Look, my son, the first rays of light from the third sphere are shining on us.

Beyond, lies the third sphere where you were during your previous journey.

The tension you felt in the second sphere has changed into a soft yearning for the fourth sphere.

We have passed the border of the third sphere.’

André recognized it all.

The warmth and the great happiness which they bore here as their possession, he had already felt this once, and it had made him experience perfect happiness when he had returned to earth afterwards .

He saw the beings, dressed in exquisite garments and surrounded by the most beautiful spheric flowers, which radiated light.

Everything was alive, nature sang its pure, sublime song, the people who dwelt here were young and fresh like everything that lived here.

They went on and on, and entered the third sphere.

André had already been here several times.

During his previous journey Alcar had returned to the deepest darkness, and in a flash they had linked themselves up with the Valley of Sorrows.

They now entered a region of this beautiful land which nevertheless, was still unknown to him.

Again he saw everything different.

It was all new to him; he kept on seeing different conditions.

He could have dwelt here for centuries and written entire volumes about a single sphere.

He was always touched when he entered.

How beautiful the third sphere was.

This was sacred, and yet these people’s feelings focussed on matter.

They were not yet free from material thoughts.

From here they would pass on into the spirit.

Years of strenuous battle awaited them before they could reach Summerland.

He saw a beautiful country stretched out before him, with enormous mountains and valleys.

The mountains soared up into the heavens, and magnificent temples had been built on protruding tors.

Art, nothing but art, a spiritual possession that served mankind.

He saw a beautiful temple in the distance, that had been made of varicoloured stone.

The entire building glowed in a way it never could have in any other sphere he had previously been allowed to visit.

He saw beautiful sculptures everywhere, adorning the surroundings.

Symbolic decorations had been applied all around the temple, and now he understood that this temple also was taken care of by higher spirits.

The building spread light from all sides; everything was alive due to the power of the being.

Here in this sphere they were alive, here they were happy.

Mighty was the difference to the first and the second sphere.

Here, nature was the same as in the fourth sphere, it was the very image of that attunement.

This also served to urge those who lived here to attune to the fourth sphere.

The third sphere is the highest heaven that you can enter as a human being.

To enter a higher heaven from the earth is not possible, the spiritual life there calls the soul to a halt.

The other people continue and when the second, the third and the fourth sphere – can you feel that – has been conquered as a space, when that space has been taken possession of, only just by thinking, by feeling, by doing good and experiencing the harmony ... there is now no longer a wrong thought in the human being.

There is no talking there, no gossiping, no tattling.

They are open and conscious there.

They know: one wrong thought already takes us back to those material beings, we do not want that, we want to go further, higher.

It is noticeable here that the number of people who can enter the third sphere after the earthly death, is very small.

These people have released themselves completely from the material earth and lived purely, and spiritually.

They loved everything that lives, devoted themselves completely to this high consciousness and were like angels, still, remaining on earth.

We have reached the ‘Temple of Truth’ now, which will be used to hold the exams in.

If we didn’t know that we’re in the spheres, we would presume that this building had been erected by earthly hands.

It’s very like a stone temple on earth, and yet there is nothing material about it.

I will explain this in detail to you later.

We extract everything from the cosmos.

It still harbours many secrets, not only relating to architecture but to many other arts and sciences too.

Isn’t it incredibly beautiful, André?

Would people on earth be willing to believe that houses, buildings and temples can be found in the Hereafter?

And yet here we possess all one could think of, but in a form much closer to perfection, though its essence must of course be thought up spiritually.

Just as everything on earth exists in a material form, with a coarser quality, likewise in the realm of the spirit things have their shape too, yet these are spiritual.

Like attracts like.

As inhabitants of the spheres we are astral beings, so everything must adapt to us.

And the higher the sphere in which we dwell, the more everything within that sphere will show perfection, right up to the highest areas where the truly perfect, the totally ethereal state of being is reached.

Here too André saw many spirits who still dwelt on earth and had evidently disembodied.

There was entire peace and quiet around.

He sensed very clearly that everything was governed by a mighty hand.

There was a large fountain in the middle of the temple, surrounded by beautiful flowers of a glorious colour.

Beyond the fountain a rostrum had been set up, also decorated with flowers.

There was an opulence of beauty that again touched him deeply.

The whole setting resembled a perfect flower garden.

The centre of the fountain was taken up by a symbolic image. The water squirted evenly over all the plants and flowers.

Everything got its share, not one little plant was forgotten.

Everything was saturated with harmony and love.

The large flower got a bit more than the smaller one and the big plant slightly more than the little one. Everything was sprinkled with water and received enough to meet its individual needs.

‘There is harmony in everything, my boy, and it’s striking that something which people take for granted on earth is appreciated by everyone here in such a totally different manner.

It’s because everyone here is in tune with these things.

This is the abundant charm it exerts.

One has to feel it.

Isn’t it wonderful, André?

You see that it captivates everyone.

Those who made it are higher spirits who, without a doubt, possess an exceeding amount of the harmonious, spiritual power which they incorporated into the fountain. That is why it appeals to us and forces us to think of God, who is in everything, and must be understood in His wisdom and harmonious power by the spiritual aspect in us.

It teaches us to act harmoniously in everything we do, just as God expects of us.

That’s how this fountain symbolizes man and stands for harmony, wisdom, energy and love.’

Those who are about to arrive will also grasp the intention of this symbolic image.

For them these words were well chosen: ‘And do not forget one blade on your acre, where everything, small though it may be, has the right to exist, the right to live.’

Is this all clear to you, André?

It sprinkles everything and forgets nothing.

And everything we do must likewise be done, with love in mind.

That’s our spiritual nourishment and our strength.

The spiritual teachers will show their pupils in full harmony how the fountain accomplishes its work.

This they can do by their common love for God.

In everything they do, they tread the path of love, because love is the ultimate and the most sacred, created by Him.

They now saw many intelligences coming and going, in large columns and in smaller groups too.

All of them glided along.

‘Are these all people who still live on earth, Alcar?’

‘Partly, my son, but the large majority consists of persons who have passed on from the areas below.

They are all on the same way to the festivity we are also heading for, since they are allowed to participate.

Slowly the procession passed by.

André now saw many spirits in beautiful garments, all in different colours.

‘Do these gowns bear a special meaning for the persons wearing them, Alcar?’

‘Certainly.

Most of these spirits are connected to an order, and the clothing they are wearing symbolizes their spiritual power.

All these intelligences come from higher spheres than this one.’

André got a splendid view of everything.

Behind the music a person walked who was clad in a beautiful garment and carried a luminous cross in front of him.

‘What is that, Alcar?’

‘This is something you must hold on to with all your soul. It’s the Divine Light, it shines forth from the cross.

I knew we would see it.

This is holy, my boy.

This is the pure, holy light which the cross sheds upon us. When we see this cross, we think of our Master.

This is the Light of the perfect Son of God.

His Radiance.’

‘Of all the things you will see here, this is certainly the highest and the holiest.

This doesn’t resemble the light that artists on earth paint around the cross as a symbol of Divine love, no, it’s the radiant holy Light of Christ himself.

That’s why I wanted to take you along.

It’s through Him that we have received all this wisdom, this holy light.

You’ll be able to grasp what this means, because you’ve now seen for yourself what the symbol of the cross signifies in terms of spiritual power:

the perfect happiness, the splendour of the light which the Son of God, the perfect child of God, gave to the people on earth.

The glow of this light will inspire a change of heart in the unhappy spirits, so that they will try to work their way up and one day prove themselves worthy to possess this light forever.

The person bearing the cross was once my leader, and he is worthy of carrying it.

Many of those gathered here don’t belong to this sphere, they came to the valley from the first, the second and many other spheres to view the light which the cross sheds.

They were all enabled to take part in this festivity, and afterwards, when they return, the urge to develop will reveal itself in them.

They are escorted, just as you are, otherwise they would fall back to the place they came from, as they would be unable to bear the light and the warmth of this sphere.

That is why they must be irradiated by the fluid of their leaders.’