A SERIES OF
Lessons
in Gnani Yoga
THE SIXTH LESSON WITHIN THE
MIND OF THE ONE
In our last lesson we gave you the
Inner Teachings of the Yogi Philosophy,
relating to the real nature of the
Universe, and all that is therein
contained. We trust that you have
pondered well and carefully the
statements contained in that lesson, for
in them is to be found the essence of
the highest Yogi teachings. While we
have endeavored to present these high
truths to you in the simplest possible
form, yet unless your minds have been
trained to grasp the thought, you may
have trouble in fully assimilating the
essence of the teachings. But, be not
discouraged, for your mind will
gradually unfold like the flower, and
the Sun of Truth will reach into its
inmost recesses. Do not be troubled if
your comprehension seems dull, or your
progress slow, for all things will come
to you in time. You cannot escape the
Truth, nor can the Truth escape you. And
it will not come to you one moment
sooner than you are ready to receive it,
nor will it be delayed one moment in its
coming, when you are ready for it. Such
is the Law, and none can escape it, nor
alter it, nor modify it. All is Well,
and All is Under the Law--nothing ever
"happens."
To many, the thought that the Universe
and all that is therein contained, are
simply "Thought Forms" in the Infinite
Mind--Mental Creations of the Absolute,
may seem startling, and a sense of
unreality may pervade one. This is
inevitable, but the reaction will come.
To some who have grasped this mighty
truth there has come a feeling that "All
is Nothing," which idea is embodied in
their teachings and writings. But this
is merely the Negative Phase of the
Truth--there is a Positive Phase which
comes as one advances.
The Negative Phase shows us that all
that we have considered as real and
permanent--the foundations of the
Universe itself--is but a mental image
in the mind of the Absolute, and
therefore lacks the fundamental reality
that we had previously associated with
it. And realizing this, we are at first
apt to feel that, indeed "all is
nothing," and to fall into a state of
apathy, and lack of desire to play our
part in the world. But, then, happily
the reaction sets in, sooner or later,
and we begin to see the Positive Phase
of the Truth. This Positive Phase shows
us that while all the forms, shapes, and
phenomena of the Universe are but parts
of a great show-world, still the essence
of all must be Reality, itself, else
there would not be even the "appearance"
of a Universe. Before a thing can be a
Mental Image, there must be a Mind to
hold that Mental Image, and a BEING to
possess that Mind. And, the very essence
of that BEING must pervade and be
immanent in every Image in that Mind.
Just as You are really in your Mental
Images, as well as they in You, so must
the Absolute be in Its Mental Images, or
Creations, or Thought Forms, as truly as
they are in the Mind of the Absolute. Do
you see this plainly? Think well over
it--ponder it well--for in it lies the
Truth.
And so, this Positive Phase of the
Truth, is far from depressing--it is the
most stimulating conception one can
hold, if he but grasps it in its
entirety and fulness. Even if it be true
that all these shapes, and forms, and
appearances, and phenomena, and
personalities, be but illusion as
compared to the inner Reality--what of
it?
Are you not then assured that the Spirit
within Yourself is the Spirit of the
Absolute--that the Reality within You is
the Reality of the Absolute--that you
ARE, because the Absolute IS, and cannot
be otherwise? Does not the Peace, and
Calm, and Security, and Bliss that comes
to you with this Realization, far more
than counterbalance the petty nothings
that you have discarded? We think that
there can be but one answer to this,
when you have fully Realized the Truth.
What gives you the greatest Satisfaction
and Content in Life? Let us see. Well,
there is the Satisfaction of
Immortality. The human mind
instinctively craves this. Well, what
that even the highest finite conceptions
of Future Life have given you, can
compare with the assurance of Actual
Being, in and of the Absolute? What are
your petty conceptions of "heavens,"
"paradises," "happy-hunting-grounds,"
"divine regions of the blessed," and the
other ideas of the various religious
sects, when compared with the
conceptions of your Infinite and Eternal
Existence in Spirit--your relation with
The One--that conception of Infinite
Wisdom, Being, and Bliss? When you grasp
this truth, you will see that you are
"in Eternity right Now," and are
Immortal even this moment, as you have
always been.
Now, what we have said above is not
intended to deny the "heaven-worlds," or
planes. On the contrary, you will find
much in the teachings regarding these,
which the Yogis enter into with much
detail. But, we mean that back of all
the "heavens" and "celestial planes,"
there is a still higher state of being
being--the "Absolute Being." Even the
"heavens," and "heaven-worlds," and
regions of the _Devas_, or Archangels,
are but relative states--there is a
state higher than even these exalted
relative states, and that is the State
of the Conscious Unity and Identity with
the One. When one enters into that
State, he becomes more than Man--more
than gods--he is then "in the bosom of
the Father."
And now, before proceeding to a
consideration of the phenomenal
manifestation of the Absolute--the
evolving of the Universe in the Infinite
Mind--we will again call your attention
to the fact that underlies all the
Universe of forms, shapes and
appearances, and that is, as we stated
in our last lesson:
_All Manifestations and Emanations of
the Absolute are Mental Creations of the
Absolute--Thought-Forms held in the
Infinite Mind--the Infinite Spirit in
them--and they in the Infinite Spirit.
And, the only Real Thing about Man is
the Spirit involved in the
Thought-Form--the rest is mere
Personality, which changes and ceases to
be. The Spirit in the Soul of Man, is
the Soul of the Soul, which is never
born; never changeth; never dieth--this
is The Real Self of Man, in which,
indeed, he is "One with the Father_."
And, now let us consider the Yogi
Teachings regarding the creation of the
Universe, and the evolution of the
living forms thereon. We shall endeavor
to give you the story as plainly as may
be, holding fast to the main thought,
and avoiding the side-paths of details,
etc., so far as is possible.
In the first place, we must imagine
ourselves back to the beginning of a
"Day of Brahm,"--the first dawn of that
Day, which is breaking from the darkness
of a "Night of Brahm." Before we proceed
further, we must tell you something
about these "Days and Nights of Brahm,"
of which you have seen much mention in
the Oriental writings.
The Yogi Teachings contain much
regarding the "Days and Nights of
Brahm;" the "In-breathing and
Out-breathing of the Creative
Principle;" the periods of
"_Manvantara_," and the periods of
"Pralaya." This thought runs through all
the Oriental thought, although in
different forms, and with various
interpretations.
The thought refers to the occult truth
that there is in Cosmic Nature alternate
periods of Activity and Inactivity--Days
and Nights--In-breathings and
Out-breathings--Wakefulness and Sleep.
This fundamental law manifests in all
Nature, from Universes to Atoms. Let us
see it now in its application to
Universes.
At this point we would call the
attention of the student that in many of
the presentations of the Hindu Teachings
the writers speak as if the Absolute,
_Itself_, were subject to this law of
Rhythm, and had Its Periods of Rest and
Work, like Its manifestations. This is
incorrect. The highest teachings do not
so hold, although at first glance it
would so appear. The teaching really is
that while the Creative Principle
manifests this rhythm, still even this
principle, great though it be, is a
manifestation of the Absolute, and not
the Absolute itself. The highest Hindu
teachings are firm and unmistakable
about this point.
And, another point, in which there is
much mistaken teaching. In the periods
of Creative Inactivity in a Universe it
must not be supposed that there is no
Activity anywhere. On the contrary,
there is never a cessation of Activity
on the part of the Absolute. While it is
Creative Night in one Universe, or
System of Universes, there is intense
activity of Mid-Day in others. When we
say "The Universe" we mean the Universe
of Solar Systems--millions of such
systems--that compose the particular
universe of which we have any knowledge.
The highest teachings tell us that this
Universe is but one of a System of
Universes, millions in number--and that
this System is but one, in a higher
System, and so on and on, to infinity.
As one Hindu Sage hath said: "Well do we
know that the Absolute is constantly
creating Universes in Its Infinite
Mind--and constantly destroying
them--and, though millions upon millions
of aeons intervene between creation and
destruction, yet doth it seem less than
the twinkle of an eye to The Absolute
One."
And so the "Day and Night of Brahm"
means only the statement of the
alternating periods of Activity and
Inactivity in some one particular
Universe, amidst the Infinite
Universality. You will find a mention of
these periods of Activity and Inactivity
in the "_Bhagavad Gita_," the great
Hindu epic. The following quotations,
and page references, relate to the
edition published by the Yogi
Publication Society, which was compiled
and adapted by the writer of these
lessons. In that edition of the
"_Bhagavad Gita_," on page 77, you will
find these words attributed to
_Krishna_, the Absolute One in human
incarnation:
"The worlds and universes--yea, even the
world of Brahm, a single day of which is
like unto a thousand Yugas (four billion
years of the earth), and his night as
much--these worlds must come and go...
The Days of Brahm are succeeded by the
Nights of Brahm. In these Brahmic Days
all things emerge from invisibility, and
become visible. And, on the coming of
the Brahmic Night, all visible things
again melt into invisibility. The
Universe having once existed, melteth
away; and lo! is again re-created."
And, in the same edition, on page 80, we
find these words, attributed to the same
speaker:
"At the end of a _Kalpa_--a Day of
Brahm--a period of Creative Activity--I
withdraw into my nature, all things and
beings. And, at the beginning of another
_Kalpa_, I emanate all things and
beings, and re-perform my creative act."
We may say here, in passing, that Modern
Science now holds to the theory of
periods of Rhythmic Change; of Rise and
Fall; of Evolution and Dissolution.
It holds that, beginning at some time in
the past aeons of time, there was the
beginning of an upward or evolutionary
movement, which is now under way; and
that, according to the law of Nature,
there must come a time when the highest
point will be reached, and then will
come the beginning of the downward path,
which in time must come to an end, being
succeeded by a long period of
inactivity, which will then be followed
by the beginning of a new period of
Creative Activity and Evolution--"a Day
of Brahm."
This thought of this law of Rhythm, in
its Universal form, has been entertained
by the thinkers of all times and races.
Herbert Spencer expressly held to it in
his "First Principles," expressing it in
many ways akin to this: "Evolution must
come to a close in complete equilibrium
or rest;" and again, "It is not
inferable from the general progress
towards equilibrium, that a state of
universal quiescence or death will be
reached; but that if a process of
reasoning ends in that conclusion, a
further process of reasoning points to
renewals of activity and life;" and
again, "Rhythm in the totality of
changes--alternate eras of evolution and
dissolution." The Ancient Western
Philosophers also indulged in this idea.
Heraclitus taught that the universe
manifested itself in cycles, and the
Stoics taught that "the world moves in
an endless cycle, through the same
stages." The followers of Pythagoras
went even further, and claimed that "the
succeeding worlds resemble each other,
down to the minutest detail," this
latter idea, however--the idea of the
"Eternal Recurrence"--while held by a
number of thinkers, is not held by the
Yogi teachers, who teach infinite
progression--an Evolution of Evolution,
as it were. The Yogi teachings, in this
last mentioned particular, are resembled
more by the line of Lotze's thinking, as
expressed in this sentence from his
_Micro-cosmos:_ "The series of Cosmic
Periods, ... each link of which is bound
together with every other; ... the
successive order of these sections shall
compose the unity of an onward-advancing
melody." And, so through the pages of
Heraclitus, the Stoics, the
Pythagoreans, Empedocles, Virgil, down
to the present time, in Nietzsche, and
his followers, we find this thought of
Universal Rhythm--that fundamental
conception of the ancient Yogi
Philosophy.
And, now, returning to the main path of
our thought--let us stand here at the
beginning of the dawn of a Day of Brahm.
It is verily a beginning, for there is
nothing to be seen--there is nothing but
Space. No trace of Matter, Force or
Mind, as we know these terms. In that
portion of Infinite Space--that is, of
course, in that "portion" of the
Infinite Mind of the Absolute One, for
even Space is a "conception" of that
Mind, there is "Nothing." This is "the
darkest moment, just before the dawn."
Then comes the breaking of the dawn of
the Brahmic Day. The Absolute begins the
"creation" of a Universe. And, how does
It create? There can be no creation of
something out of nothing. And except the
Absolute Itself there is but Nothing.
Therefore The Absolute must create the
Universe out of Its own "substance," if
we can use the word "substance" in this
connection. "Substance" means,
literally, "that which stands under,"
being derived from the two Latin words,
_sub_, meaning "under," and _stare_,
meaning "to stand." The English word
"understand" means, literally, "to stand
under"--the two words really meaning the
same. This is more than a coincidence.
So the Absolute must create the Universe
from its own substance, we have seen.
Well, what is this "substance" of the
Absolute? Is it Matter? No! for Matter
we know to be, in itself, merely a
manifestation of Force, or Energy. Then,
is it Force or Energy? No! because Force
and Energy, in itself, cannot possess
Mind, and we must think of the Absolute
as possessing Mind, for it manifests
Mind, and what is manifested must be in
the Manifestor, or Manifesting Agent.
Then this "substance" must be Mind?
Well, yes, in a way--and yet not Mind as
we know it, finite and imperfect. But
something like Mind, only Infinite in
degree and nature--something
sufficiently greater than Mind as we
know it, to admit of it being the Cause
of Mind. But, we are compelled to think
of it as "Infinite Mind," for our finite
Minds can hold no higher conception. So
we are content to say that this
"substance" from which the Absolute must
create the Universe is a something that
we will call Infinite Mind. Fix this in
your mind, please, as the first step in
our conception.
But, how can the Infinite Mind be used
to create finite minds, shapes, forms,
and things, without it being lessened in
quantity--how can you take something
from something, and still have the
original something left?
An impossibility! And, we cannot think
of the Absolute as "dividing Itself up"
into two or more portions--for if such
were the case, there would be two or
more Absolutes, or else None. There
cannot be two Absolutes, for if the
Absolute were to divide itself so there
would be no Absolute, but only two
Relatives--two Finites instead of One
Infinite. Do you see the absurdity?
Then how can this work of Creation be
accomplished, in view of these
difficulties which are apparent even to
our finite minds? You may thresh this
question over and over again in your
minds--men have done so in all
times--and you will not find the answer
except in the fundamental Idea of the
Yogi Teachings. And this Fundamental
Idea is that the creation is purely a
Mental Creation, and the Universe is the
Mental Image, or Thought-Form, in the
Mind of the Absolute--in the Infinite
Mind, itself. No other "creation" is
possible. And
so this, say the Yogi Masters, this is
the Secret of Universal Creation. The
Universe is _of_, and _in_, the Infinite
Mind, and this is the only way it could
be so. So, fix in your mind this second
step in our conception.
But then, you ask us, from whence comes
Force, Matter, and Finite Mind? Well
asked, good student--your answer shall
be forthcoming. Here it is.
Finite Mind; Force or Energy; and
Matter; in themselves have no existence.
They are merely Mental Images, or
Thought-Forms in the Infinite Mind of
the Absolute. Their whole existence and
appearance depends upon their Mental
Conception and Retention in the Infinite
Mind. In It they have their birth, rise,
growth, decline and death.
Then what is Real about ME, you may
ask--surely I have a vivid consciousness
of Reality--is this merely an illusion,
or shadow? No, not so! that sense of
Reality which you possess and which
every creature or thing possesses--that
sense of "I Am"--is the perception by
the Mental Image of the Reality of its
Essence--and that Essence is the Spirit.
And that Spirit is the SUBSTANCE OF THE
ABSOLUTE embodied in Its conception, the
Mental Image. It is the perception by
the Finite, of its Infinite Essence. Or,
the perception by the Relative of its
Absolute Essence. Or, the perception by
You, or I, or any other man or woman, of
the Real Self, which underlies all the
sham self or Personality. It is the
reflection of the Sun, in the dew-drop,
and thousands of dew-drops--seemingly
thousands of Suns, and yet but One. And
yet, that reflection of the Sun in the
dewdrop is more than a "reflection," for
it is the substance of the Sun
itself--and yet the Sun shines on high,
one and undivided, yet manifesting in
millions of dew-drops. It is only by
figures of speech that we can speak of
the Unspeakable Reality.
To make it perhaps plainer to some of
you, let us remind you that even in your
finite Mental Images there is evident
many forms of life. You may think of a
moving army of thousands of men. And yet
the only "I" in these men is your own
"I." These characters in your mind move
and live and have their being, and yet
there is nothing in them except "You!"
The characters of Shakespeare, Dickens,
Thackeray, Balzac, and the rest, were
such strong Mental Images that not only
their creators were carried away by
their power, and apparent ability, but
even you who read of them, many years
after, perhaps, feel the apparent
reality, and weep, or smile, or grow
angry over their actions. And, yet there
was no Hamlet, outside of Shakespeare's
mind; no Micawberoutside of Dickens; no
Pere Goriot outside of Balzac.
These illustrations are but finite
examples of the Infinite, but still they
will give you an idea of the truth that
we are trying to unfold in your mind.
But you must not imagine that You and I,
and all others, and things, are but mere
"imaginations," like our created
characters--that would be a most unhappy
belief. The mental creations held by You
and I, and other finite minds, are but
_finite creations of finite minds_,
while WE, ourselves, are the finite
creations of an INFINITE MIND. While
our, and Dickens', and Balzac's, and
Shakespeare's creations live and move
and have their being, they have no other
"I" than our Finite Minds, while we, the
characters in the Divine Drama, Story,
or Epic, have for our "I"--our Real
Self--the ABSOLUTE REALITY. They have
merely a background of our finite
personalities, and minds, before which
they may desport themselves. until,
alas! the very background fades away to
dust, and both background and shadows
disappear. But, we have behind our
personalities the Eternal Background of
Reality, which changeth not, neither
doth it Disappear. Shadows on a screen
though our Personalities may be, yet the
Screen is Real and Eternal. Take away
the finite screen and the shadows
disappear--but our Screen remains
forever.
We are Mental Images in the Infinite
Mind--the Infinite Mind holds us
safe--we cannot be lost--we cannot be
hurt--we can never disappear, unless we
be absorbed in the Infinite Mind itself,
and then we STILL ARE! The Infinite Mind
never forgets--it never can overlook
us--it is aware of our presence, and
being, always. We are safe--we are
secure--we ARE! Just as we could not be
created from Nothing--so we cannot be
converted into Nothing. We are in the
All--and there is no outside.
At the dawn of the Brahmic Day, The
Absolute begins the creation of a new
Universe, or the recreation of one, just
as you may care to state it. The highest
Yogi Teachings inform us that the
information relating to this event
(which is, of course, beyond the
personal knowledge of man as we know
him) has been passed down to the race
from teachers, who have received it from
still higher teachers, and so on, and on
and on, higher and higher, until it is
believed to have originated with some of
those wonderfully developed souls which
have visited the earth from higher
planes of Being, of which there are
many. In these lessons we are making no
claims of this sort, but pass on the
teachings to you, believing that their
truth will appeal to those who are ready
for them, without any attempt to
attribute to them an authority such as
just mentioned. Our reference to this
high source of the teachings was made
because of its general acceptance in the
Eastern countries, and by occultists
generally.
The Yogi teachings inform us that, in
the Beginning, The Absolute formed a
Mental Image, or Thought-Form, of an
Universal Mind--that is, of an Universal
Principle of Mind. And here the
distinction is made between this
Universal Mind Principle, or Universal
Mind-Stuff, as some have called it, and
the Infinite Mind itself. The Infinite
Mind is something infinitely above this
creation of the Universal Mind
Principle, the latter being as much an
"emanation" as is Matter. Let there be
no mistake about this. The Infinite Mind
is Spirit--the Universal Mind Principle
is "Mind-Stuff" of which all Finite Mind
is a part. This Universal Mind Principle
was the first conception of The
Absolute, in the process of the creation
of the Universe. It was the "Stuff" from
which all Finite Mind forms, and is
formed. It is the Universal Mental
Energy. Know it as such--but do not
confound it with Spirit, which we have
called Infinite Mind, because we had no
other term. There is a subtle difference
here, which is most important to a
careful understanding of the subject.
The Yogi teachings inform us that from
this Mental Principle there was
developed the Universal Principle of
Force or Energy. And that from this
Universal Force Principle there
developed the Universal Principle of
Matter. The Sanscrit terms for these
Three Principles are as follows:
_Chitta_, or the Universal Mind
Substance, or Principle; _Prana_, or the
Universal Energy Principle; and _Akasa_,
or the Universal Principle of Matter. We
have spoken of these Three Principles,
or Three Great Manifestations, in our
"Advanced Course" of lessons, which
followed our "Fourteen Lessons," several
years ago, but it becomes necessary for
us to refer to them again at this place
in connection with the present
presentation of the subject. As was
stated in the lessons just mentioned,
these Three Manifestations, or
Principles, are really one, and shade
into each other. This matter has been
fully touched upon in the concluding
lessons of the aforesaid "Advanced
Course," to which we must refer you for
further details, in order to avoid
repetition here. You will find a
wonderful correspondence between these
centuries-old Yogi teachings, and the
latest conceptions of Modern Science.
Well, to return to the main path once
more, the Teachings inform us that The
Absolute "thought" into being--that is,
held the Mental Image, or Thought-Form,
of--_Chitta_, or Universal Mind
Principle. This Chitta was finite, of
course, and was bound and governed by
the Laws of Finite Mind, imposed upon it
by the Will of The Absolute. Everything
that is Finite is governed by Laws
imposed by the great LAW which we call
The Absolute. Then began the Great
INVOLUTION which was necessary before
Evolution was possible. The word
"Involve," you know, means "to wrap up;
to cover; to hide; etc.;" and the word
"Evolve" means "to unwrap; to unfold; to
un-roll; etc." Before a thing can be
"evolved," or "unfolded," it must first
have been "involved" or "folded-in, or
wrapped up, etc." Everything must be
"involved" before it can be "evolved;"
remember this, please--it is true on all
planes, mental, physical, and spiritual.
A thing must be "put in" before it may
be "taken out." This truth, if
remembered and applied to metaphysical
problems, will throw the clearest light
upon the darkest problems. Make it your
own.
Therefore before the process of
Evolution from the gross forms of Matter
up to the higher, and then on to the
Mental, from higher to higher, and then
on the Spiritual plane--that Evolution
which we see being performed before our
sight today--before that Evolution
became possible there was a necessary
Involution, or "wrapping-up." The Spirit
of the Absolute first "involved" itself
in its Mental Image; Thought-Form, or
Creation, of the Mind Principle, just as
you may "involve" yourself in an earnest
thought in deep meditation.
Did you never "lose yourself" in
thought, or "forget yourself" in an
idea? Have you not spoken of yourself as
having been "wrapped in thought?" Well,
then you can see something of what is
here meant, at least so far as the
process of "involution" is concerned.
You involve yourself in your
meditations--the Absolute involves
Itself in Its Mental Creations--but,
remember the one is Finite, and the
other Infinite, and the results are
correspondingly weak or strong.
Obeying the laws imposed upon it, the
Mental Principle then involved itself in
the Energy Principle, or _Prana_, and
the Universal Energy sprang into
existence. Then, in obedience to the
same Laws, the Prana involved itself in
the _Akasa_, or Universal Matter
Principle. Of course each "involving"
practically "created" the "wrapper,"
"sheath" of the lower Principle. Do you
see this? Each, therefore, depends upon
the Principle higher than itself, which
becomes its "Parent Principle," as the
Yogis express it. And in this process of
Involution the extreme form of Matter
was reached before the process of
Evolution became possible. The extreme
form of gross Matter is not known to us
today, on this planet, for we have
passed beyond it. But the teachings
inform us that such forms were as much
grosser that the grossest Matter that we
know today, as the latter is gross in
comparison with the most ethereal vapors
known to Modern Science. The human mind
cannot grasp this extreme of the scale,
any more than it can the extreme high
degree of manifestation.
At this point we must call your
attention to certain occult teachings,
widely disseminated, which the highest
Yogi teachers discountenance, and
contradict. We allude to the teaching
that in the process of Involution there
was a "degeneration" or "devolution"
from higher to lower forms of life,
until the gross state of Matter was
reached. Such a teaching is horrible,
when considered in detail. It would mean
that The Absolute deliberately created
high forms of life, arch-angels, and
higher than these--gods in fact--and
then caused them to "devolve" until the
lowest state was reached. This would
mean the exact opposite of Evolution,
and would mean a "going down" in
accordance with the Divine Will, just as
Evolution is a "going up" in accordance
with the Divine Will.
This is contrary to man's best
instincts, and the advanced Yogi
teachings inform us that it is but an
illusion or error that men have created
by endeavoring to solve spiritual
mysteries by purely intellectual
processes. The true teaching is that the
process of Involution was accomplished
by a Principle involving itself in the
lower Principle created within itself,
and so on until the lowest plane was
reached. Note the
difference--"Principles as Principles"
did this, and not as Individual Forms of
Life or Being. There was no more a
"devolution" in this process than there
was in The Absolute involving itself in
the Mental Image of the Mind Principle.
There was no "devolution" or "going
down"--only an "involution" or "wrapping
up," of Principle, within Principle--the
Individual Life not having as yet
appeared, and not being possible of
appearance until the Evolutionary
process began.
We trust that we have made this point
clear to you, for it is an important
matter. If the Absolute first made
higher beings, and then caused them to
"devolute" into lower and lower forms,
then the whole process would be a cruel,
purposeless thing, worthy only of some
of the base conceptions of Deity
conceived of by men in their ignorance.
No! the whole effort of the Divine Will
seems to be in the direction of "raising
up" Individual Egos to higher and still
higher forms. And in order to produce
such Egos the process of "Involution" of
Principles seems to have been caused,
and the subsequent wonderful
Evolutionary process instituted. What
that "Reason" is, is Unknowable, as we
have said over and over again. We cannot
pry into the Infinite Mind of the
Absolute, but we may form certain
conclusions by observing and studying
the Laws of the Universe, which seem to
be moving in certain directions. From
the manifested Will of the Divine One,
we may at least hazard an idea as to its
purposes. And these purposes seem to be
always in an "upward" lifting and
evolution. Even the coming of the "Night
of Brahm" is no exception to this
statement, as we shall see in future
lessons.
From the starting of the process of
Involution from the Mental Principle,
down to the extreme downward point of
the grossest Manifestation of Matter,
there were many stages. From the highest
degree of the Finite Mind, down to lower
and still lower degrees; then on to the
plane of Force and Energy, from higher
to lower degrees of Principle within
Principle; then on to the plane of
Matter, the Involutionary urge proceeded
to work. When the plane of Matter was
reached, it, of course, showed its
highest degree of manifested Matter--the
most subtle form of Ether, or Akasa.
Then down, down, down, went the degrees
of Matter, until the grossest possible
form was reached, and then there was a
moment's pause, before the Evolutionary
process, or upward-movement, began. The
impulse of the Original Will, or
Thought, had exhausted its downward
urge, and now began the upward urge or
tendency. But here was manifested a new
feature.
This new feature was "The Tendency
toward Individualization." During the
downward trend the movement was _en
masse_, that is, by Principle as
_Principle_, without any "splitting up"
into portions, or centers. But with the
first upward movement there was
evidenced a tendency toward creating
Centers of Energy, or Units of activity,
which then manifested itself, as the
evolutionary movement continued, from
electrons to atoms; from atoms to man.
The gross matter was used as material
for the formation of finer and more
complex forms; and these in turn
combined, and formed higher, and so on,
and on. And the forms of Energy operated
in the same way. And the manifestations
of centers of Mind or consciousness in
the same way. But all in connection.
Matter, Energy and Mind formed a Trinity
of Principles, and worked in connection.
And the work was always in the direction
of causing higher and higher "forms" to
arise--higher and higher Units--higher
and higher Centers. But in every form,
center or unit, there was manifested the
Three Principles, Mind, Energy, and
Matter. And within each was the ever
present Spirit. For Spirit must be in
All--just as All must be in Spirit.
And, so this Evolutionary process has
continued ever since, and must continue
for aeons yet. The Absolute is raising
itself up into Itself higher and higher
Egos, and is providing them with higher
and higher sheaths in which to manifest.
And, as we shall see in these lessons,
as we progress, this evolution is not
only along the physical lines, but also
along the mental. And it concerns itself
not only with "bodies," but with
"souls," which also evolve, from time to
time, and bodies are given these souls
in order that they may work out their
volution. And the whole end and aim of
it all seems to be that Egos may reach
the stage where they are conscious of
the Real Self--of the Spirit within
them, and its relation to the Spirit of
the Absolute, and then go on and on and
on, to planes of life and being, and
activities of which even the most
advanced of the race may only dream.
As some of the Ancient Yogi Teachers
have said: "Men are evolving into
super-men; and super-men into gods; and
gods into super-gods; and super-gods
into Something still higher; until from
the lowest bit of matter enclosing life,
unto the highest being--yea, even unto
The Absolute--there is an Infinite
Ladder of Being--and yet the One Spirit
pervades all; is in all, as the all is
in It."
The Creative Will, of which we have
spoken in these lessons, is in full
operation all through Life. The Natural
Laws are laws of Life imposed by The
Absolute in his Mental Image. They are
the Natural Laws of this Universe, just
as other Universes have other Laws. But
The Absolute Itself has no Laws
affecting It--It, in Itself is LAW.
And these Laws of Life, and Nature,
along its varying planes, Material, of
Energy; and Mental; are also, in the
Divine Mind, else they would not be at
all, even in appearance. And when they
are transcended, or apparently defied by
some man of advanced development, it is
only because such a man is able to rise
above the plane upon which such laws are
operative. But even this transcending
is, in itself, in accordance with some
higher law.
And so, we see that All, high and
low--good and bad--simple or
complex--all are contained Within the
Mind of the One. Gods, angels, adepts,
sages, heavens, planes,--all,
everything--is within the Universe, and
the Universe is Within the Mind of the
One. And all is proceeding in accordance
with Law. And all is moving upward and
onward, along the lines of Evolution.
All is Well. We are held firmly in The
Mind of the One.
And, just as the tendency was from the
general Principle toward the particular
Individual Soul, so is there a
Reconciliation later on, for the
Individual soul, as it develops and
unfolds, loses its sense of
Separateness, and begins to feel its
identity with the One Spirit, and moves
along the lines of unfoldment, until it
becomes in Conscious Union with God.
Spiritual Evolution does not mean the
"growth of the Spirit," for the Spirit
cannot grow--it is already Perfect. The
term means the unfoldment of the
Individual Mind, until it can recognize
the Spirit Within. Let us close this
lesson with the
CENTRAL THOUGHT.
There is but ONE. That ONE is Spirit. In
the Infinite Mind of that ONE SPIRIT
there arose the Mental Image or
Thought-Form of this Universe. Beginning
with the Thought of the Principle in
Mind; and passing on to the Principle of
Energy; and then on to the Principle of
Matter; proceeded the Involutionary
Process of Creation. Then, upward began
the Evolutionary Process, and Individual
Centers or Units were formed. And the
tendency, and evolutionary urge is ever
in the direction of "unfolding" within
the Ego of the Realization of the
Indwelling Spirit. As we throw off
sheath after sheath, we approach nearer
and nearer to the SPIRIT within us,
which is the One Spirit pervading all
things. This is the Meaning of Life--the
Secret of Evolution. All the Universe is
contained Within the Mind of The One.
There is Nothing outside of that
Infinite Mind. There is no Outside, for
the One is All in All; Space, Time, and
Laws, being but Mental Images in that
Mind, as are likewise all shapes and
forms, and phenomena. And as the Ego
unfolds into a realization of
Itself--Its Real Self--so does its
Wisdom and Power expand. It thus enters
into a greater and greater degree of its
Inheritance. Within the Mind of the One,
is All there is. And I, and Thou, and
All Things are HERE within that Infinite
Mind. We are always "held in Mind" by
The Absolute--are always safe here.
There is nothing to harm us, in Reality,
for our Real Self is the Real Self of
the Infinite Mind. All is Within the
Mind of the One.
Even the tiniest atom is under the Law,
and protected by the Law. And the LAW is
All there Is. And in that Law we may
rest Content and Unafraid. May this
Realization be YOURS.
PEACE BE WITH YOU ALL.
Mind
Page authored by David West.
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