SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND THEIR
ATTAINMENT
ONE of the questions which a Theosophist is apt to ask, and
to ask with some earnestness and intensity is, How can I make
progress in the higher life? How can I attain spiritual gifts?
For the phrase "spiritual gifts," which is a rather
loose-jointed expression, we are indebted to Paul, the Apostle
and Adept, who thus wrote to the Corinthian Church: "Concerning
spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant."
Among the "gifts" which he goes on to enumerate are
these, -wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, the working of miracles,
prophecy, discerning of spirits, the speaking of divers tongues,
and the interpretation of tongues. And while the Apostle urges
the Corinthians to "covet earnestly the best gifts,"
he yet proceeds to show them a more excellent way, namely the
supreme law of love. "Now abideth," he says, "faith,
hope, charity (or love), these three; but the greatest of these
is charity." Spiritual gifts, then, however desirable their
possession may be, are plainly not, in the opinion of this good
Adept, on the highest plane, not the supreme object of human
attainment, or the most excellent way of reaching human perfection.
They may doubtless properly be regarded as evidences of advancement
on the higher planes of thought and spiritual life, and may be
coveted and used for the benefit of others; but they are not
in themselves the chief object of human desire. For man's supreme
aim should be to become God, and "God is love."
But let us look at the matter a little more closely. In the
first place, what is a "gift"? What is the common acceptance
of the word? Clearly something given to or bestowed upon a recipient,
not something which a man already possesses, or which he may
obtain by a process of growth or development. The latter, strictly
speaking, would be a "fruit," not a gift. A tree which
has been producing nothing but leaves and branches for many years
finally breaks out into blossom and fruit. No new "gift"
ha been conferred upon it; it has simply reached a stage of development
in its natural growth where certain powers, inherent in the tree
form the beginning, have an opportunity to assert themselves.
In the same way the transcendental powers possessed by the Adepts
are not gifts; but the natural result of growth in certain directions,
and the necessary efflorescence, so to speak, of the profound
development in their cases of those spiritual potentialities
which are the birthright of all men.
Taking this view of the meaning of the word, I think most
Theosophists will be ready to admit that the phrase "spiritual
gifts" is a misnomer. There are and can be no gifts for
man to receive. Whatever the student of the higher life is, he
is as the result of his past labors. Whatever he may become in
the future will be due to his own efforts. He may develop his
latent faculties and in time become an Adept, or he may drift
along the currents of life without aim or effort, till he finally
sinks into oblivion. His destiny is in his own hands, and is
in no way dependent upon "gifts."
Bearing in mind, however, the manifold nature of man, the
subject may be looked at from another point of view. For all
practical purposes man may be said to consist of body, soul,
and spirit, the soul being the true ego, and the spirit one with
the Supreme. And regarding these for the time as separate entities,
it is perfectly true, as James, another apostle, puts it, that
"every good gift and every perfect gift is from above."
Every aspiration of the soul for spiritual things, every resolve
of man to lead a purer life, every helping outstretched hand
to a weaker brother, every desire for the truth, all hungering
and thirsting after righteousness: -these and like yearnings
and strivings of the soul have first of all come from above,
from the Divine within. In this sense they may be called "gifts,"-gifts
from the higher nature to the lower, from the spiritual to the
human. And this action of the above upon the below is seen in
those humane attributes, or qualities, or virtues-whatever one
may be pleased to call them-which Paul in another place enumerates
as the "fruits of the spirit,-love, joy, peace, long suffering
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."
Looked at from either of these points of view, how can we
attain spiritual gifts? The answer would seem to depend upon
what we are really striving for. If the extraordinary powers
of the Adepts have captivated our fancy and fired our ambition,
then we must posses our souls in patience. Few, if any, of us
are at all fitted for a "forcing" process. We must
be content to wait and work; to grow and develop; line upon line,
precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, till,
ages hence perhaps, we come to the full stature of the perfect
man. If, however, wisely recognizing our limitations, we strive
instead after what may be termed the ordinary manifestations
of the spirit, two obvious lines of conduct suggest themselves.
Every impulse from above, every prompting of the Divine within,
should meet at once with a hearty welcome and response. If you
feel as if something urged you to visit some sick or afflicted
neighbor or friend, obey the suggestion without delay. If the
wish to turn over a new leaf comes into the lower consciousness,
don't wait till next New Year's before actually turning it over;
turn it now. If some pathetic story of suffering has moved you,
act on the emotion while your cheeks are still wet with tears.
In short, put yourself at once in line with the Divine ways,
in harmony with the Divine laws. More light, more wisdom, more
spirituality must necessarily come to one thus prepared, thus
expectant. How can a bar of iron be permeated with the earth's
magnetism if it is placed across instead of in line with the
magnetic meridian? How can a man expect spiritual gifts or powers
if he persists in ignoring spiritual conditions, in violating
spiritual laws? To obtain the good, we must think good thoughts;
we must be filled with good desires; in short, we must be
good.
And this practical suggestion is to fulfill faithfully and
conscientiously every known duty. It is in and through the incidents
of daily life, in work well done, in duties thoroughly performed,
that we today can most readily make progress in the higher life,-slow
progress, it may be, but at any rate sure. These are stepping
stones to better things. We advance most rapidly when we stop
to help other wayfarers. We receive most when we sacrifice most.
We attain to the largest measure of Divine love when we most
unselfishly love the brethren. We become one with the Supreme
most surely when we lose ourselves in work for Humanity.
DIES NON
Path, February 1889
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