Читать книгу The Astral World—Higher Occult Powers - Joel Tiffany - Страница 5

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In commencing the investigation of Spiritualism, it becomes necessary in the outset that we find some point from which to start, or to commence our examination; for, in the inquiry after truth, we must find some standard by which we can determine truth—for unless we have that to which we can appeal to determine infallibly what is truth, however much we may investigate, we shall always be uncertain as to the accuracy of our conclusions.

Man, as a conscious being, endowed with the faculty of perceiving being and existence, and also being susceptible to the influence of that which he perceives, himself becomes the center of all his investigations in the universe; and if there is any standard by which to try truth, he must find that standard within his own consciousness. Outside of man’s consciousness there is no standard to him of truth.

I will illustrate briefly what I mean, that you may perceive how I wish to direct you in the investigation of the question, What is Truth? and how shall it be determined? The science of mathematics is said to be certain and demonstrative. And why is the science of mathematics any more demonstrable than is any other science? Why is it that the truth which it affirms can be any more positively demonstrated than any other truth? Is it because number and quantity are more fixed and certain than are qualities and attributes of being and existence? Why is it that the affirmations of mathematics are more demonstrable than the truths of any other science? I answer, that it is simply owing to the mode of proceeding in our investigations. If we will adopt the same process that we do in mathematics, we can have the same certainty upon all other questions that come within the sphere of man’s perceptions and affections. The mathematician comes down into his own consciousness, and finds certain conscious affirmations pertaining to number and quantity. He puts them down as truths not to be disregarded, and calls them self-evident truths or axioms. They are such affirmations of the consciousness as everybody must, per force, admit to be true; and when he has obtained the affirmations of his consciousness pertaining to number and quantity, he puts them down as truths not to be disregarded. They are always true everywhere, and under all circumstances, where number and quantity are to be investigated. He assumes nothing to be true which conflicts with these conscious affirmations of the soul. “Things equal to the same thing are equal to one another” must be received as true throughout the wide universe, so far as the mathematician investigates; and he allows nothing to controvert that self-evident truth; and so of all other affirmations. He allows nothing, in his investigations, to conflict at all; and whatever does conflict, he affirms to be false. Then, before he takes another step, he is very careful to fix upon accurate definitions, so that we may know precisely what he means—may understand exactly the scope of what he says. For instance, speaking of geometry, he will say that it pertains to the measurement of extent, and extent has three dimensions—length, breadth, and thickness. He next goes on to give definitions of that which is necessary to bound space—tells you what is a straight line, what a curved line, what is a plain surface, what is a curved surface, etc. After having ascertained the affirmations of the consciousness of the soul, in respect to number and quantity, and having fixed accurately upon the definition of all terms to be used, he then commences by demonstration, and will not go one step faster than demonstration attends him—does not launch at all into conjecture. He makes the relation between premises and conclusion inevitable; and if there be not an inevitable relation, he does not establish his proposition mathematically.

Now, what is true in respect to mathematics, is true in respect to every other subject that may come before the mind. There are conscious affirmations of the soul lying at the basis of all investigation; and in these conscious affirmations of the soul is to be found the standard by which to try the truth of whatever plane or sphere of thought. The first point to be taken is to ascertain what are the affirmations of the soul upon these points to be investigated. Our next step is to fix upon certain definitions, so that we can always understand precisely what we mean in our use of terms. Then we must see next that the relation between premises and conclusion be always inevitable. There must never be left any opportunity for the premises to be true and the conclusion false. Then we shall always be certain of having the truth.

In investigating the science of mind and spirit, I propose to pursue this mathematical course; and not attempt to argue any point that is not capable of demonstration—that is not based upon the absolute affirmation of the soul, conducted with reference to strict definitions, and making the relation of premises and conclusion inevitable. The reason of being thus particular is, that the greatest confusion prevails, not only in respect to the subject of the New Philosophy, or Spiritualism, but in respect to all subjects pertaining to spiritual life. Man does not know precisely where to begin his investigation. He does not seem to know precisely where he is certain of any thing pertaining to spiritual existence, and thinks that it must be all conjectural.

Now here is an affirmation which I believe every man in the audience will agree to be an affirmation of every one’s consciousness, and that it lies at the basis of all our investigation of this and every other subject. (I will say further, that, if any individual in the audience disagrees with me, he will confer a favor by manifesting that disagreement at any time; because I wish to be exceedingly near to you as a lecturer, and wish you to be exceedingly near to me, so that there may be the most perfect freedom of intercourse of thought and expression between us.)

Then the first affirmation of the consciousness is this: That the mind can perceive nothing but its own consciousness, and that which is inwrought into that consciousness.

Now I wish you to try that in every possible way, to see if be true. We talk about getting information and forming ideas from subjects outside of ourselves, as though it were independent of our minds. My proposition is, that the mind can perceive nothing but its own consciousness, and that which is inwrought into that consciousness; and, furthermore, that its perception of being and existence will be according as it is inwrought into its consciousness; and by no possibility can it be anything else to the individual; and, as a matter of course, if there be any standard anywhere by which to try truth, and know that it is true, that standard must be inwrought into the consciousness of the individual who has to apply it; and he will apply it accordingly as it is inwrought into his consciousness. Now is there any one that does not perceive that this is absolutely true? Then receiving that as a truth which every mind affirms—it can not suppose the contrary of it to be true—we must set down every thing as false which conflicts with this proposition, no matter whether it overthrows authority or not. Whatever conflicts with this self-evident truth, or affirmation of universal consciousness, must be false. Truth does not conflict with truth. You may be assured that falsehood always exists where you find conflict and antagonism. It follows then, that all there is of being or of existence in the universe that will ever be known to you or me will be that which is inwrought into our consciousness. It follows, as a matter of course, the universe can be no larger and no more perfect, than it can be inwrought into our consciousness; and it will be limited to us by our mental unfolding. Hence it will necessarily follow, that different individuals who are differently unfolded in the different departments of their intellectual and perceptional natures, will perceive being and existence in very different lights; and yet each will suppose that each sees it in the same lights, until we begin to compare notes. There will be as many different New Yorks as there are different minds to form images or conceptions of New York. So there will be as many different mental Earths or mental universes as there are minds to form conceptions of our Earth and the universe; and each mind will have the Earth or the universe fashioned into his own consciousness, and when it will investigate, it will investigate that which is then fashioned therein, and study it as fashioned there. It follows then, as a matter of course, that when the image of the existence within our consciousness corresponds to the actuality, that is, when the ideal in man corresponds to the real in God, then man has the truth—not till then. That is, when my perception of being and existence corresponds with the being and existence, then I have the truth of being and existence. But just so far as my idea or perception of being or existence deviates from its actuality, just so far my impression is false. These conclusions follow as a matter of necessity. Hence you and I will learn at once, that the first lesson for us to learn in commencing the study of the universe, is to learn ourselves. The very first volume that is opened before us, is that which God has given us in giving us a conscious being. Here we must commence our first lesson, because every thing must be recorded in the pages of this volume. God can never manifest any part of the universe or himself to us beyond the capacity of the pages of this volume to receive that manifestation. It follows then, as a matter of course, that truth can never be communicated by authority; and when a man tells me that a certain thing is true upon his authority, I can not receive it simply upon his statement. You will understand that I distinguish between stating a truth and narrating a fact. I may receive a statement of fact upon authority.

A man may tell me that there is such a place as London, and I believe it; and I may form an idea respecting it; but the ideal London I have in my mind is very far from being the real London—is very far from being a representation of the real London. That is, the ideal London which I have exists only in my mind, has no representative corresponding in the outward matter-of-fact London. But when the real London is brought into my consciousness, I have the London. Before, I had a sort of a London. Now you will understand what is meant by a difference between forming a conception of a fact and a truth. Suppose I should say to you that the sum of the squares of the two sides of a right-angled triangle is equal to the square of its hypotenuse, you having faith in my capacity to determine truth will say, “I will believe it as a fact; but I have no perception of its truth—I have only your word for it.” Now your faith is not in the truth of the proposition, but in my word. There is a truth there, but you can not receive it upon my authority. The reception of it as a truth depends upon your mind being unfolded to the plane of that truth. The question then for us to settle is, whether the conception in our minds corresponds to the actuality. If we have the means of determining that it does correspond, then we have the means of determining that our perception is true. The truth is the perception by the mind of that which is. You may apply this rule to any sphere of investigation that you please. Then let us begin with man as a microcosm of the universe, and who is destined in his spiritual unfolding to be a microcosm of all that is in the universe; in other words, whose mind here is to begin to translate the universe into its consciousness. The universe is a great book, which it is man’s business to read and translate into his consciousness, so that the image within shall correspond to the actuality without—so that he shall be a universe of himself—so that the individual in his affection by that which is transferred also becomes a divine, a god. “Is it not written in your law, I said ye are gods?” Man is to become in his impulses and character like the divine of the universe, so that he has not only all the wisdom, fact, and principle, but all the affection of the universe, to wit, the divine translated into his affection, so that in his outward form and inward being he is a child of God, created in his image. Thus, so far as we proceed day by day in translating the actual and real universe into the perceptive and ideal in us, so fast are we unfolding and growing up into knowledge; and when that knowledge is united with the truth and affectional impulses converted into wisdom, we are made temples for the in-dwelling of the divine spirit. It becomes us, then, to make use of all means within our power to perceive this great volume that God has opened before us, and given us the means of studying, translating into our minds, and making our own. Looking at man, then, as a conscious being, one that possesses the faculty of perceiving existence in all its various modes of manifestation, and also of perceiving being itself, thus having within himself that whereon God can write not only the phenomena, but the law and science of being itself, let us become free men, lovers of the truth, determined to be honest with ourselves and the world, determined to know what can be known, and not to be deceived either by our own appetites, passions, or lusts, or by the influences that others may extend over us to turn away our minds from earnestly and truthfully investigating all subjects. The mind that is afraid to look upon the wide universe, to receive the image that God would impress upon it every day and moment of his life, is denying the birthright of his soul.

Man, as a conscious being, is the subject of three degrees of conscious perception—he can be subject to no less and no more; and being influenced by what he perceives—three degrees of affection. In other words, there is laid the foundation for three spheres of thought and three spheres of affection. He can possess no more—no less. Now I am to demonstrate this to be true in such a way that every one of you shall know its truth. I begin first to prove that these spheres of knowledge and affection exist in you, because it is my business, after having proved this—if I should succeed in proving it—to show that in the wide universe there are but those same three spheres of knowledge and those same three spheres of affection and love—no less and no more; that man possesses within himself the elements of all knowledge and affection that exist in the wide universe. Unless he did possess these elements, he could not investigate the universe; for he can only investigate that, the elements of which exist within his consciousness. In the first place, man has that faculty by which he perceives the mere phenomena of existence, or, in other words, he has that department of conscious being which is addressed by what we call the physical senses, the scope of which is to reveal to him facts and phenomena in the material plane of existence. The physical senses can only reveal to him the facts and phenomena. In this respect man differs not at all from the animal, which possesses the same number of physical senses, and is impressed by the same light that impresses man’s senses—is subject to the same conditions. The law by which perception is awakened in the consciousness is the same in the animal as in the man. But man possesses also another element that is not content with mere investigation, or mere observation of forms and phenomena. You see this other nature is manifested in the little child, after he begins to walk about and observe the forms of things. There are certain things he can not ascertain by the use of the physical senses, and he asks his parents for further information. If you will examine the philosophy of asking questions, you will perceive that it is a means of gaining information by the exercise of some faculties higher than the physical senses. It is seeking for information that shall be applied to the consciousness, that shall be represented by ideas that exist in the mind. We may suppose that Sir Isaac Newton and his dog were sitting in the orchard, and that both saw an apple fall to the ground. The dog could observe the fact as well as Sir Isaac Newton, but Sir Isaac Newton perceived that there was something involved in the fall of that apple, which the dog never thought of. The dog confined his observation to the mere fact; but Sir Isaac Newton perceived, by the aid of a higher faculty, that there existed a law which he wished to ascertain, and therefore commenced investigation to discover it. This department of mind which led Sir Isaac Newton to make this investigation was not content with observing the mere facts or phenomena of existence, but wished to investigate that which was concerned in the production of the phenomenon. That faculty gives rise in man to this second sphere, which observes not the phenomena, but investigates the law or proximate causes of phenomena, and opens the field of science and philosophy. Hence the second sphere of thought is that sphere which investigates the relation of things and determines the law of action and manifestation through that relation. It belongs to what we call the relational, the middle, or mediatorial sphere; because it embraces the means by which causes operate to produce effects. For instance, I speak and you hear. I am a cause of producing a sound; your ears are affected by the sound produced. The atmosphere is the medium by which the action is transmitted from my organs of speech to those of hearing. The physical senses notice the fact in the physical sphere; the intellectual perceptions notice the means by which the fact is produced. The next, the highest, the inmost, absolute nature is that which perceives the absolute cause of these effects.

There is a sphere of mind in you that observes the mere effect; there is a sphere that investigates the relation or law by which phenomena are produced; there is also a sphere of mind which searches after and perceives the absolute cause of the phenomena. Now, inasmuch as all being or existence must come under one of these forms, either its phenomena, the means by which they are produced, or the cause which, through the means, has produced the phenomena, there can be but these three departments of conscious perception: the physical or intellectual, the moral or relational, and the divine or absolute, which perceives the absolute of all being. To illustrate the difference between the relational and the absolute: When Sir Isaac Newton discovered the existence of the law of gravitation, and found it the same that caused the motion of the planetary bodies, it was supposed that he discovered the cause of their motion. He named that law attraction, or attraction of gravitation. Now we turn upon Sir Isaac Newton and ask, What is attraction of gravitation? The only reply that can be made is to speak of its effects. However intellectual the mind may be, it must be ignorant of the absolute, because it belongs to the sphere of relations. You can not analyze the infinite. You can not compare the infinite. It is only in the sphere of the finite that the intellectual faculties have power to pursue their investigations. That which perceives the absolute must of itself be absolute; that is, the finite can not receive the infinite—the finite can not embrace the infinite. Therefore, if the infinite is ever to be represented to man, there must be a department that is receptive of the infinite; and that department must be infinite, or it can not receive the infinite. When I dwell more particularly upon this subject, I will endeavor to make it apparent to you so far as language is capable of making it.

Corresponding to the three spheres of perception there are three spheres of affection. The first sphere is called the sphere of self-love, or, to use a word which would express it in every relation, I would call it lust; that is, the desire for self-gratification. This is the lowest sphere pertaining to the finite, and corresponding to the sphere of fact or phenomena. The second sphere is the sphere of relational love, and that divides naturally into two departments—the love of unconscious nature, the love of sciences, etc., and the love of conscious being, or moral love, by which man loves his neighbor, some conscious being out of himself. That is the second sphere of love, known as relational, and it belongs to the sphere of relational truth, or the sphere of intellectual and moral investigation. There is a third sphere of impulse or love, known as the divine or absolute love, called the love of God, the love of the infinite. In one of these three spheres is every man’s ruling affection to be found—in the sphere of self-love, seeking self-gratification; or in the sphere of moral love, seeking the welfare of his neighbor; or in the sphere of divine love, loving as God loves, universally—not objectively, but subjectively, all the wide universe. There can be but just these three spheres. Now if each of you will investigate, you will readily recognize two of the affections at least to which I have called your attention, self-love, and social love, but more particularly self-love, desire for self-gratification, desiring that you may be first mad happy, and then leaving the world to be happy afterward. The love that goes out of itself, and loves some being out of yourself, is exemplified in the love of a true husband for his wife, of a parent for his child, of a brother for a sister. All these loves give indication of the second sphere of love, known as charity, good-will to the neighbor. This love is the means by which self-love is first overcome or destroyed. The individual is brought from self-love, through charity, to divine love, just as, in his knowledge, he is brought from the sphere of fact, through relation, to the absolute of being; and hence, in the spheres of unfolding, the three degrees are necessarily absolute. Look at society. What is it but the aggregate of individuals composing it? Society, separate from individuals, is nothing. The love of society is only the love of the aggregate of individuals. Now, inasmuch as the love will belong either to the sphere of self-love, charity, or divine love, you will find that society will always be expressive of one of these three loves, never the third, though. We say of society, when we look to the principles that govern it in its administration, it is but the embodiment of the character and will of those constituting the government —it is but an expression of the individuals composing it. Therefore there are three spheres of government corresponding to the three spheres of the individual. For individuals living in the selfish nature, the government will be a government of force. The individual who has come out of this obeys the truth because he loves the truth. He does not feel the restraints of law that says, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not lie. He does not know that there are any such laws in the State. He never felt any restraints. That individual is not in the sphere of self-love; and the government over him is not a government of force. The government over him is a moral government, and has its place in his affection.

Coming out of the government of force, man comes into the second, the Christian, or government of moral love, the government of charity. He then comes under the “new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another.” This second, or mediatorial sphere, is a moral one; hence this dispensation has been called the mediatorial dispensation. Hence I say there will be a second sphere of government, or second dispensation, as it was called; but that dispensation is only the magnification of the individual. It is only the representation of society as one great individual. Then there is a prophecy of the third and perfect dispensation, which is called the millennial, the divine dispensation. When the second shall have performed its mediatorial work, when every individual will have been perfected in his moral nature, and shall be prepared to receive influx from the divine, then will arise the third dispensation of government, known as the millennial. If we refer to the forms of expression by which it is designated, we will find it spoken of as taking place at the consummation of the age, at the end of the world, when that mediatorial age is through, when man is perfected in his moral nature, has put down all rule and power; then Christ himself becomes subject to the Father, and God, the Divine, becomes all in all. That brings in the third dispensation, the third sphere of government. These three spheres of love in man lay the foundation for the spheres exhibited in the Spirit-world. The governments upon the earth, as well as in heaven, have their basis in man. Man is but the footings-up of all past ages; and the Spiritual worlds have their foundation in him. Therefore, when you and I wish to study the Spirit-spheres, to know what constitutes a sphere and degree, we are not obliged to go out of ourselves and look into space ten, fifteen, or a thousand miles away. That is not the way to study the Spirit-world. The way is to go within and study the spheres of Spiritual being and affection. Individuals who are in either of these spheres are allied to one of the three spheres in the Spiritual world. The first is called the lowest, or dark sphere, the sphere of outer darkness, sometimes called the grave. The grave was called the place of darkness, where there was neither knowledge, or device, or wisdom, and was that to which allusion was made in saying, that those in the graves shall hear the voice of God, and shall live. It is sometimes called “Gehenna.” It corresponds to man’s lustful nature, and represents the darkness and impurity of man under the influence of his lusts. That is what characterizes the first or lowest sphere of Spiritual being. The second sphere corresponds to man’s intellectual or moral nature. It is called “Paradise,” the place of happiness. Jesus said to the thief on the cross, “To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.” Two days after, when Mary met him at the tomb, and offered to embrace him, he said, “Touch me not, for I have not yet ascended to my Father.”

He had been in Paradise—in the second sphere—and he told them that when he ascended to his Father they should see him no more. Both Gehenna and Paradise are spheres of Spirit-manifestation. Those who are charitable, and who do possess truly spiritual natures or affections, are in alliance with Paradise. Those in lust are in alliance with the sphere of lust or Gehenna. Those who have passed through, and fulfilled every impulse and every love in the second sphere, are said then to be brought into the divine presence. They no longer need a middle man between them and the Divine, because the Father can then speak directly to them. But so long as man is in the sphere of outer darkness or in Paradise, there is between him and the Divine (and he must approach by a mediator) something that can take the things of the Father and make them manifest to him in the visible sense. But when man has come into the third sphere, there is no longer a middle man; Christ himself becomes subject to the Father, and God becomes all in all. Then comes the New Dispensation, or the Consummation of the Christian Age. The point to which I wish to call your attention is, that the governments in earth, as well as in heaven, all have their basis in man —man being but the footings-up of all the ages of eternity. All is summed up in him; and he is the footings-up of all that preceded him; hence all the Spiritual spheres have their basis in man. Therefore, when we wish to study the Spirit-spheres, we are not obliged to go out of ourselves and begin to look off into space ten, fifteen, or one thousand miles away. The way is to come within, and ascertain the sphere of Spiritual being, Spiritual perception and affection; for all there is of the Spiritual universe is what has its basis in the individual Spirits who constitute the spheres.

As the societies of earth are composed of the individuals of earth, so are the spheres of the heavens composed of the individuals of the heavens, and the ruling nature of the different spheres is but the aggregate of the ruling loves of those composing those spheres. The laws of the spheres are but the laws of those composing the spheres. We are germinal universes. We are to be developed and unfolded consciously till the whole universe is translated into our consciousness. There is but one way to study the universe, and that is to come down into ourselves and study ourselves. This idea of looking out of ourselves, looking to any external method outside of our consciousness to find out what constitutes a Spiritual sphere or degree, is all fallacious. Spirits may come and rap, talk, and preach till doomsday; if they can not find the elements within your consciousness out of which they can construct that Spiritual sphere, you can not perceive or get any true idea of Spirit-spheres. It is as though I were born blind, and had never seen the light, and of course knew nothing of light, color, and darkness, and some individual should endeavor to make me believe that I was living in total darkness, when there would be no part of my being to which he could appeal to make me believe. There would be no possibility of conveying the thought to my mind, because I should have no conscious experience of light, color, etc. Outward language could not give me the idea. Unless I have had the conscious experience to give me the idea out of which to construct the idea, the Spirits from the Spirit-world may come from every sphere and degree, and they can not convey to my mind an accurate idea of those spheres and degrees. If they would make me understand who God is, and what he is, they must find in me the elements out of which to construct that God. I say it is useless to look for information out of yourselves until you know what is in yourselves. The first lesson is to learn who and what am I. I propose to commence my investigations in each individual’s own consciousness, starting with affirmations of that consciousness, and with definitions about which we can not disagree, and then go forward step by step, demonstrating every point, and ascertaining the law of manifestation as that law is revealed in us. I do not ask Spirits, and do not wish them to come to tell me about the law that governs in their sphere. The truth is, we can not avoid the fact, that all communications that come understandingly, must come in the method that God has ordained, and that method is that it must be written by his law upon our consciousness; and when it is written so, Spirits can come and point out the writing to us; and that is the best they can do. I desire you to understand distinctly what will be the basis of my lectures, what will be the points I shall attempt to establish. I shall endeavor to prove Spiritualism. I shall not come to the raps for a considerable time. They are so far off, I shall not attempt to prove Spiritualism by rapping for some time yet. People say we have got beyond the rapping. The truth is, a large portion of the world have not yet got to the raps. They are not yet able to appreciate the raps. We must make considerable progress before we can get the philosophy of the raps. We have much to learn yet before we can get the full benefit of a simple sound, even though it be not accompanied by much intelligence. The first lesson I shall attempt to teach—pardon me for assuming to be a teacher, I will be a pupil at any time—is how to study and know yourselves; how to ascertain the laws of your being, action, and manifestation; how to determine what is and what is not spiritual in you; how to determine whether you are under Spirit-influence or not—for there are laws by which all these things can be determined. In my investigation I shall perhaps be able to determine where that terrible creature, Jack, the Giant-killer, the Odylic force, resides, and show what it can and what it can not do. And I promise, too, in the face and eyes of all theorizers who believe that the Spiritual manifestations are traceable to this force, and to the satisfaction of everybody else, to demonstrate that it is not competent to produce them. I will demonstrate it according to President Mahan’s hypothesis. I will show by every known law of nature that the power exerted at the brain’s center, in a single instance he has given, was equal to a thousand steam-engines of a million horse-power at the distance of five feet from the brain. But that will merely come in as collateral when I consider the objections offered to our theory. I will endeavor to consider every objection which any objector has proposed to bring forward. I do not stand here to boast, but what I speak is to me absolute. I stand here fearlessly, and invite all classes of minds to raise any objection they can to the Spiritual theory; and I bind myself to answer them instanter, or confess my inability to do so. The invitation commences now, and extends to every moment I am in the city.

In my next lecture I shall begin with the question of Spirit-spheres, and endeavor to unfold to the consciousness of each of you the evidence of the existence of a first sphere, from which you will all do well to escape; and shall then proceed to prove the existence of other spheres, namely, the second, or relational sphere, and a third, or divine sphere. I invite skeptics and atheists in particular to be particularly captious.