The Fifth Principle: Strive daily to put the spiritual above the physical

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LESSON 23: The Relationship of the Spirit World and Physical World

A. The relationship between the spirit world and physical world.

1. Spiritual and physical elements are entirely different. Therefore, spirit world and physical world have no connection in and of themselves.

2. Only human beings have all of physical and spiritual elements.

3. Our mind relates with the spirit world.

• Like the spirit world it has infinite capacity.
• It is not limited by time and space.
• It is within our spirit body, created of spiritual substance.

4. Our body relates with the physical world.

• Like the physical world, it has limited capacity.
• It exists in time and space.
• It is made of physical substance.

5. The physical world and spirit world relate only through the human being's mind and body.

6. Thus, we are the bridge connecting the spirit world and physical world. Through human beings establishing this relationship, the spirit world and physical world resonate with each other and harmonize in oneness.

This is like the creation of an alloy, by which two distinct metals become one metal. The mind and body become one unit. The metals can separate, just as at the end of our physical life our mind and body separate.

This is like the relationship of electro-magnetic waves (mind) and a television set (body). The invisible waves manifest form (light, sound, ideas and emotions) in the physical world through the medium of the material machine. So too our invisible mind manifests ideas and feelings through our physical body.

B. We should live with spiritual life (the mind) as primary (subject) and the physical life (the body) as secondary (object).

1. The mind, centered on conscience, leads the body.

• The sanctity and perfection of the conscience is the purpose of our life.
• Its responsibility encompasses the welfare of our body.

2. Thereby, we establish the "subject-object" relationship between the spirit world and physical world.

• The mind relates with and establishes dominion over the spirit world.
• The body relates with and establishes dominion over the material world.
• Thus, spirit world is subject over physical world, through the mind being subject over the body.

C. We are the lords of the spirit world and physical world.

1. We gain true dominion by understanding the hidden principles and truths of both worlds.

• Material truth is gained through science and applied through technology.
• Spiritual truth is gained through religion and applied through philosophy, art and culture.
• We exercise dominion by constructing a civilization in which material and spiritual are harmonized by sharing a common purpose.

2. Before having dominion over heaven and earth, you must first have dominion over yourself.

• Self-dominion means living with the conscience as subject and physical body as object.
• This establishes proper dominion over the spirit world and physical world.

3. Jesus, Moses, Buddha and other saints dominated spirit world and the physical elements. We all have that potential.

4. Angels help us, serving and assisting human beings.

• We can summon them, direct them and receive their aid.
• This is the purpose for which they were created (servants, messengers).
• When we have the status of God's children through the ability to love, we will be able to take care of them and enable them to fulfill their nature.

5. Many people have excessive fear or awe of the spirit world and angels.

6. There are more evil spirits than good spirits, just as there are more evil people on earth than good people. Such spirits try to lead us astray.

7. We shouldn't believe spiritual revelations on their face value. It is our responsibility to use our judgment, informed by God's word and our own conscience and reason, when evaluating spiritual messages.

8. Good spirit world does not try to control us, nor does it violate heavenly law. Evil spirit world eventually tries to control us, against heavenly law. But the works of good and evil spirits look very similar at the outset.

D. God, the spirit world and human beings.

1. The spirit world stands between God and the human mind.

2. When we live by our conscience, we relate with God through the good spirit world.

3. The mind, in turn, cares for the body, to insure health, long life and the creation and education of good children.

4. To do this, we need the physical world.

E. The spirit world and physical world are torn asunder when we follow false love.

1. Fallen people cannot harmonize the two worlds.

• They are insensible to spiritual phenomena in general, as false love deadens spiritual sensitivity.
• Fallen spirits are cut off from the love of God and are controlled by selfish impulses and agendas.
• Their spiritual cognition, sensitivity to God's word is imperfect. They confuse good and evil, truth and falsehood.

2. Selfish love is a denial of the conscience and rejection of God, which began with the original parents, Adam and Eve.

• Adam and Eve allowed their bodies to control their consciences when they practiced selfish love. Their love was conflict-ridden, and set up the mind-body conflict.
• Hence, since all of us are descended from the original parents, the mind and body of every person have been in conflict.
• Hence, the body and physical world became a false subject, conflicting with the natural subjectivity of the mind and spirit world. There are two pluses in our lives, repulsing each other, rather than a plus and minus in harmony.

3. Due to the fall, human beings divided from each other and fell into horizontal conflict.

• The spirit world, consisting of the spirits of conflicting people who have passed away, manifests the same disunity.
• Imprisoned on various levels and realms, spirit men cannot freely communicate with each other.
• Therefore spirit world has a bad effect on earth.

4. The fall set up a barrier blocking free communication between God and man.

• The cherubim with the flaming sword blocked the way to the Tree of Life (Gen. 3:24), in the Garden where Adam and Eve could talk with God.
• The lower realms of spirit world, dominated by evil, body-centered spirit men, are close to the physical world.
• Therefore, prayer is difficult and we often feel ourselves in darkness.
• One must overcome evil, body-centered spirits in the lower realms to reach the higher realms.
• We are easily confused or led astray by evil spiritual influences masquerading as good. Therefore we must sincerely study God's words and practice a life for the sake of others.

In order to establish true family values, we must understand more detail about the invisible spirit world. Our next lesson will focus on this important topic.

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