The Holy Man's Trials 17

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17. The need for a greater experience of one's spirituality (perceived to be combating the material existence to date).

For the aspiring individual there is an underlying need to be fulfilled by some qualifying spiritual experience, and it can be said that as the world is at present, it is almost impossible to satisfy the ego in this regard. It is a sadness known to modern man. Even the Masters have to look outside of the physical realm to find enough spiritual experience at this period. It simply cannot be maintained here in a way which is concretely apparent.

At best things may appear substantially spiritual, however until the realms have combined fully through transubstantiation it is not negotiable. Insights do make up for this to some extent though. It is interesting because for every insight a man tenuously 'feels' as a matter of inspiration or correctness in his spiritual striving worked for, he will actually have the commensurate experience in full 'technicolor' after death. This is a most marvelous happening to watch, let alone be the creator of the doors to! So for this part during our life, we accept to be discontent, knowing of the future revelations to come, when it is possible.

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The Holy Man's Trials 16

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16. Spiritual pain experienced (unconsciously, but effectively) when perceptions bring us to the incomplete, the out-of-place, the un-beautiful, the out-of-tune, the almost-but-not-quite; the untruth; the terrible fit, out-of-whack, the off-balance and the moral dilemma.

This aspect of our day-to-day disquiet is not about complaint or shortcomings as they were discussed before, but rather to explain a spiritual reality we all live with in fractional perception. In this instance our sensory organs do not quite keep step with their spiritual counterparts, however for the spiritually attuned the miniscule becomes quite obvious and when something is understood to be 'off' 'out' or unbeautiful, it actually offends our sense of morality. 

There is actually a moral context to the inept that we come to know. Added to this there is a spiritual pain which is subliminal but there (all of the time) in relation to all of the incongruities. Our spiritual senses are jarred continuously; our 'wisdom teeth' are set on edge!

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The Holy Man's Trials 15

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15. Repulsion and upset on behalf of Christ and humanity as all of this is reacted to.

We do not always react merely out from the sense of ourselves and causal danger and distaste, but with the righteous indignation which is also very real. In this instance we are rehearsed in trying to identify with Christ and with humanity, and begin to act in the third person, so to speak.

Essentially we do have Christ within us, and within Him we do incorporate the whole of Humanity as well, however this indignation we experience does not come exactly from the corporate suffering, but more from what we perceive it might be. Sometimes it is easier to express our upsets in larger terms with greater causes, to minimize the personal application. Once again this appears to be a mechanism of the good man, who not only begins to translate small principles into greater ones, but also, in defense of himself, goes out to defend the world at large. This is understandable and part of the deal.

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The Holy Man's Trials 14

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 14. Repulsion for self when devils are sensed and disturb the consciousness with their untoward interjections.

Conversational devils flex our decidings daily, many, many, times over. As further along the man becomes, the more he begins to differentiate these voices which interrupt his thinking with dastardly remarks. Pointy-nosed, spindly and lean, they probably do not mean the harm that they cause. 

These elemental beings believe themselves to be authorities on all matters, but with characteristically bitter tongues. They crowd around the goodly man for they take a certain pleasure in the light he creates, yet as their own natures are contested they impinge upon the thinking with a provoking criticism which is hard, unkind and insensitive to the human condition.

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