How to construct a concept of truth to put into practice: A couple examples
After wrestling to the max for decades with the concept of cosmic truth, I thought you might appreciate a couple examples that I recently discovered of how to put this concept into practice. I’m sure that there are lots of ways to construct/discern a concept of cosmic truth. Please make your own personal discovery.
My overall approachis this. Cosmic truth integrates truths of science, philosophy, and spiritual experience. I start out with spiritual truth, usually an expression of Jesus’ many-sided gospel that addresses my situation—and move into the experience of that truth. Because I believe that spiritual truth implicitly contains truths of science and philosophy, I then seek to make explicit some of what is implicit in spiritual truth. This I attempt by bringing to mind some truths of science and philosophy that are relevant to the situation I have in mind.
In doing this, I am constructing a snapshotof cosmic truth. I use that term because a snapshot is “a stop-moment in the exhibition of the moving reel of infinity picturization.” Truth is living, and the Spirit of Truth continually reveals cosmic truth to illuminate our ever-changing circumstances, even as love continually adapts to the changing needs of the beloved.When I want to activate my mind to be more receptive to that revelation, I may prepare myself by constructing a snapshot—my own idea—and then opening up in prayer to receive an upgrade. (Note that for all the situation-sensitive adaptability of the Spirit of Truth, there are also enduring themes: for example, the Spirit of Truth proclaims an updated version of the gospel that addresses the spiritual needs of each generation of mortals to appear upon the earth [194:2.1/2060.6]).
Last week I constructeda concept of cosmic truth to fit my current stage of life, when I am largely focused on personal growth. I began with an expression of the universal framework for all such growth. Starting with spiritual truth, I plugged in my current favorite expression of Jesus’ gospel:
143:1.4 (1608.1) “I declare to you that my Father in Paradise does rule a universe of universes by the compelling power of his love. Love is the greatest of all spirit realities. Truth is a liberating revelation, but love is the supreme relationship. And no matter what blunders your fellow men make in their world management of today, in an age to come the gospel which I declare to you will rule this very world. The ultimate goal of human progress is the reverent recognition of the fatherhood of God and the loving materialization of the brotherhood of man.
Another expression of Jesus’ gospel is even more relevant to personal growth.
The kingdom of heaven consists in these three essentials: first, recognition of the fact of the sovereignty of God; second, belief in the truth of sonship with God; and third, and faith in the effectiveness of the supreme human desire to do the will of God—
to be like God. (140.10/1586).
Second, I plugged in two quotes with truths of science—in particular, psychology—pertaining to personal growth.
143:2.4 (1609.5) “By the old way you seek to suppress, obey, and conform to the rules of living; by the new way you are first transformed by the Spirit of Truth and thereby strengthened in your inner soul by the constant spiritual renewing of your mind, and so are you endowed with the power of the certain and joyous performance of the gracious, acceptable, and perfect will of God. Forget not—it is your personal faith in the exceedingly great and precious promises of God that ensures your becoming partakers of the divine nature.
Although this quote mainly presents my favorite spiritual teaching on the topic, it also contains a truth of psychology: trying to suppress, obey, and conform to rules doesn’t work. Here’s my favorite companion quote:
156:5.4 (1738.3) “You know that men are all too often led into temptation by the urge of their own selfishness and by the impulses of their animal natures. When you are in this way tempted, I admonish you that, while you recognize temptation honestly and sincerely for just what it is, you intelligently redirect the energies of spirit, mind, and body, which are seeking expression, into higher channels and toward more idealistic goals. In this way may you transform your temptations into the highest types of uplifting mortal ministry while you almost wholly avoid these wasteful and weakening conflicts between the animal and spiritual natures.
“But let me warn you against the folly of undertaking to surmount temptation by the effort of supplanting one desire by another and supposedly superior desire through the mere force of the human will. If you would be truly triumphant over the temptations of the lesser and lower nature, you must come to that place of spiritual advantage where you have really and truly developed an actual interest in, and love for, those higher and more idealistic forms of conduct which your mind is desirous of substituting for these lower and less idealistic habits of behavior that you recognize as temptation. You will in this way be delivered through spiritual transformation rather than be increasingly overburdened with the deceptive suppression of mortal desires. The old and the inferior will be forgotten in the love for the new and the superior. Beauty is always triumphant over ugliness in the hearts of all who are illuminated by the love of truth. There is mighty power in the expulsive energy of a new and sincere spiritual affection. And again I say to you, be not overcome by evil but rather overcome evil with good.”
Truths of psychology here: First, recognize the temptation honestly and sincerely for exactly what it is, for example, my own selfishness and the impulses of my animal nature. Next, there is the reassurance that the component energies are not in themselves evil. Rather we are given a practical procedure of redirecting energies into higher channels—which can only be effective (avoiding wasteful and weakening conflicts) if we have truly cultivated an interest in and love for the new and better way. As I was constructing this concept of cosmic truth, I had the joyous realization that this truth is not only helpful in my own problems: these marvelous teachings about self-mastery illuminate the path for every human being.
Third, seeking for a truth of philosophy, I chose something general about the cosmic mind, something that enables me to harmonize the relevant truths of science and spirituality. Indeed, the very idea that there is such harmony to be found is one of the great truths of philosophy. Not only is my mind capable of insightful intuitioninto the material, causal factors of my animal-origin nature that are relevant to the weaknesses that I have been working on; and not only can I enjoy insightful intuition into the relevant spiritual truth; but I am also capable of the philosophical discovery of wisdom: “Mind-reason intuitively knows its moral duty” (16:6/192). Moreover, I can work to sharpen these intuitions.
Second example—cosmic truth as illuminating the problem that arose for me this morning. I was wrestling with the problem of how to integrate two sides of my life. On the one hand, during the past month I have begun working with the 12-step program and also studying the psychology of personal growth in connection with my training in one-to-one visitation in a retirement community. On the other hand, I was mindful of the teaching expressed in the following quote.
140:8.27 (1583.1) The three apostles were shocked this afternoon when they realized that their Master’s religion made no provision for spiritual self-examination. All religions before and after the times of Jesus, even Christianity, carefully provide for conscientious self-examination. But not so with the religion of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus’ philosophy of life is without religious introspection. The carpenter’s son never taught character building; he taught character growth, declaring that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. But Jesus said nothing which would proscribe self-analysis as a prevention of conceited egotism.
After praying to Jesus for guidance, I gained clarity about the difference between psychology and spirituality. Above all, I devote myself to following the Jesus program of becoming like God. I will continue the positive, direct, wholehearted pursuit of divine values as my path to growth. “By the new way, you are first transformed by the Spirit of Truth and thereby strengthened in your inner soul by the constant spiritual renewing of your mind, and so are you endowed with the power of the certain and joyous performance of the gracious, acceptable, and perfect will of God.” (143:2.4)/1609).
Yes, I will continue to learn truths of psychology from various sources, but other books and programs will not be permitted to become anything more than supplements.
At the culmination of that time of prayer and reflection, I was given the fearlessness to deal with the social costs of disengaging as may become necessary from certain aspects of the training I have been receiving.
In closing, I will simply add that the dominant emphasis on wholehearted pursuit of positive values does not conflict with the truth in this closing quote.
Forgiveness of Sin(89:19/984)
89:10.2 (984.5) Sin must be redefined as deliberate disloyalty to Deity. There are degrees of disloyalty: the partial loyalty of indecision; the divided loyalty of confliction; the dying loyalty of indifference; and the death of loyalty exhibited in devotion to godless ideals.
89:10.3 (984.6) The sense or feeling of guilt is the consciousness of the violation of the mores; it is not necessarily sin. There is no real sin in the absence of conscious disloyalty to Deity.
89:10.4 (984.7) The possibility of the recognition of the sense of guilt is a badge of transcendent distinction for mankind. It does not mark man as mean but rather sets him apart as a creature of potential greatness and ever-ascending glory. Such a sense of unworthiness is the initial stimulus that should lead quickly and surely to those faith conquests which translate the mortal mind to the superb levels of moral nobility, cosmic insight, and spiritual living; thus are all the meanings of human existence changed from the temporal to the eternal, and all values are elevated from the human to the divine.
89:10.5 (984.8) The confession of sin is a manful repudiation of disloyalty, but it in no wise mitigates the time-space consequences of such disloyalty. But confession—sincere recognition of the nature of sin—is essential to religious growth and spiritual progress.
89:10.6 (985.1) The forgiveness of sin by Deity is the renewal of loyalty relations following a period of the human consciousness of the lapse of such relations as the consequence of conscious rebellion. The forgiveness does not have to be sought, only received as the consciousness of re-establishment of loyalty relations between the creature and the Creator. And all the loyal sons of God are happy, service-loving, and ever-progressive in the Paradise ascent.
