CHAPTER VI - INCARNATION OF THE SPIRIT
Earth is not the permanent dwelling of any spirit. It is a school-world, a purifying laboratory, a learning centre, a workshop where the spirit learns, improves itself, and grows, over a longer or shorter period of time, in an environment suitable for its evolution.
As explained in Chapter IV, spirits are distributed by classes among worlds, in accordance with their degree of evolution.
The spirits that are undergoing evolution in our planet belong to the first 17 classes. In space, these classes are separated by order of their importance.
When they incarnate, however, they blend to form peoples of heterogeneous structures, in keeping with the requirements of a school world. Those who know more, who have more training, more experience, teach those who know less what they in turn learned from others. This is exactly why we very often see in the same family persons of very different degrees of spirituality.
In order to learn life's lessons well, man needs to find in his fellow beings qualities and knowledge which he does not yet have.
The spirit is immaterial. Its astral body, also called perispirit or animistic body, made of fifth-essence matter - but still matter - is made of the same animistic substance existing in the world where the spirit stays between incarnations.
Similarly, its physical body is made of matter existing in our planet. The more advanced the world where it belongs, the more diaphanous the fifth-essence matter of which its astral body is made.
This explains why some astral bodies, although made of the same substance, are more diaphanous than others.
No fact or event in human life can be hidden from spiritual plans. Everything we do or think brings forth vibrations which cross in all directions.
This is why, as soon as fertilisation takes place, it is at once spiritually recorded and a spirit moves forward, among those who await their turn, to perform one of the paramount determinations of natural law - reincarnation. This is done without fear or reluctance, that spirit being fully aware of its duty.
Once the spirit has decided to reincarnate and identified a woman to serve as mother, it monitors the formation of the physical body throughout the pregnancy until fetal development is completed. Finally at birth it takes full possession of the body to which it remains attached by means of animistic cords.
The developing physical body is then gradually enveloped, molecule by molecule, by the animistic body of the incarnating spirit which irradiates over it from outside the pregnant mother's body, until the moment of birth when it takes full hold of the child's body.
Once incarnation has been accomplished, the spirit sustains itself on its astral body placed side by side with the child's body, on the left side.
As soon as incarnation has taken place, the human being becomes complete with three bodies as follows:
(1) Mental body (spirit)
(2) Astral body (animistic matter)
(3) Material body (organic matter)
As such, the spirit is supposed to carry out its earthly duties and live two distinctly separate lives: material life and spiritual life.
The mental body, to which researchers are now turning their attention, is the live, intelligent agent that governs the other two bodies - the astral and the physical bodies - and is therefore responsible for all manifestations of life.
The law of transformation of matter, to which the other bodies are subject, does not affect the mental body. The spirit is eternal and unchangeable in its essence and it offers magnificent demonstrations of its capabilities and courage as it grows in spirituality.
The astral body is the bond, the connection between the mental and the physical bodies. It is joined, particle by particle to the mental body, as a result of the permanent vibration of the latter. It encircles the entire physical body to which it is connected by means of animistic cords.
During sleep, the spirit wanders away, together with the astral body (from which it never parts) but never breaks its links with the physical body. It continues to pass on warmth and life by means of the previously mentioned animistic cords.
No matter how long the distances separating the spirit from its corporeal instrument may be, their connection is never broken.
Such interruption would amount to disincarnation and also, the extension of the animistic cords is unlimited.
Thus, only after disincarnation do the mental and astral bodies abandon the physical body definitively.
The physical body is a wonderful piece of machinery conceived by Universal Intelligence to provide its operator - the sprit - with the means and elements necessary to take a post-graduate course on Earth. This course is meant to last numerous multiple incarnations, which are essential to its ascension to an environment of higher spirituality on a higher level of evolution.
Medical science studies the physical body in minor detail and devotes full attention to it. And today a considerable number of scientists admit that the disorders of the spirit - among which emotional disturbances stand out - are the cause of a great number of physiological disorders, and constitute a picture of abnormalities and diseases whose aetiology is no longer a secret for them.
A normal physical body may be said to be a perfect, finished piece of sculpture.
When the spirit incarnates, it isolates itself from its past and forgets completely its previous incarnations. It only retains in its subconscious the experience gained from past ordeals and the tendencies resulting from the use of its free will.
That is extremely good for the spirit. Firstly, the veil of matter prevents identification of enemies of previous incarnations and makes reconciliation possible, bringing them closer, without grudges or ill will. Secondly, with temporary oblivion of past mistakes, which so often humble, shame, subdue and even alienate the will, the incarnate spirit sort of begins a new existence in each passage through Earth.
Billions of spirits have done and continue to do so in their trajectory through this planet, in a long series of incarnations.
The spirit retains forever all that was conquered through work and effort. This conquest, this wealth, this heritage are valuable assets in each incarnation. They facilitate the acquisition of new knowledge, new qualities and the refinement of its attributes.
DUTIES OF THE SPIRIT AFTER INCARNATION
During incarnate life, the spirit goes through distinct stages and in each of them it may learn priceless lessons.
These stages are: childhood, youth, maturity and old age. During all these stages the spirit has duties to perform, work to do, obligations to meet.
Life's dynamics requires permanent activity. But such activity should be dignifying, useful, constructive, for the benefit of self and others.
The four above-mentioned stages have meaning only in a physical sense. They are related only to the growth and life of the human body and are used to stress the diversity of experiences and lessons learned in the course of an incarnation.
CHILDHOOD, YOUTH AND MATURITY
We call childhood the period from birth to puberty. During childhood, so to speak, the foundations on which the whole building of incarnation will rest are laid.
Hence, the fundamental importance of the teachings received by man during that critical stage of life. These should consist of lessons of the highest moral content and especially of examples of a brave, noble personality.
After childhood come the teenage years, in which man is considered neither a minor nor an adult.
Youth begins in puberty and lasts until maturity. It is the age of reason. when the highest ambitions and ideals are usually present. And spirituality is not foreign to these ambitions and ideals, provided man has had the good fortune of absorbing high formative principles.
A nation will always be great as long as it can depend on its youth. The hopes of elders are permanently focused on youth.
Youth is followed by maturity. In maturity man enjoys the benefit of experience gained in the previous stages of life. He can be a competent and safe guide, because the sum of knowledge gained by him becomes a valuable asset.
In maturity man reaches his zenith. His organic cells - especially brain cells - reach their maximum vital power and allow the spirit to convey its constructive capacity to its fullest.
OLD AGE
Old age represents, in each incarnation, the last stage of life. And this is understandable: the human body is no more than a machine at the disposal of Force (the spirit) from which it receives warmth, action, motion and life. This machine - like all machines - is subject to the action of time, break-downs, wear-and-tear which effect it to a greater or lesser degree depending on the maintenance care provided by its operator - the spirit.
And, truly there are a great many inattentive, careless, lax individuals. Many slush in vice, often causing irreparable damage to their physical bodies, bringing about their complete destruction.
A well-lived existence leads to a healthy, happy old age. However at this stage the spirit, although mentally sound, cannot display the former strength of youth and the vitality and dynamism of the previous stages. This is due to the natural decadence of its bodily instrument.
Happy are those spirits that leave behind after each passage through Earth, unequivocal examples of valour and honesty.
Interest in the common well-being, familial behaviour, constant concern about the guidance of offspring, discipline and devotion to work are some of these examples.
SOCIAL MORALS AND SELF-EDUCATION
Activities in this planet are varied and many are the ways by which evolution is processed.
Equal possibilities are not available to everyone but, above all, what really matters is to dignify the meaning of life, even though engaged in the roughest, humblest jobs.
Social morals are characterised by high spiritual values, uncompromising support of sound behaviour, and effective exercise of healthy habits.
Each people has its own concept of life. But the further we proceed, the more we advance on the road to civilisation, the safer, the stronger the precepts of morals and honour prove to be. This applies especially to the home, the formation of which is - an indeclinable duty of every citizen, as explained in Chapter XIV which deals with the family.
Man's education is not restricted to childhood, when the role of parents is paramount.
In adulthood, when man is already prepared to be his own guide, he should collect the greatest possible amount of experience through observation and the witnessing of events around him or of which he hears.
Success or failure of others, the causes of their joys or sorrows, are valuable lessons. Everyone should benefit from such examples in order to avoid incurring the same mistakes which caused pain and loss to others, and to take the same roads that led others to success and well-being.
If man feels debased in the eyes of his fellow-men, by doing something which reveals lack of morals or good principles, the more so would he feel is his spiritual awareness were alert and watchful to appreciate and analyse the extent of wrongful actions.
The existence of various social levels on Earth is partly justified not only by the fact that is a school-world but also by shortcomings in the education of its inhabitants.
An individual who is inadequately brought up restricts his field of action to the level in which he lives, and becomes undesirable in the higher levels of upbringing. Hence the need for man to spare no efforts to improve his social conditions, thus helping to raise the degree of morals in our planet.
EXAMPLES OF HONOUR AND DEVOTION TO WORK
Honourable examples are the greatest contribution man can give to society.
Honour is not restricted to punctuality in payments, honesty in business operations and close adherence to contract agreements. Honour involves, above all, strength of character, uncompromising loyalty and unswerving rectitude in the fulfilment of duty.
Those who are devoid of noble feelings, unselfishness and valour cannot claim to be honourable since such attributes are inseparable from honour.
Examples of devotion of noble feelings, unselfishness and valour, cannot claim to be honourable since such attributes are inseparable from honour.
Examples of devotion to work are the most useful to the goals of mankind.
The Universe in itself is all motion and action. The great craftsmen of progress were untiring hard workers.
Those who live in idleness are nothing but social parasites thriving on other people's work even if they are wealthy and consider themselves important personalities.
Work always noble and dignifying for men and women no matter whether they do manual labour or intellectual, artistic or scientific work.
What is actually of benefit to the spirit is not the nature of the work done but its moral value and the pleasure derived from doing it.
Everyone should therefore seek the kind of work that fits his vocation and do it with joy and enthusiasm. Work should be considered a reward, not a punishment because without it nobody would advance a step further in evolution.
PRAISEWORTHY ACTIONS; DELIBERATE AND INVOLUNTARY MISTAKES
Among the most praiseworthy human accomplishments are the educational books that are written, the schools that are opened, the scientific organisations that are founded and the work that is done to promote and encourage intellectual, spiritual and material exchange among people.
From this viewpoint, we might also add the enterprises intended to foster industrial, mineral and agricultural production towards the improvement of living standards.
All inhabitants of this planet are imperfect, some more, some less. Therefore, nobody is perfect. Some mistakes are involuntary. Others are the result of the improper exercise of free will.
To err is human. Nothing could be more true. However, once an honest person is advised and becomes convinced of his mistake, he should admit it and try not to repeat it.
It is common practice to conceal one's mistakes, instead of avoiding them. This is very detrimental to spiritual growth.
Most people seldom use impartiality and justice in the innermost evaluation of their own actions. Even those who are too harsh in the judgement of other people's actions, for whom they always have words of criticism and reproach, do not escape the usual tendency. When their own faults are concerned, they find a full, lenient, absolvent justification.
In this way, mistakes end up incorporated to human habits. Man thus loses his self-respect and his sense of character and dignity becomes corrupted.
What everyone should do is to face up his mistakes and avoid new mistakes with the help of his will power.
SPIRITUAL IMPROVEMENT AND THE EVILS OF IGNORANCE
Spiritual improvement should be man's main concern in all his fields of activity
Man should try to excel in the fulfilment of his duties, and work with utmost devotion.
No progress towards perfection is achieved without attention, concern, knowledge, effort, devotion, joy, good humour and unshakeable determination to obtain positive results. And improvement is closely related to evolution, besides being the main purpose of the spirit's presence on Earth. There will be no spiritual progress unless man strives for improvement.
No one should spare efforts to fight ignorance because ignorance is the cause of the majority of man's evils. Ignorance is a completely negative force. It is always harmful and, when it does not pull backwards, it hampers forward motion. Evolution means light. The brighter the light, the more effectively it drives away the darkness of ignorance.
Ignorance is therefore a strong, powerful, uncompromising enemy of the incarnate spirit. Those who really wish to grow spiritually and make good use of their incarnation should take every available opportunity to fight ignorance.
Having no time to waste, they should try to always learn more. They should be aware that each new skill they learn is a new asset added to the spiritual wealth.
Those who did not have the good fortune of attending schools should realise that Earth itself is a School where the most varied lessons can be learned. There is never lack of good knowledge.
The courses of learning which the spirit is supposed to attend on Earth, during numberless reincarnations, comprise many subjects. Inattentive, lax students are frequently repeating courses.
If mankind only realised what a profitable reincarnation means to the spirit, we would not see so many failures and so much disregard for spiritual values on Earth.
The more advanced man is, the more he realises the endless distance that separates him from absolute knowledge, which requires infinite learning. True scholars do not lose sight of their limitations because they always strive to learn more and more. They are, as a rule, unpretentious, contrary to the average person whose main concern is to show off and to pass as persons of great talent and importance.
Many people do not realise how ridiculous they become when they make their intelligence, their kindness, or their personal attributes the subject of conversation.
Boasting of self-endowed qualities, either imaginary or real, is becoming to no one. Therefore judiciousness and moderation in all gestures and attitudes should become a sound habit in man's life to enable him to behave with exemplary dignity.
PRINCIPLE OF AUTHORITY
The principle of authority should never be exercised in a tyrannical, intolerant way since it cannot be dissociated from the precepts of moral, moderation and justice.
Although many people command respect due to the fear that their actions instil, the true, the most authentic, the most legitimate authority is generous and fair. This is what makes it endeared and respected.
This does not mean that people in authority should relinquish the right - and even the duty - to use strength and severity when necessary. What should never happen is for people in authority to become overbearing and despotic.
Those in authority should ponder carefully before taking any action, in order to reduce their chances of making mistakes and committing injustice to a minimum.
ECONOMY
Whenever material resources allow it, economy should interfere with neither good appearance nor material, moral and intellectual needs.
Squandering is just as reproachable as stinginess and miserliness. Everyone should abstain from excess, repel vice, oppose waste and squandering , but not deprive himself of what is necessary.
It should be borne in mind that earthly possessions belong to Earth and will remain here. Man is merely their manager or trustee.
One of the most serious mistakes made by many people is to behave selfishly, to enslave oneself to sheer earthly values, in the belief that happiness is contingent on them.
The assets gathered by the spirit in the course of each earthly journey consist only of its praiseworthy actions.
These are, in fact, the only gains the spirit takes along after disincarnation. On the spiritual level, they will fill the spirit with joy and happiness.
FEAR, EFFECTIVENESS, RESPECT
Fear is one of the most harmful, disquieting, distressing and tormenting evils that plague mankind. Its roots begin to grow in early childhood at a time when so many wrong ideas are instilled in children's minds.
The fear complex, which gradually takes hold of children, and the ominous influence it exercises on their whole lives should be blamed on certain ridiculous fairy-tales involving goblins, werewolves and other fabrications.
It is the duty of everyone who is responsible for children to, during the process of their education, fight everything that may contribute to make them shy or fearful. Of course extremes that may lead to want of foresight and recklessness should like wise be avoided.
To live effectively means to live fully in the proper sense, i.e., to take good care of one's physical and mental health, to share actively mankind's common effort to improve the world's conditions and always to conduct oneself in a disciplined, methodical, orderly manner.
Man should respect himself and his fellow men. A dignified earthly existence that is well adjusted to the common well-being is inconceivable without respect.
Respect must exist between parents and children, husband and wife, brothers and sisters and generally speaking, between individuals. Nothing is more harmful, more contaminating, more destructive of the feeling of friendship than lack of respect. In no way does intimacy forego respectful treatment.
To treat one's fellow man without respect reveals lack of moral principles and is equivalent to indignity. And in order to be treated with respect and consideration, man needs to follow an irreprehensible pattern of conduct at all times.
ZEAL AND WORK
Fulfilment of any task requires zeal, devotion and concern in obtaining the best possible results. Examples, however, should be set from above, since only those who know how to fulfil their duties have the moral authority to make demands.
Carelessness in the performance of a job hurts the character, tarnishes the individual and lowers one's reputation in the eyes of other people. Those whose activities are characterised by negligence, laxity and slackness err against themselves.
Human work, although it may sometimes appear isolated, is overall co-ordinated, and everyone plays a part in it. Those who perform their share poorly reveal negative qualities and lack of a sense of responsibility.
In order to make the best use of time, everyone should plan their work intelligently so that each task is carried out at the right moment. Work, recreation and rest are three equally important prerequisites of physical and spiritual well-being.
Everyone should follow a time table that best suits his conveniences and the demands of work but should not neglect rest and recreation.
Only in this way will he find pleasure in work, benefit in rest and joy in recreation. These factors will contribute to his good health and well-being.
INTEGRITY
Integrity should be the constant concern of every incarnate spirit. Man will profit greatly is in each existence on earth he will succeed in polishing at least one of the many facets of this valuable moral treasure.
Man's spirit will never reach the final point of earthly incarnations until the highest level of integrity is attained.
This world is not lacking in cunning ways of providing profitable, but dishonest situations.
In the presence of these situations, the weak always surrender. The strong resist, those who resist win, and victory strengthens man. Truly righteous men are formed by the sum of these victories. However, it should be understood that one's moral behaviour is not to be evaluated simply on the basis that he has not sold his conscience. More than that is needed. It is necessary to feel life in all its grandeur and fullness. The truly righteous are those who - in addition to being honourable - are just, dignified, loyal, brave, and always willing to contribute to the well-being of mankind.
REASONING
The reason why so many wrong things are done on Earth is because man does not take the trouble to reason at length before acting in order to be able to foresee the consequences. Human reasoning becomes sharper the more it is exercised.
Due to self-indulgence, lassitude, mental laziness, many people leave to others the task of reasoning and then accept the ideas of others as if they were their own.
Hence the sectarian movements, composed of numerous followers, always inclined to believe what others believe or pretend to believe, no matter how absurd that belief may be. This is true especially in the ample and deceitful filed of mysticism where spiritualistic investigation of truth is not allowed.
Using the insight for research derived from reason, it is not difficult to distinguish the rational from the absurd, the logical from the illogical, right from wrong, and to find the path that will firmly lead man to Truth.
ATTRACTING GOOD, REPELLING EVIL AND FULFILLING ONE'S DUTY
Besides other powers, man is endowed with the power of intuition. This quality is more receptive and more developed in some people than in others.
With its help, disincarnate spirits that wander in Earth's atmosphere is a disturbed condition (in this book generically referred to as Inferior Astral) interfere with the lives and thoughts of the incarnate spirits. Thus they lead them to the worst actions, and even to obsession, unless they react through reasoning that is set in motion by self-awareness.
Calls for help against such influences, addressed to hypothetical gods and saints, are completely useless. Such calls are usually made by those who are ignorant of the basic, fundamental principles of Universal Life: attraction and repulsion, action and reaction, cause and effect.
Man, therefore, needs to know the power of thought, the power of will, the psychic force of attraction which can be exercised for both good and evil purposes, depending on the nature of the thoughts that impel it. Man consequently needs to know the ways and means at his disposal in order to attract good and repel evil.
Only the ignorant will choose materialism, religious or not - which has led mankind to so many failures - in lieu of the spiritualizing truth so clearly consubstantiated in the rational principles set forth in this book.
Man should always be aware of his material and moral duties.
Life demands from every individual, at every turn, an attitude, a gesture, a word which translates into fulfilment of a duty.
Fulfilment of duty means honesty, self-respect, dignity, a high moral level and enlightened awareness.
Every fulfilled duty represents settlement of an obligation, a step forward, one more point scored on the way to evolution.
Man should be always on the alert, watchful, mindful of his duties, bearing in mind that whatever obligations he fails to fulfil in one incarnation will unfailingly be accumulated in subsequent incarnations.