The Creative Process in the Individual Thomas Troward

Chapter 1 The Starting-point

Order and the Personal Factor
It is an old saying that Order is !eaven"s First #aw and$ li%e many other old sayings$ it contains a
much deeper philosophy than appears immediately on the sur&ace' (etting things into a )etter order is
the great secret o& progress$ and we are now a)le to &ly through the air$ not )ecause the laws o& *ature
have altered$ )ut )ecause we have learnt to arrange things in the right order to produce this result the
things themselves had e+isted &rom the )eginning o& the world$ )ut what was wanted was the
introduction o& a Personal Factor which$ )y an intelligent perception o& the possi)ilities contained in the
laws o& *ature$ should )e a)le to )ring into wor%ing reality ideas which previous generations would
have laughed at as the a)surd &ancies o& an un)alanced mind'
The lesson to )e learnt &rom the practical aviation o& the present day is that o& the triumph o& principle
over precedent$ o& the wor%ing out o& an idea to its logical conclusions in spite o& the accumulated
testimony o& all past e+perience to the contrary, and with such a nota)le e+ample )e&ore us$ can we say
that it is &utile to en-uire whether )y the same method we may not unloc% still more important secrets
and gain some %nowledge o& the unseen causes which are at the )ac% o& e+ternal and visi)le conditions$
and then )y )ringing these unseen causes into a )etter order ma%e practical wor%ing realities o&
possi)ilities which at present seem )ut &antastic dreams. It is at least worth while ta%ing a preliminary
canter over the ground$ and this is all that this little volume pro&esses to attempt, yet this may )e
su&&icient to show the lie o& the ground'
*ow the &irst thing in any investigation is to have at least some notion o& the general direction in which
to go /ust as you would not go up a tree to &ind &ish$ though you would &or )irds" eggs' 0ell$ the
general direction in which we all want to go is that o& getting more out o& #i&e than we have ever got out
o& it we want to )e more alive in ourselves and to get all sorts o& improved conditions in our
environment' !owever happily any o& us may )e circumstanced$ we can all conceive something still
)etter$ or at any rate we should li%e to ma%e our present good permanent, and since we shall &ind as our
studies advance that the prospect o& increasing possi)ilities %eeps opening out more and more widely
)e&ore us$ we may say that what we are in search o& is the secret o& getting more out o& #i&e in a
continually progressive degree' This means that what we are loo%ing &or is something personal$ and that
it is to )e o)tained )y producing conditions which do not yet e+ist, in other words$ it is nothing less than
the e+ercise o& a certain creative power in the sphere o& our own particular world' So$ then$ what we
want is to introduce our own Personal Factor into the realm o& unseen causes' This is a )ig thing$ and i&
it is possi)le at all$ it must )e )y some se-uence o& cause and e&&ect$ and this se-uence it is our o)/ect to
discover' The #aw o& Cause and 1&&ect is one we can never get way &rom$ )ut )y care&ully &ollowing it
up we may &ind that it will lead us &urther than we had anticipated'
!armony
*ow$ the &irst thing to o)serve is that i& we can succeed in &inding out such a se-uence o& cause and
e&&ect as the one we are in search o&$ some)ody else may &ind out the same creative secret also, and
then$ )y the hypothesis o& the case$ we should )oth )e armed with in&alli)le power$ and i& we wanted to
employ this power against each other we should )e landed in an impasse o& a con&lict )etween two
powers each o& which was irresisti)le' Conse-uently it &ollows that the &irst principle o& this power must
)e !armony' It cannot )e antagonising itsel& &rom di&&erent centres in other words its operation in a
simultaneous order at every point is the &irst necessity o& its )eing'
0hat we are in search o&$ then$ is a se-uence o& cause and e&&ect so universal in its nature as to include
harmoniously all possi)le variations o& individual e+pression' This primary necessity o& the #aw &or
which we are see%ing should )e care&ully )orne in mind$ &or it is o)vious that that any se-uence which
transgresses this primary essential must )e contrary to the very nature o& the #aw itsel&$ and
conse-uently cannot )e conducting us to the e+ercise o& true creative power'
0hat we are see%ing$ there&ore$ is to discover how to arrange things in such an order as to set in motion
a train o& causation that will harmonise our own conditions without antagonising the e+ercise o& a li%e
power )y others' This there&ore means that all individual e+ercise o& this power is the particular
application o& a 2niversal power which itsel& operates creatively on its own account independently o&
these individual application, and the harmony )etween the various individual applications is )rought
a)out )y all the individuals )ringing their own particular action into line with this independent creative
action o& the original power' It is in &act another application o& 1uclid"s a+iom that things which are
e-ual to the same thing are e-ual to one another, so that though I may not %now &or what purpose
someone may )e using this creative power in Pe%ing$ I do %now that i& he and I )oth realise its true
nature$ we cannot )y any possi)ility )e wor%ing in opposition to one another'
For these reasons$ having now some general idea o& what it is we are in search o&$ we may commence
our investigation )y considering this common &actor which must )e at the )ac% o& all individual e+ercise
o& creative power$ that is to say$ the (eneric wor%ing o& the 2niversal Creative Principle'
3 2niversal Creative Principle
That such a 2niversal Creative Principle is at wor% we at once realise &rom the e+istence o& the world
around us with all its inha)itants$ and the interrelation o& all parts o& the cosmic system shows its
underlying 2nity thus the animal %ingdom depends on the vegeta)le$ the vegeta)le %ingdom on the
mineral$ the mineral or glo)e o& the 1arth on its relation to the rest o& the solar system$ and possi)ly our
solar system is related )y a similar law to the distri)ution o& other suns with their attendant planets
throughout space'
Our &irst glance there&ore shows us that the 3ll-originating Power must )e in essence 2nity and in
mani&estation 4ultiplicity$ and that it mani&ests as #i&e and 5eauty through the unerring adaptation o&
means to ends that is$ so &ar as its cosmic mani&estation o& ends goes' 0hat we want to do is to carry
this mani&estation still &urther )y operation &rom an individual standpoint' To do this is precisely our
place in the Order o& Creation$ )ut we must de&er until later the -uestion why we hold this place'
4atter
One o& the earliest discoveries we all ma%e is the e+istence o& 4atter' The )ruised shins o& our
childhood convince us o& its solidity$ so now comes the -uestion$ 0hy does 4atter e+ist. The answer is
that i& the &orm were not e+pressed in solid su)stance$ things would )e perpetually &lowing into each
other so that no identity could )e maintained &or a single moment'
To this it might )e replied that a condition o& matter is conceiva)le in which$ though in itsel& a plastic
su)stance in a &luent state$ it might yet )y the operation o& will )e held in any particular &orms desired'
The idea o& such a condition o& matter is no dou)t conceiva)le$ and when the &luent matter was thus
held in particular &orms you would have concrete matter /ust as we have it now$ only with this
di&&erence6 that it would return to its &luent state as soon as the supporting will was withdrawn' *ow$ as
we shall see later on$ this is precisely what matter really is$ only the will which holds it together in
concrete &orm is not individual )ut cosmic'
In itsel& the 1ssence o& 4atter is precisely the &luent su)stance we have imagined$ and as we shall see
later on$ the %nowledge o& this &act$ when realised in its proper order$ is the )asis o& the legitimate
control o& mind over matter' 5ut a world in which every individual possessed the power o& concreting
or &lu+ing matter at his own sweet will$ irrespective o& any universal co-ordinating principle$ is
altogether inconceiva)le the con&lict o& wills would prevent such a world remaining in e+istence'
4iracles
On the other hand$ i& we conceive o& a num)er o& individuals each possessing this power$ and all
employing it on the lines o& a common cosmic unity$ then the result would )e precisely the same sta)le
condition o& matter with which we are &amiliar this would )e a necessity o& &act &or the masses who
did not possess this power$ and a necessity o& principle &or the &ew who did' So under these
circumstances the same sta)le conditions o& *ature would prevail as at present$ varied only when the
initiated ones perceived that the order o& evolution would )e &urthered$ and not hindered$ )y calling into
action the higher laws'
Such occasions would )e o& rare occurrence$ and then the departure &rom the ordinary law would )e
regarded )y the multitude as a miracle' 3lso we may )e -uite sure that no one who had attained this
%nowledge in the legitimate order would ever per&orm a miracle &or his own personal aggrandisement
or &or the purpose o& merely astonishing the )eholder to do so would )e contrary to the &irst principle
o& the higher teaching which is that o& pro&ound reverence &or the 2nity o& the 3ll-originating Principle'
The conception$ there&ore$ o& such a power over matter )eing possessed )y certain individuals is in no
way opposed to our ordinary recognition o& concrete matter$ and so we need not at present trou)le
ourselves to consider these e+ceptions'
Illusion.
3nother theory is that matter has no e+istence at all )ut is merely an illusion pro/ected )y our own
minds' I& so$ then how is it that we all pro/ect identically similar images. On the supposition that each
mind is independently pro/ecting its own conception o& matter$ a lady who goes to )e &itted might )e
seen )y her dress-ma%er as a cow' (enerations o& people have seen the (reat Pyramid on the same spot,
)ut on the supposition that each individual is pro/ecting his own material world in entire independence
o& all other individuals$ there is no reason why any two persons should ever see the same thing in the
same place'
On the supposition o& such an independent action )y each separate mind$ without any common &actor
)inding them all to one particular mode o& recognition$ no intercourse )etween individuals would )e
possi)le' Then$ without the consciousness o& relation to other individuals$ the consciousness o& our own
individuality would )e lost$ and so we should cease to have any conscious e+istence at all'
Cosmic 4ind
I&$ on the other hand$ we grant that there is$ a)ove the individual minds$ a great Cosmic 4ind which
imposes upon them the necessity o& all seeing the same image o& 4atter$ then that image is not a
pro/ection o& the individual minds )ut o& the Cosmic 4ind, and since the individual minds are
themselves similar pro/ections o& the Cosmic 4ind$ matter is &or them /ust as much a reality as their
own e+istence' I dou)t not that material su)stance is thus pro/ected )y the 3ll-em)racing 7ivine 4ind,
)ut so also are our own minds pro/ected )y it$ and there&ore the relation )etween them and matter is a
real relation and not merely a &ictitious one'
I particularly wish the student to )e clear on this point$ that where two &actors are pro/ected &rom a
common source$ their relation to each other )ecomes an a)solute &act in respect o& the &actors
themselves$ notwithstanding that the power o& changing that relation )y su)stituting a di&&erent
pro/ection must necessarily always continue to reside in the originating source' To ta%e a simple
arithmetical e+ample )y my power o& mental pro/ection wor%ing through my eyes and &ingers$ I
write 8 9 :' !er I have esta)lished a certain numerical relation which can only produce ; as its result'
3gain$ I have power to change the &actors and write 8 9 <$ in which case 1: is the only possi)le result$
and so on'
0or%ing in this way$ calculation )ecomes possi)le' 5ut i& every time I wrote 8$ that &igure possessed an
independent power o& setting down a di&&erent num)er )y which to multiply itsel&$ what would )e the
result. The &irst 8 I wrote might set down < as its multiplier$ and the ne+t might set down =$ and so on'
Or i& I want to ma%e a )o+ o& a certain si>e and cut lengths o& plan% accordingly$ i& each length could
capriciously change its width at a moment"s notice$ how could I ever ma%e the )o+. I mysel& may
change the shape and si>e o& my )o+ )y esta)lishing new relations )etween the )its o& wood$ )ut &or the
pieces o& wood themselves$ the proportions determined )y my mind must remain &i+ed -uantities$
otherwise no construction could ta%e place'
This is a very rough analogy$ )ut it may )e su&&icient to show that &or a cosmos to e+ist at all$ it is
a)solutely necessary that there should )e a Cosmic 4ind )inding all individual minds to certain generic
unities o& action$ and so producing all things as realities and nothing as illusion' The importance o& this
conclusion will )ecome more apparent as we advance in our studies'
0e have now got at some reason why concrete material &orm is a necessity o& the Creative Process'
0ithout it$ the per&ect Sel&-recognition o& Spirit &rom the Individual standpoint$ which we shall
presently &ind is the means )y which the Creative Process is to )e carried &orward$ would )e impossi)le,
and there&ore$ so &ar &rom matter )eing an illusion$ it is the necessary channel &or the sel&-di&&erentiation
o& Spirit and its 1+pression in the multitudinous li&e and )eauty' 4atter is thus the necessary Polar
Opposite to Spirit$ and when we thus recognise it in its right order$ we shall &ind that there is no
antagonism )etween the two$ )ut that together they constitute one harmonious whole'
Chapter : The Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit
Cosmic Origin and Physics
I& we as% how the cosmos came into e+istence we shall &ind that ultimately we can only attri)ute it to
the Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit'
#et us start with the &acts now %nown to modern physical science' 3ll material things$ including our
own )odies$ are composed o& com)inations o& di&&erent chemical elements such as car)on$ o+ygen$ etc'
Chemistry recognises in all a)out seventy ?now over one hundred 1d@ o& these elements$ each with
its peculiar a&&inities, )ut the more advanced physical science o& the present day &inds that they are all
composed o& one and the same ultimate su)stance to which the name o& 1ther has )een given$ and that
the di&&erence )etween an atom o& iron and an atom o& o+ygen results only &rom the di&&erence in the
num)er o& etheric particles o& which each is composed and the rate o& their motion within the sphere o&
the atom$ thus curiously coming )ac% to the dictum o& Pythagoras that the 2niverse has its origin in
num)er and motion' 0e may there&ore say that our entire solar system$ together with every sort o&
material su)stance which it contains$ is made up o& nothing )ut this one primary su)stance in various
degrees o& condensation'
*ow the ne+t step is to realise that this ether is everywhere' This is shown )y the undulatory theory o&
light' #ight is not a su)stance$ )ut is the e&&ect produced on the eye )y the impinging o& the ripples o&
the ether upon the retina' These waves are e+cessively minute$ ranging in length &rom 1A<B$CCC o& an
inch at the red end o& the spectrum to 1AD=$CCC at the violet end'
*e+t$ remem)er that these waves are not composed o& advancing particles o& the medium$ )ut pass
onwards )y the push which each particle in the line o& motion gives to the particle ne+t to it$ and then
you will see that i& there were a )rea% o& 1ADC$CCC part o& an inch in the connecting ether )etween our
eye and any source o& light$ we could not receive light &rom that source$ &or there would )e nothing to
continue the wave-motion across the gap' Conse-uently$ as soon as we see light &rom any source$
however distant$ we %now that there must )e a continuous )ody o& ether )etween us and it'
*ow astronomy shows us that we receive light &rom heavenly )odies so distant that$ though it travels
with the incredi)le speed o& 1;E$CCC miles per second$ it ta%es more than two thousand years to reach us
&rom some o& them, and as such stars are in all -uarters o& the heavens$ we can only come to the
conclusion that the primary su)stance or ether must )e universally present'
This means that the raw material &or the &ormation o& solar systems is universally distri)uted throughout
space, yet though we &ind that millions o& suns stud the heavens$ we also &ind vast inter-stellar spaces
which show no signs o& cosmic activity' Then something has )een at wor% to start cosmic activity in
certain areas while passing over others in which the raw material is e-ually availa)le' 0hat is this
something.
3t &irst we might )e inclined to attri)ute the development o& cosmic energy to the etheric particles
themselves$ )ut a little consideration will show us that this is mathematically impossi)le in a medium
which is e-ually distri)uted throughout space$ &or all its particles are in e-uili)rium and so no one
particle possesses per se ?)y itsel& 1d@ a greater power o& originating motion than any other'
Conse-uently$ the initial movement must )e started )y something which$ though it wor%s on and
through the particles o& the primary su)stance$ is not those particles themselves' It is this Something
which we mean when we spea% o& Spirit'
Spirit
Then since Spirit starts the condensation o& the primary su)stance into concrete aggregation$ and also
does this in certain areas to the e+clusion o& others$ we cannot avoid attri)uting to Spirit the power o&
Selection and o& ta%ing an Initiative on its own account'
!ere$ then$ we &ind the initial Polarity o& 2niversal Spirit and 2niversal Su)stance$ each )eing the
complementary o& the other$ and out o& this relation all su)se-uent evolution proceeds' 5eing
complementary means that each supplies what is wanting in the other$ and that the two together thus
ma%e complete wholeness' *ow this is /ust the case here' Spirit supplies Selection and 4otion'
Su)stance supplies something &rom which selection can )e made and to which 4otion can )e imparted,
so that it is a sine -ua non ?i'e' something a)solutely indispensa)le or essential 1d@ &or the
1+pression o& Spirit'
Su)stance Is Thought
Then comes the -uestion$ !ow did the 2niversal Su)stance get there. It cannot have made itsel&$ &or its
only -uality is inertia, there&ore it must have come &rom some source having power to pro/ect it )y
some mode o& action not o& a material nature' *ow the only mode o& action not o& a material nature is
Thought$ and there&ore to Thought we must loo% &or the origin o& Su)stance' This places us at a point
antecedent to the e+istence even o& primary su)stance$ and conse-uently the initial action must )e that
o& the Originating 4ind upon itsel&$ in other words$ Sel&-contemplation'
3t this primordial stage neither Time nor Space can )e recognised$ &or )oth imply measurement o&
successive intervals$ and in the primary movement o& 4ind upon itsel& the only consciousness must )e
that o& Present 3)solute 5eing$ )ecause no e+ternal points e+ist &rom which to measure e+tension either
in time or space' !ence we must eliminate the ideas o& time and space &rom our conception o& Spirit"s
initial Sel&-contemplation'
This )eing so$ Spirit"s primary contemplation o& itsel& as simply 5eing necessarily ma%es its presence
universal and eternal$ and conse-uently$ parado+ical as it may seem$ its independence o& Time and
Space ma%es it present throughout all Time and Space' It is the old esoteric ma+im that the point
e+tends to in&initude$ and that in&initude is concentrated in the point'
Ideal Felativity
0e start$ then$ with Spirit contemplating itsel& simply as 5eing' 5ut to realise your )eing you must have
consciousness$ and consciousness can only come )y recognition o& your relation to something else' That
something else may )e an e+ternal &act or a mental image, )ut even in the latter case to conceive the
image at all you must mentally stand )ac% &rom it and loo% at it something li%e the man who was run
in )y the police at (ravesend &or wal%ing )ehind himsel& to see how his new coat &itted' It stands thus6
i& you are not conscious o& something$ you are conscious o& nothing, and i& you are conscious o&
nothing$ then you are unconscious, so that to )e conscious at all$ you must have something to )e
conscious o&'
This may seem li%e an e+tract &rom Paddy"s Philosophy$ )ut it ma%es it clear that consciousness can
only )e attained )y the recognition o& something which is not the recognising ego itsel& in other
words$ consciousness is the realisation o& some particular sort o& relation )etween the cognising su)/ect
and the cognised o)/ect' 5ut I want to get away &rom academic terms into the speech o& human )eings$
so let us ta%e the illustration o& a )room and its handle the two together ma%e a )room' That is one
sort o& relation, )ut ta%e the same stic% and put a ra%e-iron at the end o& it$ and you have an altogether
di&&erent implement' The stic% remains the same$ )ut whatever is put at the end o& it ma%es the whole
thing a )room or a ra%e' *ow the thin%ing and &eeling power is the stic%$ and the conception which it
&orms is the thing at the end o& the stic%$ so that the -uality o& its consciousness will )e determined )y
the ideas which it pro/ects, )ut to )e conscious at all$ it must pro/ect ideas o& some sort'
#i&e
*ow o& one thing we may )e -uite sure6 that the Spirit o& #i&e must &eel alive' Then to &eel alive it must
)e conscious$ and to )e conscious it must have something to )e conscious o&' There&ore the
contemplation o& itsel& as standing related to something which is not its own originating sel& in propria
persona ?a legal term meaning in one"s own person or character without the assistance o& an attorney
1d@ is a necessity o& the case, and conse-uently the Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit can only proceed )y its
viewing itsel& as related to something standing out &rom itsel&$ /ust as we must stand at a proper distance
to see a picture in &act the very word e+istence means standing out' Thus things are called into
e+istence or outstandingness )y a power which itsel& does not stand out$ and whose presence is
there&ore indicated )y the word su)sistence'
The ne+t thing is that since in the )eginning there is nothing e+cept Spirit$ its primary &eeling o&
aliveness must )e that o& )eing alive all over, and to e+perience such a consciousness o& its own
universal livingness there must )e the recognition o& a corresponding relation e-ually e+tensive in
character, and the only possi)le correspondence to &ul&il this condition is there&ore that o& a universally
distri)uted and plastic medium whose particles are all in per&ect e-uili)rium$ which is e+actly the
description o& the Primary Su)stance$ or ether' 0e are thus philosophically led to the conclusion that
2niversal Su)stance must )e pro/ected )y 2niversal Spirit as a necessary conse-uence o& Spirit"s own
inherent &eeling o& 3liveness, and in this way we &ind that the great Primary Polarity o& 5eing )ecomes
esta)lished'
Polarity
From this point onwards we shall &ind the principle o& Polarity in 2niversal activity' It is that relation
)etween opposites without which no e+ternal 4otion would )e possi)le$ )ecause there would )e
nowhere to move &rom and nowhere to move to, and without which e+ternal Form would )e impossi)le
)ecause there would )e nothing to limit the di&&usion o& su)stance and )ring it into shape' Polarity$ or
the interaction o& 3ctive and Passive$ is there&ore the )asis o& all 1volution'
This is a great &undamental truth when we get it in its right order, )ut all through the ages it has )een a
proli&ic source o& error )y getting it in its wrong order' 3nd the wrong order consists in ma%ing Polarity
the originating point o& the Creative Process' 0hat this misconception leads to we shall see later on, )ut
since it is very widely accepted under various guises even at the present day$ it is well to )e on our
guard against it' There&ore I wish the student to see clearly that there is something which comes )e&ore
that Polarity which gives rise to 1volution, and that this something is the original movement o& Spirit
within itsel&$ o& which we can )est get an idea )y calling it Sel&-contemplation'
Personal 3pplication
*ow this may seem an e+tremely a)stract conception and one with which we have no practical concern'
I &ancy I can hear the reader saying$ The #ord only %nows how the world started$ and it is !is )usiness
and not mine which would )e per&ectly true i& this originating &aculty were con&ined to the Cosmic
4ind' 5ut it is not$ and the same action ta%es place in our own minds also$ only with the di&&erence that
it is ultimately su)/ect to that principle o& Cosmic 2nity o& which I have already spo%en'
5ut$ su)/ect to that uni&ying principle$ this same power o& origination is in ourselves also$ and our
personal advance in evolution depends on our right use o& it, and our use o& it depends on our
recognition that we ourselves give rise to the particular polarities which e+press themselves in our
whole world o& consciousness$ whether within or without' For these reasons it is very important to
realise that 1volution is not the same as Creation' It is the un&olding o& potentialities involved in things
already created$ )ut not the calling into e+istence o& whatever does not yet e+ist that is Creation'
The order$ there&ore$ which I wish the student to o)serve is$ &irst$ the Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit
producing Polarity$ and ne+t$ Polarity producing 4ani&estation in Form and also to realise that it is in
this order his own mind operates as a su)ordinate centre o& creative energy' 0hen the true place o&
Polarity is thus recognised$ we shall &ind in it the e+planation o& all those relations o& things which give
rise to the whole world o& phenomena, &rom which we may draw the practical in&erence that i& we want
to change the mani&estation$ we must change the polarity, and to change the polarity$ we must get )ac%
to the Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit' 5ut in its proper place as the root-principle o& all secondary
causation$ Polarity is one o& those &undamental &acts o& which we must never lose sight'
The term Polarity is adopted &rom electrical science' In the electric )attery it is the connecting
together o& the opposite poles o& >inc and copper ?5attery technology has changed somewhat since
1B1C$ )ut the principle is still the same 1d'@ that causes a current to &low &rom one to the other and so
provides the energy that rings the )ell' I& the connection is )ro%en there is no action' 0hen you press
the )utton you ma%e the connection' The same process is repeated in respect o& every sort o& polarity
throughout the 2niverse' Circulation depends on polarity$ and circulation is the mani&estation o& #i&e$
which we may there&ore say depends on the principle o& Polarity' In relation to ourselves$ we are
concerned with two great polarities$ the polarity o& Soul and 5ody and the polarity o& Soul and Spirit,
and it is in order that he may more clearly realise their wor%ing that I want the student to have some
preliminary idea o& Polarity as a general principle'
The Creative Order
The conception o& the Creative Order may there&ore )e generalised as &ollows' The Spirit wants to en/oy
the reality o& its own #i&e not merely to vegetate$ )ut to en/oy living and there&ore )y Sel&-
contemplation it pro/ects a polar opposite$ or complementary$ calculated to give rise to the particular
sort o& relation out o& which the en/oyment o& a certain mode o& sel&-consciousness will necessarily
spring' #et this sentence )e well pondered over until the &ull e+tent o& its signi&icance is grasped$ &or it is
the %ey to the whole matter'
Gery well$ then6 Spirit wants to 1n/oy #i&e and so$ )y thin%ing o& itsel& as having the en/oyment which
it wishes$ it produces the conditions which$ )y their reaction upon itsel&$ give rise to the reality o& the
sort o& en/oyment contemplated' In more scienti&ic language$ and opposite polarity is induced$ giving
rise to a current which stimulates a particular mode o& sensation$ which sensation in turn )ecomes a
&resh starting-point &or still &urther action, and in this way each successive stage )ecomes the stepping-
stone to a still higher degree o& sensation that is$ to a Fuller 1n/oyment o& #i&e'
Such a conception as this presents us with a Progressive Series to which it is impossi)le to assign any
limit' That the progression must )e limitless is clear &rom the &act that there is never any change in the
method' 3t each successive stage the Creating Power is the Sel&-consciousness o& the Spirit$ as realised
at that stage$ still reaching &orward &or yet &urther en/oyment o& #i&e$ and so always %eeping on
repeating the one Creative Process at an ever-rising level, and since these are the sole wor%ing
conditions$ the progress is one which logically admits o& no &inality' 3nd this is where the importance o&
realising the Singleness o& the Originating Power comes in$ &or with a 7uality each mem)er would limit
the other, in &act$ 7uality as the Originating Power is inconceiva)le &or$ once more to -uote Paddy"s
Philosophy$ &inality would )e reached )e&ore anything was )egun'
Fecapitulation
This Creative Process$ there&ore$ can only )e conceived o& as limitless$ while at the same time strictly
progressive$ that is$ proceeding stage )y stage$ each stage )eing necessary as a preparation &or the one
that is to &ollow' #et us then )rie&ly s%etch the stages )y which things in our world have got as &ar as
they have' The interest o& the en-uiry lies in the &act that i& we can once get at the principle which is
producing these results$ we may discover some way o& giving it personal application'
On the hypothesis o& Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit )eing the originating power$ we have &ound that a
primary ether$ or universal su)stance$ is the necessary correspondence to Spirit"s simple awareness o& its
own )eing' 5ut though awareness o& )eing is the necessary &oundation &or any &urther possi)ilities$ it is$
so to say$ not much to tal% a)out' The &oundation &act$ o& course$ is to %now that I 3m, )ut immediately
on this consciousness there &ollows the desire &or 3ctivity I want to en/oy my I 3m-ness )y doing
something with it'
Translating these words into a state o& consciousness in the Cosmic 4ind$ they )ecome a #aw o&
Tendency leading to localised activity and$ loo%ing only at our own world$ this would mean the
condensation o& the 2niversal etheric su)stance into the primary ne)ula$ which later on )ecomes our
solar system$ this )eing the correspondence to the activity instead o& remaining a)sor)ed in simple
awareness o& 5eing' Then this Sel&-recognition would lead to the conception o& still more speci&ic
activity having its appropriate polar opposite$ or material correspondence$ in the condensation o& the
ne)ula into a solar system'
4otion
*ow at this stage$ Spirit"s conception o& itsel& is that o& 3ctivity$ and conse-uently the material
correspondence is 4otion$ as distinguished &rom the simple di&&used ether$ which is the correspondence
o& mere awareness o& 5eing' 5ut what sort o& motion. Is the material movement evolved at this stage
)ound to ta%e any particular &orm. 3 little consideration will show us that it is' 3t this initial stage
the &irst awa%ening$ so to say$ o& Spirit into activity its consciousness can only )e that o& activity
a)solute, that is$ not as related to any other mode o& activity$ )ecause as yet there is none$ )ut only as
related to an all-em)racing 5eing, so that the only possi)le conception o& 3ctivity at this stage is that o&
Sel&-sustained activity$ not depending on any preceding mode o& activity$ )ecause there is none'
The law o& reciprocity there&ore demands a similar sel&-sustained motion in the material
correspondence$ and mathematical considerations show that the only sort o& motion which can sustain a
sel&-supporting )ody moving in vacuo ?i'e' in a vacuum 1d'@ is a rotary motion )ringing the )ody
itsel& into a spherical &orm' *ow this is e+actly what we &ind at )oth e+tremes o& the material world' 3t
the )ig end$ the spheres o& the planets rotating on their a+es and revolving round the sun, and at the little
end$ the spheres o& the atoms consisting o& particles which$ modern science tells us$ in li%e manner
rotate around a common centre at distances which are astronomical as compared with their own mass'
Thus the two ultimate units o& physical mani&estation$ the atom and the planet$ )oth &ollow the same law
o& sel&-sustained motion which we have &ound that$ on a priori ?i'e' relating to or derived )y reasoning
&rom sel&-evident propositions 1d'@ grounds$ they ought ?to &ollow 1d'@ in order to e+press the
primary activity o& Spirit' 3nd we may note in passing that this rotary$ or a)solute$ motion is the
com)ination o& the only two possi)le relative modes o& motion$ namely motion &rom a point and motion
to it that is to say$ centri&ugal and centripetal motion, so that in rotary$ or a)solute$ motion we &ind
that )oth the polarities o& motion are included$ thus repeating on the purely mechanical side the
primordial principle o& the 2nity including the 7uality in itsel&'
5ut the Spirit wants something more than mechanical motion$ something more alive than the
preliminary Fota ?i'e' a &i+ed order o& rotation 1d'@$ and so the &irst step toward individualised
consciousness meets us in plant li&e' Then$ on the principle that each successive stage a&&ords the
plat&orm &or a &urther outloo%$ plant li&e is &ollowed )y animal li&e$ and this )y the !uman order$ in
which the li)erty o& selecting its own conditions is immensely e+tended' In this way the Spirit"s
e+pression o& itsel& has now reached the point where its polar complementary$ or Feciprocal$ mani&ests
as Intellectual 4an thus constituting the Fourth great stage o& Spirit"s Sel&-recognition'
In&inite Progress
5ut the Creative Process cannot stop here &or$ as we have seen$ its root in the Sel&-contemplation o&
Spirit renders it o& necessity an In&inite Progression' So it is no use as%ing what is its ultimate$ &or it has
no ultimate, its word is 1+celsior ever #i&e$ and #i&e more 3)undant' There&ore the -uestion is
not as to the ne+t step in the progression' Four %ingdoms we %now, what is to )e the Fi&th. 3ll along the
line$ the progress has )een in one direction$ namely$ toward the development o& more per&ect
Individuality, and there&ore$ on the principle o& continuity$ we may reasona)ly in&er that the ne+t stage
will ta%e us still &urther in the same direction'
0e want something more per&ect than we have yet reached$ )ut our ideas as to what it should )e are
very various$ not to say discordant$ &or one person"s idea o& )etter is another person"s idea o& worse'
There&ore what we want to get at is some )road generalisation o& principle which will )e in advance o&
our past e+periences' This means that we must loo% &or this principle in something that we have not yet
e+perienced$ and the only place where we can possi)ly &ind principles which have not yet mani&ested
themselves is in gremio 7ei ?literally$ in the )osom o& (o& 1d'@ that is$ in the innermost o& the
Originating Spirit$ or as St Hohn calls it$ in the )osom o& the Father' So we are logically )rought to
personal participation in the 7ivine Ideal as the only principle )y which the advance into the ne+t stage
can possi)ly )e made' There&ore we arrive at the -uestion$ 0hat is the 7ivine Ideal li%e.
Chapter < The 7ivine Ideal
Principle 5e&ore Fules
0hat is the 7ivine Ideal. 3t &irst it might appear hopeless to attempt to answer such a -uestion$ )ut )y
adhering to a de&inite principle$ we shall &ind that it will open out$ and lead us on$ and show us things
which we could not otherwise have seen' This is the nature o& principle and is what distinguishes it &rom
mere rules$ which are only the application o& principle under some particular set o& conditions'
0e &ound two principles as essential in our conception o& the Originating Spirit$ namely its power o&
Selection and its power o& Initiative, and we &ound a third principle as its only possi)le 4otive6 namely
the 7esire o& the #IGI*( &or ever increasing 1n/oyment o& #i&e' *ow with these three principles as the
very essence o& the 3ll-originating Spirit to guide us$ we shall$ I thin%$ )e a)le to &orm some conception
o& that divine Ideal which gives rise to the Fi&th Stage o& 4ani&estation o& Spirit$ upon which we should
now )e preparing to enter'
Feciprocal 1n/oyment
0e have seen that the Spirit"s 1n/oyment o& #i&e is necessarily a reciprocal it must have a
corresponding &act in mani&estation to answer to it, otherwise$ )y the inherent law o& mind$ no
consciousness and conse-uently no en/oyment could accrue, and there&ore )y the law o&
continuous progression$ the re-uired Feciprocal should mani&est as a )eing awa%ening to the
consciousness o& the principle )y which he himsel& comes into e+istence'
Such an awa%ening cannot proceed &rom a comparison o& one set o& e+isting conditions with another$
)ut only &rom the recognition o& a Power which is independent o& all conditions that is to say$ the
a)solute Sel&-dependence o& the Spirit' 3 )eing thus awa%ened would )e the proper correspondence o&
the Spirit"s 1n/oyment o& #i&e at a stage not only a)ove mechanical motion or physical vitality$ )ut even
a)ove intellectual perception o& e+isting phenomena$ that is to say$ at the stage where the Spirit"s
1n/oyment consists in recognising itsel& as the Source o& all things' The position in the 3)solute would
)e$ so to spea%$ the awa%ening o& Spirit to the recognition o& its own 3rtistic 3)ility'
I use the word 3rtistic as more nearly e+pressing an almost unstata)le idea than any other I can thin%
o&$ &or the wor% o& the artist approaches more closely to creation e+ nihilo ?out o& nothing 1d'@ than
any other &orm o& human activity' The wor% o& the artist is the e+pression o& the sel& that the artist is$
while that o& the scientist is the comparison o& &acts which e+ist independently o& his own personality' It
is true that the realm o& art is not without its methods o& analysis$ )ut the analysis is that o& the artist"s
own &eeling and o& the causes which give rise to it' These are &ound to contain in themselves certain
principles which are &undamental to all 3rt$ )ut these principles are the laws o& the creative action o&
mind rather than those o& the limitation o& matter'
*ow i& we may trans&er this &amiliar analogy to our conception o& the wor%ing o& the 3ll-originating
4ind$ we may picture it as the (reat 3rtist giving visi)le e+pression to !is &eeling )y a process which$
though su)/ect to no restriction &rom antecedent conditions$ yet wor%s )y a #aw which is insepara)le
&rom the Feeling itsel& in &act the #aw is the Feeling$ and the Feeling is the #aw$ the #aw o& Per&ect
Creativeness'
The Fi&th Stage o& 7evelopment
Some such Sel&-contemplation as this is the only way in which we can conceive the ne+t$ or Fi&th$ stage
o& Spirit"s Sel&-recognition as ta%ing place' !aving got as &ar as it has in the &our previous stages that
is$ to the production o& intellectual man as its correspondence the ne+t step in advance must )e on the
lines I have indicated, unless$ indeed$ there were a sudden and ar)itrary )rea%ing o& the #aw o&
Continuity$ a supposition which the whole Creative Process up to now &or)ids us to entertain'
There&ore we may picture the Fi&th stage o& the Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit as its awa%ening to the
recognition o& its own 3rtistic 3)ility$ its own a)solute &reedom o& action and creative power /ust as
in studio parlance we say that an artist )ecomes &ree o& his palette' 5ut )y the always present #aw o&
Feciprocity$ through which alone sel&-consciousness can )e attained$ this Sel&-recognition o& Spirit in
the 3)solute implies a corresponding o)/ective &act in the world o& the Felative, that is to say$ the
coming into mani&estation o& a )eing capa)le o& realising the Free Creative 3rtistry o& the Spirit$ and o&
recognising the same principle in himsel&$ while at the same time realising also the relation )etween the
2niversal 4ani&esting Principle and its Individual 4ani&estation'
Such$ it appears to me$ must )e the conception o& the 7ivine Ideal em)odied in the Fi&th Stage o& the
progress o& mani&estation' 5ut I would draw particular attention to the concluding words o& the last
paragraph$ &or i& we miss the relation )etween the 2niversal mani&esting Principle and its Individual
4ani&estation$ we have &ailed to realise the Principle altogether$ whether in the 2niversal or in the
Individual' It is /ust their interaction that ma%es each )ecome what it does )ecome, and in this &urther
)ecoming consists the progression'
!armony
This relation proceeds &rom the principle I pointed out in the opening chapter which ma%es it necessary
&or the 2niversal Spirit to )e always harmonious within itsel&, and i& this 2nity is not recognised )y the
individual$ he cannot hold that position o& Feciprocity to the Originating Spirit which will ena)le it to
recognise itsel& as in the 1n/oyment o& #i&e at the higher level we are now contemplating' Father$ the
&eeling conveyed would )e that o& something antagonistic$ producing the reverse o& en/oyment$ thus
philosophically )ringing out the point o& the Scriptural in/unction$ (rieve not the Spirit' 3lso$ the
reaction upon the individual must necessarily give rise to a corresponding state o& inharmony$ though he
may not )e a)le to de&ine his &eeling o& unrest or to account &or it'
5ut on the other hand$ i& the grand harmony o& the Originating Spirit within itsel& is duly regarded$ then
the individual mind a&&ords a &resh centre &rom which the Spirit contemplates itsel& in what I have
ventured to call its 3rtistic Originality a )oundless potential o& Creativeness$ yet always regulated )y
its own inherent #aw o& 2nity'
3nd this #aw o& the Spirit"s Original 2nity is a very simple one' It is the Spirit"s necessary and )asic
conception o& itsel&' Then$ since the Spirit"s statement o& conception o& anything necessarily ma%es that
thing e+ist$ it is logically impossi)le &or it to conceive a lie' There&ore the Spirit is Truth' Similarly$
disease and death are the negative o& #i&e$ and there&ore the Spirit$ as the Principle o& #i&e$ cannot
em)ody disease or death in its Sel&-contemplation' In li%e manner also$ since it is &ree to produce what it
will$ the Spirit cannot desire the presence o& repugnant &orms$ and so one o& its inherent #aws must )e
5eauty' In this three&old #aw o& Truth$ #i&e$ and 5eauty$ we &ind the whole underlying nature o& the
Spirit$ and no action on the part o& the individual can )e at variance with the Originating 2nity which
does not controvert these &undamental principles'
Individual #i)erty
This$ it will )e seen$ leaves the individual a)solutely un&ettered e+cept in the direction o& )rea%ing up
the &undamental harmony on which he himsel&$ as included in the general creation$ is dependent' This
certainly cannot )e called limitation$ and we are all &ree to &ollow the lines o& our own individuality in
every other direction, so that$ although the recognition o& our relation to the Originating Spirit
sa&eguards us &rom in/uring ourselves or others$ it in no way restricts our li)erty o& action or narrows
our &ield o& development'
3m I$ then$ trying to )ase my action upon a &undamental desire &or the opening out o& Truth$ &or the
increasing o& #ivingness$ and &or the creating o& 5eauty. !ave I got this as an ever present #aw o&
Tendency at the )ac% o& my thought. I& so$ then this law will occupy precisely the same place in 4y
4icrocosm$ or personal world$ that it does in the 4acrocosm$ or great world$ as a power which is in
itsel& &ormless$ )ut which )y reason o& its presence necessarily impresses its character upon all that the
creative energy &orms'
On this )asis the creative energy o& the 2niversal 4ind may )e sa&ely trusted to wor% through the
specialising in&luence o& our own thought ?See my 7orI #ectures on 4ental Science@$ and we may
adopt the ma+im trust your desires$ )ecause we %now that they are the movement o& the 2niversal in
ourselves and that$ )eing )ased upon our &undamental recognition o& the #i&e$ #ove$ and 5eauty which
the Spirit is$ their un&oldments must carry these initial -ualities with them all down the line, and this$ in
however small a degree$ )ecomes a portion o& the wor%ing o& the Spirit in its inherent creativeness'
Perpetual Creativity
This perpetual Creativeness o& the Spirit is what we must never lose sight o&$ and that is why I want the
student to grasp clearly the idea o& the Spirit"s Sel&-contemplation as the only possi)le root o& the
Creative Process' *ot only at the &irst creation o& the world$ )ut at all times$ the plane o& the innermost
is that o& Pure Spirit ?see my 1din)urgh #ectures on 4ental Science@$ and there&ore at this$ the
originating point$ there is nothing else &or the Spirit to contemplate e+cepting itsel&' Then this Sel&-
contemplation produces corresponding mani&estation$ and since Sel&-contemplation or recognition o& its
own e+istence must necessarily go on continually$ the corresponding creativeness must always )e at
wor%' I& this &undamental idea )e clearly grasped we shall see that incessant and progressive
creativeness is the very essence and )eing o& Spirit' This is what is meant )y the 3&&irmativeness o& the
Spirit' It cannot per se ?)y itsel& 1d'@ act negatively that is to say$ uncreatively &or )y the very
nature o& its Sel&-recognition$ such a negative action would )e impossi)le'
O& course i& we act negatively$ then$ since the Spirit is always acting a&&irmatively$ we are moving in the
opposite direction to it, and conse-uently so long as we regard our own negative action as )eing
a&&irmative$ the Spirit"s action must appear to us negative, and thus it is that all the negative conditions
in the world have their root in negative or inverted thought' 5ut the more we )ring our thought into
harmony with the #i&e$ #ove$ and 5eauty which the Spirit is$ the less these inverted conditions will
o)tain$ until at last they will )e eliminated altogether'
To accomplish this is our great o)/ect, &or though the progress may )e slow$ it will )e steady i& we
proceed on a de&inite principle, and to lay hold o& the true principle is the purpose o& our studies' 3nd
the principle to lay hold o& is the Ceaseless Creativity o& Spirit' This is what we mean when we spea% o&
it as The Spirit o& the 3&&irmative$ and I would as% my readers to impress this term upon their minds'
Once grant that the 3ll-originating Spirit is thus the Spirit o& the Pure 3&&irmative$ and we shall &ind
that this will lead us logically to results o& the highest value'
I&$ then$ we %eep this Perpetual and Progressive Creativeness o& the Spirit continually in mind$ we may
rely upon its wor%ing as surely in ourselves as in that great cosmic &orward movement which we spea%
o& as 1volution' It is the same power o& 1volution wor%ing within ourselves$ only with this di&&erence6
that in proportion as we come to realise its nature$ we &ind ourselves a)le to &acilitate its progress )y
o&&ering more and more &avoura)le conditions &or its wor%ing' 0e do not add to the &orce o& the Power$
&or we are products o& it and so cannot generate what generates us, )ut )y providing suita)le conditions$
we can more and more highly specialise it'
This is the method o& all the advance that has ever )een made' 0e never create any &orce Je'g'
electricityK )ut we provide special conditions under which the &orce mani&ests itsel& in a variety o&
use&ul and )eauti&ul ways unsuspected possi)ilities which lie hidden in the power until )rought to
light )y the co-operation o& the Personal &actor'
Practical 3pplication
*ow it is precisely the introduction ?See my 7orI #ectures on 4ental Science@ o& this Personal &actor
that concerns us$ )ecause to all eternity we can only recognise things &rom our own centre o&
consciousness$ whether in this world or in any other, there&ore the practical -uestion is how to specialise
in our own case the generic Originating #i&e which$ when we give it a name$ we call the Spirit'
The method o& doing this is per&ectly logical when we once see that the principle involved is that o& the
Sel&-recognition o& Spirit' 0e have traced the modus operandi ?method o& operation 1d'@ o& the
Creative Process su&&iciently &ar to see that the e+istence o& the cosmos is the result o& the Spirit"s seeing
itsel& in the cosmos$ and i& this )e the law o& the whole$ it must also )e the law o& the part' 5ut there is
this di&&erence$ that so long as the normal average relation o& particles is maintained$ the whole
continues to su)sist$ no matter what position any particular particle may go into$ /ust as a &ountain
continues to e+ist no matter whether any particular drop o& water is down the )asin or at the top o& the
/et' This is the generic action which %eeps the race going as a whole' 5ut the -uestion is$ 0hat is going
to )ecome o& ourselves. Then$ )ecause the law o& the whole is also the law o& the part$ we may at once
say that what is wanted is &or the Spirit to see itsel& in us in other words$ to &ind in us the Feciprocal
which$ as we have seen$ is necessary to its 1n/oyment o& a certain Luality o& Consciousness'
*ow$ the &undamental consciousness o& the Spirit must )e that o& Sel&-sustaining #i&e$ and &or the &ull
en/oyment o& this consciousness there must )e a corresponding individual consciousness reciprocating
it, and on the part o& the individual$ such a consciousness can only arise &rom the recognition that his
own li&e is identical with that o& the Spirit not something sent &orth to wander away )y itsel&$ )ut
something included in$ and &orming part o&$ the (reat #i&e'
Then )y the very conditions o& the case$ such a contemplation on the part o& the individual is nothing
else than the Spirit contemplating itsel& &rom the standpoint o& the individual consciousness$ and thus
&ul&illing the #aw o& the Creative Process under such specialised conditions as must logically result in
the perpetuation o& the individual li&e' It is the #aw o& the Cosmic Creative Process trans&erred to the
individual'
This$ it seems to me$ is the 7ivine Ideal6 that o& an Individuality which recognises its Source$ and
recognises also the method )y which it springs &rom that Source$ and which is there&ore a)le to open up
in itsel& a channel )y which the Source can &low in uninterruptedly, with the result that &rom the
moment o& this recognition$ the individual lives directly &rom the Originating #i&e$ as )eing himsel& a
special direct creation$ and not merely as )eing a mem)er o& a generic race' The individual who has
reached this stage o& recognition thus &inds a principle o& enduring li&e within himsel&, so then the ne+t
-uestion is in what way this principle is li%ely to mani&est itsel&'
Chapter 8 The 4ani&estation o& the #i&e Principle
From Principle to 4ani&estation
0e must )ear in mind that what we have now reached is a principle$ or 2niversal potential$ only we
have located it in the individual' 5ut a principle$ as such$ is not mani&estation' 4ani&estation is the
growth proceeding &rom the principle that is to say$ some Form in which the principle )ecomes
active' 3t the same time we must recollect that$ though a &orm is necessary &or mani&estation$ the &orm
is not essential$ &or the same principle may mani&est through various &orms$ /ust as electricity may wor%
either through a lamp or a tram car without in any way changing its inherent nature'
In this way we are )rought to the conclusion that the #i&e-Principle must always provide itsel& with a
)ody in which to &unction$ though it does not &ollow that this )ody must always )e o& the same chemical
constitution as the one we now possess' 0e might well imagine some distant planet where the chemical
com)inations with which we are &amiliar on 1arth did not o)tain, )ut i& the essential li&e-principle o&
any individual were transported thither$ then$ )y the #aw o& the Creative Process$ it would proceed to
clothe itsel& with a material )ody drawn &rom the atmosphere and su)stance o& that planet, and the
personality thus produced would )e -uite at home there$ &or all his surroundings would )e per&ectly
natural to him$ however di&&erent the laws o& *ature might )e there &rom what we %now here'
In such a conception as this we &ind the importance o& the two leading principles to which I have drawn
attention6 &irst$ the power o& the Spirit to create e+ nihilo ?out o& nothing 1d'@$ and secondly$ the
individual"s recognition o& the )asic principle o& 2nity giving permanence and solidarity to the &rame o&
*ature' 5y the &ormer$ the Sel&-recognising #i&e-Principle could produce any sort o& )ody it chose, and
)y the latter$ it would )e led to pro/ect one in harmony with the natural order o& the particular planet$
thus ma%ing all the &acts o& that order solid realities to the individual$ and himsel& a solid and natural
)eing to the other inha)itants o& that world'
5ut this would not do away with the individual"s %nowledge o& how he got there, and so$ supposing him
to have realised his identity with the 2niversal #i&e-Principle su&&iciently to consciously control the
pro/ection o& his own )ody$ he could at will disintegrate the )ody which accorded with the conditions o&
one planet and constitute one which accorded /ust as harmoniously with those o& another$ and thus
&unction on any num)er o& planets as a per&ectly natural )eing on each o& them' !e would in all respects
resem)le the other inha)itants$ with one all-important e+ception6 that since he had attained to unity with
his Creative Principle$ he would not )e tied )y the laws o& matter as they were'
3nyone who should attain to such a power could only do so )y his realisation o& the 3ll-em)racing
2nity o& the Spirit as )eing the Foundation o& all things, and this )eing the )asis o& his own e+tended
powers$ he would )e the last to controvert his own )asic principle )y employing his powers in such a
way as to distur) the natural course o& evolution in the world where he was' !e might use them to help
&orward the evolution o& others in that world$ )ut certainly never distur) it$ &or he would always act on
the ma+im that Order is !eaven"s First #aw'
Sel&-Creation in the !ere and *ow
Our o)/ect$ however$ is not to trans&er ourselves to other planets$ )ut to get the )est out o& this one, )ut
we shall not get the )est out o& this one until we realise that the power which will ena)le us to do so is
so a)solutely 2niversal and &undamental that its application in this world is precisely the same as in any
other$ and that is why I have stated it as a general proposition applica)le to all worlds'
The principle )eing thus 2niversal$ there is no reason why we should postpone its application till we
&ind ourselves in another world$ and the )est place and time to )egin are !ere and *ow' The starting-
point is not in time or locality$ )ut in the mode o& Thought, and i& we realise that this Point o&
Origination is Spirit"s power to produce something out o& nothing$ and that it does this in accordance
with the natural order o& su)stance o& the world in which it is wor%ing$ then the spiritual ego in
ourselves$ as proceeding direct &rom the 2niversal Spirit$ should )e a)le$ &irst$ to so harmoniously
com)ine the wor%ing o& Spiritual and physical laws in its own )ody as to %eep it in per&ect health,
secondly$ to carry this process &urther and renew the )ody$ thus eradicating the e&&ects o& old age, and
thirdly$ to carry the process still &urther and perpetuate this renewed )ody as long as the individual
might desire'
I& the student shows this to one o& his average ac-uaintances who has never given any thought to these
things$ his &riend will undou)tedly e+claim$ TommyrotM even i& he does not use a stronger e+pletive'
!e will at once appeal to the past e+perience o& all man%ind$ his argument )eing that what has not )een
in the past cannot )e in the &uture, yet he does not apply the same argument to aeronautics and is -uite
o)livious o& the &act that the Sacred Golume which he reverences contains promises o& these very
things' The really earnest student must never &orget the ma+im that Principle is not )ound )y
Precedent' I& it were$ we should still )e primitive savages'
To use the Creative Process$ we must 3&&irm the Creative Power that is to say$ we must go )ac% to
the 5eginning o& the series and start with Pure Spirit$ only remem)ering that this starting-point is now
to )e &ound in ourselves$ &or this is what distinguishes the individual Creative Process &rom the cosmic
one' This is where the importance o& realising only O*1 Originating Power instead o& two interacting
powers comes in$ &or it means that we do not derive our power &rom any e+isting polarity$ )ut that we
are going to esta)lish polarities which will start secondary causation on the lines which we thus
determine' This also is where the importance comes in o& recognising that the only possi)le originating
movement o& Spirit must )e Sel&-contemplation$ &or this shows us that we do not have to contemplate
e+isting conditions )ut the 7ivine Ideal$ and that this contemplation o& the 7ivine Ideal o& 4an is the
Sel&-contemplation o& the Spirit &rom the standpoint o& !uman Individuality'
4ental 5loc%age
Then the -uestion arises$ I& these principles are true$ why are we not demonstrating them. 0ell$ when
our &undamental principle is o)viously correct and yet we do not get the proper results$ the only
in&erence is that somewhere or other we have introduced something antagonistic to the &undamental
principle$ something not inherent in the principle itsel& and which owes its presence to some action o&
our own' *ow the error consists in the )elie& that the Creative Power is limited )y the material in which
it wor%s' I& this )e assumed$ then you have to calculate the resistances o&&ered )y the material$ and since
)y the terms o& the Creative Process these resistances do not really e+ist$ you have no )asis o&
calculation at all in &act$ you have no means o& %nowing where you are$ and everything is in
con&usion' This is why it is so important to remem)er that the Creative Process is the action o& a Single
Power$ and that the interaction o& two opposite polarities comes in at a later stage$ and is not creative$
)ut only distri)utive that is to say$ it localises the 1nergy already proceeding &rom the Single Power'
This is a &undamental truth which should never )e lost sight o&' So long$ however$ as we &ail to see this
truth$ we necessarily limit the Creative Power )y the material it wor%s in$ and in practice we do this )y
re&erring to past e+perience as the only standard o& /udgment' 0e are measuring the Fi&th Ningdom )y
the standard o& the Fourth$ as though we should say that an intellectual man$ a )eing o& the Fourth
Ningdom$ was to )e limited )y the conditions which o)tain in the First or 4ineral Ningdom' To use
Scriptural language$ we are see%ing the #iving among the dead'
3nd moreover at the present time$ a new order o& e+perience is )eginning to open out to us$ &or well-
authenticated instances o& the cure o& disease )y the invisi)le power o& the Spirit are steadily increasing
in num)er' The &acts are now too patent to )e denied, what we want is a )etter %nowledge o& the power
which accounts &or them' 3nd i& this )eginning is now with us$ )y what reason can we limit it. The
di&&erence )etween the healing o& disease and the renewal o& the entire organism and the perpetuation o&
li&e is only a di&&erence o& degree and not o& %ind, so that the actual e+perience o& increasing num)ers
shows the wor%ing o& a principle to which we can logically set no limits'
The #aw o& #i&e
I& we get the steps o& the Creative Process clearly into our minds$ we shall see why we have hitherto had
such small results'
Spirit creates )y Sel&-contemplation,
There&ore$ 0hat it contemplates itsel& as )eing$ that it )ecomes'
Oou are individualised Spirit,
There&ore$ 0hat you contemplate as the #aw o& your )eing )ecomes the #aw o& your )eing'
!ence$ contemplate a #aw o& 7eath arising out o& the Forces o& the 4aterial reacting against the Power
o& the Spirit and overcoming it$ and you impress this mode o& sel&-recognition upon Spirit in yoursel&'
O& course$ you cannot alter its inherent nature$ )ut you cause it to wor% under negative conditions and
thus ma%e it produce negative results so &ar as you yoursel& are concerned'
5ut reverse the process$ and contemplate a #aw o& #i&e as inherent in the very 5eing o& the Spirit$ and
there&ore as inherent in Spirit in yoursel&, and contemplate the &orces o& the 4aterial as practically non-
e+istent in the Creative Process$ )ecause they are products o& it and not causes loo% at things in this
way$ and you will impress a corresponding conception upon the Spirit which$ )y the #aw o&
Feciprocity$ thus enters into Sel&-contemplation on these lines &rom the standpoint o& your own
individuality, and then$ )y the nature o& the Creative Process$ a corresponding e+ternalisation is )ound
to ta%e place' Thus our initial -uestion$ !ow did anything come into e+istence at all$ )rings us to the
recognition o& a #aw o& #i&e which we may each specialise &or ourselves, and in the degree to which we
specialise it$ we shall &ind the Creative Principle at wor% within us )uilding up a healthier and happier
personality in mind$ )ody$ and circumstances'
Spirit$ Form$ and (rowth
Only$ we must learn to distinguish the vehicles o& Spirit &rom Spirit itsel&$ &or the distinction has very
important )earings' 0hat distinguishes the vehicles &rom the Spirit is the #aw o& (rowth' The Spirit is
the Formless principle o& #i&e$ and the vehicle is a Form in which this principle &unctions' *ow the
vehicle is a pro/ection )y the Spirit o& su)stance co-ordinate with the natural order o& the plane on
which the vehicle &unctions$ and there&ore re-uires to )e )uilt up con&orma)ly to that order'
This )uilding up is what we spea% o& as (rowth, and since the principle which causes the growth is the
individualised Spirit$ the rate at which the growth will go on depends on the amount o& vitalising energy
the Spirit puts into it$ and the amount o& vitalising energy will depend on the degree in which the
individualised Spirit appreciates its own livingness, and &inally$ the degree o& this appreciation will
depend on the -uality o& the individual"s perception o& the (reat 3ll-originating Spirit as re&lecting itsel&
in him and thus ma%ing his contemplation o& It nothing else than the Creative Sel&-contemplation o& the
Spirit proceeding &rom an individual and personal centre'
0e must there&ore not omit the #aw o& (rowth in the vehicle &rom our conception o& the wor%ing o& the
Spirit' 3s a matter o& &act$ the vehicle has nothing to say in the matter$ &or it is simply a pro/ection &rom
the Spirit, )ut &or this very reason$ its &ormation will )e slow or rapid in e+act proportion to the
individual spirit"s vitalising conception'
0e could imagine a degree o& vitalising conception that would produce the corresponding &orm
instantaneously$ )ut at present we must allow &or the wea%ness o& our spiritual power not as thin%ing
it )y any means incapa)le o& accomplishing its o)/ect$ )ut as )eing &ar slower in operation now than we
hope to see it in the &uture, and so we must not allow ourselves to )e discouraged$ )ut must hold our
thought$ %nowing that it is doing its creative wor%$ and that the corresponding growth is slowly )ut
surely ta%ing place thus &ollowing the 7ivine precept that men ought always to pray and not to &aint'
(radually$ as we gain e+perience on these new lines$ our con&idence in the power o& the Spirit will
increase$ and we shall )e less inclined to argue &rom the negative side o& things, and thus the hindrances
to the in&low o& the Originating Spirit will )e more and more removed$ and greater and greater results
will )e o)tained'
Progressive Condensation
I& we would have our minds clear on this su)/ect o& 4ani&estation$ we should remem)er its three&old
nature6 First$ the (eneral #i&e-Principle, secondly$ the #ocalisation o& this principle in the Individual,
and thirdly$ the (rowth o& the Gehicle as it is pro/ected )y the individualised spirit with more or less
energy' It is a se-uence o& progressive condensation &rom the 2ndi&&erentiated 2niversal Spirit to the
ultimate and outermost vehicle a truth enshrined in the esoteric ma+im that 4atter is Spirit at its
lowest level'
The &orms thus produced are in true accord with the general order o& *ature on the particular plane
where they occur$ and are there&ore per&ectly di&&erent &rom &orms temporarily consolidated out o&
material drawn &rom other living organisms' These latter phantasmal )odies are held together only )y an
act o& concentrated volition$ and can there&ore only )e maintained &or a short time and with e&&ort, while
the )ody which the individualised spirit$ or ego$ )uilds &or itsel& is produced )y a per&ectly natural
process and does not re-uire any e&&ort to sustain it$ since it is %ept in touch with the whole system o&
the planet )y the continuous and e&&ortless action o& the individual"s su)conscious mind'
This is where the action o& su)conscious mind as the )uilder o& the )ody comes in' Su)conscious mind
acts in accordance with the aggregate o& suggestion impressed upon it )y the conscious mind$ and i& this
suggestion is that o& per&ect harmony with the physical laws o& the planet$ then a corresponding )uilding
)y the su)conscious mind will ta%e place a process which$ so &ar &rom implying any e&&ort$ consists
rather in a rest&ul sense o& unity with *ature' ?See my 1din)urgh #ectures in 4ental Science@'
3nd i& to this sense o& union with the Soul o& *ature$ that 2niversal Su)conscious 4ind which holds in
the cosmos the same place that the su)conscious mind does in ourselves i& to this there )e
superadded a sense o& union with the 3ll-creating Spirit &rom which the Soul o& *ature &lows$ then$
through the medium o& the individual"s su)conscious mind$ such specialised e&&ects can )e produced in
his )ody as to transcend our past e+periences without in any way violating the order o& the 2niverse'
The Old #aw was the mani&estation o& the Principle o& #i&e wor%ing under constricted conditions, the
*ew #aw is the mani&estation o& the same Principle wor%ing under e+panding conditions' Thus it is that
though (od never changes$ we are said to increase with the increase o& (od'
Chapter D The Personal Factor
The 2niversal 4ind
I have already pointed out that the presence o& a single 3ll-em)racing Cosmic 4ind is an a)solute
necessity &or the e+istence o& any creation whatever$ &or the reason that i& each individual mind were an
entirely separate centre o& perception$ not lin%ed to all other minds )y a common ground o& underlying
mentality independent o& all individual action$ then no two persons would see the same thing at the
same time, in &act$ no two individuals would )e conscious o& living in the same world'
I& this were to )e the case$ there would )e no common standard to which to re&er our sensations, and$
indeed$ coming into e+istence with no consciousness o& environment e+cept such as we could &orm )y
our own unaided thought$ and having )y the hypothesis no standard )y which to &orm our thoughts$ we
could not &orm the conception o& any environment at all$ and conse-uently could have no recognition o&
our own e+istence' The con&usion o& thought involved even in the attempt to state such a condition
shows it to )e per&ectly inconceiva)le$ &or the simple reason that it is sel&-contradictory and sel&-
destructive'
On this account$ it is clear that our own e+istence and that o& the world around us necessarily implies
the presence o& a 2niversal 4ind acting on certain &i+ed lines o& Its own which esta)lish the )asis &or
the wor%ing o& all individual minds' This paramount action o& the 2niversal 4ind thus sets an
unchangea)le standard )y which all individual mental action must eventually )e measured$ and
there&ore our &irst concern is to ascertain what this standard is and to ma%e it the )asis o& our own
action' 5ut i& the independent e+istence o& a common standard o& re&erence is necessary &or our sel&-
recognition simply as inha)itants o& the world we live in$ then$ a &ortiori ?all the more so 1d'@$ a
common standard o& re&erence is necessary &or our recognition o& the uni-ue place we hold in the
Creative Order$ which is that o& introducing the Personal &actor without which the possi)ilities
contained in the great Cosmic #aws would remain undeveloped$ and the Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit
could never reach those in&inite un&oldments o& which it is logically capa)le'
The Personal Factor
The evolution o& the Personal &actor is there&ore the point with which we are most concerned' 3s a
matter o& &act$ whatever theories we may hold to the contrary$ we do all realise the same cosmic
environment in the same way6 that is to say$ our minds all act according to certain generic laws which
underlie all our individual diversities o& thought and &eeling' This is so )ecause we are made that way
and cannot help it'
5ut with the Personal Factor the case is di&&erent' 3 standard is no less necessary$ )ut we are not so
made as to con&orm to it automatically' The very conception o& automatic con&ormity to a personal
standard is sel&-contradictory$ &or it does away with the very thing that constitutes personality
namely$ &reedom o& volition$ the use o& powers o& Initiative and Selection'
For this reason$ con&ormity to the Standard o& Personality must )e a matter o& choice$ which amounts to
the same thing as saying that it rests with each individual to &orm his own conception o& a standard o&
Personality, )ut which li)erty$ however$ carries with it the inevita)le result that we shall )ring into
mani&estation the conditions corresponding to the sort o& personality we accept as our normal standard'
0hat is *ormal.
I would draw attention to the words *ormal Standard' 0hat we shall eventually attain is$ not what we
merely wish$ )ut what we regard as normal' The reason is that since we su)consciously %now ourselves
to )e )ased upon the inherent #aw o& the 2niversal 4ind$ we &eel whether we can reason it out or
not that we cannot &orce the 3ll-producing 4ind to wor% contrary to its own inherent -ualities$ and
there&ore we intuitively recognise that we cannot transcend the sort o& personality which is normal
according to the #aw o& 2niversal 4ind'
This thought is always at the )ac% o& our mind$ and we cannot get away &rom it &or the simple reason
that it is inherent in our mental constitution$ )ecause our mind is itsel& a product o& the Creative Process,
and to suppose ourselves transcending the possi)ilities contained in the Originating 4ind would involve
the a)surdity o& supposing that we can get the greater out o& the less'
*evertheless there are some who try to do so$ and their position is as &ollows' They say$ in e&&ect$ I want
to transcend the standard o& humanity as I see it around me' 5ut this is the normal standard according to
the #aw o& the 2niverse' Conse-uently$ I cannot draw the necessary power &rom that #aw$ and so there
is nowhere else to get it e+cept &rom mysel&'
Thus the aspirant is thrown )ac% upon his own individual will as the ultimate power$ with the result that
the onus lies on him o& concentrating a &orce su&&icient to overcome the #aw o& the 2niverse' There is
thus continually present to him a suggestion o& struggle against a tremendous opposing &orce and$ as a
conse-uence$ he is continually su)/ecting himsel& to a strain which grows more and more intense as he
realises the magnitude o& the &orce against which he is contending'
Then$ as he )egins to realise the ine-uality o& the struggle$ he see%s &or e+traneous aid$ and so he &alls
)ac% on various e+pedients$ all o& which have this in common$ that they ultimately amount to invo%ing
the assistance o& other individualities$ not seeing that this involves the same &allacy which has )rought
him to his present straits the &allacy$ namely$ o& supposing that any individuality can develop a
power greater than that o& the Source &rom which itsel& proceeds'
The &allacy is a radical one, and there&ore all e&&orts )ased upon it are &oredoomed to ultimate &ailure$
whether they ta%e the &orm o& reliance on personal &orce o& will$ or magical rites$ or austerity practised
against the )ody$ or attempts )y a)normal concentration to a)sor) the individual in the 2niversal$ or the
invocation o& spirits$ or any other method' The same &allacy is involved in them all6 that the less is
larger than the greater'
*ow the point to )e noted is that the idea o& transcending the present conditions o& humanity does not
necessarily imply the idea o& transcending the normal law o& humanity' The mista%e we have hitherto
made has )een in &i+ing the Standard o& Personality too low and in ta%ing our past e+periences as
measuring the ultimate possi)ilities o& the race' Our li)erty consists in our a)ility to &orm our own
conception o& the *ormal Standard o& Personality$ only su)/ect to the conditions arising out o& the
inherent #aw o& the underlying 2niversal 4ind, and so the whole thing resolves itsel& into the -uestion$
0hat are those &undamental conditions. The #aw is that we cannot transcend the *ormal, there&ore
comes the -uestion$ 0hat is the *ormal.
Properties o& The Spirit
I have endeavoured to answer this -uestion in the chapter on the 7ivine Ideal$ )ut since this is the
crucial point o& the whole su)/ect$ we may devote a little &urther attention to it' The *ormal Standard o&
Personality must necessarily )e the reproduction in Individuality o& what the 2niversal 4ind is in itsel&$
)ecause$ )y the nature o& the Creative Process$ this standard results &rom Spirit"s Sel&-contemplation at
the stage where its recognition is turned towards its own power o& Initiative and Selection'
3t this stage$ Spirit"s Sel&-recognition has passed )eyond that o& Sel&-e+pression through a mere #aw o&
3verages into the recognition o& what I have ventured to call its 3rtistic 3)ility, and as we have seen
that Sel&-recognition at any stage can only )e attained )y the realisation o& a relation stimulating that
particular sort o& consciousness$ it &ollows that &or the purpose o& this &urther advance$ e+pression
through individuals o& a corresponding type is a necessity' Then$ )y the #aw o& Feciprocity$ such )eings
must possess powers similar to those contemplated in itsel& )y the Originating Spirit, in other words$
they must )e$ in their own sphere$ the image and li%eness o& the Spirit as it sees itsel&'
*ow we have seen that the Creating Spirit necessarily possesses the powers o& Initiative and Selection'
These we may call its active properties the summing up o& what it does' 5ut what any power does
depends on what it is$ &or the simple reason that it cannot give out what is does not contain, there&ore$ at
the )ac% o& the initiative and selective powers o& the Spirit$ we must &ind what the Spirit is$ namely$
what are its su)stantive properties'
To )egin with$ it must )e #i&e' Then$ )ecause it is #i&e$ it must )e #ove )ecause$ as the
undi&&erentiated Principle o& #i&e$ it cannot do otherwise than tend to the &uller development o& li&e in
each individual$ and the pure motive o& giving greater en/oyment o& li&e is #ove' Then$ )ecause it is #i&e
guided )y #ove$ it must also )e #ight that is to say$ the primary$ all-inclusive perception o&
)oundless mani&estations yet to )e' Then &rom this proceeds Power$ )ecause there is no opposing &orce
at the level o& Pure Spirit, and there&ore #i&e urged &orward )y #ove or the desire &or recognition$ and
)y #ight or the pure perception o& the #aw o& In&inite Possi)ility$ must necessarily produce Power$ &or
the simple reason that under these conditions it could not stop short o& action$ &or that would )e the
denial o& the #i&e$ #ove$ and #ight which it is'
Then$ )ecause the Spirit is #i&e$ #ove$ #ight$ and Power$ it is also Peace again &or a very simple
reason6 that )eing the Spirit o& the 0hole$ it cannot set one part in antagonism against another$ &or that
would )e to destroy the wholeness' *e+t the Spirit must )e 5eauty$ )ecause on the same principle o&
0holeness$ it must duly proportion every part to every other part$ and the due proportioning o& all parts
is )eauty' 3nd lastly the Spirit must )e Hoy$ )ecause$ wor%ing on these lines$ it cannot do otherwise than
&ind pleasure in the Sel&-e+pression which its wor%s a&&ord it and in the contemplation o& the
limitlessness o& the Creative Process )y which each realised stage o& evolution$ however e+cellent$ is
still the stepping-stone to something yet more e+cellent$ and so on in everlasting progression'
The 2niversal Principle o& !umanity
For these reasons we may sum up the Su)stantive 5eing o& the 3ll-originating Spirit as #i&e$ #ove$
#ight$ Power$ Peace$ 5eauty$ and Hoy, and its 3ctive Power as that o& Initiative and Selection' These$
there&ore$ constitute the )asic laws o& the underlying 2niversal 4entality which sets the Standard o&
*ormal Personality a standard which$ when seen in this light$ transcends the utmost scope o&
thought$ &or it is nothing less than the Spirit o& the In&inite 3&&irmative conceived in !uman
Individuality )y the same #aw o& Feciprocity which we have &ound to )e the &undamental law o& the
Creative Process only now we are tracing the action o& this #aw in the Fi&th Ningdom instead o& in
the Fourth'
The Standard$ then$ we may call the 2niversal Principle o& !umanity, and having now traced the
successive steps )y which it is reached &rom the &irst cosmic movement o& the Spirit in the &ormation o&
the primary ne)ula$ we need not go over the old ground again$ and may hence&orward ta%e this 7ivine
Principle o& !umanity as our *ormal Standard and ma%e it the starting-point &or our &urther evolution'
5ut how are we to do this. Simply )y using the one method o& Creative Process that is$ the Sel&-
contemplation o& Spirit' 0e now %now ourselves to )e Feciprocals o& the 7ivine Spirit$ centres in
which It &inds a &resh standpoint &or Sel&-contemplation, and so the way to rise to the heights o& this
(reat Pattern is )y contemplating it as the *ormal Standard o& our own Personality'
Personal 2n&oldment
3nd )e it noted that the Pattern thus set )e&ore us is 2niversal' It is the em)odiment o& all the great
principles o& the 3&&irmative$ and so in no way inter&eres with our own particular individuality' That is
something )uilt up upon this &oundation$ something additional a&&ording the di&&erentiating medium
through which this uni&ying Principle &inds variety o& e+pression, there&ore we need )e under no
apprehension that )y resting upon this Pattern we should )ecome less ourselves'
On the contrary$ the recognition o& it sets us at li)erty to )ecome more &ully ourselves$ )ecause we
%now that we are )asing our development$ not upon the strength o& our own unaided will$ nor yet upon
any sort o& e+traneous help$ )ut upon the 2niversal #aw itsel&$ mani&esting through us in the proper
se-uence o& the Creative Order, so that we are still dealing with 2niversal principles$ only the principle
)y which we are now wor%ing is the 2niversal Principle o& Personality'
I wish the student to get this idea very clearly )ecause this is really the cru+ o& the passage &rom the
Fourth Ningdom into the Fi&th' The great pro)lem o& the &uture o& evolution is the introduction o& the
Personal Factor' The reason why this is so is very simple when we see it' To ta%e a thought &rom my
own 7orI #ectures$ we may put it in this way6
In &ormer days$ no one thought o& )uilding ships o& iron$ )ecause iron does not &loat, yet now ships are
seldom )uilt o& anything else$ though the relative speci&ic gravities o& iron and water remain unchanged'
0hat has changed is the Personal Factor' It has e+panded to a more intelligent perception o& the law o&
&lotation$ and we now see that wood &loats and iron sin%s$ )oth o& them )y the same principle wor%ing
under opposite conditions the law$ namely$ that anything will &loat which$ )ul% &or )ul%$ is lighter
than the volume o& water displaced )y it, so that )y including in our calculations the displacement o& the
vessel as well as the speci&ic gravity o& the material$ we now ma%e iron &loat )y the very same law )y
which it sin%s'
This e+ample shows that the &unction o& the Personal Factor is to analyse the mani&estations o& #aw
which are spontaneously a&&orded )y *ature and to discover the 2niversal 3&&irmative Principle which
lies hidden within them, and then$ )y the e+ercise o& our powers o& Initiative and Selection$ to provide
such specialised conditions as will ena)le the 2niversal Principle to wor% in per&ectly new ways
transcending anything in our past e+perience' This is how all progress has )een achieved up to the
present$ and is the way in which all progress must )e achieved in the &uture, only$ &or the purpose o&
evolution$ or growth &rom within$ we must trans&er the method to the spiritual plane'
The &unction$ then$ o& the Personal &actor in the Creative Order is to provide specialised conditions )y
the use o& the powers o& Selection and Initiative a truth indicated )y the ma+im *ature unaided
&ails, )ut the di&&iculty is that i& enhanced powers were attained )y the whole population o& the world
without any common )asis &or their use$ their promiscuous e+ercise could only result in chaotic
con&usion and the destruction o& the entire race' To introduce the creative power o& the Individual and at
the same time avoid converting it into a devastating &lood is the great pro)lem o& the transition &rom the
Fourth Ningdom into the Fi&th'
For this purpose it )ecomes necessary to have a Standard o& the Personal Factor independent o& any
individual conceptions$ /ust as we &ound that in order &or us to attain sel&-consciousness at all$ it was a
necessity that there should )e a 2niversal 4ind as the generic )asis o& all individual mentality, only$ in
regard to the generic )uild o& mind$ the con&ormity is necessarily automatic, while in regard to the
specialising process$ the &act that the essence o& that process is Selection and Initiative renders it
impossi)le &or the con&ormity to the Standard o& Personality to )e automatic, the very nature o& the
thing ma%es it a matter o& individual choice'
3 Standard o& Personality
*ow a Standard o& Personality independent o& individual conceptions must )e the essence o&
Personality as distinguished &rom individual idiosyncrasies$ and can there&ore )e nothing else than the
Creative #i&e$ #ove$ 5eauty$ etc' viewed as a 7ivine Individuality$ )y identi&ying ourselves with which
we eliminate all possi)ility o& con&lict with other personalities )ased on the same &undamental
recognition, and the very 2niversality o& this Standard allows &ree play to all our particular
idiosyncrasies while at the same time preventing them &rom antagonising the &undamental principles to
which we have &ound that the Sel&-contemplation o& the Originating Spirit must necessarily give rise' In
this way we attain a Standard o& 4easurement &or our own powers'
I& we recognise no such Standard$ our development o& spiritual powers$ our discovery o& the immense
possi)ilities hidden in the inner laws o& *ature and o& our own )eing$ can only )ecome a scourge to
ourselves and others$ and it is &or this reason that these secrets are so /ealously guarded )y those who
%now them$ and that over the entrance to the temple are written the words 1s%ato 5e)eloi6 !ence$ ye
Pro&ane' 5ut i& we recognise and accept this Standard o& 4easurement$ then we need never &ear our
discovery o& hidden powers either in ourselves or in *ature$ &or on this )asis it )ecomes impossi)le &or
us to misuse them' There&ore it is that all systematic teaching on these su)/ects )egins with instruction
regarding the Creative Order o& the Cosmos$ and then proceeds to e+hi)it the same Order as reproduced
on the plane o& Personality$ and so a&&ording a &resh starting-point &or the Creative Process )y the
introduction o& Individual Initiative and Selection' This is the doctrine o& the 4acrocosm and the
4icrocosm, and the transition &rom the generic wor%ing o& the Creative Spirit in the Cosmos to its
speci&ic wor%ing in the Individual is what is meant )y the doctrine o& the Octave' ?See #ecture ; in The
7orI #ectures on 4ental Science' - 1d'@
Chapter E The Standard o& Personality
Practical Considerations
0e have now got some general idea as to the place o& the personal &actor in the Creative Process$ and so
the ne+t -uestion is$ !ow does this a&&ect ourselves. The answer is that i& we have grasped the
&undamental &act that the moving power in the Creative Process is the Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit$ and
i& we also see that$ )ecause we are miniature reproductions o& the Original Spirit$ our contemplation o&
It )ecomes Its contemplation o& Itsel& &rom the standpoint o& our own individuality i& we have
grasped these &undamental conceptions$ then it &ollows that our process &or developing power is to
contemplate the Originating Spirit as the Source o& the power we want to develop'
3nd here we must guard against a mista%e which people o&ten ma%e when loo%ing to the Spirit as the
Source o& power' 0e are apt to regard It as sometimes giving and sometimes withholding power$ and
conse-uently are never sure which way It will act' 5ut )y so doing we ma%e Spirit contemplate Itsel& as
having no de&inite action at all$ as a plus and minus which mutually cancel each other$ and there&ore )y
the #aw o& the Creative Process no result is to )e e+pected' The mista%e consists in regarding the power
as something separate &rom the Spirit, whereas )y the analysis o& the Creative Process which we have
now made$ we see that the Spirit Itsel& is the power$ )ecause the power comes into e+istence only
through Spirit"s Sel&-contemplation' Then the logical in&erence &rom this is that )y contemplating the
Spirit as the power and$ vice versa$ )y contemplating the power as the Spirit$ a similar power is )eing
generated in ourselves'
Concentrate on the Power$ *ot the Pro)lem
3gain an important conclusion &ollows &rom this$ which is that to generate any particular sort o& power$
we should contemplate it in the a)stract rather than as applied to the particular set o& circumstances we
have in hand' The circumstances indicate the sort o& power we want )ut they do not help us to generate
it, rather they impress us with a sense o& something contrary to the power$ something which has to )e
overcome )y it$ and there&ore we should endeavour to dwell on the power in itsel&$ and so come into
touch with it in its limitless in&initude'
It is here that we )egin to &ind the )ene&it o& a 7ivine Standard o& !uman Individuality' That also is an
In&inite Principle$ and )y identi&ying ourselves with it$ we )ring to )ear upon the a)stract conception o&
in&inite Impersonal Power a corresponding conception o& In&inite Personality$ so that we thus import the
Personal Factor$ which is a)le to use the Power without imposing any strain upon ourselves' 0e %now
that )y the very nature o& the Creative Process$ we are one with the Originating Spirit and there&ore one
with all the principles o& Its 5eing$ and conse-uently one with Its In&inite Personality, and there&ore our
contemplation o& it as the Power which we want gives us the power to use that Power' This is the Sel&-
contemplation o& Spirit employed &rom the individual standpoint &or the generating o& power' Then
comes the application o& the power thus generated' 5ut there is only one Creative Process that o& the
Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit and there&ore the way to use this process &or the application o& the
power is to contemplate ourselves as surrounded )y the conditions which we want to produce'
Permission$ *ot Compulsion
This does not mean that we are to lay down a hard and &ast pattern o& the conditions and strenuously
endeavour to compel the Power to con&orm its wor%ing to every detail o& our mental picture to do so
would )e to hinder its wor%ing and to e+haust ourselves' 0hat we are to dwell upon is the idea o& an
In&inite Power producing the happiness we desire$ and )ecause this Power is also the Forming Power o&
the 2niverse$ trusting it to give that &orm to the conditions which will most per&ectly react upon us to
produce the particular state o& consciousness desired'
Thus neither on the side o& in-drawing nor o& out-giving is there any constraining o& the Power$ while in
)oth cases there is an initiative and selective action on the part o& the individual' For the generating o&
power$ he ta%es the initiative o& invo%ing it )y contemplation$ and he ma%es selection o& the sort o&
power to invo%e, while on the giving out side$ he ma%es selection o& the purpose &or which the Power is
to )e employed$ and ta%es the initiative )y his thought o& directing the Power to that purpose' !e thus
&ul&ils the &undamental re-uirements o& the Creative Process )y e+ercising Spirit"s inherent &aculties o&
initiative and selection )y means o& its inherent method$ namely$ )y Sel&-contemplation'
The whole action is identical in %ind with that which produces the cosmos$ and it is now repeated in
miniature &or the particular world o& the individual, only$ we must remem)er that this miniature
reproduction o& the Creative Process is )ased upon the great &undamental principles inherent in the
2niversal 4ind$ and cannot )e dissociated &rom them without involving a conception o& the individual
which will ultimately )e &ound sel&-destructive$ )ecause it cuts away the &oundation on which his
individuality rests'
3ttaining 2nion 0ith The Originating Spirit
It will there&ore )e seen that any individuality )ased upon the &undamental Standard o& Personality thus
involved in the 2niversal 4ind has reached the )asic principle o& union with the Originating Spirit
Itsel&$ and we are there&ore correct in saying that union is attained through$ or )y means o&$ this
Standard Personality' This is a great truth which in all ages has )een set &orth under a variety o&
sym)olic statements$ o&ten misunderstood and still continuing to )e so though$ owing to the inherent
vitality o& the idea itsel&$ even a partial apprehension o& it produces a corresponding measure o& good
results' This &alling short has )een occasioned )y the &ailure to recognise an 1ternal Principle at the
)ac% o& the particular statements in a word$ the &ailure to see what they were tal%ing a)out' 3ll
principles are eternal in themselves$ and this is what distinguishes them &rom their particular
mani&estations as laws determined )y temporary and local conditions'
I&$ then$ we would reach the root o& the matter$ we must penetrate through all ver)al statements to an
1ternal Principle which is as active now as ever in the past$ and which is as availa)le to ourselves as to
any who have gone )e&ore us' There&ore it is that when we discern an 1ternal and 2niversal Principle o&
!uman Personality as necessarily involved in the 1ssential 5eing o& the Originating 2niversal Spirit
Filius in gremio Patris ?The Son in the )osom o& the Father -1d@ we have discovered the true *ormal
Standard o& Personality'
Then$ )ecause this standard is nothing else than the principle o& Personality e+panded to in&initude$
there is no limit to the e+pansion which we ourselves may attain )y the operation in us o& this principle,
and so we are never placed in a position o& antagonism to the true law o& our )eing )ut$ on the contrary$
the larger and more &undamental our conception o& personal development$ the greater will )e the
&ul&ilment which we give to the #aw' The *ormal Standard o& Personality is &ound to )e itsel& the #aw
o& the Creative Process wor%ing at the personal level, and it cannot )e su)/ect to limitation &or the
simple reason that the process )eing that o& the Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit$ no limits can possi)ly )e
assigned to this contemplation
0e need$ there&ore$ never )e a&raid o& &orming too high an idea o& human possi)ilities$ provided always
that we ta%e this standard as the &oundation on which to )uild up the edi&ice o& our personality' 3nd we
see that this standard is no ar)itrary one$ )ut simply the 1+pression in Personality o& the O*1 3ll-
em)racing Spirit o& the 3&&irmative, and there&ore the only limitation implied )y con&ormity to it is that
o& )eing prevented &rom running on lines opposite to those o& the Creative Process that is to say$
&rom calling into action causes o& disintegration and destruction'
In the truly Constructive Order$ there&ore$ the 7ivine Standard o& Personality is as really the )asis o& the
development o& speci&ic personality as the 2niversal 4ind is the necessary )asis o& generic mentality,
and /ust as without this generic ultimate o& 4ind we should none o& us see the same world at the same
time$ and in &act have no consciousness o& e+istence$ so$ apart &rom this 7ivine Standard o& Personality$
it is e-ually impossi)le &or us to specialise the generic law o& our )eing so as to develop all the glorious
possi)ilities that are latent in it'
Personal Golition
Only$ we must never &orget the di&&erence )etween these two statements o& the 2niversal #aw6 the one
is cosmic and generic$ common to the whole race$ whether they %now it or not a Standard to which
we all con&orm automatically )y the mere &act o& )eing human )eings, while the other is a personal and
individual Standard$ automatic con&ormity to which is impossi)le$ )ecause that would imply the loss o&
those powers o& Initiative and Selection which are the very essence o& Personality, so that this Standard
necessarily implies a personal selection o& it in pre&erence to other conceptions o& an antagonistic
nature'
Chapter = Face Thought and *ew Thought
Face #imitation
The steady &ollowing up o& the successive stages o& the Creative Process has led us to the recognition o&
an Individuality in the 3ll-creating Spirit Itsel&$ )ut an Individuality which is )y its very nature
2niversal$ and so cannot )e departed &rom without violating the essential principles on which the
&urther e+pansion o& our own individuality depends'
3t the same time$ it is strictly individual$ &or it is the Spirit o& Individuality$ and is thus to )e
distinguished &rom that merely generic race-personality which ma%es us human )eings at all' Face-
personality is$ o& course$ the necessary )asis &or the development o& this Individuality, )ut i& we do not
see that it is only the preliminary to &urther evolution$ any other conception o& our personality as
mem)ers o& the race will prevent our advance toward our proper position in the Creative Order$ which
is that o& introducing the Personal Factor )y the e+ercise o& our individual power o& initiative and
selection' It is on this account that Face-thought$ simply as such$ is opposed to the attempt o& the
individual to pass to a higher order o& li&e' It limits him )y strong currents o& negative suggestion )ased
on the &allacy that the perpetuation o& the race re-uires the death o& the individual, and it is only when
the individual sees that this is not true$ and that his race-nature constitutes the ground out o& which his
new Individuality is to )e &ormed$ that he )ecomes a)le to oppose the negative power o& race-thought'
!e does this )y destroying it with his own weapon that is$ )y &inding in the race-nature itsel& the very
material to )e used )y the Spirit &or )uilding up the *ew 4an'
Overcoming 7eath
This is a discovery on the spiritual plane e-uivalent to the discovery on the physical plane that we can
ma%e iron &loat )y the same law )y which it sin%s' It is the discovery that what we call the mortal part o&
us is capa)le o& )eing )rought under a higher application o& the 2niversal #aw o& #i&e$ which will
transmute it into an immortal principle' 0hen we see what we call the mortal part o& us in this light$ we
can employ the very principle on which the negative race-thought is &ounded as a weapon &or the
destruction o& that thought in our own minds'
The )asis o& the negative race-thought is the idea that physical death is an essential part o& the *ormal
Standard o& Personality$ and that the )ody is composed o& so much neutral material with which death
can do what it li%es' 5ut it is precisely this neutrality that ma%es it /ust as amena)le to the #aw o& #i&e
as to the #aw o& 7eath it is simply neutral and not an originating power on either side'
So then when we realise that our *ormal Standard o& Personality is not su)/ect to death$ )ut is the
1ternal 1ssence and 5eing o& #i&e itsel&$ then we see that this neutrality o& matter its ina)ility to
ma%e selection or ta%e initiative on its own account is /ust what ma%es it the plastic medium &or the
e+pression o& Spirit in ourselves'
In this way$ the generic or race mind in the individual )ecomes the instrument through which the
specialising power o& the Spirit wor%s toward the )uilding up o& a personality )ased upon the truly
*ormal Standard o& Individuality which we have &ound to )e inherent in the 3ll-originating Spirit Itsel&'
3nd since the whole -uestion is that o& the introduction o& the &actor o& personal individuality into the
creative order o& causation$ this cannot )e done )y depriving the individual o& what ma%es him a person
instead o& a thing$ namely$ the power o& conscious initiative and selection'
For this reason$ the transition &rom the Fourth Ningdom into the Fi&th cannot )e &orced upon the race
either )y a 7ivine &iat or )y the generic action o& cosmic law$ &or it is a specialising o& the cosmic law$
which can only )e e&&ected )y personal initiative and selection$ /ust as iron can )e made to &loat under
specialised conditions, and conse-uently$ the passage &rom the Fourth into the Fi&th Ningdom is a
strictly individual process which can only )e )rought a)out )y a personal perception o& what the normal
standard o& the *ew Individuality really is' This can only )e done )y the active laying aside o& the old
race-standard and the conscious adoption o& the new one'
The student will do well to consider this care&ully$ &or it e+plains why the race cannot receive the &urther
evolution simply as a race, and also it shows that our &urther evolution is not into a state o& less activity
)ut o& greater$ not into )eing less alive )ut more alive$ not into )eing less ourselves )ut more ourselves
thus )eing /ust the opposite o& those systems which present the goal o& e+istence as re-a)sorption
into the undi&&erentiated 7ivine essence' On the contrary$ our &urther evolution is into greater degrees o&
conscious activity than we have ever yet %nown$ )ecause it implies our development o& greater powers
as the conse-uence o& our clearer perception o& our true relation to the 3ll-originating Spirit' It is the
recognition that we may$ and should$ measure ourselves )y this *ew Standard instead o& )y the old
race-standard that constitutes the real *ew Thought'
The *ew Thought
The *ew Thought which gives *ew #i&e to the individual will never )e realised so long as we thin% that
it is merely the name o& a particular sect$ or that it is to )e &ound in the mechanical o)servance o& a set
o& rules laid down &or us )y some particular teacher' It is a *ew Fact in the e+perience o& the individual$
the reason &or which is indeed made clear to him through intellectual perception o& the real nature o& the
Creative Process$ )ut which can )ecome an actual e+perience only )y ha)itual personal intercourse with
that 7ivine Spirit which is the #i&e$ #ove$ and 5eauty that are at the )ac% o& the Creative Process and
&ind e+pression through it'
From this intercourse new thoughts will continually &low in$ all o& them )earing that vivi&ying element
which is inherent in their Source$ and the individual will then proceed to wor% out these new ideas with
the %nowledge that they have their origin in the selection and initiative power o& the 3ll-creating Spirit
Itsel&, and in this way )y com)ined meditation and action he will &ind himsel& advancing into increasing
light$ li)erty$ and use&ulness'
The advance may )e almost impercepti)le &rom one day to another$ )ut it will )e percepti)le at longer
intervals$ and the one who is thus moving &orward with the Spirit o& (od will$ on loo%ing )ac% at any
time$ always &ind that he is getting more livingness out o& li&e than he was a year previously' 3nd this
without strenuous e&&ort$ &or he is not having to manu&acture the power &rom his own resources$ )ut only
to receive it, and as &or using it$ that is only the e+ercise o& the power itsel&' So$ &ollowing on these lines$
you will &ind that Fest and Power are identical, and so you get the real *ew Thought$ which grows in
*ewness every day'
Chapter;
T!1 7P*O2141*T OF T!1 CF13TIG1 PFOC1SS
Then comes the -uestion$ 0hat should logically )e the dInouement o& the progression we have )een
considering. #et us )rie&ly recapitulate the steps o& the series' 2niversal Spirit )y Sel&-contemplation
evolves 2niversal Su)stance' From this it produces cosmic creation as the e+pression o& itsel& as
&unctioning in Space and Time' Then &rom this initial movement it proceeds to more highly speciali>ed
modes o& Sel&-contemplation in a continually ascending scale$ &or the simple reason that sel&-
contemplation admits o& no limits and there&ore each stage o& sel&-recognition cannot )e other than the
starting-point &or a still more advanced mode o& sel&-contemplation$ and so on ad in&initum' Thus there
is a continuous progress toward more and more highly speciali>ed &orms o& li&e$ implying greater li)erty
and wider scope &or en/oyment as the capacity o& the individual li&e corresponds to a higher degree o&
the contemplation o& Spirit, and in this way evolution proceeds till it reaches a level where it )ecomes
impossi)le to go any &urther e+cept )y the e+ercise o& conscious selection and initiative on the part o&
the individual$ while at the same time con&orming to the universal principles o& which evolution is the
e+pression'
*ow as% yoursel& in what way individual selection and initiative would )e li%ely to act as e+pressing the
Originating Spirit itsel&. (iven the %nowledge on the part o& the individual that he is a)le )y his power
o& initiative and selection to draw directly upon the 3ll-originating Spirit o& #i&e$ what motive could he
have &or not doing so. There&ore$ granted such a per&ect recognition$ we should &ind the individual
holding precisely the same place in regard to his own individual world that the 3ll-originating Spirit
does to the cosmos, su)/ect only to the same #aw o& #ove$ 5eauty$ Qc'$ which we &ound to )e
necessarily inherent in the Creative Spirit--a similarity which would entirely prevent the individual &rom
e+ercising his otherwise limitless powers in any sort o& antagonism to the Spirit o& the (reat 0hole'
3t the same time the individual would )e -uite aware that he was not the 2niversal Spirit in propria
persona$ )ut that he was a&&ording e+pression to it through his individuality' *ow 1+pression is
impossi)le e+cept through Form$ and there&ore &orm o& some sort is a necessity o& individuality' It is
/ust here$ then$ that we &ind the importance o& that principle o& !armony with 1nvironment o& which I
spo%e earlier$ the principle in accordance with which a person who had o)tained complete control o&
matter$ i& he wished to transport himsel& to some other planet$ would appear there in per&ect con&ormity
with all the laws o& matter that o)tained in that world, though$ o& course$ not su)/ect to any limitation o&
the #i&e Principle in himsel&' !e would e+hi)it the laws o& matter as rendered per&ect )y the #aw o&
Originating #i&e' 5ut i& any one now living on this earth were thus per&ectly to reali>e the #aw o& #i&e
he would )e in precisely the same position here as our imaginary visitor to another planet--in other
words the dInouement o& the #aw o& #i&e is not the putting o&& o& the )ody$ )ut its inclusion as part o&
the conscious li&e o& the Spirit'
This does not imply any di&&erence in the molecular structure o& the )ody &rom that o& other men$ &or )y
the principle o& !armony o& which I have /ust spo%en$ it would )e &ormed in strict accordance with the
laws o& matter on the particular planet, though it would not )e su)/ect to the limitations resulting &rom
the average man"s non-recognition o& the power o& the Spirit' The man who had thus &ully entered into
the Fi&th Ningdom would recogni>e that$ in its relation to the denser modes o& matter his )ody was o& a
similar dense mode' That would )e its relation to e+ternal environment as seen )y others' 5ut since the
man now %new himsel& as not )elonging to these denser modes o& mani&estation$ )ut as an
individuali>ation o& Primary Spirit$ he would see that relatively to himsel& all matter was Primary
Su)stance$ and that &rom this point o& view any condensations o& that su)stance into atoms$ molecules$
tissues$ and the li%e counted &or nothing--&or him the )ody would )e simply Primary Su)stance entirely
responsive to his will' Oet his reverence &or the #aw o& !armony would prevent any disposition to play
psychic pran%s with it$ and he would use his power over the )ody only to meet actual re-uirements'
In this way$ then$ we are led to the conclusion that eternal li&e in an immortal physical )ody is the
logical dInouement o& our evolution, and i& we re&lect that$ )y the conditions o& the case$ the owners o&
such )odies could at will either transport themselves to other worlds or put o&& the physical )ody
altogether and remain in the purely su)/ective li&e while still retaining the power to reclothe themselves
in &lesh whenever they chose$ we shall see that this dInouement o& evolution answers all possi)le
-uestions as to the increase o& the race$ the &inal destruction o& the planet$ and the li%e'
This$ then$ is the ultimate which we should %eep in view, )ut the &act remains that$ though there may )e
hidden ones who have thus attained$ the )ul% o& man%ind have not$ and that the common lot o&
humanity is to go through the change which we call death' In )road philosophical terms death may )e
descri)ed as the withdrawal o& the li&e into the su)/ective consciousness to the total e+clusion o& the
o)/ective consciousness' Then )y the general law o& the relation )etween su)/ective and o)/ective mind$
the su)/ective mind severed &rom its corresponding o)/ective mentality has no means o& ac-uiring &resh
impressions on its own account$ and there&ore can only ring the changes on those impressions which it
has )rought with it &rom its past li&e' 5ut these may )e o& very various sorts$ ranging &rom the lowest to
the highest$ &rom those most opposed to that ultimate destiny o& man which we have /ust )een
considering$ to those which recogni>e his possi)ilities in a very large measure$ needing little more to
)ring a)out the &ull &ruition o& per&ected li&e' 5ut however various may )e their e+periences$ all who
have passed through death must have this in common that they have lost their physical instrument o&
o)/ective perception and so have their mode o& consciousness determined entirely )y the dominant
mode o& suggestion which they have )rought over with them &rom the o)/ective side o& li&e'?E@ O&
course i& the o)/ective mentality were also )rought over this would give the individual the same power
o& initiative and selection that he possesses while in the )ody$ and$ as we shall see later on$ there are
e+ceptional persons with whom this is the case, )ut &or the great ma/ority the physical )rain is a
necessity &or the wor%ing o& the o)/ective mentality$ and so when they are deprived o& this instrument
their li&e )ecomes purely su)/ective and is a sort o& dream-li&e$ only with a vast di&&erence )etween two
classes o& dreamers--those who dream as they must and those who dream as they will' The &ormer are
those who have enslaved themselves in various ways to their lower mentality--some )y )ringing with
them the memory o& crimes unpardoned$ some )y )ringing with them the idea o& a merely animal li&e$
others less degraded$ )ut still in )ondage to limited thought$ )ringing with them only the suggestion o& a
&rivolous worldly li&e--in this way$ )y the natural operation o& the #aw o& Suggestion$ these di&&erent
classes$ either through remorse$ or unsatis&ied desires$ or sheer incapacity to grasp higher principles$ all
remain earth-)ound$ su&&ering in e+act correspondence with the nature o& the suggestion they have
)rought along with them' The unchangea)le #aw is that the suggestion )ecomes the li&e, and this is
e-ually true o& suggestions o& a happier sort' Those who have )rought over with them the great truth
that conditions are the creations o& thought$ and who have accustomed themselves while in o)/ective
li&e to dwell on good and )eauti&ul ideas$ are still a)le$ )y reason o& )eing im)ued with this suggestion$
to mold the conditions o& their consciousness in the su)/ective world in accordance with the sort o&
ideas which have )ecome a second nature to them' 0ithin the limits o& these ideas the dominant
suggestion to these entities is that o& a #aw which con&ers #i)erty$ so )y using this #aw o& the
constructive power o& thought they can determine the conditions o& their own consciousness, and thus
instead o& )eing compelled to su&&er the nightmare dreams o& the other class$ they can mold their dream
according to their will' 0e cannot conceive o& such a li&e as theirs in the unseen as otherwise than
happy$ nevertheless its range is limited )y the range o& the conceptions they have )rought with them'
These may )e e+ceedingly )eauti&ul and thoroughly true and logical as &ar as they go, )ut they do not go
the whole way$ otherwise these spirits would not )e in the category which we are considering )ut would
)elong to that still higher class who &ully reali>e the ultimate possi)ilities which the #aw o& the
1+pression o& Spirit provides'
The otherwise happy su)/ective li&e o& these more enlightened souls has this radical de&ect that they
have &ailed to )ring over with them that power o& original selection and initiative without which &urther
progress is impossi)le' I wish the student to grasp this point very clearly$ &or it is o& the utmost
importance' O& course the )asis o& our &urther evolution is con&ormity to the harmonious nature o& the
Originating Spirit, )ut upon this &oundation we each have to )uild up the superstructure o& our own
individuality$ and every step o& advance depends on our personal development o& power to ta%e that
step' This is what is meant )y ta%ing an initiative' It is ma%ing a *ew 7eparture$ not merely
recom)ining the old things into &resh groupings still su)/ect to the old laws$ )ut introducing an entirely
new element which will )ring its own *ew #aw along with it'
*ow i& this is the true meaning o& initiative then that is /ust the power which these otherwise happy
souls do not possess' For )y the very conditions o& the case they are living only in their su)/ective
consciousness$ and conse-uently are living )y the law o& su)/ective mind, and one o& the chie&
characteristics o& su)/ective mind is its incapacity to reason inductively$ and there&ore its ina)ility to
ma%e the selection and ta%e the initiative necessary to inaugurate a *ew 7eparture' The well esta)lished
&acts o& mental law show conclusively that su)/ective mind argues only deductively' It argues -uite
correctly &rom any given premises$ )ut it cannot ta%e the initiative in selecting the premises--that is the
province o& inductive reasoning which is essentially the &unction o& the o)/ective mind' 5ut )y the law
o& 3uto-suggestion this discarnate individual has )rought over his premises with him$ which premises
are the sum-total o& his inductions made during o)/ective li&e$ the conception o& things which he held at
the time he passed over$ &or this constituted his idea o& Truth' *ow he cannot add to these inductions$
&or he has parted with his instrument &or inductive reasoning$ and there&ore his deductive reasoning in
the purely su)/ective state which he has now entered is necessarily limited to the conse-uences which
may )e deducted &rom the premises which he has )rought along with him'
In the case o& the highly-developed individualities we are now considering the premises thus )rought
over are o& a very &ar-reaching and )eauti&ul character$ and conse-uently the range o& their su)/ective
li&e is correspondingly wide and )eauti&ul, )ut$ nevertheless$ it is su)/ect to the radical de&ect that it is
de)arred &rom &urther progress &or the simple reason that the individual has not )rought over with him
the mental &aculty which can impress his su)/ective entity with the re-uisite &orward movement &or
ma%ing a new departure into a *ew Order' 3nd moreover$ the higher the su)/ective development with
which the individual passed over the more li%ely he will )e to reali>e this de&ect' I& during earth-li&e he
had gained su&&icient %nowledge o& these things he will carry with him the %nowledge that his
discarnate e+istence is purely su)/ective, and there&ore he will reali>e that$ however he may )e a)le to
order the pictures o& his dream$ yet it is still )ut a dream$ and in common with all other dreams lac%s the
)asis o& solidity &rom which to ta%e really creative action'
!e %nows also that the condition o& other discarnate individualities is similar to his own$ and that
conse-uently each one must necessarily live in a world apart--a world o& his own creation$ )ecause none
o& them possess the o)/ective mentality )y which to direct their su)/ective currents so as to ma%e them
penetrate into the sphere o& another su)/ective entity$ which is the modus operandi o& telepathy' Thus he
is conscious o& his own ina)ility to hold intercourse with other personalities, &or though he may &or his
own pleasure create the sem)lance o& them in his dream-li&e$ yet he %nows that these are creations o& his
own mind$ and that while he appears to )e conversing with a &riend amid the most lovely surroundings
the &riend himsel& may )e having e+periences o& a very di&&erent description' I am$ o& course$ spea%ing
now o& persons who have passed over in a very high state o& development and with a very considera)le$
though still imper&ect$ %nowledge o& the #aw o& their own )eing' Pro)a)ly the ma/ority ta%e their
dream-li&e &or an e+ternal reality, and$ in any case$ all who have passed over without carrying their
o)/ective mentality along with them must )e shut up in their individual su)/ective spheres and cease to
&unction as centers o& creative power so long as they do not emerge &rom that state'
5ut the highly advanced individuals o& whom I am now spea%ing have passed over with a true
%nowledge o& the #aw o& the relation )etween su)/ective and o)/ective mind and have there&ore )rought
with them a su)/ective %nowledge o& this truth, and there&ore$ however otherwise in a certain sense
happy$ they must still )e conscious o& a &undamental limitation which prevents their &urther advance'
3nd this consciousness can produce only one result$ an ever-growing longing &or the removal o& this
limitation--and this represents the intense desire o& the Spirit$ as individuali>ed in these souls$ to attain
to the conditions under which it can &reely e+ercise its creative power' Su)-consciously this is the desire
o& all souls$ &or it is that continual pressing &orward o& the Spirit &or mani&estation out o& which the
whole Creative Process arises, and so it is that the great cry perpetually ascends to (od &rom all as yet
undelivered souls$ whether in or out o& the )ody$ &or the deliverance which they %nowingly or
un%nowingly desire'
3ll this comes out o& the well-ascertained &acts o& the law o& relation )etween su)/ective and o)/ective
mind' Then comes the -uestion$ Is there no way o& getting out o& this law. The answer is that we can
never get away &rom universal principles--)ut we can specialise them' 0e may ta%e it as an a+iom that
any law which appears to limit us contains in itsel& the principle )y which that limitation can )e
overcome$ /ust as in the case o& the &lotation o& iron' In this a+iom$ then$ we shall &ind the clue which
will )ring us out o& the la)yrinth' The same law which places various degrees o& limitation upon the
souls that have passed into the invisi)le can )e so applied as to set them &ree' 0e have seen that
everything turns on the o)ligation o& our su)/ective part to act within the limits o& the suggestion which
has )een most deeply impressed upon it' Then why not impress upon it the suggestion that in passing
over to the other side it has )rought its o)/ective mentality along with it.
I& such a suggestion were e&&ectively impressed upon our su)/ective mind$ then )y the &undamental law
o& our nature our su)/ective mind would act in strict accordance with this suggestion$ with the result that
the o)/ective mind would no longer )e separated &rom it$ and that we should carry with us into the
unseen our whole mentality$ )oth su)/ective and o)/ective$ and so )e a)le to e+ercise our inductive
powers o& selection and initiative as well there as here'
0hy not. The answer is that we cannot accept any suggestion unless we )elieve it to )e true$ and to
)elieve it to )e true we must &eel that we have a solid &oundation &or our )elie&' I&$ then$ we can &ind a
su&&icient &oundation &or ade-uately impressing this suggestion upon ourselves$ then the principles o&
mental law assure us that we shall carry our o)/ective &aculty o& initiative and selection into the unseen'
There&ore our -uest is to &ind this Foundation' Then$ since we cannot accept as true what we )elieve to
)e contrary to the ultimate law o& the universe$ i& we are to &ind such a &oundation at all it must )e
within that #aw, and it is &or this reason that I have laid so much stress upon the *ormal Standard o&
!uman Individuality' 0hen we are convinced that this ideal completeness is -uite normal$ and is a
spiritual &act$ not dependent upon the )ody$ )ut a)le to control the )ody$ then we have got the solid
)asis on which to carry our o)/ective personality along with us into the unseen$ and the well-esta)lished
laws o& our mental constitution /usti&y the )elie& that we can do so'
From these considerations it is o)vious that those who thus pass over in possession o& their complete
mentality must )e in a very di&&erent position &rom those who pass into a condition o& merely su)/ective
li&e$ &or they have )rought their powers o& selection and initiative with them$ and can there&ore employ
their e+periences in the unseen as a starting-point &or still &urther development' So$ then$ the -uestion
arises$ 0hat lines will this &urther development )e li%ely to &ollow.
0e are now considering the case o& persons who have reached a very high degree o& development, who
have succeeded in so completely uniting the su)/ective and o)/ective portions o& their spiritual )eing
into a per&ect whole that they can never again )e severed, and who are there&ore a)le to &unction with
their whole consciousness on the spiritual plane' Such persons will dou)tless )e well aware that they
have attained this degree o& development )y the #aw o& the Creative Process wor%ing in terms o& their
own individuality$ and so they would naturally always re&er to the original Cosmic Creation as the
demonstration o& the principle which they have to speciali>e &or their own &urther evolution' Then they
would &ind that the principle involved is that o& the mani&estation o& Spirit in Form, and they would
&urther see that this mani&estation is not an illusion )ut a reality$ &or the simple reason that )oth mind
and matter are e-ually pro/ections &rom the (reat Originating Spirit' 5oth ali%e are thoughts o& the
7ivine 4ind$ and it is impossi)le to conceive any greater reality than the 7ivine Thought$ or to get at
any more su)stantial source o& reality than that' 1ven i& we were to picture the 7ivine 4ind as laughing
at its productions as )eing mere illusions relatively to itsel& Jwhich I certainly do notK$ still the relation
)etween the individual mind and material e+istence would )e a reality &or the individual$ on the simple
mathematical ground that li%e signs multiplied together invaria)ly produce a positive result$ even
though the signs themselves )e negative, so that$ &or us$ at every stage o& our e+istence su)stance must
always )e as much a reality as mind' There&ore the mani&estation o& Spirit in Form is the eternal
principle o& the Creative Process whether in the evolution o& a world-system or in that o& an individual'
5ut when we reali>e that )y the nature o& the Creative Process su)stance must )e an eternal verity we
must not suppose that this is true also o& particular &orms or o& particular modes o& matter' Su)stance is
a necessity &or the e+pression o& Spirit$ )ut it does not &ollow that Spirit is tied down to any particular
mode o& e+pression' I& you &old a piece o& paper into the &orm o& a dart it will &ly through the air )y the
law o& the &orm which you have given it' 3gain$ i& you ta%e the same )it o& paper and &old it into the
shape o& a )oat it will &loat on water )y the law o& the new &orm that you have given it' The thing
&ormed will act in accordance with the &orm given it$ and the same paper can )e &olded into di&&erent
&orms, )ut i& there were no paper you could put it into any shape at all' The dart and the )oat are )oth
real so long as you retain the paper in either o& those shapes, )ut this does not alter the &act that you can
change the shapes$ though your power to do so depends on the e+istence o& the paper' This is a rough
analogy o& the relation )etween ultimate su)stance and particular &orms$ and shows us that neither
su)stance nor shape is an illusion, )oth are essential to the mani&estation o& Spirit$ only )y the nature o&
the Creative Process the Spirit has power to determine what shape su)stance shall ta%e at any particular
time'
3ccordingly we &ind the great #aw that$ as Spirit is the 3lpha o& the Creative Process$ so solid material
Form is its Omega, in other words the Creative Series is incomplete until solid material &orm is reached'
3nything short o& this is a condition o& incompleteness$ and there&ore the enlightened souls who have
passed over in possession o& )oth sides o& their mentality will reali>e that their condition$ however
)eati&ic$ is still one o& incompleteness, and that what is wanted &or completion is e+pression through a
material )ody' This$ then$ is the direction in which such souls would use their powers o& initiative and
selection as )eing the true line o& evolution--in a word they would reali>e that the principle o& Creative
Progression$ when it reaches the level o& &ully developed mental man$ necessarily implies the
Fesurrection o& the 5ody$ and that anything short o& this would )e retrogression and not progress'
3t the same time persons who had passed over with this %nowledge would never suppose that
Fesurrection meant merely the resuscitation o& the old )ody under the old conditions, &or they would
see that the same inherent law which ma%es e+pression in concrete su)stance the ultimate o& the
creative series also ma%es this ultimate &orm depend on the originating movement o& the spirit which
produces it$ and there&ore that$ although some concrete &orm is essential &or complete mani&estation$ and
is a su)stantial reality so long as it is maintained$ yet the maintaining o& the particular &orm is entirely
dependent on the action o& the spirit o& which the &orm is the e+ternal clothing' This resurrection )ody
would there&ore )e no mere illusory spirit-shape$ yet it would not )e su)/ect to the limitations o& matter
as we now %now it6 it would )e physical matter still$ )ut entirely su)/ect to the will o& the indwelling
spirit$ which would not regard the denser atomic relations o& the )ody )ut only its a)solute and essential
nature as Primary Su)stance' I want the student to grasp the idea that the same thing may )e very
di&&erent when loo%ed at$ so to say$ &rom opposite ends o& the stic%' 0hat is solid molecular matter
when viewed &rom the outside is plastic primary su)stance when viewed &rom the inside' The relations
o& this new )ody to any stimulus proceeding &rom outside would )e those o& the e+ternal laws o&
*ature, )ut its relation to the spiritual ego wor%ing &rom within would )e that o& a plastic su)stance to
)e molded at will' The employment o& such power would$ however$ at all times )e )ased upon the
reverent worship o& the 3ll-creating Spirit, and it would there&ore never )e e+ercised otherwise than in
accordance with the harmonious progress o& the Creative Process' Proceeding on these lines the spirit in
the individual would stand in precisely the same relation to his )ody that the 3ll-originating Spirit does
to the cosmos'
This$ then$ is the sort o& )ody which the instructed would contemplate as that in which he was to attain
resurrection' !e would regard it$ not as an illusion$ )ut as a great reality, while at the same time he
would not need to trou)le himsel& a)out its particular &orm$ &or he would %now that it would )e the
per&ect e+pression o& his own conception o& himsel&' !e would %now this )ecause it is in accordance
with the &undamental principle that e+ternal creation has its root in the Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit'
Those passing over with this %nowledge would o)viously )e in a very di&&erent position &rom those who
passed over with only a su)/ective consciousness' They would )ring with them powers o& selection and
initiative )y which they could continue to impress &resh and e+panding conceptions upon their
su)/ective mind$ and so cause it to carry on its wor% as the seed-ground o& the whole individuality$
instead o& )eing shut up in itsel& as a mere circulus &or the repetition o& previously received ideas, and
so in their recognition o& the principle o& physical resurrection they would have a clear and de&inite line
o& auto-suggestion' 3nd )ecause this suggestion is derived &rom the undenia)le &acts o& the whole
cosmic creation$ it is one which )oth su)/ective and o)/ective mind can accept as an esta)lished &act$
and so the suggestion )ecomes e&&ective' This suggestion$ then$ )ecomes the sel&-contemplation o& the
individual spirit, and )ecause it is in strict con&ormity with the generic principle o& the Original Creative
3ctivity$ o& which the individual mind is itsel& a product$ this )ecomes also the Sel&-contemplation o&
the Originating Spirit as seeing itsel& re&lected in the individual spirit, so that$ )y the )asic law o& the
Creative Process$ this suggestion is )ound sooner or later to wor% out into its corresponding &act$
namely$ the production o& a material )ody &ree &rom the power o& death and &rom all those limitations
which we now associate with our physical organism'
This$ then$ is the hope o& those who pass over in recognition o& the great truth' 5ut how a)out those who
have passed over without that recognition. 0e have seen that their purely su)/ective condition
precludes them &rom ta%ing any initiative on their own account$ &or that re-uires the presence o&
o)/ective mind' Their su)/ective mind$ however$ still retains its essential nature, that is$ it is still
suscepti)le to suggestion$ and still possesses its inherent creativeness in wor%ing out any suggestion that
is su&&iciently deeply implanted in it' !ere$ then$ opens up a vast &ield o& activity &or that other class
who have passed over in possession o& )oth sides o& their mentality' 5y means o& their powers o&
initiative and selection they can on the principle o& telepathy cause their own su)/ective mind to
penetrate the su)/ective spheres o& those who do not possess those powers$ and they can thus endeavor
to impress upon them the great truth o& the physical ultimate o& the Creative Process--the truth that any
series which stops short o& that ultimate is incomplete$ and$ i& insisted upon as )eing ultimate$ must
)ecome sel&-destructive )ecause in opposition to the inherent wor%ing o& the 2niversal Creative Spirit'
Then$ as the perception o& the true nature o& the Creative Process dawned upon any su)/ective entity$ it
would )y reason o& accepting this suggestion )egin to develop an o)/ective mentality$ and so would
gradually attain to the same status as those who had passed over in &ull possession o& all their mental
powers'
5ut the more the o)/ective mentality )ecame developed in these discarnate personalities the more the
need o& a corresponding physical instrument would assert itsel&$ )oth &rom their intellectual perception
o& the original cosmic process$ and also &rom the inherent energy o& the Spirit as centered in the ultimate
ego o& the individual' *ot to see% material mani&estation would )e the contrary o& all we have traced out
regarding the nature o& the Creative Process, and hence the law o& tendency resulting &rom the
conscious union o& su)/ective and o)/ective mind in the individual must necessarily )e toward the
production o& a physical &orm' Only we must recollect$ as I have already pointed out$ that this
concentration o& these minds would )e upon a principle and not upon a particular )odily shape' The
particular &orm they would )e content to leave to the inherent sel&-e+pressiveness o& the 2niversal Spirit
wor%ing through the particular ego$ with the result that their e+pectation would )e &i+ed upon a general
principle o& physical Fesurrection which would provide a &orm suited to )e the material instrument o&
the highest ideal o& man as a spiritual and mental )eing' Then$ since the su)/ective mind is the
automatic )uilder o& the )ody$ the result o& the individual"s acceptance o& the Fesurrection principle
must )e that this mental conception will eventually wor% out as a corresponding &act' 0hether on this
planet or on some other$ matters not$ &or$ as we have already seen$ the physical )ody evolved )y a soul
that is conscious o& its unity with the 2niversal Spirit is )ound to )e in con&ormity with the physical
laws o& any planet$ though &rom the standpoint o& the conscious ego not limited )y them'
In this way we may conceive that those who have passed over in possession o& )oth sides o& their
spiritual nature would &ind a glorious &ield o& use&ulness in the unseen in helping to emancipate those
who had passed over in possession o& their su)/ective side only' 5ut &rom our present analysis it will )e
seen that this can only )e e&&ected on the )asis o& a recognition o& the principle o& the Fesurrection o&
the 5ody' 3part &rom the recognition o& this principle the only possi)le conception which the discarnate
individual could &orm o& himsel& would )e that o& a purely su)/ective )eing, and this carries with it all
the limitations o& a su)/ective li&e un)alanced )y an o)/ective one, and so long as the principle o&
physical resurrection is denied$ so long the li&e must continue to )e merely su)/ective and conse-uently
unprogressive'?=@
5ut it may )e as%ed why those who have reali>ed this great principle su&&iciently to carry their o)/ective
mentality into the unseen state are lia)le to the change which we call death' The answer is that though
they have reali>ed the general principle they have not yet divested themselves o& certain conceptions )y
which they limit it$ and conse-uently )y the law o& su)/ective mind they carry those limitations into the
wor%ing o& the Fesurrection principle itsel&'
They are limited )y the race-)elie& that physical death is under all conditions a necessary law o& *ature$
or )y the theological )elie& that death is the will o& (od, so then the -uestion is whether these )elie&s are
well &ounded' O& course appeal is made to universal e+perience$ )ut it does not &ollow that the universal
e+perience o& the past is )ound to )e the universal e+perience o& the &uture--the universal e+perience o&
the past was that no man had ever &lown across the 1nglish Channel$ yet now it has )een done' 0hat we
have to do$ there&ore$ is not to )other a)out past e+perience$ )ut to e+amine the inherent nature o& the
#aw o& #i&e and see whether it does not contain possi)ilities o& &urther development' 3nd the &irst step
in this direction is to see whether what we have hitherto considered limitations o& the law are really
integral parts o& the law itsel&' The very statement o& this -uestion shows the correct answer, &or how
can a &orce acting in one direction )e an integral part o& a &orce acting in the opposite direction. !ow
can the &orce which pulls a thing down )e an integral part o& the &orce which )uilds it up. To suppose$
there&ore$ that the limitations o& the law are an integral portion o& the law itsel& is a reductio ad
a)surdum'
For these reasons the argument &rom the past e+perience o& the race counts &or nothing, and when we
e+amine the theological argument we shall &ind that it is only the old argument &rom past e+perience in
another dress' It is alleged that death is the will o& (od' !ow do we %now that it is the will o& (od.
5ecause the &acts prove it so$ is the ultimate answer o& all religious systems with one e+ception, so here
we are )ac% again at the old race-e+perience as the criterion o& truth' There&ore the theological argument
is nothing )ut the materialistic argument disguised' It is in our more or less conscious acceptance o& the
materialistic argument$ under any o& its many disguises$ that the limitation o& li&e is to )e &ound--not in
the #aw o& #i&e itsel&, and i& we are to )ring into mani&estation the in&inite possi)ilities latent in that
#aw it can only )e )y loo%ing steadily into the principle o& the #aw and resolutely denying everything
that opposes it' The Principle o& #i&e must o& necessity )e 3&&irmative$ and a&&irmative throughout$
without any negative anywhere--i& we once reali>e this we shall )e a)le to unmas% the enemy and
silence his guns'
*ow to do this is precisely the one o)/ect o& the 5i)le, and it does it in a thoroughly logical manner$
always leading on to the ultimate result )y successive lin%s o& cause and e&&ect' People will tell you that
the 5i)le is their authority &or saying that 7eath is the will o& (od, )ut these are people who read it
carelessly, and ultimately the only reason they can give you &or their manner o& interpreting the 5i)le is
that the &acts prove their interpretation to )e correct, so that in the last resort you will always &ind you
have got )ac% to the old materialistic argument &rom past race-e+perience$ which logically proves
nothing' These are good well-meaning people with a limited idea which they read into the 5i)le$ and so
limit its promises )y ma%ing physical death an essential preliminary to Fesurrection' They grasp$ o&
course$ the great central idea that Per&ected 4an possesses a /oyous immortal #i&e permeating spirit$
soul and )ody, )ut they relegate it to some dim and distant &uture$ entirely disconnected &rom the
present law o& our )eing$ not seeing that i& we are to have eternal li&e it must necessarily )e involved in
some principle which is eternal$ and there&ore e+isting$ at any rate latently$ at the present moment'
!ence$ though their &undamental principle is true$ they are all the time mentally limiting it$ with the
result that they themselves create the conditions they impose upon it$ and conse-uently the principle
will wor% Jas principles always doK in accordance with the conditions provided &or its action'
2nless$ there&ore$ this limiting )elie& is entirely eradicated$ the individual$ though reali>ing the
&undamental principle o& #i&e$ is )ound to pass out o& physical e+istence, )ut on the other hand$ since he
does ta%e the recognition o& this &undamental principle with him$ it is )ound to )ear &ruit sooner or later
in a /oyous Fesurrection$ while the intermediate state can only )e a peace&ul anticipation o& that
supreme event' This is the answer to the -uestion why those who have reali>ed the great principle
su&&iciently to carry their o)/ective mentality into the unseen world are still lia)le to physical death, and
in the last analysis it will )e &ound to resolve itsel& into the remains o& race )elie& )ased upon past
e+perience' These are they who pass over in sure and certain hope o& a glorious Fesurrection--sure and
certain )ecause &ounded upon the very 5eing o& (od !imsel&$ that inherent #i&e o& the 3ll-creating
7ivine Spirit which is the perpetual interaction o& the 1ternal #ove and 5eauty' They have grasped the
#i&e-giving Truth$ only they have postponed its operation$ )ecause they have the &i+ed idea that its
present &ruition is an a)solute impossi)ility'
5ut i& we as% the reason &or this idea it always comes )ac% to the old materialistic argument &rom the
e+perience o& past conditions$ while the whole nature o& advance is in the opening up o& new conditions'
3nd in this advance the 5i)le is the pioneer )oo%' Its whole purport is to tell us most emphatically that
death is not the will o& (od' In the story o& 1den (od is represented as warning man o& the poisonous
nature o& the &or)idden &ruit$ which is incompati)le with the idea o& death as an essential &eature o&
man"s nature' Then &rom the point where man has ta%en the poison all the rest o& the 5i)le is devoted to
telling us how to get rid o& it' Christ$ it tells us$ was mani&ested to )ring #i&e and Immortality to light--to
a)olish death--to destroy the wor%s o& the devil$ that is the death-dealing power$ &or he that hath the
power o& death is the devil' It is impossi)le to reconcile this li&e-giving conception o& the 5i)le with
the idea that death at any stage or in any degree is the desire o& (od' #et us$ there&ore$ start with the
recognition that this negative &orce$ whether in its minor degrees as disease or in its culmination as
death$ is that which it is the will o& (od to a)olish' This also is logical, &or i& (od )e the 2niversal
Spirit o& #i&e &inding mani&estation in individual lives$ how can the desire o& this Spirit )e to act in
opposition to its own mani&estation. There&ore Scripture and common-sense ali%e assure us that the will
o& (od toward us is #i&e and not death'?;@
0e may there&ore start on our -uest &or #i&e with the happy certainty that (od is on our side' 5ut
people will meet us with the o)/ection that though (od wills #i&e to us$ !e does not will it /ust yet$ )ut
only in some dim &ar-o&& &uture' !ow do we %now this. Certainly not &rom the 5i)le' In the 5i)le Hesus
spea%s o& two classes o& persons who )elieve on !im as the 4ani&estation or Individualisation o& the
Spirit o& #i&e' !e spea%s o& those who$ having passed through death$ still )elieve on !im$ and says that
these shall live--a &uture event' 3nd at the same time !e spea%s o& those who are living and )elieve on
!im$ and says that they shall never die--thus contemplating the entire elimination o& the contingency o&
death JHohn +i' :DK'
3gain St' Paul e+presses his wish not to )e unclothed )ut to )e clothed upon$ which he certainly would
not have done had he considered the latter alternative a nonsensical &ancy' 3nd in another place he
e+pressly states that we shall not all die$ )ut that some shall )e transmuted into the Fesurrection )ody
without passing through physical death' 3nd i& we turn to the Old Testament we &ind two instances in
which this is said to have actually occurred$ those o& 1noch and 1li/ah' 3nd we may note in passing that
the 5i)le draws our attention to certain &acts a)out these two personages which are important as stri%ing
at the root o& the notion that austerities o& some sort are necessary &or the great attainment' O& 1noch we
are e+pressly told that he was the &ather o& a large &amily$ and o& 1li/ah that he was a man o& li%e nature
with ourselves--thus showing us what is wanted is not a shutting o& ourselves o&& &rom ordinary human
li&e )ut such a clear reali>ation o& the 2niversal Principle$ o& which our personal li&e is the more or less
conscious mani&estation$ that our commonest actions will )e hallowed )y the 7ivine Presence, and so
the grand dInouement will )e only the natural result o& our daily ha)it o& wal%ing with (od' From the
stand-point o& the 5i)le$ there&ore$ the attainment o& physical regeneration without passing through
death is not an impossi)ility$ nor is it necessarily relegated to some &ar o&& &uture' 0hatever any one
else may say to the contrary$ the 5i)le contemplates such a dInouement o& human evolution as a present
possi)ility'
Then i& we argue &rom the philosophical stand-point we arrive at precisely the same result' Past
e+perience proves nothing$ and we must there&ore ma%e a &resh start )y going )ac% to the Original
Creative action o& the Spirit o& #i&e itsel&' Then$ i& we ta%e this as our starting point$ remem)ering that
at the stage o& this original movement there can )e no intervention )y a second power$ )ecause there is
none$ why should we mentally impose any restriction upon the action o& the Creative Power. Certainly
not )y its own #aw o& Tendency$ &or that must always )e toward &uller sel&-e+pression, and since this
can only ta%e place through the individual$ the desire o& the Spirit must always )e toward the increasing
o& the individual li&e' *or yet &rom anything in the created su)stance$ &or that would either )e to
suppose the Spirit creating something in limitation o& its own Sel&-e+pression$ or else to suppose that the
limiting su)stance was created )y some other power wor%ing against the Spirit, and as this would mean
a 7uality o& powers we should not have reached the Originating Power at all$ and so we might put Spirit
and Su)stance e-ually out o& court as )oth )eing merely modes o& secondary causation' 5ut i& we see
that the 2niversal Su)stance must )e created )y emanation &rom the 2niversal Spirit$ then we see that
no limitation o& Spirit )y su)stance is possi)le' 0e may there&ore &eel assured that no limitation
proceeds either &rom the will o& the Spirit or &rom the nature o& Su)stance'
0here$ then$ does limitation come &rom. #imiting conditions are created )y the same power which
creates everything else$ namely$ the Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit' This is why it is so important to
reali>e that the individual mind &orms a center &rom which the sel&-contemplating action o& Spirit is
speciali>ed in terms o& the individual"s own mode o& thin%ing$ and there&ore so long as the individual
contemplates negative conditions as )eing o& the essence o& his own personality$ he is in e&&ect
employing the Creative Power o& the Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit invertedly$ destructively instead o&
constructively' The #aw o& the Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit as the Creative Power is as true in the
microcosm as in the macrocosm$ and so the individual"s contemplation o& himsel& as su)/ect to the law
o& sin and death %eeps him su)/ect to that law$ while the opposite sel&-contemplation$ the contemplation
o& himsel& as re/oicing in the #i&e o& the Spirit$ the Per&ect #aw o& #i)erty$ must necessarily produce the
opposite results'
0hy$ then$ should not regeneration )e accomplished here and now. I can see no reason against it$ either
Scriptural or philosophical$ e+cept our own di&&iculty in getting rid o& the race-traditions which are so
deeply em)edded in our su)/ective minds' To get rid o& these we re-uire a &irm )asis on which to
receive the opposite suggestion' 0e need to )e convinced that our ideal o& a regenerated sel& is in
accord with the *ormal Standard o& !umanity and is within the scope o& the laws o& the universe' *ow
to ma%e clear to us the in&initude o& the truly *ormal Standard o& !umanity is the whole purpose o& the
5i)le, and the 4ani&estation o& this Standard is set )e&ore us in the Central Personality o& the Scriptures
who is at once the Son o& (od and the Son o& 4an--the (reat 1+ception$ i& you will$ to man as we %now
him now$ )ut the 1+ception which proves the Fule' In proportion as we )egin to reali>e this we )egin to
introduce into our own li&e the action o& that Personal Factor on which all &urther development depends,
and when our recognition is complete we shall &ind that we also are children o& (od'
Chapter B Conclusion
(enesis o& Individual Power
0e are now in a position to see the place occupied )y the individual in the Creative Order' 0e have
&ound that the originating and maintaining &orce o& the whole Creative Process is the Sel&-contemplation
o& the Spirit$ and that this necessarily produces a Feciprocal corresponding to the idea em)odied in the
contemplation$ and thus mani&esting that idea in a correlative Form'
0e have &ound that in this way the e+ternalisation o& the idea progresses &rom the condensation o& the
primary ne)ula to the production o& human )eings as a race$ and that at this point the simple generic
reproduction o& the idea terminates' This means that up to$ and including$ genus homo ?i'e' generic
humanity 1d'@$ the individual$ whether plant$ animal$ or man$ is what it is simply )y reason o& race
conditions and not )y e+ercise o& deli)erate choice'
Then we have seen that the ne+t step in advance must necessarily )e )y the individual )ecoming aware
that he has power to mould the conditions o& his own consciousness and environment )y the creative
power o& his thought$ thus not only ena)ling him to ta%e a conscious part in his own &urther evolution
)ut precluding him &rom evolving any &urther e+cept )y the right e+ercise o& this power, and we have
&ound that the cru+ o& the passage &rom the Fourth to the Fi&th Ningdom is to get people so to
understand the nature o& their creative power as not to use it destructively'
Finding Individual Power
*ow what we re-uire to see is that the Creative Process has always only one way o& wor%ing$ and that is
)y Feciprocity or Fe&lection or$ as we might say$ )y the law o& 3ction and Feaction$ the reaction
)eing always e-uivalent to the action which generated it' I& this #aw o& Feciprocity )e grasped$ then we
see how the progress o& the Creative Process must at length result in producing a )eing who himsel&
possesses the power o& independent spiritual initiative and is thus a)le to carry on the creative wor%
&rom the standpoint o& his own individuality'
*ow the great cru+ is &irst to get people to see that they possess this power at all$ and then to get them to
use it in the right direction' 0hen our eyes )egin to open to the truth that we do possess this power$ the
temptation is to ignore the &act that our power o& initiative is itsel& a product o& the similar power
su)sisting in the 3ll-originating Spirit'
I& this origin o& our own creative &aculty is le&t out o& sight$ we shall &ail to recognise the #ivingness o&
the (reater #i&e within which we live' 0e shall never get nearer to it than what we may call its generic
level the stage at which the Creative Power is care&ul o& the type or race )ut is careless o& the
individual, and so at this level we shall never pass into the Fi&th Ningdom$ which is the Ningdom o&
Individuality we have missed the whole point o& the transition to the more advanced mode o& )eing$
in which the individual consciously &unctions as a creative centre$ )ecause we have no conception o& a
2niversal Power that wor%s at any higher level than the generic, and conse-uently$ to reach a speci&ic
personal e+ercise o& creative power$ we should have to conceive o& ourselves as transcending the
2niversal #aw'
5ut i& we realise that our own power o& creative initiative has its origin in the similar &aculty o& the 3ll-
originating 4ind$ then we see that the way to maintain the #i&e-giving energy in ourselves is to use our
power o& spiritual initiative so as to impress upon the Spirit the conception o& ourselves as standing
related to it in a speci&ic$ individual$ and personal way that ta%es us out o& the mere category o& genus
homo and gives us a speci&ic spiritual individuality o& our own'
Thus our mental action produces a corresponding reaction in the 4ind o& the Spirit$ which in its turn
reproduces Itsel& as a special mani&estation o& the #i&e o& the Spirit in us, and so long as this circulation
)etween the individual spirit and the (reat Spirit is %ept up$ the individual li&e will )e maintained$ and
will also strengthen as the circulation continues$ &or the reason that the Spirit$ as the Original Creative
Power$ is a 4ultiplying Force$ and the current sent into it is returned multiplied$ /ust as in telegraphy the
&ee)le current received &rom a distance at the end o& a long line operates to start a power&ul )attery at
the receiving o&&ice$ which so multiplies the &orce as to give out a clear message which could not
have )een done without the multiplication o& the original movement'
Something li%e this we may picture the multiplying tendency o& the Originating 4ind$ and conse-uently
the longer the circulation )etween It and the individual mind goes on$ the stronger the latter )ecomes,
and this process$ growing ha)itual$ )ecomes at last automatic$ thus producing an endless &low o& #i&e
continually e+panding in intelligence$ love$ power$ and /oy'
1mploying Individual Power
5ut we must note care&ully that all this can only proceed &rom the individual"s recognition that his own
powers are a derivative &rom the 3ll-originating Spirit$ and that they can continue to )e used
constructively only so long as they are employed in harmony with the inherent Forward 4ovement o&
the Spirit' There&ore to ensure this eternally &lowing stream o& #i&e &rom the 2niversal Spirit into the
individual$ there must )e no inversion in the individual"s presentation o& himsel& to the Originating
Power, &or through the very same #aw )y which we see% #i&e the #i&e$ namely$ o& reciprocal action
and reaction every inversion we )ring with us in presenting ourselves to the Spirit is )ound to )e
&aith&ully reproduced in a corresponding reaction$ thus adulterating the stream o& Pure #i&e and
rendering it less li&e-giving in proportion to the e+tent to which we invert the action o& the #i&e-
Principle, so that in e+treme cases the stream &lowing through and &rom the individual may )e rendered
a)solutely poisonous and deadly$ and the more so the greater his recognition o& his own personal power
to employ spiritual &orces'
The e+istence o& these negative possi)ilities in the spiritual world should never )e overloo%ed$ and
there&ore the essential condition &or receiving the Per&ect Fullness o& #i&e is that we should present
ourselves )e&ore the 1ternal Spirit &ree &rom every trace o& inversion' To do this means to present
ourselves in the li%eness o& the 7ivine Ideal, and in this sel&-presentation$ the initiative$ so &ar as the
individual is consciously concerned$ must necessarily )e ta%en )y himsel&'
!e is to pro/ect into the 1ternal 4ind the conception o& himsel& as identical with its 1ternal Ideal, and i&
he can do this$ then$ )y the #aw o& the Creative Process$ a return current will &low &rom the 1ternal
4ind reproducing this image in the individual with a continually growing power' Then the -uestion is$
!ow are we to do this.
!ow to Specialise the 2niversal
The answer is that to ta%e the initiative &or inducing this &low o& #i&e individually$ it is a sine -ua non
?an indispensa)le condition 1d'@ that the conditions ena)ling us to do so should &irst )e presented to
us 2niversally' This is in accordance with the general principle that we can never create a &orce )ut can
only specialise it' Only here$ the power we are wanting to specialise is the very Power o& Specialisation
itsel&, and there&ore$ parado+ical as it may seem$ what we re-uire to have shown us is the 2niversality
o& Specialisation'
*ow this is what the 5i)le puts )e&ore us in its central &igure' Ta%ing the 5i)le statements simply and
literally$ they show us this uni-ue Personality as the Principle o& !umanity ali%e in its Spiritual
Origin and its material mani&estation carried to the logical e+treme o& specialisation, while at the
same time$ as the em)odiment o& the original polarity o& Spirit and Su)stance$ this Personality$ however
uni-ue$ is a)solutely 2niversal, so that the 5i)le sets Hesus Christ )e&ore us as the answer to the
philosophical pro)lem o& how to specialise the 2niversal$ while at the same time preserving its
2niversality' I&$ then$ we &i+ our thought upon this uni-ue Personality as the em)odiment o& 2niversal
principles$ it &ollows that those principles must e+ist in ourselves also$ and that his actual specialisation
o& them is the earnest o& our potential specialisation o& them' Then$ i& we &i+ our thought on this
potential in ourselves as )eing identical with its mani&estation in him$ we can claim our identity with
him$ so that what he has done we have done$ what he is$ we are, and thus recognising ourselves in him$
we present this image o& ourselves to the 1ternal 4ind$ with the result that we )ring with us no
inversion$ and so import no negative current into our stream o& #i&e'
Fesolution o& 3pparent Contradiction
Thus it is that we reach the Father through the Son$ and that he is a)le to %eep us &rom &alling and to
present us &aultless )e&ore the presence o& the 7ivine glory with e+ceeding /oy JHude :8K' The (ospel o&
the 0ord made &lesh is not the meaningless cant o& some petty sect nor yet the cunning device o&
priestcra&t$ though it has )een distorted in )oth these directions, )ut it can give a reason &or itsel&$ and is
&ounded upon the deepest laws o& the three&old constitution o& man$ em)racing the whole man )ody$
soul$ and spirit' It is not opposed to Science )ut is the culmination o& all science whether physical or
mental' It is philosophical and logical throughout i& you start the Creative Process where alone it can
start6 in the Sel&-contemplation o& the Spirit'
The more care&ully we e+amine into the claims o& the (ospel o& Christ$ the more we shall &ind all the
current o)/ections to it melt away and disclose their own super&iciality' 0e shall &ind that Christ is
indeed the 4ediator )etween (od and 4an$ not )y the ar)itrary &iat o& a capricious 7eity$ )ut )y a
logical law o& se-uence which solves the pro)lem o& ma%ing e+tremes meet$ so that the son o& 4an is
also the son o& (od, and when we see the reason why this is so$ we there)y receive power to )ecome
ourselves sons o& (od$ which is the dInouement o& the Creative Process in the individual'
These closing lines are not the place to enter upon so great a su)/ect$ )ut I hope to &ollow it up in
another volume and to show in detail the logic o& the 5i)le teaching$ what it saves us &rom and what it
leads us to, to show$ while giving due weight to the value o& other systems$ how it di&&ers &rom them
and transcends them, to glance$ perhaps$ &or a moment at the indications o& the &uture and to touch upon
some o& the dangers o& the present and the way to escape &rom them'
*or would I pass over in silence another and important aspect o& the (ospel contained in Christ"s
commission to his &ollowers to heal the sic%' This also &ollows logically &rom the #aw o& the Creative
Process i& we trace care&ully the se-uence o& connections &rom the indwelling 1go to the outermost o&
its vehicles, while the e&&ect o& the recognition o& these great truths upon the individuality that has &or a
time put o&& its ro)e o& &lesh opens up a su)/ect o& paramount interest' Thus it is that on every plane$
Christ is the &ul&illing o& the #aw$ and that Salvation is not a silly shi))oleth )ut the logical and vital
process o& our advance into the un&oldment o& the ne+t stage o& the limitless capacities o& our )eing' O&
these things I hope to write in another volume$ should it )e permitted to me, in the meanwhile$ I would
commend the present a)stract statement o& principles to the reader"s attention in the hope that it may
throw some light on the &undamental nature o& these momentous -uestions' ?Troward was a)le to realise
this hope$ at least partially$ in a su)se-uent addition o& this )oo% to which he added what are now
Chapters 1C and 11 - 1d'@
The great thing to )ear in mind is that i& a thing is true at all$ there must )e a reason why it is true$ and
when we come to see the reason$ we %now the truth at &irst hand &or ourselves and not &rom someone
else"s report, then it )ecomes really our own and we )egin to learn how to use it' This is the secret o& the
individual"s progress in any art$ science$ or )usiness$ and the same method will serve e-ually well in our
search a&ter #i&e itsel&, and as we thus &ollow up the great -uest$ we shall &ind that on every plane$ the
0ay$ the Truth$ and the #i&e are O*1'
3 little philosophy inclineth a man"s mind to atheism$ )ut depth in philosophy )ringeth men"s minds
a)out to religion 5acon$ 1ssay +vi'
Chapter 1C The 7ivine O&&ering
The Purpose o& the 5i)le
I ta%e the present opportunity o& a new edition to add a &ew pages on certain points which appear to me
o& vital importance$ and the connection o& which with the preceding chapters will$ I hope$ )ecome
evident as the reader proceeds' 3ssuming the e+istence in each individual o& a creative power o& thought
which$ in relation to himsel&$ re&lects the same power e+isting in the 2niversal 4ind$ our right
employment o& this power )ecomes a matter o& e+treme moment to ourselves' Its inverted use
necessarily holds us &ast in the )ondage &rom which we are see%ing to escape and$ e-ually necessarily$
its right use )rings us into #i)erty, and there&ore i& any 7ivine revelation e+ists at all$ its purpose must
)e to lead us away &rom the inverted use o& our creative &aculty and into such a higher specialising use
o& it as will produce the desired result'
*ow the purpose o& the 5i)le is to do this$ and it see%s to e&&ect this wor% )y a dual operation' It places
)e&ore us that 7ivine Ideal o& which I have already spo%en$ and at the same time )ases this ideal upon
the recognition o& a 7ivine Sacri&ice' These two conceptions are so intimately interwoven in Scripture
that they cannot )e separated$ )ut at the present day there is a growing tendency to attempt to ma%e this
separation and to discard the conception o& a 7ivine Sacri&ice as unphilosophical that is$ as having
no ne+us o& cause and e&&ect' 0hat I want$ there&ore$ to point out in these additional pages is that there
is such a ne+us and that$ so &ar &rom )eing without a se-uence o& cause and e&&ect$ it has its root in the
innermost principles o& our own )eing' It is not contrary to law$ )ut proceeds &rom the very nature o& the
#aw itsel&'
Overcoming O)/ections to Sacri&ice
The current o)/ection to the 5i)le teaching on this su)/ect is that no such sacri&ice could have )een
re-uired )y (od$ either )ecause the Originating 1nergy can have no consciousness o& Personality and is
only a )lind &orce or )ecause$ i& (od is #ove$ !e could not demand such a sacri&ice' On the &ormer
hypothesis we are o& course away &rom the 5i)le teaching altogether and have nothing to do with it, )ut$
as I have said elsewhere$ the &act o& our own consciousness o& personality can only )e accounted &or )y
the e+istence$ however hidden$ o& a corresponding -uality in the Originating Spirit'
There&ore I will con&ine my remar%s to the -uestion how #ove$ as the originating impulse o& all
creation$ can demand such a sacri&ice' 3nd to my mind the answer is that (od does not demand it' It is
4an who demands it' It is the instinctive craving o& the human soul &or certainty that re-uires a
demonstration so convincing as to leave no room &or dou)t o& our per&ectly happy relation to the
Supreme Spirit$ and conse-uently to all that &lows &rom it$ whether on the side o& the visi)le or o& the
invisi)le' 0hen we grasp the &act that such a standpoint o& certainty is the necessary &oundation &or the
)uilding up in ourselves o& the 7ivine Ideal$ then it )ecomes clear that to a&&ord us this &irm )asis is the
greatest wor% that the Spirit$ in its relation to human personality$ could do'
0e are o&ten told that the o&&ering o& sacri&ices had its origin in primitive man"s conception o& his gods
as )eings which re-uired to )e propitiated so as to induce them to do good or a)stain &rom doing harm,
and very li%ely this was the case' The truth at the )ac% o& this conception is the &eeling that there is a
higher power upon which man is dependent, and the error is in supposing that this power is limited )y
an individuality which can )e enriched )y selling its good o&&ices$ or which )lac%mails you )y threats'
In either case it wants to get something out o& you$ and &rom this it &ollows that its own power o&
supplying its own wants must )e limited$ otherwise it would not re-uire to )e %ept in good temper )y
gi&ts' In very undeveloped minds such a conception results in the idea o& numerous gods$ each having$
so to say$ his own particular line o& )usiness, and the &urthest advance this mode o& thought is capa)le
o& is the reduction o& these various deities to two antagonistic powers o& (ood and o& 1vil' 5ut the
result in either case is the same$ so long as we start with the hypothesis that the (ood will do us more
good and the 1vil do us less harm )y reason o& our sacri&ices$ &or then it logically &ollows that the more
valua)le your sacri&ices and the o&tener they are presented$ the )etter chance you have o& good luc%'
7ou)tless some such conception as this was held )y the mass o& the !e)rew people under the sacri&icial
system o& the #evitical #aw$ and perhaps this was one reason why they were so prone to &all into
idolatry &or in this view$ their &undamental notion was practically identical in its nature with that o&
the heathen around them' O& course$ this was not the &undamental idea em)odied in the #evitical system
itsel&' The root o& that system was the sym)olising o& a supreme ideal or reconciliation herea&ter to )e
mani&ested in action'
*ow a sym)ol is not the thing sym)olised' The purpose o& a sym)ol is two&old6 to put us upon en-uiry
as to the reality which it indicates$ and to )ring that reality to our minds )y suggestion when we loo% at
the sym)ol, )ut i& it does not do this$ and we rest only in the sym)ol$ nothing will come o& it$ and we are
le&t /ust where we were' That the sym)olic nature o& the #evitical sacri&ice was clearly perceived )y the
deeper thin%ers among the !e)rews is attested )y many passages in the 5i)le' Sacri&ice and )urnt
o&&ering thou wouldest not JPsalms 8C6E and D161EK and other similar utterances, and the distinction
)etween these sym)ols and that which they sym)olised is )rought out in the 1pistle to the !e)rews )y
the argument that i& those sacri&ices had a&&orded a su&&icient standpoint &or e&&ectual realisation o&
cleansing$ then the worshipper would not need to have repeated them$ )ecause he would have no more
consciousness o& sin J!e)' 1C6:K'
Craving &or Certainty
This )rings us to the essential point o& the whole matter' 0hat we want is the certainty that there is no
longer any separation )etween us and the 7ivine Spirit )y reason o& sin$ either as overt acts o& wrong-
doing or as error o& principle, and the whole purpose o& the 5i)le is to lead us to this assurance'
*ow such an assurance cannot )e )ased on any sort o& sacri&ices that re-uire repetition$ &or then we
could never %now whether we had given enough either in -uality or -uantity' It must )e a once-&or-all
)usiness or it is no use at all, and so the 5i)le ma%es the once-&or-allness o& the o&&ering the essential
point o& its teaching' !e that has )een )athed does not need to )e )athed again JHohn 1<61CK' There is
now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Hesus JFom' ;61K'
Intellectual 7i&&iculties
Garious intellectual di&&iculties$ however$ hinder many people &rom seeing the wor%ing o& the law o&
cause and e&&ect in this presentment' One is the -uestion$ !ow can moral guilt )e trans&erred &rom one
person to another. 0hat is called the &orensic argument Ji'e' the court-o&-law argumentK that Christ
undertoo% to su&&er in our stead as our surety is undou)tedly open to this o)/ection' Suretyship must )y
its very nature )e con&ined to civil o)ligations and cannot )e e+tended to criminal lia)ility$ and so the
&orensic argument may )e set aside as very much a legal &iction'
5ut i& we realise the 5i)le teaching that Christ is the Son o& (od that is$ the 7ivine Principle o&
!umanity out o& which we originated$ and su)sisting in us all$ however unconsciously to ourselves
then we see that sinners as well as saints are included in this Principle$ and conse-uently that the sel&-
o&&ering o& Christ must actually include the sel&-o&&ering o& every human )eing in the ac%nowledgement
Jhowever un%nown to his o)/ective mentalityK o& his sin'
I& we can grasp this somewhat a)stract point o& view$ it &ollows that in the Person o& Christ$ every
human )eing$ past$ present$ and to come$ was sel&-o&&ered &or the condemnation o& his sin a sel&-
condemnation and a sel&-o&&ering$ and hence a cleansing$ &or the simple reason that i& you can get a man
to realise his past error$ really see his mista%e$ he won"t do it again, and it is the perpetuation o& sin and
error that has to )e got rid o&' To do this universally would )e to regain Paradise' Seen$ there&ore$ in this
light$ there is no -uestion o& trans&erence o& moral guilt$ and I ta%e it this is St Paul"s meaning when he
spea%s o& our )eing parta%ers in Christ"s death ?1 Cor' 1C61= 1d'@'
Then there is the o)/ection$ !ow can past sins )e done away with. I& we accept the philosophical
conclusion that Time has no su)stantive e+istence$ then all that remains is states o& consciousness' 3s I
have said in the earlier part o& this )oo%$ i& the Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit &rom any centre o&
individualisation is that o& entire harmony and the a)sence o& anything that would cause any
consciousness o& separation$ then past sins cease to have any part in this sel&-recognition$ and
conse-uently cease to have any place in the world o& e+istence'
The &oundation o& the whole creative process is the calling into #ight out o& dar%ness that which
ma%es mani&est is light and conse-uently the converse action is that o& sending out o& #ight into
7ar%ness that is$ into *ot-)eing' *ow this is e+actly what the Spirit says in the 5i)le6 I$ even I$ am
!e that )lotteth out thy transgressions JIsaiah 8<6:DK'
5lotting out is the sending out o& mani&estation into the dar%ness o& non-mani&estation$ out o& 5eing into
*ot-)eing, and in this way$ the past error ceases to have any e+istence and so ceases to have any &urther
e&&ect upon us' It is )lotted out$ and &rom this new standpoint has never )een at all, so that to continue
to contemplate it is to give a &alse sense o& e+istence to that which in e&&ect has no e+istence' It is that
3&&irmation o& *egation which is the root o& all evil' It is the inversion o& our (od-given creative power
o& thought$ calling into e+istence that which in the Per&ect #i&e o& the Spirit never had or could have any
e+istence$ and there&ore it creates the sense o& inharmony$ opposition$ and separation'
False Creation o& Opposites
O& course this is only relatively to ourselves$ &or we cannot create eternal principles' They are the 5eing
o& (od, and as I have already shown$ these great Principles o& the 3&&irmative may )e summed up in the
two words #ove and 5eauty #ove in essence$ and 5eauty in mani&estation, )ut since we can only
live &rom the standpoint o& our own consciousness$ we can ma%e a &alse creation )uilt upon the idea o&
opposites to 3ll-creating #ove and 5eauty$ which &alse creation$ with all its accompaniments o&
limitation$ sin$ sorrow$ sic%ness$ and death$ must necessarily )e real to us until we perceive that these
things were not created )y (od$ the Spirit o& the 3&&irmative$ )ut )y our own inversion o& our true
relation to the 3ll-creating 5eing'
Supreme 1+emplar o& the Personal Factor
0hen$ then$ we view the matter in this light$ the o&&ering once-&or-all o& the 7ivine Sacri&ice &or the sin
o& the whole world is seen not to )e a mere ecclesiastical dogma having no relation o& cause and e&&ect$
)ut to )e the highest application o& the same principle o& cause and e&&ect )y which the whole creation$
ourselves included$ has )een )rought into e+istence the Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit producing
corresponding mani&estation$ only now wor%ing on the level o& Individual Personality'
3s I have shown at the )eginning o& this )oo%$ the cosmic mani&estation o& principles is not su&&icient to
)ring out all that there is in them' To do this$ their action must )e specialised )y the introduction o& the
Personal Factor' They are represented )y the Pillar Hachin$ )ut it must )e e-uili)rated )y the Pillar 5oa>
#aw and Personality$ the two Pillars o& the 2niverse, and in the One O&&ering$ we have the supreme
com)ination o& these two principles$ the highest specialisation o& #aw )y the highest power o&
Personality' ?Hachin and 5oa>6 the twin pillars at the entrance to Solomon"s temple J: Chron'$ <61=K$
sym)olic o& the su)/ective and o)/ective &orces respectively' See chapter' E o& Troward"s 5i)le 4ystery
and 5i)le 4eaning 1d'@
These are eternal principles$ and there&ore we are told that the #am) was slain &rom the &oundation o&
the world, and )ecause thoughts are things$ this supreme mani&estation o& the creative interaction o&
#aw and Personality was )ound eventually to )e mani&ested in concrete action in the world conditioned
)y time and space, and so it was that the supreme mani&estation o& the #ove o& (od to meet the supreme
need o& 4an too% place'
The history o& the Hewish nation is the history o& the wor%ing o& the law o& cause and e&&ect$ under the
guidance o& 7ivine 0isdom$ so as to provide the necessary conditions &or the greatest event in the
world"s history, &or i& Christ was to appear$ it must )e in some nation$ in some place$ and at some time,
)ut to trace the steps )y which$ through an intelligi)le se-uence o& causes$ these necessary conditions
were provided )elongs rather to an investigation o& 5i)le history than to our present purpose$ so I will
not enter into these details here'
5ut what I hope I have in some measure made clear is that there is a reason why Christ should )e
mani&ested$ and should su&&er$ and rise again$ and that so &ar &rom )eing a )aseless superstition$ the
Feconciling o& the world to (od through the One O&&ering once-&or-all o&&ered &or the sin o& the whole
world$ lays the immova)le &oundation upon which we may )uild securely &or all the illimita)le &uture'
Chapter 11 Ourselves in The 7ivine O&&ering
3 *ew Fecognition o& 1ternity
I& we have grasped the principle I have endeavored to state in the last chapter we shall &ind that with this
new standpoint a new li&e and a new world )egin to open out to us' This is )ecause we are now living
&rom a new recognition o& ourselves and o& (od' 1ternal Truth$ that which is the essential reality o&
5eing$ is always the same, it has never altered$ &or whatever is capa)le o& passing away and giving
place to something else is not eternal$ and there&ore the real essence o& our )eing$ as proceeding &rom
(od and su)sisting in !im has always )een the same' 5ut this is the very &act which we have hitherto
lost sight o&, and since our perception o& li&e is the measure o& our individual consciousness o& it$ we
have imposed upon ourselves a world o& limitation$ a world &illed with the power o& the negative$
)ecause we have viewed things &rom that standpoint' 0hat ta%es place$ there&ore$ when we reali>e the
truth o& our Fedemption is not a change in our essential relation to the Parent Spirit$ the 1ternal Father$
)ut an awa%ening to the perception o& this eternal and a)solutely per&ect relation' 0e see that in reality
it has never )een otherwise &or the simple reason that in the very nature o& 5eing it could not )e
otherwise, and when we see this we see also that what has hitherto )een wrong has not )een the
wor%ing o& the Father )ut our conception o& the e+istence o& some other power$ a power o& negation$
limitation$ and destructiveness$ the very opposite to all that the Creative Spirit$ )y the very &act o& Its
Creativeness$ must )e' That wonder&ul para)le o& the Prodigal Son shows us that he never ceased to )e a
son' It was not his Father who sent him away &rom home )ut his notion that he could do )etter on his
own$ and we all %now what came o& it' 5ut when he returned to the Father he &ound that &rom the
Father"s point o& view he had never )een otherwise than a son$ and that all the trou)le he had gone
through was not o& the Father )ut was the result o& his own &ailure to reali>e what the Father and the
!ome really were'?B@
*ow this is e+actly the case with ourselves' 0hen we wa%e up to the truth we &ind that$ so &ar as the
Father is concerned$ we have always )een in !im and in !is home$ &or we are made in !is image and
li%eness and are re&lections o& !is own 5eing' !e says to us Son$ thou art ever with me and all that I
have is thine' The Sel&-Contemplation o& Spirit is the Creative Power creating an environment
corresponding to the mode o& consciousness contemplated$ and there&ore in proportion as we
contemplate ourselves as centers o& individuali>ation &or the 7ivine Spirit we &ind ourselves surrounded
)y a new environment re&lecting the harmonious conditions which pree+ist in the Thought o& the Spirit'
This$ then$ is the se-uence o& Cause and 1&&ect involved in the teaching o& the 5i)le' 4an is in essence
a spiritual )eing$ the re&lection on the plane o& individual personality o& that which the 3ll-Originating
Spirit is in Itsel&$ and is thus in that reciprocal relation to the Spirit which is #ove' This is the &irst
statement o& his creation in (enesis--(od saw all that !e had made and )ehold it was very good$ 4an
included' Then the Fall is the &ailure o& the lower mentality to reali>e that (od IS #ove$ in a word that
#ove is the only ultimate 4otive Power it is possi)le to conceive$ and that the creations o& #ove cannot
)e otherwise than good and )eauti&ul' The lower mentality conceives an opposite -uality o& 1vil and
thus produces a motive power the opposite o& #ove$ which is Fear, and so Fear is )orn into the world
giving rise to the whole )rood o& evil$ anger$ hatred$ envy$ lies$ violence$ and the li%e$ and on the
e+ternal plane giving rise to discordant vi)rations which are the root o& physical ill' I& we analy>e our
motives we shall &ind that they are always some mode either o& #ove or Fear, and &ear has its root in the
recognition o& some power other than Per&ect #ove$ which is (od the O*1 all-em)racing (ood' Fear
has a creative &orce which invertedly mimics that o& #ove, )ut the di&&erence )etween them is that #ove
is eternal and Fear is not' #ove as the Original Creative 4otive is the only logical conclusion we can
come to as to why we ourselves or any other creation e+ists' Fear is illogical )ecause to regard it as
having any place in the Original Creative 4otive involves a contradiction in terms'
5y accepting the notion o& a dual power$ that o& (ood and 1vil$ the inverted creative wor%ing o& Fear is
introduced with all its attendant train o& evil things' This is the eating o& the deadly tree which occasions
the Fall$ and there&ore the Fedemption which re-uires to )e accomplished is a redemption &rom Fear--
not merely &rom this or that particular &ear )ut &rom the very Foot o& Fear$ which root is un)elie& in the
#ove o& (od$ the re&usal to )elieve that #ove alone is the Creating Power in all things$ whether small
)eyond our recognition or great )eyond our conception' There&ore to )ring a)out this Fedemption there
must )e such a mani&estation o& the 7ivine #ove to 4an as$ when rightly apprehended$ will leave no
ground &or &ear, and when we see that the Sacri&ice o& the Cross was the Sel&-O&&ering o& #ove made in
order to provide this mani&estation$ then we see that all the lin%s in the chain o& Cause and 1&&ect are
complete$ and that Fear never had any place in the Creative Principle$ whether as acting in the creation
o& a world or o& a man' The root$ there&ore$ o& all the trou)le o& the world consists in the 3&&irmation o&
*egation$ in using our creative power o& thought invertedly$ and thus giving su)stance to that which as
principle has no e+istence' So long as this negative action o& thought continues so long will it produce
its natural e&&ect, whether in the individual or in the mass' The e+perience is per&ectly real while it lasts'
Its unreality consists in the &act that there was never any real need &or it, and the more we grasp the truth
o& the all-em)racingness o& the O*1 (ood$ )oth as Cause and as 1&&ect$ on all planes$ the more the
e+perience o& its opposite will cease to have any place in our lives'
This truly *ew Thought puts us in an entirely new relation to the whole o& our environment$ opening
out possi)ilities hitherto undreamt o&$ and this )y an orderly se-uence o& law which is naturally
involved in our new mental attitude, )ut )e&ore considering the prospect thus o&&ered it is well to )e
-uite clear as to what this new mental attitude really is, &or it is our adoption o& this attitude that is the
Ney to the whole position' Put )rie&ly it is ceasing to include the idea o& limitations in our conception o&
the wor%ing o& the 3ll-Creating Spirit' !ere are some specimens o& the way in which we limit the
creative wor%ing o& the Spirit' 0e say$ I am too old now to start this or that new sort o& wor%' This is to
deny the power o& the Spirit to vivi&y our physical or mental &aculties$ which is illogical i& we consider
that it is the same Spirit that )rought us into any e+istence at all' It is li%e saying that when a lamp is
)eginning to )urn low the same person who &irst &illed it with oil cannot replenish it and ma%e it )urn
)rightly again' Or we say$ I cannot do so and so )ecause I have not the means' 0hen you were &ourteen
did you %now where all the means were coming &rom which were going to support you till now when
you are perhaps &orty or &i&ty. So you should argue that the same power that has wor%ed in the past can
continue to wor% in the &uture' I& you say the means came in the past -uite naturally through ordinary
channels$ that is no o)/ection, on the contrary the more reason &or saying that suita)le channels will
open in the &uture' 7o you e+pect (od to put cash into your des% )y a con/uring tric%. 4eans come
through recogni>a)le channels$ that is to say we recogni>e the channels )y the &act o& the stream
&lowing through them, and one o& our most common mista%es is in thin%ing that we ourselves have to
&i+ the particular channel )e&orehand' 0e say in e&&ect that the Spirit cannot open other channels$ and so
we stop them up' Or we say$ our past e+perience spea%s to the contrary$ thus assuming that our past
e+periences have included all possi)ilities and have e+hausted the laws o& the universe$ an assumption
which is negatived )y every &resh discovery even in physical science' 3nd so we go on limiting the
power o& the Spirit in a hundred di&&erent ways'
5ut care&ul consideration will show that$ though the modes in which we limit it are as numerous as the
circumstances with which we have to deal$ the thing with which we limit it is always the same--it is )y
the introduction o& our own personality' This may appear at &irst a direct contradiction o& all that I have
said a)out the necessity &or the Personal Factor$ )ut it is not' !ere is a parado+'
To open out into mani&estation the wonder&ul possi)ilities hidden in the Creative Power o& the 2niverse
we re-uire to do two things--to see that we ourselves are necessary as centers &or &ocussing that power$
and at the same time to withdraw the thought o& ourselves as contri)uting anything to its e&&iciency' It is
not I that wor% )ut the Power, yet the Power needs me )ecause it cannot speciali>e itsel& without me--in
a word each is the complementary o& the other6 and the higher the degree o& speciali>ation is to )e the
more necessary is the intelligent and willing co-operation o& the individual'
This is the Scriptural parado+ that the son can do nothing o& himsel&$ and yet we are told to )e
&ellow-wor%ers with (od' It ceases to )e a parado+$ however$ when we reali>e the relation )etween
the two &actors concerned$ (od and 4an' Our mista%e is in not discriminating )etween their respective
&unctions$ and putting 4an in the place o& (od' In our everyday li&e we do this )y measuring the power
o& (od )y our past e+periences and the deductions we draw &rom them, )ut there is another way o&
putting 4an in the place o& (od$ and that is )y the misconception that the 3ll-Originating Spirit is
merely a cosmic &orce without intelligence$ and that 4an has to originate the intelligence without which
no speci&ic purpose can )e conceived' This latter is the error o& much o& the present day philosophy and
has to )e specially guarded against' This was perceived )y some o& the medieval students o& these
things$ and they accordingly distinguished )etween what they called 3nimus 7ei and 3nima 4undi$ the
7ivine Spirit and the Soul o& the 2niverse' *ow the distinction is this$ that the essential -uality o&
3nimus 7ei is Personality--not 3 Person$ )ut the very Principle o& Personality itsel&--while the essential
-uality o& 3nima 4undi is Impersonality' Then right here comes in that importance o& the Personal
Factor o& which I have already spo%en' The powers latent in the Impersonal are )rought out to their
&ullest development )y the operation o& the Personal' This o& course does not consist in changing the
nature o& those powers$ &or that is impossi)le$ )ut in ma%ing such com)inations o& them )y Personal
Selection as to produce results which could not otherwise )e o)tained' Thus$ &or e+ample$ *um)er is in
itsel& impersonal and no one can alter the laws which are inherent in it, )ut what we can do is to select
particular num)ers and the sort o& relation$ such as su)traction$ multiplication$ etc'$ which we will
esta)lish )etween them, and then )y the inherent #aw o& *um)er a certain result is )ound to wor% out'
*ow our own essential -uality is the consciousness o& Personality, and as we grow into the recognition
o& the &act that the Impersonal is$ as it were$ crying out &or the operation upon it o& the Personal in order
to )ring its latent powers into wor%ing$ we shall see how limitless is the &ield that thus opens )e&ore us'
The prospect is wonder&ul )eyond our present conception$ and &ull o& increasing glory i& we reali>e the
true &oundation on which it rests' 5ut herein lies the danger' It consists in not reali>ing that the In&inite
o& the Impersonal is and also that the In&inite o& the Personal is' 5oth are In&inite and so re-uire
di&&erentiation through our own personality$ )ut in their essential -uality each is the e+act )alance o& the
other--not in contradiction to each other$ )ut as complementary to one another$ each supplying what the
other needs &or its &ull e+pression$ so that the two together ma%e a per&ect whole' I&$ however$ we see
this relation and our own position as the connecting lin% )etween them$ we shall see only ourselves as
the Personal Factor, )ut the more we reali>e$ )oth )y theory and e+perience$ the power o& human
personality )rought into contact with the Impersonal Soul o& *ature$ and employed with a Nnowledge
o& its power and a corresponding e+ercise o& the will$ the less we shall )e inclined to regard ourselves as
the supreme &actor in the chain o& cause and e&&ect Consideration o& this argument points to the danger
o& much o& the present day teaching regarding the e+ercise o& Thought Power as a creative agency' The
principle on which this teaching is )ased is sound and legitimate &or it is inherent in the nature o& things,
)ut the error is in supposing that we ourselves are the ultimate source o& Personality instead o& merely
the distri)utors and speciali>ers o& it' The logical result o& such a mental attitude is that putting
ourselves in the place o& all that is worshiped as (od which is spo%en o& in the second chapter o& the
Second 1pistle to the Thessalonians and other parts o& Scripture' 5y the very hypothesis o& the case we
then %now no higher will than our own$ and so are without any 2ni&ying Principle to prevent the
con&lict o& wills which must then arise--a con&lict which must )ecome more and more destructive the
greater the power possessed )y the contending parties$ and which$ i& there were no counter)alancing
power$ must result in the ultimate destruction o& the e+isting race o& men'
5ut there is a counter)alancing power' It is the very same power used a&&irmatively instead o&
negatively' It is the power o& the Personal with the Impersonal when used under the guidance o& that
2ni&ying Principle which the recognition o& the O*1-ness o& the Personal Luality in the 7ivine Spirit
supplies' Those who are using the creative power o& thought only &rom the standpoint o& individual
personality$ have o)viously less power than those who are using it &rom the standpoint o& the
Personality inherent in the #iving Spirit which is the Source and Fountain o& all energy and su)stance$
and there&ore in the end the victory must remain with these latter' 3nd )ecause the power )y which they
con-uer is that o& the 2ni&ying Personality itsel& their victory must result in the esta)lishment o& Peace
and !appiness throughout the world$ and is not a power o& domination )ut o& help&ulness and
enlightenment' The choice is )etween these two mottoes6--1ach &or himsel& and 7evil ta%e the
hindmost$ or (od &or us all' In proportion$ there&ore$ as we reali>e the immense &orces dormant in the
Impersonal Soul o& *ature$ only awaiting the introduction o& the Personal Factor to wa%e them up into
activity and direct them to speci&ic purposes$ the wider we shall &ind the scope o& the powers within the
reach o& man, and the more clearly we perceive the Impersonalness o& the very Principle o& Personality
itsel&$ the clearer our own proper position as a&&ording the 7i&&erentiating 4edium )etween these two
In&initudes will )ecome to us'
The Impersonalness o& the Principle o& Personality loo%s li%e a contradiction in terms$ )ut it is not' I
com)ine these two seemingly contradictory terms as the )est way to convey to the reader the idea o& the
essential Luality o& Personality not yet di&&erentiated into individual centers o& consciousness &or the
doing o& particular wor%' #oo%ed at in this way the In&inite o& Personality must have 2nity o& Purpose
&or its &oundation$ &or otherwise it would consist o& con&licting personalities$ in which case we have not
yet reached the O*1 all-originating cause' Or to put it in another way$ an In&inite Personality divided
against itsel& would )e an In&inite Insanity$ a creator o& a cosmic 5edlam which$ as a scienti&ic &act$
would )e impossi)le o& e+istence' There&ore the conception o& an In&inite o& Personality necessarily
implies a perpetual 2nity o& Purpose, and &or the same reason this Purpose can only )e the &uller and
&uller e+pression o& an In&inite 2nity o& Consciousness, and 2nity o& Consciousness necessarily implies
the entire a)sence o& all that would impair it$ and there&ore its e+pression can only )e as 2niversal
!armony' I&$ then$ the individual reali>es this true nature o& the source &rom which his own
consciousness o& personality is derived his ideas and wor% will )e )ased upon this &oundation$ with the
result that as )etween ourselves peace and good will towards men must accompany this mode o&
thought$ and as )etween us and the strictly Impersonal Soul o& *ature our increasing %nowledge in that
direction would mean increasing power &or carrying out our principle o& peace and good will' 3s this
perception o& our relation to the Spirit o& (od and the Soul o& *ature spreads &rom individual to
individual so the Ningdom o& (od will grow$ and its universal recognition would )e the esta)lishing o&
the Ningdom o& !eaven on earth'
Perhaps the reader will as% why I say the Soul o& *ature instead o& saying the material universe' The
reason is that in using our creative power o& Thought we do not operate directly upon material
elements--to do that is the wor% o& construction &rom without and not o& creation &rom within' The
whole tendency o& modern physical science is to reduce all matter in the &inal analysis to energy
wor%ing in a primary ether' 0hence this energy and this ether proceed is not the su)/ect o& physical
analysis' That is a -uestion which cannot )e answered )y means o& the vacuum tu)e or the
spectroscope' Physical science is doing its legitimate wor% in pushing &urther and &urther )ac% the
unanaly>a)le residuum o& *ature$ )ut$ however &ar )ac%$ an ultimate unanaly>a)le residuum there must
always )e, and when physical science )rings us to this point it hands us over to the guidance o&
psychological investigation /ust as in the 7ivina Commedia Girgil trans&ers 7ante to the guidance o&
5eatrice &or the study o& the higher realms' Garious rates o& rapidity o& motion in this primary ether$
producing various numerical com)inations o& positively and negatively electri&ied particles$ result in the
&ormation o& what we %now as the di&&erent chemical elements$ and thus e+plains the phenomena o&
their com)ining -uantities$ the law )y which they /oin together to &orm new su)stances only in certain
e+act numerical ratios' From the &irst movement in the primary ether to solid su)stances$ such as wood
or iron or our own &lesh$ is thus a series o& vi)rations in a succession o& mediums$ each denser than the
preceding one out o& which it was concreted and &rom which it receives the vi)ratory impulse' This is in
e&&ect what physical science has to tell us' 5ut to get &urther )ac% we must loo% into the world o& the
invisi)le$ and it is here that psychological study comes to our aid' 0e cannot$ however$ study the
invisi)le side o& *ature )y wor%ing &rom the outside and so at this point o& our studies we &ind the use
o& the time-honored teaching regarding the parallelism )etween the 4acrocosm and the 4icrocosm' I&
the 4icrocosm is the reproduction in ourselves o& the same principles as e+ist in the 4acrocosm or
universe in which we have our )eing$ then )y investigating ourselves we shall learn the nature o& the
corresponding invisi)le principles in our environment' !ere$ then$ is the application o& the dictum o& the
ancient philosophy$ Nnow Thysel&' It means that the only place where we can study the principles o&
the invisi)le side o& *ature is in ourselves, and when we %now them there we can trans&er them to the
larger world around us'
In the concluding chapters o& my 1din)urgh #ectures on 4ental Science I have outlined the way in
which the soul or mind operates upon the physical instrument o& its e+pression$ and it resolves itsel& into
this--that the mental action inaugurates a series o& vi)rations in the etheric )ody which$ in their turn$
induce corresponding grosser vi)rations in the molecular su)stance until &inally mechanical action is
produced on the outside' *ow trans&erring this idea to *ature as a whole we shall see that i& our mental
action is to a&&ect it in any way it can only )e )y the response o& something at the )ac% o& material
su)stance analogous to mind in ourselves, and that there is such a something interior to the merely
material side o& *ature is proved )y what we may call the #aw o& Tendency$ not only in animals and
plants$ )ut even in inorganic su)stances$ as shown &or instance in Pro&essor 5ose"s wor% on the
Fesponse o& 4etals' The universal presence o& this #aw o& Tendency there&ore indicates the wor%ing o&
some non-material and$ so to say$ semi-intelligent power in the material world$ a power which wor%s
per&ectly accurately on its own lines so &ar as it goes$ that is to say in a generic manner$ )ut which does
not possess that Personal power o& individual selection which is necessary to )ring out the in&inite
possi)ilities hidden in it' This is what is meant )y the Soul o& *ature$ and it is &or this reason I employ
that term instead o& saying the material universe' 0hich term to employ all depends on the mode o&
action we are contemplating' I& it is construction &rom without$ then we are dealing with the purely
material universe' I& we are see%ing to )ring a)out results )y the e+ercise o& our mental power &rom
within$ then we are dealing with the Soul o& *ature' It is that control o& the lower degree o& intelligence
)y the higher o& which I have spo%en in my 1din)urgh #ectures'
I& we reali>e what I have endeavored to ma%e clear in the earlier portion o& this )oo%$ that the whole
creation is produced )y the operation o& the 7ivine 0ill upon the Soul o& *ature$ it will )e evident that
we can set no limits to the potencies hidden in the latter and capa)le o& )eing )rought out )y the
operation o& the Personal Factor upon it, there&ore$ granted a su&&iciently power&ul concentration o& will$
whether )y an individual or a group o& individuals$ we can well imagine the production o& stupendous
e&&ects )y this agency$ and in this way I would e+plain the statements made in Scripture regarding the
marvelous powers to )e e+ercised )y the 3nti-Christ$ whether personal or collective' They are psychic
powers$ the power o& the Soul o& 4an over the Soul o& *ature' 5ut the Soul o& *ature is -uite
impersonal and there&ore the moral -uality o& this action depends entirely on the human operator' This
is the point o& the 4aster"s teaching regarding the destruction o& the &ig tree$ and it is on this account !e
adds the warning as to the necessity &or clearing our heart o& any in/urious &eeling against others
whenever we attempt to ma%e use o& this power J4ar% +i6 :C-:EK'
3ccording to !is teaching$ then$ this power o& controlling the Soul o& *ature )y the addition o& our own
Personal Factor$ however little we may )e a)le to recogni>e it as yet$ actually e+ists, its employment
depends on our perception o& the inner principles common to )oth$ and it is &or this reason the ancient
wisdom was summed up in the aphorism Nnow thysel&' *o dou)t it is a wonder&ul Nnowledge$ )ut on
analysis it will )e &ound to )e per&ectly natural' It is the Nnowledge o& the cryptic &orces o& *ature' *ow
it is remar%a)le that this ancient ma+im inscri)ed over the portals o& the Temple o& 7elphi is not to )e
&ound in the 5i)le' The 5i)le ma+im is not Nnow thysel& )ut Nnow the #ord' The great su)/ect o&
Nnowledge is not oursel& )ut the #ord, and herein is the great di&&erence )etween the two teachings'
The one is limited )y human personality$ the other is )ased on the In&initude o& the 7ivine Personality,
and )ecause o& this it includes human personality with all its powers over the Soul o& *ature' It is a case
o& the greater including the less, and so the whole teaching o& Scripture is directed to )ringing us into
the recognition o& that 7ivine Personality which is the (reat Original in whose image and li%eness we
are made' In proportion as we grow into the recognition o& this our own personality will e+plain$ and the
creative power o& our thought will cease to wor% invertedly until at last it will wor% only on the same
principles o& #i&e$ #ove and #i)erty as the 7ivine 4ind$ and so all evil will disappear &rom our world'
0e shall not$ as some systems teach$ )e a)sor)ed into 7eity to the e+tinction o& our individual
consciousness$ )ut on the contrary our individual consciousness will continually e+pand$ which is what
St' Paul means when he spea%s o& our increasing with the increase o& (od--the continual e+panding o&
the 7ivine element within us' 5ut this can only ta%e place )y our recognition o& ourselves as receivers
o& this 7ivine element' It is receiving into ourselves o& the 7ivine Personality$ a result not to )e reached
through human reasoning' 0e reason &rom premises which we have assumed$ and the conclusion is
already involved in the premises and can never e+tend )eyond them' 5ut we can only select our
premises &rom among things that we %now )y e+perience$ whether mental or physical$ and accordingly
our reasoning is always merely a new placing o& the old things' 5ut the receiving o& the 7ivine
Personality into ourselves is an entirely *ew Thing$ and so cannot )e reached )y reasoning &rom old
things' !ence i& this 7ivine ultimate o& the Creative Process is to )e attained it must )e )y the
Fevelation o& a *ew Thing which will a&&ord a new starting-point &or our thought$ and this *ew
Starting-point is given in the Promise o& the Seed o& the 0oman with which the 5i)le opens'
Thence&orward this Promise )ecame the central germinating thought o& those who )ased themselves
upon it$ thus constituting them a special race$ until at last when the necessary conditions had matured
the Promised Seed appeared in !im o& whom it is written that !e is the e+press image o& (od"s Person
J!e)' I6 <K--that is$ the 1+pression o& that In&inite 7ivine Personality o& which I have spo%en' *o man
hath seen (od at any time or can see !im$ &or the simple reason that In&initude cannot )e the su)/ect o&
vision' To )ecome visi)le there must )e Individuali>ation$ and there&ore when Philip said Show us the
Father$ Hesus replied$ !e that hath seen me hath seen the Father' The 0ord must )ecome &lesh )e&ore
St' Hohn could say$ That which was &rom the )eginning$ which we have heard$ which we have seen
with our eyes$ which we have loo%ed upon$ and our hands have handled$ o& the 0ord o& #i&e' This is
the *ew Starting-point &or the true *ew Thought--the *ew 3dam o& the *ew Face$ each o& whom is a
new center &or the wor%ing o& the 7ivine Spirit' This is what Hesus meant when he said$ 1+cept ye eat
the &lesh and drin% the )lood o& the Son o& 4an ye have no li&e in you' 4y &lesh is meat indeed$ and my
)lood is drin% indeed-- such a contemplation o& the 7ivine Personality in !im as will cause a li%e
receiving o& the 7ivine Personality into individuali>ation in ourselves--this is the great purpose o& the
Creative Process in the individual' It terminates the old series which )egan with )irth a&ter the &lesh and
inaugurates a *ew Series )y )irth a&ter the Spirit$ a *ew #i&e o& in&inite un&oldment with glorious
possi)ilities )eyond our highest conception'
5ut all this is logically )ased upon our recognition o& the Personalness o& (od and o& the relation o& our
individual personality to this 1ternal and In&inite Personality$ and the result o& this is 0orship--not an
attempt to )utter up the 3lmighty and get !im into good temper$ )ut the reverent contemplation o&
what this Personality must )e in Itsel&, and when we see it to )e that #i&e$ #ove$ 5eauty$ etc'$ o& which I
spo%e at the )eginning o& this )oo% we shall learn to love !im &or what !e IS$ and our prayer will )e
(ive me more o& Thysel&' I& we reali>e the great truth that the Ningdom o& !eaven is within us$ that it
is the Ningdom o& the innermost o& our own )eing and o& all creation$ and i& we reali>e that this
innermost is the place o& the Originating Power where Time and Space do not e+ist and there&ore
antecedent to all conditions$ then we shall see the true meaning o& 0orship' It is the perception o& the
Innermost Spirit as eternally su)sisting independently o& all conditioned mani&estation$ so that in the
true worship our consciousness is removed &rom the outer sphere o& e+istence to the innermost center o&
unconditioned )eing' There we &ind the 1ternal 5eing o& (od pure and simple$ and we stand reverently
in this Supreme Presence %nowing that it is the Source o& our own )eing$ and wrapt in the
contemplation o& This$ the conditioned is seen to &low out &rom It' Perceiving this the conditioned
passes out o& our consideration$ &or it is seen not to )e the 1ternal Feality--we have reached that level o&
consciousness where Time and Space remain no longer' Oet the reverence which the vision o& this
Supreme Center o& all 5eing cannot &ail to inspire is coupled with a sense o& &eeling -uite at home with
It' This is )ecause as the Center o& all 5eing it is the center o& our own )eing also' It is one-with-
ourselves' It is recogni>ing Itsel& &rom our own center o& consciousness, so that here we have got )ac%
to that Sel&-contemplation o& Spirit which is the &irst movement o& the Creating Power$ only now this
Sel&-contemplation is the action o& the 3ll-Originating Spirit upon Itsel& &rom the center o& our own
consciousness' So this worship in the Temple o& the Innermost is at once reverent adoration and &amiliar
intercourse--not the &amiliarity that )reeds contempt$ )ut a &amiliarity producing #ove$ )ecause as it
increases we see more clearly the true #i&e o& the Spirit as the continual interaction o& #ove and 5eauty$
and the Spirit"s recognition o& ourselves as an integral portion o& Its own #i&e' This is not an unpractical
dreamy speculation )ut has a very practical )earing' 7eath will some day cease to )e$ &or the simple
reason that #i&e alone can )e the enduring principle, )ut we have not yet reached this point in our
evolution' 0hether any in this generation will reach it I cannot say, )ut &or the ran% and &ile o& us the
death o& the )ody seems to )e )y &ar the more pro)a)le event' *ow what must this passing out o& the
)ody mean to us. It must mean that we &ind ourselves without the physical vehicle which is the
instrument through which our consciousness comes in touch with the e+ternal world and all the interests
o& our present daily li&e' 5ut the mere putting o&& o& the )ody does not o& itsel& change the mental
attitude, and so i& our mind is entirely centered upon these passing interests and e+ternal conditions the
loss o& the instrument )y which we held touch with them must involve a consciousness o& desire &or the
only sort o& li&e we have %nown coupled with a consciousness o& our ina)ility to participate in it$ which
can only result in a consciousness o& distress and con&usion such as in our present state we cannot
imagine'
On the other hand i& we have in this world reali>ed the true principle o& the 0orship o& the 1ternal
Source &rom which all conditioned li&e &lows out--an inner communing with the (reat Feality--we have
already passed )eyond that consciousness o& li&e which is limited )y Time and Space, and so when we
put o&& this mortal )ody we shall &ind ourselves upon &amiliar ground$ and there&ore not wandering in
con&usion )ut -uite at home$ dwelling in the same light o& the 1ternal in which we have )een
accustomed to dwell as an atmosphere enveloping the conditioned li&e o& to-day' Then &inding ourselves
thus at home on a plane where Time and Space do not e+ist there will )e no -uestion with us o&
duration' The consciousness will )e simply that o& peace&ul$ happy )eing' That a return to more active
personal operation will eventually ta%e place is evidenced )y the &act that the )asis o& all &urther
evolution is the di&&erentiating o& the 2ndi&&erentiated #i&e o& the Spirit into speci&ic channels o& wor%$
through the intermediary o& individual personality without which the in&inite potentialities o& the
Creative #aw cannot )e )rought to light' There&ore$ however various our opinions as to its precise &orm$
Fesurrection as a principle is a necessity o& the creative process' 5ut such a return to more active li&e
will not mean a return to limitations$ )ut the opening o& a new li&e in which we shall transcend them all$
)ecause we have passed )eyond the misconception that Time and Space are o& the 1ssence o& #i&e'
0hen the misconception regarding Time and Space is entirely eradicated all other limitations must
disappear )ecause they have their root in this primary one--they are only particular &orms o& the general
proposition' There&ore though Form with its accompanying relations o& Time and Space is necessary &or
mani&estation$ these things will )e &ound not to have any &orce in themselves thus creating limitation$
)ut to )e the re&lection o& the mode o& thought which pro/ects them as the e+pression o& itsel&'
*or is there any inherent reason why this process should )e delayed till some &ar-o&& &uture' There is no
reason why we should not commence at once' *o dou)t our inherited and personally engendered modes
o& thought ma%e this di&&icult$ and )y the nature o& the process it will )e only when all our thoughts are
con&ormed to this principle that the complete victory will )e won' 5ut there must )e a commencement
to everything$ and the more we ha)ituate ourselves to live in that Center o& the Innermost where
conditions do not e+ist$ the more we shall &ind ourselves gaining control over outward conditions$
)ecause the stream o& conditioned li&e &lows out &rom the Center o& 2nconditioned #i&e$ and there&ore
this intrinsic principle o& 0orship has in it the promise )oth o& the li&e that now is and o& that which is
to come' Only we must remem)er that the really availing worship is that o& the 2ndi&&erentiated Source
)ecause It is the Source$ and not as a )ac%handed way o& diverting the stream into some petty channel
o& conditions$ &or that would only )e to get )ac% to the old circle o& limitation &rom which we are
see%ing to escape'
5ut i& we reali>e these things we have already laid hold o& the Principle o& Fesurrection$ and in point o&
principle we are already living the resurrection li&e' 0hat progress we may ma%e in it depends on our
practical application o& the principle, )ut simply as principle there is nothing in the principle itsel& to
prevent its complete wor%ing at any moment' This is why Hesus did not re&er resurrection to some
remote point o& time )ut said$ I am the resurrection and the li&e' *o principle can carry in itsel& an
opposite and limiting principle contradictory o& its own nature$ and this is as true o& the Principle o& #i&e
as o& any other principle' It is we who )y our thought introduce an opposite and limiting principle and
so hinder the wor%ing o& the principle we are see%ing to )ring into operation, )ut so &ar as the Principle
o& #i&e itsel& is concerned there is in it no reason why it should not come into per&ect mani&estation here
and now'
This$ then$ is the true purpose o& worship' It is to )ring us into conscious and loving intercourse with the
Supreme Source o& our own )eing$ and seeing this we shall not neglect the outward &orms o& worship'
From what we now %now they should mean more to us than to others and not less, and in especial i& we
reali>e the mani&estation o& the 7ivine Personality in Hesus Christ and its reproduction in 4an$ we shall
not neglect !is last command to parta%e o& that sacred memorial to !is &lesh and )lood which !e
)e-ueathed to !is &ollowers with the words This do in remem)rance o& 4e'
This holy rite is no superstitious human invention' There are many theories a)out it$ and I do not wish to
com)at any o& them$ &or in the end they all seem to me to )ring us to the same point$ that )eing cleansed
&rom sin )y the 7ivine #ove we are now no longer separate &rom (od )ut )ecome parta%ers o& the
7ivine-*ature JII Peter I6 8K' This parta%ing o& the 7ivine *ature could not )e more accurately
represented than )y our parta%ing o& )read and wine as sym)ols o& the 7ivine Su)stance and the 7ivine
#i&e$ thus made em)lematic o& the whole Creative Process &rom its )eginning in the 7ivine Thought to
its completion in the mani&estation o& that Thought as Per&ected 4an, and so it )rings vividly )e&ore us
the remem)rance o& the Personality o& (od ta%ing &orm as the Son o& 4an' 0e are all &amiliar with the
saying that thoughts )ecome things, and i& we a&&irm the creative power o& our own thought as
reproducing itsel& in outward &orm$ how much more must we a&&irm the same o& that 7ivine Thought
which )rings the whole universe into e+istence, so that in accordance with our own principles the
7ivine Idea o& 4an was logically )ound to show itsel& in the world o& time and space as the Son o& (od
and the Son o& man$ not two di&&ering natures )ut one complete whole$ thus summing up the &oundation
principle o& all creation in one 2ndivided Consciousness o& Personality' Thus the 0ord or 7ivine
Thought o& 4an )ecame &lesh$ and our parta%ing o& the sym)olic elements %eeps in our remem)rance
the supreme truth that this same 0ord or Thought o& (od in li%e manner ta%es &orm in ourselves as
we open our own thought to receive it' 3nd &urther$ i& we reali>e that throughout the universe there is
only O*1 Originating #i&e$ sending &orth only O*1 Original Su)stance as the vehicle &or its
e+pression$ then it logically &ollows that in essence the )read is a portion o& the eternal Su)stance o&
(od$ and the wine a portion o& the eternal #i&e o& (od' For though the wine is o& course also a part o&
the 2niversal Su)stance$ we must remem)er that the 2niversal Su)stance is itsel& a mani&estation o& the
#i&e o& the 3ll-Creating Spirit$ and there&ore this &luid &orm o& the primary su)stance has )een selected
as representing the eternal &lowing o& the #i&e o& the Spirit into all creation$ culminating in its supreme
e+pression in the consciousness o& those who$ in the recognition o& these truths$ see% to )ring their heart
into union with the 7ivine Spirit' From such considerations as these it will )e seen how vast a &ield o&
thought is covered )y Christ"s words 7o this in remem)rance o& 4e'
In conclusion$ there&ore$ do not let yourselves )e led astray )y any philosophy that denies the
Personality o& (od' In the end it will )e &ound to )e a &oolish philosophy' *o other starting-point o&
creation is conceiva)le than the Sel&-Contemplation o& the 7ivine Spirit$ and the logical se-uence &rom
this )rings us to the ultimate result o& the Creative Process in the statement that i& any man )e in Christ
he is a *ew creature$ or as the margin has it a new creation JII Cor' v6 1=K' Such vain philosophies
have only one logical result which is to put yoursel& in the place o& (od$ and then what have you to lean
upon in the hour o& trial. It is li%e trying to clim) up a ladder that is resting against nothing' There&ore$
says the 3postle Paul$ 5eware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit$ a&ter the
tradition o& man$ a&ter the rudiments o& the world$ and not a&ter Christ' JCol' II6 ;'K The teaching o& the
5i)le is sound philosophy$ sound reasoning$ and sound science )ecause it starts with the sound premises
that all Creation proceeds out o& (od$ and that 4an is made in the image and li%eness o& his Creator' It
nowhere departs &rom the #aw o& Cause and 1&&ect$ and )y the orderly se-uence o& this law it )rings us
at last to the *ew Creation )oth in ourselves and in our environment$ so that we &ind the completion o&
the Creative Process in the declaration the ta)ernacle o& (od is with men JFev' ++i6 <K$ and in the
promise This is the Covenant that I will ma%e with them a&ter those days Ji'e'$ the days o& our
imper&ect apprehension o& these thingsK saith the #ord$ I will dwell in them$ and wal% in them$ and I will
)e their (od$ and they shall )e my people$ and I will put my laws into their hearts$ and in their minds
will I write them$ and their sins and their ini-uities will I remem)er no more J!e)' +6 1E' II Cor' vi6 1E'
Heremiah +++i6 <<K'
Truly does 5acon say$ 3 little philosophy inclineth a man"s mind to atheism$ )ut depth in philosophy
)ringeth men"s minds a)out to religion'--5acon$ 1ssay$ +vi'