the dore lectures on mental science-第6节

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ns；　and　this　is　to　be　found　in　our　realization　of　the　Spirit　as　the　Supreme　Beauty；　or　Wisdom；　moulding　our　thoughts　and　feelings　into　shapes　harmoniously　adjusted　to　the　fullest　expression；　in　and　through　us；　of　the　Livingness　which　Spirit　is　in　itself。

Now　this　is　nothing　more　than　transferring　to　the　innermost　plane　of　origination；　a　principle　with　which　all　readers　who　are　〃in　the　thought〃　may　be　presumed　to　be　quite　familiarthe　principle　of　Receptiveness。　We　all　know　what　is　meant　by　a　receptive　mental　attitude　when　applied　to　healing　or　telepathy；　and　does　it　not　logically　follow　that　the　same　principle　may　be　applied　to　the　receiving　of　life　itself　from　the　Supreme　Source？　What　is　wanted；　therefore；　is　to　place　ourselves　in　a　receptive　mental　attitude　towards　the　Universal　Spirit　with　the　intention　of　receiving　its　forming　influence　into　our　mental　substance。　It　is　always　the　presence　of　a　definite　intention　that　distinguishes　the　intelligent　receptive　attitude　of　mind　from　a　merely　sponge…like　absorbency；　which　sucks　in　any　and　every　influence　that　may　happen　to　be　floating　round：　for　we　must　not　shut　our　eyes　to　the　fact　that　there　are　various　influences　in　the　mental　atmosphere　by　which　we　are　surrounded；　and　some　of　them　of　the　most　undesirable　kind。　Clear　and　definite　intention　is　therefore　as　necessary　in　our　receptive　attitude　as　in　our　active　and　creative　one；　and　if　our　intention　is　to　have　our　own　thoughts　and　feelings　moulded　into　such　forms　as　to　express　those　of　the　Spirit；　then　we　establish　that　relation　to　the　Spirit　which；　by　the　conditions　of　the　case；　must　necessarily　lead　us　to　the　conception　of　new　ideals　vitalised　by　a　power　which　will　enable　us　to　bring　them　into　concrete　manifestation。　It　is　in　this　way　that　we　become　differentiating　centres　of　the　Divine　Thought　giving　it　expression　in　form　in　the　world　of　space　and　time；　and　thus　is　solved　the　great　problem　of　enabling　the　Universal　to　act　upon　the　plane　of　the　particular　without　being　hampered　by　those　limitations　which　the　merely　generic　law　of　manifestation　imposes　upon　it。　It　is　just　here　that　subconscious　mind　performs　the　function　of　a　〃bridge〃　between　the　finite　and　the　infinite　as　noted　in　my　〃Edinburgh　Lectures　on　Mental　Science〃　（page　31）；　and　it　is　for　this　reason　that　a　recognition　of　its　susceptibility　to　impression　is　so　important。

By　establishing；　then；　a　personal　relation　to　the　life　of　the　Spirit；　the　sphere　of　the　individual　becomes　enlarged。　The　reason　is　that　he　allows　a　greater　intelligence　than　his　own　to　take　the　initiative；　and　since　he　knows　that　this　Intelligence　is　also　the　very　Principle　of　Life　itself；　he　cannot　have　any　fear　that　it　will　act　in　any　way　to　the　diminution　of　his　individual　life；　for　that　would　be　to　stultify　its　own　operationit　would　be　self…destructive　action　which　is　a　contradiction　in　terms　to　the　conception　of　Creative　Spirit。　Knowing；　then；　that　by　its　inherent　nature　this　Intelligence　can　only　work　to　the　expansion　of　the　individual　life；　we　can　rest　upon　it　with　the　utmost　confidence　and　trust　it　to　take　an　initiative　which　will　lead　to　far　greater　results　than　any　we　could　forecast　from　the　stand…point　of　our　own　knowledge。　So　long　as　we　insist　on　dictating　the　particular　form　which　the　action　of　the　Spirit　is　to　take；　we　limit　it；　and　so　close　against　ourselves　avenues　of　expansion　which　might　otherwise　have　been　open　to　us；　and　if　we　ask　ourselves　why　we　do　this　we　shall　find　that　in　the　last　resort　it　is　because　we　do　not　believe　in　the　Spirit　as　a　FORMING　power。　We　have；　indeed；　advanced　to　the　conception　of　it　as　executive　power；　which　will　work　to　a　prescribed　pattern；　but　we　have　yet　to　grasp　the　conception　of　it　as　versed　in　the　art　of　design；　and　capable　of　elaborating　schemes　of　construction；　which　will　not　only　be　complete　in　themselves；　but　also　in　perfect　harmony　with　one　another。　When　we　advance　to　the　conception　of　the　Spirit　as　containing　in　itself　the　ideal　of　Form　as　well　as　of　Power；　we　shall　cease　from　the　effort　of　trying　to　force　things　into　a　particular　shape；　whether　on　the　inner　or　the　outer　plane；　and　shall　be　content　to　trust　the　inherent　harmoniousness　or　Beauty　of　the　Spirit　to　produce　combinations　far　in　advance　of　anything　that　we　could　have　conceived　ourselves。　This　does　not　mean　that　we　shall　reduce　ourselves　to　a　condition　of　apathy；　in　which　all　desire；　expectation　and　enthusiasm　have　been　quenched；　for　these　are　the　mainspring　of　our　mental　machinery；　but　on　the　contrary　their　action　will　be　quickened　by　the　knowledge　that　there　is　working　at　the　back　of　them　a　Formative　Principle　so　infallible　that　it　cannot　miss　its　mark；　so　that　however　good　and　beautiful　the　existing　forms　may　be；　we　may　always　rest　in　the　happy　expectation　of　something　still　better　to　come。　And　it　will　come　by　a　natural　law　of　growth；　because　the　Spirit　is　in　itself　the　Principle　of　Increase。　They　will　grow　out　of　present　conditions　for　the　simple　reason　that　if　you　are　to　reach　some　further　point　it　can　only　be　by　starting　from　where　you　are　now。　Therefore　it　is　written；　〃Despise　not　the　day　of　small　things。〃　There　is　only　one　proviso　attached　to　this　forward　movement　of　the　Spirit　in　the　world　of　our　own　surroundings；　and　that　is　that　we　shall　co…operate　with　it；　and　this　co…operation　consists　in　making　the　best　use　of　existing　conditions　in　cheerful　reliance　on　the　Spirit　of　Increase　to　express　itself　through　us；　and　for　us；　because　we　are　in　harmony　with　it。　This　mental　attitude　will　be　found　of　immense　value　in　setting　us　free　from　worry　and　anxiety；　and　as　a　consequence　our　work　will　be　done　in　a　much　more　efficient　manner。　We　shall　do　the　present　work　FOR　ITS　OWN　sake；　knowing　that　herein　is　the　principle　of　unfoldment；　and　doing　it　simply　for　its　own　sake　we　shall　bring　to　bear　upon　it　a　power　of　concentration　which　cannot　fail　of　good　resultsand　this　quite　naturally　and　without　any　toilsome　effort。　We　shall　then　find　that　the　secret　of　co…operation　is　to　have　faith　in　ourselves　because　we　first　have　faith　in　God；　and　we　shall　discover　that　this　Divine　self…confidence　is　something　very　different　from　a　boastful　egotism　which　assumes　a　personal　superiority　over　others。　It　is　simply　the　assurance　of　a　man　who　knows　that　he　is　working　in　accordance　with　a　law　of　nature。　He　does　not　claim　as　a　personal　achievement　what　the　Law　does　FOR　him：　but　on　the　other　hand　he　does　not　trouble　himself　about　outcries　against　his　presumptuous　audacity　raised　by　persons　who　are　ignorant　of　the　Law　which　he　is　employing。　He　is　therefore　neither　boastful　nor　timorous；　but　simply　works　on　in　cheerful　expectancy　because　he　knows　that　his　reliance　is　upon　a　Law　which　cannot　be　broken。

In　this　way；　then；　we　must　realize　the　Life　of　the　Spirit　as　being　also　the　Law　of　the　Spirit。　The　two　are　identical；　and　cannot　deny　themselves。　Our　recognition　of　them　gives　them　a　new　starting　point　through　our　own　mentality；　but　they　still　continue　to　be　the　same　in　their　nature；　and　unless　limited　or　inverted　by　our　mental　affirmation　of　limited　or　inverted　conditions；　they　are　bound　to　work　out　into　fuller　and　continually　fuller　expression　of　the　Life；　Love；　and　Beauty　which　the　Spirit　is　in　itself。　Our　path；　therefore；　is　plain；　it　is　simply　to　contemplate　the　Life；　Love；　and　Beauty　of　the　Originating　Spirit　and　affirm　that　we　are　already　giving　expression　to　it　in　our　thoughts　and　in　our　actions　however　insignificant　they　may　at　present　appear。　This　path　may　be　very　narrow　and　humble　in　its　beginning；　but　it　ever　grows　wider　and　mounts　higher；　for　it　is　the　continually　expanding　expression　of　the　Life　of　the　Spirit　which　is　infinite　and　knows　no　limits。　



ALPHA　AND　OMEGA。

Alpha　and　Omega；　the　First　and　the　Last。　What　does　this　mean？　It　means　the　entire　series　of　causation　from　the　first　originating　movement　to　the　final　and　completed　result。　We　may　take　this　on　any　scale　from　the　creation　of　a　cosmos　to　the　creation　of　a　lady's　robe。　Everything　has　its　origin　in　an　idea；　a　thought；　and　it　has　its　completion　in　the　manifestation　of　that　thought　in　form。　Many　intermediate　stages　are　necessary；　but　the　Alpha　and　Omega　of　the　series　are　the　thought　and　the　thing。　This　shows　us　that　in　essence　the　thing　already　existed　in　the　thought。　Omega　is　already　potential　in　Alpha；　just　as　in　the　Pythagorean　system　all　numbers　are　said　to　proceed　from　unity　and　to　be　resolvable　back　again　into　it。　Now　it　is　this　general　principle　of　the　already　existence　of　the　thing　in　the　thought　that　we　have　to　lay　hold　of；　and　as　we　find　it　true　in　an　architect's　design　of　the　house　that　is　to　be；　so　we　find　it　true　in　the　great　work　of　the　Architect　of　the　Universe。　When　we　see　this　we　have　realized　a　general　principle；　which　we　find　at　work　everywhere。　That　is　the　meaning　of　a　general　principle：　it　can　be　applied　to　any　sort　of　subject；　and　the　use　of　studying　general　principles　is　to　give　them　particular　application　to　anything　we　may　have　to　deal　with。　Now　what　we　have　to　deal　with　most　of　all　is　ourselves；　and　so　we　come　to　the　consideration　of　Alpha　and　Omega　in　the　human　being。　In　the　vision　of　St。　John；　the　speaker　of　the　words；　〃I　am　Alpha　and　Omega；　the　First　and　the　Last；〃　is　described　as　〃Like　unto　a　son　of　man〃that　is；　howe