“That man is a soul residing within a body is the most obvious of truths. Seek not to understand it too perfectly, for understanding is a quality of the soul, and this has to be awakened.

“Is the moon different when hidden behind a cloud bank? Is the jar different buried under the sand? As these remain unchanged though unseen, so is the soul even within the body of a madman. If a lute string be broken, even the greatest musician plays a false tune. Thus, the defectiveness displayed by the madman is caused by faults within the material instrument of earthly manifestation; it is not in the spirit behind.

“Your soul came into the body as a new turn of the scroll; the sheet is clean, ready for use, but what you write thereon is recorded forever.

“Your soul is as a newly cut block of marble, upon which every thought and deed strikes a blow. It is as fresh clay cast upon the potter’s wheel.

“You alone are the craftsman for the fashioning of your soul, you alone are the artist of the design. Is it a bright thing of joyous beauty formed by goodness, or is it a dark, corrupt horror deformed by vice and

wickedness? Ask these things of your spirit, for only it knows what lies hidden within.

-The Kolbrin Bible (MPR:19:3-7)

Spirit in a Body

The quote says man is a soul in a body, but that is not accurate. A soul exists only when man develops his Spirit, something which few bother to do. It is true, though, that the spirit resides in the body and is not part of it. Nor is it a creation of the body or mind. The quote says that the soul has to be awakened, but again, this is not accurate. It is the Spirit that has to be awakened and developed to the point where it becomes a conscious Soul.

Unchanged Spirit

As the quote says, the moon is not different when hidden by clouds, and a jar remains a jar when buried in the sand. Similarly, the spirit does not change even when it is ignored, as so many do. What the quote doesn’t say is that our behavior can affect the spirit, even when we ignore it. When we violate the Laws of God, it harms our spirit, especially if we commit murder.

The quote continues by saying that if the lute strings are broken, even a great musician plays a false tune. In other words, we don’t accomplish all that we can when we ignore the spirit. Even physical activities are affected.

A Clean Spirit

When you came into the world, you had a clean spirit, but as already mentioned, your actions can affect it. Even very minor violations of God’s Law can affect the spirit. Of course, none of us is perfect, so we all do some damage to our spirit, but we can overcome that by awakening and developing our spirit.

You are the Craftsman of your Spirit

Our spirit is created by God. It is the only part of us that is. The body and mind are creations of the Demiurge, the false god. But as already stated, the spirit is a blank slate when we arrive here. It is up to us to develop it, much like a sculptor turning a block of marble into a statue. God does aid us in that endeavor, but it is primarily up to us to awaken and develop our spirit until it becomes a conscious Soul. That is the true goal of all legitimate spiritual or mystery schools. And we should start developing our spirit as soon as possible. Don’t wait until you are on your deathbed to think of it. That is like waiting until you fall off a ship to learn to swim.

“The soul of man within his body is like a conqueror in an occupied land. The laws of the victor conflict with the laws of the vanquished, but it is the greater law that must be obeyed, so both may live

together in harmony.

“Avoid the guilt of furtive and unmanly things, that you may walk with a high head and steady eyes.

“It is wrongful for a man who cannot know woman to seek the sustenance of the serpent.

“Your nose is ever ready to savor the sweetness of perfume, and your mouth delights in delicacies of the table. Your eye is ever alert for beauty. But remember that perfumes do not linger long in the nostrils, and delicacies destroy the appetite they arouse. Beauty seen too often ceases to

stir the heart.

“The rule is moderation in all things; turn from unmanly ways, follow the path of cleanliness, and avoid the indulgences of soft living and iniquity. Follow these rules, and sleep soundly; spend your waking hours in peace.”

-The Kolbrin Bible (MPR:17:19-23)

Body and Spirit

The body and spirit must function together for optimum health and development. But as the quote says, the greater law must be obeyed. That means that the spirit should take priority and we should not do things that conflict with spiritual law. Unfortunately, that rule cannot always be obeyed. The Laws of Spirit (or of God) say that we should not kill other beings, yet we must kill and consume other beings in order for the physical body to survive. That is why the physical body must eventually die, no matter how hard we try to keep it alive.

Avoid Furtive and Unmanly Things

Furtive means trying to hide things we know we shouldn’t have done. So this part of the quote is telling us that instead of doing things we know we shouldn’t, and then trying to hide it, we should avoid doing such things altogether.

Perfumes do not Linger

This part of the quote is telling us that the pleasures of the physical realm are always temporary. That is why many are never satisfied and always seek more of whatever they find pleasant. The point this paragraph is making is that we should not waste our lives constantly seeking pleasure. It is fine to enjoy such things in a limited way. As the oriental philosophies say, we must avoid getting attached to things. That is because the forces of darkness can use such attachments to control us.

Moderation in all Things

The final paragraph sums up the point by saying that “The rule is moderation in all things”. We can have good food, live in a nice house, etc. but in moderation. There is one exception. When it comes to spiritual development, we should not practice moderation, but seek to advance as much as possible. And now we have the Sun of Righteousness shining down on us to aid our spiritual growth.

“Is man in his thinking and acting a spiritually free being, or is he compelled by the iron necessity of purely natural law? There are few questions upon which so much sagacity has been brought to bear. The idea of the freedom of the human will has found enthusiastic supporters and stubborn opponents in plenty. There are those who, in their moral fervor, label anyone a man of limited intelligence who can deny so patent a fact as freedom. Opposed to them are others who regard it as the acme of unscientific thinking for anyone to believe that the uniformity of natural law is broken in the sphere of human action and thinking. One and the same thing is thus proclaimed, now as the most precious possession of humanity, now as its most fatal illusion. Infinite subtlety has been employed to explain how human freedom can be consistent with the laws working in nature, of which man, after all, is a part. No less is the trouble to which others have gone to explain how such a delusion as this could have arisen. That we are dealing here with with one of the most important questions for life, religion, conduct, science, must be felt by anyone who includes any degree of thoroughness at all in his make-up. It is one of the sad signs of the superficiality of present-day thought that a book which attempts to develop a new faith out of the results of recent scientific research, has nothing more to say on this question than these words: With the question of the freedom of the human will we are not concerned. The alleged freedom of indifferent choice has been recognized as an empty illusion by every philosophy worthy of the name. The moral valuation of human action and character remains untouched by this problem. It is not because I consider that the book in which it occurs has any special importance that I quote this passage, but because it seems to me to express the view to which the thinking of most of our contemporaries manages to rise in this matter.”

-Rudolf Steiner

Is Man Spiritually Free?

Steiner asks if we are spiritually free beings, or are we compelled to act according to the laws of nature?

The answer is both. Our physical body and mind must function according to the laws of nature, but our spirit is free to follow or not follow the Laws of God. Of course, if we foolishly choose to not follow God’s Law, then we forfeit our chance for eternal life with God in Heaven.

Free Will

As the quote indicates, the idea of Man having free will is a subject of much debate. Some insist man has free will; others say the opposite. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. We have free will, but it is limited. We cannot stop breathing for hours at a time. We cannot stop eating entirely. Even the ancient Essenes, possibly the most developed spiritual people ever, had to eat occasionally. Likewise, we can’t fly without being inside or attached to a flying device such as a plane or jet pack.

Most Precious Possession

The quote says that free will is our most precious possession. I wouldn’t go quite that far, but it certainly is one of the top three. God wants all of us to follow His Law, but if we had no choice in the matter, it wouldn’t be much of an accomplishment. God also wants us to develop the strength to resist the temptations sent our way by the forces of darkness. That also requires that we have some degree of free will.

Scientific Research

The quote says that scientific research is not concerned with free will. That is true for the most part, because few scientists see any value in studying spiritual or even moral matters. That is starting to change, however, as they increased study of consciousness, it is leading them in the direction of spiritual growth, since spiritual development is the only way to raise our level of consciousness.

“Rejoice, O man, in your body strength and cleanliness, and be not ashamed of your nature. Live in peace and contentment, for cakes of flour and water eaten with a contented heart serve the body better than fine meats eaten with strife and enmity.

“Do not accustom yourself to lying in bed, while the dawn is breaking in beauty, for no man is wholesome unless he has knowledge of the dawn.

“Remember that the call of the food table exceeds the needs of

the body.

“Do not weary yourself concerning the affairs of the day, nor be over anxious about your household and estate. Things happen; disaster or power come according to the dispensations of God. Follow your inclinations, and if your plans go awry, continue in peace. Do your best, and be content

that you can do no more.

“Let your heart be quiet within your body, and your body will not be unhealthy. It is the guest chamber of the soul; let the soul not abide in squalor.

“God ordained the Law and laws, which govern the conduct of

man and laws, which govern the ways of nature. Unnatural deeds bring

unnatural afflictions in their train, and unnatural thoughts precede unnatural

ills.”

The Kolbrin Bible (MPR:17:13-18)

Rejoice in Your Strength and Cleanliness

It is true that we should rejoice in our strength. This doesn’t mean being muscular, although that is a good thing as well. It means strength in making wise decisions and avoiding temptation. As for cleanliness, this refers to internal cleanliness rather than external.

Live in Peace

It is important to live in peace. The quote implies that it means peace with yourself and your condition rather than the opposite of war, although both types of peace are important. It is true that your food will digest better when you are contented, even food as simple as bread and water.

Up at Dawn

The quote says we should not be lying in bed when the sun is rising. We in Cosolargy know this is true. You cannot do solar techniques if you don’t get up for sunrise. It is recommended that you do techniques within one hour after sunrise. The only exception being when you do your sun-gazing at sunset. We do need knowledge of the dawn, as the quote says. Mainly, knowledge of the spiritual side of the sun.

Call of Food

The quote says that the call of the food table exceeds the needs of the body. This means that we should not overeat. It also means that we should not eat the wrong things. That means we shouldn’t eat red meat such as beef and pork. It is fine to eat fowl and fish, but if you choose to be a vegetarian, that is even better. We should also avoid junk food and overly processed food.

Do Your Best

Both in physical and spiritual endeavors, it is important that we do our best. This does not mean that we need to be better than others, but we do need to continually improve, especially in spiritual development.

Let Your Heart Be Quiet

This means that we should avoid such things as anger and jealousy. If we don’t like a persons behavior, we can be upset with the behavior without being angry with the person. We should also understand that jealousy harms us, not the other person.

God Ordained the Law

I have covered this subject before. There are three levels of law: God’s, natures, and Mans. We must understand that God’s law is above all other law. Man should not make laws that oppose those of God or nature. Unfortunately, many of Man’s laws do oppose God’s or natures, but that is starting to change as we are learning the folly of believing we are above the laws of God or nature.

“Rejoice in the consciousness, whereby you experience and in the eternal soul within, whereby you know. The attributes of a god repose within you, and they are yours to command, if you will but call them forth.

“Be kind to your body, which is the vehicle of your pilgrimage and the chariot of your conquest. Keep it in health and strength, that you may enjoy life with vigor. It was not meant that the body should be neglected, and in fact the Law ordains that recompense be made for a neglected body. A body made weak by dissipation and gross from fat-living is an abomination unto the God of Life.

“On Earth, the body is equally as important as the soul. Keep it clean and in good health, that it may fittingly serve the purpose of the soul. The nearest approach that can be made to complete bliss on Earth is to enjoy the blessing of good health.

“If you would reserve health unto yourself, even into the ripeness of old age, avoid the allurements of intemperance and dissipation. These are the bewitchments of the wanton and harlot, and not easily avoided.

“When she spreads her delicacies before you, when her wine sparkles in the cups, when with sweet smiles, she induces you to cast care aside, then the hour of danger is at hand, and therefore, let prudence come to your aid. If you give heed to the sweet words of the temptress, then you are

deceived and betrayed.”

-The Kolbrin Bible (MPR:17:4-8)

Rejoice in Our Consciousness

It is true that all living beings have consciousness, but the level of consciousness humans have is higher than all other physical beings on earth. We should rejoice in that fact. We should also make every effort to increase our level of consciousness. To a large degree, that is what spiritual development is all about. Do not confuse intelligence with consciousness. Some people are very intelligent, but only average in consciousness. Likewise, some people of average intelligence have high levels of consciousness.

Attributes of God

It is true that the attributes of God are within us, but they are found in our dormant spirit, not in the body or mind. We must awaken and develop the spirit in order to activate those attributes.

Vehicle of Your Pilgrimage

It is appropriate that the quote refers to the physical body as a vehicle. Many people think their physical body is their true self, but it isn’t. The spirit is the true self, which is why it is so important to awaken and develop the spirit. Still, it is true, as the quote says, that we should do our best to keep our bodies strong and healthy. Nobody can avoid illness and injury entirely, but we should avoid them as much as possible and take the necessary steps to heal when we are ill or injured. Whether that means visiting a doctor or another type of healer is up to the individual, but we should not ignore them. There are many cases of people, some well-known, who ignored sickness or injury and died as a result.

Serve the Soul

I do not agree that the body is as important as the soul (or spirit), but it is important. We should keep it clean and fit that it can serve God. The idea that it serves the soul makes no sense, but it can serve God. That is, in fact, what God wants us to do while we are stuck in the physical realm.

Avoid Temptations

It is true that it is not easy to avoid temptations and intemperance. In this case, intemperance can mean excessive drinking of alcohol, or eating unhealthy foods. There are many temptations on earth, including sex, greed, and jealousy. We should make every effort to avoid such temptations. When we fail—and we all do occasionally—we shouldn’t give up, but instead ask God to give us the strength to avoid them in the future.

“A mean man is one who walks in unmanly ways; he has womanly weaknesses, much magnified, without womanly virtues. He forever seeks faults in the ways of the wise and the good.

“He lacks generosity and compassion; he winnows the dust off his storehouse floor to save a few dirty grains. The heart of a mean man is as the sands of the wilderness, which swallow up all the pleasant flowers that fall and bring forth nothing in return.

“He who rises eagerly to claim praise for a successful undertaking and just as readily casts blame on another when it goes awry, is not only mean, but also a weakling and a hypocrite unto himself.

“None is worse than the mean man who has riches and estate, for he rides heavily on the backs of his servants and waxes fat on the sweat of their brows.

“He is without compassion or feeling, and the ruin of his brother brings him no sorrow. For the increase in his riches, he secretly rejoices in the death of his father; but the mean man, being also hypocritical,

will be loudest in lamentation.”

-The Kolbrin Bible (MPR:14:1-5)

The Mean Man Seeks Faults

A mean person seeks faults in the ways of the wise. A smart person will try to emulate the wise, but a weak or mean person criticizes instead. As a result, the mean person makes little progress, especially on the spiritual side of life.

He lacks Compassion

The mean person lacks compassion for others. He doesn’t help a neighbor who needs assistance. He does not give to a charity unless he gets publicity for doing so, which means he is feeding his ego rather than being generous. As the quote says, the heart of the mean person is like the sands that swallow up the flowers. Fortunately, this does not stop the flowers from blooming. Of course, this is about allegorical flowers, namely, good people.

Claims Praise

Mean people do love to claim praise for any successful undertaking, even if it is of no real significance. On the other hand, such people are quick to put down the accomplishments of others, no matter how great they may be. As the quote says, such a person is a weakling and a hypocrite. Sadly, there are many such people in the world today.

The Rich Man

A mean person who has riches today may not ride on the back of his servants, but instead, what we see today is that the wealthy pay workers as little as they can get away with, while they claim most of the profit for themselves.

Ruin of His Brother

The mean person does not feel sorrow at the ruin of his brother or sister. Instead, he tried to use it as an opportunity to claim what his brother left behind. This goes not just for actual brothers and sisters, but all of our neighbors.

So do not be a mean person. Show compassion, generosity, and love. That is what god wants all of us to do.

“Abandon the wrongdoer and the worker of iniquity to the dyke, that the rising floodwaters may engulf them; thus, their ways shall no longer cause disruption among the people. Let them be seized by the storm fiend in the midst of the rising waters.

“The lawbreaker and worker of wickedness are to be cast forth from the body of the people, that it remain healthy. The purveyors of filth and the fornicators will be met by the strong arms of Real Men. The day itself will stand up and make an accusation against their abominable doings, and

the night will spew them forth.

“If the sons of wickedness say, “Lend us your arm in the shadows; let us set a trap for the unwary, that his goods may pass into our possession. Let us strike down from behind and leave his body in the gutter,”or “Let us possess ourselves of his gold by sly means and thus become rich ourselves,” or “Come, cast in your lot with us, that by our joint endeavors we shall become wealthy,” walk not along the paths with such as they, for as they lurk for blood so shall their own blood be requited.”

The Kolbrin Bible(MPR:12:1-3)

Avoid Evil People

Some think that as spiritual people, we should embrace evil people and try to change them. While that sounds like a good idea, it isn’t practical because the evil doer is more likely to affect you than the other way around. Evil is strong in this world, so the smartest thing to do is stay away from evil people.

Seized by the Rising Waters

Allegorically speaking, the evil ones will be seized by the rising waters of spiritual growth among humanity in this, the End times. The “waters” of God’s Word and God’s Will, being the spiritual light that comes to us through the Spiritual Sun, will burn the evil out of people. Some of the evil ones will change and survive this, others will refuse to change and die.

Cast From the People

It is easy to say that the workers of wickedness should be “cast forth from the people”, but that is simply not practical in these times. When most people were spiritual, that could be done, but now, the spiritual must separate themselves from the majority of people to avoid contamination. While it may not be practical to do that all the time, we can do it when possible, and use mental techniques to block their influence.

Cast Your Lot With Us

The wicked people do ask others to join them in their wicked and evil ways. The smart person, and especially the spiritual one, will not fall for it. The quote says, “for as they lurk for blood so shall their own blood be requited.” This is a way of saying karma will catch up with them, it always does, even though it may not seem so. We often think that some evil people get away with it for their entire lives, but we don’t see the details behind the scene. They may suffer from horrid diseases that do not show. They may suffer through the death of loved ones. They may be robbed by other evil ones. Karma always does it’s job.

“If God has endowed you with riches, then regard them with pleasure, for the means to good deeds is in your hands.

“It is not sufficient for a rich man to give to the poor or to alleviate the distress of the needy. He who, having received abundance from God, doles out a pittance to the poor, does but salve his conscience and is not truly walking with God.

“It is the duty of the rich man to cast the weight of his riches in the balances, that goodness may outweigh evil.

“It is the duty of the powerful man to range his might alongside the forces of good in the struggle against evil. He shall protect the poor against the exploiter and defend the weak against oppression of tyrants.

“It is not so important to give to the poor man as to remove the cause of his poverty. To help the weak is good but of lesser importance than to attack their oppressor.

“The Law decrees that the lot of no two men shall be alike. If it were otherwise, Earth could not fulfill its purpose. But he who has riches or is powerful or handsome, he who has intellect and skill, should bear in mind that he possesses these under the Law. According to the bounty bestowed, so must be the return to the general welfare of man, and a proper accounting will be demanded by the Assessors in the Hall of Terror.”

-The Kolbrin Bible (MPR:9:1-6)

Regard riches with Pleasure

We should regard riches with pleasure, though not in the manner of a greedy person. We should be happy to have riches so that we can help those less fortunate. We also must not seek public attention when we help others. That is just feeding our ego.

Duty of the Powerful

Yes, it is the duty of powerful people to use that power to aid the forces of good and avoid the forces of evil. Sadly, we are seeing a lot of powerful people today doing the opposite. That must happen, though, because when the forces of good are growing in strength, the same must happen with the forces of evil to maintain balance. Fortunately, that need will end soon when God’s Judgment falls on all of us.

Remove the Cause of Poverty

It would be nice if we could remove the cause of poverty, which is greed. Some greedy people don’t care about anyone else and simply accumulate as much wealth as possible. Others, however, have a fear of losing everything. In both cases, we should not, as the quote says, attack oppressors. That will only make matters worse.

Intellect and Skills

Yes, those who have intellect and skills must use them to help others. It is more important, however, that we develop our spiritual faculties and use them to help others develop spiritually. That is truly doing good deeds.

“Lend your arm to the aged, and open your purse at the cry of the poor. Guard well against the urge to plunder the unprotected and from treating the destitute with harshness.

“If you are lacking in compassion, it is well to remember that today, one man be rich and another poor; yet, ere a year has passed the rich man may be working in a stable, and the poor man may be clothed in fine linen. Such are the balances of life, and it is, therefore, wise to turn a like countenance towards all men.

“Help the man in unfortunate circumstances, for anyone can fall into the pit of misfortune. Commit no assault upon him by reason of his weakness, nor turn his predicament to your own advantage. Fill his stomach with bread and drink. Provide a place for him to lay his head. Let your countenance be cheerful towards him, and let words of encouragement fall from your lips.

“Assess honestly the boundaries of the widow’s estate. The land that is lost to the plow is the waste of a man’s lifetime.

“Do not deride the clumsy speech of a lowly man. The fine phrases of the rich man may be pretty things of no substance. Sincerity is rarely bedecked with finery. What a man has in his head and heart is more important than the fine words that fall from his lips.

…

“The Just God turns a ready ear towards the outcry of the lowly. Therefore, the prayer of the poor man is greater than the might of sharp weapons, even though he is of no account among the people of his own time and destitute of the power of fine speech.”

The Kolbrin Bible (MPR:8:1-5 & 7)

Lend Your Arm to the Aged

While this can be literal in some cases, such as helping an elderly person cross a street, it isn’t limited to that. There are many ways to lend a hand to the aged. You can give them a ride, help them with shopping, do yard work for them, or shovel snow from their sidewalk in the winter. But the most important way we can help any person is to help them awaken and develop their spiritual faculties.

Open Your Purse to the Poor

This line definitely should not be taken literally. You should help the poor when you can, but you shouldn’t let them help themselves to your money or goods.

If You Lack Compassion

Yes, we should remember, as the quote says, that those who are well off today may be destitute tomorrow, and those who are poor may become wealthy. But you really shouldn’t show compassion for that reason. You should always show compassion for your fellow man. It is what God wants us to do.

Do not Assault the Weak

Some people think that might makes right and the strong should lord over the weak, whether their strength is natural or because of advanced weapons. That is not what God wants. That is not the way of the Chosen of God.

What a Person has in Their Heart

As the quote indicates, what a person has in their heart is more important than fine clothing or public adoration. We are seeing today that some such people are rotten to the core.

Prayer is Better than Weapons

Yes, prayer is better than the might of weapons. Nothing is cured with weapons. Nothing is cured with hate. But prayer has been proven to help cure many illnesses, even when the person being prayed for is unaware of it. Never underestimate the power of prayer. Praying for others is proper behavior for spiritual people.

“Man has the powers of reason and decision. A wise father delegates responsibility to his children, and God does not unduly interfere in the affairs of men.

“Man is the lord of creation and the heir to godhood. He can soar to the greatest heights, but also fall to the lowest depths. No man is wholly good, and no man is wholly evil. The scales are never completely weighed down.

“No man can hold any desirable thing on Earth or attain it in the Regions of Light without the expenditure of effort. No man can foresee the future or know what test the Wise God has placed there for him.

“O man, mark this well. Never forget your goal of godhood, but vaunt not your godlikeness, for the beast dogs your footsteps, and an animal clothes your soul. You dwell beneath the dark shadow of the cloud of mortal ignorance. You live in a twilit dream state; you are deceived by your senses; you dream and say this is reality; you reason and are afraid. But know that all things real reside in God, and His wisdom stands beyond the bounds of reason. He has established the foundations of Truth and Reality for eternity.”

-the Kolbrin Bible (MPR:5:11-14)

Man Has Powers

Man has a variety of abilities (I like that word better than powers). Some abilities are physical in nature and come from the Demiurge who created all things physical. Others are spiritual and come from God. There is nothing wrong with using our physical abilities, as long as we use them in a way that benefits mankind and doesn’t violate the Laws of God. Some people think that we can only use physical abilities while on earth and must save the spiritual ones for the afterlife, but that isn’t true. Some spiritual abilities can and should be awakened, developed, and used while we are still physical.

A Wise Father Delegates

Some wonder why God doesn’t simply change the world back into the original spiritual form He always intended it to be. He doesn’t do that partly because He has given us some degree of free will and wants us to decide that is what we want. He also wants us to participate in the process just as fathers used to have their offspring participate in their business.

Heir to Godhood

It may be an exaggeration to say that man is heir to godhood, but good does want us to develop our spiritual faculties to their fullest until we reach that level of consciousness and spiritual knowledge that allows us to be in Heaven with God and the Angels of Light. The quote says none of us is wholly good or wholly evil. It is up to us to decide which side we want to nurture. As some Native Americans say, we have two wolves within us: one is good, and one is evil. It is up to us to decide which one we want to nurture.

We Must Make an Effort

As the quote says, we cannot hold anything desirable on earth or in the regions of Light without making an effort. In one of the prayers used in some Cosolargy services, it says that we must labor in this world as well as the next, and that is true. Nothing comes from simply sitting around and wishing for it.

The Beast Dogs Your Footsteps

It is true that the Beast and his minions are after us all the time. It is also true, in a certain sense, that our spirit is trapped in a mortal body. But, as the quote also says, God has established the foundations of truth and reality. So if we want to know right from wrong, good from evil, we must turn to God, not to human leaders.