Humanity is distinct from the animal kingdom in numerous ways. While animals show signs of intelligence to differing degrees, as do plants, humans are unique in their ability to reason and reflect on abstract thoughts and ideas. The Perennial Philosophy teaches us that unlike the creatures of nature, we also have individual souls as well as a spiritual aspect.
The Tripartite Nature of Humanity
In short, humanity can be said to be tripartite - we have three distinct aspects: Spirit, Soul and Body. Our body enables us to live and participate in the realms of nature. Spirit is in the Eternal and both the source of our true origin, and our final home. Our soul is positioned between the other two, with free will enabling it to decide which way to turn - to Spirit above or to the body and a mundane life below. One direction leads us towards the Eternal, the other to the constraints of space and time.
Humanity’s Relationship with Time
Throughout history, humankind has felt a need to mark out time. We register the passing of years through recognising the predictable movements of the celestial bodies. We divide years into months, months into weeks, weeks into days and so on. We also remember and celebrate ‘special’ days throughout the year, such as religious holy days, birthdays, anniversaries and days of remembrance. Such days free us for a brief moment from the unceasing pressures of time, and enable us to look back and reflect on what has gone before, and in the light of what we see, make better plans for what is still to come.
The Need for Reflection
The impulse to periodically press the pause button on our lives and thereby still the inexorable march of time is common to us all. Without it, we would just drift incessantly in the stream of time along with the creatures of nature. So, what is this impulse? Could it be that there is an innate Idea of Eternity deep within our souls that prompts us to not only occasionally pause time so that we may reflect more fully upon our lives, but also reminds us that our true home is in the Eternal and not in the realms of time and space? As spiritual-corporeal beings, it is not our purpose to be living entirely mundane lives but rational and spiritual ones. However, the instinctive pull towards a life dominated by physical and material pleasures is strong and soon creates attachments that are difficult to break. That is where the importance of taking time out comes in. We need to take time to reflect, to turn within, to remember who we are, to become more consciously aware of the innate idea of the Eternal within us and to learn to see the spiritual both above and immanent in the world around us. Autumn and winter are two seasons especially ideal for periods of reflection. With fewer attractions to draw our attention outward, it is a little easier to spend more time working on our inner life, contemplating the Divine above us and within us, and encouraging our souls to rise from the temporal to the Eternal.
Fire as a Symbol of the Eternal
For eons, humans have gathered around fires in the dark evenings to share fellowship, warmth and love. This fire which draws us and gives both warmth and light is surely symbolic of the eternal Light, that unwearied flame that is lighted from all eternity - the ineffable Light of the Divine, above and within, that is imbued with stability and sameness and endures forever. It is That we seek. Moreover, our purpose while living in these realms, is not only to seek the Eternal, but to become guided and enlightened by It. Then, with the Eternal Flame burning on the altar of our own hearts, we have the sacred duty of being transformed by it and then carrying it out into the temporal world around us. This is not just the responsibility of the so-called enlightened ones, but the responsibility of us all to participate in the gradual spiritualisation of humanity and the cosmos in any way we can. This is the lot of humanity.
The Human Task - the Spiritual Ascent
While both our first and final homes are in the Eternal, it is perpetually in the realm of time and space and motion where we begin to unfold our potentialities and do the work we were born to do. While still in body, by uniting our souls with the Divine we can receive that Light and enable it to work through us, gradually spiritualising ourselves and our surroundings until eventually the ‘below’ can once again be brought into relationship with the Above. The world of nature is already perfect, being the manifestation and reflection of the Divine, but the perfection of ourselves requires effort and discipline. We are always free to choose as to whether to live a merely mundane existence, content with physical and material pleasures, or whether to rise above the temporal and live a Spiritual life, thereby fulfilling our purpose. The choice is ours to make, and the paths are many. However, the Goal is the same for all - the Eternal.
We are continually adding courses such as Anne Baring’s on The Dream of the Cosmos, discussing the importance of seeking the eternal and reuniting the above and the below. Start now
