Chapter Sixteen

Our spirit friends tell us that mankind, to improve his spirituality, (closeness to God), does not require fine clothes, candles, incense, ritual, fear… or special buildings. Improving oneself, can be simply a matter of making changes in how one lives.

Here are some talks explaining this.

Topic: Religious ceremony is not needed.

Spirit (Ling): Greetings. Simplicity is the essence of our teaching.

Over the last week there has been much ceremony throughout the Christian religion, which covers a large percentage of the world, and has infiltrated into countries that are not necessarily Christian; so much pomp and ceremony, wearing wonderful robes by men and women, great sermons being given in cathedrals and humble churches, all decked out in their glory, with the showing of much valuable property in the way of candles and chalices and works of art. And people have dressed accordingly to attend these Easter ceremonies.

And when you ask the question, “Why?”… “Christ has risen, the Lord has risen”, this is cried far and wide. But my friends, why all the fuss? You know, or at least I hope you know and just don’t think ‘Maybe’ that this phenomenon, as people think of it, happens to every man, woman and creature of the living world. “There is no death”, as we have been led to believe it… this should be the Easter teaching… and that it was not only to that one good teacher, but applies to all the teachers of the world, all the men and women and children; animals too. When are we going to be able to get people to realise this? And it is all so simple!

The man who has been made into a god said... “When two or three are gathered together, I will be with you”.  We don’t know if those were his exact words, but knowing the soul that was that man, he meant that Spirit would be with you.

If you are seeking help sincerely, you want truth, you are not trying to glorify yourselves, but merely wanting knowledge which perhaps you can pass on, we will do our best to be with you. Keep your minds open; forget the ‘isms’ and the ‘ists’ and the wonderful buildings. You can sit, my friends, or stand in the middle of a paddock, or on a rock by the sea, or in your own little kitchen with friends and family or possibly people who are absolute strangers to you, all that are seeking truth, and we will do our best to give it.

At the same time, do not condemn the people that go in for the pomp and ceremony, etcetera; it is their way of trying to find their way to God. They have not yet learnt that the essence is simplicity. This applies to all religions, whether you are a Buddhist, a Moslem, or any of the minor religions that are throughout the world. The people of Australia, the original inhabitants, had much to offer humanity with their knowledge of God. Their situation and the way they lived, though at times very hard, gave them the opportunity to commune.

So my friends, in your spare moments, we would suggest that you do the same. You don’t have to go to a church.  God is within you, all around you, your home, your country, your world, the universe, every single living thing is part of God - as is every religion in its own way.

We decided this morning to speak in this manner because people are seeking God, but many of them have no wish to enter a church, and so it is the likes of you that when you get the opportunity, can point out to people, that it’s not necessary to take part in the great ceremonies… they can stand in their own little patch and be just as devout.

I don’t think we will have any more this morning.

Blessings from us all.

Good morning.

Topic: The Diversification of Religion.

Note. This week the world news has been largely about a religious sect that believed that they were about to go to Heaven on a space ship, and about thirty-eight of them had committed suicide to hasten the process.

Spirit (Ling): What we would like to speak on, or we would like to draw to your attention to, is ‘The diversification of Religion’ - from the deeply spiritual to the materialistic.

You have probably seen recently, as it has been widely spread, the knowledge of a group of people who took their own lives. Now that was their choice, we are not saying anything about that but what we are pointing out is in that particular religion, as in many others… materialism took over from spirit! These people as we understand it, were heading for Heaven which they conceived as being on another planet and as being a solid object, such as Earth, and I also understand that they thought they were taking material objects, with them.

Had these people looked into themselves and thought seriously on it, they would realise that by the mere taking of the life from the body, they were not going to be able to transfer the physical with them. They were between two worlds in their thought, and this applies to many religions - the material versus the spiritual.

Mankind must realise that his body, his brain, consists of atoms, which broken down become even smaller particles, and no matter whether it is buried or consumed in flames, the body’s whole aspect is changed. It has returned to the earth from which it came. But... the power-pack that animated it, which is the ‘you’, the Individual, the God Particle, the Son or Daughter of God... goes on! No matter how many prayers have been said, how many sacrifices made, how much money paid, it is still is the same. The body is left, and the spirit goes on!

When man leaves his body, his spirit still conceives of earthly being. He sees things as he knew them, and until he realises that his body, physical, is no longer with him he has difficulty in adjusting.

Example: Our friend of last week. A good man, well capable of moving on, and many wanted to help him do so, but he was unconvinced that he had left his physical body. As I understand it, he is now thinking, “Well perhaps I have... what next?” which is what we want everyone to do.

Religion, if you want to call it that, has to keep things simple. No matter race, creed, or colour, the time must come in the development of man, when they realise that there is no need for so many diverse religions. It is all one! Even the most primitive of man has his God, be it a little stone, an animal or the sun, but he realises too that there is something greater than him. We would like the time to come, when in the education of man, as a child he is led to understand there is a God, all loving, all helpful.

You make your own life, for good or for bad. You have chosen to come on earth to learn. Make the most of everything that happens to you. Some of the obstacles may be hard, but they’re there for you to learn from… and others also around you can learn perhaps from your mistakes, or your outlook. Look on your life with joy, that is what man needs to be taught! Think of it as a university, a time of learning, a time of achievement. Don’t look on death as an end, but as a rebirth and a chance to learn more!

We are hoping that more people will come to understand this… that there must be no talk of colour, or dividing the world into black and white, or speaking of third worlds, for the spirit is the same in everybody... it is part of God, and must be treated as such. All must learn compassion, and as you no doubt realise there is a necessity for balance… in how you treat your earth, in how you treat every man, woman and child, every animal... all this adds eventually to your development as individuals.

God’s blessings upon you.

Good morning.

Topic: ‘Discriminating’, (and about keeping an open mind.)

Spirit (Ling): Greetings. Perhaps the word we could use as a title, would be ‘Discriminating’.

Now, you go along and you listen to your teachers, no matter what religion, and you think, “Now I know the primrose road that I must walk and everything will be right, because I have been told so”. And as your path meanders through life... on one side you have a black path and on the other a brilliant blue path, and young people are saying, “You’re wrong. There are new ideas today. You’re ‘old hat”- I think could be the expression. And it passes through your mind, “They are wrong.”

In doing this, you are being discriminating and perhaps unjust. For in the true following of the laws of life, there is no one right way. If one teaches as a black path, [and by that we are not meaning evil in saying black... another form of discrimination I think, if we give definite feelings to such things as colour]... and the other teacher with their bright blue, each has taught what they believe to be correct, and the only way is that you must think along the lines that they have said. For them no doubt it is correct, if they are good teachers and believe sincerely themselves.

But you may find by delving, discriminately we may add, into the philosophies of other teachings, that there are many other parallels, acceptable thoughts and teachings that you could take on your primrose path. Because these people are travelling a different colour to you, does not mean they are completely wrong. You must at all times keep the mind open, so that the jewels from various teachings, from various experiences, from your readings… all can be assimilated into your path which may end up a totally different colour - and you with a more rounded personality. Because once Spirit (being you), thinks “I have arrived, I know, I have been taught, that is that!” and you may then close the door and lock it, you will not listen to any other teacher because you 'know'. But what we know, when that happens, is that the spirit which is you, no longer knows. You have become discriminatory, bigoted, and for the want of a better word, ‘dead’…  dead to the acceptance of new knowledge - but discrimination in the knowledge you take on, is essential!

You may feel that one particular religion burns candles, (which are delightful to see and we appreciate them in spirit ourselves), but they do not make you a better person. They are unnecessary! But, don’t close the door on them, they are delightful to look at. Sometimes a delightful scent permeates around them, and that in itself may help the person to relax, and to start thinking on serious lines. So though you as a person may not find them necessary, do not say that they are wrong. This applies to everything. The ‘Whirling Dervish’ and his dance - you may say that that is quite unnecessary to reach Spirit, one does not need to do that. But for those people it works and possibly, if you were capable of doing it, it would for you. So you do not say, “It is wrong”. You look on it with interest and perhaps say, “What can I learn from this”?

You may also see that the great edifices that are built in the name of God, no matter what religion, are unnecessary because God is with you at all times, but for many people, those glorious buildings, (because many of them are, and many of the tiny ones too), they have their glory. It is a place of sanctuary and rest, a place away from daily worries, a place to stop and think of God, and to look around and realise the achievements of mankind in the name of God, to think on the inspiration that has gone into these buildings. And for many, particularly those who live in poor countries and shocking conditions, until they open their eyes to what they can see of nature, (if there is any in their lives in the cities), those buildings offer them something.

You personally may find them unnecessary, but they are acceptable to many thousands, and I think, no matter who you are, if you are completely honest you will say that you get satisfaction out of looking at many of them.  So that in itself is something.

And then we come to those that call themselves priests, no matter again what their teaching may be... a man may adorn himself with a mask, grotesque in its features, much ornamentation on the hair, and perhaps even mutilation of the body, and it makes him a centre of his people. There are also the ones that have the elaborate European garments made weighty with many layers and with much beadwork and embroidery. In neither case, nor in any case is adornment necessary. But again, for some people it is necessary in that they don’t have to think for themselves, as to where and what is God. They leave it to that richly dressed person who tells them that they have earnt the honour to be so dressed; truly they have studied - they may have studied the way of God - they may have studied how to line their pockets. Both these things come into such manifestations of glory. The harm in their dressing, their garments, is not so much to the people as to themselves, because in adorning ourselves, to make ourselves perhaps as we imagine in the image of God, it can be forgotten that basically you are Spirit, and possibly no better than that humble man who comes to kneel at your feet.

One must keep an open mind. One must not discriminate. One must look and say, “Why do they do these things?” What can I learn from it?” “Is there something in it for me, can I add it to my belief?” And if you can say, “Yes” to any of these things, by all means take them unto yourself, but be prepared also at a future date, to cast them aside if you find that it was not what you had hoped for. And in the meantime do not judge others who take these things upon their shoulders.

It is a long, narrow path, a path fraught with frustrations, but there is so much knowledge and joy in accumulating this knowledge, as you travel along. So do not discriminate and say, “I will not take on any more”. Keep your minds open!

I hope you have been able to understand, that we have been clear in what we have tried to say.

Good morning.

Topic: A discussion about ‘God’.

Spirit (Ling): Greetings.

Sitter: Greetings Ling.

Spirit: Tonight we will talk about ‘God’, and what we are saying is in no way personal. This is meant for mankind.

Sitter: Good, thank you.

Spirit: Mankind, various nationalities, etc., pay homage to their God - which basically, is the one God. Man realises that there is something! Would you agree with us?

Sitter: Yes.

Spirit: But does man realise the power that is God? To realise this can bring great happiness and wonder to mankind, because in realising it they realise what they are. Imagine the knowledge of every human being, of all ‘life’… and I am not speaking here of anything other than earth, at this moment. Had you thought of all that knowledge that is in the world today, and though it is sometimes hard to find, there is a lot of good, a lot of knowledge and a lot of skill, people who are artists in various forms, in the world. Put all that into one person - what phenomenal ability they would have... Do you agree?

Sitter: Certainly.

Spirit: Now we are taking the knowledge etc, of this period of what you call time. This minute. But, in working on time, earth time, you have an accumulation of knowledge for not two thousand years, not four thousand years, but going back beyond your comprehension until life began; because with life came knowledge, no matter how infinitesimal it was, it was something - for want of a better way of explaining it,  ‘thinking’, therefore knowledge. Accumulate that, and add it to the earthman that we have created, and you have got the beginnings of ‘God’.

So to comprehend God, as you no doubt see, is beyond the comprehension of man, because we are unable in our small thinking to imagine all that knowledge in one area. I put it that way because God...(how shall I put it), is the final being (if I can put it that way), is such vast knowledge... is such an accumulation of everything... I’m sorry; we are not getting it through....

Sitter: Do you mean that God is not a human being? We are told that God made man in his own image, but I believe that “In his own image” is not meaning what many people think.

Spirit: ‘God is in the image of what each individual can accept’ would be the best way I could put it. To you, now I’m not saying that this is what you think, but to you it may be manifested in a man. In doing that, whoever thinks that way is limiting themselves, because in no way can a man (and this is thinking physically), hold all that knowledge. So it must be extended.

Sitter: Some sort of super intelligent force?

Spirit: Yes, of which you are part. That is what man has got to comprehend, and he has it within his power to tap in to that source. We wonder, from where come these phenomenal people who perhaps on only one subject, one aspect of their being, are far beyond anyone else. But they have learnt, though they may not accept it as ‘God’, but they have learnt that there is a source within themselves, that they can tap in to. When mankind can appreciate the power that is God, and tap into it for good, and I must emphasize that ‘for good’ because God is good, then he will have untold abilities himself, because he is part of the whole... which is God. Do you comprehend?

Sitter: Yes, I do. I’d be interested to know though, if you’d care to give any thoughts on how to tap into the God Intelligence... the God Force?

Spirit: You are not going to like what I say, but it is a matter of ‘faith’, of ‘believing’, of  ‘knowing’ - that you can do it! I don’t say, for example making this personal, yourself, that you can say, “Right, God, I’m going to compose music, do something about it!” In that case the attitude is wrong... you have got to do the physical something about it, but allow your soul, your ‘spirit you’, which I assume you sincerely believe in, to travel out of yourself, possibly in your sleep time. As you fall asleep, sincerely ask God and his helpers to help you achieve, whatever.  This may take a period of time, of perhaps lives, but it is there for you; but you have to believe that it is there for you.  And also my friend, one has to be worthy, and have earnt these things.

You have abilities that many people would envy, and you have got them because you have, over a period of time, incalculable to you... earned them... and will continue along that line... to earn things. But it comes easier if one can believe in God, and the power that is God. The Power that is there for you to draw on and to accept, but never and I must emphasise this, (not personally, this is not for you personally, although it applies to everyone)... never abuse! Do you understand?

Sitter: Yes thank you. I’m a bit sorry to hear that it relies on ‘faith’ because if we think of the people around the world… the many people from different countries, of different skin colours and so on, if to be successful they have to have faith, it seems unfair to me because in many ways, those people have never had the opportunity to know what they have to have faith in?

Spirit: Are you suggesting that there are people in the world, (Oh, I stand corrected, there are people, though there are not many), that don’t believe in God? I’m not necessarily speaking of a Christian God, I’m speaking of ‘God’, which is the (speaking in the Christian manner), the Father of humanity, the One Great Knowledge, and if you take many nations, (just roughly going over it in my own mind), I cannot think of one that does not have a belief in God. They may go through a period of time, when because of government insistence, God is swept out of their lives... so the government thinks! But people have got minds of their own, and God is always there.

When I speak of ‘faith’, ‘true belief’ is perhaps another way of putting it. One can say, “I believe in God” but it is just a saying.

Sitter: What is true belief to many of these people? Some would say that their God is the only God. Others would say, “Oh mine’s different, but mine is the true belief.” Others again would say, “We can see our God, it is there, it is made of stone, it’s up on the mountain top”. Those people all have faith...

Spirit: And they are all touching God, because they know that there is something, more powerful than them.
For some, they have to make a statue. Their minds are that small that they cannot conceive of the God that you and I are discussing. Can you conceive of a God as I have tried, or we have tried, to tell you?

Sitter: I think I am much closer to knowing, about what I believe is God, than I was previously… yes, but as for knowing exactly... no.

Spirit: So you are going along....

Sitter: With eyes open, trying to learn all I can.

Spirit: But basically having faith that there is something there?

Sitter: Yes.

Spirit: When I say, “Have faith”, I do not mean that you believe what you are told without question. It is understandable. Man in himself knows that there is something. He believes. He has faith in that something, but he’s got to learn about it. He is seeking, but under it all he knows. He has faith. Do you understand?

Sitter: Yes, thank you.

Spirit: I think if we were to discuss anything else tonight, it would be secondary to God, and I would like to leave you, with the knowledge that God is there; and I hope you will have sufficient faith, (and I am smiling when I say this), to hand on your knowledge to others in an acceptable manner, that they too, may start expanding their minds, to understand what it is all about. And personally if you get to the final answer, will you tell me?

Sitter: [Mirth] Certainly, if ever I do.

Spirit: Perhaps someday we can be together, and discuss how we have travelled and how far we have got.

Sitter: And how interesting that will be.

Spirit: May this wonderful thing that we have been talking about, called God, bless you.

Goodnight.

Sitter: Thank you Ling for coming and explaining to us. It has been most interesting.

Thank you all. Goodnight.

Spirit: Goodnight.

Topic: Rivers and streams find oceans, as different religions find God.

Spirit (Ling): Greetings friends. During the course of your discussions with people, you may, in fact it is almost inevitable if your discussions become serious, that people will say, “Why is your way right”? “In fact we know it isn’t... our way is right!” and this is very difficult to get across to people. But if you could explain to them that the ocean is vast, huge. Man, in places, can’t describe its depth or know what is in it, and yet, that vast ocean is made up of many big religions, call them rivers. So we’ll liken the ocean to God, to Heaven if you like, and all the rivers and the streams and the little trickles, each and every one of them... and think of how many there are, adding to that vast ocean, that vast amount of water. But turn those streams, those rivers, those little trickles, (as I mentioned before), into religions. They are all going the same way, some of them are very big, and they have much power and much money! Some are so small, that they hardly dampen the sand or the earth which they go over; in fact there are some that come up in the ocean themselves without ever having touched mankind very much, but they are there.

All these religions, all going the same way, but all so totally different. For example, one couldn’t say that the Zambezi is the same as the little streams that you see near your home. But where do they all end up? In the same place – at sea level and at the ocean. They may travel over various obstacles, totally different. Some may just meander over plains, through fields... no difficulties involved; while others surge through great canyons, perhaps being destructive... and these things happen in religions too. Some quietly go their own way making life more pleasurable for some people, and others storm through and cause great distress. But inevitably, they all reach the same place!

So when people say, “Your religion is no good... mine is the one!” give them the example of the ocean, and the little streams that are so happy as they go through beautiful places, and the big rivers that perhaps flood and cause much damage, and liken these to religions... all heading the same way!

Do you feel that that possibly would help people understand?

Sitter: Yes I think it might, and there is something else that I remember from when I was a child that might help too.  It went something like this, that “There are many ways to God, and you go to your church and I’ll go to mine, but let us walk together”.

Spirit: Exactly. Because after all, each individual is different, so why not their religions? We have freedom of choice, that’s what makes us what we are, and what makes the universe, the knowledge to be acquired, so wonderful! So repeat that if you get the opportunity, your little verse puts it very simply. But you may need to extend it, because there are always those who will stand up and say, “But my way is right, and I can prove it!” Quite frankly I’d like to see them prove it, because it is inevitable that like the streams and the rivers, they will all end up in the one place eventually.

Sitter: There is this however, that Spiritualism we believe, does offer proof, whereas to my knowledge, most, if not all other religions, offer faith and hope, but no proof.

Spirit: Many of them have got the proof my friend, but they deny it. They put it down to the Devil, or the Juju’s, or to witches, or what you will... fear... and man has put that there... fear. And many of them won’t believe what you do…  why? Fear! They are frightened to go against the conventional, and it is has been conventional for thousands of years to worship in one particular spot, one particular god.

Well we will leave it there for now.

Goodnight.

Sitter: Thank you again for your teachings Ling. Goodnight.

Topic: What is spiritualism?

Note: At the beginning of a public meeting, the President in her opening address had just given a brief outline on Spiritualism.

Spirit: Greetings. This is Ling.

The lady who has just spoken has almost stolen my thunder, because I want to talk on ‘What is Spiritualism?’

Now some of you people here are Spiritualists, some are enquirers - and the question may be difficult to answer.

For example you may say that you are a Spiritualist. Someone comes up to you and says, “What is Spiritualism, do you sit in the dark and get spooks?” No. “Do you have to be a medium?” No. “Well, is it a science?” Err...No. “Is it a philosophy?’ Err...No. “Well what is it?” And as the lady said, it is ‘A Way o f Life’.

This day, whether you are a Spiritualist or not, is part of your life... life eternal. How you live it is how you develop, so you do not have to know other Spiritualists; you live the life of a Spiritualist by yourself... by disciplining yourself, by not being greedy, by not being selfish, by caring for every living thing... for humans no matter race, creed, or colour; animals, whether wild or domesticated; the plant life... everything is part of your life and part of you being, because you are a spirit now!

You may look at yourself and say, “I’ve got a body!” but that is only lent to you, the same as all the material things that you have... your home, your car, the money you accumulate. By all means you need the basics so that you have time to develop your spirituality, so that you have time to read more books, and we would suggest that you do this - extend your reading - not only in the spiritual books, but in the sciences too. That will help you understand better what is happening.

But in your reading matter don’t forget the people who lived fifty or a hundred years ago, some even more recent who have written some wonderful guiding words for you as an everyday person, or for you as a practicing medium. They had great knowledge. They did great work. So you could say to someone, “It is the way I live, it is the way of life for all of us... that is what being a Spiritualist is”.

You do not necessarily have to be attending a building, but is does help if you can meet fellow thinkers so that you can exchange ideas. Some of them you may think are ridiculous. You don’t have to accept everything you hear, but listen, and think for yourself, “Is that for me?” And this way you are helping yourselves to develop, because no matter what you do whether it is right or wrong, it is up to you.

And there are always helpers on earth the same as there is in spirit - as long as you put the effort in, we are there to help you.

I hope that this perhaps clarifies, a little of what Spiritualism is... it is a way of life, the way you are living today and every day, into eternity.

May this help you and bless you on your path.

This was Ling.