Soul, piercing through physical eyes, as into a mirror, can behold, face to face, the Father whom no man hath at any time seen.

19. And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask, Who art thou?

20. And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

Though a great prophet, John had not yet reached Soul Consciousness. In his teachings, he had gone no farther than to emphasize the mind's power to create. The mighty powers and the manifold faculties of the mind John expounded to the people. He explained to them how to use mental forces in order to free themselves from unsatisfactory conditions; he explained to them how to accept the One who was to come after him. But he fearlessly confessed that he was not the Christ.

Science of Mind, though a potent factor in life and though the means to building of Soul, is not in itself eternal. However, that which the awakened mind consciously builds, or creates, is eternal.

21. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

The prophet Elias lived before John. The only way by which John could be Elias is, to have been a reincarnation of him, or the soul of Elias returned to earth. The questions of the people concerning John indicate that reincarnation was not a strange doctrine. Furthermore, it was contradicted at no time either by John or by Jesus or by any of the Masters.

John did not say, "How can I be Elias since he is long dead, and passed to the Beyond?" He simply answered, “I am not he." By this simple answer, he admits the possibil

ity of Elias's return to the earth.

22. Then said they unto him, Who art thou?

give an answer to them that sent us.

thou of thyself?

that we may

What sayest

23. He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

The mind, which John the Baptist represents, may be great and powerful, it may indeed hold the secret of creation; but, until the mind has found the Light, until such time as it has received Illumination, it is like "one in the wilderness." It is surrounded with darkness-a darkness through which it cannot penetrate.

་

Just as soon as awakening takes place, the mind is free from darkness, it has come out of the wilderness. Moreover, through wise direction of its creative faculties, it has made "the way straight;" and, through creation of new conditions in its own kingdom, it has made possible for the Soul to become Conscious, or for the Christ to come forth.

The awakened mind is "the voice of one crying in the wilderness. The awakened mind recognizes that the things of the flesh-things of the carnal nature of manare not permanent, or eternal; thus, it desires, it "cries" for, better things.

Through the continual "cry," the continual desire, for better things, it builds the Soul; and, in time, the Christ comes forth.

24. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

25. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptisest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, neither that prophet?

26. John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27. He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

Baptism with water refers to mind awakening—that is, the awakening of the mind to the higher possibilities of the

soulual nature of man, and to the part that mind must play in the development of the soulual nature. Thus, it is evident that baptism with water-or mind awakening-is necessary, before there can be an awakening of the soul.

Just as long as the mind of man is satisfied with the things that give pleasure and contentment to the flesh, just that long is his better, higher nature truly asleep, or in a dormant, unawakened condition. He may seem to be a success in business or in social or in governmental affairs; but he is not truly awake to the higher interests of his own. higher nature.

As he awakens to the fact that his nature requires something more than material interests; as he searches for that which will satisfy his higher nature-he is said to be in the process of "awakening." In his search, he finds "the way, the truth, and the life" that guides his mind in the construction, or the building, of the Soul. Then he is said to be "baptized with water;" or his mind is awakened; or, to express the thought in other words still, his mind has become the Awakened, or the Illumined, Mind.

It has become thoroughly awake to its function in the divine plan-its function of creating such conditions that the soulual nature may properly unfold. It has become Illumined in the sense that it sees clearly "the path" that leads to Illumination of Soul, in that it can visualize clearly the ideal temple structure of the Immortal Soul. It has an intelligent grasp of the principles and the methods that underlie development of soulual powers. To the mind that is truly awakened, so clear is knowledge concerning the principles of Soul Building that he can explain them to others.

This figure, common in sacred literature, is drawn from the statement, "Know ye not that ye are the temples of the living God?" The Soul of man is the temple of the living God. There is a science of Soul Building, there is a science and an art of Soul Architecture. The principles underlying this science and this art are as exact as those underlying the construction of a massive stone structure. It stands

to reason that the Master Architect must understand in detail the principles, the laws, the artistic devices of temple building. Equally true is it that the mind of man must have an intelligent comprehension of the principles, the divine laws, and the artistic devices that underlie architecture of Soul. When the mind has truly awakened to a realization of these laws and principles, and is willing to assume its rightful place in the divine plan as the master architect of the Soul, it has truly become the Awakened, or the Illumined, Mind.

But it is to be distinctly emphasized that awakened, or "baptized," mind is not the Christ. Rather is it the "forerunner of the Christ." The Christ comes after the awakened mind has builded the Soul, or after the awakened mind has, in turn, awakened the Soul. After the Soul has truly been awakened, the mind of man is as nothing, or is supplanted; for the man whose Soul is awakened, no longer uses the mind centered in the head, or in the brain, for the greater work of Soul Building and of Soul Illumination; but he uses the Mind of the Center-the Great Center upon the Altar in the temple.

LESSON FIVE

When man becomes illuminated, then does the Fire of Illumination descend upon him like a dove from heaven.

St. John 1:28-37.

28. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Those who have become awakened to the fact that the things which belong to the flesh are not eternal, those who

soulual nature of man, and to the part that mind must play in the development of the soulual nature. Thus, it is evident that baptism with water-or mind awakening-is necessary, before there can be an awakening of the soul.

Just as long as the mind of man is satisfied with the things that give pleasure and contentment to the flesh, just that long is his better, higher nature truly asleep, or in a dormant, unawakened condition. He may seem to be a success in business or in social or in governmental affairs; but he is not truly awake to the higher interests of his own higher nature.

As he awakens to the fact that his nature requires something more than material interests; as he searches for that which will satisfy his higher nature-he is said to be in the process of "awakening." In his search, he finds "the way, the truth, and the life" that guides his mind in the construction, or the building, of the Soul. Then he is said to be "baptized with water;" or his mind is awakened; or, to express the thought in other words still, his mind has become the Awakened, or the Illumined, Mind.

It has become thoroughly awake to its function in the divine plan-its function of creating such conditions that the soulual nature may properly unfold. It has become Illumined in the sense that it sees clearly "the path" that leads to Illumination of Soul, in that it can visualize clearly the ideal temple structure of the Immortal Soul. It has an intelligent grasp of the principles and the methods that underlie development of soulual powers. To the mind that is truly awakened, so clear is knowledge concerning the principles of Soul Building that he can explain them to others.

This figure, common in sacred literature, is drawn from the statement, "Know ye not that ye are the temples of the living God?" The Soul of man is the temple of the living God. There is a science of Soul Building, there is a science and an art of Soul Architecture. The principles underlying this science and this art are as exact as those underlying the construction of a massive stone structure. It stands