Claudia Gelernter

The divine art of living

Spiritism is born in 1857 carrying a particular banner. Even though it brought no novelty in its comments about reincarnation, the fact is that it shows, through its rich philosophy, the details of this process, explaining evolutionary questions in a consistent manner with the existence of an Omnipotent, Omniscient, Completely Fair and Good perfect Creator.

Although other religions also claim the issue of reincarnation, only Spiritism gives this subject a strong feature that supports it, if we – as I previously commented – take into account a Perfect God. The Doctrine explains the fundamentals of this theory, by saying where we come from, what is the purpose of being here, and where we are going to after this passage on Earth. According to religion: 

* We are immortal souls.
* We were created by God.
* We are in a process of continuous evolution. 

Earth is one of the possible experiences, with a relative loss of memory, to put into practice our prior learnings and to learn new concepts.

When we exit this reincarnation, we go to the Spiritual World - our true home, since we are Spirits and not bodies. And being Spirits, we must obviously live here according to our spiritual nature, considering matter as a vehicle and means, never as an end in itself.

We were not born to be covered in gold, but to feel and spread more love. 

Defense Mechanism for Evolution

We understand that the soul expresses and feels the environment through the body, and this denser body - that we can see and touch - carries genetic information of our family system, but not only. It is also an heir of an evolution of the human species (phylogenetic); therefore it has limits and opportunities within this category. Thus, we cannot fly, nor live under water; but not only that.

Our brain has been equipped with a very interesting protection system. No, it is not the skull, formed by a hard bone, but by an automatic protection device, that makes us escape from imminent threats or fight them immediately, and this mechanism is stronger and more intense than the mechanism of pleasure. So physically we are programmed to record and value more the negative aspects of our life than the positive ones. I often say to people that obviously it is more important to run away from a lion than to find and be happy with a wild strawberry; much more urgent.

So we are saying that there is a conflict of interest, after all we seek happiness on Earth, but we have a programmed machine to record, highlight and enhance more a negative than a positive experience.

Neuroscientists comment that thus we need more positive than negative inputs. And these inputs must not be only in the experiments with the environment, but with mental impositions, when we talk to ourselves, reaffirming the good things that happen to us, bringing them to consciousness, being grateful to them.

I often suggest that my patients have a special gratitude diary. Every night they must register at least five significant events that happened during the day and should be brought to their consciousness once again. This is a very important exercise, because it is capable of changing mental structures built with other directions. By the way, it brings immediate well-being.

With the advancement of Science, thanks to neuroimaging equipment, we were able, in the last 20 years to take a leap on the issue of learning about our brains. We could understand that it has plasticity, and that we can change its structure, both for better and for worse, through our thoughts and attitude towards life. Therefore, understanding aspects of the art of good living cannot only change our mood, but even our brain. And that is a wonderful thing, because when this changes, the power of positive thinking is strengthened. Here is a virtuous circle that is born!

But it is not to create an imaginary pink world, Poliana... but yes, to turn our eyes to the real, in the here and now, together with the experience, with awareness and love for myself and the world. For when we learn to love ourselves, we seek in life the best it has to offer us, and in return, we also give our best… 

Jesus and the Meaning of Life

When the beloved Master was among us, He said that we must learn to love, to forgive, to give, to accept the experiences with understanding, humility, faith, hope, justice and courage. Even then he commented how anxiety harmed us. He questioned why were we so anxious because of the material things, if God can yes provide us with what we need and it would be enough for us to do what He taught us, i.e., that we lived according to the great Law, doing our best. It turns out that this statement, contained in the Sermon on the Mount, has in it an inconsistency when we look at it in a deep, spiritual and reincarnation point of view. For how can I be calm in this life, if I cannot be as good as Jesus Himself asks me to be? If the Law of God, if the Kingdom is love and wisdom, how can I obtain what is necessary if I still cannot live on Earth being truly fair and good?

Therefore, as all that is, we must strive to understand the divine lens that thoroughly understands our possibilities and limits. God would not ask His children more than they can give. Of course we are going to make mistakes, we will continue to experience difficulty in moral issues for some time, however, let us take into account our good will, our intention to do good, to build a better world through our actions in the world. And obviously this intention and persistence is always taken into account. We will not be asked to be saints in one day, but in period of days let us be intense in our intention and willingness.

And what would be Sense of Life? Briefly, we can say that it is to perform our best here, with what we have of values and talents. The values give us the positive guiding in our actions and talents that show us the areas in which we can act in the world. For example: a good doctor uses his talents to become and carry out the medical profession, but the values are what make him truly human and good-hearted in his medical care, thus becoming a complete professional. Thus, he lives in agreement with his talents and values and consequently he maintains himself firm in the conflicts of life. He becomes cheerful because, as Nietzsche said, who has a “why” can face any “how”.

Joan Garriga Bacardi already said that a soul’s good journey is to make it discover its talents, and to know its wounds and heal them and, finally, to live according to the flow of life, accepting the unavoidable by changing the possible, always loving. 

Pay attention to some important points

Self-sabotage: We humans sometimes develop unrealistic beliefs about ourselves. There are those who think they are sinners, not deserving the good, joy, and peace. Others, because they do not accept their parents and the history they lived with them, also end up harming themselves through bad choices. They sabotage their own projects, by forming destructive partnerships, forgetting to fight for their choices and dreams. Some mutilate themselves mentally with toxic anxieties, until they become ill, others physically, using drugs, alcohol, medication, and so on. Others still go against all those, who can help them, or flee from what would be good for them. This cycle can only be broken, since it is unconscious and constant, with an honest, deep look at oneself. 

Self-Forgiveness/Forgiveness: Andre Luiz, in the book Green Light, says that after one problem we should wait for another one. Paraphrasing the Spirit friend, I would say that "after a mistake, we should wait for others”. And we must be honest about it! It is obvious that we will fail! We are on this Earth, we are still imperfect Spirits, and we are on the way of love, goodness, fairness and wellness. We still do not know how to reach what is right in all sectors, much less the emotional. Thus, after an error what can we do? Learn and grow from the experience, only this! No long guilt. Guilt can appear, but it must be replaced by the intention to repair and change of mentality. So we must forgive ourselves as well as others... and, therefore, we will be lighter for the divine art of good living.

Procrastination: The eternal delay - And when we listen, read, think and we refuse to change the destructive course of our lives? Procrastination is one of the symptoms of self-sabotage, but I decided to give it an extra space in this lecture, due to its importance and power. It is the result of our stubbornness, of our lack of humbleness towards life. When we become proud, we not only harden because we think ourselves better than others, but also when we insist in telling life that we know more than she, that even when great teachers say we need to forgive ourselves, we still insist for eternal punishment. We are mistaken when we think we are paying a bill that only increases. We think we are right when we make mistakes. To postpone what we have to do - discover our talents, and live in accordance with them, leading them with positive values; discover our wounds, curing them and living in accordance with the sense of life, accepting what it offers us with gratitude - paralyzes us in pain, suffering, in the fantasy that we cannot move from where we are. It is necessary to make a choice, and change old habits that no longer convey us. 

One more choice for a Safe Script

According to the Vedanta, the most effective actions to create good karma, or we may say, to live well, having very few problems and settling old faults, is to:

Perform spiritual actions: those that seek to transcend the mind; become aware of the reality, develop detachment and wisdom; reconnecting to God.

Serving and caring for the Knowledge Sources: teachers and spiritual teaching sites;

Caring, loving and honoring parents: Serve them in their needs, respect them (this does not mean to bow to family neuroses);

Taking care of other human beings: meeting people in their needs, helping them in their development.
Taking care of animals and plants: Meet all the needs of other forms of life, trying to never hurt.

Those, who can walk on this Earth, following these 5 concepts will be acting in accordance with the Cosmic Law, which Jesus called the Kingdom of God, and therefore will be supported always. For the Hindus, all given to us by the Universe is to be accepted, though without passivity. We can change what is within our reach. And only the one that discovered the real meaning of the art of living is the one that learnt how to care, love, and to have compassion, in whatever area he may be acting.

Jesus and the Parable of the Talents

Finally, I would like to highlight one of the most beautiful teachings of Christ, because it is very appropriate given the lessons tonight: Speaking through a beautiful parable, He said:

"For it is like a man, who going to another country, called his servants, and gave them his goods: to one he gave five talents, to another two, and one talent to another one; to each one according to his ability; and straightway left for his journey. The one that received the five talents went and traded with them and gained another five; likewise he that had received two, also gained another two. But the one that only had received one talent, he went and made a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. After a long time the lord of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. He that had received five talents came and brought five more, saying: My lord, you delivered to me five talents; here are five more that I won. His master said: Well done, good and faithful servant, since you have been faithful in little, I shall trust you with much more; enter into the joy of thy lord. It came also that the one who had received two talents came and said: Lord, you delivered to me two talents; here are another two that I won. His master said: Well done, good and faithful servant, since you have been faithful in very little, I shall trust you with much more, enter into the joy of thy lord. Finally he arrived to the one, who had received one talent, saying: lord, I was told that you are a strict man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered; and I was afraid, and hid your talent in the ground; here is what is yours. But his master answered: wicked and slothful servant, you knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not scatter? Then, you should have handed my money to the exchangers, and when I arrived, I would have received what is mine with interest. Take away therefore the talent and give it to the one who has ten talents; because to everyone who has, shall be given to him, and he shall have abundance; but to the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. The useless servant cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 25: 14-30).

The one who takes the talents that God has lent him, doing something bigger in the world, pleases the Lord. The one that hides and buries it, he silences the talent, he is afraid. And by being scared he freezes. And, frozen he cannot live well… he did not use his talent to do something in the world. He will end up by regretting the time he lost in the spiritual world, or still in this one, as the part of the weeping and gnashing of teeth states...

Finally, I repeat the need to go in search to discover our talents, seeking to use them with positive values. We see as positive values: compassion, kindness, courage, perseverance, humility, and wisdom.

We must discover our wounds and heal them, forgiving others and ourselves, accepting that each one is and acts according to his conditions and not our demands. Finally, may we walk on this Earth like attentive pilgrims with mindfulness in today, in the now, focusing on the goodness, the well-fare, and love. Let us care that we do not give in to the traps of an automatic mind, and lead our thoughts to the highest spheres. This is an art: The Divine art of living.