CHAPTER I THE DIVINE MIND 1. The Mind that called everything into existence is God, and His dwelling place is in the world He created. 2. The Divine Mind permeates all existence. Everything that exists, therefore, evinces Divine Intelligence from the very inception of its being. Every step in the growth of the individual being or thing, every moment of its existence is directed by the Divine Mind within it, although the individual being or thing is not itself conscious of the presence of that Divine Mind within it. The seed which grows into a flower, the kernel that with the seasons becomes a tree, the cell which develops into a man, the nebula which condenses into a planet, are, from the outset, all filled with Divine Intelligence. 3. The Divine Mind in these primary substances manifests itself to the eye of man in two ways. It is clear, first of all, that each of these is possessed of a definite aim. The seed has the flower for its goal, the kernel strives to mature into a tree; the cell divides and divides itself again, and multiplies its parts, in order to attain manhood; and the nebula increases its substance and its speed, to take its place among the stars. The fact that each of these primary substances grows and develops towards a definite goal, is indubitable testimony to its inherent intelligence, whether conscious or not. Where no intelligence is present, no purposive effort is at all possible; where there is no mind in action, no goal can be conceived, no ordered effort can be made, no attainment can be sought; these are traits only of intelligence. Wherever we conceive action or motion which has for its purpose the attainment of a definite goal, and especially when this action proceeds in an ordered manner, we immediately infer that a mind is there expressing itself. The seed, the cell, the nebula, grow and unfold through an inner urge or direction. No human hand can turn a seed into a flower, no human thought can do more than provide a favorable soil for its growth. It is the seed itself, urged by an inner power, that grows and expands into a preconceived mature form. There is an intelligence within the seed, which far transcends that of the human mind; it is the Divine Intelligence. It is this Intelligence which guides the seed to its predetermined goal. 4. The very steps by which these primary substances arrive at their goal, are, it is evident, guided by a supreme intelligence. Nothing that exists has come into being instantaneously. Neither the flower nor the planet become instantly full-grown, but are the products of a long process of growth and development. Creation is a process and not an instantaneous act. It evolves the complex from the simple, the organic from the inorganic; it devises dexterous systems for the unification of all the organs and functions of a being; it embraces the most skilled provisions for the sustenance and protection of life. The carefully planned steps by which the tree attains its maturity, the preconceived processes by which the flower unfolds itself, the division and differentiation of the cells which precede the completion of man, and the various premeditated stages by which the entire universe is striving gradually toward perfection, these are all indisputable evidence that a Supreme Mind plans and directs every move of creation. Both, then, the purpose and the process in the making of every being and object reveal to the human understanding the presence of the Divine Mind. 5. There are two types of creation-human and divine. The erection of a towering structure of stone and marble is also a process, through intelligent design and intelligent direction, toward a preconceived goal. But the human mind is outside and apart from the thing it creates, while the Divine Mind is within it and inseparable from it. Human creation is directed by human intelligence from without, divine creation is directed by the Divine Mind from within. 6. A building is a human creation, a tree is a divine creation. Plant a seed in the soil, and it will, through an inner direction, develop into a tree. Lay a cornerstone for a building and it will remain a cornerstone, unless more substance is added to it from without. The mind that is creating the building is outside the building, something apart from it, and therefore the process of its growth depends upon the addition of material and labor from without; the carefully-hewn stones for its foundation must be brought from without, the columns and beams and walls are reared by effort and material brought from without. How different is the rise of a tree. The process is entirely reversed. The kernel, once it finds itself planted in the soil, multiplies its own substance and takes root there; that is, it lays its own foundations. It multiplies its substance still more and forms new layers to constitute its trunk. Still later, it extends forth its branches, and of its own body forms leaves and fruit. All these processes spring from within, from the very core of its being; because the mind that makes the tree dwells within it, and from thence designs and directs its goal. 7. The growth and development of every form of nature is directed by the Divine Mind residing within and not without. This is also true of man, who is a part of nature. The laws of being and the processes of becoming which govern nature also govern man. The Divine Mind in man is the very spring which yields him life and vitality, which directs his growth. It is from the Divine Mind that all the organs receive their functions, and the senses their perception, all the faculties their keenness and their power. As the Psalmist says: "Thou hast made my reins; Thou hast knit me together in my mother's womb." It is the Divine Mind that regulates the rhythmic action of all these functions. It is from the Divine Mind that the heart receives its pulse and the mind its vision. The Divine Mind within man is the very essence of man. UNITY 8. "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one." This is the keystone and the foundation of the Jewish faith. This is the truth proclaimed by the Jewish people |