I, If I Be Lifted Up, Will Draw All Men Unto Me
THERE are many earnest students who, while believing God to be all in all and the life and intelligence in all living things, yet also believe in the power of evil and even fear its power. Such do not want to accept or believe God as in any way responsible for man's actions, especially if they deem such actions to be evil.
We know that we are venturing upon dangerous ground in making that last statement, from the viewpoint of many who still adhere to old orthodox beliefs on the subject; but you will soon perceive our purpose in making it.
Of course it is only the limitations of the human mind that prevent most people from really knowing that God or Good is all there is—that God is One, not two (good and evil), and hence such think themselves separate from Him, thereby unwittingly classing themselves with what is not God and therefore not good.
It is because of such faulty reasoning that it becomes necessary to make clear a great truth—make it so clear that all who read will never again fail to know that their God is ONE and is ALL, and that all that Is, is good—to those who see with a single eye.
First it must be understood that all that follows is directed to and is intended only for the followers of Christ and for those who seek to know and follow Him. All others cannot possibly understand or apply what is given herewith.
We now recall to you what our great Master and Teacher taught us regarding Himself:
"I can of myself do nothing."—John 5:30.
"Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth in me he doeth the work."—John 14:10.
If these statements be true of Jesus, they must be true of all men; for He is the Exemplar and the Wayshower sent to humanity by our Father to teach us the truth of being.
While it is true that the I AM or God's Spirit in man spoke the above words to Jesus' disciples and speaks them likewise to every awakened soul, it is also true that the Christ Spirit is not "born" or awakened in all men. Yet that Spirit is God's Life or the Light that lighteth and dwelleth in every man, even though the darkened mind of man as yet comprehendeth it not.
Therefore God's Life and Spirit is All in all, for there is no other life or spirit but His. Hence if He is all in all, He must do all that man does, or cause him to do and say all that he does or says— but for His own wise and loving purpose, and which purpose man with his "separate" mind is wholly un- able to comprehend.
"When ye have lifted up the son of man, then ye shall know that I am he, that I do nothing of myself, but as my Father hath taught me."—John 8:28.
Truly when we have lifted up our human mind so that it knows the I AM or Christ within, then it knows that it is nothing and can do nothing that the Father, through His Spirit in us—the I AM, does not lead or cause us to do. It is when lifted to that consciousness that Paul refers to in the 10th to 12th verse of the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians:
"But when that which is perfect is come (the perfect understanding as quickened and taught by God's Spirit —the I AM, in awakened man) then that which is in part shall be done away with.
"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things.
"For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I also am known."
Man in his limited understanding calls everything more or less evil that does not measure up to his standard of good, forgetting that in reality "there is none good but God," and not realizing that unless we see God in everything we cannot see good in anything.
He also forgets that it is only ignorance of the truth or of the great Law of Being that causes anyone to condemn a thing or condition as evil, for we have only to recall much that was called evil in our childhood days by our parents and grandparents which greater understanding and common usage now accepts without thought of condemnation, and which therefore must have been "lifted up" to the present standard of "good."
To the thinker it can be seen that God, being all in all, is gradually from within man (or infant humanity) teaching him that all that is, is good—because He is all that is; teaching him just as fast as man is able to bear it and accept it as good, and then to use such knowledge only as He directs—thus lifting up man's understanding and drawing him close to Him.
Man thereby in time grows in wisdom and understanding and learns that there are not two powers in the world antagonistic to each other—God and Devil, or Good and Evil. But that there is only one—a very wise and mighty Power, from Whom all other powers spring and derive their existence or reason for being.
Think this over and you will see that it must be so, for no two equally active and antagonistic powers could long exist, for either they would soon destroy each other, or the more powerful one would master the other and compel it to be its servant.
Therefore evil, when once understood as an actual force in the world, must be permitted—aye, must have been created and is being utilized by the One Who Is Power, and Who created all and is over all—for a very wise and benevolent purpose, and which it behooves everyone of us to study in order to get a glimpse of that purpose.
A thing or a force is evil only so long as we do not understand the law of its being and therefore cannot control it. Such was lightning, electricity, steam, fire, the winds and the waves, before man learned to control them and afterwards to make them serve him. See what good and useful servants they are now, as a result of being studied, understood and wisely controlled.
For the same reason a wise man, instead of fighting, rebelling against, or running away from what appears to be evil, will seek to know it for what it really is—a force permitted by God to try, test and develop man's strength of character and to teach him wisdom; and never to tempt him—as is attributed to God's "adversary."
But do not forget that evil, like any other un- controlled force, is destructive, and therefore its nature must be fully understood, and whenever possible it must be prevented from doing any active harm. Evil is a negative force, and according to the law of its being is attracted only by forces of a negative nature. It is well known that fear, worry, anxiety, anger, envy, jealousy, greed, etc., all of which are negative, attract forces that are inherently evil. But know this—evil cannot hurt or touch one of positive mind who knows his part in God and Good—who knows that God is All, and that not only is there nothing therefore to fear, but that God is always a loving and protective power that will take care of all whose minds are stayed on Him.
One who knows this ordinarily needs do nothing but stand aside and watch the law work, realizing that in time evil will destroy itself.
It is our hope eventually to have all who are journeying with us to know evil for just what it is—that it exists everywhere outside the Kingdom of God's Consciousness, which is all Love, and that by entering that Consciousness—the consciousness of the I AM within us, we can look right through the seeming evil and see the good that it hides.
This particularly applies to the seeming evil in the personalities around us. Until one is poised in the I AM Consciousness so that one always sees through the eyes of Love, the imperfections of another stand forth more or less glaringly, thus distracting the attention and preventing one from seeing the good in the other. But when we have given ourselves and all of our personal ideas wholly over to the Loving One within, He gradually frees us from such separative forces and permits us a glimpse of Himself in the souls of others. Those favored ones who are vouchsafed such glimpse ever afterward cannot help but keep their hearts wide open, letting His love pour out when contacting others, ever seeking and longing to see Him again in all the souls they meet.
Of course the knowledge of God being all there is must become a fixed part of our consciousness, in order to cause us thus always to seek to see and know the Christ-self of our brother. It is magical in effect when one really looks for good in another—one can always find it; when one really seeks to know God, in one way or another He will surely reveal Himself.
GOD, CHRIST, AND THE HIGHER SELF
Some have written us about not differentiating in "The Impersonal Life" between God, the Father, Christ, and the Higher Self, the I AM throughout its message apparently speaking for each and representing all, so we propose herein to give the reason for such non-differentiation.
It has also been remarked that in accepting the Impersonal message one is expected to jump from mortality to the God-head, in fact to the Absolute, without recognition of any of the intervening stages.
While this in a way is true, for we accept—nay, know—God as within us, as our very Self, we do not deny that there are many stages for humanity as a whole to pass through before even mastery of the mortal nature is attained, not to speak of Godhood.
But the Impersonal Life message is not for all humanity, any more than is the message in this book. For comparatively few individuals of the hundreds of millions of humanity are as yet able to receive and understand the truths they contain. These truths are given out to awaken and call forth the chosen of the Lord—the teachers and servers of humanity, preparatory to the ushering in of the New Day or Eon.
Make no mistake, you who hear and feel within the leap of your soul at these words, you need not go through these many stages, taking eons of time; but you can know and be your God-self now, here, in this life—if you will follow Christ Jesus, the One sent of the Father to lead and show the way to all who have the courage to follow Him.
In order to help explain the identity of God, Christ and the Higher Self, we quote part of a letter received from one of our earnest ones that is quite remarkable and very illuminating, and clearly brings out the most important phases of the subject—so conclusively that we find it unnecessary to add anything to it. The first part of what follows, while not definitely relating to the subject, is so good and helpful, we are including it:
"Sometimes I have felt that I have made little progress, and from the positive side this is probably so. It has been a process of 'killing out,' a getting rid of self. Years ago I used to say that I would rather be myself than anyone else; I envied none, no matter how miserable I might be I would not change with any other soul. Then I passed through a period when I felt I would gladly change with many souls; and now I am at the point where I do not prize individuality at all in the ordinary sense. To be an onlooker, yet a worker too, beholding the splendour and reflecting it, shedding it forth, yet utterly invisible and unconscious of self,—that would be my choice. It would not trouble me to know that when I pass from this life I shall cease to be, except for my ability to know and feel, and to accomplish. I could even be content never to meet my dear ones in person; if I could be assured that they too had entered the consciousness of God.
"But I have a feeling that we lose our individuality only to find it again, since each of us is an attribute of God, hence distinctly individual. But until one develops the true Being, it must be wonderful to rest in non-being; it would be like a night's sleep replete with dreams.
"I understand now what you mean when you say that we should make no distinguishment—that God, Christ and the Higher Self are all one. They do not differ in themselves but only in us, according to each-one's ability to understand. They are different ASPECTS, that is, they are different only as they vary with the position of the beholder. Which is really no difference, but only an appearance of difference.
"Boundless Being, The Supreme, the Seven Creative Logoi, the Solar Gods, The Logos, these are different states of consciousness, ONE CONSCIOUSNESS being in them all, but perceived in varying degree, according to the plane of manifestation. The consciousness is the string upon which all the beads of being are strung,—it is a rosary of realization.
"Intellectually I have been in great confusion trying to differentiate, but the true mystic does not bother about the different planes and manifestations, because he goes back of manifestation and above planes to the INMOST. If we learn by study, by experience, we must contact all planes; but if we learn by faith and intuition we are unaware of the rungs of the ladder by which we climb. The true mystic does not think of the ladder at all, only of the goal. AFTERWARD, when we KNOW, it will be interesting to examine all this learning, for the pattern is wonderful; but we see clearer after we have reached the top.
"Ever you must return to the clear, open vision; ever you must renew the eyes in love, vast, undying, limitless love, sensing it as the one power moving in and through and BEYOND the Universe, pervading your life."
WOULD YOU HEAL YOURSELF?
My child, dost thou believe that I am—I, and I alone?
Then thou must believe that all that thou art, I am—that thy body, thy mind, thy life, thy will, thy self,—all are Mine.
Then thou must be I, My Self. Which means that thou canst not be separate or different in any particular from Me. Only as thou thinkest thyself different canst thou be other than I am in any phase of thy nature.
Then naturally, if thou thinkest thyself as not different but one with Me, so shalt thou be, and thou shalt express My nature.
Be still, until thou gleanest the full import of these words.
If I am thy self, then if thou wilt but thus know it and let Me think My thoughts, speak My words, and do My will in thee—which I will aways do if thou keepest thy thoughts of a separate self and will from thy mind—then thou wilt soon learn to be thy true self and wilt consciously join thy mind and will with Mine, and I will work through thee and My mind and will shall become thine, and thou wilt know thyself as I A M , even as My beloved Son, Christ Jesus, showed My Self to thee.
But before thou canst be and do this, thou must accustom thy mind to the knowledge of thy true nature as very Christ living in thy body and ruling thy consciousness and the consciousness of thy body. Thou must strive unceasingly to permit no thoughts to enter thy mind and no feelings to influence thy heart that thou knowest are not Mine.
Yea, thou must speak to thy mind as I am now speaking to thee, and must convince it by words of truth whom thou art—must lift it up into the consciousness that thou knowest to be Mine and thine.
Thou must even persuade the consciousness of the organs and parts of thy body that thou art now allied with God, the All-Good, thereby wiping out of their consciousness all the old separative thoughts of imperfection and not-good, and promising that henceforth only the good and perfect thoughts of the God thou art will be sent them, in order that the All-Good of the One Life may manifest in and through them in perfect harmony.
Then thou must practice daily, hourly, seeing thyself, feeling thyself, and being outwardly the all-good God that thou, thyself, art in reality.
Yes, thou canst do this, by saying and meaning it as thou sayest:
"Be still, and know—I AM,—God."
Saying it again and again—and realizing truly thyself as God—to the consciousness of the organ or part of the body that still yields to the claim of separation. Say it until it is freed from such false claim, and know that it must obey and let go; for error cannot stand before truth spoken by one who knows—any more than darkness can remain where there is light.
Then in order that I may use thee as a channel for the freeing and healing of others, thou must practice keeping thy heart open and letting My love pour out and radiate from thee, as light radiates from a powerful arc lamp.
Thou wilt thus become a moving center of influence for good that will affect all who meet thee, for My love-life in the midst of thee will touch and quicken the love-life in the midst of them, and they will be lifted up and made to long for and to come close to Me in consciousness, even though at the time they know it not.
Ah, do I hear some ask, How canst thou open thy heart and let out My love?
Dost thou not love someone or something—thy mother, thy sweetheart, a dear friend, a babe, a kitten? If thou knowest not as yet that thou hast a heart, study carefully thy feelings when thou seest such a cherished one,—note the warmth and welling up in thy heart of something precious and wonderful there.
Dost thou ever feel kind, or long to help some suffering or needy one? When such feelings compel thy attention, know that it is My love in thy heart opening it and asking to be let out. And if thou yieldest, thy soul will rejoice, for just that much more is it freed from self.
From much yielding to such feelings I shall in time teach thee to keep thy heart always open for My use; for in such a heart I come and make my abode and there live My life, do My will, and manifest My Self, unhindered and unlimited by the separate mind—love having long since dissolved all sense of difference and separation, and lifted it up into oneness with My mind.
Thus as My mind in thee is lifted up do I draw all men unto Me.
HARMONY
In the preceding chapter we told in the article "Husband and Wife" about married couples coming more closely together in this Work through the truths taught and the Spirit of Service engendered, thus rounding out and complementing each others' characters.
The following, written by such a complemented couple, tells how to bring about the union of consciousness between husband and wife that must be in disciples of Christ:
"If there is any situation in your immediate circle in which there is a decided lack of harmony, you must work that out into Harmony, or you cannot truly teach anyone the precepts of the Higher Law. For Harmony is the first Law, the supreme Law, and it eventually must be lived to the Nth degree.
"Without harmonizing the position in which you stand here and now, how can you expect to touch other souls into Love and Harmony who come to you for help? To teach a law you must first learn it and then live it.
"FIRST LAW: Cleanse thyself first of all inharmony. Bring thy body into subjection to thy mind, thy mind into subjection to thy Spirit, and thy Spirit into subjection to thy God. Let the Harmony of God flow down through thy point of contact—thy Spirit, through thy mind into thy body, and out to all those with whom you come into contact through the spoken word or the creative word. The word must be spoken.
" 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him {the Word) and without Him was not anything made that was made.'
"God created all things by the spoken Word. He said, 'Let there be light, etc.' and there was light, etc. We in contact with God can create Perfect Harmony, if we speak the positive word of Perfect Harmony. Say to thyself:
" 'I am a child of my loving Father-God, a brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. I as my True Self walk and talk in Perfect Harmony with Them. Let the words of my mouth, the thoughts of my mind, and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer.'
"SECOND LAW: Then when thou hast created Harmony in thyself, begin to help the one nearest and dearest to thee to harmonize himself (or herself) by holding him (or her) in your thought in Perfect Harmony with the Father and the Son. For a little while go apart and in the quiet away from that person, preferably when he or she is asleep, speak out loud these words:
" 'My dear one, we are One with the Father and the Son, and in the Oneness of the High Consciousness of the Holy Spirit we walk and talk with Them. Let there be perfect Peace and Understanding and purest Love between us, that we may clearly manifest that which the Father wills.'
"Slowly that inharmonious mind, soul and body will become more and more harmonious, and one day your dearest one will say something that will permit you to speak these words to that one face to face. But be careful, go slowly. Wait! Wait! Wait, I say, on the Lord in perfect trust until that one speaks to you the key-word that will open the door so that you may enter in. Do not force that door. If you do you will be 'thrown out' as-it-were. Jesus Christ said, 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice let him open and I will come in and sup with him.'
"Knock gently. Wait. Knock again, and wait. Wait until your dearest one hears and answers your knock, saying, 'Come in.' Knocking means knocking at the door of the heart or subconscious mind until it hears, and to do that we must wait until the subconscious mind is free from that tyrant, the conscious mind—when it is asleep. And then some glorious day thy dearest one's subconscious mind will be wise and strong enough to explain to its conscious mind about the Christ standing and knocking at the door of the heart, and cause it to open the door and tell Him to 'Come in.'
"And then, and only then, will the Christ in thee and the Christ in thy dearest one enter in and sit down and sup together in Perfect Harmony.
"And thus your trying situation will vanish like mist before the sun. For just as the rays of the sun directed on the mist dispel it and we see clearly, so the Rays of God's Love directed through us will destroy that mist of inharmony in another, and suddenly we will see clearly face to face."
On reflection you will see from the above that this method can be applied not only to husband and wife, but to child or parent, brother or sister, friend or enemy, business associate or customer, whom you would help to come under the Law of Harmony. All that it needs is to use words suitable to the conditions needing adjustment. You will find that you need change none of the words, and need add only what the Loving One within inspires.
Remember that in Spirit you are One, not only with the Father and the Son, but with the Higher Self of the one whom you would quicken and help; and following the words, "Let there be perfect Peace and Understanding and purest Love between us, that we may clearly manifest that which the Father wills," you can add:
"You are not bound by any claims of the flesh, or of the world, or of the separate mind, for these have no existence in Spirit. Let the perfection that you are in Spirit and your own good that awaits expression now come forth, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
The oneness of consciousness in Spirit of you and your brother is actual, as has so often been shown. Therefore by simply KNOWING this, and talking as above to the soul of another, the soul will hear and when the brain mind is quiet will convey to it what was received from you—even as when in the quiet of meditation you find thoughts flowing into your mind reminding you of things forgotten and what you need to know.
But you must let your Higher Self do the talking through you; your personal desires and human love and anxiety must be wholly replaced by a yearning to help and serve the highest in the other. Only through such an impersonal love can your Real Self reach and impress the soul consciousness of the other with the truth of what you will say, so that it will push forth to the outer mind.
While speaking to the other at night when the brain mind is asleep makes it easier for the soul to accept, yet at other times whenever spoken with positive power and confident knowing, it will also accept, especially when you continue speaking until the conviction comes that it has heard. Then cease and rest in peace, thanking and praising God for His many mercies.
A persistent practice and proving of this method will bring remarkable results, and we urge every reader to begin at once to put it to the test. This is a wonderful work you can do. We pray that our loving Father will guide you and make you into an efficient laborer in His vineyard, so that you may become capable and ready when needed for larger and more universal service.
Go to the next Chapter ~ Where Two or Three are Gathered Together
We know that we are venturing upon dangerous ground in making that last statement, from the viewpoint of many who still adhere to old orthodox beliefs on the subject; but you will soon perceive our purpose in making it.
Of course it is only the limitations of the human mind that prevent most people from really knowing that God or Good is all there is—that God is One, not two (good and evil), and hence such think themselves separate from Him, thereby unwittingly classing themselves with what is not God and therefore not good.
It is because of such faulty reasoning that it becomes necessary to make clear a great truth—make it so clear that all who read will never again fail to know that their God is ONE and is ALL, and that all that Is, is good—to those who see with a single eye.
First it must be understood that all that follows is directed to and is intended only for the followers of Christ and for those who seek to know and follow Him. All others cannot possibly understand or apply what is given herewith.
We now recall to you what our great Master and Teacher taught us regarding Himself:
"I can of myself do nothing."—John 5:30.
"Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth in me he doeth the work."—John 14:10.
If these statements be true of Jesus, they must be true of all men; for He is the Exemplar and the Wayshower sent to humanity by our Father to teach us the truth of being.
While it is true that the I AM or God's Spirit in man spoke the above words to Jesus' disciples and speaks them likewise to every awakened soul, it is also true that the Christ Spirit is not "born" or awakened in all men. Yet that Spirit is God's Life or the Light that lighteth and dwelleth in every man, even though the darkened mind of man as yet comprehendeth it not.
Therefore God's Life and Spirit is All in all, for there is no other life or spirit but His. Hence if He is all in all, He must do all that man does, or cause him to do and say all that he does or says— but for His own wise and loving purpose, and which purpose man with his "separate" mind is wholly un- able to comprehend.
"When ye have lifted up the son of man, then ye shall know that I am he, that I do nothing of myself, but as my Father hath taught me."—John 8:28.
Truly when we have lifted up our human mind so that it knows the I AM or Christ within, then it knows that it is nothing and can do nothing that the Father, through His Spirit in us—the I AM, does not lead or cause us to do. It is when lifted to that consciousness that Paul refers to in the 10th to 12th verse of the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians:
"But when that which is perfect is come (the perfect understanding as quickened and taught by God's Spirit —the I AM, in awakened man) then that which is in part shall be done away with.
"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things.
"For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I also am known."
Man in his limited understanding calls everything more or less evil that does not measure up to his standard of good, forgetting that in reality "there is none good but God," and not realizing that unless we see God in everything we cannot see good in anything.
He also forgets that it is only ignorance of the truth or of the great Law of Being that causes anyone to condemn a thing or condition as evil, for we have only to recall much that was called evil in our childhood days by our parents and grandparents which greater understanding and common usage now accepts without thought of condemnation, and which therefore must have been "lifted up" to the present standard of "good."
To the thinker it can be seen that God, being all in all, is gradually from within man (or infant humanity) teaching him that all that is, is good—because He is all that is; teaching him just as fast as man is able to bear it and accept it as good, and then to use such knowledge only as He directs—thus lifting up man's understanding and drawing him close to Him.
Man thereby in time grows in wisdom and understanding and learns that there are not two powers in the world antagonistic to each other—God and Devil, or Good and Evil. But that there is only one—a very wise and mighty Power, from Whom all other powers spring and derive their existence or reason for being.
Think this over and you will see that it must be so, for no two equally active and antagonistic powers could long exist, for either they would soon destroy each other, or the more powerful one would master the other and compel it to be its servant.
Therefore evil, when once understood as an actual force in the world, must be permitted—aye, must have been created and is being utilized by the One Who Is Power, and Who created all and is over all—for a very wise and benevolent purpose, and which it behooves everyone of us to study in order to get a glimpse of that purpose.
A thing or a force is evil only so long as we do not understand the law of its being and therefore cannot control it. Such was lightning, electricity, steam, fire, the winds and the waves, before man learned to control them and afterwards to make them serve him. See what good and useful servants they are now, as a result of being studied, understood and wisely controlled.
For the same reason a wise man, instead of fighting, rebelling against, or running away from what appears to be evil, will seek to know it for what it really is—a force permitted by God to try, test and develop man's strength of character and to teach him wisdom; and never to tempt him—as is attributed to God's "adversary."
But do not forget that evil, like any other un- controlled force, is destructive, and therefore its nature must be fully understood, and whenever possible it must be prevented from doing any active harm. Evil is a negative force, and according to the law of its being is attracted only by forces of a negative nature. It is well known that fear, worry, anxiety, anger, envy, jealousy, greed, etc., all of which are negative, attract forces that are inherently evil. But know this—evil cannot hurt or touch one of positive mind who knows his part in God and Good—who knows that God is All, and that not only is there nothing therefore to fear, but that God is always a loving and protective power that will take care of all whose minds are stayed on Him.
One who knows this ordinarily needs do nothing but stand aside and watch the law work, realizing that in time evil will destroy itself.
It is our hope eventually to have all who are journeying with us to know evil for just what it is—that it exists everywhere outside the Kingdom of God's Consciousness, which is all Love, and that by entering that Consciousness—the consciousness of the I AM within us, we can look right through the seeming evil and see the good that it hides.
This particularly applies to the seeming evil in the personalities around us. Until one is poised in the I AM Consciousness so that one always sees through the eyes of Love, the imperfections of another stand forth more or less glaringly, thus distracting the attention and preventing one from seeing the good in the other. But when we have given ourselves and all of our personal ideas wholly over to the Loving One within, He gradually frees us from such separative forces and permits us a glimpse of Himself in the souls of others. Those favored ones who are vouchsafed such glimpse ever afterward cannot help but keep their hearts wide open, letting His love pour out when contacting others, ever seeking and longing to see Him again in all the souls they meet.
Of course the knowledge of God being all there is must become a fixed part of our consciousness, in order to cause us thus always to seek to see and know the Christ-self of our brother. It is magical in effect when one really looks for good in another—one can always find it; when one really seeks to know God, in one way or another He will surely reveal Himself.
GOD, CHRIST, AND THE HIGHER SELF
Some have written us about not differentiating in "The Impersonal Life" between God, the Father, Christ, and the Higher Self, the I AM throughout its message apparently speaking for each and representing all, so we propose herein to give the reason for such non-differentiation.
It has also been remarked that in accepting the Impersonal message one is expected to jump from mortality to the God-head, in fact to the Absolute, without recognition of any of the intervening stages.
While this in a way is true, for we accept—nay, know—God as within us, as our very Self, we do not deny that there are many stages for humanity as a whole to pass through before even mastery of the mortal nature is attained, not to speak of Godhood.
But the Impersonal Life message is not for all humanity, any more than is the message in this book. For comparatively few individuals of the hundreds of millions of humanity are as yet able to receive and understand the truths they contain. These truths are given out to awaken and call forth the chosen of the Lord—the teachers and servers of humanity, preparatory to the ushering in of the New Day or Eon.
Make no mistake, you who hear and feel within the leap of your soul at these words, you need not go through these many stages, taking eons of time; but you can know and be your God-self now, here, in this life—if you will follow Christ Jesus, the One sent of the Father to lead and show the way to all who have the courage to follow Him.
In order to help explain the identity of God, Christ and the Higher Self, we quote part of a letter received from one of our earnest ones that is quite remarkable and very illuminating, and clearly brings out the most important phases of the subject—so conclusively that we find it unnecessary to add anything to it. The first part of what follows, while not definitely relating to the subject, is so good and helpful, we are including it:
"Sometimes I have felt that I have made little progress, and from the positive side this is probably so. It has been a process of 'killing out,' a getting rid of self. Years ago I used to say that I would rather be myself than anyone else; I envied none, no matter how miserable I might be I would not change with any other soul. Then I passed through a period when I felt I would gladly change with many souls; and now I am at the point where I do not prize individuality at all in the ordinary sense. To be an onlooker, yet a worker too, beholding the splendour and reflecting it, shedding it forth, yet utterly invisible and unconscious of self,—that would be my choice. It would not trouble me to know that when I pass from this life I shall cease to be, except for my ability to know and feel, and to accomplish. I could even be content never to meet my dear ones in person; if I could be assured that they too had entered the consciousness of God.
"But I have a feeling that we lose our individuality only to find it again, since each of us is an attribute of God, hence distinctly individual. But until one develops the true Being, it must be wonderful to rest in non-being; it would be like a night's sleep replete with dreams.
"I understand now what you mean when you say that we should make no distinguishment—that God, Christ and the Higher Self are all one. They do not differ in themselves but only in us, according to each-one's ability to understand. They are different ASPECTS, that is, they are different only as they vary with the position of the beholder. Which is really no difference, but only an appearance of difference.
"Boundless Being, The Supreme, the Seven Creative Logoi, the Solar Gods, The Logos, these are different states of consciousness, ONE CONSCIOUSNESS being in them all, but perceived in varying degree, according to the plane of manifestation. The consciousness is the string upon which all the beads of being are strung,—it is a rosary of realization.
"Intellectually I have been in great confusion trying to differentiate, but the true mystic does not bother about the different planes and manifestations, because he goes back of manifestation and above planes to the INMOST. If we learn by study, by experience, we must contact all planes; but if we learn by faith and intuition we are unaware of the rungs of the ladder by which we climb. The true mystic does not think of the ladder at all, only of the goal. AFTERWARD, when we KNOW, it will be interesting to examine all this learning, for the pattern is wonderful; but we see clearer after we have reached the top.
"Ever you must return to the clear, open vision; ever you must renew the eyes in love, vast, undying, limitless love, sensing it as the one power moving in and through and BEYOND the Universe, pervading your life."
WOULD YOU HEAL YOURSELF?
My child, dost thou believe that I am—I, and I alone?
Then thou must believe that all that thou art, I am—that thy body, thy mind, thy life, thy will, thy self,—all are Mine.
Then thou must be I, My Self. Which means that thou canst not be separate or different in any particular from Me. Only as thou thinkest thyself different canst thou be other than I am in any phase of thy nature.
Then naturally, if thou thinkest thyself as not different but one with Me, so shalt thou be, and thou shalt express My nature.
Be still, until thou gleanest the full import of these words.
If I am thy self, then if thou wilt but thus know it and let Me think My thoughts, speak My words, and do My will in thee—which I will aways do if thou keepest thy thoughts of a separate self and will from thy mind—then thou wilt soon learn to be thy true self and wilt consciously join thy mind and will with Mine, and I will work through thee and My mind and will shall become thine, and thou wilt know thyself as I A M , even as My beloved Son, Christ Jesus, showed My Self to thee.
But before thou canst be and do this, thou must accustom thy mind to the knowledge of thy true nature as very Christ living in thy body and ruling thy consciousness and the consciousness of thy body. Thou must strive unceasingly to permit no thoughts to enter thy mind and no feelings to influence thy heart that thou knowest are not Mine.
Yea, thou must speak to thy mind as I am now speaking to thee, and must convince it by words of truth whom thou art—must lift it up into the consciousness that thou knowest to be Mine and thine.
Thou must even persuade the consciousness of the organs and parts of thy body that thou art now allied with God, the All-Good, thereby wiping out of their consciousness all the old separative thoughts of imperfection and not-good, and promising that henceforth only the good and perfect thoughts of the God thou art will be sent them, in order that the All-Good of the One Life may manifest in and through them in perfect harmony.
Then thou must practice daily, hourly, seeing thyself, feeling thyself, and being outwardly the all-good God that thou, thyself, art in reality.
Yes, thou canst do this, by saying and meaning it as thou sayest:
"Be still, and know—I AM,—God."
Saying it again and again—and realizing truly thyself as God—to the consciousness of the organ or part of the body that still yields to the claim of separation. Say it until it is freed from such false claim, and know that it must obey and let go; for error cannot stand before truth spoken by one who knows—any more than darkness can remain where there is light.
Then in order that I may use thee as a channel for the freeing and healing of others, thou must practice keeping thy heart open and letting My love pour out and radiate from thee, as light radiates from a powerful arc lamp.
Thou wilt thus become a moving center of influence for good that will affect all who meet thee, for My love-life in the midst of thee will touch and quicken the love-life in the midst of them, and they will be lifted up and made to long for and to come close to Me in consciousness, even though at the time they know it not.
Ah, do I hear some ask, How canst thou open thy heart and let out My love?
Dost thou not love someone or something—thy mother, thy sweetheart, a dear friend, a babe, a kitten? If thou knowest not as yet that thou hast a heart, study carefully thy feelings when thou seest such a cherished one,—note the warmth and welling up in thy heart of something precious and wonderful there.
Dost thou ever feel kind, or long to help some suffering or needy one? When such feelings compel thy attention, know that it is My love in thy heart opening it and asking to be let out. And if thou yieldest, thy soul will rejoice, for just that much more is it freed from self.
From much yielding to such feelings I shall in time teach thee to keep thy heart always open for My use; for in such a heart I come and make my abode and there live My life, do My will, and manifest My Self, unhindered and unlimited by the separate mind—love having long since dissolved all sense of difference and separation, and lifted it up into oneness with My mind.
Thus as My mind in thee is lifted up do I draw all men unto Me.
HARMONY
In the preceding chapter we told in the article "Husband and Wife" about married couples coming more closely together in this Work through the truths taught and the Spirit of Service engendered, thus rounding out and complementing each others' characters.
The following, written by such a complemented couple, tells how to bring about the union of consciousness between husband and wife that must be in disciples of Christ:
"If there is any situation in your immediate circle in which there is a decided lack of harmony, you must work that out into Harmony, or you cannot truly teach anyone the precepts of the Higher Law. For Harmony is the first Law, the supreme Law, and it eventually must be lived to the Nth degree.
"Without harmonizing the position in which you stand here and now, how can you expect to touch other souls into Love and Harmony who come to you for help? To teach a law you must first learn it and then live it.
"FIRST LAW: Cleanse thyself first of all inharmony. Bring thy body into subjection to thy mind, thy mind into subjection to thy Spirit, and thy Spirit into subjection to thy God. Let the Harmony of God flow down through thy point of contact—thy Spirit, through thy mind into thy body, and out to all those with whom you come into contact through the spoken word or the creative word. The word must be spoken.
" 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him {the Word) and without Him was not anything made that was made.'
"God created all things by the spoken Word. He said, 'Let there be light, etc.' and there was light, etc. We in contact with God can create Perfect Harmony, if we speak the positive word of Perfect Harmony. Say to thyself:
" 'I am a child of my loving Father-God, a brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. I as my True Self walk and talk in Perfect Harmony with Them. Let the words of my mouth, the thoughts of my mind, and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer.'
"SECOND LAW: Then when thou hast created Harmony in thyself, begin to help the one nearest and dearest to thee to harmonize himself (or herself) by holding him (or her) in your thought in Perfect Harmony with the Father and the Son. For a little while go apart and in the quiet away from that person, preferably when he or she is asleep, speak out loud these words:
" 'My dear one, we are One with the Father and the Son, and in the Oneness of the High Consciousness of the Holy Spirit we walk and talk with Them. Let there be perfect Peace and Understanding and purest Love between us, that we may clearly manifest that which the Father wills.'
"Slowly that inharmonious mind, soul and body will become more and more harmonious, and one day your dearest one will say something that will permit you to speak these words to that one face to face. But be careful, go slowly. Wait! Wait! Wait, I say, on the Lord in perfect trust until that one speaks to you the key-word that will open the door so that you may enter in. Do not force that door. If you do you will be 'thrown out' as-it-were. Jesus Christ said, 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice let him open and I will come in and sup with him.'
"Knock gently. Wait. Knock again, and wait. Wait until your dearest one hears and answers your knock, saying, 'Come in.' Knocking means knocking at the door of the heart or subconscious mind until it hears, and to do that we must wait until the subconscious mind is free from that tyrant, the conscious mind—when it is asleep. And then some glorious day thy dearest one's subconscious mind will be wise and strong enough to explain to its conscious mind about the Christ standing and knocking at the door of the heart, and cause it to open the door and tell Him to 'Come in.'
"And then, and only then, will the Christ in thee and the Christ in thy dearest one enter in and sit down and sup together in Perfect Harmony.
"And thus your trying situation will vanish like mist before the sun. For just as the rays of the sun directed on the mist dispel it and we see clearly, so the Rays of God's Love directed through us will destroy that mist of inharmony in another, and suddenly we will see clearly face to face."
On reflection you will see from the above that this method can be applied not only to husband and wife, but to child or parent, brother or sister, friend or enemy, business associate or customer, whom you would help to come under the Law of Harmony. All that it needs is to use words suitable to the conditions needing adjustment. You will find that you need change none of the words, and need add only what the Loving One within inspires.
Remember that in Spirit you are One, not only with the Father and the Son, but with the Higher Self of the one whom you would quicken and help; and following the words, "Let there be perfect Peace and Understanding and purest Love between us, that we may clearly manifest that which the Father wills," you can add:
"You are not bound by any claims of the flesh, or of the world, or of the separate mind, for these have no existence in Spirit. Let the perfection that you are in Spirit and your own good that awaits expression now come forth, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
The oneness of consciousness in Spirit of you and your brother is actual, as has so often been shown. Therefore by simply KNOWING this, and talking as above to the soul of another, the soul will hear and when the brain mind is quiet will convey to it what was received from you—even as when in the quiet of meditation you find thoughts flowing into your mind reminding you of things forgotten and what you need to know.
But you must let your Higher Self do the talking through you; your personal desires and human love and anxiety must be wholly replaced by a yearning to help and serve the highest in the other. Only through such an impersonal love can your Real Self reach and impress the soul consciousness of the other with the truth of what you will say, so that it will push forth to the outer mind.
While speaking to the other at night when the brain mind is asleep makes it easier for the soul to accept, yet at other times whenever spoken with positive power and confident knowing, it will also accept, especially when you continue speaking until the conviction comes that it has heard. Then cease and rest in peace, thanking and praising God for His many mercies.
A persistent practice and proving of this method will bring remarkable results, and we urge every reader to begin at once to put it to the test. This is a wonderful work you can do. We pray that our loving Father will guide you and make you into an efficient laborer in His vineyard, so that you may become capable and ready when needed for larger and more universal service.
Go to the next Chapter ~ Where Two or Three are Gathered Together