Why did we publish the life after death book Heavenly Ways?

Apart from making a fascinating work easily available and also more accessible through new matter, there are several important reasons why I was chomping at the bit to publish this book. In fact, I even dressed it in a cover similar to Rising Up Into the Divine - World Mystics on the Ascent of Your Soul, with both covers featuring different paintings of Jacob’s Ladder -- the mystical Biblical theme of Divine ascent.

These books complement each other nicely. First and foremost, both talk about a soul’s graded levels of ascent through various planes that rise upward in frequency and light. Each level up takes one a notch closer to realization of the Divine. Both books encompass a world where this inner movement occurs by living and serving according to Divine laws. As an important corollary, both also show the importance of prayer when striving for the ultimate Goal.

Heavenly Ways gives specific examples of the etheric cities of light that were introduced in Rising Up Into The Divine, each showcasing the use of these heavenly cities as teaching forums by beings of higher mastery. Along these lines, both discuss the critical need for spiritual teachers in the mystical ascent of all souls.

The book confirms what Leadbeater and other mystics mentioned in Rising Up have said about colors they clairvoyantly viewed on inner levels, noting that drab ones out-picture negative energies, while brightly sparkling ones embody the storage and accumulation of positive qualities. Heavenly Ways also gives surprisingly concrete examples of how one can retain a type of individuality while still being part of the greater Divine whole. Both books hold this to be true on all levels, at least up to the very highest one, where all dissolves completely into the Divine.

Finally, some may ask why it's important to know about what happens to us after we die. Why not just enjoy life where we are? I am of the firm belief that such knowledge makes more precious the time we each have left on earth. It empowers us with a desire to use all our remaining energies in the best way we can, and provides for us something like a lighthouse -- a useful beacon of enlightenment in our critical and never-ending journey as a soul.