The following story about the great Indian teacher Mahatma Ghandi illustrates his understanding of the necessity to realize a truth first within oneself before trying to awaken it in another. A woman brought her son, who was sick, to see Ghandi. He talked with the woman but did not give her any specific suggestions. Instead he asked her to return in two weeks. Upon her return, Ghandi outlined procedures which she should follow, one of the most important of which was to eliminate white sugar from the boy’s diet. The mother then asked why he couldn’t have told her these things two weeks ago. His response was that at that time he had not yet given up white sugar himself.
Experiment: Choose one principle that you have been recommending to others that they apply. Write down that teaching or principle (e.g., “we must be patient,” a particular dietary regime). Each day for at least a week make an effort to (1) refrain from telling others to apply this principle and (2) apply it in your own life. Record instances where you are successful in this work.
“We climb to heaven leaning on the arm of a brother whom we have helped.”
We have seen this principle frequently in the Search for God material. The readings indicate that heaven is a state of awareness in which we know the oneness of all life, and that that state of consciousness is especially awakened as we work with a motive of love to help another person. The necessity for the experience of helping others is beautifully illustrated in a vision of Rosiland Heywood, recounted in her autobiographical ESP: A Personal Memoir. This portion of her vision was in response to a desire to understand schizophrenia and how people suffering from it might be healed.
In the vision she saw a desert-like scene. There was no vegetation in sight. The only sign of life was a group of grey-veiled figures who were huddled far apart but unable to communicate. In her mind she knew that these were “the Lost.” Tremendous feelings of compassion filled her as she watched them. She sought desperately for an idea as to how she could help them. And the answer came from within herself—she could do nothing because she was not good enough. Paradoxically, it was only one who was perfectly good who could help. Such a person would be able to put himself in a position beneath even these suffering souls and become the object of their compassion. The Lost could be helped only by being given a chance to help someone else.
Once we have learned this principle we should apply it in two ways: serving others and allowing others the growth experience of serving us. The second method does not mean asking others to do things for us that we should be doing for ourselves. Instead it is a matter of being willing to let another person help us when he offers. Too often we may try to assert a false humility and independence by refusing the genuine offer of another person to be of service. It is easy to accept the mistaken notion that the spiritual seeker must without exception stand on his own two feet and be independent. Such an attitude frequently denies us the opportunity of being loving to another by allowing him the experience of being a channel of blessings.
Experiment: Unless it would result in the violation of a principle or ideal you hold, allow others to do the acts of service and caring that they offer you. Maintain an attitude of openness to being helped (yet don’t take this experiment to mean that you are to go around asking others to do things for you). Record instances in which others are a channel of blessings to you.
“We are moving along the path … when no unkind thought of our brother is allowed to lodge in our hearts …”
With the awakening of understanding within our minds, we see ourselves and others in a new light. Before this we may have attempted to keep from unkind thoughts of others by suppressing or denying our feelings of frustration and unhappiness. Now we see the personalities and behaviors of others from a new perspective. We are tolerant of others and ourselves because we know that there is divine purpose behind all that is happening, and that the good and the pure within each soul will eventually win out over inharmonious or destructive patterns.
Frequently our unkind thoughts of others or ourselves are based on a desire to have things right. We sense the potential in each person to be good and loving, and there is that within us which wishes this to be manifested. If we become impatient for this to express itself, then unkind thoughts may arise.
The law is that within each soul good is stronger than the patterns of confusion. Given time and the proper choices, good shall manifest through each soul, even the one that we find most difficult to love or appreciate. With the understanding of this law we have peace.
“Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” (Psalm 119:165)
Be tolerant, even as thine Master was tolerant—even in His walks in life; but keep thine own mind, thine own soul, in readiness to serve where the Master leads.
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In Jupiter we find the universality, the ability of being tolerant. So few souls or entities have combined love in the material plane with tolerance! For, love in the material becomes egotistical, and this is opposite from tolerance.
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Experiment: Each day allow a sense of peace to fill your life by being tolerant of others or of inharmonious patterns within yourself. Record situations in which you were understanding and tolerant when your old way of reacting might have been to think unkindly.
“If we would have virtue, then let us step out on faith—faith in the purity of self, faith in the perfection of our brother, and faith in the promises of God. Virtue is the reward of faith, and understanding is the reward of virtue.”
This passage ties together the concept of faith (presented in the last chapter) with virtue and understanding. We can construct brief definitions for each of these qualities based upon the material we have already studied.
Faith is the experience of the reality of the unseen, spiritual world. But what is the content of that experience? As we move in consciousness into the unseen, spiritual world we may become aware of many different things (e.g., the different types of memories we have built). However, there is one very special content of our experiences through faith. We can become aware that there exists within our souls a purity of purpose—virtue. Our souls are not wandering aimlessly through the universe, but are guided by a profound sense of order and purpose that is true to God’s plan. Once we have experienced within this virtue, we can come back to our normal daily affairs of life and see things differently. We now know that there is meaning and order to what is happening in the physical world. We have true understanding, which comes as a result of knowing virtue.
This is illustrated in the following diagram. It shows a movement through faith from physical consciousness to the awareness of ourselves as souls. From that new perspective we have the perception of the purity of purpose that exists as an aspect of the soul. When we come back to normal waking consciousness, we can look at another person with a new sense of understanding.
Experiment: Choose an example from your own life of an experience of faith in which you feel you touched the purity of the soul (e.g., a specific meditation experience, an especially meaningful dream, an experience of deep love for another person). For at least one or two minutes each day recall that experience and what you learned from it. You might want to have this recall period at the end of your daily meditation. Allow the insights of that experience of faith to guide your understanding of others for a week. Record your experiences of seeing the actions of others with a greater degree of understanding.
Example:
| experience through faith: | I once had a deep meditation experience in which I felt how everything I do is really an expression of my wanting greater wholeness. |
| experiences during the week: | I was able to see the actions of others who usually irritate me as manifestations of their desire to be noticed, be loved and feel whole. |
“Virtue is a defense against all temptation to censure, condemn or criticize—for with it we see with eyes that are looking for the pure. We see behind