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mental necessity to work, and it is because of the latter that all work is a pleasure with us
here.
Imagine yourself in a world where no one works for a living, but where
everyone works for the sheer joy of doing something that will be of service to others. Just
imagine that, and you will begin to understand something of the life in spirit lands.
A great many earthly occupations have no application whatever to the
spirit world. Useful and necessary as they are, they belong essentially to the earthly period of
life. What, then, becomes of people who occupied such a position as I have just mentioned?
They will discover, immediately they are fully aware of their new state, that they have left
their earthly avocation behind forever. They will see that the spirit world does not offer the
same or similar work for them. But this does not cause regret or unhappiness, because the
need for physical subsistence no longer exists with them, and in place of it such people feel
gloriously free to engage themselves in some new work. They need never wonder what they
are fitted for; they will soon find something which attracts their attention and draws their
interest. And it will not be long before they are joining their fellows in learning some new
occupation, and thoroughly enjoying themselves.
So far, I have merely referred to work in the abstract. Let us be more
specific, and consider some of the business of the spirit world. First, let us take what we
might call the purely physical side of spirit life, and for the purpose we might pay another
visit to the city.
On the way there we walk through many beautiful gardens, which at some
period have all been designed and created. Here, shall we say, is the first means of
employment that we come across. Scores of people upon the earth-plane love gardens and
gardening. Some have engaged in the latter as their calling, and enjoyed doing it. What better
than to continue with their work here in the spirit world, unrestrained by physical exigencies,
free and unhampered and with the inexhaustible resources of the spirit world at their
command? Their occupation is their own. They can and do stop whenever they wish,
and they can resume whenever they wish. And there is no one to exert his will upon them.
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And what is the result? Happiness for themselves, because by creating a beautiful work of
horticultural art they have added more beauty to an already beautiful realm, and in doing so
they have brought happiness to others. So their task goes on, altering, rearranging, planning,
beautifying, building anew, and ever acquiring skill and still greater skill. Thus they continue
until such time as they wish to change their work, or until their spiritual progression carries
their on to fresh fields of endeavor in other realms.
Now let us go into the hall of music, and see what work we can find there.
Someone, of course, had to plan, and others to build the hall itself. I have already given you
an account of the building of an annex to the library. In all major building operations the
method followed is the same, but the methods of the spirit world have to be learnt, and the
work of the architects and builders, with their various expert assistants, is among some of the
most important in the spirit world. As all descriptions of employment are open to anyone
who has the taste for such work, that of the architect and builder is, likewise, free to all who
express a preference for continuing their earthly occupation, or who wish to turn to
something new. The wish to do so is really all that is required, although, naturally, an
aptitude is a great help. But it is very surprising how quickly efficiency is gained by the
stimulus of desire. The wish to do becomes translated into the ability to do in a very short
time. Keen interest and predilection for the work are all that are asked.
Inside the hall of music we find libraries of music, where students are
busy at their studies, and pupils with their musician teachers. Most of the people whom we
meet thus are learning to be practical musicians; that is, they are learning to play some one or
more instruments. And someone has to provide them with the necessary instruments. The
hall of music does that, but somebody must create them for the hall of music. And so the
instrument makers of the earth-plane find themselves at home in their craft if they wish to
continue with it in the spirit world.
Now, it may be suggested that a lifetime on earth spent in one particular
form of work would be quite enough for the average person, and that when he comes into the
spirit world the last thing he would want to do would be to take up again his old earthly
occupation with its interminable routine and drudgery. But bear in mind all that I have told
you about the freedom of these realms, and the fact that no one is compelled, either by force
of circumstances, or from the mere need of subsistence, to do any work at all in the spirit
world. Remember that all work is undertaken willingly, freely, for the love of doing it, for
the pride in creating something, for the desire of being of service to one s fellow inhabitants
and to the realm in general, and you will see that the maker of musical instruments to
adduce one occupation among thousands is just as happy as we all are in these realms. So
he continues to make his instruments, brings happiness to himself and to so many other
people, who will pleasurably and usefully bring joy to still more through the creation of his
mind.
Incidentally, I should mention that it is not imperative that one should
acquire a musical instrument solely through the hall of music. Any person who is skilled in
the fashioning of such instruments would be only too willing to provide another person with
anything he might require musically. In many a home here there reposes and not as a mere
ornament! a beautiful pianoforte, built by clever hands, who have learnt the spirit methods
of creation. These things cannot be bought. They are spiritual rewards. It would be useless to
try to possess that to which we have no right. We should simply find ourselves without it,
and with no means of getting it. No one could create it for us, whatever it might be. If they
were to try, they would find that their power would not function in that direction. If you were
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to ask me who or what governs these things, I could only tell you that I do not know, beyond
knowing the fact that it is the operation of a spirit law.
Before we pass on from the hall of music, we might just look at the
library. Here are musical scores by the thousand, together with the various parts from which
the instrumentalists play. Most of the large orchestras here obtain their music from the hall
of music. It is free for all to borrow whenever they wish, but someone has to duplicate it.
And that is another important and productive occupation. The librarians who take care of all
this music, and who attend to people s wants in this connexion, fulfill another useful task.
And so the details could be multiplied, covering the whole range of musical endeavor, from
the person who does no more than love and enjoy music to those who are instrumentalists
and leaders in the musical art.
In the hall of fabrics we shall find the same industry, the same happiness
among all those who are working there. At any moment I am at liberty, if I wish, to join the
students there who are learning to weave the most exquisite fabrics. It happens, however,
that my interests lie elsewhere, and my visits to the Hall are for purpose of recreation only. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]