"The Lord God
made the earth
and the heavens and every plant
of the field before it was in the
earth, and every herb of the field
before it grew."
Gen. 2:4-5.
THE QUESTION uppermost in the world of thought today
is whether a man has the capacity, equipment, and power
to control his life; whether he can be what he wants to
be; or whether he is a drop in the great ocean of life.
Millions are affected by unemployment, poverty, and
want. Can they help it ? Where we have thousands of
homes broken on the rocks of matrimony, can such a
breach be repaired. Millions complain of sickness and
disorder in countless forms. All this gives rise to the
belief that we are victims of circumstance over which we
have no control. Such belief makes of us fatalists and
karmic addicts instead of masters and controllers of our
destinies. A fatalistic belief is contagious, and when
man submits to its influence, believing that the
circumstances around him are stronger than the power
within him, that man is defeated before the race is run.
In the history of the race and the biography of man,
there is a long list of evidences of man overcoming
circumstances and meeting his problems of life.
Evolution and anthropology alike furnish the truth that
man is responsible for what he is. He has power to
control his circumstances, and by using this power he
has created other circumstances more necessary in his
upward climb. Yet some, not sure that we create our
circumstances, are rather prone to think that they are
caused by heredity, karma, environment, or numerous
other external things. These are the real reasons, they
think, for our failures. They believe in the natural
limitations of life; they live in the conviction that as
we are, so we must remain; they are sure that what is to
be will be. TOP
The scientist on the other hand, searching into the
mysteries of human life, reveals to us a wonderful world
of power, possibility, and promise.
He tells us that the mind is the creative cause of all
that transpires in the life of man,
that the personal conditions are the results of man's
action,
that all the actions of man are the direct outcome of
his ideas,
that we never make a move of any kind until we first
form some image or plan in the mind.
These plans or ideas are powerful, potent;
they are the causes good, bad, or indifferent, of the
following effects, which in turn correspond to their
natures.
He tells us that these ideas liberate a tremendous
energy.
Hence, when we learn to employ our minds constructively,
we use correctly these hidden powers, forces, and
faculties.
This, the scientist tells us, is the KEY to success in
living life. TOP
There is a marvelous inner world that exists within man,
and the revelation of such a world enables man to do, to
attain, and to achieve anything he desires within the
bounds or limits of Nature. I believe the reason the
famous English literary genius, William Shakespeare, is
the leading dramatist of the world lies in this realm.
The great Greek dramatists with their noted insight
always saw the causes in some external fate or destiny
that brought about the downfall of their characters, but
Shakespeare saw something within the man as the cause of
his failure or success.
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in
ourselves that we are underlings."
We see Hamlet wrestling with his reluctant, indecisive
soul. Macbeth is being pulled and driven by his
ambition. Othello is torn and discomfited by his
jealousy. Always the characters were battling with their
inner selves as though the dramatist were saying: "You
are the master of your circumstance; call forth your
power, initiative, and ingenuity, and be the master.
Fate is in your hands, determine it.,' If every man has
the power and privilege to determine his fortune, what
is that power? How can we recognize it?
If all conditions are the result of our actions, and all
actions are the outcome or the fruit of our ideas, then
our ideas must determine the conditions in our daily
lives. An idea is a thought or a group of thoughts. An
idea is an image or a picture in the mind. There must
have been an idea, a mental picture, back of every well
known achievement and invention. From the beginning this
is the creative plan. We read in the first book of the
Bible that the Great Architect, God, saw a finished
pattern or idea before it grew. There was a mental
picture established within the mind of the Creator
before it became a reality on the without in some form
of a creature. TOP
"The Lord God made the earth and the heavens and every
plant of the field BEFORE it was in the earth, and every
herb of the field BEFORE it grew."
Every architect and builder follows the same plan
whether he is building or planning a house, a bridge, an
institution, or his own life. Every man is his own
designer and builder; like the Creator, he makes his
creations within before they materialize on the outside.
All fears of sickness, poverty, and old age, are
impressions, ideas, and mental pictures, long before
they become painful realities. Every idea and mental
picture must produce after its own kind whether the
picture is good or bad; the Law determines it so. The
Law does not question or challenge the kind of picture
we give to it. It only knows that it must take what is
offered or planted, and then proceed to materialize it
into a visible form. Some men can visualize great
engineering achievements, yet they do not know that by
the same method they can overcome their diseases and
despairs and enjoy the health and happiness they long
for. Mechanical engineering is the same as mental
engineering; they are both dependent wholly upon a
creative intelligence. Mental photography, like
mechanical photography, produces exactly what it sees. A
picture of a homely, unsightly person never turns out to
look like a Beauty Pageant winner; nor does the little,
short person look tall and large on a photograph. A
picture of black will not be white; neither can
negative, destroying ideas produce constructive and
positive results. If the ideas are negative, they will
in turn create negative results. TOP
I knew a woman who once lived in a beautiful home in an
exclusive suburban district with every comfort that
wealth could supply to make her happy. This home was a
large rambling house, facing a beautiful lake, with
green terraces sloping to its edge. Flower gardens,
perfectly kept, were scattered freely along each path
throughout the estate. She had many servants to help
her, and from observation her life was just about as
complete as one might dream about. But, with all this
wealth and beauty, the woman was heard to remark to her
friends that she hoped the day would come when she would
be relieved of the big house and all its problems and
could live in a trunk. She wanted a room to herself, for
herself, and just large enough to move about without any
extra space to dust and to keep clean.
A few years elapsed. Her husband died and left the
estate to her. She sold the home at sacrifice. Her other
holdings depreciated so much in value through unwise
investments and transfers that she had but a small
income left.
She went to live with a sister, and, true to her wish,
she now has a small room on the third floor and
practically lives in a trunk. Whether she is happier now
than before I do not know, but I doubt it. One thing I
do know; that is, she gradually led herself to the small
room and privations when her consciousness began to grow
small and limited. She unconsciously touched the
creative principle and supplied it with ideas of
smallness and privacy and limitation which materialized
within a few years' time. TOP
As we assimilate in mind these ideas or mental pictures,
we, knowingly or unknowingly, exercise a power to
produce them. This creative process continues working
night and day until the idea is completed. We cannot
picture thoughts of poverty, failure, disease and doubt,
and expect in return to enjoy wealth, success, health,
and courage. It just can't be done, any more than the
photographer can take a beautiful picture of a homely
creature.
This creative principle is summarized in a sentence
found in Proverbs. It reads: "As a man thinketh in his
heart, so is he." You may have read or heard the
statement before. It has been taught and expounded by
philosophers of every age. You may have tried to prove
the statement by ridding from your memory all negative
thoughts, but because it took determined and persistent
effort, you wearied. Then you dropped back into the
current of old conditions and ideas and, if anything,
became worse off than before. Others, hearing the
statement, were not impressed, for they could not accept
the assertion that all in harmonies of life are the
results of their own beliefs, or of their past thinking
crystallized into beliefs. They prefer to blame this
upon something, or someone else. Even God is given a
share of the blame. There are others who believe that in
God's good time all things will eventually work out to
their satisfaction, but this is not so. These people are
planning for a heaven to be gained at some future time,
when it is actually a condition and state of mind that
can be had now as well as hereafter. In fact, unless it
is gained here and now, it can never be had in the
future. At some time in a man's life he is forced to
reckon with this creative law. There is no alternative.
Everyone is governed by the Law, whether he knows it or
not. Possibly it is the same idea that some have
concerning prayer. They think it is God's fault, will,
or desire, when they do not get the answer they seek.
They use God as their scapegoat and excuse when their
prayers are unanswered, or when they are unable to
explain some act of God or of Nature. "God's will be
done," is one of the most overworked and least
understood statements in our day. Some use the idea as a
crutch to lean upon, when in reality it is a powerful
bridge over which man may cross the deepest chasms and
mysteries. It is man's failure, if his prayers are
unanswered. The creative Law is ever ready to answer and
cannot fail to respond when approached rightly and
wisely. At the moment that man is able to contact and to
realize the Law, he will at once enjoy the benefits. It
is the realization of the Law in action that determines
manifestation. TOP
An electrician, for example, does not pray and wait for
the electric energy to make up its mind to serve him. He
learns first hand the laws of conduction and
transmission in order to know how to cooperate with the
law that governs electric energy. After gaining this
knowledge he can go ahead and set up the machinery which
provides the means to generate and direct the power.
Then he can snap in a switch and operate giant machines,
create heat, set in motion countless other devices, or
flood a room with light. He can do this, not once or
twice, but as many times as he chooses, so long as he
does not disturb the mechanics or violate the law
governing the energy. The same principle holds true in
all other sciences, including the science of mind.
There is a scientific way of thinking about everything,
a true and a right way that prevents the needless waste
of mental energy and produces the desired results on all
occasions. As explained, all things and events, all
experiences and conditions of life, are results. All
results, however, will vary in quality and in quantity
in accordance with the degree of knowledge possessed and
in the measure of the mind's activity.
The quality of the results produced by the individual
thinker may be good, bad, or indifferent, as may be
determined by conscious direction and choice, or lack of
such; some results being harmonious and favorable, while
others are discordant and unfavorable, or there may be a
medley of the whole. It is absolutely essential to give
intelligent direction to the creative powers of the mind
to obtain the best and largest results in our particular
sphere of active expression. In fact, ]t is highly
important, from the standpoint of usefulness and common
duty, that we should endeavor to understand the mind and
its workings, and learn how to cultivate and develop
those processes of thinking that will give us mastery
over life and its conditions. TOP
Thinking is a perpetual process. It is a creative
function of life that is ever going on. We are engaged
in it and are producing results of some kind every hour
and day that we live, registering within ourselves the
exact effects of all our thinking. While we cannot stop
thinking, yet we possess the supreme privilege of being
able to determine the sort of results it is desired to
experience by regulating the form and quality of our
thought. How this is done in a simple and effective
manner is explained throughout these lessons. Our main
object is to arouse the individual to think for himself,
to cultivate his own powers, and thereby to take the
sure path of self development and true culture.
The great, self evident fact, which cannot be too often
repeated, is that when we change our thinking for the
better, we automatically change our lives for the
better. Modern psychology has conclusively demonstrated
that a change of thought must precede every change in
the life and in the affairs of man.
In the course of our studies we have discovered that the
more a mind is undeveloped, the more materialistic or
lower its individual point of view; while the more
developed the mind, the higher its individual point of
view. It does not follow that, because a person is
worldly wise and has retained a large number of facts
and experiences, such a one has a well developed or
highly evolved mind. On the contrary, that person may
have an undeveloped mind and be largely dominated by the
lower instincts. Narrowness of thought, limited views,
prejudiced convictions, and materialistic opinions are
signs of a lack of real development. TOP
Breadth of thought, wide and tolerant views, wholesome
convictions, and expanding conceptions are signs of
growth.
The small mind, however, need not remain small or
undeveloped. It can grow and expand and ultimately
become great. The path is clear and simple. Let such a
one form his own clear conceptions and strong
convictions from the loftiest point of view he can
reach, and then proceed to think and act accordingly.
Advancement will follow as a natural sequence. The law
is that the mind is no greater that its conceptions. As
you improve and enlarge your ideas and mental pictures,
you improve and enlarge your mind. As you aspire to
realize the larger truth, you must inevitably grow in
understanding. Again, the greater your power of mind,
the better you will be able to conduct the affairs of
life to use and advantage.
Next we may ask, if there is such a law of mind, what is
the Law's intention? Some may think that the Universal
Mind has no intention because It is impersonal. Yet
Jesus tells us that the Universal Mind has definite
intentions. He says:
"Fear not, little flock, it is your Father's good
pleasure to give you the kingdom." Thus we see that the
Universal Mind's intention is for the universal good;
therefore, our intention must take the same direction,
knowing that whatever works for the universal good will
work for the individual good, for the individual's
health and happiness, on this same principle. The
principle, that which blesses the whole, will bless all
its parts. TOP
When our intention becomes reconciled or cooperative
with the Universal intention, then we become an
expression of that good. This is working with the Law.
When man's intention is as God's intention, and not just
a mere personal caprice, a force is called into action
which gives direction to the undirected mind power.
Working with the Law, when we understand it, may become
as simple as touching the light button, like the
electrician, which, when we do, floods our mentality
with illumination and understanding.
We hear much today about cooperation, united effort,
merging of forces, and pulling together as a single unit
or team. We know the advantage of team work in our games
of sport and play. We learn from our games that no
grandstand play or individual "show off" is dependable.
It is likewise true with the game of living life. No man
can play the game alone. He must conform with the Law,
and it is better to cooperate with it than to be used
blindly by it. Someone said: "Man with himself as a
partner is a fool, but with God (Law) is a majority."
Thus, when man is able to combine or direct all his
thoughts, ideas, and desires for good, he will be able
to bring forth a continued stream of good.
Again referring to the Master, and appreciating all the
good work and miracles He accomplished, we see that He
never took personal credit for the results. He knew the
Law, and by working with it, was able to perform
miracles to the amazement of the unenlightened public.
He said: "It is not me, but the Father (Law) in me that
doeth the work." Thus all things work together for them
that love good (live the Law), because the love of good
unites itself with a stream of good, and not because
good steps out of its way to show its gratitude.
All failures in life are due to taking sides with the
finite around us. All success in life is due to taking
sides with the Law within us. Thus working with the Law
may be considered the same as taking the Law into our
minds and lives as a silent partner. We are then
conscious of the source and creator of all power, and
realize and receive the many benefits that surround us. TOP
You who are searching and grasping any and every idea
that comes along, in the hope that it will be a shortcut
method to solve the problems of life, you who condemn
and blame every misunderstood person or thing for your
failures and defeats, will never find a satisfying life
that way. You will find only an existence, and at its
best it will be variable and changing. Life with all its
attributes of good is a something that doesn't just
happen to touch a fortunate few. It is a something you
must create. It is a something you must plan, mentally
picture, and think about. You, who are seeking love,
fortune, happiness and success, must understand that it
is not something you may find, you cannot buy it nor
borrow it from another. No one can give it to you; you
must create it within yourself. Your desires and ideas
are like seeds you plant in the soil, but these are
planted in the soil of mind. After planting the thought
seeds you cultivate them, nurture them, and guard them
well until the harvest time. Then you will reap all that
you have sown, and abundantly. Of course he who has the
cleanest and most fertile garden will enjoy the best
returns.
We may realize from this lesson that we have the
capacity, for we can think, and in our thinking, create
desires and ideas. We have the equipment; it comprises
the ideas and thought seeds that we plant in the soil of
the mind. We have the power, for the Universal power of
mind is endowed within each and every one of us. All
that we may ever desire to have and to be is ours for
the asking as we correctly apply the Law of life, the
Law of Mind. When a circumstance arises we are not to
come under it, to submit to it in servitude, but we are
to surmount it, to overcome and master it, by exercising
the creative law of thinking, and thus grow in wisdom
and power. For, as Dr. John Murray so often said, "We
are according to our system of ideas."
