Lesson Four: The Control of Conditions
In taking up this subject, let us very clearly understand that we do not differentiate between Conscious Mind and Spirit; there is no difference, for they are One.
The Spirit of Intelligence, which is God, in order to do something for us must do that thing through us, and what It is to do must first become a part of our mentality before it can become an individual experience. OUR MENTALITIES ARE BUT THE SPIRIT WORKING THROUGH US AS INDIVIDUALS.
In the new schools of thought there are those who claim to demonstrate only by the Spirit; also those who claim to demonstrate only by the Mind. This is a distinction which is suppositional rather than real and is impossible, because, if there were two powers, we would at once have duality and our philosophy of Unity would be contradicted. There is but One Active Intelligence, whether it be the Universal Intelligence or Universal Spirit individualized in us.
We do, however, distinguish between the phase of mind which we call conscious and the phase which we call unconscious or subjective, as has already been explained.
In demonstrating conditions, the only inquiries we need to make are: do the things that we want lend themselves to a constructive program? Do they express a more abundant life, rob none, create no delusion, but instead, do they express a greater degree of livingness? If they do, then all the power in the universe must be behind them. If it is money, automobiles, houses, lands, stocks, bonds, dresses, shirts or shoestrings, cabbages or kings,—all of which come from the same source,—there can be nothing, either in the Law or in the Spirit back of the Law, to deny us the right to the greatest possible expression of life.
So we need not hesitate to use the Law for personal motives, for we have a perfect right to do so. It is good for every one to express himself, provided that in so doing, he does not destroy the independence of others.
180
