This psychic reading given by Edgar Cayce at the Edmonds' home on Pennsylvania Ave., Norfolk, Va., this 20th day of June, 1937, in accordance with request made by those present.

Present: Edgar Cayce; Gertrude Cayce, Conductor; Gladys Davis, Steno. Esther Wynne, Hannah & Noah Miller, Florence & Edith Edmonds, Frances Y. Morrow, Helen Storey, Helen Ellington, Ruth LeNoir and Maud Lewis.

TEXT

1. GC: You will have before you the Norfolk Study Group #1, members of which are present in this room. You will continue on the lesson Happiness, answering the questions that will be asked.
2. EC: Yes, we have the group as gathered here, as a group, as individuals, and their work and their study on the lesson Happiness.
3. Happiness is abiding in the Infinite love.
4. Then to each individual here there comes the necessity of making Infinite love compatible with the material surroundings day by day.
5. Hence we will find that it is as the Master gave, first keeping self out of the way, less of self, more exaltation of the Father-God, more patience, more kindness, more gentleness, more brotherly love.
6. These, as you all say, we have heard before. Have you put them in practical use day by day?
7. What said He? If thy brother sue thee and take away thy coat, give him thy cloak also. Have you tried that? or have you sworn and said there is no justice, "This one has done me wrong, and that one has done another wrong"?
8. These are the children of the earth that speak such, and know not Happiness.
9. Happiness then is knowing, being in touch with, manifesting in the daily life, DIVINE love.
10. Being glad when you are persecuted for His name's sake, being in that attitude of forgiving those who speak unkindly, being in that mind that was in Him when He gave, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do," and not saying under your breath, "Poor saps! I'm the one persecuted but they are the ones that must receive the damnation," for you have turned it then on self.
11. These then are, as given of old, in His precepts, His love, in mind, in spirit. Bind them upon thy brow. Let them be thy hands, thy feet; that you do His biddings, that you walk in His ways, that you keep His precepts.
12. For it is only those who know divine love that know Happiness.
13. Happy are they, then, who love the Lord's ways.
14. Ready for questions.
15. (Q) Are the outlines on the lesson Happiness correct? If not, please advise what changes we should make.
    (A) These as we find are very good. The natural form of filling in the outline will in manners adjust itself more as there are definite contributions of the individuals of the group putting into expression their own experiences in a soft word, a kindness when rough words or unkind words or hatreds have been expressed, when unkind things have been said for thy very purpose's sake.
    When ye have put into practice the fruits of the spirit and have experienced. For has it not been given you that from henceforth more and more you will, each of you, experience the very things, the very phases, the very activities that you would encourage others to study?
    Then do not berate self nor others for the experiences, but use them for WHAT THEY ARE to bring happiness and joy into thy own experience of life.
    And give the expressions of the experience as a portion of thy contribution to the lesson in hand.
    For each experience is as a help, as a step to someone else. It is, if true in thy spiritual life, the leaven that leaveneth the whole lump. It IS as He has given, you being the channel, "Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words, my promises, my laws shall not pass away."
    And Happiness is as much a law as is error or goodness or day and night; for without it man is a dreary being indeed.
    And as has been set to song, if you will count your happiness, your blessings day by day, they are many more than that you have even any right to find fault in. For if the earth is the Lord's, and if your brother is in the image of your Maker, have you any right - ever - to find fault? or to speak unkindly? much less unjustly?
    And what is the first law? Like begets like! For in the act, as in the seed, is the full grown blossom of what you do, what you think, what you are! Hence if you sow Happiness will you reap turmoil? or riot? Rather in the still small voice, do you find the song of Happiness, the blessings of divine love directing, guiding, keeping your ways.
    What matter if there is no new dress, hat, shoes, or even the house rent paid? They are of the moment. If you are happy that you are alive, you still have the opportunity to say, "Blessings be on thee," and these are what live forever. Shadows pass. Only the light and truth lives on. Disturbances and distresses pass. For you say "God is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silent." What do you mean? Is it just a saying because you have heard it oft, or do you really believe it?
    Then, as His children, ACT THAT WAY!
16. (Q) As I call the names of members of the group, you will please give each a personal message that will be of help on the study and application of the lesson, Happiness. First: [413]:
    (A) Keep thy heart singing, for there is music and joy in the Happiness of knowing that you may be - and are - at a oneness with Him. Though there may come disturbances, shadows, turmoils, these must pass in the light of patience, persistence, lovingkindness.
17. (Q) [404]:
    (A) Let others do as they may but for thee and thy house, love a living God. Keep His precepts. Thou knowest the way and that it is good. Then seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto thee day by day. For others look to thee oft for counsel. When ye least suspect ye are an example for others.
18. (Q) [303]:
    (A) Let the ways of the earth pass over thee and reckon not them by the spiritual truths ye have seen. Rather magnify in thy life, in thy labors, in thy dealings with others, the love, the patience, the joy, the HAPPINESS ye find in service to a living God - even when others speak unkindly, even when there is that which is the least in man's knowledge - the lack of appreciation of the service one does. Know ye look not to the earth for thy reward. For only ONE can give, does give, that peace that brings joy and Happiness in thy experience. This is only accomplished in doing that thy hands find to do in His service day by day.
19. (Q) [379]:
    (A) The ways of the world, the joys of living, are before thee oft as questionings, as disturbing factors in the experiences of those you would direct. Let others do as they think; only sow the seed. Some fall on stony ground, some fall by the wayside, some fall among the thorns and briars; but much on goodly ground. For as you keep the faith, God alone giveth the increase and He addeth - daily - such as may be, should be, will be saved in this experience.
20. (Q) [993]:
    (A) Let not the little things of the material mind so unnerve, so disturb, that the greater things are overshadowed. Much joy, much Happiness you bring to others. Does it not bear the same fruit in you? Keep that thou hast sown NOURISHED! Let it not die by neglect, nor by forgetfulness. For as you do sow, so shall you reap - if you keep the way clean. In many ways, even as He gave, let the thorns and the wheat grow together, but in THY life, to know love, to know joy, to know Happiness is to make it in the experience of others.
21. (Q) [560]:
    (A) The light and love draws near to thee, and thy ways are close to His ways. Keep faithful in the little things. Be not unmindful that persistence is a whole sister of patience, and if ye would know the greater joy, the greater love of the Christ Consciousness, these ye must keep in thy daily life. Grow not weary, then, in well-doing, but let the love divine, the beauty sublime, the joy as of the Lord, keep thee. This does not mean there are no joys in the material surroundings or in the material associations, but they must be in the spirit of truth.
22. (Q) [462]:
    (A) In thy Father's house are many mansions. All are not for the one nor the other; each according to the use of his abilities is meted that with which he is attuned. Keep thy purposes then, keep thy aims, thy desires, of a material, of a mental, of a spiritual nature, attuned to that YOU would occupy for aye, for aye, forever. For these temporal things must pass away, but that spiritual house, that temple - that cleanliness so akin to godliness - is that which lives on and on. It ever was, and you have drawn close to His ways. Then steer thy course to that thou knowest that brings peace, and the calm that brings Happiness in thy daily life.
23. (Q) [585]:
    (A) Let the joy of the Lord keep thee. For His ways are not past finding out. For as He has given, search and ye shall find; be STILL and ye shall hear the Lord. For He is nigh unto thee. Though there come discouragements, disappointments, disagreements in thy experience, know that thy purposes, know that thy desires are of and for the Lord - of as well as for the Lord; and ye shall know the Happiness of the divine love as He sheds to those who keep His ways.
24. (Q) [307]:
    (A) In keeping the law of the Lord, take it never as a hardship upon thee, for then it is law alone. And it is mercy and grace and love ye seek, and would show in thine experience one to another. In thine experience, have you found ever that to "get even" with anyone made thee happy? To forgive them is divine and brings Happiness to all. THESE things SOW in the lives, in the hearts, in the minds of others. "Grace and mercy, Lord, not sacrifice - nor judgment."
25. (Q) [288]:
    (A) The heart that seeketh the Lord may find same only in day by day, step by step, living that you preach to others. For the law of the Lord is not as a precept but is as a living thing, known of those who deal with thee day by day. Is love, is mercy sown? or is judgment or questioning or discouragement? They that become discouraged are not worthy of the mercy and the merit of true knowledge or true Happiness. For HAPPY is the man that loves the Lord and His ways, not thy ways.
26. (Q) [294]:
    (A) Let mercy and judgment and honor be as one in thy dealing with thy fellow man. For he that showeth mercy may obtain mercy, he that brings Happiness into the lives of others will know Happiness. And only by the sowing of the seed of that nature that ye desire the full activity of in thy life may ye accomplish or accede to such an experience. For what you ARE speaks so loud, few hear what you say.
27. (Q) [538]:
    (A) Let mercy and justice be thy watchword rather than judgment upon others. For "Judge not that ye be not judged" is the same as saying show mercy to those that are wayward, to those that are awkward, to those that are unkind, to those that are rude - if you would have God show these to you. For in thy awkwardness, in thy stumbling, ye oft find fault in thine self. Do not judge thyself. Let God's mercy and love rule thee.
28. (Q) [341]:
    (A) In knowing Happiness ye find that it is the little things, the little "I thank you," the little patience, the little mercy, the little kindnesses that bring it to the lives of others. So does it grow in thee. Then let grace and mercy and patience be thine. For in patience ye become aware of thy soul, that ye are indeed a soul in a material world; though stumbling oft, following blindly at times. The way is narrow, yet it is the Happy Way. Only in Happiness may one indeed KNOW Jesus. ONLY in HAPPY WAY may one know Jesus. For He is the Way, as thy soul knoweth; and He was Happy even to the Cross. Not that moments of discouragement do not arise in thine experience, for as He gave - and these are His words, and His words, though the heaven and the earth may pass, do not pass away - "It must indeed be necessary that offences come, but woe to him by whom they come!" Then never be in the way of being an offence to anyone. Let mercy and patience keep thee.
29. (Q) [1391]:
    (A) In the house of the Lord ye find His offices, His steps of understanding, of comprehending. Sing thy joys of thy Lord. Know in Whom ye believe as well as in what ye believe. Know the source of thy knowledge and ye may know the end thereof. Know the laws - or the love; for the law of God is LOVE of God, and is not a hardship. For the law as man's law killeth, but the love of the law as of God maketh alive - every one. And thy Lord, thy God, is God of the living. Make thy life and thy love of thy fellow man a living thing in thine experience day by day. Smile oft. Speak gently. Be kind.
30. (Q) Any message to the group as a whole?
    (A) Happiness is the love of God made manifest by those who love God's ways.
31. We are through.

BACKGROUND

1. Subject of Reading 262-109 - "Norfolk Study Group #1."

REPORTS

1. 6/29/37 Mrs. Frances Y. Morrow, Sec'ty of Group 1 of A.R.E., at the evening meeting of the Sixth Annual A.R.E. Congress, spoke:
   "I have been asked to give a resume of Group 1 of A.R.E. This has been gone over many times, so this will be for the benefit of those who have not heard it before, and I am sure the others will bear with me for a few minutes as we look back over the six years we have been together as a group in this experience.
   "Group 1 of the A.R.E. began about six years ago, or, to be exact, the first reading was given on 9/14/31. We met with Mr. Cayce at the home of one of our members and offered ourselves to be used as channels in the Master's service. I would like to quote here a portion of that first reading. [She read 262-1, Par. 1--3.]
   "I would like to say here that we were of various creeds, but seekers, nevertheless. We were told to be of one mind, have one purpose and one aim. We were also to prepare a series of lessons for our own and similar groups. These lessons were to be living ones. We were to give to others that we had experienced ourselves, either in meditation, prayer, or our everyday lives. We can understand now why our first lesson was Cooperation. It was necessary to help us weather the storms that were sure to happen. And so the lessons began. The first series of twelve has been completed, and quite a number in the second series. These lessons are being studied by people throughout the country.
   "Group 1 also sponsors other groups, and we now have five active groups in Norfolk.
   "Immediately after the organization of Group 1, several were called out to form the healing prayer group, a group within the group, as it were. Hence the Glad Helpers. [See the [281] series of readings on prayer for healing.]
   "From time to time Group 1 has sponsored public meetings. These meetings have been successful in making the public better acquainted with the work.
   "Our expenses are taken care of entirely by free-will offerings.
   "In looking back over these six years I am sure I can speak for each member of the group; we feel we have grown in that we have a better conception of Cooperation, of Self, of a true Ideal, of Faith; in fact all the lessons as have been presented. Not that we have learned all, but just a little; for we know that the foolishness of God is greater than all the wisdom we may gather of ourselves. [1 Cor. 1:25] "We trust that we may ever be worthy of our calling, for we were told [262-2, Par. 23-A]: 'Be not unstable in things thou doest, for thou hast asked that thou be guided by that that may GIVE a light to a dying world - not an individual, a world!'
   "Our purpose and watchword has ever been embodied in the following affirmation (from our lesson Cooperation):
   'NOT MY WILL BUT THINE, O LORD, BE DONE IN ME AND THROUGH ME. LET ME EVER BE A CHANNEL OF BLESSINGS, TODAY, NOW, TO THOSE THAT I CONTACT IN EVERY WAY. LET MY GOING IN, MY COMING OUT, BE IN ACCORD WITH THAT THOU WOULD HAVE ME DO, AND AS THE CALL COMES, HERE AM I, SEND ME, USE ME!'"
   Frances Y. Morrow, Sec'y, Group 1 of the Association for Research & Enlightenment, Incorporated.

Edgar Cayce Readings © 1971, 1993, 1994, 1995 by the Edgar Cayce Foundation