Enclosed herewith I hand you Lesson Four. This part will show you why
what you think, or do, or feel, is an indication of what you are.
Thought is energy and energy is power, and it is because all the
religions, sciences and philosophies with which the world has
heretofore been familiar have been based upon the manifestation of this
energy instead of the energy itself, that the world has been limited to
effects, while causes have been ignored or misunderstood.
For this reason we have God and the Devil in religion, positive and
negative in science, and good and bad in philosophy.
The master key reverses the process; it is interested only in cause,
and the letters received from students tell a marvelous story; they
indicate conclusively that students are finding the cause whereby they
may secure for themselves health, harmony, abundance, and whatever else
may be necessary for their welfare and happiness.
Life is expressive and it is our business to express ourselves
harmoniously and constructively. Sorrow, misery, unhappiness, disease
and poverty are not necessities and we are constantly eliminating them.
But this process of eliminating consists in rising above and beyond
limitation of any kind. He who has strengthened and purified his
thought need not concern himself about microbes, and he who has come
into an understanding of the law of abundance will go at once to the
source of supply. It is thus that fate, fortune, and destiny will be
controlled as readily as a captain controls his ship, or an engineer,
his train.
LESSON FOUR
1. The "I" of you is not the physical body; that is simply an
instrument which the "I" uses to carry out its purposes; the "I" cannot
be the Mind, for the mind is simply another instrument which the "I"
uses with which to think, reason, and plan.
2. The "I" must be something which controls and directs both the body
and the mind; something which determines what they shall do and how
they shall act. When you come into a realization of the true nature of
this "I", you will enjoy a sense of power which you have never before
known.
3. Your personality is made up of countless individual characteristics,
peculiarities, habits, and traits of character; these are the result of
your former method of thinking, but they have nothing to do with the
real "I."
4. When you say "I think" the "I" tells the mind what it shall think;
when you say "I go" the "I" tells the physical body where it shall go;
the real nature of this "I" is spiritual, and is the source of the real
power which comes to men and women when they come into a realization of
their true nature.
5. The greatest and most marvelous power which this "I" has been given
is the power to think, but few people know how to think constructively,
or correctly, consequently they achieve only indifferent results. Most
people allow their thoughts to dwell on selfish purposes, the
inevitable result of an infantile mind. When a mind becomes mature, it
understands that the germ of defeat is in every selfish thought.
6. The trained mind knows that every transaction must benefit every
person who is in any way connected with the transaction, and any
attempt to profit by the weakness, ignorance or necessity of another
will inevitably operate to his disadvantage.
7. This is because the individual is a part of the Universal. A part
cannot antagonize any other part, but, on the contrary, the welfare of
each part depends upon a recognition of the interest of the whole.
8. Those who recognize this principle have a great advantage in the
affairs of life. They do not wear themselves out. They can eliminate
vagrant thoughts with facility. They can readily concentrate to the
highest possible degree on any subject. They do not waste time or money
upon objects which can be of no possible benefit to them.
9. If you cannot do these things it is because you have thus far not
made the necessary effort. Now is the time to make the effort. The
result will be exactly in proportion to the effort expended. One of the
strongest affirmations which you can use for the purpose of
strengthening the will and realizing your power to accomplish, is, "I
can be what I will to be."
10. Every time you repeat it realize who and what this "I" is; try to
come into a thorough understanding of the true nature of the "I"; if
you do, you will become invincible; that is, provided that your objects
and purposes are constructive and are therefore in harmony with the
creative principle of the Universe.
11. If you make use of this affirmation, use it continuously, night and
morning, and as often during the day as you think of it, and continue
to do so until it becomes a part of you; form the habit.
12. Unless you do this, you had better not start at all, because modern
psychology tells us that when we start something and do not complete
it, or make a resolution and do not keep it, we are forming the habit
of failure; absolute, ignominious failure. If you do not intend to do a
thing, do not start; if you do start, see it through even if the
heavens fall; if you make up your mind to do something, do it; let
nothing, no one, interfere; the "I" in you has determined, the thing is
settled; the die is cast, there is no longer any argument.
13. If you carry out this idea, beginning with small things which you
know you can control and gradually increase the effort, but never under
any circumstances allowing your "I" to be overruled, you will find that
you can eventually control yourself, and many men and women have found
to their sorrow that it is easier to control a kingdom that to control
themselves.
14. But when you have learned to control yourself you will have found
the "World Within" which controls the world without; you will have
become irresistible; men and things will respond to your every wish
without any apparent effort on your part.
15. This is not so strange or impossible as it may appear when you
remember that the "World Within" is controlled by the "I" and that this
"I" is a part or one with the Infinite "I" which is the Universal
Energy or Spirit, usually called God.
16. This is not a mere statement or theory made for the purpose of
confirming or establishing an idea, but it is a fact which has been
accepted by the best religious thought as well as the best scientific
thought.
17. Herbert Spender said: "Amid all the mysteries by which we are
surrounded, nothing is more certain than that we are ever in the
presence of an Infinite and Eternal Energy from which all things
proceed."
18. Lyman Abbott, in an address delivered before the Alumni of Bangor
Theological Seminary, said: "We are coming to think of God as dwelling
in man rather than as operating on men from without."
19. Science goes a little way in its search and stops. Science finds
the everpresent Eternal Energy, but Religion finds the Power behind
this energy and locates it within man. But this is by no means a new
discovery; the Bible says exactly the same thing, and the language is
just as plain and convincing: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of
the living God?" Here, then, is the secret of the wonderful creative
power of the "World Within."
20. Here is the secret of power, of mastery. To overcome does not mean
to go without things. Self-denial is not success. We cannot give unless
we get; we cannot be helpful unless we are strong. The Infinite is not
a bankrupt and we who are the representatives of Infinite power should
not be bankrupts either, and if we wish to be of service to others we
must have power and more power, but to get it we must give it; we must
be of service.
21. The more we give the more we shall get; we must become a channel
whereby the Universal can express activity. The Universal is constantly
seeking to express itself, to be of service, and it seeks the channel
whereby it can find the greatest activity, where it can do the most
good, where it can be of greatest service to mankind.
22. The Universal cannot express through you as long as you are busy
with your plans, your own purposes; quiet the senses, seek inspiration,
focus the mental activity on the within, dwell in the consciousness of
your unity with Omnipotence. "Still water runs deep;" contemplate the
multitudinous opportunities to which you have spiritual access by the
Omnipresence of power.
23. Visualize the events, circumstances and conditions which these
spiritual connections may assist in manifesting. Realize the fact that
the essence and soul of all things is spiritual and that the spiritual
is the real, because it is the life of all there is; when the spirit is
gone, the life is gone; it is dead; it has ceased to exist.
24. These mental activities pertain to the world within, to the world
of cause; and conditions and circumstances which result are the effect.
It is thus that you become a creator. This is important work, and the
higher, loftier, grander and more noble ideals which you can conceive,
the more important the work will become.
25. Over-work or over-play or over-bodily activity of any kind produces
conditions of mental apathy and stagnation which makes it impossible to
do the more important work which results in a realization of conscious
power. We should, therefore, seek the Silence frequently. Power comes
through repose; it is in the Silence that we can be still, and when we
are still, we can think, and thought is the secret of all attainment.
26. Thought is a mode of motion and is carried by the law of vibration
the same as light or electricity. It is given vitality by the emotions
through the law of love; it takes form and expression by the law of
growth; it is a product of the spiritual “I”, hence its
Divine, spiritual, and creative nature.
27. From this it is evident that in order to express power, abundance
or any other constructive purpose, the emotions must be called upon to
give feeling to the thought so that it will take form. How may this
purpose be accomplished? This is the vital point; how may we develop
the faith, the courage, the feeling, which will result in
accomplishment?
28. The reply is, by exercise; mental strength is secured in exactly
the same way that physical strength is secured, by exercise. We think
something, perhaps with difficulty the first time; we think the same
thing again, and it becomes easier this time; we think it again and
again; it then becomes a mental habit. We continue to think the same
thing; finally it becomes automatic; we can no longer help thinking
this thing; we are now positive of what we think; there is no longer
any doubt about it. We are sure; we know.
29. Last week I asked you to relax, to let go physically. This week, I
am going to ask you to let go mentally. If you practiced the exercise
given you last week fifteen or twenty minutes a day in accordance with
the instructions, you can no doubt relax physically; and anyone who
cannot consciously do this quickly and completely is not a master of
himself. He has not obtained freedom; he is still a slave to
conditions. But I shall assume that you have mastered the exercise and
are ready to take the next step, which is mental freedom.
30. This week, after taking your usual position, remove all tension by
completely relaxing, then mentally let go of all adverse conditions,
such as hatred, anger, worry, jealousy, envy, sorrow, trouble or
disappointment of any kind.
31. You may say that you cannot "let go" of these things, but you can;
you can do so by mentally determining to do so, by voluntary intention
and persistence.
32. The reason that some cannot do this is because they allow
themselves to be controlled by the emotions instead of by their
intellect. But those who will be guided by the intellect will gain the
victory. You will not succeed the first time you try, but practice
makes perfect, in this as in everything else, and you must succeed in
dismissing, eliminating and completely destroying these negative and
destructive thoughts; because they are the seed which is constantly
germinating into discordant conditions of every conceivable kind and
description. "There is nothing truer than that the quality of thought
which we entertain correlates certain externals in the outside world.
This is the Law from which there is no escape. And it is this Law, this
correlative of the thought with its object, that from time immemorial
has led the people to believe in special providence." - Wilmans
LESSON FOUR - Study Questions with Answers
31. What is thought? Thought is spiritual energy.
32. How is it carried? By the law of vibration.
33. How is it given vitality? By the law of love.
34. How does it take form? By the law of growth.
35. What is the secret of its creative power? It is a spiritual
activity.
36. How may we develop the faith, courage, and enthusiasm which will
result in accomplishment? By a recognition of our spiritual nature.
37. What is the secret of Power? Service.
38. Why is this so? Because we get what we give.
39. What is the Silence? A physical stillness.
40. Of what value is it? It is the first step to self-control,
self-mastery.
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