IN THIS Department will be included teachings and truths for more advanced students, especially for those who have received the monthly lesson in the sixty-five issues 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.

WE HAVE been to much pains to explain the exact meaning and purpose of the soul and the mind, and of their connection with the Spirit or the Christ Self of man and with God, the One Consciousness. However, we wish to emphasize again the three phases of consciousness of the Real Self, the I AM, of man.

Note what we have just stated—the three phases of consciousness of the Real Self, the I AM, of man. While we have called the soul the “real self” of man, yet you will notice the distinction of the capital letters in the preceding statement. The soul is the real self of the outer man, but the I AM or Christ Within is the Real Self of both the soul and the mind, of both the inner and the outer man, or of the whole man.

Even as in the mind of man he is conscious of all the things he has learned in this life and, as you have been shown, in his soul he is conscious of all that he has learned in his many lives on earth, so in his Spirit or Divine Self as a Son of God he is con- scious of all that he has learned in the creation of this Earth and since, and in previous existences on other planets, and in all intermediary realms of being since he was a soul even as you are now.

The I AM or Divine Self is the “Father in Heaven” of the soul or inner man, as well as of the mind or outer man; while the soul still dwelling in the Garden of Eden is likewise the Father of the mind or outer man, and is responsible for, teaches and gives life and power to all that the outer man is and does, under the “overshadowing” influence and guidance of the I AM or Divine Self; which in Its turn, as the Holy Spirit of God, is responsible to and guided by God, the One Consciousness, Who is the “Father” of all.

In this connection it may be well to clear up the distinction between the Garden of Eden and Heaven, in the minds of our readers. We are told that “Jehovah God planted a garden Eastward in Eden and there he put the man he had formed;” and later that He put him in the Garden “to dress and keep it.” This can only mean that the Garden was a temporary or intermediate state of consciousness, where man’s soul was to stay until after sufficient experience in the outer world he is able to bring his mind and all his consciousness, powers and faculties back to and reunite them with the soul, and with the wisdom gained while in the outer or earth consciousness can then be unaffected by any of the temptations of the serpent of desire and can proceed properly to “dress and keep” the Garden of his consciousness as God commanded.

For remember the Garden is the Soul Consciousness, and as a garden is but the outer part of the home, which in a well ordered one is well-kept and dressed with lovely trees and shrubbery and beautiful flowers, so is the Garden of the Soul not the actual dwelling place of the Real Self, but Its home is within the Garden or is that inner consciousness within the soul where the Lord, a Son of God, dwells and where in the Inner Sanctuary of that home He can retire and before Its Altar be in the very consciousness of God.

Thus in this imagery can we comprehend all the component phases of man’s consciousness—the Throne of God above the Altar, the actual Consciousness of God; the Inner Sanctuary, the consciousness in which we worship God; our true home in the Christ Consciousness, where dwells our Real Self, the Lord, a Son of God; the Garden of the Soul where the Soul of us communes with the Lord, and where our outer consciousness must enter to hear Him. Think this over until all of the inner meaning is clear.

But where and what is Heaven, you may ask? We have actually shown you three Heavens—The Throne of God, above the Altar; the Inner Sanctuary; and the House or Consciousness of the Lord Christ. While the Garden or Soul Consciousness is sometimes called Paradise.

Do you remember Jesus telling one of the thieves on the cross at His crucifixion who recognized Him as the Christ and asked Him to remember him when He came to His Kingdom?—“Verily, I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in Paradise.” This can only mean that Jesus promised that when the man’s soul was freed from his earthly body He would meet him, and as it were would intercede for him before the “Judgment Seat,” the man realizing he must pay for his misdeeds. (Luke 23:43). Also Paul told of how he was “caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. He also speaks of this as the “Third Heaven” (II Cor. 12:2-4). On that occasion he speaks of revelations from the Lord. Relate this with what is said of where we commune with the Lord. This would indicate as before stated that there is a Heaven for every present state of consciousness—the three above named being the three highest.

Heaven, therefore, according to one’s present understanding, may be here and now when one is united in consciousness with one’s Father or Soul; or with one’s Father, a Son of God; or with one’s Father, God. Remember, Heaven is always a state of consciousness, and the Kingdom of God comprises the many states where self is no more. Did not Jesus say, “In My Father’s house are many mansions (or dwelling places in consciousness) . . . I go to prepare a place for you; and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Jesus, the Christ, is the Holy Spirit of God. He comes first to the outer consciousness, to one’s mind and intellect, even as He came to the outer world as Jesus of Nazareth. The mind of man must first learn to know Him as He is; so when the disciple is ready—when the mind is ready to be taught and shown by example what is selfless love, He comes and through books and teachers, gradually makes the mind aware of Himself within.

Then when this knowledge is thoroughly established in the consciousness, He takes from the disciple all outer teachers and teachings, and from within says, if one is listening, “I go to prepare a place for you, but I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, ye may be also.”

The mind, when all former outer means of instructions have been withdrawn, which always results at this period, is then compelled to turn to and rely only upon the Inner Self. It is at this stage that one determinedly starts on one’s way to the Kingdom, for the yearning to find and know the Lord within and to follow Him all the way becomes so strong that there is no other interest in life to compare with it. It is therefore at this stage that the Lord, the I AM, definitely leads and begins to prepare a place for you, so that He can receive you unto Himself, and you may be with Him always.

Just what does that mean—you may be with Him always? Only that you have then entered the Kingdom of His Consciousness and are One with Him, can work as He works, knowing that all the Father that is yours. Then you will know also with Him, that “I Am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.”

—o—

DEAR one, thou hast asked why I now permit thee so little time for study and meditation, when thy whole heart thirsts for such close communion with Me. Hear then, My answer.

In the earlier stages of thy preparation as My instrument, long, long periods of meditation were essential to enable thee to learn how to contact and listen to Me, and I rejoiced to see thee hurrying through thy work and eagerly entering thy room of silence to seek Me. Often in those days the necessity of reluctantly wrenching thyself away from the bliss of My Loving Embrace in the stillness of thy soul—to return to the call of duty—left thee depressed and longing to prolong such ecstasy.

But now, beloved, that thou canst contact Me immediately at will, by merely relaxing thy mind and body, I must prepare thee for My greater work. Thou must now set forth in earnest to redeem the world of thy past errors and thereby so to purify thy consciousness that I can then use thee actively and continuously to release those other centers of My Consciousness whom I will send to thee; even as I led thee for release to My Sun Center at Akron, so that you might receive of Its Light and thereby the fullness of My Love.

And so, My dear, I am purposely denying thee thy former long meditation periods, so that through thy love and longing for Me I can cause thee to seek Me in thy work and find Me there so truly that it will no longer be work to thee, but instead will be loving acts of worship strung upon the golden cord of our constant and soul-satisfying Union. O, My dear, erase from thy mind this very moment those pictures thou hast carried of the insignificance and humbleness of the tasks at hand, and let Me direct thy thinking.

There! Now look through My Eyes at thy duties. See how differently thy surroundings now appear to thee? Thou hast said with thy mind “I am but peeling potatoes,” but look thou beyond the potato-form, which but clothes My Idea within the outer appearance, and realize that in truth art thou preparing My less evolved expressions for a resurrection and an ascension to a higher form in My Consciousness. In fact, by the eating and assimilating into thy body the life force resident in the potato-idea, thou art indeed lifting it into thy consciousness and thereby back into My Consciousness, along with those countless other cells comprising the world of thy body.

I see thee gasp in amazement at the beauty, the magnitude, the joy of what was but a few moments ago an unimportant task and a nuisance. Love and bless, then, every article of food prepared by thee and thereby raise its consciousness to such heights that upon entering the bodies of thee and thy family it will nourish spiritually as well as physically, and will serve with a loving power and efficiency unparalleled in thine experience.

Now, as thou puttest wood into the range, bless each piece as it thus surrenders up its body to thee for thy warmth and comfort. In like manner give silent thanks for and love to the water which quenches thy thirst and keeps clean thy body; love and bless the utensils thou usest—thy stove, table, chairs, rugs, house—all with which thou comest in contact. For remember, I AM in each thing, and all, from a pin to thy favorite chair, are ideas in con- sciousness—in My Consciousness.

So thou canst see thou canst be with Me every moment of the day, wherever thou mayst be or whatsoever thou mayst be doing, when thus loving, serving, and centered in Me alone, caring naught for results or for the future. In fact thou canst now understand that thou must not project thy consciousness to even the next moment, for that, too, is the “future,” as thy mind counts time, and should therefore receive no consideration until it has arrived.

Know, beloved, when thou hast thus spent an entire day truly serving Me alone, counting each moment as a priceless jewel to be carefully and beautifully laid upon My Altar as a true Love Offering, thou wilt have discovered it to be the fullest, richest, the most peaceful, beautiful, soul-satisfying day of thy life—a day in which thy children were always sweet, gentle, affectionate, well-behaved and perfectly obedient, because thy thoughts (the children of thy mind) were serene, loving, content and under perfect control; and that thy work has been done easily, lovingly and more quickly and efficiently, because of no distracting hindrances, and above all that thou hast been united with Me every moment in thy work and thy leisure, and thou canst lie down at-one with Me and canst send out My Love-Light to those of My other Centers to whom I would direct It.

(The above is an attempt to put into words at least the shadow of the glorious FEELINGS, REALIZATIONS, POSITIVE KNOWING, and WONDERFUL ATTUNEMENT which came to Carol while busy at work, and for which mere words are too weak, lifeless, flat, and “form-bound” to give more than a glimpse of such perfection of joy, riches and true UNION.)

—o—

ONE Sunday night my consciousness having left the delusion of flesh and form, there came a vision proclaiming a revelation and a prophecy.

As all is Consciousness, and this center of consciousness—the onlooker—realized that to bring an interpretation to the outer rim of consciousness the human mind requires form; a form being a symbol of a thought in Consciousness.

A MIGHTY ANGEL, THE MOTHER OF GOD, THE ONE WHO ABIDES IN THE SUN CENTER, and is ONE of SIX, lay asleep upon the black couch of earth.

With folded hands She lay sleeping, dreaming of the beauty and rapture of earth, and resting in its grandeur.

Beneath the black robes I beheld Her matchless form of diamond dust, sparkling in supernal beauty. I marveled that so great a Brightness could be thus confined. It seemed it would burst the blackness and flood the entire world.

On Her right, and looking intently upon Her, stood a Being of GREAT MAJESTY, A SON FROM OUT THE ABSOLUTE, fashioned of God Consciousness. This ANGEL was One Whose austere magnificence was as from a flawless diamond of perfect transparency. And beneath HIS black robe there was INTENSE, AWESOME KNOWING.

When the Great Universal Lapidary carved HIM, He used the dust to fashion the sleeping Angel—the dust from HIS OWN BODY.

Now it is to be remembered that these BEINGS are formless in THEIR real HOME . . . Out in deep spaces in the Matrix of the God-Mother THEY abide; Galaxies and Constellations adorn Their Paths; and when the GREAT HEART OF THE GOD-MOTHER EXPANDS, THEY throb in the rapture of CREATION.

AS I beheld this GOD ANGEL, I seemed to enter HIM and look from HIS Eyes. And Lo! Behold with me! Beneath the robe of the sleeping ANGEL, each tiny—OH, so tiny-grain of dust reflected the Face of the ANGEL OF GOD!

I was entranced as I beheld these adorable little faces in every conceivable position and angle; myriads and myriads of them. And all were lovely in their own sweet way; some were pensive; others in thoughtful reflection; and again it seemed a joyful anticipation was revealed in others.

A host were radiantly adoring their Creator and knew they but mirrored Him. They knew if their MAJESTY turned away they would be no more. Every one was of neuter gender, and a reflection of their Prototype.

Well, here before my eyes was the mystery of the Immaculate Conception, given to a simple human mind.

These grains of dust are so-called humans, and Oh! they are not ugly or sick or poor or male and female . . . This is all untrue . . . THEY ARE ANGELS!

And if our human minds but turn to the right angle, we all will see the prototype of the FACE of THE SON OF GOD!

—Nancy.

AS THE Sun (Son) rises higher and higher in this dawning of a New Day or Age, it disperses more and more the darkness of material consciousness.

As each one of us awakens and realizes that he or she is a part of this Illumination, this Radiation, as we are drawn consciously into the Heart of this Great Sun Center (Son Center—Center of the Christ Mind), naturally more Light shines forth into the consciousness of humanity, and the Dawn is more perceptible, the Light farther reaching, and more effective.

What a realization! What a mighty Truth! And what a privilege for those of us who have at last found our way through to the understanding of That which says, “I Alone AM. I and My Father are One, All that the Father hath is Mine.”

That we, even in our human consciousness can know this, that we are really a part and an active, important part of the great Christ Manifestation, One with the Great White Brothers—the Body of Christ; that we—each of us—are members of Christ’s Body, are actively expressing, serving as channels, as active instruments, through which They are bringing ALL GOOD into manifestation on earth, even as it is in Heaven! For this being so, the earth, even physically, will be for us in Heaven. For does it not swing even as the other planets in Heaven?

When we truly KNOW this, then we, likewise, are in Heaven; our consciousness has become the consciousness of the Kingdom, for it brings Peace, the realization of the senselessness of self’s struggle, that it can do nothing, has no reality; while That of which we are now a part can do ALL, is ALL, and provides every needed thing.

So our minds learn to trust, to believe, to Love, and thus become selfless, perfect channels through which the All Good comes forth into expression.

With this Realization the former failures, doubts, fears and concerns are dissolved, like fog when the Sun shines at the dawning of a new day.

Thank Thee, Father, that Thou hast revealed this wondrous Truth to Thy seeking child, and she understands—KNOWS—at last!

—E. L. P.

← previous | The Inner Life 1938 | next →