If one’s heart were heavy with regret, unfinished Earth
business, or the pull of selfish desires, then the ancient Egyptian
-- in this case, Ani -- could not enter the heavens. A beastly
creature would eat his heart, and he would have to return to
Earth to get a new heart, one light enough to rise into heaven
(presumably by reincarnating and living a better life than before).
Do we have light hearts? Or are we carrying around a lot of
unresolved issues, unfulfilled desires, the weight of broken
dreams and promises, or whatever is weighing on us? The Cayce
readings tell the story of an Egyptian high priest named Ra
Ta who, at a very old age and in decrepit condition, was able
to rejuvenate himself and live another one hundred years, in
order to work on the building of the great pyramid of Giza.
When Cayce was asked how this priest rejuvenated his aged body,
he answered: “through the casting aside of the years of
toil and strife through which the body of Ra-Ta itself had passed.”
In order words, by letting go of the things that had aged him.
We tend to hold on to our pain, our suffering, our sacrifices,
and our regrets. All of which age us and weigh our hearts down.
Forgive and forget is a much healthier prescription.
Such rejuvenation was not done in one day or in one thought;
it took Ra Ta seven years to fully rejuvenate himself. It will
likely take us as long.
When in deep trance attunement to the Universal Consciousness,
Cayce was asked to give some light on the word heart. He replied
in this fashion: As in the physical body the heart is considered
the source that impels life to all portions of the body. In
that sense, then, one seeks God’s help in creating a pure
heart, a pure soul, a pure purpose in body and mind, that one
may bring life, light, understanding, to those contacted --
as does the heart to the body. The heart is used to signify
that purpose, that intent, that life. It represents an entity,
a body, a mind; an imaginative being that through the conscious
and subconscious or soul forces brings life to all contacted.
As in: “Create within me a pure heart, O God, and RENEW
a right, righteous, holy spirit within me.”
In his teachings about actions and reactions, he encourages
us to achieve a light heart by helping others’ hearts
be lighter: “Keep thy smile of encouragement to others;
for it lightens the heart of many.”
In a reading for a member of the Work Readings Group in 1938,
Cayce gave this insight and encouragement about keeping our
light shining: “Thy light hath gone out before the darkness
in the lives of many. Keep that light burning in thy own heart.
Grow not weary in well doing. Let thy heart open to those things
that bespeak the closeness of His walks, His talks with thee.
Thy light of love and faith and hope and thought will not lose
its reward in Him. For whom He loveth He comforteth, every one.”
A light heart, both in weight and luminescence, is an important
part of our personal spirituality. How do we achieve such? The
answer is by being often in prayer, meditation, and doing good
for others.
In his parable of the seeds of the word of God sown along the
roadside of life, Jesus says that the seeds that fall “in
the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart,
having heard the word, hold it fast, and bring forth fruit with
patience.” A good heart in patience is the important point
here. Letting go of what weighs our hearts down is achieved
with patience. We cannot jump straight out of our present condition
into our hoped-for goal. We proceed from where we are to that
goal, step by step, little by little, day by day, one situation
at a time. Whether we have a week to live or many years, today
is the time to begin to lighten and enlighten our hearts and
the hearts of those around us. Cayce commented that “some
grow old gracefully, some tolerantly, some fussily, and some
very meanly.” The key factor may well be patience.
In the Egyptian scene, Ani’s heart is indeed lighter
than Maat’s feather, and he is allowed to enter the higher
heavens. Let’s lighten our hearts and the hearts of those
we contact.
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