Ascended Master Instruction 17
THE DISCOURSE
Happiness is the great boon every individual is seeking. We find some Orientalists saying that bliss is the ultimate state. It is only another expression for Happiness, but is not nearly so potent to the Western mind. To the Western mind Happiness is God in Action. To be conscious of seeking Happiness is to be conscious of seeking God.
No permanent Happiness is ever attained except through the adoration of God, the "Mighty I AM Presence," which is within, above, and around the individual. Happiness is a powerful alchemy. It is one of the most powerful purifiers of the human thought, feeling, mind, body, aura, and world of the individual. If the Student but believed and would experiment with himself or herself, he would find that he can generate Happiness at will.
For instance, suppose an outer thing draws the attention and causes some phase of unhappiness. Knowing that God, the "Mighty I AM Presence," is the only Source of Happiness, then the Student's first move would be to turn the attention to the Giver of all Happiness; and thereby he would tune into the one Source from which he is certain to receive.
The idea for the individual to follow is that when he feels some kind of disturbance and wants to turn to God, he may do the following and get great help from it: Get up and go through the motions of taking off a garment that one does not want and, as you would hold the discarded garment in your hands, drop it into the Consuming Flame and know that the disturbing element is consumed.
Then fix the attention on God, the "Mighty I AM Presence," with the Joyous Consciousness of feeling and receiving the Current of Happiness and Peace filling the mind and body. With a little practice in this manner, the Student will soon be able to come to the point where he or she can draw this great Happiness consciously and at will.
Every time he does. this consciously, he will find that he is gaining strength in the accomplishment and will realize truly that he has the ability to reach into the Heart of Happiness and there absorb Its Fullness. This practice is always followed by an expansion of consciousness which is its natural result.
The Students or individuals who are inclined to allow personalities or conditions that seem unusually close to them, to disturb them, should watch themselves closely- and instantly, when they find the attention is being fixed on the outer consciousness, withdraw it and fill the person, place, or condition with God, the "Mighty I AM Presence," and declare to themselves: "/, through my I AM Presence, consciously fill this person, place, or condition with God. Therefore, in my outer consciousness, I positively know that only the — right and perfect action is taking place there, toward me and for their success and happiness."
With many individuals the love of family holds their attention entirely too much upon the outer appearances; and when they allow this to be done, they but intensify the things that they do not want. If parents will take this attitude toward their children, "There is no personality acting in that one; there is only God in Action!" then they are doing the greatest thing in their power to help their children. At first, it may require considerable determination on their part to switch the current, but it is really no more difficult than turning the switch of the electric light in your room or pressing the button.
The reason individuals find it difficult to do this is because they do not nip disturbing conditions in the bud. They allow a fierce momentum to get going and then suddenly become aware they are in distress — never stopping to consider that they have allowed this thing to build, when by standing guard at the door of conscious creative thought and feeling, they can check it and stop its action in the beginning with little effort. Again let Me refer to the power of Free Will and choice. The individual alone is the governor and chooser of that which he will entertain; and he or she is at all times and forever "master of this condition now," because this particular activity requires no special state of growth, but can be done successfully by anyone who will sincerely try. Almost always the admonition to the child starting to school is "If at first you don't succeed—try, try again."
In looking to the Light or toward God, the "Mighty I AM Presence" with sincerity, we cannot fail, because we not only have our own God Power surging forth to our assistance, but there are other Mighty Powers watching all opportunity to help, from whom we do receive unbelievable Assistance.
Octaves of thought: I think it well to again refer to the octaves of thought, for these exist within the atmosphere the same as the strata exist within the Earth. I think it may be wise to define to some degree these octaves.
The first We shall mention is the octave of crime, which is the thinnest in spite of all appearances at this time. The second is the octave of hate—considerably thicker. The third is the octave of anger much thicker. The fourth is the octave of criticism and condemnation—still much thicker. It is the prevalent octave in which a great number of humanity move unknowingly.
From this on up, we begin to enter the Light; and we find the octave of Toleration, which is the will to give everyone freedom in thought and speech. Then we enter the octave of Joy where we find ourselves rejoicing exceedingly in the recognition of the God Power in us. The next is the octave of Pure Love, from which we feel unmistakably the Presence of God, the "Mighty I AM Presence," acting. From this we come into the octave of Perfect Happiness.
Whenever we allow our consciousness-which means our thought, feeling, and spoken word—to dwell on the quality of any one of these octaves, we not only have whatever we have generated of that quality, but we open ourselves to the entire outpouring from that octave upon which we dwell. This means the full accumulation of that quality generated by the mass of mankind—past and present. This exists within the atmosphere above the surface of the Earth, in which all individuals live and move.
This simple illustration will show how necessary it is to govern the thought, feeling, and spoken word and make determined effort to enter into the higher octaves of consciousness. When we do so, we find that through these octaves-from Tolerance on up—there is a condition just like a funnel with the small point down, direct from the Godhead which is constantly pouring Its Presence, Energy, and Substance into these octaves.
All octaves below that of Love are the creations of mankind—not God, the "Mighty I AM Presence." Mankind is the only one who attempts to divide God. God, the "Mighty I AM Presence," never attempts to divide Itself. God is ALL— everywhere present— to everyone who will accept this Fullness of the "Mighty I AM Presence."
There is no use of Students or individuals feeling that they cannot govern the outer form or the periphery of their thought, feeling, and action, which the body is; for I know positively that they can and must do it! And the sooner they take the reins, accept their God-given Dominion and use It, the quicker they will find True Happiness.
Already, the human or outer self has too long been the usurper of God's Power, feeding the individual on husks and weeds when it might hold the attention fixed on God, the "Mighty I AM Presence," and receive the Nectar of Eternal Youth and Life and move in that octave of Perfect Happiness, God's Perfection — the Garden of Paradise.
Regarding children: When children have reached the years of maturity, the greatest thing the parents can do is to consciously place these children in God's Hands, which means to release them completely into the Protection and Care of each child's own "Mighty I AM Presence" and enfold them in the Rays of Light and Love from the Heart of the Electronic Body above the child.
Every time the presence or thought of the child is in evidence, rejoice that God's Full and Perfect Intelligence is acting in his or her thought and feeling, governing perfectly all outer action. This will release the child into the Presence and Power of Divine Action in a marvelous manner. The anxiety of the parent to the child is, in ninety percent of the cases, the cause of a wrong action — and especially so from the mother.
This is a tremendous truth that is little understood. The mother, having been the builder of the body of the child— by this I mean furnishing the substance by which the form was built— has made a personal line of contact with the child for that embodiment; and if the mother but knew it, from the enlightened standpoint, she has the power to mold the child into the most wonderful, perfect being or, shall I say, to hold the focus by which the child is molded into the perfect being.
On the other hand, if the mother allows anxiety, which is a subtle form of fear, to constantly govern her, her thought cannot help but go out to the child and may disturb it to the extent that it would cause the child to be a complete failure. The above is an extreme instance when the mother has entirely ungoverned thoughts.
This illustrates the great importance of parents knowing and feeling that the child or children whom they love are at all times governed by the Perfect Intelligence of God, the "Mighty I AM Presence." The moment that anxiety or fear attempts to intrude, consume it and replace it with the firm consciousness that there is only God's Perfect Intelligence acting in and about the child.
If all the mothers of America could understand this wonderful Truth and live It, a majestic race would be born from that time on. This is a great Natural Law that has not been understood even among Students to but a small degree. I have known many instances where the intense fear in the parent for the child, drew the child into the very thing they feared, and it is one of the things that has delayed humanity's progress so much. Sometimes the child is sufficiently advanced so that, unknown to the outer, it wards off to a large degree the fear and anxiety of the parents. This is fortunate indeed.
Let it be thoroughly understood that I am in nowise criticizing or condemning the mothers, but I do intensely deplore the lack of understanding of this wonderful and vital point. I presume that Emily Cady understood this point more clearly than any other teacher of the outer world today, and she made a powerful sincere effort to convey this to her readers.
Prophecies: There are certain war conditions threatening. Through the Red activity, war would spread all over the World; and Our desire is to avoid the outburst of it before a certain condition can occur. If this can be done, it will do tremendous things to hasten the progress of humanity. Prophecies for centuries have held forth the idea, and it has become racial in the mind of humanity, that the greatest of all wars called the "Armageddon" would take place.
This, We think from the Higher Standpoint, was a great mistake. Humanity has been accepting it, expecting it, and are determined to have it. In the first prophecy of this, it was to convey the thought that it would take place on the invisible plane, without coming into physical action. We hope yet this may be done.
My personal opinion is that a cataclysm, which is inevitable, is preferable to the coming forth into physical action of the so-called Armageddon; for a cataclysm does not release hate, and because of this, it would be much better for humanity. A certain amount of cataclysmic action is inevitable, and it is not desirable that it should be avoided; for it releases certain things and seals certain things—greatly to the benefit and progress of humanity.
It is possible under secured Dispensations, for the channel of the cataclysm to be changed or governed. If mankind could understand that God forever and forever acts through His Messengers who are attuned to step down His Mighty Current of Force and Activity, then they would know that all cataclysmic or Cosmic conditions may be to some degree, more or less regulated and directed.
Warning: Here again let Me express a very sincere warning to the Student. Even knowing the inevitable, he should in nowise dwell upon it, but should every time the thought of such an occurrence comes to the mind, declare, "There is only God, the 'Mighty I AM Presence,' in action everywhere present." This becomes his own Armor of Protection.
If certain conditions can be consumed in Chicago in time, much of the progress here may be sustained and preserved. In calling forth the "Mighty I AM Presence" to consume these wrong conditions, know that you are using the Majestic Forces of the Cherubim and Deva, which are anchored over Chicago to give protection. This enables the force to pour when ever the thought recurs.
Notes: The principle thing in financial demonstration is to be determined in refusing to accept the idea that money or help is not present. Do not let yourself accept that the thing which you wish to use is absent. It only has an appearance of absence. You can just as easily find ten thousand dollars in your pocket as ten cents.
Sending and receiving thought: In the case of two individuals becoming attuned, in reality they simply both tune into a Cosmic Force and It acts.
There will come a time when a manifestation of the Ascended Masters will be appreciated and great benefit derived from It. It can then be used with splendid effect and in that case would be justifiable.
The intense element of smoking is what we would shun the most, for it opens the door to things we do not even wish to discuss.
BENEDICTION: "Mighty I AM Presence!" Mighty Cherubim! Gracious Deval We give praise and thanks to Thee and the Almighty Ascended Host for Thy Radiation, Thy Love, Thy Patience in bringing forth the great Inner Light of these Loved Ones to serve with Thee. Let all who come under this Instruction receive Thy Great Inner Illumination.
(Reprinted from July 1956 Voice of the "I AM")