Lessons In Truth - Lesson 3 - Annotation 3
What is thinking? Can one come into a realization of Truth by arguing?
3, Thinking "is the movement of ideas in mind" (Metaphysical Bible Dictionary 654). Thinking is a process by which we arrive at conclusions. We form mental images, pictures, beliefs, based on our understanding of ideas. By this process we bring ideas into manifest form in our human experience in exact ratio to the interpretation of the idea held in our mind (consciousness or soul).
Thinking is our intellect in action, which allows us to reason, to choose, to comprehend, to will, to act. The child is taught to think about the a,b,c's, about numbers, about objects, and about people in his world, and all the time his intellect is dealing with the ideas represented by these things. All true thinking, which is the right use of our intellect, is for the purpose of building a consciousness of Truth and a world in which we see only good.
One cannot come into a realization of Truth by arguing.
Argument implies two points of view, and usually each participant becomes very persistent in presenting his own viewpoint so that his mind is closed to the ideas or suggestions of others. An attempt to get a realization of Truth in this way only leads us into a maze of intellectual reasonings, for "the things of the Spirit of God . . . are spiritually discerned" (I Cor. 2:14, A.V.).
An important work for each of us is the training of our intellect -- our thinking faculty or conscious phase of mind -- so that it is open and receptive to the revelations and guidance of Spirit. Arguing may deal with Truth as a theory, but it is only through a prayerful attitude of mind that the inspirations of Spirit can come into our consciousness. When we act on these inspirations and thus experience Truth we have a conscious awareness of it as a living reality. Further on in this lesson we will consider the subconscious phase of our mind, which enables the ideas of God to become established in our consciousness through our feeling nature.
________________________
Preceding Entry: Explain God as "universal Mind." If there is only one Mind why does there appear to be many "minds"?
Following Entry: Explain the three phases of our being, and show the function of each and how they are related.
