Part 2:   OUR HUMAN NATURE

Self-knowledge is one of the keys to building a life of balance and harmony. To truly know ourselves, we need to understand our complete human identity i.e. our origin, direction, purpose, and duties.

Self-knowledge enables us to create a state of wholistic health in which all our spiritual and material resources are equally active (in balance) and working toward the same goal (in harmony).

What is our complete human identity?

We are multi-dimensional beings created to experience life in both spiritual and material form. Our essence or original nature is spiritual. Our original home is in the spiritual dimension.

The path of human life, as willed by our Creator, leads us from our spiritual home, through the material world, and back home. Our present reality in physical form on Earth is one phase of our complete human journey.

Our purpose here on Earth is to develop and strengthen our human qualities under conditions not found in our spiritual home. The Earth is our school and training ground. It challenges us to become completely involved in material life without losing our spiritual identity.

To fully benefit from our Earthly training, we are given the temporary use of a physical body. Within this body we are asked to form relationships with the different life forms on this Earth, something that would not be possible in our spiritual form

It is through these relationships that our human qualities of compassion, love, patience, tolerance, and co-operation are developed, strengthened.

Growth through relationships is why we are here on Earth.

Relationships are essentially energy exchanges. On Earth our physical body is the intermediary through which we exchange energy with material objects, plants, animals, and other humans in physical form.

During these exchanges our body reacts to any energy it receives by producing physical sensations. These sensations provide us with the feedback that connects us with the material world and helps us learn about the nature of our relationship partners.

It is then up to us to interpret and respond to these sensations in a way that displays our human qualities. By paying attention to the nature of the energies entering and leaving our body (self awareness) we learn how to interact with the different forms of life without sacrificing our identity as human beings.

Protecting our true identity while on Earth requires that we co-operate with, yet remain distinct from the beings and energies of the material world. This is made possible by establishing and maintaining a spiritual connection with our Creator; a connection that guides and purifies us from influences that are not human in nature. These influences are not "bad", simply of a different nature.

Receiving this guidance and purification is called worship. Worship prevents us from being overwhelmed by the forces of material life to the extent that we forget who we are. Worship is a spiritual receiving that may or may not be present in organized religious practices.

Relationship work and worship are the two human duties we are all required to perform while on Earth. Each is performed differently.

Worship is an act of submission in which we quiet the physical actions of our body and allow the Power of our Creator to cleanse and guide us. Work is an act of will in which we make use of all our body's resources to form relationships with material objects, plants, animals, and fellow human beings.

It is the nature and quality of our relationships that determine our degree of development while on Earth. When we can demonstrate an ability to relate with all forms of life in a truly human way, our training on Earth will be completed and we are ready to return to our spiritual home.

Experiential Exercise: Who Am I?

Quiet yourself from the normal distractions of daily life and take a personal inventory by asking the following questions: Why am I here on Earth? ... What is my personal mission? ... What are the personal resources I've been given to carry out this mission? ... What role does each part of my being i.e. thoughts, feelings, senses, etc. play in carrying out this mission? Are any of them over active or under active? ... Are they all working toward the same goal or do they each have their own agenda? Am I my body? ... Where do I go when my body dies? Don't worry if the answers to some of these questions are not yet clear. These are BIG questions. They need to be asked regularly in a sincere and quiet state in order for the process of self discovery to proceed.

END OF PART 2.