the dore lectures on mental science-第9节

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on　that　I　have　drawn　attention　in　the　preceding　lectures　to　the　idea　of　the　creation　ex　nihilo　of　the　whole　visible　universe。　As　Eastern　and　Western　Scriptures　alike　tell　us　it　is　the　breathing…forth　of　Original　Spirit；　and　if　you　have　followed　what　I　have　said　regarding　the　reproduction　of　this　Spirit　in　the　individualthat　by　the　very　nature　of　the　creative　process　the　human　mind　must　be　of　the　same　quality　with　the　Divine　Mindthen　we　find　that　a　second　mode　of　the　Originating　Spirit　becomes　possible；　namely　that　of　operation　through　the　individual　mind。　But　whether　acting　cosmically　or　personally　it　is　always　the　same　Spirit　and　therefore　cannot　lose　its　inherent　character　which　is…that　of　the　Power　which　creates　ex　nihilo。　It　is　the　direct　contradiction　of　the　maxim　〃ex　nihilo　nihil　fit〃nothing　can　be　made　out　of　nothing；　and　it　is　the　recognition　of　the　presence　in　ourselves　of　this　power；　which　can　make　something　out　of　nothing；　that　is　the　key　to　our　further　progress。　As　the　logical　outcome　of　the　cosmic　creative　process；　the　evolutionary　work　reaches　a　point　where　the　Originating　Power　creates　an　image　of　itself；　and　thus　affords　a　fresh　point　of　departure　from　which　it　can　work　specifically；　just　as　in　the　cosmic　process　it　works　generically。　From　this　new　standpoint　it　does　not　in　any　way　contradict　the　laws　of　the　cosmic　order；　but　proceeds　to　specialize　them；　and　thus　to　bring　out　results　through　the　individual　which　could　not　be　otherwise　attained。

Now　the　Spirit　does　this　by　the　same　method　as　　in　the　Original　Creation；　namely　by　creating　em　nihilo；　for　otherwise　it　would　be　bound　by　the　limitations　necessarily　inherent　in　the　cosmic　form　of　things；　and　so　no　fresh　creative　starting　point　would　have　been　attained。　This　is　why　the　Bible　lays　such　stress　on　the　principle　of　Monogenesis；　or　creation　from　a　single　power　instead　of　from　a　pair　or　syzegy；　and　it　is　on　this　account　that　we　are　told　that　this　One…ness　of　God　is　the　foundation　of　all　the　commandments；　and　that　the　〃Son　of　God〃　is　declared　to　be　〃monogenes〃　or　one…begotten；　for　that　is　the　correct　translation　of　the　Greek　word。　The　immense　importance　of　this　principle　of　creation　from　a　single　power　will　become　apparent　as　we　realize　more　fully　the　results　proceeding　from　the　assumption　of　the　opposite　principle；　or　the　dualism　of　the　creative　power；　but　as　the　discussion　of　this　great　subject　would　require　a　volume　to　itself；　I　must；　at　present；　content　myself　with　saying　that　this　insistence　of　the　Bible　upon　the　singleness　of　the　Creative　Power　is　based　upon　a　knowledge　which　goes　to　the　very　root　of　esoteric　principles；　and　is　therefore　not　to　be　set　aside　in　favour　of　dualistic　systems；　though　superficially　the　latter　may　appear　more　consonant　to　reason。

If；　then；　it　is　possible　to　put　the　Great　Affirmation　into　words　it　is　that　God　is　ONE　and　that　this　ONE　finds　centre　in　ourselves；　and　if　the　full　meaning　of　this　statement　is　realized；　the　logical　result　will　be　found　to　be　a　new　creation　both　in　and　from　ourselves。　We　shall　realize　in　ourselves　the　working　of　a　new　principle　whose　distinguishing　feature　is　its　simplicity。　It　is　ONE…ness　and　is　not　troubled　about　any　second。　Hence　what　it　contemplates　is　not　how　its　action　will　be　modified　by　that　of　some　second　principle；　something　which　will　compel　it　to　work　in　a　particular　manner　and　so　limit　it；　but　what　it　contemplates　is　its　own　Unity。　Then　it　perceives　that　its　Unity　consists　in　a　greater　and　a　lesser　movement；　just　as　the　rotation　of　the　earth　on　its　axis　does　not　interfere　with　its　rotation　round　the　sun　but　are　both　motions　of　the　same　unit；　and　are　definitely　related　to　each　other。　In　like　manner　we　find　that　the　Spirit　is　moving　simultaneously　in　the　macrocosm　of　the　universe　and　in　the　microcosm　of　the　individual；　and　the　two　movements　harmonize　because　they　are　that　of　the　same　Spirit；　and　the　latter　is　included　in　the　former　and　pre…supposes　it。　The　Great　Affirmation；　therefore；　is　the　perception　that　the　〃I　AM〃　is　ONE；　always　harmonious　with　itself；　and　including　all　things　in　this　harmony　for　the　simple　reason　that　there　is　no　second　creative　power；　and　when　the　individual　realizes　that　this　always…single　power　is　the　root　of　his　own　being；　and　therefore　has　centre　in　himself　and　finds　expression　through　him；　he　learns　to　trust　its　singleness　and　the　consequent　harmony　of　its　action　in　him　with　what　it　is　doing　AROUND　him。　Then　he　sees　that　the　affirmation　〃I　and　my　Father　are　ONE〃　is　a　necessary　deduction　from　a　correct　apprehension　of　the　fundamental　principles　of　being；　and　then；　on　the　principle　that　the　less　must　be　included　in　the　greater；　he　desires　that　harmonious　unity　of　action　be　maintained　by　the　adaptation　of　his　own　particular　movement　to　the　larger　movement　of　the　Spirit　working　as　the　Creative　Principle　through　the　great　whole。　In　this　way　we　become　centres　through　which　the　creative　　forces　find　specialization　by　the　development　of　that　personal　factor　on　which　the　specific　application　　of　general　laws　must　always　depend。　A　specific　sort　of　　individuality　is　formed；　capable　of　being　the　link　between　　the　great　Spiritual　Power　of　the　universal　and　the　manifestation　of　the　relative　in　time　and　space　because　it　consciously　partakes　of　both；　and　because　the　individual　of　this　class　recognizes　the　singleness　of　the　Spirit　as　the　starting　　point　of　all　things；　he　endeavours　to　withdraw　his　mind　from　all　arguments　derived　from　external　conditions；　whether　past　or　present；　and　to　fix　it　upon　the　forward　movement　of　the　Spirit　which　he　knows　to　be　always　identical　both　in　the　universe　and　in　himself。　He　ceases　the　attempt　to　dictate　to　the　Spirit；　because　he　does　not　see　in　it　a　mere　blind　force；　but　reveres　it　as　the　Supreme　Intelligence：　and　on　the　other　hand　he　does　not　grovel　before　it　in　doubt　and　fear；　because　he　knows　it　is　one　with　himself　and　is　realizing　itself　through　him；　and　therefore　cannot　have　any　purpose　antagonistic　to　his　own　individual　welfare。　Realizing　this　he　deliberately　places　his　thoughts　under　the　guidance　of　the　Divine　Spirit；　knowing　that　his　outward　acts　and　conditions　must　thereby　be　brought　into　harmony　with　the　great　forward　movement　of　the　Spirit；　not　only　at　the　stage　he　has　now　reached；　but　at　all　future　stages。　He　does　not　at　all　deny　the　power　of　his　own　thought　as　the　creative　agent　in　his　own　personal　world；on　the　contrary　it　is　precisely　on　the　knowledge　of　this　fact　that　his　perception　of　the　true　adjustment　between　the　principles　of　Life　is　based；　but　for　this　very　reason　he　is　the　more　solicitous　to　be　led　by　that　Wisdom　which　can　see　what　he　cannot　see；　so　that　his　personal　control　over　the　conditions　of　his　own　life　may　be　employed　to　its　continual　increase　and　development。

In　this　way　our　affirmation　of　the　〃I　am〃　ceases　to　be　the　petulant　assertion　of　our　limited　personality　and　becomes　the　affirmation　that　the　Great　I　AM　affirms　its　own　I　AM…ness　both　in　us　and　through　us；　and　thus　our　use　of　the　words　becomes　in　very　truth　the　Great　Affirmative；　or　that　which　is　the　root　of　all　being　as　distinguished　from　that　which　has　no　being　in　itself　but　is　merely　externalized　by　being　as　the　vehicle　for　its　expression。　We　shall　realize　our　true　place　as　subordinate　creative　centres；　perfectly　independent　of　existing　conditions　because　the　creative　process　is　that　of　monogenesis　and　requires　no　other　factor　than　the　Spirit　for　its　exercise；　but　at　the　same　time　subordinate　to　the　Divine　Spirit　in　the　greatness　of　its　inherent　forward　movement　because　there　is　only　ONE　Spirit　and　it　cannot　from　one　centre　antagonize　what　it　is　doing　from　another。　Thus　the　Great　Affirmation　makes　us　children　of　the　Great　King；　at　once　living　in　obedience　to　that　Power　which　is　above　us；　and　exercising　this　same　power　over　all　that　world　of　secondary　causation　which　is　below　us。

Thus　in　our　measure　and　station　each　one　of　us　will　receive　the　mission　of　the　I　AM。



CHRIST　THE　FULFILLING　OF　THE　LAW。

〃Think　not　that　I　am　come　to　destroy　the　law　or　the　proph。ets：　I　am　not　come　to　destroy　but　to　fulfil。〃　（Matt。　v。　17。）

〃Christ　is　the　end　of　the　law　for　righteousness　to　everyone　that　believeth。〃　（Rom。　x。　4。）

If　these　words　are　the　utterance　of　a　mere　sectarian　superstition　they　are　worthless；　but　if　they　are　the　statement　of　a　great　principle；　then　it　is　worth　our　while　to　enquire　what　that　principle　is。　The　fulfilling　of　anything　is　the　bringing　into　complete　realization　of　all　that　it　potentially　contains；　and　so　the　filling　of　any　law　to　its　fulness　means　bringing　out　all　the　possibilities　which　are　hidden　in　it。　This　is　precisely　the　method　which　has　brought　forth　all　the　advances　of　material　civilization。　The　laws　of　nature　are　the　same　now　that　they　were　in　the　days　of　our　rugged　Anglo…Saxon　ancestors；　but　they　brought　out　only　an　infinitesimal　fraction　of　the　possibilities　which　those　laws　contain：　now　we　have　brought　out　a　good　deal　more；　but　we　have　by　no　means　exhausted　them；　and　so　we　continue　to　advance；　not　by　contradicting　natural　laws；　but　by　more　fully　realizing　their　capacity。　Why　should　we　not；　then；　apply　the　same　method　to　ourselves　and　see　whether　there　are　no　potentialities　hidden　away　in　the　law　of　our　own　being　which　we　have