The Infinite Way
| Chapter - Soul
Often those in the depths of some deep sorrow break through the mist of material sense to the recesses of their inmost being, where they discover the Soul, or Reality, of being. They become Soul-conscious, and find new values, new resources, new and different strength, and an existence of an entirely different nature. The exercise of the Soul-faculties results in breaking the illusions of sense. All human discords are products of material sense and are experienced through the five physical senses -- that is, all mortal inharmonies are seen, heard, felt, tasted, or smelled. Existing only in this material state of consciousness, discords and disease have their being merely as false sense, or illusion, though naturally seeming very real to the senses. There are many means of securing temporary relief from erroneous conditions of health, wealth, and other inharmonies of daily existence. Complete and final destruction of error comes only through the achievement and exercise of the faculties of the Soul. The Soul is that part of man which lies buried deepest within him and is therefore seldom realized. We use our mathematical faculties and our musical faculties because these lie nearest the surface of our being, an much more than these, even, our ordinary business faculties and our sense of direction, or even our artistic sense, but artists and authors and skilled musicians go deeper within their being and bring forth the great harmonies of fine music, good literature, paintings, sculpture, and architecture. Hidden even deeper than these, yet within the reach of our own consciousness, lies the Soul and Its faculties. These Soul-powers, when touched by us, come forth from within us and reach every avenue of our daily life, giving inspiration, beauty, peace, joy, and harmony to each moment of our existence and clothing every event in our experience with love, understanding, and success. Those too busy with the pains and the pleasures of sense will not, of course, reach the realm of Soul. Throughout the ages the invitation has been extended to mankind to drink of this fountain of living waters, and every generation has produced many men and women who have found eternal youth and peace within themselves. Every so often one arises who has drunk more deeply at the fount of Soul, and these seers have told of the kingdom within and of the life that may be lived through Grace when this consciousness is achieved. On the other hand many answer that they have great human duties which occupy all their time; others require so much time for sense pleasures, pastimes, and recreation; still others are immersed in accomplishing and acquiring. More and more, people are beginning to realize that freedom from fear, insecurity, want, and ill health is not to be found in the material realm. Wars will not end wars; investments will not ensure security from want. Medicines alleviate pain, but do not produce real health. Some greater power than can be found in the human body or thought must be tapped to give us the happiness and harmony and peace that are our birthright. This power is available to everyone because it is already a part of our being--in fact, it is the greatest part of our being. As the iceberg reveals only a portion of itself to sight above water, so our human powers of body and mind represent not more than one-third of our powers and faculties. The powers of the Soul are more real and tangible than any of the material powers of nature or invention. They operate on a higher level of consciousness, but are made evident in so-called human affairs. Soul-forces act upon the human body to produce and maintain health and harmony. They touch every avenue of daily existence as protective influences and are the source of infinite supply. The Soul-conscious people of this world live an inner life of peace, joy, and dominion and an outer life in complete harmony with themselves and with all the world of men, animals, and things. They are in tune with their Soul-powers, and this constitutes their at-one-ment with all creation. Everyone may have access to the Soul. It lies deep within the recesses of our own being. Desire for the higher attainments of life is the first requisite, and then must follow a continuous turning within until the goal has been attained. A good start may be made through the realization of the truth that there is more even to human existence than corporeal health and material supply. When we catch a glimpse of the fact that more dollars, homes, or automobiles do not constitute supply, that more travel does not constitute recreation, that absence of illness is not necessarily health, in other words, that "My kingdom is not of this world," we are going in the right direction to discover the realm of Soul. We all know how to use material force, as when we lift some weight through the strength of our muscles, or exert pressure through arms or legs, and we also understand how to exert mental pressure as in deep thought or through personal will. That there is a Soul-force, we know, but that this Soul-power can do more for us than all the material and mental power combined is but little suspected. Perhaps one reason for the world's lack of interest in this vast subject is that this great reservoir of power resident in our Soul cannot be used for selfish purposes. Think of the enormity of this -- a great marvelous power at hand, and yet it can never be used to serve a selfish end. Herein lies the secret of why so few achieve Soul-consciousness. We only become aware of the presence of the Soul after we have freed ourselves of selfish desires, and in proportion to our desire to serve the interests of mankind do we individualize this infinite power within us. It is right, natural, and normal that we live full, happy, and prosperous lives, but we can do this without taking thought for ourselves, for our supply, or even our health. All of the good necessary to our welfare will be supplied to us in greater abundance than we can accept when we give up the effort and desire to get, achieve, or accomplish, and come more into the consciousness of desiring only to fulfill our destiny on earth. We are here as part of a divine plan. We are Consciousness fulfilling and expressing Itself in an individual way, and if we will learn to keep our thought away from ourselves and away from the fear that we will be without place or income or health, and let God fulfill Its destiny through us or as us, we will really find all things added unto us. The Bible is literally true when it says that "the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof" and "Son . . . all that I have is thine." There is no need therefore to take any anxious thought for our own well-being. As we forget ourselves and learn to be a state of receptivity, we will find ourselves filled with Soul-power, Soul-consciousness, Soul-resources, and our lives will be filled with the company of Soul-filled men and women sharing the joys of their discoveries with us. The mind that was in Christ Jesus is not afar off, nor is it the mind of only a few great religious leaders: The mind that was in Christ Jesus is your mind and it is ready to impart itself to you as you forget self and become receptive to the divine wisdom within you. The resources of Soul are waiting at the door of your consciousness ready to pour forth more than you can accept, but not to satisfy some personal or selfish desire. These false desires are the stumbling blocks to our spiritual development, and we must not think to use our spiritual powers to gain personal and selfish ends. The song of the Soul is freedom, joy, and eternal bliss; the song of the Soul is love to all mankind; the song of the Soul is you. Why are we so slow in gaining our freedom from illness, discord, and other material conditions? It is entirely because of our inability to grasp the great revelation that there is no reality to error. So much attention has been given to faith in God to do something for us or to faith in a healer or teacher that we have overlooked the great truth: Error is not real--there is no matter, since the substance of matter is really mind. We are learning from the physical scientists as well as from metaphysicians that what has been termed matter is a misinterpretation of mind. Mind is the instrument of God, and God is Spirit; therefore, all that exists is spiritual substance regardless of the name or nature ascribed to it by finite sense. God is the consciousness of the individual; therefore, all that can come to us as person, thing, or condition is coming to us as consciousness, in consciousness, and through consciousness; and God, Consciousness, is the Soul of every individual; God, Principle, is the law of all action; God, Spirit, is the substance of all of which we are conscious. Through false education, which constitutes finite sense, we have come to fear certain individuals, things, and conditions, not realizing that as these are coming to us through the avenue of consciousness they are all God-being, Consciousness-appearing, Spirit-substance. Material consciousness is the false finite sense which beholds the universe and man as limited, as being both good and evil. Spiritual consciousness is the awareness of the individual as God-being, as having only the mind of God and body of Spirit. It recognizes the entire universe as mind-appearing and governed by divine Principle. Spiritual consciousness is the ability to see beyond the appearance to reality. It is the recognition and realization that as God is our mind, all that appears to us is in and of God which is our only consciousness. Spiritual consciousness does not overcome or destroy matter or material conditions, but knows that no such conditions exist which finite sense presents. It translates the appearance for us, revealing the true nature of that which is appearing. Spiritual power emanates from the Soul--the Soul of you and the Soul of me. It is impersonal and impartial. Everyone may open the windows of his Soul and behold the infinite glories of a world far above the universe of sense. Far greater than anything we have ever seen or heard is the world of the Soul, the world that is seen through spiritual sense. We know that unillumined thought beholds the universe as material, whereas the illumined consciousness, or Soul-sense, sees and understands the universe as spiritual. There is nothing impractical about the development of our spiritual sense or Soul-powers. This uplifted consciousness enabled Moses to lead his people out of bondage and through the Red Sea into the awareness of abundance. Through Jesus, it healed the multitudes of their diseases, fed the multitudes with actual food, and raised the dead. Through Paul, it lifted a portion of humanity above the deepest sorrows and persecutions into Christ-consciousness and spiritual freedom. Spiritual consciousness lifts us above every human form of limitation and permits us to enter a larger sense of life, health, and freedom. Where there is spiritual consciousness, there is no bondage to person, place, or thing, and there are no limitations to our accomplishments. So far as is known, Jesus never left a written word, and yet his teaching is the foundation of the morals and ethics for much of the world. Many other seers left only the words spoken to their immediate followers, yet by their own power these messages have become living waters through countless ages. The wisdom of the ages, uttered by spiritually illumined men and women who never dreamed that their thoughts would encircle the globe and influence the lives and conduct of people, is not confined to time or place. The Christlike thoughts that fill their consciousness go out from them like the ring created by throwing a stone in the water, making an ever-widening circle until it embraces all humanity. Yes, spiritual consciousness is practical. Our desire for affluence, however, must be the desire for the other person's affluence before we can experience the grace which is the gift of God. Meditation is the door to the realm of the Soul, and inspiration is the way. As we learn to take five or ten minutes each morning, noon, and night to sit quietly with a "listening" ear, as we turn within ourselves and learn to wait for the "still small voice," we acquire the habit of meditation and develop skill in its technique until inspiration possesses us and leads us to the haven of our Soul. This is the beginning of our new birth, and here we learn the new tongue of Spirit. Life begins to have a new meaning. Return to "The Infinite Way" Book Menu Page |
The Soul is a part of man which is little known and only seldom realized.