the dore lectures on mental science-第5章

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e　specialization；　of　which　we　are　in　search；　must　be　along　the　line　of　affording　it　a　centre　from　which　it　may　more　perfectly　realize　this　feeling　and　express　this　thought：　in　other　words　the　way　to　specialize　the　generic　principle　of　Spirit　is　by　providing　new　mental　conditions　in　consonance　with　its　own　original　nature。

*　See　my　〃Edinburgh　Lectures　on　Mental　Science。〃


The　scientific　method　of　enquiry　therefore　brings　us　to　the　conclusion　that　the　required　conditions　for　translating　the　racial　or　generic　operation　of　the　Spirit　into　a　specialized　individual　operation　is　a　new　way　of　THINKING　mode　of　thought　concurring　with；　and　not　in　opposition　to；　the　essential　forward　movement　of　the　Creative　Spirit　itself。　This　implies　an　entire　reversal　of　our　old　conceptions。　Hitherto　we　have　taken　forms　and　conditions　as　the　starting　point　of　our　thought　and　inferred　that　they　are　the　causes　of　mental　states；　now　we　have　learnt　that　the　true　order　of　the　creative　process　is　exactly　the　reverse；　and　that　thought　and　feeling　are　the　causes；　and　forms　and　conditions　the　effects。　When　we　have　learnt　this　lesson　we　have　grasped　the　foundation　principle　on　which　individual　specialization　of　the　generic　law　of　the　creative　process　becomes　a　practical　possibility。

New　Thought；　then；　is　not　the　name　of　a　particular　sect；　but　is　the　essential　factor　by　which　our　own　future　development　is　to　be　carried　on；　and　its　essence　consists　in　seeing　the　relation　of　things　in　a　New　Order。　Hitherto　we　have　inverted　the　true　order　of　cause　and　effect；　now；　by　carefully　considering　the　real　nature　of　the　Principle　of　Causation　in　itselfcausa　causans　as　distinguished　from　cause　causatawe　return　to　the　true　order　and　adopt　a　new　method　of　thinking　in　accordance　with　it。

In　themselves　this　order　and　this　method　of　thinking　are　not　new。　They　are　older　than　the　foundation　of　the　world；　for　they　are　those　of　the　Creative　Spirit　itself；　and　all　through　the　ages　this　teaching　has　been　handed　down　under　various　forms；　the　true　meaning　of　which　has　been　perceived　only　by　a　few　in　each　generation。　But　as　the　light　breaks　in　upon　any　individual　it　is　a　new　light　to　him；　and　so　to　each　one　in　succession　it　becomes　the　New　Thought。　And　when　anyone　reaches　it；　he　finds　himself　in　a　New　Order。　He　continues　indeed　to　be　included　in　the　universal　order　of　the　cosmos；　but　in　a　perfectly　different　way　to　what　he　had　previously　supposed；　for；　from　his　new　standpoint；　he　finds　that　he　is　included；　not　so　much　as　a　part　of　the　general　effect；　but　as　a　part　of　the　general　cause；　and　when　he　perceives　this　he　then　sees　that　the　method　of　his　further　advance　must　be　by　letting　the　General　Cause　flow　more　and　more　freely　into　his　own　specific　centre；　and　he　therefore　seeks　to　provide　thought　conditions　which　will　enable　him　to　do　so。

Then；　still　employing　the　scientific　method　of　following　up　the　affirmative　factor；　he　realizes　that　this　universal　causative　power；　by　whatever　name　he　may　call　it；　manifests　as　Supreme　Intelligence　in　the　adaptation　of　means　to　ends。　It　does　so　in　the　mechanism　of　the　planet；　in　the　production　of　supply　for　the　support　of　physical　life；　and　in　the　maintenance　of　the　race　as　a　whole。　True；　the　investigator　is　met　at　every　turn　with　individual　failure；　but　his　answer　to　this　is　that　there　is　no　cosmic　failure；　and　that　the　apparent　individual　failure　is　itself　a　part　of　the　cosmic　process；　and　will　diminish　in　proportion　as　the　individual　attains　to　the　recognition　of　the　Moving　Principle　of　that　process；　and　provides　the　necessary　conditions　to　enable　it　to　take　a　new　starting　point　in　his　own

individuality。　Now；　one　of　these　conditions　is　to　recognize　it　as　Intelligence；　and　to　remember　that　when　working　through　our　own　mentality　it　in　no　way　changes　its　essential　nature；　just　as　electricity　loses　none　of　its　essential　qualities　in　passing　through　the　special　apparatus　which　enables　it　to　manifest　as　light。

When　we　see　this；　our　line　of　thought　will　run　something　as　follows：〃My　mind　is　a　centre　of　Divine　operation。　The　Divine　operation　is　always　for　expansion　and　fuller　expression；　and　this　means　the　production　of　something　beyond　what　has　gone　before；　something　entirely　new；　not　included　in　past　experience；　though　proceeding　out　of　it　by　an　orderly　sequence　of　growth。　Therefore；　since　the　Divine　cannot　change　its　inherent　nature；　it　must　operate　in　the　same　manner　in　me；　consequently　in　my　own　special　world；　of　which　I　am　the　centre；　it　will　move　forward　to　produce　new　conditions；　always　in　advance　of　any　that　have　gone　before。〃　This　is　a　legitimate　line　of　argument；　from　the　premises　established　in　the　recognition　of　the　relation　between　the　individual　and　the　Universal　Mind；　and　it　results　in　our　looking　to　the　Divine　Mind；　not　only　as　creative；　but　also　as　directive　that　is　as　determining　the　actual　forms　which　the　conditions　for　its　manifestation　will　take　in　our　own　particular　world；　as　well　as　supplying　the　energy　for　their　production。　We　miss　the　point　of　the　relation　between　the　individual　and　the　universal；　if　we　do　not　see　that　the　Originating　Spirit　is　a　FORMING　power。　It　is　the　forming　power　throughout　nature；　and　if　we　would　specialize　it　we　must　learn　to　trust　its　formative　quality　when　operating　from　its　new　starting　point　in　ourselves。

But　the　question　naturally　arises；　If　this　is　so；　what　part　is　taken　by　the　individual？　Our　part　is　to　provide　a　concrete　centre　round　which　the　Divine　energies　can　play。　In　the　generic　order　of　being　we　exercise　upon　it　a　force　of　attraction　in　accordance　with　the　innate　pattern　of　our　particular　individuality；　and　as　we　begin　to　realize　the　Law　of　this　relation；　we；　in　our　turn；　are　attracted　towards　the　Divine　along　the　lines　of　least　resistance；　that　is　on　those　lines　which　are　most　natural　to　our　special　bent　of　mind。　In　this　way　we　throw　out　certain　aspirations　with　the　result　that　we　intensify　our　attraction　of　the　Divine　forces　in　a　certain　specific　manner；　and　they　then　begin　to　act　both　through　us　and　around　us　in　accordance　with　our　aspirations。　This　is　the　rationale　of　the　reciprocal　action　be　tween　the　Universal　Mind　and　the　individual　mind；　and　this　shows　us　that　our　desires　should　not　be　directed　so　much　to　the　acquisition　of　particular　THINGS　as　to　the　reproduction　in　ourselves　of　particular　phases　of　the　Spirit's　activity；　and　this；　being　in　its　very　nature　creative；　is　bound　to　externalize　as　corresponding　things　and　circumstances。　Then；　when　these　external　facts　appear　in　the　circle　of　our　objective　life；　we　must　work　upon　them　from　the　objective　stand…point。　This　is　where　many　fall　short　of　completed　work。　They　realize　the　subjective　or　creative　process；　but　do　not　see　that　it　must　be　followed　by　an　objective　or　constructive　process；　and　consequently　they　are　unpractical　dreamers　and　never　reach　the　stage　of　completed　work。　The　creative　process　brings　the　materials　and　conditions　for　the　work　to　our　hands；　then　we　must　make　use　of　them　with　diligence　and　common…senseGod　will　provide　the　food；　but　He　will　not　cook　the　dinner。

This；　then；　is　the　part　taken　by　the　individual；　and　it　is　thus　that　he　becomes　a　distributing　centre　of　the　Divine　energy；　neither　on　the　one　hand　trying　to　lead　it　like　a　blind　force；　nor　on　the　other　being　himself　under　a　blind　unreasoning　impulsion　from　it。　He　receives　guidance　because　he　seeks　guidance；　and　he　both　seeks　and　receives　according　to　a　Law　which　he　is　able　to　recognize；　so　that　he　no　more　sacrifices　his　liberty　or　dwarfs　his　powers；　than　does　an　engineer　who　submits　to　the　generic　laws　of　electricity；　in　order　to　apply　them　to　some　specific　purpose。　The　more　intimate　his　knowledge　of　this　Law　of　Reciprocity　becomes；　the　more　he　finds　that　it　leads　on　to　Liberty；　on　the　same　principle　by　which　we　find　in　physical　science　that　nature　obeys　us　precisely　in　the　same　degree　to　which　we　first　obey　nature。　As　the　esoteric　maxim　has　it　〃What　is　a　truth　on　one　plane　is　a　truth　on　all。〃　But　the　key　to　this　enfranchisement　of　body；　mind；　and　circumstances　is　in　that　new　thought　which　becomes　creative　of　new　conditions；　because　it　realizes　the　true　order　of　the　creative　process。　Therefore　it　is　that；　if　we　would　bring　a　new　order　of　Life；