The Meaning of Reincarnation

By Joseph Murphy Ph.D. D.D.

All over the world, there are thinking people of all religious faiths that believe in the theory of reincarnation and karma, as these seem to provide an acceptable answer to many of life's mysteries; however, as readers of Joseph Murphy's book will discover, there are other perfectly plausible explanations that account for what people consider to be past-life experiences. It also explains why people are born into this world with differing advantages, disadvantages, and handicaps.

• Language: English
• Publisher: G&D Media
• Release date: May 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9781722522414

Joseph Murphy Ph.D. D.D.

Dr. Murphy wrote, taught, counseled, and lectured to thousands of people all over the world, as Minister-Director of the Church of Divine Science in Los Angeles. His lectures and sermons were attended by thousands of people every Sunday. Millions of people tuned in his daily radio program and have read the over 30 books that he has written.

Book preview

1

The Meaning of Reincarnation

The time has come in the field of New Thought thinking, living, and practice to make a clear-cut decision as to what to do with the mill-stone labelled, Reincarnation, which is discovered hanging from both oriental and occidental necks.

The highest light in the theory of reincarnation is melioristic; that is, man is becoming better by the slow, exoteric process of putting on and off different habiliments of flesh and emotions. Nothing is done in this unconscious process, rooted in mere habit transmission about the ringing challenge: Be ye perfect even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.

New Thought Philosophy and application must not capitulate to a racial error perpetuated by the pronouncements of unillumined men. We should get started in the business about which Jesus so earnestly labored. Let us begin the program with tenacity of purpose and perseverance by putting on the Garment of Christ which is Wisdom, Truth, and Beauty instead of the garment of poor man, rich man, beggar man, and thief, through the weary cycles of time-space-frames of reference.

Einstein has with great labor brought us to the gate of the Temple Beautiful. The false Gods of time and space have been toppled over, and become mere relativities before that "Which is, and Which was, and Which is to come, the Almighty."

We now stand naked before the gates stripped of all disguises and but little lower than the angels, ready to take our just place at the right hand of Cause—The Father. This means essentially the wilful cessation of the automatic, weary round of rebirths, refleshing ourselves in the menial garments of the slave to carnal, materialistic thinking and living.

The scientific, mental thinker looks at the theory of reincarnation from a new standpoint altogether. The scientific thinker starts with, the pattern on the Mount, wherein man is one with God, and starts from there.

We must cease building an edifice based on a slow-paced dream wherein millions of human beings—east and west—have been laid in the Procrustean bed of karma and reincarnation to arise retailored in garments ill befitting an invited guest to God’s Wedding Feast. If you do not wear the proper garment which is the royal, seamless robe, you will be cast out again into the outer darkness of spiritual ignorance.

By believing in the theory of reincarnation, or countless cycles of carnal rebirths, I believe you drift from safe mooring, and fall from spiritual grace.

What is your concept of God? The Bible gives you the answer: The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy.

Atomic, H-bombs, and other thermo-nuclear weapons are knocking at your doors calling upon you for a new Declaration of Emancipation from all traditions and false beliefs of man—no matter how time-honored on oriental altars. Let us begin to put out all karmic, purgatorial fires by true faith and conviction in God’s Love and Beauty here and now, and press on to the virgin fields of consciousness. You must not be deterred by a mirage of mere meliorism. Refuse to be satisfied by anything but the promised land of Spiritual Reality.

In materia-medica circles it is customary to discard the textbooks of yesterday’s pathologies and nostrums. Likewise, you must discard the old garment of sick man, poor man, and arrive at the hour of decision in your own mind where "none but the best wine" of spiritual wisdom shall be put forth for the guests who hunger for a more wholesome fare.

The new, nuclear physics with great courage and faith has also without hesitation discarded the gross atomistic concepts of yesterday. Their courage and faith have demonstrated their own miracles, such as nuclear transubstantiation, time-space fusion, television, radio, inter-atomic energy, etc. Science is also beginning to kneel and pray before the Altar of Being.

By laboring in the vineyard of your own mind, you, too, can bring forth better fruit. The Bible explains the course of action which the student of truth must take in these times when the Holy Spirit is being poured upon all flesh. All unworthy concepts must go into the limbo of spiritual ignorance; foremost among these stands this well-regarded theory of reincarnation, whereby mole-like progress is decreed by age-old, earth-bound thinking.

When Jesus said, My kingdom cometh not with observation of, lo here! lo there! was he not anticipating the relativity of time-space concepts? When he declared: "Behold now is the accepted time! Believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them! Before Abraham was, I am! was he not collapsing time and space in this business" of soul-saving and man redeeming from the thraldom of erroneous oriental and occidental beliefs?

Jesus demonstrated instant resurrection, thereby short circuiting all reincarnation lagging on the way to the promised land