Body And Soul

There is nothing immortal or permanent about man’s physical body. Not only is it true that the man or woman of adulthood no longer has the same physical cells and elements of the body possessed when a child, but it is also true that every few weeks the various cells and parts of the body are renewed.

After transition this physical body will break down into the primary elements and lose its form, its nature, its worldly character; it will have no heritage to carry on into the future.

The soul within, however, will remain the same. It has been the same for eons of time. It is immortal and unchangeable except that it evolves in personality and individual expression or character. After transition it will still function as a personality, an individuality, despite the fact that it has thrown off a temporary robe in which it had little or no interest. We can understand, therefore, that God’s interest in us is an interest in the evolving self within and not in the human part of human constitution.

As for trials and experiences of life and any divine intervention, it must be reasonable for all students of mysticism to understand that God could unquestionably intervene in our human affairs if two principles were true; first, that God had an interest in us as human beings and in our human affairs, experiences, and sensations; and second, if the purpose of the soul within us and our spiritual existence here on earth were not for the purpose of benefiting by the experiences, lessons, trials, and tribulations of life.

If God’s intervention and interest in us were constant and in any way related to the human side of our existence, we would all lead ideal lives not only in a spiritual sense but in a mental and physical sense as well. We would never commit any errors of any kind and therefore, never suffer any sorrows or pains, spiritually, mentally, or physically. We would never become diseased and we would never strive to overcome temptations in life for there would be no temptations that could successfully tempt us. We would never seek to attain anything higher for there could be nothing higher than such an ideal life under God’s intervention and direction, and we would find that the divine intervention was defeating the purpose for which the soul was incarnated on earth.

- Author Unknown