The Final Testing: Teaching Others

Perhaps the most important way of achieving this apparent impossibility lies in the training of others, hence before any spirit can reach the end of the Path, they must spend at least some time in helping others to tread it and this subject, too, is introduced in this chapter.

It is important to realise that one of the most basic tests to see if someone has real belief is their happiness or otherwise.

Many people claim to have faith but do not, whilst others belittle their values, yet have more genuine belief, that most. “One with faith has happiness” we are told, “because the beauties of heaven are his, as he dwells in God, mentally focused on the white and shining glory of the Highest”.

The mere fact of focusing one’s mind on the glory and beauty of God, will produce within us an almost uninterrupted feeling of peace and serenity, far more lasting than any of the transient forms of worldly joy.

This, however, does not mean that the Lower Self is completely converted and it can perhaps be represented as a beast of prey lying “in wait for an opportunity to deceive his better nature.”

The Lower Self rejoices in the power of God, but at the same time it is afraid of what it may do to his worldly values.

These can be shattered if the Divine Life Force is showered down upon it continuously, through such spiritual exercises as prayer, meditation and worship. At one and the same time, the Lower self is “mocked and fettered by its beauty”.

Thus the Believer is in two minds. His Higher Self “is raised to the heights of glory” because of his links with God.

At times he may feel almost as if he is in Heaven already, but then something comes along to shatter this illusion, and it is usually linked with the pride of his Lower Self”, which like the wild beast that; “lies in wait to ensnare him”.

And just where does this beast of prey lie in wait?

It is just where we should expect it to be – “in the plains of material existence”, for it is usually through some worldly contact or temptation that we are most likely to be led astray.

Furthermore, the mere fact of the Higher Self having feelings of spiritual joy, “humiliates the Lower Self” and thus, all to often increases its resentment and antagonism until at times the battle within almost make us seem like a man suffering from schizophrenia.

It is the Lower Self that is the primary victim in all this confusion. It knows that God has called it but it does not want to follow that call.

It hesitates, torn between its own desires and the wishes of the Higher Self, which seeks to serve God. However, seeing God has ordained that the Believer “shall bring forth fruit”, eventually he does so.

The Higher Self, at last allowed to follow its true destiny finds itself “raised up” – in other words, it assails the heights of mysticism, and the Believer approaches ever closer to perfection. Then we read that “his glorious soul laughs”.

This is a laugh of sheer pleasure; of spiritual joy bubbling forth amidst the desolation of mortal life, but the phrase also indicates that by this time his spirituality been “glorified” and shines forth in spiritual brilliance. He has been “healed of the desire for material things’ and “he shines in the higher realms of which he bears fruitful testimony”.

We can understand the fact that his spirit form shines brightly in the Spirit Plane, but this passage also refers to the fact that he is able to bring back the knowledge of these planes to his fellows on earth and the fact that his testimony is said to be “fruitful”.

Clearly this refers to his being able to function on the Astral or Spirit Planes whilst asleep, and being able to bring back reports of life there to his fellows on earth. Back on earth, however, the Believer still has to face the struggles of mortal life, and this “strife wearies the Higher Self and deceives the human soul”, thereby making it harder for it to “rise up with zeal to dwell in God”.

Under this sort of pressure, the Higher Self may well be led astray, taking an increasing interest in material things and eventually allowing them to become the most important aspect of its life instead of concentrating on the spiritual and keeping itself apart from the taint of material desires.

The spiritual man has vision – that is the ability to perceived spiritual things.[1] The reason for this is his personal relationship with God, but it is also because he obeys what he believes God tells him and continually “praises” Him – that is to say, he does his best to glorify God by doing His Work. If one hears the voice of God and does not obey Him, then obviously there will come a time when we are unable to hear Him.

This “praise” – working for God – brings its own reward in peace of mind and spiritual happiness – the natural result of dwelling with God and this happiness will only increase as his contact with God is enhanced thereby. Increasingly he will know what is right and be given the strength to do it, thus making “him a defender in the battles of God.” (defending God’s purpose on earth). The karmic result of such loyal service is more happiness, or as we are “his lot (allotted karma) leads him straight to happiness.

The stresses and strains of life on earth often weary the spiritual man, not just physically, but also spiritually. Even if he is not actually a mystic who can hear the voice of God, his conscience always lets him know what is God’s will whilst he is constantly desirous of doing it.

Nevertheless he finds himself constantly frustrated in his efforts to do so by the circumstances of his mortal life. As a result, both physical and spiritual weariness constantly afflicts him, but despite this, he still retains “vision” the ability to know God’s will and often even to hear Him. In fact this “Vision” is itself the direct result of his attachment to spiritual things – in other words, it develops therefrom.

He worships God, both literally and figuratively and this provides him with many blessings, not only for himself but also for those who follow him – and this is a key point, for by this time in his spiritual development there will be many younger souls who hang on his words and follow his example.

This does not necessarily mean that he becomes the Founder of a new religious movement or institutes some great religious reform, though many of those who have done such things have indeed been close to the ends of their earthly journeyings, whether or not they have been recognised as “Saints” by their followers.

What it does mean is that once his example and teachings begin to lead others to follow him, their numbers will grow as long as he continues to exhibit both goodness and compassion. The first may seem to be obvious, but the latter is at least equally important, for many good men have little compassion for those who are unable to live up to their own high standards, and it behoves a religious leader, not only to set a good example, but also to help others to do so[2].

As a leader, he will often have to render judgement or mediate disputes between those who respect him, and again it is important that He makes these decisions in the Right spirit. This does not necessarily mean that he must never make mistakes, but if mistakes are made, it is important that they be honest ones.

We are also told that Right motives will enable him to “extract the best from the bitterness of life”, for this Path “leads straight to the spiritual heights” Working for God is always a struggle, but as long as one persists, God will be satisfied, though more often than not, the world will not regard such a man as successful.

However, whether or not he is successful in the eyes of the world, we are told that “such a spiritual man will have happiness and find strength in the company of many other happy men of faith”.

In other words, he will find great comfort in the support of his followers, whether or not there are many of them and whether or not the world recognizes his efforts.

[1]

The same word is used in 1 Samuel 3; 1b “And the word of the Lord was precious (rare) in those days; there was no open vision” - in other words, there was no frequent mystical contact with God

[2]

Jesus Christ as in all things provides us with an example; perfect in Himself, yet He nevertheless extended both understanding and compassion to sinners (e.g. St John 8; 11)