By Sola Adeyegbe
Introduction
This is an endeavour to make known to our fellow men, the existence of the work In the Light of Truth – The Grail Message.
The topic: “The path to ultimate success” is particularly important because it touches on the very core of all human aspirations. Success is desirable in single undertakings and ultimately in one’s entire earth life. Is success all about having power, money, and fame? What is true success? How can you attain lasting success? What abilities does man have that can help him succeed.
Some meanings have been given to the word success:
- The favourable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavours.
- The attainment of wealth, position, honours, or the like.
At the end of our interaction, we should be able to come to a more comprehensive and well-rounded view of this subject. There is absolutely nothing wrong in pursuing laudable objectives so far as we do not go against the Laws of the Almighty in the pursuit of our success. Of course, we can apply this principle in the material and in the spiritual sense.
We are guided in this by the statements of The Grail Message which says:
“The Law of Almighty God for you is:
“You are permitted to wander through Creation! Go in such a manner as to cause no harm to others in pursuit of your personal desires! Otherwise threads will be woven into the carpet of your paths which will hold you down and prevent you from ascending to the Luminous Heights of conscious and joyful activity in the gardens of all the Realms of your God!”
Success for mankind can be in two ways: Material success and Spiritual success. Regarding the one that is more important, we have been told long ago: What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36, KJV) And again we have been told further: Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33 KJV)
I must therefore state from the start that this discourse will lay special emphasis on success in the spiritual sense for this one is what covers every success! It is the real success! Spiritual success should be the very first thing that should concern us as this will help us to attain success in the material sense as well. It is not the case that a person who seeks spiritual success should live in wretchedness, unhappiness, and poverty.
To understand success in life we must first have clarity about the purpose of life itself. We can only talk of success when we know the goal we need to attain. When we know the goal and we prayerfully set out on the path towards it we walk the path of success, the path to ultimate success! To understand the purpose of life we must start from the SOURCE of all that exists!
The Source of all life is God! Knowing of Him is the ultimate purpose of life! Indeed, this knowledge is the ultimate success! We know of Him through His Creation and the knowledge of Creation, spiritual knowledge, is the real objective of all life!
The Grail Message tells us that the nearest environment of the Lord God is the Divine Realm. This Realm is eternal and has no beginning – a concept which is beyond human understanding.
Next to the Divine Realm is the Realm of Primordial Creation where the Primordial Spiritual Beings have their abode. These are high spiritual beings that are far more powerful than men. Next, is the Spiritual Realm. It is from the precipitation of the lowest part of this Spiritual Realm that man has his origin. This is also known as Paradise.
Next is the Realm of Substantiality the lowest point of which animals and nature beings have their origin. This Realm of Substantiality is followed by the Realms of Matter or the Material Part of Creation. Man cannot come into full activity in the Spiritual Realm or Paradise and so he had to come to the Material Part of Creation which is far more conducive for the purpose of development.
Man arrives at these lower parts of Creation for the sole purpose of attaining spiritual development and maturity. On his return as a fully developed and mature spirit, the Gates of Paradise will be open to him for admittance. There he will be able to work in the Gardens of God and give help for the further development of the planes below.
In a nutshell the purpose of life is the attainment of the true knowledge about God and the attainment of spiritual maturity through development of our inner abilities. Having said that, one can deduce that ultimate success for a human being can only be the attainment of spiritual development and maturity and ascent back to Paradise. The activities that lead to these are then to be considered as steps on the path to ultimate success.
This brings me to the end of the introductory part of this presentation. Using The Grail Message as our guide, we will now proceed to our topic: The Path to ultimate success.
The path to ultimate success
We will take the following seven sub-topics as aids to illustrate our main topic: *The Path to Ultimate Success.*
- Your inner core is spirit!
- Exercise the power of silence.
- How to receive everything that we need!
- Live in the sense of the Law of Sowing and Reaping.
- Appreciate your gifts and use them well.
- In setting your earthly goals, let your spirit guide your intellect.
- And our last sub-topic is a question: How can one deal with financial and personal problems?
1.Your inner core is spirit
As we contemplate the path to ultimate success, it is helpful to know our own true nature, who we really are. We need to understand our essential and innate abilities! Our real self is not our title, position, or the amount of money we have in the bank. The power we get from titles such as CEO, Chairman, or the money we have do not define us and such power can vanish at any time. If we rely solely on these objects then it is likely that we will have a big crisis on our hands, lose confidence and be confused about our identity when we are stripped of these things. When a person bases his life on chasing these objects then he most likely is neglecting his innermost self which has access to the Source of power which surpasses the power afforded by position, money, and fame. Such a person can be likened to one to whom a kingdom is given, but who prefers to waste away his time with the simplest of children’s toys!
The inner core of man is spirit. It is only our spirit which can tap into the limitless Power of Creation. Our titles, earthly power, position, and our money do not have this access.
Just like a lens gathers the power of the sun, our spirit through its instrument known as the intuition can collect the Power of Creation streaming through us and we can pass this Power on in concentrated form through our thoughts to achieve the most wonderful feats if that is our desire.
Another ability of the spirit is that it can attract like a magnet. In order not to attract just anything to itself in a wild confusion, man is also endowed with the ability to decide what he wishes to attract to himself. This ability to decide is also called free will.
In short, we can access the mighty Power of Creation and make use of it as we wish. We can attract people, objects and the circumstances of our innermost desires and we could determine exactly what we wish to attract! Now that we have a clear idea of our spiritual abilities, we need to commit to a wise use of these abilities so that our path can lead us ultimately to success. How do we start? This leads us to our second sub-topic.
2. Exercise the power of silence
We can experience the power of our spirit by exercising the power of silence. If, for instance, you seriously contemplate a subject, this thought takes on form within you and as you stay with the thought it becomes strongly magnetic within you through the power of silence. It will then attract all that is similar. It also bears fruits by producing more useful thoughts. Eventually these useful thoughts will attract higher thoughts from the unseen world. This inflow of higher thoughts is what is well known as inspiration! You then only need to carry out in visible deeds what the inspiration has indicated with all diligence using the all-embracing Power of Creation we already mentioned.
Secondly, our spirituality is enhanced when we regularly commune with Nature. Make available some valuable time to be spent in the warm embrace of Nature. Let us not be far from the streams, the fields, the flowers, and the trees. Let us be friendly with the birds and the animals. Let us gaze at the stars and the moon and behold the magnificence that surrounds us. After all David the Psalmist wrote in the first verse of Psalm 19– The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what He has done!
There is a lot to learn in the radiant beauty, effortless ease, and harmony we find in Nature. Nature puts before us vividly the Law of the Power of Simplification. In Nature we find that birds do not struggle to fly they just fly, the earth rotates effortlessly around the sun daily. We too can proceed calmly on our path to ultimate success. When we let go of the belief that life must be hard and we act in good faith always, the path to success will be made as easy for us as a child’s first steps, aided by its mother. The simple way for us is to go through life joyfully, doing everything based on love and living in such a manner as to cause no harm to others in the pursuit of our personal desires. Success in life is attainable and nothing comes to us that we have not invited. Let us therefore go forth courageously always choosing to do only what is good. It is what we wish that will happen to us!
In addition to what has been said, we can seek the maturity of our inner core, our spirit by continually reflecting on the Word of Truth and absorbing it inwardly. This will sharpen our intuition, the sense of the spirit which guides us from deep within. With our intuition guided by the Word of Truth we will be led to taking the right decisions. The Word of Truth will guide us into engaging in pure thoughts, simple words, and noble deeds. These then leads us to achieving success in whatever we set out to do.
3. How to receive everything that we need!
As young children, my brother and I were taught not to scramble for gifts that are shared at parties. Birthday parties of friends were frequent in those days. So, we would seat patiently when the big Aunties brought out the fanciful gift items to be distributed to the children attending. Most times all the children at the party would leave their seats, move close to the Aunties, some pulling at their dresses and yelling at the top of their voices to gain the attention of the Aunties. Most times, the Aunties would notice the two boys seating calmly and watching the scenario. The Aunties would then announce that the two boys who did not join in the noisy scramble would be given their own gifts first!
In life as well, we need to trust and work with the ever-constant power of the Law of Attraction. All we need to do is live a simple life, keep on working normally in a balanced way, be motivated by love in all our actions, enjoy happiness in the moment without waiting till we have money or some other material object, and develop ourselves to be inwardly upright and genuine human beings. What this means is to abide by the Laws of the Almighty. Because His Laws govern the Universe, once we abide by His Laws, we will simultaneously have the intimate connection with the whole of Creation, which will further us in everything that we need for ourselves and for our spiritual ascent. Then, everything we need and everything that brings us joy and peace will stream towards us in rich abundance.
Let us not be like the children in the story who thought that they would obtain the party gifts by exertion. Such an attitude is a rejection of the simple and natural way offered us by the Natural Law of Attraction and such efforts is a waste of energy! Instead of engaging in troublesome exertions let us open ourselves in all simplicity to the Word of God which means adjusting ourselves to God’s Holy Will expressed in the Laws of Creation. Naturally, the Laws of Creation will then see to our welfare. We will know peace and we shall be happy as we walk securely on our path to ultimate success!
4. Live in the sense of the Law of Sowing and Reaping.
Our spiritual powers are put into effect when we live in the sense of the Law of Sowing and Reaping! The effect of the Law of Sowing and Reaping is that man must reap what he has once sown, unconditionally. No one can possibly reap or pay for what has been sown by someone else.
Examples abound. The effect of this Law is visible in nature as pineapples can only grow from seeds of pineapple. You can see that physically. I now invite you to use the faculties of your spirit which is your intuition to recognise that this Law also applies without fail to man’s thoughts, words, and deeds. Each one of these constitutes seeds that we sow every minute and are bound to produce a harvest of a similar kind. So, when we utter words of kindness, we reap kindness in return. If you want love, give love and if you want to have money or material success then help others attain material success.
How do you feel when you give someone a gift? It does not matter if the gift is just a smile, a card to express your goodwill, a flower, or a silent prayer. You notice that this makes the other person happy, and you are happy too. It becomes obvious that if we seek happiness, we should endeavour to give cause for others to be happy and happiness will stream to us.
We also should learn how to receive. If someone gives you a compliment that you are looking good, do not say oh, it is merely the effect of my body cream. Say thank you instead. No matter how simple the gift, accept it with thanks and be open and receptive to the gifts of nature. We should thankfully welcome the rains, the sunshine, the air, the beauty of landscapes, the lawns, and the gardens around us.
5. Appreciate your gifts and use them well
To enable us to succeed in life, we have been given many gifts through the Love of God. It is essential for us to recognise these gifts, appreciate them, use them for the good, for the benefit of those around us and towards our spiritual development.
One of such gifts is the ability to form words! We are to use this power only for the good. Our words must build up, must heal, must help ourselves and others. Our words must be simple and true. When speaking, we must avoid frivolity and lack of sincerity. Let us stand to our word! Do you know that if you keep your word, people will trust you? In your business, your credit worthiness and your entire business will be enhanced when your bankers, your suppliers and other business associates know that they can count on your word. Among family and friends our choice of words can encourage and inspire if we speak in love.
Another gift which God has entrusted to each one of us is our physical body. It is therefore our duty to take care of it. Indeed, the physical body is a major instrument for the necessary experiencing on earth which leads to our spiritual development and maturity. We therefore need to take good care of our body. Let us give it good food, healthy drinks, rest and sleep, fresh air, and enough exercise. We ought to remind ourselves of the popular adage: health is wealth.
We also need to look within ourselves to recognise the special talents and gifts that we have been endowed with. Some of us can sing, make music, some are good in working with their hands while some can write. Some others can be excellent counsellors and advisers. All of these can be harnessed and put in the service of our fellow men. Let us always ask ourselves: how can I help the people around me with the talents which I have been endowed with? What problems of the society can I solve with my natural talents? We should not start with the question: How can I make money? What is in it for me? Instead ask: How may I be of help? When you do this, naturally you will move into what is known these days as your mission. Engaging in what comes naturally to you will be fulfilling and joyful and of course a joyful life is a life of success! When you put your talents or gifts at the service of society, you will be rewarded with good income.
Apart from these we can also seek the virtues available in Creation. I wish to inform you that as you are listening to this program, there are heavenly gifts already hanging above you, waiting for you to make connection with them. Therefore, if your longing is pure, you can receive the gifts of loyalty, productivity, truthfulness, grace, modesty, diligence and many more.
If you take the time to examine The Grail Message you will discover many other valuable gifts we have been endowed with and many more that we can make our own when we are earnest in our pure longing.
6. In setting your earthly goals, let your spirit guide your intellect.
To achieve wholesome success, which is the subject of today’s discussion, we need to be guided by our inner core, our spirit as we set our earthly goals. Our spirit knows no anxiety, greed, and inordinate ambition. It is therefore able to guide our goal setting lest we go the way of insensitive materialism.
Let us make a firm decision to spiritualise the work of our hands. We can make our work a prayer! Our tasks can be made into a reverential worship of the Almighty Who in His Love gives us all the opportunities that come our way to accomplish great things if only we so wish.
How do we spiritualise the works of our hands? This can be achieved by basing all our actions on the Laws of God. In time our intuition which has embraced Creation Laws will be so clarified and more than able to guide our intellect to achieve what is pure, sustainable, and lasting!
We can set ourselves earthly goals. However, in doing this, we need to be guided by spiritual principles and standards! For example, we can ask ourselves four questions when we are setting our goals and before engaging in an activity:
- What is the quality of the activities in which I am involved?
- What up-building values does my work bring?
- Does my work bring advantages, blessing and progress to humanity
- Will my activities further my spiritual ascent?
Giving honest answers to these questions will help us to arrive at an equitable balance between our interests and the well-being of those who will benefit or who might be affected one way or another by our activities.
Here is a simple example: a baker can decide to add more value by adding health giving materials as extra to his/her bread. Let your products and services stand out as excellent! It is that simple. The humane way you treat people who work with you be they your seniors or juniors is also important here. This brings us to our concluding sub-topic which is a question that is asked by many.
7. How can one deal with financial and personal problems?
To answer this question, we need to take into reckoning the Creation Law of Sowing and Reaping discussed earlier. This Law affects us and gives back to us in accordance with our earlier actions which include our thoughts, words, and deeds. We see in Nature that a grain of rice will not produce yams. In the same way, our thoughts, words, and deeds produce effects which are like our initial actions.
What we call financial and personal problems are therefore the result of former decisions and actions in this earth life or in former ones. Just as a seed of rice produces more rice, our thoughts words and deeds are seeds that bring back to us consequences which are like the earlier actions. The consequences for good or evil can exert themselves on our circumstances, our environment or even directly on our body.
Before we can be released from the effects or consequences of our previous actions, we must go through such consequences with the right attitude. When for example we accept and welcome an unpleasant consequence and accept them as the results of our former actions, this will automatically remove all thoughts of bitterness or thoughts of blaming our situation on someone else. This attitude will also make it possible to begin the process of taking fresh steps that will lead to progress and create a future that is better for us materially and in the spiritual sense.
Therefore, where we find ourselves in a situation of financial and personal struggles, we need to start working immediately to create for ourselves a future of inner peace and financial freedom. This can be achieved by sowing new seeds which are like the future of your aspirations. To attain to financial freedom for example we need to be fair to all those we work with. If you are an employer, pay fair wages. If you are employed, do not cheat on your employer but give good service to merit your pay. Recognise and harness your natural talents and unique gifts and strive to develop and use them for yourself and for the benefit of others. If you are presently unemployed, offer voluntary service to organisations that require it and thereby gain the necessary experience that you can use later when you are gainfully employed. And when you do have money, help others, avoid frivolities, and invest for the future. Pay those you owe, and do not cause harm to those who trust you.
With these actions you will be sowing good seeds which will naturally produce for you sooner or later a future harvest of financial well-being and a trouble-free life. This holds true unless through the outworking of the Laws of Creation the person in question needs to go through this present earth life in poverty and adversity for his spiritual benefit.
All said, we need to understand that nothing can come into our life uninvited. Therefore, direct your thinking, words, and actions toward only what is good. This way you will bring about for yourself the consequences that will bring you only success, peace, and happiness!
Conclusion
Let us by way of conclusion, summarise all we have discussed. In contemplating the path to ultimate success, we need to know our own true nature as spirit beings. Our nature gives us access to the mighty Power of Creation which we can apply to achieve great things. We can experience our spirituality by exercising the power of silence, spending time in Nature and continually absorbing the Word of Truth. Our spirituality is put into practise when we knowingly work with the Law of Sowing and Reaping such that we decide to do only what is good in thought word and deed. In the same vein use your gifts for the welfare of your fellow men and set your goals under the guidance of your spirit. Maintain the right attitude when faced with financial or personal challenges and you will overcome them with ease.
Some of you may be asking: what about prayer? Must we not pray for success? Yes, we must. When we adjust ourselves to the way Creation works and use the Power of Creation aright, then that is prayer in all simplicity. We will receive the blessings that we need and what will continually well up within us will be heartfelt thanks to the Source of all the abundance and goodness that comes to us daily and in every fraction of a second!
I wish to conclude this presentation with the words of the Grail Message which says:
“Therefore adjust yourselves now and at last to the perfection of the harmony of Creation, then you will find peace and success!”
So, we who are desirous of walking the path to ultimate success should understand that peace and success and even happiness come from adjusting ourselves to the harmony of Creation. The words harmony of Creation means the operation of GOD’S Laws resting in Creation! These Laws are the Living Language which God speaks to us! We must therefore seek to know this Language and adjust ourselves to It. This we must do as a matter of urgency. It must be done now. Our welfare and our ultimate success as human spirits depends on it. To understand this Language of our Creator, let us avail ourselves of the promise given by the Author of The Grail Message when He said to us:
“My Message will be a faithful helper to you!”
