Instituted June 29,  1997

The Temple and the Pillars
M.W. Frater Claude Brodeur IX^o SRIC

These notes are taken from Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes, who was influenced by the work of Thomas Troward. Those familiar with Troward's books will recognize his influence on Holmes and other advocates of science of mind.

From Law 9:
Law as specialized by personality is represented by the two pillars that stood in front of the Temple of Solomon, Jachin and Boaz, one meaning the Law, the impersonal creative medium, and the Word, or personal element. Here we have personality and law combined, and it is through these two pillars that we must enter the Temple, which symbolizes the nature of Reality and our innermost life. (p. 21)

The law is blind, non-directive. It is the personality that directs it. Both Law and personality are necessary to the universe of self-expression. It is our relationship to the law that leads us either to bondage or freedom.

It seems self-evident that the Law knows us as the sum total of what we believe ourselves to be, and when we add to this the fact that what we know ourselves to be, or think ourselves to be, is largely subjective or subconscious, we realize that the Law knows each individual from the viewpoint of what the race thought proclaims to be true about all individuals. That is, about each individual as one of a class, plus what the individual has learned to believe about himself. (p. 23)

The study of philosophy, no matter how spiritual it may be, will avail us but little from a practical viewpoint unless we definitely use the knowledge which we have acquired. To understand the working of the Law is knowledge, but to use It constructively is wisdom. (p. 24)

From Law 11:
We find that judging from appearances only, inevitably limits our use of the Law to those things which we have previously experienced. It is certain that we must reverse the order of our thought if we expect to reverse some particular effect of its creativeness, for...the Law...has no intention for us other than the intention we give It. This is deeply significant since it means that there is nothing in the Universe against us but ourselves, or as Scripture says,...they could not enter in because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:19). They...limited the Holy One of Israel (Psalm 78:41) (p. 4)