In the Light of Truth

12. The inner voice

The so-called Inner Voice is the spiritual part of man, the voice he can listen to, if he will, is his intuition. It is not without cause that people say: it is always the first impression that is truest. Profound wisdom lies in all these sayings and proverbs, so also here. For example, the impression a man has the first time he meets a stranger, may be merely a warning to be careful, or go as far as a feeling of absolute repugnance; it may be a pleasurable sensation, or even a feeling of sympathy; in some cases it may be indifference. It is always the inner voice that has spoken.

If now, in the course of conversation or further intercourse, reason should upset or entirely efface this impression, so that the thought arises, it was wrong, it almost invariably turns out at the end of these acquaintances, that the first impression was the right one.

And this often occurs to the bitter pain of those who allowed themselves to be misled by the mask the other had assumed. The inner voice which is not limited to time and space, but is connected with correlative qualities in the spiritual and eternal world, immediately recognises the true nature of the other and does not allow itself to be deceived by the artifices of the intellect.

It is quite impossible for the inner voice to err. When man is led into error, as it so often happens, it has been for one of two reasons, either his feeling or his intellect has been the cause.

How often it is said: “In this or that matter, I allowed myself to be guided by my feelings and was deceived. One should only listen to one's judgment.” Here they make the mistake of taking feelings for their inner voice. They praise their intellect and have no idea what an important part it plays in their feelings.

Be careful therefore and listen: Feeling is not the inner voice.

Feeling is an attribute of the physical body, born of instinct and directed by intellect.

This is very different to the inner voice.

Imagination is the product of the cooperative activity of feeling and intellect.

Thus on the spiritual side we have the inner voice unfettered by time and space; on the material side the physical body, which is limited by time and space.

Instincts are attributes of the physical body which, with the cooperation of the intellect, develop into feeling.

The intellect, a product of the brain, though consisting of the finest most ethereal substance, is bound to time and space. Together with feeling it produces imagination.

Imagination belongs to ethereal substance but it has no spiritual power. It can only act retroflectively, can only stir the feelings of its author but never send forth a source of strength to others, it can inflame his enthusiasm but never influence his surroundings. This stamps it as belonging to an inferior order of phenomena. How different if compared to the inner voice!

The inner voice has spiritual, creative and animating power which it can send forth to fire and convince others.

Thus we can observe on the one side the inner voice, which being purely spiritual is beyond the limits of time and space and on the other side the body comprising instincts, intellect, feelings and imagination all of which depend on time and space.

Although feeling belongs to the finest and most delicate part or quality of material substance, it can never coalesce with the inner voice, neither can it trouble it in any way. The inner voice (intuition) being purely spiritual is independent of time and space, whereas feeling belongs to ethereal matter and depends on instinct and intellect, is thus on a lower step.

If it is really the Inner Voice that manifests itself in man, it will always be a pure and true voice that he hears. But the greater number of men have cut themselves off from perceiving it. They have placed feeling in the foreground which they mistake for the inner voice. In following the suggestions of his feeling, a man is misled and suffers many disappointments. The result of these mistakes and failures is that he is inclined to rely all the more firmly on his intellect, his judgment alone, never guessing that it is the cooperation of the intellect with feeling that has deceived him; and a further result of these errors is that man forswears all spiritual phenomena as having no place in his experience and turns all his interests to the inferior phenomena of matter.

The fundamental error, here as elsewhere, is man's voluntary subjection to his intellect which means that he also subjects himself to its limitations, within the narrow confines of time and space. The intellect is a product of the brain and the brain belongs to gross matter alone.

All that a man does, he does of his own free-will. He is fettered, but he fetters himself. If he were not willing, it could never be that his intellect so dominates him that he can no longer perceive or understand what lies beyond time and space. For such a man a curtain has fallen between the Temporal and the Spiritual. The only voice he can now hear, is that of his feeling which cooperates with his intellect, for his inner voice has been silenced.

It would be wrong to say that feeling subjugates the inner voice. For intuition or the inner voice is the most powerful gift of man and can never be subjugated or prejudiced by anything. The truth is that man makes himself incapable of recognising the inner voice. If man fails in this it is only through his own fault; it is never because of the strength or weakness of this or that gift. The supreme gift, the living power which is man's most precious and immortal possession, each individual has received equally, and no man has an advantage over another. The only difference lies in the use to which it is put.

Neither can this essential gift, this immortal spark, ever be dimmed or tarnished. It remains unsullied, however degrading the surroundings may be. You must only tear down the barrier which you yourselves have raised by the voluntary limitation to which you have subjected your power of conception. Then without any transition whatever, it will arise again as pure and distinct as at the beginning, will develop to its full strength and link you to the Light and to the Spirit.

Rejoice that such a treasure lies safe and protected within you. It is of no consequence whether you may be highly esteemed by your neighbour or not. All uncleanness that has collected and formed a bulwark round this spark that comes from the spiritual world, can be cast aside with an effort of honest goodwill. If you have then done the work and lifted the treasure, you are just as good as he who never buried it. But woe to him who, from indolence continues to refrain from making this effort. In the Day of Judgment this treasure will be taken from him and he will then cease to exist.

Therefore awake, you who are holding aloof, you who have stifled your inner voice at the suggestion of your intellect whose power of conception is undeniably limited. Have a care and listen to the summons sent you! It may be in the shape of a terrible grief, a severe mental shock or supreme, pure joy which is capable of lifting the ominous cloud of base sentiment hanging over and oppressing you. Do not let such calls be made in vain! They are fingerposts to show you the way. But it is better that you do not wait for them, but set out with the serious intention to do good and rise spiritually. In this way the partition will soon become thinner and lighter, till it disappears al together and the pure, untarnished spark bursts forth into flame. But this first step can and must be taken by the individual himself, else he cannot be helped. Meanwhile you must distinguish clearly between wish and will. Wishing is not sufficient to effect progress. It must be will which implies action, as a necessary condition, for he who seriously wills begins to act. Many a man will err being subject to his intellect and often take a wrong path; but he must not let himself be discouraged from striving forward on that account, for he also will reach the winning post. With him it is a case of restoring his judgment to its natural and proper condition, and during his wanderings on the side paths he will gradually be able to remove all hindrances. Therefore, advance bravely! If you are inspired with serious goodwill, every path will finally lead to the goal.

[Grail Message by Abdrushin]  [Resonances to the Grail Message]