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-====== The Inner Life 1938 ======
+====== The Inner Life ======
-== THE HERALD OF THE NEW AGE ==
+== THE HERALD OF THE NEW AGE | JANUARY 1938 ==
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-{{ thevoiceofthelord193801_8.jpg |}}
+<WRAP centeralign>
+==== THE IMPERSONAL WORK ====
+</WRAP>
+<WRAP justify>
+IN THIS Department will be included teachings and truths for more advanced students, especially for those who have received the monthly lessons in the sixty-five issued Papers.
+Some of our readers perhaps may not be able to grasp these truths, but we urge if so that they reserve them for future study and consideration, as they will contain matter of vital moment to the soul, when it is grown ready to receive and use it as intended.
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-{{ thevoiceofthelord193801_9.jpg |}}
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+<WRAP centeralign>
+=== THE MIND LENS ===
+</WRAP>
+IN THE Jesus Christ Message of the October issue the mind was likened to a lens “whose purpose is to reflect on the screen of man’s consciousness, through the aid of My Light within, whatever is in My Consciousness.”
+Let us consider the full implication of these words. But first let us make a picture of it so you can visualize the process of the transference of what is in the Jesus Christ consciousness to the consciousness of the brain mind.
+Imagine on the left, if you will, the great One Consciousness of which the Sun (Son or the Christ) as one of Its focalized centers is a Light that is ever shining back of and within the individualized consciousness of the soul, waiting to reflect into the mind upon the screen of man’s outer consciousness whatever the mind is able to receive and understand. Study this picture until all parts are clearly established in your mind.
+Now try to realize that what we are picturing to you on a flat surface necessarily cannot be properly depicted, for the One Consciousness is actually All there is—is that which includes all things, and is all things—God, Christ, soul, mind and body, all of which are but ideas in It; therefore instead of showing everything as taking place within the One Consciousness, radiating from within Itself to the outermost rim of consciousness—that the brain mind, which cannot be adequately done, we show a sectional view of that Consciousness as centering in the Sun (or Son), the Light or Center deep within the soul of man, whose Light shines forth into and through the consciousness of the soul when it is prepared to receive It, into the lens of the mind, where it is reflected upon the screen of man’s outer consciousness, and he thinks he sees in Its Light things in the outer world. When this process is clearly perceived and understood, try to grasp fully what follows, which has already been differently expressed in the Mind Articles in former issues of this Magazine.
+That which we seemingly see with open eyes naturally is what we call the outer world, and when we close our eyes and turn our attention inward, we naturally then see an inner world, or one that exists wholly within the consciousness that is back of or within the mind.
+Now try to realize that that part of you which sees or turns its attention to the outer or the inner world is your center of awareness, which happens to be located in most men at the present time in the brain mind. This brain mind can be likened to the power of a stereopticon lens, which enlarges what comes to it from within when it is reflected upon the screen of the outer consciousness; and if its lens is not pure and is clouded by wrong beliefs, it distorts the image and reflects it imperfectly. Thus we can see that if any center of awareness accepts and believes what appears on the screen of the outer consciousness as real, to it it will be so. But if it would turn about, look determinedly within toward the Light in the One Consciousness, it could see plainly the pure, original image standing forth in the light of the soul, and it would be unconcerned about what appears without.
+However, we wish you clearly to realize that your mind is merely an instrument or lens which you as a center of awareness are using and as fast as possible—as fast as you can withdraw your interest and attention from what appears on the screen of the outer consciousness and focus it within toward the light—are cleansing and clarifying and making it a crystal-pure channel through which the Light of the Christ can shine and reflect in the outer all the pure and perfect ideas there seeking expression.
+But who—what are you in this picture? You are the soul in whose consciousness (the plate of the stereopticon) is the image or idea that you flash to your mind lens and which reflects it in your outermost consciousness, and in time—if and when your center of awareness in the mind accepts it as real—in the so-called physical world.
+Study the diagram and note the locations of the soul and mind and now try to understand that your center of awareness can move anywhere at will, can be either in the mind or the soul. How? Because wherever your interest and attention is focused, there is your center of awareness. As we said above in most men their center of awareness is located and functions only in the mind. But there are a few who are able consciously to withdraw their center of awareness from the mind and to hold it back in their soul consciousness, to be wholly conscious there, and to act from there, deep within or back of the mind. The way you may know when your center of awareness is in that consciousness is when you are perfectly poised, are unconcerned about anything, and know that you are master of all your forces. So long as you hold this poise are you in your soul and true consciousness.
+Again we ask, who—what are you? We have shown how you as a soul extend your consciousness out through the mind to what is called the outer world. But in our diagram and original word-picture we have indicated that you as a soul are but an individualized center of the One Consciousness, and that deep within and back of the soul is ever shining the Light of a Sun, or Son of God, waiting to illumine the soul and to pour forth Its Light into the mind—when the center of awareness in the soul learns of It and becomes sufficiently interested in It to focus all its attention upon It.
+Therefore, even as your center of awareness in the mind can focus its interest and attention in the outer world of self, or if illumined enough in the inner world of the soul when responding to the soul’s leadings, so can your center of awareness when located in the soul focus its interest and attention in the outer world of the mind and self, or when sufficiently illumined in the inner world of the One Consciousness or Spirit, where the Light of the Son, or Christ Self, will make everything clear so that your center of awareness while abiding there may know all things.
+In other words, the One Consciousness, God or Spirit, being all there is, and therefore being all Light, Life and Energy, or all Wisdom, Love and Power, is ever within and back of every part of Itself, waiting to shine forth and express some phase of Its Being, when any part is open and ready for such expression. Every part then must be a potential center and channel of Its expression.
+But we see evidence all about us here in the outermost that there is very little perfect expression. Yet in our illustration we find complete equipment for such expression—in the One Consciousness back of everything, the Son, or Sun Center of the Christ, as an open channel through which the Great Light can shine; the soul when open to the light of the Christ; the mind when open to the Light of the soul; and the outer world when open to the clearly lighted mind. But this Great Light shining through all these various channels or mediums of expression is naturally stepped down in Its radiance and power by the limitations of each medium, each more or less preventing the pure and perfect Idea in all its fullness from shining through into the outermost.
+But when we understand that the sole purpose of the Great Light is to illumine all Its parts or centers of consciousness and to bring them into complete Oneness with Itself, we can see that eventually all darkness in consciousness will be illumined and there will be no more shadow or turning away from the Light; because all will then be Light.
+The purpose of this article and this illustration is to plant a picture in the minds of our readers so that always through its help they will be able to know just what lies within their consciousness, and to realize that even when their center of awareness is located in the outer human mind, they can focus their interest and attention upon the Light within shining through their souls to such effect that it will pour through all intervening channels and illumine the consciousness, permitting whatever idea or thought is placed on the plate of the soul (given to the soul by Divine Mind) to stand forth clearly on the screen of man’s outer consciousness.
+Study the diagram and then note, in the light of the above, what will be explained to you from within about how the One Consciousness is your consciousness, for it is the only consciousness; now the Light of the Christ, the Holy Spirit, a perfect and purified center of that Consciousness, when brought close to the soul, and not before—actually when it enters the soul—illumines not only the soul but the mind, throwing whatever idea-image the soul wishes to express upon the screen of the outer consciousness.
+Do not allow yourself to be confused when trying to understand the meaning of the soul, the Christ, and the One Consciousness, but study the following: Even as the Sun is a focalized center of the Light in the Absolute Universe, so is the Son—the Christ—a focalized center of the Holy Spirit or the One Consciousness. And even as the realm of consciousness called the earth is one of the fields of evolution or unfoldment which the Sun uses to evolve and unfold all forms of life in its Universe; so are the souls of men the mediums used by the Son—the Christ—to develop and unfold the consciousness of humanity. And likewise as bodies of men are fed, grown and developed to their capacity by the life forces of earth; so are the minds of men inspired, taught and developed to their capacity by the intelligence of their souls in any particular life.
+And this we may know as a surety, from the evidence shown us wherever God is in expression—all life, consciousness and nature, on whatever plane of being we find them, are in a state or process of continual unfoldment, whether it be of the body, mind, soul or spirit. And for all we know, what we call the God of our universe maybe the Body, Mind, Soul and Spirit of some incomprehensible Mighty Being, expressing the One Consciousness in an Infinite degree; even as man is a body, mind, soul and spirit, each expressing that One Consciousness in finite degrees.
+<WRAP centeralign>
+————o————
+=== ANOTHER DEAR ONE COME HOME ===
+</WRAP>
+MY CHIEF exercise just now is to try to stay in the Higher Consciousness as much as possible—and I am making nice progress.
+I seem to be getting the habit of staying in that Consciousness, because I noticed lately that the mind of its own accord switches back into the Higher Consciousness. Before it always had to be turned back and reminded of where it belongs.
+The coming Christmas will be one of the happiest I have had for years, on account of this new consciousness I have acquired with your help and guidance. I think I conquered humanity’s most deadly enemy—fear. It took a long time and lots of suffering, but it was all worthwhile. Now I go ahead and nothing can scare me, because I know who I AM.
+<WRAP centeralign>
+————o————
+=== THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ===
+</WRAP>
+I WAS in a Garden. It stretched farther than eye could see . . . I think it covered the whole earth. Yes, it must be the merging of all of God’s Thoughts in One! It is so lovely!
+The walks are of pure white marble, as are the many fountains. And the bowls of the fountains, where the water falls, are of shining gold.
+Every flower, every leaf and every blade of grass is perfect. There are such radiant birds, and a pair of white peacocks with purple and gold designs in their spreading tails . . . and . . .
+In the very center of the Garden is an Altar. And on it stood four white golden candlesticks with white candles. And I watched and hoped to see them lighted soon, . . . and Oh, as I watched, they changed from candles to white lilies in full bloom.
+It must mean something beautiful is about to manifest. Oh I feel it is the promise of fulfillment of my desire.
+LATER.
+Last night this came (I had been kneeling at the Altar). All at once I was standing with my back to it . . . as a shining CROSS! And then . . . the Cross arose above the Altar . . . high above . . . and on It was a crown of gold, encircled with a wreath of roses. I was not visible—being Consciousness, formless, why should I be? What does all this wonder mean? Help me to be worthy, that the Holy Spirit may fill me! Then, then shall I understand?
+YOUR experiences in the Garden are very wonderful, especially the last. It means that Christ has come, the beloved. The Holy Spirit, from the Holy Place above the Altar, has descended into and lifted you above the Altar, above the earth, above self, merging you into Himself. So that now, dear one, You are the Christ, the Cross glorified! Rejoice, and sing glad praises!
+<WRAP centeralign>
+————o————
+=== MEDITATION ===
+</WRAP>
+WITHIN the Soul “I” feel a great compassion, and also a great joy.
+Compassion, because I look out on a humanity bowed down under the weight of material consciousness. Compassion, because I see many glorious forms endowed with equally glorious possibilities as human vehicles of unawakened souls. Automatons awaiting potential powers, far greater and more subtle than any man-made mechanism on this earth. Forms, that are the vehicles of the Life-Spark. A spark thrown out into endless cycles of manifestation from an eternally Inexhaustible Fire—the ONE LIFE.
+Who am “I”? I am the “Self,” a newly awakened Soul! I am as a soul within the heart. My desire ascends to the ONE Source of ALL, as a prayer! I pray that this soul may open—as the petals of the Lotus open—wide to the rays of the Spiritual Sun, that the Christ Son may come forth and ever abide in this heart.
+I know that the Christ Love will then radiate through this form, and with Its warmth and Life-giving Light, will go forth to the Divine Seeds of Life hidden in the souls of other human vehicles, bringing them forth, also, into the Light.
+Thus I feel Joy! For “I” know that in Divine Love, there is liberation.
+The material plane of being might be pictured as a garden. We may call it the Garden of Life. But no matter what its name, it represents material soil, that into which the seeds of Life are cast. It is the soil from which all forms evolve, into which and again through which, the Life-Spirit Itself evolves.
+“In the beginning” there was only one Great Vibration, one Great Consciousness, including the Highest Life, as well as the lowest. The Spirit of God . . . pulsating through the Soul of Nature.
+From this garden of Life all forms evolved. From out the Spirit of God each individualized center of Life involved into, and then evolves through these forms. From the highest to the lowest, and back again, to its SOURCE. In the garden always a myriad of forms, containing ONE Life.
+Thus, Nature is God’s heart, the abiding place of God’s Soul. The Life “within” the Soul of all Nature is God’s Spirit.
+And, in compassion, “I” reach out to those who have forgotten their Divine heritage—the Spirit “within.” Some have sold it for a “mess of pottage.” They are like lost souls wandering in a dense fog, the vibrations of the lower world of forms.
+Yet again, “I” am joyous. For I KNOW that the seeds of Life set in this garden must, one grand day, push upward to the Light. One day the Light will penetrate the darkest part of the garden, and then will come growth. For, with the coming of spiritual light to a human soul, there starts a reaching upwards through the darkness of ignorance towards the Sunlight of Truth . . . and spiritual growth begins.
+Maybe the seed will not grow to maturity in one season, in one lifetime. If it does not, then it will remain in the soil of materiality for another season. But one day the Life within the soul will cause it to grow and perfect its stalk until it unfolds its nature in blossoms and fruit. And then its “perfume,” its “essence,” its life, will hide itself again in new seeds and merge once more into the One Life from which it came. It will be “one with Bliss,” just as it was before it went forth into the cycle of manifestation and becoming.
+For as a man opens his heart to the rays of Love emanating from God’s Spiritual Son, the Christ, so he grows like unto the Christ. The rays of the Christ Love are spiritual life, which is as the dew from Heaven, is its essence, Its warmth. Just as the Sun’s rays create warmth and moisture which germinate the life within the seeds of the vegetable kingdom, so do the rays of the Spiritual Sun awaken and germinate the Spiritual Life within each human soul.
+In meditation, and concentration upon Spiritual Truths—man opens his soul to the Light of God, thus quickening the Life within, and causing it to open the consciousness of the mind—as a lotus blossom opens—to the rays of the Spiritual Sun, and Its Light of Divine Love.—N. B.
+</WRAP>
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