CHAPTER IV

　THOUGH spirit teaching is simple, not all are content it should so remain, and one questioner seemed to have set a poser when he asked Silver Birch: "What is the object of Creation?" To this he added: “As Spiritualists teach thát man can be gradually improved and absorbed into the Godhead, why create man?” To that the guide replied:

　"I am not one of those who teach that mankind is finally absorbed into the Great Spirit. I have always said that I know nothing of finality. I know nothing of a beginning, I know nothing of an end. To me there always has been and there always will be. I see the whole of life on your planet, as well as on other planets, and throughout the realm of spirit, as a constant stream of evolution, with the consciousness slowly rising towards its summit. I know nothing of a birth of consciousness. I know nothing of consciousness achieving perfection. I do not think that perfection or absorption is ever accomplished, for as the soul arises higher in the scale of values, as it casts out the dross of past imperfections, so it realises the need for greater progress. The more you evolve the more you see there is to be evolved. The higher you rise, the further away do you see the other heights which are yet to be scaled.

　"I am concerned with the development and unfoldment of the consciousness which is part of the Great Spirit in life. This consciousness, as far as I know, always existed, but as it manifests through many varied and diverse forms, constantly improving through its expressions, so it exhibits more and more of its hidden and latent divinity. That consciousness has been mani-fested through all the phases of life, and is still being manifested. That which is now displayed through man has been exhibited through animal, through bird, through fish, through vegetable, through all that is regarded as inanimate life. The consciousness continues to evolve and grow, unfold and expand, becoming more divine and less earthly as it continues its path of evolution. That is the whole purpose of creation, a continual expression in many and varied manifestations of the consciousness which is the Great Spirit. To that I would add always the thought that man must not separate himself or think in terms of separation from the work of creation, because he is part of creation. The creative forces operate through him. His life, his effort, his struggle, contribute to infinite creation.

　"Every life can add its quota. And the higher the life, the more altruistic, the more unselfish, the more does it add beauty to the varied manifestations of creation. Not only does the artist, the musician and the poet add his contribution of lustre, but every life can bring an inflection of beauty if it chooses."

　From discussion on creation to a question on vibration is a normal transition, and when the query was posed: “Will you give a simple explanation of the term used so much in Spirit-ualismー'vibrations'?” this was the answer:

　"Wherever you have life you have movement, you have rhythm, you have pulsation, you have vibration. Life cannot be motionless, static or inert. Life is associated always with move-ment. To understand movement, to measure movement, you have to define it. We speak of vibration, referring to life as being revealed in waves of energy, that being one of the modes or manifestations of life. Everything which exists vibrates, radiates and is active. Our impingement on your world is due to vibration. We normally vibrate in a world beyond the boundaries of your physical senses. It is a higher octave, if you like, a higher vibration. All the forces, all the power, all the manifestations of the spirit are accomplished by more delicate, subtle vibrations.

　"To make your world, engrossed and encased in matter as it is, respond, one of two things has to happen. Either you must raise your slower vibrations, or we must lower our quicker vibrations. It is fairly easy to see that we could meet half-way. Alas, alas, it is usually we who have to come all the way, for very little contribution is made by your world. To speak through this instrument I have to slow down my vibration. When I return to the spheres, discarding the personality through which I manifest, I have to accelerate my vibration to manifest some of the consciousness which belongs to a higher state of being and activity. It is all caused by vibration. It is the only word which succinctly explains our activity. It is interesting to note that so many scientists, who for years have turned deaf ears and blind eyes to the whole realm of spiritual activity, now, in their examination of a world of matter, are beginning to realise that its secrets are to be discovered in vibrations."

　When asked how the spirit world regards prayer, the guide answered:

　"To appreciate prayer, you must realise its purpose. The mere mouthing of words, the mere repetition of a formula achieves nothing. These well-worn tracks in the atmosphere attract nobody, neither do they create any vibrant forces. We are not interested in stereotyped phrases, for there is no sincerity behind them and the one who utters them usually does so with indifference, for he has long ceased to ponder on the meaning of the words that are repeated almost as an automaton. There is, however, some value in real prayer. It is never suggested that whilst you live in your world any action of the mind can be a substitute for the labours that you have to perform.

　"Prayer is not intended to be a refuge of the coward who seeks to escad his obligations. Prayer is not a substitute for the work that you have to do. Prayer is not a means by which you can escape your responsibilities. Prayer is not a means of out-witting the laws of the Great Spirit. No prayer can do that, neither can it by one iota make any alteration in the unbreakable

sequence of cause and effect. You can disregard all prayers that do not spring from a heart which is willing to serve and which is conscious of its obligations and its duties. Having disregarded all those, there are the prayers which, because they are a psychic or spiritual exercise, set into motion certain vibrations which bring responses. Those responses are not necessarily the ones for which the man who makes the prayer expects, but they are the natural result of the vibrations he has created.

　"If you have faced honestly, fairly and squarely all the prob-lems and difficulties that beset you; if you have tried within the limits of your own power to find a solution and you have failed, then you have a perfect right to ask that some higher power, some greater soul, should give you light in your hour of per-plexity. And you will get that guidance, you will get that light, for those who are round and about you, those who see with the eyes of the spirit, know the conditions of your own soul. They know, for example, whether you are honest or not.

　"Then there is the prayer of those who desire to effect a more complete harmony with the spiritual forces of life, the prayer of the soul which yearns to overcome the barriers imposed by the physical body and seeks to claim its own. Those prayers must be answered, for their mere exercise is enabling the spirit gradually to acquire its rightful heritage. Always when you speak of prayer, you must differentiate between the kinds of prayer to which you are referring.

　"Now I come to what is called the Lord's Prayer, and I imme-diately say that no stereotyped prayer has any value for mankind, that the mere act of formality robs it of any potency that origin-ally it may have possessed. It may serve as a useful formula, but it cannot help you any other way. The Great Spirit is perfect law. It is not necessary to besiege the Great Spirit with requests which you can answer. Then you must remember, too, that many years have rolled by since the days when the Nazarene is supposed to have uttered it. Man has grown and evolved and realises far more about life in many of its ramifications. Not quite in that form was it expressed by the Nazarene, but it was clothed in the language which was applicable to the people of his day.

　"Now you know that the Great Spirit is not in heavenーbeing the perfect law the Great Spirit pervades all space, all life; there is no aspect of life in the mighty universe of which the perfect law is not cognisant. The Great Spirit is no more in the highest heaven than the Great Spirit is in the lowest hell. The Great Spirit is universal and is manifested through every phase of universal activity. There is no necessity to address petitions announcing that the kingdom of the Great Spirit will come; that will happen, but as to when it will happen depends upon the labour of those who are co-operating with the power of the spirit and who seek to advance its coming. That it will come is inevitable, but whether that coming is hastened or delayed depends upon the work that people in your world are able to do."

　When Silver Birch was asked what he thought of the Ten Commandments, he agreed that they were out of date, and it was suggested that he should draw up another set of com-mandments.

　"You must not regard the power of the spirit as it was ex-pressed in any period in man's long history as being the final word in all divine revelation," said the guide. “Your world must realise that revelation is continuous and progressive, fitting itself to the stage of understanding of the people to whom it comes. It must not be so far ahead of them that they cannot understand it. It must only be so much in front that it is within their grasp. Always the wisdom of the power of the spirit is but one step ahead, and when man achieves that step, he is ready for the next in the infinite ladder of wisdom. Why should that which obtained in the days when the race was still in its com-parative infancy, and had special application to people governed by special conditions, be made to fit circumstances of today which are vastly different? But I have only one commandment, that you serve one another, that is all.”

　"What is the power of spirit; is it tangible; can it be described?" When this composite question was put to Silver Birch he replied:

　"You use words that are difficult to interpret. When you say 'tangible' what do you mean? Do you mean does it conform to any perception by the five senses?' No, it does not. Is it real? Yes, it is as real as knowledge, as real as wisdom, as real as evolu-tion, as real as friendship, as real as love, as real as any invisible force that exists. It is tangible on our plane of expression, but imperceptible except to those who are sensitive and can appre-ciate its reality. It is a power, a divine power, a power which operates in many lives. Those who are ignorant, those who are prejudiced, those who allow their lives to be ordered by super-stition, provide mental barriers, each of which is an obstacle to the power of the spirit, and the nature of the obstacle determines the time that it will take to break it down.

　"There are some people who go through the whole of earthly life without having any inkling of the truth. They are unaware that life is spirit, that spirit is life, that the whole of your world depends for its maintenance upon the power of the spirit. These people are blind, deaf and dumb to the realities of spirit, and they live in this material prison until death releases them. And even then, as you know, there is a long process of adjustment before they are able to appreciate reality. Others receive occasional glimpses and in these fleeting moments are aware of that higher, transcendental power which shapes and governs and guides all the processes of life. And then there are those who, like your-selves, have received direct knowledge and are accessible to the power of the spirit day by day. You have opened your hearts, your minds, your souls and you are ready to become instruments of that same power which sustains the whole of life and which now seeks to be used through you so that others can be touched and quickened by it. It is all part of one power. The power that regulates all the processes of life is part of that power which we use and is used here to enable me to speak.”

　In answer to another question Silver Birch said to the members of the home circle: “Have faith, not blind faith, but faith founded on knowledge. Have confidence. It is the old, old cry. It is nothing new I have to tell you, but I do reiterate it with all the eloquence at my command so that it shall become part of the very fabric of your being. Have confidence. You do your part, we will do ours. We shall not fail you. There is a vast range of inspiration that you can have access to if you so desire, but fear, doubt, uncertainty, these are discords that interfere and should have no place in your consciousness. There is a lot of work to be done. I want you to help me by your faithful constancy of pur-pose. There are many obstacles that even I, with all my long experience, find difficult to conquer. You must help me by being faithful and confident and, above all, fearless, by not allowing any thought of fear, no worry or anxiety to take root in your beings.

　"Problems will cross your paths, but they will cross them; they will not stay. There will be no difficulty so great that you cannot solve it, no load so heavy that you cannot bear it upon your shoulders. Have no fear. Face whatever the morrow brings you with a resolute hcart and a determined spirit and all will be well. There are many thousands who will seek your aid and you must be ready to help them and thus fulfil the purpose of your own existence, for, when all is said and done, unless you serve, unless you give to others that which you have received, you are not living in your lives the implications of the knowledge that has been vouchsafed to you. There is much to be done. Let us with joyful anticipation take up our task knowing that here and there will be souls who will rejoice because of what we have done.”

　Two members of the circle were discussing the value of propaganda as they waited for the guide to manifest through the medium, and when he had done so, Silver Birch said:

　"Why do you think that we have returnedーto impart our knowledge to a few or to the many? Is ours a truth to be reserved for those who will keep it to themselves in small councils, in secret societies, reserved just for a handful? Do we not see teeming millions, ignorant, despairing, heart-broken? Ours is a great message, for we strive to reveal all the noble qualities of the Great Spirit that are enshrined within every being in the world. We have to teach them the laws of lifeーlife physical, life mental and life spiritual. We have to make them realise the purpose of their being, the reason for their existence on eath, their latent powers, their divine potentialities, the service they can render, the world they can fashion, the knowledge they can accumulate, the heights they can attain.

　"Our truth is destined to reach, in the end, every living soul and to reach them whilst they are still on earth, so that they may learn the lessons and begin to apply the truths of the spirit to the world in which they live. Years and centuries are wasted in repairing wrongs, in making good deficiencies, in retribution, in atonement for all that has been foolishly done. All this time could be saved, all this effort could be directed into other channels if your world were not so pitifully steeped in ignorance.

　"You have this knowledge. You know now a little more about the laws of the spirit. You have enjoyed the beauties of spirit communion. You have been united once again with the ones you loved, who some of you thought were lost and gone for ever. You have seen part of the vast divine plan. You have marvelled at its beauty, at its conception. You have witnessed some of the workings caused by the power of the spirit. You have had the joys of inspiration from larger souls. You have had a higher access to the fountain of knowledge—and for what? So that you should enjoy these pleasures for yourself? But no; knowledge brings responsibility. You in turn must spread it wherever you can. Whatever joy you have received, it is your duty to pass it on to others so that they too may become accessible to the power of the spirit, so that others may learn of the love that awaits them from higher realms, so that others can be touched by this mighty power that raises men and women up to become instruments of the mighty purpose of the Great Spirit of all life.

　"Renounce all those who attempt to restrict knowledge. Knowledge must spread freely so that it will destroy ignorance, superstition, and all that which for too long has held men in the chains of bondage. Knowledge will bring them freedom so that the soul can enjoy the liberty which is its rightful divine heritage. How foolish are they who see only the light of the candle when they could behold the radiance of the sun! You are all instru-ments, as I am but an instrument, and our task is to liberate minds everywhere. Thus shall your world make progress, and men and women fashion systems of life that will endure and enable all the children of the Great Spirit to enjoy their existence according to the plan which is founded on spiritual law.”

　This is how Silver Birch expressed himself on his outlook and his mission:

　"I am only interested in the truth. The truth is all-important. I am concerned only with service and helping your world to understand those spiritual, eternal principles on which a new world is being built. All those who deviate from that great task are frittering away energies which should be devoted to the service of their fellow-men and fellow-women. The whole purpose of our return is to act as an incentive to all who will listen, so that they can play their part in the regeneration of your world.

　"Too much blind obedience is given to formulas. Too much attention is paid to conventions. I am not concerned with any-thing but the spread of knowledge and the use of knowledge for the enlightenment of those who are still in the darkness. I know only of one religion; it is service, Churches, buildings, creeds, doctrines, these do not interest me. We judge by action, by life, by motive. If those who have this knowledge are to succeed in the task, which is part of the plan, then they must beware of imposing their own boundaries and attempting to restrict the flow of the power of the spirit into channels into which they think it should flow. The power of the spirit cannot be restricted or commanded. It flows wherever there are instruments through whom it can be expressed. We want instruments, mediums, men and women who will allow that power to touch them, who are so constituted that the voice of the spirit can be heard through them, and knowledge that is waiting to be transmitted can be poured through them. These are the urgent tasks.

　"Why do we come back to you? Our work is concerned with the millions who, if they had this knowledge in your world, would not come to us derelicts, wrecks, almost unfitted for the life of the spirit. They are filled with ignorance and fear, super-stition and prejudice. Our task is to break down all the forces which make for darkness in human life. I never call it Spirit-ualism. I speak of the natural law. I never say Father God. I speak of the Great Spirit. I see a law. I see a purpose. You have to grow in spiritual stature, and if you would accomplish at least part of that task in your earthly life, then you would be prepared and equipped for the fuller life which is your inevitable destiny. That is why we come back to you; because we love you; because the ties of affectionate kinship bind us together, so that we can serve you and help you to be ready to serve others when your turn comes.

　"I can only tell you the truth, as I see it, and always make my appeal to reason, which I have enthroned as the supreme arbiter. Spread knowledge, destroy superstition, help the light to grow and the darkness to recede. Destroy vested interest. Help to kill greed, avarice, self-interest, orthodoxy, convention. These are all the enemies of the spirit. They must go. These are all the hindrances to the new world. All who stand in the way are by their very actions thwarting, for a time, the plan of the Great Spirit of all life. Truth is more important than any organisation. The issues are always so simple, but the people of your world do not like simplicity. They like form and convention. They like to copy and to imitate. Because others have built churches, they too must have churches. Because other services begin with a prayer, they too must have a prayer. Because others sing hymns, they too must have hymns, and often the same hymns with altera-. tions. Because others have a sermon, they too must have a sermon.

　"But meeting-places exist, when they are dedicated to the power of the spirit, for the spread of knowledge of the Great Spirit and the laws of the spirit. That is all that matters. The bricks do not matter. Buildings do not matter. Do not worship them. Your allegiance should be to the Great Spirit of life and to His eternal, natural laws. The task of all those who have this knowledge is to keep the flame of spirit truth alight, so that there are those who provide hope and comfort and inspiration for the many who know not where to turn. Your world is full of darkness. There are so many who are weary, tired and perplexed, who yearn for one grain of comfort, for one particle of knowledge. These are the ones who require your urgent attention. These are the ones amongst whom you should be busy, telling them of truths that will be like a rock on which they can build the whole of their lives.''