“How do I make the most of my life on earth? I am on this long pursuit for wisdom of life, searching for the wisest and the most beneficial way of life.”
These are words from my friend’s blog post, which I believe is a query directed to every human being. Let’s think together about this life-long task, assigned to us all.
Silver Birch describes our earth as:
A world swirling with heartaches, problems difficulties, suffering, calamities and trials
Cold, desolate and dark
(from the recorded cassette tape Silver Birch Speaks)
“You have sought to build you lives on the system of your own material world.
You have sought to become educated and cultured and have tried to build up a civilization away from the laws of the Great Spirit.
Because of that, your world has fallen. It is in ruins, just as much in ruins as is the civilization of the olden days.”
(p.24 Teachings of Silver Birch)
Silver Birch tells us also, that the providence has not yet succeeded on earth, because human beings fail to hold rock solid belief on life after death.
Therefore, the spirit world appointed Silver Birch (an evolved spirit), with the mission to save the earthly world from its horrific state of materialism and money worshipping. He was dispatched, just like Jesus of Nazareth had been dispatched two thousand years ago, as spreading spiritual truth and the providence, is the only way to bring true and fundamental salvation to earth.
Silver Birch’s mission was to teach the people of earth about the law of the universe, hence, the spiritual providence (truth). (p.19 Teachings of Silver Birch)
The spiritual providence can be applied to all aspects of life on earth; and it sets our soul, mind and body free, from the prison of darkness.
However, even us spiritualists with spiritual knowledge have insufficient faith nor confidence in the word “You are God.” I believe the actual circumstance is that we spend our days with very little awareness of the spirit world, not to mention “perfect faith” in it. For that reason, Silver Birch’s teachings merely go in one ear and out the other, no matter how many times we read it. We read and learn the providence, but as soon as we return to our busy daily lives, we forget; and forget altogether to put the learned providence into practice. Every time I encounter difficult trials of my own,
I realize so again and again.
Hence, I have picked up a quote by Silver Birch, so we may confirm once again the basic providence. A very lengthy quote, but it teaches us of the important message, essential for us to live our earthly life in the most valuable way.
Read thoroughly, and as many times as necessary, until the essence behind these words spread into our subconscious mind. Let’s all strive to practice and confirm in our lives, the absolute truth and reliability of God’s providence.
—Silver Birch has told of a ‘great secret’ that has not yet been learned in the material world—
The Great Spirit is infinite, and you are parts of the Great Spirit. If you have perfect faith and live your lives right, then you are able to participate in the bounty of the Great Spirit.
If every person in your world had perfect faith, then he would receive. If a person were hungry and yet had perfect faith, then he would receive the answer.
That is how the Law operates. If you learn to attune yourselves to the Law, the result must come. If the results do not come, that only proves that you are not in tune with the Law. Your history books tell you that there have been those from the lowest of the low, the poorest of the poor, who have tried the Law—and it has not failed them.
You must not point to those who do not try it and ask why it does not work.
Sometimes the spirit gets crushed and cannot rise above the surrounding circumstances, but if you had perfect faith you could rise above all the troubles of your world. You would turn your faces to the sun, which is but an emblem of the Great Spirit, and say: “I am a part of the Great Spirit. I am indestructible. I am eternal. I am infinite. That which is finite and part of the world of matter cannot touch me.” If you did that, you would not be touched.
Many people start with fear in their hearts. They are afraid they will not get results, and the element of fear disturbs the vibration. Perfect love casteth out fear! Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you!
That was taught to you many years ago by one who knew the Law. He showed that when he put it into operation the results were always forthcoming. If you allow the Law to function, then the results must come.
I will tell you another Law. There is nothing you can have in the world of matter without you pay the price. The price of mediumship is increased sensitiveness.
You cannot accumulate wealth without paying the price because if you do that, and forget the duties of your own spirit, then you may be rich in the goods of your world, but you will be very poor in my world.
You have the greatest riches within yourselves. You are part of the Great Spirit.
There are no riches or fortunes in your world that can be compared with that. We seek to teach you to explore your own gold mines, to reveal the diamonds of the spirit that are within the clay of your own natures.
May you all learn to respond to vibrations of the highest planes of spirit. May you all realize that you are never alone, but always encompassed around and about by a host of those who love you, who seek to guard and guide you and to help and inspire you. And may you, as you unfold your own spirits, realize that you are being drawn closer to the greatest Spirit of all, becoming more in unison with His Law.
You serve Him by serving the children of matter. When you do that, you are within reach of His infinite arms, you are surrounded by His love, which will bring you to perfect peace.
Faith that is faith alone sometimes fails when the winds of bitter experience blow.
But the faith that is born of knowledge provides a foundation which is so strong that no wind of circumstance can disturb it.
Blessed are those who believe and have not yet seen, but thrice blessed are they who know and, because they know, place their faith in that which is not yet revealed to them, because they know that the laws of the universe are operated by a power which is love and wisdom.
You should all have perfect faith, because it is a faith born of knowledge. You have had the proof of the power of the Spirit. Now you should have the faith that all things work wisely and well and that, if you put yourselves in tune with the laws of the Great Spirit, then you must reap the operation of those laws.
You can all banish from your minds the thought that anything that is unenlightened—or, as you would say, evil—can ever touch you. You live and move under the protection of the Great Spirit and His laws.
If there is no evil in your hearts, then only good can reach you, for only good can dwell where goodness reigns. None but the servants of the Great Spirit come into your presence from my world. You need have no fears. The power which envelops you, the power which supports and seeks to guide you and inspire you, is the power that emanates from the Great Spirit of all.
The power can sustain you in all your trials and difficulties. That power can change your storms into sunshine, and bring you out of the darkness of despair into the light of knowledge. Your feet are set on pathways of progress. There is no need for fear.
Perfect love casteth out fear. Knowledge dispels fear, for fear is born of ignorance. Where there is love and trust and knowledge, there fear cannot reign. An evolved spirit cannot be afraid at any time, because he knows there is no experience that can come to him in any phase of life that he cannot master, for he is the Great Spirit.
Fear creates its own prison for the soul. You must learn to rise above fear and not to allow its vibrations to hinder you, to have perfect faith and confidence and trust, to know that you can stand on your feet and say: “I am the Great Spirit and the wind of circumstance cannot shake me. I will rise triumphant over every difficulty because of the infinite power which is within my soul.” You have power over every circumstance. Would you limit the power of the infinite soul?
The Great Spirit rules over that which is material and that which is spiritual. There are no divisions in His universal kingdom. Do not attempt to divide the life of matter from the life of spirit. They are not distinct and separate. They are parts of one indivisible life, for things of matter react on the things of spirit and the things of spirit react on the things of matter.
You have yet to learn that there are no difficulties which beset those blessed with the power of the spirit that they will not surmount, as long as they in return serve the Great White Spirit wherever they go. There are no obstacles in your world we cannot remove, if it is the law that they shall be removed. If, sometimes the cross you have seems very hard to bear, remember that, although I would give up all my progress to take it away from you, it is better for you to carry it and to learn the lesson it brings. You must consider not only this life, but the whole of eternity.
If you children of matter would but remember that not only are you human, but also divine, how much easier would it be for you to live your lives.
Your troubles would melt away, your obstacles would be swept on one side. But you have little faith in the power that is within you. What you call human belongs to the world of matter. That which is divine belongs to the Great Spirit.
Many years ago you were told to be in the world, but not of the world. Because the people of your world have not the faith, then the Law cannot be put into operation. You say one has more money and less worry than another. You do not know how their worries compare. The laws of the Great Spirit cannot be cheated.
You are on earth to build your characters. It is the way you face your problems that makes your character. But there is no trouble in your world of matter which is greater than the power you have within you for overcoming it, because the troubles are of the earth, material, and you are part of the Great Spirit, divine.
There is only one peace—the peace which comes to those who are at one with the Great Spirit, whose hearts beat as one with His great heart, whose wills are at one with His great will, who are at one in soul, mind and heart with the Great Spirit.
Then there is peace, because they are in harmony with His laws. There is no other peace.
I can only teach you the laws. You were told many years ago that the kingdom of heaven is within. It is not without. It is not to be found in the rush of the world of matter. It is to be found within the soul.
(p.51-55 Teachings of Silver Birch)
All our lives we worked hard and sought money and happiness from the outside world (earthly world), although it had always been within ourselves, in our soul (“true selves”), that true peace, tranquility and happiness actually existed. We could not see them, because these things were concealed behind physical body and materials.
Our lives on earth are like the journey of “Tyltyl and Mytyl,” searching for the “blue bird,” in Maurice Maeterlinck’s The Blue Bird.
As previously mentioned, our faith in the spirit world and its operation are not rock solid, and not from the bottom of our hearts. Despite repeated reading, Silver Birch’s clear-and-concise teachings never seem to stay long in our hearts. Why?
I believe the reason to be the overwhelming realness of this earthly world, of which we perceive through the five physical senses. We are so powerfully dominated by, and accustomed to physical conception, that when anything beyond physical perception comes along, we automatically (and unconsciously) classify it as something otherworldly and dreamy, not applicable to this material world.
Now then, how do we work ourselves towards “perfect faith”?
Let’s review the procedure, indicated in Silver Birch's teachings.
—Spiritual progress, step-by-step—
1. One has the knowledge of the spiritual providence through reading, but the knowledge is yet to exert significant influence on one’s belief, consciousness and awareness.
2. What must one do, in order to acquire awareness and faith in the providence?
3. The only way is to learn through real-life experience.
4. For that one is required to pay the price, in the form of sufferings, trials and difficulties.
5. Faced with trials and difficulties, one seeks refuge in the providence, and learns to apply the providence.
6. One practices the learned providence (with faith in it); and as a result, overcomes the problem.
7. Repeat the process many times, and gradually one’s belief in the providence grows toward solid faith.
In reality, God’s providence has no division between the two worlds: spirit world and physical world. Both worlds belong to one great cosmos, and each of us has our own “true self,” hence the spirit, with latent divinity. Therefore, there is no point in searching for “true peace and tranquility” (heaven) in the outside world, of this physical, materialistic sphere. Heaven is found when we become one with the God within ourselves, says Silver Birch.
Becoming one with God within our “true selves” (soul), means matching ourselves to God’s providence, thus living our lives in harmony with the providence, in which God manifests. This is the answer to the question at the top of this post.
“Let them open their souls to the Great Spirit. Let them strive to attune themselves to the laws of the Great Spirit, so that they are at one with Him and He is at one with them. Then their hearts and souls will be at peace, they will be in harmony with the great rhythm of the universe, and discord will disappear from their lives. They will begin to live as they have never lived before.”
(p.26 Teachings of Silver Birch)
References
Silver Birch Speaks—recorded cassette tape published by Psychic Press Ltd., 23 Great Queen Street, London WC2, produced by Educational Tapes Ltd., P.O. Box 4, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Copyright held by the HANNEN SWAFFER HOME CIRCLE.
Teachings of Silver Birch—edited by Austen, A. W. Edition 2010. The Spiritual Truth Press, Surrey, England. First published in 1938.