Lessons In Truth - Lesson 3 - Annotation 8
What is the direct road to spiritual attainment?
8. The direct road to spiritual attainment is through periods of prayer, when we listen quietly for the guidance of God, then act on the inspiration received.
In paragraph 19 of Lesson three of the book Lessons in Truth this statement is made:
"If you want to make rapid progress in growth toward spiritual understanding, stop reading many books" (Emilie Cady Lessons In Truth 3:19).
Sometimes students think this means that we are not to read any book, but we find that as we train our thinking and feeling faculties to seek spiritual truths we will read whatever is necessary to help the mind to seek revelation from the God presence within. This is the direct road to spiritual attainment.
As we advance in spiritual understanding, we shall find ourselves reading whatever the Spirit within directs us to read without becoming bound by the "letter" of what we read. As this lesson has already brought out, we need outer help in training ourselves to walk the road to spiritual attainment, but once we have learned the steps, we give ourselves over to God in prayer.
No matter how excellent the spoken or written words of another may seem, nothing is so important to us as our own revelations from God.
"One thought of your own, worked out even with labor, is better for you, more interesting and of more value in your life than a hundred of the most brilliant thoughts that someone else has voiced" (What Are You? 30).
We can always know whether a statement is pure Truth, for as we turn within there comes a feeling, a positive inner knowing, a calm assurance that no amount of intellectual reasoning or arguing can upset. We Just know!
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Preceding Entry: How does each individual receive his own spiritual revelations? Why should we not depend wholly on books and teachers for an understanding of Truth?
Following Entry: Is God responsible for keeping our thoughts right? If He is not, who is?
