Unity Metaphysics 2 (Tan Book)
19 The Laws of Manifestation
19A STAGES OF CREATION:
“The key to the operation of mind is symbolically set forth in the Genesis account of the six days of creation. Man’s mind goes through the identical steps in bringing an idea into manifestation. Between the perception of an idea and its manifestation there are six definite, positive movements, followed by a seventh “day” of rest, in which the mind relaxes and sees its work in a process of fulfillment.” (Charles Fillmore Prosperity 83)
“In the 1st chapter of Genesis it is the great creative Mind that is at work. The record portrays just how divine ideas were brought forth into expression. As man must have an idea before he can bring an idea into manifestation, so it is with the creations of God. When a man builds a house he builds it first in his mind, He has the idea of a house, he completes the plan in his mind, and then he works it out in manifestation.” (Mysteries of Genesis 12)
Charles Fillmore sees a distinct analogy between the symbolisms in the first chapter of Genesis as it pertains to God and creation and to man and manifestation. This can be comprehended only when one views the Creation story in Genesis as an allegory. In the Bible, numbers have symbolic meanings. Seven is the symbol of completion in the manifest realm. The seventh day (Sabbath) symbolizes a period of rest from externally directed attention and effort.
19B FIRST STEP - LIGHT:
“In bringing forth a manifestation of God’s abundant supply, take the first step by saying, ‘Let there be light;’ that is, let there be understanding. You must have a clear perception of the principle back of the proposition ‘God will provide.’ The one universal, eternal, substance of God, which is the source of all, must be discerned and relied on, while dependence on material things must be eliminated from thought. ... If you have established that light, you have begun your demonstration and can go to the second step.” (Charles Fillmore Prosperity 83)
“Light is intelligence, a spiritual quality. It corresponds to understanding and should precede all activity. At the beginning of any of our creating we should declare for light.” (Mysteries of Genesis 16)
“Let there be light” is an affirmation of illumination. Light is a symbol with many meanings in our Bible, the most important of which is “intelligent awareness.” In the Silent Unity prayer ministry, the prayer for illumination is always spoken first. Charles and Myrtle Fillmore instituted this practice from the very beginning and it has been maintained to the present day. Charles Fillmore often stated that the prayer for illumination is the one most quickly and surely answered.
19C SECOND STEP: - FAITH:
“The second step in creation is the development of faith or the ‘firmament.’” (Mysteries of Genesis 16)
“A ‘firmament’ must be established; that is, a firm place in the mind, a dividing of the true from the apparent. This is done through affirmation. As you affirm God as your supply and support, your words will in due season become substance to you.” (Charles Fillmore Prosperity 83)
Faith is our supreme affirmative faculty. It is interesting to note that the first Bible symbol for faith is “a firmament” and to notice the similarity between the words “affirmation” and “a firmament.”
19D THIRD STEP IMAGINATION:
“The third step is the forming of this substance into tangibility. ‘Let the dry land appear.’ Out of the omnipresent substance your mind forms whatever it wants by the power of imagination. ... If you have already taken the other steps, you can picture in mind the things you desire and bring them into your manifest world.” (Charles Fillmore Prosperity 84)
“The first day’s creation reveals the light or inspiration of Spirit. The second day establishes faith in our possibilities to bring forth the invisible. The third day’s creation or third movement of Divine Mind pictures the activity of ideas in mind.” (Mysteries of Genesis 18)
It is important to point out that, although this first paragraph sounds as though the imagination actually does the work of bringing forth a desired manifestation, this is not correct. The imagination does not cause manifestation. It only produces the mental image of that which is to be made manifest. In the whole process of manifestation ALL TWELVE POWERS ARE INVOLVED. The imagination does, however, perform the important step of determining the general form of the desired good.
19E FOURTH STEP UNDERSTANDING/WILL:
“The fourth step in creation is the development of the ‘two great lights,’ the will and the understanding, or the sun (the spiritual I AM) and the moon (the intellect). These are but reflectors of the true light; for God had said, ‘Let there be light: and there was light’—before the sun and the moon were created. (Mysteries of Genesis 19)
“The ‘greater light,’ in mind, is understanding and the ‘lesser light’ is the will. The greater light rules ‘the day,’ that realm of consciousness which has been illumined by Spirit. The ‘lesser light’ rules ‘the night,’ that is, the will; which has no illumination (light or day) but whose office is to execute the demands of understanding.” (Mysteries of Genesis 20)
Will and understanding (two of our twelve powers) are symbolized in the fourth day of the creation allegory. Students often question the reason for metaphysically interpreting the allegory in the step-by-step manner which Mr. Fillmore employs in his book “Mysteries of Genesis.” One of the reasons is that he understood the great importance of becoming acquainted with our twelve spiritual faculties, and he viewed the creation allegory as the earliest example we have of man’s dawning awareness of these powers. Hence, his painstaking interpretation of the seven days of Creation as found in Genesis.
19F FIFTH STEP DISCRIMINATION:
“In the fifth day’s creation ideas of discrimination and judgment are developed. The fishes and fowls represent ideas of life working in mind, but they must be properly related to the unformed (seas) and the formed (earth) worlds of mind. When an individual is well balanced in mind and body, there is an equalizing force flowing in the consciousness, and harmony is in evidence.” (Mysteries of Genesis 23)
“Human judgment is the mental act of evaluation through comparison or contrast. ... Divine judgment is of spiritual consciousness. ... This faculty may be exercised in two ways: from sense perception or spiritual understanding. If its action is based on sense, its conclusions are fallible and often condemnatory; if on spiritual understanding they are safe.” (Keep a True Lent 182)
Mr. Fillmore sees the fifth day of the Creation allegory as symbolizing the judgment faculty in man and all the ideas that are connected with the right use of judgment. Judgment is our ability to discern, evaluate, and come to decisions.
19G SIXTH STEP WISDOM AND LOVE:
“The sixth step in creation is the bringing forth of ideas after their kind. ... Wisdom and Love are the two qualities of Being that, communing together, declare, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (Mysteries of Genesis 24-25)
“Wisdom is the ‘male’ or expressive side of Being, while love is the ‘female’ or receptive side of Being. Wisdom is the father quality of God and love is the mother quality. In every idea there exist these two qualities of mind, which unite in order to increase and bring forth under divine law. Divine Mind blessed the union of wisdom and love and pronounced on them the increase of Spirit. When wisdom and love are unified in the individual consciousness, man is a master of ideas and brings forth under the original creative law.” (Mysteries of Genesis 27)
The male and female resulting from the sixth step in the allegory are symbolic of wisdom and love in man’s spiritual nature. Wisdom and love in a human being reflect the wisdom and love of the creative Principle which created him. “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (Gen. 1:26). The Real person is male and female; that is, thinking and feeling, wisdom and love. Mr. Fillmore’s final sentence in the second paragraph is especially significant: “When wisdom and love are unified in the individual consciousness, man is a master of ideas and brings forth under the original creative law.”
19H SEVENTH STEP THE SABBATH:
“All is first finished in consciousness and mind then rests, in faith, from further mental activity. This ‘rest’ precedes manifestation. The seventh day refers to the mind’s realization of fulfillment, its resting in the assurance that all that has been imaged in it will come forth in expression.” (Mysteries of Genesis 31)
The Sabbath type of rest is a rest of the mind, not necessarily of the physical body. It sometimes lasts no longer than a moment, but it is necessary for the good of the whole person, as well as for the right outworking of the entire creative process. To maintain the supply of creative energy, a person needs to take time out from constant expenditure of that energy. The true Sabbath occurs when we become quiet and still within.
Transcribed by Phyllis Banhan on June 21, 2016.
