Foreword
"All we have willed or hoped or dreamed of good, shall exist, not its semblance, but itself." Browning.
The thing that which hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done.
Ecclesiastes 1:9.
The sages of the centuries, each one tincturing their thought with their own soul essence, have united in telling us that, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." It has been established by the experience of the ages that always the law is the same. But HOW shall one think in their heart, so that only goodness may blossom and ripen into rich deed and rare result? What is the apparently mysterious secret by which life's dull metal is transmuted into precious mintage?
It is my purpose to tell you in this little book. I desire to crystallize the love inspired words of my revered master, as reflected through the mirror of my mind and soul. I have adopted as my means of expression, the dialogue style, familiar to all students of that greatest of all speculative philosophers, Plato. I am convinced, through years of study of this almost superhuman mind, that this literary form is the one most nearly calculated to convey the most subtle shades of meaning, the richest depth of soul-sounding.
I know that my readers will agree with me that if they will put themselves in my place, as students, and let me answer them as my master answered me, it will clarify their interest and intensify their joy in these lessons.
What I wish particularly to convey to you within these pages is the method of scientific right thinking, and to awaken in you the desire to try to use this method in order to form the habit of thinking ONLY the thoughts you wish to see crystallized in a worthy achievement or result. In addition, I want to direct your thoughts toward a better understanding of that Spirit of God, or Good, which points the way to the roseate dawn of a new civilization. The rapidity with which the ideas of man are changing causes humanity to realize that this new civilization is already manifesting itself through a clearer understanding of the relation between man and his Maker.
The epochal keynote of the present generation is that mind is the kingdom in which man reigns supreme. As the poet says, "A brute I might have been, but I would not sink I' the scale." In endeavoring to make conscious use of thought-power, causing it to produce desired material results, mankind is beginning to understand the indispensability of absolute control.
My chief idea in sending forth this message is to make it easier for you to live in hourly consciousness that you have been given dominion over every adverse circumstance and condition which may arise. The conscious use of the creative power of thought to protect and guide you, as well as to provide for you, is only attainable through understanding the "natural relations between mental action and material conditions."
Your reading of these lessons should be with a steadfast determination to think rationally and effectively on every word, in order that the full meaning of each thought may be thoroughly grasped and comprehended. Thought-power is the kingdom of God in us, always creating results in our physical forms corresponding to our normal sustained thought. As Troward has said, "Thought is the only action of the mind. By your habitual thoughts you create corresponding external physical conditions, because you thereby create the nucleus which attracts to itself its own correspondence, in due order, until the finished work is manifested on the material plane."
This is the principle upon which we shall proceed to work out a simple and rational basis of thought and action whereby we may bring into outer expression any desired goal. Let us work together to this end.
Interpreting the Word
Feeling that an explanation of some of the words employed in anunusual way in these lessons may be helpful to the student, I hereinoffer a list of such words, together with my interpretation.
Absolute
"That which is free from limit, restriction, or qualification."(Webster.) "An idea from which the elements of time and spaceare entirely absent." (Troward.)
Example: Thinking in the absolute would be simply dwelling upon theintrinsic qualities of love without reference to whom you love or thevarious forms through which love expresses itself.
Mind is absolute because of its self-reaction.
Being
Life, that unformed power of life which controls circumstances andconditions. Troward's "Bible Meaning and Bible Mystery,"pages 77-79.
Belief
A certain quality in the creative power of thought, which manifestson the external plane in exact correspondence to the quality ofbelief entertained. If you believe that your body is subject todisease, then the creative power of thought of disease results in adiseased body. Troward's "Edinburgh Lectures of MentalScience," page 14.
Body
The instrument through which thoughts and feelings are expressed. Theenvelope of the soul.
Brain
The instrument through and in which the action of the UniversalParent Mind expresses itself in specific form as individual thoughts.Brain is not the mind, but the mind's instrument.
Christ
A State of consciousness which is altogether good, and a quality offeeling which manifests in physical form. The most perfect spiritualconcept.
Circumstances
The outward effect which corresponds to the inward tendency ofthought.
Conception
William James says "...denotes neither the mental state nor whatthe mental state signifies, but the relation between the two."
Concentration
"Bringing the mind into a condition of equilibrium which enablesus to consciously direct the flow of spirit to a definite, recognizedpurpose and then carefully to guard our thoughts from inducing a flowin the opposite direction." - Edinburgh Lectures of MentalScience. Page 88. (Troward.)
Conditions
The result of mental tendencies. Harmonious thought producesharmonious physical and material conditions, which still furtherreact to sweeten thought.
Consciousness
Activity of mind which enables it to distinguish itself from thephysical form in which it manifests.
Create
To bring into existence. Thought is creative, because it alwaysbrings into physical or objective existence forms which correspond toitself.
Death
Absence of life. Loss of consciousness, with no capacity to regainit. Example: If a thought has been absolutely eliminated from theconsciousness and cannot be recalled, it is dead to you.
Faith
"The divine promises and individual faith are correlations."Combine them, and there is no limit to what you can do through thecreative power in this quality of thought." Essential thought.Therefore every call to have faith in God is a call to have faith inthe power of your own thought about God." (Troward)
A confident expectant attitude of mind. Such a mental attituderenders your mind receptive to the creative action of the spirit oflife. Have faith in the force of your own thought. You have manytimes experienced what it will do. Jesus' statement, "Have faithin God and nothing shall be impossible unto you." is not a merefigure of speech; it is a scientific fact, simply stated. Yourindividual thought is the specialized working of the creative powerof life. (All Life.)