Chapter Seventeen

From the spirit world these three words,‘balance’, ‘discipline’ and ‘compassion’ are given as important guidelines, to use throughout our lives.

Topic: The importance of keeping a balance in everything.

[Note: Before circle, sitters had been discussing the Council eradication of Mynah birds, which have been breeding in great numbers and causing problems.]

Spirit (Ling): Greetings. Now regarding your discussion of a few of your minutes ago, mankind has upset balance.

The universe, the world, through aeons of time became balanced. But when man used his initiative and used the horse, then the wheel, he started travelling greater distances which began to cause an imbalance.
This could have been coped with, had greed not come in to play where man transported animals out of their environment. This initially was for food, but eventually it became a means of making money and as you well know, whether it is land, sea, or air… on earth if the balance is disturbed, insecticides or other means of eradicating the problem are introduced, this only increases the problem.

The birds you referred to (Mynahs) are vital in their country. If we transport other life from its original environment it should be done with balance in mind... not money! More greed, physical greed. But to people like yourselves I am pointing out what no doubt is obvious, but we hope that mankind, each in his own way, will begin to realise the harm he or she can do in even the smallest manner. Think carefully before you move plants from one area to another, or you light fires, chop trees, or kill - for the balance you upset on earth, also upsets further afield.

For example, if you kill off your world, and it becomes unbalanced on its axis because things on it are no longer working in the manner originally designed, this in its own way would affect the work of the moon, the sun and the various planets and on ad infinitum.

The whole world, the whole universe, is balanced and must be kept so and mankind himself, personally, must keep a balance. This can be done as we know; physically you lose an eye or an arm, but you compensate to keep the balance. But it must go further than that, it must be in your thinking; and that is the thinking of your spirit, your soul. It is no good becoming so imbalanced in your thinking that you cannot appreciate anything in mankind unless it is your thinking. This leads to a distortion, which can do great harm. I would point out to you how the imbalanced thinking of one man disturbed the whole of Europe, and eventually most of the world. As individuals we have great power but this must be kept within balance.

For the good of yourselves extend your minds, don’t close them to any aspect. Think on it, balance it against your thinking; accept if it is your thinking, if not merely shelve it... don’t condemn. Because it may surprise you that in time to come; you will remember that aspect of thinking, and may be able to take it off the shelf and apply it in another aspect, and there it may fit.

So in treating the world, in treating your planet... when I say the world I should have said ‘universe’, your planet, your country, your family, and finally yourself, and the spirit within you… keep them all in balance to the best of your ability, and help others to do the same - to keep balance!

You may feel I am overemphasising it, but please think on it. That is very important. As you travel on through life it will help in your ultimate development; so that one day you can turn round, look back on what you have done, and say, “I was able, not to upset the balance. And from there you can turn round and help other people see their way to God’s handiwork, to God.

Sitter: Ling, last week you were talking of balance being important throughout the universe; and thinking about that subsequently I wondered, that if you folk don’t have night and day, hot and cold, and all the things involving the opposites that we have here, how would you appreciate balance?

Spirit: You are speaking of a physical thing. Do you realise that? Our world, for want of a better word, is purely... ‘mental’ I think would be a way that you may accept; so each individual in his thinking is still keeping balance. If you need it you would have your night and day, but once you leave the vibration which is earth, and you move up, such emotions and physical aspects no longer apply. They are not needed; therefore they are not there.

I hope this has been a help.

God bless you all.

Good morning.

Topic: Man can upset nature’s balance.

Second Spirit (Charles): Good morning. The world you live in my friends is an incredible place, but it is only so if you, as the citizens of it, conduct yourselves in a manner befitting this world, and that means with kindness and compassion in all things you do. Kindness to your fellow man - I think if I am right I’m not to say fellow man. Is it persons I must say?

Sitter: I think so.

Spirit: Ridiculous!(Persons. Ha! Excuse me that strikes my sense of humour.) These persons must be treated with respect, and they in turn must treat the world with respect, and you must treat the animals and plant life likewise… but what concerns us a lot at the moment, and I’m not sure whether the people we can contact can have any influence here, but we must respect the chemicals of the world, the scientific aspect, the physics of this world.

Man can cause destruction in a way that is almost, in fact is, unforeseeable to the human being. It does not need a mighty explosion. It just needs a chemical imbalance, which will… now I’m having difficulty here because we usually like to work through people who have knowledge of what we are talking about, but as our medium has not got a scientific background I will try and put it very simply… We have a row of balls. They are turning. A circle, which is turning, and this continues on and has continued through eons of time but man, person, has touched one of those balls. It in turn touches the one next to it. The whole cycle is wrong and it starts distorting. You have seen some of this happen when mankind interferes too much with the world. We have an example with aids. Another, I cannot remember the name, but there were children terribly distorted, a chemical factory in Germany. I think you will know what I am referring to.

Sitter: Yes. Thalidomide babies.

Spirit: That is correct. That is man’s interference with the natural flow of life. You people with the knowledge you’ve got can gradually pass it on, that this must not be interfered with - the natural vibration of the world. You will not have a great influence, but it will be something, and in your own lives think before you make use of these chemicals, this power. In New Zealand you are reasonably fortunate, but again, through carelessness on man’s part, your streams and rivers are polluted. In your lifetime you people used to be able to see a stream in the mountains and drink from that water. You can’t do it any more because of man’s carelessness, and if this continues to multiply and what people are doing to the world continues to multiply, I don’t think I need to explain to you what could happen. There will be distortions in all things, including the human body in which the spirit lives and this, friends, would be sad.

Now that is looking negative. Negative. We must think positive, act positive and be accountable and sincere. I repeat again, sincere. I’m taking Peter’s words here, but I think they apply also, to what I have said.

Good morning.

Topic: Evolvement through ‘Balance’, ‘Discipline’, and ‘Compassion’.

Spirit (Ling): Greetings. The words... ‘Balance’, ‘Discipline’, ‘Compassion’... I hope you have al thought on them. No doubt pertaining to your lives here on earth... but you are going on for many more years, some hundreds of thousands, and those words must be with you always. For example, a young man or woman tries many things, some of them very foolish, makes rash statements, some regrettable. Occasionally some are enlightening, but it takes some years for him to achieve balance.

Man on earth, is usually at his best, from approximately his forty years onwards, because by then he should have achieved some balance. As you people may possibly say, ‘The wild oats have been sown.’
And that is what it is like down the ages. As far as time is concerned, if we think of it as you do you are still young, but you have reached the time when balance should be coming into your life everlasting, for example; imagine you have come to us, you are... now I am not referring to you individually at this stage... but we’ll say you are an average person who has done little or no harm while on earth, so you have achieved a very pleasant place with such people as yourselves, pleasant, sociable, kind, no aches, no pains, the soft sun at all times, flowers and animals if that’s what you like... perfect... who wants more? But at some stage, if not almost from the moment you arrive, you want more. You know there is more. And so you must call for a balance between the joy that you are appreciating, and the need for further achievement. No one usually wants to stay in the same place packed in cotton wool indefinitely. It becomes what the young people call boring.

Depending on your stage of development you can happily be bored for perhaps some hundreds of years. Some people are. But if you keep a balance in your thinking, you will enjoy, and at the same time you will want to achieve. And this is where the discipline comes in.

Think for yourselves... it’s a beautiful sunny day on earth where you are, and you are reclining on the beach or in the water, but you know that there are some tasks which you should be performing which necessitates your leaving your swimming, or the beach, and going to your tasks. And it is a discipline that makes you do this, and it is the same when you are with us. You leave your cotton wool surround and you discipline yourself to achieve more.

In a small way and for some, no doubt it is an effort. For the members of your circle that are over here, and there are some members that you haven’t met and also many who come on a regular basis just to be here… for them it is a discipline because there is no time for us, but there is for you, and we must discipline ourselves to be with you.

Now, you think of compassion, or love. Over here you’re with people you like (like drawing to like)... and you don’t have to think about love or compassion because there is no physical body to worry the soul, but think… there is a great need of compassion for those who are still struggling to achieve the happy position you are in, but not only over here, compassion is needed throughout the world, and your thought of compassion you probably feel is a very small and perhaps negative thing, but no matter where you are, your thoughts of compassion will help. Perhaps only in a very little way... but will help the living object that you send it to. Our thoughts whether good or bad are very strong, and combined can do a lot of good or a lot of damage whether you are on earth or on any of the other planes that you might achieve. So balance, discipline, love or compassion having really the same meaning, must be thoughts that you carry with you forever - as they are a path to God.

Have you any wish to question?

Sitter (S): I would like to ask Ling, when we get to the other side have we already mapped out the work that we are going to do?

Spirit: When you pass over, you will be met by people you love including your guides and teachers, people who care for your welfare. You discuss your past life, what it has achieved or not achieved, whether you have advanced or not, and from there advice is given to you, as to the path that it is thought best for you to follow. But you have free choice, so indirectly your path is mapped out for you, by what you are doing now.

Sitter:  Thank you.

Sitter (K): A very small point Ling, but I have read from a number of sources, that in your world you don’t have sunlight and I think you made reference to the sun. Am I mistaken?

Spirit: Perhaps I should have used ‘light’. When you come, you pass over, and if afterwards you talk back to earth, if you can, many would refer to the lovely sun or sunlight but it should be ‘light’, because... now how can I describe this to you... Your earth is a material construction of many particles. It is solid to you because you have a solid material body, made of these particles. When you die this world becomes an illusion. You are thought, mind, spirit and because of that, that you have changed from solid particles to thought, your new world is a different illusion, because... now I am getting into realms perhaps beyond your understanding... but you will have more than one death. The one on earth we hope will be a quiet passing, but it can be unpleasant, but any future ones are just letting go of one more illusion until all is light, which could be likened to the sun without the physical unpleasantness of your earth sun. Light, glorious light, knowledge… God!

Sitter: Thank you Ling.

Visitor (Joyce from Australia): Thank you Ling. I think you explained that beautifully.

Spirit: Thank you. When you return to your homeland, read widely, listen to other people but remember, question everything. Because we are coming from Spirit does not necessarily mean we are correct. We do our best, but we are like you, we are spirit. You make mistakes, so can we. We tell you what we believe to be the truth at the time we give you this knowledge, but always question. In that way you yourself will progress.

We hope we give you truth, but let me say... don’t believe everything you hear. The physical human element can come into the messages we give you, particularly once it gets put on to paper. Unless it has been correctly recorded, the influence of the writer may come into the book. When you go to a medium, depending on the type, it can be their interpretation of what they see and hear. We have had some wonderful people who give accurately, but this does not always happen. So my friend bless you in your seeking, but keep an open, questioning mind.

Visitor (Joyce): Thank you Ling.

Spirit: Remember, we are all walking along the path to God. We know what we are doing. We’ll make mistakes, we’ll fall down, we’ll get diverted, but at least we know to pick ourselves up and go on, with balance, discipline, and compassion…

May the light always shine in front of you. Make it your achievement, the love of God and of all living things.

Good morning.

Topic: Re-emphasizing ‘Balance, Discipline, and Compassion’

Spirit (Ling): Greetings. Have ‘balance’, ‘discipline’, and ‘compassion’, as part of your lives. If you can keep them in your mind you cannot go far wrong.

Balance applies to every part of your life. Extremes usually lead to some form of disaster, and it is the discipline that we must all have, that keeps us in balance. The balance also helps the discipline, because if one goes to extremes as a disciplinarian, whether to yourself or those around you, you are out of balance.
And compassion... you may see a person doing the most stupid things, possibly detrimental to them and to others, you may remonstrate with them, and no notice is taken. It is natural for you to get angry and perhaps hurt that person, but it does no good. You hurt them, but what is equally important... in your attitude you are hurting yourself. There must be balance, discipline, and compassion in your lives, and I (and my immediate friends in spirit whom you know), would add one more... ‘Joy’.

If you are properly balanced, if you have discipline, and you are compassionate towards your fellow man and animals, there is joy, and it makes the path that we climb, much easier. But to expect joy and not to have the other three... it will not last - because you have become out of balance; you have lost your discipline and you haven’t had compassion!

I think you would possibly be surprised, in reading and talking and in your general life, at how many times those three words occur, and they go, as you would say, ‘In one ear and out the other’. Don’t let this be so... we cannot emphasize it enough… because with those three you can’t help but receive joy, and it is a path that goes on forever towards the ultimate, which is God.

Would you care to question? If I can I will answer.

Sitter: Ling I take it from what you said, that those three things are just as important on your side, as on ours.

Spirit: Definitely. As you know, time for us does not exist, and it is a discipline for us to be with you at a given time. Balance is necessary, because we could become too involved in the delights of learning, and not have compassion for people in spirit who need help. When you come over you are no different to what you are now... because you are your thoughts and feelings. If a person is joyful, light hearted, a helpful kind soul, they will be that after death. If they are negative, miserable, they will be that after death, because they are their thoughts and feelings, and those negative people need help, therefore we must have compassion for them. So it applies to us as much as it does to you. At this stage, you are building for yourself your position for when you die. Thoughts and feelings exist. They are the consciousness, which is you.

On that note we must end and hope we have been of some help. We wish you joy in your travels. May your path be straight.

Good morning.

Topic: ‘Discipline’, ‘Balance’ and ‘Compassion’. (Magda)

Spirit: My name is Magda. Good evening.

I would like to talk on a subject that our friend Ling wanted me to mention  - the subject is ‘Discipline’.
I wish to attempt communication. I was given the opportunity, and it was thought that I would be able to get the meaning of that word over because of my nationality.

Sitter (K): Good, and you are getting stronger and easier to hear all the time. Welcome.

Sitter (H): And are you German by any chance?

Spirit: Yes. How did you know?

Sitter (H): Partly your name and also because the Germans had a reputation for discipline.

Spirit: Exactly. Now, you know the history of the German people from the late twenties onwards, and I must admit, I at no time fully agreed with everything that happened, but it was an excellent example of what discipline can do. We were a nation of great poverty, with nothing to look forward to until discipline came into our lives, and we rose from being a nonentity to a great but misguided power.

Now what was needed was another word of your friend Ling - ‘Balance’; but I can’t speak highly enough of the word ‘Discipline’, with correct amount of moderation or ‘Balance’. The feeling that one does things correctly and does them at a certain time, is good for all youth, it is something that from what we observe in your world is sadly missing, over an extremely wide area. You yourselves, I realise that because of advancing physical years, are not altogether in the position to do much to help, except by your own discipline and example. But when dealing with young people, whether it is a little tot, or someone in their latter teens, be firm, be understanding, but don’t be weak. It is most necessary that young people have someone that they can look up to. You know of course who we were looking up to?

Sitters: Yes.

Spirit: Initially, that man had very good ideas, but carried out to extremes. Having uniforms, (something that seems to be disappearing throughout the world in schools), is good. They should be brought back, because then there is no means of judging between rich and poor which can cause friction amongst children. People must learn to take pride in self, so ties must be straight and shoes cleaned; and physically… cleanliness of the body, and to a certain extent some physical education. But of course, this must not take the place of learning. Discipline is so necessary for everybody including adults. Discipline yourselves friends; you personally know where it is necessary in your lives.

There can be two extremes. The people who do nothing else but enjoy themselves (they do everything they want), and the other extreme is the person who works continually, and does not appreciate the good things of life. The good things are there too, to be enjoyed! We should not always have gloom or tears; there should be much laughter in life. It also makes for healthier bodies and minds. That was where the German people started making their mistake. There was no joy in life.

We have now looked at the question of discipline and balance, but also, I am sorry to say, there was a lack of ‘Compassion’! I do not need to go into that! You are well aware yourselves; and many of us are ashamed to say that we turned our backs on what we knew was going on. It is something that we all who were in that position, have to make up for.

Think seriously my friends each day, on those three important words - ‘Balance’,‘Discipline’ and ‘Compassion’.

You are only a small pebble on the beach, but if that pebble is thrown into a pond it makes a ripple. So by your examples wherever you are, help us make the world a better place.

I hope you understand.

Sitter: Yes thank you and your talk came through very well.

Spirit: Thank you, and remember the example of Germany!

Goodnight.

Sitters: Goodnight.

Topic: Peace - Blessed are the Peacemakers.

Spirit (Ling): Greetings. ‘Peace - Blessed are the peacemakers’. That is the subject we wish to speak on this morning.

A lot of the world’s troubles, apart from physical illness and natural disasters, are caused by a lack of balance in some individuals, leaders, groups governments, etc, who do not take time to listen to another’s point of view. They are so obsessed with their own ideas, that they fail to see that theirs may be a narrow view, leading to misunderstandings, trouble, and even disaster. Your world history has many examples.

Now, this of course is happening in the world today; you no doubt are aware of it on the world scene. This, of course comes about as we see it, mainly through fear - fear and nuclear weapons. It is something naturally that we do not want to see develop - a holocaust; because as you no doubt realise, it is most likely that the only life left would be some of the smaller insects, that could get deep down into crevices, survive on little, and therefore... survive. Think of the millions of years it would take for man to once more evolve to what he is. This includes animals. Because God did not in seven days point his finger and make an elephant, and a monkey, and a man. It is evolvement, physically, and that would take a long time, so how ridiculous it would be for man to haphazardly go to war. Equally, how ridiculous it is for one neighbour not to speak to another, because that in itself is building up friction, and atmosphere... an atmosphere that is out of balance.

If, as we have done, you were to go to a meeting, (we imagine this now,) between a union and the owners of the establishment, and the workers... now there are always people who are out of balance, who perhaps are vindictive, must have their rights no matter about anyone else, and are greedy. Get one of these on each side, the union, the owner and the worker, and you have loud shouting; they probably don’t listen to each other too much and it ends up in a strike, or a lockout, and people suffer! The owner does not get the production, the worker does not get his wage, and the union goes away, having to part out money to keep the union members on the poverty line; that they at least have food.

Now if on each side, there is a man or a woman with Spiritual teaching, who could stand up and say, “Excuse me, may I have the floor?”, which undoubtedly they would initially be given as the Chairman should see to this, and they could point out that they had listened to each side, as they themselves were a disinterested party, and put forth not a cure for their problem, but the thought that the way in which they were carrying on, would not get anywhere... to try and lead them on to a calm path of arbitration, pointing out perhaps, the thoughts of each side and the good on each side.

To the worker... “You must put in your full quota of working time. You are paid for a number of hours... well work that number of hours. Don’t talk, gossip, smoke, take too long away from your desk, machine, etcetera and be fair!” With this, production goes up. To the owner... “Make sure your workers have comfortable conditions, and don’t be greedy. Happy workers are good workers, and will stand by you. You may find that your production even rises”.

And for the unions, “Don’t think of being dominant and bossy, that you are showing the owners how powerful you are. In doing this you are harming the workers that you are standing in place of. You are representing these workers - make sure you do it in a balanced manner!”

If this could be achieved, not only in a situation such as I have described, but also starting at the home... whether it is husband and wife, mother and daughter, son and father - in their differences of opinion there should be balance, and the ability to see each side. And this starts from the little tot when it first ventures out, and starts meeting other little tots. And that’s where the peacemaker comes in, in the form of a teacher, a mother, father, big sister... and from there it carries on because that toddler that you have explained to, and taught then... (words are not always enough) but by example taught then, how to share and listen to others... that child may become a world leader, and carry that knowledge and ability with them. So that when they are put in a position where countries are rattling their swords at each other, they can become the peacemakers, because they have learnt in childhood.

So in your own lives, though the situation may not occur very often, be peacemakers! Try and see each side, or at least say “Wait a moment... we’re getting carried away here! Let’s get back to the basics!” That will perhaps give people breathing time and to think, “Yes well what are the basics although I can’t stand that person” - and it may get away from the personal, and the recriminations that go on that leave hurt and break families, clubs, countries. So, when the opportunity arises, try to be a peacemaker and try and influence others in the same manner, to keep that all-important thing...  balance, in the lives of everyone on the world.

Do you understand?

Sitter: Yes thank you Ling.

Spirit: And make sure that you yourselves too try and keep that balance, keep a wide outlook, try and see both sides... if you’re involved yourself, stop and think, “Am I right? Am I seeing this correctly?” and possibly think, “What would Spirit want me to do?” - I should say, “What would a good Spirit, want me to do?” That applies to everyone!

Now with this knowledge in mind, may you go out into the world and be a peacemaker.

God bless you and yours.

Good morning.