Theme: Solutions to over exertion and organizing one’s life to successfully improve spiritual development most efficiently.
Reference: Stairway To Freedom – Pg. 89
We turn to the concept of organisation of daily routine that will enable those wishing to follow the path the means of so doing. Routine must be established that will give the individual time to follow his employment and his worldly duties whilst, at the same time, will enable him time to retire in prayer and meditation and to the greater concepts of life so that he might enlarge the power within his auras, thus bringing peace and contentment to himself and with those with whom he comes in contact and will ultimately cause peace to reign in the world.
The first aspect that must be considered relates to rest. It is easy to fill one’s life with activity, to drive oneself to the limits chasing a concept, pursuing an objective, but it must be realised, that is not the way to find peace within oneself. The first requirement is to care for the temple of the soul which is the body. That temple must be nourished adequately and sensibly and also sufficient rest must be taken to ensure that the body each day is renewed, regenerated.
How often do we wake in the morning and find ourselves exhausted following a night spent tossing and turning as our minds relived events of the day and events to come, thus preventing us from wakening refreshed? It is important, therefore, that one realizes that, before retiring each night, a state of mind should be entered into in which the day’s events are dismissed, put behind one, so that deep and sound sleep may obtain throughout the night. Only then can one awaken sufficiently refreshed so as to face the day and sufficiently full of energy so as to complete the tasks that one has set oneself in pursuit of God.
It is therefore suggested that the student, before retiring, should sit quietly for a few moments and mull over the events of the day, make a mental note of that which has been left unfinished, and make a mental note of that which has been finished. Finally, one should place all of it in God’s hands, pray for peace, and pray for rest, and no matter how little one has accomplished that day, how large the burden, one should attempt to put them upon one side in order to retire into deep and restful sleep.
With practice, that state may obtain. Like all things, the more one practices, the easier it becomes. If, as do so many, you are in the habit of reliving through dreams the events of the day, then you will need to break that habit and so it will take time. But we urge you to persevere and, ultimately, you will begin to sleep the deep sleep of the just as you place yourself in God’s hands, and thus gradually, as you awaken each day refreshed, energized, and able to face each day fully, you will achieve more and more. Then you will find that you are able to rest more completely each evening in the sense that you have completed each day the tasks that you set yourself.
Once awakened, it is suggested that, before rising, one says a prayer of welcoming to God and of placing oneself in God’s hands for the day. Then, if one has sufficient time, it might be advisable to rise and, before commencing employment, to meditate for a few moments. However, that is not always possible. Therefore, should that not be possible, we suggest that you at least try to hold on to the concepts of peace and love and service to mankind as you travel to your employment, ignoring all the upsets that you see and hear and are party to upon your journey. Arrive at your employment, if you can, in a state of peace and tranquility and attempt to maintain that state throughout the day, involving yourself fully in the finer concepts that your employment entails but avoiding completely the base and negative aspects such as argument, jealousy, and seeking to advance oneself above one’s fellow man.
If you keep your peace within yourself, you should arrive home in the evening still with sufficient energy to pass the evening without feeling exhausted. All too often, people arrive home from work embittered by the trials and tribulations of the day, feeling exhausted by the malign forces that have swayed around them, draining their psychic energies and leaving them feeling sick and tired. Should that happen to you, we suggest that, before you arrive at your work, you ask God to protect you, that you place a barrier of love around you mentally like a large umbrella and that you ensure that you do not break out from under that umbrella by entering into the arguments that your colleagues may try to involve you with. Keep your peace. Do your work. Serve your fellow man, but do not become involved emotionally with any backbiting or negative aspects that you may find, all too frequently, you have in the past been involved with. So, it is hoped that you will learn to arrive home and still be feeling fit and well.
When you have completed your household duties and other things that you may have to do each evening, it is suggested that you sit and meditate for a period of time. The technique has been mentioned elsewhere and will not be repeated now but we suggest that prayer and meditation will advance you greatly. Thus, having meditated, it is suggested that, if you can, you pass the evening in quiet and in tranquility, perhaps reading, perhaps watching television if you wish, but we urge you not to become too involved emotionally with the films of violence that you see. Do not become involved with the newscasts showing violence and all the negative aspects which man glorifies so much. Then, as was mentioned earlier, we ask that you think about the day and then dismiss it and retire to bed to sleep the sleep of the just once again. Thus, it is possible to fill your life with tranquility.
Should you do so, you will find that you are full of energy that, in the degree that you serve your fellow man in the correct fashion, God will send a vital force to energize you and you will be able to go on and on. However, as was mentioned earlier, there is a place for all things. There is a time for work and a time for rest and there is a time for sleep. In the Bible, it was considered that 8 hours work, 8 hours rest, and 8 hours sleep were the correct proportions. It may be so, it is up to you. You decide for yourself how much work you can do, how much rest you need, and how much sleep you need, but we ask that you respect that trinity, that you do not try and work all day and snatch a few hours’ sleep. Neither do we ask that you spend your time in idleness achieving nothing. We ask that you try to strike a balance within your life of serving man, of drawing energy within yourself through the process of rest which should include meditation, and then that you finally recharge your batteries through beautiful sleep.
It is expected that by following this process, your health will improve, that your standing within the community might improve, and that you will become a centre for spiritual guidance for those who feel lost. Should that happen so that people come to you to discover the secret of your newfound health and vitality, we ask that you transmit the information to them in full as we have given it to you. By so doing, the word of God will be spread among the people of the world and the concept of peace, so vitally necessary today, will be spread as all mankind begins to relax, bathed in the beauty of the light of God shining from their souls.
Gradually, peace will be restored to individuals and to groups and to nations. First must come establishing the correct manner of living. No amount of hope, work, or argument will cause peace within the heart. No degree of passing of legislation, of creating armed forces, and of making weapons will bring the desired effect. The premier requirement is for each and every individual to establish within himself a code of conduct and ethic or behavior that will bring peace and health into this heart and body. Then, and only then, can prayer and meditation be truly effective in strengthening the peace and the power within that individual.
From that platform may others be bathed in the golden glow of the power of God emanating from such an individual, thus causing within the souls of all lost and malcontent the first stirrings as their souls respond in harmony to the vibrant wave of power. Once stirred into life, the soul never sleeps again. So, we may assume that all who come into contact with a vibrant being are, to some extent, affected. They will have their souls awakened and thus they will be on the path to perfection whether they realise it or not. Their actions will diminish in terms of violence and anti-social behavior.
We therefore look expectantly forward to the day when any individual with soul still sleeping cannot avoid but meet with vibrant-souled individuals wherever he may turn as the word of how, and why, to achieve spirituality is absorbed into beings of more and more people. This chain reaction must and will take place but it starts with you. Having been privileged by whatever means God chose to give you access to the information and directions of both the need for and the wherewithal how to achieve soul growth, you have a burden placed upon you to fill your existence with that soul growth until you become a light shining before the Lord.
Then, you too will influence others by bringing that light into their world, lighting their darkness. See to it that you do indeed become a shining example. Your future depends upon it. The future ultimately of millions of others depends upon it. The peace of the world depends upon it. Understand, if you can, the enormity of the responsibility we place upon your shoulders. We do not give you more than you can bear but we give you the maximum that you can carry. As you grow in stature, the burden will increase until you can carry the weight of the world on your shoulders as does Jesus. Like him, accept the load and put in your maximum effort for the rest of your days. Your reward will be beyond your wildest imagination as you reach the elevated heights of the masters.
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