Читать книгу The Spiritual Writings Of Annie Rix Militz - Annie Rix Militz - Страница 7

GOD is supreme Intelligence, Wisdom, Understanding, Reason, all of which can be comprehended in the one word, Mind. God is Mind, and since God is the great first cause, therefore Mind is the great first cause. Divine Mind is the one creative power and source of all true manifestation.

What can be predicated of God is true of Man, who is the image and likeness of God. Man's mind is the cause of all that is in his life. Solomon says, "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Prov. 23:7), and the Hindu Dhammapada expresses the same idea in the following words:

All that we are is the result of what we have thought; it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him as the wheel follows the ox that draws the cart. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him like a shadow that never leaves him.

Thoughts are the product of Mind, and the means through which Mind works. The thoughts of divine Mind are pure and good, true, and full of life and health, and they produce heavenly conditions. In the measure that man's mind dwells upon the pure and the good, he enters into health and happiness. The only real thoughts that man has are those from the Mind of God, in which is no evil imagination, memory, or production. "To think the thoughts of God after Him," as the great Kepler said, is to have a mind filled with noble, wise, loving thoughts in which there is no mixture of error or evil.

Discord and disease arise from a mixed mentality in which is belief in both good and evil as real. Pure thoughts result in pure manifestations, but mixed thoughts show forth as a mixture, an adulteration, in the bodies and circumstances of the thinkers.

The mind of man is set in order by the science of God, and all the good thoughts are gathered and ascribed to their divine source, while the beliefs in evil are separated, as the tares were taken out of the wheat in the parable (Matt. 13 : 30), and cast out into nothingness.

Divine Science and logic systematize and arrange thoughts, so that their nature is known, and name and place are given to them.

Life proves to man that a mind filled with good imagery, with peaceful, loving, gentle, trustful thoughts, is in Heaven, while one who dwells upon evil, malice, revenge, injustice, pain, and misery is in hell. For Heaven and hell are states of mind. "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things : and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things." Matt. 12: 35.

All the health and happiness you have is the result of your belief in Good, which, in order to persist, must have its foundation in the true knowledge of God. If you would be constantly happy, that is, manifest your true Being which is at peace, strong and healthy, prosperous and full of love and knowledge, you must think good thoughts not only "now and then" but perpetually, which means the casting out of every other kind of thought.

We must begin to put out of our minds miserable, gloomy thoughts, not letting memories of injuries, sorrows, and mistakes possess us, and allow only those thoughts which give power and presence to Good remain in our mentality. We must put from us every doubt and fear, all discouraging thoughts of every kind, and hold fast only to those thoughts that God thinks.

Whoever is in a state of happiness is in Heaven, no matter what his surroundings may be, for Heaven is a consciousness, not a place. The Kingdom may be represented by a place filled with joy, beauty, and goodness, but primarily it is within our hearts and minds, and does not depend upon externals for perpetuation. We must find Heaven within ourselves, regardless of our associates and environments. As soon as we identify ourselves with the Divine within we become powers to externalize our inward happiness in forms which fitly symbolize God's creation. "And when he [Jesus] was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation : neither shall they say, Lo, here ! or, lo there ! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 77:20, 21.

Jesus Christ came to teach men to look for Heaven right in their midst. He called his teaching "Preaching the Kingdom of Heaven," which is, in other words, declaring the ruling of the Good. At one time he contrasts it to the old preaching : "The law and the prophets were until John : since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it." Luke 16:16. He declared that every nation must hear of this teaching before the end of the old conditions could come (Matt. 24:14), and he has but one instruction to all his followers as to their preaching: "As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matt. 107. What does the phrase "at hand" mean? What do you mean when in writing a letter in answer to a correspondent you say, "Your letter is at hand ?" Do you mean that it is coming by and by ? No. You mean that it is in this place at this present moment here now. So also Jesus meant: The Kingdom of Heaven is here now. Is not this the good news the gospel we are to proclaim the world over?

The Christ still says to you, "Go, preach the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Preach goodness and happiness as the only real presence and power (kingdom) in all the universe.

Must we speak contrary to the senses? Did not Jesus do so? With thousands of poor, hungry, sick, miserable creatures around him he still declared the true Kingdom. And while he spoke Heaven came to one after another of those cripples and miserable beings he proved his doctrine by his works.

Does it seem to you that you are telling a lie to say these things? Then remember that you are speaking of everlasting things only, and you will see that your words are true. The student of divine things ceases to think or talk about worldly and temporal appearances as though they were realities, but he lets his "conversation" be "in heaven," and enlarges upon the bright side of life, and learns to meditate upon and discuss the enduring things of Being.

When you say there is no evil, sin, sickness or death you are speaking of the real World ("My kingdom is not of this world"), where none of these things have any place.

When you say, "I am pure and holy," "I am strong and well," you are speaking of the real I, the true Self, and not of the personality called by an earthly name, and which but represents you for the time being.

Is it not written in the Scripture, "Let the weak say, I am strong" (Joel 3 :10) ?

Ignore the personal claims of sickness, believe only in the Son of God, and identify your I AM with the pure and holy, healthy, immortal Son of God. So also when speaking to others address the Real in them, and you will no longer feel that you are saying that which is not true in denying the senses, and declaring your neighbor well and strong. "Speak ye every man truth to his neighbor . . . and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor." Zech. 8: 16, 17. "He that speaketh truth showeth forth righteousness ... the tongue of the wise is health."Prov. 12:17, 18.

The Good is all about us and in us. We live, move, and have our being in Health, Life, and Love. God fills all things as thoughts fill the mind. But nothing comes forth without the Word. "All things were made by him [the Word] ; and without him was not anything made that was made" John 1 13.

Words are the expression of Mind. Words are thoughts made visible, or brought to consciousness and realization.

We are continually speaking words, but not always aloud, for there are silent or mental words as well as audible. These words are forming and reforming, unforming and deforming all the conditions and manifestations in and around us. If our silent or audible words dwell upon evil, then evil conditions "show forth;" if upon good, then good is manifest. "But I say unto you, That every idle [even the lightest, vainest] word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof ... for by thy words thou shalt be justified [established in Good] and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" [continue in ignorance and misery]. Matt. 12:36, 37.

If one says, "I am sick," "I can't understand," "I am tired," and so forth, he will continue subject to sickness, to be in ignorance, be weary, and so forth, until Truth causes him to cease from such utterances through a true change of heart.

If one says, "I will fear no evil for thou art with me" when faced by danger ; or, "I love you" before the darts of hatred and persecution ; or, "The child of God knows no failure or discouragement," he shall be established in fearlessness, in omnipotent love, in success, in just the measure that he realizes the truth of the words he utters.

The Word is the divine means by which God creates, and Man, following in the footsteps of God, uses the same means, words, to bring into manifestation what God has already created.

The original intention and use of language was not to convey thought, but for the purpose of creation. Spiritual magicians can decree a thing, and it shall be established unto them (Job 22:28).

In the Golden Age all men shall work after the manner of Christ, who did all things by his word healing the sick, raising the dead, stilling the storm, feeding the multitudes.

Jesus declared, "What things soever he [the Father] doeth, these also doeth the Son, likewise" (John 5:19), and inspiration revealed to the writer of Genesis that previous to every manifestation "God said."

"And God said, Let there be light : and there was light."

"And God said, Let there be a firmament . . . and it was so."

"And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass . . . and it was so."

"And God said, Let there be lights ... and it was so."

"And God said, Let the waters bring forth." "And God said, Let us make man in our image." Whoever follows in the footsteps of Jesus will work as he saw the Father work, speaking forth all that is to be manifest by the power of decree.

Throughout the Bible are references to God's word, its delight, and its power. Men have missed the meaning of those texts by thinking that it was the written book that was referred to, whereas the Bible itself teaches that we are to look within our hearts for the word of God and not to externals. "It is not in heaven, that thou shouldst say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldst say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart that thou mayst do it." --Deut. 30:12-14.

It has been the inspired custom of wise men of the most spiritual nations to teach the people the holy utterances of others, that their hearts and tongues might become receptive to the divine Voice within themselves, that "well of water springing up to everlasting life." "[My words] are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh." Prov. 4:22.

Whoever learns where to look for divine words and believes in the holy source of inspiration within himself will realize with Jeremiah: "Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart : for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts." Jer. 15:16.

If one will read the one hundred and nineteenth Psalm with this new understanding that God's word is the Truth a living, healing presence in his own mind and that he can speak it, and so bring forth divine works, then the Scripture will become unsealed to him in many parts.

One of the forms of "speaking the word" is Prayer. As all modes of conversing unite one, more or less, according to the nature of the communication, with those whom we address, so it is with prayer. It is one means of making connection with universal Mind. A law of communion is fulfilled by right prayer, as exact a law as the one governing the transmission of electric force, or the centralizing of energy through any mechanical device.

The Soul's aspiration combined with the Mind's knowledge that what is desired is already an accomplished fact constitutes the "prayer of the righteous man that availeth much."

By prayer man acknowledges the true source of that which he desires, and the belief is turned away from its false props to the real helper.

The divine child does not beg or beseech its Heavenly Father, knowing His holy will is to give him every good thing. Prayer is not for the changing of God, who is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever, but it is for the changing of the mortal from an unbelieving and false-believing state to a consciousness like the true Mind, which knows all things to be possible to him who believes.

Thanksgiving, praise of the omnipotence and omnipresence of Good, and acknowledgment of God, lift the mind out of doubts and fears, and prepare it to cooperate in bringing to pass the very thing desired.

In order that prayer may be realization it is well to put it into an affirmative form instead of a petition. By this method the direction of Jesus is most easily fulfilled that, "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mark 11:24.

Bring the tongue under absolute and perfect control. No one can advance in spiritual unfoldment who permits the tongue to voice evil. So essential is it that the student control his lips that the very first practice enjoined by Pythagoras was a silence of five years.

James says, "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." The easiest way to bring all the body under subjection is to put a guard upon the lips, that no utterance be other than happy, peaceful, harmless, loving, kind. "I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me." Ps. 39:1. "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth ; keep the door of my lips. " Ps. 141:3. "To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God." Ps. 50:23.

Our spoken words are the result of our silent words, therefore the thoughts must be watched continuously in order that our conversation be orderly and right. See that you do not criticize in secret, that you cease from mentally finding fault with another.

Put away all sarcasm from your speech. Never complain. Do not prophesy evil the Greeks called that blasphemy ("speaking injury" to another), and they avoided a grumbler or one who foretold misfortune because they believed he brought them bad luck.

Refrain from accusing others of hypnotism, adultery, or any other evil practices.

Withdraw all accusation from yourself. Says the Bhagavad Gita:

Upraise the self by the self, do not sink the self; for the self is the friend of the self, and even the self is the enemy of the self.

Do not let your lips form such utterances as, "I am stupid," "I hate" this and that, "I have no strength" "I am always unlucky."

Again, see that you cease from petty, false statements about your associates. It is folly to depreciate any one, for instance calling your boy "bad" or referring to the delinquencies of your partner, or calling attention to the awkwardness and rudeness of those whom we would gladly see graceful and courteous.

Have a good word for every one or else keep silent.

Accustom yourself to praying "without ceasing" by silently communing with the Good in all. Prayer is letting God think and speak through you, it is thinking God, it is God thinking. This communion with God is your very life, and the more one's mind can be filled with holy thoughts and desires the more manifestation there will be in and through one of health, prosperity, knowledge, and love.

Often breathe this prayer: "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." Ps. 19:14. Add these words to the evening and morning repetition of affirmations and denials given in the previous lessons.

That prayer may be natural let it be free from ritualistic forms. Constancy in prayer precludes the necessity of certain external attitudes, such as kneeling, and reveals that a life filled with God-desires and God-works is more acceptable to Deity than much prostration and the recitation of many formal orisons.

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy [able] to escape all these things that shall come to pass [every calamity, disaster, disease, and death], and to stand before the Son of man" [the realization of your own sublime Divinity]. Luke 21:36.