The Revealing Word, by Charles Fillmore, [1959], at sacred-texts.com
The Revealing Word, by Charles Fillmore, [1959], at sacred-texts.com
pagan--One in any age who believes in the power of material things.
paganism--The religion of pagans, pertaining to idolatrous worship. The worship of money as God is a form of paganism.
pain--An indication that the vital forces of the body are at work to bring about health.
palm trees--Metaphysically, realizations in the physical of unlimited resource of strength.
pantheism--"The doctrine that the universe, taken or conceived of as a whole, is God; the doctrine that there is no God but the combined forces and laws which are manifested in the existing universe" (Webster).
In its last analysis what we call nature, pantheists would name God. Metaphysically, pantheism refers to God as omnipresence, the one living, all-powerful, intelligent Mind, pervading and sustaining all things and directing them in love, wisdom, and order.
Pantheism and the teachings of Unity differ widely: pantheism diminishes the importance of the individual, while Unity teaches that man always retains his individual identity in God-Mind.
parable--A brief symbolical story told to illustrate Truth. "He taught them many things in parables" (Mark 4:2).
paradise--A state of high spiritual consciousness.
parsimony--In mortal consciousness, the idea of closeness in expenditures; undue thrift. Indicates lack of understanding of accessibility of supply through omnipresent substance.
Passover--Outwardly a Jewish feast; symbolically, a mental attitude in which we are bridging over from an old
state of consciousness and entering a new. In taking on the Christ consciousness men pass over from the mortal to the spiritual consciousness.
pasture--Metaphysically, a pasture represents substance in a form in which it can be utilized by the individual. "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures" (Psalms 23).
patience--An attitude of mind characterized by poise, inner calmness, and quiet endurance, especially in the face of trying conditions. Patience has its foundation in faith, and it is perfected only in those who have unwavering faith in God. "The proving of your faith worketh patience" (James 1:3).
pattern--The divine incarnation of Jesus is the divine pattern for all men who are seeking the Christ way of life.
peace-Harmony and tranquillity derived from awareness of the Christ consciousness. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you" (John 14:27). Steadfast affirmations of peace will harmonize the whole body structure and open the way to attainment of health conditions in mind and body.
Until world peace is based on the divine law of love and this law incorporated into the pact of peace as well as into the minds of those who sign the pact, there will be no permanent peace.
peacemaker--One who has the ability to say "peace" to the turbulent waves of thought and have them obey. A peacemaker is one who reduces to peace and harmony all the thoughts of strife, anger, and retaliation in his own mind. The ability to say "peace" to thoughts, and have them obey, entitles man to sonship of the Most High. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God" (Matt. 5:9).
pearl of great price--The Truth that no man can afford to barter away, although all the kingdoms of the
earth and the glory of them be weighed in the balance against this one treasure.
Pentateuch--The first five books of the Bible, called the books of law, or the books of Moses.
Pentecost--The "day of Pentecost" was with the Israelites the great "feast of harvest," or "day of the first-fruits" (Exod. 23:16; Num. 28:26).
"That day of Pentecost" signifies a gathering of spiritual powers for the purpose of harvesting the first fruits of Spirit; otherwise, a dedicating of these new forces of Spirit to unselfish service in the vineyard of the Lord.
The first Pentecost after Jesus' ascension was the time of the first recorded coming of the Holy Spirit baptism upon His apostles and immediate followers. The descent into consciousness of the Jesus Christ life may have taken place on the day of Pentecost in the company of the apostles as described. They were in the upper room of the mind, which is a spiritual state of mind, and had been praying for ten days with one accord for the fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit as given by Jesus. This attitude of many minds forms a mental magnet and brings about results in flashes of light and spiritual illumination. Religious revivals have demonstrated this to greater or lesser degree.
people, holy--The members of the body of Christ are called a holy people because they are different from the world about them in that they refer all things to the in-dwelling Presence. In their method of praying and of attaining health and plently, in their manner of conversation, and in all vital points their lives are set to a higher standard than that of the people of the world.
perception, spiritual--Apprehension of Truth through intuition; the ability to perceive spiritually; the faculty of seeing spiritual reality in spite of appearances that may suggest the contrary.
perfection--A state of consciousness completely free from any shadow of negation.
perfection, attainment of--Jesus said, "Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). We attain divine perfection through spiritual aspiration, by never ceasing to erase false thoughts and by affirming Truth as the law of our being.
perseverance--Metaphysically, to persist in pursuit of Truth. Through perseverance we make connection with the higher realms of consciousness.
persistency--The inner spiritual quality of an abiding conviction that urges one on to accomplishment. Persistency in prayer awakens the spiritual consciousness. When this awakening has been accomplished, one is in a constant state of thanksgiving and praising, and the joy of a conscious union with creative Mind is realized.
personal aims--Personal aims are concerned exclusively with one's own welfare. They are always narrow and selfish. So long as these exist and take the place of the rightful one, there is no room for the higher self, the Christ of God. "Let him deny himself . . . and follow me" (Matt. 16:24).
personal man--Adam.
personality--The sum total of characteristics that man has personalized as distinct of himself, independent of others or of divine principle. The word personality as used by metaphysicians is contrasted with the word individuality. Individuality is the real; personality is the unreal, the mortal, the part of us that is governed by the selfish motives of the natural man. (see individuality)
Personality is a veil or mask worn by man that conceals the real, the spiritual I AM. Jesus shattered this mask and revealed Christ, the true man of God.
Individuality is Jehovah, ideal man; image and likeness of Elohim, universal creative Mind.
Personality is Adam, man formed by Jehovah and commanded
to develop his individuality in Eden, an environment of all potential possibilities.
Personality is what man seems to be when he thinks in his three-dimensional consciousness; individuality is what he really is when he thinks in his unlimited spiritual consciousness.
As the true Christ self emerges, personality decreases. The real self, the individuality, begins to express. "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).
pessimism--An unhappy mental state resulting from beholding the shadow of reality, termed evil.
pests--All vermin and pests of every kind come from wrong thoughts and expressions of life in man and by man. God is life, and all life springs from the one perfect life-idea. Man brings the life of God into manifestation through his thoughts, words, and acts. Through ignorance and wrong thinking man has worked out of divine order with the great principle of life and has brought about the different manifestations of life that prey on and torment him today.
Pharisee--One who observes the letter of the religious law but not its spirit; lacking in understanding of the Truth.
The Pharisees were hypocrites. Jesus denounced them with greater severity than any other class of sinners. They pretended to practice the divine law, but failed to do so. They represent the son who said, "I go, sir; and went not" (Matt. 21:30).
Physician, the Great--The omnipresent, healing, in-dwelling Spirit of Jesus Christ.
pillar of cloud--Light of spiritual understanding to guide us.
pillar of fire--Witness of the Spirit on the altar of love as a glow of light that opens the understanding.
"place" that Jesus prepared--(John 14:2) Jesus said He had prepared a "place" for us. This "place" is a
spiritual current in the cosmic ether in which we live, and we can feel it when we direct our attention to Jesus Christ in prayer and meditation. "The kingdom of God is nigh" (Luke 21:31).
planes--The different realms of ideas in which men function. There are many planes of life, one above or below another, yet not conflicting. All creation is based on life activity, or as it is called in physical science, rates of vibration. A certain activity in the life current forms worlds on a plane, which we may call the physical; a little increase in the vibratory rate makes another system, which we may designate as the psychical; a still higher rate makes a universe where spiritual ideas prevail.
These are all interlaced and interblended in the presence around and within us, hence the "kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21), or "among you," as one translator gives it.
plumb line--The divine law that measures uprighteousness or integrity.
poise--A state of consciousness that beholds the world from the harmony of the Christ Mind; a freedom from personal thinking.
pool---Metaphysically, the realization in consciousness that our life is being constantly purified, healed, and made new by the activity of mind.
poor in spirit--Those who have denied personal consciousness. They are poor in the spirit of selfishness, but rich in the Spirit of Christ. "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3).
poverty, cure for--When love has begun its silent pulsations at one's center of consciousness, one cannot remain in want or poverty. From the invisible currents of the inner ether, love will draw to any man all that belongs to him, and all belongs to him that is required to make him happy and contented.
power--Man's innate control over his thoughts and
feelings. A quickening from on high must precede his realization of dominion. "Ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you" (Acts 1:8). God is All-Power, thus all things are possible with Him.
The mind and the body of man have power to transform energy from one plane of consciousness to another. This is the power and dominion implanted in man from the beginning. The climax of man's power and dominion is set forth in the resurrection and ascension of the type man, Jesus.
In mind, power is increased through exalted ideas. These show us the relation between the world without and the mind within, and we find that they are parallel. Whatever you see in the external, you may be assured has its parallel in mind.
The same law is operating in the spiritual realm and the material realm under different masks of manifestation. The one thing to understand is that whatever we see without is controlled by something within. This law, once revealed to the mind, clears up the whole creation, and shows how God works.
Man is the power of God in action. To man is given the highest power in the universe, the conscious power of thought. There is a universal, creative force that urges man forward to the recognition of the creative power of his individual thought. This thought is elemental, and all its attributes come under the dominion of man. When he co-operates with Principle, man sits on the throne of his authority and the elemental force is subject to him.
Spiritual power is omnipresent. It is released in our body by spiritualizing our consciousness. This divine energy will surge through us as we erase negative thoughts from consciousness and become one with God-Mind.
powers, man's twelve--Faith, wisdom, love, life, power, strength, imagination, understanding, will, law of order, zeal, renunciation.
practical Christianity--The teachings of Jesus practically applied in one's daily life.
praise--The quality of mind that eulogizes the good; one of the avenues through which spirituality expresses.
The purpose of praise is to awaken in ourselves a higher realization of the omnipresence and power of God. Prayer and praise change man, not God. The mental attitude that praise sets up stimulates, quickens, whirls into action, and finally establishes in character the ideals of which they are the vehicle.
Through an inherent law of mind action we increase whatever we praise. The whole creation responds to praise, and is glad. Animals and children quickly respond to praise. One can praise a weak body into strength, a fearful heart into peace and trust, shattered nerves into poise and power, a failing business into prosperity and success, want and insufficiency into supply and support.
We make practical application of the law of praise by giving thanks always for all things, recognizing that "to them that love God all things work together for good" (Rom. 8:28).
prayer--Communion between God and man. This communion takes place in the innermost part of man's being. It is the only way to cleanse and perfect the consciousness and thus permanently heal the body.
Prayer is the most highly accelerated mind action known. It steps up mental action until man's consciousness synchronizes with the Christ Mind. It is the language of spirituality; when developed it makes man master in the realm of creative ideas.
Prayer is more than supplication. It is an affirmation of Truth that eternally exists, but which has not yet come into consciousness. It comes into consciousness not by supplication but by affirmation.
Do not supplicate or beg God to give you what you need, but get still and think about the inexhaustible resources
of infinite Mind, its presence in all its fullness, and its constant readiness to manifest itself for you when its laws are complied with. This is what Jesus meant when He said, "Seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. 6:33).
It is necessary to pray believing that we have received because God is all that we desire. The good always exists in Divine Mind as ideas, and we bring it into manifestation through the prayer of faith, affirmation, praise, and acknowledgment.
All through the Scriptures, the different attitudes of mind necessary in prayer are pointed out. We are told to be instant in prayer, to pray with the Spirit, to pray in understanding. We have thought that prayer was something we could go to, in any way, at any time. But we have learned that to get results, we must pray with persistence and understanding, and with faith. This practice establishes a consciousness where doubt cannot enter. Jesus was in this consciousness. Is it possible for the ordinary man? Yes. But he must watch and pray. He must not only pray; he must watch also.
These are the seven necessary conditions for true prayer:
1. God should be recognized as Father.
2. Oneness with God should be acknowledged.
3. Prayer must be made within, in "the secret place" (Psalms 91).
4. The door must be closed on all thoughts and interests of the outer world.
5. The one who prays must believe that he has received.
6. The kingdom of God must be desired above all things, and sought first.
7. The mind must let go of every unforgiving thought.
prayer, chamber of--"Enter into thine inner chamber
and . . . shut thy door" (Matt. 6:6). The inner chamber is the "secret place of the Most High" (Psalms 91:1). It is the very depths of a man's consciousness. To enter it is to turn the attention from the without to the within. To "shut thy door" is to still the senses and close the mind against every disturbing exterior thought.
prayer, intercessory--The 17th chapter of John is known as the intercessory prayer. In this chapter Jesus first prayed for Himself, then for His apostles, and then for all who would accept salvation through Him, which prayer is extended to all generations.
"And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I manifested thy name unto the men whom thou gavest me out of the world" (John 17:5, 6). "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me" (John 17:9). "Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me" (John 17:20).
prayer for health--This prayer is the one most quickly answered, because natural laws that create and sustain the body are really divine laws. When man silently asks for the intervention of Spirit in restoring health, he is calling into increased activity the natural forces of the body. Through prayer the mind is renewed and the body transformed.
predestination--"The preordination of men to everlasting happiness or misery" (Webster). Since man is created in the image and after the likeness of God, he is predestined to bring the perfect pattern into expression. "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect" (Gen. 17:1).
The belief that God makes men do certain things cannot be true in a single instance, because, if it were, man would not be a free agent. If God interfered with man's will in some things, it would follow that He could interfere in any and all things. Logic and observation
clearly reveal the freedom of man in everything. He was given freedom of thought, and must work out his own salvation.
It is well to use daily an affirmation such as this in the name of Jesus Christ: I am the son of God, and the Spirit of the Most High dwells in me. I am the lord of my mind, and express only that which is constructive and upbuilding. I am predestined to be the perfect expression of my Father, and the fullness of all good is mine.
predictions--The law of mind action will bring to pass what man believes in and expects. If he has faith in what he has been told by mediums and fortunetellers, he brings it to pass himself by his faith.
preparation, the--(John 19:31). Refers to the observances preliminary to the celebration of the Jewish Sabbath, or to the festival the day before the Sabbath. Among the Jews there was a law to the effect that a lifeless body should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, as this was a day set aside for rest and freedom from all troubled or contentious thoughts.
presence of God--The awareness of Spirit within one's own being. It manifests as increased life, peace, love, and a deep sense of spiritual joy. (see abiding Presence)
presents--The presents that the Wise Men brought are symbolical of the inner resources open to the Christ child. They may be from the stored-up good deeds and thoughts of previous incarnations that the wisdom within carefully guards and gives to a man as an inheritance.
pride, spiritual--A form of personal vanity over spiritual achievement; a proud personal spirit; a "holier than thou" attitude.
"Blessed are the poor in [personal] spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3).
priests--Metaphysically, ideas of priestly authority and the religious guidance of the intellect. The "priests and
Levites" represent our so-called natural religious tendencies. These officiate in the rites and ceremonies of the tent, or tabernacle, and when the more permanent structure (temple) is built, they bring up all the "holy vessels" from the tent or tabernacle.
primary law and secondary law--Primary law is the one law of God. Secondary law is the law of diet, of economics, of medicine, and many other secondary things. A true metaphysician always looks to the law of God.
prince of Peace--Jesus is the Prince of Peace. When asking the Father for that which belongs to the Son under the divine law, man should assume the power and dignity of the Prince of Peace. He should not crawl and cringe before an imaginary king on a throne but rather feel that he is the image of an invisible Being who created him to represent His mightiness as well as His loving-kindness. We should affirm with conviction those mighty words of Jesus: "All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth" (Matt. 28:18).
Principle--Fundamental Truth. Divine Principle is fundamental Truth in a universal sense, or as pertaining to God, the Divine. It is the underlying plan by which Spirit (God) moves in expressing itself; the oversoul of this planet which works its way into expression through Jesus.
God immanent in the universe is the great underlying cause of all manifestation; the source from which form proceeds. Although Principle is formless, it is that by which all form is produced.
Principle is the I AM of every man. As the principle of music moves through tones, so does the principle of mind move through ideas. A word is a spoken thought, or idea. Therefore, God as creative Mind, moves through the expressed thought of Divine Mind, referred to in Scripture as the Word of God.
progress, spiritual--Growth in the conception and expression of spiritual ideas.
Promised Land--Metaphysically, a realization of divine substance. It is the foundation of the substratum of the new body in Christ. It is not a dream that man is to possess a body of immortality.
When there wells up in a man a great desire to be free from the bondage of ignorance and the animal propensities, his journey to the Promised Land begins.
promises, God's--Free will gives to man the privilege to accept or reject the promises of God. If he rejects them there is no way for them to be fulfilled in him.
No one who holds back part of the price can find the way into the kingdom. The works of the flesh must be entirely overcome. Every flesh desire must be put away so that the pure and holy desires of the Christ man may be given expression. All the life substance must be conserved, spiritualized, and used in making the body whole and perfect like the body of the Lord Jesus Christ.
prophet--One who receives the inspiration of Spirit, understands spiritual law, and imparts it to others. The prophets of old seemed to stand between God and the people; it was through them that the people received divine guidance.
Metaphysically, the prophet is that in us which discerns the working of the law. Transgressed law brings its own punishment, and it is the prophet of the Lord that sees its outworking in our life. It is the prophet in us that often warns and keeps us from transgressing the law, because we discern what the result will be.
prophets, false--Deceptive thoughts that have been built up by error; selfish desires. False prophets are the representations of deceptive religious thoughts. They seem innocent and harmless like sheep, but are in reality selfish and dangerous. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves" (Matt: 7:15).
proselyte--Metaphysically, one who has turned away
from the old, set, religious forms and ceremonies, and realizes Truth for himself.
proselyting--The act of one endeavoring to convert another to his way of thinking. This is not in accord with divine law. The Spirit of truth within is man's one and only guide.
No one has the right to dictate what another shall do. However, we do teach principles boldly without regard to whether mortal man accepts or rejects. It is ours to give forth the Truth; the responsibility of acceptance rests with those who hear. If the higher self hears the Word and the lower self resists and rebels, that is a matter for the individual to work out according to his own choice and faith.
prosperity--The consciousness of God as the abundant, everywhere present resource, unfailing, ready for all who open themselves to it through faith. "They that seek Jehovah shall not want any good thing" (Psalms 34:10).
Prosperity is based on the conscious possession of the idea of God's abundance back of all things. Things come and go, but the idea of abundance endures. Things appear at its command. Jesus had no visible possessions, but He could supply thousands of persons with food through praising and giving thanks to the invisible Spirit of plenty.
The difference between spiritual prosperity and material prosperity is that spiritual prosperity is founded on understanding of the inexhaustible, omnipresent substance of Spirit as the source of supply; the material belief is that the possession of things constitutes prosperity.
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth . . . but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Matt. 6:19-20).
In demonstrating prosperity, you should praise and give thanks for every little evidence of financial improvement. Be confident of the immediate co-operation of God's Spirit
with you in bringing to pass that for which you have given thanks. The divine resource never fails. God is the omnipresent, unfailing resource for all who trust Him and who make all their thoughts chord with Divine Mind. God is your prosperity. Stamp this thought daily on your mind and you will reap financial success.
Giving in the right mental attitude creates prosperity. Giving with the fear of lack leads to poverty. Giving with the thought of a large resource opens the way for a large income. "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over" (Luke 6:38).
psalm--The Truth of God spoken in poetry or music; a hymn of praise or joy; spiritual aspiration of the soul. "Is any cheerful? let him sing praise" (James 5:13).
psyche--A word prominent in Greek mythology, meaning "the soul." Psyche may be thought of as man in his many earthly experiences, in his failures and his successes.
psychic--Pertaining to mental powers not common to ordinary man; mental powers outreaching the scope of the physical man, but not yet quickened to the standard of Spirit.
Man has a body in the ether that is the counterpart of the physical. It is through this psychic body that he has sensations in the physical. It is possible to think of the psychic body and cultivate its sensations until it appears as real as the physical. Many persons have done this until they have formed a psychic world consciousness and are often unable to separate it from the physical. To them the realm of thought forms is the finality of creation instead of the mental pictures of that which is about to appear.
The first step of a Truth student in handling the psychic forces of consciousness is the same as that in handling any other, and that is to realize that God is the one and only power; to declare with Byron: "There is no god but God!--to prayer--lo! God is great!"
Next make conscious contact with this all-powerful God-Mind and realize that every phase of the mind, every thought is brought into the captivity of the Christ, and that through your I AM power and dominion you are master over every situation.
psychoanalysis--Analysis of the subconscious mind. The followers of Jesus go one step farther in mind therapy than the psychoanalyst; they incorporate Spirit with soul and make Spirit the primal source and sustainer of both soul and body. "It is the spirit that giveth life" (John 6:63).
psychology and religion--Thought control is imperative, and there is urgent need of teachers on both the mental and spiritual plane of consciousness if the race is to go forward in development. To this end there needs to be more co-operation between these two schools, because they complement each other. Religion becomes practical and effective in everyday life when it incorporates psychology as part of its litany. Without religion psychology is weak in its fundamentals, and without psychology religion fails to give proper attention to the outlet of its ideals. The fact is that religion, comprehended in its fullness, includes psychology. Jesus was a profound psychologist.
The carping critic cries, "Your religion is psychology instead of Christianity." Our answer is that the new Christianity includes an understanding of psychology and does not stop with an analysis of the mind but goes on to the highest phase of mind's possibilities, unity with Spirit.
punishment--Man does not receive punishment from an outside force. Man punishes himself by holding false thoughts. He escapes from punishment as soon as he aligns his thought with that of God.
pure in heart--The "pure in heart" are those who are completely free from all anxiety, resentment, selfishness, lust, and every other form of antichrist thought and feeling.
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8).
purity of the Christ Mind--The deep purity and mighty strength of the Christ Mind are made manifest in men as they develop spiritually. Instead of consciously and unconsciously tempting one another in sense ways, these qualities in each will incite in the other holy aspirations to fulfill the law of righteousness. "And every one that hath this hope set on him purifieth himself, even as he [the Father] is pure" (I John 3:3).
purification of blood--If your lung capacity is not equal to the purification of your blood, increase it by declaring the law of active life. Anemic blood may be made vigorous and virile by daily centering the attention in the lungs and affirming them to be spiritual, and under the perpetual inflow of new life and the outflow of old life the lungs will do your will.