the dore lectures on mental science-第4章

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r　starting　point；　knowing　that　by　the　inherent　Law　of　Spirit　the　corelated　conditions　will　come　by　a　natural　process　of　growth。　Then　the　great　self…recognition　is　that　of　our　relation　to　the　Supreme　Mind。　That　is　the　generating　centre　and　we　are　distributing　centres；　just　as　electricity　is　generated　at　the　central　station　and　delivered　in　different　forms　of　power　by　reason　of　passing　through　appropriate　centres　of　distribution；　so　that　in　one　place　it　lights　a　room；　in　another　conveys　a　message；　and　in　a　third　drives　a　tram　car。　In　like　manner　the　power　of　the　Universal　Mind　takes　particular　forms　through　the　particular　mind　of　the　individual。　It　does　not　interfere　with　the　lines　of　his　individuality；　but　works　along　them；　thus　making　him；　not　less；　but　more　himself。　It　is　thus；　not　a　compelling　power；　but　an　expanding　and　illuminating　one；　so　that　the　more　the　individual　recognizes　the　reciprocal　action　between　it　and　himself；　the　more　full　of　life　he　must　become。

Then　also　we　need　not　be　troubled　about　future　conditions　because　we　know　that　the　All…originating　Power　is　working　through　us　and　for　us；　and　that　according　to　the　Law　proved　by　the　whole　existing　creation；　it　produces　all　the　conditions　required　for　the　expression　of　the　Life；　Love　and　Beauty　which　it　is；　so　that　we　can　fully　trust　it　to　open　the　way　as　we　go　along。　The　Great　Teacher's　words；　〃Take　no　thought　for　the　morrow〃and　note　that　the　correct　translation　is　〃Take　no　anxious　thought〃　are　the　practical　application　of　the　soundest　philosophy。　This　does　not；　of　course；　mean　that　we　are　not　to　exert　ourselves。　We　must　do　our　share　in　the　work；　and　not　expect　God　to　do　FOR　us　what　He　can　only　do　THROUGH　us。　We　are　to　use　our　common　sense　and　natural　faculties　in　working　upon　the　conditions　now　present。　We　must　make　use　of　them；　AS　FAR　AS　THEY　GO；　but　we　must　not　try　and　go　further　than　the　present　things　require；　we　must　not　try　to　force　things；　but　allow　them　to　grow　naturally；　knowing　that　they　are　doing　so　under　the　guidance　of　the　All…Creating　Wisdom。

Following　this　method　we　shall　grow　more　and　more　into　the　habit　of　looking　to　mental　attitude　as　the　Key　to　our　progress　in　Life；　knowing　that　everything　else　must　come　out　of　that；　and　we　shall　further　discover　that　our　mental　attitude　is　eventually　determined　by　the　way　in　which　we　regard　the　Divine　Mind。　Then　the　final　result　will　be　that　we　shall　see　the　Divine　Mind　to　be　nothing　else　than　Life；　Love　and　BeautyBeauty　being　identical　with　Wisdom　or　the　perfect　adjustment　of　parts　to　wholeand　we　shall　see　ourselves　to　be　distributing　centres　of　these　primary　energies　and　so　in　our　turn　subordinate　centres　of　creative　power。　And　as　we　advance　in　this　knowledge　we　shall　find　that　we　transcend　one　law　of　limitation　after　another　by　finding　the　higher　law；　of　which　the　lower　is　but　a　partial　expression；　until　we　shall　see　clearly　before　us；　as　our　ultimate　goal；　nothing　less　than　the　Perfect　Law　of　Libertynot　liberty　without　Law　which　is　anarchy；　but　Liberty　according　to　Law。　In　this　way　we　shall　find　that　the　Apostle　spoke　the　literal　truth；　when　he　said；　that　we　shall　become　like　Him　when　we　see　Him　AS　HE　IS；　because　the　whole　process　by　which　our　individuality　is　produced　is　one　of　reflection　of　the　image　existing　in　the　Divine　Mind。　When　we　thus　learn　the　Law　of　our　own　being　we　shall　be　able　to　specialize　it　in　ways　of　which　we　have　hitherto　but　little　conception；　but　as　in　the　case　of　all　natural　laws　the　specialization　cannot　take　place　until　the　fundamental　principle　of　the　generic　law　has　been　fully　realized。　For　these　reasons　the　student　should　endeavour　to　realize　more　and　more　perfectly；　both　in　theory　and　practice；　the　law　of　the　relation　between　the　Universal　and　the　Individual　Minds。　It　is　that　of　RECIPROCAL　action。　If　this　fact　of　reciprocity　is　grasped；　it　will　be　found　to　explain　both　why　the　individual　falls　short　of　expressing　the　fulness　of　Life；　which　the　Spirit　is；　and　why　he　can　attain　to　the　fulness　of　that　expression；　just　as　the　same　law　explains　why　iron　sinks　in　water；　and　how　it　can　be　made　to　float。　It　is　the　individualizing　of　the　Universal　Spirit；　by　recognizing　its　reciprocity　to　ourselves；　that　is　the　secret　of　the　perpetuation　and　growth　of　our　own　individuality。



THE　NEW　THOUGHT　AND　THE　NEW　ORDER。

In　the　two　preceding　lectures　I　have　endeavoured　to　reach　some　conception　of　what　the　All…originating　Spirit　is　in　itself；　and　of　the　relation　of　the　individual　to　it。　So　far　as　we　can　form　any　conception　of　these　things　at　all　we　see　that　they　are　universal　principles　applicable　to　all　nature；　and；　at　the　human　level；　applicable　to　all　men：　they　are　general　laws　the　recognition　of　which　is　an　essential　preliminary　to　any　further　advance；　because　progress　is　made；　not　by　setting　aside　the　inherent　law　of　things；　which　is　impossible；　but　by　specializing　it　through　presenting　conditions　which　will　enable　the　same　principle　to　act　in　a　less　limited　manner。　Having　therefore　got　a　general　idea　of　these　two　ultimates；　the　universal　and　the　individual；　and　of　their　relation　to　one　another；　let　us　now　consider　the　process　of　specialization。　In　what　does　the　specialization　of　a　natural　law　consist？　It　consists　in　making　that　law　or　principle　produce　an　effect　which　it　could　not　produce　under　the　simply　generic　conditions　spontaneously　provided　by　nature。　This　selection　of　suitable　conditions　is　the　work　of　Intelligence；　it　is　a　process　of　consciously　arranging　things　in　a　new　order；　so　as　to　produce　a　new　result。　The　principle　is　never　new；　for　principles　are　eternal　and　universal；　but　the　knowledge　that　the　same　principle　will　produce　new　results　when　working　under　new　conditions　is　the　key　to　the　unfoldment　of　infinite　possibilities。　What　we　have　therefore　to　consider　is　the　working　of　Intelligence　in　providing　specific　conditions　for　the　operation　of　universal　principles；　so　as　to　bring　about　new　results　which　will　transcend　our　past　experiences。　The　process　does　not　consist　in　the　introduction　of　new　elements；　but　in　making　new　combinations　of　elements　which　are　always　present；　just　as　our　ancestors　had　no　conception　of　carriages　that　could　go　without　horses；　and　yet　by　a　suitable　combination　of　elements　which　were　always　in　existence；　such　vehicles　are　common　objects　in　our　streets　today。　How；　then；　is　the　power　of　Intelligence　to　be　brought　to　bear　upon　the　generic　law　of　the　relation　between　the　Individual　and　the　Universal　so　as　to　specialize　it　into　the　production　of　greater　results　than　those　which　we　have　hitherto　obtained？

All　the　practical　attainments　of　science；　which　place　the　civilized　world　of　to…day　in　advance　of　the　times　of　King　Alfred　or　Charlemagne；　have　been　gained　by　a　uniform　method；　and　that　a　very　simple　one。　It　is　by　always　enquiring　what　is　the　affirmative　factor　in　any　existing　combination；　and　asking　ourselves　why；　in　that　particular　combination；　it　does　not　act　beyond　certain　limits。　What　makes　the　thing　a　success；　so　far　as　it　goes；　and　what　prevents　it　going　further？　Then；　by　carefully　considering　the　nature　of　the　affirmative　factor；　we　see　what　sort　of　conditions　to　provide　to　enable　it　to　express　itself　more　fully。　This　is　the　scientific　method；　it　has　proved　itself　true　in　respect　of　material　things；　and　there　is　no　reason　why　it　should　not　be　equally　reliable　in　respect　of　spiritual　things　also。

Taking　this　as　our　method；　we　ask；　What　is　the　affirmative　factor　in　the　whole　creation；　and　in　ourselves　as　included　in　the　creation；　and；　as　we　found　in　the　first　lecture；　this　factor　is　Spiritthat　invisible　power　which　concentrates…the　primordial　ether　into　forms；　and　endows　those　forms　with　various　modes　of　motion；　from　the　simply　mechanical　motion　of　the　planet　up　to　the　volitional　motion　in　man。　And；　since　this　is　so；　the　primary　affirmative　factor　can　only　be　the　Feeling　and　the　Thought　of　the　Universal　Spirit。*　Now；　by　the　hypothesis　of　the　case；　the　Universal　Spirit　must　be　the　Pure　Essence　of　Life；　and　therefore　its　feeling　and　　thought　can　only　be　towards　the　continually　increasing　expression　of　the　livingness　which　it　is；　and　accordingly　the　specialization；　of　which　we　are　in　search；　must　be　along　the　line　of　affording　it　a　centre　from　wh