the dore lectures on mental science-第4节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


find　that　the　Apostle　spoke　the　literal　truth；　when　he　said；　that　we　shall　become　like　Him　when　we　see　Him　AS　HE　IS；　because　the　whole　process　by　which　our　individuality　is　produced　is　one　of　reflection　of　the　image　existing　in　the　Divine　Mind。　When　we　thus　learn　the　Law　of　our　own　being　we　shall　be　able　to　specialize　it　in　ways　of　which　we　have　hitherto　but　little　conception；　but　as　in　the　case　of　all　natural　laws　the　specialization　cannot　take　place　until　the　fundamental　principle　of　the　generic　law　has　been　fully　realized。　For　these　reasons　the　student　should　endeavour　to　realize　more　and　more　perfectly；　both　in　theory　and　practice；　the　law　of　the　relation　between　the　Universal　and　the　Individual　Minds。　It　is　that　of　RECIPROCAL　action。　If　this　fact　of　reciprocity　is　grasped；　it　will　be　found　to　explain　both　why　the　individual　falls　short　of　expressing　the　fulness　of　Life；　which　the　Spirit　is；　and　why　he　can　attain　to　the　fulness　of　that　expression；　just　as　the　same　law　explains　why　iron　sinks　in　water；　and　how　it　can　be　made　to　float。　It　is　the　individualizing　of　the　Universal　Spirit；　by　recognizing　its　reciprocity　to　ourselves；　that　is　the　secret　of　the　perpetuation　and　growth　of　our　own　individuality。



THE　NEW　THOUGHT　AND　THE　NEW　ORDER。

In　the　two　preceding　lectures　I　have　endeavoured　to　reach　some　conception　of　what　the　All…originating　Spirit　is　in　itself；　and　of　the　relation　of　the　individual　to　it。　So　far　as　we　can　form　any　conception　of　these　things　at　all　we　see　that　they　are　universal　principles　applicable　to　all　nature；　and；　at　the　human　level；　applicable　to　all　men：　they　are　general　laws　the　recognition　of　which　is　an　essential　preliminary　to　any　further　advance；　because　progress　is　made；　not　by　setting　aside　the　inherent　law　of　things；　which　is　impossible；　but　by　specializing　it　through　presenting　conditions　which　will　enable　the　same　principle　to　act　in　a　less　limited　manner。　Having　therefore　got　a　general　idea　of　these　two　ultimates；　the　universal　and　the　individual；　and　of　their　relation　to　one　another；　let　us　now　consider　the　process　of　specialization。　In　what　does　the　specialization　of　a　natural　law　consist？　It　consists　in　making　that　law　or　principle　produce　an　effect　which　it　could　not　produce　under　the　simply　generic　conditions　spontaneously　provided　by　nature。　This　selection　of　suitable　conditions　is　the　work　of　Intelligence；　it　is　a　process　of　consciously　arranging　things　in　a　new　order；　so　as　to　produce　a　new　result。　The　principle　is　never　new；　for　principles　are　eternal　and　universal；　but　the　knowledge　that　the　same　principle　will　produce　new　results　when　working　under　new　conditions　is　the　key　to　the　unfoldment　of　infinite　possibilities。　What　we　have　therefore　to　consider　is　the　working　of　Intelligence　in　providing　specific　conditions　for　the　operation　of　universal　principles；　so　as　to　bring　about　new　results　which　will　transcend　our　past　experiences。　The　process　does　not　consist　in　the　introduction　of　new　elements；　but　in　making　new　combinations　of　elements　which　are　always　present；　just　as　our　ancestors　had　no　conception　of　carriages　that　could　go　without　horses；　and　yet　by　a　suitable　combination　of　elements　which　were　always　in　existence；　such　vehicles　are　common　objects　in　our　streets　today。　How；　then；　is　the　power　of　Intelligence　to　be　brought　to　bear　upon　the　generic　law　of　the　relation　between　the　Individual　and　the　Universal　so　as　to　specialize　it　into　the　production　of　greater　results　than　those　which　we　have　hitherto　obtained？

All　the　practical　attainments　of　science；　which　place　the　civilized　world　of　to…day　in　advance　of　the　times　of　King　Alfred　or　Charlemagne；　have　been　gained　by　a　uniform　method；　and　that　a　very　simple　one。　It　is　by　always　enquiring　what　is　the　affirmative　factor　in　any　existing　combination；　and　asking　ourselves　why；　in　that　particular　combination；　it　does　not　act　beyond　certain　limits。　What　makes　the　thing　a　success；　so　far　as　it　goes；　and　what　prevents　it　going　further？　Then；　by　carefully　considering　the　nature　of　the　affirmative　factor；　we　see　what　sort　of　conditions　to　provide　to　enable　it　to　express　itself　more　fully。　This　is　the　scientific　method；　it　has　proved　itself　true　in　respect　of　material　things；　and　there　is　no　reason　why　it　should　not　be　equally　reliable　in　respect　of　spiritual　things　also。

Taking　this　as　our　method；　we　ask；　What　is　the　affirmative　factor　in　the　whole　creation；　and　in　ourselves　as　included　in　the　creation；　and；　as　we　found　in　the　first　lecture；　this　factor　is　Spiritthat　invisible　power　which　concentrates…the　primordial　ether　into　forms；　and　endows　those　forms　with　various　modes　of　motion；　from　the　simply　mechanical　motion　of　the　planet　up　to　the　volitional　motion　in　man。　And；　since　this　is　so；　the　primary　affirmative　factor　can　only　be　the　Feeling　and　the　Thought　of　the　Universal　Spirit。*　Now；　by　the　hypothesis　of　the　case；　the　Universal　Spirit　must　be　the　Pure　Essence　of　Life；　and　therefore　its　feeling　and　　thought　can　only　be　towards　the　continually　increasing　expression　of　the　livingness　which　it　is；　and　accordingly　the　specialization；　of　which　we　are　in　search；　must　be　along　the　line　of　affording　it　a　centre　from　which　it　may　more　perfectly　realize　this　feeling　and　express　this　thought：　in　other　words　the　way　to　specialize　the　generic　principle　of　Spirit　is　by　providing　new　mental　conditions　in　consonance　with　its　own　original　nature。

*　See　my　〃Edinburgh　Lectures　on　Mental　Science。〃


The　scientific　method　of　enquiry　therefore　brings　us　to　the　conclusion　that　the　required　conditions　for　translating　the　racial　or　generic　operation　of　the　Spirit　into　a　specialized　individual　operation　is　a　new　way　of　THINKING　mode　of　thought　concurring　with；　and　not　in　opposition　to；　the　essential　forward　movement　of　the　Creative　Spirit　itself。　This　implies　an　entire　reversal　of　our　old　conceptions。　Hitherto　we　have　taken　forms　and　conditions　as　the　starting　point　of　our　thought　and　inferred　that　they　are　the　causes　of　mental　states；　now　we　have　learnt　that　the　true　order　of　the　creative　process　is　exactly　the　reverse；　and　that　thought　and　feeling　are　the　causes；　and　forms　and　conditions　the　effects。　When　we　have　learnt　this　lesson　we　have　grasped　the　foundation　principle　on　which　individual　specialization　of　the　generic　law　of　the　creative　process　becomes　a　practical　possibility。

New　Thought；　then；　is　not　the　name　of　a　particular　sect；　but　is　the　essential　factor　by　which　our　own　future　development　is　to　be　carried　on；　and　its　essence　consists　in　seeing　the　relation　of　things　in　a　New　Order。　Hitherto　we　have　inverted　the　true　order　of　cause　and　effect；　now；　by　carefully　considering　the　real　nature　of　the　Principle　of　Causation　in　itselfcausa　causans　as　distinguished　from　cause　causatawe　return　to　the　true　order　and　adopt　a　new　method　of　thinking　in　accordance　with　it。

In　themselves　this　order　and　this　method　of　thinking　are　not　new。　They　are　older　than　the　foundation　of　the　world；　for　they　are　those　of　the　Creative　Spirit　itself；　and　all　through　the　ages　this　teaching　has　been　handed　down　under　various　forms；　the　true　meaning　of　which　has　been　perceived　only　by　a　few　in　each　generation。　But　as　the　light　breaks　in　upon　any　individual　it　is　a　new　light　to　him；　and　so　to　each　one　in　succession　it　becomes　the　New　Thought。　And　when　anyone　reaches　it；　he　finds　himself　in　a　New　Order。　He　continues　indeed　to　be　included　in　the　universal　order　of　the　cosmos；　but　in　a　perfectly　different　way　to　what　he　had　previously　supposed；　for；　from　his　new　standpoint；　he　finds　that　he　is　included；　not　so　much　as　a　part　of　the　general　effect；　but　as　a　part　of　the　general　cause；　and　when　he　perceives　this　he　then　sees　that　the　method　of　his　further　advance　must　be　by　letting　the　General　Cause　flow　more　and　more　freely　into　his　own　specific　centre；　and　he　therefore　seeks　to　provide　thought　conditions　which　will　enable　him　to　do　so。

Then；　still　employing　the　scientific　method　of　following　up　the　affirmative　factor；　he　realizes　that　this　universal　causative　power；　by　whatever　name　he　may　call　it；　manifests　as　Supreme　Intelligence　in　the　adaptation　of　means　to　ends。　It　does　so　in　the　mechanism　of　the　planet；　in　the　production　of　supply　for　the　support　of　physical　life；　and　in　the　maintenance　of　the　race　as　a　whole。　True；　the　investigator　is　met　at　every　turn　with　individual　failure；　but　his　answer　to　this　is　that　there　is　no　cosmic　failure；　and　that　the　apparent　individual　failure　is　itself　a　part　of　the　cosmic　process；　and　will　diminish　in　proportion　as　the　individual　attains　to　the　recognition　of　the　Moving　Principle　of　that　process；　and　provides　the　necessary　conditions　to　enable　it　to　take　a　new　starting　point　in　his　own

individuality。　Now；　one　of　these　conditions　is　to　recognize　it　as　Intelligence；　and　to　remember　that　when　working　through　our　own　mentality　it　in　no　way　changes　its　essential　nature；　just　as　electricity　loses　none　of　its　essential　qualities　in　passing　through　the　special　apparatus　which　enables　it　to　manifest　as　light。

When　we　see　this；　our　line　of　thought　will　run　something　as　follows：〃My　mind　is　a　centre　of　Divine　operation。　The　Divine　operation　is　always　for　expansion　and　fuller　expression；　and　this　means　the　production　of　something