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The Impersonal Life by Joseph S. Benner

The Impersonal Life by Joseph S. Benner

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Publicado porBe Still and KNOW
A profound little book, a must read for spiritual aspirants.
A profound little book, a must read for spiritual aspirants.

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THE
IMPERSONALLIFE
 
The Impersonal Life
Copyright © 1941, Renewed 1969By Sun PublishingAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproducedor transmitted in any form without permission in writing fromthe publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.ISBN: 0-87516-301-7Fiftieth Printing, 2004Cover Painting by Odilon RedonDeVorss & Company, PublisherPrinted in the United States of America
INTRODUCTIONTO FIRST EDITIONIn order the better to comprehend thedeep and vital truths contained in this Message, you are urged to approach each reading of it with quiet and open mind. Still theintellect and invite your Soul to do theteaching. Read but a sentence at a time,and do not pass to the next until Something within you responds to the truththerein, and clearly points out the meaning for you.More than all, try to realize that the "I"speaking throughout the Message is theSpirit within, your own Soul, the Impersonal Self, the
Real
You; the same Self thatin other moments of quiet points out to youyour mistakes, your follies, your weak-
 
nesses, and is ever chiding and aiding youto live up to Its ideals, which It continuallyholds before your mental gaze.It was to such a quiet mind as this thatthis Message came during months filledwith an intense yearning for the guidanceof the Spirit and an opportunity to servethe Loving Father Who had been found tobe ever-present and always ready to blessthose of His children who loved Himenough to make Him first in their heartsand lives.The help and guidance thus received ispassed on to you, for the wise and lovingteaching is so unusual and so wholly Impersonal that it will apply equally well toeveryone who is ready to receive it.The great blessing of the Message is that,
if you are ready,
the "I" speaking hereinwill continue to speak direct to
you
fromout your own heart, after you lay aside thebook, and in so intimate and convincing away that It will make clear all your problems, be to you a fount of Wisdom andStrength, and bring you Peace, Health,Happiness, Freedom,—an abundance of everything your
heart 
desires.This little book, therefore, is intended toserve as a channel or open door throughwhich you may enter into the Joy of 
your 
Lord, the Comforter promised by Jesus,the living expression
in you
of the Christ of God.THE PUBLISHER.
 
PREFACE TO THEMEMORIAL EDITIONThree years ago the Beloved Soul whosehuman instrument was the channel throughwhich this inspired Message was given tothe world, passed from this plane into theTrue Impersonal Life. In loving gratitudeto the Father within Whose Voice hasspoken to them through these pages, andWhose Message has awakened them to aknowledge of their True Selves, this Thirteenth Edition is dedicated to the Author,both in His impersonal Self as the Christwithin, and his human expression throughwhich He manifested His Word, by thosewho have heard and received that Message.It has been made possible through the tangible gifts of the Father's Love on the partof the Students and Friends of The Impersonal Life who have made the seeking of the Kingdom FIRST in their own lives andwho desire that others who are likewiseseeking may be given the inspirationthrough this Message that they have re
ceived.
At the time of the passing of the Author,his daughter, who at present is carrying onthe Work he founded, discovered two letters in a worn old wallet among his papers.Because these letters give a perfect revelation of the sincerity and consecration of Spirit that made it possible for the Messageto be given forth, they have been added tothis Memorial Edition and will be treasuredby every possessor of the book.Upon further examination of his papers,notes were found that indicated certainediting he contemplated if ever new typehad to be set for future editions. This timehas now come and we are therefore following those notes in making several revisions
 
that do not change, but rather clarify certain points that have not been clear tomany readers.It is with profound humility and gratitude therefore that both the Students andthe Publisher submit this new and Thirteenth Edition as a Memorial to the selflessand devoted Service rendered to the worldby him who was the instrument for theMessage of THE IMPERSONAL LIFE.Nov. 1st, 1944CONTENTSPageI. I Am 19II. Be Still and Know 28III. I, Life, God 39IV. Consciousness,Intelligence, Will 47V. The Key 61VI. Thinking and Creating .... 71VII. The Word 87VIII. My Idea 96IX. The Garden of Eden 110X. Good and Evil 125XI. Use 138XII. Soul Mates 156XIII. Authority 165XIV. Mediums and Mediators ... 175XV. Masters 189XVI. The Christ and Love 205XVII. Finding Me 220XVIII. Union 245
 
Sept. 13, 1916Dear God:Thou All-Provider, Thou Who art myInexhaustible Supply, my Sufficiency in allthings:I hereby covenant with Thee to devotemy life and everything Thou givest me inThy Service; to work henceforth only forThee, letting Thee guide and direct me inall things.In return I ask only for Wisdom andUnderstanding that I may
know
Thy Willand Thy Meaning when Thou speakest,and for Strength never to doubt Thy unfailing Supply and Support.Joseph S. Benner.
 
FACSIMILE NO. 2May 17, 1917Dear Father:Thou hast placed in my heart a greatdesire to give forth unto the world the Message of "The Impersonal Life." I know thatthis is Thy Desire and that Thou hastchosen me as the medium through whomThou will bring it into manifestation.I now ask Thee to remove from me everything that hinders the outward manifestation of this Desire, and that Thou nowsupply me with all the means necessary togive perfect expression of "The ImpersonalLife," both in my own life and to the millions of my fellows in the manner in whichThou hast shown me.As Thou hast privileged me to be theagent to give to the world this new process,I ask that Thou quickly enable me to bringit into use, and that Thou guide me in allmy ways to that end and bring to ThyWork the greatest possible returns.
 
It is Thy Work, Thy Idea, Thy Desire.Do Thou, O Lord, through me quicklybring it to pass that Thy Will may be doneon Earth even as It is in Heaven.In Christ's Name, I ask it.Joseph S. Benner.
 
THE IMPERSONAL LIFEI AMITo you who read, I speak.To you, who, through long years andmuch running to and fro, have been eagerly seeking, in books and teachings, in philosophy and religion, for you know notwhat — Truth, Happiness, Freedom, God;To you whose Soul is weary and discouraged and almost destitute of hope;To you, who many times have obtaineda glimpse of that "Truth," only to find,when you followed and tried to reach it,that it disappeared in the beyond, and wasbut the mirage of the desert;19
 
20 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
To you, who thought you had found it insome great teacher, who was perhaps theacknowledged head of some Society, Fraternity or Religion, and who appeared toyou to be a "Master," so marvelous was thewisdom he taught and the works he performed; — only to awaken later to the realization that that "Master" was but a humanpersonality, with faults and weaknesses,and
secret 
sins, the same as you, eventhough that personality may have been achannel through which were voiced manybeautiful teachings, which seemed to youthe highest "Truth;"And here you are, Soul aweary and en-hungered, and not knowing where to turn —To
you,
I AM come.Likewise to you, who have begun to
feel
the
presence
of that "Truth" within yourSoul, and seek the confirmation of that
I AM21
which of late has been vaguely strugglingfor living expression
within;
Yes, to all you who hunger for the
true
Bread of Life," I AM come.Are you ready to partake?If so, then arouse yourself. Sit up. Stillyour human mind and follow closely MyWord herein spoken
.
Or you will turn awaydisappointed once more, with the achinghunger still in your heart.I!Who am I?
—
I, Who speak with such seeming knowledge and authority?Listen!I AM
You,
that part of you who IS andKNOWS;
 
22 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
WHO KNOWS ALL THINGS,
 And always knew, and always was.
Yes, I AM
You, Your SELF;
that part of you who says I AM and
is
I AM;That transcendent, innermost part of you which quickens within as you read,which responds to this My Word, whichperceives Its Truth, which recognizes allTruth and discards all error whereverfound.
Not 
that part which has been feeding on error all these years.For I AM your
real
Teacher, the onlyreal one you will ever know, and the
only
MASTER;I, your
Divine
SELF.I, the I AM of you, bring to you this MyMessage, My living Word, as I have broughtto you everything in life, be it book or"Master," to teach you that I, and I alone,
I AM
23
your own True Self, AM The Teacher foryou, the
only
Teacher and the
only
God,Who is and always has been providing younot only with the Bread and Wine of Life,but with
all things needed 
for your physical, mental and spiritual growth and sustenance.Therefore
that which appeals to YOU,
as you read, is
MY 
Message, spoken to yourouter human consciousness from
within,
and is but a confirmation of that which theI AM of you always knew
within,
but hadnot yet translated in definite, tangibleterms to your outer consciousness.Likewise,
all
that ever appealed to You,coming from some
outward 
expression, wasbut the
confirmation
of My Word alreadyspoken
within.
The outward expression wasthe avenue or means I chose at the timethrough which to reach and impress yourhuman or self consciousness.
 
24 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
I AM
not 
your human mind, nor itschild, the intellect. They are but the expression of 
your 
Being, as you are the expression of 
My
Being; they are but phasesof your human personality, as You are aphase of My Divine Impersonality.Weigh and study carefully these words.Rise up and free yourself now and foralways from the domination of your personality, with its self-inflated and self-glorifying mind and intellect.For your mind henceforth must be Your
servant,
and the intellect Your
slave,
if MyWord is to penetrate to your Soul consciousness.I AM come now to your Soul consciousness, which I have quickened expressly inpreparation for the reception of My Word.Now, if you are strong enough to bear it;
I AM 25
If you can put aside all your private
 personal
fancies, beliefs and opinions,which are but the rubbish you have gathered from the dumping grounds of others;If you are strong enough to cast them allaway; —Then My Word will be to you a source of endless Joy and Blessing.Be prepared to have this personality of yours doubt My Word as you read It allalong the way;For its very life is threatened, and itknows it cannot live and thrive and longerdominate your thinking, your feelings,your going and coming, as of old, —if youtake My Word into your heart and permitIt there to abide.Yes, I Am come to you now,To make you conscious of 
My
Presence;
 
26 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
For I have likewise prepared your humanmind so that
it 
can, in a measure, comprehend the meaning of Me.I have been with you always, but you didnot
know
it.I have purposely led you through theWilderness of books and teachings, of religions and philosophies, keeping ever beforeyour Soul's eye the vision of the PromisedLand; feeding you with the manna of theDesert, that you might remember andvalue and long for the Bread of the Spirit.Now I have brought you to the riverJordan that separates you from your Divineheritage.Now the time has come for you consciously to
know
Me; the time has come for youto cross over into Canaan, the land of Milk and Honey.
I AM
27
Are you ready?Do you
want 
to go?Then
follow
this My Word, which is theArk of My Covenant, and you shall go overdry shod.
 
BE STILL AND KNOWIINOW, in order that you may learn toknow Me, so that you can be
sure
it is I,your own True Self, Who speak thesewords, you must first learn to
Be Still,
toquiet your human mind and body and alltheir activities, so that you no longer areconscious of them.You may not yet be able to do this, but Iwill teach you how, if you really want toknow Me, and are willing to prove it bytrusting Me and obeying Me in all that Inow shall call upon you to do.Listen!Try to imagine the "I" who speaksthroughout these pages as being your28
BE STILL AND KNOW 29
Higher or Divine Self, addressing andcounselling your human mind and intellect, which you will consider for the moment as being a
separate
personality. Yourhuman mind is so constituted that it cannot accept anything which does not conform with what it has previously experienced or learned, and which its intellectdoes not consider reasonable. Therefore,in addressing it, You are using such termsand expressions as will most clearly explainto your intellect the truths it must understand before the mind can awaken to theconsciousness of your meaning.The fact is, this "I"
is
yourself, your
Real
Self. Your human mind has heretoforebeen so engrossed with the task of supplying its intellect and body with all mannerof selfish indulgences, that it has never hadtime to get acquainted with the
Real
You,its true Lord and Master. You have been so
 
30 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
interested in and affected by the pleasuresand sufferings of your body and intellect,that you have almost come to believe You
are
your intellect and body, and you haveconsequently nearly forgotten
Me,
your Di
vine Self.
I AM
not 
your intellect and body, andthis Message is to teach that
You arid I areOne.
The words I herein speak, and themain burden of these instructions, is toawaken your consciousness to this greatfact.You cannot awaken to this fact until youcan get away from the consciousness of thisbody and intellect, which so long have heldyou enslaved. You must
feel
Me
within,
before you can
know
I AM there.Now, in order that you can becomewholly oblivious of your mind and itsthoughts and your body and its sensations,
BE STILL AND KNOW 31
so that you
can
feel Me
within,
it is necessary that you studiously obey these, Myinstructions.Sit quietly in a relaxed position, and,when wholly at ease, let your mind take inthe significance of these words:"Be
still!—
and KNOW—
 I AM—
God."
Without thinking,
allow this,
My DivineCommand,
to penetrate deep into your Soul.Let whatever impressions that come to yourmind enter at will—without effort or interference on your part. Note carefully theirimport, for it is I, within, through theseimpressions, instructing you. Then, whensomewhat of their vital significance begins todawn upon your consciousness,
speak 
theseMy Words slowly,
imperatively,
to every cellof your body, to every faculty of your mind,with all the conscious power you possess:—"Be
still!
—and KNOW—
 I AM—
God."
 
32 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
Speak them just as they are herein written, trying to realize that the
God 
of youcommands and demands of your mortalself implicit obedience.Study them, search out their hidden potency.Brood over them, carry them with youinto your work, whatever it be. Make themthe vital, dominating factor in your work,in all your creative thoughts.Say them a thousand times a day,Until you have discovered all My innermost meaning;Until every cell of your body thrills in joyful response to the command, "Be Still,"and instantly obeys;And every vagrant thought hoveringaround your mind hies itself off into nothingness.
BE STILL AND KNOW 33
Then, as the Words reverberate throughthe caverns of your now empty being;Then, as the Sun of 
Know-ing
begins torise on the horizon of your consciousness;Then, will you feel the swell of a wondrous strange Breath filling you to the extreme of all your mortal members, causingvour senses almost to burst with the ecstasyof it; then, will there come surge after surgeof a mighty, resistless Power rising withinvou, lifting you almost off the earth; then,will you feel within the Glory, the Holiness,the Majesty of My Presence;And then,
then
you will
KNOW,
I AM,GOD.You,—when you
have felt 
Me thus insuch moments within, when you have tastedof My Power, hearkened to My Wisdom,and know the ecstasy of My all-embracingLove,—no disease can touch, no circum-
 
34 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
stance can weaken, no enemy can conqueryou. For now you
KNOW 
I AM
within,
and you always hereafter will turn to Me inyour need, putting all your trust in Me,and allowing Me to manifest
My
Will.You, when you turn thus to Me, willalways find Me an unfailing and everpres-ent help in time of need; for I will so fillyou with a Realization of My Presence andof My Power, that you need only
Be Still
and allow
Me
to do whatever you wantdone —heal your ills and those of others,illumine your mind so you can see with Myeyes the Truth you seek, or perform perfectly the tasks which before seemed almostimpossible of accomplishment.This Knowledge, this Realization, willnot come at once. It may not come foryears. It may come tomorrow.It depends upon no one but
You;
BE STILL AND KNOW 35
Not upon your personality, with its human desires and human understanding;But upon the I AM of you--God, within.Who is it that causes the bud to openinto the blossom?Who causes the chick to burst its shell?Who decides the day and the hour?It is the conscious,
natural
act of theIntelligence within, My Intelligence, directed by My Will, bringing to fruition MyIdea and expressing it in the blossom andin the chick.But did the blossom and the chick haveanything to do with it?No, only as they submitted or unitedtheir will with Mine and allowed Me andMy Wisdom to determine the hour and theripeness for action, and then only as they
 
36 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
obeyed the impulse of My Will to make theeffort, could they step forth into the NewLife.You may, with your personality, try athousand times a thousand times to burstthrough the shell of your human conscious
ness.
It will result only, if at all, in a breaking down of the doors I have provided between the world of tangible forms and therealm of intangible dreams; and the doorbeing open, you then no longer can keepout intruders from your private domain,without much trouble and suffering.But even through such suffering youmay gain the strength you lack and thewisdom needed to know that, not until youyield up all desire for knowledge, for goodness, yes, for union with Me,
to benefit self,
can you unfold your petals showing forth
BE STILL AND KNOW 37
the perfect Beauty of My Divine Nature,and throw off the shell of your humanpersonality and step forth into the gloriousLight of My Heavenly Kingdom.Therefore I give you these directionsnow, at the beginning, that you may belearning how to recognize Me.For I here promise you, if you follow andstrive earnestly to comprehend and obeyMy instructions herein given, you shall verysoon know Me, and I will give you to comprehend
all
of My Word wherever written,-- in book or teaching, in Nature, or inyour fellow man.If there is much in what herein is writtenthat seems contradictory, seek out My realmeaning before discarding it.Do not leave a single paragraph, or anyone thought in it, until all that is suggestedbecomes clear.
 
38 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
But in all your seeking and all your striving, let it be with faith and trust in Me,your True Self within, and without beinganxious about results; for the results are allin My keeping, and I will take care of them. Your doubts and your anxiety arebut of the personality, and if allowed topersist will lead only to failure and disappointment.I, LIFE, GODIIIIF that which you have read has awakeneda response within, and the Soul of youyearns for more, then you are ready forwhat follows.If you still question or rebel at the seeming assumption of Divine authority forwhat is herein written, your intellect tellingvou it is but another attempt to beguilevour mind with cunning suggestion andsubtle sophistry, —then you will receive nobenefit from these words; for their meaning is as yet hidden from your mortal consciousness, and My Word must come to youthrough other avenues of expression.39
 
40 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
It is well if your personality with its intellect impels you thus to question and rebel against authority you do not yet
know
to be Mine. It is really I Who cause yourpersonality thus to rebel; for your personality with its proud sense of individuality isstill needed by Me to develop a mind andbody strong enough that they can perfectlyexpress Me. Until you have become prepared to know Me it is but natural for yourpersonality thus to question and rebel.Once you recognize My Authority, thatmoment the undermining of the authorityof the personality has begun. The days of its dominion are numbered, and you willmore and more turn to Me for help andguidance.Therefore, be not dismayed. Read on,and mayhap the recognition will come. Butknow that you can read or not, as youchoose; but if you do it is really I Whochoose, and not you.
I, LIFE, GOD 41
For you, who seemingly choose not toread further, I have plans, and in due season you shall learn that whatever you do,or like, or desire, it is I leading you throughall the fallacies and illusions of the personality, that you may finally awaken to theirunreality and then turn to Me as the oneand only Reality. Then these words willfind a response within: —"Be
still!—
and KNOW
—
/ 
AM—
God."Yes, I AM that innermost part of youthat sits within, and calmly waits andwatches, knowing neither time nor space;for I AM the Eternal and fill all space.I watch and wait for you to be done withvour petty human follies and weaknesses,with your vain longings, ambitions and regrets, knowing that will come in time; andthen you will turn to Me, weary, discouraged, empty and humble, and ask Me to
 
42 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
take the lead, not realizing that I havebeen leading you all the time.Yes, I sit here within, quietly waiting forthis; yet while waiting it was really I Whodirected all your ways, Who inspired allyour thoughts and acts, impersonally utilizing and manipulating each so as eventuallyto bring you and My other human expressions to a final conscious recognition of 
Me.
Yes, I have been within always, deepwithin your heart. I have been with youthrough all, through your joys and heartaches, your successes and mistakes, throughyour evil-doing, your shame, your crimesagainst your brother and against God, asyou thought.Aye, whether you went straight ahead,or strayed aside, or stepped backward, itwas I Who brought you through.
I. LIFE, GOD 43
It was I Who urged you on by the glimpseof Me in the dim distance.It was I Who lured you by a vision of Mein some bewitching face, or beautiful body,or intoxicating pleasure, or over-poweringambition.It was I Who appeared before you withinthe garb of Sin, or Weakness, or Greed, orSophistry, and drove you back into thearms of Conscience, leaving you to strugglein its shadowy grasp; until you awakened toits impotence, rose up in disgust, and inthe inspiration of a new vision tore off Mymask.Yes, it is I Who cause you to do allthings, and if you can see it,
it is I Who doall things that you do,
and all things thatvour brother does; for that in you and in
him which IS, is I, My Self.
For I AM LIFE.
 
44 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
I AM that which animates your body,which causes your mind to think, yourheart to beat.I AM the Innermost, the Spirit, the animating Cause of your being, of all life, of all living things, both visible and invisible.There is nothing dead, for I, the Impersonal
ONE,
AM
all
that there is. I AMInfinite and wholly unconfined; the Universe is My Body, all the Intelligence thereis emanates from My Mind, all the Lovethere is flows from My Heart, all the Powerthere is, is but My Will in action.The threefold Force, manifesting as allWisdom, all Love, all Power, or if you will,as Light, Heat, and Energy — that whichholds together all forms and is back of andin all expressions and phases of life, —is butthe manifestation of My Self in the act orstate of Being.
I, LIFE, GOD 45
Nothing can
Be
without manifesting andexpressing some phase of Me, Who AM notonly the Builder of all forms, but the Dweller in each. In the heart of each I dwell; inthe heart of the human, in the heart of theanimal, in the heart of the flower, in theheart of the stone. In the heart of each Ilive and move and have My Being, andfrom out the heart of each I send forth thatphase of Me I desire to express, and whichmanifests in the outer world as a stone, aflower, an animal, a man.Is there nothing, then, but this great
I?
Am I to be permitted no individuality formyself? I hear you ask.No, there is nothing, absolutely nothing,that is not a part of Me, controlled andruled eternally by Me, the
One
InfiniteReality.As for your so-called individuality, that
 
46 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
is nothing but your personality still seekingto maintain a separate existence.Soon you shall know there is no individuality apart from My Individuality, and allpersonality shall fade away into My DivineImpersonality.Yes, and you shall soon reach that stateof awakening where you will get a glimpseof My Impersonality, and you will thendesire no individuality, no separation foryourself; for you will see that is but onemore illusion of the personality.CONSCIOUSNESS, INTELLIGENCE,WILLIVYES, I know the many mixed thoughtsthat have been crowding into your mindas you read,—the doubts and eager questionings, the vague fear that imperceptiblychanged into a growing hope that thisglimmering of My Meaning, which has begun to penetrate the darkness of your human intellect, may shine brighter so youcan see clearly the Truth which you instinctively feel is hidden beneath My Words.Again I say, this I AM speaking herein isthe Real Self of you, and in reading thesewords it is necessary that you realize it
is
You, your own Self, that is speaking them47
 
48THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
to your human consciousness, in order fullyto comprehend their meaning.I also repeat, this is the same I AM thatis the Life and Spirit animating all livingthings in the Universe, from the tiniestatom to the greatest Sun; that this I AM isthe Intelligence in you and in your brotherand sister; and that it is likewise the Intelligence which causes everything to live andgrow and become that which it is theirdestiny to be.Perhaps you cannot yet understand howthis I AM can be, at one and the sametime, the I AM of you and the I AM of yourbrother, and also the Intelligence of thestone, the plant, and the animal.You will see this, however, if you followthese My Words and obey the instructionsherein given; for I will soon bring to yourconsciousness a Light that will illumine the
CONSCIOUSNESS, INTELLIGENCE, WILL 49
deepest recesses of your mind and driveaway all the clouds of human misconceptions, ideas and opinions that now darkenyour intellect,—if you read on and striveearnestly to comprehend My Meaning.So listen carefully.I AM You, the Real Self of you, All thatyou
really
are. That which you think youare, you are
not.
That is only an illusion, ashadow of the
Real
You, which is I, yourImmortal, Divine Self.I AM that point of consciousness focalized in your human mind which calls itself "I". I AM that "I", but that which you callyour consciousness is in reality
My
Consciousness, thinned down to suit the capacity of your human mind. It is still
My
Consciousness, and when you can drive fromyour mind all its human misconceptions,ideas and opinions, and can cleanse and
 
50
THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
empty it utterly, so that
My
Consciousnesscan have a chance to
express
freely, thenyou will recognize
Me
and you will knowthat you are nothing — being only a focalcenter of 
My
Consciousness, an avenue ormedium through which I can express
My
meaning — in matter.
Perhaps you cannot see this yet, and of course cannot believe it until I fully prepare your mind by convincing your intellect of its truth.You have been told that each cell of yourbody has a consciousness and an intelligence of its own; that were it not for thisconsciousness it could not do the work it sointelligently does.Each cell is surrounded by millions of other cells, each intelligently doing its ownwork and each evidently controlled by theunited consciousness of all these cells,
CONSCIOUSNESS, INTELLIGENCE, WILL 51
forming a
group
intelligence, which directsand controls this work; this group intelligence apparently being the intelligence of the
organ
which the cells comprising itform. Likewise, there are other group intelligences in other organs, each containing other millions of cells, and all theseorgans make up your physical body.Now, you know
You
are the Intelligencethat directs the work of the organs of yourbody, whether this directing is done consciously or unconsciously; and that eachcell of each organ is really a focal center of this directing Intelligence; and that whenthis Intelligence is withdrawn the cells fallapart, your physical body dies and exists nomore as a living organism.Who is this
You
who directs and controlsthe activities of your organs, and consequently of each cell composing them?
 
52 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
You cannot say it is your human or personal self who does this, for you of yourself consciously can control the action of scarcely a single organ of your body.It must then be this Impersonal I AM of you, who is You, and yet is not you.Listen!You, the I AM of you, are to Me whatthe cell consciousness of your body is toyour I AM Consciousness.You are a cell, as it were, of My Body,and your consciousness (as one of My Cells)is to Me what the consciousness of one of the cells of your body is to You.Therefore, it must be that the consciousness of the cell of your body is My Consciousness, even as your consciousness is MyConsciousness; and therefore We must be
One
in consciousness —the cell, You and I.
CONSCIOUSNESS, INTELLIGENCE, WILL 53
You cannot now consciously direct orcontrol a single cell of your body; but whenYOU can at will enter into the Consciousnessof the I AM of you and know its identitywith
Me, then you can control not onlyevery cell of your body, but that of anyother body you might wish to control.
What happens when your consciousnessno longer controls the cells of your body?The body disintegrates, the cells separate,and their work for the time being is finished. But do the cells die or lose consciousness? No, they simply sleep or rest for aperiod, and after a while unite with othercells and form new combinations, andsooner or later appear in other manifestations of life, — perhaps mineral, perhapsvegetable, perhaps animal; showing thatthey still retain their original consciousnessand but await the action of My Will to jointogether in a new organism to do the work 
 
54 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
of the new consciousness through which Idesire to manifest.Then apparently this cell consciousnessis a consciousness common to all bodies, —mineral, vegetable, animal, human,—each cell fitted perhaps by experience for acertain general kind of work?Yes, this cell consciousness is common toevery cell of every body, no matter what itskind, because it is an
Impersonal
consciousness, having no purpose other than doingthe work allotted it. It lives only to work,wherever needed. When through withbuilding one form, it takes up the work of building another, under whatever consciousness I desire it to serve.Thus it is likewise with you.You, as one of the cells of My Body, havea consciousness that is My Consciousness,an intelligence that is My Intelligence, even
CONSCIOUSNESS, INTELLIGENCE, WILL 55
a will that is My Will. You have none of these for yourself or of yourself. They areall Mine and for My use only.Now, My consciousness and My Intelligence and My Will are wholly Impersonal,and therefore are common with
you
andwith
all
the cells of 
My
Body, even as theyare common with all the cells of 
your 
body.I AM, and, being wholly Impersonal,My Consciousness, My Intelligence and MyWill, working in you and in the other cellsof My Body, which constitute the I AM of YOU and of them, must work Impersonally,— just as they work Impersonally in thecells of your body. Therefore, I, and the IAM of you and of your brother, and theconsciousness and intelligence of all cells of all bodies, are
ONE.
I AM the directing Intelligence of 
All,
the animating Spirit, the Life, the Con-sciousness of all matter, of all Substance.
 
56THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
If you can see it,
You,
the
Real
you, the
 Impersonal
you, are in all and are one withall, are in Me and are one with Me; just as IAM in you and in all, and thereby amexpressing My Reality through you andthrough all.This will, which you call your will, islikewise no more yours personally than isthis consciousness and this intelligence of your mind and of the cells of your bodyyours.It is but that small portion of 
My
Willwhich I permit the personal you to use. Justas fast as you awaken to a recognition of acertain power or faculty within you andbegin consciously to use it, do I allow youthat much more of My Infinite Power.All power and its use is but so muchrecognition and understanding of the useof My Will.
CONSCIOUSNESS, INTELLIGENCE, WILL 57
Your will and all your powers are onlyphases of My Will, which I supply to suityour capacity to use it.Were I to entrust you with the full powerof My Will, before you know how consciously to use it, it would annihilate yourbody utterly.To test your strength and more often toshow you what the misuse of My Powerdoes to you, I at times allow you to commita sin, so-called, or to make a mistake. Ieven permit you to become inflated withthe sense of My Presence within you, whenIt manifests as a consciousness of My Power,My Intelligence, My Love; and I let youtake these and use them for your own personal purposes. But not for long; for, notbeing strong enough to control them, theysoon take the bit in their teeth, run awaywith you, throw you down in the mire, and
 
58 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
disappear from your consciousness for thetime being.Always I AM there to pick you up, afterthe fall, although you do not know it at thetime; first straightening you out and thenstarting you onward again, by pointing outthe reason for your fall; and finally, whenyou are sufficiently humbled, causing youto see that these powers accruing to you bythe conscious use of My Will, My Intelligence and My Love, are allowed you onlyfor use in
My
Service, and not at all foryour own personal ends.Do the cells of your body, the muscles of your arm, think to set themselves up ashaving a separate will from your will, or aseparate intelligence from your intelligence?No, they know no intelligence but yours,no will but yours.
CONSCIOUSNESS, INTELLIGENCE, WILL 59
After a while it will be that you willrealize you are only one of the cells of MyBody; and that your will is not your will,but Mine; that what consciousness andwhat intelligence you have are Mine wholly; and that there is no such person as you,you personally being only a physical formcontaining a human brain, which I createdfor the purpose of expressing in matter anIdea, a certain phase of which I could express best only in that particular form.All this may be difficult for you now toaccept, and you may protest very strenuously that it cannot be, that every instinctof your nature rebels against such yieldingand subordinating yourself to an unseenand unknown power, however Impersonalor Divine.Fear not, it is only your personality thatthus rebels. If you continue to follow andstudy My Words, all will soon be made
 
60 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
clear, and I will surely open up to yourinner understanding many wonderfulTruths that now are impossible for you tocomprehend. Your Soul will rejoice andsing glad praises, and you will bless thesewords for the message they bring.
THE KEYV
NOW you may not even yet know I AM,or believe that I AM really you, or thatI AM likewise your brother and your sister,and that you are all parts of Me and Onewith Me.You may not realize that the
Souls
of youand your brother and sister, the only realand imperishable parts of the mortal you,are but different phases of Me in expression in what is called Nature.Likewise you may not realize that youand your brothers and sisters are phases orattributes of My Divine Nature, just as yourhuman personality, with its mortal body,
61
 
62 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
mind and intellect, is a phase of your human nature.No, you do not realize this yet, but Ispeak of it now, that you may know thesigns when they begin to appear in yourconsciousness, as they surely will.In order to recognize these signs, all thatnow follows must be considered carefullyand studied, and should not be passed byuntil My meaning, at least in some degree,is grasped.Once you fully understand the principleI here set down, then all My Message willbecome clear and comprehensible.I first give you the Key that will unlock every mystery that now hides from you thesecret of My Being.This Key, when you once know how touse it, will open the door to all Wisdom
THE KEY
63
and all Power in heaven and earth. Yea, itwill open the door to the Kingdom of Heaven, and then you have but to enter in tobecome consciously One with Me.This Key is"To THINK is to CREATE," or"As you THINK in your HEART, so is itwith you."Stop and meditate on this that it may getfirmly fixed in your mind.A Thinker is a Creator.A Thinker lives in a world of his own
conscious
creation.When you once know
how
"to think,"you can create at will anything you wish, —whether it be a new personality, a newenvironment, or a new world.
 
64
THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
Let us see if you cannot grasp some of the Truths hidden and controlled by thisKey.You have been shown how all consciousness is One, and how it is all
My
Consciousness, and yet is also yours and likewise thatof the animal, the plant, the stone, and theinvisible cell.You have seen how this consciousness iscontrolled by My
Will,
which causes theinvisible cells to unite and form the variousorganisms for the expression and use of thedifferent
Centers
of 
Intelligence
throughwhich I desire to express.But you cannot yet see how
you
can direct and control the consciousness of thecells of your own body, not to speak of those of other bodies, even if you and I andthey are all one in consciousness and intelligence.
THE KEY
65
By paying especial attention to what follows, however, you now may be enabled tosee this.Have you ever taken the pains to studyout what
is
consciousness? How it seems tobe an impersonal state of awareness, of waiting to serve or to be directed or used bysome power latent in and intimately related to itself?How man seems to be merely the highesttype of organism containing this consciousness, which is directed and used by this
 power 
within itself?That this
power 
latent in man's consciousness and in all consciousness is nothing but Will,
My
Will? For you know thatall power is but the manifestation of MyWill.Now you have been told that in the beginning I created man in
"My Image and 
 
66 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
 Likeness,"
after which I breathed into himthe Breath of Life and he became a LivingSoul.By creating man in My Image and Likeness I created an organism capable of expressing
all
of My Consciousness and
all
of My Will, which means likewise all of My
Power,
My
Intelligence,
and My
Love.
Itherefore made it
perfect 
in the beginning,patterning it after My own Perfection.When I breathed into man's organismMy Breath, it became alive with
Me;
forthen it was I breathed into it My Will —not from without, but
from within—
fromthe Kingdom of Heaven within, where
always
I AM. Ever afterward I breathed andlived and had My Being
within
man, for Icreated him in My Image and Likenessonly for that purpose.The proof of this is, man does not and
THE KEY
67
cannot breathe of himself. Something fargreater than his conscious, natural self livesin his body and breathes through his lungs.A mighty power within his body thus usesthe lungs, even as it uses the heart to forcethe blood containing the life it indrewthrough the lungs to every cell of the body;as it uses the stomach and other organs todigest and assimilate food to make blood,tissue, hair and bone; as it uses the brain,the tongue, the hands and feet, to think and say and do everything that man does.This power is My Will to BE and LIVEin man. Therefore, whatever man is, IAM, and whatever man does, or you do, Ido, and whatever you say or think, it is IWho say or think it through your organism.You were also told that when man wasthus possessed of My Breath he was givendominion over all the kingdoms of theearth. Which means he was made lord of 
 
68 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
the earth, the sea, the air and the
ethers,
and all beings living in all these kingdomspaid him homage and were subject to hiswill.This naturally was so, for I, within man'sconsciousness and within all consciousness,AM always manifesting My Will; and I, thelord and ruler of man's organism, AM likewise the lord and ruler of all organisms inwhich consciousness dwells. As all consciousness is My Consciousness and Itdwells wherever there is life, and as there isno substance in which there is not life, thenMy Consciousness must be in everything, —in earth, water, air and fire, and thereforemust fill all space. In fact it
is
space, orthat which man calls space.Then My Will, being the power latent inall consciousness, must reach everywhere.Therefore man's will, which is but a focal -ization of My Will, must likewise reach
THE KEY 69
everywhere; hence the consciousness of allorganisms, including his own, is subject toman's direction and control.All it needs is for him
consciously torealize
this, realize that
I 
, the
ImpersonalSelf within
him,
AM constantly
directing,controlling and using the consciousness of 
all
organisms every moment of every day of his life.I AM doing this by and through his
thinking.
I AM doing this with and through man'sorganism. Man thinks
he
thinks; but it is
I 
,the Real I of him, who think through hisorganism. Through this
thinking and hisspoken word 
I accomplish all that mandoes, and make man and his world all thatthey
are.
It makes no difference if man and hisworld are
not 
what
he
supposes they are.
 
70
THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
They are just what I created them to be for
 My
Purpose.But, if I do all the thinking, man doesnot and cannot think, I hear you say.Yes, here seems a mystery, but it will berevealed to you, if you note carefully whatfollows:For I AM going to teach you — man —
 HOW to think.
THINKING AND CREATINGVI
I have said that man does not think; that itis I, within him, Who do his thinking.I have also said man
thinks
he thinks.As this is an apparent contradiction, Ineeds must show you that man, ordinarily,does
not 
think, any more than he doesanything else he
supposes
he does.For I, within him, do
all
that he does;but I necessarily do it through his organism, through his personality, his body,mind and soul.I will point out how this can be.First, try to realize that I made you in
71
 
72 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
My Image and Likeness, and that I haveMy Being
within you.
Even if you do notknow this now and believe that I, God, AMsomewhere without, and that we are separated, try for the time being to
imagine
IAM within you.Next, realize that which you do whenyou think is not
real
thinking, because it isnot
conscious
thinking; for you are
unconscious
of Me, the Inspirer and Director of every idea and thought that enters yourmind.Next, realize because
I AM within you,
and you are My Image and Likeness, andtherefore possess all of My Faculties, youhave the
power 
of thinking; but not beingconscious that thinking is creating and thatit is one of My Divine Powers you are using,you have indeed all your life been thinking,but it has all been my-thinking, or whatyou would call error-thinking.
THINKING AND CREATING 73
And this error-thinking, this not knowing it is My Power you have been thus misusing, has been separating you in consciousness farther and farther from Me;but all the time fulfilling My Purpose,which later on will be made manifest toyou.The proof of this is, you
think 
you areseparated from Me, that you are living in amaterial World, that your body of Fleshengenders and harbors pleasure and pain,and that an evil influence, called the Devil,is manifesting in the world, opposing MyWill.Yes, you think all these things are so.They
are
to you, for all things
are
toman's mortal consciousness what he
thinks
or
believes
they are.I have likewise caused them to
appear 
toman to be what he
thinks
they are. This
 
74 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
also is to suit My purpose, and to fulfill thelaw of creating.Let us see if this is not true.If you
believe
a thing is so, is not thatthing really so — to you?Is it not true that a thing seems real toyou, like some sin or evil, so-called, somesorrow, trouble or worry, only because yourthinking or believing it so makes it such?Others might see that thing entirely differently and might think your view of it foolish. Might they not?If this is true, then your body, your personality, your character, your environment, your world,
are
what they
appear 
tobe
to you,
because you have thought theminto their present status.Therefore
you can change them by thesame process,
if they do not please you; you
THINKING AND CREATING 75
can make them whatever you will, by
thinking
them so. Can you not?But how can one do
real
thinking,
conscious
thinking, so as to bring about thischange? you ask.First know that I,
your Real Self,
purposely brought to your attention thesethings which now are displeasing andwhich cause you to
think 
them as beingwhat they now
seem
to be to you. I, and Ialone, AM thus preparing your humanmind so that, when you turn within to Mein abiding Faith and Trust, I can enableyou to see and bring into outer manifestation the
Reality
of these things whichnow
seem
so unsatisfactory.For I bring to you everything that, by itsouter seeming, can attract or lure yourhuman mind onward in its earthly search,in order to teach you of the illusoriness of 
 
76 THE IMPERSONAL LIFE
all outer appearance of material things tothe human mind, and of the fallibility of all human understanding; so that you willturn finally
within
to Me and My Wisdom,as the One and Only Interpreter and Guide.When you have turned thus within toMe, I will open your eyes and cause you tosee that the only way you can ever bringabout this change in thinking, is by first
changing your attitude
toward all thesethings you now think are not what theyought to be.That is, if they are unsatisfactory or obnoxious to you and affect you so as to causeyou discomfort of body or disturbance of mind, —why,
stop thinking
that they canso affect or disturb you.For who is the master? — Your body, yourmind, or
You,
the I AM within?Then why not show You
are
master, by
THINKING AND CREATING 77
thinking the
true
things the I AM of youwithin wishes you to think?It is only by your
thinking
these otherthings, by allowing these inharmoniousthoughts to enter your mind and by sodoing
giving them the power 
so to affect ordisturb you, that they have any such influence over you. When you stop thinking
into
them this power, and
turn within to Me and allow Me to direct your thinking,
they will at once disappear from your consciousness, and dissolve into the nothingness from which you created them
by your thinking.
When you are willing to do this, thenand then only are you ready to receiveTruth, and, by proper conscious thinking,directed by Me, to create the true andpermanent things I within wish you tocreate.

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