the dore lectures on mental science-第15章

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d　find　no　outlet　for　its　CONSCIOUS　recognition　of　itself　as　the　Life；　Love；　and　Beauty　which　it　is。　We　can　never　too　deeply　ponder　the　old　esoteric　definition　of　Spirit　as　〃the　Power　which　knows　itself〃：　the　secret　of　all　things；　past；　present；　and　future　is　contained　in　these　few　words。　The　self　…recognition　or　self…contemplation　of　Spirit　is　the　primary　movement　out　of　which　all　creation　proceeds；　and　the　attainment　in　the　individual　of　a　fresh　centre　for　self…recognition　is　what　the　Spirit　GAINS　in　the　processthis　GAIN　accruing　to　the　Spirit　is　what　is　referred　to　in　the　parables　where　the　lord　is　represented　as　receiving　increase　from　his　servants。

When　the　individual　perceives　this　relation　between　himself　and　Infinite　Spirit；　he　finds　that　he　has　been　raised　from　a　position　of　slavery　to　one　of　reciprocity。　The　Spirit　cannot　do　without　him　any　more　than　he　can　do　without　the　Spirit：　the　two　are　as　necessary　to　each　other　as　the　two　poles　of　an　electric　battery。　The　Spirit　is　the　unlimited　essence　of　Love；　Wisdom；　and　Power；　all　three　in　one　undifferentiated　and　waiting　to　be　differentiated　by　APPROPRIATION；　that　is；　by　the　individual　CLAIMING　to　be　the　channel　of　their　differentiation。　It　only　requires　the　claim　to　be　made　with　the　recognition　that　by　the　Law　of　Being　it　is　bound　to　be　answered；　and　the　right　feeling；　the　right　seeing；　and　the　right　working　for　the　particular　matter　we　have　in　hand　will　flow　in　quite　naturally。　Our　old　enemies；　doubt　and　fear；　may　seek　to　bring　us　back　under　bondage　to　Baali；　but　our　new　stand…point　for　the　recognition　of　the　All…originating　Spirit　as　being　absolutely　unified　with　ourselves　must　always　be　kept　resolutely　in　mind；　for；　short　of　this；　we　are　not　working　on　the　creative　levelwe　are　creating；　indeed；　for　we　can　never　divest　ourselves　of　our　creative　power；　but　we　are　creating　in　the　image　of　the　old　limiting　and　destructive　conditions；　and　this　is　merely　perpetuating　the　cosmic　Law　of　Averages；　which　is　just　what　the　individual　has　to　rise　superior　to。　The　creative　level　is　where　new　laws　begin　to　manifest　themselves　in　a　new　order　of　conditions；　something　transcending　our　past　experiences　and　thus　bringing　about　a　real　advance；　for　it　is　no　advance　only　to　go　on　in　the　same　old　round　even　if　we　kept　at　it　for　centuries：　it　is　the　steady　go…ahead　nature　of　the　Spirit　that　has　made　the　world　of　to…day　an　improvement　upon　the　world　of　the　pterodactyl　and　the　icthiosaurus；　and　we　must　look　for　the　same　forward　movement　of　the　Spirit　from　its　new　starting…point　in　ourselves。

Now　it　is　this　special；　personal；　and　individual　relation　of　the　Spirit　to　ourselves　which　is　typified　by　the　names　Ishi　and　Hephzibah。　From　this　stand…point　we　may　say　that　as　the　individual　wakes　up　to　the　oneness　with　the　Spirit；　the　Spirit　wakes　up　to　the　same　thing。　It　becomes　conscious　of　itself　through　the　consciousness　of　the　individual；　and　thus　is　solved　the　paradox　of　individual　self…recognition　by　the　Universal　Spirit；　without　which　no　new…creative　power　could　be　exercised　and　all　things　would　continue　to　proceed　in　the　old　merely　cosmic　order。　It　is　of　course　true　that　in　the　merely　generic　order　the　Spirit　must　be　present　in　every　form　of　Life；　as　the　Master　pointed　out　when　He　said　that　not　a　sparrow　falls　to　the　ground　without　〃the　Father。〃　But　as　the　sparrows　He　alluded　to　had　been　shot　and　were　on　sale　at　a　price　which　shows　that　this　was　the　fate　of　a　good　many　of　them；　we　see　here　precisely　that　stage　of　manifestation　where　the　Spirit　has　not　woke　up　to　individual　self…recognition；　and　remains　at　the　lower　level　of　self…recognition；　that　of　the　generic　or　race…spirit。　The　Master's　comment；　〃Ye　are　of　more　value　than　many　sparrows〃　points　out　this　difference：　in　us　the　generic　creation　has　reached　the　level　which　affords　the　conditions　for　the　waking　up　of　the　Spirit　to　self…recognition　in　the　Individual。

And　we　must　bear　in　mind　that　all　this　is　perfectly　natural。　There　is　no　posing　or　straining　after　effect　about　it。　If　YOU　have　to　pump　up　the　Life；　who　is　going　to　put　the　Life　into　you　to　pump　it？　Therefore　it　is　spontaneous　or　nothing。　That　is　why　the　Bible　speaks　of　it　as　the　free　gift　of　God。　It　cannot　be　anything　else。　You　cannot　originate　the　originating　force；　it　must　originate　you：　but　what　you　can　do　is　to　distribute　it。　Therefore　immediately　you　experience　any　sense　of　friction　be　sure　there　is　something　wrong　somewhere；　and　since　God　can　never　change；　you　may　be　sure　that　the　friction　is　being　caused　by　some　error　in　your　own　thinkingyou　are　limiting　the　Spirit　in　some　way：　set　to　work　to　find　out　what　it　is。　It　is　always　LIMITING　the　Spirit　that　does　this。　You　are　tying　it　down　to　conditions　somewhere；　saying　it　is　bound　by　reason　of　some　existing　forms。　The　remedy　is　to　go　back　to　the　original　starting　point　of　the　Cosmic　Creation　and　ask；　Where　were　the　pre…existing　forms　that　dictated　to　the　Spirit　then？　Then　because　the　Spirit　never　changes　it　is　STILL　THE　SAME；　and　is　just　as　independent　of　existing　conditions　now　as　it　was　in　the　beginning；　and　so　we　must　pass　over　all　existing　conditions；　however　apparently　adverse；　and　go　straight　to　the　Spirit　as　the　originator　of　new　forms　and　new　conditions。　This　is　real　New　Thought；　for　it　does　not　trouble　about　the　old　things；　but　is　going　straight　ahead　from　where　we　are　now。　When　we　do　this；　just　trusting　the　Spirit；　and　not　laying　down　the　particular　details　of　its　actionjust　telling　it　what　we　want　without　dictating　HOW　we　are　to　get　it　we　shall　find　that　things　will　open　out　more　and　more　clearly　day　by　day　both　on　the　inner　and　the　outer　plane。　Remember　that　the　Spirit　is　alive　and　working　here　and　now；　for　if　ever　the　Spirit　is　to　get　from　the　past　into　the　future　it　must　be　by　passing　through　the　present；　therefore　what　you　have　to　do　is　to　acquire　the　habit　of　living　direct　…from　the　Spirit　here　and　now。　You　will　soon　find　that　this　is　a　matter　of　personal　intercourse；　perfectly　natural　and　not　requiring　any　abnormal　conditions　for　its　production。　You　just　treat　the　Spirit　as　you　would　any　other　kind…hearted　sensible　person；　remembering　that　it　is　always　there〃closer　than　hands　and　feet；〃　as　Tennyson　saysand　you　will　gradually　begin　to　appreciate　its　reciprocity　as　a　very　practical　fact　indeed。

This　is　the　relation　of　Hephzibah　to　Ishi；　and　is　that　worship　in　Spirit　and　in　truth　which　needs　neither　the　temple　in　Jerusalem　nor　yet　in　Samaria　for　its　acceptance；　for　the　whole　world　is　the　temple　of　the　Spirit　and　you　yourself　its　sanctuary。　Bear　this　in　mind；　and　remember　that　nothing　is　too　great　or　too　small；　too　interior　or　too　external；　for　the　Spirit's　recognition　and　operation；　for　the　Spirit　is　itself　both　the　Life　and　the　Substance　of　all　things　and　it　is　also　Self…recognition　from　the　stand…point　of　your　own　individuality；　and　therefore；　because　the　Self…recognition　of　Spirit　is　the　Life　of　the　creative　process；　you　will；　by　simply　trusting　the　Spirit　to　work　according　to　its　own　nature；　pass　more　and　more　completely　into　that　New　Order　which　proceeds　from　the　thought　of　Him　who　says；　〃Behold　I　make　all　things　new。〃



THE　SHEPHERD　AND　THE　STONE。

The　metaphor　of　the　Shepherd　and　the　Sheep　is　of　constant　occurrence　throughout　the　Bible　and　naturally　suggests　the　idea　of　the　guiding；　guarding；　and　feeding　both　of　the　individual　sheep　and　of　the　whole　flock　and　it　is　not　difficult　to　see　the　spiritual　correspondence　of　these　things　in　a　general　sort　of　way。　But　we　find　that　the　Bible　combines　the　metaphor　of　the　Shepherd　with　another　metaphor　that　of　〃the　Stone；〃　and　at　first　sight　the　two　seem　rather　incongruous。

〃From　thence　is　the　Shepherd　the　Stone　of　Israel；〃　says　the　Old　Testament　（Genesis　xlix。　24）；　and　Jesus　calls　himself　both　〃The　Good　Shepherd〃　and　〃The　Stone　which　the　builders　rejected。〃　The　Shepherd　and　the　Stone　are　thus　identified　and　we　must　therefore　seek　the　interpretation　in　some　conception　which　combines　the　two。　A　shepherd　suggests　Personal　care　for　the　welfare　of　the　sheep；　and　an　intelligence　greater　than　theirs。　A　stone　suggests　the　idea　of　Building；　and　consequently　of　measurement；　adaptation　of　parts　to　whole；　and　progressive　construction　according　to　plan。　Combining　these　two　c