Choosing Your DestinyThe Will to Change

Pathwork Guide Lecture No. 3 | April 09, 1957

Greeting in the na!e o" God. # $ring %ou God& $leing, !% dear one.
'hen an entit% undertake to incarnate into another li"e on earth, it $ring to it the tak it ha to
"ul"ill( the plan i outlined. And in !an% cae the pirit itel" ha the right to dicu it "uture li"e
with thoe pirit $eing whoe reponi$ilit% thi i) thu the incarnating entit% can contri$ute*to a
certain e+tent, according to it alread% ac,uired -iion and capacit% to .udge *a to how it detin%
will un"old. /or in the pirit tate the entit% ha a wider -iew than in the $od% and undertand that
the purpoe o" li"e i not to ha-e it a co!"orta$le a poi$le, $ut to de-elop toward a higher tate,
to reach per"ect $li a rapidl% a poi$le*a tate that doe not e+it on earth. 0he pirit know
that onl% through piritual e""ort can it piritual knowledge penetrate it intellect( $ut a a pirit it
alo know that it cannot eail% achie-e thi, and that, once incarnated, di""icultie, tet, and e-en
o1called diater are o"ten necear% to lead one to the right path and the right attitude.
2e!or% "ade auto!aticall% the !o!ent !atter en-elop the pirit. 0hi i eential, "or piritual
awarene ha to $e "ought "or, and thi can happen onl% when one take the trou$le to earch
within the el"*not onl% outide and in general ter!*"or God and the truth o" 3reation. 4nl%
within one& own oul can one recogni5e the -er% pecial !eaning and purpoe o" one& li"e,
together with the indi-idual tak that one ha to "ul"ill. 6owe-er, thoe who contantl% allow
the!el-e to $e i!preed $% the outward apect o" li"e on earth loe thi inner !eaning, and
o!eti!e the% ha-e to go through li"e a"ter li"e without !uch progre, incarnating again and
again "or the a!e purpoe.
0he pirit know the danger o" earthl% li"e, $ut know alo that i" one li-e li"e in the right wa% "ro!
the piritual point o" -iew, one can de-elop on earth diproportionatel% "ater than in the pirit
world, e+actl% $ecaue it i eaier there. 0he di""icultie on earth are !ainl% connected with !atter
and all that thi i!plie. 0hi i o partl% $ecaue the !e!or% ha $een e+tinguihed and need to
$e regained, and partl% $ecaue !atter contain o !uch te!ptation. 4nl% thoe who o-erco!e
thee di""icultie can win and !ake the $et o" their li-e on earth. 0he pirit a$out to $e incarnated
know that the% need hardhip to hake the! into wake"ulne o that the% do not get i!prioned in
!atter and in all that !atter attract to it. 7e"ore incarnation, there"ore, a pirit !a% ak the higher
$eing) 8# $eg %ou, help !e, not onl% with %our trength and guidance, $ut alo, when %ou ee that #
a! not "ul"illing !% ,uota, end !e tet and trial, "or when thee co!e, # ha-e a $etter chance to
wake up and look at !% li"e "ro! a di""erent point o" -iew than when e-er%thing "unction regularl%
and without "riction, that i, when all !% wihe are alwa% "ul"illed within the cope o" the
poi$le.9
:o it i i!portant "or %ou, !% dear one, to recogni5e that !an% o" the e-ent in %our li"e which
ee! to repeat the!el-e were choen and planned $% %ou when %ou till had %our wider -iion,
$e"ore !atter en-eloped %our pirit. #t will $e help"ul "or %ou to know thi. A -er% a!$itiou pirit
!a% o!eti!e e-en ak "or a particularl% di""icult detin%, knowing clearl% in the tate o" "reedo!
"ro! !atter that the pain to $e u""ered i little and o" hort duration in co!parion to the gain. 0hi
hould gi-e %ou "ood "or thought.
# ugget to each one o" %ou, !% "riend, to think a$out %our li"e and %our trial and tri$ulation.
Ak whether the% could not ha-e $een choen $% %ourel-e to !ake ure %ou do not re!ain
unaware o" o!ething that %ou hould "ul"ill. 3onte!plate "ro! thi -iewpoint what %ou hould
till "ind and ol-e within %ou. #" %ou earch "or it with %our entire will, the anwer will $e gi-en to
%ou, %ou will ene it, %ou will $e gi-en inight. 0hi, too, ha to $e learned( it need practice. ;o
not $elie-e that the a$ilit% to !editate will co!e $% itel". #t need willpower, pere-erance( %ou
ha-e to "ight %our negati-e current. 7ut the reward i great and trul% $li"ul( the e""ort i worth it.
'hen the pirit world recogni5e that a peron doe thi with incere good will, then guidance will
$e gi-en alo "ro! the outide, to help %ou achie-e what %ou intend.
'hen a pirit reali5e a"ter li"e i o-er and it ha dicarded the !aterial hell that it ha not "ul"illed
e-er%thing it had planned, it i o"ten allowed to $ring the pat incarnation to co!pletion in the pirit
tate, to "inih tak alread% $egun and to hed o!e $urden. 4ne can then, a a pirit, continue to
$e in-ol-ed with "a!il% or whate-er group o" people one had intended to acco!plih a tak with,
onl% then it i !uch !ore di""icult. #t i eaier in the ene that clear -iion i retored, the
e+tinguihed !e!or% regained, and one undertand what it i all a$out, $ut it i !ore di""icult
$ecaue the poi$ilit% o" e""ecti-el% working i !uch reduced there.
/or intance, a li-ing peron can in"luence another epeciall% e""ecti-el% $% o-erco!ing hi or her
own "ault. #ndirect in"luence i alwa% e""ecti-e and lating. <+a!ple i alwa% !ore con-incing
than word, peruaion, or "orcing one& will upon the other, no !atter how right or well1intentioned
one i. 0o the degree %ou o-erco!e %our own weaknee, a""ir! the piritual law within %ourel",
and learn to lo-e, %ou will get cloer to %our "ellow hu!an where %ou need it. #t !ut $e o
according to piritual law"ulne. 0hi i indirect in"luence, $ut e-entuall% the reult $eco!e
e-ident to e-er%one. 6owe-er, a a dicarnate pirit %ou cannot do thi, "or !ot people are not
open to recei-e what a pirit i tr%ing to con-e% through inpiration( e-en when the% percei-e it,
the% o"ten !iinterpret or "orget it, o it i !uch !ore di""icult and take !uch longer "or an%one a
a pirit to "inih the tak $egun on earth*i" it can $e acco!plihed at all. 4ne !a% till need
another earth li"e "or thi purpoe.
0hu e-er% hu!an $eing and e-er% pirit erect the world in which he or he li-e. =ou $uild %our
ho!e in the pirit world a"ter %our li"e on earth, and %ou $uild %our "uture li"e on earth. <-er% act,
thought, "eeling ha it "or!, which then $uild the piritual ho!e*e-en though onl% te!poraril%
*a well a the detined e-ent o" the "uture incarnation. All thi repreent not onl% the natural
outco!e o" the peron& indi-idual attitude and outlook, $ut the piritual "or! o contructed
indicate e+actl% what thi entit% need "or it "urther de-elop!ent.
2editate on thee word, "or the% contain !uch. 0he% again e+e!pli"% that the e,uation !ut
alwa% co!e out right) hardhip i el"1created, %et preciel% $ecaue o" that, it contain the onl%
!edicine there i. 0hrough thi %ou can "atho! the -atne o" di-ine wido! in it !agni"icent
law"ulne. 'hoe-er undertand thi, will alo undertand that detin% and "ree will are not two
!utuall% e+clui-e "actor, $ut are interwo-en and connected. 0he e-ent that "ate $ring to %ou are
piritual "or! which ha-e to !ani"et in a concrete wa%. #" through ignorance o" thee law
un"a-ora$le "or! are created, each $eing ha to diol-e the! hi!el", and thi can happen onl% $%
entering a piritual path o" inner dicipline, el"1knowledge, and el"1earch.
/or all thi, !% dear one, %ou need willpower. 2an% o" %ou, !% "riend, will a%) 80hat& all -er%
well, $ut one peron i $orn with a trong portion o" willpower, and another i not. :o how can
o!eone who han&t got an% willpower !ake ue o" it>9 Let !e e+plain.
'illpower, .ut a an% other ,ualit%, ha to $e engendered and $uilt up $% %ourel". #t cannot $e
otherwie. A peron $orn with a trong will !ut ha-e worked to ac,uire it o!e ti!e in the pat, o
he or he could $ring thi -alua$le poeion*i" # !a% call it that*along, and now it can $e put to
good ue. #" thi ha not happened %et, work "or it in thi incarnation. 0he a!e hold true "or all the
other ,ualitie, whether it i the capacit% to lo-e, to ha-e tolerance, kindline, or an%thing ele. And
# would like to how %ou how each one o" %ou can ac,uire willpower. /or God ne-er ak "or the
i!poi$le "ro! an%one, !% dear one, e-er.
'illpower i a direct reult o" undertanding, o" knowledge, and o" the correponding deciion. /or
e-er% hu!an $eing ha a certain a!ount o" trength, and it i entirel% up to hi! or her in what
direction to channel it. 2an% people wate thi trength either in uele e""ort which $uild nothing
that i o" piritual -alue, or the% gi-e o-er to ick, unpuri"ied e!otional current. 0hee ue up
!uch energ%. #t i %et another piritual law that energ% ued "or pirituall% poiti-e goal i alwa%
replenihed. 7ut when %our trength i caught up in negati-e circle o" pirituall% unproducti-e
current, it get depleted and wated, $ecaue it cannot $e renewed, at leat not u""icientl%.
0hi i wh% %ou o o"ten ee that people who do a lot o" good ee! to ha-e uperhu!an trength.
0hoe who know what li"e i all a$out will channel the energ% at their dipoal wiel% and reet the
inner witche accordingl%. 'hen one .ut dri"t along, without gi-ing a thought to the true !eaning
o" li"e, !uch o" the energ% will go into "ale channel and thu $e ued up without u""icient
renewal. 0hu the "irt tep toward willpower i thinking, or, a %ou alo call it, !editation, in the
right wa%. 7ecaue "or o!eone who ha gained a certain undertanding, it will $e eaier to draw
the rele-ant inner concluion and to !ake the outward deciion that "ollow "ro! the!.
#t i a deciion and an inner reorientation when a peron can a%) 8'ell, # li-e here on earth "or a
certain reaon. 2a%$e # lack the willpower to "ul"ill the purpoe o" !% e+itence a well a it could
$e poi$le $% o-erco!ing all !% reitance, $ut # will ak God "or thi willpower, "or $aicall% #
do want what i good, # do lo-e God. And # will take the ti!e and the little e""ort to re"lect upon
thee thing and open !%el" to di-ine enlighten!ent and de-ote regularl%, dail%, a$out twent% to
thirt% !inute to !% piritual li"e. And when # "ind that at "irt # till lack the willpower, then # will
take thi pro$le! into !% !editation, into !% dialogue with God and with 3hrit, who i there to
help !e, and with !% pirit helper who are alo waiting to ait !e in cae # "ul"ill the condition
to recei-e teaching, to gain inight, and thu to help !% till weak willpower to grow.9
<-er%$od% can do that. 0hi !uch willpower, thi !uch el"1dicipline i a-aila$le to e-er%one. =ou
do not ha-e to tart with what i !ot di""icult( a"ter all, %ou do not tart with the roo" when %ou
$uild a houe, $ut with the "oundation. 0he idea i to hi"t the energ% and the e!phai. 'hen a
peron "inall% !ake thi deciion and a$ide $% it*a deciion that i not too di""icult or too !uch
"or an%one*then the pirit world will alo help to trengthen hi or her willpower, o that the
"urther and actuall% !ore di""icult tep o" de-elop!ent will ee! !uch eaier. # can pro!ie thi to
%ou, !% "riend, and o!e o" %ou can alread% con"ir! that it i o. And thu e-en the peron who
initiall% wa lacking in willpower will, in due coure, ha-e .ut a !uch a thoe who were $orn
with it.
0hoe who undertand what i at take and to what area to hi"t their !ain concentration, and who
$ring thi undertanding "ro! a uper"icial intellectual le-el into deeper le-el, will $e a$le to take
the necear% decii-e tep. #t happen through the regular practice o" the correct !editation, which
o" coure ha to $e learned a part o" thi path. # talked a$out inner deciion in !% lat lecture. 0he
deciion to de-elop %our willpower i uch a deciion, which ha to $e !ade at one ti!e or another.
0o u!!ari5e) 0o o$tain willpower %ou ha-e to, "irt, gain undertanding and, econd, !ake the
deciion that "ollow "ro! it. 0here"ore, i" %ou "eel that %ou do not ha-e enough willpower, %ou lack
the illu!inating undertanding o" what it i all a$out. =e, %ou !a% ha-e a -ague ene o" it, $ut
%our oul i not %et penetrated $% it, !a%$e $ecaue o!ething in %ou reit and cling to the
co!"orta$le, undiciplined old attitude. =ou are then plit inide. 4ne part ha o!e piritual
knowledge, %et the other part doe not draw the concluion "ro! what %ou "eel onl% -aguel%*the
"act i, %ou do not reall% want to know. 0hi i wh% the "irt tep !ut $e to deepen the uper"icial
knowledge, to work on that "irt, o that the whole peronalit% i penetrated $% undertanding.
'hen %ou do thi "irt*and %ou can i" %ou take a little trou$le and ti!e*%ou will certainl% !ake
the deciion and ha-e the willpower to direct %our li"e and %our energie toward the piritual,
recogni5ing and "ull% undertanding that onl% in thi wa% can %ou alo ol-e the pro$le! in %our
earthl% li"e. And thi i how a peron create within the el" uch a power"ul energ% that all the
u$e,uent tep upward on the path will $eco!e eaier and eaier. A alwa%, and in e-er%thing,
the $eginning i the !ot di""icult.
/ro! our perpecti-e, we o"ten o$er-e that people who $elie-e the% do not ha-e enough willpower
would ha-e it i" the% directed the a-aila$le energie into the right channel, i" the% onl% reet the
witch. 7ut onl% the inight into the neceit% o" thi change will !ake %ou act. A long a %ou
decei-e %ourel" into $elie-ing that %ou can !anage without it, %ou will not act $ut a!$le along a
$e"ore. 0he puruit o" a path that ee! co!"orta$le, howe-er, !ean that the relationhip to God i
not entirel% har!oniou. 0here"ore, i" %ou "ind %ourel" in thi ituation, tart thinking a$out God
and 3hrit, intead o" h%ing awa% "ro! uch conte!plation. And %ou will ha-e to ad!it, regardle
o" what e+actl% %ou $elie-e or not $elie-e*au!ing that %ou are not an atheit*that %ou owe
God o!e attention. And %ou can alo gi-e thank to 3hrit "or all that he ha taken upon hi!el"
"or %ou, out o" hi lo-e. All thoe who !editate and re"lect upon thee thing in thi wa% will ha-e
to arri-e at the right concluion and will ha-e to !ake the right deciion, o that their li-e $eco!e
li-ing religion and not .ut a theor%.
;o %ou think that we e+pect too !uch o" %ou> # it too !uch to de-ote a little ti!e and e""ort e-er%
da% to look into %ourel", to "ind the area where o!ething i lacking, o a to i!pro-e %our
piritual awarene> And when the willpower i not there and it i o di""icult to !uter a dail%
dicipline, then, a"ter aking "or help, earch into %ourel" to "ind what it i that hinder %ou o
!uch. #" %ou are a"raid that %ou !ight "ind o!ething that %ou would !uch rather keep $uried, then
%ou will $ene"it "ro! uing i!ple, health% logic, which will tell %ou that nothing can re!ain
hidden "ro! God and the real! o" pirit*and not e-en "ro! %ourel", once %ou return to that
world. And the ooner it ur"ace, the $etter "or %ou and the eaier to deal with. /or %ou know that
what i hidden $ring "ar greater con"lict than what i out in the open, recogni5ed, and integrated.
=our p%chologit know thi, too, o that %ou are ,uite aware o" the "act that %ou gain nothing
when %ou cloe %our e%e to what i in %ou. 0hink a$out thi deepl%, o that the knowledge take
root in %our oul. #t will $e to %our greatet $ene"it.
'hen %ou ha-e o-erco!e the initial di""icultie and ha-e won o!e !ater% o-er %ourel", at leat
in thi repect, then the pirit world will how %ou the ne+t tep on %our path, what ha to $e worked
out and "ought "or. Li"e will preent it to %ou. 'hen %ou ha-e learned to !editate in the right wa%,
%ou will know how to -iew e-er% e-ent o" %our dail% li"e with open e%e, o that %ou undertand it
!eage.
<-en thoe "riend who ha-e o-erco!e the initial di""icultie do not alwa% ue their ,uiet hour in
the $et wa%. 0he% !editate too o"ten in general ter!, alwa% in the a!e wa%, not onl% when
pra%ing "or other people, $ut alo "or the!el-e. =our !editation and pra%er !ut -ar%( %ou need
to ene the ne+t tep o" %our de-elop!ent, and when %ou are not aware o" it, the inight will $e
gi-en i" %ou earch honetl%, turning %our e%e toward what ha to $e recogni5ed, learned,
o-erco!e, and accepted. 0ake the peci"ic pro$le! o" "inding %our path& direction to God and
3hrit, and to %our peronal pirit "riend who are o cloe to %ou and whoe tak it i to help %ou
with it. #n thi wa% %our pra%er will co!e ali-e. 0hen, a"ter %ou ha-e aked "or help to recogni5e
%our pro$le! and "or the trength to ol-e the!, $e till and liten into %ourel", and then think, or
rather let %our thought ur"ace and allow the! to lead %ou intuiti-el%. A"ter a while the connection
will $eco!e clear. =ou will know where the pro$le! co!e "ro!, wh% %ou react the wa% %ou do,
and the increaing awarene o" %our inner current will help %ou ,uite a $it "orward.
Again and again take the reolution to "ace %our inner truth with courage. 3ulti-ate truth"ul
thought( think e-er%thing through clearl%, independentl%. 0hu %our piritual li"e will $eco!e !ore
producti-e, $ecaue it will $e ali-e, and there"ore alo contantl% changing. #t will not $e according
to a rigid "or!ula which i repeated dail%. And o %our relationhip to God will un"old toward
har!on%.
0hink a$out !% word, which # wa per!itted to gi-e to %ou toda%. 0he% hould take %ou a little
"urther on %our path. And then we ha-e alo "ul"illed our tak. 'hen # a% 8we,9 # want to !ake it
clear that # a! not the onl% one who i in-ol-ed in thi contact, $ut other pirit "riend participate in
it alo, who ha-e their -er% peci"ic "unction, a it i !% tak to peak to %ou. /or it i not a ea%
to eta$lih uch a contact a %ou !a% think, e-en when the a$ilit% o" tran!iion i preent.
'e pirit who work here re.oice when we ee that thee word $ring %ou a little cloer to God, to
%our real el", to %our happine and to %our inner har!on%. ?ecei-e the $leing o" al-ation, !a%
the% penetrate %ou. Go with God, go in peace. God $e with %ou.