The Astral World—Higher Occult Powers: Clairvoyance, Spiritism, Mediumship, and Spirit-Healing Fully Explained — John Shaqi
The Astral World—Higher Occult Powers: Clairvoyance, Spiritism, Mediumship, and Spirit-Healing Fully ExplainedTiffany, Joel
Religion
The Astral World—Higher Occult Powers: Clairvoyance, Spiritism, Mediumship, and Spirit-Healing Fully Explained
Tiffany, Joel
Spiritualism
When it is desired to ascertain whether we belong to the first or the
second sphere—to the sphere of Gehenna or Paradise—we need only to
determine the quality of the affection that rules in us, to see whether
it be looking mainly to our own gain, or whether we rise above self and
go out to seek the well-being of man. We sometimes mistake, thinking
that we love a man himself, when we love his influence or society,
because by it we think we can be elevated in our social condition. We
ought, therefore, to be careful in trying ourselves to know to which
plane of affection we belong, lest some of these considerations outside
of the individual influence us, lest that we mistake for love that
which, proved by the true standard, will appear to be selfishness and
lust.
When one possesses a love for the well-being of all, he is willing to
contribute liberally and freely of his strength and talent for the
redemption of all, and has an unwillingness to be found at any time as
the representative of that idea which would tend to degrade or crush
any human being. There is no being so low in the scale of humanity as
to be beneath his efforts to raise him up; and if the tyrant should
stand upon the neck of the weak, his impulse is to push that tyrant
off and break away the captive’s chains, because he can not see his
brother fettered without feeling fettered himself—can not see the
humblest human being outlawed without seeing all humanity insulted.
The individual who has not seen enough of the dignity of the nature of
humanity to fulfill the duty he owes to universal humanity, has not
yet come to the true plane of charity, is not qualified to occupy a
high position in this second sphere.
I might illustrate in a variety of ways how it is that man apologizes
to himself for being selfish. Here is a constitution, and there a law,
and there a public sentiment demanding that a human being should be
crushed; and he turns his back to humanity and God and bows to the
Constitution. Such a man has not the love of humanity in his bosom; he
loves that which is respectable and strong, and which may be of service
to him under particular circumstances. But the individual who can be a
Judas and can sell the Lord in the shape of his brother—can betray him
with a kiss and sell him for thirty pieces of silver, whatever may be
his profession—belongs to the lowest grade of humanity. Here is a truth
that every soul must affirm. It honors the man that honors humanity,
and despises the man that despises humanity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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