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diff --git a/76483-0.txt b/76483-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..55ed52b --- /dev/null +++ b/76483-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,666 @@ + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 76483 *** + + + + What Is Truth? + + By Wallace D. Wattles + + The Nautilus + Holyoke, Massachusetts + Vol. XI Nos. 6-11 + April-September, 1909 + + + + + + I. + + TIME. + + A BALLOON GOES UP; A STONE FALLS TO EARTH; WHY? ONE FORCE IN + NATURE--G R A V I T Y. + +The science of theology and medicine are necessarily very closely +allied, both having to do with the saving of men from the consequences +of wrong living; and it follows that in religion and medicine we +are always seeking for realities; searching the truth; seeking the +ultimate, spiritual and physical facts upon which to base our theories, +and from which to proceed in making our demonstrations of health and +wholeness. And since our demonstrations must and will be complete or +incomplete just in proportion to the completeness of our grasp of the +realities, the importance of the search for truth becomes apparent; +the very first thing we have to do is to penetrate through all the +appearances of life, and ascertain the differences between what is +really true and what is only apparently true; for there is often a vast +difference between the appearance and the reality. The sun appears to +rise and set, and to go around the earth; but it does not. A balloon +goes up; and a stone falls to the earth; in appearance there are two +forces at work, but in reality there is only one--gravity. The reality +behind the going up of the balloon and the coming down of the stone +is the same. And to seek for the realities behind the appearances of +life; behind its goings up and comings down, its goings out and comings +in,--that is science, and that is what we are going to try to do. + +The first of the realities with which we will deal is Time. It is the +fashion with some metaphysical writers to assert that there is no time; +but the arguments advanced in support of this claim are superficial. +Time is not an entity having substance, but it is an existing reality, +nevertheless. Time is not an idea; a fiction by which we measure and +record the motions of the heavenly bodies; time would go on just +the same and at exactly the same rate if the heavenly bodies were +motionless. Do not misunderstand me in my use of the word “time.” Many +people suppose that time began when man began, and must end when man +ends as a mortal and physical being, and that the periods before and +after the earth life of the human race are to be called eternities; +in other words that there can be no time except so long as there is a +mortal man to measure it; but this is erroneous. Days, weeks, months +and years must have gone on before man came on earth, just as they +do now; and if man disappeared from the earth, they would still go +on. If the earth ceased to revolve around the sun, and to turn on its +axis, the succession of the seasons and of day and night would cease; +day would be continuous on one side of the earth, and night upon the +other, but hours and minutes would go on just the same, and if the sun, +moon, planets, stars and all else were to disappear and be succeeded by +black, silent, formless chaos, hours and minutes would go on forever. +Clocks do not make time; an hour would have the same duration if there +were no clocks. In eternity there must still be time; time is duration +in eternity. Eternity is endless time. + +Time can never end. If you try to think of a point at which time should +end, you can only think of it as a point beyond which there must be +still more time. Also, then, time can never have had a beginning; for +if you try to think of a point at which time began, you can only think +of it as a point beyond which there must have been still more time. Do +not say that endless time is unthinkable; you can very easily think +endless time, if you do not try to think of the end of it. You cannot +_comprehend_ endless time, for that means to contain it in your mind, +or to go around it; but you can know what it is, and you can know that +it is. + +Time is; and we must use it, whether we will or no. And the use we make +of present time decides the use we shall be able to make of future +time; just as the use we made of past time has fixed our place in +present time. The use we make of today decides the use we shall be able +to make of tomorrow. To be strong and wise is to be able to use time +well; and to use time well is to become continually stronger and wiser. +Success, growth and development are only attained by the right use of +time; and we are failures today in exact proportion as we have erred +in our use of time past To know the right use of the present moment +is therefore of immense importance; and to have the will to make the +right use of it is more important still. If man can--and will--make the +right use of every moment of time, he must certainly become a being of +marvellous power and wholeness. Oh, the wasted time! The misspent time! +The lost time! + +We close this chapter, then, by claiming the demonstration of our first +fact; that time is a reality. + + + + + II. + + SPACE. + + CAN SPACE HAVE BOUNDARIES? + +Bear in mind that in the first chapter we prove that time is an +existent reality; in this chapter we shall try to prove that space also +exists. Space is the place where a thing is; and it is also the place +where no thing is. Space is the place where the earth is; the earth’s +diameter being about 7,925 miles, it fills so much space; if the earth +were to disappear, the 7,925 miles of space would still exist, but it +would then be empty space whereas now it is filled space. The sun, +also, fills space, and the distance between the earth and the sun is +space; beyond the sun is more space, and beyond the earth still more; +and so on. It does not matter whether space is occupied or unoccupied; +empty or filled; it is space, all the same. Space is a reality. +Distance is a portion of space between two given points. Endless +distance would comprise all of space in one direction. + +Space has three dimensions: Length, breadth and thickness. It could +never have a beginning, and can never have an ending. If all created +things, and all substance should disappear, space would still exist; it +would be merely blank, empty space, where now is filled space. Also, +space can have no boundaries. If you try to think of a boundary to +space, what will you think of as lying beyond the boundary? Something +solid? Then that something solid must itself occupy space, while if +there is nothing there, that nothing must be unfilled space. So, beyond +any boundary that you can set for space, there must be still more +space. Space is a reality; beginningless, endless, boundless. Time is a +reality; and yet, neither time nor space are substantial things. They +possess no power. They do not act, neither can they be acted upon. Time +can be used, and space can be occupied; and that is what we do with +them; we occupy space and make use of time. + +Space is the field in which we must operate, and contain the raw +materials which we must use. The claim has been made that space is +non-existent to mind or spirit, because it does not require appreciable +time for the transference of thought; but the validity of this +deduction has not been proved. The distances with which we are able +to deal are very limited; it might require a measurable time to send +thought to the sun, or to the planet Mars, or for a spirit to travel +those distances. Again, the argument is advanced that the moon “acts” +on the earth; and that, as a thing cannot act where it is not, there +is no space between the moon and the earth; but this is puerile. The +moon does not, and cannot act on the earth, because it does not touch +the earth; if it affects the earth at all, it must act on something +which is between them, and which in turn acts on the earth. And this +something which is between the earth and the moon occupies space. + +I have spoken of filled space and empty space. I do not know whether +empty space exists or not, but it is quite thinkable that it should +exist. There may be portions of empty space, surrounded by filled +space; or there may be endless extensions of empty space, side by side +with endless extensions of filled space; I do not know. I know that +there is filled space, and that there may be empty space. But, if there +is filled space, what fills it? The answer to this must be in one +word--Substance. That which is not substance is not anything, and that +which is not anything cannot fill space. Space is filled by substance, +and cannot be filled by anything else; but what is substance, and how +do we know that it exists? That we leave for the next chapter, closing +this with the claim that we have demonstrated that we live in space, +and that life consists in making use of time. + + + + + III. + + Substance. + + REAL NATURE OF SUBSTANCE--A CURIOUS FACT CONCERNING THE GROWTH OF + VEGETABLES--DOES SUBSTANCE OCCUPY ALL OF SPACE?--THE THREE GREAT + REALITIES. + +Substance is that which occupies space. In its more compact and rigid +forms substance is perceptible by the senses, and is then called +matter; but in its finer and more ethereal forms, when it cannot be +perceived by the senses, substance is still matter, and is essentially +the same. The apparently many substances of nature are in reality only +varying forms of one Substance; the differences between them are due +to varying degrees of pressure, and to the form and rate of vibration +of the atoms which compose them. Ice is a solid substance; water a +partially fluid substance; the vapor arising from water verges on the +gaseous state; and oxygen and hydrogen are gases. But a piece of ice +may be brought back through all these stages, and converted into oxygen +and hydrogen, and no change is made in it except that in the fluid +state the atoms are less firmly pressed together than in the solid +state; and in the gaseous state the bond of cohesion is still weaker, +and the atoms circulate or roll around each other more freely than in +the fluid state. It is now a well-known fact that nearly all the growth +of the vegetable kingdom comes from the atmosphere; trees, plants and +flowers are solidified air. The furniture in our homes, and the walls +of the houses in which we live are merely solidified gases; burn them, +and they return to their original state, leaving only a handful of +ashes as “material” evidence of their existence, and if we learn to +treat these ashes with the right agencies, they, too, will vanish into +the ethereal realm. The earth itself, so firm and solid under our feet, +was indisputably once a ball of flaming gases and vapors, and in the +stage before that, must it not have been still more ethereal? It is all +solidified atmosphere. Our own bodies are compounds of gases; in the +crematory the human form vanishes. All things came out from the ether, +and all things are ether, _changed_ to more or less solid forms by +differences in atomic pressure and cohesion. + +All this brings us to the conclusion that the many seemingly different +substances--iron, wood, coal, lime, water, etc., are merely different +forms of one thing; that there is only one elemental substance, from +which all created things are shaped. As we find that solid things are +the gaseous atmosphere, solidified by an increased atomic pressure, so +we shall no doubt find that the gases are produced from one ether, +being brought to the semi fluid state by increased pressure, and at +last we must conclude that there is one perfectly fluid substance, of +which are made all the things which do appear. This One Substance is +the stupendous reality behind all the appearances of the material world. + +We will now take up the study of this substance. First, we must get rid +of the idea that there is anything else. Substance is all there is. We +live, and move, and have our being in substance; we, ourselves, are +substance. We must conclude that substance cannot have been created, +for that it should have been formed out of nothing is unthinkable. +Substance always was; forms have been created, and are being +continually created, changed, and modified; but the substance of which +those forms are made is the same, yesterday and today and forever. +When I speak of forms, I mean the so-called “material” universe; suns, +stars, planets, seas, continents, trees, plants, gases, and the bodies +of animals and men; all these are varying forms of the One Changeless +Substance, which is all, and in all. And as this substance has existed +through all of time past, so it will exist through all of time future, +for it is indestructible; we may change its forms, but not one particle +of it can we destroy. + +Does this substance occupy all of space? Evidently not, for the more +nearly we carry its forms to their original state the more fluid they +become; we go from solids back to gases, and from gases to ether, and +so on; and we conclude that the one substance must be perfectly fluid, +and if that be so, its particles cannot be solidly pressed together; +there must be space between them, as in all fluids. Furthermore, if +substance filled _all_ space motion would be impossible; for substance +can only move when there is unoccupied space to move into. And as +we know that there is motion, so we know that there must be empty +space. This is a matter of some importance when we come to the study +of consciousness; for if one substance completely filled all space, +it must be absolutely solid, with its atoms pressed rigidly against +each other; and not only could there be no motion in any part, but +there could be no separate consciousness in any part; if consciousness +were possible at all in a perfectly solid substance, it could only +be the consciousness of the whole. But if there is empty space, +there is not only room for motion, but there is room for separate +portions of substance, which may be conscious within themselves. If +there is empty space, there is room for man, as a separate portion of +original substance to move about and to have a consciousness of his +own. There may be more than one conscious intelligence, though there +is only one substance. We close this chapter with the claim that we +have demonstrated the existence of three realities: time, space and a +substance which moves in space. The next chapter will be devoted to the +consideration of consciousness. + + + + + IV. + + CONSCIOUSNESS. + + + EXPLANATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS.--MOTION A KIND OF ACTION.--WHAT + EFFECT IT HAS ON CONSCIOUSNESS--BRAIN AND CONSCIOUSNESS. WHICH + THE PRODUCT OF THE OTHER?--CONSCIOUSNESS IN VEGETABLE AND MINERAL + KINGDOMS LIMITED WHILE IN MAN ALMOST COMPLETE + +That consciousness exists does not need proof; we know, and we know +that we know. We are conscious of consciousness; and now we have to +consider the source of consciousness. Turning back to the realities +we have considered, we find that time cannot be the source of +consciousness; we cannot think of time as being conscious, and the +same is true of space. We cannot conceive of consciousness as existing +in empty space, for there would be nothing there to be conscious; and +so we see that only substance can be conscious. Where there is no +substance there is nothing, and there can be no consciousness. This is +a proposition which you should consider well, until you have mastered +it in all its bearings; that there can be no consciousness apart from +substance; that empty space cannot be conscious. If consciousness +exists--and it does--there is a Conscious Substance. + +This point we need to develop very fully, for it is vital. If it +is not substance which is conscious, then consciousness must exist +in the interstices between the particles of substance, or in empty +space; and it is empty space which is conscious, which is unthinkable. +But if consciousness exists in substance, then it is the substance +itself which is conscious; for there can be nothing in substance but +substance. It becomes clear, too, that consciousness cannot be the +result of functional action within an organism. Functional action is +merely motion, and motion is a shifting of substance from one place to +another. If consciousness were produced by motion, would it not still +be the substance which was conscious? Try to reason out how a substance +could be made conscious by shifting it from one place to another. If +consciousness was produced by the motion, then the substance could not +have been conscious before it moved, nor could it remain conscious +after it ceased to move. Try to think of a substance as becoming +conscious, and endowed with reason, memory and love while making a +certain motion, and as losing all these when ceasing to move; try to +reason out how motion could come first as a cause, and consciousness +follow as a result. Try to conceive of the Original Fluid Substance as +beginning, unconsciously, to move; and as producing, unconsciously, +all the orderly sequences of forms which appear in nature; and at +last, and only at last, becoming fully conscious of it all through the +unconscious beginning of a certain motion in the brain of man. Try to +think of full consciousness as having been lacking in the universe +until certain vibrations were started in the brain of man; you will +find all this unthinkable. Consciousness is not the result of motion, +but the first cause of motion. It is not motion which is conscious, but +substance. The human ego is Conscious Substance. + +The next question is whether consciousness is an attribute of substance +only in certain forms, or whether it inheres in original fluid +substance; and to that we now turn our attention. Is it the brain which +is conscious? Those who have kept abreast of the revelations of modern +psychology as set forth by William Hanna Thompson and others, know that +it is not. The substance of the brain is not conscious; or at least, +the substance of the brain is not _the_ conscious, thinking, reasoning +human ego. We have learned that the brain is the product, rather than +the producer of consciousness; and that the intelligent direction of +consciousness in the work of brain-building may produce almost any +desired change in the structure and capacity of the brain. Furthermore, +there are many evidences which go to show that consciousness is not +localized in, or confined to the brain, but extends throughout the +body; and that we are conscious, not with our brains alone, but with +our entire beings. If this should be proved true, and it is likely +to be, we will have to conclude that the “physical” body of man is +permeated and pervaded by a conscious substance which is co-extensive +with it in every part, and which is the real man. And we must also +conclude that this conscious substance is Original Substance, and in +a condition approaching its primal state; for it becomes apparent +as we go on that complete consciousness can only exist in Original +Substance in its primal state. Changes in state and form appear to +limit consciousness. The consciousness of the animal creation is +limited by their forms, and is little, if any, more than sufficient +for the reproduction of those forms; the consciousness of the tree and +plant is still more limited, but scientists now generally admit that +there is consciousness in the vegetable kingdom; and in the mineral +world, consciousness appears as directivity of atoms, and chemical +affinity. When we come to man, however, we find a capacity for growth +in consciousness which seems to be unlimited; hence we argue that man +is Original Substance in its primal state, or at least, that he may +attain to the primal state. + +Time is; space is. Space is occupied by conscious substance; and +there is but one substance, from which are made all the forms of the +visible creation. The physical body of man is a form of substance as +prepared through the processes of the visible creation; man, himself, +is original substance or spirit, inhabiting this physical body. “In the +image of God created He them.” + +It will be seen that while all is God, it is also true that man is man, +an independent entity, having a consciousness of his own, and that, +while all is spirit, matter exists, being spirit on a varying plane +of atomic pressure; and that while it is true that mind is in all and +through all, perfect consciousness exists only in original substance, +in pure spirit, or in God; and that the nearest approach to complete +consciousness is in man, whose unlimited capacity for growth proves him +to be at least, a near approach to original substance; a son of God. We +close this chapter with the assertion that time is; that space is, and +that space is occupied by a conscious substance which moves. We will +next consider the fourth reality: Motion. + + + + + V. + + MOTION. + + MOTION DEFINED--DO TIME AND SPACE MOVE?--TIME, SPACE, FORCE AND + ATTRACTION COMPARED.--A LOGICAL ANALYSIS OF “ATTRACTION” BY USING + EMPTY SPACE AS A BASIS. + +I presume no one will deny that motion is a reality; we know that we +move, and we know that motion is going on all around us. The immensity +of motion is staggering when we come to consider it; the motions of +stars, suns, planets and satellites; of rivers, lakes and seas; of wind +and clouds; of the circulation of sap and blood; of atomic vibration, +and so on. Motion is the cause of light and heat; of sound, tone, +color, electricity, magnetism. Differences in the shape and motion of +atoms make bodies solid or gaseous, and differentiate the so-called +“substances” from each other. It may be seen then that motion plays an +all-important part in the work of creation; that motion is the work of +creation in progress; and so the study of motion becomes very important +indeed. What is motion? + +That which moves is neither time nor space; it is not conceivable +that either time or space should move. That which moves is substance. +Motion, then, is a shifting of substance from place to place; or from +one part of space to another part of space. And are there different +kinds of motion? In a way, there are; and the difference depends upon +the time used in making the motion, and upon the direction in which +the motion is made. That is, there are fast and slow motions; circular +and linear motions; and those metaphysicians who contend that time and +space do not exist should consider that if there is no time there +is no such thing as fast and slow motion; and if there is no space +there is no motion at all, for there is no place to move to. No more +preposterous absurdity has appeared in modern thought than the denial +of the existence of time and space. Motion, then, is the shifting of +substance in space and time. And what causes motion? + +To this you will be ready to answer “forces”; and after a little +consideration you will see that that is no answer at all unless you +tell what force is. What is force, and how does it cause substance to +move? Force is not time; we cannot think of time as causing motion. +Force is not space; we cannot think of space as causing motion. If +force is substance and causes motion, then substance moves itself; and +if force is not substance, then it is nothing, or empty space, and +empty space cannot act on substance so as to cause it to move. It is +all very well for scientists to write of atoms as being “electrons” +or ultimate units of force; but these electrons are either substance +or they are not; and if they are not substance they are nothing but +empty space, and in that case there is no substance, no existence, +no consciousness, no anything. Either force is substance, or it is +something in substance; and if it is something in substance which is +not substance, what is it? And how can that which has no substance act +on substance so as to cause motion? Force is not motion, for it is the +cause of motion and the effect cannot be its own cause. Let me now try +to give you a definition of force. + +Force is pressure of substance against substance. Try to exert force +upon anything in any other way than by pressing substance against it; +can you do it? Try to cause a body to move in any other way than by +pressing something against it; can you do it? Try to conceive of force +as being exerted upon any body without pressing anything against it; +try to conceive of force as crossing a complete vacuum where is no +substance of any kind. Force is pressure of substance; that it can be +anything else is not thinkable. And this brings us to the consideration +of what is loosely spoken of as “attraction.” It is stated that all +solid bodies “attract” each other, and that every body in the universe +attracts every other body; but those who make these assertions do not +tell us how the attraction is accomplished. If bodies “attract” each +other, then they exert force upon each other; and if they exert force +upon each other they must cause pressure upon each other; for how +can a body exert force upon another except by causing pressure upon +it? If “attraction” is an unsubstantial thing, then it cannot affect +substance, or cause motion; if it is an unsubstantial thing, then it is +empty space; for where there is no substance there is only empty space. +Can you think of an “attraction” crossing an empty space? What would it +be like, and how would it get across? Can you think of a “vibration” +as crossing an empty space? How would it be transmitted where there +was nothing to vibrate? Can you think of a force as crossing an empty +space? What would be the shape, size and general appearance of a force +apart from substance? By considering all these points we see that what +we know as force is simply pressure of substance; or, one portion of +substance pressing against another portion of substance; and that force +can be nothing else than this. And we see that pressure causes motion, +and that motion, in turn, causes pressure; so that force and motion are +mutually convertible, each into the other. Also, we see that there is +only one force, the pressure of substance; and that all the so-called +“forces” of nature are merely different rates and modes of motion, and +have their origin in the One Force--pressure of substance. Furthermore, +we see that there is no such thing as a universal attraction which +bodies exert upon each other, but that there is a universal pressure, +impelling all bodies toward each other in a definite and orderly +way; and to the study of this universal pressure we will next turn +our attention. Time, space, substance and motion exist. Substance is +conscious. Motion is caused by pressure of substance against substance, +and the varying forms of substance in the visible creation are caused +by differences in motion. + + + + + VI. + + THE BEGINNING OF MOTION. + + ORIGIN OF MOTION--AN EXPOSITION OF FORCE AND MOTION FOUNDED ON THE + THEORY OF SPACE BEING OCCUPIED BY A FLUID CONSCIOUS SUBSTANCE--HAS + MOTION EVER A BEGINNING?--WILL AND WILL-PRESSURE ON MOTION--WILL OF + GOD THE ONE COMPELLING POWER + +To understand force and motion, we must go back to a supposititious +creation. Conceive, first, of space as being occupied by completely +conscious substance in a perfectly fluid state; conscious throughout, +alike throughout, and without motion. Now, can you conceive of motion +as beginning in any part of this substance without an act of will? Can +you think of your conscious self as beginning to act, and as continuing +to act in an orderly and consecutive series of motions without an +effort of will? If, as we have seen, original substance is completely +conscious, then its every motion must be a conscious motion; and we +cannot think of conscious motion without will. You are aware that you +can consciously originate motion yourself; but you cannot do it without +will. You are conscious substance; you can be nothing else as we have +seen, and you can move or cease to move by an exertion of your will, +and in moving or ceasing to move you cause the body you inhabit to +move or cease to move. We see motion beginning and ceasing all around +us; and we conclude that every motion had a beginning; and that the +beginning of the series of creative motions which have resulted in the +present universe of forms could only have been in an action of the will +of Original Conscious Substance. + +In the beginning, then, by an act of will, parts of substance were +made to press against each other; and this pressure must pack the +substance together, making it more dense, more rigid, and less fluid. +This pressure, also, must originate the motions we know as light, heat, +electricity and magnetism; and this will-pressure, drawing substance +together and holding it in coherent masses, is what we call gravity. +It is this will-pressure which brings an apple to the earth, and +which holds the earth itself in its orbit; which tends to bring all +the heavenly bodies together, and which yet holds them apart forever, +keeping each in its own place. There is no accounting for “attraction” +on other grounds than that it is the Creative Will of Original +Substance, pressing itself together into forms. Every phenomenon of +force or motion, from the circling sweep of a planet to the vibration +of an atom, has its origin in the will of the great Intelligent +Substance to which, or to whom, men have given the name of God. The +earth is held together solely by the pressure of the will which +permeates it; were that will relaxed, the earth would return instantly +to its original fluid condition. Try to think of substance as being +held together by something else than will; try to think of substance, +originally fluid, as being pressed into solid shapes and held in solid +shapes, and going on in orderly and consecutive motions without will; +and you will find it unthinkable. The earth is a part of Conscious +Being, holding itself in form by the exercise of the will which is in +all substance; gravity is the will exerted by substance in pressing +itself into form; so also is chemical affinity, or the directivity of +atoms. All motion originates in will-pressure. Trace back the motion +of the wheels to the engine and thence to the coal; and you say that +the latent heat-energy of the coal is causing motion. But what lodged +the heat-energy in the coal? Was it the will-pressure of gravity, in +the distant ages? There is only one force, and that is the will of the +Great Intelligence; the eternal creative pressure, moving substance +into the various forms in which it appears to us. + +In the beginning was God, Spirit, Conscious Substance, occupying the +calm deeps of space. An act of will, and there was sufficient pressure +to produce the particles of the luminiferous ether, whose vibrations +produce light; and there was light. A further act of will, increasing +pressing of substance together, and nebulous clouds appear; and by the +Great Will these were pressed into spheres with all the accompanying +phenomena of the motions of heat and electricity; and so the creation +of forms went, on until the visible universe appeared as it is; formed +of one substance, by the Will of God, and maintained and held together +by the continued exercise of that Great Will. + +The question of motive comes in just here. We cannot conceive of +continuous, orderly and systematic action without a motive; and the +question must come to our minds, what is the motive of the Great One +in His work? With a little reflection, the answer must present itself. +He is seeking happiness. We cannot conceive of a conscious being as +continuously seeking pain, inharmony or misery. Conscious action can +have but one motive, and that motive is ultimate harmony or happiness. +The purpose of God in the creation can be nothing else than His own +happiness, and since he is All and in All. His happiness can only be +attained in the happiness of all. Remember that the purpose of the +creation is the happiness of all, including yourself, and that to be +unhappy is to oppose the will of the Great Intelligence. + +Look now upon the immensity of the visible universe, and contemplate +the power of the Creator; see that in all and through all, from the +rolling on a planetary system to the rising of the sap in a blade of +grass, the one impelling power is the Will of God. And this Great +Intelligence is seeking pleasure and happiness in us, and through us. +Shall we doubt, then, that He can and will heal our diseases, give us +every good thing that we need, and guide us into all truth? In the next +chapter, we shall consider man’s relation to this Great Intelligence. + + + + + VII. + + MAN AND HIS POWERS. + + WHAT MAKES YOU MAN--THE CONSCIENCE OF THE ALL-WISE--HEALTH THE + HIGHEST GOOD--ABUNDANCE SECONDARY-LIVE IN CONSTANT AND CONSCIOUS + CONTACT WITH THE GREAT INDEPENDENT SUBSTANCE AND BE IDEAL! + +The universe is a Great Being, who is seeking happiness in and through +the forms which he creates from his own substance; and of all these +forms, man alone has power to enter into intelligent relations with the +Creator. To state it in other words, the great intelligence is seeking +happiness in you, and you have power to co-operate intelligently with +him in the search. That is what makes you man; the power to work with +God in the search for happiness. And if this Great One seeks your +happiness, it must be your most permanent and perfect happiness; that +is, your highest good; for being conscious of all that there is to be +conscious of, and knowing all that there is to know, he is all-wise; +and we cannot think of the all-wise as seeking anything less than the +highest good, or as being satisfied with anything less than the highest +good. + +As far as your physical body is concerned, the highest good that can +come to you is unquestionably perfect health. The notion that there are +circumstances under which pain and sickness are better for man than +perfect health must take its place among those superstitious beliefs +which have been exploded and discredited. Pain and sickness may be good +for man if he takes them rightly, but perfect health is always far +better if he takes that rightly; and it is a self-evident proposition +that God can find complete delight in man only as man is completely +whole. The Great Intelligence, then, seeks perfect health and wholeness +in you; and the substance of the Living One, filled with life and +power, presses upon you on every side, seeking to impart life and power +to you, but you being a portion of that great intelligence, are supreme +within your own personality, and so you will have health or not as you +receive and recognize this health of God, If you fail to recognize and +receive the All-health, and if you recognize disease within yourself, +you prevent God from reaching you; and you form within yourself that +which you recognize as existing. If you continuously recognize the +perfect health of the Intelligent Substance, in which you live and move +and are, and of which you are a part, you cannot be otherwise than well. + +It is another self-evident truth that man’s highest good demands that +he should have the use of all the things he is capable of using in +order to live all the life he is capable of living. Man’s highest good, +and his real happiness can be attained only when he has abundance for +every physical and mental need. Just as it is true that God cannot +fully delight in you if you are physically sick, so it is true that he +cannot find happiness through you if you are mentally or physically +starved, or lacking the essentials for life, growth and enjoyment. +Happiness consists in living fully; and God can live fully in you only +when you have everything to live with. So, the desire of the Great One +for you must be that you shall have abundance. + +But here again you are supreme within yourself. What if God presses +abundance upon you, and you persist in recognizing only privation and +poverty? If that be the case, you will remain poor in the midst of +abundance, as millions of people are doing; and to be poor, or in want +is to oppose the will of God, who seeks happiness in all, and for all. +We are parts of himself, and what can he do when his will is opposed +and his bounty rejected by a part of himself? + +The solution of man’s problems of health, wealth, and growth can be +reached when man unifies himself with God, the Great Intelligent +Spirit, Substance, who seeks life and happiness in man; and man +can unify himself with God only by constantly recognizing God; by +considering and acknowledging God, and by looking to God in prayer. +The prayer of faith is really an affirmation; and an affirmation is +the recognition of an existing fact. When you live in constant and +conscious contact with the great intelligent substance you can have no +sickness; and his desire for happiness in you will cause the exertion +of that mighty will-pressure to bring to you all the things that make +for your highest good. The man who can completely unify himself with +the divine substance becomes a center toward which the divine will +impels every desirable thing; and that man will not, and cannot, lack +for anything. + +The universe is a Great Being; an intelligent substance, occupying +space and using time. His desire leads Him to create forms from His own +substance, and in these forms He seeks happiness. Man has but to unify +himself with this Great Being to secure the supply of every need, and +the gratification of every desire. Man only needs to learn how to pray +and how to work. + + + + + =Transcriber’s Notes= + + Perceived typographical errors have been silently corrected. + + New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the + public domain. + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 76483 *** |