Meditation

The stories of the Bible concern themselves exclusively with the power of imagination. They are really dramatisations of the technique of prayer, for prayer is the secret of changing the future. The Bible reveals the key by which man enters a dimensionally larger world for the purpose of changing the conditions of the lesser world in which he lives. (Nelle Goddard)

DID you know that you had a special something, a special, peculiar little something that made you different from the whole world? Of course you did; but you never dreamed that it would enable you to step out of the ugly grey mass of routine living and give you a little place all of your own. No, I don’t mean that it would make a queen or a mighty monarch of you, but it will make you infinitely greater; and this little something that lies wrapped in the napkin of fear, and which you only visit in the very secret closet of your own imagination, is your Talent.(Walter C. Lanyon)

Most people will admit that selfishness is the cause of all the unhappiness in the world, but they fall under the soul-destroying delusion that it is somebody else’s selfishness, and not their own. When you are willing to admit that all your unhappiness is the result of your own selfishness you will not be far from the gates of Paradise; but so long as you are convinced that it is the selfishness of others that is robbing you of joy, so long will you remain a prisoner in your self-created purgatory. (James Allen)

There is but one consciousness in the universe able to think; and when it thinks, its thoughts become objective things to it. As this Consciousness is omnipresent, it must be present within every individual; each individual must be a manifestation of that Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent Consciousness.(Charles F. Haanel)

Be strong! Fear not; Fear is man's only adversary. You face defeat whenever you are fearful! Fear of lack! Fear of failure! Fear of loss! Fear of personality! Fear of criticism! Fear robs you of all power, for you have lost your contact with the Universal Power House. "Why are ye fearful, Oh ye of little faith?" Fear is inverted faith. It is faith turned upside down. When you are fearful you begin to attract the thing you fear: you are magnetizing it. You are hypnotized by the race thought when you are afraid. (Florence Scovel Shinn)

The law of life is the law of belief, and belief could be summed up briefly as a thought in your mind. As a man thinks, feels, and believes, so is the condition of his mind, body, and circumstances. It is not the thing believed in that brings an answer to man’s prayer; the answer to prayer results when the individual’s subconscious mind responds to the mental picture or thought in his mind. This law of belief is operating in all religions of the world and is the reason why they are psychologically true. (Joseph Murphy)

When you find that you are really one with the Infinite power, and when you can consciously realize this power by a practical demonstration of your ability to overcome any adverse condition by the power of your thought, you will have nothing to fear; fear will have been destroyed and you will have come into possession of your birthright (Charles F. Haanel)

The man who is continually getting enraged over the injustice of his fellow men, who talks about himself being badly treated, or who mourns over the lack of justice in the world around him, shows by his conduct, his attitude of mind, that he believes in injustice. However he may protest to the contrary, in his inmost heart he believes that confusion and chaos are dominant in the universe, the result being that he dwells in misery and unrest, and his conduct is faulty.(James Allen)

It is the nature of the mind to create its own conditions, and to choose the states in which it shall dwell. It also has the power to alter any condition, to abandon any state. This it is continually doing as it gathers knowledge of state after state by repeated choice and exhaustive experience. (James Allen)

The Gates of Heaven are forever open, and no one is prevented from entering by any will or power but his own. But no one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven so long as he is enamored of, and chooses, the seductions of hell, so long as he resigns himself to sin and sorrow. There is a larger, higher, nobler, diviner life than that of sinning and suffering, which is so common—in which, indeed, nearly all are immersed—a life of victory over sin, and triumph over evil; a life wise and happy, kind and tranquil, virtuous and peaceful. This life can be found and lived now, and he who lives it is steadfast in the midst of change; restful among the restless; peaceful, though surrounded by strife.(James Allen)

It is no less selfish and sinful to cling to opinion than to cling to impure desire. Knowing this, the good man gives up himself unreservedly to the spirit of Love, and dwells in Love towards all, contending with none, condemning none, hating none, but loving all, seeing behind their opinions, their creeds and their sins, into their striving, suffering and sorrowing hearts. "He that loveth his life shall lose it." Eternal Life belongs to him who will obediently relinquish his petty, narrowing, sin-loving, strife-producing personal self, for only by so doing can he enter into the large, beautiful, free and glorious life of abounding Love. (James Allen)

Men love their desires, for gratification seems sweet to them, but its end is pain and emptiness. They love the argumentations of the intellect, for egotism seems most desirable to them, but the fruits thereof are humiliation and sorrow. When the soul has reached the end of gratification and reaped the bitter fruits of egotism, it is ready to receive the Divine Wisdom and to enter into the Divine Life. (James Allen)

Past and future are dreams; now is a reality. All things are now. All power, all possibility, all action is now. Not to act and accomplish now is not to act and accomplish at all. To live in thoughts of what you might have done, or in the dreams of what you mean to do, this is folly. But to put away regret, to anchor anticipation, to do and to work now, this is wisdom. (James Allen)
The secret of scriptural prayer, as told in the form of a parable, is to pray and never lose heart. One such parable tells of a widow who kept coming to a judge, asking for vindication. At first he did not respond, then he said to himself: "Although I neither fear God, nor regard man, yet I will exonerate her, because by her much coming, she wearies me." Parables, like dreams, contain a single jet of truth. This parable urges persistence in mastering the art of prayer. Once you have mastered it you will live in the state of thanksgiving, and all through the day you will say over and over again to yourself: "Thank you, Father."

A most effective prayer is found in the 11th chapter of the Book of John, as: "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me, for thou always hears me." In this chapter, the story is told of someone who has died and has seemingly gone from this world. But the truth is that no one is dead to you, when you know how to pray. You may no longer touch, see, or hear those you love with your mortal senses; but if you know how to give thanks, you can move from your body of darkness into the world of light and encounter your loved ones there. Therefore, he who would learn how to pray will discover the great secret of a full and happy life. (Neville Goddard)

The universe is an employer who pays every one doing the work that he was destined to do. If you are doing something and it does not bring you joy, this means that you were not designed to do this work. There are other human beings designed to do it with joy. Start doing something that brings you joy, even if you do not get paid for it now. If your work is good, the universe will have to pay later. (A. J. Coriat)

Evil has always been symbolized by darkness, and Good by light, and hidden within the symbol is contained the perfect interpretation, the reality; for, just as light always floods the universe, and darkness is only a mere speck or shadow cast by a small body intercepting a few rays of the illimitable light, so the Light of the Supreme Good is the positive and life-giving power which floods the universe, and evil the insignificant shadow cast by the self that intercepts and shuts off the illuminating rays which strive for entrance.(James Allen)

God is not only the creative cause of every visible form at its beginning, but at every moment that form exists. God lives within every created thing as the life, the everrenewing, re-creating, ever-evolving, cause of it. God never is and never can be separated from any created form¾not for a moment. Then how can even a sparrow fall to the ground without God’s knowledge? And “ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Matt. 10:31). (Emilie Cady)

What you and I think does not change the truth of Life. Divine Law is working irrespective of our opinions; let us cooperate with the working of law. If we depend upon our inner heritage, the outer will take care of itself. If we choose the right way, we shall move forward at a much more rapid rate. The choice of the ignorant way means the retarding of our unfoldment. Fulness of life for us depends upon our decisions; we must decide for ourselves what our reactions to experiences shall be. Are we moved and changed by outer things? Is the trend of your life and of mine to be determined by circumstances and conditions? Or shall we say with Paul, "None of these things move me?" The decision lies with you and me. (Nona L. Brooks)

Before we can do, we must BE. Imagine building a house without first creating its plan or design. We start to put a few bricks together and we do not know what to do next. Yet this is how most of us live our life. We have no purpose and we do not even understand the laws of life. If we want a beautiful life, we must discover our purpose and understand the laws of the universe before we do anything. (A. J. Coriat)

When your mind thinks correctly, when you understand the truth, when the thoughts deposited in your subconscious mind are constructive, harmonious, and peaceful, the magic working power of your subconscious will respond and bring about harmonious conditions, agreeable surroundings, and the best of everything. When you begin to control your thought processes, you can apply the powers of your subconscious to any problem or difficulty. In other words, you will actually be consciously co-operating with the infinite power and omnipotent law, which governs all things. (Joseph Murphy)

AS THE HEART, SO IS THE LIFE. The within IS ceaselessly becoming the without. Nothing remains unrevealed. That which is hidden is but for a time; it ripens and comes forth at last. Seed, tree, blossom, and fruit are the fourfold order of the universe. From the state of a man's heart proceed the conditions of his life. His thoughts blossom into deeds; and his deeds bear the fruitage of character and destiny.(James Allen)

Every man is where he is by the law of his being. The thoughts which he has built into his character have brought him there, and in the arrangement of his life there is no element of chance, but all is the result of a law which cannot err. This is just as true of those who feel "out of harmony" with their surroundings as of those who are contented with them. As the progressive and evolving being, man is where he is that he may learn that he may grow; and as he learns the spiritual lesson which any circumstance contains for him, it passes away and gives place to other circumstances.(James Allen)

In every soul the battle is waged, and as a soldier cannot engage at once in two opposing armies, so every heart is enlisted either in the ranks of self or of Truth. There is no half- and-half course; "There is self and there is Truth; where self is, Truth is not, where Truth is, self is not." Thus spake Buddha, the teacher of Truth, and Jesus, the manifested Christ, declared that "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other ; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." .(James Allen)

All problems are ultimately problems of the mind that eventually manifest themselves in the physical world. To have a life without problems, we must elevate our mind into the sphere of Heaven. (A. J. Coriat}

This God-power is within you, your superconscious mind. It is the realm of inspiration, revelation and illumination. It is the realm of miracles and wonders. Quick and seemingly impossible changes take place for your good. A door opens where there were no doors. Supply appears from hidden and unexpected channels, for "God has weapons ye know not of."(Florence Scovel Shinn)

The way to solve your problems is not by trying to fix them through your own limited intelligence. You solve them by elevating your mind to the state of Heavenly Wisdom where all problems are dissolved.(A. J. Coriat)

All suffering is caused by resistance to what is happening to you in the Now. Suffering disappears by accepting what is happening to you in the Now. All problems about the future and the past are illusions of your mind. The only Reality is NOW. Study the law of non-resistance. (A. J. Coriat)

Divine Science is revealing to us two things: first, that healing is not a physical process but, spiritual realization; and second, that health is not a condition of physical well-being only but the realization of a state of wholeness in the individual. Healing is the turning from the belief in disease to the realization of God’s Presence and Perfect Activity. God is health. Do I hear you asking, “Since God is health and God is omnipresent, what is there to be healed?” There is only one condition to be healed--our misconceptions. (Nona L. Brooks)

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.(Psalm 19)

The thing to remember is that doing is secondary to being: when we are consciously the Truth, it radiates from us and does the works without our running around looking busy. So if you have no time for this quiet meditation, make time; take time. If you look carefully, you’ll find some things better left undone. You may spend time chatting with friends or neighbors that, rather than diffusing your energy, could be spent “refueling” in the silence. Even some unselfish act may not be so important that you should neglect your regular, daily meditation. (Emilie Cady)

What did “I AM” send you here for, but to give expression to Himself; to give expression to love, beauty, holiness, harmony, happiness? Take your Bible down from the shelf and find out what the attributes of God are. They are peace, holiness, happiness, beauty. (Walter C. Lanyon)

God then, is the substance (from the Latin sub, under, and stare, to stand), or the real thing standing under every visible form of life, love, intelligence, or power. Each rock, tree, or animal, every visible thing is a manifestation of the one Spirit, God, varying only in degree. And each one of the infinite forms of manifestation, however insignificant, contains the whole. (Emilie Cady)

A man may shut himself up in a dark room, and deny that the light exists, but it is everywhere without, and darkness exists only in his own little room. So you may shut out the light of Truth, or you may begin to pull down the walls of prejudice, self-seeking and error which you have built around yourself, and so let in the glorious and omnipresent Light. (james Allen)

The attitude of gratitude brings the whole mind into more perfect and more harmonious relations with all the laws and powers of life. The grateful mind gains a firmer hold, so to speak, upon those things in life that can produce increase. This is simply illustrated in personal experience where we find that we always feel nearer to that person to whom we express real gratitude. When you thank a person and truly mean it with heart and soul you feel nearer to that person than you ever did before. (Christian D Larson)

Truth is so simple, so absolutely undeviating and uncompromising that it admits of no complexity, no turning, no qualification. Self is ingenious, crooked, and, governed by subtle and snaky desire, admits of endless turnings and qualifications, and the deluded worshipers of self vainly imagine that they can gratify every worldly desire, and at the same time possess the Truth. But the lovers of Truth worship Truth with the sacrifice of self, and ceaselessly guard themselves against worldliness and self-seeking.(James Allen)

To sum up: There is a power in the universe which acts as though It were Intelligent and we may assume that It is. There is an activity in the universe which acts as law. We know this to be true. And there is a formless stuff in the universe, forever taking form, and forever changing its form; this also is self-evident.We have every right, then, to assume that there is a threefold nature of Being which we will call Spirit, Soul and Body. (Ernest Holmes)

This matter of Thought Attraction is a serious one. When you stop to think of it you will see that a man really makes his own surroundings, although he blames others for it. I have known people who understood this law to hold a positive, calm thought and be absolutely unaffected by the inharmony surrounding them. They were like the vessel from which the oil had been poured on the troubled waters - they rested safely and calmly whilst the tempest raged around them. (William Atkinson)

We need to be careful of what we think and talk. Because thought runs in currents as real as those of air and water. Of what we think and talk we attract to us a like current of thought. This acts on mind or body for good or ill. If thought was visible to the physical eye we should see its currents flowing to and from people. We should see that persons similar in temperament, character and motive are in the same literal current of thought. (Prentice Mulford)

Most people desire to be happy, healthy and wealthy. But these things are not the fulfillment of greedy and lustful desires; they are the byproducts of living a purposeful, useful, pure and loving life. (A. J. Coriat)

Here is the cause of all your problems: what you don't like persists because you are resisting it. And you are attracting all that you fear and worry about. Here is the solution: accept what is happening to you now, whatever it may be. And surrender your life to the power of higher intelligence. (A. J. Coriat)

The cause of all problems is the ego. The ego is a false self or mental image that is created from memories of past experiences. Therefore, we should not even try to fix our problems through the ego. We should instead dissolve our ego through surrender and non-resistance and we will find that our problems will be dissolved along with our ego.(A. J. Coriat)

THe way you finally reach the Truth is by making all possible mistakes. (A.J. Coriat)

In the light of this truth, what, then, is the meaning of "fighting against circumstances"? It means that a man is continually revolting against an effect without, while all the time he is nourishing and preserving its cause in his heart. That cause may take the form of a conscious vice or an unconscious weakness; but whatever it is, it stubbornly retards the efforts of its possessor, and thus calls aloud for remedy. Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves. They therefore remain bound. The man who does not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set. This is as true of earthly as of heavenly things. (James Allen)