the dore lectures on mental science-第7部分

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templates　bringing　into　manifestation；　and　it　is　based　upon　the　fact　that　the　origin　of　everything　is　Spirit。　It　is　in　this　that　its　creative　power　resides；　hence　the　person　who　is　in　the　true　new　order　of　thought　assumes　as　an　axiomatic　fact　that　what　he　has　to　distribute；　or　differentiate　into　manifestation　is　nothing　else　than　the　Originating　Spirit。　This　being　the　case；　it　is　evident　that　the　PURPOSE　of　the　distribution　must　be　the　more　perfect　expression　of　the　Originating　Spirit　as　that　which　it　is　in　itself；　and　what　it　is　in　itself　is　emphatically　Life。　What　is　seeking　for　expression；　then；　is　the　perfect　Livingness　of　the　Spirit；　and　this　expression　is　to　be　found；　through　ourselves；　by　means　of　our　renewed　mode　of　thought。　Let　us　see；　then；　how　our　new　order　of　thought；　with　regard　to　the　Principle　of　Life；　is　likely　to　operate　In　our　old　order　of　thought　we　have　always　associated　Life　with　the　physical　bodylife　has　been　for　us　the　supreme　physical　fact。　Now；　however；　we　know　that　Life　is　much　more　than　this；　but；　as　the　greater　includes　the　less；　it　includes　physical　life　as　one　mode　of　its　manifestation。　The　true　order　does　not　require　us　to　deny　the　reality　of　physical　life　or　to　call　it　an　illusion；　on　the　contrary　it　sees　in　physical　life　the　completion　of　a　great　creative　series；　but　it　assigns　it　the　proper　place　in　that　series；　which　is　what　the　old　mode　of　thought　did　not。

When　we　realize　the　truth　about　the　Creative　Process；　we　see　that　the　originating　life　is　not　physical：　its　livingness　consists　in　thought　and　feeling。　By　this　inner　movement　it　throws　out　vehicles　through　which　to　function；　and　these　become　living　forms　because　of　the　inner…principle　which　is　sustaining　them；　so　that　the　Life　with　which　we　are　primarily　concerned　in　the　new　order　is　the　life　of　thought　and　feeling　in　ourselves　as　the　vehicle；　or　distributing　medium；　of　the　Life　of　the　Spirit。

Then；　if　we　have　grasped　the　idea　of　the　Spirit　as　the　great　FORMING　Power；　as　stated　in　the　last　lecture；　we　shall　seek　in　it　the　fountain…head　of　Form　as　well　as　of　Power：　and　as　a　logical　deduction　from　this　we　shall　look　to　it　to　give　form　to　our　thoughts　and　feelings。　If　the　principle　is　once　recognised　the　sequence　is　obvious。　The　form　taken　by　our　outward　conditions；　whether　of　body　or　circumstance；　depends　on　the　form　taken　by　our　thoughts　and　feelings；　and　our　thoughts　and　feelings　will　take　form　from　that　source　from　which　we　allow　them　to　receive　suggestion。　Accordingly　if　we　allow　them　to　accept　their　fundamental　suggestions　from　the　relative　and　limited；　they　will　assume　a　corresponding　form　and　transmit　them　to　our　external　environment；　thus　repeating　the　old　order　of　limitation　in　a　ceaselessly　recurring　round。　Now　our　object　is　to　get　out　of　this　circle　of　limitation；　and　the　only　way　to　do　so　is　to　get　our　thoughts　and　feelings　moulded　into　new　forms　continually　advancing　to　greater　and　greater　perfection。　To　meet　this　requirement；　therefore；　there　must　be　a　forming　power　greater　than　that　of　our　own　unaided　conceptions；　and　this　is　to　be　found　in　our　realization　of　the　Spirit　as　the　Supreme　Beauty；　or　Wisdom；　moulding　our　thoughts　and　feelings　into　shapes　harmoniously　adjusted　to　the　fullest　expression；　in　and　through　us；　of　the　Livingness　which　Spirit　is　in　itself。

Now　this　is　nothing　more　than　transferring　to　the　innermost　plane　of　origination；　a　principle　with　which　all　readers　who　are　〃in　the　thought〃　may　be　presumed　to　be　quite　familiarthe　principle　of　Receptiveness。　We　all　know　what　is　meant　by　a　receptive　mental　attitude　when　applied　to　healing　or　telepathy；　and　does　it　not　logically　follow　that　the　same　principle　may　be　applied　to　the　receiving　of　life　itself　from　the　Supreme　Source？　What　is　wanted；　therefore；　is　to　place　ourselves　in　a　receptive　mental　attitude　towards　the　Universal　Spirit　with　the　intention　of　receiving　its　forming　influence　into　our　mental　substance。　It　is　always　the　presence　of　a　definite　intention　that　distinguishes　the　intelligent　receptive　attitude　of　mind　from　a　merely　sponge…like　absorbency；　which　sucks　in　any　and　every　influence　that　may　happen　to　be　floating　round：　for　we　must　not　shut　our　eyes　to　the　fact　that　there　are　various　influences　in　the　mental　atmosphere　by　which　we　are　surrounded；　and　some　of　them　of　the　most　undesirable　kind。　Clear　and　definite　intention　is　therefore　as　necessary　in　our　receptive　attitude　as　in　our　active　and　creative　one；　and　if　our　intention　is　to　have　our　own　thoughts　and　feelings　moulded　into　such　forms　as　to　express　those　of　the　Spirit；　then　we　establish　that　relation　to　the　Spirit　which；　by　the　conditions　of　the　case；　must　necessarily　lead　us　to　the　conception　of　new　ideals　vitalised　by　a　power　which　will　enable　us　to　bring　them　into　concrete　manifestation。　It　is　in　this　way　that　we　become　differentiating　centres　of　the　Divine　Thought　giving　it　expression　in　form　in　the　world　of　space　and　time；　and　thus　is　solved　the　great　problem　of　enabling　the　Universal　to　act　upon　the　plane　of　the　particular　without　being　hampered　by　those　limitations　which　the　merely　generic　law　of　manifestation　imposes　upon　it。　It　is　just　here　that　subconscious　mind　performs　the　function　of　a　〃bridge〃　between　the　finite　and　the　infinite　as　noted　in　my　〃Edinburgh　Lectures　on　Mental　Science〃　（page　31）；　and　it　is　for　this　reason　that　a　recognition　of　its　susceptibility　to　impression　is　so　important。

By　establishing；　then；　a　personal　relation　to　the　life　of　the　Spirit；　the　sphere　of　the　individual　becomes　enlarged。　The　reason　is　that　he　allows　a　greater　intelligence　than　his　own　to　take　the　initiative；　and　since　he　knows　that　this　Intelligence　is　also　the　very　Principle　of　Life　itself；　he　cannot　have　any　fear　that　it　will　act　in　any　way　to　the　diminution　of　his　individual　life；　for　that　would　be　to　stultify　its　own　operationit　would　be　self…destructive　action　which　is　a　contradiction　in　terms　to　the　conception　of　Creative　Spirit。　Knowing；　then；　that　by　its　inherent　nature　this　Intelligence　can　only　work　to　the　expansion　of　the　individual　life；　we　can　rest　upon　it　with　the　utmost　confidence　and　trust　it　to　take　an　initiative　which　will　lead　to　far　greater　results　than　any　we　could　forecast　from　the　stand…point　of　our　own　knowledge。　So　long　as　we　insist　on　dictating　the　particular　form　which　the　action　of　the　Spirit　is　to　take；　we　limit　it；　and　so　close　against　ourselves　avenues　of　expansion　which　might　otherwise　have　been　open　to　us；　and　if　we　ask　ourselves　why　we　do　this　we　shall　find　that　in　the　last　resort　it　is　because　we　do　not　believe　in　the　Spirit　as　a　FORMING　power。　We　have；　indeed；　advanced　to　the　conception　of　it　as　executive　power；　which　will　work　to　a　prescribed　pattern；　but　we　have　yet　to　grasp　the　conception　of　it　as　versed　in　the　art　of　design；　and　capable　of　elaborating　schemes　of　construction；　which　will　not　only　be　complete　in　themselves；　but　also　in　perfect　harmony　with　one　another。　When　we　advance　to　the　conception　of　the　Spirit　as　containing　in　itself　the　ideal　of　Form　as　well　as　of　Power；　we　shall　cease　from　the　effort　of　trying　to　force　things　into　a　particular　shape；　whether　on　the　inner　or　the　outer　plane；　and　shall　be　content　to　trust　the　inherent　harmoniousness