the dore lectures on mental science-第13部分

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　stand…point；　that　of　our　own　individuality。　This　attainment　by　the　Spirit　of　a　new　starting…point　is　what　is　meant　by　the　esoteric　doctrine　of　the　Octave。　The　Octave　is　the　starting…point　of　a　new　series　reduplicating　the　starting…point　of　the　previous　series　at　a　different　level；　just　as　does　the　octave　note　in　music。　We　find　this　principle　constantly　referred　to　in　Scripturethe　completion　of　a　prior　series　in　the　number　Seven；　and　the　starting　of　a　new　series　by　the　number　Eight；　which　takes　the　same　place　in　the　second　series　that　the　number　One　did　in　the　first。　The　second　series　comes　out　of　the　first　by　natural　growth　and　could　not　come　into　existence　without　it；　hence　the　First　or　Originating　number　of　the　second　series　is　the　Eighth　if　we　regard　the　second　series　as　the　prolongation　of　the　first。　Seven　is　the　numerical　correspondence　of　complete　manifestation　because　it　is　the　combination　of　three　and　four；　which　respectively　represent　the　complete　working　of　the　spiritual　and　material　factorsinvolution　and　evolutionand　thus　together　constitute　the　finished　whole。　Students　of　the　Tarot　will　here　realize　the　process　by　which　the　Yod　of　Yod　becomes　the　Yod　of　He。　It　is　for　this　reason　that　the　primary　or　cosmic　creation　terminates　in　the　rest　of　the　Seventh　Day；　for　it　can　proceed　no　further　until　a　fresh　starting…point　is　found；　But　when　this　fresh　starting…point　is　found　in　Man　realizing　his　relation　to　the　〃Father；〃　we　start　a　new　series　and　strike　the　Creative　Octave　and　therefore　the　Resurrection　takes　place；　not　on　the　Sabbath　or　Seventh　Day；　but　on　the　Eighth　day　which　then　becomes　the　First　day　of　the　new　creak　five　week。　The　principle　of　the　Resurrection　is　the　realization　by　man　of　his　individualization　of　the　Spirit　and　his　recognition　of　the　fact　that；　since　the　Spirit　is　always　the　same　Spirit；　it　becomes　the　Alpha　of　a　new　creation　from　his　own　centre　of　being。


Now　all　this　is　necessarily　an　interior　process　taking　place　on　the　mental　plane；　but　if　we　realize　that　the　creative　process　is　always　primarily　one　of　involution；　or　formation　in　the　spiritual　world；　we　shall　grasp　something　of　the　meaning　of　Christ　as　〃The　Son　of　God〃the　concentration　of　the　Universal　Spirit　into　a　Personality　on　the　spiritual　plane　correlatively　to　the　individuality　of　each　one　who　affords　the　necessary　thought…conditions。　To　all　who　apprehend　it　there　is　then　discovered　in　the　Universal　Spirit　the　presence　of　a　Divine　Individuality　reciprocal　to　that　of　the　individual　man；　the　recognition　of　which　is　the　practical　solution　of　all　metaphysical　problems　regarding　the　emanation　of　the　individual　soul　from　the　Universal　Spirit　and　the　relations　arising　therefrom；　for　it　takes　these　matters　out　of　the　region　of　intellectual　speculation；　which　is　never　creative　but　only　analytical；　and　transfers　it　to　the　region　of　feeling　and　spiritual　sensation　which　is　the　abode　of　the　creative　forces。　This　personal　recognition　of　the　Divine　then　affords　us　a　new　basis　of　Affirmation；　and　we　need　no　longer　trouble　to　go　further　back　in　order　to　analyze　it；　because　we　know　experimentally　that　it　is　there；　so　now　we　find　the　starting…point　of　the　new　creation　ready…made　for　us　according　to　the　architypal　pattern　in　the　Divine　Mind　itself　and　therefore　perfectly　correctly　formed。　When　once　this　truth　is　clearly　apprehended；　whether　we　reach　it　by　an　intellectual　process　or　by　simple　intuition；　we　can　make　it　our　starting…point　and　claim　to　have　our　thought　permeated　by　the　creative　power　of　the　Spirit　on　this　basis。

But　vast　as　is　the　conception　thus　reached　we　must　remember　that　it　is　still　a　starting…point。　It；　indeed；　transcends　our　previous　range　of　ideas　and　so　presents　a　culmination　of　the　cosmic　creative　series　which　passes　beyond　that　series　and　thus　brings　us　to　number　Eight　or　the　Octave；　but　on　this　very　account　it　is　the　number　One　of　a　new　creative　series　which　is　personal　to　the　individual。

Then；　because　the　Spirit　is　always　the　same；　we　may　look　for　a　repetition　of　the　creative　process　at　a　higher　level；　and；　as　we　all　know；　that　process　consists　first　of　the　involution　of　Spirit　into　Substance；　and　consequently　of　the　subsequent　evolution　of　Substance　into　forms　continually　increasing　in　fitness　as　vehicles　for　Spirit：　so　now　we　may　look　for　a　repetition　of　this　universal　process　from　its　new　starting…point　in　the　individual　mind　and　expect　a　corresponding　externalization　in　accordance　with　our　familiar　axiom　that　thoughts　are　things。

Now　it　is　as　such　an　external　manifestation　of　the　Divine　ideal　that　the　Christ　of　the　Gospels　is　set　before　us。　I　do　not　wish　to　dogmatize；　but　I　will　only　say　that　the　more　clearly　we　realize　the　nature　of　the　creative　process　on　the　spiritual　side　the　more　the　current　objections　to　the　Gospel　narrative　lose　their　force；　and　it　appears　to　me　that　to　deny　that　narrative　as　a　point…blank　impossibility　is　to　make　a　similar　affirmation　with　regard　to　the　power　of　the　Spirit　in　ourselves。　You　cannot　affirm　a　principle　and　deny　it　in　the　same　breath；　and　if　we　affirm　the　externalizing　power　of　the　Spirit　in　our　own　case；　I　do　not　see　how　we　can　logically　lay　down　a　limit　for　its　action　and　say　that　under　highly　specialized　conditions　it　could　not　produce　highly　specialized　effects。　It　is　for　this　reason　that　St。　John　puts　the　question　of　Christ　manifest　in　the　flesh　as　the　criterion　of　the　whole　matter　（I。　John　iv。；　2）。　If　the　Spirit　can　create　at　all　then　you　cannot　logically　limit　the　extent　or　method　of　its　working；　and　since　the　basis　of　our　expectation　of　individual　expansion　is　the　limitless　creative　power　of　the　Spirit；　to　reject　the　Christ　of　the　Gospels　as　an　impossibility　is　to　cut　away　the　ground　from　under　our　own　feet。　It　is　one　thing　to　say　〃I　do　not　understand　why　the　Spirit　should　have　worked　in　that　way〃that　is　merely　an　honest　statement　of　our　present　stage　of　knowledge；　or　we　may　even　go　the　length　of　saying　that　we　do　not　feel　convinced　that　it　did　work　in　that　waythat　is　a　true　confession　of　our　intellectual　difficultybut　certainly　those　who　are　professedly　relying　on　the　power　of　the　Spirit　to　produce　external　results　cannot　say　that　it　does　not　possess　that　power；　or　possesses　it　only　in　a　limited　degree：　the　position　is　logically　self…destructive。　What　we　should　do　therefore；　is　to　suspend　judgment　and　follow　the　light　as　far　as　we　can　see　it；　and　bye…and…bye　it　will　become　clearer　to　us。　There　are；　it　appears　to　me；　occult　heights　in　the　doctrine　of　Christ　designed　by　the　Supreme　Wisdom　to　counteract　corresponding　occult　depths　in　the　Mystery　of　Darkness。　I　do　not　think　it　is　at　all　necessary；　or　even　possible；　for　us　to　scale　these　heights　or　fathom　those　depths；　with　our　present　infantile　intelligence；　but　if　we　realize　how　completely　the　law　of　our　being　receives　its　fulfilment　in　Christ　as　far　as　we　know　that　law；　may　we　not　well　conceive　that　there　are　yet　deeper　phases　of　that　law　the　existence　of　which　we　can　only　faintly　surmise　by　intuition？　Occasionally　just　the　fringe　of　the　veil　is　lifted　for　some　of　us；　but　that　momentary　glance　is　enough　to　show　us　that　there　are　powers　and　mysteries　beyond　our　present　conception。　But　even　there　Law　reigns　supreme；　and　therefo