THE HIGHWAY CODE OF LIFE Some readers may recall, even though it was several decades ago, the

issue of the first Highway Code which was delivered free of charge to every household in the U.K. Guidance which may now be regarded as quaint was given to the person in charge of a horse and cart while thoroughfares were, with few notable exceptions, single carriage-ways. Compulsory tests had only just been introduced for drivers of motor vehicles and the pace of life was sluggish compared with today's frenetic activity. Yet, even then, the authorities were concerned about road dangers to pedestrians and drivers alike, and had already introduced the Belisha Beacon to obviate one of many hazards. The original Highway Code brought together existing road statutes and sensible advice for the benefit of road users. This booklet encapsulates comparable guidelines for all on the paths of an earth life. Indeed the contents go further, since I am convinced that for each of us an earth life is merely a short phase in a spiritual existence which began thousands of years ago and which may still have a long way to go. If we are to follow a code of living it is helpful to know where we have come from and also whither we journey. And it is encouraging to know that, whereas we have to know the different traffic rules in foreign countries which we may choose to visit, the highway code of life is valid for all the planes of existence through which we pass. When we set out on a long car journey it is normally a circular one in that we start from home and plan to return there. If the roads are unfamiliar a map is consulted and, for journeys of any length, plans made to stay overnight. It is taken for granted that

the driver has both vehicle and driving licenses, and that the car is insured. Even with the most careful planning, however, unforeseen circumstances may delay the journey or even mean that it cannot be completed. If such planning is advisable for a relatively short holiday or business trip, how much more care should we take for a journey on life's highway! Before we consider the Code let us examine the Highway. As with most of our trips, the path of life starts from home. We pass through many earth lives so our home cannot be an earthly one. And, since at the end of each earth life we discard the earthly cloak - the physical body - the inner core of man is not of the dust of the earth but of an entirely different consistency, described in Genesis as "the breath of life" which we know as spirit. The account of creation as given in the Bible is sometimes interpreted as having taken place on earth. If this were so then the earth would indeed be man's home. However, we now know that the inner core or ego of man is spirit and that it issued from the part of the Spiritual Planes known as Paradise. Paradise is thus our home and it is from there that we start our journey on the Highway of Life. On starting that spiritual journey the human spirit is as unaware of its environment as is the newborn babe on earth. Being at first unconscious, it is guided and cared for, as it is later in each subsequent incarnation on earth. Only later as it travels on the Highway of Life is it shown the direction which it should take, the Code which it should follow, and its destination or goal. And it should not surprise you to know that the destination is its home - not, of course, an earthly home but the home of all mature human spirits - Paradise.

The unconscious spirit is unable to gain the degree of maturity necessary for its development whilst in Paradise any more than a seed can develop while it remains in the packet or attached to the fruit or flower. A plant seed must be sown where it has access to water, air and nutrients normally found in the soil in order that it may germinate, grow and bear fruit. Similarly, the spirit seed must be exposed to those conditions which enable it to develop and mature. Nature determines that such conditions are found only in material planes of consciousness such as the earth. Thus the path, which the human spirit must follow, is determined by natural laws and by inclinations with which it has, as it were, been programmed. Many readers will have seen films showing the family life of animals in the wild; how they instinctively care for their young, provide shelter and food, avoid danger and survive by observing the laws of nature. In much the same way the human spirit is intended to live in harmony with nature and to learn The Highway Code of Life by observation. For a number of reasons it has failed to do so. Our task in examining this Highway Code must include some references to the causes of this failure. When, thousands of years ago, the human spirit was first incarnated on earth, it was much easier than now for it to behave naturally. It was then aware of its spiritual origin to which it was linked by threads of radiation through which it received guidance; it was aware of the nature beings with whom it could communicate; it was conscious of the path of development to be followed and was not tempted by distractions. Not only that, but developed human spirits such as the prophets and forerunners were sent at particular turning points in history in order to

ensure that we kept to the designated Highway. In spite of this help we have all strayed to the extent that many are completely unaware of their origin, let alone the fact that they should be observing a spiritual Highway Code. The main reason for this is the fact that, unlike animals, we humans have been granted free will. In their natural state animals have no choice but to follow their instinct. We were given the opportunity to develop and become Lords of Creationby exercising free will in the correct way. This was intended to motivate us to acquire knowledge by gaining those experiences which would assist our journey back to the Luminous Heights of Paradise. Instead we have directed our free will to less worthy goals. In lieu of spiritual goals we have chosen exclusively earthly ones. Rather than gain spiritual knowledge we have amassed worldly goods. We have allowed the instrument of the spirit to atrophy and have over-developed the instrument which controls the body. Thus a state of imbalance has arisen and, in order that we may complete the journey back to Paradise, the balance must be restored. It has already been indicated that the inner core of man is spirit, and it is this which animates the various cloaks or bodies inhabited. In other words, the driver on the Highway of Life must be the spirit. If the spirit is the driver then it is the body which represents the car; the body should be driven by the spirit and not the other way around. Yet, looking around today, it is hard to find evidence of anything other than physical wants being satisfied. Everything is geared to stimulating and satisfying physical desires. You may well consider that it is only natural for us to be most aware of bodily needs; we need

warmth and shelter, food and drink, love and appreciation...and of course while it is right that these needs should be met what is not often realized is that the spirit has comparable needs of which most of us remain ignorant. This is because the existence of the spirit has been denied by so many for so long that to all intents and purposes it is inactive. And for many it may remain so. This means that the car (representing the body) lacks a proper driver and has only a substitute - a usurper. In fact, the part which should be driven is now actually the driver. No wonder there is an imbalance. If the Highway Code of Life is to be recognized then the spirit must be re-instated in the driving seat, and the usurper put in its proper place. But the driver has been displaced for so long it will need time and effort to revive his abilities and faculties. Not only then must he be re-instated, but the usurper must be dethroned. The first step as given in In The Light of Truth, The Grail Message, is to keep the hearth of your thoughts pure. These few words have great significance. The hearth of the thoughts is the intuition which is the voice of the spirit. If the spirit is to be able to drive properly, in other words to show us direction to travel, it must be able to channel that guidance effectively and without distortion to the brain - the seat of the intellect which has hitherto usurped the position of the driver. By maintaining purity of thought, not only is the spirit given opportunity to restore its power but also the channels to and within the brain are purged. Having commenced the task of re-awakening the spirit and opened paths through which the intuition may offer guidance, we now have a foundation for examining The Highway Code of

Life. This has sometimes been described as a collection of rules, at other times as a number of laws to be observed, but you are invited to examine them as a combination of natural influences or inclinations as in a game of consequences! For example, if you sow a radish seed and the soil is fertile, nature provides that in due course a radish plant will appear. However much as you wish it, beetroot will not grow where radish seed is sown. So the first observation from the Highway Code is that you reap as you sow. If, however you are impatient and want to know if the seed is growing and dig it up in order to find out, the likely consequence is that growth will cease and the plant will die. This example of cause and effect was simply expressed by Christ as: Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Everyone knows that if he plants potatoes those are what he will grow. However the Law not only applies to the seed we put into the ground. Our intuitive perceptions, thoughts and deeds are also seed; the fruit of which we will one day reap. Indeed we continually stand in the middle of a harvest of fruit, good and bad, which results from seed sown in the past. And just as seed yields a multiple harvest so the results of our actions return to us magnified many times. We remain connected as if by an umbilical cord with the seed that has been sown until the reaction brought about by cause and effect has been worked out. In this way our destiny or karma has been formed, built by our thoughts, words and deeds. Whereas earthly seed has its season, a fixed period of growth, it is not possible to determine when the fruits of our deeds will appear. This is because from the first earthly incarnation, each of us has continually sown "seed" from which the fruit is

continually being harvested. The reciprocal action may take effect in the same earth life as the seed was sown, in a subsequent incarnation or, indeed, in what we call "the other side". Rest assured that, sooner or later, each human spirit will be faced with what it has previously put into the world. Justice demands that we must make amends for wrongdoing. Equally, of course, joy and happiness arise from the good thoughts and deeds for which we are responsible. We should always look for the good in people and in life generally, so that every misfortune is seen as an opportunity to progress on life's journey. We meet only that to which we have first given cause; fate is just the settling of old debts. Counter currents of good fruit, on the other hand, build a protective wall around us so that only a symbolic atonement is required. The elements of The Highway Code bring reward as well as punishment. There are no injustices of birth. Whether rich or poor, in apparently favourable or unfavourable circumstances, we ourselves provided the reason, the time and the place at which we are allowed a new earth life which is intended to show us how best to progress and mature. It offers just the opportunities we need, and is the next step to the one on which we stood on leaving the previous earth life. Provided progress is made, a day will come when redemption is complete, the load of debt is shed and, by continuous observance of the Highway Code, we leave the earth plane for the last time. Let us call the first section of the Highway Code "cause and effect". Each of us has heard of it before; there is nothing new in it. What may be new to some is the fact that the happenings, the consequences,

are ubiquitous throughout Creation. This fact applies to the entire Highway Code of Life. The second section of the Highway Code to be covered will be equally familiar to you as "like attracts like". That "like attracts like" is evident from even a casual observation of daily life. The scientist can observe it in nature. Even in the most minute things the lesson manifests in the union of the same atoms or molecules, as for example with the growth of crystals. As Herbert Vollman writes in his essay The environment of man: The solution of social questions and problems is also based on the Attraction of Homogenous Species. The whole social life of earthly mankind takes place under its compulsion. Whether it concerns a union for religious, professional, economic or political reasons. Always people who in some way are suited to each other will come together. The lesson of like attracts like also determines activity in an entirely different field - that of incarnation. The goal of the human spirit is to attain perfection. It should not be imagined that this may be accomplished in one earthly life. A single incarnation is not sufficient for it to attain the maturity which would allow it to ascend to the Luminous Heights. So within the longer cycle of existence are many shorter cycles of incarnation on earth which provides opportunities to understand the purpose of each earth life, to learn lessons, and to redeem past errors. Earth is a great school for mankind, and each spirit is attracted both to the next class he must attend and to his initial teachers the parents.

It is often assumed that talents are inherited. There are families in which, to a greater or lesser extent, artistic talents manifest generation after generation. However, only material or physical attributes may be inherited from parents. Talents are an attribute of the spirit and therefore cannot be inherited. Spiritually each person is a complete being with complete and sole responsibility for himself. The apparent heredity of talents is accounted for by the operation of like attracts like. Normally the spirit awaiting incarnation is attracted by the parent with whom there is greatest affinity. The inclinations which the spirit has in common with the parent cause it to approach one of a similar type, having the same deficiencies and attributes, in accordance with like attracts like. Another field in which this quality is evident is that of thought forms. In a way similar to that in which people of like mind are attracted to one another, so thoughts are attracted to those of the same kind. As a thought is sent out by its originator, it seeks to join with similar thoughts released by others and a thought collective or thought centre is formed. Additional power is developed in a thought centre so that, when a new trend appears in one part of the world, the same trend may often be observed in distant lands. This is fine when the thought is of an upbuilding nature. Unfortunately many of the thoughts upon which men dwell today are of greed, envy and violence. The universal and neutral power which is drawn upon and developed by thought forms is very potent and much more attention should be given to our thoughts. They bring about blessing or disaster for the individual as for whole nations and no one can escape responsibility for them. Whether we like it or not, our thoughts are added to those woven by others.

Since thoughts use spiritual power they affect not only the originator but also others who are open to them. Through using "like attracts like" we may thus focus and direct the power of thought so that those who are open to good influences are strengthened, the sick healed and those in distress are comforted. Conversely we can through thoughts of hatred, for example, exert an influence on someone unknown to us to commit an offence which he would not otherwise dream of doing. In this way we may be involved in deeds of a horrific nature because we strengthened the perpetrator through similar thought forms which emanated from us. Ignorance of the Highway Code is no excuse for failing to observe it! As mentioned earlier, we should each strive for purity not only of thought, but also of word and deed. Those who have learned to ride a bicycle will know that initially it was difficult to remain in the saddle and that when you lost your balance there was only one result, you fell off! We know that this is due to the effect of gravity, an effect associated with Sir Isaac Newton. Since then many have attempted to explain the source or reason for gravitational energy, which is generally considered as the attraction of objects to the center of the earth. All energy, however, emanates from the higher spheres of the Cosmos, and, as it passes through the various spheres down to the material globes, particles from each sphere are attracted to it. During this process the energy is, of course, transformed so that it is suitable for the various uses made of it. Thus it is that the spirit of man, coming from its high origin, also attracted coverings or cloaks from the spheres through which it passed, the last of these being the astral and physical bodies. The source of the energy which we know as gravity is therefore at

the highest point of Creation and the energy is present throughout Creation and not merely on earth. There are so many ways in which gravity affects our progress on the Highway of Life but I wish to mention only two of them. Inevitably on our paths we collect various items, many of which are useful but most of which are not. Observation of our fellow man will show that a common weakness - which we all share - is the talking epidemic. If you have ever tuned your radio in to a talk radio station you will hear examples of this. With the best of intentions we engage in conversations about this and that, maybe in order to be sociable or perhaps we just like expressing our views on different subjects. We should learn to guard our words. Many of them will drag us down, rather than speed us on our way, because all that is unnecessary is disturbing in Creation, and all that is disturbing sinks downwards in accordance with the Law of Gravity. In this connection may I again quote from The Grail Message: If your speech is true and good you will have a furthering effect, and you yourselves will become lighter and be uplifted in the light of your words, because they also hold threads which run and knot in the same way as the threads of your thoughts and actions. And then, when you no longer wish to speak needlessly, you will become more silent and reserved, and in this way powers will be stored up within you, which I already described as the power of silence. As soon as you desire to say only what is useful, as man should always have done from the outset, it will become natural to you. Then man will hardly take up a third of that time with his talking which he still spends upon it today.

Unfortunately, however, he prefers superficial chatter to a noble silence, thus, he allows himself to be drawn ever further downwards in accordance with the Law of Gravitation, which presses downwards all that is unnecessary in Creation, allowing it to sink away as being useless. Therefore heed your words, you men, and do not regard the evil of thoughtless prattling too lightly! The other example of the effect of gravity, which I wish to give, is at the end of an earth life. On so-called death, as man's spirit leaves the earth following the Law of Gravitation, it must either sink to a level where the same spiritual density and weight prevail as that which it bears within, or it can ascend to those heights also equal to its weight. Man may choose where he lives on earth; on departing from it he has no choice but to move to that plane determined by gravitation. On earth he may associate with whom he pleases; elsewhere the Law determines that he is attracted to those of like "weight". Today many human spirits are weighed down with guilt to the extent that they descend to regions lower than the earth, the nether regions. Others less heavy find themselves earth-bound, while only a few progress to the ethereal, animistic or spiritual planes. It will be understood that the three main features of the Highway Code so far examined interact so that the path followed by a human spirit may be determined by the operation of more than one. Other influences operate harmoniously in conjunction with these three. The next to be examined concerns movement. Once again simple observation shows that everything in Creation is motion.

In many cases the degree of movement is not perceptible to the physical eye but neither mountains nor heavenly bodies remain static. While on earth and enjoying his free will, man may choose to ignore the fact of constant motion but he is subject to it nonetheless. On "retirement" many seek a life of ease and comfort, while others find themselves so occupied that they wonder how they ever found time to work! Often those who keep active enjoy a healthier and longer period of "retirement" than the less active. The saying "stagnation is retrogression, reminds us that movement alone ensures progress and preservation of everything that is to be found in Creation. And that is why man should always have a goal towards which he directs his energy; a goal which is a spiritual one as well as an earthly one. How ironic it is, therefore, at funeral services to hear the words "Let his soul rest in peace" or "may he have eternal rest". Death is merely the closing of one door and the opening of another, leading to birth in the beyond. Reference has already twice been made for the need for balance, once in connection with riding a bicycle and once about balancing our physical and spiritual needs. Although unconsciously, we all sense the need to maintain balance each day in the process of breathing in and out. Everything in Creation is subject to this influence, whether it be the interaction of the forces of the celestial bodies or the sense of balance of the physical body. We are disturbed when something "upsets our balance" because imbalance causes obstruction and disquiet and, if it is persistently ignored, complete downfall. A balance is needed between work and play, in what we eat and drink, in giving and receiving.

Perhaps the greatest outrage perpetrated by man is his exploitation of the earth whereby the balance of nature has been disrupted. The devastation of the rain forests, the pollution of sea and earth by the dumping of poisonous wastes and spraying of harmful chemicals, in the dipping of sheep to the elimination of whole species of birds and animals. Man has, by his greed, demonstrated contempt for the need for balance. Retribution will be exacted for the willful disregard of this need and for which all will suffer. Each of us should try to ensure that, on his path through life, he observes this aspect of the Highway Code. In the same way that each is aware of the need for balance, so we know the importance of keeping on the move. Think of how quickly congestion builds up on a motorway when traffic is held up for any reason! Or how a drought can cause a clear stream to become a series of stagnant pools. Just as in a small way in the case of plants, animals and human beings there are transitions in the process of maturing, during which a certain phase of development is concluded and a new one prepared, so is it also with the Universes. These too have states of maturity from one stage to the next, and each time a Universe turns from its previous state of development towards a new state of maturity; this is a Cosmic Turning Point. But at some time in the cycle, comprising many millions of years, there comes for every Universe a last Turning Point, after which it enters the state of over ripeness. This is followed by decomposition and dissolution into the original substance, from which new, fresh Universes and celestial bodies are then formed. It is said that such a last Turning Point has now come for our planet because its cycle is coming to the end and thus to dissolution. Naturally

this is a process covering thousands of years during which everincreasing revolutionary events of all kinds manifest. For man the operation of the Cycle is not limited to his incarnations on earth which are merely stages in a much longer and more significant cycle. That cycle concerns his existence, starting as an unconscious spirit seed in the spiritual sphere, continuing in those planes through which it passes in order to reach the earth. There it has the opportunity of germinating and gaining consciousness in order to mature to self-consciousness and then completing the cycle by being drawn back to its spiritual home, there to help in continuing the work which is the ultimate goal, the further development of Creation. It could never re-enter the spiritual sphere had that not been its point of origin. Regardless of how careful we are to observe the Highway Code, we may be overtaken by unforeseen events which, to a greater or lesser extent delay our journey. After visiting London my wife and I were motoring home on an unlit stretch of the M1. As it was dark and I was tired, my wife was driving and I was just dozing off. Suddenly there was a bang as the car hit something. By the time I was fully awake all was quiet and my wife was driving serenely on. However, we noticed several vehicles had drawn up on the hard shoulder, hazard lights flashing, the drivers inspecting their damaged cars. At the next service station we pulled in to see if we, too, had sustained damage. From other drivers who had done the same, we learned that we also had clipped a large wheel which had been jettisoned by a lorry. We found later that the car's steering

had been quite badly damaged, although we had driven safely home. The relevance of this story is that we cannot expect our journey on life's highway to be uneventful. But we should remember that when the path is blocked by stones or some other obstacle, we ourselves are responsible for the obstruction. Either in this life or in a previous one we have sown a seed and probably forgotten all about it which has borne fruit just when we least expected it. If the fruit is unpleasant then we are inclined to blame anything or anyone but ourselves. On the other hand, when the fruit is some kind of reward when an unexpected gift falls into our lap we generally accept it as our due without expressing a word of thanks. We should remember that there is a reason for everything which happens to us whether it be reward or punishment. If thoughts, words and actions are in accord with the spiritual Highway Code we will know that every event is meant to help us find the way home and speed us on that journey. Some of us are rightly concerned about the effect of karma. As we recall the fact that we must "reap as we sow", we fear that we have placed many obstacles on the path ahead. And it is true that we and we alone must remove them. But we should also remember that "like attracts like". Since we took that first decisive step to "keep the hearth of our thoughts pure" we continued to attract similar attributes. The result is that as we keep to the Highway Code we change inwardly. The spirit within is gradually released and unfolds so that it is able unconsciously to absorb guidance from Above. Thus, when the reaction of bad karma hits us, it has only a symbolic effect on

what is now, relatively speaking, good. At least one of the obstacles on our path has automatically been removed! It is emphasized that the actions of reading, writing and talking which enable an understanding to be gained are necessarily intellectual. Such an understanding is partial and not knowledge. When we allow the spirit to gain knowledge by experiencing the ups and downs of life, real progress is made on the highway. True maturity comes more through spiritual development than from intellectual erudition. In referring to the need for movement, balance, the completion of the cycle and the significance of gravity, therefore, we are looking at parts of a spiritual Highway Code. No matter how well we know the Highway Code or how efficient our mode of transport, it is vital to have a destination in mind and know the way. If you were visiting a strange town in an unknown area, would you not look up the route on a map or perhaps consult the AA? How much more vital it is to know the route to your spiritual home! Yet many people, both on earth and in the beyond, are content to keep driving in the hope that the signpost-which they themselves placed-will show the way. They may indeed reach their destination-but after taking how many wrong roads? Surely it is better to have, in addition to a Highway Code, a map which shows not only the road to be followed but also the possible dangers to be avoided. It is from such a map that The Highway Code Of life has been traced. The map is the Grail Message, details of which are given at the end of this booklet.

In the Grail Message, however, the Highway Code is given as The Eternal Laws. These, in the order which they are presented are: The Law of Reciprocal Action The Law of Attraction of Homogeneous Species The Law of Gravitation The Law of Movement The Law of Balance The Law of the Cycle .