====== The Inner Life ====== == THE HERALD OF THE NEW AGE | APRIL 1938 == ---- ==== THE IMPERSONAL WORK ==== 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 it 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. ---- === THE IMPERSONAL TEACHINGS === OUR readers have discovered that what is appearing in this Department is intended for those who have followed with the Impersonal Teachings, and have reached a state of unfoldment where the Inner Self is always in evidence, so much so that the outer man looks to and depends upon that Self for guidance in all of his affairs. We mean just that. No one could have faithfully studied and lived with these Teachings without coming into a definite awareness of that Self—some even surrendering to that Self and allowing It to rule their lives. Just what does that signify? We see on all sides thousands of earnest students in various Movements longing for and making strenuous efforts to contact some Master, either in the inner or outer planes of being—if not a Master some great Teacher of whom they have heard; and believing advancement can be made only under the guidance of such. It is true, these Movements emphasize the importance of such contact, or hold out to students the blessings or great benefits to be derived from becoming a disciple of such Master, often giving wonderful pictures of the personal lives and appearance of these Masters, inspiring a great desire to find and know Them. On the other hand, little if anything is said by these movements about the Teacher within each student—his own Higher Self, and about Him being the final authority to Whom each should turn before accepting anything from any outer Master or Teacher. In fact such Movements would seem to deem it unwise to depend upon such inner authority, turning the student instead to their particular teachings for guidance, until they can learn discrimination—evidently not knowing that discrimination is but the ability to hear and know unerringly the voice of the Higher Self when He speaks. Of course we know that these Movements have their part and place in aiding seeking souls to understand the meaning and purpose of life, and that each would not have so many followers were it not for the truths they teach. But often these truths are mixed with so many sophistries and half-truths that unwittingly sincere seekers find themselves accepting everything taught believing because of the known truths proclaimed that everything else stated must likewise be true. For this reason they still that questioning or doubting voice within that tries to make itself heard, and they soon find themselves caught in the glamour surrounding the leaders of such Movements and become so confused they cannot think clearly and do not try anymore, being content to accept whatever is stated by the leaders. We mention these facts only in order to show that until one has learned to listen to that quiet voice and to turn within to that Inner Self for guidance, confusion, mistakes, disappointments, disillusionments and discouragements are sure to result, no matter how wonderful and true one thinks are the teachers or movements one is following at the time. Therefore the constant insistence in the Impersonal Teachings, and especially in this Department and elsewhere in the Magazine, upon the importance of becoming acquainted with one’s Inner Self, and the showing how to find and know that Self, to hear His Voice, and in time to enter His Consciousness. We have frequently tried to make plain that while other authorities teach that Mastership or Self-Mastery is the goal of human attainment, we say that it is only the first stage of such goal—it is but the establishment of one’s center of awareness in the Soul instead of in the outer mind; and that not until it is established in one’s Christ Consciousness or in one’s Divine Self, one has not even attained maturity as a human soul. We know that our Lord Jesus Christ came to humanity to show us the way and to be the example or pattern for every man to follow, and that not until we have long followed Him, have attained to His stature, and are in His Consciousness—which means we are able to do everything He did, we have not yet grown up and become perfect and fully developed men; which must be the goal intended for us—to be “Just Men made Perfect.” Therefore in this Department, it has been our aim to reach and talk to those who are more or less consciously approaching maturity, who are nearing their Father’s Home, and are becoming fit and worthy to enter His Consciousness; trying to encourage all such by showing them just what is happening. What do we mean by that? We mean that by making plain when they are thus approaching their Christ Estate—their fruitage stage, it will help stimulate them to free themselves of everything that is hindering their doing the special work they came here to do; will aid their human selves truly to surrender to their Inner Selves; so that their centers of awareness can withdraw permanently from their minds and enter and become One with their Christed Souls. Let all such know that this freedom comes chiefly through selfless service, through going back and helping others along the path they have trodden. Are you doing this consciously, dear friend; and are you giving of your time and energy freely, obeying a loving, insistent urge from within? Have you attracted to you others who look to you for help and instruction about the problems of life, and are you at every opportunity turning them within to their own Higher or Christ Self, teaching them how to hear and know His Voice? If so, know that you are working in close conjunction with the Christ of you—your True Self; that He now has in you a channel through which He can do the work all Brothers in Christ are doing, and that He is preparing you for the special part in that Work He came into expression to do through you. But try to know that He and you are One! You are but an extension of His Consciousness needed to do that work here in the outer. But we will put it another way—the true way. There is really no He and you—you alone are; you have but extended some of your consciousness out into a brain-mind that thinks it is you and is separated from you, when it is but this outer part of your consciousness which you are informing, training and perfecting for your use as fast as it can receive it and understand. Once you can get your mind fully to realize this, thereby to surrender its tense ego and desire to be a separate self, your center of awareness then gradually and often imperceptibly finds itself back in the soul, in your true consciousness, and it will be looking out at the mind and all its beliefs as you now look at the illusions of your childhood. At present your center of awareness is out in the mind’s consciousness, and in order to know the Father, the Christ or the Higher Self, it turns within and perhaps there communes with Him, not knowing that this “Him” is You—its God-Self! But when it does know this—truly know it, as it were thereby transfers its center from the outer mind within into Your consciousness, faces about and looks out and sees that self and the outer world are but illusions of the outer mind, created by wrong teachings and beliefs, and that You alone Are—are just a center of awareness in Pure Consciousness, which we know as God. In the Impersonal Teachings this has been stated many times in many different ways. Many earnest ones have read it often, but without grasping its real meaning. But perhaps someone at this reading has been made ready through meditation and service, and its wonderful reality will come as a flash of illumination—and the transfer will be made. This will be but the beginning, however. The abiding in that inner consciousness may be but for a few moments, and then your center will be back again in the outer mind. But the glory of it, with its sense of reality and power, will be such that your constant effort from then on will be to get back again in that consciousness, and to abide in it longer and longer; until finally, your center of awareness will establish itself within, and then it will go out only when the need is to do certain work in the outer that requires special attention—even as now you turn within in prayer or in special need to the Father. It is the mission of this Work to aid especially those who have reached this stage of unfoldment. All such are sooner or later led to It and Its Teachings, and therein learn what is happening to them and what it is all about and the wonderful spiritual purpose back of it. All who then stay with the Teachings until their truths are built into the consciousness will just as surely reach the goal—become established in that Inner Consciousness, called the Kingdom or the Father’s Home—as when one knows the truth he can no longer be bound by ignorance and error. ————o———— === OUR BODY TEMPLE === ABOUT two weeks ago, I asked a friend to help me realize health and strength. While I had been in the work for several years and had often proven the law, I realized that my health was not improving and that I apparently had less strength than formerly. I felt that with my understanding and the help I had often been able to give other people, neither health nor strength should any longer be a problem. Then why should I ask help of another, when I knew I was a Son of God and that all my help should come from my Real Self within? I felt I had too much to do to be handicapped longer with weakness, and I determined to ask for help. While this asking turned into a blessing for me, still I feel that we should never be dependent on others. I didn’t feel any better, but two or three days later I saw this friend again, and she said “Your spirit seems to soar above, but where is your body? I can’t find it. It’s not where you are.” This sounded rather strange and I went home disappointed and not a little puzzled. I knew that in many ways I was not interested in my body. I thoroughly disliked physiology when in school and talk of the various organs and diseases of the body was too boring. Yet beauty and grace surely made one seem more as a Temple of the Living God than did their opposites. As I searched I did have to admit that almost any study of the mind was most fascinating to me. That night as I fingered the pages of my book of Sun Papers I noticed a paragraph of Paper Forty and could not pass it by. The words seemed to stand out until I was forced to read them again and again. There was my answer as plainly as if the Master had handed me the sentence in letters of light. The words were familiar but why had I not understood them before? “that his soul, which is the sum total of the consciousness of the trillions of cells of his so-called physical body, is the real man, and that” this soul or real man—the invisible image body of God—is the temple or garment of the Holy Spirit, a Son of God, . . .” I knew then what I had been doing and why my body had grown less vital and less healthy. My interest in the soul life, and because of some interesting experiences had, made me feel that I was really not this body my friends see. Giving it no recognition, at least during my hours of meditation or silence, it naturally became weaker. I had been doing this all unconsciously of course. When the truth flashed to me that my soul is the sum total of the consciousness of the cells of my physical body, a great surge of life filled me, and since then I have felt stronger than for many years. In only two weeks time I am strong and a chronic illness (asthma) of fifteen years persistence is letting go. I close my eyes and for the time being I am God—not just the One that I went in to, but all of me. I no longer float off away from this body consciousness. It is I—and I, a Son of God—am it—am all the consciousness and life it has. How wonderful to know that this so-called physical man is a spiritual being! I now clearly see that I had thought of this image body of God as having nothing to do with my physical body! When in reality, my soul is as it were because of the consciousness of the cells of my physical body. Now as I turn within my whole body tingles with life. I feel that this is due to my recognition that I am not only mental substance but body consciousness as well. I see that in emphasizing either to the exclusion of the other we make a separation. Every day now people are saying to me, “How well you look,” or “I believe you are gaining weight.” A son of God must not only be intelligent but must look strong and vital as well to be His true Expression.—M. D. C. ————o———— === THOUGHT CREATIONS === DURING last year’s Summer Classes I was one of the many privileged students to attend the Classes. The deep truths taught in the Mind articles especially made a profound impression upon my outer mind, but self became quite concerned when she could not fully grasp some of their inner meaning. Of course it was I who led her to the Classes, I who caused her to take this deep interest in what was taught, because I was preparing her to become a more perfect channel for My expression. She tried very hard to understand, and in her concern could not hear My voice as I tried to make it all clear to her. So I decided to take her into My world of consciousness while the outer of her was asleep, where I could teach her unhindered, and enable her actually to see with My eyes the powers and possibilities awaiting her in this world of thought. I caused her when she awoke to remember this experience and the wonderful power and freedom she experienced while in her true consciousness, free from the limiting and hindering bonds of the outer mind, so that she might in time of need turn to Me and feel again the strength and power of My consciousness. And this is what she brought back upon awakening. She found herself one among five or more other centers of awareness being taught by a teacher who was also a center of awareness like she, but whom she recognized as a great and very wise being. The particular subject seemed to be on the Mind, its real purpose, its functions, and its tremendous possibilities. The teaching was given her through the medium of thoughts alone, for there were no forms, no spoken words, no place or time where it happened. She was conscious of other centers of awareness or individual beings, but all seemed a part of a whole, connected by thought. All questions that arose were immediately answered by the teacher by a thought. The mind was keenly alert to all that happened, and worked instantaneously. After what seemed a lecture, she was given some real work to do to test her ability to apply the newly acquired knowledge. Before her eyes suddenly appeared a huge wall of water rushing to her threatening to engulf her. But for one moment she hesitated, then she commanded, “No, I do not want this condition; it has no power to harm me in any way.” And to her amazement the water receded and vanished. During the experiment the teacher seemed to be absent, but he was really there, watching, only her attention was directed toward the water and he seemed to be gone. But he turned to her and was very much pleased with the way she handled the problem. She does not remember whether she was alone or whether the others were being tested also. While the teacher was seemingly turned to the other members of the class, she wondered if she could actually create something that she wanted, even as she was able to cause the unwanted condition to disappear. After a second’s thought she hit upon the idea of creating a walnut, it being the first object that entered her mind. No sooner did she think of a walnut, than a ball of mist appeared before her eyes. There was gentle activity within the mist and as it began to dissolve there appeared a dark center which quickly unfolded into a walnut. She was amazed at the instantaneous result, the unmanifestation of her thought before her very eyes. But she felt rather guilty as if she had no right to experiment thus. But in answer the teacher, who got her thought, commended her highly, approving also the desire that prompted the experiment. He then impressed upon her mind the great necessity of thinking only what she wanted to manifest in her life, that even as she could create wanted conditions, so by negative thinking she had created all the unwanted and inharmonious conditions in her life.—D. M. ————o———— === THE BUILDERS OF THE KINGDOM === IN THE world’s history there have been men and women who have pledged themselves to a life of unswerving service in the causes in which they were enlisted. The forces of corruption and sin must be faced and overcome. The clarion call of the Holy Spirit of God is sounding throughout the world. Men and women are hearing it, and the ranks of faith are steadily filling up. God is entrusting the building the Kingdom of Righteousness to the followers of Jesus Christ. From the sanctuary of the inward Kingdom He will work through the spiritual efforts of the dedicated life for the healing of the suffering and afflicted, and the casting out of devils. —The Healing Church. ---- {{ theimpersonalwork193804_37.jpg |}} ---- {{ theimpersonalwork193804_38.jpg |}} ---- {{ theimpersonalwork193804_39.jpg |}} ---- {{ theimpersonalwork193804_40.jpg |}} ---- {{ theimpersonalwork193804_41.jpg |}} ---- {{ theimpersonalwork193804_42.jpg |}} ---- {{ theimpersonalwork193804_43.jpg |}} ---- {{ theimpersonalwork193804_44.jpg |}} ---- //← [[the_childs_way_out_course_apr38|previous]] // | [[:the_inner_life_vol._6|The Inner Life 1938]] | // [[the_interpreter_s_house_apr38|next]] → //