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paralleling ASFG 1 lesson on “VIRTUE AND UNDERSTANDING”
Virtue and Understanding Are Spiritual;
Virtue and Understanding Are Essential to Right Living
(pages 44 and 45)
Virtue and Understanding — Spiritual and Essential to Right Living
1. The Nature of Virtue and Understanding
Virtue and understanding are divine qualities that flow from our relationship with God. They are not mere moral habits or intellectual pursuits but spiritual states of consciousness. Cayce emphasizes that one who seeks virtue and understanding must walk with God. As the psalmist cries, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God” (Psalm 42:1).
True virtue arises from purity of intention — the desire to align the human will with the divine. Understanding, in turn, is the illumination that comes when the soul is attuned to God’s Spirit. When our hearts are open to divine influence, confusion disappears, and we begin to perceive truth as it is, not as we would have it be. “The desire for virtue and understanding is already within,” Cayce writes, “Spirit cries to Spirit: Purify me, cleanse me!”
2. Virtue and Understanding as the Foundation of Right Living
Virtue and understanding are not abstract ideals; they are practical necessities for daily life. To live righteously — that is, to live in harmony with God and others — we must have both. Understanding allows us to see beyond the surface of people and events, to perceive the spiritual lessons hidden in life’s challenges. Virtue enables us to act rightly even when understanding is incomplete.
Cayce’s teaching mirrors Proverbs 4:7: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”
Virtue is the outward expression of inward wisdom — the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). When guided by the Holy Spirit, our words and actions become instruments of healing rather than harm.
The text reminds us: “We must be and know before we can direct, or before we can rightly guide others.” In other words, spiritual growth must precede spiritual service. Just as Jesus lived what He taught, we too must embody truth before teaching it to others.
3. The Threefold Pattern — Body, Mind, and Soul
Cayce interprets the story of Genesis and the crucifixion through a symbolic “threefold understanding” — body, mind, and soul. In the Garden of Eden stood the Tree of Life (spirit), the Tree of Knowledge (mind), and man (body). Humanity’s fall occurred when Adam partook of knowledge that he had not yet earned spiritually — acting outside of harmony with divine law. Thus, the sin was premature enlightenment — seeking wisdom without virtue, knowledge without love.
This triad continues throughout Scripture:
Cain (body), Abel (mind), Seth (soul);
The three crosses at Calvary: the unbeliever, the believer, and Christ;
The triune nature of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Each represents the journey from ignorance to understanding, from separation to unity. Jesus said, “I will bring to your remembrance all things from the beginning” — reminding us that our souls have always been part of that divine plan.
4. The Cross and the Restoration of Virtue
Why did Jesus have to die? Cayce suggests that just as Adam fell through disobedience and lack of understanding, Christ’s sacrifice represents the restoration of divine harmony. As Paul wrote, “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).
Through Christ, we learn that sin is separation from God — misunderstanding His nature. Salvation, then, is the awakening of understanding and the rebirth of virtue within us. When Jesus said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me,” He meant that His perfect example — His spiritual elevation — would awaken that same divine pattern in all souls.
5. The Path of Attainment — Step by Step
Cayce reminds us that perfection is not instantaneous. Jesus said, “Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). This is not a demand for flawlessness but a call to growth. Virtue and understanding are developed “step by step — here a little, there a little.” Each act of kindness, forgiveness, or patience adds to the soul’s growth.
Even the smallest good deed “is not lost, not even a good intention.” Every righteous act contributes to the building of our eternal selves, bearing fruit “some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundredfold.”
6. Cooperation and Harmony — The True Knowledge
The first lesson in Cayce’s series, Cooperation, ties closely with Virtue and Understanding. In Eden, Adam and Eve were offered everything in cooperation with God, but they grasped for knowledge without that harmony — and fell. True understanding comes only when we live in conscious cooperation with divine law. Psalm 84:11 confirms this truth: “No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.”
Thus, the goal of virtue and understanding is not moral perfection for its own sake, but restoration of divine oneness — the living realization that God, as Father, is the Source and Sustainer of all. As we awaken to that truth, our virtue becomes spontaneous, and our understanding becomes illumination.
Summary
Concept - Spiritual Meaning - Biblical Parallels
Virtue - The purity and goodness that come from walking with God - Philippians 4:8, Galatians 5:22–23
Understanding - Spiritual discernment through the Holy Spirit - Proverbs 4:7, Ephesians 1:17–18
The Fall - Desire for knowledge without spiritual readiness - Genesis 2–3
The Cross - Restoration of harmony through divine love - John 12:32, 1 Corinthians 15:22
The Triad - Body, Mind, Soul — reflections of Father, Son, Spirit - Matthew 28:19
Growth - Step-by-step spiritual progress through right living - 2 Peter 1:5–7
Concluding Thought
Virtue and understanding are not achievements to be claimed but qualities to be awakened. They grow as we align our lives with divine law and let the Spirit guide us into all truth. The path is gradual, but sure — “We climb to heaven leaning on the arm of a brother whom we have helped.”
Affirmation: “Virtue and Understanding Awaken Within Me”
“The Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” — Proverbs 2:6
Affirmation:
“The Spirit of the Living God moves within me.
His virtue purifies my heart; His understanding enlightens my mind.
I walk in harmony with divine law,
choosing love, patience, and truth in all I do.
I am guided by His light,
and through that light I see and serve others rightly.
Within me the divine spark awakens —
virtue and understanding are one in God.”
Repeat this each morning to attune your thoughts to the ideal of Christ-consciousness within.
Prayer: For Virtue, Understanding, and Oneness with God
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10
Prayer:
O Father of Light and Love,
Purify me, cleanse me, renew my mind and heart.
Let Thy Spirit of understanding dwell within me,
that I may see my neighbor as Thou seest —
not in fault or weakness, but in Thy image divine.
Restore in me the first estate of virtue,
that I may walk uprightly and live truthfully before Thee.
When I stumble in confusion, whisper Thy peace within.
When I falter in strength, lift me by Thy hand.
May my thoughts be guided by wisdom,
my actions by love,
my life by Thy will.
Through Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life —
Amen.
Meditation: The Tree of Life Within
“The tree of life... in the midst of the paradise of God.” — Revelation 2:7
(See also Genesis 2:9 and Psalm 1:3.)
Meditation Guidance:
Prepare: Sit quietly. Let your breath deepen. Bring your attention inward to your heart.
Feel the rhythm of your breathing as the pulse of divine life moving through you.
Visualize:
Imagine before you a radiant tree — its roots in the earth, its branches lifted toward heaven.
This is the Tree of Life within you — your soul in perfect balance of body, mind, and spirit.
Contemplate:
The roots are virtue — grounded in right living, kindness, and service.
The branches are understanding — reaching upward for divine truth.
The light bathing the tree is the Spirit of God — life eternal, flowing through all.
Affirm silently:
“As the Tree of Life grows within me,
I am nourished by the living water of God’s love.
My virtue strengthens my roots;
my understanding opens me to divine light.
I live in harmony with all creation.”
Rest:
Sit in stillness, letting peace fill every part of you.
When ready, return gently, giving thanks for the Spirit’s presence.
No good deed is lost, not even a good intention; all are built within our very souls.
Virtue is the seed, understanding the sunlight, and the soul the tree that bears eternal fruit.
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