The Impersonal Life

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**[[the_way_to_the_kingdom|The Way to The Kingdom]]**

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====== If Ye Abide In Me ======
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By this time all who have been journeying with us have become more or less aware of the loving guidance they are receiving from within, and are gradually becoming more acquainted with The One who is not only their Guide, Teacher and Master, but who is the Source of all their life, strength and health.

All such have learned from the preceding chapters and from the books suggested for collateral study what constitutes a disciple, and we trust all are determinedly striving to become wholly empty and clean of self so as to be deemed worthy to be accepted as such by their Divine Master and to be given definite work to do. Those who have been accepted or who are approaching that stage understand what we mean by such work, and also comprehend the deep significance of the words of our Beloved Master when He says: “If ye abide in me and let my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you.”

In order to help others to perceive this significance, we will study the inner meaning of the wonderful words of the Master beginning the 15th Chapter of John:

“I am the vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

First realize and always keep in mind, whenever Jesus spoke in the first person, using the words “I am” and similar terms, that it was not he, the mortal man, but the Christ or Holy Spirit within him that spoke. Realizing this, then in very truth the Christ or Holy Spirit is in the nature of a vine whose branches are in every human heart, even as It is also a light that in many “shineth in the darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not.”

Likewise we know that the Father, like an expert husbandman, when a branch does not blossom or bear any fruit, cuts it off, takes it away and burns it. On the other hand every branch that produces fruit such a husbandman trims close, lets it bleed, and thus purges it, in order that it may draw to itself the special renewing force of the life in the vine, which makes it grow more freely and thereby bring forth fruit more abundantly.

Can you not now see why the disciple receives so much trimming and is brought under so many purging influences, until all former selfish human traits are finally bled away from him?

“Now ye are clean through the word I have spoken unto you.”

From this purging process the disciple gradually learns to feel and know the presence and influence of the Master—the loving Christ within, to hear His Voice and to receive daily teachings from Him, so that he becomes clean and empty of self and seeks only to heed and obey every word of the Master.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”

The disciple thus learns to abide in the consciousness of the Master, and in so doing the Master actually abides in and works through him; for he has learned through hard experience that he of himself can do nothing, and except as he enters and abides in the consciousness of the Master within him, he is as a branch cut off.

“I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing.”

This is now become very plain, showing that the I AM, the Divine Self, who alone is the expression of the Life of the Father, is the conscious partaker and producer of the fruit of His Love—is the Vine whose roots are in God—and ever seeks to produce through His disciples, the branches, but cannot until the branches recognize their identity with the Vine, and thus abide in Its life and let Its life abide in and flow freely through them. Only then can that life blossom and bring forth its fruit plentifully.

“If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned.”

He who recognizes not his identity with the Vine—the Christ within him, and thus is unable to receive of the Divine Life of the Father, naturally becomes as a dead branch and withers away spiritually. Of course it is because he is still attracted by and yields to the lures of the world, the flesh and the devil. Such the men of the world gather to themselves and lead into the fires of sensation, until all desire is burned away from them. And that often takes many lifetimes.

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

Now you can understand what will be the results of abiding and of not abiding. One who abides in and waits upon the Lord within, naturally is in His consciousness, and asks only to be given the wisdom and strength necessary to do the things required of him.

“Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”

As you thus learn to abide in the Master’s consciousness—which means in His Love, and you let His Love abide in and direct you in all your ways, in very truth is the Father—the Source of all love, of life itself—glorified, and you are caused to bear much fruit. Naturally all such are beloved disciples.

“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love.”

As the Father pours into the I AM, the Christ within, His Holy Love—the fullness of His Life, so will the disciple feel and receive of the Master’s Love and Life. And the disciple, once partaking of that Love and Life in its fullness, will surely continue in It.

And then the Master tells us how to continue in It—how to fit ourselves so as to receive and express the fullness of His Life and Love so that His Joy may become our joy and that it may be complete.

“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

“These things I have spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

Heed and ponder long over all these wonderful words, all the time trying to feel that the Loving One within your heart is speaking them to you, His disciple. Before very long, as you determinedly seek to realize His Presence there, you will know that He is ever speaking them from out a great Love, and your joy will indeed be full in that knowing.
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==== OCCULTISM ====
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We hear much these days about occultism and its teachings, offered by many movements, cults, societies, orders and fraternities that have attracted and are still attracting thousands of earnest seekers; attracting them not only because they are holding out the opportunity of gaining in their teachings knowledge of the hidden side of life and of the laws that govern them, as well as of gaining the powers such knowledge gives, but that in them may be found definite instructions for self training and discipline that all such seekers feel they need.

Many of you who read have had experience with some of such movements, some of you gaining real knowledge that now is proving of much benefit; and others getting a little knowledge and much disappointment and disillusionment, because of finding that the personalities of the leaders and teachers of such movements failed to live up to their own teachings and principles.

But out of it all most have learned much of what these do not teach and practice—the true inner teachings of Christ. Outer knowledge they all teach—as much as they have to give—with more or less clarity, or they could not attract and hold, their followers; but the earnest ones soon find that intellectual knowledge alone does not satisfy. Their souls call for something more.

Those who have come through such occult movements and have studied earnestly what they taught and have faithfully practiced what was required, have profited much and have had a real and necessary preparation for that which is now being offered them in these teachings. They are the ones who instantly recognize the value of the self-discipline and training provided in the meditation and healing exercises. They will find such much easier to practice than will those who have never previously had definite instructions in meditation and mind control.

We wish to say here that what is called “New Thought” as taught in Christian Science, Unity, Divine Science and the various “Truth” movements, has brought to the western peoples a form of occultism truly fitting the needs of minds developed in the intense commercial activities of the modern world, in that it is preparing these minds to understand the higher and later needs that will appear when the soul has unfolded to the stage of potential discipleship. During the past twenty-five years such preparation has proceeded rapidly, and at the present time many are being called and chosen who have become able to hear the Master’s Voice in their hearts.

Because of the odium and disrepute into which “occultism” has fallen in the minds of many New Thought students who do not understand its real meaning—a disrepute of the same effect as that in which “New Thought” has fallen in many churches, we feel it wise to explain that as we use it occultism means simply a study into the hidden or inner phases of life and things—those which are not cognizable by the five senses; while New Thought is any philosophical system of thinking that differs from the orthodox theology of the churches.

We intend that students of the inner and hidden laws of life shall find in these articles what they have been seeking, for we are endeavoring to instruct them in such practical yet simple laws—easily proven by the mental exercises suggested, when faithfully followed—that will equip them with both knowledge and power for any task in life—no matter how great.
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==== IN THE HOME ====
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We have had numerous inquiries from deeply-in-earnest housewives who are rearing families and are surrounded by duties, precluding their finding much time for systematic study and meditation or even for meeting regularly with others, whose hearts respond to all that these articles contain, and who yearn and ask for greater opportunities to serve.

To such we say, the work the Master has chosen for you is right in your home by your own fireside. In fact there is no greater schooling in patience, charity, tongue-control, and watching over one’s thoughts, than in the home among those dearest to you. If you can find greater opportunities for self-discipline and for forgetting self in compelling self to wait upon and do only what the Loving One within wants you to do for those He has committed to your care, we wonder where they are. Most housewives in this Work know that, but if you find self rebelling and ambitious to do greater work—know that you can render Him no higher service now; for here is your work—here where He has put you to serve, and also to gain those qualities you lack, and which when gained will fit you for that which will then follow naturally—as night follows the day. But He will arrange all that—will have it all waiting for you when you are ready for it—and not before.

In fact, your present work—and this applies to everyone, housewife or other worker—is just where you are today. For there the One Who Knows—your Highest Self—has placed you to learn the lessons you must learn, and where you can best learn what you need to know to gain the soul qualities lacking and absolutely necessary for the greater service that awaits.

This applies also to those of you who are now more or less active in some church or movement that has helped you to come into your present consciousness. For remember, you as a disciple are no longer seeking to get, but to give and to serve; and surely among those you know, and who know you is the best place to demonstrate the love and the understanding of the truths you are gaining from your meditation and study.

And surely those nearest you and who know of such study are justified in expecting you to prove that you are getting real benefit from the time and effort expended. There are none so ready to judge—and condemn—as those who are not themselves awakened or called by the Master to serve, and who therefore see only with the cold, calculating eyes of the world, but who nevertheless will understand and appreciate a real demonstration of the Christ-life when it is actually shown them.

Therefore, disciples must keenly realize the importance of making their lives—and not their words merely—prove, not to the world so much as to their own better selves, whom they serve.

In the church or the movement which enlisted your previous interest lie many opportunities of sowing the seed of the true Christ teaching, for there the soil is fertile, if fallow, and only needs cultivation, proper watering and sufficient sunshine to cause that which is in the seed to spring up into real life expression. Hence much can be done there—if the Master is permitted to lead and speak through you to those He wishes to reach and call forth.

As disciples learn to wait upon Him and allow Him thus to use them, they will soon see that it makes no difference where they are—for He in them always places them where He can accomplish the most with the limitations and weaknesses of the human nature still existing in their personalities.
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==== PRACTICAL WORK ====
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There is no finer “occult” training for man or woman than what we now suggest—if faithfully practiced until you are master of all those thoughts and emotions which formerly played such havoc in your life.

Each morning after awakening and when in full possession of your faculties, prepare yourself by an earnest saying of the Lord’s prayer, in which you seek to put your soul’s desire. Then try to “see” yourself actually doing the day’s work that lies ahead of you in some such way as the following:

First, try to realize who you are—a Son of God, in truth very God, Himself—for you know that the mind in you is His Mind—that your life, your will, your intelligence, your power to say or do anything are not yours but God’s. Try to realize this Life or Power or Mind in you that is God as motivating and using you all through the day. But see clearly that the only way to KNOW it is God is to let LOVE thus use you. If you let LOVE rule and motivate every thought, word and act you will know it is God before you go very far, for a mystical assurance will come from the results that manifest which will absolutely convince you.

Then “see” yourself rising from your bed in this consciousness, bathing, dressing and meeting the family in it, talking to them in it and to all whom you contact during the day, ever feeling that tender, wonderful Love in your heart inspiring and directing your every conscious act. Try to feel yourself resting in, merging into, becoming that Love, so that you see only through Its eyes, hear only with Its ears, and know thereby that Love is the essence, the substance, the animating cause and purpose of all being and expression.

Seeing or imagining in this way, motivated by an intense desire to have what is imagined become a manifest reality, is an explanation of the success of all so-called “demonstrations.” Realizing this you are now ready to rise and actually do what you have just visioned yourself doing. And with a silent prayer to the Loving One within—your God-self, begin your day’s activities.

The proof of your “seeing” will quickly evidence itself. According to the clearness with which you previously imagined the details of your actions and of your contacts with others, will you have prepared and fortified yourself for the tests you will meet. For there will be many tests, or rather opportunities to utilize and grow accustomed to this new consciousness—this Love to which you have given yourself.

So if you are greeted with words that irritate or hurt from the first of your dear ones whom you meet this morning, don’t be discouraged if momentarily you are pulled from that Love consciousness and you retort in the old way. That is to show you what it means when you decide to abide in that consciousness, and that you have to be keenly on the alert every moment if you would not slip away from it again.

And there will be many slips, perhaps, the first day, and the next, and the next. But that is natural and to be expected, for the Love consciousness is to be won only by acquiring true spiritual strength and thus keeping the self wholly under control. For it is the self that becomes irritated or impatient, or is hurt or grows angry, and thus tries to retain its domination over your mind and to continue its selfish life in you.

But you have determined that this shall not be, and so if you persist and prove to self that you are now the master, it will gradually fall in line and begin to obey and serve you. And you who have now learned to abide and work in Love will discover that you are connected with a strength and a power and likewise with a great wisdom which, whenever there is need, you have only to call upon, and all things will be made known to you or be done for you—even the subduing of the self and getting it to recognize the Divine Power which you are.

So our final word in this connection is—do not become discouraged or feel remorse, or ever allow your mind to brood over any seeming failures, for they are only temporary and are really necessary—to show you what you still lack and what must be persisted in until you conquer. Besides it is not you who grow discouraged or feel remorse—it is only your human mind, which still thinks itself separate from you and is therefore still more or less dominated by the self it has created. You—the Real You—are Love—are the God-self, who knows no weakness, no lack or limitation of any kind.
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==== A SERIOUS PROBLEM ====
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Many approaching discipleship find themselves confronted with a problem that tests their faith to the limit.

They have become more or less conscious of inner guidance. They feel that a Wisdom and a Power is directing their lives and that their personalities are quite as puppets moved by a Force that often seems ruthless and in no way interested in their material welfare. For if some great bereavement has not been brought upon them, either their health has failed and is seemingly being purposely withheld, or all means of financial support have been taken away; so that they are nearing the end of their personal resources, and they are being forced to turn within to God for help.

And in such extremity seemingly they are finding Him, for if He takes them at their word, accepts their dedication and begins to cleanse them of all things that are preventing their making the seeking of His Kingdom first in their hearts and lives and thus keeping them separate in consciousness from Him, they must expect to have their selfish personalities humbled to the dust, and should rejoice with great rejoicing, for they are actually being prepared and made worthy for real discipleship and for the work under the Master’s direction they so crave to do.

As was said before, many are facing such problems. If it is one of bereavement, and one has poured all one’s love upon a human personality—no matter how dear and deserving—to such extent that the Loving One within is scarcely recognized or considered, because of the heart being wholly centered upon the loved one without,—it sometimes becomes necessary to call that loved one away from such a selfish love which unknowingly binds the soul and prevents it from following its own destiny. In the sorrow and loneliness that follows the Loving One within can then gradually make His presence felt and His voice heard.

Many who have lost health and have sought everywhere from human physicians for the consciousness of physical harmony and wholeness they formerly enjoyed, know that it was only through such seeking and such failure to find that they instead found God—the only physician who can truly and perfectly heal them.

But those who have lost all physical means of support and have turned to God as their guide and sustenance, and who are now looking to and depending upon Him as their sole support, have a different and a difficult problem, because of the exercise of a faith and trust it calls for that tests them to the very limit of endurance. It is because money and income had grown to be of supreme importance in their lives and had influenced all their thoughts and motives, that now both are taken away it is extremely hard—almost impossible—to let God actually be their support and sustenance.

We know that many who are facing that problem will eagerly welcome any suggestions that will help them to let go and let God actually and completely take charge. All such realize intellectually the necessity of doing just what the Master says below:

“Therefore take no thought, saying; What shall we eat? Or What shall me drink? Or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

“For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

“But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself, Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”—Matthew 6:31-34. (Read also 24-31, the preceding verses, to note what leads up to the above.)

Therefore they are faithfully and sincerely striving to “take no thought” either of what they shall eat or drink or wear, or of the future, believing that tomorrow all these will be taken care of.

And they are letting tomorrow take care of all, and perhaps also letting their families be without sufficient food or clothing or go through much mental agony in their fear of what is to become of them.

For so often the family have not the faith that the aspirant has in God, and they think the aspirant should do something and may condemn him and say many harsh and unkind things that try the faith of the aspirant exceedingly.

Now just what should one do in such straits? Is one ever justified in causing others to suffer for a faith that they do not understand and with which perhaps they have no patience? Let us see.

Is not your first duty to those for whom you have assumed the responsibility of feeding and clothing and providing a home? If there is a wife or children or parent dependent upon you, must you not provide for them—if you are mentally and physically able? Dare you compel them to endure hardship just because of your faith in God’s promise that He will provide—and you do nothing but sit at home meditating and praying and waiting for a job to come to you or for some one to come as God’s representative and help you? Think! Would that be fair, or as God intends for you?

Then why does the Master say we should take no thought for the morrow?

But note that He also adds, “for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.” Which means, does it not, that when tomorrow comes we will have plenty to do in obeying what we are shown to do then. For think you the Loving One within has no work for you to do, and is not intending to tell you what it is and just how to do it—when you are ready and willing to hear it by putting all ideas out of your mind that led you to think that you need do nothing—that God will provide and take care of you and the family also?

God will provide, but He provides you with ideas, inspirations, leadings, every one of which you must follow regardless of where they lead or what results—if you truly seek to do His Will. In order to see if you are really willing to give up your own will and ideas, He may bring to you an opportunity to do some menial work with scarcely enough pay to make both ends meet. If you refuse to accept this, deeming yourself worthy of something much better, He then lets you abide a while longer in darkness. For had you thought of those dependent on you rather than of yourself, and had been willing to do anything that would bring food and money and relieve the strain for them—which surely would be much better than sitting still, doing nothing—He would soon have brought to you an opportunity for work of a higher type and more pay, which in turn would lead to something much better—as you proved your ability to give of the best you had to the task allotted you.

This last applies only to those whose faith had weakened—by letting all kinds of fears, worries, and negative thoughts creep in and undermine it, although they were striving desperately to hold on. For there is a faith that nothing can cause to falter, but it is a positive KNOWING that the Father will provide. It is only such knowing that makes the mind an open, clean channel into and through which can pour the good which the Father intends to out-manifest.

Did you ever realize that every idea, every thought and impression that claim your attention are from God, or that He lets them come to you for His own purpose? And do you realize that no man ever became successful in any line of endeavor who did not draw all his ideas, inspiration, power and ability to accomplish, from within himself—from his God-Self—the Source of all good?

For remember, God is living in your body—is your Real and Only Self, and is putting you—the little you with its human ideas—through this present experience in order to teach you a great lesson—that He is your Supply, the Giver of all, and that all is good. And until you are able to give up all desires for self, all ideas of self, and are willing and glad to do anything that He wills, and to do it by putting in it your whole heart and soul in a desire to please Him, you have not yet proven that you are free of self and worthy of the real work and the accompanying compensation He has waiting for you.

When you can get your brain mind to realize that God is the Real You, and is actually living in your body and waiting for your mind’s full recognition of Him and co-operation with Him, by giving over to Him complete charge and direction of all your thoughts, speech and actions,—not until then can He bring about the adjustment in your life and affairs that will enable Him to express through you the perfect harmony and abundance of all good things that is your divine right and which He intended for you from the beginning.🔅
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