Reaching For The Light ... p. 39

LIFE’S PURPOSE

In the struggle for personal identity, that we may come to know our purpose in life, we do battle on two fronts: that of freeing ourself from mundane social norms while at once striving for spiritual enlightenment.

In the one instance the singular pursuit of worldly ways is revealed for its emptiness, while the struggle for spiritual enlightenment can but lead to inner Peace and Harmony of mind, body and soul.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 38

AGENT FOR GOOD

In coming to know our own true spiritual self we are doubly blessed: we as well become an AGENT FOR GOOD, able to show others the Way.

It follows, not unexpectedly, that selfless giving to others is life-giving for all.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 37

THE STILL SMALL VOICE

Those who themselves have heard that “… still small voice …” (I Kings 19:11-12) know that God speaks to us. And so it was when, on each of three successive days, the words “God is my soul” were heard uttered: spiritual enlightenment made large; no less than a life-changing experience.

The soul—that which gives Life and is Life beyond the body—is the source of inner harmony and of all else that defines our humanity. When the soul is allowed to play its proper role in life whereby thoughts of the mind become those of God’s divine Goodness and Love, we experience a spiritual transcendence to become one with God. Only thus may we serve both God and our fellow-man through Truth and Purity of soul.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 36

THE GIFT of LIFE

To the extent we allow ourself to be held captive by our own body consciousness, oblivious of our true spiritual Being, we are as the blind leading the blind: aught that is good can come of it.

The Gift of Life is given, not that we be all things to all people, but that we may be and do all that God is. By its very nature we have a duty to honour that which we have been given. We alone, in the presence of God, must, in all reverence, surrender to His care that we may work out our own salvation.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 35

HUMAN WONDERMENT

Largely unbeknownst even to ourself, we are a creature of wonderment: would that we recognized our divinely spiritual nature — that which God has given us; that which is Life itself.

We hear a voice within, instinctively knowing it to be the soft, though declarative, voice of God. Through intuition and understanding we sense another’s unexpressed emotion; we alone silently putting words to it. Such inborn transcendent traits, when understood and acted upon, affirm our humanity.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 34

IN GOD’S LIKENESS

Even a well-earned sense of complacency in life should at best be viewed as but a temporary resting place: more to be feared than favoured.  

That God is a living presence within us requires more than that of resting on our laurels; more than mere profession of faith. We must as well actively declare His presence, “doing unto others as we would have them do unto us.”

Reaching For The Light ... 33

COME UNTO ME

As we turn our heavy-ladened thoughts to God humbly asking His help, a lightness of Being bestirs our very soul, making ever more real His call,

"Come unto me ... for my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Thus are we awakened in His divine Light, forever enfolded in His Goodness and His Love.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 32

GOD'S TIME

Emboldened by thoughts of selfless love, we dare to ask ourself: "Why is it that we habitually impose on ourself societal customs relating to TIME?" Not the ordinary 
day-to-day time constraints common to all, but time in a much broader sense; the limitless time of the universe.

Our concern in this respect, quite rightly, should be for our Higher Self--the immortal soul. Here, as ever, mind is the determining factor, harbouring thoughts that both limit our humanity and those that uplift, freeing us to be all that God intends for us.

Going within, we give thanks to God for spiritual enlightenment consciously rejecting man's construct of time, and instead paying homage to GOD'S TIME for all of nature--a spiritual never-never land. Such incorporeal thought lightens the burdens of the soul, puts a smile on our face and adds greatly to our overall well-being.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 31

HUMANITY

Our HUMANITY is forged in the fellowship of others and in the crucible of God's abiding Love.

Whereas human relationships rightly reflect our own character, our relationship with God is one of intimacy, fueled by selfless Love and an earnest desire on our part to know God.

In humbly reaching out to God in prayer we are transformed. Our true spiritual nature is revealed, and with it a joyful lightness of Being; wasteful pursuits a thing of the past.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 30

LAWS of NATURE

The ORDER that obtains within the fathomless reaches of the universe, including all things worldly, bears on and affords insight into the natural HARMONY of life; that is to say, we, like all else, are subject to the Supreme Being's laws of nature.

Being made in the spiritual image of God, we possess within our immortal soul His Purity, His Goodness and His Love. That worldly pursuits tend to obscure the divine Light of the soul, thereby rendering us fallible Beings, cannot negate the Truth of God's abiding Grace.

Our True Self will nonetheless ever elude us until we reclaim our natural harmony by unveiling God's wondrous Life and Light of the soul. Truth alone is the key to salvation.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 29

TRUE BEING

Our TRUE BEING - our Divinely Spiritual Self - is made less mysterious and easier to understand if we but visualize it as being separate from the Body; this despite the fact Immortal Soul and Mortal Body are intertwined and dependent on each other for harmonious well-being.

Truth, the first principle and manifestation of God's Love and Goodness, must ever be our guidepost.

Truth is the foundation of our Being; a manifestation of our own spirituality. It is the catalyst which enables the transcendence of mortal mind into the realm of God's immortal presence; that which sets us free.

To stray from Truth and become lost in the ways of the world is a condition too well-known and results in aught but sorrow. The way back is found in zealous abidance with Truth and an unwavering pursuit to rediscover our True Being.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 28

TRUTH and HONESTY

TURMOIL of the mind is eased with the spiritual salve of the soul. Truth and Honesty light the way out of the darkness of despair to set us on our spiritual pathway. Our true inner self is revealed; intuitively we have found our way. God's presence, though all but imperceptible, is nonetheless both real and growing.

Life's CORNERSTONE has been restored and we can begin the rebuilding of a life hitherto lost. With Truth and Honesty as our abiding precepts, no less an awareness of God's ever-present Love, the work is made light.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 27

HARMONY

It is not enough merely to strive for HARMONY of mind, body and soul: we must attain it if ever we are to truly know ourself. Although the very concept may bewilder the mind, reconciliation of these seemingly disparate entities holds no mystery.

As with all else in life, HEALING begins in the mind. Uplifting thoughts, thoughts of love, become the elixir which exalts the soul and reveals our divine spirituality. In such a state of spiritual transcendence, mind is freed of the shackles of artful behaviour. In all humility, inner peace and enlightenment suffuse the very soul.

A new-found understanding, soon to become habit, lets us become reacquainted with our natural, our true God-given self.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 26

HABIT

HABIT is defined as "an acquired behaviour pattern;" one that plays a prominent role in our life. To be sure habits, for the most part, are innocuous. Those, however, which endanger our well-being demand to be questioned. In blindly submitting to self-imposed rules of behaviour, no less those unconsciously assumed, we impair our ability to judge both right and wrong.

Doing things out of habit, never questioning our motives, tends to absolve our behaviour: Be it right or wrong, we will have failed to subject it to the crucible of honesty and truthfulness.

Honesty and Truthfulness, ever our TOUCHSTONE, enable us to know both who we are and our purpose in life; personal traits that install self-respect and honour our worth.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 25

OUR HIGHER SELF

A TRAIT all too common is that of dreading what others think of us. What is worse, we tend to transfer our own insecurities and feelings of inadequacy to the thoughts of others. Such thoughts are hurtful, serving only to demean us. These we must be quit of.

Our true Being, our Higher Self, lies within. It is this, our divinely spiritual self with which we must commune. As ever, we go within unselfishly imploring God's Grace.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 24

ATTITUDE

When all is said and done, it is attitude, how we view the world and our role in it, that determines how we value ourself. To our great misfortune we all too often allow our worth to be determined by worldly thoughts of the mind, when our true worth stems from our Higher Self, our immortal life-giving soul.

It is a fool's choice to be all things to all people. Our primary concern is to honour that which is uniquely ours, our God-given self. In the doing we as well pay homage to the worth of others. We are of no use to ourself, much less others, if our footing is on shifting sands. Without fail, honesty and truthfulness must be our abiding companions.

No matter our good intentions; no matter how hard we try, bodily ills cannot be overcome by human will power. It takes God's Higher Power that is ever present within us. It is God's will alone that obtains: we have but to acknowledge His Love and surrender to His Will that He may work His wondrous ways: ways that salve the very soul, bringing us ever closer to Him.

The oft-quoted aphorism, "To thine own self be true," embodies within itself the insightful truth that suffuses throughout our very Being. Truth is an antidote to the turmoil of the mortal mind, helping to keep us grounded and to come to know ourself.

The sky all but opens up to us in that magically tranquil moment when, from out of our unconsciousness, we rightly sense that MIND imbued with the power of our Higher Self alone conquers all.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 23

A LIFETIME of PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ... and providential guidance has given me a deep sense of inner peace and love for my fellow-man.

How then to deal with the MIND that we may allow God's divine presence to be made known? The answer: GO within in search of our own spirituality.

Our Spiritual Nature, that is to say our Higher Self, is the true essence of Being, wherein lies aught but Goodness and Love. In all humility, we commune with our Higher Self, firstly, by rejecting mundane-ofttimes harmful-thoughts and instead having those of Love for ourself and others. Ever looking for the good in others, we come to know peace within, and with it an abiding sense of self-worth.

Garry D. Kilbourn

Reaching For The Light ... p. 22

OUR SPIRITUAL EYE

A life governed by the dictates of the world; one fraught with lingering emptiness and acute disquiet, is a life unacquainted with its own spiritual inner Being.

We are, without question, spiritual Beings. An apt definition of Spirit, affirmed in our own time, is that given by Samuel Johnson in his Dictionary of the English Language, published in April, 1755, i.e., "Spirit is intellectual power distinct from the body."

The term "intellectual power" is used in this sense has to do with our innate capacity to sense by way of intuitive spiritual perception God's presence: in essence, an enlightened intellect becoming our "spiritual eye." Such enlightenment quiets the mind, affords a sense of deep inner peace and, most importantly, allows us to begin life anew secure in our own goodness and self-love.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 21

FINDING  OUR  WAY

We well know that ours is a uniquely personal journey; each in his own way midst the tumult of life. Even so, it is not a journey to be taken alone. We are by nature social Beings, driven to engage in relationships with others. And, not to be overlooked, we are first and foremost, spiritual Beings.

How to balance this trio of interdependent forces - and balance them we must - such that we achieve our own identity, is vital to our well-being, no less our purpose.

This Elysium process, whereby we enter into a state of perfect happiness, begins and ends by our going within and, in all humility, asking God to show us the Way.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 20

MIND Holds the Key

The mighty waterfall stands in awe of the untold power of Mind; albeit a Mind made pedestrian through countless millennia of human conduct.

Mind holds the key  to who we are. Our role is to peel away the mists of time that cloak our true identity, and to reveal Mind's spiritually Higher Power.

Whilst in a state of meditation or prayer, the first person "I," or ego, must surrender to God's unselfish Love: a Love for ourself and others.

God's all-empowering presence transcends human thought: spiritual Mind speaks the Truth of our Being.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 19

The Soul Revealed

Of a certainty, we are, each one of us, unlike any other. As such, it behooves us to be none other than that one person God means us to be. Though never easy, our foremost challenge in life is to acknowledge who we are and to love ourself.

That which is seen by others--no less so by ourself--is not our true Being. Truth, ever our guidepost, is not of the body but of the soul; each a child of God in His own spiritual image.

In thus honouring our true Being, all the while giving thanks to God, we experience a wondrous harmony of mind, body and soul, to know peace within. A new-found selflessness that reflects the divine light of the soul enables us, in all humility, to love and to give freely of ourself to others. Only thus do we come to know and love ourself.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 18

THE LIGHTNESS 
of BEING

Time alone should be seized upon for reflection and study. Freed from the bustle of everyday life, we are enabled to go within and to question the societal mores that influence our thinking and shape our life.

Such moments of deep quietude tend to awaken our recumbent soul, the very essence of Life. We come to sense a wondrous lightness in our new-found Being: Truth and Honesty become our providential guideposts.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 17

Truthfulness, Selflessness 
and Humility

Letting what goes on around us to pattern our behaviour is a violation of our sense of self. Granted, we are by nature Social Beings, with a need to love and be loved. First and foremost, however, we are highly individual, blessed with personal traits ours alone to treasure, to develop and to share with others.

Daily interaction with others is made easy when our thoughts, our speech and our behaviour reflect our true inner values; values freed from the nemesis of materialism. Such values have only to be revealed, ever there to be taken up and used. They have their genesis in Truthfulness, Selflessness and Humility, character traits which exalt our very soul.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 16

SPIRITUALITY of the MIND

Quieting the turmoil of the mind that we may come to know peace within is a solitary journey; one of perseverance and faith. Having others of like mind around us may provide a welcoming sense of fellowship and bolster our determination to resolve the dilemma, but we alone are accountable.

As is ever the case when seeking Truth, the answer lies in becoming still and going within to nourish with our own spirituality the mind become enlightened.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 15

LOVE and BE LOVED

Demonstrably a part of the human condition, we share with all others the need to love and to be loved. Here, we speak not of a love likened to, and stemming from, the intemperate passions of the body, but of the Love embedded within the soul; part and parcel of our very Being: immortal, life-giving Love. This is the divine Love that cannot be denied; Love that forever sustains us. To know it fully, we must first love ourself, that we may love and be loved. It means going within to face up to that which gives rise to our disquiet. In the end, as with all else in life, it is simply a matter of being honest with ourself.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 14

OVERCOMING SELF-DOUBT

Self-doubt is a state of mind inhibiting our ability to become the person we are meant to be; a blight to be got rid of.

We begin by acknowledging we are each one of us God's child, possessed of His Goodness and Love. Giving thanks to God throughout the day, in time, frees us from thoughts holding us down; thoughts if allowed to take hold in the mind shatter our self-confidence while at once reinforcing self-doubt.

Being in the presence of God is transformative: We become a new person, ever looking for the good in others and ever giving freely of ourself with love.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 13

I am worthy; I have value; I Am GOD'S CHILD

Thus do I proclaim, while at once giving thanks for spiritual enlightenment. This is made true when, with humble reverence, I talk with God. Cognizant that He knows my needs, I ask only that His will be done.

I know that God has answered my prayer when I am overwhelmed with a sense of inner peace and love of my fellow-man. Through faith, all is well.

We are, each one of us, God's child: It is He who gives us Life; it is He who is our Life. God is within and everywhere around us. His Goodness and His Love abide within us. The terms "Higher Self" and "Higher Power" are but endearing euphemisms for God.

To our great misfortune, our day-to-day busyness skews us from God's munificence which, if embraced, would free us from life's many travails. To our great good fortune, it is ever within our power to find our way back and to rediscover God's Grace.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 12

THE WELCOMING CHRIST

We experience a deep sense of comfort when, through prayerful meditation, we draw upon the healing power of the enlightened mind; a mind transformed with thoughts of God, of His Goodness and Love. From within we sense our long-veiled soul revealed; our spiritual self at one with God.

We see, and are at once suffused in a pure all-enveloping Light, and within the Light, the welcoming Christ Spirit: All is well, we are become whole.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 11

MAN   IN  NATURE

It is a matter of no little consequence to acknowledge that mankind, in company with all other animate creatures and the whole of nature, is not “a fortuitous concurrence of atoms.”⁽¹⁾  Quite the opposite in fact, for such concurrence is governed by the immutable laws of nature; those of perfect harmony.  Were such a pristine state to obtain in our own life and in that of all mankind, ‘twould be life lived by the golden rule. Such not being the case, however, it is incumbent upon each one of us to reclaim the goodness and the love lost through life’s many travails, and to share a new-found sense of well-being with others.  It but requires an awareness of our present state, together with a sincere desire to change. We begin our journey by refusing to allow mundane thoughts to linger in our mind, instead replacing them with thoughts of self-love, all the while looking for the good in others.  It is a wondrously transformative experience: one that reacquaints us with our own divine spirituality.

                                 

⁽¹⁾H.P. Blavatsky “The Secret Doctrine,” Vol. 1, p.viii.

Reaching For The Light ... p. 10

TRANSCENDENTAL

THOUGHT

Life becomes better when we face up to that which gives rise to our unhappiness. Such uplifting thought at once eases the mind and awakens our instinct for survival; that which reaches beyond human will and touches upon our own spirituality. It is this mystic duality of interaction: mind becoming one with divine life-giving soul that is alone our earthly salvation.

Without conscious transformation of the mind into a higher spiritual state, resolutions based solely on transitory thought are devoid of foundation and are but empty promises.