Essays

Cornerstones of Spiritual Maturity
The Power of Words

There are five important elements of your spiritual understanding that I would like to remind you of now. The first two are Principles of the National Association of Spiritualist Churches:

Principle 6:

"We believe that the highest morality is contained in the Golden Rule: 'Whatsoever ye would that others should do unto you, do ye also unto them."

Principle 8:

"We affirm that the doorway to reformation is never closed against any human soul here or hereafter."

The next two elements are Principles of Natural Law:

The Principle of Agreement:

A components of reality must be energetically in agreement with the aspect of reality it will inhabit.

The Principle of Detachment:

The outcome of a process or a person's behavior is appropriate within the context of Natural Law.

The last element is something that Jane Roberts brought to us in one of her Seth books. As you may know, Jane Roberts documented the teachings of Seth in numerous books. On page 149 of  (1980, Bantam Books) Seth discusses the natural aggressive tendencies of humans. He maintains that there is one cardinal commandment that we have need to understand. That is, "Thou shalt not violate." I have interpreted his supporting dialogue to say:

The Prime Commandment: Thou shalt not impose your will on others.

What do these elements have in common? I submit that, along with an expanded understanding of Natural Law, these are cornerstones of a spiritually mature person's worldview. Your meditation on these elements will help you see that this is true.

I believe I can integrate these elements for you with a brief discussion of the power of words.

=========================================================

A Brief Discussion of the Power of Words

I don’t like you!

Can you feel the energy in these words? What is your reaction?

Before I continue, please accept that I do, indeed, like you. Even if I do not know you, I have immense respect for you because I know that you are doing your very best to do what is right, both for yourself and for others.

My intention here is to illustrate the power of words. Have I done this? Can you sense the exchange of energy that occurs when someone says something like this to another person?

Through my study of spirit, I have come to understand that words you express are preceded by thoughts you think. In Spiritualism, you are taught that thoughts ultimately become things. To make sense of this, consider the mechanics of your expressions:

• First something occurs to bring a thought to you. For instance, someone in your life bugs you one time too many and you become irritated.

• You then pass this irritation through the filter of your worldview. If your view of reality permits you to blame others for your situation, then this irritation will manifest as a thought focusing on the transgressor’s character.

• Now something very important begins to happen. These thoughts begin to attract energy and begin to form that energy into a thing that exists outside of you. Even if you do not openly express your thoughts, this energy remains as a coherent thing that can be sensed by others.

• If you do express your thoughts, you cast this energy out to the person on whom you have focused your thoughts.

Can you see? Your words, even your thoughts, take a form that is capable of influencing others. For instance, I am happy to know you. So if I tell you this, my words function as a pointer that directs my thoughts of happiness toward you; thoughts that are energy laden with my sense of happiness. You will hear my words and sense the truth of my words. On the other hand, if I say that I am happy to know you, but think that I wished you would go away. You will hear my words, but you will also sense that I am not being honest with you. We must all remember that it is not just the words, but also the thoughts that initiate those words, that are cast into the world.

My point is this: if you believe in Natural Law, if you believe in the existence of spiritual energy, then you must also believe that your thoughts and expressions are extensions of your Self and that these thoughts have an influence on others.

Remember the Sixth Principle of the NSAC? Do unto others? This is a most powerful Natural Law. The nature of your thoughts toward others has a considerable influence on the nature of their thoughts toward you. Even if you do not express your thoughts as words or actions, the energy you cast into the world is imprinted with what you really think.

As Spiritualists, you have learned to seek understanding of Natural Law and to live in accordance with its Principles. As such, you should understand this:

• You operate Natural Law with your thoughts.

• Your words are a physical manifestation of your thoughts.

• Thus, you can influence your world through careful selection of your words.

• You can also manifest the world you desire by aligning your worldview with that desire, thereby aligning your thoughts with that desire.

I suppose it is obvious that thoughts of like or dislike influence our relationship with others. After all, we all know that what we think is colored by how we view our world, what I call our worldview. But do you understand that this is a two-way effect? Not only are your thoughts shaped by your worldview, but your worldview is also shaped by your thoughts. For instance, if you believe you live in a fearful world, if your worldview is full of apprehension, then that fear will in some small way color your thoughts about other aspects of your world. All things have the potential to be fearful or beneficial, depending on how you look at them. So as you find reason to fear things in your world, you reinforce your fearful worldview, thus assuring that your future experiences will also be fearful. Worldviews are like that; they help us create self-fulfilling prophecies. In fact, if the Principles I have mentioned are the cornerstones of your spiritual edifice, then Natural Law is the world and worldview is your foundation. It is so important that you learn to manage it well.

So you can see that if you find delight in many aspects of your life, you will eventually come to expect to find delight in every aspect?

Try this: the next time you fear something, stop yourself and reconsider. Tell yourself that your fear is just one view of what you can expect. Make yourself take a closer look so that you can have time to consider the other possibilities before you. Find something good in the situation. I assure you, if you make a habit of this, you will succeed in telling your worldview to expect good rather than bad.  In this way you will come to habitually view your world.

So consider the implications of Principle Six. You can begin by taking a close look at yourself. How might you modify your behavior to live in accordance with Natural Law?

• Make a conscious effort to live in accordance with the Principles of Natural Law.

• At the same time, recognize that you do make mistakes.

• When you do make a mistake, do your very best to accept the consequences so that you can learn from them.

• Accept that you are not perfect, even as you work toward perfection.

• Because you know this of yourself, try to remember that other people are the same.

• Should you encounter someone that irritates you, remind yourself that they are not deliberately trying to create a problem for you.

• Try to remember that they are doing their very best to live in accordance with their understanding of Natural Law.

• Intend to react to people you perceive as irritating in a way that will remove the irritation without condemning those people.

For, if you condemn them, you condemn yourself. Principle 6 is reciprocal!

And remember that, while you should resist reacting negatively to dissatisfying situations, you should be quick to express gratitude for situations that make you happy. It is important to reinforce what you perceive as a positive behavior or outcome, because for the same reasons that your negative thoughts are harmful, your positive thoughts are helpful. In effect, I am saying that Natural Law tells you to reinforce the positive with positive thoughts, and to also neutralize the negative with positive thoughts.

Does all of this make sense to you? Can you see that others are trying just as hard as you to live in accordance with Natural Law? Even if you do not believe they are, behaving as if you do can change the nature of the energy you cast into the world? Natural Law is a real thing. Spiritualists believe in it because it has a real influence in their lives. They know that expressions of dislike carry an energy that invites a similar reaction in others.

Take some time to contemplate the way you think of your world. How does your worldview color your thoughts toward others? It is natural for you to feel uncomfortable around some people. But I promise you that the way you express your discomfort will determine how your relationship with those people will evolve.

The Principle of Agreement is a powerful Natural Law that comes into play here. In effect, your worldview is a measure of your spiritual maturity. And, it is your spiritual maturity that determines the vibration of your spiritual being. In practical terms, you attract people who are at the same or similar vibration. That is, if you are negative, you will attract negativity.

Now I need to give you a way out of a possible dilemma. You may consider yourself a positive person, yet find yourself surrounded by negativity. If so, remember that the Principle of Agreement is not the only Principle operating in your life. Meditate! Open yourself to the possibility that you may need to know and understand negativity as part of your spiritual education. Also, it is possible that your positive energy is attracting people who need your positive influence in their life. Are you being given an opportunity to practice your belief?

Perhaps the key to effectively dealing with irritating people and situations, while remaining true to the operation of Natural Law, is to practice the Principle of Detachment. This Principle of Natural Law teaches that you should accept the outcome of events and situations as the result of the operation of Natural Law. This is not to say that you should be a victim to the operation of Natural Law. The operation of these Principles is to be managed, not surrendered to.

I believe one of the reasons you have entered into the human condition is to gain an understanding of individuality. You are able to do this because your physical body shields you from directly sensing your environment. However, peering out at the world from inside your body can possibly lead you to think of yourselves as a typical being. This can further lead you to believe that everyone else views the world as you do—that they have the same worldview. They do not.

In the context of your relationship with other people, the Law of Detachment suggests you should recognize that, just like you, people are trying to do their best. Because of their different situations, abilities and worldview, their solution to a problem may be different than what you would do. If you expect them to behave in a certain way, you will almost certainly be disappointed. You need not accept other people's behavior, and it is reasonable for you to be uncomfortable with some of the things people do, but it is not reasonable for you to take what people do as a personal affront motivated by an unthinking person. I promise you that people feel justified in everything they do.

Stop and consider the Eighth Principle of the NSAC before expressing your dislike for someone. By affirming other people's continuing possibility of reformation, you hold that there is always hope that they will come to understand and follow Natural Law. I submit to you, when all of the facts are known, it will become clear that we all seek reformation. Can you imagine that? Can you see that we are all learning to live as spiritual beings. Principle Eight tells you that it is always possible for you, or that irritating brother-in-law of yours, to gain spiritual maturity. No one is beyond hope.

Perhaps more important to your spiritual growth, is the Prime Commandment, which holds that: Thou shalt not impose they will on others. Your expectation of another person's behavior is an imposition of your will on them. Plain and simple!

Just as you should be open for surprises when it comes to what will make you happy in life, you should try to be positive or at least neutral in how you feel about the behavior of others. The bottom line is that there are many ways to accomplish the same goal. Your relationship with your environment, and with other people, should not be one of likes and dislikes. It should be one of recognition that these alternative ways of doing things, these unexpected results, provide opportunities to have different experiences and for you to better understand the operation of Natural Law through those experiences.

Contact Tom Butler