Asking for Help and Helping Others

Pathwork Guide Lecture No. 7 | June 17, 1957

Greetings in the name of God. I ring !ou God"s #essings.
$ach emotiona# reaction, thought, o%inion or tendenc!, e&en the sma##est %ersona#it! trait, is a
#uminous ra! which is in&isi#e to !ou, ut e#ongs &er! %ersona##! to each indi&idua# eing. In the
same wa!, the fi'ed and !et eterna##! mo&ing s%iritua# #aws, which %ertain to e&er! %ossii#it! or
moda#it! of outer or inner reaction, a#so create such #uminous threads. (here&er !our %ersona# ra!s
agree with those of the s%iritua# #aws, !ou fu#fi## !our #ife and !ou are in harmon! and #iss.
(here&er %ersona# ra!s de&iate from s%iritua# #aws, !ou find !ourse#f in disharmon!. )his causes
the difficu#ties which !ou so often, and so erroneous#!, e#ie&e to e #ows dea#t to !ou ! fate. )he
more !ou remo&e !ourse#f from the roots of the difficu#ties ! co&ering them u% and %ushing them
into the unconscious, the more difficu#t it wi## e to %ercei&e the connections and to disso#&e, or %u##
out, the f#awed roots. If !ou wish to e ha%%!, !ou ha&e to go to the f#awed roots within !ourse#f.
)his *radica#+ a%%roach, this going to the roots is the %ath of %erfection or %urification, or the
hea#ing of the sou#,whate&er !ou ma! ca## it. -ou who seek contact with God"s wor#d for this
%ur%ose,and without this contact %urification is not %ossi#e,wi## recei&e the greatest su%%ort and
guidance and e&er!thing wi## de&e#o% in the est wa! for !ou. -ou wi## indeed e in good hands.
)o fo##ow this %ath, !ou a#so need outside he#% and ad&ice so that !ou can remo&e the first stones
which #ock !our wa! to contacting God"s wor#d. )he %ur%ose of outside he#% is to make inner he#%
%ossi#e, or, to %ut it another wa!, he#% must first come through outer sense %erce%tion to ring
aout autonom! of the inner %erce%tion or intuition. .utside he#% can e gi&en ! a human eing
who has a#read! reached a higher #e&e# on this %ath, or through one of God"s s%irits. /ut outside
he#% is not enough,and it must not e thought to e enough0 it is on#! an im%etus, on#! the seed
which has to ri%en into fruit through !our own work. -ou must achie&e a reakthrough to !our inner
se#f.
-ou know &er! we## that it is not %ossi#e to acce%t something, no matter how i##uminating, ecause
someod! sa!s it is so0 it is es%ecia##! not %ossi#e when there are %ersona#, inner, unconscious
resistances to it. 1## the truths of 2reation, a## the s%iritua# #aws,e&er!thing that humans are at a##
ca%a#e of com%rehending,ha&e to e e'%erienced %ersona##! to ecome genuine inner know#edge
and so e a%%#ied in a %ersona#, %roducti&e wa!. .n#! ! fo##owing such a %ath as this is inner
know#edge and the %ersona# use of it %ossi#e. Insight into an! truth can occur on#! when !ou ha&e
esta#ished %ersona# contact with the wor#d of God, at #east to a degree, and such contact can on#!
come when !ou ha&e achie&ed a reakthrough in !our sou# to the higher se#f.
(hoe&er asks God, *3how me the truth+ and then o%ens himse#f or herse#f to the truth wi## a#wa!s
recei&e an answer. /ut !ou so often do not dare to take this ste%. -ou co&er u% what is most
im%ortant, %ush it aside, and us! !ourse#f with worries and %ett! concerns. -ou forget what is most
essentia#. -et the worries are trif#es, su%erficia#ities, &iewed from the %ers%ecti&e of tota# truth.
3ummon u% !our inner wi## for truth and o%en !ourse#f to it4 1sk God for the recognition of 5is
truth.
If !ou sincere#! wish to %erfect !ourse#f,and therefore first to know !ourse#f,then, as !ou go on,
!ou wi## recei&e the necessar! s%iritua# he#%. It wi## come to !ou in an e&er e'%anding wa!. It wi##
a#ternate etween outside guidance and recognitions and insights which wi## a#so ser&e as answers
and sign%osts.
)he connection with God"s s%irit wor#d is usua##! referred to as mediumshi%. Not e&er!od! has to
ecome a trance medium #ike this medium through whom I s%eak. -et e&er!od! can make contact
in some form with the s%irit wor#d. /e o%en to this. 6o not sa!, I want it in such and such a wa!0
7ust e o%en and free to #etting !ourse#f e guided. )hen guidance wi## come at the time and in the
manner est for !ou. 8uch wi## change in the #ife of the %erson who fo##ows this %ath, who commits
himse#f or herse#f entire#! to God, not on#! in word, ut a#so in action. $ach change wi## come
s#ow#! and natura##!, as if ! itse#f. )hat is what is so wonderfu#. Nothing wi## ha%%en that is
harmfu# or creates disharmon!. /ut !ou ha&e to do !our %art ! sta!ing o%en and e'tending !our
inner antennae, so to s%eak. )he ca%acit! for sta!ing o%en wi## a#so e strengthened.
Now I want to gi&e !ou some genera# instructions. )here are %eo%#e who e#ie&e that something is
right ecause its o%%osite is wrong. 1nd !et oth e'tremes are wrong, %recise#! ecause the! are
e'tremes. 5ere is an e'am%#e9 )he higher a %erson"s de&e#o%ment, the more im%ortant it ecomes
that he surround himse#f with kindred human s%irits so the! can mutua##! he#% and stimu#ate each
other and make the contact %roducti&e. )hese contacts wi## not harm the sou#, as do some contacts,
no matter how innocent the! ma! a%%ear. -et here, too, nothing shou#d e forced. 1sk for guidance,
wi## this guidance, and it wi## come in a much wiser and more wonderfu# wa! than !ou can imagine.
.n#! those who ha&e e'%erienced guidance can know the wonder of it in the de%ths of their sou#.
.n the other hand, %eo%#e who ha&e a#read! achie&ed a higher #e&e# of de&e#o%ment and %ossess
sufficient strength wi##, ecause the! are aware of un%#easant or harmfu# e'%eriences with %eo%#e on
a #ower #e&e#, withdraw from contact with them when the! shou#d rather not. 1 %erson trained in
contact with God"s s%irit wor#d wi## know which re#ationshi%s to kee% and which to gi&e u%. )he
stronger !ou are, the etter grounded in !our %ath, the sma##er the danger that !ou can e harmed !
#esser de&e#o%ed eings, and the greater !our o%%ortunit! to he#% and inf#uence them.
5owe&er, %eo%#e"s first reaction is to do that which is easiest9 those who can sti## e harmed
s%iritua##! through contacts with #ess de&e#o%ed sou#s are usua##! sti## at a stage where these
contacts wi## not e un%#easant to them, and so the! do not wish to gi&e them u%. )he! %ersuade
themse#&es that the! can he#% with what the! ha&e a#read! gained, !et the! are not tru#! ca%a#e of
gi&ing such he#% and wi##, instead, e weakened. :ather, the! ought to seek out contacts which wi##
strengthen them.
.n the other hand, %eo%#e who can no #onger e harmed, for whom these disharmonious contacts
are ut tests through which the! can strengthen themse#&es, are in a state in which these contacts
fee# #ike sacrifice0 the! want contact on#! with kindred s%irits and a&oid those who do not gi&e them
%#easure. )he! are inc#ined to a%%#! what was true for them efore, ut shou#d no #onger a%%#! in
the same wa!, name#!, that contact with %eo%#e of a #ower de&e#o%ment is harmfu#. 5ere one can
sometimes make a mistake ! not fu#fi##ing a task with a weaker fe##ow human eing, when one
cou#d do it. If the sou# of someone who has a#read! %rogressed ;uite far on this %ath is sti## unha%%!,
if there is something that makes it rest#ess des%ite its a#read! accom%#ished s%iritua# work, the cause
cou#d e the a&oidance of an un%#easant contact with someod! one was meant to he#%, the
a&oidance of a sou# with whom one cou#d ha&e fu#fi##ed a task and #earned from it. -ou see, the ru#e
is not a#wa!s the same. )hink aout this when !ou are not entire#! ha%%!0 a&oiding a task with a
%erson of #ower de&e#o%ment ma! e the cause of !our unha%%iness. )he sou# of a high#! de&e#o%ed
%erson is &er! sensiti&e0 a #ack of harmon! is its wa! of te##ing that something is not ;uite right.
5owe&er, do not 7um% to the conc#usion that !ou are necessari#! in the %osition of a higher
de&e#o%ed %erson, 7ust ecause that idea suits !ou and !ou don"t want to gi&e u% contro#.
)he issue is,and !ou can est affirm it !ourse#f,that ;uite often that which !ou e'%erience as
most difficu#t or un%#easant is %erha%s %recise#! where something gets ogged down, where
something is not %ro%er#! hand#ed. )hus it takes awa! from the ha%%iness which cou#d e !ours if
!ou ga&e !ourse#f tota##! to !our %ath and fu#fi##ed !our #ife. -ou might think aout this to%ic
further. $&er!one can #earn from it, ut none of !ou shou#d force themse#&es to act in one wa! or
another. /e read! to e guided to the right action, ask for the he#%, e o%en. )hat is a## !ou need to
do. If, howe&er, !ou are not read! to fo##ow guidance, either in this area or in an! other, !ou cannot
e he#%ed. Peo%#e cou#d e he#%ed so &er! much if on#! the! wou#d o%en themse#&es again and
again to recei&ing he#%. -et the! sim%#! forget to ask for it0 and so often the! do not e&en want to
think aout it. 5ow much ha%%iness, how much #iss the! #ose this wa!4
)he wonderfu# forces and #uminous ra!s of the s%iritua# wor#d are read! to emrace !ou, ut !ou
often make it im%ossi#e ecause !our own ra!s mo&e in a different direction. )he! cannot
harmoni<e with the #uminous threads of the greater rea#it!, and so eneficia# inf#uence and he#%
cannot reach !ou.
1nd now, m! e#o&ed friends, I am read! to answer !our ;uestions.
=>$3)I.N9 I 7ust read a ook ! Prentice 8u#ford which a#most com%#ete#! agrees with !our
teachings, ut there is one thing which I do not com%#ete#! understand. 5e sa!s that one shou#d not
%reoccu%! onese#f with the negati&e, es%ecia##! not with one"s own fau#ts0 such %reoccu%ation
creates more negati&it!. It is enough to identif! the negati&it! and #ea&e it at that. -ou, howe&er,
taught us not on#! to confront our fau#ts, ut a#so to fight them. -et in order to fight them we ha&e
to think aout them e&er! da!. 5ere I find a contradiction etween !our teachings and the ook.
1N3($:9 )here is no contradiction. It is a ;uestion of how to confront fau#ts. 8an! %eo%#e #ike to
wa##ow in their fau#ts, immerse themse#&es in a fa#se gui#t which I ha&e a#read! mentioned se&era#
times. )hese %eo%#e #ament, sa!ing, *I am a sinner. I am so ad. I cannot o&ercome m! sins. 5ow
terri#e that I ha&e this fau#t4+ 1nd whene&er the! encounter it, the! throw themse#&es into the
same un%roducti&e current, thus increasing their gui#t fee#ings. )hese gui#t fee#ings ha&e further
conse;uences and a chain reaction is set in motion. )his kind of %reoccu%ation with one"s fau#ts is
o&ious#! wrong. It not on#! attracts negati&e forces, it is a#so ased on se#f?dece%tion. 3uch %eo%#e
e#ie&e themse#&es to e &er! hum#e, whi#e in rea#it! the! on#! want to take the eas! wa! out !
te##ing themse#&es that e&er!thing is ho%e#ess. )his attitude is fre;uent and it is 7ust as much at a
fa#se e'treme as its o%%osite9 wanting to see onese#f as a#read! %erfect. 1 %erson with s%iritua#
understanding who tries to dissuade !ou from %reoccu%ation with negati&it! means this kind of
%reoccu%ation.
.n the other hand, it is aso#ute#! necessar! on this s%iritua# %ath that !ou #earn to know !ourse#f as
!ou are and to acce%t !our tem%orar! rea#it!. )his does not mean that !ou shou#d %ut !our hands in
!our #a% and not do an!thing, ut that !ou sa! to !ourse#f, *)his is how I am. I ha&e this fau#t. I
know it takes strugg#e, wi##%ower and %atience to eradicate it, ut I can and wi## do so.+ )his is
%roducti&e. @or when !ou #ook c#oser, !ou wi## rea#i<e that the terri#e u%set, the e'aggerated gui#t
fee#ings aout fau#ts and shortcomings, are nothing ut a form of %ride and arrogance. -ou want to
e etter than !ou actua##! are. -ou want to e %erfect without taking the trou#e to ecome %erfect.
(hen !ou ha&e to recogni<e that !ou are sti## im%erfect, !ou fee# de&astated ecause !our &anit! is
wounded. Not to acce%t !ourse#f as !ou sti## are is unhea#th!. (hoe&er fee#s the truth of these words
shou#d think and meditate aout them and new doors wi## e o%ened.
1s I ha&e said so often, it is the how that matters. .nce !ou ha&e come far enough to see !ourse#f
with a## !our fau#ts, de&oid of defensi&eness and fee#ings of disharmon!, as an unin&o#&ed oser&er
wou#d, !ou can ui#d the %ositi&e,and on#! then. @or !ou must ui#d on a foundation of truth. -ou
cannot ui#d on #ies or untruth, and those who do not know themse#&es and their moti&es, either !
not wanting to or through se#f?dece%tion, ui#d on untruth. (hen !ou acce%t ca#m#! who !ou are
7ust now, !ou %ossess true humi#it! which wi## set in motion the forces of transformation from dee%
within. )hen !ou are a#e to see the re&erse, that is the origina# goodness at the root of !our fau#ts.
/! &isua#i<ing the %ositi&e !ou create a new thought form and direct !our wi## toward it.
1s I s%eak to !ou, m! dear friends, aout the %erfection that !ou shou#d stri&e for, !ou ma! imagine
it &ague#! as something to e got from the outside, something !ou do not ha&e in !ourse#&es. )his,
of course, is not so. )he %erfection #ies dormant within !ou dee% down eneath the #a!ers of the
crust, hidden ! !our #ower se#f, ut it is on#! co&ered u%,the %erfection is a#read! in !ou. -ou
need on#! to remo&e the crust, and that is done ! first recogni<ing it, ! acce%ting the thought that
there is a crust that takes such and such a form. .n#! when this is done can the #a!ers of the crust e
thinned out and so a##ow the reakthrough to the higher se#f in those %#aces where !our fau#ts ha&e
so far made it im%ossi#e to esta#ish contact with !our inner %erfection. (hen !ou c#ear#!
understand that %erfection is a#read! in !ou, it wi## e easier to o&ercome the difficu#ties and free
!ourse#f of the fetters of the im%erfections which a#one ro !ou of !our freedom. )hen !ou ha&e to
unfo#d !our #atent inner %erfection. (hen !ou ha&e c#ear#! cr!sta##i<ed !our #ower se#f into definite
form and see it as a foreign od! within the se#f, !ou can egin to ui#d the %ositi&e form toward
which !ou mo&e in the %rocess of se#f?rea#i<ation.
Let us take an e'am%#e. 1 %erson is fighting his se#fishness. )his fau#t is in a#most e&er!od!. 3ome
ha&e it to a greater, others to a #esser degree, one in this form, the other in another, ut e&er!one has
at #east some se#fishness in him or her. 1s at the end of e&er! da! the %erson e'amines his reactions,
he wi## reach, ste% ! ste%, the fo##owing stages9 @irst, he wi## find it &er! hard to recogni<e where
he has een se#fish0 ne't, as he asks more and more to see the truth and as he o%ens himse#f to it, he
wi## recogni<e certain e&ents which he used to !%ass ut which he now sees as e'am%#es of his
se#fish eha&ior. 3uch recognitions wi## make him &er! uncomforta#e at first, the! wi## u%set him
and gi&e him a ad conscience. )hese fee#ings in turn wi## create a resistance against the
recognitions. In this %hase the att#e is to o&ercome the resistance and to ne&erthe#ess acce%t the se#f
as it is in the moment. Perse&ering in this fight wi## e&entua##! ring an immeasura#e s%iritua#
strength and with it further s%iritua# conse;uences in the est %ossi#e wa!. )o %rogress in this %hase
the %erson has to attack the resistance from se&era# sides. 5e needs to %ra! for strength and
wi##%ower to see himse#f as he rea##! is. 5e needs to meditate to arri&e at a dee% inner recognition of
his #ack of humi#it!, of his %ride and arrogance in eing so terri#! u%set aout his fau#t. 5e needs to
meditate to see how &er! far from the truth he is when he cannot acce%t himse#f as he is. 5e a#so has
to go dee%er into himse#f and find what other characteristics his %ride and arrogance ha&e gi&en rise
to. )hus he wi## ac;uire a etter understanding aout his %ersona#it! and unconscious emotiona#
currents. 1fter a certain time these efforts of dai#! se#f?finding, retros%ection, meditation, %ra!er,
and reso#utions wi## ena#e the %erson to react in a new wa!. 5e wi## succeed in a%%#!ing what he
knows in his dai#! si#ent hour and wi## react from this know#edge to whate&er ha%%ens. 1s he once
more goes into his sti##ness, he wi## recogni<e the %rogress he has made in hand#ing his %ro#em. -et
he wi## a#so ha&e to notice that his fee#ings were sti## o%%osed to his contro##ed reactions, and thus
there was an inner s%#it ehind his action.
It is easier to contro# actions than fee#ings, and the danger is that !ou ma! co&er u% the emotiona#
reaction, %retending it is not there, unti# the fee#ing sinks into the unconscious. It is %recise#! this
s%#it and re%ression which gi&e rise to the unhea#th! sou# currents. -ou ma! act right ecause !our
conscience sa!s that !ou must fo##ow what !ou ha&e #earnt aout right and wrong, or ecause !ou
e#ie&e this u!s recognition and #o&e from !our surroundings. -et when the action is not su%%orted
! a corres%onding fee#ing, it ecomes a #ie. If !ou courageous#! fight on for !our inner truth, !ou
wi## e a#e to a&oid the #ie and identif! the fa#se emotiona# currents under#!ing !our correct
outward actions. -ou wi## know that more s%iritua# work is needed to change the fee#ings, and !ou
wi## not sh! awa! from such work. -ou wi## then, in !our meditations, ui#d good, hea#th! s%iritua#
forms,for instance ! &isua#i<ing !ourse#f free from se#fishness, or whate&er other fau#t !ou ma!
sti## ha&e, and ! fee#ing how much 7o! !ou can e'%erience ! #etting others a#so ha&e that which
!ou hitherto had wished on#! for !ourse#f. In time, this form wi## ecome so %owerfu# that it wi##
stand out 7ust as c#ear#! as the %art which is sti## a residue of the #ower se#f. -ou wi## a#wa!s e
aware of the discre%anc!,ut now without eing u%set ! it. 3#ow#!, s#ow#!, o#d, fa#se currents
wi## transform themse#&es and e in #ine with outward actions and what !ou recogni<e as eing
right. )his is the %rocess.
.f course, it is more con&enient not to do a## this. It is an incon&enience to face onese#f o&er and
o&er again in this kind of se#f?honest!. 1nd %eo%#e are &er! resourcefu# in finding e'cuses to 7ustif!
wh! the! do not need to or cannot do it. )he! are inc#ined to c#ing to what is easiest. /ut what is
easi#! gained is not worth much. .n#! what comes to us through inner disci%#ine and o&ercoming of
what is difficu#t, on#! that for which we ha&e %aid the %rice, rings #asting ha%%iness. It cannot e
otherwise.
=>$3)I.N9 5ow can one disso#&e one"s fear when one is not in %ersona# hea#ing at the %resent
timeA 5ow can one disso#&e a dee%#! emedded fear and insecurit!A
1N3($:9 -ou can do it on#! on this s%iritua# %ath. -ou cannot do it a#one. -ou can accom%#ish it
on#! through the two kinds of he#%, the outer and the inner he#%. .nce !ou ha&e made the decision
to wa#k this %ath and commit !ourse#f tota##! to God, not on#! in words and as a genera##! he#d
e#ief, ut through !our entire inner attitude and ! acce%ting the conse;uences, oth inner and
outer, that fo##ow from the decision, !ou wi## e guided to the outer he#% which wi## o%en inner
doors so that the inner he#% that is %ersona# contact with God"s s%irit wor#d can e esta#ished. (ith
this he#% !ou can remo&e an! emotiona# distortion. 3ome of m! friends ha&e a#read! e'%erienced
the truth of these words in their #i&es.
1## who make such a decision wi## e gi&en e&er!thing the! need. )hose who make the decision to
seek the contact and wa#k the %ath of %erfection wi## a#so want to free themse#&es from a##
im%erfection. 1nd when fear e'ists, it is the s!m%tom of an im%erfection, of a &io#ation of s%iritua#
#aw. 3uch fear can e a #arge, entang#ed skein, which actua##! e'ists as a s%iritua# form. .n this %ath
it can e disentang#ed, knot ! knot, unti# the who#e entang#ement is sorted out and !ou can #i&e
without fear. .f course, fear has a different source with each indi&idua#, and therefore I cannot gi&e
genera# ru#es as to what is at its root, nor te## !ou e'act#! how to disso#&e it. )he to%ic of tonight"s
#ecture ma! a%%#! here a#so. )hose who a#wa!s #ook for a ack door, who a#wa!s take %recautions
and do not commit themse#&es to an!thing com%#ete#!, e it God and the im%ortant s%iritua# issues
or a minor mundane one, wi## find themse#&es caught u% in an emotiona# current in which their fear
wi## increase. 1s a resu#t of their choices, the! ha&e no firm ground under their feet. )he! do not
e#ong an!where, the! ha&e nothing to ho#d on to in the erroneous, though often unconscious, e#ief
that the! do not risk an!thing when the! do not commit themse#&es to an!thing. )his attitude can
cause increasing fears.
1nother fre;uent factor in fear is #ack of faith. )he conditions for the grace of #i&ing faith were not
fu#fi##ed0 therefore such %eo%#e wi## ha&e to re#! on themse#&es entire#!. )he! e#ie&e that
e&er!thing de%ends on them0 !et, %arado'ica##!, the! wi## neg#ect doing what tru#! de%ends on them
and so wi## not effect changes where the! cou#d. 1t the same time, the! wi## fee# that the! de%end in
man! res%ects entire#! on God, !et the! cannot e'%erience the fee#ing c#ear#!, and the! wa&er in
their #one#iness, ecause the! do not fu#fi## the #awfu# conditions where! the! cou#d %ut themse#&es
into the hands of God. $&en when such %eo%#e ha&e some inte##ectua# know#edge of the great truths,
this kind of know#edge wi## e &ague, unrea#, doutfu#, and wi## not su%%ort them. )he more such
thoughts take %ossession of them, and the more the! nourish them through their inte##ectua#
channe#s on#!, the more the! remo&e themse#&es from an! %ositi&e di&ine inf#uence,and the
greater their an'iet! wi## grow. In their ignorance, the! wi## &io#ate more s%iritua# #aws and thus
remo&e themse#&es e&en more from the %ossii#it! of a direct e'%erience of the greater rea#it!.
@urthermore, the fear ma! a#so come from c#inging tight#! to the ego with its se#f?%it!, &anit!,
cowardice and %ride,in short, e&er!thing that nurtures the ego, which wants to fee# s%ecia#. )his
a#so is most#! unconscious, !et the more unconscious the %rocess is, the farther awa! one is from
%utting an end to it. )his is wh! it is so im%ortant to make e&er!thing unconscious conscious and
e'amine it in the #ight of truth. )he e#e&ated ego makes !ou #one#!, it %uts !ou indeed into a s%ecia#
%#ace, though in a different sense than !ou had imagined. It se%arates !ou from !our surroundings
and makes !ou #ind to truth, ecause &ision cannot come when a #aw is &io#ated, and here the Law
of /rotherhood is &io#ated. )he %eo%#e who surround themse#&es with a wa## of se%aration wi##
ecome #one#! and detach themse#&es more and more from the %eo%#e around them,and this has
nothing to do with their socia# #ife, which might e &er! acti&e. )he se%aration then wi## increase
the fear.
)hese are the main %oints aout fear, and the! can e #inked to other %ersona#, inner currents. 1s I
said efore, a## this can on#! e recogni<ed and o&ercome on the %ath of se#f?recognition and
%urification. (hoe&er commits himse#f to the %ath wi## otain a## imagina#e he#%.
=>$3)I.N9 1t certain times I ha&e a series of insightfu# dreams, and then come #onger %eriods
without dreams, e&en though I %ra!ed for them efore going to s#ee%. 6oes this ha&e to do with #ack
of %h!sica# strengthA (hen I am tired or o&erworked I don"t ha&e dreams. Is this %erha%s simi#ar to
the connection with the s%irit wor#d for which we a#so need a certain kind of energ!, the so?ca##ed
odic forceA
1N3($:9 -es, the odic force has something to do with it, as the mutua# inf#uence of the s%iritua#
and the %h!sica# is &er! strong. -et this is not the on#! factor in&o#&ed. 6reams cannot e re;uested.
It is a## right to ask for signs and answers, ut the forms these take cannot e determined ! !ou.
Perha%s it is etter for !ou, in a certain %eriod of !our de&e#o%ment, to otain answers in a different
form. -ou are not !et a#e to 7udge wh! he#% shou#d come to !ou in a different wa! from the one
!ou asked for. /ut %erha%s !our dreams of insight ha&e ecome too haitua# and therefore the! do
not re;uire much s%iritua# #aor for !ou to inter%ret them. )he intention ma! e for !ou to e'ert a
greater s%iritua# effort and, if !ou do, !ou wi## recei&e the answer in another form. )he accustomed
wa! might sti## e used when it is &er! im%ortant for !ou to recogni<e something. /! and #arge,
howe&er, the guidance wi## come in a wa! that wi## re;uire from !ou greater s%iritua# effort to
understand it0 the %ur%ose ma! e for !ou to esta#ish a connection in !et another wa!.
=>$3)I.N9 If a %erson who has ecome con&inced of the %ossii#it! of s%iritua# hea#ing, e&en
though he has not !et reached that stage in %ractice, turns to a doctor for he#%, does he show a #ack
of faithA 3hou#d he fight the i##ness without using medica# he#%A
1N3($:9 No. 6octors are a#so God"s instruments. (here a doctor can he#%, one shou#d go to a
doctor. (here he cannot he#%, one can search for hea#ing in the s%iritua# wa!. It is not ad&isa#e to
focus too intense#! on one thing0 that is to want something in the wrong wa!. 1gain, it is eas! to
misunderstand this. )o want the o&era## goa# with a hea#th! wi## is &er! im%ortant, ut to e'ercise a
cram%ed, o&erintense wi## on a s%ecific detai# cou#d e a great ostac#e. I##ness has different causes.
)he! ma! e karmic, or the! ma! e the s!m%tom of a distortion in the sou# that can e traced to
the %resent #ife. 3uch a s!m%tom cannot e remo&ed whi#e its root remains in the ground. (hen the
root is %u##ed out, the s!m%tom wi## disa%%ear. )herefore the %ro#em of sickness must e e'amined
from this %oint of &iew. It is not enough to remo&e the outer s!m%toms, the sick root must e found
in the sou#. )hat is the so#ution.
8! dear friends, I now withdraw into m! wor#d, and I te## e&er! one of !ou to %erse&ere on this
%ath. 1s !ou do so, !our #ife wi## ecome etter and etter. No one is a#one0 a## of !ou are #essed
! God and 5is wor#d.