The Plan and Purpose of Life

Striving for Perfection

In spite of seeming chaos there is a most wonderful plan and purpose in life and the tragedy is that humanity is almost totally unaware of it.

That there is no such thing as dead matter is a basic Theosophical concept. There is awareness in the plant world - growing things respond to 'green fingers' and loving care.

We cannot deny that animals, especially our pets, have thoughts and feelings. Life or consciousness is inherent in everything.

We have seen that the innate perfection of everything exists in the 'Mind of God' and the life force, the Divine Will, is the drive to express that perfection as fully as possible.

In the acorn is the model of the perfect oak tree, and the tree which comes from the seed conforms to this model within the limitations of genet­ics and natural conditions such as soil quality, prevailing winds etc. Everything is striving to live in harmony with the 'Song of Life' in which the perfection of each individual note is necessary for the perfection of the whole.

Life is like a great river, moving relentlessly and purposefully, and indi­vidual units of life are the eddies and whirlpools, always one with the river but having an illusory life of their own.

The life in plants and animals seems to be guided largely by Divine Intelligence which we recognize as instinct.

But humans are highly-developed animals and less dependent on instinct. We are self-conscious beings with a sense of self-identity and I-ness, responsible for our own decisions. The purpose of existence for us can be seen as spiritual, intellectual, cultural and physical growth towards perfection. Be Ye Perfect.

The spiritual self is like a seed; it is planted on earth, it puts forth shoots, stems and leaves and eventually it flowers. It is, as it were, strengthened by the winds of adversity; purified and refined by the rain of sorrow; beautified and expanded by the sunshine of happiness and love. Eventually, we reach the fully-flowered state.

Just as the power to grow is inherent in every seed, so in the highest aspect of our consciousness, 'the Immortal Spark of the Divine Fire', the powers which will lead us to perfection are present from the beginning.

 Experience brings out these powers. All experience is valuable, nothing is wasted even if it appears so, for silently the seed is developing. The life force impels us on to our destiny - perfection.

The command 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect' [Mathew 5;48) will literally be obeyed by the Spiritual self of every human being.

There can be no lost souls. We are spiritually immortal, eternal and indestructible. Moreover, there is nothing to be saved from. God is eternally beneficent. There is nowhere to be lost - God is Omnipresent.