按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
to the action of the Original Mind upon itself； it is the reaching out of this
Mind for realization of all that it feels itself to be。 The creative process
thus in the first instance is purely a matter of feelingexactly what we
5
… Page 6…
THE DORE LECTURES ON MENTAL SCIENCE
speak of as 〃motif〃 in a work of art。
Now it is this original feeling that we need to enter into； because it is
the fons et origo of the whole chain of causation which subsequently
follows。 What then can this original feeling of the Spirit be？ Since the
Spirit is Life…in…itself； its feeling can only be for the fuller expression of
Lifeany other sort of feeling would be self…destructive and is therefore
inconceivable。 Then the full expression of Life implies Happiness； and
Happiness implies Harmony； and Harmony implies Order； and Order
implies Proportion； and Proportion implies Beauty； so that in recognizing
the inherent tendency of the Spirit towards the production of Life； we can
recognise a similar inherent tendency to the production of these other
qualities also； and since the desire to bestow the greater fulness of joyous
life can only be described as Love； we can sum up the whole of the feeling
which is the original moving impulse in the Spirit as Love and Beautythe
Spirit finding expression through forms of beauty in centres of life； in
harmonious reciprocal relation to itself。 This is a generalized statement of
the broad principle by which Spirit expands from the innermost to the
outermost； in accordance with a Law of tendency inherent in itself。
It sees itself； as it were； reflected in various centres of life and energy；
each with its appropriate form； but in the first instance these reflections
can have no existence except within the originating Mind。 They have their
first beginning as mental images； so that in addition to the powers of
Intelligence and Selection； we must also realise that of Imagination as
belonging to the Divine Mind； and we must picture these powers as
working from the initial motive of Love and Beauty。
Now this is the Spirit that we need to enter into； and the method of
doing so is a perfectly logical one。 It is the same method by which all
scientific advance is made。 It consists in first observing how a certain law
works under the conditions spontaneously provided by nature； next in
carefully considering what principle this spontaneous working indicates；
and lastly deducing from this how the same principle would act under
specially selected conditions； not spontaneously provided by nature。
The progress of shipbuilding affords a good example of what I mean。
Formerly wood was employed instead of iron； because wood floats in
6
… Page 7…
THE DORE LECTURES ON MENTAL SCIENCE
water and iron sinks； yet now the navies of the world are built of iron；
careful thought showed the law of floatation to be that anything could float
which； bulk for bulk； is lighter than the mass of liquid displaced by it； and
so we now make iron float by the very same law by which it sinks；
because by the introduction of the PERSONAL factor； we provide
conditions which do not occur spontaneouslyaccording to the esoteric
maxim that 〃Nature unaided fails。〃 Now we want to apply the same
process of specializing a generic Law to the first of all Laws； that of the
generic life…giving tendency of Spirit itself。 Without the element of
INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITY the Spirit can only work cosmically by a
GENERIC Law； but this law admits of far higher specialization； and this
specialization can only be attained through the introduction of the personal
factor。 But to introduce this factor the individual must be fully aware of
the PRINCIPLE which underlies the spontaneous or cosmic action of the
law。 Where； then； will he find this principle of Life？ Certainly not by
contemplating Death。 In order to get a principle to work in the way we
require it to； we must observe its action when it is working spon〃
taneously in this particular direction。 We must ask why it goes in the right
direction as far as it doesand having learnt this we shall then be able to
make it go further。 The law of floatation was not discovered by
contemplating the sinking of things； but by contemplating the floating of
things which floated naturally； and then intelligently asking why they did
so。
The knowledge of a principle is to be gained by the study of its
affirmative action； when we understand THAT we are in a position to
correct the negative conditions which tend to prevent that action。
Now Death is the absence of Life； and disease is the absence of health；
so to enter into the Spirit of Life we require to contemplate it； where it is
to be found； and not where it is not… …we are met with the old question；
〃Why seek ye the living among the dead？〃 This is why we start our studies
by considering the cosmic creation； for it is there that we find the Life
Spirit working through untold ages； not merely as deathless energy； but
with a perpetual advance into higher degrees of Life。 If we could only so
enter into the Spirit as to make it personally IN OURSELVES what it
7
… Page 8…
THE DORE LECTURES ON MENTAL SCIENCE
evidently is in ITSELF； the magnum opus would be accomplished。 This
means realizing our life as drawn direct from the Originating Spirit； and if
we now understand that the Thought or Imagination of the Spirit is the
great reality of Being； and that all material facts are only correspondences；
then it logically follows that what we have to do is to maintain our
individual place in the Thought of the Parent Mind。
We have seen that the action of the Originating Mind must needs be
GENERIC； that is according to types which include multitudes of
individuals。 This type is the reflection of the Creative Mind at the level of
that particular GENIUS； and at the human level it is Man； not as
associated with particular circumstances； but as existing in the absolute
ideal。
In proportion then as we learn to dissociate our conception of
ourselves from particular circumstances； and to rest upon our ABSOLUTE
nature； as reflections of the Divine ideal； we； in our turn； reflect back into
the Divine Imagination its original conception of itself as expressed in
generic or typical Man； and so by a natural law of cause and effect； the
individual who realizes this mental attitude enters permanently into the
Spirit of Life； and it becomes a perennial fountain of Life springing up
spontaneously within him。
He then finds himself to be as the Bible says； 〃the image and likeness
of God。〃 He has reached the level at which he affords a new starting point
for the creative process； and the Spirit； finding a personal centre in him；
begins its work de nova； having thus solved the great problem of how to
enable the Universal to act directly upon the plane of the Particular。
It is in this sense； as affording the requisite centre for a new departure
of the creative Spirit； that man is said to be a 〃microcosm；〃 or universe in
miniature； and this is also what is meant by the esoteric doctrine of the
Octave； of which I may be able to speak more fully on some other
occasion。
If the principles here stated are carefully considered； they will be
found to throw light on much that would otherwise be obscure； and they
will also afford the key to the succeeding essays。
The reader is therefore asked to think them out carefully for himself；