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Home > Books > The Dissolving of Duality in the 16th Chapter of the Christian Science Textbook ("The Apocalypse")
The Dissolving of Duality in the 16th Chapter of the Christian Science Textbook ("The Apocalypse")
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Product Code: 0-942958-16-0
Manufacturer: Kappeler Institute Publishing
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Booklet, 16 pages
Level:
SUBJECT(s):
Handling Evil/Mortal Consciousness
Matrices
RELATED RECORDINGS:
B-6 IV, Ascending and Descending in the 4 Levels of Science (2 hours, audio & video)
SYNOPSIS: This booklet presents an analysis of the specific claim of duality and its final dissolution. It takes the question "Is being material, spiritual, or both?" through the 4-fold operation of being (Word, Christ, Christianity, Science) on each of the 4 levels of spiritual consciousness (Science itself, divine Science, absolute Christian Science, Christian Science). An "advanced" treatment of this subject.
CONTENTS:
I. The level of Christian Science
II. The level of absolute Christian Science
III. The level of divine Science
IV. The level of Science itself
Summary
How to read the matrix of the dissolving of duality
The verticals
The horizontals
Appendix
EXCERPT:
From Max Kappeler, The Dissolving of Duality as Presented in the 16th Chapter of the Christian Science Textbook ("The Apocalypse"), pp. 1–3.
Preliminary Remark
As the title of this booklet indicates, the presentation of this subject is based on the 16th chapter of the Christian Science-textbook, "The Apocalypse." It is not, however, the intent of the author to give in this booklet an interpretation of the 16th chapter as a whole. Rather, the following presentation deals with the specific claim of duality and its final dissolving which is shown in the last chapter of the Textbook.
The basic question. Many vital questions about being can be reduced to the one great question: Is being spiritual or material, or is it both? Is Spirit the only reality, therefore the only Truth, or is matter also real and true? In studying the Textbook, we look for a scientific answer to this question; and, indeed, the subject of duality is dealt with on nearly every page of the text. The reader of the Textbook is taught that Spirit alone is real; that Spirit alone is true; that Spirit governs matter; that matter is only an illusion, an error; that matter is merely the subjective state of mortal mind, etc. For a while we might feel comforted with such statements. But in the long run, no scientific understanding can grow within us merely by accepting these statements. For, understanding is not based on accepting isolated statements, it is much more. Understanding is based on structural knowledge. Such a spiritually structured presentation of the subject of Spirit/matter, Truth/error, respectively, is given in the 16th chapter of the Textbook, "The Apocalypse." Let us be taught by this chapter! Mary Baker Eddy leads the reader's thought through three levels of Science up to the final clarification of this question; she leads "the weary pilgrim … 'uphill all the way'" (S&H 574:4). The chapter shows us how the workings of Truth uplift the Revelator (and us) until we becomes conscious of the facts of being (see S&H 574:12) and see the great city (the New Jerusalem), "the four equalsides of which were heaven-bestowed and heaven-bestowing" (S&H 574:22). When we are open for the ascending spiritual order, we can experience here and now that Science pauses not, but leads us to divine heights (see S&H 566:9).
We reach divine heights, and thereby find the solution to the question of Spirit/matter, when we no longer cling to isolated statements, but have gone the way of understanding through the levels of Science. Sticking to the statement that matter is not real, that it is just an illusion, is adhering to a mere assertion. As an assertion only, such a statement very often seems to be self-contradictory, as we have to cope so often with the issue of matter in our daily lives. Even more, this statement may actually contradict everything for which we humanly wish. For are we not anxious to get more matter—that is, of course, more harmonious matter—rather than building up the harmony of Spirit in and as consciousness? Even if we are spiritually-minded enough to long for nothing other than the harmony of Spirit, we can reach this harmony only as we understand which steps lead us to this aim. The 16th Textbook chapter answers all such questions; it crowns the whole way of understanding which has been shown through the foregoing 15 chapters.
The way through the levels of consciousness. The 16th Textbook chapter, "The Apocalypse," leads us, in respect to this question, in an ordered way from one level of Science to the next higher one.
I. The greater part of the text shows us what we see from the standpoint of the level of Christian Science (S&H 558:1-572:18).
II. Then the whole story is shown from the standpoint of the level of absolute Christian Science (S&H572:19-574:24).
& nbsp;III. Finally, thought is led to the level of divine Science, which includes the levels of absolute Christian Science and Christian Science (S&H 574:25-578:18). Each of these three levels presents the question of Spirit/matter from a different standpoint and, consequently, gives a different answer to it. As we accept these answers and, through the spiritual order of levels, consciously go the ascending way, we build up the scientific understanding which gives final clarification to this great question of duality. The Textbook, therefore, contains much more than just single statements about this question; it shows us that as we follow the spiritual structure of the text, that what might appear to us to be single statements on the issue actually belong to and are held within a meaningful context. The 16th chapter presents three different standpoints which allow us to see all aspects of the question of Spirit/matter, treating the subject in every detail. We become aware that the Textbook shows us more than different answers to our question; we realize that it presents to us the ordered ascending way from one level of Science to the next higher one, thereby revealing a full vision, a holistic scientific understanding.
The way through the four modes of operation. As we follow the 16th Textbook chapter in its main structure through the levels of Science, consciousness is finally led to the point where it is formed and shaped divinely and, consequently, knows no duality. Looking more closely at the stages inherent within this ascending way, we find that the answer to the question of duality is given on every level of Science through the four modes of divine operation: Word, Christ, Christianity, and Science. On each of the three levels that deal with the question of Spirit/matter, the 4-fold divine calculus is working in such a way as to provide a full and complete answer. As we take the steps which Word, Christ, Christianity, and Science show us on each level, we are led to the next higher level. So, with each level we are enabled to make the one great step which that level presents by fulfilling consistently the steps of its 4-fold development through the four divine modes of operation. Thus, the whole question of how to handle evil is unlocked for us. We do not have to solve this question in one go, so to speak; but rather, thought is led to take the many steps which are embraced within the ascending way of the divine order—that order which alone gives us the scientifically structured answer to the whole proposition.
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