BD.5172
July 17, 1951

APPEARANCE AND REALITY

Earth life only is existence in appearance. As soon as you men have achieved this insight, you have reached the point of ascent. You then live consciously, working towards the Light, which is actual being, which begins only when your body - the material casing of the soul, falls away and the soul is able to rise to the spirit kingdom. Everything that exists before your eyes on earth, everything visible to you, so only transitorily fixed spiritual substance which, as matter, is to serve its task of permitting the maturing of the spiritual.

And earth-life itself also is a mere bodily function, for as long as your soul is without any cognition yet of what it had been, what it is and is to be. If the soul does not gain this cognition in earth-life, then the soul indeed believes even more in the reality of life, but regards only earth-life as meaningful, and hence strives after living really long and well upon earth. Only with the moment of cognition does this craving relent, because actual life then comes to her consciousness, with the earth-life then fading to the degree to which real life gains meaning. Only then can she distinguish between appearance and reality, to only then consciously live.

Life was given her to test her will within an existence in appearance, to apply herself within a certain energy-level that enables her to utilise life-force in a God-pleasing way, earning herself thereby an entitlement to power and fullness in real life, for applying same in a God-willed sense.

She has therefore to first go through a test-life, in order to prove herself for meriting unmeasured power-reception. Because only the command of yonder power is life proper, where the soul becomes creational active, acting also towards salvation on an all-embracing scale. Through failure in test-life, through wrong utilisation of the life force at her disposal, she forfeits the power-delivery in life proper, which she would then use in a perverse manner as well, if streamed to her unconditionally.

She will have to have reached a certain level of maturity on earth, making her fit as a power recipient and steward in the spiritual kingdom. And earth-life was given her for this. Yet this usually is seen at an end in itself and not as a means thereto, and is then also used erroneously - it is regarded as the only desirable thing, notwithstanding that every man is aware of not being able to prolong this life by a day, when his hour has come. And precisely this should make him recognise the transitoriness of what seems exceedingly important to him. As a clever human, he should be providing for an "after" and not be satisfied with things subject to the law of transitoriness.

Earth-life is only life apparent, something on loan which can be demanded back at any time; yet man should show proper care towards goods on loan, in a way that will bear him abundant interest, even if not materially, but that spiritual wealth should be earned therewith; then man is fit for a similar life - for life proper, which lasts forever.

AMEN