The Way It Works by Ernest Holmes ~ The Science of Mind
The Science of Mind is not a special revelation of any individual; it is, rather, the culmination of all revelations. We take the good wherever we find it, making it our own in so far as we understand it. The realization that Good is Universal, and that as much good as any individual is able to incorporate in his life is his to use, is what constitutes the Science of Mind and Spirit.
We have discussed the nature of The Thing as being Universal Energy, Mind, Intelligence, Spirit - finding conscious and individualized centers of expression through us - and that man's intelligence is this Universal Mind, functioning at the level of man's concept of It. This is the essence of the whole teaching.
Universal Mind, or Spirit, Is God
There is a Universal Mind, Spirit, Intelligence, that is the origin of everything: It is First Cause. It is God. This Universal Life and Energy finds an outlet in and through all that is energized, and through everything that lives. There is One Life back of everything that lives. There is One Energy back of all that is energized. This Energy is in everything. There is One Spirit back of all expression. That is the meaning of that mystical saying: "In Him we live, and move, and have our being." (Acts 17:28)
The life which we live is the Universal Life expressing through us, else how could we live. Our thought and emotion is the use we make - consciously or unconsciously - of this original creative Thing that is the Cause of everything. Therefore, we shall say that the mind, spirit and intelligence which we find in ourselves is as much of this original, creative God as we understand. That this is not robbing God is a self-evident fact. Since we are, then we are real and actual and have existence; and since we can reduce all that is to a fundamental unit, we find that we have this proposition:
There is Spirit - or this Invisible Cause - and nothing, out of which all things are to be made. Now, Spirit plus nothing leaves Spirit only. Hence there is One Original Cause and nothing, out of which we are made. In other words, we are made from this Thing. That is why we are called the "son of God."
We now know that this is what we are - because we could not be anything else - but we do not know how much of this we are! When we see It as It is, then, we shall see ourselves as we are. We can only see It by looking at It through our own eyes. Hence, we shall find a better God when we shall have arrived at a higher standard for man. If God is to interpret Himself to man, He must interpret Himself through man. And the Spirit can make no gift that we do not accept.
The Seed of Perfection is Hidden Within
This Original Life is Infinite. It is good. It is filled with peace. It is the essence of purity. It is the ultimate of intelligence. It is power. It is Law. It is Life. It is in us. In that inner sanctuary of our own nature, hidden perhaps from objective gaze, "nestles the seed, perfection."
In our ignorance of the truth, we have misused the highest power we possess. And so great is this power - so complete is our freedom in it, so absolute the domain of law through it - that the misuse of this power has brought upon us the very conditions from which we suffer. We are bound because we are first free; the power which appears to bind us is the only power in the universe which can free us. This is why Jesus summed up His whole philosophy in this simple statement: "It is done unto you as you believe." The great Teacher looked so deeply into Nature, that She revealed Her fundamental simplicity to him. That "Believe" and that "as" symbolize heaven and hell. And so we suffer, not because suffering is imposed upon us, but because we are ignorant of our true nature.
The Science of Mind is not a special revelation of any individual; it is, rather, the culmination of all revelations. We take the good wherever we find it, making it our own in so far as we understand it. The realization that Good is Universal, and that as much good as any individual is able to incorporate in his life is his to use, is what constitutes the Science of Mind and Spirit.
We have discussed the nature of The Thing as being Universal Energy, Mind, Intelligence, Spirit - finding conscious and individualized centers of expression through us - and that man's intelligence is this Universal Mind, functioning at the level of man's concept of It. This is the essence of the whole teaching.
Universal Mind, or Spirit, Is God
There is a Universal Mind, Spirit, Intelligence, that is the origin of everything: It is First Cause. It is God. This Universal Life and Energy finds an outlet in and through all that is energized, and through everything that lives. There is One Life back of everything that lives. There is One Energy back of all that is energized. This Energy is in everything. There is One Spirit back of all expression. That is the meaning of that mystical saying: "In Him we live, and move, and have our being." (Acts 17:28)
The life which we live is the Universal Life expressing through us, else how could we live. Our thought and emotion is the use we make - consciously or unconsciously - of this original creative Thing that is the Cause of everything. Therefore, we shall say that the mind, spirit and intelligence which we find in ourselves is as much of this original, creative God as we understand. That this is not robbing God is a self-evident fact. Since we are, then we are real and actual and have existence; and since we can reduce all that is to a fundamental unit, we find that we have this proposition:
There is Spirit - or this Invisible Cause - and nothing, out of which all things are to be made. Now, Spirit plus nothing leaves Spirit only. Hence there is One Original Cause and nothing, out of which we are made. In other words, we are made from this Thing. That is why we are called the "son of God."
We now know that this is what we are - because we could not be anything else - but we do not know how much of this we are! When we see It as It is, then, we shall see ourselves as we are. We can only see It by looking at It through our own eyes. Hence, we shall find a better God when we shall have arrived at a higher standard for man. If God is to interpret Himself to man, He must interpret Himself through man. And the Spirit can make no gift that we do not accept.
The Seed of Perfection is Hidden Within
This Original Life is Infinite. It is good. It is filled with peace. It is the essence of purity. It is the ultimate of intelligence. It is power. It is Law. It is Life. It is in us. In that inner sanctuary of our own nature, hidden perhaps from objective gaze, "nestles the seed, perfection."
In our ignorance of the truth, we have misused the highest power we possess. And so great is this power - so complete is our freedom in it, so absolute the domain of law through it - that the misuse of this power has brought upon us the very conditions from which we suffer. We are bound because we are first free; the power which appears to bind us is the only power in the universe which can free us. This is why Jesus summed up His whole philosophy in this simple statement: "It is done unto you as you believe." The great Teacher looked so deeply into Nature, that She revealed Her fundamental simplicity to him. That "Believe" and that "as" symbolize heaven and hell. And so we suffer, not because suffering is imposed upon us, but because we are ignorant of our true nature.
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