Thought Bricks 1: Introduction – Thought Bricks

THE ‘DIVINE PATH’ SECTION
Lesson 1: Introduction

At the end of this section you will find the First Lesson of ‘The Thought Bricks Course’. Do you realise what an amazing opportunity these Lessons will give you? Here and now you stand at the beginning of the road – your road. What will you be when you have finished this Course? If you will persist now you can be a new being, ‘on top of the world’, keen, courageous, with ideas for advancement flowing through your brain and a consciousness of power to carry them out. You can be strong, calm, wise-the kind of person the world turns to for a Leader. Where there seemed nothing but a ‘blind alley’ there will open up a way-a way to make your dreams come true!

You may even be in another job, a new home, a new district, or even a new country, if it appealed to you, before these few months are up! It has happened to ‘Thought Bricks’ Students and it can happen again. This, then, is a most important moment in your life. You are standing at the beginning of a new road. Will you persist, will you step along this road with head held high, with courage and purpose and determination? Remember – if you cannot persist for a few months in something you have attempted, then you cannot expect success! If you will persevere, then your whole outlook will become quite different. You will feel a surging of power within you which will at once convince you and thrill you.

One important point-do not expect to get ‘something for nothing’; Thought-building is a craft and needs effort and training, just like any other.

One Student of ‘Thought Bricks’ wrote to me about six months after she had finished the Course to tell me of wonders that had come into her life as a result of the Lessons. She found she had developed Healing Power, as well as receiving many other blessings of abundant living. ‘Your Course has made me divinely happy’, she said. About a year after this, she wrote again:
‘ What a lot of lovely new Students there are in the Family now. I read every line of the newsletter with extreme interest. Your life is so very full of the importance of showing new Students the way to the Glorious Happiness they will know by being guided by you to reach their Heavenly Father. I am reflecting, right now, back to the days before I took the Course. What a difference in me now. Younger to look at; receiving God’s blessing every day; miracles to fill page upon page; increase in salary; and the glorious knowledge that I can call to our Heavenly Father just as often as I wish, which is almost unceasingly. Bernard dear, as I said in my previous letter last year, you have taught me so much. Tolerance– -love—-wisdom—wealth—-health. There is nothing left to desire materially. Spiritually, you have opened my eyes to the great secrets.’

Another point I want to make, right at the beginning, is this. Do not be surprised if you find that you have already read some of the things you will find in this Course. All Truth is One, since it must arise from the One Divine Fount of Eternal Wisdom and Truth – otherwise it could not be Divine Truth, could it? Ever since the foundation of the world, this Divine Truth has been available to all who seek, to all who will accept discipline, who will develop patience and persistence in their search. (You who read these words must have started this search, or you would not be in possession of the first Lesson of our Course now. Evidently ou have won time way to it.) Be not surprised, then, if you read in these Lessons, fragments of Divine Truth which you have come across before. Do not, however, think that I have copied these fragments from those of which you have read That is not the way in which Divine Truth came to me – from a human mind.

In all truth and sincerity, I can assure you that it came from Divine Mind, or the one, Divine Fount of Eternal Truth. (The Master Himself said: ‘The Spirit of Truth shall lead you into All Truth‘.) Do not write, then, to tell me of all the books and writings you have studied, and where you see a similarity between these other writings and mine. If anything is true, it has poured forth from the One, Divine Fount of Truth; therefore it is One, and this one-ness does not mean that any fragment has been copied from the writings of others. No true Teacher would ever do this. He would not be satisfied to teach Truth, at second-hand, from another human mind. Every sincere and genuine Truth Teacher has contacted the One, Divine Fount of Truth for himself.

Only a few hours before I write these words (I am just about to bring out the sixth edition of ‘The Thought Bricks Course’ and the Course has been in existence for five years) I opened a book, at random, that had just come into my possession, and had just been published for the first time. This book claimed to contain fragments of Divine Truth written down by a Supreme Master of an Occult School which was centuries-old; the matter contained in it was said to have been guarded and hidden from the world and only now revealed. But I found that what it contained was also contained in a small part only of ‘The Thought Bricks Course’, and one exercise in particular which was given, was written down in these Lessons by me five years before that book was published! The curious thing is, that I had genuinely thought that the exercise arose from my own mind, and was being used by – myself alone, to illustrate a fragment of the One, Divine Truth. I did not, however, promptly decide that the author of this book copied the exercise – or any other part of his writing – from this Course. I simply accepted it as one more proof that there is One True, Divine Fount of Truth, which has been flowing out towards man since the world began. Each genuine Truth-Teacher has sought for and finally reached that One, Divine Fount and, slaking his years-long thirst, has returned at last to the world, to give lovingly to others, what he has himself received.

To close this long letter, I am going to incorporate in these pages, an account of an experience of mine which I wrote down and made into a booklet for my Student Family. Each of them received the booklet as a gift from me for Christmas 1953, and it was hailed with tremendous joy and appreciation. (It moved many of its readers to tears, they told me.) Now, I am going to give it to you all by making it a part of this new edition and every future edition of ‘The Thought Bricks Course’. Here it is:-

‘IF THOU CANST BELIEVE’

Four hours before I began to write these words to you, my friend, I was walking in a field at twilight ……….
Would you like to know what took place there? To outward eyes (though there were none to see) there was only one human being and a dog walking over the uneven ground. (At least, the human being was walking, but the dog was running, circling, zig-zagging and snorting amid the rushes.) A mist was rising, for the land lies low and a river flows through one end of the field. Beyond is rising ground, and trees. The human being, which was I, walked only to the far end of the field, where the stone stile is, and back again. Ten minutes passed; but long hours of ‘other-time’ rolled by, and much wisdom flowed into my inwardness, so much that it has taken all of these four hours for me to receive, sift and assemble it all in my, outer consciousness.

Are you a seeker after Wisdom? Do you think, as well as live and eat and sleep and see? If you are, then you are my kin and you will like to come with me, in memory, into that field, I know, and walk again with me. Although I do not know you personally, I shall take you right to my heart-this very instant, as you read, and I shall unveil my inner self to you. No, I will keep nothing back from you, my friend! Walk closely by my side.

How peaceful it was, in the field at twilight, with the river-mist rising up from the rushes and wrapping itself around the trunk of the great tree down by the bank. I walked slowly, breathing deeply, smiling to myself from very joy and contentment of mind. All the length of the field I went, until I had almost reached the stile, hidden from my eyes by the tall bank and the hedge. Then I turned, watching the dog in his joyful, absorbed play. Slowly, I began to retrace my steps-and then He, the Master, was there …..

It was just as simple and homely and unsurprising as that. I felt Him, rather than saw Him at my side. In fact I do not think I turned my head to look directly at Him. Yet I knew Him – yes. Every line of His graceful – form, every fold of His robe, the curve at the back of His neck when His head is bent, the soft gleam in His eyes, the sweet, gentle, yet strong lifting of His mouth in speech and smile. I know Him so well.

It was not surprising, then, to find Him there and to know He had fallen into step beside me. After a little while of silent communing between us, though no known word was uttered, I know so much more. I know more, for instance, of the stupendous Mystery of His life on earth; of what He really meant when He said: ‘ This is My body, broken for you’. I know more of what’ He meant when He said: ‘Canst thou drink of the cup of which I shall drink?’ and ‘Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world’. Again, His meaning unfolded to me, when He said,
‘Except ye eat My flesh and drink My blood‘ Oh, what a Mystery He came on earth to teach! What depth of Mystery, what plane upon plane and fold upon fold! No wonder He said: ‘For this cause came I into the world, to bear witness unto the Truth’.

The world has not understood His Truth. There was so much to tell, and it was so deep and beautiful, so full of heavenly wonder that He could scarce enclose it in earthly words. So He spoke in parables. He drew word pictures giving His friends small glimpses, each a little more revealing than the last. How could He make them understand His Message? He could but speak in parable and picture, trusting that some fragment of the real Truth should linger on, as the tale of His teaching was passed by word of mouth through generations, then committed to rare documents and copied an infinite number of times.

His true Message is so very lovely, my friend. Not a bit,difficult to. accept, nor illogical, nor hard. Oh, it is a thing of entrancing beauty and justice, of dignity and power. It is a thing that, once understood, every single human being who has ever lived could willingly and delightedly, accept …. (One day I will tell you more of it.)….

All this He told me as we walked along (though much of it He had partially revealed before. But, as I have said, He teaches in small glimpses, each a little more revealing than the last. That is His way.) Then I bethought myself of my Student Family and ‘I began to gather them about me. There are so many of you now, you are numbered in thousands. But somehow in this other-worldly consciousness I was able to bring each of you as close as though each were the only one. You did not seem to be aware of Him at first and I began to talk to Him, smilingly, of you.
‘They do not all know You, dear Master, as I know You. If they did, they would love You as I love You.’

‘I know’ The words were not spoken, but rather, pressed into my consciousness by the Master. And yet, I still know every least tone of His Voice. You all gathered about me; happily at peace.; silent, perhaps, because of the misty twilight of the evening, or because – all sensed that there was a Presence in the field ………..

‘Because they do not know You quite as well, dear. Master, I must bring each one of them to You today. I love them so much I want so much for them I bring them, one by one, to Your feet and ask You to bless them. Let every least little hurt be smoothed away; let the solution to every problem be given; let every need be abundantly supplied; let every fear vanish; let every failure be turned into success and let indescribable joy fill every one’

There was a long pause in which the Master looked searchingly, with infinite, lingering tenderness, upon each one of you. Then He turned to me again, and once more His words were pressed into my consciousness.

‘Each must believe.’
There was nothing in the least abrupt about these words. Nothing stern. It was just a statement of a fact, the mention, of a necessary condition. (As though a person knocked upon a door and when it was opened, expressed a desire to enter. The householder said: ‘Come in, then! ‘ Just like that.)

‘Each must believe.’
For a while there was silence, and then I asked: ‘But suppose they cannot believe, dear Master?’

Again the quiet words came:
‘All can believe. Do you think I would have said to those who asked Me to help them: “Believest thou that l am able to do this?” unless belief were possible? Yes, all can believe.’

‘Why, then, dear Master, do some say they long to believe, but cannot?’

It is because they do not want to give up some cherished idea which has been a garment to them, My son. This idea has pleased them and comforted them, excusing them from some effort or improvement which they know they should make. Or it has been a covering for some way of thought or course of action which they wish to retain. Or it has been a prop for reserve and aloofness which they were not willing to let fall. Belief is possible only where true humility is present, and the one cannot be present without the ‘other.’ When these two are united, the result is called “Faith”.’

Again there was a long silence, while my friends, too, walked with me…. All this time we had taken only about a dozen paces along the darkening field.

‘What is true humility, dear Master?’

‘True humility is the readiness to accept the Truth of anything, instantly, without question, without reserve, even when it is unflattering to the self. And every human being has a Centre of Truth within, where the Spirit of Truth dwells. If willingness to accept Truth is there, the power to recognise Truth is there also. Therefore, everyone may have true humility.’

I drew closer to His side and for the first time was aware that I looked at Him. A smile of deepest love and understanding passed between us.

‘What of people who are afraid of our Father, dear Master?’ I whispered.

‘I have spoken.’ His tone rang with authority. ‘I have shown men how to approach Him in prayer, telling them to say: “Our Father”. Could I bring them closer than this? They have but to believe the Truth of their relationship with the Father.’

‘What of people who are afraid of themselves, dear Master? Afraid of their own powers?’

The head of my Lord lifted. His steps ceased. He lifted His arms in a wide and graceful gesture and, holding them there, declared:
‘I have spoken to men and have said unto them: “The kingdom of God is within you”. Let men meditate upon the Truth of these words and then none shall evermore be afraid. Men have but to believe. It is the answer to all things.’ Then He lowered His arms to His sides again and was still ……….

When the, steps of the Master ceased, I too became still; and those who were with me paused also. And as the last words died away, we all stood silent in the misty field. Then a change crept over the atmosphere, just as the mist had crept around the trunk of the tree. Those who were with me became aware of the Presence ………..

Gradually, a light began – to glow behind Him, first enveloping Him and then us, so that – we all seemed to be bathed, together in it, and to be set apart from all the world. It was a long, long moment of utmost, peace and a kind of breathless joy wherein we were all caught up in His Spirit ………..

Then He smiled at you. Yes, you who read these words. The Master smiled at you. He looked lovingly at each one of you with a radiant warmth and friendliness that would melt the hardest heart. You all gazed back at Him, entranced, and suddenly I found myself saying:
‘Master, now that they know You, they will love You too.’

He cast a fleeting glance at me, agreeing, then turned again to you all. As He did so, His Form seemed to grow to an immense stature – so that He appeared to fill the surrounding countryside and all the sky. His arms were raised, with folds hanging from the wrists. His face began to glow with intense brilliance so that the rays of His countenance touched us with dazzling splendour. We would have bowed our heads before such majesty, had He not smiled into our eyes and then not one of us could look away. Oh, the sweetness, the strength, the gentleness, the beauty of that heavenly smile! As we stood, rapt with awe, His Voice rang out, piercing our hearts, where it will linger while breath is in us:

‘If………. thou………. canst………. believe………. all……….
things………. are………. possible………. to……….
him………. that………. believeth!………. ‘

Suddenly, it was almost dark and I was alone in the field (except for the dog waiting by the gate). I glimpsed the light of home through the trees and, opening the field gate, crossed the lane and went indoors. Only a quarter of an hour had passed since I had left the house ……….
It was the evening of Thursday, 22nd October, 1953.

This is the way, my Student, that, through the years, I have reached the One, Divine Fount of Eternal Wisdom and Truth.

Your friend,

Bernard

LESSON ONE: ‘A BOLD STATEMENT’

In the little book, ‘Thought-Bricks and How to Build With Them’, I quoted for you a saying of the Master which I described as ‘A bold statement’. Let us look at these words again:
‘If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’ (Mark 9, 23.)

Do you not agree that these are very wide and sweeping indeed? Yet the Master spoke them, obviously, for the guidance of His hearers and for all those coming after Him who would really take them to heart. – He was no sentimentalist! He did not waste time by telling people things that would comfort them, – whether these things
were true or not. If He was so careful of the feelings of others, would He have thundered out: ‘Ye hypocrites!‘? If, then, He was so wrathful about this, would He have been a hypocrite, even to comfort His hearers? No; the Master said exactly what He meant; nothing more and nothing less.

Right from, the very start, then, I want you to get ‘Religion’ into the right perspective. The teachings of the Master were no namby-pamby ones! Nor were they emotional or narrow-minded or flinty-hearted. The Master was the kind of Man you would travel a thousand miles to see if He was visibly on this earth, now. He was calm, strong, dynamic, tolerant, scientific, logical. It is His followers throughout the ages who have given a wrong impression of His teachings – many of His followers, anyway. So get this straight at the outset. When I speak of religious matters I speak of truth, and it has nothing whatever to do with anything narrow-minded or emotional. We just cannot afford to shy away from religion just because of childish impressions for, deep-down, it holds the key to success in life.

‘If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’ (Mark, 9, 23.)

You will notice that He begins with ‘If thou canst believe’ …. He knew, then, that some would not believe. Obviously it needed an effort to get to that point of belief. We are only just ‘scratching the surface’ of this hidden treasure. We are like men who, digging, have uncovered gold. We pause, exclaim; we stoop down and pick up some of it, we run it through our fingers. Then we test it by taking it to the market-place to see if it will buy us anything. And it does! Yes, it is really true. I know it because I have tested it – but what of yourself? You must test it too. Too much has already been written in the manner of: ‘ Do this or believe this because I tell you’. I want you to both test it and prove it.

‘Prove me now’, herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.’ (MaI. 3, 10.)

Note the abundance of this promise. Not just the bare minimum, but so much that there will not be room enough to receive it! The way, then, to get to the point of belief necessary for the supply of all your needs, is to prove it to yourself in small things and, as your belief grows, in greater things until you become a very giant.

‘Be not afraid; only believe’, said the Master.- (Mark 5, 36.)

Only believe! – You see, then, that you must have a small amount of belief to start with; otherwise you cannot prove your experiment. How can you get this? A visit to your public library will be profitable here. Take a look through the shelves of biography, autobiography and theology. Very soon you will find books about people who believed, who really believed in a Higher Power both in the universe and within themselves. The results will tend to take your breath away!

Where ordinary people wander helplessly through life, scratching a living here and there, a prey to doubts and fears, to illness and misery and poverty, these giants among men drew forth all they needed from the unseen in abundance. Without appealing to others to help them, without even mentioning their need to a soul, they yet received eager support from them all; without seeking for it they had the respect and deference of thousands. Without striving after wealth, riches poured into their laps-not only riches of money but riches of power, of peace, of joy! If you will be patient about this and really search for such books I can promise you that, however sceptical you feel now, you will develop belief. You cannot fail to do so for no logical person can explain away the seeming miracles described in such books. I know and I want you to know. If you cannot get to a library or you prefer this, take your Bible and read the Gospels and note how many times the Master stipulated that His hearers must believe. Then see what happened when they did believe!
Read: Matt. 8, 6-13; 9, 27-30; 14, 24-31. Mark 5, 24-34; 5, 35-42; 9, 16-26; 11, 23-24; l6 17-18. Luke 8, 22-25. John 11, 1-45. Acts 14, 7-10; 16, 16-18. I Kings 18,, 21-39. Daniel 3, 13-30.

Why is it so necessary for you to believe before you can enter into that life of abundant supply? It is because thought builds. Your mind is part of the Universal Mind for mind cannot be divided. Therefore through your mind you can contact creative power provided you do not place other thoughts of doubt and fear in the way. What you image in your mind, then, when your thoughts are cleared by belief, attracts the Creative Power of Universal Mind. Your mind image forms an outline and this is filled with life. It lives! When you are worried about something happening that you fear, you do not doubt that. Thus you prepare an outline or structure, this is filled with life-and what you have feared comes to pass. See, then how careful, you should be to order your thoughts aright, to think only, of ‘Splendid things, of good, honest, worthwhile things, and things you want to happen.

Each time you find yourself thinking miserably and helplessly, take a deep breath and say within yourself: ‘Belief in the Infinite Power is now growing strongly within me.’ So concentrate on letting your belief grow. I have planted a seed in your mind. ‘Water’ it with many hopeful, happy thoughts and then I will take you a step further. If you follow out this teaching you can change circumstances and transform your life.

The Shaft Exercise

Here is a powerful but simple exercise for you to start now:
Go into a room alone. Stretch your right hand out in front of you and then, turning slowly describe a circle around yourself. Imagine that it is a wall – picture it vividly; a great wall enclosing you and shutting you off from everything outside, a high wall reaching right up to the sky with an opening at the top.
Now stand still and look up this ‘shaft’. Say with quiet conviction within yourself:
‘I am as offspring of the divine now in direct contact with Him’
Then – without making a sound outwardly, of course – ‘shout’ within yourself up the ‘shaft’ in a ringing tone:
‘Pour down into me Divine Supply!’
As you do this, imagine a downpouring of all your needs, or of abundance generally. Stand like this
for a minute, absorbing all that is flowing into you. Then (and this part of the exercise is very important) stretch
out both hands and make movements as though demolishing the wall.
Then throwing wide your arms shout silently within yourself:
‘Because I am an offspring of the Eternal I recognise His Spirit in all and I greet everyone as my kin!’

(Now this may seem difficult to accept at first, for you may think: ‘What of the evil men of the world? How can I recognise the Eternal in them or feel a brother to them?’ But remember this and all will become simple. You have to recognise that the Eternal is there within everybody, though often hidden with confining sheaths and that because of this you are a brother to all in your spiritual nature.)

Now do not write to me, regarding this exercise and tell me that God is not only outside of you, but within. I know this. And do not tell me you don’t like walls. Very few people do. Just believe me when I tell you that this ‘Shaft Exercise’ or Prayer has a deep, occult significance that has nothing to do with a distant, far-away God and nothing to, do with earthly walls. One, day I will tell you: the secret about the ‘Shaft’, but not yet.

This is not the time for deep and lengthy explanations. You can be assured of this, though. Simple as the Shaft Exercise seems, it has deep significance and great power.

Will you do this exercise every day during this period? Don’t fail or you will lose confidence in yourself. Right at the very beginning take a firm stand. Make yourself do it. Here is your chance so do not on any account throw it away. In my experience of ‘Thought Bricks’ Students, one significant fact has arisen, standing out above all the rest. It is this: The Students who are cold and aloof; make no headway. The Students who are warm and responsive make swift, often dramatic progress. Why is this? It is because these wise ones put feeling into their thoughts about truth.

To illustrate this, let us look at the word ‘Believe’. Sometimes if a person is asked a question and he is doubtful of the matter under discussion, lie will say: ‘I believe so – meaning in reality ‘I think it is so, but I am not certain at all’ – the very opposite to the real meaning of the word, ‘Believe’ …. On occasion you may have looked out of the window and said: ‘I believe it is going to be a fine day’. You meant that a casual glance suggested this, but you were not willing to fight for or defend the notion, but your assumption seemed correct at that time. Again, this rendering of the word has no connection with the actual meaning of the word ‘Believe’!…

Now let us think of a woman who has an only son. She is a widow and all her life is bound up with thoughts and hopes of her boy. One day neighbours come to her and say: ‘Your son has been arrested for burglary’. At this the woman draws herself up to her full height; her lips close firmly; her chin is up; her eyes flash. She says: ‘He is innocent. I believe in my son.’ How different is the meaning of the word this time Behind the word is an inward conviction, the love of her heart, the memory of the goodness and the kindness of her boy through the 14
years. She has put feeling into the word for she feels strongly about the matter.

Do you see the difference? This was the kind of belief the Master meant – not the weak, watery, ‘I suppose it must be so’ kind which many mistake for faith! You remember the words: ‘What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them’. (Mark 11, 24.)

Let us alter the word ‘Believe’ to ‘feel strongly’ and see how clear it becomes:
‘What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, feel strongly that ye receive them, and ye shall have them’.

Do you get the idea? Your words are of little consequence when you pray or meditate or think. Your subconscious mind which obeys the ‘orders’ of your thoughts, knows nothing of languages. It is the strong feeling that is back of them which it receives and follows out.

Belief must be a powerful conviction. You must feel strongly about it. Then wonders will pour into your life!

How to get this wonder-working belief is the problem of many people. Well, I will tell you. Already I have told you one valuable way – and that is to read about people who had this kind of belief, and all that came to them as a consequence. Read something of this nature every day! I do it, and it is most important. If possible, buy books, second-hand or new, so that you can keep them. Underline the most inspiring passages with a red ball-point pen and then, when you have only a few minutes to spare, you can open any of these books at random, read what is underlined, and become lifted up to belief, or ‘strong feeling’ in a moment. Then use our newsletter in the same way, underlining achievements by faith as described in the Students’ letters. Keep all your copies of the Magazine and refer to them often. Or make a scrap-book from inspiring cuttings.

Follow up these suggestions and you will never be without an inspiring thought, at any time. Underline, in red, remember – and you can do the same with these
Lesson-booklets, too. Then open any book at random and read what is underlined.

Happy Sleep Exercise

Another way-which I want you to adopt as well may seem childish to you at first, but believe me it is a most important way of developing belief or strong feeling. When you are lying awaiting sleep each night, ‘talk’ within yourself, without outward sound, to your subconscious mind. Tell it items of truth which it is to accept and build into your life as an outward, visible reality. If you have a ‘strong feeling’ about this, it will. ‘Say’ things like this:

‘God is the source of every created thing. God is a great out-pouring Power of Love. I yield to this Power of Love. I welcome it and unite myself to it. Because of this God says to me: “Thou art ever with Me and all, that I have is thine”. I am God’s beloved child and so many blessings are at this moment pouring into my life in the realm of the unseen, waiting to come into visible manifestation in the seen. I feel very strongly about this and so it will be so. I am on the way up.’

Go on saying things like this in a dreamy, happy, smiling and relaxed way until you fall asleep. Wonderful things will be happening in the unseen while you sleep! Gradually, these will come visibly into your life for all the world to see Your life will be transformed!

This first Lesson is longer than all the rest, Student, because it is so important, right at the beginning, that you should learn to feel strongly about the wonderful life that is opening to you. Do you want to become self-confident? Then hear what a Student of the teaching has written:
‘Although I have pored over Courses in Psychology and read many books about thought-building I have never put it into practice until. now. I am beginning to feel a new person. All the old habits of worry, fear and depression are dropping off me like dead leaves from a tree. Soon, the new shoots will be showing themselves, all positive – new hope, courage, confidence, faith, absolute faith. I have a new assurance, a new strength that is truly wonderful.’

Do you wish to be freed from the weakness of worrying? A Student writes:
‘I must tell you how much lighter my heart feels since I have been following your Lessons and the exercises. I certainly enjoyed them immensely and now I find that I do not worry about things.’

Do you want abundance? A Student writes:
‘When I received my pay envelope I had been given a weekly rise in salary.’ And another: ‘I live ten minutes from he sea. I have a small, but very busy General Business with a house attached – result of Thought Bricks Course.’
‘Dear Bernard’, wrote another Student,” I felt I simply must find time to write and thank you for all you sent me last week-end. Just what I needed. Also to tell you that I think I’ve “got there” at last. Things are moving quickly.’ And even while I type these words a Student writes joyfully to tell me that after doing the- ‘Shaft’ exercise for only, ten days she has a new job-just what she has been wanting for a long time, at twice the pay!

For myself, I have demonstrated God’s Abundance of Supply in my life on countless ‘occasions.’ (And if I cannot demonstrate Abundance in my, life, how can I convince you that it is possible for you? . That is why I ask for, expect, work for and delight in the abundant life.) Two points I would mention here; if you want Abundance,. ‘give freely and willingly, for even the slightest reluctance will ‘ close the pipeline ‘ of Supply; but give wisely. Investigate thoroughly every case of need so that only genuine cases are helped.

Do you want comfort and friendship? A Student wrote:
‘Dear Friend Bernard, How can I hope to thank you for your letter which came to me when .1 was rather bewildered and shaken in faith’? Oh ‘Bernard, your loving words, devotion and sincere guidance have brought me to know that indeed, God is Love. What a lovely feeling of ‘peace and harmony is given by this knowledge. I knew, deep within me, that you would point out the way; and lift me from the depths, and I know you will understand when I say: “God bless you,’ Friend “.’

What these Lessons have been, and are, to others they can be to you, Student! So I urge you, now, to co-operate with them with all your heart and soul. Although my belief and strong feeling is behind the Lessons, they Will only be mere words to you unless your own belief and strong feeling is ‘breathed’ into them. Then they will live for you.

They will work wonders in your life! Believe me, these are not just Lessons I send out automatically – in these pages I am pouring myself out to you; I am pouring out my own faith, belief and strong feeling. I do, indeed, feel very strongly that I have a duty to perform for you, and that- duty is to awaken your own sleeping faith.

One other thing I would impress upon you in this first Lesson. It is this. Do not limit God’s power to work wonders in your life by that which you can see. God can see further than you can. Where you see a ‘blind alley’ He sees an open way, leading to the ‘green pastures’ of success, happiness and achievement.

First, decide what you want in life. What would make you happier, more useful in the world and a blessing to others? Then, after asking our Father God to give this to you. Feel strongly about it. Go forward to meet it by preparing yourself and making yourself fit to receive it. That is your part. He will find a way.

Regarding this advice to ‘go forward to meet it’. Suppose you want a better house. Do your part, after asking and feeling strongly about it, by making a study
of the type of house you want, and the furnishings, equipment, etc. Learn all you can in readiness for the time when you will live there. Then, every day in leisure moments
‘live’ in the house in your imagination as though you were already there.

If you want a better position, equip yourself for this, too. Go to evening classes or take a Correspondence Course in the chosen subject. You see? Do your part in the ‘blind ally’ and God will do His part and will turn it into a ‘green pasture’.

As you go through this Course you will come upon other exercises. TRY EVERY ONE but retain ONLY the ones which appeal to you most and help you the most. This is your indication that the exercise will be the most powerful and effective for YOU.

At this point, I think it would be good to point out a few errors former Students have made so that you will not have to waste time by making them too.

1. Do not expect any results at all, no matter how many books and Lessons you read, exercises you do or affirmations you say, if you spend some of your time in being depressed. This just cancels out all thought-building results. God’s Power flows formlessly – you ‘shape’ it by your thoughts.
2. Do not overlook the fact that thought-building is a craft and you must grow in skill. While still an ‘apprentice’ don’t expect to turn out results as advanced as a ‘skilled man’. Start with small things and work up.
3. Do not decide that the quickest way to get Abundance is to win a competition. God may use this way for you or He may not, but that He has an abundant life for you, you need not doubt. Be willing for. Him to unfold it in His way, so go on preparing yourself to do whatever is your job in life at present better than ever before-and watch for your Abundant Life to appear.
4. Do work happily, taking a joy in work for its own sake. It’s really grand! – Don’t turn down your job just because there are difficulties and then be miserably unemployed afterwards, saying you did it because you had Faith! A man of Faith overcomes and learns from difficulties first; then he either moves on to something better – or finds there is no need to move at all.
5. Do watch your mental attitude on the following points. (a) Giving. Do you dislike parting with money? If so, money will be hard to come by. (b) Friendliness. Is it easy to believe that I am really your friend? And that- there are friendly people in your neighbourhood? If you can believe this, you can realise that God is your greatest Friend – and that’s the way to receive prayer answers. (c) Do you like to pity yourself and for others to pity you? A sure way of cutting off Divine Blessings!

There is so much more I have to tell you, so many thrilling secrets I have to share with you! Only by following these Lessons step by step can you advance to the next, and understand by making the Teaching your own. Each one is of vital interest so do not miss out one! Above all, dear Student, accept me as your friend and give me your friendship in return. This open-heartedness opens the way for Divine Blessings to pour into your life, as you will see. A London Student wrote: ‘Dear Bernard, I have received the first Lesson of the Course. Thank you so much! It is very interesting and inspiring. I feel that great changes for the better are on the way.’

-Bernard