Unity Metaphysics 2 (Tan Book)
15 Metaphysical Basis For Prosperity
15A PHYSICAL BASIS FOR PROSPERITY:
“There is both a primary and a secondary law of increase. Men pile up possessions by human effort, interest, and other ways of secondary increase, and grow into the thought that these are the real means of attaining prosperity. But possessions gained in this way rest on a very insecure foundation and are often swept away in a day. Then men are in despair and often think that their means of existence is gone forever and life is not worth living. Such persons are really never happy in their wealth, because there is always a lurking fear that they may lose it. They are secretly troubled with the thought of lack, in the presence of worldly plenty.” (Keep a True Lent 101)
The physical, or outer, approach to prosperity is the difficult and risky one. It involves competition, opportunism, and other practices which may coarsen consciousness and defeat the purpose of true prosperity. Also, this approach carries with it the possibility of loss, which is terrifying to the material-minded one. Yet the outer approach certainly does get results for some persons, even spectacular results in some cases. Why? Because, as Charles Fillmore explains, it is part of the “secondary law of increase.”
15B METAPHYSICAL BASIS FOR PROSPERITY:
“Realize first of all that prosperity is not wholly a matter of capital or environment but a condition brought about by certain ideas that have been allowed to rule in the consciousness. When these ideas are changed the conditions are changed in spite of environment and all appearances, which must also change to conform to the new ideas.” (Charles Fillmore Prosperity 88)
“Every visible item of wealth can be traced to an invisible source. Food comes from grain, which was planted in the earth; but who sees or knows the quickening love that touches the seed and makes it bear a hundredfold? An unseen force from an invisible source acts on the tiny seeds, and supply for the multitude springs forth.” (Charles Fillmore Prosperity 104)
The metaphysical, or spiritual, approach to prosperity need not be difficult and is not risky. It involves no competition, opportunism, or any other practice which coarsens consciousness. It helps fulfill God’s plan for His children. When a person takes a metaphysical approach to prosperity, Mr. Fillmore says he works with “an unseen force from an invisible source.” This is spiritual substance. It works according to what Mr. Fillmore calls “the primary law of increase.”
15C LIVING IN TWO WORLDS:
“Apparently we live in two worlds: an invisible world of thoughts, and a visible world of things. The invisible world of thought substance is the real world, because it is the source of the world of things, and man stands between the two, handing out with his thoughts the unlimited substance of Spirit. When man gets understanding of the right relation between the visible and the invisible into his mind and active in his thoughts, all his needs will be met. This is what Jesus meant when He said, ‘Seek ye first His kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’” (Keep a True Lent 102)
The two worlds spoken of in this paragraph are the inner invisible world and the outer visible world. Our consciousness is pivotal, so we live in both realms simultaneously. The thing which determines where we are AT in any given moment is our attention, or our sense of I am. As Mr. Fillmore says, when a person gets a real understanding of the right relation between these two realms a greater dimension of power is added to his consciousness “AND ALL HIS NEEDS WILL BE MET.”
15D FAITH:
“In this lesson we are considering the subject of faith especially as it applies to the demonstration of prosperity. In this study, as in all others, we must start in the one Mind. God had faith when He imaged man and the universe and through His faith brought all things into being. Man, being like God, must also base his creations on faith as the only foundation. Here then is our starting point in building a prosperity consciousness and making our world as we would have it. We all have faith, for it is innate in every man. Our question is how may we put it to work in our affairs. (Charles Fillmore Prosperity 42)
Faith is an essential factor in the metaphysical approach to prosperity. It is the great affirmative power of the universe working in and through us. The affirmative attitude is constantly saying “yes” to God’s divine ideas. With such an attitude, a person cannot avoid being truly prosperous. Even if he does not care for much material wealth, he will experience prosperity of the very highest order.
15E IDEAS:
“By prayer we accumulate in our mind ideas of God as the substance of our supply and support. There is no lack of this substance in infinite Mind. Regardless of how much God gives, there is always an abundance left. God does not give us material things, but Mind substance—not money but ideas—ideas that set spiritual forces in motion so that things begin to come to us by the application of the law.” (Charles Fillmore Prosperity 31)
Divine ideas are the only true wealth, for they are the primary causes for all that is good in life. They are always fully available and cannot be depleted or annihilated. The mind causes the energies of divine ideas to project into the realm of form (manifestation) and such forms constitute our supply. The supply is our experience of prosperity, but the divine ideas behind the supply are the prosperity. Jesus called these inexhaustible divine ideas “the Father’s Kingdom.” He said, “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you His kingdom.”
15F SUBSTANCE:
“The spiritual substance from which comes all visible wealth is never depleted. It is right with you all the time and responds to your faith in it and your demands on it. It is not affected by our ignorant talk of hard times, though we are affected because our thoughts and words govern our demonstration.” (Charles Fillmore Prosperity 13)
“Just as the earth is the universal matrix in which all vegetation develops, so this invisible spirit substance is the universal matrix in which ideas of prosperity germinate and grow and bring forth according to our faith and trust.” (Keep a True Lent 184)
Substance is the invisible “matrix” of all possible forms of supply. Substance is not matter, but it makes matter possible. Our senses experience the energies generated from substance AS MATTER. Substance is a very simple and complicated thing at the same time, at least from our point of view and because of the limitations of human language and definitions.
15G TWO STEP PROCESS:
“It is not sufficient however to sit down and hold thoughts of abundance without further effort. That is limiting the law to thought alone, and we want it to be fulfilled in manifestation as well. Cultivating ideas of abundance is the first step in the process. The ideas that come must be used. Be alert in doing whatever comes to you to do, cheerful and competent in the doing, sure of the results, for it is the second step in the fulfilling of the law.” (Charles Fillmore Prosperity 92)
We should give emphasis to both steps in fulfillment of the law of prosperity. We must begin with the formative power of thought, but we must follow through with appropriate action. We are created to be thinkers and doers. If we attempt to function as just one or the other, we are fulfilling only half of the law, and our existence will be unsatisfactory in many ways. Prayer does not bring just things. Prayer often brings guidance, and guidance is to be followed. This is our part in fulfillment of the law.
15H NEW ECONOMIC BASIS:
“Spiritual discernment reveals that we are now in the dawn of a new era, that the old methods of supply and support are fast passing away, and that new methods are waiting to be brought forth. In the coming commerce man will not be a slave to money. Humanity’s daily needs will be met in ways that are not now thought practical. We shall serve for the joy of serving, and prosperity will flow to us and through us in streams of plenty. The supply and support that love and zeal will set in motion are not as yet largely used by man, but those who have tested their providing power are loud in their praise.” (Charles Fillmore Prosperity 9)
This paragraph gives Mr. Fillmore’s prophetic vision of what may be called “New-Age Economy.” Material-minded readers may find this vision too idealistic. Skeptics may reject it because they see no evidence of it happening in the world today. But metaphysical thinkers have recognized the Truth in these words from the time they first appeared in print. These are the persons Mr. Fillmore is alluding to in his closing words: “Those who have tested their providing power (power and zeal) are loud in their praise.”
15I PROSPERITY GOAL:
“Our work is to bring men and women to the place of true and lasting dominion where they are superior to both riches and poverty. We can do this by showing them that they are spiritual beings, that they live in a spiritual world here and now, and that through the apprehension of the Truth of their being and their relation to God this dominion is to be realized.” (Charles Fillmore Prosperity 155)
Prosperity is neither riches nor poverty, but a state of consciousness superior to both. Of course, it is natural to equate riches to prosperity rather than poverty. But riches can be dangerous in the wrong hands. Prosperity can never be dangerous in the wrong hands, because it cannot come to wrong hands. The true goal of prosperity is the attainment of a level of consciousness, not the attainment of an amount of riches.
Transcribed by Phyllis Banhan on June 17, 2016.
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