This week I was fascinated with the works of Swedenborg who along with Emerson and Haanel all speak about the Universal mind as it relates to spirituality and the Omnipresent . Haanel also wrote about Thought , Truth, Faith and Wisdom. As a theologian, Swedenborg said that the Bible should be read as a spiritual guidebook , and interpreted so that we can understand the spiritual truths behind the written words- (truths that open up when we are ready to receive them. ) He defined spiritual growth as a way to lead a better life. Reformation is a state of thought that occurs in our intellect . Regeneration is a state of love that occurs in our will which is brought about by the good actions from the good will. This video highlights some of the incredible aspects of Swedenborg’s life . His spiritual awakening, and travel through space connecting to “other spirits” on other planets will not be discussed in my blog.
Swedenborg’s world has a divinely established order with The very top representing the Lord in the Celestial Heaven . Heaven (one level below ) is where people who have lived good lives go after death; all of the angels there were once human beings on earth, just like all of the devils in hell were also human. The World of Spirits is one level below our Natural World where both good and evil spirits live; this is where people of all types gather first after death; we discover what truly lies inside of us. Our mind is in the spiritual world and is therefore influenced by good and evil spirits . We experience a pull daily in the form of positive thoughts and feelings vs negative self destructive ones ( “the struggles for the mind” ). This can lead to inner turmoil especially for people who are on a path for spiritual growth. The mind that lives in the natural world is made of both spiritual and earthly substances . When we die ,we become angels or spirits , but our mind remains unchanged. At the death of our body, we transfer consciousness from the natural to the spiritual world . Our mind is also our human spirit , Divine Love and Wisdom. Swedenborg describes the mind of man, which consists of the will and understanding, and has three levels: the natural mind, spiritual mind and a celestial mind. A person can’t be” elevated into and possess angelic wisdom “while living in the natural world. When we die we get wisdom from either the spiritual or the celestial level depending on which part of our mind most often flowed while we were in this world . The celestial portion of our mind receives love from God . ” Love God with all of your heart and soul ” . This part of the mind receives the divine wisdom – the ability to see heavenly light ( the offspring of divine love. ) .
” Nothing can exist in the material world that does not have a correspondence with the spiritual world “. Everything in the material world is an effect. The cause of those effects lie in the spiritual world , and those causes lie in Deeper Heaven . Correspondence according to Swedenborg is about a dynamic relationship between Divine and Human love , and Divine Wisdom and Human Enlightenment . Divine love that permeates the universe is like the heat of the sun and Divine wisdom provides order to everything in the universe . Together they sustain all living things in the spiritual and natural worlds. If someone has a “sunny disposition”, Gods love is shining through . If somebody says “Now I see the light” or “they are enlightened ” they are using correspondence to describe how Gods presence is manifesting in people. Light always equals wisdom and water equals Truth . According to Haanel, the Truth is spiritual, is a vital principle of the Universe , and is Omnipresent .
The Universal Human
According to Swedenborg , God can be understood as “infinitely human”. Angels in Heaven live in communities that work together and perform functions which corresponds to an organ or system in the human body. The entire Angelic community is referred to as a single individual : the “Universal Human.“
What makes a person human is THOUGHT and WILL, with the ability to receive God. Swedenborg speaks about the functions that the body performs : we take things in and keep what’s useful to sustain our lives , and eliminate the rest. In the book Secrets of Heaven, the systems of the human body are described in detail :
The digestive system is related to the process of dying in this world and crossing into the spiritual world. The mouth is the gateway into the spiritual world. People are absorbed into the body ( taken into heaven ) in part or whole . If they are self-centered or focused on material gain they move down into the esophagus and into the stomach where they meet another set of Angels who help them “confront who they really are inside .” If those people that committed evil allow the Lord’s energy to flow into them, they are absorbed and carried to communities to live and work. However, if they truly love Evil , then they continue to progress into the Intestines and the Rectum, where they are expelled into HELL. I love this analogy ! It stresses the need to improve oneself and love one another .
The two most important angelic communities in Heaven are the “Heart “and the “Lungs”. The heart community corresponds to the Heavenly Kingdom ( that closest to God) represents love and the will ( the part of our minds that moves us and causes us to take action . The “Lungs” or the air we breathe ( the part of the mind where we process information , Intellect or understanding) and corresponds to the Spiritual Kingdom representing the Lord’s wisdom . Love and Wisdom both circulate through the spiritual world into our world. Everyone works together in harmony moved by divine love and guided by divine wisdom .
At Birth , every human has a soul and a body , but only has a rudimentary mind with little consciousness. Our mind is made of spiritual substance. Our brain is physical matter . Our mind can never be seen because it is on a higher plane of existence. Even though our mind is made of spiritual substance , it is inferior to the soul . it doesn’t receive love or wisdom directly from God . Instead these things enter through the medium of the world of the spirits , by thoughts and feelings flowing in from its inhabitants. Our Soul, mind and body exist on separate levels; so does creation .
Law of Attraction:
The Law of Attraction : if you focus on something you want, will you get it ? (“that which ye pray for , ye shall receive “) The New thought movement :
New thought was about the connection of mind and body and the psychology behind the will and intellect . The law of the spiritual world is that people who do heartfelt good to another in that world receive the same good in return ( the laws of giving and receiving) . People who do evil receive the same evil in return . The law of Attraction is real , but only in the spiritual world . Evil spirits try to influence people to be miserable and hurt others ; we resist if we can (using the 7 laws of the mind ) . Evil spirits create their own hell . The communities of good people establish order and the welfare of the community .
Is it good for us to always get what we want? (Master Key prayers and exercises). If something bad happens to you , does it mean that you are thinking the wrong thoughts? If you don’t have material success , are you a bad person? Swedenborg feels that there are four categories of love with the Law of attraction : God love , Neighbor love, love for material goods of the world , self ego. The first two are of utmost importance . If we are being driven by self ego and love for material goods , we are blocking the flow of love from heaven. We need to let go and leave room for divine providence to lead us down the right path ( master key wk#12). Whatever your will is , your true intent is what truly matters. The more an angel or a person gives to another in the spirit of neighborly love, the more the giver receives as an influence from heaven . In giving to one who asks , a person is enriched . You can’t run out of love – the more you give , the more you get ( law of giving ). The more love you give and share , the more love there is in the world and the better off we all are. Within peace, lies Trust in the Lord, that he will take care of everything and lead to everything that’s good . (Trust and Faith ) When we believe this , then we fear nothing and have no worries about the future .
Good can also come from hardship. (Law of Substitution) and if we trust that the process can lead to a joyful end, then trust brings more peace than material wealth. Love and kindness always bring the greatest rewards (spiritual growth and law of giving and receiving ). In closing I want to refer to the song “Let it Be” by the beatles which has many meanings but it relates to me because of the need for peace , and love , as well as our need to relax , let go and connect with the Universal Mind! Listen to the words of the song and get your own interpretation of the words:
Christopher Chase wrote an article explaining the lyrics of the song” Let it Be” by the Beatles in 1969 written by Paul McCartney. It starts by saying how when he finds himself of times of trouble , “Mother Mary” comes to him . Paul’s mother was also named Mary ,and he was thinking about his mother ;others feel that he referred to the Virgin Mary. The words ” Mary comes like an angel whispering to him these wise words “– “let it Be ” means let go or relax and don’t worry about your troubles . The words of comfort remind us not to think about sad things , and accept the things that have happened already in the past ( what we do when we sit and focus and connect our minds to the universe and when we use the 7 laws of the mind ). ( Dealing with the old Blueprint) . Then he sings about “all the broken hearted people in the world” and people who hate each other and are at war ( there was violence in Ireland, and the Vietnam war .) “Although they may be parted , there is still a chance that they will see “( see the light of the Lord , “see” being intellect and understanding ) . “There will be an answer, Let it Be” . This time it means ,” let it happen “; make the world a happier , more peaceful place . This song for me makes me think about Divine Love , Wisdom and Faith. This is Paul’s vision for peace. Gavin in his blog several weeks ago referred to John Lennon’s song” Imagine ” . Both songs give us hope for peace and love !
Charles Haanel said “Whatever you desire for yourself , affirm it for others, and it will help both of you . If we send out thoughts of love and health , they return to us. The amazing thing about Haanel and Swedenborg is that their writings are still applicable today !
