the dore lectures on mental science-第13章

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it。　What　we　have　to　realize　is；　not　only　that　this　is　the　way　in　which　the　cosmos　is　brought　into　existence；　but　also　that；　because　the　Spirit　finds　a　new　centre　in　ourselves；　the　same　process　is　repeated　in　our　own　mentality；　and　therefore　we　are　continually　creating　ex　nihilo　whether　we　know　it　or　not。　Consequently；　if　we　look　upon　evil　as　a　force　to　be　reckoned　with；　and　therefore　requiring　to　be　studied；　we　are　in　effect　creating　it；　while　on　the　other　hand　if　we　realize　that　there　is　only　ONE　force　to　be　considered；　and　that　absolutely　good；　we　are　by　the　law　of　the　creative　process　bringing　that　good　into　manifestation。　No　doubt　for　this　affirmative　use　of　our　creative　power　it　is　necessary　that　we　start　from　the　basic　conception　of　a　SINGLE　originating　power　which　is　absolutely　good　and　life…giving；　but　if　there　were　a　self…originating　power　which　was　destructive　then　no　creation　could　ever　have　come　into　existence　at　all；　for　the　positive　and　negative　self…originating　powers　would　cancel　each　other　and　the　result　would　be　zero。　The　fact；　therefore；　of　our　own　existence　is　a　sufficient　proof　of　the　singleness　and　goodness　of　the　Originating　Power；　and　from　this　starting…point　there　is　no　second　power　to　be　taken　into　consideration；　and　consequently　we　do　not　have　to　study　the　evil　that　may　arise　out　of　existing　or　future　circumstances；　but　require　to　keep　our　minds　fixed　only　upon　the　good　which　we　intend　to　create。　There　is　a　very　simple　reason　for　this。　It　is　that　every　new　creation　necessarily　carries　its　own　law　with　it　and　by　that　law　produces　new　conditions　of　its　own。　A　balloon　affords　a　familiar　illustration　of　my　meaning。　The　balloon　with　its　freight　weighs　several　hundredweight；　yet　the　introduction　of　a　new　factor；　the　gas；　brings　with　it　a　law　of　its　own　which　entirely　alters　the　conditions；　and　the　force　of　gravity　is　so　completely　overcome　that　the　whole　mass　rises　into　the　air。　The　Law　itself　is　never　altered；　but　we　have　previously　known　it　only　under　limiting　conditions。　These　conditions；　however；　are　no　part　of　the　Law　itself；　and　a　clearer　realization　of　the　Law　shows　us　that　it　contains　in　itself　the　power　of　transcending　them。　The　law　which　every　new　creation　carries　with　it　is　therefore　not　a　contradiction　of　the　old　law　but　its　specialization　into　a　higher　mode　of　action。

Now　the　ultimate　Law　is　that　of　production　ex　nihilo　by　the　movement　of　the　Spirit　within　itself；　and　all　subordinate　laws　are　merely　the　measurements　of　the　relations　which　spontaneously　arise　between　different　things　when　they　are　brought　into　manifestation；　arid　therefore；　if　an　entirely　new　thing　is　created　it　must　necessarily　establish　entirely　new　relations　and　so　produce　entirely　new　laws。　This　is　the　reason　why；　if　we　take　the　action　of　pure　unmanifested　Spirit　as　our　starting…point；　we　may　confidently　trust　it　to　produce　manifestations　of　law　which；　though　perfectly　new　from　the　stand…point　of　our　past　experience；　are　quite　as　natural　in　their　own　way　as　any　that　have　gone　before。　It　is　on　this　account　that　in　these　addresses　I　lay　so　much　stress　on　the　fact　that　Spirit　creates　ex　nihilo；　that　is；　out　of　no　pre…existing　forms；　but　simply　by　its　own　movement　within　itself。　If；　then；　this　idea　is　clearly　grasped；　it　logically　follows　from　it　that　the　Root　of　Life　is　not　to　be　found　in　the　comparison　of　good　and　evil；　but　in　the　simple　affirmation　of　the　Spirit　as　the　All…creating　power　of　Good。　And　since；　as　we　have　already　seen；　this　same　all…creating　Spirit　finds　a　centre　and　fresh　starting…point　of　operation　in　our　own　minds；　we　can　trust　it　to　follow　the　Law　of　its　own　being　there　as　much　as　in　the　creation　of　the　cosmos。

Only　we　must　not　forget　that　it　is　working　through　our　own　minds。　It　thinks　through　our　mind；　and　our　mind　must　be　made　a　suitable　channel　for　this　mode　of　its　operation　by　conforming　itself　to　the　broad　generic　lines　of　the　Spirit's　thinking。　The　reason　for　this　is　one　which　I　have　sought　to　impress　throughout　these　lectures；　namely；　that　the　specialization　of　a　law　is　never　the　denial　of　it；　but　on　the　contrary　the　fuller　recognition　of　its　basic　principles；　and　if　this　is　the　case　in　ordinary　physical　science　it　must　be　equally　so　when　we　come　to　specialize　the　great　Law　of　Life　itself。　The　Spirit　can　never　change　its　essential　nature　as　the　essence　of　Life；　Love；　and　Beauty；　and　if　we　adopt　these　characteristics；　which　constitute　the　Law　of　the　Spirit；　as　the　basis　of　our　own　thinking；　and　reject　all　that　is　contrary　to　them；　then　we　afford　the　broad　generic　conditions　for　the　specialized　thinking　of　the　Spirit　through　our　own　minds：　and　the　thinking　of　the　Spirit　is　that　INVOLUTION；　or　passing　of　spirit　into　form；　which　is　the　whole　being　of　the　creative　process。

The　mind　which　is　all　the　time　being　thus　formed　is　our　own。　It　is　not　a　case　of　control　by　an　external　individuality；　but　the　fuller　expression　of　the　Universal　through　an　organized　mentality　which　has　all　along　been　a　less　perfect　expression　of　the　Universal；　and　therefore　the　process　is　one　of　growth。　We　are　not　losing　our　individuality；　but　are　coming　into　fuller　possession　of　ourselves　by　the　conscious　recognition　of　our　personal　share　in　the　great　work　of　creation。　We　begin　in　some　slight　measure　to　understand　what　the　Bible　means　when　it　speaks　of　our…being　〃partakers　of　the　Divine　nature〃　（II。　Peter　i。　4）　and　we　realize　the　significance　of　the　〃unity　of　the　Spirit〃　（Ephesians　iv。　3）。　Doubtless　this　will　imply　changes　in　our　old　mode　of　thinking；　but　these　changes　are　not　forced　upon　us；　they　are　brought　about　naturally　by　the　new　stand…point　from　which　we　now　see　things。　Almost　imperceptibly　to　ourselves　we　grow　into　a　New　Order　of　Thought　which　proceeds；　not　from　a　knowledge　of　good　and　evil；　but　from　the　Principle　of　Life　itself。　That　is　what　makes　the　difference　between　our　old　thought　and　our　new　thought。　Our　old　thought　was　based　upon　a　comparison　of　limited　facts：　our　new　thought　is　based　upon　a　comprehension　of　principles。　The　difference　is　like　that　between　the　mathematics　of　the　infant；　who　cannot　count　beyond　the　number　of　apples　or　marbles　put　before　him；　and　that　of　the　senior　wrangler　who　is　not　dependent　upon　visible　objects　for　his　calculations；　but　plunges　boldly　into　the　unknown　because　he　knows　that　he　is　working　by　indubitable　principles。　In　like　manner　when　we　realize　the　infallible　Principle　of　the　Creative　Law　we　no　longer　find　we　need　to　see　everything　cut　and　dried　beforehand；　for　if　so；　we　could　never　get　beyond　the　range　of　our　old　experiences；　but　we　can　move　steadily　forward　because　we　know　the　certainty　of　the　creative　principle　by　which　we　are　working；　or　rather；　which　is　working　through　us；　and　that　our　life；　in　all　its　minutes〃　details；　is　its　harmonious　expression。　Thus　the　Spirit　thinks　through　our　thought　only　its　thought　is　greater　than　ours。　It　is　the　paradox　of　the　less　containing　the　greater。　Our　thought　will　not　be　objectless　or　unintelligible　to　ourselves。　It　will　be　quite　clear　as　far　as　it　goes。　We　shall　know　exactly　what　we　want　to　do　and　why　we　want　to　do　it；　and　so　will　act　in　a　reasonable　and　intelligent　manner。　But　what　we　do　not　know　is　the　greater　thought　that　is　all　the　time　giving　rise　to　our　smaller　thought；　and　which　will　open　out　from　it　as　our　lesser　thought　progresses　into　form。　Then　we　gradually　see　the　greater　thought　which　prompted　our　smaller　one　and　we　find　ourselves　working　along　its　lines；　guided　by　the　invisible　hand　of　the　Creative　Spirit　into　continually　increasing　degrees　of　livingness　to　which　we　need　assign　no　limits；　for　it　is　the　expansion　of　the　Infinite　within　ourselves。

This；　as　it　appears　to　me；　is　the　hidden　meaning　of　the　two　trees　in　Eden；　the　Garden　of　the　Soul。　It　is　the　distinction　between　a　knowledge　which　is　merely　that　of　comparisons　between　different　sorts　of　conditions；　and　a　knowledge　which　is　that　of　the　Life　which　gives　rise　to　and　therefore　controls　conditions。　Only　we　must　remember　that　the　control　of　conditions　is　not　to　be　attained　by　violent　self…assertion　which　is　only　recognizing　them　as　substantive　entities　to　be　battled　with；　but　by　conscious　unity　with　that　All…creating　Spirit　which　works　silently；　but　surely；　on　its　own　lines