the dore lectures on mental science-第3节

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thin　himself；　and　so　he　looks　to　the　mechanical　side　of　things　for　the　basis　of　his　reasoning　about　life。　Consequently　his　reasoning　lands　him　in　the　conclusion　that　life　is　limited；　because　he　has　assumed　limitation　in　his　premises；　and　so…logically　cannot　escape　from　it　in　his　conclusion。　Then　he　thinks　that　this　is　the　law　and　so　ridicules　the　idea　of　transcending　it。　He　points　to　the　sequence　of　cause　and　effect；　by　which　death；　disease；　and　disaster；　hold　their　sway　over　the　individual；　and　says　that　sequence　is　law。　And　he　is　perfectly　right　so　far　as　he　goesit　is　a　law；　but　not　THE　Law。　When　we　have　only　reached　this　stage　of　comprehension；　we　have　yet　to　learn　that　a　higher　law　can　include　a　lower　one　so　completely　as　entirely　to　swallow　it　up。

The　fallacy　involved　in　this　negative　argument；　is　the　assumption　that　the　law　of　limitation　is　essential　in　all　grades　of　being。　It　is　the　fallacy　of　the　old　shipbuilders　as　to　the　impossibility　of　building　iron　ships。　What　is　required　is　to　get　at　the　PRINCIPLE　which　is　at　the　back　of　the　Law　in　its　affirmative　working；　and　specialize　it　under　higher　conditions　than　are　spontaneously　presented　by　nature；　and　this　can　only　be　done　by　the　introduction　of　the　personal　element；　that　is　to　say　an　individual　intelligence　capable　of　comprehending　the　principle。　The　question；　then；　is；　what　is　the　principle　by　which　we　came　into　being？　and　this　is　only　a　personal　application　of　the　general　question；　How　did　anything　come　into　being？　Now；　as　I　pointed　out　in　the　preceding　article；　the　ultimate　deduction　from　physical　science　is　that　the　originating　movement　takes　place　in　the　Universal　Mind；　and　is　analogous　to　that　of　our　own　imagination；　and　as　we　have　just　seen；　the　perfect　ideal　can　only　be　that　of　a　being　capable　of　reciprocating　ALL　the　qualities　of　the　Originating　Mind。　Consequently　man；　in　his　inmost　nature；　is　the　product　of　the　Divine　Mind　imaging　forth　an　image　of　itself　on　the　plane　of　the　relative　as　the　complementary　to　its　own　sphere　of　the　absolute。

If　we　will　therefore　go　to　the　INMOST　principle　in　ourselves；　which　philosophy　and　Scripture　alike　declare　to　be　made　in　the　image　and　likeness　of　God；　instead　of　to　the　outer　vehicles　which　it　externalizes　as　instruments　through　which　to　function　on　the　various　planes　of　being；　we　shall　find　that　we　have　reached　a　principle　in　ourselves　which　stands　in　loco　dei　towards　all　our　vehicles　and　also　towards　our　environment。　It　is　above　them　all；　and　creates　them；　however　unaware　we　may　be　of　the　fact；　and　relatively　to　them　it　occupies　the　place　of　first　cause。　The　recognition　of　this　is　the　discovery　of　our　own　relation　to　the　whole　world　of　the　relative。　On　the　other　hand　this　must　not　lead　us　into　the　mistake　of　supposing　that　there　is　nothing　higher；　for；　as　we　have　already　seen；　this　inmost　principle　or　ego　is　itself　the　effect　of　an　antecedent　cause；　for　it　proceeds　from　the　imaging　process　in　the　Divine　Mind。

We　thus　find　ourselves　holding　an　intermediate　position　between　true　First　Cause；　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　world　of　secondary　causes　on　the　other；　and　in　order　to　understand　the　nature　of　this　position；　we　must　fall　back　on　the　axiom　that　the　Universal　can　only　work　on　the　plane　of　the　Particular　through　the　individual。　Then　we　see　that　the　function　of　the　individual　is　to　DIFFERENTIATE　the　undistributed　flow　of　the　Universal　into　suitable　directions　for　starting　different　trains　of　secondary　causation。

Man's　place　in　the　cosmic　order　is　that　of　a　distributor　of　the　Divine　power；　subject；　however；　to　the　inherent　Law　of　the　power　which　he　distributes。　We　see　one　instance　of　this　in　ordinary　science；　in　the　fact　that　we　never　create　force；　all　we　can　do　is　to　distribute　it。　The　very　word　Man　means　distributor　or　measurer；　as　in　common　with　all　words　derived　from　the　Sanderit　root　MN。；　it　implies　the　idea　of　measurement；　just　as　in　the　words　moon；　month；　mens；　mind；　and　〃man；〃　the　Indian　weight　of　80　1bs。；　and　it　is　for　this　reason　that　man　is　spoken　of　in　Scripture　as　a　〃steward；〃　or　dispenser　of　the　Divine　gifts。　As　our　minds　become　open　to　the　full　meaning　of　this　position；　the　immense　possibilities　and　also　the　responsibility　contained　in　it　will　become　apparent。

It　means　that　the　individual　is　the　creative　centre　of　his　own　world。　Our　past　experience　affords　no　evidence　against　this；　but　on　the　contrary；　is　evidence　for　it。　Our　true　nature　is　always　present；　only　we　have　hitherto　taken　the　lower　and　mechanical　side　of　things　for　our　starting　point；　and　so　have　created　limitation　instead　of　expansion。　And　even　with　the　knowledge　of　the　Creative　Law　which　we　have　now　attained；　we　shall　continue　to　do　this；　if　we　seek　our　starting　point　in　the　things　which　are　below　us　and　not　in　the　only　thing　which　is　above　us；　namely　the　Divine　Mind；　because　it　is　only　there　that　we　can　find　illimitable　Creative　Power。　Life　is　BEING；　it　is　the　experience　of　states　of　consciousness；　and　there　is　an　unfailing　correspondence　between　these　inner　states　and　our　outward　conditions。　Now　we　see　from　the　Original　Creation　that　the　state　of　consciousness　must　be　the　cause；　and　the　corresponding　conditions　the　effect；　because　at　the　starting　of　the　creation　no　conditions　existed；　and　the　working　of　the　Creative　Mind　upon　itself　can　only　have　been　a　state　of　consciousness。　This；　then；　is　clearly　the　Creative　Orderfrom　states　to　conditions。　But　we　invert　this　order；　and　seek　to　create　from　conditions　to　states。　We　say；　If　I　had　such　and　such　conditions　they　would　produce　the　state　of　feeling　which　I　desire；　and　in　so　saying　we　run　the　risk　of　making　a　mistake　as　to　the　correspondence；　for　it　may　turn　out　that　the　particular　conditions　which　we　fixed　on　are　not　such　as　would　produce　the　desired　state。　Or；　again；　though　they　might　produce　it　in　a　certain　degree；　other　conditions　might　produce　it　in　a　still　greater　degree；　while　at　the　same　time　opening　the　way　to　the　attainment　of　still　higher　states　and　still　better　conditions。　Therefore　our　wisest　plan　is　to　follow　the　pattern　of　the　Parent　Mind　and　make　mental　self…recognition　our　starting　point；　knowing　that　by　the　inherent　Law　of　Spirit　the　corelated　conditions　will　come　by　a　natural　process　of　growth。　Then　the　great　self…recognition　is　that　of　our　relation　to　the　Supreme　Mind。　That　is　the　generating　centre　and　we　are　distributing　centres；　just　as　electricity　is　generated　at　the　central　station　and　delivered　in　different　forms　of　power　by　reason　of　passing　through　appropriate　centres　of　distribution；　so　that　in　one　place　it　lights　a　room；　in　another　conveys　a　message；　and　in　a　third　drives　a　tram　car。　In　like　manner　the　power　of　the　Universal　Mind　takes　particular　forms　through　the　particular　mind　of　the　individual。　It　does　not　interfere　with　the　lines　of　his　individuality；　but　works　along　them；　thus　making　him；　not　less；　but　more　himself。　It　is　thus；　not　a　compelling　power；　but　an　expanding　and　illuminating　one；　so　that　the　more　the　individual　recognizes　the　reciprocal　action　between　it　and　himself；　the　more　full　of　life　he　must　become。

Then　also　we　need　not　be　troubled　about　future　conditions　because　we　know　that　the　All…originating　Power　is　working　through　us　and　for　us；　and　that　according　to　the　Law　proved　by　the　whole　existing　creation；　it　produces　all　the　conditions　required　for　the　expression　of　the　Life；　Love　and　Beauty　which　it　is；　so　that　we　can　fully　trust　it　to　open　the　way　as　we　go　along。　The　Great　Teacher's　words；　〃Take　no　thought　for　the　morrow〃and　note　that　the　correct　translation　is　〃Take　no　anxious　thought〃　are　the　practical　application　of　the　soundest　philosophy。　This　does　not；　of　course；　mean　that　we　are　not　to　exert　ourselves。　We　must　do　our　share　in　the　work；　and　not　expect　God　to　do　FOR　us　what　He　can　only　do　THROUGH　us。　We　are　to　use　our　common　sense　and　natural　faculties　in　working　upon　the　conditions　now　present。　We　must　make　use　of　them；　AS　FAR　AS　THEY　GO；　but　we　must　not　try　and　go　further　than　the　present　things　require；　we　must　not　try　to　force　things；　but　allow　them　to　grow　naturally；　knowing　that　they　are　doing　so　under　the　guidance　of　the　All…Creating　Wisdom。

Following　this　method　we　shall　grow　more　and　more　into　the　habit　of　looking　to　mental　attitude　as　the　Key　to　our　progress　in　Life；　knowing　that　everything　else　must　come　out　of　that；　and　we　shall　further　discover　that　our　mental　attitude　is　eventually　determined　by　the　way　in　which　we　regard　the　Divine　Mind。　Then　the　final　result　will　be　that　we　shall　see　the　Divine　Mind　to　be　nothing　else　than　Life；　Love　and　BeautyBeauty　being　identical　with　Wisdom　or　the　perfect　adjustment　of　parts　to　wholeand　we　shall　see　ourselves　to　be　distributing　centres　of　these　primary　energies　and　so　in　our　turn　subordinate　centres　of　creative　power。　And　as　we　advance　in　this　knowledge　we　shall　find　that　we　transcend　one　law　of　limitation　after　another　by　finding　the　higher　law；　of　which　the　lower　is　but　a　partial　expression；　until　we　shall　see　clearly　before　us；　as　our　ultimate　goal；　nothing　less　than　the　Perfect　Law　of　Libertynot　liberty　without　Law　which　is　anarchy；　but　Liberty　according　to　Law。　In　this　way　we　shall　find　that　the　Apostle　spoke　the　literal　truth；　when　he　said；　that　we　shall　become　like　Him　when　we　s