Thus the pupil will continue to review each scene in reverse order from night till
morning, and to feel really
sorry for whatever he has done amiss. He will not neglect to feel glad either when he comes
to a scene where he has done well, and the more intensely he can feel, the more thoroughly he will eradicate
the record upon the tablet of the heart and sharpen his conscience, so that as
time goes on from year to year, he will find less cause for blame and enhance his soul power
enormously. Thus he will grow in a measure impossible by any less systematic method, and
there will be no necessity for his stay in purgatory after death.
This evening exercise and another, for the morning, if
persistently performed day by[pg 173]day, will in time awaken the spiritual vision as they improve life. This
matter has, however, been so thoroughly treated in number 11 of the lecture series:
“Spiritual
Sight and Insight; its safe culture and control,”that it is unnecessary
to dwell upon the matter further in this place.
The
First Heaven.
In the first heaven, which is located in the higher regions of
the Desire World, the panorama of life again unrolls and reveals every scene where we aimed
to help or benefit others. They were not felt at the time the spirit was in the lower
regions, for higher desires cannot express themselves in the coarse matter composing the
lower regions of the Desire World, but when the spirit ascends to the first heaven it reaps
from each scene all the good which it expressed in life. It will feel the gratitude poured
out by those whom it helped; if it comes to a scene where itself received a favor from
others and was
grateful, it will experience the gratitude anew. The sum of all these feelings
is there amalgamated into the spirit to serve in a future life as incentives to
good. [pg 174]
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