1994-03-13-Vagrancy of the Soul

Session

Lesson

Our lesson is about vagrancy of the soul and vicissitude in the mind, meaning that when a human being wanders through life without aid, he chooses convoluted and complex associations which meander and work their way into unnecessary vicissitude. Undeniably also does a human who has guidance also to experience hardship which he overcomes. The human being who experiences hardship without help sometimes falters and turns back only to experience hardship over and over without surmounting it. A human who has guidance knows that his hardships are purposefully experienced and he knows that he will triumph over them eventually. So that when he experiences similar hardships again, he easily surmounts them and carries on.

Much of your human existence is learning that your life is only a transition. "Life is like a bridge to be crossed, one should not attempt to build his dwelling place here."[1] Therefore, very much of life consists in learning its basic dimension. You who exist during your first short transitional phase attempt to cling on to it with great tenacity, misunderstanding that life's initial purpose is only to prepare your budding soul for greater reality. Men and women realize that lifetime is short and that forgetfulness comes quickly. Your ancestors, like you, sought to change the world in such a way as to be remembered after passing, and now you understand that your understanding of them is practically non-existent. Generations pass and few are remembered, still fewer as time goes on. History is forgetful and existence becomes lost and easily forgotten. Searching for permanence is the urge of human existence. Permanence is not found in this life. There is nothing of permanent nature here. When humans learn that their lastingness is the result of transitions, they will cease to be enamored of their temporal reflection and happily trust that the transition is toward lasting value.

What will you take with you from this life? Very little. All of life consists in transition. Consider the change from embryonic to fetal stages. What remains of the embryo? Nothing discernable really, hardly more than basic pattern. Your pattern is the created existence of your personality. That is the pattern over which all else is change. Life's sorrows are the non-acceptance of its changing nature, while life's joys are the intunement of the soul with change. Little does any one man give except the imprint of his unique personality onto others. He who is wise uses his uniqueness, celebrates his differentness and exults in its changing nature. Sorry is the man who has taken his first imprints and sought to build a home with it. Gone is the joy and the freshness in life. Wise is the human who looks upon his life as a series of imprints which have changed and continue to change throughout life on into life eternal. Look around you and you'll see that those who attempt to cease changing are those who increase their sorrows. Adapt then when you are the human who stops changing.

How do I adapt when the circumstances are unfair and my heart weeps and stutters? You are only here a little while. When you realize that adaptation isn't the end of all ideals, no, rather does adaptation serve to underline those ideals. You are never in danger of losing yourself, no, rather does your adaptation serve to impress your ideals on those who would never be touched by you otherwise.