Many, many books have been written over the centuries about the original Ten Commandments. The “Ten Divine Principles for Living” you gave us in answer to a request for an updating of the Ten Commandments seem very straightforward, yet have deep meanings and implications. Can you give us additional insight and perspectives about them, and the general issue of trying to encompass all of human behavior and conduct in a simple set of moral precepts?

As you allude to with your question, to devise a concise description of dos and don’ts for human conduct in order for a person to be ideally in alignment spiritually, has many complexities and considerations. There are many, many ways in which human conduct can vary both for good and ill. To list every possible slight, shirking of duty, fainthearted gestures of grudging respect, and so on, only begins to scratch the surface of ways in which people may fall short of perfection. All of life eludes this seemingly lofty goal. What we would say about this is that a state of perfection is such only in contrast to many lapses and shortcomings that, in effect, make the state of divine purity the special condition it represents and is not meant or intended to be the steady-state experience of all beings, particularly those involved in breaking new ground and exploring new realms. This inherently involves a departure from perfect existence. Nothing is greater than to be with Creator, bathed in Creator’s love, but that is passive and will not advance the experience of the individual beyond understanding and enjoying bliss. There are many other delights for the soul that come with making discoveries and with problem-solving and other challenges that may require great depth of thought and careful consideration to make the best choices in how to handle them and advance the cause of the Light to bring about a glorious expansion of possibilities. It is inherent in the duality that is created by the physical universe that the entire spectrum of possibilities, both good and bad, are present, at least as potentials, and along the spectrum from extremes of goodness to extremes of evil are many levels and gradations. All are instructive, and all will teach many things to strengthen experience and test character and bolster hard-won learning, all of which are an experiencing of negativity, and this is what gives rise to wisdom. There can be no wisdom without sacrifice, in a sense, because Creator will not simply gift this to anyone. Each being must gain its wisdom on its own, and this is won the hard way by experiencing life and accepting uncertainty that inevitably will cause one to stumble. And then in regaining one’s footing, comes the learning in how to navigate and compensate for mistakes, and shortcomings, and inner weaknesses that may only be a less than robust aspect of the individual soul taking on a duty or activity that does not represent a strong suit. No two souls are exactly alike so no two individual beings will act or perform in the same way. There will always be some difference, and that can affect the outcome and affect the universe, if only in a small way. It will certainly affect the individual in their soul journey. So what we are saying is that the goal here is not perfection for its own sake, but for growth and expansion of possibilities, while keeping within a reasonable boundary from hewing to Divine Principles in one’s conduct, to not make gains at the expense of others and to work to advance the self and one’s companions in the journey as both having value, all of which will contribute positively to the future of everyone, including each individual. There is no way to encompass the entirety of human experience, let alone the potential for all future forms of being inherent within the possibilities of the divine human soul. You are just getting started here. In a sense, you are like a single species looking to find its way in a harsh environment and wanting to overcome the hazards, and the risks, and to prevail, but this by no means exhausts the set of possibilities for learning and the depth and variety of what life offers. This will pay many dividends because the future remains open and there is much, much more to come. We are only saying here that you are like ships that have been launched and are now sailing the oceans seeking new worlds, new experiences of all kinds, and will have many, many adventures, and along with that will come challenges, and much of the time you will be far from divine bliss in your experiencing. The thing to keep in mind, is you will always be returning, and have that as a birthright, and can cultivate maintaining that awareness at all times, and this will greatly enhance your life experience and your reach because you will know who you are, where you are from, and what this is all about, and will have no doubts. This will keep you strong and keep you safe.