Teachings of the Holy Spirit 2
In ancient times, there have always been prophets and mediums in communication with the Divine. The Hebrews had Abraham, Moses and the Prophets. The Hindus and Buddhists had their adepts. The Christians dreamed dreams and spoke in tongues. The Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mohammed and his revelations became the underlying basis of Islam. There were the Oracle of Delphi and the State Oracle of Tibet. However, in the past, people did not really know what they were doing and even if they did know, they would not tell others, with good reason; people then did not have the capacity to comprehend. Still, the very same principles that applied then apply even now. And that body of divine knowledge that has come down to the world during these modern times since the 1850s is what we now term as Spiritism.
We are at the threshold of a coming new age. And every new age brings new knowledge, knowledge that will bring man a few more steps closer to his God. Today, new explanations, new insights, new approaches, new teachings are being made available. Man now is considered sufficiently evolved such that, today, even the mysteries kept hidden since the foundation of the world are slowly being unfolded and made plain.
Biblical Basis and the Spirits of Truth
When Jesus Christ was yet in the world, he promised he would send the Holy Spirits to guide us and bring all things to our remembrance. Today, this promise is being fulfilled.
The Holy Spirits are our highly evolved brothers-in-spirit of all faiths. They are the residents of God’s heaven. They have attained to union with God. They know the whole Truth. Having attained to full knowledge and experience by virtue of their own past incarnations, they are the most qualified to guide forward those of us who are still on the earth plane. They are our elder brothers, our friends and guides. And these Spirits of Truth directly oversee the operations of some six hundred Spiritist study centers in the Philippines, alone.
Authority of the Spirits of Truth
The Spirits of Truth are charged with the administration of God’s will and divine instruction over all creation. As such, their services are not confined to Spiritists alone, but extend to all other groups, as well. Nothing happens on earth without their knowledge and express permission. All that comes is what is best, even pain and suffering. It is for each of us to seek out the answers to the mysteries of life.
They are behind the renewed activities of the oriental gurus and the western evangelists. They are directly involved in the miraculous healings effected through charismatic groups and evangelical denominations. The people of the world must all be prepared for the coming of the New Age. And the spiritual revival movements will continue to escalate until this New Age is finally here.
In order to avail of this Higher Spiritual Learning, prospective students must have certain minimum qualifications:
- The applicant must be genuinely motivated for the right reasons
Many enter into these studies merely to satisfy their curiosity. They’ve heard something about the teachings but don’t really know what they are about. Some come for healing. The doctors have given up on them, or else, were not able to heal them. Others are just too poor; they cannot afford to go to a doctor. After hearing of miraculous healings taking place, they become attracted to the healers. Others come for the powers and increased perceptions that can be obtained. In the beginning, we all come for some selfish reasons. However, if we really want to progress in these studies, our goals must ascend to a higher order. We must be genuinely motivated to do some good, not just for ourselves, but for others, as well.
- The applicant must have an earnest desire to learn and develop spiritually
Desire fuels our efforts. Unless we want something badly enough, we won’t exert the necessary efforts and we can never attain. We also need to have a clear objective. And it must be the right objective. The purpose of these studies is not to be the pursuit of worldly goals. Worldly matters are of no great concern to the Spirits of Truth. Instead, they are primarily and exclusively focused on spiritual objectives and spiritual development. These are the things that are far more important to God. We must also realize that all things can be learned provided we apply ourselves to our studies.
- The applicant must be serious, determined and willing to persevere
These studies require great sacrifices, much time and patient efforts. No one can continue unless he is deeply committed. Each lesson carries a high price in terms of sweat and tears, pain and suffering. All things of value are worth paying their price.
You may feel incapable of a total commitment. That is alright, too. Your instruction can be gradual and suited to your own particular needs. You can study part-time if you cannot do it full-time. No one can study all the time, either. Everyone still needs to attend to some worldly concerns.
Those who decide to pursue these studies have many obstacles they will need to overcome:
- Pride
We should have confidence in ourselves and take pride in our accomplishments. However, we should not delude ourselves. No matter what our present status in life, how powerful we may be, how successful or how rich, we still have much to learn. Even though we may have attended the best schools and are teachers in our own right, still, we don’t know enough. "The knowledge of the world is foolishness to God." We should always be open to instruction from all quarters. Those who are behind us can remind us of the lessons we have already learned. Those who are ahead can provide valuable insights to guide us. There is Light in the greatest and in the least.
- Impatience
Truth must be built from the ground up. It takes time to build solid foundations. All knowledge based on false premises cannot endure. Every proposition must be thoroughly scrutinized and understood before they are accepted. Many want the truth now, not tomorrow, not next week, but today, now. But this is like asking a doctor of medicine who completed his education only after many years of study to impart all he knows to a student in just a couple of days or weeks and expect that student to be able to heal outright. This cannot be, nor is this reasonable. Learning necessarily requires much time and patient efforts.
- Close-mindedness
We need to be open to new concepts and teachings. Otherwise, we won’t be able to progress. It is understandable for us to be attached to our present beliefs. However, if life does not conform to these beliefs, then our understanding must be wrong. We should seek out new answers where our own are proven inadequate. It is especially difficult to let go of long-held beliefs and false notions, but this must be done before we can move forward. Life is a continuous breaking down and building anew, but each time, better than before.
- Inability to be true to self
Let us not pretend to be good when we are not. We must be honest enough to admit our faults and weaknesses. We should see ourselves as we really are without the frills and the trimmings. We can effect necessary improvements only after we recognize our character deficiencies. God is righteous and we need to be like Him before we can really know Him and live with Him in His kingdom.
- Worldly involvements
Certain earthly preoccupations are still necessary and, in fact, should take precedence over our spiritual pursuits. However, we should not overemphasize their importance. Instead, we should keep our spiritual goals always in sight and give them the priority they deserve.
- Lust for the things of the world
For as long as we are thirsty, we need to drink. Similarly, we need to satisfy our worldly cravings. However, earthly things are not to be desired. We should gradually turn from them and prefer, instead, the things of the spirit. The more we remain fascinated by worldly pleasures, the longer it will take us to attain to the real treasures in heaven.
- Wrong attitudes
Some are far too demanding. They think God owes them an explanation. They never think to mend their ways, instead. But God only answers those who wait patiently with an open and repentant heart. Others want every benefit without working for them. They argue that Jesus already paid for their sins and that God is like a genie, just waiting at their pleasure to grant their every wish. But this is not what God has decreed. Instead, we should never expect something for nothing. More, we must be willing to give before we can receive.
Contrary to what most people believe, our life did not begin when we were born. In fact, we were already existing before this world was created. We have come a long way but we have only just begun. The road stretches farther still.
We are presently, each of us, at a particular stage in the order of evolution. We have already learned much and experienced much which have shaped our character and conditioned our attitudes and predispositions. We have enabled ourselves to easily comprehend many things by intuitively remembering the essence of those lessons which we have already learned in our past lives. We have also developed many of our faculties and abilities, which can just as easily be made available to us in this life.
From here, we move on to new lessons, but this time, progress proceeds more slowly. This explains why each of us understands differently, why we have different inborn abilities, talents, likes and dislikes and why each has different needs that require special attention.
Some of us are more ready to turn spiritual than others, owing to their having had more incarnations and more experiences. Those who are more advanced will be more open and ready for these teachings, they having satisfied much of their worldly cravings in lives past. Similarly, they will be entitled to receive much higher instruction than the others who are still in the lower stages of development.
Likewise, mediums, including the prophets of old, although supposed to be servants of the Lord and the Spirits of Truth are not necessarily already very highly evolved spiritually. Every one of them is still a student undergoing specialized instruction and training. They have attained to varying levels of spiritual attainment and spiritual understanding. Their mediumistic abilities are proficient to the degree to which they have developed them in their past lives. However, depending on their level in the order of evolution, they still do many foolish things and are themselves full of superstitions. In addition, they commit a lot of mistakes, besides. Therefore, concerning any message relayed through them, there will always be some amount of distortion.
Where complex concepts are involved, these must first be understood and interpreted by the medium before he may effectively relay the information. But there are many higher principles that are beyond the ordinary medium’s capacity to comprehend. Such principles will filter out like coded messages and the student will then have to read between the lines.
Where thoughts and not the actual words are transmitted by the Spirits, the mediums have to translate them into their own words drawing from their poor vocabulary. In fact, our own English and all other languages combined are so thoroughly deficient to describe higher spiritual principles and deeper truths. Therefore, in the translation into words, so much is lost.
Where the medium disagrees with any message or if such message runs counter to his strongly held beliefs, he is bound to resist and even issue a contrary message which is more in accord with his own understanding and belief.
Sometimes, the medium may have a vested interest in matters relating to the communication. It takes a very highly evolved and ethical person not to take advantage by influencing the message to suit his own objectives. Many mediums fall short of this criterion.
Mediums also have a tendency to affect the quality and tone of the message depending on whether they like or dislike the students under instruction. Similarly, any serious character flaw or deficiency on the part of the medium will taint the messages.
Further, each medium has his own field of specialization. Some are especially knowledgeable as far as the principles and teachings are concerned. Others focus more on the development of mediumship. While others are particularly competent only in the healing aspects of the teachings.
In all these, it is important to remember that no matter how pure the water you pour into the glass, the water gets contaminated if the glass is dirty. And no medium is perfectly clean or thoroughly competent.
Limitations of the Communicating Spirit
There is always a Spirit-in-charge of the proceedings. We also have our own guardian angels to assist us. However, owing to the need for specialized knowledge depending on the lesson at hand, all classes of spirits are allowed to communicate with us. Just like us, they, too, have different degrees of knowledge, different capabilities, styles and viewpoints.
We shall know them by their language and the thoughts that they impart. We should continue to allow them to communicate with us for as long as the messages and guidance they provide bring good. However, once the opposite becomes true, then we should be wary and act accordingly, even to the extent of terminating the communication.
In the various Spiritist study centers, guidance is provided in many different ways. The messages given through trance or telepathic mediums clarify the old truths. New insights are given. Daily, the old superstitions and misconceptions are gradually being dispelled by the Light of Truth.
There are available for reference all the various sacred books, religious writings and other inspired works, old and more recent, of every religion covering all the theoretical aspects of the teachings. Sometimes our attention will be called to a certain book or item of information which specifically addresses some particular need of the moment. Sometimes our Guides will inspire someone to personally deliver their important message. At other times while we sleep, we are allowed to visit the Astral World where we can confer with our Guides. When we awaken, we will be able to retain some subconscious memory of the important highlights of the meeting although, in general, our conscious mind just vaguely remembers that we had a very pleasant dream.
In order to prove the theoretical teachings, we need the necessary practical experiences. Many such experiences can be provided through the facility of mediumship. Remember that we have developed some of these faculties in our past lives. None of these developed abilities are ever lost. There are enough child prodigies and people with inborn talents who are living proofs of this truth. We just need to undergo a process of remembering in order to recover these forgotten abilities and powers. Once our faculties have been restored to their previous level of utility, then we can proceed to develop them further with the help of the Spirits of Truth. In addition to providing proofs, we are also given the opportunity to help others through the use of these spiritual powers.
All of our experiences are guided to a certain degree. Conditions and circumstances are specially simulated to afford us the best opportunity to learn our required lessons. We believe ourselves to be flesh and blood but we are not. We are spirit beings. We think the earth is our home but heaven is where we really belong. We feel harmed when our body suffers when instead, our spirit consciousness learns and develops. We are afraid to die when "it is in dying that we are born to eternal life." This world is, after all, the World of Illusion. Things are not really what they seem to be. The World of Reality lies just beyond earth. We are able to learn much from our guided earthly experiences. However, learning not tested is not proved, hence we are also required to undergo continuous and rigorous testing to prove that we really have learned our lessons.
Every new lesson and every test of our learning bring the pain and the suffering that cannot be avoided. How can we learn unless we experience the beautiful and the ugly, the good and the bad, the pleasurable and the painful? How can we be tested to see if we will return love for hate unless someone hates us, and good for evil unless we are harmed? How can we practice non-retaliation unless we fall victim to some crime? How can we learn patience unless we experience hassles and delays? Tolerance, unless we become victims of prejudice and domination?
Further, our mistakes all have to be rectified. Our debts must be paid. Therefore, sufficient opportunities will be provided to enable us to even the score, clean our slate. Where needed, we will be compelled to experience the harm we inflicted upon another to the same degree. These are the consequences of the Law of Karma.
And in order for us to get ahead and store up treasure in Heaven, we are provided the excellent opportunities to render some valuable services to our fellowmen.
Other Guidelines and Rules Relevant to Our Studies
Before we can make any real headway in these studies, there are certain guide rules we should also consider. We have discussed how the student must have to overcome some major obstacles that impede his progress. We enumerated the limitations of all those involved and all these must be taken into account. Every student must learn to discern before he can earn the right to know the truth. He must also make allowances for all such limitations.
These studies are not for everyone. In fact, it is not enough that we ask to be guided. We also need to be deserving of the guidance. Many complain that they are unable to understand: they have not gotten healed; or that they have seen no miraculous signs or manifestations. From the point of view of the Spirits of Truth, these are advanced studies to be administered only to those who have prepared themselves for this specialized kind of instruction. "Don’t give that which is holy to dogs neither cast your pearls before swine." According to our auric lights, the Spirits of Truth know who are ready and who are not. Like the fisherman who throws small fish back into the sea for harvesting at a later date, those who are ready are encouraged and guided but those who are not are turned away.
All those under instruction will have to imbibe the principles they have learned in their daily life. As we hold to the teachings and apply them, we will be able to understand more and more. It is the practice that brings unfoldment. Enlightenment cannot just be given. It needs to be earned by doing.
Many come seeking for healing or solutions to their problems. They ask for money, a new house, a good job or a faithful husband or wife. And to many, even these are given. However, the genuine student knows that all we really need are already provided to us, even without our asking for them. Instead, he wisely strives to understand the hidden lessons and spiritual blessings behind his every experience, even those that bring pain and sorrow, and then, endeavors to act in a manner that will afford him every benefit possible from them. He realizes that this is the only way he can prevent the recurrence of such unwanted miseries in his life.
In attaining to our goal of righteousness, we should not be too critical or too lenient. We must be practical and understanding concerning our efforts. There is only so much that we can do. Embattled as we are by powerful forces of evil in the world, we are bound to falter, even succumb, at times. "The flesh is weak." However, we just need to realize our mistakes and strive to do better next time. In all these, self-realization self-corrects automatically. Once we realize our faults and weaknesses, then we can be patient with ourselves and we can continue to pursue our spiritual goals at our own pace and in our own time.
All the different Spiritist study centers represent different levels of instruction and aspects of the divine teachings. There are different approaches and teaching styles. There are also different fields of specialization. Every student is enjoined to go on missions to various centers and get exposed to different mediums and Spirit teachers. This will enable him to better evaluate the differences and wisely choose which center to attend and which particular group, Spirit teacher or medium can best help him to progress.
In the world, people place too much trust on conferred names and titles. They also want to know: Is he rich? Is he powerful? Whom does he know? But, the way of the world is not the way of God. With reference to Spirit communications, it is the thought, the message, that is important. The source of the message is not so important, because truth speaks for itself. Therefore, every message should be subjected to the test of reason in the light of our own individual experiences. The basic rule is to accept only those that we find to be reasonable and to reject all that are not.
This then is what Spiritism (Guidance by the Spirits of Truth) is all about. Spiritism is the Path that some have chosen who seek to know their God. And if you so choose, you could make this Path your own.
But begin your journey today. Turn from wickedness and hold to the good. Heaven waits for all who wish to enter therein. But only the most determined can ever find the way. It is for each of us to make our own decision. We, alone, have the right to make the choice between darkness and light, between earthly sorrows and the peace, happiness and eternal life that can only be found in heaven.
posted by Angel Luz @ 9:01 PM
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