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Spirit, Motivation, and Ideals

Introduction

In these times, we are concerned about the motives of other nations and of our own nation; we are concerned about the motives of leaders and would-be leaders, of special interest groups. In our relationship with others, we ask repeatedly: How do they really feel about me? Why are they acting this way? Are they truly doing that for the reasons they profess?

We are also concerned about motivations, especially our own. We wish we were more motivated to perform those activities we value, and we wish we were less motivated to do those things that get us into trouble. We wonder if we are doing things for the right reasons. So we ask, How can we change, and How can we find it in ourselves to do better?

In the Edgar Cayce readings, we find unanticipated relationships between spirit, motives and ideals. The spirit, the one force, is the origin of all motivation, and the setting of the ideal is an instrument for working with motivation. Let us consider in depth the nature of the spirit, of motivation and of ideals.

Spirit

The basic premise of the Edgar Cayce readings is the oneness of all force. For some, the word force seems to connote a neutral energy. Yet, another basic teaching of the readings offers a more complete understanding: "The spirit is the life, mind is the builder, the physical is the result." The expression, "The spirit is the life," refers to the spiritual nature of the one force as identical to life. Thus, when we speak of the one force as spirit, we are affirming that the essence of the universe is both intentional and purposeful, as well as active, alive.

When we say, "I believe in God," we are potentially expressing an insight into the essential quality of all Being-that there is only force and that that force is essentially good. When we say, "God is love," we are affirming a further insight into the reality that the one force has not only the quality of goodness but also a purposeful direction of movement or activity which we can call love. By love we mean a mutually beneficial way to relate that has purpose, continuity, awareness, joy and creative expression as attributes.

Now let us consider the teaching: "The spirit is the life, mind is the builder and the physical is the result." This may be represented by the following sequential process:

				  Purpose-------------> Pattern------------->Projection
				   Spirit                Mind                 Physical
				is The Life          is the Builder        is the Result
						

Purpose, a quality of spirit, provides energy and the motivational impetus. That energy flowing through a pattern expressed, chosen or built by the mind, then manifests as a physical projection.

The Problem of Evil

As we establish the premise of the oneness of all force, we are immediately confronted with the contradiction posed by the apparent reality of evil. Our personal resolution of this problem is of the greatest importance because it affects our attitudes toward ourselves, other people and our relationship to the Divine.

There are three major viewpoints to be considered. One is the assumption of a good force and an evil force. Some of us are so intent on confronting evil directly as "the enemy," that we become preoccupied with a twofold premise. Subconsciously we become dualistic in our attitudes even if not in our avowed philosophy. Thus we place darkness in front of us instead of behind and become idolaters believing both in a good and an evil force. We forget the call of the ancient law-giver: "Hear, 0 Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord." (Deuteronomy 6:4)

A second approach to the problem of evil is to assert that it does not exist. This line of thought may take two forms. One says the appearance of evil is only our misperception due to the lack of a higher consciousness. If we were better attuned, we wouldn't "see" evil; we'd see only good. The other form teaches that God's plan is one of evolution and that everything we experience as evil is simply the natural process of growth required for the evolution of our souls.

These two perspectives have great appeal for those who are seeking to manifest an affirmative attitude. However, they fail to address the essential problem of every soul: something went wrong and is still wrong within each of us, and it must be put aright!

A third viewpoint says that evil is real but is contained within the greater reality of God as the one force. For some, this presents a theoretical problem in logic of evil as a subset of perfect Good, but, as we are told in Job 1:6, "the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them." It is helpful to think of evil as existing within God's permissive will while not expressive of His intentional will. The Edgar Cayce readings deal with the problem of evil in terms of this third viewpoint. (This approach is consistent with the Old Testament accounts given in Genesis 3:1-7, Ezekiel 28:1- 19, and Isaiah 14:12-15.)

However, the real concern is not theoretical or theological, but personal. The personal problem involves first acknowledging that the evil with which we have to deal is within ourselves, then assuming responsibility for it. At the same time we need to develop and maintain a sense of the higher, more essential spiritual aspect of our being. Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more." (John 8:11) Yet, reminding us of who we truly are, He quoted the psalmist who said, "Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High." (John 10:34, Psalms 82:6)

We were all created in the beginning as perfect spiritual beings out of God's desire for companions to be co-creators with Him. As spiritual beings, we have access to the spirit, minds with which to build from that source and wills with which to choose how to build. Evil becomes reality when we rebel and choose outside of the law of love. We went astray of our own choice, but a way has been prepared for our return, the path cut by Jesus. We must choose to accept not only the power available to us but also the pattern He showed us that will enable us to travel that path home.

This account of the nature of evil gives due recognition to its reality while neither overemphasizing it, nor attributing it to a lack of awareness, nor seeing it as a natural accompaniment of the evolutionary process.

Now, the fundamental problem underlying the spirit of rebellion is one of motivation and of ideals. It is articulated by Lucifer in the Isaiah passage when he says again and again, "I will." The fundamental solution, the spirit of obedience, is articulated by Jesus in the supreme trial in the garden of Gethsemane when He says, 'Not my will but thine." (Luke 22:42)

God, having created us as spiritual beings with free wills, permits us to make choices which can project the one force into destructive and disharmonious manifestations. The reality of evil, however, does not lie in the nature of the force, nor in the manifestations of it but rather in our own abuse of spirit, prideful motivation and wrong choices. Any disharmonies which we experience are merely lawful consequences of the choices we make.

Motivation

The One force is the spirit
The spirit is God
God is love

These equations affirm that the one force is not neutral, rather that it has motivational quality of directional purpose and active expression. When we think of motivation, we are more inclined to think of personal drive and self-interest than the drive and expression of the one force and our alignment with it. Especially in this time of assertiveness, individuality, rights and freedoms, the concepts of obedience and "Not my will" give us serious problems.

We deceive ourselves when we think we can act independently from the purpose of the Whole without consequences. There is constant movement of the life force throughout the universe like the flow of a great river. We may be as fish who move in it, flow with it and take life from it. Or we may be as rocks standing in its way. Sometimes by a crashing waterfall, sometimes drop by drop, the obstructing rocks are worn away, but the river moves onward. Can the human will resist the rush of God's love forever? So, the problem of motivation is a matter of aligning ourselves with the flow of the life force-choosing life rather than death and allowing our lives to be guided by the current of creative force.

Physiology of Motivation

Within humans are a number of qualities and motivations which may be related to the seven motivational (endocrine/spiritual) centers in the body. With this model, we may come to understand the entire symphony of human motivation as being played through these seven instruments in their various combinations, relative strengths and frequencies of expression.

Through these motivational-emotional centers which we know as the endocrine glands, each motivational expression has its proper place. For example, we are physiologically constituted, programmed, in a very complex way to be able to be angry. There is also within us, just as surely, a higher more deeply seated Christ-pattern, able to respond in a fully loving manner. When our motivation is not in accord with the law of one, the law of love, then the activities and expressions of the motivational centers are out of harmony. The messages which these centers send to the rest of the body through hormonal secretions become contradictory and the forces of the body are set to work antagonistically against each other. Dis-ease becomes the inevitable result.

It is our will, our free choice, or lack of it, which allows the mind to select the motivational pattern to be mobilized. Then the mind, with its abilities in visualization and in the imaginative forces, dwells upon that quality of motivation and activates the corresponding motivational center in the physical body. "For as the heart thinketh-so is the body." (1125-1)

Motivation and the Mind

The following is a commonplace example of the mind's role in choosing motivational patterns. In a restaurant after a meal, everyone agrees that their hunger has been satisfied. However, when the dessert cart is brought by, the imagination is captured by the array of tempting delicacies. A new motivation of appetite is selected, energized, experienced and a choice has to be made whether to order or not. Some may choose to remain attuned to the body's real needs while others may allow the new stimulus to override the natural inclination. Thus, we may see how motivation for the dessert is due to the activation by the mind of a motivational potential rather than to the requirements of an intrinsic hunger drive.

In this view to understanding motivation, the mind and the will play central roles. It is within the ability of the mind, as the builder, with its imaginative and visualizing capabilities to dwell upon a motivational quality, thus selecting a pattern of expression or circuitry in the body through which the one force may flow.

Changing Motivations

We are told that, "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." (Matthew 6:22) This maybe interpreted to mean that if we are holding a singleness of purpose, then the one spirit of the life force may flow through us in unobstructed expressions of healing and creativity.

How do we make the eye single? As the mind, with its imaginative forces, begins to dwell more and more, as in meditation, upon the pattern of love, it becomes more and more surely the true motivation at both the conscious and the unconscious levels. The pattern of love is established as the true motivational pattern by awakening it and acting upon it again and again in more and more situations.

The Edgar Cayce readings stress repeatedly that with the application comes the awareness. We often think we should not act in a loving manner unless we have a loving feeling; however, the reverse may be the more proper sequence. For example, a person may have a friend in the hospital He may not feel like visiting the friend and may say, "I don't want to be hypocritical and pretend to care when I don't." Thus he may fail to go. On the other hand, knowing that it would be a commendable thing to do, he may bring himself to make the visit, and find it rewarding not only for the other person but also for himself. Afterwards he may feel better about himself and have a deeper sense of love for the friend. Thus, we may learn that it is not that we must feel love before we can express it; but in choosing to act in a loving manner, we may awaken the potential within to be more fully loving.

Ideals

Behind all of mankind's apparent problems is his spiritual dilemma. For any of our apparent problems to be resolved, there must be growth of the spiritual aspect of human-kind. By "spiritual" here we mean "motivational" on the highest level. The spirit of rebellion leads to selfishness; the spirit of love leads to service to others and is the motivational basis by which selfishness may be overcome.

The setting of a spiritual ideal is a first major step toward re-orienting the motivational thrust of the soul. An ideal is not a goal. It is a motivational standard by which to evaluate our goals and our reasons for pursuing those goals. The goal is what; the ideal is why! A spiritual ideal is not so much a goal toward which we move as it is the spirit in which we grow. It is a living and dynamic standard by which we quicken and measure our daily motivation.

The Meaning of Mantra

Our understanding of the powerful way in which an ideal may work to transform us may be enhanced by a consideration of the true meaning of mantra. We have heard from the teachings of the East of the use of the mantra in meditation, a sound which evokes a response on a motivational level. However, no word is in and of itself a mantra. A word may be used mantrically or it maybe used mechanically. A mantra, which is a mind tool, when truly used as such, becomes mediator between the one force and its manifestation. (Remember, mind is the builder!) A mantra calls reality into manifestation. It is like an invocation which, when uttered, is accompanied by the presence of that being invoked. We should use the word "mantric" rather than mantra, indicating that it is the spirit in which it is utilized which releases the transforming energy rather than the word itself.

The setting of an ideal has similarities to the true function of a mantra in meditation. It awakens a high sense of purpose, thus opening the motivational centers through which spiritual energy may flow into manifestation in our own bodies and in our relationships with others.

The word which we set as our spiritual ideal should be a word which, when dwelt upon by the mind--not the intellect but the imaginative forces of the mind--elicits a response in our bodies physically, mentally and spiritually. Properly used, such a word invites and enhances the flow of the life forces in and through our being.

When there is a decision to be made or a relationship being considered, dwelling upon the ideal enhances the bringing of the highest motivation to making that decision or dealing with that relationship. When there is difficulty to be met, dwelling upon the ideal enhances our ability to respond to that situation so that its ultimate impact upon everyone will be constructive. When there is discouragement, dwelling upon the ideal enhances a deeper sense of the meaningfulness of life and the ever-present power and concern of a loving Father.

Setting the Ideal

At this moment, the step which you are being invited to take may seem unclear, remote or impractical. Yet it is of the utmost importance for each of us who would have ears to hear and eyes to see. It will allow the fullness of our being to respond to this invitation from the universal forces: "The most important experience of this or any individual entity is to first know what is the ideal-spiritually." (357-13)

This setting of the ideals may be done in the following manner: Take a sheet of paper and draw three columns, labeling them "Spiritual," "Mental," "Physical." Then, studying the following instructions, record your ideal under the proper column.

For the Spiritual Ideal:

"What is thy spiritual concept of the ideal, whether it be Jesus, Buddha, mind, material, God or whatever is the word which indicates to self the ideals spiritual."

For the Mental Ideal:

"Write the ideal mental attitude, as may arise from concepts of the spiritual, relationship to self, to home, to friends, to neighbors, to thy enemies, to things, to conditions."

For the Physical Ideal:

"What is the ideal material, then? Not of conditions, hut what has brought, what does bring into manifestation the spiritual and mental ideals. What relationships does such bring to things, to individuals, to situations?" (5091-3)

After you have written your key word under "Spiritual Ideal," list several areas of concern under "Mental Ideal" such as self, home, friends, neighbors. Leave a space between each. Then with respect to each of these, ...write the ideal mental attitude, as may arise from concepts of the spiritual..." What mental attitude toward myself should arise from the spiritual ideal which has been set? What mental attitude toward home should arise from the spiritual ideal? Etc.

Under "Physical Ideal," with respect to each of the previous considerations of self, home, friends, and neighbors, enter an ideal course of action, "Not of conditions, but what has brought, what does bring into manifestation the spiritual and mental ideals." (5091-3)

For further clarification of this procedure, study the following example: Let us consider a person who has set "love" as his spiritual ideal. When he comes to the mental ideal, he considers first, with respect to self, what ideal mental attitude should arise toward himself from this concept of a spiritual ideal. Then he may have a sense that to be more loving of himself, he must have an attitude of forgiveness of himself. He enters forgiveness as an ideal mental attitude toward self. Then under "Physical," as he considers "...what has brought, what does bring into manifestation the spiritual and mental ideals..." he may say, "To manifest an ideal of forgiveness toward myself, I intend to reestablish a friendship which I have neglected because of unkind words spoken." As he writes the letter to reestablish the relationship, he brings into manifestation (physical ideal) the attitude of forgiveness toward self (mental ideal) which grew out of the motive of love (spiritual ideal).

An Answer for the World

If you can bring yourself to take this step, to establish a spiritual ideal, you have made a major contribution to the solution of your own problems and to those of the world. The Edgar Cayce readings see this step for each individual as being of the utmost importance. In a series of readings given on world affairs, a solution is given which is represented as being the only answer to the problems of human-kind.

We may not have the same idea. We-all humankind-may have the same IDEAL... "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, thy neighbor as thyself!" This the whole law, this the whole answer to the world, to each and every soul. That is the answer to the world conditions as they exist today.

How shall this he brought about? As each in their own respective sphere put into action that they know to be the fulfilling of that as has been from the beginning, so does the little leaven leaven the whole lump. 3976-8

The key should be making, compelling, inducing, having the Mind one with that which is the Ideal. 262-84

If you have questions about this lesson, please contact me.

Yours in peace and fellowship,

Herbert Bruce Puryear, Ph. D.