The Mind

Goal: A truly open mind that is free from all creeds, doctrines and philosophies of any kind. In other words, a developed mind which is beyond all kinds of attitudes, opinions and concepts that separate one human being from another and oneself from all other expressions of Life.

Only with an open and free mind can we penetrate into the Universal Mind and understand the Divine Design and the Plan of Evolution without distortion. Only with an unprejudiced mind will we have the intelligence, the wisdom and the experience to effectively cooperate with that Plan and with Those who serve it. The Discipline of Universality is, therefore, a discipline of broadmindedness.

The goal of Universality is not to be knowledgeable in the many fields of human understanding. It is to expand beyond our limited mortal conceptions and to put our mind en rapport with the Divine Mind. It is to think as the Divine Mind thinks. This is achieved by, first, becoming the detached observer of our life and circumstances and, then, by embracing the totality of the human experience and emphasizing only the connectedness and unity that exists among all beings and all things.

The fundamentals for a mental life that seeks to expand towards the Universality of the Divine Mind include, among others:

1. LEARNING TO OBSERVE — Cultivate an attitude of being the Observer of your life and the circumstances around you. Learn to ceaselessly monitor your actions, emotions and feelings and the thoughts passing through your mind. This awareness will lead you to see yourself beyond those definitions of your personal affairs and the parameters of physical plane existence. In this way you may fulfill the injunction: Know Thyself. Also, learn to observe and read the events of the daily life. All circumstances have within themselves the clues as to what is the highest course of action for each to take.
2. LEARNING TO DISCRIMINATE — Learn to discriminate between what is essential and what is not essential to you and your path. Be able to choose between what is important and what is unimportant in your life. Furthermore, learn also to discriminate between what is useful and what is more useful to you and your endeavor. If you choose to cultivate Soul Living, then all things in your life will need to be adjusted accordingly.
   Remember that Discrimination is focused through the MIND and does not involve your feelings and desires. The task with your feelings and desires is to place them under the light of Love, a light which you sense through the promptings of your heart. Discrimination is to place your thoughts, opportunities and choices under the light of your highest intelligence and understanding, a light which you draw from your Soul.
   The most important lesson in discrimination is to learn to discriminate between opinions and wisdom. Wisdom is the product of a very broad perception of things coupled with a right understanding of causes, processes and effects; that is, wisdom is born from a right understanding of the processes of Time. Opinions, on the contrary, indicate a superficial mind that easily jumps to conclusions — like seeing one page of a book and presuming to know the entire story. Wisdom is the expression of a cultivated mind which has learned through experience to observe the unfolding events of life with patience, tolerance and detachment.
   Finally, discover that what is real and true for you is not the same for anybody else. The measure for what is useful and essential to you is only within you — use it, therefore, only for yourself. So, discriminate between your way and the ways that others must take.
3. LEARNING TO BE FREE — Give to all others what the One Source has given you: the freedom to be who you are. Each has been given the will to choose, the right to experience, the freedom to express, and the desire to become all that one can BE. Therefore, do not interfere in the lives of others. Mind your own business. If others ask for assistance, then offer it willingly, lovingly and wisely, but never intrude upon the freedom of others to make their own choices, even the choice of making mistakes.
   Live in your own way and allow others to live in theirs. So, judge not. Allow each their private thoughts and feelings. Respect this privacy for yourself as well. Learn to be self-reliant in the task of your own spiritual awakening. Think for yourself and discover the way that is your way. Finally, let go of the past, all of it, and stand free from the weight of tradition and social conformity.
4. LEARNING TO FOCUS — Learn to focus your attention intently upon whatever task is at hand. Exercise, consciously and repeatedly, your ability to concentrate so that the mind does not wander aimlessly. Focusing your attention and mind is a learned habit and most easily acquired when your attention is focused upon those activities which make your heart and Soul leap with joy.
5. LEARNING TO USE THE MIND — Develop the capacities of the mind as an instrument for Soul Living. Strengthen the intellectual resources of analysis, logic and memory but do not be dominated by them — they are just your tools, not your rulers. Remember that the intellect cannot reveal Truth. Truth is not a mental idea or understanding. Truth is an embodied way of being — it is Soul Living. So, nourish the mind with ideas and fields of study that are nurturing to your Soul life. Disregard those opinions and ideas that offer little to your Soul and your service to others.
6. LEARNING TO MASTER THE POWER OF SPEECH — Think before you speak. Speech has a great creative influence upon your immediate environment, as well as a commanding influence upon the cells and organs of your body. Spoken words are thoughts made manifest. They carry either constructive power or destructive force, and in both cases they first affect the entire cellular structure of your body before affecting those around you. Choose thus to qualify your speech only with Love. This is done by uttering only words of goodwill, harmony, understanding and peace; by learning to be silent when you should be silent; and by learning to speak only when your heart and your highest intelligence urge you to speak.
7. LEARNING TO MASTER THE POWER OF ACTION — Think before you act. Consider the effects of each action before it is initiated. It is not a matter of right or wrong, but one of CAUSE, PROCESS and EFFECT. Therefore, in every choice you make, both great and small, take care to think things “through” so that the tendency of your actions is in the direction you truly want to go. Above all, let your actions be harmless, helpful and cooperative and refrain from those actions which separate and create disharmony. There are times to be still and there are times to act. Go into the stillness of your inner awareness to discover them.

Commentary:

Universality is a quality in our nature which takes some time to develop. It is the result of many, many experiences with human beings who think, feel and act differently to our own opinions, values, customs and traditions. It is the result of studying and learning to emphasize only the divine essence of the human being in all of our daily contacts and relationships. This broadmindedness also includes our attitude towards all living beings of the Earth and towards the Universe itself.

Universality is achieved by standing free from all “isms” and by rising above all thoughts which separate us from the whole. Universality does not reject, nor does it condemn anything, but appreciates the value of every being, every experience and every endeavor in terms of the broader evolutionary processes of the Earth.

We belong to no nation but to all of humanity, to the planet and to the Universe itself. By being universal, we may see Truth in all its varied expressions and appreciate how a certain way of thinking gives Light to some, though to ourselves, it may no longer hold revelation or truth.

The perspective of Universality requires a broader appreciation of our personal self as well. This is a vital point in order to be free from the burdens of guilt, lack of self-esteem and prejudice. What we consider our lacks and limitations need a just appraisal, and this will indicate the fields of creative endeavor which lay in front of us.