Letter to a Friend - The Universal Mind is Not "God"
I sensed a sort of apprehension about my suggestion of the Universal Mind as not being "God" at the meeting the other night, and I wanted to clarify. I had some thoughts that came to me -- of course after the meeting -- that I wanted to share with you, and I think they will make my point more clear. The reasons I make this claim are many, and I will cover only the most important ones here. First of all, If consciousness were necessary for the process of creation, then creation could never have occurred. Consciousness by it's very nature requires two components at the very minimum in order to exist. It requires an active component and a passive component. It requires something to "be conscious" and something to "be conscious of". If this is required in order to affect creation, from where then will these two antecedent components arise? Albeit, still very difficult to explain the nature of some unseen original cause arising from the state of "nothingness", it has fewer components or concepts to accept than a conscious self aware benevolent originator. By this, what I mean is that that which is the "Creator" transcends consciousness, and in fact cannot possess any qualities that would be considered describable. For any description would ultimately "limit" that which is being described to the contents and definitions of that description. And I know that the "Creator" is "Limitless", therefore it defies all description.
The Universal Mind, just like the Individual Mind is an "outlet" or channel for the distribution of the creative power -- not the originator of it. The Universal Mind is the distributor of the creative essence on the "Cosmic" level, or in the grand scale, and the Individual Mind is the distributor of the creative essence on the "Local" level or in the plane of the particular. What the creator creates is the "Spirit" or the "Life-In-Itself" which is essentially the "Moment" -- the "Here" and "Now" which is in a constant state of "becoming". As an Individual Mind I cannot fully comprehend the Universal Mind nor the creator, I can conceive of them, but I cannot fully envelope them. To do this would require becoming the Universal or Infinite, and then I would no longer be the Individual. Just as the Universal cannot act on the plane of the particular, as to do so would mean to become the particular, and thus no longer would it be the Universal. We are the "Microcosm" to the "Macrocosm". We are identical in like and kind as the Universal, just on a smaller scale -- in Its Image after Its Likeness. The Universal Mind has, through the processes of evolution, gotten the Livingness to the point of generating a species that is capable of the expanded self-recognition of the highest human personality (thus far) within us. However, the process of creation is a never-ending process, and we are the manifestation of the Universal in the Individual to continue the process of creation on the plane of the particular.
Mind is not the intellect, it is the medium in which the Spirit is evidenced and its thinking is made corporal. Mind is the ultimate substance from which all form arises. Spirit is the force of Thinking, which impresses upon the Mind to bring forth the forms that are desired. And the mind brings substantive or palpable expression to these thoughts or Spiritual activity. However, the Universal Mind and the Individual Mind and the consciousness they possess are products of creation, not the cause. The Minds are like hoses that distribute the waters of life. They do not create the water nor are they the pump that creates the pressure by which the water is delivered, they simply decide when and where the waters will be distributed -- they "choose" which flowers will be watered, so-to-speak. The Universal Mind is like the public water works (the big distributor) which delivers the waters to all of the Individuals, and the Individual Minds are like the garden hose (the little distributor) that delivers the waters to the particular gardens.
The brain is not the thinker, for if a brain were required for thinking to occur, then how does the Universal Mind think, as it is not possible that an infinite Mind can have a containing brain lest it not be infinite. The brain is an organ that acts as a bridge between the corporal and the Spiritual. It passes sensations back and forth between the two states of self by taking sensations that are formulated and meaningful in the corporal and translats them into thought patterns that the Spirit can then understand and interpret as Spiritual activity. In reciprocal action, the Spiritual, can then respond with the complimentary sensations that when passed from the Spiritual back to the corporal are again translated through the organ of the brain through the medium of mind and made into corporal thought patterns that are appropriate and understood by the corporal or physical expressions of the Spiritual. But the brain does not originate the thoughts just as the heart does not originate the blood, it simply processes and distributes it to the appropriate places as needed. The brain processes the sensations it receives from the Spiritual and produces the images and sounds and other sensations that make sense to the corporal being by responding to the sensations sent by the Spiritual to the corporal being thus soliciting the appropriate physical responses to those sensations, like pulling the hand away from the fire or moving deeper into the embrace of a lover or feeling the beauty of a sunset or intentionally imbibing the scents of the pleasant odors as we perceive them.
The Universal Mind, as I was trying to express, is Adam of the Bible -- or, more to the point -- the "only begotten son". From this Universal Mind a portion was descended down into the Spiritual activity we perceive as matter which is Adams rib which was taken to make Eve. Eve is the physical Universe (in thought form at this point) -- the Womb of all creation. And the two (Mind and Body) were to "go forth, be fruitful and multiply" (marry and have children), and from this union all life forms of the Universe would arise. Flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone. That is why it is represented as a rib -- as bone -- "solid matter". This too is the "Fall from Grace", the Universal became aware of itself and knew it was naked (had no corporal body) and set out to produce a form into which it could manifest itself, and in doing so it turned away from the creator and into itself, basically this is the birth of consciousness -- it became aware that "I AM". This is the "and there was Light" which is not to say "visible light", but the light of consciousness. But Adam (and Eve, as they are two aspects of the same essence) was lonely, and wanted company, because in knowing that "I AM", it also became aware that "I AM ALONE", as it is an essential Unity, a ONEness -- the only way that the Universal can express and remain Universal ... alone. So it set out to create a companion - or more to the point a limitless number of companions. But being a Unity or ONEness, the only way it could achieve this is to conceive of the Image of Itself reflected within Itself, but as a thought within Its own Mind, it had to be a self thinking thought -- Like Itself. It had to posses "Free Will". For the Love it both expresses and desired MUST be spontaneous, and freely "given" or it is not Love at all. For one of the defining qualities of Love is that it can be withheld. For if it cannot be withheld, then it is neither spontaneous nor freely given. It would be obligation.
This, as well, is why the stories of Jesus start with the "Immaculate" conception and "Virgin" birth. Again, here, we are talking about the original creation and Adam and Eve. They were ascribed to the story of Jesus to mystify the story and withhold it from all but the wise whom could see the Truth. Jesus was a human just like you and I, he was a Master of Mental Science and lived it in every aspect of his Life, it was his Life in the Literal. That is why phrases like "take up your cross and follow me" were used -- That is to say, again, you (the Spirit) make the Mind Body Union, and partake of the Life that is ME -- the Truth. And "He that saves his life shall lose it, but he that gives up his life for ME shall not perish but shall have Life everlasting". That is to say -- He that clings to the errors of the corporal and continues to believe in the deception will perish it the trappings of the deception, but he that gives up his old life of error for ME (or the Truth) shall not perish but will have their Spiritual eyes opened to the Infinite Life that is in and through ALL. When Jesus walked upon the waters (which I still hold to be completely possible) is the same reference as in Genesis where "the Spirit of God Moved upon the Waters", and the "Water to Wine" at the wedding is a reference of Life from Lifelessness -- bringing forth all of the living forms, especially "Man" -- "Why did you save the BEST WINE until the last". The Father of the wedding is the Creator, and the marriage is again between Mind and Body -- Adam and Eve -- the outward expression of the Life and the Livingness.
Even this explanation is limited, as it too is filtered through a corporal brain, and fitted to a given framework of language and the inherent meanings in words as interpreted by the addressee. But I do hope that in my efforts here I have made more clear my initial statements of Universal and Individual Minds and the relationship between them. We can continue to think of the Universal Mind as "God", but we must then relieve it of the quality of originating the creative power. This is of course a very fine line and many would argue that there is no difference between originating the power itself or having no limitation at to how one can use the power that just IS. I, however, feel that the distinction is of a very vast nature and with it carries immense implications as to the nature and place of the Individual Mind and the consciousness it possesses, as well as the reciprocity between the Individual and the Universal Minds.
Okay, I'll get down off of my soap-box now ...
-- Victor
The Universal Mind, just like the Individual Mind is an "outlet" or channel for the distribution of the creative power -- not the originator of it. The Universal Mind is the distributor of the creative essence on the "Cosmic" level, or in the grand scale, and the Individual Mind is the distributor of the creative essence on the "Local" level or in the plane of the particular. What the creator creates is the "Spirit" or the "Life-In-Itself" which is essentially the "Moment" -- the "Here" and "Now" which is in a constant state of "becoming". As an Individual Mind I cannot fully comprehend the Universal Mind nor the creator, I can conceive of them, but I cannot fully envelope them. To do this would require becoming the Universal or Infinite, and then I would no longer be the Individual. Just as the Universal cannot act on the plane of the particular, as to do so would mean to become the particular, and thus no longer would it be the Universal. We are the "Microcosm" to the "Macrocosm". We are identical in like and kind as the Universal, just on a smaller scale -- in Its Image after Its Likeness. The Universal Mind has, through the processes of evolution, gotten the Livingness to the point of generating a species that is capable of the expanded self-recognition of the highest human personality (thus far) within us. However, the process of creation is a never-ending process, and we are the manifestation of the Universal in the Individual to continue the process of creation on the plane of the particular.
Mind is not the intellect, it is the medium in which the Spirit is evidenced and its thinking is made corporal. Mind is the ultimate substance from which all form arises. Spirit is the force of Thinking, which impresses upon the Mind to bring forth the forms that are desired. And the mind brings substantive or palpable expression to these thoughts or Spiritual activity. However, the Universal Mind and the Individual Mind and the consciousness they possess are products of creation, not the cause. The Minds are like hoses that distribute the waters of life. They do not create the water nor are they the pump that creates the pressure by which the water is delivered, they simply decide when and where the waters will be distributed -- they "choose" which flowers will be watered, so-to-speak. The Universal Mind is like the public water works (the big distributor) which delivers the waters to all of the Individuals, and the Individual Minds are like the garden hose (the little distributor) that delivers the waters to the particular gardens.
The brain is not the thinker, for if a brain were required for thinking to occur, then how does the Universal Mind think, as it is not possible that an infinite Mind can have a containing brain lest it not be infinite. The brain is an organ that acts as a bridge between the corporal and the Spiritual. It passes sensations back and forth between the two states of self by taking sensations that are formulated and meaningful in the corporal and translats them into thought patterns that the Spirit can then understand and interpret as Spiritual activity. In reciprocal action, the Spiritual, can then respond with the complimentary sensations that when passed from the Spiritual back to the corporal are again translated through the organ of the brain through the medium of mind and made into corporal thought patterns that are appropriate and understood by the corporal or physical expressions of the Spiritual. But the brain does not originate the thoughts just as the heart does not originate the blood, it simply processes and distributes it to the appropriate places as needed. The brain processes the sensations it receives from the Spiritual and produces the images and sounds and other sensations that make sense to the corporal being by responding to the sensations sent by the Spiritual to the corporal being thus soliciting the appropriate physical responses to those sensations, like pulling the hand away from the fire or moving deeper into the embrace of a lover or feeling the beauty of a sunset or intentionally imbibing the scents of the pleasant odors as we perceive them.
The Universal Mind, as I was trying to express, is Adam of the Bible -- or, more to the point -- the "only begotten son". From this Universal Mind a portion was descended down into the Spiritual activity we perceive as matter which is Adams rib which was taken to make Eve. Eve is the physical Universe (in thought form at this point) -- the Womb of all creation. And the two (Mind and Body) were to "go forth, be fruitful and multiply" (marry and have children), and from this union all life forms of the Universe would arise. Flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone. That is why it is represented as a rib -- as bone -- "solid matter". This too is the "Fall from Grace", the Universal became aware of itself and knew it was naked (had no corporal body) and set out to produce a form into which it could manifest itself, and in doing so it turned away from the creator and into itself, basically this is the birth of consciousness -- it became aware that "I AM". This is the "and there was Light" which is not to say "visible light", but the light of consciousness. But Adam (and Eve, as they are two aspects of the same essence) was lonely, and wanted company, because in knowing that "I AM", it also became aware that "I AM ALONE", as it is an essential Unity, a ONEness -- the only way that the Universal can express and remain Universal ... alone. So it set out to create a companion - or more to the point a limitless number of companions. But being a Unity or ONEness, the only way it could achieve this is to conceive of the Image of Itself reflected within Itself, but as a thought within Its own Mind, it had to be a self thinking thought -- Like Itself. It had to posses "Free Will". For the Love it both expresses and desired MUST be spontaneous, and freely "given" or it is not Love at all. For one of the defining qualities of Love is that it can be withheld. For if it cannot be withheld, then it is neither spontaneous nor freely given. It would be obligation.
This, as well, is why the stories of Jesus start with the "Immaculate" conception and "Virgin" birth. Again, here, we are talking about the original creation and Adam and Eve. They were ascribed to the story of Jesus to mystify the story and withhold it from all but the wise whom could see the Truth. Jesus was a human just like you and I, he was a Master of Mental Science and lived it in every aspect of his Life, it was his Life in the Literal. That is why phrases like "take up your cross and follow me" were used -- That is to say, again, you (the Spirit) make the Mind Body Union, and partake of the Life that is ME -- the Truth. And "He that saves his life shall lose it, but he that gives up his life for ME shall not perish but shall have Life everlasting". That is to say -- He that clings to the errors of the corporal and continues to believe in the deception will perish it the trappings of the deception, but he that gives up his old life of error for ME (or the Truth) shall not perish but will have their Spiritual eyes opened to the Infinite Life that is in and through ALL. When Jesus walked upon the waters (which I still hold to be completely possible) is the same reference as in Genesis where "the Spirit of God Moved upon the Waters", and the "Water to Wine" at the wedding is a reference of Life from Lifelessness -- bringing forth all of the living forms, especially "Man" -- "Why did you save the BEST WINE until the last". The Father of the wedding is the Creator, and the marriage is again between Mind and Body -- Adam and Eve -- the outward expression of the Life and the Livingness.
Even this explanation is limited, as it too is filtered through a corporal brain, and fitted to a given framework of language and the inherent meanings in words as interpreted by the addressee. But I do hope that in my efforts here I have made more clear my initial statements of Universal and Individual Minds and the relationship between them. We can continue to think of the Universal Mind as "God", but we must then relieve it of the quality of originating the creative power. This is of course a very fine line and many would argue that there is no difference between originating the power itself or having no limitation at to how one can use the power that just IS. I, however, feel that the distinction is of a very vast nature and with it carries immense implications as to the nature and place of the Individual Mind and the consciousness it possesses, as well as the reciprocity between the Individual and the Universal Minds.
Okay, I'll get down off of my soap-box now ...
-- Victor
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Victor on -
It is impossible for a being capable of partaking of the infinite life of the Originating Spirit to be a mere piece of mechanism, mechanically incapable of moving in more than one direction. For if they are to reproduce in their individuality that power of origination and initiative which must be the very essence of the Universal Mind's recognition of itself they must possess a corresponding liberty of choice as to the way in which they will use their powers. If they choose wrongly the inevitable law of cause and effect must produce the natural consequences of their choice. Universal Law can never be broken, and it can never be deceived.
The fundamental nature of this wrong choice is alluded to in the allegorical story of "Adam and Eve". It is in mistaking the sequence of Laws that naturally proceed from any creative act for the creative power itself. It is the error of looking upon "effects" or "secondary causes" as the "originating cause" and not seeing that they are themselves effects. These effects are predicated by something that works through them to the manifestation of the ultimate effect. This is the fundamental nature of "error" or "inversion". The Truth consists in connecting the ultimate effect intended "directly" with the intention of the originating intelligence, and from this point of view, excluding all consideration of the chain of intermediary causes that links these two extremes together.
The exact weighing, balancing and calculating of the action of secondary causes, or particular laws of "relation", have their proper place -- they are called into play as the necessary basis of our work when we are "constructing" anything from "without". An architect could not build a safe building without carefully calculating the strains and pressures to which his materials would be subjected. However, when we are considering an act of "Creation" we are dealing with an exactly opposite process, one that works from "within" by "vital growth" which naturally assimilates to its self all that is necessary for its completion in accordance with Natural Law. In the case of creation from within we do not have to consider the mechanism through which the vital energy will bring forth its object. By the very fact of its being inherent energy working for any manifestation in a certain direction it must necessarily produce all the necessary relations (circumstances, events and substances), visible or invisible, which will go into making the completed whole.
The fundamental error consists in ignoring this distinction between "direct creation" and "external construction". In entirely losing sight of the former and consequently attempting to accomplish by knowledge of particular laws, which are applicable only to construction from without, what can only be accomplished by a direct creation from within. Direct Creation is a process which produces laws instead of being restricted by them. The temptation, then, is to substitute our intellectual knowledge of the relations between various existing laws with which we are acquainted, for the Creative Power which is not subject to any antecedent conditions and can produce what it will. Doing this while all of the time conforming to its own recognition of itself as a harmonious "Being", thus never acting to the disruption or destruction of any other, which is acting of the Life-In-Itself.
... It is by Reflection. Our mind is, as it were, a mirror reflecting that towards which it is turned. This is the nature of Mind.
We become like that which we consistently contemplate. We cannot avoid it, for we are made that way, and therefore everything depends on what we are in the habit of contemplating. Then if we realize the growth, or the manifestation of the spiritual principle, always proceeds from the "innermost" to the "outermost", by a purely creative process from within and thus is distinguished from a constructive process from without which operates by laws of relations between "things" already in existence. We shall see that the working of the mind upon the body and the effect it will produce upon it depends entirely on what form the mind itself is taking, and what form it will take depends on what it is reflecting. This is the key to the great mystery of Life. In proportion as we reflect the Pure Spirit of Life we live, and in proportion as we reflect the Material, contemplating it as a "power in itself" instead of as the vehicle of the Spirit, we bring ourselves under a law of limitation, which culminates in death. It is the same law of Mind in both cases, only in the one case it is employed positively and in the other it is employed negatively.
This then, is the real nature of "sin" or "transgression". Whatever shape it may take, its essence is always the same; it is turning our mental mirror the wrong way and so reflecting the limited and negative, that which is NOT Life-in-itself. In doing so we are consequently forming ourselves into a corresponding image and likeness of the limited or material. By sin or transgression, in the sense we have now seen, death and all lesser evils enter into the world -- error is the cause and they are the effects. Then if the cause is removed the effect must cease. If the root of the plant is cut away, then the fruit as well must perish. It is a simple working of cause and effect; a simple working of the Laws.
And the point is this: Laws are statements of the "relations" between certain things under certain conditions. Given the same things and the same conditions, the same Laws will come into play because the same relation has been established between the things, but this is exactly the sphere, which excludes the idea of "Original Creation". It is the sphere of engineering, of analysis, of measurement; it is the proper domain of all merely constructive work. That is just what Original Creation is not. Original Creation is not troubled about antecedent conditions; it creates new conditions. By doing so establishes "new" relations and therefore "new" Laws. Therefore our knowledge of any particular laws, whether mental or material, is of no avail for the purpose of Original Creation, and we have to come back to the standpoint of simple Faith. That is to say, we move forward in the knowledge that what we create already exists, and we act and feel in accordance with the reality of our manifestation. Of this we allow no doubt for the Laws of the Universe are infallible.
-- Victor
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Permalink Reply by Cathrynn on
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wow indeed, Victor. I have incredible difficulty with structures and words and descriptions of God etc etc etc. I feel very very far from any sort of enlightenment but from what you say (which I have saved to endeavour to comprehend more later) perhaps it doesnt matter if I dont understand. Just to be and to be happy and to feel and wonder and trust, maybe that is enough. I dont really think this is what you have been saying in some of this thread but 'words limit' because they come from a human vehicle really resonate with me. Thank you..:) Cathrynn X
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Permalink Reply by Jane on -
I think that many people have many ideas of god and maybe really it comes down to what you feel is right, and what resonates true within you and also letting others feel true about what is in them.
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Permalink Reply by Judi on -
This is how I've always believed. I think that God is supposed to be different for each of us in that each sees a part of God but not the All. Nor do we need to see the All. When you put all the beliefs together, We as ONE see the all.
Judi
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Permalink Reply by Judi on
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I love the wonder as well Cathrynn! The mystery tells me that life and God and Reality and Truth are deeper than I can ever imagine. And it is so cool to journey thru the mystery.
Judi
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Permalink Reply by Jan aka HAYA... on -
Wow...yup, that resonates.
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Permalink Reply by Mindmaster on -
Mr. Victor... I had been wondering where you were, and this thread turned up today. How are you doing?
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Permalink Reply by Victor on
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If I were doing any better, I would have to be two people. How about yourself? How is your journey coming along?
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Permalink Reply by Mindmaster on
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Information is in constant flow towards me. i am taking my ffirst full hour to meditate this afternoon. I also find myself desiring a true teacher.
In life, i'm quite happy in general. I've learned to note my feelings at all times but not atttempt to control them too much. Like if i'm down that's okay, i just expect to go up again.
I have a question. How does one create the shift from the linear to the nonlinear?
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Permalink Reply by tay on -
The best teacher is God. Put God first in everything, God will guide you.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek; and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8
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Permalink Reply by tay on
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Hey Victor,
I really like reading what you have to say. Very interesting thoughts. Thanks.
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