the dore lectures on mental science-第12部分

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　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　not　as　yet　by　any　means　brought　to　their　fulfilment？　We　talk　of　a　good　time　coming　and　of　the　ameliorating　of　the　race；　but　do　we　reflect　that　the　race　is　composed　of　individuals　and　that　therefore　real　advance　is　to　be　made　only　by　individual　improvement；　and　not　by　Act　of　Parliament？　and　if　so；　then　the　individual　with　whom　to　begin　is　ourself。

The　complete　manifestation　of　the　Law　of　Individuality　is　the　end　or　purpose　of　the　Bible　teaching　concerning　Christ。　It　is　a　teaching　based　upon　Law；　spiritual　and　mental；　fully　recognizing　that　no　effect　can　be　produced　except　by　the　operation　of　an　adequate　cause；　and　Christ　is　set　before　us　both　as　explaining　the　causes　and　exhibiting　the　full　measure　of　the　effects。　All　this　is　according　to　Law；　and　the　importance　of　its　being　according　to　Law　is　that　Law　is　universal；　and　the　potentialities　of　the　Law　are　therefore　inherent　in　everyone　there　is　no　special　law　for　anybody；　but　anybody　can　specialize　the　law　by　using　it　with　a　fuller　understanding　of　how　much　can　be　got　out　of　it；　and　the　purpose　of　the　Scripture　teaching　regarding　Christ　is　to　help　us　to　do　this。

The　preceding　lectures　have　led　us　step　by　step　to　see　that　the　Originating　Spirit；　which　first　brought　the　world　into　existence；　is　also　the　root　of　our　own　individuality；　and　is　therefore　always　ready；　by　its　inherent　nature；　to　continue　the　creative　process　from　this　individual　stand…point　as　soon　as　the　necessary　conditions　are　provided；　and　these　conditions　are　thought…conditions。　Then　by　realizing　the　relation　of　Christ　to　the　Originating　Mind；　the　Parent　Spirit　or　〃Father；〃　we　receive　a　STANDARD　of　thought　which　is　bound　to　act　creatively　bringing　out　all　the　potentialities　of　our　hidden　being。　Now　the　relation　of　Christ　to　the　〃Father〃　is　that　of　the　Architypal　Idea　in　the　All…creating　Mind　of　which　I　have　previously　spoken；　and　so　we　arrive　at　the　conception　of　the　Christ…idea　as　a　universal　principle；　and　as　being　an　idea　therefore　capable　of　reproduction　in　the　individual　Mind；　thus　explaining　St。　Paul's　meaning　when　he　speaks　of　Christ　being　formed　in　us。　It　is　here　that　the　principle　of　monogenesis　comes　in；　that　principle　which　I　have　endeavoured　to　describe　in　the　earlier　part　of　the　present　series　as　originating　the　whole　manifested　creation　by　an　internal　action　of　the　Spirit　upon　itself；　and　it　is　the　entire　absence　of　control　by　any　second　power　that　renders　the　realization　in　external　actuality　of　a　purely　mental　ideal　possible。　For　this　reason　systematic　spiritual　study　commences　with　the　contemplation　of　the　existing　cosmos；　and　we　then　transfer　the　conception　of　the　monogenetic　power　of　the　Spirit　from　the　cosmos　to　the　individual　and　realize　that　the　same　Spirit　is　able　to　do　the　same　thing　in　ourselves。　This　is　the　New　Thought　which　in　time　will　fulfil　itself　in　the　New　Order；　and　we　thus　provide　new　thought…conditions　which　enable　the　Spirit　to　carry　on　its　creative　work　from　a　new　stand…point；　that　of　our　own　individuality。　This　attainment　by　the　Spirit　of　a　new　starting…point　i