How are spirits governed in spirit life?

How are spirits governed in spirit life?

Government

We are not isolated units here, with merely individualistic needs and desires—rather we live under different governments, answering somewhat to your different nations. 

Two characteristics of earthly governments are, however, eliminated—e.g., all interference on the part of any, and all wilful misconduct. Our methods resemble an ideal patriarchal government.

The father in experience and wisdom advises, protects, and instructs those who are related to him in psychic bonds; that is in character and bent of the soul, but who are yet young and tender in the new life. 

All force, all necessity, all tyranny are absent, and one is guided or controlled most willingly or not at all. 

There is no possible place for punishment of any kind; to such as may in any way transgress the divine law there comes a sense of separation, which lasts until the faculties of the soul are readjusted. 

The old myth of the Tower of Babel is reenacted, for where there is no harmony of purpose, there confusion of language comes, and we do not understand each other’s speech; while, on the contrary, when all goes well, all will hear in their own language, whoever the speaker may be.

Just as the eye, the ear, and the palate choose and prefer some things to others, so the soul senses draw us to such things and people as can give us pure joy, or cause us to grow in the most healthy way possible.

When the Master was living his earthly life, your world, ours, and the next, all lay open to him much more fully than to most. There was so much in his nature that responded to heavenly influences, and so little to obstruct, that he may be said to have lived in all three at different periods of the same life. This openness of his is clearly shown in the story of his life, for the power was so abundant that even those around could not help sharing—they heard voices, they saw the heavenly messengers like birds descending; they saw the psychic body shine through the physical. The Master, then, knew enough of our life to promise to his disciples that if they fulfilled certain conditions they should attain certain planes of being. 

If they followed and obeyed—not a person, but those inner principles which belong to humanity—then they would be fit to lead others. 

So those who govern here are not the great ones of the earth, nor yet those who have been distinguished for great intellectual gifts—they are those men or women who, whatever position they may have filled, have been truest to their own nature, obeying the law within, without that parleying with the inner voice which leads to self-deception and crooked ways. 

Such govern and are as fathers to those who need help; while to others who need it not, there is as much freedom as if they existed alone in the universe.

We begin, then, generally as children, and gradually grow up to independent maturity; we become as fathers; we pass on to other worlds, while others take our vacant places.

Thus the law of change is still universal—the flowers change from one beauty to another or disappear from our view to reappear in other forms—the earth changes and beautifies under our faithful labour; our friends grow in spirit and sometimes they too pass away; our work, our thought, change and pass from one order to another.

A simple, natural life is ours with the sanctified will as the motive power; no machinery, no tools, no storehouse or barns; we are clothed upon as the lilies are; we gather the fruit for our healing straight from the tree of life. 

To those who are out of harmony with this divine order, this earth may often seem like a wilderness and the pools of living water like dreary wastes of sand—but this is only while their hour of tribulation lasts; only until they yield themselves to the law of their being, and become united, one, a whole creation. 

Our joys and sorrows, our trials and triumphs lie closely together, as they do in your world, but the joys are greater, and the triumphs more just and unsullied. 

We put our lower nature in its proper place of subjection under our feet and thus ruling it we rise to perfect manhood, and share the throne of all perfect humanity, and then we rise by and by to greater heights and share the throne of the Divine.

Communicated by automatic writing; “I AWOKE!” Conditions of Life on the other Side, 1895, David Stott, London, Part I, The Psyche, Government, 81-85