Theme: Changes to student’s physical life managed by wise beings to promote soul growth. Emotional suffering coming.
Reference: Stairway To Freedom – Pg. 136
The law of mutual attraction will bring into his field of experience that which he requires to experience in order to better himself and thus he will gain access to information that will permit him to learn how to pray and to meditate. A suitable arena for service will also be found and he will be encouraged to follow that avenue. He should also strive to bring into his personality attributes that permit the development of mutual attraction of those forces hovering near to him that, should they be allowed to become part of his reality, will cause soul growth.
It has been mentioned earlier that soul growth is a function of intelligence based on prayer, meditation, and service to God. Whilst that is, in essence, true, it is not the complete story. In order for soul growth to be achieved, it is necessary for a formula of auric conditions to be brought together that will provide suitable conditions for that growth to take place. That formula must be concocted by bringing to the fore suitable situations for the auras so to be manipulated.
For instance, should someone wish to achieve soul growth, then, dependent upon karmic conditions, he would be of a certain sex, age, class, race, etcetera. No two people would be the same and so the formula for everybody would be different. But in the case under consideration, through the effects of those material considerations mentioned, and taking into account all the other factors relevant to that individual since he was conceived, a certain blend of emotions of auric growth patterns would already exist. From that basis, it would be necessary to cause events, auric growth, to occur that would enable that individual to achieve the direction towards perfection that we term soul growth.
Once the decision is reached concerning the direction that advancement must take, it remains to bring into being conditions and events that will permit the desired soul growth to be achieved. Such decisions are not made consciously by the individual. They are far too complex for any Earth-bound personality to make. Wisdom is needed to make such decisions and, of course by implication, the individual seeking soul growth, an adjunct to wisdom, has not achieved that state. Therefore, the decisions are made for him by the hierarchy of beings that oversee his work and his passage through time.
The decisions, once made, must be put into effect and so the individual would experience changes in his social, business, and domestic life commensurate with the changes required to achieve soul growth. Those changes may be slight or they may be dramatic. They may initially cause happiness or they may cause sadness. It may seem cruel and heartless to state that the elevated souls overseeing each individual would plunge that person into situations of great hardship initially, causing unhappiness and despair, but you must remember that those great and wise ones are not interested in the short term nor are they actually interested in childish concepts like happiness, pain, sorrow, joy, etcetera.
Those concepts which seem so important to people of the Earth and, indeed, are important whilst tied to the Earth have no relevance to greater souls. If the individual wishes to achieve greatness, he must be prepared to suffer to rise to the required heights. An athlete does not become a world-beater by sitting round a fire, warm and snug, with his loved ones. He must be out in all weathers pounding round a track, depriving himself of sweet food and those physical things, considered luxuries, that would bring about his downfall. He must sacrifice all, and everything, to the desire of becoming great in his field. Similarly, should anyone wish to become great spiritually, they must be prepared to forsake all and follow the path mapped out for them. If it causes hardship initially, then so be it. However, just as a runner, as he becomes fit, will begin to enjoy running, similarly, the student of God will enjoy his newfound avenues of advancement once he adjusts to them.
It is not the desire that man should suffer in any way. Indeed, the opposite is true. It is the intention of all wise ones to permit all of the Earth access to knowledge that will bring them happiness. However, happiness is not that emotion that can be measured by belly laughs at the expense of others. It is not measured by counting money and securities, nor is it the product of dancing, drinking, and merry making. There is nothing wrong with those things. They have their place amongst people of the Earth and they are intended to bring some light into an otherwise dismal world. But they are childish emotions, as are all events and happenings that do not include God awareness. Even the most sophisticated events, an evening at the theatre, ballet, banqueting, etcetera, are childish and the pleasure that they bring is temporary and shallow.
Do not misunderstand our meaning here. Those who become great actors, dancers, and cooks may have made supreme sacrifices during their earthly incarnations to achieve those advancements and, within reason, they will have advanced towards God. We talk, however, of those who dress up and attend such functions. They too, the audience, are necessary. Without them, it would be pointless for the play or the ballet to go on. The food would remain untasted. So, they are important. However, unless they too have studied to appreciate the art being revealed before their eyes, then they do not benefit themselves. They largely waste their time. If they do not understand the art of ballet by firsthand experience, they are not in a position to appreciate the skills being demonstrated. Do not be fooled otherwise.
Critics of the arts often bring acclaim or despondency to performers of art by their criticism. Unless those critics were able to perform at the level of the performers they criticise, their criticisms are invalid. You cannot be an armchair critic. Your statements would have no validity. Any person who attempted to achieve mastery in any field is urged to ignore the comments of any critic, no matter how highly acclaimed, unless that person is able to rise and demonstrate how it should be done. Ignore those who would tell you otherwise. Similarly, ignore the teachings in any area of those who are not experts in that area. Life is full of armchair experts. They fool themselves. Do not let them fool you. The pleasure that an audience gains from a concert or a banquet has to be shallow because they have no firsthand knowledge of the difficulties in achieving that which is being portrayed to them. Therefore, they are unable to experience, in their hearts, the beauty and the skill. Their enjoyment must be shallow and, therefore, it is childish compared to that of the performers.
Only by being expert can you really enjoy anything. To enjoy life, it is necessary to be an expert on life and, to achieve that, it is required that it should be experienced at initially low levels but that those levels should rise until grand mastery is achieved. Only then can one truly appreciate the beauty of life. Do not sit in the armchair wishing you could be a star. You can be great and will be one day. Make that day come closer as you align yourself with the course that destiny decrees you must follow. If it brings you trials and tribulations, then so be it. They will pass as your aura fills with spiritual power and you will arrive at a state of happiness. Do not be afraid. You can do it and you will be helped and coached on every step. Your reward will be great and you will have the happiness, true happiness, of knowing that you are at one with God.
To download this lesson, please click on the link below:
