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.

IT IS interesting to note how difficult it is for even earnest students to miss certain truths we repeatedly try to impress upon them.

Every once in a while someone writes us of an illumination that came whereby he or she finally perceived one of these important truths and was greatly helped thereby, although it may have been clearly presented in different ways many times before. This time, however, it was fully grasped.

As often as we have explained about the soul consciousness and the necessity of every disciple of Christ being able consciously to retire back into that consciousness and to free himself from the dominance of the outer mind, only a small fraction of those who read fully understand and make any definite efforts to practice and prove what is shown. Yet it is the most important step they can take at this time, for it at once puts them in a different and higher realm of consciousness than those still held in the realm of the outer mind.

The following letter is a clear illustration of how an earnest and well intentioned student wholly misunderstood our teaching on the soul, if indeed he had carefully read it and tried to understand. Instead, it is quite evident he had accepted explanations of other teachers and has no clear comprehension of the exact difference between mind, soul and spirit.

Dear Mr. Editor:

You have so much in your little magazine that is fine and true, that which enlightens many all over the world; but there is much also of what one may call “chaff” that I am inclined to have my little “say”—your suggestion in the Editorial entitled “The Law.”

First of all, having read both The King’s Chamber and The Great Pyramid booklets, and recognizing in their words the true Christ Spirit (which is to let the Lord’s Will be manifest in us), I feel that in discussing “The King’s Chamber” you are not truly entering into the spirit of it.

You say, “We showed how definitely to begin to practice mastery over the mind and its thinking processes. If you were interested enough in what was held out as possible in the article, ‘The Next Two Years,’ to study it carefully and to make yourself do what was suggested, etc.” And in the next paragraph, “But if interested and you found yourself unable to do what was suggested, and you truly wish to become master of your mind, to make it think what you want it to think, to concentrate all its forces wherever you direct, etc.” “The time has come when every earnest student of Truth must make consistent and determined efforts to rule his every thought, word and act, to demonstrate that he has grown up mentally and spiritually, and that he knows he is a soul, and is not his mind and body.”

I have copied your words and if you will sincerely read them and face the facts, you will know that they are directly opposing the teachings of Christ. These words above are words of striving, of concentrating on one thing, pushing away another. Although you say we are speaking of souls, the real of us, we can really approach our souls, the Inner of ourselves, in one way only. And that is by letting go of all ideas of accomplishing something ourselves, letting the Father within do the works.

For what do we know of the wonders and glory of the Soul, when we say we wish to become master of the mind, to make it think what we want it to think, and so on? The only way we can truly begin to know the Lord, our Father within, is to realize that we are the temple of God, and that only as we stop trying to rule our own mind, divide it against itself, can we truly be still and let the Spirit within us direct our every thought, word and act.

Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” We can never know the Kingdom of Heaven within us unless we look upon ourselves as little children, trusting in God and knowing that He will direct us in all things, if we will but let His Spirit within come forth. There is too much striving and fighting in this world now; some striving and fighting for evil, and some striving and fighting for good—both are from the same tree of Good and Evil. There is a Peace that passeth understanding in the words of Jesus, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

OUR REPLY:

Your letter received and read carefully, and while we feel your intentions are sincere and good, yet it is very evident that you fail altogether to get the true meaning of our articles, “The Law” and “The Next Two Years,” as well as failed to understand what we have been explaining in our several articles about the Soul and its most important part in the guidance and direction of the outer man.

When we say we fully agree with all that you write in the last part of your letter, beginning with “Jesus said, etc.,” you can see that there must be something wrong with your understanding of our meaning. For when you say we must “stop trying to rule over our mind, divide it against itself, and be still and let the spirit within us direct our every thought, word and act,” it shows clearly you do not know your own mind, its thought processes and whence come the inspiration and direction of all your thinking, speaking and acting; for how could you or why would you “divide the mind against itself,” when you rule it?

Who is this “you” that is able to rule the mind—truly rule it, we mean? Whose mind is it? What is its purpose in your life? Try also to answer the following questions:

How can you “be still,” without making your mind and self and all its forces be still? How can you “let go,” without requiring your mind and self to become as a little child, so that you can be unhindered by them and can do what you know you should do?

Think you that you—the part you call “you”—can let go of itself? If so, why does it not “let go” and why does it not “be still,” when you want it to, so much? Who—what enables you to “let go” or “be still,” when you are made ready to do this? Or putting it in another way, why do you not let go of all ideas of accomplishing something yourself and “let the Father within do the work?” What part of you is it that “lets go” or is “still?”

Do you mean that you are to do nothing in life—are not to make yourself do anything, but are just to drift along on the current of life and to let the winds and waves—the forces of your lower nature—blow you where they will? You know, if you think carefully, that cannot be. You must do something—nay, must do much, if you are to get anywhere at all. But there will come a time when you have taught and trained your mind and all the forces of your nature to obey you—and not before, that this mind and all these forces that make up your lower self will become as a little child, and will let you, their lord and master, do the work you came here to do and for which all your past life has been a preparation.

If this is so, then what is wrong with your understanding of Jesus’ words, and why did He give to us His many commandments? How are we to obey them, if we are to do nothing ourselves?

Dear friend, until you learn the true meaning and purpose of your mind, soul and Spirit, and their relation to you, their lord and master, know who you truly are and of what you are a part, and your exact relation to our Father-God and to our Lord Jesus Christ, you will wander in the wilderness of outer-teachings and authorities and be lost in a maze of confusion and misunderstanding.”

We then urged that the writer himself go back and carefully re-read the articles mentioned, in the light of the above, or better yet, read and truly study the articles teaching about the Soul and the Mind, especially the Mind articles beginning with the June 1934 issue; or get our Way Out Study Course on the Mind and The Inner Life Study Course on the Soul, and stay with each statement in them until all of the inner meaning is clear—before going on to the next.

In so doing, however, that it would be necessary to lay aside all previously accepted beliefs and authorities about the Mind, Soul and Spirit, and to let his Higher Self point out to him His confirmation, explanation and meaning about every statement read. That in this way only will he get the true understanding that awaits.

IT IS quite evident that many get only an intellectual comprehension of the difference between the outer and the inner consciousness, but that seems to satisfy, for it is as far as they go. They think there is only the outer self and the Father or Lord within—that all the outer man needs is to let go, and immediately he is in the Kingdom. They do not as yet realize that they as souls are growing in understanding and strength of will, and they cannot teach their minds or the outer self cannot do “let go” or “be still” what they as souls do not as yet know or can not as yet make their outer selves do.

These words are probably as Greek to them, and they may therefore feel that we do not know what we are talking about as did our friend, as he plainly indicates in his letter.

There has been enough definite instruction in the pages of this Magazine, however, to enable anyone who desires to do so to understand just what we mean and to enter at will into the inner or soul consciousness and to work from there as long as needed.

In fact, as we have before stated, many older souls retire into that consciousness frequently each day—but they do not realize it. It would be easy for them to do it consciously, if they would take the pains to follow the directions given, so as to be able to prove to themselves that they can make themselves—or their minds—do what they want them to do.

We showed last month how humanity is supposed to have grown up and that as souls men must now take charge of their lives; and whether they realize it or not, their outer consciousness is getting close to the inner world where what they think, say or do is beginning immediately to react upon them and to outmanifest before their eyes.

We asked you to consider carefully just what this means and how the illusion of time and space eventually, as we learn more of the truth of our being, will wholly disappear. We did not put it in just those words, but those who studied with understanding what was said in the article will know our meaning.

If the King’s Chamber is our inner and real world, the world of our souls, and before we can consciously be in the King’s Chamber we must know ourselves as souls and be able to retire into our soul consciousness at will, it then behoves us to free our minds as quickly as possible of all belief in time and space.

We reasoned out carefully for you last month, showing just how time and space are illusions and that they do not exist in the soul realm or the inner world of consciousness. And every true healer or metaphysician has learned that by perfectly knowing the truth for anyone or of anything, time and space are annihilated and the truth immediately outmanifests. Then let us consider again just what “knowing the truth” entails. Does it not mean that your mind must know the truth equally with you, causing it to be a perfect knowing? And has not all your efforts from the beginning been to teach your mind the truth from within as fast as it could receive it, so that it might know even as you know?

Then it is about time that you required your mind consciously to wait upon and know you as its teacher and master, and that you make it study and stay with these helps until it fully understands and works with you. Those of you who are beginning to get a glimpse of what we mean, we know will get busy and do what is stated.

We will leave these thoughts with you, hoping this time we have impressed most forcibly upon you the importance of doing what we have suggested so often before.

A GREAT change has taken place in my life since taking these lessons. No one knows how much inner development I have made, but I surely do.—Elimination of fear, a peace and contentment beyond words.

It used to be, a few years ago when my kiddies would show the first sign of sickness, that I would be scared so I could hardly see. The other day my oldest girl became ill, but I said to myself, “I do not see her so;” then I put her to bed and went about my work, and in half an hour she was up dressed and gone for her music. Usually it would have meant days in bed for her.

And when I got the flu last week I declared, all was God’s Consciousness, all night; and was up doing all my work in the morning. It works, I know, and the glory of proving it!

Another time that I proved the Truth was a few months before my baby was born. My husband became infatuated with another woman, one with lots of money, who offered him everything to get him to go with her.

At first it was terrible to me. I went to a teacher here and she said I should leave him, take her money, etc. That wasn’t to me, so I tell you what I did. I read The Impersonal Life constantly and held only thoughts of love for both of them, trying to know that God knew best, and would take care of me and the children. Then I hung on the best I could. It was very hard and when I’d go to bed at night it was all so dark I would be as if I were walking through a dark forest all alone with no light.

I never told anyone but worked with God only. A few weeks before baby came the woman came to see me. I knew she was coming but I prayed for strength, and when she talked to me I saw only God in her. All up to this time I never spoke a crossword to my husband, and told him he could leave when baby came.

There is no need to go into details, except to say, about three weeks after baby came I noticed a change in him. I got me some new clothes and fixed up real nicely, but left him alone. He came to me after awhile and asked for forgiveness, which I gave freely, for I really loved him.

And now I have a husband whose every thought is for me and his family. The baby worships him and he worships her, and I believe this is so because my mind was so full of love for both of them. I blessed her every day and tried to protect her. Our home is complete harmony, and I owe it all to having your Lessons, and The Impersonal Life, which guided me every step of the way.

The teacher I went to told me just recently that she felt like getting down on her knees and thanking God for the way I had showed her, in handling this affair. It wasn’t I, but the I Am within which led me.

I am telling you these experiences so you will know what I have gained.