William Atkinson - The Essential Works of William Walker Atkinson - 50+ Books in One Edition

Whether future growth is to come through additional incarnations on this earth, or in other worlds, or whether the Soul once released from the bonds of earthly flesh, goes into other planes of existence, there to grow, is not fundamental— not material. The Universe is large, and it is just possible that we may be given an opportunity of visiting all parts of it in our development, in which case it would seem that we are on a comparatively low plane of life just now—are just awakening into a consciousness of what it all means, and in the future we will be conscious of our growth and progress and development. A babe grows and develops, without knowing anything about it. Then it becomes self conscious and grows in understanding, and remembers and thinks and draws conclusions. And so it may be that we are in the infantile stage of spiritual development, and are just beginning to “notice.”

Fretting about the future life is as unprofitable a thing as worrying about next week, or next month, or next year. The man of attained growth regards one as ridiculous as the other. Neither accomplishes any good. The true philosophy is to live in the now. Don’t you bother yourselves about the future life. Better leave that in the hands of God. He takes everything into consideration—foresees all obstacles—knows all about you and your requirements—and really is able to conduct the affairs of the Universe without any particular suggestions from you. Man’s ideas about the hereafter change from time to time as he grows. Some of the old ideas were very childish, and some of our best ideas no doubt appear just as childish to the minds of beings who have attained the higher stages of existence. What babes in understanding we must appear to some of those radiant creatures who have long since passed along the Path that we are now treading, and have reached the stage of spiritual manhood. Where these beings are and what is their state, I do not know, but I feel very confident that they exist, and that it is a part of God’s plan to allow them to lend a helping hand to those who are in our stage of development.

I believe that the old doctrine of angels and arch-angels was founded on truth, and was but man’s imperfect way of expressing a fact in the spiritual world beyond his comprehension. We, in our conceit, are apt to imagine that God exhausted his creative power in supplying the earth with the forms which we see around us, and that there are no other forms of life anywhere else in the Universe. This is an idea about as absurd as that formerly possessed by man, namely, that this little earth—this grain of sand—was the center of the Universe and that the sun and moon and the stars were made for the sole benefit of a certain one of its inhabitants called Man. Man has graduated out of that idea, but still clings to the equally absurd notion that the earth is the center of spiritual life, and that Man as we know him is the highest and only creature having a soul. Men will see later on that God’s Universe is large, and that this world of ours is very small in comparison with the whole, and that Man as we know him is but a manifestation of the Soul in one particular stage of development. These may seem like hard sayings to some, but they will gradually grow into an understanding of them. Man—the real Man—is a wonderful being, but Man in his present form of expression, is an undeveloped, crude, gross and primitive creature.

I have not attempted to present a theory of future life. I have my own views on the subject, and have hinted at them here, but I have no desire to force any special theory upon you. If you have a theory or conception that gives you comfort and satisfaction, by all means hold to it. The chances are that we are all right, but that no one of us is altogether right in his conceptions. I do not see how Man, in his present stage of development, can attempt to conceive of the details of future existence. He can see a little further into the darkness, but he cannot grasp more than a bare idea of the truth. I think that when one has awakened to the consciousness of eternal life—when he feels sure that he lives—that he is—he will not attach much importance to theories regarding the details or arrangements of the future life. He will feel perfectly safe in trusting to the Law. I think that Paul, the mystic, summed up the matter when he said : “We are all sons of God, but what we shall be does not as yet appear.”

Table of Content

Man’s development along the lines of unfoldment—The power within—A mighty force— Developing and unfolding like a plant—Life is growth Within and Without—The Divine Paradox—Action and reaction—The internal urge and the external obstacles, both factors in development—Relative and Absolute—The final, or ultimate, effect or product, is the underlying cause of the unfoldment—Man the effect, is Man the Cause—In Man of to-day nestles the Higher Man of the future—The first last, and the last first—Growth always accompanied with pain—Co-operation with the law makes growth less painful—Folly of opposing growth—The Something Within is pressing for unfoldment.

MAN’S DEVELOPMENT has been along the lines of a gradual unfoldment of consciousness. I call your attention to the fact that I speak of unfoldment , rather than acquirement, although the process of growth and development includes both the unfoldment, or growth from within, and the acquirement, or growth from without. There is something within that exerts a steady urge in the direction of unfoldment, and there is an attracting power that draws to one, and appropriates that which is needed from outside. It will be remembered, of course, that I use the words within , and without, in the relative sense, recognizing fully the fact that from the Absolute point of view within and without are one and the same thing.

There is in each of us a mighty force pressing forth for expression and growth in the direction of the ultimate Good— impelling us to unfold and develop—casting off sheath after sheath in its progressive development and unfoldment— impelled by the impulse imparted by the Causeless Cause— attracted upward by the attraction of the Absolute. Like a plant, we are impelled to grow on slowly, but surely—steadily—from seed to blossom—until our potentialities are fully expressed. We grow as does the lily, freely and steadily, unfolding leaf after leaf, until the plant stands in its complete beauty, crowned with its divine flower.

There is in the center of our being a Something which directs a mighty urge toward unfoldment and development, and we will follow these impulses so long as there remains within us one atom of Life. The seed in the ground will express itself in its little shoot, often moving weights a thousand times heavier than itself in its efforts to reach the rays of the sun. The sapling may be bent and confined to the ground but its branches, following the laws of its being, will instinctively shoot upward, moving along the lines of least resistance, and growing toward the sun, in spite of all efforts to restrict it. Like the plant—like the sapling—this Something within us will not allow us to submit to the confining bonds—will not allow us to conform to the false standards set up for our observance from time to time. Submitting as long as it must, it stores up reserve strength day by day, keeping up a continuous pressure in the direction of its desire, until some day, by a supreme effort, it throws off the restraining obstacles, and, obeying the laws of its being, again grows toward the sun.

Life is growth. It moves along, pressing this way and that way, along the lines of least resistance, drawing to itself that which it needs today, and discarding it tomorrow, after it has served its purpose, after its helpful qualities have been extracted. It assumes many forms in its growth, discarding sheath after sheath when outgrown. Any attempt to compel it to retain a sheath which has become outgrown, will cause the life-nature to revolt, and, in the end, with a mighty effort, it will burst forth, tearing the restraining sheath into fragments.