THE AFTER LIFE NO MONEY DIFFICULTIES and NO TROUBLES ABOUT RELIGIOUS DOCTRINE by STANLEY DE BRATH, M.I.C.E
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Light, October 15, 1936 Jt fffnntal ai spiritualism, fJsnrljirai (Bmtlt anir Jltpstiral ilrsearrlj 3Totm&iii in 1881. No. 2910. VOL. LVI. (Registered as THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1936 a Newspaper) PRICE TWOPENCE THE AFTER LIFE NO MONEY DIFFICULTIES AND NO TROUBLES ABOUT RELIGIOUS DOCTRINE By STANLEY DE BRATH, M.I.C.E. J ASKED my Unseen Friend, “ What is your religion and He said, in the plainest manner, that all life comes on your side of life?” She answered: "W ell, in from the Father in heaven. the sense of a cult and a creed, such as you have on Our scientists admit that they do not know whence earth, we have none. By this I do not mean that we comes Life. The Church takes only human life into do not recognise the Almighty and All-merciful God consideration. If both would realise that all life comes who has directed, and still directs, the evolution of from God and is spread abroad over earth, air, and this and all other worlds from the depths of Space seas, they would find solution to their doubts, and would and Time, for we do. His Love surrounds us here like forbear speculations whether it comes from an aerolite (!) an atmosphere, but we do not define Him ; and ‘ Love ’ or from chemical action in Matter. means infinitely more than the word signifies with I was told by the Teacher brought by my friend, you. It is less personal affection than accord with that the soul of man, standing intermediate between evolutionary law, though personal affection is not spirit and body, is the channel of life, and that each excluded; but each must reap as he has sown. We of the three departments into which we divide the human look on the Presence of God in all fife as an obvious unity has life each in its degree. fact, shown by the prevalence of love, which is spread abroad in our world as in yours.” He said: “ Can you not see that the presence of life in our world is the manifestation of the One Life She added: “ Our Lord was constrained by his which originates the life of your world ? Man can only mission to forgo woman’s love. I would as lief not go advance in so far as he complies with the conditions into that. To those who have gone along His path, under which spiritual life is maintained. That is the well and good; there are many to whom it appeals. evolutionary p ath ; and till it is followed, the evils There are others who feel the need of unity with their of which you complain will persist. Hindu Yogis masculine or feminine complements. All are not in and Christian ascetics have invented the most extra the same stage of advancement, by any means; and, ordinary methods to come into contact with the as I have often told you, we do not attempt to legislate Supreme. These efforts begin and end with abnormal for other minds, nor seek for absolute knowledge, developments of one mind, and do not greatly advance which is beyond us as it is beyond you; though we the normal progress of mankind. They are limited to can see, more clearly than you do on earth, that there individuals. I do not know what course they are is no belief that suits all minds, which are in very various pursuing, nor what effect they may have on European degrees of development. Speaking for myself and for thought, but it seems to me that all you have to do is to many who are living in this part of ‘ heaven,’ we are develop what you call Morality, which was summed satisfied to live in Truth and Good-will to all. Those up by Jesus as ‘ Do unto others as ye would that they who have found their mates, work together in unity should do unto you.’ That is the key-note which we of mind for the happiness of others, and find their follow here. Peace and harmony result, as they would rest in mate-hood.” on earth from the same cause. It is agreed that the teaching of Jesus to this effect “ I know, of course, that the prevalence of self-will, has been corrupted on earth by the totally false ideas violence, greed, ignorance, and ambition for temporal of Satan and Hell which were dominant among those dominion, make it not easy to see how that principle to whom He spoke, but His principles are the solution can be applied invariably. All I say is, that till it is of earth’s troubles. applied, there must be dissensions, laws, police, and Again and again He said: " I am come that they eventually War. But this I can say—that modern may have life, and may have it more abundantly ” ; civilisation has reached a point at which you can see O c t o b e r 15, 1936 658 LIGHT that its very existence is imperilled by the development of the means of destruction ; and though Force is still HOME BUILDING necessary for the control of undeveloped people, it THE BEGINNING OF PROGRESS ON THE rests with civilised nations to deal with one another •‘OTHER SIDE” with fairness and consideration. An account oj experiences on the Other Side when “ Individually the task is much easier; all that is upward progress had begun, transmitted by required is honesty and fair-play between man and TV. E. G. Leith (at one time Chief Magistrate at man, and between man and woman. In the long run Calcutta) through the hand of his sister, Miss this would lead to international peace.” A. A. Leith, and quoted, by permission, from the book " The TV ay of the World Worth Living In All this was given me precisely as here reproduced. No alteration has been made except that punctuation | AM in a purer and more lovely land than the one I has been put in. Conflict does not distress them in >vas first thought into ! I came accordingly to a Home, the Unseen as it might if they did not know by experience fiankly speaking, far more attuned to my own purely that, on the transition from this world, a man’s eyes mortal ideas—beautiful—than the one my mother are opened to see that nine-tenths of the conflicts thought suited to my baby life here. of earth are due to the desire for temporalities which I am in a house of little dimension, but of great fair there simply disappear. ness of situation. It is on an eminence of great thought. As she has often told me, they have no money, and It is almost a mountain of great beauty. It is far more therefore all service is rendered freely and unselfishly. beautiful than any mountains, even those I saw in India There is no compulsion, and therefore each reaps as he in Darjeeling. It has many little mounts on its thought has sown. They cannot injure one another in the bodily surface, more mounts than any other mountain I have sense, and therefore they cannot sentence anyone to made acquaintance with. It, first, resembles a great death. There, we soon come to see that service freely hill of verdure. And right on its most mountainous rendered—whether by study of the limitless universe, summit it contains a perfect little Chalet for me. Swiss or of some small part of it, or by individual help to houses have been my resort in times past, but pray do other minds oppressed by ignorance or distress—is not expect me to liken my present abode to one of those the seed of their happiness. They can, if they wish, pretty wooden little things. do nothing; and then the penalty of selfishness falls I can assure you my Home has greater things in it upon them—they do not grow. There is no Time as than any Swiss Chalet of old earth. wc understand it, and therefore there is no hurry, but Good people here use us to be able to talk about earth all permanent happiness lies in growth and development. with, and when I tell my beautiful Guide to listen to They have extended faculties, notably that they can what I remember about Switzerland, she smiles a lovely intuitively perceive the real character of all who come smile of pure delight and says softly : “ Please tell me over, so they form no friendships based on false ideas more about those kind of homes, ours are so delightful of one another, for they can “ see thought.” We have and realistically beautiful, that I can hardly believe that here an elementary form in what we call " thought- you would prefer yours ! ” transference.” There, it is moral, rather than No, my beautiful Guide is right, I do not prefer them. intellectual, perception. With many it is well- Who could ! You understand that my Home is the developed. outcome of my own experiences. I am actually the They are not troubled by any doctrine, whether of architect of my house and field. Contrast that remark Reincarnation or any other, for they know that when, able idea with the facts of your houses. They are or if, a spirit returns to earth, he does so of his own will. simply built for anyone who takes it into their head to My friend has no desire to return to the conditions buy them, unless they are engineers of their own fancies of earth-conflict, for she knows its futility.