The First

The First Being and the Hierarchy of Creation

Posted on by Harold Boulette

“Anything arising after The First must necessarily arise from that First, whether immediately or a tracing back to it through intervenients; there must be an order of secondaries and tertiaries, in which any second is to be referred to the First, any third to the second.

“Standing before all things, there must be a Simplex, differing from all its sequel, self-gathered not inter-blended with the forms that arise from it, and yet able in some mode of its own to be present to those others: it must be authentically a unity. …

“There can be only one such being. If there were another, the two (as indiscernible) would resolve into one, for we are not dealing with two corporal entities.

“Our One-First is not a body: a body is not simplex and, as a thing of process cannot be a First, the Source cannot be a thing of generation: only a principle outside of body, and utterly untouched by multiplicity, could be the First.

“Any unity, then, later than the First must be no longer simplex; it can be no more than a unity of diversity” ~Plotinus

After the First

I think it is obvious that anything created after The First must have been created by The First, but apparently, that is not true of everyone. Some believe that all beings came into existence at different times, yet are independent of those beings and forces that came before.

This idea of complete independence is a common human belief. We might even say that it is a common human fantasy. We often hear the news media say that a person is a self-made millionaire, movie star, singer, or whatever. No one is self-made. We all have parents. We came from others who also came from others. Eventually, it can all be traced back to The First, otherwise known as God. God is The First because nothing could have existed before God. Continue reading “The First Being and the Hierarchy of Creation” →

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glorious light

Glorious Light of Beauty and Truth

Posted on by Harold Boulette

“Light reveals the glories of the external world and yet is the most glorious of them all. It gives beauty, reveals beauty and is itself most beautiful. It is the analyzer, the truth-teller and the exposer of shams, for it shows things as they are. Its infinite streams measure off the universe and flow into our telescopes from stars which are quintillions of miles distance. On the other hand it descends to objects inconceivably small, and reveals through the microscope object fifty millions of times less than can be seen by the naked eye. Like all other fine forces, the movement is wonderfully soft, yet penetrating and powerful. Without its verifying influence, vegetable, animal, and human life must immediately perish from the earth, and general ruin take place. We shall do well, then, to consider this potential and beautiful principle of light and its component colors, for the more deeply we penetrate into its inner laws, the more will it present itself as a marvelous storehouse of power to vitalize, heal, refine, and delight mankind.” ~Edwin D. Babbitt

Glorious Light

The quote is from a book that was published over one hundred years ago. It is surprising, in a way, that Mr. Babbitt understood light so well when few others did. Today, research has shown that not only was he correct, but that light is even more amazing and more powerful than he thought.

Universe of Glorious Light

After decades of study and experimentation, quantum physicists have come to the conclusion that our apparently solid universe of matter is a total illusion. It is actually nothing more than a hologram made entirely of light. That deserves to be repeated: the material universe is just light! The chair you are sitting on is a ball of light. The computer (or cell phone) you are reading this on is a ball of light. You are a ball of glorious light.

One thing we have to understand about holograms. A hologram is a lot like a mirror. It is a reflection of something real. Something more real than the reflection. So the physical universe, if we accept that it is a hologram, must be a reflection of something else. That something else is the eternal universe of spirit. To be more accurate, there are nine primary dimensions to the total universe. The physical dimension is a reflection of higher ones that are spiritual. But here is the catch: the spiritual realms are made of light also! They are made of light that is more properly called glorious light that its dimmer cousin found on the level of matter. So we could say that the physical universe is a reflection of the Glorious Light of Heaven and God, the source of all light and all reality. Continue reading “Glorious Light of Beauty and Truth” →

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one effect

One Effect Transforming the World

Posted on by Harold Boulette

“We all work to one effect, some willingly, and with a national apprehension of what we do; others without any such knowledge. As I think Heraclitus in a place speaketh of them that sleep, that even they do work in their kind, and do confer to the general operations of the world. One man therefore does cooperate after one sort, and another after another sort; but even he that doth murmur, and to his power doth resist and hinder; even he as much as any doth cooperate. For of such also doth the world stand in need. Now do thou consider among which of these thou will rank thyself. For as for him who is the Administrator of All, he will make good use of thee whether you will or no, and make thee (as a part and member of the whole) so to cooperate with him, that whatever thou does, shall turn to the furtherance of his own counsels and resolutions. But be thou not for shame such a part of the whole, as that vile and ridiculous verse (which Chrysippus in a place doth mention) is a part of the comedy.” ~Marcus Aurelius

Work to One Effect

I don’t think Aurelius is correct in saying that all of us work are working to the same effect. I think it would be accurate to say that most of us are working towards it, intentionally or not. There are some, however, who oppose that One Effect so willingly and strongly that I can’t see how they could be considered as contributing in any way. This One Effect is better known as The Divine Plan of God, or simply God’s Plan. The plan for the redemption of man and the fallen universe of matter. The desired One Effect is for the universe of matter to become spirit again, as it was before the Great Fall.

Like just about anything else, those who are intentionally working towards the accomplishment of that plan will contribute a lot more than those who are accidentally contributing and those who simply go with the flow like a piece of driftwood.

Them That Sleep

Those who sleep are those who have not awakened their spiritual selves. They function only on the level of matter and are when doing so, little better than animals. Sadly, the sleeping ones are not just those who are primitive and uneducated. We have plenty of people in the world with masters and even doctorate degrees who nonetheless remain asleep.

The worst sleepers are those who don’t even believe in the possibility of a spiritual universe or an afterlife. Yet in a limited way, even they may contribute to the One Effort. It is a lot like some laborers who don’t know what the whole project is about but still contribute to their work. Continue reading “One Effect Transforming the World” →

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spirit of art

Spirit of Art for a Harmonious World

Posted on by Harold Boulette

“The voice of our age seems by no means favorable to art, at all events to that kind of art to which my inquiry is directed. The course of events has given a direction to the genius of the time that threatens to remove it continually further from the ideal of art. For art has to leave reality, it has to raise itself boldly above necessity and neediness; for art is the daughter of freedom, and it requires its prescriptions and rules to be furnished by the necessity of spirits and not by that of matter. But in our day it is necessity, neediness, that prevails, and lends a degraded humanity under its iron yoke. Utility is the great idol of the time, to which all powers do homage and all subjects are subservient. In this great balance on utility, the spiritual service of art has no weight, and, deprived of all encouragement, it vanishes from the noisy Vanity Fair of our time. The very spirit of philosophical inquiry itself robs the imagination of one promise after another, and the frontiers of art are narrowed in proportion as the limits of science are enlarged. The eyes of the philosopher as well as of the man of the world are anxiously turned to the theater of political events, where it is presumed the great destiny of man is to be played out. … I hope that I shall succeed in convincing you that this matter of art is less foreign to the needs than to the tastes of our age; nay, that, to arrive at a solution even in the political problem, the road of aesthetics must be pursued, because it is through beauty” ~Frederich Schiller

Spirit of Art

Schiller is correct in saying that real art is as much a spiritual thing as it is a physical one. Art that simply reflects the status quo of a materialistic society is not really art at all but simply a form of newspaper. Art needs to be more than a mirror reflecting what is around it. While such art can be useful in making us see things about ourselves that we don’t want to face, it has to be spiritual art, at least a little, when it does that.

Spirit of Art in Architecture

When the ancients designed buildings they often followed spiritual principles. They were built to be in harmony with man and nature. They were designed to stimulate spiritual thoughts and ideals. Awakening the spirit and soul was too much to ask of them, but they were one of many tools that aided that process. The great buildings of ancient Greece and classic Egypt are among the best examples of spiritual art in architecture. Today, however, architects are more concerned with showing off how they can stretch the limits of design and function with modern technology. There is nothing wrong with the technology, but it would be better utilized to make buildings that are harmonious and spiritually stimulating. Continue reading “Spirit of Art for a Harmonious World” →

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