14th Day of Lent – The Quality of Understanding

nnThe 7th quality required in order to achieve higher consciousness is UNDERSTANDING. Study the illustration of our Divine Self. Intellectual understanding takes place within the physical human being (the figure on the bottom). The intellect cannot lead us to ultimate Truth because it is dependent upon our five physical senses. Thus, to limit our search for Truth to intellectual pursuits is to deny ourselves spiritual understanding. nnNote the middle figure in the Divine Self illustration ... this figure represents your Higher Intuitive Mind -- the mediator between your physical self and God dwelling within you (the top figure). It is only through the Intuitive Mind that we gain spiritual understanding. Seeking Truth through the Intuitive Mind allows us to rise above the physical plane ... to have our conscious awareness tap into the spiritual realms ... to perceive the overall divine plan for our lives. Through the Intuitive Mind, we can gain understanding of our Soul's purposes for incarnating onto the physical plane. What did your Soul intend to learn by its sojourn on the physical plane pregnant with so many challenges?nnJesus taught in parables for those who learned only through the intellect. He taught the secret knowledge to those who could think abstractly ... who knew how to tap into their intuitive minds. In order to move forward in our spiritual growth, we must develop our Intuitive Minds.nnQuoting Charles Fillmore: "Spiritual understanding is the ability of the mind to apprehend and realize the laws of thought and the relation of ideas one to another. It is that something through which we understand God and ourselves. Understanding reveals that love and wisdom should work together, that power should be expressed through love, and zeal should be tempered with wisdom. Intellectual understanding comes first in the soul's development, then a deeper understanding of Principle [or universal law] follows, until the whole man ripens into wisdom.nnQuoting TWELVE POWERS IN YOU: "Understanding is my ability to make sense of all my other powers [or qualities] and of life. It allows me to know that Divine Mind stands under all things. It is being aware that what stands under me is the eternal growth process. 'With all my getting, give me an understanding heart.'" (I Kings 3:10) nnThe Tree of Life is a sacred symbol. Jesus used the parable of the Vine: "I am the vine, you are the branches." (John 15:1-11) Since the branches of any vine are simply smaller extensions of the core vine, Jesus was referring to the unity that we experience as we raise our consciousness to the Intuitive Mind (the middle figure in the illustration above). The Father as the Vine Grower is symbolized by the top figure---God dwelling within each of us. As is evident in attempting to understand the Divine Self illustration, the intellect cannot comprehend ... it is only as we lift our consciousness to the Intuitive Mind that we can begin the process of understanding. nnThe reason recognizing and understanding all 12 qualities (or powers) of a balanced human being is essential is that until we develop each quality, we remain unbalanced. Illustrations found in TWELVE POWERS IN YOU are helpful.nnnnThis illustration depicts the balanced individual ... all 12 qualities are understood and well developed. The balanced person is one who has attained a higher level of consciousness, or enlightenment ... one that functions as an integrated child god.nnIn contrast, the two examples below reveal persons who have developed only some of the 12 qualities. We can see how failure to develop all 12 qualities results in an unbalanced individual and thus, the extreme importance of developing each of our 12 qualities. nnnnIn this illustration, we can see that the imbalance of developing the qualities of strength, imagination, and will result in an individual who can be cruel, domineering, dictatorial, and abusive.nnnnnIn this illustration, we can see that the imbalance of developing the qualities of love, imagination, and enthusiasm can result in being the person that others use, scam, abuse, dump-on, and mislead. This individual ends up feeling drained of life. nnKnowing ourselves as made in the "image and likeness of God" is essential. We are child gods possessing the rudiments of the 12 qualities of life. The divine goal is that we "be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)nnn Illustration taken from C.W. Leadbeater’s book MAN: VISIBLE & INVISIBLEnnThis illustration depicts the enlightened individual ... one who has achieved the Higher Consciousness ... one who has developed all 12 qualities (powers) in balanced form. Note that the bottom figure and middle figure of the Divine Self have risen in consciousness to the level of the 3rd figure, God dwelling within us. This illustration is equal to Jesus' prayer for all of us: "They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.... As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us." (John 17:16, 21) nnAffirmation: "The will of God is uppermost in my consciousness, and I am glorified in my understanding." ----Fillmore's KEEP A TRUE LENT