THE UNIVERSE

CHAPTER X

1. The Universe is the sum total of all things visible and invisible that fill infinite space. The Universe is the great whole, composed of all its parts. It might be said that the Universe is another name for God for He identified himself as “I am that I am and beside me there is no ” It is the sum of all life, all substance, all intelligence, all power.
   In it is contained all knowledge for it is Omniscience. It is the sum of all power for it is Omnipotence. It is the sum of all substance for out of it are all visible things formed. It is all Love for it is bound together in a single system and operates as a single unit. Love is the integrity principle or the binding principle which maintains the universe as a unity and keeps all its operations moving in perfect harmony and regularity.

2. The Masters think of the Universe as the universality of all things, with every condition and circumstance a portion of that Universe or universality. A person may become separate or he may separate himself in thought from that Universe. Then he becomes a unit which in thought only is separate or apart. But instead of being apart he is still a part of the Great Universe. One may become so separated in thought from that Great Universality that he surrounds himself with apartness or the sense of limitation. He may withdraw so far from that Universality in thought that he falls or descends in his capacities and, thus, he is in a measure separated from that Universality in which he really
3. Of course it is impossible to separate oneself or completely exclude oneself from that Universality, for that would be to reduce himself completely to a state of non-existence. But, when he returns to that Universality of Principle in consciousness, he is one with it and is lifted up into a higher state of capability. That is illustrated in the parable of the Prodigal son. He wandered in many lands and spent his substance but there was a welcome in the Father’s house upon his return. Even the brother who had stayed at home was jealous of the reception. But the Father knew that the reception was always It is an allegorical picture of how one can extensively separate himself from Universality by thought and recognize that he is feeding on the husks and yet when he decides to return to the Father’s house there is everything there for him. In fact, the Father was not even conscious of the separation. It did not matter how far away the son had wandered.

4. All sense of apartness, isolation, limitation is only fictitious for it is impossible for separation to be an actual fact. If it were possible the Universe could not be a whole. David illustrated this fact in his realization that it was impossible to get out of the Universal System when he said: “Whither shall I flee from thy Spirit,” and whether he went to the uttermost bounds of the earth, ascended into heaven, or made his bed in hell, that same Universal relationship awaited You cannot divide the indivisible.
5. It is the same when death occurs. Many feel that there is a separation there, but in reality, there is no such We can be just as close to those that we feel have departed as we were in what we think of as this life. It is only the separation in our conscious thought. In what we call the Superconscious there is no separation whatever. If we would let go of that thought of separation there would be no evidence of separation for it exists only in consciousness. It might be more truly stated that separation exists only in unconsciousness when one is unconscious of the true state of being.
6. Separation is only an appearance for in reality there could be no such thing. If the Universe is a single Unit and all things within it are eternally united into a single system, how and where could any separation exist? In fact, it could be only an imagined state. Ignorance of the facts is the only kind of separation that can exist and illumination would completely eliminate that. Behold our God is One, say the Scriptures, and if God is the great ONE, all things and all people are included within him and, being included within him, they are one in and with
7. Our being is a complete Universe in itself and it acts in perfect harmony if we let go of every thought of inharmony or separation. The thought of harmony returns us to the unity of Principle. We can think of ourselves so far out of harmony that sickness and disease and discordant conditions come about but they are only that which is out of If we would keep in complete Universal harmony in thought there could be no inharmonious condition come into our lives . . . not one . . . because whenever we vibrate in harmonious relation with the Universal Principle no inharmony can manifest. It is perfectly possible for it to be so.
8. We make it possible ourselves for inharmony to manifest by the reduction of the vibration of our bodies and in no other way. We allow what should be the impossible to take place. When we look upon complete accord as an impossibility, we worship discord instead of worshiping harmony. That was the very teaching that Jesus gave out when He said that you of yourself are always harmonious. He referred directly to that harmony of Principle which in reality we always manifest and which we could not help but manifest if we would let go of that personal, egotistical desire for direct service from our neighbor instead of giving Service always. Our expectancy should be from above and our attitude toward the world as
9. One of the easiest ways to isolate ourselves from harmony is to demand service from another instead of giving of our service all of the time.. It does not matter if we direct it to one individual or a million individuals. When demanding service from others we are always in that separation but when in service to all we are completely immersed in When we give of ourselves we come nearer and nearer to that Universality where we belong.
10. It takes no energy from our bodies to give out Service, Love, and Harmony but it does take energy from our bodies to give out inharmony or discordant conditions or to give out negative thoughts or words. All positive words or words of accord add energy to our bodies every instant that we are giving them out. Not only that, but we create an influence that returns and surrounds us with emanating energy.

11. One does not need instructions from a Master nor does he need to learn from a book what is true to the processes of the Universal life in him. One knows when he violates the law of life just as easily as one knows when he violates the law of life just as easily as one knows when the principles of music have been violated. Instantly a discord is recognized by anyone, whether he has studied music or not. The moment any discord or unpleasantness arises in the nature of man, that instant he should know that he is violating the law of his being. It is not only a violation of the law of his being but it produces inharmonious results in his body. All discordant emotional and mental states are sins against man’s true nature. Everything that produces an harmonious effect in man’s nature, that which gives him a sense of peace, freedom, power, and harmony, is in direct harmony with life and only harmonious results
12. Man is exactly the same as a test tube in a chemical laboratory. If we add harmonious solutions we get harmonious results. Otherwise we set up an inharmonious condition wherein we get either inharmonious results or no results at all. We might see great turbulence in a test tube but that is not inharmony if the correct chemicals are placed in that test tube. It is the same in our bodies. We never set up inharmony if we induce or give out only harmonious thoughts and feelings. It is absolutely impossible for us to set up inharmony if we give out harmony, because we surround ourselves with an influence that is completely harmonious. And, if it is all harmony, no inharmony can manifest through that influence. It is all controlled through consciousness and we become perfectly conscious of harmony, far more so than we can become conscious of inharmony, because harmony is our natural state. That is done by refusing to project our vision to
13. If people think that they cannot properly discriminate in the matter of consciousness, they can give out Love to the best of their ability and refuse to give out anything else but That will bring them accurately to harmonious conclusions. Jesus placed Love before everything else. There is a little book written by Henry Drummond entitled Love, the Greatest Thing in the World, which gives a complete key to the harmonious solution of every condition that comes up. It is the simplest little book ever written and has a wide circulation. It takes only about ten minutes to read it but it takes a lifetime to live it. In the living of it there is perfect harmony and perfect freedom.
14. If one should take a negative stand and deny the Spiritual, that does not change the spiritual at all. It could not change Spirit for Spirit is eternally unchangeable, but your wrong ideas would slow up your own progress. We should not concern ourselves with what the other person does or what we think he should do, because we cannot tell when his actions or creations will bring him into direct harmony again. Jesus said, “Loose him and let him go.” He thus gave him the privilege of incorporating the Christ He saw everyone as the Christ. That very statement: “I see the Christ in every face, in every form,” is indicative of His attitude.
15. Do not let the world tell you what it is like for it cannot do It is not what it appears to be. It appears to be limited but it is not, for it is formed out of the Universe and Science tells us that each cell is a replica of the Universe. You must learn to find out what the world is like by knowing what the Universe is like and then you will be able to tell the world what it is. Only in this manner can you be free for you are expressing only what your own consciousness is. Look through the surface until you see the inner reality and you will find that “Nothing in this world is single, All things by a law Divine with one another’s being mingled,” and there is perfect harmony and perfect freedom for yourself and for the world.

16. “When the first man was born, your Christ was born,” is the true Christ message. “Before Abraham was I am,” “The glory which I had with thee in the beginning before the world was.” Add love to all statements and they move in harmony with the Christ as He taught. We can so surround one with Love that that very influence floods in upon him and it may in an instant change his whole life, his whole thought. We are not dominating him when we surround him with Love for that is his native We are only placing an influence that he may accept, thus changing the whole course of our own lives and thoughts. We are but seeing him as he really is, seeing him as God sees him. This does not hinder or influence him but it frees him from hindrance and influence, because we are surrounding him with that influence in which he was created, that state in which all men live in reality.
17. It is far better to love your enemies and pray for them who persecute you because you merely exalt yourself and at the same time help to free them from those characteristics which cause them to act as your enemies. You are doing a double service both to yourself and to them. The gift is to the giver and comes back most to him. Then, too, sometimes our so-called enemies bring our thoughts out into the clear light of day more so than our friends
18. Should you have a supposed friend that does you a great wrong, a harm, the consciousness of perfect love can absolutely change the whole aspect of the situation. That is man’s privilege, not his duty. And a privilege is the greatest motive for all of our It is a real privilege to love your enemies and exalt them because you are thereby exalting yourself. It is the greatest exaltation in the world to exalt your enemy and see him standing higher even than you stand.
19. This practice is the greatest sincerity for to be sincere is to be without blemish. It is to be whole. The moment that you cut that individual out of your consciousness you have allowed that individual greater privileges than you have allowed yourself. You must exalt him and then you have finished with the matter. If you loose him and let him go before the exaltation, it is not finished, for you still have your own consciousness to It is like this: you never knew that man before he came into your consciousness. Now you are perfectly conscious of him because there was some situation with which you or he needed assistance. The moment you have gained that which was needed and have finished with that person through exaltation, you can loose him and let him go back just as he was before he came into your life. Then, when your duty is finished and the exaltation is complete, you are both free. Both can go your separate ways the same as you did before. Unless this is done the blemish is still in your own consciousness.
20. You see, all imperfection exists in consciousness only. There is to you no imperfection in those whom you have not contacted. The moment you recognize any imperfect state through contact with anyone, that imperfection is thereby brought into consciousness. Before perfect harmony in your nature can be reestablished, that state must be erased and love is the only attitude that will erase it, for love is the Universal Solvent; it restores everything to its native state in the Universal Scheme. Only in this way are you free and only thus can you free the other
21. It is impossible to “loose them and let them go” without the element of love. Pity, either for the other person or for yourself, is not the way of release. Pity always binds you closer to the imperfection. You can pity yourself to the extent that you will tie yourself up with them faster and faster. You can also pity them until you do exactly the same Pity reduces everything to the low estate of the condition involved, while love exalts the same elements into their rightful place in the Universal. Love is the highest thought you can have. Jesus exalted himself and everyone around him through love. Love is the very essence of the Universe and, in perfect love, all things are untied into the Universal Whole.

22. To the individual the universe may be large or small, just as his consciousness dictates. It may be a single atom, it may be a complete body, or it may be the one entire Universality of God completely Universal. When we say universal, if we do not limit our thought to any separate division, we are speaking truly. The thought then is all- embracing just as light surrounds and fills all space. There is a very good saying regarding that in the Mahabharata: “When I see Light, I see all universality.” That is because Light is the vehicle that carries Universality into complete existence. The moment we exalt a word it becomes light. The Universe is unlimited. There is no limitation outside of the human concept. The animal never limits itself. It is only man that limits
23. The theory of the expanding Universe is not accurate except in that it expands in our thoughts, or rather we expand our conception of the Universe. We are always discovering that it is larger than we imagined. The Universe is constantly expanding and contracting according to your own concept but not within itself, for the Universe is the sum of Infinity. Many people think of the Universe as referring to a single solar system but a solar system is only one cell or atom in a Universe of innumerable solar
24. There is one law governing the Universe for the Universe is One. We need not obey a single law that is less than the One Law. There is but One Law and that is the only thing that we need to obey. A human being does not need to obey even the manifestation of law, which is gravitation. You need not obey even the conscious manifestation of law; you need obey only the law that controls these manifestations. The moment you become unconscious of the manifestation of law you are perfectly conscious of the Law that is All, the Allness or the Universality of Principle. Every manifestation of law then obeys We are in complete authority, complete dominion over every manifestation of law.
25. The thought that there are lesser laws, such as the law of matter, brought the idea of materiality or mortality into effect. It was not Adam, it was the man who followed Matter is but one attitude of consciousness, the same as thought is but one attitude of consciousness. In other words, matter is only a fixed mental habit. Thought and matter are in reality only avenues of expression and neither should be limited in the considerations of men. Adam, of course, did express consciousness but not the mortal consciousness or mortality of consciousness. That was attached to his name long after the advent of Adam.
26. To the Master there is no material universe. The visible Universe to him is the manifestation of Spirit and is, therefore, spiritual in essence and governed by the law of It is this knowledge which gives him power and therein is the secret of all individual power. To know the law of Spirit and to live in harmony with that law is always power of unlimited degree. And that law of the Spirit is the law of Love. It is love that governs infinite space and all forms that are projected in space. That is why the Scriptures say that if you are in love you are in God and God is in you. Love is harmony and therefore keeps all things in harmony not only with itself but with each other. When man is in the consciousness of love or a consciousness of perfect unity with all things, he is in a state of perfect harmony with all things and with all people. Love is, as it might be said, cohesion, or a binding force that keeps all things in relationship to their source. Working in harmony with their source they work in harmony with all projections of that same source. But love will dissolve that which is not in harmony with the Universal order for it demands of everything its complete adherence to the principle of its own nature, which is Spirit. For that reason love destroys hate, greed, selfishness, and self- seeking and the ego that comes from those states of consciousness.

27. Man is a replica of the complete Universe and he is a complete Universe within himself when he includes himself in that If he would let go of every thought of creed and dogma, he would be completely out of superstition. He would be completely unlimited. The moment that we unlimit ourselves, it can be shown through photographic evidence today that light emanates from every cell of our body. Light, in the same way, emanates from every cell of the Universe. The source of this Light and energy, which invigorates and fills the expanse of the Universe and the Universe of our body, is the Great Central Sun. Cosmic means great; it is the whole of which man is a part.

FOR THE TEACHER

Paragraphs 1 and 2. This lesson, like the ones just preceding, deals with the Universality of all things and shows that all manifest forms are contained within the whole and are an inseparable part of the whole. It also deals with the fact that each individual organism is in miniature what the Universe is in all its infinity. The point in these first two paragraphs is to help the student to the realization that all the immeasurable power and force that moves throughout Infinite space moves also within him and that his attainment in life is determined by the degree to which he becomes conscious of and works in harmony with these forces.

Paragraphs 3 and 4. Man is only isolating himself by ignorance and by perpetuating his own notions of separation. There is nothing in the attitude of God which separates man or relegates him to obscurity and weakness. God is intent always upon fulfilling himself and, instead of moving to exclude man from the blessings that are rightfully his, is seeking always to manifest Himself through man. Man needs but to eliminate his obstructions to the Divine purpose.

Paragraph 5. There is no death! What seems to be death is only that state where man has crowded the Divine Fact of his being so completely out that it cannot longer sustain the body. The life of the body is the Spirit that created it, and when through ignorance the body is completely dominated by false concepts about life, the body has lost all its true sustaining power and, therefore, can no longer function. This is what is called death. The spiritual man, the man that God created and the only man that God knows, lives as eternally as God is eternal. Your ideas live on when the forms through which you have expressed them are destroyed and God’s idea of man lives on when it is crowded from the vehicle designed for its expression. They remain one in and with the Father Principle, and, whether in the flesh or out of the flesh, all men may be conscious of the eternal Unity that exists if the ignorance which causes the sense of separation is dropped out of consciousness.

Paragraphs 6 and 7. Ignorance is the only enemy of man. Knowledge of the facts brings him into harmony with the forces of infinite space, all of which are friendly and move constructively for his good. In principle there can be no opposition to itself. Therefore, all that there is in the Universe is moving in the very nature of man and his position is the direct point or vehicle in and through which infinite power and possibility is manifest.

Paragraphs 8, 9 and 10. It is impossible for anyone to find peace and harmony so long as they are expecting everything and everybody to do for them what they alone can do for themselves. No one can give us that which we already possess and cannot awaken in us that which we ourselves refuse to express. It is not the world or the people of the world that can give us what we need or serve us in accordance with our need. Every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above. The Law of the Universe moves from Principle, God, through the individual manifestation and then gives of itself, its true nature, to the world in service. If we reverse the process, expect the world and its people to give to us so that we in turn may become happy and harmonious, thereby attaining our Divinity, we can but meet disappointment. God is the beginning and is the Great Servant of mankind. To receive His spirit is to become the Sons of God, and then our attitude toward the world is to bestow our great gifts upon all around us, a gracious and generous service.

Paragraph 11. Man’s own nature is the Book of Life and, if he will study the eternal trends of his inner nature, allow the deepest side of his nature to expand and grow, then he will understand himself, the Universe, and the law of the Universe. He will not need any man to instruct him.

Paragraph 12. This should be obvious to anyone who has known turmoil and peace within his own nature. Only when false elements are induced into his nature does this upheaval come and only when he receives into his nature that which is harmonious is he in harmony. Man is the chemist and he mixes within himself that which produces his pains and his pleasures.

Paragraphs 13, 14 and 15. It is as easy for anyone to tell what is in harmony with his nature and the purposes of God moving through him as it is easy to tell the difference between harmony and discord in music. This is as evident to the one who has never studied music as to one who is a finished musician. It is just as easy for the most ignorant to recognize discord and inharmony as it is for a Master to do so. We must learn to discriminate and refuse to let ourselves indulge in any mental or emotional reaction that dulls our sense of perfection.

Paragraph 16. It was not Adam but ignorance that caused man to forget his divinity and it is ignorance that keeps us in bondage when in reality there is no bondage. Infinity fills all time and space and our mission is to awaken to the fact that all of Infinity moves through us and our capacities are measured only by this fact.

Paragraphs 17 to 21. The greatest doctrine of Christ was Love, for love is not only the fulfillment of all law but is the solution for every problem that arises in life. Love is the law of the Universe, and when it becomes the ruling passion of the individual, then he is in harmony with all the forces of infinite space. He that is in Love is in God. Love is first to be developed in the individual as an inseparable Union with the Infinite. Being one with the Infinite you are one with all the manifestations of the Infinite. This does not mean that you are to love the imperfections in the world, in your neighbor, or in yourself. Drop these out of consciousness and make your union with the Divine that is back of this outward mask in which you cannot see or know God.

Paragraphs 22 and 23. Your Universe is the one you see. “The Land thou seest, that will I give unto thee as an inheritance.” Back of all things is Light for in the beginning was Light. The light became the life of man. Even our material scientists say that light is the foundation of all manifest form. Therefore, man’s real body is not a body of material flesh but a body of light which includes the flesh, for light sustains the flesh in exactly the same sense that oxygen and hydrogen sustain water. When ignorance is withdrawn from consciousness we will see and manifest the light.

Paragraphs 24 and 25. If one obeys the constitution of the United States and gives everyone the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, will he not automatically obey every other law in the country? Obedience to the Highest law automatically involves the fulfillment of every obligation to every other law. The law of the Universe is Love, and if one moves in love, conscious union, and oneness with God and man, he will not do anything that would violate any lesser law. But in this sense he would move in an infinitely free and uncircumscribed manner and there would be no sense of bondage by these lesser manifestations of laws.

Paragraphs 26 and 27. The Universe and all that is contained within it is one single system and our mission is to so see it. Not that it matters to the Universe so much, but it makes all the difference to the individual. His release comes in his knowledge of things as they are.

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