The Knowledge of Good and Evil
We have addressed the value of using spiritual principles and infinite words as seeds for thought, and we have talked about the selection of pure infinite goodness as a possible thought seed. The next step is to apply this in our thinking. When we have identified a spiritual principle on which to build our reasoning process, we can apply spiritually minded thinking and reflection to any subject we might wish. We might learn to think in this special way about ourselves, about our relationships, families, jobs, cities, governments, and about our world. In this way, we can continually improve and regenerate our beliefs about all these things.
The main rule for this thinking and reflection process is that it must be consistent with the principle we choose. The principle we will use is not an elaborate axiom or a statement of human belief. It is simply a string of good words. When we use these words as the principle of our thinking and reasoning, we are enabled to think above and beyond our beliefs. Although we have defined our use of the word "infinite" to include the word "spiritual," let us include that word here explicitly, just to make sure we have not jumped over an important step. We will usually abbreviate this to fewer words, but in this following exercise our guiding principle will be this four word string - pure infinite spiritual goodness.
If pure infinite goodness is our mental principle, every thought we might have in line with it will be good. Because it is a pure principle, all possible ideas about it must be purely good, with no impurities. Its purity suggests a level of soundness and a certain density. It is solid goodness without empty spaces or voids.
Since its goodness is infinite, there are no limits to its goodness. It is not possible to imagine limited good coming from this infinite principle. Within the realm of this principle, there is an endless supply of good ideas. The infinity of goodness defies exceptions to goodness; it is the affluence of pure goodness always spontaneously available. Because our starting point is good, we can think about it expansively without ever deviating from goodness. Within the bounds of this spiritually mental principle, there is never anything going amiss, and there are no untoward side effects.
Such a thinking process as this can start out as an act of mental discipline. It can evolve into love of spiritual ideas, reflection of spiritual creativity, and revelation of being. Using infinite goodness as the principle of our thinking energizes our thoughts, and they can begin to flow as if from the principle of spiritual goodness itself. The resulting mental impressions naturally show forth the character and nature of infinite goodness.
If you simply read these lines, you will have the benefit of whatever information may be present, which could seem somewhat abstract, or you might possibly be able to form some positive beliefs from the statements. To the degree that you seriously think about these things and follow your thoughts to their conclusions, you will be able to nurture spiritual understanding and to have wisps of insight into spiritual reality. I feel like I am getting to do the fun part, reflecting on the principle of pure infinite goodness and filling blank sheets of paper.
During this exercise, we will say that pure spiritual goodness is the only principle of our thinking; words of goodness will comprise the only principle of our mind. With our thoughts using pure spiritual goodness as a principle, our ideas will be ideas of this principle. As we think from the basis of pure spiritual goodness, we can come to know everything there is to know about its idea. Pure spiritual goodness is the founding principle, sole definition, and inexhaustible source of all its ideas.
In thinking about what it means for something to have a principle that is purely good, we see that ideas stemming from this principle are ordered and governed by pure goodness, that the rules of this game provide abundant spiritual goodness for all. For goodness to be the principle of its idea does not imply that the principle is imposed or superimposed on its idea. The idea springs from its principle. Every aspect of the idea has its origin in the principle. The principle defines its idea to be characterized by its pure infinite spiritual goodness. The only requirement on the idea is that it show forth the boundless goodness of its principle. Acting as a principle, the infinity of goodness is the immutable law of all its ideas. When we use infinite goodness as a principle, we can never lack abilities to express goodness.
Watching the emergence in our reflected thought of the idea of an infinite principle, we are at the standpoint of discovery, seeing new ideas come into view. What this pure principle causes to be, comprises its infinitely principled self. Pure goodness as an infinite spiritual principle reveals its idea to be an idea of itself.
As we engage ourselves in using infinite words of goodness as the principle of our thinking, we experience our thoughts as reflections of that principle. A mentality reflecting infinite goodness as a principle will find its ideas exemplifying the traits of that principle. The mental images coming into mind will bear likeness to their infinite spiritual principle. Reflecting infinite words of goodness as our principle will bring ideas that reveal original aspects of infinite goodness. In this activity, we experience the infinite principle of pure goodness as the infinite mind of pure goodness. While under the governance of its principle, all the reflections of this mind are wholly good.
The ideas of this infinite mind arise from its principle, so its appearing ideas are already understood. If the originating infinite mind were not acting as a principle, its ideas could not be understood. You can always understand a person when you understand that person's principle. The infinite person of pure spiritual goodness can be understood, not through observing its person, but through observing its source, through knowing the integrity of its pure spiritual principle. The principle of pure infinite goodness is the origin and destination of its idea. It defines the entire environment within which its idea is conceived.
The seed for our spiritual idea comes from the pure word we recognize as its principle. Our soil comes from realizing the things that cannot be true about an idea coming from such a spiritual principle. Because the principle of pure infinite goodness is purely good, no untoward thing can ever happen to its idea. Nothing outside the principle of pure goodness can ever intrude into the realm of this principle.
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The ideas we conceive are contained within the dimensions of the mind we use. To think spiritual thoughts, we reach out to, identify with, and reflect a mind that is spiritual. To conceive infinite ideas of goodness, we define a mind based on infinite words of goodness and reflect that mind as our own.
Our objective here is directed at more than thinking spiritual thoughts, as pleasant as that might be. Ultimately, we are seeking the revelation of a whole infinite idea, and this process includes a balancing of elements. Let us look at this process using a mind as our model. In fostering the germination process in our garden, we needed certain elements to be present. When looking to conceive a spiritual idea, we need spiritual seed and soil, a pure principle to conceive as idea and a hospitable mental environment in which for it to grow. When seed and soil are chosen well, conception and elimination go hand in hand, and the spiritual idea begins to come into view.
Let us imagine a creative mind, an infinite spiritual mind, not defined in finite time or space. This mind will include three basic functions or offices of creativity. First, pure word is used as seed to provide the essence of its idea. Words within the definition of the creative principle are magnified to realize and individualize their infinite nature. Second, the emerging idea is developed within the environment of its founding principle. After initial words and essence are provided, the principle provides on-going spiritual logic to contain and guide the idea leading to its complete conception. Finally, the mind of a pure spiritual principle conceives its idea as a whole idea of itself. It is an idea showing forth its complete and whole spiritual nature. The idea is the manifest reflection of its principle. The idea in the mind is an idea of the mind. The whole idea is the offspring of its parent mind.
Because a creative mind acts as the principle of its thoughts, its whole idea of itself is its image and likeness. The spiritually mental offspring of an infinite mind of pure goodness manifests the attributes and nature of the mind from which it comes and within which it is contained. Because infinity is one, these three attributes of mind, initialization, containment, and idea, are somehow one. This illustrates how the infinite mind that is one mind includes the three basic offices of creativity defining father, mother, and child.
There is the mind that is able to identify and generate the spiritual substance and essence emerging into thought as pure word, as the beginnings of ideas. This aspect of creative mind defines its fatherhood. Then, there is the mind accepting and embracing the emerging thought. This part of the mind provides the perfect place to consider, develop, form, shape, nurture, and maintain the idea within. This creative activity defines the motherhood of mind. The third office is performed by the idea itself, which exists having been initiated into and now being contained in the mind. The conceived idea is the offspring, child, image, likeness, and object of the infinite mind.
In the infinite mind, all three aspects exist as one. These functions of infinite mind are not defined or confined in time and space as we know them. They exist in pure mind.
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Having described these offices or roles of mind, let us consider what it might mean for these to be infinite. We might begin by defining an infinite mental place to provide containment. We would want a place with nothing else there. Then, from identity, we would introduce into that place a word or essence to germinate into an idea.
It is most accurate to consider these functions initially taking place as pure thought. They are concurrent, and they are one. Pushing deep into the realm of pure mind, we can imagine these functions defined in pure word, before they take shape in ideas, images, feelings, and actions. The essence of an infinite idea is not separate from its source. It is concurrent with its origin and with the spiritually mental place providing its containment. The idea, or offspring, is the part we see and feel, while at-one with its word and place of origin.
To see what the infinite idea is not, to examine some limitations of a finite sense of it, let us consider our nearby sun and sunlight for a model. Let us consider the sun to be the source of the sunlight, space to be the place in which it grows, and the sunlight to be its expression. One could hardly consider all these to be one. We are interested in using the sun, space, and sunlight to describe the creative functions of mind so we can highlight a number of non-infinite things about this model. Knowing our need for seed and soil, we know it is as important for us to appreciate what the infinite idea is not as for us to know what it is. In our finite model, the sun is the source of the sunlight. In that sense, it fulfills the fathering function. Empty space fulfills the mothering function by containing the light. In this view, light is the offspring of the fathering sun, and it is contained in the mothering space.
The finite picture of sun, space, and sunlight seems to suggest the functions of mind and idea better than it does any spacial relationships. Our sun is not in any sense at-one with its sunlight. The light is clearly separate from its source in terms of its nature and position. Although one could say that the sunlight is one sunlight, it is, according to physics, quantized into countless discrete energy packets that have no link to one another except in kind. The sunlight is propagating out into dark empty space. The boundary of its wave front, traveling at the speed of light, is even now spreading into dark regions that are seeing its light for the first time. Beyond this dawning, as far as our sun's light is concerned, it is still totally dark. Furthermore, this sun and sunlight model does not address the oneness of the father and mother functions.
The shortcomings of our limited thought model, the sun and sunlight, are important because they illustrate inaccuracies that always appear when we try to use human pictures to understand infinite relationships. If you ever think about infinite ideas and find some aspect you do not like, something that seems an undesirable limitation, that is because of a limited view, not a problem with the infinite idea but only with a finite conception of it.
Such questions of limitation will not appear when the thoughts we imagine are truly infinite, but they can arise to the extent we think of infinity using finite thought pictures. It is not necessary to avoid finite images, but just to know the difference between cause and effect and to appreciate the value of periodically reaching beyond images to seed thought from the realm of pure words. This means reaching out to infinite words and pushing thought beyond images, and not using your ability to picture thoughts as the test for their presence. At length, those infinite ideas whose essence you are able to glimpse but faintly will reveal aspects of their spiritually mental images, and they will make sense to you. These things are not incomprehensible; they just take some gestation time.
If we are meditating on a spiritual thought we can humanly imagine, it is a limited thought, and dwelling on the finite cannot take us to the infinite. It is sometimes helpful to imagine finite thought pictures to illustrate infinite spiritual conceptions. They can give us a sense of at least partially understanding a remote subject. We might think of the infinite mind as a sphere holding the infinite idea within or as an infinite void filled with the reflected light of infinite individual spiritual consciousness. We might reach for the abstract essence of such words and not try to picture them at all. It is always good to get back to pure infinite words, to refresh and recast the thoughts we may have in mind. The mind of goodness has pure goodness as the core of its central identity. It is filled with the radiant goodness of its reflection. It has nothing else in it, and it is at-one with its idea, its image and likeness.
As you think about these words of pure goodness, watch to see if you become aware of thoughts that might try to contradict these statements or that might try to suggest or argue for an opposite of pure infinite goodness. As you continue to exercise the mind whose identity is good, your thinking will logically exclude contradictions and suggestions of opposition. The logic of thinking from a principle that is pure infinite goodness effectively precludes anything unlike itself. If you stay with the mind of pure spiritual goodness, it will bring your conscious thoughts into consistency with goodness, their rightful originating principle. Fidelity to spiritually principled thinking will keep this process going. The truly beneficial part of this comes when you apply spiritual conclusions to regenerate your beliefs.
We have looked at three basic offices of mind and considered their functions. Now let us consider some qualities that would be inherent in a mind of pure goodness and reflected in its idea. The creative activity of such a mind defines the activity of pure intelligence. The infinite mind is infinitely intelligent. Spiritual intelligence is the actual substance of its idea.
Every quality of mind we might consider to be good is available to the mind reflecting pure spiritual goodness. The mind of pure goodness can be amplified in any direction of goodness. The mind we experience when using spiritual goodness as a principle always has the wisdom to choose correctly, because, to this mind, pure spiritual goodness is the only direction and the only choice. Because our idea of this mind springs from understanding a spiritual principle, our ideas will be solidly understood from their inception. Expressions from an infinite spiritual principle are always understanding, kind, compassionate, graceful, profound, and sympathetic.
The ideas of infinite mind are naturally available to this mind and appear intuitively and spontaneously. Infinite mind always has the right idea at the right time. Any aspect of this good mind we could ever need is available to us through identifying with, claiming, and reflecting its qualities of mind.
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We have looked at the relationship between the idea of infinite goodness and its founding principle, and we have examined the idea's origin, containment, and realization in the mind. Now let us consider what it might mean for that idea to be spiritual. The idea of a spiritual principle is wholly spiritual yet uncommonly tangible. It reflects the animus or divine spark of its originating principle. The idea of infinite spirit reflects all the characteristics of its source. Since its principle is pure goodness, every aspect of this spiritual idea reflects goodness. The idea of pure spiritual goodness has no standpoint from which to express a negative spirit.
The ideas of spiritual goodness put the reality of all infinite spirit's qualities into expression. The idea of spirit is vividly animated, and its disposition shows forth the soft brilliance of spiritual light. The infinite spiritual idea is infinite goodness at its essence. It reflects and embodies the spiritual substance of its originating principle. The spiritual idea expresses the heart and tenderness of the principle of pure goodness. The idea of spirit radiates the presence and energy of spirit. Spirit's idea is exuberant with joy and gladness. It manifests effortless spiritual dynamism and impulsion. Pure infinite word acting as a spiritual principle defines, generates, constitutes, and enlivens its idea. The substance of the idea of spirit defines the manifest reality of goodness. The idea of spiritual goodness sparkles and is always expressive. Through its idea, the principle of spirit shines, warming and illumining the universe of consciousness. Spiritual goodness manifests an easy elegance of expression. Spiritually mental thought is inspired, showing forth the natural precision and acuity of infinite spirit.
We bring out spiritual qualities around us by identifying with and reflecting the mind of spiritual goodness as our mind, by obeying the leadings of the spirit of goodness, believing in unbounded spiritual goodness in ourselves and others, putting our sense of affection on spiritual things, and embodying infinite spiritual goodness as identity. Expressing a good spirit exemplifies our principle. Spirit's offspring manifest the magnanimity of spirit coming from their infinite source. While our spiritual principle is infinite, we can have but one spirit. The infinitude of our thought model precludes its idea from being fractured into separate, lesser, or finite spirits. In the realm of spiritual goodness, there is one infinite spirit endlessly declaring itself - I am.
When we are spiritually minded, it requires not so much that we be set apart from the world, but that we have set apart in consciousness the spiritually mental reality of all that we could treasure. Cherishing the spiritual essence of all we love enables us to follow human events with calm equanimity, knowing that the spiritual substance of life's treasures is held safely within.
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The idea of infinite goodness, being a principled idea, is always true to its source. Truth defines the relationship between the idea and its principle. Because the idea of infinite goodness is true to its principle, truth must be a characteristic inherent in its origin. Within the bounds of its definition, the infinite principle must also be an infinite truth.
The offspring of goodness is naturally true to goodness, so the principle of goodness defines all its creations to be ideas of truth. This aspect of the spiritual creation as truth reflects the nature of its source as truth. The idea of infinite truth has infinite truth as its original and forever identity. There is nothing of falsity defined in the realm of infinite goodness.
Pure goodness is the absolute truth about everything stemming from the infinite principle of goodness. From this principle's viewpoint, only pure goodness is true. For the principle of infinite goodness, nothing is too good to be true. In fact, one could test something's truth by asking whether it was good enough to be true. In the world of infinite goodness, infinite goodness is the only reality that is good enough to be true.
Applying the four levels of spiritual action discussed earlier, we conclude that obeying the truth, believing in truth, understanding spiritual truth, and embodying infinite truth as identity, brings infinite truth into expression and evidence, which brings infinite goodness into expression and evidence. Infinite truth brings into evidence that which rightfully is, and precludes from evidence that which legitimately is not.
It has been said that truth has two sides, that there are two sides to every story, and this has validity even for one infinite indivisible truth. There is the truth of what is true and, by exclusion or displacement, the truth of what is not. From the standpoint of the principle of pure goodness, infinite goodness is true and everything unlike infinite goodness is manifestly untrue; this constitutes one whole truth.
The primary office or function of truth is to be the perfect origin of its expression or idea. Everything that emanates from truth is absolutely true, made perfect from the essence of pure truth. The second function of truth appears to be distinct in its consequences, even while it may be inherent in the first. Original truth manifests no falsity. The degree of perfection of truth is absolute. This perfection precludes its expression from ever going awry. The idea of truth so conspicuously embodies the integrity of its source that it visibly evidences its own forever perfection. Truth's inherent quality of goodness of origin is so severe that it necessitates the forever inviolability of its offspring. Truth creates its idea well and maintains this likeness well forever. The dual nature of truth as the perfect origin and forever protector of its idea reveals truth as the father and mother of its expression, idea, image, and likeness.
From knowing about the three offices of mind, I am reminded that there must also be a third office of truth. The third office of truth is as idea, or the child of truth, as truth's offspring, with original truth as its identity, as its family name. When I glimpsed, in a momentary vision some years ago, what is described in the last paragraph, I was so vividly aware of the original perfection and forever inviolability of what I saw as truth, that it was not until I tried to describe it in writing that I realized that what I saw was not the perfect two-fold origin of truth; what I saw was the offspring of truth. In viewing truth's offspring, my overwhelming impression was of the nature of its origin. It looked just like its parents.
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Reflecting the principle of spiritual goodness as our thinking, our revelations spring into thought as mental creativity. The idea of an infinite principle is an original reflection of its own infinite self. This creative reflection shows forth infinity's procreativity. This pro-creation is not simply duplication; it is also re-creation. It is not a function of our spiritual reflection to simply duplicate a spiritual principle but to think of it originally. This activity of thought, reflecting the ideas of an infinite principle in original ways, multiplies, sustains, and nourishes its ideas and adapts them to their surroundings. The ideas of a spiritual principle live within the realm of their parent principle. While the infinite principle of pure goodness is reflected as thought, the ideas of this principle show forth life. Because its ideas have life, life must be a characteristic inherent in their originating principle. Since the principle is defined as being infinite, its ideas have infinite life inherent in their identity. The infinite idea of life is forever fresh and sparkling with the brand new brightness of spiritual originality.
The infinite principle of pure goodness is the life of its creation of ideas. We see active manifestations of the ideas of infinite life in what we call living things. Ideas, images, and objects in the mind are not the originators of life, but they reflect, evidence, and express the life principle of their creative source.
The whole idea of infinite life springs from one infinite principle. The infinite idea of life is endlessly divisible without being diminished. The complete idea of infinity is one whole idea. While it is sometimes useful or meaningful to think in terms of the infinite ideas of infinite principle, or even of the infinite ideas of infinite principles, the idea of infinite principle is one whole compound idea, showing forth all of infinity as one.
Reflecting thoughts from a spiritual principle continues to reveal them in improved ways. Spiritual ideas active in thought appear to grow. Spiritual creation naturally grows before us from our reflection and exemplification of the spiritual mind that is good. Not only are the creations of this mind intrinsically good, but the direction of their development is good. The appearance of good growing in the direction of good indicates dynamic higher orders of goodness. Higher orders of goodness are characterized by loveliness and sublimity. The infinite calculus of goodness brings higher orders of activity, growth, and progress to the economy of a principled life.
The originality of the creative process precludes pure goodness from becoming boring. A human or finite sense of spiritual goodness might seem sterile or dull. The infinite aspect of the creative process brings startling freshness and wondrous vitality to the activities of goodness. This aspect of life's spiritual principle delivers us from bland austerity or sensory deprivation. The idea of the infinite principle that is life is forever alive. Ideas identified with this spiritually mental life source have all life's attributes inherent in their identity.
In composing these statements, I am thinking about a principle of pure infinite goodness, reflecting upon it, and considering what it might mean for that principle to be life. Because the resulting ideas are reflected from their origin, I experience them as original ideas. That is not to say that someone else could not have already assembled these same words, but just that when we reflect thoughts from a spiritual principle, we see in them the qualities of originality. Originality describes a direct relationship with origin. The sense of newness and uniqueness that we associate with original ideas comes naturally from their origin.
If you simply read through these passages, some of the conclusions may seem obvious to you or even mundane. Some of the most profound truths look strikingly simple. If you reach out to pure infinite goodness and let it act as the principle of your mind, your resulting thoughts will be original, and you will at length become aware of your own reflection of that infinitely original mind that is your forever life.
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A mind reflected from the principle of pure goodness is an image of its originating principle. Through this conscious mind, the consciousness of its principle is shown forth. That reflected consciousness is of pure goodness itself. For such a mind to be conscious that it is, and of what it is, makes it infinitely self-conscious. For pure goodness to recognize and comprehend its nature as pure goodness constitutes its sense of self.
A complete image in the infinite mind is an image of the infinite mind. The image it sees is a conception of its own word, understood by its own mind, and seen as its own self. This describes the extraordinary occurrence of an infinite mind viewing its own self-conscious image, seeing its own self, and reflecting its own self-consciousness. It is as though, when standing in front of a multi-sided mirror in a clothing store, you were to see your multiple images in the mirror, with each reflecting a unique aspect of your individuality, each image a reflection not only of your own visual image but of your own thoughts, including your own awareness of yourself as you. You would have created, by virtue of standing in front of the mirror, a host of offspring made in your image, each individually unique and self-conscious. Were infinite identity to ask itself which one of these images was itself, it might point to each in turn and say, this is myself and this is myself. Or it could say, all of them are me, for I am one. Infinite mind looks out to itself and sees its infinite self reflected back as itself.
The idea of pure mind is so like its source that it appears to have pure mind as its own identity. This offspring mind is a manifested mind. The manifested mind may also be a manifesting mind. The child mind may reflect the prerogatives of the parent mind, resulting in an infinite consanguinity of good, timeless infinite individual being unfolding itself to itself forever.
Because pure goodness is self-creative and self-conscious, it defines all identity and individuality as part of itself. In this sense of individuality, pure goodness defines the idea of its own soul. Pure infinite goodness is its own infinite sense of soul. It is the definition of all the goodness and reality of soul there can ever be. In the realm of infinity there is one infinite soul. Anything appearing to have a soul of its own, or to have a separate soul or self, would be like your reflection in the multi-sided mirror suggesting, until you thought about it for an instant, that there was a you outside of or apart from you.
Infinite abstract soul creates its likeness within itself as its own visible soul. Its sense of this fresh original soul created within is its sense of its own creation, of its own self, distinct from, even while at-one with, its abstract knowledge of itself. This soul of goodness senses itself through its idea of itself, which it sees and feels, and through which it experiences the fullness of its pure goodness of soul.
Just as in the limited case of using the sun and space to represent the infinity of a creative father and mother mind at-one with its idea, a finite sense of soul, even a finite sense of an infinite soul, does not represent the true idea. Soul and its idea or expression is one infinite soul, one whole soul, and although the infinite expressions of soul are discretely individual, they are also infinitely one.
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The mind reflecting the word and principle of infinite goodness experiences this creation as the idea of loveliness. In seeing this loveliness, identity is aware of the relationship between loveliness and itself. Its awareness of the loveliness of its creation, and of its relationship to itself, is not simply a theoretical recognition; it is a seen and felt recognition. It is a recognition of experience and knowledge; it comprehends and embodies the oneness of identity and idea. This embodiment is love, the embodied appreciation of the likeness of the infinite mind's idea to itself. Because the principle of love's action is infinite, love naturally embraces the full spectrum of thought and experience.
Love is the experiencing of kindred goodness. Love experiences the loveliness and likeness of its spiritual offspring. Infinite creative love defines all that it can experience. The experiential nature of love means that love is never merely remote or abstract but is always manifest, tangible, and concrete. When spiritual understanding embodies love, it brings out the knowledge of goodness.
Infinite love involves the simultaneous recognition of individual and universal love. It finds them to be in harmony and balance, never in conflict. Love's expression of itself as identity and opportunity manifests its love for its idea. Its idea is one infinitely individual likeness of itself. Infinite love's concept of loving one individual, each individual, and all individuals remains one infinite love.
If the principle of our love is grounded in the human dimension, it can sometimes become denominational when pushed. It can find itself challenged to choose or compromise between individuals, between groups, or between individuals and groups. Fractious polarities can result from the inability of limited thinking to grasp the dual nature of infinity, its being infinite and also one.
Because human thought does not easily assimilate the idea of infinite love as one, it does what it can; it often thinks of love as two. This limited sense of love can struggle to reconcile contending human factions. Resolution of economic, ideological, ethnic, and racial tensions can come through our increased recognition of individual spiritual identity as infinite and as one. When confronted by human conflicts, we can find individual solutions and help with group solutions by being more infinitely minded about love. The wholeness of infinity, manifesting the harmonious integration of opposites, brings to the human mind improved practical beliefs that are increasingly more unifying and less limited.
To reflect the love of infinite love, not only must the focus and breadth of infinity be acknowledged, but its depth also. The depth at which love can be experienced to bring out knowledge of love is not finite, because love is not finite. This does not mean you need to start with your love as big as a house, but just that you never say no to love. Knowledge of love naturally grows out of acceptance of love as one's own identity. This means one has the opportunity not only to think about love but to think as love itself thinks. Thinking and being as love thinks and is redeems selfhood. Identifying with infinite love allows us to more naturally express love as love itself expresses love. Identifying with infinite love, we can increasingly feel love as love feels love and embody love as love itself embodies love.
A human or limited concept of love can sometimes seem a parody of real or infinite love. A limited sense of wanting to be loved or of wanting someone to love is replaced by the true idea when one identifies with infinite love. Infinite love knows it is all there is of love's source, and its expression is all there is of love's destination. Love never needs to look outside its infinite creation for love or to love. Love's idea regenerates its love by affirming its identity as infinite love. For the idea of infinite love to simply be magnifies and multiplies its love.
Infinite love defines the scope and quality of true love, and it loves its infinite likeness to its satisfaction and fulfillment. Because of the dynamic nature of infinity, infinite love is forever discovering new aspects of its creation to love, and it is, at the same time, discovering new ways and resources with which to love its discoveries, new abilities to manifest and enjoy its love.
Love cannot lack an object to love, because love is creative, and it creates its own objects, reflections of itself, its spiritual offspring, expressions of its own spiritual selfhood. Love is the conscious relationship of all love's ideas. Love provides the structure within which its infinite idea dwells. Love peoples the soul of infinity with gladness. Love loves that it is, and what it is, and who it is. Incidently, this means that you can too. Love appreciates the goodness of everything it creates. Love embodies the deep satisfaction and dignity of its being. Spiritual love loves all life's experiences.
You need not try to define the infinite idea of love to yourself in human terms. Let the infinite idea of love permeate and fill the attic of your mind and dwell there. Then, in time, human images and human experiences will present themselves to you as if conceived by love itself.
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This chapter has given an example of thinking using pure infinite spiritual goodness as a principle. We might envision a whole new world within the bounds of this thinking, beginning with an infinite parenting spiritual principle and reflected in a joyous infinite compound idea as its offspring. Our recognition of the infinite nature of these two leads us to consider their oneness and infinitude. We might even imagine a state of thought that might try to content itself with contemplating only such a spiritually mental world of sublime goodness.
While we have concentrated on a point of view that considers infinite goodness to be the totality of thought, we know, from understanding the need for seed and soil, that to conceive the wholeness of our idea we need both conception and elimination. We need our understanding and knowledge of what is to be in balance with our understanding and knowledge of what is not.
From the world of observation we are confronted with a human sense of the negative. If the theory of the supremacy of spiritual goodness has any validity, other than as an isolated mental game, we should be able to apply it thoughtfully to our observations. Even after we have considered pure spiritual goodness to be infinite, theory and practice lead us to a question: What about evil?
Copyright 1994, Jim Chapman
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