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"Today there appears to be a need for further information concerning Invisible Helpers and their work with people everywhere. Many more Helpers are needed to combat the evil forces operating in the world today. There are many seeking souls who are anxious to understand the underlying reasons for conditions as we find them today and who would like to add their services to aid their needy and troubled fellow beings on earth." |
The purpose of this book is to give out Esoteric information to truth seekers who are looking for something to help them in their daily life here and now, and also to point out a way that will advance them physically, mentally, and morally. I wish to suggest a religious study that will afford lasting happiness to those who take it up.
For the past ten years I have been gathering material for lectures on philosophy. I have compiled much of this subject matter into an Esoteric book which illustrates the part the Invisible Helpers are taking in the world. The work of these Helpers is not new for it has been going on since the creation of our Solar System aeons ago. God created us, and the planet Earth upon which we live, and He and other High Beings have been assisting us at all times on our evolutionary journey. We are indebted to many Beings for the immense amount of care, protection, and guidance that we have received on every step of the way. The Bible gives a good idea of the help given humanity during a portion of time in our past history.
Today there appears to be a need for further information concerning Invisible Helpers and their work with people everywhere. Many more Helpers are needed to combat the evil forces operating in the world today. There are many seeking souls who are anxious to understand the underlying reasons for conditions as we find them today and who would like to add their services to aid their needy and troubled fellow beings on earth.
I have tried truthfully to explain many of the Esoteric and Mystic teachings and have related a great many stories of actual work done by a group of Helpers who are students of an entrance school of one of the Lesser Mystery Schools. All of the Mystery Schools are under the direct leadership of Jesus. Jesus and a band of Invisible Helpers composed of the disciples of Christ are working with the various churches.
I am only a very humble student who has been fortunate enough to receive a great deal of inspiration and help from friends who have contributed most of the material found in this book, which is a collection of stories of work done by Helpers in recent times.
I wish to express my thanks for the help received from these various friends who have contributed stories and information for this book. I have been greatly helped by the Rosicrucian FelIowship and by the writings of Mr. Max Heindel. I wish to thank Mrs. Max Heindel for permission to use quotations from Mr. Heindel's works. I wish also to thank everyone who has in any way contributed help in the writing and printing of this book.
I trust that my readers will find the material contained in the following pages interesting and educational. I know the stories related are true and I trust that no errors have crept into these chapters. I have taken great care to be as truthful as possible in what I have said. I have used these stories to illustrate laws and truths that have been more completely explained in the writings of Lay Brothers and Lay Sisters in various great books. I have tried to use stories that will interest and entertain as well as instruct. These stories may be termed true modern fairy tales.
Do not hastily brand these stories untrue, for any truth lover may investigate these same teachings and by honest and sincere effort over a space of years find out for himself that there are Invisible Helpers and that they do this kind of work for humanity.
The way is open to all and the opportunities for service are many. Are you willing to be one of Christ Jesus' laborers in the world of today and tomorrow?
This reminds us of the following verses in the New Testament:
"Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few;
"Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest."
— St. Matthew 9:37-38.
I have been told many times that we cannot get something for nothing. If we desire wisdom we must seek for it, work for it, and pray for it. We must patiently strive for the wisdom that we desire and then we must pass it out to others who are also seeking wisdom.
— Amber M. Tuttle
Near the end of His ministry, Christ Jesus told his disciples that He would soon leave them, but that He would prepare a place for them in His Father's house, and that He would come again and receive them.
"Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
— St. John 14:5-6.
Christ Jesus meant that we must accept Him and follow in His footsteps in order to reach the World of God where God, the Architect of our Solar System, dwells. The first thing we must do is to accept Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Then we must prepare ourselves so that we can consciously get in touch with the High Beings in the Higher Worlds. These High Beings are able to take us to God when we have made the necessary preparation. The purpose of this book is to help you on your evolutionary journey.
Let us first consider the immediate future and take one step at a time. By living a good, life, here and now, and avoiding the various pitfalls of our earth, we can prepare ourselves for Heaven and avoid spending time in Purgatory.
Then when we are reborn we will be in better circumstances and can continue on the upward path and make more rapid progress, and fit ourselves to serve God better wherever we are. We can not go forward alone. We have to have help from those farther along the path and we must also help others along the way and aid them in their advancement. Life is a journey from the cradle to the grave and beyond, and back to the cradle; and on from life to life. Each life is like a day in school. We learn a few of life's lessons each time we come back to earth, and in time we must learn them all, and then we shall be prepared to meet God.
When we look at our Bible, we find that is a history of groups of people, who have lived upon the Earth since the beginning of the present Earth Period. The first nine chapters of Genesis tell us of life on the Earth before and just after the flood which took place at the time the continent of Atlantis sank. At a later time Noah died and his descendants settled in various parts of the Earth.
All through the Old Testament we are shown how the nations rose and fell according to how they lived. When they obeyed God and were good they prospered and God helped them in many ways. When they refused to obey God and became cruel and wicked they were punished, and their lives were cut short, or they were taken away as captives by their enemies. We are told how the wicked died who were not prepared to meet God, and what happened to those people who were prepared to meet God. In some cases we are told what their after-death conditions were.
Students of the Esoteric and Mystic teachings are told that Purgatory is a very real place and that all will be judged after death. When the time of death comes and our spirits leave our bodies, each of us will be carried to the Borderland by some Invisible Helper. The person in charge of the Borderland will either tell the Helper to take us down to the lower Desire World to be purged of our evil desires and punished for our wrong actions, or tell the Helper to take us to Heaven where we can enjoy the reward for the good deeds that we have done on earth.
It will be easy for anyone present to see whether we have lived good lives or evil ones, for our desire bodies will reveal that. Each one of us should endeavor to build a beautiful desire body without any spots or blemishes. A desire body composed of delicate shades of gold, blue, pink, light green, lavender, and dazzling white indicate an advanced ego who has lived a useful, good life as a helper of humanity.
We should make preparations to meet death while we are in good health. If we wait until some illness overtakes us it may be too late for us to make the necessary preparations. Death may come suddenly. In our day thousands of people meet death every year from automobile and other accidents. In such cases there is not time to prepare for death. We go as we are, whether we are ready or not.
Some years ago many employees of an electric company planned an all-day outing. They went aboard the "Eastland" with their lunches, expecting to have a picnic trip across Lake Michigan. They never even got out of the harbor. The ship listed and sank in the muddy river, carrying many people to their deaths. They had no time to prepare for death. Death came suddenly and their lives were snuffed out like so many candles. Of course, the egos of the people were not dead, but they passed into the great beyond prepared or unprepared for that great change.
Let us consider what difference it will make if we are not prepared for death. St. Luke tells us that Christ Jesus told his disciples about a rich man who was ready to live but not ready to die.
"And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
"And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
"And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
"And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
"And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
"But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
"So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God?"
— St. Luke 12:15-21.
The painter Tissot has illustrated this story very well. He painted a miser with a sack of money and a shining Angel, or an Invisible Helper, near him. The Invisible Helper had come to take the miser's spirit to the Desire World. Such a man may be prepared to live on earth but he is not prepared to die, for his treasures are on earth and not in Heaven. Such a man will suffer in the Desire World because his thoughts have been centered on material things all his life. A materially minded man is likely to have little treasure laid up in Heaven. So when he finally gets to the First Heaven he has little to enjoy and his stay there is very short.
Consider the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man was not prepared to meet God but Lazarus was. This shows that it pays to live a good life and be prepared to go to Heaven, instead of to Purgatory. The story is as follows:
"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
"And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
"And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
"And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
"And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and se'eth Abraham, afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."
This means that the rich man was in Purgatory, suffering because of his evil deeds and desires, while Lazarus was in Heaven enjoying all the good he had done during his lifetime, and feeling the appreciation that others had felt for his many kind deeds.
"And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
"But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receiveth thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
"And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
"Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house:
"For, I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment,
"Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets: let them hear them.
"And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent.
"And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they he persuaded, though one rose from the dead."
— St. Luke 16:19-31.
Invisible Helpers find that this is true, for they sometimes meet people in Purgatory who ask them to go to their families and tell them to live good lives and do the best they can, so they will not have to suffer after they pass on in death. I have heard of two cases of this kind. In both cases, the Helper said that it would do no good, because the relatives would not believe it anyway.
One night two Helpers met a student of an Esoteric school whom they had known some years previously. She had died a short time before they met her and she was in Purgatory. She called them as they passed through on an errand.
"I am sorry that I did not live a better life," she said. "I went to Center meetings but I did not really believe that the teachings were true and I didn't try to do any better. Please help me to get away from here."
"You must pray to God," said the Helper, "and promise Him that you will do better and live a good life if you are given another chance."
"I will do that," the lady said. "Please go and tell my daughters that the teachings are true and to be good. I don't want them to suffer as I am doing now."
The Helpers could not go to the daughters because they had known them also. If they could have gone to them, the daughters would not have believed them.
Some people are ready when death comes to them. One September night a lady Helper was sent to do what she could for a more advanced lady Helper who had been killed in a distant land. This Helper hurried to try and comfort this poor lady who was terrified. She had been shot and killed by some soldiers, who had stacked her body with several others which they were going to burn, as they did not have time to bury them.
The lady Helper took the ego of the Lay Sister home with her and coaxed her into her bed with her. She told her how sorry she was that she had been killed. The Lay Sister knew all about after-death conditions. She hugged the Helper to show her appreciation for her kindness and sympathy. She told her new friend that her body was to be burned with gasoline. When this happened she suffered much pain because her body was still connected to her higher vehicles by her silver cord.
The suffering Lay Sister wondered why she had to be killed and her body burned. Another Lay Sister showed this Lay Sister and her new friend, by means of the Jupiterian Consciousness, that it was her fate to die that way. They saw that she had caused several people to be killed and burned at once, five lives before this one, when she was in another body long ago. She suffered much after that.
Finally she took the path of discipleship and in a later life she became a Lay Sister. In this last life she had been doing well in the work assigned to her. She had been born in one country, and had later gone to a neighboring country to live.
The Helper kept the Lay Sister with her until her silver cord was broken by the fire, and then she carried her to the Borderland. There the lady in charge told this Lay Sister that she could be taken to the First Heaven at once, or she could continue her work as a Helper for twenty-four hours a day, and she was allowed to continue her work of helping others.
This Lay Sister had no Purgatorial experience to go through and was willing to forego her rest in Heaven. She had cleansed the seed-atom in her heart and so she was really prepared for death. She has paid a Karmic debt that she had made five lives before, and now she is free to work continually for humanity until it is almost time for her to be reborn again.
Not long after this, this same lady Helper and her partner met the pretty Lay Sister somewhere, while out working as Helpers, and she asked the lady Helper to be her earth-friend and do things for her earth-friends to whom she would not be allowed to appear.
"I have many friends in my native land," she said, "whom I should like to help, but I shall not be allowed to materialize in their presence because it would be against the spiritual law and would frighten them."
The Helper said that she would be glad to help her all she could when it was possible.
We cannot really meet God, the Architect of our Solar System, until are ready for our thirteenth initiation. It takes at least three lives of real sacrifice and effort to achieve this goal. Many are on the Path, and many have reached this exalted place and have become pillars in the house of God, but most of us are stragglers.
It is possible for everyone to make a start on the Path to spiritual progress. We are all gods-in-the-making although most of us do not look like it. Still we are all children of God, and part of God, for at the beginning of our period of manifestation God differentiated within Himself all the virgin spirits of our life-wave as sparks from a flame. We are here on earth for experience, and we are expected to profit by this experience, and improve with each earth life until we can learn all of life's lessons, and become teachers of less evolved beings who also must be helped along their way.
One of the products of evolution is the development of the soul body, the mental body, and the life-spirit body. An undeveloped man has only a line for a soul body and his desire body is made up mostly of dark brown, dark green, muddy red, and gray desire stuff. A developed man has a gorgeous soul body and a beautiful desire body composed of gold, white, and delicate colors of great beauty. A person with spiritual sight has only to look at a person to know approximately the state of his spiritual development. When we come to die and are taken to the Borderland, our desire and soul bodies are like tickets which admit us either to Heaven or to Purgatory.
In order to prepare for advancement, we should begin at once to purify our minds and bodies. This is a long story, but here are some of the essentials: We must weed out our thoughts of hate, jealousy, prejudice, and fear. We should gradually cease eating meat and fish. We should abstain from such bad habits as smoking, drinking alcoholic drinks, and other injurious practices. Before a person can serve as an Invisible Helper at night, he must be a visible helper in the daytime.
We must choose whom we wish to serve just as the prophets of old did. Joshua was one of the best Invisible Helpers described in the Old Testament. The story of, his life is an inspiration to all those who wish to find the way that leads to spiritual attainment. Just before the aged Joshua died he, called all the people of Israel together and reviewed their history up to that period. He told them all that God had done for them, and how He had led Abraham throughout all the land of Canaan, and had helped Isaac, Jacob, and Esau. Joshua told the people how God had sent Moses and Aaron to take them out of Egypt, and how God had given them a fruitful land in which to dwell. Then Joshua said, "Now therefore, fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve," and then Joshua said, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
— Joshua 24:14-15.
The Bible tells us that the people promised to serve and obey God, and that Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and that Joshua wrote these words on a stone and placed it near the sanctuary of the Lord, to remind them of their promise to serve God. Joshua was one of the best servants to humanity of which we have any record. He was the successor of Moses and it was his great privilege to take the Israelites over the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Joshua was both a general and a priest to those ancient people.
It was Joshua who was supposed to have ordered the Sun to stand still while the battle raged between the children of Israel and the five kings and their great armies. What really happened was that Joshua prayed for help and a Liberated One came to aid him. This Great Being spread out his great golden aura and it outshone the Sun and the people did not miss the physical Sun when it went down. When the battle was over the Liberated One drew in his golden aura and went away and it was dark.
It was Joshua who divided the Promised Land between the twelve tribes. For many years Joshua told the people to love and obey God. While he was with them they got along very well, but Joshua knew that they would slip back and worship idols again. Still, he did all he could to impress them with the idea that if they chose to serve God they must be sincere and truthful in what they did.
When Joshua spoke of the other side of the flood he meant the time of Atlantis. These same people had lived in Atlantis in previous lives, and some of them, like Moses and Joshua, had served God faithfully at that time and had become Initiates who led the people in the right way. Others had taken part in black magic and had been very evil. Some of these people had created sin bodies which caused them to do evil life after life. Others continued to worship idols from life to life.
Joshua told the people to choose right then and there whom they would serve. He wanted those who chose to serve the Lord to band themselves together so that they could form a strong nation and thus be able to defend themselves against the neighboring tribes who worshiped idols. Joshua knew that in unity there is strength. Joshua set a good example and the people had great confidence in him and were ready to follow him in promising to serve God, but they were not always good in keeping their promises.
In Moses' time the people had seen the great aura of Jehovah God and they had seen other High Beings in their higher vehicles. They had also seen the miracles that Moses and Aaron did and so they believed, because they had had visible proof that God is a living Being with messengers who are able to carry out His commands. The people who were reborn later were not given so much proof and they were very headstrong and self-willed.
Joshua and Moses knew of the Law of Karma. They knew that we must reap as we sow. Moses had obtained the ten commandments from God and had fully explained their meaning to the people. Many other great laws were given to help them, but the Israelites did not live up to these laws then, and we do not live up to them today.
Jehovah God saw and heard was going and at the time that Joshua and the people promised to worship and obey Him and He was pleased that they had promised to be obedient. We may be sure that God rejoiced over Joshua's well-lived life of service. The work of lnvisible Helpers has been going on continuously for untold ages. They are members of many life waves and are of different degrees of attainment.
In the Bible we read that there were various groups of idol worshiping people who lived near the Israelites. This made it more difficult for these people to be true to God, for they intermarried with these unbelieving groups. There was much warfare between the people of the Earth then, just as now. God raised up Deborah, Barak, Gideon, Samson, and other judges to help the people to progress. When the people were obedient to God they prospered but when they were disobedient they came to grief.
It seems as if each generation of people had to choose whom they would serve. When these people had wise leaders like Samuel, David, and Solomon, they chose to serve God; but when the leaders died and their influence faded away they chose to serve idols, although they still had the ten commandments to guide them. The Bible is full of stories about people who chose to serve God, and of others who chose to serve mammon, or the forces of evil in the world.
Enoch was one of the outstanding characters and he was also an Invisible Helper. Enoch lived in Atlantean times and had an interesting life. He tried to help everyone he could. In the Apocryphal book of Enoch, we are told in verse that Enoch even interceded for Lucifer and the fallen Angels, but he was told that they must receive the punishment to be meted out to them.
Lucifer was once a mighty Angel in Heaven, but he caused trouble and was put out by Michael and the Archangels. For a Iong period these Lucifer Angels have stirred up men and caused much trouble and sorrow. The writer was told in 1931 that Lucifer has abandoned his evil course and has turned about and is now trying to regain his lost place by doing good in the world instead of evil. Lucifer has generated much bad Karma, but if he persists in good endeavor he can finally redeem himself. Diabolus, the next in line, is now the leader of the Rebel Angels. Let us hope that he too will soon choose to serve the Lord and turn from his evil ways.
Enoch was reborn as Noah and he made his choice. He chose to serve the Lord and obey his commandments. Noah built the ark and saved a nucleus of all the animals and his family from destruction when the flood came. At this time a large part of the ancient continent of Atlantis went down. Noah returned to rebirth as Abraham and he made the same wise choice. He chose to serve the Lord and did as well as he could throughout his long life. At a later time this same ego was reborn as Solomon and he chose to worship God. He did backslide for awhile but he returned to the straight and narrow path and was a very wise king who did much to help his people. Then the ego known as Solomon was finally reborn as Jesus and we know that he performed a very remarkable service for mankind.
Jesus gave up his physical body to the great Sun Spirit Christ for three years, which ended in the crucifixion. By this means Christ was able to come to Earth and establish the Christian Religion among a few faithful egos who had been the friends and companions of Jesus before the present continent took the shape with which we are familiar today. In Atlantean times the most advanced human beings became the vanguard of the human life wave. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, Christ was able to become the Indwelling Spirit of the Earth. Christ came to redeem the stragglers of the Earth who were falling behind in evolution.
Moses was reborn as Elijah and was taken to Mount Nebo to die. After he left his body it soon disintegrated because of the high vibrations. That is why the people could never find his dead body. Elijah returned as John the Baptist. I have been told that John the Baptist was St. Jerome in a later life.
Daniel was a great ego who chose to serve the Lord. He started to make rapid advancement in Atlantean times and won his thirteenth and last initiation as Daniel, the friend of three Babylonian kings. He did not have an easy road to travel. You remember that Daniel was cast into a den of lions because he openly worshipped God at a time when it was exceedingly dangerous to do so. God saved him from danger by sending an Invisible Helper to help him. This Helper commanded the Group Spirit of the lions to make them gentle and harmless toward Daniel. The lions obeyed the Group Spirit and Daniel was not harmed. The men who plotted to have Daniel killed did not deserve this help, and the hungry lions soon dealt with them.
Then there is the story of Daniel's friends, Shadrack, Mishack, and Abednego, the three Hebrew children who were faithful and chose to worship and obey God. Their faith was really tested. They were thrown into a fiery furnace and were saved by a High Being who told the Salamanders to be quiet. This High Being had such a bright aura that the king took him for an Angel. This Helper came in his soul body and then he materialized his dense body in the furnace where the king saw him. A Liberated One's aura can extend for hundreds of miles, but in this case it extended only the width of the furnace.
Another Helper was Job, who had a very hard time. Poor Job was terribly tried by his dweller, who gained permission from the Lords of Destiny to plague him. This untransmuted dweller, or Satan, asked God, or the Lords of Destiny, let him give Job his final test. God knew that Job would not sin any more and that in time he would go to liberation.
"Yes, but spare his life," said the Lords of Destiny.
His dweller drew all the people in that region whom Job had known in past lives to him and took his family away from him. Then he brought him low with a chronic disease. He influenced Job's friends to chide him about his God, and influenced his family to try to make him sin and curse God and lose the spiritual gifts that he had earned. These gifts had been temporarily shut off so Job would have to rely on his knowledge only.
After the time was up, the Lords of Destiny went to Job and questioned him. After he had passed that test Job was carried to adeptship and went to liberation in the following life. Job was known as Joseph of Arimathea in his next life as a man, and in a later life, he was known as Sir Galahad and lived in England.
There have been many egos who chose to do wrong rather than right. Notorious among these is Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Christ into the hands of his enemies for thirty pieces of silver. Judas allowed himself to become obsessed by an evil entity. When the terrible deed was done, the obsessing entity left him, and Judas was full of remorse. He returned to the temple, cast down the pieces of silver, departed and hung himself. The priests did not dare to put the money into the treasury, so they bought a potter's field in which to bury strangers. Judas chose to do wrong and his downfall was sudden and awful.
There were others, like Paul, who started persecuting the followers of Christ Jesus but turned away from their evil ways when they saw where they were going. Paul had been stricken blind on his way to Damascus soon after he met Jesus. He was led to the city and often prayed to God to restore his sight. Three days later Ananias was sent to help him and his sight was restored. Paul then chose to follow the Christ and from then on he was a really good servant. He devoted the rest of his life to preaching the gospel and healing the sick.
Many egos have chosen to serve God life after life. One of these egos was David, the son of Jesse. David was a mighty warrior, a sweet singer, a good musician, a writer, and a poet. David was later reborn as Jonah and saved the city of Ninevah from destruction by his sincerity and eloquence. This same ego was afterwards reborn as Simon Peter and became the fisherman of Galilee. Then he became one of Christ's twelve disciples. Peter was a devout man who went about preaching the gospel and healing the sick until he met death at the hands of the enemies of Christianity.
Hundreds of years later this same ego took the body of a young Italian who died in Assisi. This great ego had been reborn before that time and when his body had become too worn out to be serviceable he was tied into another body by the Elder Brothers. He then took the name of Francis. For many years Francis of Assisi worked among the poor lepers of this region and he lived very simply and humbly. He founded many monasteries and was greatly loved and reverenced by the people. During that life Francis was given his thirteenth initiation. I have been told that this ego is in the higher worlds and is still working to help humanity as of old.
When this ego was Jonah he had a most unusual experience, for he was saved from death by a whale. Let us see how this happened. In the Book of Jonah we read these words:
"Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying:
"Arise, go to Ninevah, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
"But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid his fare thereof, and went down into it, to go With them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
"But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that, the ship was like to be broken."
— Jonah 1:1-4.
Jehovah God only had to send word to someone to start the Undines in the water and the Sylphs in the air into greater activity, and there was a terrible storm. A high Lay Brother then told Jonah that he was to go to Ninevah; but Jonah was afraid and ran away instead. The storm was so great that the sailors were terrified and every man prayed to his God to save them. They threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. The shipmaster found Jonah asleep in the lower part of the ship and ordered him to pray to God for their safety. The sailors cast lots to see who was to blame for their great trouble and the lot fell on Jonah.
The sailors asked Jonah what he had done to bring this evil upon them. Jonah said that he was a Hebrew and that he feared God and had fled from His presence. The men asked Jonah what they should do to him so that the sea would become calm for them. Jonah told them to cast him into the sea as he was the troublemaker. Before doing this the men rowed hard to bring the ship to land, but they could not because of the tempest that was raging fiercely.
Then the sailors prayed again to God and asked that they might not perish because of Jonah. They asked God not to blame them for what they were going to do to Jonah. They then took up Jonah and cast him forth into the sea and the sea became calm.
"Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows." — Jonah 1:16.
The Bible as we now have it translated says the following:
"Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the, belly of the whale three days and three nights." — Jonah 1:17.
This last part is wrong and illustrates how the Bible has been translated incorrectly. A high Lay Brother has said that much of the translation of the Bible is incorrect and that those who seek diligently for the truth in it, will be given its correct meaning. Here is the way Jonah was really saved from drowning by the whale. Jonah was saved on the back of the whale and not in its stomach.
This story has caused Bible students much worry and embarrassment and is used by unbelievers as an argument against the whole Bible. Most people do not believe that the whale swallowed Jonah up alive and then threw him up from his stomach three days later. Jonah's life was saved by a whale in a very remarkable manner, but in a way than can be readily accepted by esoteric students.
After the men on the ship found out that Jonah had disobeyed the command of the Lay Brother who had been sent to tell him of his mission to Ninevah, to warn the people of impending danger to them, they were influenced to throw Jonah overboard in order that he might learn that he could not run away from the Higher Beings who were guiding the destinies of the people on this planet. The same Lay Brother who had allowed them to throw Jonah overboard at hIs request, caused a whale to follow at the side of the ship to catch Jonah on its back. The whale remained near the surface of the water and carried Jonah for three days.
This was done to give Jonah an opportunity to repent his deed and learn to obey, for he was a very stubborn man at times, although he was a very good servant of humanity when he was in a good humor. After Jonah had repented and had promised to obey, he was carried to the shore and left. The waves carried him to dry land and he went on and was safe.
While Jonah was in the sea many large fish and other creatures came near him. But none could touch him, for he was protected from death by Invisible Helpers who guided him. It was Jonah's destiny to go to Ninevah and save the people and he was cared for. He later fulfilled his mission so well that the people of that wicked city listened to him, repented, and prayed to God for deliverance. These people were so sincere and earnest in their prayers that all were saved from disaster.
Now, some people may say that they do not understand how the whale could be made to swim to the ship and allow Jonah to stay on his back for three days; also how anyone could keep the whale from diving down into the sea for three whole days. A whale is an animal and must come up to breathe and so it could easily stay up near the surface for many days. Esoteric students know that animals are controlled by Group Spirits. These Group Spirits have bodies that look like men, and heads that look like the animals that are in their charge. Many Helpers see and converse with these Group Spirits in the course of their work at night while out of their bodies in sleep.
A Lay Brother who has had five or more initiations can communicate with these Group Spirits and have their orders carried out by the animals. The Lay Brother who had charge of Jonah had the power to command the Group Spirit of the whales to rescue the prophet Jonah. After Jonah realized his condition he prayed to God to save him from death and he promised to go to the people of Ninevah. Then he was taken to land.
The world today is much like the city of Ninevah, and we need someone like the prophet Jonah to tell the people to turn to God for guidance. More people spend their time in the movies, cabarets, and taverns than is generally supposed. Humanity has become so materially minded that great numbers of people have turned away from God and are only interested in acquiring wealth and in having a good time. They have little interest or belief in spiritual things.
Joshua's words "Choose you this day whom ye will serve," are just as important to us as they were to the people of his day. We are egos of the past reincarnated and we still have many lessons to learn. The old hates and loves of the past are with us still and the Law of Karma is at work and we are now reaping what we have sown in the past. We are expected to live at peace with one another and love our enemies. Most people can scarcely be true to their friends and in many cases are false to themselves.
Many call themselves Christians but they do not act like Christians. They still fight their fellow-men of other nations who are their brothers, for God is the Great Father of all of the Earth's inhabitants. They rob and steal and defraud their neighbors that they may have wealth and influence, little thinking that the Law of Karma will even things up for them. They still devour their younger brothers, the animals, and kill the birds and beasts just to show how good their aim is. They clothe themselves in coats torn from the bodies of the poor victims, the fur-bearing animals.
Christians should put on the armor of God and go forth to help others, for that is the way to spiritual attainment. The armor of God is the soul body which we build by pure living and by service to human beings, animals, and plants, for they all need help in their evolution. We know that in olden times there were many good knights who dedicated their lives to the service of some king who tried to deal justly with his people, who protected them from roving thieves who wandered over all the continents, and from pirates who pursued the ships at sea.
These knights had to serve a long apprenticeship before they were allowed to wear a coat of armor and ride forth with the other knights. In the early days many of these knights became Lay Brothers who rode forth during the day to help the weak and defenseless, and at night they went out while their bodies were asleep and worked as Invisible Helpers.
These knights often left their homes when they were children and went to live in a nearby castle where they had to live in almost bare rooms and had very simple food. Some of them slept on beds of straw and had animal skins for covering. These young men were trained as soldiers and were taught obedience courage, and how to be helpful to others.
A good student of the Western Wisdom Teachings, for instance, must gird on his armor if he wishes to serve as an Invisible Helper in the service of the Elder Brothers of the Rose Cross. Putting on the armor of God, or building the soul body, will bring a priceless reward, for we will lay up treasures in Heaven. We may even avoid spending any of our time after death in Purgatory.
Those who serve as Invisible Helpers gradually remember where they go at night and what they do, and this brings them great satisfaction and joy. The soul body is the armor of God which all of the truly great men and women of the past have put on and used in the service of God. This soul body cannot be purchased. It must be built by pure living and by helpful deeds to others.
We are told that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. This happened about the time, that Peter was sent to preach the word of God to the gentiles at Antioch. Just before this Peter met Cornelius and his company and talked with them.
"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
"But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." — Acts 10:34-35.
Peter preached a wonderful sermon to these people. Later he explained all the circumstances to the apostles and brethren in Judea who were surprised that he had preached to and even eaten with the gentiles.
"And some of them were men of Cypress and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.
"And the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number there believed, and turned unto the Lord.
"Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.
"Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
"For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith and much people was added to the Lord.
"Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus for to seek Paul:
"And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they, assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." — Acts 11:20-26.
These were trying days for the followers of Christ, for Stephen had been stoned to death and Herod had ordered James, the brother of John, to be killed with the sword. Herod also had Peter put in prison but an Angel delivered him. Not long after this Paul and Barnabas were expelled from Antioch by the Jews of the city. Many of these Early Christians suffered martyrdom, at about this time. Our freedom to worship God we owe to them and to those earnest believers who followed them down through the years.
Mystic Christianity teaches us that we are here on Earth for experience, and that we have lived before and will live again. It teaches us why some people are crippled, diseased, born in poor surroundings, and unhappy, while other people have splendid physical bodies, good health, are born in good surroundings, and are happy. It teaches us that if we strive hard in our present life we can improve our conditions in the future.
The doctrine of "Vicarious Atonement," or that Christ died to save us, has instilled hope into many good people who have succeeded in subduing their lower desires and have become good servants of humanity and some have found the Path.
Let us consider Christ's teachings on the mount and see how they will help us on the way to attainment. First, there are the nine beatitudes. We will briefly go over them one by one.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven."
This means the people who realize that they have shortcomings and are humbly living the best lives they can in an effort to overcome their faults. They do not harm their neighbors in any way. They do not talk unkindly about anyone, but attend to their own affairs and are honest, reliable, and trustworthy. When they die they will eventually get to Heaven and in some life they will reach liberation.
"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."
This means that those who have lost their loved relatives and friends will be comforted. This may mean that when they go to sleep at night they can go to the Desire World, meet their loved ones, and talk to them. They may remember it as a dream which affords them comfort. Then when egos are separated by distance, or by relatives who refuse to allow them to marry or visit each other, they are sometimes allowed to meet out of their bodies when in sleep. They can go about together, sometimes roaming aimlessly about, and in other cases they become Invisible Helpers and work as partners, and so are comforted.
When, at death, egos are often reunited and then they can spend their time happily in Heaven together. When they are reborn again they may come as twins, or as brothers and sisters, or as friends in neighboring families.
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
This tells us that those who have humility will be rewarded. People who work humbly among their fellowmen and who do not lie, or steal, or covet, or bear false witness are helped to succeed. When these people apply themselves to farming, or business, they usually succeed in getting a living for themselves and their families.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob became successful herdsmen by their patience and persistence. Jacob worked hard and faithfully for twenty-one years for Laban, his father-in-law. Then he was finally allowed to leave and return home, to see his father. He worked fourteen years of this time for his two wives, Rachel and Leah, and seven years for his cattle and goats. It is still possible for a man to acquire a farm or a business by hard work so that he will have something to pass on to his children. When such people are reborn they are placed in comfortable circumstances. Thus they inherit the earth.
"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."
If a person desires to be good and wants spiritual knowledge, and seeks, for it and prays for it, he will one day find it. He may be led to someone who will teach him privately, as was done during the dark ages when esoteric knowledge was not given out openly. Many of the minstrels of the middle ages were Lay Brothers. As they journeyed from place to place they are always looking for seeking souls who were ready for the Mystic teachings. The Meistersingers of Germany were students of esoteric Christianity. The world thought that they met only to sing, and study music, but they also studied religion as well and fitted themselves to be light bearers.
We need light bearers today, and those hungering for spiritual truths may be satisfied if they are persistent. The various churches satisfy many persons but there are some who want more advanced knowledge of life and its mysteries. Mystic Christianity will fully meet their needs and satisfy their longings.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."
The meaning of this is clear. Those of us who have a little knowledge of the workings of the twin laws of Rebirth and Consequence know that we reap as we sow. If we are merciful to other fellow human beings we shall receive mercy from God for our shortcomings. Unless we are sure that someone has been guilty of a crime, we must be very careful what we do. In such a case as that, individuals must not take the law into their own hands, for they will be punished. Remember the words from the Bible, "Vengeance is mine. I will repay, saith the Lord." If a man appears to be guilty of circumstantial evidence and is freed, be satisfied that if he needs punishment, he will get it in Purgatory. We do not have to worry about that. We have all we can do to take care of ourselves, keep out of trouble, and be helpful to others.
Now this command has a further meaning. Blessed are the merciful also means that we should be merciful to our younger brothers as well. This opens up a large field of service to the people of the present day. This is a subject that is painful to some people and they try to avoid hearing about it. It is expected that we will be merciful to the animals. If we own pets we are to be kind and good to them and help them to advance in evolution. In so doing we shall also benefit.
If we own farm animals we must treat them kindly and not injure them, or starve them, or cause them unnecessary, suffering. Wild animals should not be caught in cruel steel traps that cause untold misery to the lovely fur-bearing animals. If you wish to be merciful you will stop wearing fur coats and find substitutes. Wool can be cut off from a sheep's back without causing any pain and the sheep can go on living and gain experience.
Then you can go a step further and cease to eat meat. Thus you will lessen the demand for animal food which is no longer necessary for most of us at the present time. The slaughter of the animals is one of the greatest crimes of our times and as long as it continues we may expect wars and rumors of wars as long as people continue to consume great quantities of meat.
They will be warlike and seek to slay their brothers for some trifling cause. I believe that this is the greatest stumbling block to spiritual progress. That is why the centers of the Esoteric groups are small. People do not want to deny themselves.
Some people do become interested in Esoteric Christianity for a time, but when they are asked to give up meat they secretly rebel and off they go to pursue their own interests. Then some students try to live a merciful life but lose interest and return to meat eating, and thus they never get the first-hand knowledge they need. to make them satisfied in well-doing. This is one of the most difficult of Christ's requirements to be a Christian.
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God "
This means exactly what is said. When a person has purified himself he has built a large and luminous soul body. In order to do that he has to be poor in spirit, meek, and lonely. He has to hunger and thirst for righteousness, and he has to become merciful to all. Such a person will advance rapidly along the Path toward God. When he reaches the place where he is ready for his thirteenth and last initiation he is taken in his soul body to God by an escort of Angels, Archangels, and other High Beings and he meets the God of our Solar System face to face. Such an ego becomes a Liberated One. Such advanced egos always wish to return to Earth and work with humanity. Some are allowed to do so and others go to Venus and Jupiter to work.
"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."
Being a good peacemaker is a good sign of advancement. History tells us that George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were often successful peacemakers. Two other prominent peacemakers were William Penn and Benjamin Franklin.
"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
"Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."
— St. Matthew 5:3-12.
Christ Jesus meant exactly what he said in these verses. All through history it has been harder to be good than to be bad. The evil-doers resented the presence of those egos who were superior to them. Consider Joseph, who had the coat of many colors. He was an advanced ego who tried to be good. His brothers sold him into slavery to get him out of the way. Joseph lived and became a man of influence and he later helped these same brothers who had finally learned compassion through sorrow. Other men have not fared so well. The gentle Jonathan, David's friend, was slain and poor Job lost all his children and all his possessions and suffered much physically, but he bore it all patiently. In the end God gave him more than he had at the beginning.
Many of the early Christians suffered because of their religious beliefs. Of the eleven faithful disciples all but St. John met a violent death. While at Rome St. John was taken into a caldron of burning oil, but he was protected by a Helper and came forth unhurt. St. Paul and ten of the disciples were killed in various ways. Many of the early Christians were killed.
In this connection I wish to tell you of something which students of Mystic Christianity ought to know. I have been told that the apostles did not suffer as ordinary individuals did when they were killed, because they had earned the right to help from the Higher Ones. They were spared great suffering because the Angel of Death was sent to cut the silver cords of the people just as they were about to be tortured, and thus the egos were taken out of their bodies in time to save them great suffering. Bands of Helpers and Angels carried their egos and higher vehicles off to heaven, leaving their inanimate dense bodies to the rage of their foes. It is a great comfort to know this.
The crusades later on caused thousands of deaths and great misery and suffering. All this is a sad story, but down through history the way of the true followers of Christ has been generally hard. Those who did not give their lives, gave of their means, and served as best they could. Often they were not appreciated on earth, but we can be sure that they were rewarded in the end.
The beatitudes must have been a comfort to thousands in trouble, some in foreign lands, some imprisoned, and some enslaved. Christianity meets our modern needs and the Bible points out the way for us. Christ Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify our father which is in heaven."
The prophet Isaiah told of the coming of Christ Jesus many years before he was born.
"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
"And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of council and might the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
"And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
"But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
"The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young, lion, and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them."
St. Mark tells us that Christ Jesus dearly loved children, as the following verses from the Bible show.
"And they, brought young children to him that he should touch them; and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
"But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God.
"Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
"And he took them up in his arms, put his hand upon them, and blessed them."
Christ Jesus knew that some of these children were advanced egos who would some day give a good account of themselves. He was able to plant the seed of spirituality in them much easier than he could in grown people because they instinctively loved and trusted Him and realized that He was a Great Being. They wanted to be with Him. They crowded about Christ Jesus in such numbers that at times his disciples became annoyed at the persistence of the parents who were eager to have their children blessed and helped by the loving Christ who loved little children and showed it so plainly. Christ knew that many advanced egos would be reborn as children and lead their parents to God, and that others would excel in many material lines, and lead their elders while still very young.
If a child is taught, from infancy, to know that Christ Jesus is the pardoner of his sins, that child will grow up, and become a student of some Esoteric philosophy, and will become conscious in the inner worlds. Probably he will become, a Lay Brother. When that ego dies he will be reborn into an advanced family with these developed powers. He can then soon lead his parents aright. History tells us of many remarkable children.
George Frederick Handel, the famous composer, loved music when he was a little boy and could play by ear. His father wanted his son to be a doctor and tried to prevent him from playing any instrument, but the boy taught himself on, an old piano which had been put away in the attic. When George was eight years old he played an organ so well that his father was delighted and allowed the boy to study music. It is said that Handel wrote over fifty operas and several oratorios. This great musician was a Lay Brother reborn and as a child he was able to lead others because he was an advanced child.
Ludwig Beethoven was another gifted child. Before he was four years of age his father had him practice several hours a day on the harpsichord. Beethoven loved the piano the best of any instrument and was a very remarkable player. Some of his symphonies are thought to be the best that have ever been written.
Another gifted child was Felix Mendelssohn, the composer. An artist painted a picture which shows Felix Mendelssohn seated at his piano composing his Moonlight Sonata. In front of him the artist put in a Deva and a group of dainty little Fairies who came and danced to his music. Mendelssohn could see the Fairies and he could hear the music of the spheres. Thus he was able to compose many pieces of harmonious music for the world to enjoy all through the centuries.
Johann Sebastian Bach was one of the greatest musicians who ever lived, and he showed his natural ability at an early age. He wrote many fine pieces of music and had ten sons who were all fine musicians. Thus we see that Bach gave ten egos who loved music, a chance to be reborn in a musical family where they could develop their talents. We are told that many advanced egos are kept waiting in the First Heaven a long time because they cannot find parents who can give them the sensitive bodies that they need for their development.
When we turn to the field of art we find that most of the great artists started life as talented children who soon excelled their teachers in art. Buonarotti Michelangelo was a famous Italian painter, sculptor, and architect who showed his ability at an early age.
Gustave Doré was a very gifted child. As a young child he drew lifelike pictures of his family and of the people he saw in the street. When he was five years old he illustrated his letters to his friends with pen-and-ink sketches. Gustave Doré learned to read when he was between the ages of three and four. He is best known for his wonderful woodcuts which he drew for illustrations for the Bible and other well-known books. He took up painting and did wonderful work. He was also an engraver, an etcher, and a sculptor. Gustave Doré was an advanced ego whose mission seems to have been to try to show the beauties of the visible and invisible worlds by means of art, and thus draw humanity closer to God and the Higher Ones.
Gustave Doré's drawings and paintings must have inspired thousands of people to do better and strive harder to do worthwhile things. This artist was able to lead others from his childhood, because he was reborn as a wise man with a vision.
Two of the greatest children that we know of were Jesus and Samuel. Jesus had Angels for playmates and many of the greatest painters have shown them in their lovely paintings. St. Luke described the child Jesus thus: "And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, and the grace of God was upon him."
Then we are told how Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem when he was twelve years old. Later they found him in the temple sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. St. Luke said, "And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers."
At the age of twelve Jesus was a leader along spiritual lines. Christ Jesus became the leader of the Christian religion which is the most advanced religion that the world has known. It is destined to be the religion of the world.
The prophet Isaiah told of the coming of Christ Jesus long before he was born. Isaiah told of the conditions that will appear in the Aquarian Age when he says, "And a little child shall lead them." I shall tell you how this will come about. A child shall lead because he will be an advanced child with special gifts of wisdom and understanding. He will have spiritual sight and hearing and he will be able to talk to the Angels and Invisible Helpers whom he sees, and be will be able to control the wild beasts of the jungle and forest. He will be a natural born leader whom people will want to follow.
Would you like to prepare to be one of these advanced children of the future? Then begin at once to purify your mind and your body. Cast forth any evil desires and prejudices that you have been harboring and start studying the Mystic and Esoteric Teachings and live a helpful, good life. This will enable you to build a soul body in which you can function when out of your body in sleep. Then, two egos who are really trying to follow in the footsteps of Jesus may become the parents of advanced children, and this must be a great joy.
Faith without works is dead and so we must not only have faith, but we must do something about it. We must be useful people and help to make the world a better place in which to live. In the book of Genesis we are told how Noah built the ark at the command of God. At that time the people on the earth were very wicked and were thinking evil thoughts continually. God decided to destroy man, but He loved Noah and his family, and wished to save their lives.
The Lord went to Noah and told him to build the ark and gave him careful instructions about its construction. He also told him to put certain animals upon it when the large boat was ready for use. This happened during Atlantean times just before the last part of the continent of Atlantis sank. The ark was built and the flood came and after many days it grounded and Noah and his family were saved. Noah had faith and he worked to build the ark and tame the necessary animals. At the same time he was ridiculed by his neighbors who rejected the idea that they would be punished for the evil they were doing.
Noah showed his faith by his works and he was well rewarded for his faithfulness. If Noah had believed that a great flood was coming, but had neglected to follow the directions given him about building the ark, he would have been lost when the catastrophe occurred; for then it would have been too late to have made the necessary preparations.
It is the same with us. We are told to prepare for death, and we can see that this is an event that none of us can hope to escape. We look about us and we see how uncertain life is. The Bible is a guidebook which gives us careful instructions how to live and prepare ourselves for this change. We are told of two future destinations where we may go.
If we neglect our opportunities for self-improvement and service to others and commit many sins, then when we pass on we will be taken to Hell, or Purgatory, as many people caII the lower part of the Desire World. Here we will be purged of our evil desires and punished for the evil we have done.
On the other hand we are told how we may escape going to Purgatory and how we may go to Heaven instead. We must have faith in the power of Christ to save us, but that is not enough. We must engage in helping others to make their lives happier and more useful, for faith without works is dead.
Consider the story of the good Samaritan and those who also saw the man who had been robbed and wounded. One of these people, a Samaritan, was a good man who took pity on the man and bound up his injuries and took him where he could rest and be cared for. He was the good neighbor that Jesus admired for his kindness.
All of us can be good neighbors, for there are opportunities all around us. The world is full of people today who are like the priest and the Levite who passed the injured man without helping him.
Prejudice is a common characteristic of the people today. In India there is a caste system that should be changed. One class of people are called the untouchables. These poor people have a hard time existing because the other classes are so cruel and inhuman to them. The untouchables look like the rest, but they lack money and suitable places to live. They have been born into that class and seemingly cannot escape.
As in Bible times there is dislike among people belonging to the various races. In some countries certain people are nor allowed to have equal privileges either because of race, color, or creed. Let us follow the golden rule and we shall make fewer mistakes.
We must consider our own faith. How much do we have? Do we have faith in God and in Christ Jesus? Are we willing to follow Christ and do what he has asked us to do? Let us remember that Christ Jesus told his disciples to preach the gospel and heal the sick. It is all very well to have faith, but we must also do something. We must put our talents to work. We must consider how we can help others.
Doctors and nurses have great opportunities for service. They can do all In their power to heal the sick. Ministers and lecturers can explain the Bible and the Mystic and Esoteric teachings. Some people can work in schools and other institutions. Some can write books that will inspire others to have more faith. All of us can go out of our way to help others. We can show that we believe in God, and that we also believe in putting our faith into practice. We can labor to increase and perfect our talents. We can do our best and ask God to help us to do better.
And what are the rewards for right living? In the Old Testament we read about the commands which Jehovah God gave to Moses to give to the ancient Israelites for their guidance. These commandments still stand and we must Obey them if we wish to progress in evolution and win rewards both on Earth and in Heaven. We should have perfect faith and confidence in God, for He is a mighty Being, full of love and compassion for man.
Solomon said "To him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward." Christ Jesus has told us to lay up treasures for ourselves in Heaven an that is what Invisible Helpers hope to do by living lives of service to humanity. When a man has lived a good life, and laid up treasures in Heaven, no one can take them away from him. His reward is sure, for a very careful record is kept. All that a man does during his lifetime is recorded in the true Memory of Nature which is located in the World of Thought. All that we do is recorded in this region and advanced Helpers are taught how to read these records. When things that man does are also impressed upon the seed atom of his heart and when he comes to die he sees this panorama unfold before him.
When a man goes to Purgatory, this record unrolls a second time, and he reviews this panorama slowly, and suffers for all the wrong he has done. When the ego of the man reaches the First Heaven, the panorama again unrolls, and man enjoys all the good that he has done.
One of the rewards for right living is the opportunity to go to Heaven and stay for a time. Heaven is a place where no evil can be found. When a person goes there, he is far away from the influence of all earthly things and conditions. He enjoys all the good that he did in his past life, and all the kindnesses that others did for him. Here a man can rest and enjoy the home that he has built by his good thoughts and deeds.
Heaven is a wonderful place to be in, for the opportunities for progression are many. Students have access to vast libraries for study. Musicians can hear and enjoy the celestial music which is often spoken of as the music of the spheres. Artists can delight in the ever-changing color combinations that are found in the First Heaven and they can continue their work with much greater success than they had on Earth.
The hope of going to Heaven is one of the greatest incentives to right living. Many Christian people have lived in poverty and suffering, and the thought or winning a place in Heaven has sustained them through all trials. Other men have become weary of life and have longed for rest. Some people who have lived nobly and well have been able to see into Heaven, and thus they have actual proof of the reality of Heaven. In the Book of Acts, we are told that Stephen saw the Glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God when he steadfastly Iooked up into Heaven at the time that he was falsely accused by certain evil men.
Jesus told his disciples that they would see Heaven, and that they would see the Angel of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. In the four gospels we find the record of many things that the disciples saw which convinced them of the reality of Heaven. Many artists with spiritual sight have painted pictures showing conditions and persons in Heaven, and these pictures have been loved by thousands of devoted Christians. St. John described the people and Angels that he saw in Heaven in the Book of Revelation.
One of the rewards of right living is that a Helper may go to Heaven during his sleeping hours and talk with his friends and acquaintances. Lay Brothers and Lay Sisters can investigate conditions in Heaven and they can do what John did. They can see Heaven with their spiritual sight, while in full waking consciousness.
Other Helpers can go to Heaven while out in sleep and talk to people, and then remember it when they wake up. Many people go to Heaven and talk to their friends and relatives and remember it as a dream. Many people do all the things that they dream of doing at night and they derive a great deal of pleasure from such remembrances. When a Helper remembers his or her work, while he or she is out in sleep, he or she experiences much joy.
Another reward for right living is protection from danger. I will tell you a story of a good girl who was saved from death in a very strange way. She had lived a good life, and had earned the protection of the Higher Ones who are trying to promote the welfare of all living things on the earth.
One afternoon in January a Helper took a nap and left his body and went out over the northwestern states. At one place a robin flew over him and tried to alight on him and went through him.
"Oh, you want a ride, do you?" the Helper said to the bird.
He caught the bird and then he noticed a tiny tag on its neck. This tag had a woman's name and address on it. There was also a piece of paper on the bird's leg. The Helper removed the paper and read the words, "Please follow this bird home. I am sick."
"All right, Buddy, let's go home," said the Helper. "I will beat you there." The Helper and the robin flew very fast to a building that was in flames. The girl lived on the third floor. A great deal of smoke was coming out of her window. The Helper went in and found the girl in her bed which had caught fire. She was screaming for help. The Helper picked up the girl, threw aside the burning bedclothes, and took her out of the window.
The people in the street screamed when they saw them because they thought the Helper had jumped out with the girl and that they would be killed when they struck the ground. Instead they floated down easily and the Helper laid the girl on the ground. Someone covered her. Then the fire department came and the girl was carried to the hospital because she was badly burned.
After rescuing the girl the Helper went back to the burning building to see if anyone else was in it, but he found no one. The Helper then went to the hospital and found the girl all bandaged and in bed. "Can you hear me?" he asked her. She paid no attention. The Helper then went out into the hall and materialized what appeared like his physical body and reentered the room.
"Whom do you wish to see?" asked a nurse.
"l want to see the lady who has just been brought in suffering from burns," he replied.
"She is now under a drug to ease her pain," said the nurse.
The Helper went up to the girl's bed and she saw him this time. "Where is my bird?" she asked. "Please go and get my bird."
The Helper returned to the scene of the fire and found the bird perching on a limb of a tree. He called the bird and it came to him at once.
"Whose bird is that?" asked the policeman who was looking on.
"It belongs to the lady who was burned in the building," the Helper said.
"I will take charge of the bird," the policeman replied.
"No. She told me to bring it to her," said the Helper.
"I do not know that and I shall have to place you under arrest," the policeman said.
"All right, but I will keep the bird," said the Helper, and he disappeared while going up into the air with the bird. The people watched the bird until it went out of sight.
The Helper returned to the hospital with the robin and went to the side of the building. When no one was looking he materialized, and put the robin under his coat to get by the office with it. He walked into the ward where the girl lay and gave the robin to her. When she spoke to it the robin chirped.
"Take the bird out," said a nurse.
"No," said the girl. "I found that robin when it was a baby with a broken leg, and I nursed it until it got well and I took it to bed with me, and wherever I go the bird can go.
The robin looked at her as if to say, "What in the world is the matter with you?"
"Why didn't you let me die?" the girl asked the Helper. "My face and body are ruined and I will have to give up my Sunday School position. I am a superintendent and we have five hundred children enrolled. I am trying to teach and lead them right and make useful people of them."
"Maybe you will be better looking and nicer after you get well," the Helper said smilingly.
"Thank you, but I don't believe it," answered, the girl. "I can feel my face drawing now and the pain is very severe."
"Let me hold your hand," the Helper said and he took her hand. "I like you because you loved the bird when it was injured and because you have done so much for it."
Just then the father, mother, and sister of the girl came in and the mother fainted when she saw her daughter's condition.
"Take her out," said the Helper. "We don't need her here."
The sister became angry and began to question the stranger about her sister. "Are you her boy friend?" she asked.
"I could be her pal, her brother, her friend, or anything except her husband," the Helper answered.
"You talk in riddles," said the girl's father.
The mother regained consciousness and she became very angry.
"If you had not been so severe with your daughter this would not have happened to her," said the Helper. "Your treatment forced her to live elsewhere." He turned to the bandaged girl.
"You are not in pain now. Ask the nurse for some water and then ask for a glass of milk."
The nurse brought the water but refused to get the milk.
"Go ahead, nurse," said the Helper, "and get the milk and be as nice in disposition as you are in appearance. I know you are pretty."
The nurse smiled and went and got the milk. "You will have to take the blame for it," she said when she returned.
The girl drank the milk and felt much better.
"See if you are sore," the helper said in a few minutes.
"Of course I am and the bandages are dry," said the girl.
Then she began to feel herself and her eyes grew big with astonishment and she began to move about. "I have no more pain," she said in a surprised voice.
"What has been done before my eyes!" exclaimed the girl's father.
"Take the bandages off your face and body," said the Helper.
"The bandages are dry and it will hurt to pull them off," the girl said.
The girl did not understand that she had been healed by the healing force that comes from God.
"Try it," suggested the Helper quietly.
The girl found out that the bandages came off easily and she worked rapidly. When she had removed all the bandages she found that she did not have a blemish on her body except that her hair and eyebrows were singed.
"Your hair and eyebrows will grow back in time," said the Helper. "Listen well to what I say. God will take care of His own when they deny themselves to do for others as you have done."
The Helper saw that this girl had developed a pretty soul body by her helpful, good life.
"Who are you?" the girl asked in wonder.
"I am a servant like you," the Helper replied.
"I want to know where you live so I can go and see you," the girl said.
"No, you cannot do that," the Helper said.
The girl became restless and wanted to get up.
"Your fingernails will come off and your fingers may be sore, but you can go home tomorrow afternoon if you feel that you must," said the Helper. "I must be going. Be sweet and good."
The girl wanted to kiss the Helper but he said, "No, don't child, it might cause harm by shock." (This was because the Helper was in a materialized body.)
"I feel grateful to you for all you have done to help me," the girl said.
"May God bless you, my sister,"' he said and disappeared.
"My God!" exclaimed the father. "He must be an Angel."
This Helper and his partner went back to the girl about five hours later, and they, found her peacefully asleep in the bed at the hospital. The man Helper did not materialize this time but the lady Helper did and they let her in. The nurse showed her the girl's bed and the Helper woke her up.
"Where is the Angel man?" asked the girl. "Are you he?"
"No," answered the Helper, "but he is here.
"Oh, you are an Angel, too!" exclaimed the girl quickly.
"No," said the Helper. "I am only a servant of humanity," and she talked to the girl for awhile.
The girl kept on asking for the man Helper, and finally he materialized and spoke to her and she was satisfied. Then the girl begged the lady Helper to be her friend and come and see her when she got established.
"Are you going to return, home to live?" asked the lady Helper.
"No, I am not," the girl answered.
"When the Helper was ready to go the girl asked her to kiss her. "Yes;" the Helper said, and she bent over and kissed her.
"I am so thankful, for I have kissed an Angel," the girl said.
"Give the girl some strength as she is much excited," the man Helper said by means of thought.
The lady Helper took the girl in her arms and let her aura out and the girl said, "Oh!" Then the Helper disappeared.
The nurse came in and ran up to the bed. The other patients woke up startled and looked on in wonder.
"Are you a saint that the Angels come, and minister to you?" asked the nurse. I heard about you from the nurse that I relieved. How can you be so good?"
"l am no saint," said the girl. "I just pray and teach children in a Sunday School, but I am the happiest girl in the world."
The nurse made the sign of the cross. "When Angels appear to one she is to die soon," she said.
The man Helper told the lady Helper to materialize quickly and tell them that this was not true.
The lady Helper materialized and spoke to the nurse.
"That is not true," she said. "Do not say that again."
After that the Helpers left and went on with their work. The apocryphal book called The History of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the History of the Likeness of Christ, edited and translated by E. A. Wallis Budge, gives many instances that tell how the Virgin Mary was saved from death by the Higher Ones.
I have been told that Christ Jesus had twelve senior disciples, sixty-six junior disciples, and four hundred and fifty-six intermediate disciples. Although it is supposed that all of the eleven senior disciples met a violent death except St. John, most of the other disciples fared better and lived to serve as Helpers for many years. Later they were reborn and became Helpers in the next life and were protected from many dangers.
Here is a story of an advanced child who was saved by a lioness. As some Helpers were going over some jungle land in India, they saw a lioness carrying a little girl about four years old, in her mouth. The Helpers came down and materialized and went up to the lioness. She carefully put down the child and fiercely started after the Helpers. The child began to cry and the lioness stopped and looked at her and then looked at the Helpers, as if deciding what to do.
Then the lioness started after the Helpers.
"Miss Lioness, we are your friends," said the man Helper, "but we want to know what you are doing with that child."
The lioness came to the Helpers and whined. Then she went back to the child and pushed her over, picked her up, and started away.
"Wait a minute," the Helper called out.
The lioness put down the child again and gave a fierce growl.
"Don't get rough, Miss Lioness, but act like a lady," the Helper said. "You are supposed to be the queen of the jungle. Why not be ladylike when you have friends around?
The lioness picked the child up and started off again.
"Wait," said the Helper. Then he got in touch with the Group Spirit who has charge of the lions and asked him what the lioness was going to do with the child.
"Follow her and let no harm come to her," said the friendly Group Spirit.
The Invisible Helpers disappeared and the lioness grunted and looked around with a look of surprise and then she went on. She jumped over several small streams and marshes and finally came to a native village. She entered the village and the local inhabitants began to run and shout. A band of warriors came out, armed with long spears with which they were going to attack the lioness. The man Helper told his partner to appear to them and let her aura out. When she did this the warriors fell back and the lioness went on until she reached a certain hut. Then she put the child down and turned to go away.
"Wait, Miss Lioness," called the man Helper, "you cannot get out of here alive." He then turned to the native woman in the hut and said, "Is that your child?"
The woman was standing right next to the wall as rigid as a board and her eyes were wide open with fear. Her face became paler when she saw the lioness at the door. The hut had only one door, so she knew that she could not escape.
The Helper went up to the woman and shook her and she shouted loudly and grasped her child in her arms and said, "Mine, mine." They looked the child over and there were no scratches or marks on her body anywhere to show that the lioness had carried her. The Helpers wondered why the lioness had not killed the child.
The Group Spirit said that this child had come to rebirth to help the natives and had always been good to his charges in the past. The child wandered off and the Group Spirit had influenced the lioness to take her home.
The Helpers healed a few sick local inhabitants and played with the lioness and a few of the children and then they left feeling very happy over what they had seen.
Another reward for right living is wisdom. When a preacher by right living purifies his body and builds up a soul body and gets the spiritual gifts of sight and hearing, he can attract people to him as some of the early preachers did.
When an artist earns these precious spiritual gifts by right living, he can look into the Memory of Nature and reproduce past events in the lives of Christ and his disciples and others, as many of the great painters were able to do. When a musician is given these priceless gifts he can be taught how to reproduce the music of the spheres.
The Bible tells of many wise prophets and teachers who did much to help humanity. Their wisdom was not the result of long, continued study of books. Much of it came as a reward for right-living. Take Solomon, for instance. He asked for wisdom and it was given to him, and he used it to rule his people wisely for many years. Joshua, Aaron, Joseph, Jesus, Paul and many others had the spiritual gifts of sight and healing, and some had the gift of healing others. There have been many others since then.
When one really lives a good life he has a satisfaction and inward joy that no one can take from him. It gives contentment and joy which cannot be explained, when we help a dear friend, or when a dear friend helps us. Other people's appreciation of us makes us happy in much the same way. When one really lives a harmless, useful life he may earn the right to be an Invisible Helper. This is a reward well worth striving for.
Another reward for right living is a longer life, which will give us more opportunities for experience. Some people have had their lives extended in order that they might continue their work. The Bible tells us that Hezekiah became ill and was told that he would die. He prayed to God and asked for help and God added fifteen years to his life and sent Isaiah to heal him. I do not mean that this happens to all Helpers in each life, for it does not. Yet many persons who were Helpers have had their lives lengthened.
The greatest reward of all is to win liberation from God, the Great Father of us all. In order to do this, a Helper must serve humanity for many lives and win thirteen initiations. When this has been done the individual will be escorted into the presence of the God of our Solar System by Angels, Archangels, and other High Beings.
Perhaps you are wondering who the Invisible Helpers are and how they are made. Invisible Helpers belong to many life waves. These useful beings range all the way from God, the Supreme Being, and the High Beings who dwell on the various cosmic planes, on down to the Nature Spirits who work with fire, earth, air, and water. In this chapter we shall consider Invisible Helpers who belong to the human life wave. We can divide them roughly into two classes, the conscious Helpers and the unconscious Helpers.
The conscious Helpers are generally Lay Brothers and Lay Sisters. They have reached the point where they can leave their bodies at will and can go out in their soul bodies, and work as helpers in full possession of all their faculties. They can return to their bodies and remember just where they have been, and what they did and said. They can retain what they have learned and can bring their experiences to their mind whenever they wish. They have been taught how to work with the living and the dead, how the spiritual laws operate, and how to heal the sick.
The unconscious Helpers are people who go out at night helping others during sleep. They do what they can to help but they do not remember what they have done. Such a Helper is not able to send messages down his slender, glistening silver cord to the physical brain and have it record them. For this reason he cannot remember where he has been and what he did. It takes a long course of training and much effort for such a Helper to become conscious on the inner planes; but it can be done and many persons have advanced to this point.
Anyone may be a Helper who wishes to be one, if he or she meets the requirements. Some people have been Helpers in past lives and have been reborn and are Helpers still. Any person who makes the "Sermon of the Mount," or the "Ten Commandments" a part of himself may become a Helper. Any person who has the laws of God written in his heart, may become a conscious Helper, regardless of what his race, creed, color, or religion is. The way is open to all.
If you wish to be a Helper you must have one-pointedness of mind. You must believe that you can do the things that you have set out to do along religious lines and to help humanity. You must be unselfish and willing to help all regardless of who they are. This is very important, for the Higher Ones consider the heart and desires and not the outward appearance. Many aspirants fail since they are not willing to do this because of some feeling of superiority or prejudice.
The aspirant must have unshakable faith in God. He must believe that nothing can hurt him here or hereafter while he is out in sleep. It takes a long time for most students to become brave Invisible Helpers. They forget that they are out of their bodies and cannot be injured by people and animals. They run away at critical times, rush back to their bodies and then get into them, and lie awake a long time. Sometimes they return with such suddenness that they injure their physical bodies and nerves by the shock. Such people are of little use when they cannot be depended upon to complete the work which they have been sent to do.
I will tell you a very interesting story of a Helper who deserted, and then lay awake thinking over what had just happened and regretting that she had left through fear.
Two Helpers were sent to help a very valuable horse which was carrying a colt that was too large for her to bring to birth by herself. The pain drove her crazy and she did not know what she was doing. She ran around and was terribly excited. Her animal instinct led her to seek help from her master, and she climbed the porch steps and pawed at the door of the house. Then the frightened horse turned 'round and 'round in an effort to throw the colt out of her body. This made her dizzy and she fell down the steps. After that the horse got up and started to run wildly about the yard.
The people came out of the house and saw the condition the horse was in and wanted to shoot her and end her misery.
"Don't do that because she can be helped," said the man Helper.
This horse belonged to a boy who was about thirteen years old and who dearly loved her. He had made a pet of her and when she was a colt he had even allowed her to go into the house. The boy wept when he saw his horse in trouble. "You can't do anything for her, can you?" the boy said to the stranger.
"Yes, I think so," the Helper replied, smiling.
The lady Helper took on the feelings of fear of the people and the horse and she forgot that she could not be hurt while out of her body. She did not want her partner to go near the frightened horse. She became excited because the horse was so wild and unmanageable and she left and did not return to be of any service.
The man Helper was braver and he went up to the horse and touched her. She became calm at once, for her pain stopped at his touch. The Helper could see the Group Spirit of the horse in the Desire World, and he asked him what he should do to save her. The Group Spirit gave him directions and he got a rope and tied one end of it around the colt's hind legs and the other end to a post. Then he led the horse away from the post so it would pull the colt out. The Helper talked to the horse all the time to keep her quiet. The colt came out all right and the Helper took the rope off the colt's feet and saw that it was strong and perfect. Without this help both the colt and the mother would have died.
The Group Spirit thanked the Helper and said that he hoped that the other Helper would do better next time as she was a brave person. These Helpers had seen the Group Spirit before, when they had helped another beautiful brown horse whose leg had been broken in an accident.
Perhaps you can imagine how the Group Spirit looks. Just try to conceive a spirit like an Angel with the body of a handsome man, a head like a horse, and an etheric body of a horse extending out behind him. Picture to yourself an understanding face, with wonderfully sympathetic eyes, and a radiant light enveloping his body and extending out from it in all directions. Then you will have a little conception of this wonderful Group Spirit, who has charge of the horses, and who guides and directs them. When they suffer and die, he feels the pain more intensely than do his charges. The Group Spirit does all he can for his charges, and those merciful human beings who are kind and thoughtful to their horses are blessed by the Group Spirit.
These Helpers went back twice to see the horse and the beautiful colt. The owner said that he had been offered a thousand dollars for the colt as it was then; but he would not sell it. The man questioned the stranger and wanted to know his name and address, but of course this could not be given.
"If you really need me again," said the Helper, "I will be here."
You can see from this story that Helpers need to be brave and fearless. They must remember that they are out of their bodies and cannot be hurt by any frightened creature.
Invisible Helpers must also have some knowledge of how to care for the sick and injured. The more capable and experienced they are the better, for they must think and act quickly.
An Esoteric student must be brave enough to stand up for his or her religion against opposition. When a student definitely takes the Path he will find that his family and his friends will oppose his desires and they may try to talk him out of it. They may ridicule his beliefs. They may lay obstacles in his way and cause him much mental and physical discomfort. The members of his family may desert him and go their way and ignore him. He may lose his friends and have to seek out others who will understand him. He must stand more or less alone. He will be called a peculiar person. Someone may say that he has an imaginative religion and is impractical. His friends may even say that he is foolish or crazy to believe in the Law of Rebirth.
Perhaps you wonder why there are not more Esoteric students. It is because people are too much interested in a good time, and prefer to study about the material things of this world, rather than how to prepare themselves for promotion along spiritual lines. Some people take up the Mystical Teachings out of curiosity. They hear about clairvoyance and they desire it for selfish reasons. Such people may even become probationers and study more or less diligently for a time. Some of them soon tire of depriving themselves of meat and fish, and other things which a probationer promises his higher self to give up. So they slip back into their old ways and never make any spiritual progress in that life.
Any religion is valuable to the extent that it makes people better here and now. Such a religion should make people kind and considerate at home, conscientious in all their business dealings, loyal to their friends, and ready to forgive their enemies. The Esoteric teachings will do all this, if they are thoroughly understood and practiced.
When a person has decided to dedicate his lie to the service of humanity he should meditate long before he takes that step, because when once the step has been taken, the person loses his place in the slow progression of humanity. If he forges ahead he will find happiness and satisfaction in the work that he will do, in the knowledge that he will gain, and in the new friends that he will make. If he weakly gives up and ceases to try to improve himself, he will find that he does not fit in anywhere. He will not be satisfied to do as he has done in the past, and he will always feel that he has lost something that was vital to his peace of mind and happiness.
We must remember that every man must work out his own destiny. When we consider destiny we think at once of the law of Rebirth and the Law of Consequence. These laws work in harmony with the stars so that a child is born at the time when the planets in our Solar System will give him the conditions that are necessary for him to gain experience and advance in the school of life. We are what we are because of what we have been in past lives, and our present actions determine future conditions. If you wish to become a Helper, you need to study this subject from all angles, and then you will be able to understand how best to make a better start.
We not only have work to do on Earth, but when we reach Heaven we shall be busy. When we get to the World of Thought we shall work to alter the surface of the Earth which will be the scene of our future struggles. In the subjugation of the dense Earth where we shall live again. Besides that, we shall be busily engaged in learning how to build better physical bodies in which to work when we are reborn again.
During the time we are in Heaven, we shall learn how to build all kinds of bodies, because a dense body is not sufficient. We also need a vital body, a desire body, a mental body, and a soul body before we can become Invisible Helpers.
The more advanced of humanity have also been developing another body which is called the life spirit body, or causal body. This body is correlated to the World of Life Spirit. When the life spirit body is built, a Helper can leave his dense body and travel from one planet to another. There is still another body that we must build in the future. It is the divine spirit body, which is the highest vehicle of man. When a man can function consciously in this vehicle, he can leave his body and travel consciously from one Solar System to another.
We cannot change our past but to a certain extent we can change our future lives. We should make our lives harmonize more with the laws of God, and in that, way we can rise above the laws of our physical world, and in time we can free ourselves from them.
In order that we may better understand how every man must work out his own destiny. I shall tell you about a man who is working out his destiny under very trying conditions.
A few years ago two Helpers met a man who was sick in bed and alone. During his life this man had caused much trouble to others. The failure of a bank caused him to lose all his money and he went to the North to start life over.
"I have had nothing but trouble and setbacks but I have kept on," said the man. "One night a pack of wolves attacked me and a woman came and stopped them and tied up my wounds. She told me that if I would help my fellow-man my life would not be so bare and lonely. She told me that I must work out my own destiny as I had made it and I would have to undo the wrongs that I had done.
"I asked the woman how I could do it and, she told me to move to town and live a life of service to all mankind and to the animals. I started to do this with great joy. But my joy did not last long, for I barely made a living and I was hungry all the time. Finally I got a job but I was robbed of my first pay on my way home on payday. I was put out of my room by the landlady and set out in the cold. I went to my boss and he helped me that week and I went and paid my rent. Later I fell in love with a woman, but she left me the day before we planned to be married. This took away all my desire to make good."
"You were going to marry her from a selfish motive," said the Helper. "Did you help, anyone during that time?"
"No, I could hardly help myself," the man replied.
"When did you start again to be helpful?" inquired the Helper.
"Well," said the man, "one night the same woman came to him in a dream and told me to help mankind with what I had. The first person whom I helped was an Indian girl. Since then I have helped thousands of people, dogs, cats, and various animals.
"One Sunday morning in the spring, I went out into the woods and paid no attention to where I was going. Finally I walked into a den of wolves and one wolf growled at me. That brought me to my senses and I realized that death was near and I was terrified. I prayed to God and told him to spare me a little while longer. I promised that I would try to undo some of the evil things I had done.
"Then a wolf carried one of her babies and laid it at my feet. I saw that one of its hind legs was badly mangled. I washed it carefully and tied it up with my handkerchief and set it down. After that the baby wolf walked back to its mother. I then went among the eight wolves and none of them bothered me.
"I went home feeling like a new man and I rose rapidly in my work. Now I am the superintendent of the plant. I went out into the woods again about a year ago. I set a large snake free from a trap and it did not try to bite me. I do not want to die. I am not through yet. I have undone much of what I have done, but I want to finish."
"You will live to finish your work," the Helper assured him.
"Please tell me why the woman left me at the time of our intended marriage," the man said.
The Helper told this man that he had made love to a woman before that to satisfy his desires and then left her and that he had to reap what he had sown.
"You will meet this woman whom you have hurt," the Helper said. And you will have an opportunity to right the wrong you have done and give her child a name. You are certainly working out your destiny."
The Helpers saw that the man's soul body was beginning to shine. They did what they could to help him and went on with their work. Let us hope that this man has paid off his debts, and that his future life will be useful and happy, and that he will not have to go to Purgatory when he comes to die.
In the Bible we read the following words of wisdom:
"For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
Helpers need knowledge, for they have to deal with many kinds of people, and they are supposed to be able to cope with every kind of situation when they are sent on assignments. They are given the means of carrying on the work that is to be done. By means of the Jupiterian Consciousness, which is somewhat I like moving pictures, the Helpers are shown the people who they are to help and what they must do for them.
There are some people who are as lazy and careless as naughty children and grow up to be shiftless idlers. You have seen many of these members of the human family. No doubt you have wondered why they did not strive to work out better living conditions for themselves. They seem to resist all efforts to make them better and they follow the line of least resistance and beg or steal what they want.
Here is a story that shows how some people were helped one night, and how some tramps decided to take a hand in shaping their destiny. The tramps approached a house and planned to rob the people living there. They sent one man to the door to ask for food. He went to the door while the rest stayed out in the yard. The man hoped to get into the house so he could see how things were. Then the others would break in and rob the family.
It so happened that two Helpers were inside helping a sick person. When they heard a loud knock on the door, the Helpers looked out and saw the tramp and the other vagrants.
"I will go to the door," said the lady Helper, for she knew that the people were nervous and afraid.
"What do you want?" the Helper asked the tramp after she had opened the door.
The tramp asked for something to eat. The Helper carefully closed the door and went and got him some bread and butter. She took the food to the tramp, who looked very cross because he was displeased. The Helper then saw four more tramps standing near with cross looks on their bad faces. The Helper knew that the tramps intended to rob the people and she decided to prevent this from happening, if possible. She went to where the men were and spoke to them.
"What can I do for you?" she asked.
The men muttered something, about their bad luck and the Helper started at once to reproach them for being careless and lazy. She told them that it was each man's fault that he was hard up and that no one else was to blame. The lady Helper talked to each man in turn, and told each one when he was born and where. She told the main events in each of their lives.
The tramps were so amazed that they did not know what to do. One man confessed that what she said to him was true.
"Yes, it's true," said another man.
The Helper told them of her life and of her efforts to make good and succeed in her work and how she tried to make her money go as far as possible. The men looked at the Helper in surprise and wonder. The man Helper told her to let out her aura. She did this and the men were startled.
"Angel Lady, do they work in Heaven?" asked one of the men.
"Yes, they work in Heaven," the Helper replied. "Human beings, Angels, and Archangels work everywhere in the Universe. Everybody, both good and bad, must work or die out of this life wave." She talked until she had made it very plain to the tramps that every man must work out his destiny and that we reap as we sow.
The five tramps turned and went quietly away, much wiser than when they came. They had changed their minds about what they were going to do and decided to do better in the future.
If you want to be a Helper you must like to work. If you take pride in your work and try to put yourself in it and do the very best you can, you will succeed in the long run. An Invisible Helper loves his or her work. After he once knows that he is being allowed to take part in this work, he is anxious to do his best and earn promotion so that he will he able to do more and more difficult work while he is out of his body in sleep. Helpers of all kinds are needed. People in the humbler walks of life are just as much needed as are the highly skilled engineers, doctors, teachers, and those of all other professions. There is a place for everyone who wishes to serve.
We must not neglect the ordinary duties of our lives. We must not expect to take on new duties and put aside obligations that have already been assumed. It is possible for us to be really good Esoteric students without neglecting any of our regular duties. We are not ready for higher work unless we are willing to fulfill our duties to our families. We will find that working as a Helper will become the most interesting and worthwhile thing that we do. We will not want to do anything that might cause us to lose our places in a band of Helpers. We must not only aim high, but we must work toward the goal that we have set for ourselves.
Let us consider what place religion should have in our modern life and then see what part we should play in the drama of life, to make the world a better place for all of us to live in. St. James wrote to the Christians of his day and told them many things that encouraged them to strive harder to live good, useful lives. The following advice tells us how we can be good Helpers.
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
"Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
"If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
St. James was an advanced ego who was not afraid to choose to follow Christ, and after he had chosen to follow him he never wavered, but continued to be faithful as long as he lived. At that time it was no easy thing to follow the dictates of his heart.
After Christ Jesus was crucified the disciples were always in danger, for they had many enemies. The ideals of Christ were too high for the evil men of his day to follow and they feared men whom they instinctively recognized as noble and true. These men knew that they were doing wrong when they killed and imprisoned the early Christians, for they had the Old Testament teachings. They knew about the teachings of the prophets and they had the Ten Commandments.
Let us see how the men of modern times can put the Christian teachings into actual practice. A few are doing it now and they will be rewarded for their faith and works. But how about the majority? Are they doers of the word or are they hearers only, deceiving themselves? The truth is they are not doers and many are not even hearers. Let us ask ourselves why this is so.
Many influences, which are detrimental to all of us, are at work in this great world of ours. In foreign lands conditions are bad. The diplomats of the world profess to be working to promote peace. But are they using wisdom and are they asking God for guidance? The answer is no in most cases. They depend on their poor ability to foresee how things will work out. They are depending on the idea that might makes right, which is a false basis on which to build lasting peace.
We are our brothers' keepers and we are confronted with the necessity of choosing the part that we are to take in the life of today. The leader of the nations of the present time have a tremendous responsibility. How are they carrying out their work? Are they using justice and mercy? Are they leading their followers in the ways of peace? If you want to be an Invisible Helper you must use justice and mercy in your daily life, for an evil man cannot do deeds of mercy at night. Such a man cannot be used as a Helper to heal the sick and preach the gospel of right living. A Helper must be honest with himself and others.
Esoteric students are supposed to obey the laws of the land where they live. They are to obey the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Christ to the best of their ability. A great mystic has said that the pride of intellect, intolerance, and impatience of restraint would be the besetting sins of our day. If you would like to be an Invisible Helper be careful to avoid these traits or the Higher Ones cannot use you in their benevolent work for humanity.
Those who wish to prepare themselves for service as Helpers should take some part in the life of the community, in which they live. In order to have a better government they must do their share in promoting the best interests of the people to be governed. Many people are following the dictates of those in places of power, not because they love them or trust them, but because they want prestige, money, or power which they expect to receive from them. There are people today who are ready to sell their souls for thirty pieces of silver just as Judas did when he betrayed his friend and Savior.
In order to be a Helper a person must have a firm belief in God. Religion has its place in every nation, in every home, and in the heart of every person in that home. It is not necessary that Helpers all believe in exactly the same form of religion. From time to time different types of religion have been given to people and each one has met the spiritual needs of the people among whom it was introduced. All of these religions have come from God and the Higher Ones who have labored since earliest times to advance the people living on the Earth. All religions have similar fundamentals and aims. The earlier religions have led up to the Christian religion which was founded by Christ Jesus almost two thousand years ago.
There are many religions in the modern world and, if each person lived up to his highest conception of his religion, the world would be a much better place than it is. What is the matter? Why doesn't each man live up to his religion? It is because he either doesn't wish to or because he has not tried hard enough. Naturally, it is easier to follow the line of least resistance. It takes courage to follow the Ten Commandments. In order to do so, a man must believe in God and he must spend some time in meditating and reading about God. He must not take the name of the Lord in vain. This means that he must not swear, for if he does he will surely be punished for it. Every person is judged silently by his family, his neighbors, and others. If he uses God's name irreverently he is not a religious, man, and he really does not deceive himself, or anyone else, when he pretends to be a Christian.
Religious people should be more careful how they bring up their children. Children learn a great deal from observation, and they are great imitators. If a child hears his parents swearing, he is very apt to do so himself in short time, and such a habit is very difficult to break. Those who, desire to serve the Elder Brothers must avoid this bad practice.
Then there is the commandment, "Thou shalt not steal." We should respect the property rights of others, and keep all law because we want to. Then we will not need someone to watch us for we shall render obedience because we are servants of the law, and work with it, and because we want to do what is right and just. All public servants elected or chosen to serve in a public capacity should remember their religious teachings and be fair and just to all. They should choose assistants and workers for their ability to do the work honestly. Public servants should beware of intolerance to those of other races and creeds. Those who are really trying to live good lives are having difficulties. Nevertheless they should do their duty as they see it and not be influenced by the evil forces in the air.
All through the Bible we read of the conflict between the good and the bad. So often the evil people have been in power, or in the majority, and the good have seemed to be overcome in the struggle. It is time for the good people of all religions to stand up firmly and strongly for what is right. Individuals and nations must not steal. They must not kill, and they must not bear false witness against their neighbors. People who commit these sins will be punished either in this life or some other. A person who has been a false witness against another person will be placed in a position where he will have someone bear false witness against him. Then he will suffer as he made someone else suffer, for we reap as we sow. We must not covet what belongs to others. Each one of us is expected to do what is right, no matter where we happen to be.
The lawyer, or the judge, should take his religion into the courtroom. He should listen carefully to the evidence given and try honestly to be just and fair. Capital punishment should be done away with. Imprisonment is more humane in all cases. The prisons should be sanitary and the food should be nourishing and sufficient. If a man is supposed to have committed a crime and is sentenced to prison for a term of years, and later it is discovered that he was innocent, then the man can be released and his name publicly cleared. If the unfortunate man has been hung or electrocuted, the crime rests on the state and no restitution can be made to the wronged man. (....continued)
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