Ancient Wisdom for Today Read Online Free PDF

of matter and energy. This
    natural law states that matter can neither 45
    be created nor destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another.
    French chemist Antoine-Laurent
    Lavoisier discovered this principle in the late eighteenth century shortly before losing his head in the French Revolution. Since then, several scientists, including John Dalton and Albert Einstein, refined and expanded on the principle. They found that the total amount of matter and energy in the universe always remains the same.
    The parts are just reassembled into new combinations.
    Every aspect of the universe is part
    of a phenomenal recycling effort. We,
    as Soul, are divine sparks of God. That which can never be created nor destroyed.
    This doesn’t mean that the human population on earth remains the same. Not all Souls incarnate as humans at the same
    time.
    We evolve in consciousness through
    many different forms of life, even in the plant and animal kingdoms, before we take human form. Our goals are to learn how 46
    to survive, how to love, how to achieve self-mastery, and how to find our way home to God.
    Near-Death and Out-of-Body
    Experiences Have Helped
    People Live Life More Fully
    Some people have had near-death expe-
    riences. They were able to view their in-jured body from above and had a glimpse of the higher worlds. Most have extremely happy and uplifting experiences.
    Soul never dies. It does not grieve
    for Its physical body. Many tell of meeting old friends or relatives who have passed on or of encounters with great majestic beings who greet them but say the time for their death has not yet arrived. Those who return to their physical body often feel totally different about their lives. They are now free of the fear of death and are able to live life more fully.
    And there are those who’ve had out-
    of-body experiences. These experiences 47
    are similar to the near-death experience but can occur under more ordinary
    circumstances. The person is able to shift his spiritual attention away from the
    physical realm and travel in the Soul
    body. After such experiences it is hard to be afraid of death because the continuity of life becomes so apparent.
    Heaven Exists on Other Planes
    When the physical body dies, Soul con-
    tinues to exist on the other planes of God.
    Soul may stay on these other planes for a day, a thousand years, or more. This is dependent on Soul’s mission, Its karmic obligation, and Its level of spiritual unfoldment. For many, this in-between time is heaven. The Astral Plane, for example, has sections which resemble all of the heavens described in the major religious traditions.
    You might find Saint Peter and the pearly gates, or the happy hunting grounds, or even visit the palace of Zeus or Jupiter.
    On the Astral Plane you find what you
    expect, what you hope for, or what you fear.
    48
    Reincarnation Helps Explain
    Aspects of Our Personalities
    Reincarnation provides an explanation
    for various elements of our personality.
    Why does a young child show great
    musical talent when his parents have
    none? The reason could be that these
    talents were developed in a previous life and a subtle memory persists.
    If the awareness of Soul is maintained, living in the physical world can be joyous.
    However, members of Eckankar aspire to spiritual freedom. This means they may choose to reincarnate but are not compelled to do so. The Mahanta can guide Soul out of the worlds of illusion and help It rise above the Laws of Karma and
    Reincarnation.
    Reincarnation Is
    a Widely Held Belief
    Reincarnation is a widely held belief.
    Hundreds of millions of people, including 49
    most Hindus and Buddhists, believe that Soul inhabits many bodies over the course of time. ECKists believe that Soul enters the body at or around the time of birth.
    Without the entrance of Soul, the body could not survive.
    Soul Is Always
    Moving Forward
    Soul is always moving forward. It is
    never punished. It must simply obey the Law of Karma and