the dore lectures on mental science-第17章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


rded　by　a　tribe　who　are　wanderers　still；　the　Gipsies　with　their　duplicate　of　the　Pyramid　in　the　pack　of　cardsa　volume　which　has　been　called　〃The　Devil's　Picture　Book〃　by　those　who　know　it　only　in　its　misuse　and　inversion；　but　which　when　interpreted　in　the　light　of　the　knowledge　we　are　now　gaining；　affords　a　signal　instance　of　that　divine　policy　by　which　as　St。　Paul　says；　God　employs　the　foolish　things　of　this　world　to　confute　the　wise；　while　a　truer　apprehension　of　the　Gipsies　themselves　indicates　their　unmistakable　connection　with　that　race　who　through　all　its　wanderings　has　ever　been　the　guardian　of　the　Stone。

In　these　few　paragraphs　I　have　only　been　able　to　point　out　very　briefly　the　broad　lines　of　enquiry　into　a　subject　of　national　importance　to　the　British　and　American　peoples；　and　which　interests　us　personally；　not　only　as　members　of　these　nations；　but　as　affording　proof　on　the　largest　scale　of　the　same　specialization　of　universal　laws　which　each　of　us　has　to　effect　individually　for　ourself。　But　whether　the　process　be　individual　or　national　it　is　always　the　same；　and　is　the　translation　to　the　very　highest　planethat　of　the　All…originating　Life　itselfof　the　old　maxim　that　〃Nature　will　obey　us　exactly　in　proportion　as　we　first　obey　Nature〃；　it　is　the　old　parable　of　the　lord　who；　finding　his　servants　girt　and　awaiting　him；　then　girds　himself　and　serves　them　（Luke　xii。　35　to　37）。　The　nation　or　the　individual　who　thus　realizes　the　true　principle　of　the　Shepherd　and　the　Stone；　comes　under　a　special　Divine　guidance　and　protection；　not　by　a　favouritism　incompatible　with　the　conception　of　universal　Law；　but　by　the　very　operation　of　the　Law　itself。　They　have　come　into　touch　with　its　higher　possibilities；　and　to　recur　to　an　analogy　which　I　have　already　employed；　they　learn　to　make　their　iron　float　by　the　very　same　law　by　which　it　sinks；　and　so　they　become　the　flock　of　the　Great　Shepherd　and　the　building　of　the　Great　Architect；　and　each　one；　however　insignificant　his　or　her　sphere　may　appear；　becomes　a　sharer　in　the　great　work；　and　by　a　logical　consequence　begins　to　grow　on　new　lines　of　development　for　the　simple　reason　that　a　new　principle　necessarily　produces　new　modes　of　manifestation。　If　the　reader　will　think　over　these　things　he　will　see　that　the　promises　contained　in　the　Bible　whether　national　or　personal；　are　nothing　else　than　statements　of　the　universal　law　of　Cause　and　Effect　applied　to　the　inmost　principles　of　our　being；　and　that　therefore　it　is　not　mere　rhapsody；　but　the　figurative　expression　of　a　great　truth　when　the　Psalmist　says　‘〃The　Lord　is　my　Shepherd；〃　and　〃Thou　art　my　God　and　the　Rock　of　my　salvation。〃



SALVATION　IS　OF　THE　JEWS。

What　does　this　saying　of　the　Master's　mean？　Certainly　not　a　mere　arrogant　assumption　in　favour　of　His　own　nationalitysuch　an　idea　is　negatived；　not　only　by　the　universality　of　all　His　other　teaching；　but　also　by　the　very　instruction　in　which　these　words　occur；　for　He　declared　that　the　Jewish　temple　was　equally　with　the　Samaritan　of　no　account　in　the　matter。　He　said　that　the　true　worship　was　purely　spiritual　and　entirely　independent　of　places　and　ceremonies；　while　at　the　same　time　He　emphasized　the　Jewish　expectation　of　a　Messiah；　so　that　in　this　teaching　we　are　met　by　the　paradox　of　a　universal　principle　combined　with　what　at　first　sight　appears　like　a　tribal　tradition　quite　incompatible　with　any　recognition　of　the　universal　reign　of　law。　How　to　reconcile　these　apparent　opposites；　therefore；　seems　to　be　the　problem　which　He　here　sets　before　us。　Its　solution　is　to　be　found　in　that　principle　which　I　have　endeavoured　to　elucidate　throughout　these　lectures；　the　specializing　of　universal　law。　Opinions　may　differ　as　to　whether　the　Bible　narrative　of　the　birth　of　Christ　is　to　be　taken　literally　or　symbolically；　but　as　to　the　spiritual　principle　involved　there　can；　I　think；　be　no　difference　of　opinion。　It　is　that　of　the　specialization　by　the　individual　of　the　generic　relation　of　the　soul　to　the　Infinite　Spirit　from　which　it　proceeds。　The　relation　itself　is　universal　and　results　from　the　very　nature　of　the　creative　process；　but　the　law　of　the　universal　relation　admits　of　particular　specialization　exactly　in　the　same　way　as　all　other　natural　lawsit　is　simply　applying　to　the　supreme　Law　of　Life　the　same　method　by　which　we　have　learnt　to　make　iron　float；　that　is　to　say　by　a　fuller　recognition　of　what　the　Law　is　in　itself。　Whatever　other　meanings　we　may　apply　to　the　name　Messiah；　it　undoubtedly　stands　for　the　absolutely　perfect　manifestation　in　the　individual　of　all　the　infinite　possibilities　of　the　Principle　of　Life。

Now　it　was　because　this　grand　ideal　is　the　basis　on　which　the　Hebrew　nationality　was　founded　that　Jesus　made　this　statement。　This　foundation　had　been　lamentably　misconceived　by　the　Jewish　people；　but　nevertheless；　however　imperfectly；　they　still　held　by　it；　and　from　them　this　ideal　has　spread　throughout　the　Christian　world。　Here　also　it　continues　to　be　lamentably　misconceived；　nevertheless　it　is　still　retained；　and　only　needs　to　be　recognized　in　its　true　light　as　a　universal　principle；　instead　of　an　unintelligible　dogma；　to　become　the　salvation　of　the　world。　Hence；　as　affording　the　medium　through　which　this　supreme　ideal　has　been　preserved　and　spread；　it　is　true　that　〃Salvation　is　of　the　Jews。〃

Their　fundamental　idea　was　right　but　their　apprehension　of　it　was　wrongthat　is　why　the　Master　at　the　same　time　sweeps　away　the　national　worship　of　the　temple　and　preserves　the　national　idea　of　the　Messiah；　and　this　is　equally　true　of　the　Christian　world　at　the　present　day。　If　salvation　is　anything　real　it　must　have　its　cause　in　some　law；　and　if　there　is　a　law　it　must　be　founded　upon　some　universal　principle：　therefore　it　is　this　principle　which　we　must　seek　if　we　would　understand　this　teaching　of　the　Master's。

Now　whether　we　take　the　Bible　story　of　the　birth　of　Christ　literally　or　symbolically；　it　teaches　one　great　lesson。　It　teaches　that　the　All…originating　Spirit　is　the　true　Parent　of　the　individual　both　in　soul　and　body。　This　is　nothing　else　than　realizing　from　the　stand…point　of　the　individual　what　we　cannot　help　realizing　in　regard　to　the　original　creation　of　the　cosmos　it　is　the　realization　that　the　All…originating　Spirit　is　at　once　the　Life　and　the　Substance　in　each　individual　here　and　now；　just　as　it　must　have　been　in　the　origin　of　all　things。　Human　parentage　counts　for　nothingit　is　only　the　channel　through　which　Universal　Spirit　has　acted　for　the　concentration　of　an　individual　centre；　but　the　ultimate　cause　of　that　centre；　both　in　life　and　substance；　continues　at　every　moment　to　be　the　One　same　Originating　Spirit。

This　recognition　cuts　away　the　root　of　all　the　power　of　the　negative；　and　so　in　principle　it　delivers　us　from　all　evil；　for　the　root　of　evil　is　the　denial　of　the　power　of　the　Spirit　to　produce　good。　When　we　realize　that　the　Spirit　is　finding　its　own　individualization　in　us　in　its　two…fold　essence　as　Life　and　Substance；　then　we　see　that　it　must　be　both　able　and　willing　to　create　for　us　all　good。　The　only　limit　is　that　which　we　ourselves　impose　by　denying　its　operation；　and　when　we　realize　the　inherent　creativeness　of　Spirit　we　find　that　there　is　no　reason　why　we　should　stop　short　at　any　point　and　say　that　it　can　go　no　further。　Our　error　is　in　looking　on　the　life　of　the　body　as　separate　from　the　life　of　the　Spirit；　and　this　error　is　met　by　the　consideration　that；　in　its　ultimate　nature；　Substance　must　emanate　from　Spirit　and　is　nothing　else　than　the　record　of　Spirit's　conception　of　itself　as　finding　expression　in　space　and　time。　And　when　this　becomes　clear　it　follows　that　Substance　need　not　be　taken　into　calculation　at　all。　The　material　form　stands　in　the　same　relation　to　Spirit　that　the　image　projected　on　the　screen　stands　to　the　slide　in　the　lantern。　If　we　wish　to　change　the　exhibited　subject　we　do　not　manipulate　the　reflection　on　the　screen；　but　we　alter　the　slide；　and　in　like　manner；　when　we　come　to　realize　the　true　nature　of　the　creative　process；　we　learn　that　the　exterior　things　are　to　be　changed　by　a　change　of　the　interior　spiritual　attitude。　Our　spiritual　attitude　will　always　be　determined　by　our　conception　of　our　relation　to　God　or　Infinite　Spirit；　and　so　wh