Word
Gems
What is a
man but the sum of his thoughts?
Life
& Death:
Ellen
Terry
(via
Leslie Flint)
I would say that
this [life on our side] is the natural life and yours is the artificial, and that the
truly natural life is the spiritual… This is a natural existence and the
material life is only a pale reflection of the reality. There is no need, in a sense, for
anyone to fear death – for whatever the individual may be, no matter how low he may
have sunk, over here there are varying degrees of existence, various planes of unfolding
development, and the individual finds his or her place. And there is growth – there
is no standing still. There is evolution which passes through phases and conditions, and
the soul certainly grows in knowledge and experience.
I would say that
the truly spiritual person is the one who has lost so much of the material, and has
grasped and truly become part of this life, which is so vast in its conception and
experience; that as one becomes more and more aware and conscious, more and more
developed unto it and with it, so that individual becomes more truly spiritually grown,
more spiritually conscious and aware – but not in a narrow sense, but without fear,
without any of the drawbacks, which hold man so firmly to earth in the body.
Here there is no
restriction placed upon expansion of expression; here you assimilate knowledge and
experience; here you throw off more and more of the old self and become truly free. And I
think freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of realization, freedom of thought is truly
a spiritual blessing that comes to us all gradually and gives us that spiritual
consciousness and awareness and truly creates and makes possible the spiritual life. It is
the narrow confines of earth which prevent individuals from becoming spiritual beings.
One must have
complete and absolute freedom of expression, in the highest sense, to be able to
discard all that which is of the material; all that which holds one down; all that which
prevents one from expressing and expanding – anything which is inclined to prevent a
human life from developing and expressing and growing on earth must be and is bad – anything that stultifies, anything that in any way makes it an impossible
thing for an individual to have freedom of expression of thought must be and is bad…
And I do think that many people do come here with firm, fixed ideas, ideas that have been
implanted in them for the whole of their existence.
Often through fear they have been
afraid to express their true feelings and emotions; they have been afraid to pursue new
lines of thought; they have been afraid even to read books which, possibly, might have
helped them…
Over here a
spiritual life is a life of complete and absolute freedom in which you are able to
assimilate all experience and knowledge.
Great teachers
from other spheres enter lower spheres to advise and to guide and to uplift.
Here there is
complete unity and harmony and love. Here there is truly brotherhood. Here there is the
wisdom of all time expressed in all manner of ways by all manner of peoples, irrespective
of any earthly idea of class or creed or color.
I would say that
what holds humanity back in your world is this unfortunate clinging to old ideas and old
ideals; clinging to outworn creeds and religions; clinging to barriers built up by
class and ignorance – peoples who are held apart from one country to another by
patriotism and all the false ideals. We want to break down the barriers that have kept men
apart; we want to bring a new realization of God’s love and purpose and to give you
some glimpse of what true spiritual life is…
On the sphere on
which I now exist there is such tremendous opportunity… we have the most
wonderful form of existence one could hope to experience, and yet all the while one
experiences this existence, one is ever conscious of the possibilities of that which lies
still further ahead.
It is impossible, I think, for any
soul to describe the spheres that are more advanced. The spheres that are near the earth,
because they are near the earth, can be depicted and described [as they are essentially
earthlike in nature] … but I can say that my life is full of beauty, full of color,
full, indeed, of every aspect of loveliness… there is a diffused subtlety of light
– there is never darkness… there is a time of quietude for us, and rest –
and yet there is never any need for rest or sleep but peacefulness that comes upon us when
we feel the need; and our energies, which never seem to flag, are ever present, are ever
calling upon us to do more, to experience more, to endeavor more.
There is all the beauty and
magnificence of the countryside and the colorings of nature, but even more glorified and
beautified than anything you know – there are all the conditions that one would
expect of your life but much more rarified… much more vast… we have, of course, all the animals that constitute nature, but there,
again, in a more highly developed state of being – and all the domestic animals you
once loved … there is the ability of the animal world to make itself understood…
we know what they think, we know what they feel, and they know what we say unto them
– they read our thoughts and are able to understand all that we feel – and that
is one of the greatest things of this life … being completely and absolutely
comprehended, not only by the human race … but by the so-called lesser kingdom of the
animals …
[One] is so lacking… so feeble
[in ability to describe these things] – I can only say this to you, to all those of
you listening, there is no need to fear the crossing of your world to this – it is
the great adventure; it is the great awakening to a greater realm of loveliness and beauty
and freedom of thought – truly, this is a spiritual world, but not as man has
depicted.
Indeed, it is so different, so
tremendously alive and vital – so far removed from man’s conception … do
not fear passing from your world to this – for whatever condition of life you might
enter, no matter how lowly it may be, it will be a reflection of your world …
according to your condition upon passing; particularly, according to your
development… so you will find a condition to which you are suited… [to] express
the development of love.
Of course, we know there are the lower
spheres, the spheres for undeveloped souls… but, even so, it is not a
"hell" – there is no hell, only that which man creates by his own thinking
and living… man often lives in darkness of his own creating.
[But] as soon
as he begins to desire a spark of life eternal; as soon as he endeavors to lift himself
from the dark sphere, so he will be helped and guided, given instruction and shown the
path – no need to fear, for this is a world of love … [a world] where all …
are seeking to uplift themselves from stage to stage… man [will] progress from the
depths to the heights.
Editor's note: compare this information with Maslow's
"self-actualization."
|