When passing from the first to the second heaven, the spirit
experiences the condition known and described previously as “The
Great Silence,” where it stands utterly alone conscious only of its divinity. When
that silence is broken there floats in upon the spirit celestial harmonies of the world of tonewhere the
second heaven is located. It seemsthen to lave in an ocean of sound and to experience a joy
beyond all description and words, as it nears its heavenly home—for this is the first of the
truly spiritual realms from which the spirit has been exiled during its earth life and the
subsequent post-mortem existence. In the Desire World its work wascorrective, but in the World of
Thought the human spirit becomes one with the nature forces and its creative activity begins.
Under the law of causation we reap exactly what we sow, and it
would be wrong to place one spirit in an environment where there is a scarcity of the
necessities of life, where a scorching sun burns the crop and millions die from famine, or
where the raging flood sweeps away primitive habitations not built to withstand its ravages,
and to bring another[pg 181]spirit to birth in a land of plenty, with a fertile soil which yields a
maximum of increase with a minimum of labor, where the earth is rich in minerals that may be
used in industry to facilitate transportation of products of the soil from one point to
another. If we were thus placed without action or acquiescence upon our part, there would be
no justice, but as our post-mortem existence in purgatory and the first heaven is based upon
our moral attitude in this life so our activities in the second heaven are determined by our
mental aspirations and they produce our future physical environment, for in the second
heaven, the spirit becomes part of the nature forces which work upon the earth and change
its climate, flora and fauna. A spirit of an indolent nature, who indulges in day dreams and
metaphysical speculations here, is not transformed by death respecting its mental
attitude any more than regarding its moral propensities. It will dream away time in heaven,
glorying in its sights and sounds. Thus it will neglect to work upon its future country and
return to a barren and arid land. Spirits, on the other hand, whose material aspirations
lead them to desire so-called solid comforts of hearth and home, who aim to[pg 182]promote great industries and whose mind is concerned in trade and commerce,
will build in heaven a land that will suit their purpose: fertile, immineralized, with
navigable rivers and sheltered harbors. They will return in time to enjoy upon earth the
fruits of their labors in the second heaven, as they reap the result of their life upon
earth in purgatory and the first heaven.
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