fr-Chapter 30 - The Development of Souls through Reincarnations

The Law of Development

1. I tell you, man must know that his soul has come to Earth many times and yet has still not understood how to ascend along the path of My Law to reach the summit of the mountain. (77, 55)

2. Since man has witnessed the advancement of science and the discovery of things he would not have believed before—why then does he resist the natural development of the soul? Why does he cling to that which brings it to a standstill and lulls it to sleep? Because he shrank from the prospect of eternal life! (118, 77)

3. Understand this: although creation appears to be complete, everything continues to develop, transform, and perfect itself. Can your soul possibly escape this divine law? No, my children. No one can have the final word on the spiritual realm, on science, or on life, for they are My works, which have no end. (79, 34)

4. How many people, based on the knowledge they have acquired, believe themselves to possess spiritual greatness, yet to Me they are no more than children who have stagnated on the path of development. For they must bear in mind that it is not merely the unfolding of their intellect through which they can achieve the upward development of their soul, but it must occur through the development of their entire being, and there are many faculties within the human being that must be developed in order to attain perfection.

5. That is the reason why I—as one of My laws of love and justice—instituted the reincarnation of the soul, to grant it a longer path that offers it all the necessary opportunities to achieve its perfection.

6. Every earthly existence is a brief lesson, for otherwise a person's opportunities to fulfill My Law would be too few. But it is essential that you recognize the purpose of this life so that you may grasp its meaning and attain its harmony, which is the foundation of human perfection—so that you may advance to a higher plane of existence until you reach the spiritual life, where I have so many lessons in store for you that I must still teach you, and so many revelations that I still have to give. (156, 28-29)

7. While everything ceaselessly grows, changes, perfects itself, and unfolds—why should your soul remain at a standstill for centuries?

8. Since you have discovered and learned much through science, the ceaseless development that exists in all beings of creation is not unknown to you. Therefore, I want you to understand that you must not leave your soul in that state of backwardness and stagnation into which you have already brought it for a long time, and that you must strive to achieve harmony with all that surrounds you, so that a day may come for humanity when nature, instead of concealing its secrets, reveals them, and instead of the forces of nature being your enemies, they become your servants, collaborators, and brothers. (305, 6, 8)

The "Resurrection of the Flesh"—Properly Understood

9. Now the world shall learn the truth about the "resurrection of the flesh," which is the reincarnation of the soul.

10. To reincarnate means: to return to the material world to be born anew as a human being; the resurrection of the soul in a human body to continue its mission. This is the truth about the "resurrection of the flesh" of which your ancestors spoke, though they offered interpretations that were as distorted as they were absurd.

11. Reincarnation is a gift that God has granted your soul so that it may never be confined to the poverty of matter, to its fleeting existence on Earth, to its natural limitations; rather, since the soul originates from a higher nature, it may use as many material bodies as it needs to carry out its great tasks in the world.

12. Through this gift, the soul demonstrates its immeasurable superiority over the "flesh," over death, and over all that is earthly, by overcoming death, one body after another, and outliving them all, however many have been entrusted to it. It is the conqueror of time, of obstacles, and of temptations. (290, 53–56)

13. How could you have believed that on the Day of Judgment the bodies of the dead will rise and unite with their souls to enter the Kingdom of God? How can you interpret in this way what was taught to you at other times?

14. The flesh is of this world, and in it it remains, while the soul rises freely and returns to the life from which it came. "What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of My Spirit is spirit." The "resurrection of the flesh"* is the reincarnation of the soul, and while some believe this to be a human theory, and others among you believe it to be a new revelation—truly, I tell you, I have been making this revelation known to the world since the dawn of humanity! You can find proof of this in the text of the Scriptures, which bear witness to My works.

* This expression, known from the ancient Christian creed, was formulated at the Second Council of Constantinople—that is, at a time when the doctrine of reincarnation, which had been partially accepted until then, was condemned as heresy by Emperor Justinian (!). Thus, the rebirth of the soul in the "flesh" became the "resurrection of the flesh."

15. Yet in this era, this revelation has reached your soul while it was at a higher stage of development, and soon it will rightly be accepted as one of the most just and loving laws of the Creator. Reject the notion you had of the "Day of Judgment"; for it is not one of your days, since it is a period of time, and the "end of the world" is not that of the planet on which you live, but the end of the selfish life you have created upon it. (76, 41–43)

16. The mystery of the "resurrection of the flesh" has been elucidated through the revelation concerning the reincarnation of the soul. Today you know that the purpose of this law of love and justice is that the soul may perfect itself , that it may never be lost, for it will always find an open door—an opportunity for its salvation—offered to it by the Father.

17. My judgment of every soul based on this law is perfect and unyielding.

18. I alone know how to judge you, for every destiny is incomprehensible to humans. Therefore, no one will be exposed or betrayed before the others.

19. After the souls have strayed in their sins, after so many struggles and vicissitudes and after a long journey, they will come to Me full of wisdom based on their experiences, purified by pain, uplifted by their merits, weary from the long pilgrimage, yet simple and joyful like children. (1, 61-64)

The Different Stages of Development of Souls

20. Long ago, your soul emerged from Me; yet not all have advanced in the same way along the path of spiritual development.

21. All destinies are different, though they lead you to the same goal. Some are reserved for these trials, others for those. One being follows one path, another follows a different one. You did not all enter existence at the same moment, nor will you all return at the same time. Some walk ahead, others behind, yet the goal awaits you all. No one knows who is near them or who is wandering far from them, because you are still too immature to possess this knowledge; you are human, and your vanity would lead to your ruin. (10, 77-78)

22. At all times, even in the distant past of human history, you have had examples of people of high spirit. How could you explain that there were already people with developed souls in the earliest times if they had not gone through successive reincarnations that helped them to evolve upward?

23. The reason for this is that the soul does not come into being at the same time as the physical body, nor does the beginning of the human race coincide with that of the soul. Truly, I tell you, there is not a single soul that has come into the world without having previously existed in the beyond. Who among you can measure or know the time it lived in other spheres before coming to live on this earth? (156, 31-32)

Knowledge of Past Earthly Lives and One's Own Level of Development

24. As long as the soul is closely bound to the body, it does not recognize nor can it know the merits it has earned in its past lives. But now it learns that its life is eternity, an uninterrupted development in the desire to reach the summit. Yet today you do not yet know what height you have reached. (190, 57)

25. Your mind does not receive the impressions or memories of your soul's past, because the body is like a dense veil that does not allow penetration into the life of the soul. What brain could absorb the images and impressions that the soul has received in the course of its past? What intelligence could grasp, in terms of human concepts, what is incomprehensible to it?

26. Because of all this, I have not yet allowed you to know who you are spiritually, nor what your past was like. (274, 54-55)

27. All My works are recorded by Me in a book called "Life." The number of its pages is innumerable; its infinite wisdom cannot be attained by anyone except God, who is its Author. But within it, on each of its pages, there is a brief summary in which the Father has presented each of His works in a comprehensible manner, so that it may be understood by every mind.

28. You, too, are constantly writing in the book of your life, in which all your deeds and every step you take along the entire path of development will be recorded. That book will be inscribed in your soul and will be a light of knowledge and experience with which you are to illuminate the path of your younger siblings tomorrow.

29. You cannot yet show your book to anyone, for you do not even know its contents. But soon it will become clear within your being, and you will be able to show your fellow human beings the pages that speak of your growth, your atonement, and your experiences. You will then be an open book to people.

30. Blessed are those who make their mission their own. They will feel that they are ascending the ladder that Jacob saw in his dream, which is the spiritual path that leads beings into the presence of the Creator. (253, 6-8)

Love as a Necessity for Spiritual and Emotional Development

31. Just as your body requires air, sun, water, and bread to live, so too does the soul need the environment, light, and nourishment that correspond to its nature. If it finds itself deprived of the freedom to rise up in the pursuit of its nourishment, it grows weak, withers, and becomes dull-witted; just as if a child were forced to remain forever in its cradle and be locked up in its chamber. Its limbs would become lame, it would grow pale, its senses would dull, and its abilities would wither away.

32. Recognize that the soul, too, can be lame! I could even tell you that the world is full of the spiritually lame, the blind, the deaf, and the sick! The soul that lives in confinement and lacks the freedom to unfold is a being that does not grow—neither in wisdom nor in strength, nor in virtue. (258, 62-63)

33. Truly, I tell you, what can lift you up is love, for wisdom, feeling, and elevation are inherent in it. Love is a synthesis of all the attributes of Divinity, and God has kindled this flame in every spiritual creature.

34. How many lessons have I given you so that you may learn to love! How many opportunities, lives, and reincarnations has Divine Mercy granted you! The lesson was repeated as often as necessary until it was learned. Once fulfilled, there is no reason for repetition, for it can no longer be forgotten.

35. If you would learn My lessons quickly, you would no longer need to suffer, nor weep over mistakes. A being who makes use on earth of the lessons received there may return to the world, but it will always be with greater maturity and under better living conditions. Between one life and the next, there will always be a period of rest, which is necessary for reflection and recuperation before the new day's work begins. (263, 43–45)

Different reasons for reincarnation

36. Truly, I tell you, in no era of human life has man lacked knowledge of My Law; for from the divine spark that is his spirit, he has never lacked a ray of light in his soul, an inspiration in his mind, or a premonition in his heart.

37. Yet your soul has returned to the beyond with a dark veil over its eyes, and I tell you: Whoever does not make use of the lesson contained in life on this earth, in this valley of trials, must return to it to complete their atonement, and above all, to learn. (184, 39)

38. In other worlds, souls likewise enjoy free will and sin and go astray, or they remain steadfast in goodness and thereby achieve upward development, just as you do on Earth. Yet when the appointed time comes, those destined to live in this world descend to it to fulfill a noble task, and others to fulfill their duty of atonement.

39. But depending on how they choose to view this earth, it will appear to some as a paradise and to others as a hell. Therefore, when they comprehend their Father's mercy, they see only a wonderful life, sown with blessings and lessons for the spirit—a path that brings them closer to the Promised Land.

40. Some depart from this world with the desire to return, while others do so with the fear of having to return. The reason for this is that your human nature has not yet been able to comprehend the harmony in which you are to live with the Lord. (156, 33-34)

41. Let no one rebel against the idea of having to return to this planet in another body, nor should you think that reincarnation is a punishment for the soul. All souls destined to live on Earth have had to pass through the law of reincarnation in order to achieve their higher development and carry out the task I have entrusted to them.

42. It is not only the less-developed souls who must incarnate again; even the most advanced souls return time and again until they have completed their work.

43. Elijah is the greatest of the prophets who has come to Earth; yet despite the great works he performed and the powerful proofs he provided (that God exists), he had to return to this world in another time, in another body, and under another name.

44. This law of love and justice was unknown to humanity for a long time, for had they known it earlier, they might have fallen into confusion. Nevertheless, the Father gave you some revelations and some signs that were the light foreshadowing this time, to illuminate all mysteries. (122, 25–28)

The Path to Perfection

45. Long is the path by which you will reach the fullness of light. No being has a longer path than that of the soul, on which the Father, the Divine Sculptor, who shapes and refines your soul, gives it its perfect form. (292, 26)

46. Truly, I tell you: In order for you to attain complete purity, your soul will still have to be purified greatly, in this world and in the Spiritual World.

47. As often as is necessary for you, you will have to return to this planet, and the more often you let the opportunities your Father grants you go to waste, the more you will delay your final entry into true life and prolong your sojourn in the valley of tears.

48. In every earthly existence, every soul must demonstrate the progress and fruits of its development by taking a firm step forward each time.

49. Be aware that the only good that benefits one's own well-being is that which is done out of true love and mercy toward others, and that is done selflessly. (159, 29–32)

50. Within the human being there are two forces that are always in conflict: his human nature, which is transitory, and his spiritual nature, which is eternal.

51. This eternal being knows full well that a very long time must pass before it can attain spiritual perfection. It senses that it must live many human lives and that it must undergo many trials within them before it attains true happiness. The soul senses that after the tears, the pain, and after having passed through physical death many times, it will reach that summit which it has always sought in its yearning for perfection.

52. The body, on the other hand—that frail and small thing—weeps, rebels, and sometimes refuses to follow the soul's calls; and only when the soul has developed, becoming strong and experienced in the struggle against the "flesh" and all that surrounds it, does it succeed in mastering the body and expressing itself through it.

53. Long is the soul's pilgrimage, far is its path, manifold and varied are its forms of existence, and every moment is a trial of a different kind. Yet as it passes these trials, it rises, purifies itself, and perfects itself.

54. On its journey through life, it leaves a trail of light behind; therefore, the wailing of its body is often of no consequence to the exalted soul, for it knows that it is fleeting and that it must not allow itself to be held back on its journey by events that seem trivial to it.

55. For a moment, she turns her attention to the weaknesses of her "flesh," but she knows that she must not love too much something that lives only briefly and soon disappears into the earth. (18, 24; 27–28)

The Universal School of Life

56. Since the dawn of humanity, the reincarnation of the soul has existed as a law of love and justice and as one of the ways in which the Father has demonstrated His infinite mercy. Reincarnation is not merely a matter of this age, but of all ages, and you must not think that I have only now revealed this mystery to you. Even in the earliest times, intuitive knowledge of the soul's reincarnation existed within humanity.

57. Yet those who sought materialistic sciences and the treasures of the world allowed themselves to be ruled by the passions of the flesh, thereby hardening those fibers of the human heart through which the spiritual is perceived, so that people became deaf and blind to all that pertains to the spirit. (105, 52)

58. Before your creation, you were in Me; afterward, as spiritual beings, you were in the place where all vibrates in perfect harmony, where the essence of life and the source of true light are, from which I nourish you.

59. Pain was not created by the Father. In the times of which I speak to you, you had no reason to sigh, you had nothing to complain about; you felt heaven within yourselves, for in your perfect life you were the embodiment of this existence.

60. But when you left that home, I gave your spirit a garment, and you sank ever deeper. Thereafter, your soul developed step by step until it reached the plane of existence where you now find yourselves and where the light of the Father shines. (115, 4-5)

61. The goal of every soul is to merge with the Divine after its purification and perfection*. For this, I flood your path with light and give your soul strength so that you may ascend step by step. Depending on the level of development you have attained when you leave this world, such will be the spiritual home you inhabit in the hereafter. For the universe was created as a school of perfection for the soul. (195, 38)

* Further explanations on this can be found, among other places, in the passages in Chapter 23,69, and Chapter 58, 46!

62. If I had given you everything in this life, you would no longer have any desire to ascend to a higher level. But what you have not achieved in one existence, you strive for in another, and what you do not achieve in that one, another, higher one promises you, and so it continues step by step for all eternity on the soul's endless path of development.

63. When you hear My Word, it seems impossible to you that your soul could be capable of attaining such great perfection; yet I tell you that you doubt the soul's high destiny only because you look only at what you see with your material eyes: poverty, ignorance, wickedness. But this is only because the soul is sick in some, paralyzed in others; some are blind, and some are spiritually dead. Yet in the face of such spiritual misery, you must doubt the destiny that eternity holds for you.

64. Thus you live in this age of love for the world and for materialism. Yet the light of My truth has already reached you and has dispelled the darkness of the night of a time that has already passed, and with its dawn has announced the coming of an age in which the soul will receive enlightenment through My teaching. (116, 17-18)

65. Many of you will not have a new opportunity to return to Earth to make amends for your transgressions. You will no longer possess that instrument you have today—your body—upon which you rely. You must understand that for the soul, coming into the world is a privilege; it is never a punishment. Therefore, you must make use of this grace.

66. After this life, you will go to other worlds to receive new lessons, and there you will find new opportunities to continue ascending and perfecting yourselves. When you have fulfilled your duties as human beings, you will leave this world with satisfaction because you have fulfilled your task, and there will be peace in your soul. (221, 54-55)

67. My voice is currently calling great multitudes of people, for the end of their pilgrimage on Earth is approaching for many souls.

68. That despondency, that revulsion, that sadness they carry in their hearts are proof that they already long for a higher home, a better world.

69. But it is necessary that they live the final stage of their journey on earth in obedience to the dictates of their conscience, so that the trail of their last steps on earth may be a blessing to the generations that come after them to fulfill their various tasks in the world. (276, 4)

70. This world is not eternal, nor does it need to be. Once this abode no longer fulfills the purpose of existence it now has, it will disappear.

71. When your soul no longer needs the lessons this life here imparts, because others, higher ones, await in another world, then, by virtue of the light attained in this earthly struggle, it will say: "With what clarity I now understand that all the highs and lows of this life were merely experiences and lessons I needed to understand better. How long that journey of life seemed to me while suffering weighed me down. Now, however, that it is all over—how short and fleeting it seems to me in the face of eternity." (230, 47)

72. Rejoice, people, and think of yourselves as birds of flight in this world full of tears, misery, and suffering! Rejoice, for this is not your eternal home; better worlds await you!

73. So when you depart from this earth, do so without regret; then the sighs of pain, the hardships, and the tears will remain here. You will bid farewell to this world and soar up to those who await you in the heights of heaven. From there, you will see the earth as a speck in space, upon which you will look back with love. (230, 51)

The Persuasive Power of the Doctrine of Reincarnation

74. The light of Spiritualism now reveals to the world the truth, justice, reason, and love inherent in the soul's capacity for reincarnation. Nevertheless, the world will at first stubbornly oppose this revelation and portray it as a strange and false doctrine in order to instill mistrust in people of good faith.

75. The efforts made by the denominations to keep their believers on the well-worn tracks of old beliefs and outdated systems of faith will be futile and in vain. For no one will be able to hold back the Divine Light, which penetrates to the very depths of human thought and awakens the soul to an age of revelations, divine inspirations, the dispelling of doubts and mysteries, and spiritual liberation.

76. Nor will anyone be able to stop the flood that humanity will form when it sets out in its quest for freedom of thought, spirit, and faith. (290, 57–59)

The Paths of a Soul's Reincarnation

77. I call upon all pilgrims on Earth to hear My voice, which invites them to upward development and the attainment of eternal life.

78. On this day, when the "Divine Word" makes itself known—make use of its Word and let yourselves be enlightened by it; for in knowledge lies the light and your salvation.

79. If My Law teaches you morality, righteousness, and order in all the actions of your life—why then do you seek opposite paths, thereby causing yourselves pain? Yet when you depart to the hereafter and leave your body behind on earth, you weep because you have loved this shell too much.

80. When you feel that the body no longer belongs to you and that you must continue on the path of development until you come to Me, I say to you: "My child, what do you have to show Me? Have you lived on earth in fulfillment of My commandments?"

81. But you—ashamed and despondent because you have no gift of love for Him who loves you so much and has granted you so much—have forged chains that weigh down your soul, and it appears devoid of light, weeping and lamenting over itself because it has lost grace. It hears only the Father's voice calling it. But since it has not developed and does not feel worthy to come to Him, it stands still and waits.

82. Time passes, and the soul hears the voice again, and, filled entirely with her suffering, she asks who is speaking to her, and this voice says to her: "Awake! Do you not know where you came from and where you are going?" Then she lifts her eyes, sees an immeasurably great light, in whose radiance she feels wretched. She realizes that before she was sent to earth, she already existed, was already loved by the Father from whom the voice came, and who now, seeing her in this pitiful state, grieves for her . She realizes that she has been sent to various homes to walk the path of struggle and to earn her reward through her merits.

83. And the child asks, "If I was Your beloved creature before I was sent to Earth—why did I not remain steadfast in virtue, but instead had to fall, suffer, and struggle to return to You?"

84. The Voice answered him: "All souls have been subject to the law of evolution, and along this path my Father Spirit watches over them forever, and He takes pleasure in the good works of the children. However, I have sent you to Earth so that you may make it a battlefield for spiritual perfection, not a battlefield of war and pain.

85. I have told you that you should multiply, that you should not be barren. Yet when you return to the "Spiritual Valley," you bring no harvest with you; you only lament and come without the grace with which I had endowed you. Therefore, I send you forth once more and say to you: "Purify yourselves, seek what you have lost, and work toward your spiritual ascent."

86. The soul returns to Earth, seeking a small and delicate human body in which to rest and begin the new journey of life. It finds the small child's body assigned to it and uses it to atone for its transgressions against My Law. With knowledge of the cause, the soul comes to Earth; it knows that it is the breath of the Father and is aware of the mission it brings from Him.

87. In the early years, it is innocent and preserves its purity; it remains connected to spiritual life. Afterward, it begins to learn of sin, sees up close the pride, arrogance, and rebellion of people against the just laws of the Father, and the naturally rebellious "flesh" begins to stain itself with evil. Having fallen into temptation, she forgets the mission she brought to earth and sets out to do works that are against the law. Soul and body taste the forbidden fruit, and when they have fallen into ruin, the final hour takes her by surprise.

88. Once again, the soul finds itself in the spiritual realm, weary and bowed down by the burden of its guilt. Then it remembers the voice that once spoke to it and still calls to it, and after shedding many tears, feeling lost and not knowing who it is, it remembers that it has been in that place before.

89. The Father, who created it with so much love, appears on its path and says to it: "Who are you, where do you come from, and where are you going?"

90. The child recognizes in that voice the word of the One who gave it existence, intelligence, and abilities—the Father who forgives it again and again, purifies it, leads it out of darkness, and guides it toward the light. It trembles, for it knows that it stands before the Judge, and says: "Father, my disobedience and my guilt before You are very great, and I cannot expect to live in Your Kingdom, for I have no merits. Today, having returned to the 'Spiritual Valley,' I see that I have only accumulated guilt that I must atone for."

91. Yet the loving Father shows it the way once more; it returns to the flesh and belongs to humanity again.

92. But now the soul, having already gained experience, subdues the physical body with greater strength in order to assert itself and obey the divine commandments. The struggle begins; it fights against the sins that bring people down and seeks to make use of the opportunity granted to it for its salvation. Man struggles from beginning to end, and when the white hair on his temples glistens and his once resilient and strong body begins to bend under the weight of the years and loses its strength, the soul feels strong, more mature, and more experienced. How great and repulsive sin appears to it! It turns away from it and reaches its goal. Now it waits only for the moment when the Father calls it, for it has come to the conclusion that the Divine Law is just and the Will of God is perfect, that this Father lives to give life and salvation to His children.

93. When the last day came, she felt death in her flesh and felt no pain. She departed quietly and devoutly. She saw herself in spirit, and as if she had a mirror before her, she beheld herself beautiful and radiant with light. Then the voice spoke to her and said, "Child, where are you going?" And she, who knew who He was, went toward the Father, let His light flow into her being, and said, "O Creator, O all-encompassing love, I come to You to rest and to surrender my fulfillment to You."

94. The debt was paid, and the soul was healthy, pure, and free from the chains of sin, and she saw before her the great reward that awaited her.

95. Afterward, she felt herself merging with the light of that Father, her bliss growing greater, and she beheld a place of peace, a holy land; she felt a deep stillness and "rested in Abraham's bosom." (33:14–16)