Who Was Bernard? old

Bernard was somewhat of a reclusive person, so there is not a lot known about him. He never met with Students, and avoided personal contact with them as he wanted to “work and walk in quietness and solitude”.

He even says as much in the “SUMMARY OF CONDITIONS OF ENROLMENT” for Thought Bricks Course.

“I do not meet Students personally. My house and grounds must be my Retreat where I can work and walk in quietness and solitude. No exceptions whatever can be made to this rule as my Work for my huge, world-wide Student Family
depends on quietness and seclusion.”

What we do know about him is that he was a Christian Mystic or Initiate and he ran the Thought Bricks Teaching Centre from the 1950’s until the 1990’s. He wrote many booklets, articles and course lessons as his teaching activity evolved over the years.

What comes through in his writings is his deep love and genuine care for the Students, and that he actively prayed and invoked blessings upon those he sought to help. His deep caring about each Student and their progress comes across time and time again in his writings. He also encouraged Students to care about the progress of other Students, the details of which were included in reports in Bernard’s Weekly News (B.W.N.) his regular newsletter. This caring for the progress of others (“Rejoice with those who rejoice”, as the Master said) is encouraged as an essential part of the teachings as it is a sign of healthy development and the true realisation of ourselves as expressions of the Spirit of the Eternal. As that realisation grows we cannot help but grow in caring about the welfare of others.

Nevertheless Bernard was not averse to using what we would nowadays call Tough Love in his dealing with Students. He emphasized his clear role as a Teacher , “Each one who reads these words has enrolled as my Student; has, in fact, asked for my Teaching. Do not, then, take up time that I must give to the teaching of my Students, by sending me suggestions for further subjects for my writing, or for different ways of teaching; or suggestions about badges, prayer-circles, correspondence-clubs, &c….”

He also expected Students to communicate in a respectful manner. “A friendly, harmonious link between my Students and myself is essential, both for their own benefit and that of the Student Family as a whole. I therefore reserve the right, in the event of the severing of this link, to suspend any Student, either temporarily or permanently, making financial adjustments accordingly.”

Bernard had many ‘mystical’ experiences and he included details of these in his books “The Heaven Books” and other parts of his writings. He had a deep love, reverence and connection with Jesus who he referred to as “The Master” whom he often referred to in his books, leaflets and lessons.

In one of the Thought Bricks lessons Bernard specifically expressed his intention to continue to care for his Students from the Afterlife.