at the separation of the conception that we had got of our new idea of the unity of the action of the universe from our old one, and the association of it in his mind with the idea from which it had arisen ? AUTHOR. Because the separation of it from our old idea of the unity of the action of the universe freed him from the idea that "the kingdom of heaven" was coming from without us, and its association with our new one gave him consciousness that it was coming from within us, where it was coming from. REPORTER. But what evidence is there that it gave him consciousness that it was coming from within us, where it was coming from? AUTHOR. said about it. it ? The evidence of what he REPORTER. What did he say about AUTHOR. Upon some of us shortly afterwards asking him when the kingdom of God would come, he said: "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: “Neither shall they say, Lo, here! or lo, there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you." REPORTER. But what advantage was it to him to have consciousness that the kingdom of heaven was coming from within us? AUTHOR. It enabled him to direct his thoughts to it; that is, it enabled him to direct his thoughts to our new idea of the unity of the action of the universe, and it rapidly developed in his mind, and he soon began to get conceptions of what it was like. REPORTER. What conceptions did he get of what it was like? AUTHOR. He got these conceptions of it: "The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." REPORTER. How do you interpret this conception? AUTHOR. The treasure hid in a field represented our new idea. REPORTER. What did the field repre sent? AUTHOR. The field represented his mind. "Again," he said, "the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman, seeking goodly pearls: "Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." The pearl of great price represented our new idea of the unity of the action of the universe. Again he said: "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." The leaven represented our new idea of the unity of the action of the universe. Again he said: "The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: "Which indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.” The grain of mustard-seed represented our new idea of the unity of the action of the universe. The field represented his mind. But his attention was now called to something else, for the getting of these conceptions of what our new idea was like so far developed it in his mind as to bring about a great change in him — so far developed it as to make him feel like a new person - so far developed it as to make him feel like a little child. And he sought to explain it to his disciples. REPORTER. In what way did he seek to explain it to his disciples? AUTHOR. He called a little child to him, and setting it in the midst of them, he said: "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted" (that is, changed, as he had been) "and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (that is, enter into the state of mind that he was in). But it was not by his becoming as a little child that he had come into "the kingdom of heaven," but by his coming into "the kingdom of heaven” that he had become as a little child. And he kept dwelling upon it. And finally he expressed it in another way. REPORTER. In what other way? |