Spiritual Grades

The Oahspe quote below lays out the spiritual grades of humanity. The grades for man begin at one, which rests upon the earth. Wo/man as animal man is grade one, along with the animal life on the planet. But man has the capacity to reach grade 99, and higher in etherean realms and beyond forever.

Oahspe, Book of Judgment; 32/6.2.14.

He who serves himself one-half, and serves others one-half, shall stand grade fifty.

He who serves himself three-quarters, and others one-quarter, shall stand grade twenty-five.

He who serves himself one-quarter, and others three-quarters, shall stand grade seventy-five.

He who serves himself only, shall stand grade one.

He who serves others wholly, shall stand grade ninety-nine.

And whoever serves accordingly, himself or others, shall stand in grade even as his works manifest.

To serve one's self is to work for one's self; to strive for one's self, to think of one's own self, as to what will benefit one's own self only.

To serve others, is to do good to others; to help them; to teach them; to give them joy and comfort. This is the service of Jehovih.

But there are some who are below the grades; who seek to do evil; who seek to make others unhappy; who delight in crime and pollution. These, if mortal, shall be called druks; and if spirits, shall be called drujas.

The grades of my heavens of the earth, being atmospherea, in general follow this manner:

Grade one is on the earth; grade fifty, midway between the earth and the emancipated heavens, etherea.

Grade twenty-five is one-quarter of the way up from the earth, toward etherea; but grade seventy-five is three-quarters of the way up, toward etherea. And so on, intermediate grades and places of ascent corresponding in like manner.

But grade ninety-nine is the highest atmospherean grade, preparatory to entrance into the company of the all pure in spirit.

Spiritual growth is not automatic --- it takes choice, aspiration and practice. Yet, man is also capable of falling below the grades into darkness; and the end road of negative growth in spirit is non-existence, the extinguishment of consciousness. Man's inherited capacity for eternal life makes it possible for him to choose to progress spiritually and receive assistance before he reaches the point of extinguishment.

But as we know from Oahspe, Asu, who was pure animal man of grade one was not capable of eternal life. What then do people seem to be coasting on when they are engrossed in materiality, especially when they are living more for the animal man than the spiritual man?

Part of the answer rests within the amount and grade of light with that person. The grade of light is not only built up by the individual in his/her own lifetime through good deeds, aspiration and diet, but one also inherits spiritual grade from the ancestral line of light. It is that accumulated light that the lower grades chiefly coast upon.

But the purpose of a "light bank" available to man is not for squandering, but to allow him the capacity to perceive and aspire to a higher condition --- Jehovih is always ahead and the highest. Without continued aspiration to a higher condition, there is no Eternal Life and Resurrection. As Oahspe teaches and demonstrates in its histories, there is no standing still because only two states exist: ascension and declension. Those in declension, in any aspect of their life, at some point will have to turn about and retrace their steps upward.

The Bottom Line for the Kosmon Era

When man first appeared on earth he was Asu, grade one, over tens of millennia his collective grade improved until less than ten thousand years ago, most mortals became capable of eternal life. But is this sufficient for man, why then must he improve from there?

Man is a work in progress, over the dan'ha cycles his physical and spiritual development meant that more and more of his wisdom, knowledge and mastery over his surroundings, was attainable in mortality. Accordingly, milestones of development were reached in increments over a number of eras until the present time (Oahspe Prologue). Now is the start of that era when man attains the capacity to live in mortality at the level of the organic resurrections in heaven --- which is the Seventh Era of Kosmon.

Why does Oahspe indicate that the Seventh Era Faithists are herbivorous men and women of peace?

An essential part of man maturing and mastering the elements of his surroundings in this Kosmon Era, is that he reach wise dominion over his beast self, that is, man's foundation level will no longer be grade one but that of the lowest spirit man fully capable of organic spiritual association, which begins at grade 33.

This requirement contrasts with the time of Seffas when the beast (self) of man was governed by external power, and man's progress in spiritual grade began at grade one, the level of Asu, animal man. Accordingly, the lowest heavenly planes were adapted to receive multitudes of spirits of mortals at this level.

As the spiritual grade of man rises with his maturing spirit, the heavenly planes closest to the earth will be kept in order and (denser) light with the co-operation of mortals and angels. Man's higher grade and ability for organic association including his maturing es perception will raise him to shared custodianship of these planes with the spirit inhabitants.

Oahspe teaches and demonstrates that while man continues as carnivorous he remains at grade one. Apart from any other requirements, transitioning from grade one requires man to give up eating animal flesh. However, the continued consumption of animal substance including milk, eggs and any other substance which comes from an animal, keeps man in the lowest grade near the earth. For, even those who aspire to good works and spiritual progression, but do not wean themselves of animal substance, have to subsist in the lowest es planes because their mortal habits are retained for a long season after death.

Oahspe, Book of Judgment; 32/13.24-26, 28.

O if only you had not contaminated your corporeal part by the flesh of the beast and the meat of His living creatures! This is one of the things that like a stone, covers up your soul, and blockades your way to the upper grades.

Your young spirit must remain within the atmosphere of the animal creation for a long season; like to like, you have fashioned your spirit to the flesh of your body.

According to the atmosphere of things, as to the purity and sweetness, behold, your Creator has fashioned them in relative ascent above the earth. That which stinks, rests on the earth; that which is pure, is upward and high......

O man of the earth, consider what you put into your mouth, for its atmosphere is the food of your spirit. And the habit of that will be entailed on your spirit for a long season after your mortal death.

So may we all enjoy our Kosmon heritage and rise to the challenge of balancing our animal nature and our spiritual growth by gaining dominion over our own animal man (self/beast).

All Oahspe references are from the modern language edition: Oahspe Standard Edition 2007

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