In Spiritualism there is a triune being of spirit, soul, and body. All three are animated by Infinite Intelligence. Spirit is the highest or innermost principle. Soul is the spiritual body and the intermediate principle. And the body is the outermost principle and serves as the vehicle for the first two.
The soul, or spiritual body and intermediate principle of the physical body and spirit, acts as the vehicle for the spirit to contact the material. The soul is the spiritual equivalent of one’s material body. At the time of death, it withdraws from the physical body and functions throughout eternity. The souls is the vehicle of expression of the spirit in the Spirit World. The soul has its counterpart of one’s physical senses, but its senses have an acute awareness in their ability to feel or sense the things of a much finer vibration. These are qualities of the soul.
The innermost life principle and the highest attribute of the individual comprises qualities of the spirit, which is the motivating power of all matter and exists in its highest vibration in the soul of the individual. It is the the spirit that gives one consciousness, reason, memory, personality, and individuality. It is also the spirit that gives one immortality. One’s spirit is their God part. Perfect, never changing and never dying.
One’s duty as a spiritual and physical being is twofold. There’s both a duty to oneself and a duty to others. Duty to oneself is to gain knowledge of the world(s) around as well as the world(s) within. As this knowledge is gained it must then be applied. Every individual must remain on the path of progression. One must recognize that in this life, they are creating their eternity. In recognizing that one is a spirit temporarily encased in a physical body to experience Earth life, one may dispel all limitations and recognize the continuity of life. Additionally, one’s duty to others should be to serve in such a way that others too may reach the same level of understanding and spiritual development. Our service to others helps to raise the vibration and perfection of all humanity. This concept of service is reflected in the Golden Rule to not only do unto others as you would have them do unto you, but to do for others as you would do for yourself.
One must learn to obey the Natural Laws of Nature to properly care both for one’s physical being and spiritual well-being. The physical body must be properly cared for as it houses the spirit. The mental must be nurtured for one’s thoughts create one’s tomorrow. And one must obey spiritual laws because the spiritual body continues in the hereafter.
Our duty to our fellow beings can be summed up through service to others. As one grows spiritually, one begins to think more about others too. One becomes more charitable and think in terms of brotherhood as one begins to see the needs of their community, country, and the world. One’s primary concern becomes one of service and how one can be of service to others.
Jesus said, “thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” This means that the same way one loves themselves; proper care both physically and spiritually to unfold and develop as eternal beings is the same way one must treat their neighbor or fellow being. Regardless of a neighbor’s behavior or attitude, they are also a child of God.
A definition of life may be viewed in different ways. In a purely scientific approach, life is the property of plants and animals to feed, grow, adapt, and reproduce. It is a quality that distinguishes living things from inorganic and so-called dead things. However, in the Spiritualist perspective life both here and hereafter comprise one life, whose continuity of consciousness is unbroken by death. While it is recognized that life in the flesh differs from life in spirit, it remains one life differing only under the conditions in which it is lived.
The Law of Life is sometimes referred to as the one law behind all other Natural Laws. The Law of Life gives expression and existence to everything that exists and it is God’s law. It is the controlling force of the relationship between the individual and the infinite or God. As one allows themselves to be aligned with God, the Law of Life is expressed to its fullest and one may experience joy, peace, health, happiness, and prosperity.
To be a student of the Law of Life is to make it one’s eternal teacher. The Spiritualist knows that its truth is planted in every heart and that the law pertains to one in the flesh the same as it does to one in spirit. Love is the fulfillment of the Law of Life. Development is the real aim of life.
