The Inner Life

FROM time to time, we hope to give under this heading, interesting experiences sent in by our Students, or answers to Questions in the Correspondence Course Department, which we think are of general interest.

---

QUESTION: “In just what way does one become a Disciple of the Master within?”

ANSWER: “One becomes a Disciple through the love of the Christ within. Through overcoming self and letting Christ live His life in us. The One and only Real Master is the Christ within. The Disciple is the human self and mind, the outer self.”

“I became a Disciple through abiding constantly in the within. It became my only interest and thought. My mind seemed to take on a great power of concentration, and I reached a point where I did not even care for food, I lived only to think God, live God, knowing He was my only Self. I went to bed at night to meditate. I rose in the morning to live God, to love God; and then, after days of constant meditation, the Christ was born in my heart and I saw Him face to face. Until that time I did not know that I could see and feel Christ. Now I know the loving Christ showed me the Way from within, and that books, teachers, etc., are not now necessary. They are only stepping stones.”

“I would like to tell you about a wonderful experience I had last week. I was in meditation in the afternoon, waiting upon Christ, quietly. Just waiting in confidence and trust. I became very, very still. Then I saw a soft, misty light within and without. I seemed to be all aglow, and the atmosphere around me seemed to be glowing in a soft light. I felt a great love in my heart and it seemed so big almost to bursting point. Then I felt my Christ Self was standing by my bed. This Great Being tossed wide bands of living light all about me until I was covered from head to foot with living coils of light. These bands of light were active, whirling round and round my body, until I became a silent, whirling mass of light energy. My body seemed a silent, yet a thundering mass of light bands. I was not practicing anything but stillness of thought and body. The experience was a surprise.” —W. B. C.

QUESTION: How can a person today make the finding of the Kingdom first in his life?

ANSWER: “One can make the finding of the Kingdom first today as on any day since time was. The Kingdom is a state of consciousness and no matter how busy we may be with outward things, we can always tune our thoughts in concerning things with the Infinite. Although periods of meditation and rest are wonderful and we find great strength and joy from them, the true growth and testing of the Spirit of God, comes when we maintain an even loving consciousness in our every day work. It is just like loving our friends which is easy, but it is difficult to love our enemies. So it is easy to commune with God in the Silence, and have peace when all is calm, but difficult to remain in His Consciousness when things go wrong, where there is noise, etc. If we carry the thought, “I am doing that which God wills today,” with us when we go to work each morning, we shall be finding the Kingdom and making it first in our lives.” —F. L.

QUESTION: How does your surrender to God, and your daily talking with Him, clear the way for the proper adjustment of your affairs?

ANSWER: “In surrendering to God, I become a magnet drawing all good to me, because the negative force which has attracted fears, doubts, poverty, has been thrown off, and in its place has been set up a positive one which comes about as a result of a conviction and belief in His Goodness.” —K. B.

“I am drawn to tell you how deeply I appreciate the Teaching, and how delighted I was to know that you feel I am progressing. I am now pressing on with renewed eagerness. I had been depressed and at a dead level, when one night I seemed to be neither awake nor asleep, but I found myself standing before four or five hundred people. I was earnestly showing them how to find the Kingdom. I went through the different Impersonal Lessons fluently, and lovingly urged them on. The message in particular seemed to be the Words of Jesus, and we sang the hymns, “O Love, that wilt not let me go,” and “Wonderful Words of Life.” This has all proved to me that though there may not seem to be much progress, that I really do absorb the truth. It was so lovely, for days after I felt it.”

You have had a most encouraging experience, for it proves that on the Soul plane you KNOW these truths so well that you were able to teach them to others. Realize therefore, that you can draw on this knowledge which you now know you possess on the Soul plane. All you have to do is to practice getting the body, emotions and the mind quiet, then turn within in full confidence that the Loving One within will hear and answer. —E. M.