The Impersonal Life

In the first chapter of Genesis we are told that God created man in His own image and likeness. Pythagoras tells us that the Universal Creator formed two things in His own image—the universe with its system of suns, moons and stars, called the macrocosm; and man, in whose nature is duplicated the whole universe, called the microcosm. We would add a third, by stating that our planet earth and all planets are formed in the image and likeness of God.

It stands to reason that if both the universe and man are patterned after God’s image, then each planet in the universe as well as all men must follow that same pattern. We will go further and repeat what scientific investigation tells us—that each cell in man’s body has the appearance of a miniature atom. Man’s body now has the appearance now claims that each atom in man’s body is a solar system in miniature, with a positive proton serving as the sun around which revolve negative electrons as planets.

In this article we will show man’s definite relation and likeness to his mother earth, to his father God, and to the universe. Because we can see only the outer appearance of God, earth and the universe and cannot actually see God, we will have to tell you of their inner and real nature by analogy or correspondence, reasoning by pure logic, the method used by philosophers and mystics throughout the ages, and on the accepted principle that “As above, so below. As below, so above.”

You who would essay the Spiritual Heights must train yourself so to reason; for the highest function of the mind is to reason, even as the highest function of the heart is intuitive understanding, and working together there is nothing that needs to be known that cannot be known.

Spiritual truths cannot be understood by the separate human mind, but by pure reasoning and analogy—by starting with a known truth and by reasoning step by step, supported by analogy, carrying the consciousness up to a realization of the higher or spiritual truth sought—the mind may be lifted up and united temporarily with the Cosmic Mind and from It receive what is needed. Such is the method largely used in the Impersonal teachings and in all teachings where pure truth is revealed. Unless what is stated is accepted both by your reason and your intuition, it is not truth to you.

In the lifting up process, as the reasoning approaches the truth about to be revealed, you will note that some thing seemingly “above” opens, and a ray of spiritual “light” pours through and “illumines” the mind and what could not be “seen” before is thereby perceived. The lower or separate mind then “accepts” the truth, for it is “lifted up” into the consciousness where that truth is; thus what was separate for the moment becomes united—in the cleansing of that separateness.

From this you can learn what “separateness” really is—that it is but ignorance of the truth. When a mind actually knows a truth, it becomes that truth. It does not need ever again to go through any mental process to reach it; it simply is that truth, which is then an integral part of consciousness, as is knowing how to walk and talk.

But do not confuse true knowing with the above temporary lifting of the consciousness by reasoning to a perception of a truth. That truth thus becomes only an intellectual concept in your separate mind, and is not soul knowing—which cannot be until by using and living that truth it becomes as natural a part of your consciousness as is how to walk and talk; which means that it has been built into and now is a part of your sub- or soul consciousness. That may take years to accomplish, and may not be accomplished in this life-time—with certain great truths.

From the statement made at the beginning of this article that man is made in the image and likeness of God, it can be seen that the way man may know God is by perfectly knowing his self; and by the same criterion he may know what he wishes to know about the universe. From this it can also be seen why there was written over the gates of ancient temples as an admonition to those seeking to learn wisdom, the words, “Man, Know Thy Self.”

By a study of some of the mysteries of man’s nature, we will uncover some of the truths regarding the nature of the earth, of the universe and of God.

First, we must clearly realize that man, being the image and likeness of God, cannot be what he appears to mortal sight. There must be an invisible side of his nature that is actually Godlike, partaking of all of God’s nature, attributes and powers, if he is God’s image; it must always have been so, for so he was created, which means that he will always be Godlike.

Then it must be man’s misunderstanding and wrong beliefs that prevent his seeing and knowing his true nature. This can easily be accounted for either by the ignorance of his teachers or by his being purposely wrongly taught from the beginning. But the time has now come when man must be taught the truth, and be given the opportunity to realize, to assume and to call upon some of the divine qualities and powers of his God nature, so that he may learn to be and act his true self.

With that purpose in view we will study some of the qualities and powers of this invisible side of man’s nature; but not invisible, remember, to all men, for it is visible to certain types of minds more highly endowed than the masses—those who have developed their soul and spiritual sight; and such can be numbered by the thousands at the present time.

We have shown you that man is not a physical but a spiritual being; that he is in reality consciousness, but an actual center of God’s or the Universal Consciousness; 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, who being consciously God’s Consciousness is the channel or instrument through which God’s will manifest on earth.

Now imagine, if you can, the nature of this Son of God, your Highest Self, the Christ Man living in your invisible image-body. Think of the vast powers of this expression of God, all resident within the image-body and of course within the so-called physical body, but under perfect control, and undreamed of by the ordinary human mind. Try to realize that this image-body is actually a body of consciousness, the consciousness of the trillions of cell centers comprising your soul consciousness, and that, even as in your physical body, this consciousness expresses through certain force centers outstanding in the physical glands and nerve plexi, and that these force centers account for and control all the functioning of the chief organs of the body.

If you were endowed with clairvoyant sight and could see clearly an enveloping mass of soul body, it would appear to you as a scintillating galaxy of stars, each one of which is a force center emanating rays of different coloring and beauty, the vital organs being the most beautiful and appearing as whirling vortices of light of great brilliance. In fact the body is such a vast network of psychic centers, connected by innumerable currents of energy crossing each other and coming from the brilliant generators of etheric and magnetic forces, that it is said to resemble a solar system of suns, stars, planets and moons, with comets circling in their orbits among them.

What does that suggest to you? Does it not help you account for the multiplicity of forces operating in your own nature, and expressing themselves in so many ways—as impulses, urges, desires and aspirations of the soul; as thoughts, hopes, longings and ambitions of the mind; as loves and hates, enthusiasms and fears, doubts, worries, anger, remorse, envy, jealousy, irritability and bitterness of the emotions; and as appetites, lusts and passions of the flesh? And can you not see that you, within your being, are a universe of unfathomed powers and possibilities, of untasted and uncontrolled forces of tremendous potential?

We will not dwell upon the trillions of cell centers of consciousness of your body representing the inhabitants of your universe (what are you in the Solar Universe as a man but a more complex center of consciousness, and who can tell if in reality you are any greater or any different in consciousness from any cell of your body?), nor upon the various organs thereof—the brain, lungs, stomach, bowels, liver, kidneys, generative centers and glands, legs and feet, representing the different planetary systems of your universe, with their interplay of forces and direct relations one to another, all working together in perfect harmony to express the life and health of your being. Or we might see certain of the vital organs as representing the planetary forces of your Solar System.

Nor will we more than mention the likeness of the organs of your body that the various races, nations, and governments of the earth, all organized and working with more or less harmony in contributing to the well-being of the planet; leaving it to you to follow out these comparisons or analogies as far as you can, knowing that the further you go in the study of them, the more remarkable will you find their likenesses.

We wish instead in this article to confine ourselves to a consideration of man’s inner nature and the forces that constitute it, being not so concerned about his outer or physical aspect, although of necessity we will point to certain phases of it manifesting as a direct result of the operation of these forces.

Man is a center of the Universal Consciousness, which consciousness is naturally affected and influenced by its reactions to the thought and emotional forces constantly flowing into it from without. The consciousness