Nuggets of the New Thought

Excerpt of one of the Essays: Many of us are accustomed to thinking of ourselves on the physical plane alone. When we think of the Ego-the "I" of ourselves, we picture it as a human body with organs ranging from the finest-the brain, down to those of coarser atomic structure. To one living on this plane of consciousness the body is the real self, and the Mind but an appendage to the body. Such a man speaks of "my mind" or "my soul," as he speaks of "my hat," "my coat," "my shoes"-as things belonging to him, which he uses, but which are not him. To him the Body is the real man-the Mind something useful to the body-the Spirit a nebulous hypothetical something of which he has but a hazy idea and no consciousness. He lives on the physical plane alone. Others picture their "I" as Intellect or Mind, having control of the body and its organs, and having its abode in the brain, or brains, of the human being. To these people the Intellect is the Real Self, in fact to many of this class the Intellect is elevated to the position of God, and they bow down to and worship it. They realize the subjection of the body to the Mind, and are aware of the wonderful power of the latter over the particular body under its control; the bodies of others; the minds of others. To them the Intellect is the highest self, identical with the Spirit. They are conscious of the wonderful workings of the mind, but are conscious of nothing higher. To some of them death seems to end all, their idea of mind being that it is a product of the brain. Others feel that somehow, somewhere, their Intellect will maintain its existence, but it is merely a belief or hope, based upon the words of others who have claimed authority to speak. They have no consciousness of pre-existence or future existence-no perception of that REAL SELF which knows itself to be Eternal. A third class have so far progressed along the Path of Life that they have crossed the borders of a new plane of consciousness. They are in a strange land-they see no familiar landmarks-they do not recognize the country that lies before them. Their friends, whom they have left just a few feet behind across the border, do not seem to realize the difference the short distance has made to those who have traveled it, and therefore doubt the prospect seen from the new point of view. Those who have crossed the border find that they have acquired a consciousness of a real Existence. The "I" consciousness has passed beyond the Intellectual plane and is able to look back to that plane and the one still further back, the Physical plane. "I" recognizes the value of both Mind and Body, but regards them both as but instruments, tools or servants, with which to work. "I" feels that it has existed from the beginning (if beginning there was) and will exist until the end (if end there be). "I" feels a keen pleasure in mere existence-in the NOW. "I" knows itself to be a part of the WHOLE THING-knows that the UNIVERSE is its home. "I" knows itself to be a tiny drop of Spirit from the Great Spirit Ocean; a ray from the Supreme Sun; a particle of the Divine Being, encased in a material body, using that body and a force called Mind, with which to manifest itself. "I" does not at present understand all things-far from it. It has not as yet been able to bring its tools to that degree of perfection. It merely knows that it IS, and has ALWAYS BEEN, and ALWAYS WILL BE. "I" allows Intellect to indulge in speculations, but contents itself with the knowledge that it IS-it frets not itself with the problems of the past or future, but lives in the NOW, and knows itself to be a part of the WHOLE. "I" knows that it cannot be destroyed or injured-that it exists in accordance with Law (and that Law is Good) and asks no further light at this time, knowing that in its progress through matter, discarding sheath after sheath, more knowing will surely come. It says trustfully and confidently, to the Absolute: "Thy Will be Done."