Unlocking the Universal Law of Manifestation

Ever notice how when you stop obsessing over something, the solution just seems to pop into your head out of nowhere—like finding your keys in the last place you'd think to look? Welcome forward. In Part 6 of this modernization of Thomas Troward’s Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science, we dug into the Law of Growth. We explored how aligning with this natural law allows our thoughts and intentions to manifest organically, much like planting a seed and trusting it to grow without constantly digging it up to check on it.

Now in Part 7, we're turning our attention to Receptivity—the art of being open to the infinite possibilities that the universe, or let's say, God, is ready to offer us. We'll delve into how cultivating a receptive mindset isn't about passive waiting but about actively tuning in to the universal intelligence that permeates everything. Think of it as adjusting your inner radio to the right frequency so you can finally hear the music that's been playing all along. By understanding how to open ourselves up to divine guidance, we not only enrich our own lives but also fulfill our ethical responsibility to use this wisdom wisely and compassionately.

So get ready to unlock new levels of awareness and possibility. We're about to embark on a journey that could transform not just how you receive information, but how you allow that knowledge to shape your reality.

Strap in. We're tuning into the frequency of infinite potential.

Laying the Groundwork for Practical Mental Science

To really lay the groundwork for practical Mental Science, we need to get a solid grip on what we mean by the intelligence of undifferentiated spirit. Yeah, that's a mouthful. Essentially, we're trying to understand intelligence without tying it to individual personalities—a concept that's tricky until you get the hang of it. Missing this point has caused misunderstandings and even conflicts throughout history, holding back humanity's true development.

Expressing this idea in words is like trying to capture the wind. Definitions can limit us, and we're aiming for the limitless here. It's more about feeling the concept than defining it, but let's give it our best shot.

Understanding the Universal Mind

Imagine recognizing personality without the "I'm me, and you're you" aspect that separates us. Normally, we think, "I'm not that person because I'm me," which sets boundaries—lines where you end and someone else begins. But this kind of thinking doesn't apply to the Universal Mind—or as many call it, God.

For God to recognize a point where He ends and something else begins would mean He's not universal anymore. Universality means including everything. So, whatever His intelligence is like, He can't have self-recognition as an individual like we do. He's completely impersonal—not in a detached way, but in an all-encompassing way.

Attributing individuality to God is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole—it just doesn't work. This misunderstanding has messed up theology and philosophy for ages, bringing conflict and confusion into the world. On the flip side, denying intelligence to God is also a big misstep. Think about it: if we have personal intelligence and we come from this infinite source, then that source must be infinitely intelligent too. You can't pour from an empty cup, right? As it's written in Psalms, "He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see?" (Psalm 94:9).

So, let's think of this universally diffused essence—call it a sort of spiritual protoplasm—as having all the qualities of personality but without the ego that makes us individuals. Since "personality" usually implies individuality, let's coin a new term: "personalness." This way, we capture the essence without the individuality.

We need to realize that this Universal Spirit—God—permeates all space and matter, just like scientists talk about dark matter or the Higgs field. Wherever He is—and that's everywhere—He brings all that He is. So, we're basically swimming in an ocean of undifferentiated, intelligent Life. It's above us, below us, around us, and inside us.

The Two Pillars: Jachin and Boaz

As we start to grasp this, the implications are huge. It means all of Nature is infused with an inner personalness—unlimited in intelligence, responsiveness, and expression—just waiting for us to recognize it. Here's the catch: it responds to us only as much as we recognize it. If we think everything is just random chance, that's all we'll see—a chaotic mess with no order.

But if we level up and realize that randomness can't produce the organized universe we observe, we start to understand Universal Law—God's Law. We move from a world of accidents to a world where definite principles exist—principles we can rely on once we know them. But here's the rub: these laws are out there, but we're often clueless about them. Only through trial and error (and let's face it, a lot of mistakes) do we start to get a handle on them. It's like trying to learn a complex game without a rulebook.

This journey can be slow and painful—a real Via Dolorosa, or "Path of Sorrow." Trying to grasp all the laws of the universe is like trying to read every book ever written—you'd need infinite time. Each time we mess up, we suffer the consequences. So we're stuck in this paradox: How do we, as finite beings, understand the infinite?

Some might ask, "Can't we eventually know everything?" Well, they don't really get what "infinite" means. The infinite is endless and inexhaustible. No matter how much you know, there's always infinitely more to learn. It's like numbers—you can always count higher.

Acknowledging the universal reign of Law is awesome—it's one of the two great pillars holding up the universe. In ancient symbolism, it's like Jachin and Boaz, the two pillars that stood at the entrance of Solomon's Temple.

So what's the deal with Jachin and Boaz?

In the biblical account, when King Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem, he placed two massive bronze pillars at the entrance. These pillars weren't just architectural features; they were rich in symbolic meaning.

• Jachin, which means "He will establish," symbolizes stability, order, and the establishment of Law. It represents the immutable principles that govern the universe—the steadfast, unchanging laws of Nature—God's laws.

• Boaz, meaning "In Him is strength," represents strength, wisdom, and the responsive nature of the Universal Mind. It embodies the concept of the infinite Intelligence—God's wisdom—that animates and sustains everything.

These two pillars together symbolize the balance of Law and Intelligence, or Order and Wisdom—the foundational elements that uphold the cosmos. Just as the pillars supported the entrance to the Temple, these principles support our understanding of the universe.

So, when we acknowledge only the Law (Jachin), we recognize that the universe operates on fixed principles. But without Boaz—the understanding of God's responsive intelligence—we miss half the picture. It's like trying to clap with one hand.

Reflection Point:

Do you observe unchanging principles like cause and effect in your life? What if these principles are guided by a responsive intelligence? How might recognizing both steadfast laws and a dynamic mind enhance your understanding of life's events today?

Aligning with God's Infinite Intelligence

Here's an unchangeable truth: breaking God's laws brings consequences. There's no escaping cause and effect. The only way out is through knowledge. When we understand a law and work with it, it's our best friend—always there to help, never holding grudges. But if we ignore or defy it, it's like walking into a wall—you only hurt yourself.

So how do we break free from this cycle of pain and struggle? By expanding ourselves to grasp the infinite. We need to evolve to a level of intelligence where we recognize the inherent personalness of the all-pervading Life—the Law and the Substance of everything. Remember what the ancient rabbis said: "The Law is a Person." They meant that the Law is imbued with intelligence and consciousness—God's presence.

Once we realize that universal Life, Law, and Personalness are one and the same in God, we've established both pillars—Jachin and Boaz. When we understand where these two principles meet, we reach a deeper understanding of reality—a kind of enlightenment or higher consciousness.

We need to separate the Universal Personalness from any ideas of individuality. The universal can't be individual—that's a contradiction. But because God's Universal Personalness is the root of all individual personalities, He expresses Himself most fully when we recognize His personal nature. This realization solves the paradox.

The only way to truly understand the Infinite Law and turn our path from sorrow to joy is to embody a principle of knowledge that's as infinite as what we're trying to know. We do this by recognizing that the infinite Law is an infinite Intelligence—a living ocean in which we float. This Intelligence doesn't have individual personality but produces us as individual personalities.

So what's God's relationship to us? It's not about favoritism—He doesn't pick and choose any more than gravity does. He's not ignoring us either; He doesn't have individual desires that conflict with ours. Since He's the source of all individual intelligence, He can't misunderstand us.

By His very nature, this infinite, underlying Mind—God—is ready to respond the moment we understand our true relationship to Him. As the essence of Life itself, He's incredibly receptive and will mirror whatever conception we have of Him. If we recognize that human consciousness is the point in evolution where individuality can express not just life but also the personalness of the universal spirit, then we see that the best way for God to express Himself is by identifying with us as individuals.

Of course, this connection depends on our level of intelligence—not just understanding cause and effect but also that indescribable reciprocity of feeling where we sense a connection to something bigger than ourselves. When we truly realize that the core of our being shares a common nature with God, we've solved the paradox of universal knowledge. We've recognized our identity with the Universal Mind, aligning us with the Universal Law.

This ties back to what the Apostle John said: "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things." (1 John 2:20). This knowledge starts on a spiritual level. It's not about instantly knowing every fact but about tapping into the undifferentiated principle of knowledge that we can apply however we choose. We can't exhaust the infinite, so our mastery comes from our ability to draw from it as needed—the only limits are the ones we set.

So, by recognizing the shared personalness between us and God—the root of everything—we break free from the strict grip of inflexible Law. Not by abolishing the Law (which would be like deleting the universe), but by developing an intelligence that aligns with God's Law, enabling us to meet its requirements as they arise.

In this way, Divine Intelligence becomes individualized, and individual intelligence becomes universalized—they become one. As we realize and act on this unity, we'll find that the Law governing all conditions becomes clearer and more useful to us. By steadily working along these lines, we can reach degrees of power that are, well, limitless.

Reflection Point:

What practical steps might you take to elevate your understanding and align with this universal intelligence? How could connecting with God's infinite mind influence your choices and actions in our modern world?

Building the Inner Temple

But here's a heads-up: if you want to unlock your potential, don't get it twisted. The whole process is about bringing the universal within reach by elevating ourselves—not by trying to shrink the infinite down to our size. You can't fit God into a finite box, but you can expand yourself. That's how spiritual growth works.

The laws of nature aren't changing for anyone, but we can so deeply understand our relationship to God's Law that we can harness all particular laws, seen and unseen, to our advantage. This is achieved through knowledge—the kind that recognizes the personal element in the Universal Spirit responding to our own personal nature.

Our recognition of this Spirit must be twofold:

• As the principle of necessary sequence, order, or Law (Jachin): This is the steadfast, unchanging aspect of the universe—the rules that govern everything from gravity to the cycles of life—God's laws.

• As the principle of Intelligence that responds to our recognition of it (Boaz): This is the dynamic, responsive aspect—the Divine Mind that interacts with us, ready to guide and support when we acknowledge it.

When we unite these two—Law and Intelligence—we achieve a deeper understanding and can truly enter a higher state of awareness. This isn't about a physical place but a state of consciousness where we align with God's principles and live in harmony with them.

By building this inner "Temple," supported by the pillars of Jachin and Boaz, we move from a life of struggle and confusion to one of clarity and purpose. We start to see the interconnectedness of all things and our place within the grand design.

Next Steps: Reciprocal Action of the Universal and Individual Minds

Now that we've delved into Receptivity and discovered how opening ourselves to the universal intelligence can transform our lives, it's time to deepen our understanding even further. We've learned that by being truly open and attuned to the infinite personalness of the Universal Mind—God—we can tap into a boundless source of wisdom and opportunity. By shifting from a mindset of limitation to one of expansive receptivity, we've begun to realize that we're not separate from this vast intelligence but intrinsically connected to it.

But here's where things get even more fascinating—the next crucial element is understanding the Reciprocal Action of the Universal and Individual Minds. You might be fully receptive to divine guidance, but how exactly does your individual mind interact with the Universal Mind to manifest your desires? Sometimes, the key to unlocking our true potential lies in recognizing this dynamic interplay. After all, it's like dancing with a partner—you need to know when to lead and when to follow.

In Part 8—Reciprocal Action of the Universal and Individual Minds, we'll explore how our personal thoughts and intentions influence, and are influenced by, the infinite intelligence that permeates everything. We'll discuss how recognizing this reciprocal relationship allows us to not only draw wisdom from the Universal Mind but also imprint our own desires upon it. It's about realizing that we're active participants in a divine collaboration, not just passive recipients.

Until then, keep your heart open and your spirit receptive. The universe isn't just waiting to guide you—it's eager to collaborate with you. Are you ready to engage in this profound partnership?