the dore lectures on mental science-第3部分

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INDIVIDUALITY。

Individuality　is　the　necessary　complement　of　the　Universal　Spirit；　which　was　the　subject　of　our　consideration　last　Sunday。　The　whole　problem　of　life　consists　in　finding　the　true　relation　of　the　individual　to　the　Universal　Originating　Spirit；　and　the　first　step　towards　ascertaining　this　is　to　realize　what　the　Universal　Spirit　must　be　in　itself。　We　have　already　done　this　to　some　extent；　and　the　conclusions　we　have　arrived　at　are：

That　the　essence　of　the　Spirit　is　Life；　Love；　and　Beauty。

That　its　Motive；　or　primary　moving　impulse；　is　to　express　the　Life；　Love　and　Beauty　which　it　feels　itself　to　be。

That　the　Universal　cannot　act　on　the　plane　of　the　Particular　except　by　becoming　the　particular；　that　is　by　expression　through　the　individual。

If　these　three　axioms　are　clearly　grasped；　we　have　got　a　solid　foundation　from　which　to　start　our　consideration　of　the　subject　for　to…day。

The　first　question　that　naturally　presents　itself　is；

If　these　things　be　so；　why　does　not　every　individual　express　the　life；　love；　and　beauty　of　the　Universal　Spirit？　The　answer　to　this　question　is　to　be　found　in　the　Law　of　Consciousness。　We　cannot　be　conscious　of　anything　except　by　realizing　a　certain　relation　between　it　and　ourselves。　It　must　affect　us　in　some　way；　otherwise　we　are　not　conscious　of　its　existence；　and　according　to　the　way　in　which　it　affects　us　we　recognize　ourselves　as　standing　related　to　it。　It　is　this　self…recognition　on　our　own　part　carried　out　to　the　sum　total　of　all　our　relations；　whether　spiritual；　intellectual；　or　physical；　that　constitutes　our　realization　of　life。　On　this　principle；　then；　for　the　REALIZATION　of　its　own　Livingness；　the　production　of　centres　of　life；　through　its　relation　to　which　this　conscious　realization　can　be　attained；　becomes　a　necessity　for　the　Originating　Mind。　Then　it　follows　that　this　realization　can　only　be　complete　where　the　individual　has　perfect　liberty　to　withhold　it；　for　otherwise　no　true　realization　could　have　taken　place。　For　instance；　let　us　consider　the　working　of　Love。　Love　must　be　spontaneous；　or　it　has　no　existence　at　all。　We　cannot　imagine　such　a　thing　as　mechanically　induced　love。　But　anything　which　is　formed　so　as　to　automatically　produce　an　effect　without　any　volition　of　its　own；　is。nothing　but　a　piece　of　mechanism。　Hence　if　the　Originating　Mind　is　to　realize　the　reality　of　Love；　it　can　Only　be　by　relation　to　some　being　which　has　the　power　to　withhold　love。　The　same　applies　to　the　realization　of　all　the　other　modes　of　livingness；　so　that　it　is　only　in　proportion；　as　the　individual　life　is　an　independent　centre　of　action；　with　the　option　of　acting　either　positively　or　negatively；　that　any　real　life　has　been　produced　at　all。　The　further　the　created　thing　is　from　being　a　merely　mechanical　arrangement；　the　higher　is　the　grade　of　creation。　The　solar　system　is　a　perfect　work　of　mechanical　creation；　but　to　constitute　centres　which　can　reciprocate　the　highest　nature　of　the　Divine　Mind；　requires　not　a　mechanism；　however　perfect；　but　a　mental　centre　which　is；　in　itself；　an　independent　source　of　action。　Hence　by　the　requirements　of　the　case　man　should　be　capable　of　placing　himself　either　in　a　positive　or　a　negative　relation　to　the　Parent　Mind；　from　which　he　originates；　otherwise　he　would　be　nothing　more　than　a　clockwork　figure。

In　this　necessity　of　the　case；　then；　we　find　the　reason　why　the　life；　love；　and　beauty　of　the　Spirit　are　not　visibly　reproduced　in　every　human　being。　They　ARE　reproduced　in　the　world　of　nature；　so　far　as　a　mechanical　and　automatic　action　can　represent　them；　but　their　perfect　reproduction　can　only　take　place　on　the　basis　of　a　liberty　akin　to　that　of　the　Originating　Spirit　itself；　which　therefore　implies　the　liberty　of　negation　as　well　as　of　affirmation。

Why；　then；　does　the　individual　make　a　negative　choice？　Because　he　does　not　understand　the　law　of　his　own　individuality；　and　believes　it　to　be　a　law　of　limitation；　instead　of　a　Law　of　Liberty。　He　does　not　expect　to　find　the　starting　point　of　the　Creative　Process　reproduced　within　himself；　and　so　he　looks　to　the　mechanical　side　of　things　for　the　basis　of　his　reasoning　about　life。　Consequently　his　reasoning　lands　him　in　the　conclusion　that　life　is　limited；　because　he　has　assumed　limitation　in　his　premises；　and　so…logically　cannot　escape　from　it　in　his　conclusion。　Then　he　thinks　that　this　is　the　law　and　so　ridicules　the　idea　of　transcending　it。　He　points　to　the　sequence　of　cause　and　effect；　by　which　death；　disease；　and　disaster；　hold　their　sway　over　the　individual；　and　says　that　sequence　is　law。　And　he　is　perfectly　right　so　far　as　he　goesit　is　a　law；　but　not　THE　Law。　When　we　have　only　reached　this　stage　of　comprehension；　we　have　yet　to　learn　that　a　higher　law　can　include　a　lower　one　so　completely　as　entirely　to　swallow　it　up。

The　fallacy　involved　in　this　negative　argument；　is　the　assumption　that　the　law　of　limitation　is　essential　in　all　grades　of　being。　It　is　the　fallacy　of　the　old　shipbuilders　as　to　the　impossibility　of　building　iron　ships。　What　is　required　is　to　get　at　the　PRINCIPLE　which　is　at　the　back　of　the　Law　in　its　affirmative　working；　and　specialize　it　under　higher　conditions　than　are　spontaneously　presented　by　nature；　and　this　can　only　be　done　by　the　introduction　of　the　personal　element；　that　is　to　say　an　individual　intelligence　capable　of　comprehending　the　principle。　The　question；　then；　is；　what　is　the　principle　by　which　we　came　into　being？　and　this　is　only　a　personal　application　of　the　general　question；　How　did　anything　come　into　being？　Now；　as　I　pointed　out　in　the　preceding　article；　the　ultimate　deduction　from　physical　science　is　that　the　originating　movement　takes　place　in　the　Universal　Mind；　and　is　analogous　to　that　of　our　own　imagination；　and　as　we　have　just　seen；　the　perfect　ideal　can　only　be　that　of　a　being　capable　of　reciprocating　ALL　the　qualities　of　the　Originating　Mind。　Consequently　man；　in　his　inmost　nature；　is　the　product　of　the　Divine　Mind　imaging　forth　an　image　of　itself　on　the　plane　of　the　relative　as　the　complementary　to　its　own　sphere　of　the　absolute。

If　we　will　therefore　go　to　the　INMOST　principle　in　ourselves；　which　philosophy　and　Scripture　alike　declare　to　be　made　in　the　image　and　likeness　of　God；　instead　of　to　the　outer　vehicles　which　it　externalizes　as　instruments　through　which　to　function　on　the　various　planes　of　being；　we　shall　find　that　we　have　reached　a　principle　in　ourselves　which　stands　in　loco　dei　towards　all　our　vehicles　and　also　towards　our　environment。　It　is　above　them　all；　and　creates　them；　however　unaware　we　may　be　of　the　fact；　and　relatively　to　them　it　occupies　the　place　of　first　cause。　The　recognition　of　this　is　the　discovery　of　our　own　relation　to　the　whole　world　of　the　relative。　On　the　other　hand　this　must　not　lead　us　into　the　mistake　of　supposing　that　there　is　nothing　higher；　for；　as　we　have　already　seen；　this　inmost　principle　or　ego　is　itself　the　effect　of　an　antecedent　cause；　for　it　proceeds　from　the　imaging　process　in　the　Divine　Mind。

We　thus　find　ourselves　holding　an　intermediate　position　between　true　First　Cause；　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　world　of　secondary　causes　on　the　other；　and　in　order　to　understand　the　nature　of　this　po