Appearance and reality

Appearance veils reality. In this world, man is put to the test of recognizing appearance for what it is and penetrating it in order to reach the reality hidden behind it.

If he is to be successful, he must refrain from becoming obsessed with appearances, must rise above the level of the seen, and pass beyond to that of the unseen. There, on this higher plane, the hidden realities of life will stand out clearly before his gaze.

How does one free oneself from obsession with appearances? It means, primarily, looking at things in an entirely different way.

For ex¬ample, it means recognizing that something which is ostensibly a purchasable item is actually a gift from God; it means having a grasp of the fact that the wares of the marketplace have come not just from the hands of the craftsman or the assembly line of a factory, but from the treasure house of the universe.

Faith in the unseen means the realiza¬tion that the things which we seem to receive from the hands of men come, in actuality, from the hands of God. It is only those who are at one with their Maker, can attain this degree of finely tuned perception.

In this world, we have the option of living like the blind, or of living with our eyes wide open. The test we are set in the present world forces us to make this choice.

One who remains blind to the realities of this world of trial will, thanks to his blindness, be stranded in the world to come. On the other hand, one who lives with his eyes open to the divine truth in this world will be blessed with heavenly vision in the land beyond the grave. There, all the blessings of the world–and even more–will be given to him for all eternity.