here since we would have already experienced our lessons beforehand? If we truly believe that we only planned the lessons that we needed to learn in this life time, then it would be up to us to make the decisions necessary to achieve those lessons in this life time. Freedom of choice then, allows us to work towards learning our lessons or doing something entirely different. Free will allows us to make those kinds of decisions.
Some would say that this is “all hogwash” and is further from the truth than anything that they could possibly believe.” I agree. We are here to serve our fellow man. Serving as a son, daughter, owner of a company, salesman, engineer, or in what ever capacity we are trained and able to perform.
I have been reading about life in the Spirit World. In the Spirit World people work in a state of total love serving each other and those who are here in this physical world. It is a real privilege for us to serve. On earth, we receive payment in the form of money or goods. We share our wealth with our family members and others. We are constantly sharing. How could it be otherwise? We learn from the multitude of experiences we have daily. If we didn’t have these experiences, life would be dull and without any kind of challenge. We need to be challenged in order that new products and services can be developed. These things make life worth while. They provide us with a reason for living. When we lose our reason for living, we then think about leaving this world.
It is even a known fact that when men and women retire, if they don’t have hobbies or are involved in serving others, they may only live for a few months or years. Even our health depends on whether or not we have a reason to live.
SO how does all of the above relate to faith? Faith gives us reasons to live. Faith gives us the desire to develop the methods and steps that are necessary in the development of ourselves, new products and services to others.
Faith is what is needed to accomplish our goals and reasons for living.
Faith is some thing I know some thing about. Faith brought me and my family to Canada. Faith from the time I was in high school until a few years ago, fulfilled a dream that I would be ordained as a representative of God here in this world. And on January 10th 2009 I was ordained by the Spiritualist Church of Canada, one of two Canadian Spiritualist Associations chartered in Ottawa, Canada.
Some may ask, “Why did I think that I would ever be ordained? Well, I can only say that it was faith that God in His infinite wisdom knew that it would take me that long to over come a several childhood problems, in order that I could be one of His representatives here.
Friends, God is the source of all faith and it is that kind of faith in Him that makes the difference between success and failure in this world. Never underestimate the will of God. If you are to be a housewife, father, business man/woman, engineer or even a bum on the corner, God has work for you and me and it is our duty to have faith that He will help us achieve our goals.
Some would say that we planned this life while on the spirit side and what we could achieve to the smallest detail to the largest. If this were so, why would we need to come here since we would have already experienced our lessons beforehand? If we truly believe that we only planned the lessons that we needed to learn in this life time, then it would be up to us to make the decisions necessary to achieve those lessons in this life time. Freedom of choice then, allows us to work towards learning our lessons or doing something entirely different. Free will allows us to make those kinds of decisions.
Some would say that this is “all hogwash” and is further from the truth than anything that they could possibly believe.” I agree. We are here to serve our fellow man. Serving as a son, daughter, owner of a company, salesman, engineer, or in what ever capacity we are trained and able to perform.
I have been reading about life in the Spirit World. In the Spirit World people work in a state of total love serving each other and those who are here in this physical world. It is a real privilege for us to serve. On earth, we receive payment in the form of money or goods. We share our wealth with our family members and others. We are constantly sharing. How could it be otherwise? We learn from the multitude of experiences we have daily. If we didn’t have these experiences, life would be dull and without any kind of challenge. We need to be challenged in order that new products and services can be developed. These things make life worth while. They provide us with a reason for living. When we lose our reason for living, we then think about leaving this world.
It is even a known fact that when men and women retire, if they don’t have hobbies or are involved in serving others, they may only live for a few months or years. Even our health depends on whether or not we have a reason to live.
SO how does all of the above relate to faith? Faith gives us reasons to live. Faith gives us the desire to develop the methods and steps that are necessary in the development of ourselves, new products and services to others.
Faith is what is needed to accomplish our goals and reasons for living.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Location of the "Spirit Worlds"
In Anthony Borgis’ book, The World Unseen, there is an excellent description of just where the “Spirit Worlds” may be located in relationship to this physical earth. I have placed a copy of the contents of chapter V, part two, titled geographical position below that describes the location of those spirit worlds. I think that you will agree that it is a land very close o the earth plain and yet, of a much finer vibration than this physical world.
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION
WHAT is the geographical position of the spirit world in relation to the earth world? Many people have wondered this at different times -- and I include myself among the many! And that leads to a further question concerning the disposition of other realms than those of which I have given you some details.
I have told you how, when I had reached a critical moment as I lay upon my final bed of earthly sickness, I at length felt an irresistible urge to rise up, and that I yielded to that urge easily and successfully. In this particular case the line of demarcation was very fine between the end of my earthly life and the beginning of my spirit life, because I was in full possession of my senses, fully conscious. The actual transition from one world to the other was in this respect imperceptible.
But I can narrow things down still further by recalling that there came a moment when the physical sensations attendant upon my last illness left me abruptly, and in place of them a delightful feeling of bodily ease and peace of mind completely enveloped me. I felt that I wanted to breathe deeply, and I did so. The impulse to rise from my bed, and the passing of all physical sensations, mark the instant of my physical 'death' and my birth into the world of spirit.
But when this took place I was still in my own earthly bedroom, and therefore a part, at least, of the spirit world must interpenetrate the earth world. This particular experience will give us something of a point of departure for our geographical explorations.
The next event in my transition was the arrival of my good friend Edwin, and our meeting after the lapse of years. The meeting took place seemingly in the bedroom. Then, after we had greeted each other and chatted for a brief space, Edwin proposed that we should depart from our present surroundings, which, in the circumstances, were rather doleful. He took me by the arm, told me to close my eyes, and I felt myself gently moving through space. I had no clear perception of direction. I only knew that I was traveling, but whether up or down or horizontally, it was impossible for me to say. Our rate of progress increased until at last I was told to open my eyes, and then I found myself standing before my spirit home.
Since that day I have learnt many things, and one of my first lessons was in the art of personal locomotion by other means than walking. There are immense distances here to cover, and sometimes we need to cover them instantly. We do so by the power of thought as I have already outlined to you. But the strangest thing to me, at first, was the fact that when I moved myself through space at any greater speed than ordinary walking, I found that I had no sense of absolute direction, but one of movement only. If I chose to shut my eyes whilst traveling with moderate speed I merely shut out the scenery, or whatever else were my surroundings. It must not be thought that it is possible to lose ones way. That would be out of the question!
This absence of a sense of direction in no way interferes with our initial thought function in personal locomotion. Once we have determined to journey to a certain place, we set our thoughts in motion and they, in turn -- instantaneously -- set our spirit bodies in motion. One might almost say 'it requires no thinking about!' I have spoken to other people on these matters, and compared notes generally -- it is a thing we all do when we are newly-arrived in the spirit world; and we never lack willing friends to help us in our early difficulties. I have found that it is common to all here in spirit, this absence of any directional perception when moving rapidly. Of course, when we travel instantaneously there is no 'time' to observe any object whatsoever. There is no observable interval of time between the moment we leave for, and the moment we arrive at, our destination.
It will be appreciated from this factor of directional unawareness, if I may so term it, that to assign a precise location to the spirit world, relative to the earth world, is a difficult matter. Indeed, I doubt if anyone fairly new to spirit life could possibly hazard a guess as to his relative geographical position! Of course, there are scores upon scores of people who never bother their heads about such things. They have severed all connection with the earth world, and they have done with it for all time. They know positively that they are alive and in the spirit world, but as to the exact position of that world in the universe, they have no intention of troubling themselves. But our own case is different. I am in very active communion with the earth world, and I think it would be of interest if I were to try to give some idea just where the spirit lands are situated.
The spirit world is divided into spheres or realms. These two words of designation have passed into current acceptation among most of those on the earth-plane who have a knowledge of, and practice, communication, with our world. In speaking to you thus, I have used the words interchangeably. They suffice for our purpose -- one can think of none better.
These spheres have been given numbers by some students, ranging from the first, which is the lowest, up to the seventh, the highest. It is customary among most of us here to follow this system of numbering. The idea originated, I am told, from our side, and it is a very useful and convenient method of conveying the information of one's position upon the ladder of spiritual evolution.
The spheres of the spirit world are ranged in a series of bands forming a number of concentric circles around the earth. These circles reach out into the infinity of space, and they are invisibly linked with the earth world in its lesser revolution upon its axis and, of course, in its greater revolution round the sun. The sun has no influence whatever upon the spirit world. We have no consciousness of it at all since it is purely material.
An exemplification of the concentric circles is afforded us when we are told that a visitant from a higher sphere is coming down to us. He is relatively above us, both spiritually and spatially.
The low realms of darkness are situated close to the earth-plane and interpenetrate it at their lowest. It was through these that I passed with Edwin when he came to take me to my spirit home, and it was for that reason that he recommended that I keep my eyes firmly closed until he should tell me to open them again. I was sufficiently alert -- too much so, because I was fully conscious -- otherwise to see some of the hideousness that the earth world has cast into these dark places.
With the spirit world made up of a series of concentric circles, having the earth world approximately at the center, we find that the spheres are subdivided laterally to correspond broadly with the various nations of the earth, each subdivision being situated immediately over its kindred nation. When you consider the enormous variety of national temperament and characteristics distributed throughout the earth-plane, it is not surprising that the people of each nation should wish to gravitate to those of their own kind in the spirit world, just as much as they wish to do when upon the earth-plane. Individual choice, of course, is free and open to every soul; he may live in whatsoever part of his own realm that he pleases. There are no fixed territorial frontiers here to separate the nations. They make their own invisible frontiers of temperament and customs, but the members of all the nations of the earth are at liberty to intermingle in the spirit world, and to enjoy unrestricted and happy social intercourse. The language question presents no difficulty, because we are not obliged to speak aloud. We can transmit our thoughts to each other with the full assurance that they will be received by the person whom we are mentally addressing. Thus language constitutes no barrier.
Each of the national subdivisions of the spirit world bears the characteristics of its earthly counterpart. That is but natural. My own home is situated in surroundings that are familiar to me and that are a counterpart of my earthly home in general appearance. These surroundings are not an exact replica of the earthly surroundings. By which, I mean that my spirit home is located in the type of countryside with which my friends and I are very familiar.
This dividing of the nations extends only to a certain number of realms. Beyond that, nationality, as such, ceases to be. There we retain only our outward and visible distinctions, such as the color of our skin, whether it be yellow, white, or black. We shall cease to be nationally conscious such as we are when upon the earth-plane and during our sojourn in the realms of less degree. Our homes will no longer have a definite national appearance, and will partake more of pure spirit.
You will recall how, in building the annex to the library, I introduced you to the ruler of the realm. Each realm has such a personage, though the term ruler is not a really good one, because it is apt to convey something of a wrong impression. It would be much happier and far more exact to say that he presides over the realm.
Although each realm has its own resident ruler, all the rulers belong to a higher sphere than that over which they preside.
The position is such that it calls for high attributes on the part of its holder, and the office is held only by those who have had long residence in the spirit world. Many of them have been here thousands of years. Great spirituality is not alone sufficient; if it were, there are many wonderful souls who could hold such office with distinction. But a ruler must possess a great deal of knowledge and experience of humanity, and in addition he must always be able to exercise wise discretion in dealing with the various matters that come before him. And all the ruler's experience and knowledge, all his sympathy and understanding, are ever at the disposal of the inhabitants of his realm, while his kindness and infinite patience are always in evidence. This great soul is ever accessible to any who wish to consult him, or who bring him their problems for solution.
We have our problems, just as do you upon the earth-plane, although our problems are very different from yours. Ours are never of the nature of those harassing worries and cares of the earth world. Speaking for myself, my first problem, soon after my transition, was how to set right what I considered to be a wrong I had done when I was incarnate. I had written a book in which I had treated the truth of communication with the earth world with great unfairness. When I spoke to Edwin upon the subject he -- all unknown to me -- had sought the advice of the ruler of the realm, and the result was that another great soul had come to discuss the matter with me, and to offer help and advice in my difficulty. It was the ruler's knowledge of my affairs in the first instance that eventually brought about a happy ending to my trouble.
It will be seen from this that a ruler's knowledge of the people over whom he presides is vast. Lest it should be thought that it is humanly impossible for one mind to carry so much knowledge of the affairs of so many people as there must be in one realm, it must be understood that the mind of the incarnate is limited in its range of action by the physical brain. In the spirit world we have no physical brain to hamper us, and our minds are fully and completely retentive of all knowledge that comes to us. We do not forget those things we have learned in the spirit world, whether they be spiritual lessons or plain facts. But it takes time, as you would say, to learn, and that is why the rulers of realms have spent many thousands of earthly years in the spirit world before they are placed in charge of so many people. For the rulers have to guide and direct them, help them in their work, and unite with them in their recreation; to be an inspiration to them, and to act towards them, in every sense of the word, as a devoted father. There is no such thing as unhappiness in this realm -- if for no other reason than that it would be impossible with such a grand soul to smooth away the troubles.
Each sphere is completely invisible to the inhabitants of the spheres below it, and in this respect, at least, it provides its own boundary.
In journeying to a lower realm one sees the terrain gradually degenerating.
As we draw towards a higher realm, just the opposite takes place: we see the land around us becoming more ethereal, more refined, and this forms a natural barrier to those of us who have not yet progressed sufficiently to become inhabitants of that realm.
Now, I have already told you how the realms are one above the other. How, then, does one proceed from one to the next, either above or below? There must be some point or points in each realm where there is a distinct upward inclination to the one and a distinct declivity to the other. Simple though it sounds, that is precisely the case.
It is not difficult to imagine, perhaps a gradual descent to regions that are less salubrious. We can call to our aid our earthly experiences, and recollect some rocky places that we could visit and descend, treacherous to the feet, leading us down into dark caverns, cold and damp and uninviting, where we could imagine all manner of noisome things lurking in readiness for us. We can then remember that above us, though out of sight, there shines the sun, spreading warmth and light upon the earth, while yet we seem to be in another world altogether. We might wander about through underground caves until we become lost and are shut off completely from the land above us. But we know that there is one way up at least, if we can but find it, and if we persevere in our attempts to scale the dangerous rocky pathway.
If we commence our world of spirit in the lowest recess of this earthly picture of the subterranean caves, we can see how each of the realms is connected with the realm immediately above it. The earthly analogy is, of course, an elementary one, but the process and the principle are the same. The transition in the spirit world from one realm to another is literal -- as literal as passing from the dark cavern to the sunlight above, as literal as walking from one room in your house to another, whether upstairs or down.
To pass from this realm where I live to the next higher, I shall find myself walking along gently rising ground. As I proceed I shall see all the unmistakable signs -- and feel them -- of a realm of greater spiritual refinement. There will eventually come a point in my walking when I can go no further because I shall feel most uncomfortable spiritually. If I should be foolish enough to try to defy these feelings, I should, at length, find that I was completely unable to venture a foot forward without undergoing sensations which I could not possibly bear. I should not be able to see anything before me, only that which lay behind me. But whether we are standing at one of the boundaries, or whether we are well within the confines of our own realm, there comes a certain line in the bridge between the realms where the higher realm becomes invisible to less spiritual eyes. Just as certain light rays are invisible to earthly eyes, and certain sounds and musical notes are inaudible to earthly ears, so are the higher realms invisible to the inhabitants of the lower realms.
And the reason is that each realm possesses a higher vibrational rate than that below it, and is therefore invisible and inaudible to those who live below it.
Thus we can see that another natural law operates for our own good.
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION
WHAT is the geographical position of the spirit world in relation to the earth world? Many people have wondered this at different times -- and I include myself among the many! And that leads to a further question concerning the disposition of other realms than those of which I have given you some details.
I have told you how, when I had reached a critical moment as I lay upon my final bed of earthly sickness, I at length felt an irresistible urge to rise up, and that I yielded to that urge easily and successfully. In this particular case the line of demarcation was very fine between the end of my earthly life and the beginning of my spirit life, because I was in full possession of my senses, fully conscious. The actual transition from one world to the other was in this respect imperceptible.
But I can narrow things down still further by recalling that there came a moment when the physical sensations attendant upon my last illness left me abruptly, and in place of them a delightful feeling of bodily ease and peace of mind completely enveloped me. I felt that I wanted to breathe deeply, and I did so. The impulse to rise from my bed, and the passing of all physical sensations, mark the instant of my physical 'death' and my birth into the world of spirit.
But when this took place I was still in my own earthly bedroom, and therefore a part, at least, of the spirit world must interpenetrate the earth world. This particular experience will give us something of a point of departure for our geographical explorations.
The next event in my transition was the arrival of my good friend Edwin, and our meeting after the lapse of years. The meeting took place seemingly in the bedroom. Then, after we had greeted each other and chatted for a brief space, Edwin proposed that we should depart from our present surroundings, which, in the circumstances, were rather doleful. He took me by the arm, told me to close my eyes, and I felt myself gently moving through space. I had no clear perception of direction. I only knew that I was traveling, but whether up or down or horizontally, it was impossible for me to say. Our rate of progress increased until at last I was told to open my eyes, and then I found myself standing before my spirit home.
Since that day I have learnt many things, and one of my first lessons was in the art of personal locomotion by other means than walking. There are immense distances here to cover, and sometimes we need to cover them instantly. We do so by the power of thought as I have already outlined to you. But the strangest thing to me, at first, was the fact that when I moved myself through space at any greater speed than ordinary walking, I found that I had no sense of absolute direction, but one of movement only. If I chose to shut my eyes whilst traveling with moderate speed I merely shut out the scenery, or whatever else were my surroundings. It must not be thought that it is possible to lose ones way. That would be out of the question!
This absence of a sense of direction in no way interferes with our initial thought function in personal locomotion. Once we have determined to journey to a certain place, we set our thoughts in motion and they, in turn -- instantaneously -- set our spirit bodies in motion. One might almost say 'it requires no thinking about!' I have spoken to other people on these matters, and compared notes generally -- it is a thing we all do when we are newly-arrived in the spirit world; and we never lack willing friends to help us in our early difficulties. I have found that it is common to all here in spirit, this absence of any directional perception when moving rapidly. Of course, when we travel instantaneously there is no 'time' to observe any object whatsoever. There is no observable interval of time between the moment we leave for, and the moment we arrive at, our destination.
It will be appreciated from this factor of directional unawareness, if I may so term it, that to assign a precise location to the spirit world, relative to the earth world, is a difficult matter. Indeed, I doubt if anyone fairly new to spirit life could possibly hazard a guess as to his relative geographical position! Of course, there are scores upon scores of people who never bother their heads about such things. They have severed all connection with the earth world, and they have done with it for all time. They know positively that they are alive and in the spirit world, but as to the exact position of that world in the universe, they have no intention of troubling themselves. But our own case is different. I am in very active communion with the earth world, and I think it would be of interest if I were to try to give some idea just where the spirit lands are situated.
The spirit world is divided into spheres or realms. These two words of designation have passed into current acceptation among most of those on the earth-plane who have a knowledge of, and practice, communication, with our world. In speaking to you thus, I have used the words interchangeably. They suffice for our purpose -- one can think of none better.
These spheres have been given numbers by some students, ranging from the first, which is the lowest, up to the seventh, the highest. It is customary among most of us here to follow this system of numbering. The idea originated, I am told, from our side, and it is a very useful and convenient method of conveying the information of one's position upon the ladder of spiritual evolution.
The spheres of the spirit world are ranged in a series of bands forming a number of concentric circles around the earth. These circles reach out into the infinity of space, and they are invisibly linked with the earth world in its lesser revolution upon its axis and, of course, in its greater revolution round the sun. The sun has no influence whatever upon the spirit world. We have no consciousness of it at all since it is purely material.
An exemplification of the concentric circles is afforded us when we are told that a visitant from a higher sphere is coming down to us. He is relatively above us, both spiritually and spatially.
The low realms of darkness are situated close to the earth-plane and interpenetrate it at their lowest. It was through these that I passed with Edwin when he came to take me to my spirit home, and it was for that reason that he recommended that I keep my eyes firmly closed until he should tell me to open them again. I was sufficiently alert -- too much so, because I was fully conscious -- otherwise to see some of the hideousness that the earth world has cast into these dark places.
With the spirit world made up of a series of concentric circles, having the earth world approximately at the center, we find that the spheres are subdivided laterally to correspond broadly with the various nations of the earth, each subdivision being situated immediately over its kindred nation. When you consider the enormous variety of national temperament and characteristics distributed throughout the earth-plane, it is not surprising that the people of each nation should wish to gravitate to those of their own kind in the spirit world, just as much as they wish to do when upon the earth-plane. Individual choice, of course, is free and open to every soul; he may live in whatsoever part of his own realm that he pleases. There are no fixed territorial frontiers here to separate the nations. They make their own invisible frontiers of temperament and customs, but the members of all the nations of the earth are at liberty to intermingle in the spirit world, and to enjoy unrestricted and happy social intercourse. The language question presents no difficulty, because we are not obliged to speak aloud. We can transmit our thoughts to each other with the full assurance that they will be received by the person whom we are mentally addressing. Thus language constitutes no barrier.
Each of the national subdivisions of the spirit world bears the characteristics of its earthly counterpart. That is but natural. My own home is situated in surroundings that are familiar to me and that are a counterpart of my earthly home in general appearance. These surroundings are not an exact replica of the earthly surroundings. By which, I mean that my spirit home is located in the type of countryside with which my friends and I are very familiar.
This dividing of the nations extends only to a certain number of realms. Beyond that, nationality, as such, ceases to be. There we retain only our outward and visible distinctions, such as the color of our skin, whether it be yellow, white, or black. We shall cease to be nationally conscious such as we are when upon the earth-plane and during our sojourn in the realms of less degree. Our homes will no longer have a definite national appearance, and will partake more of pure spirit.
You will recall how, in building the annex to the library, I introduced you to the ruler of the realm. Each realm has such a personage, though the term ruler is not a really good one, because it is apt to convey something of a wrong impression. It would be much happier and far more exact to say that he presides over the realm.
Although each realm has its own resident ruler, all the rulers belong to a higher sphere than that over which they preside.
The position is such that it calls for high attributes on the part of its holder, and the office is held only by those who have had long residence in the spirit world. Many of them have been here thousands of years. Great spirituality is not alone sufficient; if it were, there are many wonderful souls who could hold such office with distinction. But a ruler must possess a great deal of knowledge and experience of humanity, and in addition he must always be able to exercise wise discretion in dealing with the various matters that come before him. And all the ruler's experience and knowledge, all his sympathy and understanding, are ever at the disposal of the inhabitants of his realm, while his kindness and infinite patience are always in evidence. This great soul is ever accessible to any who wish to consult him, or who bring him their problems for solution.
We have our problems, just as do you upon the earth-plane, although our problems are very different from yours. Ours are never of the nature of those harassing worries and cares of the earth world. Speaking for myself, my first problem, soon after my transition, was how to set right what I considered to be a wrong I had done when I was incarnate. I had written a book in which I had treated the truth of communication with the earth world with great unfairness. When I spoke to Edwin upon the subject he -- all unknown to me -- had sought the advice of the ruler of the realm, and the result was that another great soul had come to discuss the matter with me, and to offer help and advice in my difficulty. It was the ruler's knowledge of my affairs in the first instance that eventually brought about a happy ending to my trouble.
It will be seen from this that a ruler's knowledge of the people over whom he presides is vast. Lest it should be thought that it is humanly impossible for one mind to carry so much knowledge of the affairs of so many people as there must be in one realm, it must be understood that the mind of the incarnate is limited in its range of action by the physical brain. In the spirit world we have no physical brain to hamper us, and our minds are fully and completely retentive of all knowledge that comes to us. We do not forget those things we have learned in the spirit world, whether they be spiritual lessons or plain facts. But it takes time, as you would say, to learn, and that is why the rulers of realms have spent many thousands of earthly years in the spirit world before they are placed in charge of so many people. For the rulers have to guide and direct them, help them in their work, and unite with them in their recreation; to be an inspiration to them, and to act towards them, in every sense of the word, as a devoted father. There is no such thing as unhappiness in this realm -- if for no other reason than that it would be impossible with such a grand soul to smooth away the troubles.
Each sphere is completely invisible to the inhabitants of the spheres below it, and in this respect, at least, it provides its own boundary.
In journeying to a lower realm one sees the terrain gradually degenerating.
As we draw towards a higher realm, just the opposite takes place: we see the land around us becoming more ethereal, more refined, and this forms a natural barrier to those of us who have not yet progressed sufficiently to become inhabitants of that realm.
Now, I have already told you how the realms are one above the other. How, then, does one proceed from one to the next, either above or below? There must be some point or points in each realm where there is a distinct upward inclination to the one and a distinct declivity to the other. Simple though it sounds, that is precisely the case.
It is not difficult to imagine, perhaps a gradual descent to regions that are less salubrious. We can call to our aid our earthly experiences, and recollect some rocky places that we could visit and descend, treacherous to the feet, leading us down into dark caverns, cold and damp and uninviting, where we could imagine all manner of noisome things lurking in readiness for us. We can then remember that above us, though out of sight, there shines the sun, spreading warmth and light upon the earth, while yet we seem to be in another world altogether. We might wander about through underground caves until we become lost and are shut off completely from the land above us. But we know that there is one way up at least, if we can but find it, and if we persevere in our attempts to scale the dangerous rocky pathway.
If we commence our world of spirit in the lowest recess of this earthly picture of the subterranean caves, we can see how each of the realms is connected with the realm immediately above it. The earthly analogy is, of course, an elementary one, but the process and the principle are the same. The transition in the spirit world from one realm to another is literal -- as literal as passing from the dark cavern to the sunlight above, as literal as walking from one room in your house to another, whether upstairs or down.
To pass from this realm where I live to the next higher, I shall find myself walking along gently rising ground. As I proceed I shall see all the unmistakable signs -- and feel them -- of a realm of greater spiritual refinement. There will eventually come a point in my walking when I can go no further because I shall feel most uncomfortable spiritually. If I should be foolish enough to try to defy these feelings, I should, at length, find that I was completely unable to venture a foot forward without undergoing sensations which I could not possibly bear. I should not be able to see anything before me, only that which lay behind me. But whether we are standing at one of the boundaries, or whether we are well within the confines of our own realm, there comes a certain line in the bridge between the realms where the higher realm becomes invisible to less spiritual eyes. Just as certain light rays are invisible to earthly eyes, and certain sounds and musical notes are inaudible to earthly ears, so are the higher realms invisible to the inhabitants of the lower realms.
And the reason is that each realm possesses a higher vibrational rate than that below it, and is therefore invisible and inaudible to those who live below it.
Thus we can see that another natural law operates for our own good.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Law of Personal Responsibility
Spiritual is a Philosophy because it studies the Laws of Nature both on the seen and unseen side of life and bases its conclusions upon present Observed facts. It accepts statements of observed facts of past ages and conclusions drawn there from, when sustained by reason and by results of observed facts of the present day.
This is the primary principle that guides the path work. At first glance, this principle is sometimes hard to accept. It seems so much easier to accept even defeat if only one can blame the circumstances or bad luck on other people's faults.
Accepting the law of personal responsibility wipes out self-pity, resignation, passive endurance, smoldering resentments against the injustices of life, and the masochistic game of harping on one's case against life.
Yet this apparently hard law is the most hopeful, encouraging, liberating, and strengthening truth of all truths. It enables you to resolve whatever problem you may have. It opens up life with all its rich possibilities. It forces you to see things in their true light and, uncomfortable as this may first seem, it leaves you with a lot more self-respect, integrity, and hope than the helpless resignation to circumstances life is supposed to bring about without your doing. It makes defeat unnecessary because it also removes, among other things, your childish illusion of omnipotence, which is just as unrealistic as the illusion of being life's passive victim. Accepting your own limitations and the limitations of others increases your power to direct your life meaningfully.
The law of personal responsibility is the guiding principle in the search for the root of your obstructions. Contemplating the fulfillment or the lack of it in your life gives you a blueprint of the areas where an inner corresponding attitude is responsible for either. This approach is diametrically opposed to the usual way, but it is indeed a reliable and truthful one that must always lead to results, provided you go deeply enough and are truly honest in the endeavor.
1henever you arrive at a juncture on the path from which there seems no way out, or where you cannot see how to change, how to resolve the problem, you can be quite sure that you have not yet found an important tool to unlock the door, no matter how profound previous insights and changes may have been. A total insight always shows the way out. Thus, recognitions can be differentiated. Are they of the kind mentioned here? Or are they merely leading to them? The former always give a sense of joy, liberation, hope, strength and light. They infuse new energy into your system. The latter may have a temporarily debilitating effect on the personality. The former enable you to recognize the most unflattering facts about yourself without in the least diminishing your sense of worth and integrity -- on the contrary, this sense increases. The latter type burdens the insight with guilt.
When you have experienced the difference between these two types of recognition, you can protect yourself from hopelessness, or at least realize that the hopelessness is in itself a sign that the way out has not yet been found. Rather than weakening you, the hopelessness can then be an incentive to surge on with all your vigor until the real way is open.
When you finally see that an unfulfilled longing or painful conflict of long standing is the result of an inner attitude with concomitant behavior patterns, you are no longer a helpless tool in the hand of fate. If such an attitude is completely seen, observed in action, and accepted for what it is, you may still be unwilling to give it up -- for whatever reasons and misconceptions -- but at least you see a vitally important connection between your inner life and the outer manifestations of it. It is then possible to embark on a special search for the reason why you so stubbornly hold on to a destructive attitude.
This is the primary principle that guides the path work. At first glance, this principle is sometimes hard to accept. It seems so much easier to accept even defeat if only one can blame the circumstances or bad luck on other people's faults.
Accepting the law of personal responsibility wipes out self-pity, resignation, passive endurance, smoldering resentments against the injustices of life, and the masochistic game of harping on one's case against life.
Yet this apparently hard law is the most hopeful, encouraging, liberating, and strengthening truth of all truths. It enables you to resolve whatever problem you may have. It opens up life with all its rich possibilities. It forces you to see things in their true light and, uncomfortable as this may first seem, it leaves you with a lot more self-respect, integrity, and hope than the helpless resignation to circumstances life is supposed to bring about without your doing. It makes defeat unnecessary because it also removes, among other things, your childish illusion of omnipotence, which is just as unrealistic as the illusion of being life's passive victim. Accepting your own limitations and the limitations of others increases your power to direct your life meaningfully.
The law of personal responsibility is the guiding principle in the search for the root of your obstructions. Contemplating the fulfillment or the lack of it in your life gives you a blueprint of the areas where an inner corresponding attitude is responsible for either. This approach is diametrically opposed to the usual way, but it is indeed a reliable and truthful one that must always lead to results, provided you go deeply enough and are truly honest in the endeavor.
1henever you arrive at a juncture on the path from which there seems no way out, or where you cannot see how to change, how to resolve the problem, you can be quite sure that you have not yet found an important tool to unlock the door, no matter how profound previous insights and changes may have been. A total insight always shows the way out. Thus, recognitions can be differentiated. Are they of the kind mentioned here? Or are they merely leading to them? The former always give a sense of joy, liberation, hope, strength and light. They infuse new energy into your system. The latter may have a temporarily debilitating effect on the personality. The former enable you to recognize the most unflattering facts about yourself without in the least diminishing your sense of worth and integrity -- on the contrary, this sense increases. The latter type burdens the insight with guilt.
When you have experienced the difference between these two types of recognition, you can protect yourself from hopelessness, or at least realize that the hopelessness is in itself a sign that the way out has not yet been found. Rather than weakening you, the hopelessness can then be an incentive to surge on with all your vigor until the real way is open.
When you finally see that an unfulfilled longing or painful conflict of long standing is the result of an inner attitude with concomitant behavior patterns, you are no longer a helpless tool in the hand of fate. If such an attitude is completely seen, observed in action, and accepted for what it is, you may still be unwilling to give it up -- for whatever reasons and misconceptions -- but at least you see a vitally important connection between your inner life and the outer manifestations of it. It is then possible to embark on a special search for the reason why you so stubbornly hold on to a destructive attitude.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Truth
Truth is a subject in which every one has an opinion. Webster’s Dictionary says that truth is (1) the true or actual state of a matter. (2) Conformity with fact, or reality.
A person often expresses their truth in a conversation, but because something happens during the conversation, we can misread what was being said and a big problem can suddenly exist.
How do we express truth in our daily conversations? Do we express ourselves bluntly? Are we too subtle in the way we express our truths? Can this be the source of misunderstanding? Do we “read” into others truth what they really didn’t say or mean? Is it possible that we sometimes miss interrupted the truth? I believe that there is more truth expressed in, conversations, than “meets the eye”.
How often have you been in a conversation with another person and think that they said one thing, when they really said something else? Perhaps, we were distracted for a brief moment and missed something. This causes us to misread the truth that the other person was trying to express during the conversation; we missed the point. Could it be possible that a momentary distraction may put us into a problem situation? It is our responsibility to stop, ask questions, and ponder what it was that we thought was said. In this way, we can get a better understanding of what it was they were trying to convey.
All of us want to be understood and express ourselves so that others understand us, and that we are not misunderstood.
I believe that we are all in the same boat. We just don’t ask questions and we don’t try to understand other people. If a person says to you “you said that...” We MUST be ready to get to the truth by talking it over.
The other day, I emailed a friend that he was acting in a certain way and that “I just didn’t know what to think”. Did I really understand him? Did he really understand me? Was his truth something that we both missed? Possibly, but I really don’t know. He never returned my email, or called me to express his understanding of the situation, so that we could come to an understanding. It is indeed sad when we try to express ourselves to other people and they just don’t understand us. I hope that I am not being too blunt and that I am expressing myself clearly in a truthful way.
I hope that this short article will make you think a little and take the time to make calls, emails or even write a letters to others you may have misunderstood in order that the truth can come out. Maybe a friendship can be saved because they now understand you, and you them. The truth must always be expressed.
A person often expresses their truth in a conversation, but because something happens during the conversation, we can misread what was being said and a big problem can suddenly exist.
How do we express truth in our daily conversations? Do we express ourselves bluntly? Are we too subtle in the way we express our truths? Can this be the source of misunderstanding? Do we “read” into others truth what they really didn’t say or mean? Is it possible that we sometimes miss interrupted the truth? I believe that there is more truth expressed in, conversations, than “meets the eye”.
How often have you been in a conversation with another person and think that they said one thing, when they really said something else? Perhaps, we were distracted for a brief moment and missed something. This causes us to misread the truth that the other person was trying to express during the conversation; we missed the point. Could it be possible that a momentary distraction may put us into a problem situation? It is our responsibility to stop, ask questions, and ponder what it was that we thought was said. In this way, we can get a better understanding of what it was they were trying to convey.
All of us want to be understood and express ourselves so that others understand us, and that we are not misunderstood.
I believe that we are all in the same boat. We just don’t ask questions and we don’t try to understand other people. If a person says to you “you said that...” We MUST be ready to get to the truth by talking it over.
The other day, I emailed a friend that he was acting in a certain way and that “I just didn’t know what to think”. Did I really understand him? Did he really understand me? Was his truth something that we both missed? Possibly, but I really don’t know. He never returned my email, or called me to express his understanding of the situation, so that we could come to an understanding. It is indeed sad when we try to express ourselves to other people and they just don’t understand us. I hope that I am not being too blunt and that I am expressing myself clearly in a truthful way.
I hope that this short article will make you think a little and take the time to make calls, emails or even write a letters to others you may have misunderstood in order that the truth can come out. Maybe a friendship can be saved because they now understand you, and you them. The truth must always be expressed.
Monday, May 4, 2009
The Fourth Dimension
I have been reading a book by Dr. David Y. Cho titled “The Fourth Dimension”. This is an interesting book because it shows how we on this physical plane work with spirit. In the book, Dr. Cho says that the fourth dimension is where the Holy Spirit dwells. He said that the second dimension includes and controls the first dimension, and the third dimension includes and controls the second, so the fourth dimension includes and control the third dimension, producing a creation of order and beauty. The spirit is the forth dimension. Every human being is a spiritual being as well as a physical being. They have fourth dimension as well as the third dimension in their hearts. So men, by exploring their spiritual sphere of the fourth dimension through the development of concentrated visions and dreams in their imaginations, can brood over and incubate the third dimension, influencing and changing it. This is what the Holy Spirit taught me”.
Dr. Cho continued by saying “yoga and Buddhist believers could explore and develop their human fourth dimension, their spiritual sphere; with clear-cut vision and mental pictures of health they could incubate over their bodies. By natural order the fourth dimension has power over the third dimension, and the human spirit, within limitations, has the power to give order and creation. God gave power to human beings to control the material world and to have dominion over material things, a responsibility they can carry out through the fourth dimension. Now unbelievers, by exploring and developing their inner spiritual being in such a way, can carry out dominion upon their third dimension, which includes their physical sickness and diseases”. However, he goes on to say that “the fourth dimension of non-believer (believer is Christ) belongs to Satan; the human spirit joins up with the spirit of the evil fourth dimension, and with the evil fourth dimension they carry out domination over their bodies and circumstances.”
As I read of Dr. Cho’s description of the fourth dimension, I became more and more convinced that he is talking about the same dimension that we Spiritualists work with when we prepare ourselves to give messages. However, as I continued to read, I noticed that Dr. Cho divided up the fourth dimension into the dimension of the Holy Spirit and the dimension of Satan. How can good and evil occupy the same place at the same time? He never talks about that.
As I read the book I began to understand more and more how much Christianity confuses God’s creation by miss interrupting the Bible. Christians use the Bible to back up their, in so many cases, nonsense. They forget that God does spell out in the Bible his plan for humanity and that He is a God of Love. It was through strong persuasion that God worked with the Old Testament nations, even if it meant that those nations had to be captured and sold into slavery to other countries. It is a fact that God has given us total free well and it is our responsibility to use that right for our highest good and the highest good of our fellow man. However, we continuously “fall down on the job” and make mistakes that are beyond understanding. But when we take a careful look at those mistakes, we find that they were for our highest good and that through them we learn and grow spiritually.
Healing also comes from the fourth dimension when in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. By changing our visions and dreams, we carry out dominion over this third dimension material world. Yes it is through our imagination, our visions and dreams”.
Dr. Cho continued by saying “yoga and Buddhist believers could explore and develop their human fourth dimension, their spiritual sphere; with clear-cut vision and mental pictures of health they could incubate over their bodies. By natural order the fourth dimension has power over the third dimension, and the human spirit, within limitations, has the power to give order and creation. God gave power to human beings to control the material world and to have dominion over material things, a responsibility they can carry out through the fourth dimension. Now unbelievers, by exploring and developing their inner spiritual being in such a way, can carry out dominion upon their third dimension, which includes their physical sickness and diseases”. However, he goes on to say that “the fourth dimension of non-believer (believer is Christ) belongs to Satan; the human spirit joins up with the spirit of the evil fourth dimension, and with the evil fourth dimension they carry out domination over their bodies and circumstances.”
As I read of Dr. Cho’s description of the fourth dimension, I became more and more convinced that he is talking about the same dimension that we Spiritualists work with when we prepare ourselves to give messages. However, as I continued to read, I noticed that Dr. Cho divided up the fourth dimension into the dimension of the Holy Spirit and the dimension of Satan. How can good and evil occupy the same place at the same time? He never talks about that.
As I read the book I began to understand more and more how much Christianity confuses God’s creation by miss interrupting the Bible. Christians use the Bible to back up their, in so many cases, nonsense. They forget that God does spell out in the Bible his plan for humanity and that He is a God of Love. It was through strong persuasion that God worked with the Old Testament nations, even if it meant that those nations had to be captured and sold into slavery to other countries. It is a fact that God has given us total free well and it is our responsibility to use that right for our highest good and the highest good of our fellow man. However, we continuously “fall down on the job” and make mistakes that are beyond understanding. But when we take a careful look at those mistakes, we find that they were for our highest good and that through them we learn and grow spiritually.
Healing also comes from the fourth dimension when in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. By changing our visions and dreams, we carry out dominion over this third dimension material world. Yes it is through our imagination, our visions and dreams”.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Convince Who? by Richard Rowley
I have come to realize the hard way that we can’t change people’s beliefs by reasoning and argument. We can’t tell and evangelical or a born again Christian that the Bible is not the word of God, or that they are not going to be saved by Jesus in the way they think,, when they believe that Jesus has turned their life around or that they have a personal relationship with God. We can’t bring doubt to them, nor take away their comfort blanket without incurring a lot of anger and hate – their defensive reaction is powerful, and sometimes dangerous.
I have a close relative who is now a born-again Christian, and that person has cursed me many times and says I will rot in hell. Similarly, when I carelessly mentioned to a Jewish lady that Jahweh is only a local mountain volcano god, I incurred her wrath and venom, and it was impossible to continue the discussion. In the same way fundamentalist Muslims can’t take a joke – how many people have been killed in riots over the Danish cartoons, and earlier, Salman Rushdie produced a similar reaction from one glib remark in his Satanic Verses.
We can’t persuade true believers of the many Hindu gods that they are imaginary, or that the African and South American religions which believe in various spirit entities are merely invoking and materializing thought forms, or their own mental creations. The Spiritualist group in Toronto which create “Philip” demonstrated this. In the same way, Tibetan monks can produce a “tulpa.” These spirits or gods can be quite powerful and sometimes dangerous, since they do attract low level malevolent spirits which increase their power for mischief and even murder. The amount of havoc created depends on the motives of the priests and worshippers. We can see what happens in wartime just by taking a look at history – for example, Germany and the Nazis in WW II, or Cambodia and Rwanda, when negative beliefs were backed up by equally dangerous spiritual forces which got out of control.
This downside of religion and belief systems has for the most part been avoided by Spiritualists, Spiritists, Buddhists, Bahai's and some other sects, since they provide a tolerance and middle path between various philosophies. The South American Catholics, with their Day of the Dead, the Chinese and Japanese, with their ancestor worship, and a acceptance by a large percentage of the world population of some aspect of the theory of reincarnation, provide an opening toward a more tolerant view of humankind's belief systems.
Once we get past the various superstitious beliefs in many gods, entities and spirits, and look into the concept of one God and supreme intelligence above all others, we move into uncharted, unfathomable waters, and they are too deep for us to investigate with our present mental equipment. I for one prefer to keep out of the discussion with atheists and materialists, and just demonstrate what I know of the river of life, close by, with contact with our loved ones, friends and guides in spirit. We will learn more when we join them one day, sooner or later.
But with regard to other people's orthodox beliefs and deep convictions, we can't take away a dog's bone without getting a few savage bites, and a good guard dog will defend his territory to the bitter end. So, can we ever change what we consider to be erroneous or false beliefs in others? I leave the answer open, since I do not know. Perhaps we are here to test our own beliefs, rather than impose ours on others, and make a reality check, and learn for ourselves. We can only continue quietly to demonstrate the truth of life as we know it, and as we see and hear it. Whether we survive these present turbulent times or not, we know that we will survive and continue our work, beyond. I'm sure of that.
Richard Rowley
I have a close relative who is now a born-again Christian, and that person has cursed me many times and says I will rot in hell. Similarly, when I carelessly mentioned to a Jewish lady that Jahweh is only a local mountain volcano god, I incurred her wrath and venom, and it was impossible to continue the discussion. In the same way fundamentalist Muslims can’t take a joke – how many people have been killed in riots over the Danish cartoons, and earlier, Salman Rushdie produced a similar reaction from one glib remark in his Satanic Verses.
We can’t persuade true believers of the many Hindu gods that they are imaginary, or that the African and South American religions which believe in various spirit entities are merely invoking and materializing thought forms, or their own mental creations. The Spiritualist group in Toronto which create “Philip” demonstrated this. In the same way, Tibetan monks can produce a “tulpa.” These spirits or gods can be quite powerful and sometimes dangerous, since they do attract low level malevolent spirits which increase their power for mischief and even murder. The amount of havoc created depends on the motives of the priests and worshippers. We can see what happens in wartime just by taking a look at history – for example, Germany and the Nazis in WW II, or Cambodia and Rwanda, when negative beliefs were backed up by equally dangerous spiritual forces which got out of control.
This downside of religion and belief systems has for the most part been avoided by Spiritualists, Spiritists, Buddhists, Bahai's and some other sects, since they provide a tolerance and middle path between various philosophies. The South American Catholics, with their Day of the Dead, the Chinese and Japanese, with their ancestor worship, and a acceptance by a large percentage of the world population of some aspect of the theory of reincarnation, provide an opening toward a more tolerant view of humankind's belief systems.
Once we get past the various superstitious beliefs in many gods, entities and spirits, and look into the concept of one God and supreme intelligence above all others, we move into uncharted, unfathomable waters, and they are too deep for us to investigate with our present mental equipment. I for one prefer to keep out of the discussion with atheists and materialists, and just demonstrate what I know of the river of life, close by, with contact with our loved ones, friends and guides in spirit. We will learn more when we join them one day, sooner or later.
But with regard to other people's orthodox beliefs and deep convictions, we can't take away a dog's bone without getting a few savage bites, and a good guard dog will defend his territory to the bitter end. So, can we ever change what we consider to be erroneous or false beliefs in others? I leave the answer open, since I do not know. Perhaps we are here to test our own beliefs, rather than impose ours on others, and make a reality check, and learn for ourselves. We can only continue quietly to demonstrate the truth of life as we know it, and as we see and hear it. Whether we survive these present turbulent times or not, we know that we will survive and continue our work, beyond. I'm sure of that.
Richard Rowley
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