the dore lectures on mental science-第11部分

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pplication　to　the　deepest　problems　of　the　individual　life；　and　their　basis　is　that　each　one's　world；　whether　in　or　out　of　the　flesh；　must　necessarily　be　created　by　his　own　consciousness；　and；　in　its　turn；　his　mode　of　consciousness　will　necessarily　take　its　colour　front　his　conception　of　his　relation　to　the　Divine　Mind　to　the　exclusion　of　light　and　colour；　if　he　realizes　no　Divine　Mind；　and　to　their　building　up　into　forms　of　beauty　in　proportion　as　he　realizes　his　identity　of　being　with　that　All…Originating　Spirit　which　is　Light；　Love；　and　Beauty　in　itself。　Thus　the　great　creative　work　of　Thought　in　each　of　us　is　to　make　us　consciously　〃sons　and　daughters　of　the　Almighty；〃　realizing　that　by　our　divine　origin　we　can　never　be　really　separated　from　the　Parent　Mind　which　is　continually　seeking　expression　through　us；　and　that　any　apparent　separation　is　due　to　our　own　misconception　of　the　true　nature　of　the　inherent　relation　between　the　Universal　and　the　Individual。　This　is　the　lesson　which　the　Great　Teacher　has　so　luminously　out　before　us　in　the　parable　of　the　Prodigal　Son。



THE　GREAT　AFFIRMATIVE。

The　Great　Affirmative　appears　in　two　modes；　the　cosmic　and　the　individual。　In　its　essence　it　is　the　same　in　both；　but　in　each　it　works　from　a　different　standpoint。　It　is　always　the　principle　of　Beingthat　which　is；　as　distinguished　from　that　which　is　not；　but　to　grasp　the　true　significance　of　this　saying　we　must　understand　what　is　meant　by　〃that　which　is　not。〃　It　is　something　more　than　mere　non…existence；　for　obviously　we　should　not　trouble　ourselves　about　what　is　non…existent。　It　is　that　which　bath　is　and　is　not　at　the　same　time；　and　the　thing　that　answers　to　this　description　is　〃Conditions。〃　The　little　affirmative　is　that　which　affirms　particular　conditions　as　all　that　it　can　grasp；　while　the　great　affirmative　grasps　a　wider　conception；　the　conception　of　that　which　gives　rise　to　conditions。　Cosmically　it　is　that　power　of　Spirit　which　sends　forth　the　whole　creation　as　its　expression　of　itself；　and　it　is　for　this　reason　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　manif