192. By leading a perfect life now, could we skip all the degrees and become a pure spirit without passing through the intermediate levels?
“No, because what human beings believe to be perfection is actually quite far from it. Some qualities exist that are unknown to them, and in the current state, they have no means of comprehending them. They may be as perfect as is humanly possible on Earth, but still far from absolute perfection. A child, no matter how bright or talented it may be, must go through youth to reach adulthood, and a patient must recuperate before making a complete recovery. Additionally, a spirit must advance both intellectually and morally. If it has advanced in only one of these directions, it must match this development in the other to reach the top of the ladder. The more a person advances in the present life, the shorter and less painful his or her future trials will be in later existences.”
a) Can people assure themselves a future existence with less bitterness than their present life?
“Yes, of course, they can shorten the length and diffculties of the road. Only the person who neglects advancement remains stagnant.”
