Reflections on philosophy and spirit - The Missing Link

A couple of years ago, I was asked to help translate The Missing Link, written by Sydney Banks, into Hebrew.

I was chatting with Elsie Spittle, one of Syd’s old friends and students, and sought her advice, as I was finding myself too busy with a lot of work and other responsibilities.

She said to me, ‘if you have any time to give to the sharing of the Three Principles, start with helping to translate The Missing Link. If all you do is just that and never a thing more - it would be enough of a contribution for the rest of your life'.

Her words and clarity left an impression on me.

I called Aviva in Israel, whom I’d been asked to assist. ‘Let’s start and see how it goes’, I said. Little did I appreciate the journey on which I was about to embark!

In an hour we could get through a page, maybe two. At some point we would have to stop; we could only take in so much wisdom in one go.

I would sit there in awe… the wisdom, the clarity, the simplicity, the purity, the truth, the simple logic... it would affect me deeply and viscerally.

What a privilege to be spending time carefully considering this book; what an incredible gift to be doing this precious work.

I would get on with my week, but a word or sentence from the paragraph I was working on would keep coming to mind; it would show its relevance in conversation or in the direct experience of life. In sessions with clients, it would pop up as a little helper, a reference.

As the weeks went by, I would see a little more about each paragraph, each sentence, or even each word. I would start to understand where Syd was pointing and what he was trying to say; it would become clearer and start to come more alive for me.

Once a week, for months and months, this is what we would be doing; my feeling deepening, my life slowly changing; I found myself being touched by Syd’s incredibly powerful words.

You know you’re hearing truth when it keeps resonating, bringing with it deep feelings, positive feelings, feelings of gratitude, of hope, of calm, of purity, of possibility.

When we finished The Missing Link, I was intrigued. Dr Bill Pettit, a psychiatrist who’s been sharing Syd’s message for over 40 years, has been telling me for years to read Syd’s books and I would politely say, ‘yes, that's a good idea, I will at some point’.

But now, I jumped in. I started with The Quest for the Pearl, then Second Chance and Dear Liza, then The Enlightened Gardener and The Enlightened Gardener Revisited and finally, The Missing Link once again. I understood what Dr Bill had meant and I fell in love with Syd’s writing and Syd’s profound message.

The effect that reading Syd’s books had and continues to have on me, is what I want to share. You too can learn more from Syd's inspirational book by signing up to the The Missing Link programme I am running starting 13 September 2021. You will hear from Syd's students across the globe as they share what stands out for them whilst they reflect on their learning curve and some of Syd's writings.

The Missing Link Programme

I start reading and something new catches my attention, something I hear but can't quite get my head around; so I stop; I go back; I read it; I read it again; I stop and reflect.

It resonates; it speaks to what I know to be true; it speaks to me, the individual; always at the right time and place, perfectly appropriate for my learning curve and journey.

The thing about truth is that I can’t necessarily get my head around it immediately. I might not even understand it, but I HEAR it; I feel it; I find myself moved; touched, filled up; so much so that I have to stop and let it settle.

Then I go about my life and, as I do, what I heard starts to come alive. It’s as though a seed has been planted and as life waters it, it grows; it keeps popping into my head; it talks to me; it brings a deep and beautiful feeling; it keeps guiding me and showing me the way and slowly, without even noticing, levels of consciousness rise.... and change happens.

Syd’s books speak to truth and awaken the wisdom within; his message touches the human soul; his writing is purely spiritual.

I refer to his books as the gifts that keep giving, because that is exactly my experience of reading them. There is always more to see, more to learn, more to hear.

I never read a page the same way twice. And I’ve now read them many times!

I used to be self conscious about sharing Syd’s materials. I thought people might find them weird and unrelatable. Nowadays, when I hear of people feeling like I did, I hear people suggesting that there are more relatable ways to share, I do understand why they say that; I also thought that others could say it simpler and better; I used to think that I, myself, could speak in a more relatable way then Syd did. Today, I’m amused that I thought that. Instead, I share Syd's writings and videos as often as I can. Syd is my go-to in sharing the Principles. His materials are a shortcut in the education and healing process for humanity.

I have come to realise and appreciate the incredible gift and depth of the insight Syd was blessed to see. We might think we are sharing Syd when we share his books, but it is the gift of wisdom, clarity and insight, a glimpse of a profound truth that Syd was gifted to SEE that we are sharing, not Syd himself.

Syd saw something about the true nature of God, the true nature of Mind, Thought and Consciousness and he was blessed with an incredible gift of being able to articulate what he saw in words.

Syd was not sharing ideas, methods, tools or techniques. Syd was sharing profound wisdom and truth.

The sages in my Jewish Tradition tell us; ‘words that come from the heart reach the heart.’ Syd shared his message straight from the heart. This is why it penetrates the hearts of others.

Syd’s books are a spiritual journey of awakening, openness and change. His message transcends the boundaries of time and space. He is no longer with us, but his feeling, his insight and clarity remain - for those who stop to listen. His source material is precious. When we share them, we offer others a gift that can literally change their lives.

I feel blessed and privileged to have come across this understanding; I feel deeply grateful to all of the dedicated students of Syd who have been sharing this message with so many people for so many years, swimming against the tide with deep clarity and devotion. What a huge blessing and privilege to be able to share with others this profound, rich and vibrant legacy that Syd has left for us.

I had an insight when I watched the film, ‘Twelve Years a Slave’, a few years ago. I realised that lasting change happens one person at a time. One person’s level of consciousness rises and he or she affects another. Two become four and four become eight. Slowly, but surely, levels of consciousness rise and change happens.

Syd was that one person. He had an insight; his consciousness rose; he shared with one, who shared with another and forty years later thousands of people around the world are sharing his message. Levels of consciousness are rising and change is happening.

How lucky are we not only that we have awoken, but that we get to, as Syd used to say, tap others on the shoulder and watch as they wake up also.

‘"So like the blind man, close your eyes. Like the deaf man, block your ears; go inside and realise... that which you seek has been there, within you, all along. This is when the blind will see and the deaf will hear."

Sydney Banks, The Missing Link, page 43.

Learn more about the upcoming Missing Link programme