print this page

The Work Readings and The Work

Most of the more than 14,000 Edgar Cayce readings were given at the request of individuals seeking aid. In the process of trying to meet these requests in decency and order, procedures and policies evolved and eventually an organization was formed. These were developed to carry on and enhance the work yet to be done. Sometimes, specific readings were given on how people could go about the work in their own lives. On occasion individuals seeking personal readings would also ask questions about the overall nature of God's work for man. Thus, there came to be a series of readings called "the work readings." These discourses contain specific information on the day-to-day management of A.R.E., general information regarding the broader scope of the work to be done here, and some discourses which give a more cosmic view of the work as it relates to the resolutions of mankind's problems.

Introduction

"The maxim handed down to us is to take in hand the work on human nature." The Secret of the Golden Flower, p. 21) As we come to understand ourselves as souls, as spiritual beings, and as children of God without beginning or end, as we come to understand the continuity of life through reincarnation, we come to a deeper appreciation and a more realistic appraisal of the challenge of "the work on human nature."

Edgar Cayce describes our progress in these words: "The preparation for the needs of men has gone down many many thousands and millions of years ... for the needs of man in the hundreds and thousands of years to come." (3744-4)

The fact that some of us may have been manifesting in the earth plane for more than 10 million years, should give us a very deep sense that the "problem" is far more serious than we have previously thought. On the other hand, the realizations that we are eternal beings, children of an all-loving God, should assure us that the good news is far more promising than we have ever imagined.

What is this work that must be done? We are told that "the whole creation has been groaning in travail ..." (Romans 8:22) awaiting redemption. Thus in its most cosmic terms, the work consists of all souls achieving attunement and at-one-ment with God so that all creation may again know divine harmony. In this process, we will find the fulfillment of the law, the commandment that we are to love God with all our heart, mind and soul and our neighbor as ourselves.

The two-fold nature of the law indicates the essential two-fold nature of the work. The love of God is a work within, in our inner being. The love of neighbor is a work without, in application.

At present, however, even though we know the great commandment is the requirement, and even though we may have set it as the ideal, we still find ourselves unable to live it and manifest it fully. In our present waking consciousness, there are habits, biases and prejudices which we are unwilling or unable to overcome or put aside. Deeper than these are unconscious patterns which manifest in undesired and unexpected expressions such as fears, behavior disorders or diseases. Even deeper are patterns from previous existences in this plane and others which may stand between our high moments of conscious aspiration to be one with God and the ultimate actualization of that oneness. Finally, at the roots of the soul, there is within us all a quality of the spirit of rebellion.

It is plain to see from the above that one experience of repentance or one moment of high faith or one baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit will not be enough to bring the whole of our being into oneness with the Divine. Even the most transformative religious experience--such as the dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus which transformed the murderous anger of Saul into self-sacrificing love--still left that soul (one of the greatest evangelical preachers in the history of the church) saying, ". .. the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do..." (Romans 8:19) and "Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own ... [nor] ...that I have already obtained this or am perfect already." (Philippians 3:13,12) Such statements indicate that even this great instrument for the work of God sensed that there was considerable work yet to be done in his own soul.

We are told that "... the light is easy to move, but difficult to fix." (The Secret of the Golden Flower, p. 22) It may be relatively easy to have a great religious, mystical or psychic experience such as speaking in tongues or seeing the white light or having a precognitive vision. As some say of the call to belief "it's all so simple." However, we are told "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48) The original Greek did not speak of the believer as one who was already "saved" but rather as one who was "being saved." (I Cor. 1:18, KJF, RSV)

In studying the Bible as a history of God's moving to redeem His children, we see clearly it is a work requiring time, space, patience, persistency and consistency. It is only by our attuning to the highest ideal, dwelling upon it in our minds and living it out in application in our daily lives that we may grow from "moving the light" to "fixing" or "becoming" the light. We go to heaven as we grow to heaven.

Principles

The first principle underlying the work is the Law of One. This law is the central reality of the universe but it is also a quality of consciousness and an applicable principle to be reckoned with and manifested by each of us. To bring about attunement or at-one-ment of the physical and mental with the spiritual is a definition of not only the processes of healing and of meditation but also of a process that must be manifested in groups, nations, and the world.

The first step in moving ourselves toward oneness is to set the ideal. "Many may not have the same idea; but man--all men--may have the same ideal." (3976-8) From the point of view of these readings, this is not as impractical as it may sound. It is given not just as the answer, but as the only answer, to the problems of the world. All must have the one ideal to love God with all our heart, mind and soul and our neighbor as ourselves. Thus, the motto, the guiding principle of the work, must be: "To make manifest the love of God and man." (254-42) The Law of One is effected by the dynamic expression of Love.

The second principle of the work is the truth. When asked "What should be the central purpose, the central idea in presenting the work?" the Cayce source replied, "The Truth that shall make you free in body, in mind, and one with the living force that may express itself in individual lives." (254-87) This seems related to John 8:32 which says, "And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." The need of man has been variously termed to be saved, to be redeemed, to be liberated. All of these mean to be made free, and it is the truth which will make us free.

What is the truth? It is the Logos, the Word, it is He who said, "... I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6) It is He who said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12) What does this mean in daily application? When asked "What is truth?" the source answered, "That which makes aware of the divine within each and every activity; that is of the mental, the material, the spiritual self--and is a growth in each and every soul." (262-81) Truth is "that which makes aware of the divine."

In one phase of the work, we are encouraged to take "that as may be found in every dime, every schism, every ism, that is truth, and so prepare same that it may find the answer in the hearts and minds of those that seek to know what they themselves may do to make.., life.., more worthwhile by doing something for the other fellow." (2087-1)

The third principle of the work relates to the concept of living or being love and truth. There is a cluster of terms such as application, service, manifesting, etc., which indicate that we must live the life which we profess. The readings say: "With the application comes the awareness," "knowledge not lived is sin," and "nothing hinders more than saying one thing and doing another."

With respect to application, the readings differentiate between the Christ Consciousness and the Christ Spirit. The Christ Consciousness was defined as "the awareness within each soul, written in pattern on the mind and waiting to be awakened by the will, of the soul's oneness with God." (5749-14, A-18) The Christ Spirit is applying the Christ Consciousness. "The consciousness of the spirit and the abilities to apply same are the differences in the Christ Consciousness and the Christ Spirit ... The spirit is as the Christ in action with the spirit of the Father." (262-29) This third principle, application of the Christ Consciousness as the Christ Spirit, is the manifestation of the love and light in the life.

Processes

The process of the work viewed as bringing all into attunement and at-one-ment with the Whole may also be defined as bringing all aspects of the One Force into proper balance. In a discourse on the laws of spiritual healing, we are told that the basis of healing, even at the atomic level is the "balancing of the rotary forces." (281-24) Some of the ways in which the work relates to the balancing of the forces, may be considered as follows:

1. A balance between the inner and the outer life.

Some who have discovered the vast richness of the life within have turned to the inner paths of meditation, dreams and subjective experiences to such an extreme as to lose touch with the demands and responsibilities of daily life. On the other hand, some who have seen the need for work and application have so neglected the attunement to the spirit within that they have cut themselves off from the very source of Life, healing, guidance and transformative energy. The work consists of living a balance between turning within in attunement and turning outward in application.

2. A balance of the spiritual, mental and physical dimensions of our experience.

When people came to Edgar Cayce for help, he recommended, almost without exception, that the individual begin to work with mental, spiritual and physical applications and changes. Even those who initially sought only physical help in the diagnoses and treatment procedures were told to begin first with the changing of attitudes, then to set spiritual ideals and partake of spiritual food (as in reading certain passages in the Bible), and then to make specific physical applications.

3. A balance involving recognition of and working with the cyclical flow of nature.

In the physical world, we must deal with day and night, the seasons of the year and other cycles. In Ecclesiastes, the preacher reminded us that "to everything there is a season." (Ecc. 3:1) As we begin to look for the fruition of our efforts to manifest in due season instead of instantly, we align ourselves with the pulsation or heartbeat of the universe. We work with the flow instead of against it.

4. A balance of adherence to the middle path.

The Cayce readings encourage the individual in his seeking for healing to avoid extremes. This must be true in every work. Two of the greatest spiritual leaders of all time, Gautama the Buddha and Jesus the Christ were both disappointments to some of their zealous followers because they followed the middle path. Jesus was neither the activist sought by the Zealots, the moralist sought by the Pharisees, nor the isolationist sought by the Essenes. Thus for these groups and others, He was and is a disappointment to those who would seek God in extremes rather than in the balance of the middle way.

5. A balance of centering.

Visualize two persons. One is walking a tightrope, the other is seated in a lotus position on a rock. Which of these is demonstrating balance? If balance is to be for eternity and not for one exhilarating moment, then we must build solidly on a foundation of rock. This we do in the work by following the advice that the most important experience for any individual is to know what is the ideal spiritually. We must build upon something which we may hold to eternally. Every thought, every decision, every action must measure up to the spirit of the ideal.

Programs

As we put our hands to the plow in the work, we may become most effective by working with specific programs. The following twelve points illustrate some major ways in which we may go about the work in our daily lives.

1. This is a work for the seeker; those that are satisfied, leave alone. On one occasion, Cayce said that "every cell in the body must become a seeker." Remember, as we become the seeker, we set in motion a universal law which is the promise "seek and ye shall find." (Matt. 7:7) No finite mind can hold all of the truth; we all have much to learn. The attitude of the seeker is the attitude of a willingness to grow, a willingness to learn, a willingness to see the other fellow's point of view. This attitude may give one a deep assurance of being on the path in contrast to the submerged discontent which may come with the unwarranted hope that one has already arrived.

A confusion regarding this point that has arisen in the minds of some in failing to differentiate "knowing in whom we believe" from "knowing what we believe." We may know in whom we believe and still retain the honest appraisal of ourselves that we have yet a lot to learn, a lot of transformation, and a considerable journey ahead of us.

2. A second program of this work is the establishment, awakening, renewing and revision of ideals. The work is concerned primarily with why, not what. It is not what we do but the quality of the desires, motives, purposes, intentions--that is, the ideals, that give the incentive to the actions. The Master immortalized the contribution of the widow's mite for thousands of years by pointing out how her selfless contribution of a penny meant more, and thus was of greater worth, than self-aggrandizing contributions of great wealth given by others. "Lose the ideal, and we have lost all..." (2087-5, A-9)

3. "Take in hand the work on human nature" involves a study of self. The readings say that the greater study of individuals, groups, nations, should be the study of self (3744-1), for only in the study of self may we come to a true understanding of our relationship to God and to our fellow man. Thus the proper study of self, with whatever richness and ramifications this expression may be understood, is a prerequisite for a full manifestation of the great commandment to love God and our fellow man.

4. The work involves most deeply the understanding that the mind is the builder. Jesus made it very clear that holding something in our mind is the same as giving physical expression to it. We have been told "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7 KJV) The readings stress the principle that thoughts are things. Excepting God, of course, there is nothing more limitless in the universe than the mind of man. We are responsible for every idle thought and we must make a regular practice of feeding ourselves with good mental food. "Whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent, worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8) Remember, "The key should be making, compelling, inducing, having the mind one with that which is the ideal." (262-84)

5. The work is a work in the silence. Meditation is required; this all must learn. "If you only meditate for a quarter of an hour, by it you can do away with the ten thousand aeons and a thousand births. All methods end in quietness. This marvelous magic cannot be fathomed." (The Secret of the Golden Flower, p. 33) The words of the Psalmist to "Be still and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10) are more than an invitation: they are a requirement and a law. To know Him truly, we must be still. Attuning the physical and the mental to the spiritual can be done only in the silence. When we are still, all healing, all transforming energy, all information and guidance, all the needs for companionship may be received from within as the infinite manifests in the finite within our own lives in meditation.

6. The work is work of prayer. When one of those closest to Edgar Cayce inquired as to what real work he could do, he was told emphatically to get down on his knees and pray--that is real work. (254-53) These readings query, "Why worry when you can pray?" And they affirm in the strongest manner that, "when there were even ten," many a nation has been kept from destruction. (3976-8)

7. The work is a work of becoming aware of and making constructive application of inner awarenesses such as dreams and visions. "All visions and dreams are given for the benefit of the individual, would he but interpret them correctly." (294-15) "For truths are given--and in this day and age the Spirit of forces that come from on high speaks as often as they did of old." (294-34) If there had not been those who were aware of, attended to and made applicable their dreams in the days of old, there would be no Bible today--neither the Old nor the New Testament. See Genesis 46:2; Matthew, Chapters 1 and 2.

8. The work is a work of healing: physically, mentally, spiritually, socially, financially, etc. The work is to bring about healing and thus wholeness in every phase of our lives. The promise is that all conditions can and must be healed. "Do not look upon the conditions which have existed as not being able to be eradicated from the system ... Hold to that knowledge and don't just think of it as theory--that the body can, the body does renew itself." (1548-3)

9. The work involves the proper appreciation that the body is the temple. By "temple" we may understand this to mean a place in which to meet the Divine. We are told that we may meet Him only within; but the body is also a specially and divinely prepared instrument specifically suited for making an attunement to the Divine and for experiencing an awareness of our oneness with the whole. Thus we are enjoined to care for it as a temple and to give proper consideration and expression for its cleanliness and requirements.

10. The work encourages work. When a group inquired about enhancing their Study Group program, they were enjoined "to work like thunder." (254-86) Cayce said many a person had worried himself to death but few had worked himself to death. As potential co-creators with God, we are told "Don't just be good but be good for something."

11. This is a work of service. When we speak of the great commandment to "love God and neighbor," we must understand that the law of Love is giving without any hope or expectation of return. It is true that the readings say that the lowest and meanest person is one who is not appreciative; however, if one is seeking to be of service, there must be no expectation of reward or even of appreciation.

12. Finally, we must understand that the work is a work of application. All that is required of any of us is to do what we presently know to do. Then the next step may be given.

Summary

Because we were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and because "he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion," (Philippians 1:6) it is our destiny to be conformed to that image. (Romans 8:29) In the meantime, we have a work to do. As we set about it, we may "the sooner" be restored to full inheritance as children of the Most High. Let us go about the work with this spirit in mind: "If we make of it a burden, we are slaves, if we make of it work, we are men, if we make of it play, we are gods."

If you have questions about this lesson, please contact me.

Yours in peace and fellowship,

Herbert Bruce Puryear, Ph. D.