the dore lectures on mental science-第18部分

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gs　new。〃



THE　SHEPHERD　AND　THE　STONE。

The　metaphor　of　the　Shepherd　and　the　Sheep　is　of　constant　occurrence　throughout　the　Bible　and　naturally　suggests　the　idea　of　the　guiding；　guarding；　and　feeding　both　of　the　individual　sheep　and　of　the　whole　flock　and　it　is　not　difficult　to　see　the　spiritual　correspondence　of　these　things　in　a　general　sort　of　way。　But　we　find　that　the　Bible　combines　the　metaphor　of　the　Shepherd　with　another　metaphor　that　of　〃the　Stone；〃　and　at　first　sight　the　two　seem　rather　incongruous。

〃From　thence　is　the　Shepherd　the　Stone　of　Israel；〃　says　the　Old　Testament　（Genesis　xlix。　24）；　and　Jesus　calls　himself　both　〃The　Good　Shepherd〃　and　〃The　Stone　which　the　builders　rejected。〃　The　Shepherd　and　the　Stone　are　thus　identified　and　we　must　therefore　seek　the　interpretation　in　some　conception　which　combines　the　two。　A　shepherd　suggests　Personal　care　for　the　welfare　of　the　sheep；　and　an　intelligence　greater　than　theirs。　A　stone　suggests　the　idea　of　Building；　and　consequently　of　measurement；　adaptation　of　parts　to　whole；　and　progressive　construction　according　to　plan。　Combining　these　two　conceptions　we　get　the　idea　of　the　building　of　an　edifice　whose　stones　are　persons；　each　taking　their　more　or　less　conscious　part　in　the　constructionthus　a　building；　not　constructed　from　without；　but　self…forming　by　a　principle　of　growth　from　within　under　the　guidance　of　a　Supreme　Wisdom　permeating　the　whole　and　conducting　it　stage　by　stage　to　ultimate　completeness。　This　points　to　a　Divine　Order　in　human　affairs　with　which　we　may　more　or　less　consciously　co…operate：　both　to　our　personal　advantage　and　also　to　the　furtherance　of　the　great　scheme　of　human　evolution　as　a　whole；　the　ultimate　purpose　being　to　establish　in　ALL　men　that　principle　of　〃The　Octave〃　to　which　I　have　already　alluded；　and　in　proportion　as　some　adumbration　of　this　principle　is　realized　by　individuals　and　by　groups　of　individuals　they　specialize　the　law　of　race…development；　even　though　they　may　not　be　aware　of　the　fact；　and　so　come　under　a　SPECIALIZED　working　of　the　fundamental　Law；　which　thus　differentiates　them　from　other　individuals　and　nationalities；　as　by　a　peculiar　guidance；　producing　higher　developments　which　the　merely　generic　operation　of　the　Law　could　not。

Now　if　we　keep　steadily　in　mind　that；　though　the　purpose；　or　Law　of　Tendency；　or　the　Originating　Spirit　must　always　be　universal　in　its　nature；　it　must　necessarily　be　individual　in　its　operation；　we　shall　see　that　this　universal　purpose　can　only　be　accomplished　through　the　instrumentality　of　specific　means。　This　results　from　the　fundamental　proposition　that　the　Universal　can　only　work　on　the　plane　of　the　Particular　by　becoming　the　individual　and　particular；　and　when　we　grasp　the　conception　that　the　merely　generic　operation　of　the　Creative　Law　has　now　brought　the　human　race　as　far　as　it　can；　that　is　to　say　it　has　completely　evolved　the　merely　natural　GENUS　home；　it　follows　that　if　any　further　development　is　to　take　place　it　can　only　be　by　the　co…operation　of　the　individual　himself。　Now　it　is　the　spread　of　this　individual　co…operation　that　the　forward　movement　of　the　Spirit　is　leading　us　to；　and　it　is　the　gradual　extension　of　this　universal　principle　that　is　alluded　to　in　the　prophecy　of　Daniel　regarding　the　Stone　cut　out　without　hands　that　spreads　until　it　fills　the　whole　earth　（Daniel　ii。　34　and　44）。　According　to　the　interpretation　given　by　Daniel；　this　Stone　is　the　emblem　of　a　spiritual　Kingdom；　and　the　identity　of　the　Stone　and　the　Shepherd　indicates　that　the　Kingdom　of　the　Stone　must　be　also　the　Kingdom　of　the　Shepherd；　and　the　Master；　who　identified　himself　with　both　the　Stone　and　the　Shepherd；　emphatically　declared　that　this　Kingdom　was；　in　its　essence；　an　interior　Kingdom〃the　Kingdom　of　Heaven　is　within　you。〃　We　must　look　for　its　foundation　therefore；　in　a　spiritual　principle　or　mental　law　inherent　in　the　constitution　of　all　men　but　waiting　to　be　brought　into　fuller　development　by　more　accurate　compliance　with　its　essential　requirements；　which　is　precisely　the　method　by　which　science　has　evoked　powers　from　the　laws　of　nature　which　were　undreamt　of　in　former　ages；　and　in　like　manner　the　recognition　of　our　true　relation　to　the　Universal　Spirit；　which　is　the　source　of　all　individual　being；　must　lead　to　an　advance　both　for　the　race　and　for　the　individual　such　as　we　can　at　present　scarcely　form　the　faintest　idea　of；　but　which　we　dimly　apprehend　through　the　intuition　and　speak　of　as　the　New　Order。　The　approach　of　this　New　Order　is　everywhere　making　itself　vaguely　felt；　it　is；　as　the　French　say；　in　the　air；　and　the　very　vagueness　and　mystery　attending　it　is　causing　a　feeling　of　unrest　as　to　what　form　it　may　assume。　But　to　the　student　of　Spiritual　Law　this　should　not　be　the　case。　He　knows　that　the　Form　is　always　the　expression　of　the　Spirit；　and　therefore；　since　he　is　in　touch　with　the　forward　movement　of　the　Spirit；　he　knows　that　he　himself　will　always　be　harmoniously　included　in　any　form　of　development　which　the　Great　Forward　Movement　may　take。　This　is　the　practical　and　personal　benefit　arising　from　the　realization　of　the　Principle　which　is　symbolized　under　the　two…fold　metaphor　of　the　Shepherd　and　the　Stone。　and　in　all　those　new　developments　which　are　perhaps　even　now　within　measurable　distance；　we　can　rest　on　the　knowledge　that　we　are　under　the　care　of　a　kind　Shepherd；　and　under　the　formation　of　a　wise　Master　Builder。

But　the　principle　of　the　Shepherd　and　the　Stone　is　not　something　hitherto　unheard　of　which　is　only　to　conne　into　existence　in　the　future。　If　there　were　no　manifestations　of　this　principle　in　the　past；　we　might　question　whether　there　were　any　such　principle　at　all；　but　a　careful　study　of　the　subject　will　show　us　that　it　has　been　at　work　all　through　the　ages；　sometimes　in　modes　more　immediately　bearing　the　aspect　of　the　Shepherd；　and　sometimes　in　modes　more　immediately　bearing　the　aspect　of　the　Stone；　though　the　one　always　implies　the　other；　for　they　are　the　same　thing　seen　from　different　points　of　view。　The　subject　is　one　of　immense　interest；　but　covering　such　a　wide　range　of　study　that　all　I　can　do　here　is　to　point　out　that　such　a　field　of　investigation　exists　and　is　worth　exploration；　and　the　exploration　brings　its　reward　with　it；　not　only　by　putting　us　in　possession　of　the　key　to　the　history　of　the　past；　but　by　showing　us　that　it　is　the　key　to　the　history　of　the　future　also；　and　furthermore　by　making　evident　on　a　large　scale　the　working　of　the　same　principle　of　Spiritual　Law　by　cooperation　with　which　we　may　facilitate　the　process　of　our　own　individual　evolution。　It　thus　adds　a　vivid　interest　to　life；　giving　us　something　worth　looking　forward　to　and　introducing　us　to　a　personal　future　which　is　not　limited　by　the　proverbial　three…score　years　and　ten。

Now；　we　have　seen　that　the　first　stage　in　the　Creative　Process　is　always　that　of　Feelinga　reaching…out　by　the　Spirit　in　a　particular　direction；　and　therefore　we　may　look　for　something　of　the　same　kind　in　the　development　of　the　great　principle　which　we　are　now　considering。　And　we　find　this　first　vague　movement　of　this　great　principle　in　the　intuitions　of　a　particular　race　which　appears　from　time　immemorial　to　have　combined　the　two