Doctrinal Courses

Course II - Teaching 5: The Past

We can dispose of many things, but who can dispose of his own past? Moreover, who can dispose of the congenital memory of his past experiences through lives and deaths?

Course II - Teaching 6: Uncertainty about Tomorrow

Not to have always the same orientation in life, in short, the uncertainty about the future is a continuous suffering for the soul. Seemingly today the soul is in the hand of a happy conqueror; tomorrow, this dream-like king falls headlong and gets discouraged.

Course II - Teaching 7: Blood-relationship

Sacrifices so far described are inner sacrifices and belong to the soul; many times they are unnoticed because they happen hidden from the eyes of men, in the innermost of the individual being; but there are Sacrifices that, although not so subtle, are not less strong despite their material nature.

Course II - Teaching 8: “What People Will Think”

A spiritual can do or try anything to harmonize worldly life and spiritual life, but is ever unable to flee from gossip and censure. How cannot a lamp be seen on the mount summit?

Course II - Teaching 9: Material Circumstances

However the individual rises over human things, he is unable to get entirely rid of them, and many times the struggle for life and for earning a living, apparently hinders the progress.

Course II - Teaching 10: Compassion

The more you progress and the more you widen the individual consciousness, the lesser gross are sensitivities, although they become more subtle and wider. Personally you can understand the reason of pains and sufferings in Mankind; but the collective sorrow intensely attains the Wheel of the Heart, and fills it with the pink color of compassion.

Course II - Teaching 11: Wisdom

If the ninth mystery of Sacrifice, on its loftiest grade, transforms man into a master of compassion, the tenth mystery makes of him a master of wisdom. Sorrow may be effectively valuable only by “feeling” it collectively and “understanding” individually.

Course II - Teaching 12: Physical Defects

All these expressions of sorrow so far enumerated and heightened by so subtle Sacrifice both in their inner manifestation and in their outer one, do not impede at all to consider the grossest and most material sufferings and sacrifices.

Course II - Teaching 13: Diseases

Then sorrow is a companion of all men in every aspect and form. Mental forces are continuously hindered and oppressed by physical deficiencies and diseases. A physician said Mankind is sick, and he was right, since no man is free of suffering from certain type of evil.

Course II - Teaching 14: Separateness

Ineffable happiness is the achievement of the potential state, and pain is the achievement of the active state. In short, life manifests in its whole splendor through suffering. It overwhelms not only human beings with moral martyrdom, physical pain and hidden sorrow, but also pursues men in any form and way.