This is the nineteenth volume of spiritual awareness classes that were given through the mediumship of Mr. Richard P. Goodwin, the founder of the Serenity Association. This volume contains forty-seven individual classes. The individual classes are organized chronologically and cover a wide range of topics. All were given at the Serenity temple and were given only to students of the philosophy, and some were given only to a very small good of advanced students. None of the classes in this volume were given to the general public. Most of the classes have not been available in any form since the day they were given.
One class in this volume is the last wishes of Mr. Goodwin. The prospect of Mr. Goodwin passing on was very real in January 1983, and a recording was made to guide his students in the event that he did pass on. However, we were indeed fortunate that he remained on Earth and served the Spirit for six more years. On February 24, 1989, he passed on.
Many of these classes were recorded on a microcassette recorder, and in many of the recordings, the recorder was frequently stopped and started, often on the guidance of the spirit. That is, a sentence or two would be recorded, and then the recorder was stopped. The discussion would continue without being recorded, and, moments or minutes later, a few more sentences were recorded. The instances when the recorder was stopped are indicated by a line of text with five asterisks. Some classes that originally recorded more extensive inter-actions between the students and the teacher were edited, at a later date, to remove some of the more personal topics. And in a few classes, the entire discussion was recorded and survives unedited. In several classes, the personal notes of students who were present in the class were consulted to resolve issues and to complete partial recordings.
The Living Light Philosophy teaches that our true being is inseparably a part of the Divine. The teachings also reveal the spiritual laws that govern all life and how we may apply those laws for our greater health, wealth, and happiness. One of the foundations of this philosophy is the Law of Personal Responsibility, which states in part that we are responsible for all our experiences. By the laws that we establish with our thoughts, acts, and words, we are the creators of all our experiences in life. Our experiences in life are reflecting back to us where we are in consciousness. In this understanding, God is not a creator; God is a divine, neutral, infinite intelligent energy that sustains all life. Additional themes include evolutionary incarnation, soul faculties and sense functions, the power of peace, the law that like attracts like and becomes the Law of Attachment, and many other personally demonstrable laws.
These teachings also place great emphasis on understanding how our minds work, and how we may, through self-control, more effectively use our minds to experience greater goodness in life. The philosophy helps us to discern between the thoughts of our mind and the gentle inspiration of our soul. These spiritual teachings are filled with inspirational quotes, affirmations, spiritual sayings, and spiritual exercises.
Any student of life will find in this philosophy the teachings necessary for the mind's awakening to the truth of the soul's eternal expression. The teachings offer a path to a conscious awareness of our own divinity. The teaching in and of itself is a continuous flow. The teacher who expressed through Mr. Goodwin made it clear that his lessons were not dogma, a creed, or a narrow way, but rather his understanding offered to us as a form of instruction to aid us on our path of eternal progression. The methods, discourses, and exercises given are useful, practical, and pertinent to our everyday living as well as to our higher aspirations.