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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The Holy Man's Trials 13

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13. Repulsion for individuals who invite devils into themselves and forsake their higher natures by such terrible compromise.

This repulsion is instinctual yet often compromised by those who imbibe certain devils themselves (such as with alcohol). It does not mean to say that the folk around us are possessed by demons to the point of losing all self-consciousness, however and disturbingly, one would be surprised to know the number of the population who are not given marginally to one devil or another which suppresses their Christ-given nature. 

The more sensitive and 'open' a man becomes by living cleanly, the greater his difficulty is with the presence of those who do not, for it pains him on behalf of the afflicted, and is causal to a collective physical sickness in the world which intuitively he picks up upon.

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The Holy Man's Trials 12

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12. A despair and trepidation for those individuals who knowingly cause harm, upset or injury to another living being.

On a deeper level again this refers to the fact that over the course of many lifetimes we have encountered actions of men which were inhumane and evil. Experience has taught us of this possibility which is perhaps of the greatest sadness; and also in all probability there was at one time or another a pocket of such cruelty that we ourselves played out in some horrible way. And of course it cannot be abided in any way now. 

For the Christian man this element of dark humanity is very real to him - one of the nastiest ghosts and ever apparent. It is distinct from the Double and even separate to just the personal experience also - rather an occult phenomenon of such anti-man which is known behind the worldly cruelties. There is little good which comes from speaking of this element, this apparition, but suffice to say that the great Masters are aware of him, and the further along one becomes, the greater the disgust and trepidation.

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The Holy Man's Trials 11

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11. An annoyance and despair at the unconscionable acts of fellow individuals who cause harm and upset to others thoughtlessly. 

It is quite immediate that we react disfavorably to difficult people who cause harm to others without care. More than citing specific instances, it becomes in us yet another burden borne unconsciously - the fact that we have been sadly affected on account of another for the sake of another, many times over. This helps of course to caution our own activities in the world, but it nonetheless lives with us as a fact of being.

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