TODAY’S READING:
100.2

Form changes.

Our experiences constantly shift and evolve and unfold. That is assured.

We have a concept in the Science of Mind called “demonstration.” A demonstration is the evidence in the world of form of what is happening in our mind. Mind is constantly at work, so demonstration is constantly unfolding. Many people will align demonstration with what many refer to as manifestation. Manifestation, for me, is an erroneous consideration because it implies on some level that something is coming from nothing. Nothing doesn’t exist. Demonstration takes into consideration that something is formed of something.

Heady stuff? Maybe.

We are in a part of the book where we are focused very much on the world of form… that is what is meant by this section of the book, “Body.” Here is the good news, the body is the direct result of the mind. I’ve said before that to recognize what is in our mind we need only look at our lives. That is the truth. However, let’s not get so focused on the form, on the body, that we become stuck in the form or body only. Those who are new to this philosophy tend to get caught up in trying to change form, and thinking that they know what that form should look like.

Let’s concern ourselves less with the form of the form, and let’s place our focus more and more on the frame of mind.

In a class last night there was great debate on what the purpose of the work we do as practitioners of the Science of Mind is.

In curriculum, and in the past, we are taught, “treat until you demonstrate.”

First… the word “treat” is somewhat synonymous with the word “prayer” provided that the form of prayer is a declaration of our good rather than an beseeching for our good. (There will be much more on “treatment” throughout the year as it is the basic form of spiritual practice taught in Science of Mind).

In the class the debate about treating until we demonstrate as the purpose of treatment unfolded for the better part of an hour. I think the idea of treating until we demonstrate is off track in that it places us firmly in the world of wanting to change form or “get what we want.” In another part of the book Ernest Holmes states plainly, “We do not teach that you can get what you want.” Many people get to this sentence and become upset, perhaps even despondent because most people come to this philosophy believing that we get to take control of our lives and get what we want.

What is the purpose then of treatment? My belief and what I teach is this: Treatment is meant only to change our mind.

If all form is the result of mind, changing our mind changes form. When we are focused on changing form we may tend to get lost in the form and not the mind. There is no limit to what good, love, life, peace, power, beauty, joy, and the like can be—but when we are focused on the form of those things we limit our possibility of the experience of them.

At the end of the day, knowing that the change of form is assured… and knowing that form follows the tendency in mind… then all we need to do is focus on the tendency in our mind.

If you will indulge me a bit more, this whole conversation for me opened me up to an “a-ha” in my life experience. It is this…

I have been treating for the highest use of my being-ness in life. I believe that the demonstration of that now is my being called to open a spiritual center in Tucson, Arizona. The a-ha was this… the call to this unfoldment actually occurred last year when I left my position as Spiritual Director of the Centre for Spiritual Living Toronto. At that time I ignored the call, thinking that I knew better HOW to move forward and I moved to Los Angeles and worked to get myself hired at Global Truth Center. I have faced challenges in having taken this path… my life has not been graceful or easy here in Los Angeles. Yet, now that I have heeded the call to Tucson everything is unfolding easily and gracefully.

What was the difference? When I came to LA I was focused on manipulating the form of my experience. Going to Tucson I am in deep faith that my use as a being of light and love is unfolding perfectly. And it is.

So in what way are you either in alignment with your good in mind or trying to manipulate the conditions? It’s a great question to ponder!