“One Consciousness, One Power” is the title of this first part. You are at the beginning of an amazing and richly rewarding journey. All you have to do is lay the claim, ask the question, just want it badly enough – whatever you prefer to call it.
You are going to explore the depths of your own Being. You are about to discover much light, but also some shadow, for one cannot exist without the other. The shadow, however, is just that: a shadow. It’s nothing without the light. As you are learning to let your light shine,you climb onto higher and more joyful and abundant planes of existence. Welcome!
This course will assist you in enabling and empowering yourself. At the same time you will do this to others, and together we make up what we call evolution by creating a new kind of Man.
If you want to get more wealth, health or happiness, you first have to give it. Giving is a mental process! By giving it to others, you develop a consciousness for it, because what you pay attention to, you become conscious of, and what you become conscious of grows in your life! As you reach higher levels of consciousness for the rich, good, healthy and loving, all this will return to you, because this is law. We also call it resonance.
You will learn in this part that there is only one Consciousness. When this Consciousness thinks, it shows in the myriad of visible and invisible forms. The purpose of Spirit is to create Matter, and through this process experience itself, as well as return to its origin, which is Spirit.
You will learn in this part that you are part of this one Consciousness, and that thinking is the connection between you (the part) and the Whole.
The Master Key System will strengthen your rational and logical thinking, and will make it methodical and systematic. We all have thoughts all the time anyway, but here we are talking about real, truthful thinking - thinking with a specific aim in mind; prolonged and persistent thinking in the Silence; thinking that is being systematically, constructively and harmoniously directed by yourself. But before we get there, we have to master the basics, and this is what this part is all about.
You will require a large degree of discipline for this study. Do yourself the favour and finish this course, no matter what it takes, because an almost magical transformation starts to happens as you delve deeper and deeper into this subject.
You will become more aware of the small things, the finer details, the things you previously didn’t pay any attention to. You will reduce or eliminate your (subconscious) judgment and see things as they are and for what they are. The next step is that you will be more careful regarding your verbal expression. This is followed by an increased control of your emotions. And finally, you will think twice before you start doing things. These small steps combined imbue you with a power and force to be reckoned with. Remember that you will first have to give before you can receive it, so your aim should always be to be in service of others, to enrich their lives consciously and systematically. How? By the power of your thought and your clear intentions. Have the intention and then feel as if it has already happened! That’s the secret, but more on that later.
With this study you will become more peaceful, balanced, and sovereign. Now imagine this happening to your entire family as you study together, or to your friends and colleagues. Step by step, the atmosphere becomes calmer, friendlier and more supportive. By giving to each other, you amplify this energy, and thus “much” leads to “more”.
Now onto the practical part: read each part slowly and carefully. This should take you about 40-50 Minutes. Then do the exercise. Let me repeat: DO THE EXERCISE! It’s through the exercise that you will be equipped with new abilities and skills, not by just reading the text. The reading deepens your understanding, but the exercise changes your “Being”, because with it you are “doing” something, and practice makes perfect! Continuous action creates habits. Habits become automatic. Once automatic, you - in the truest sense of the word - don’t have to think about it anymore. It has become part of your Subconscious Mind and it is being executed without further conscious input. Please reread these last two sentences, because they are a key to materialization, to accomplishment, to health, wealth and happiness!
The exercise takes about 20-30 minutes. Try to practice it every day. Choose one particular room and place that you will be using for the next six months. This is important, as you are telling your body that “now is my time for studying the MKS”. This builds routine, prepares yourself and makes your study more efficient. If you cannot be in one particular place all the time, relax; what you do is more important than where you do it.
It is my privilege to enclose herewith Part One of The Master Key System. Would you bring into your life more power? Then get the power consciousness. More health? Then get the health consciousness. More happiness? Then get the happiness consciousness. Live the spirit of these things until they become yours by right. It will then become impossible to keep them from you. The things of the world are fluid to a power within man by which he rules them.
You need not acquire this power. You already have it. But you want to understand it; you want to use it; you want to control it; you want to impregnate yourself with it, so that you can go forward and carry the world before you.
Day by day as you go on and on, as you gain momentum, as your inspiration deepens, as your plans crystallize, as you gain understanding, you will come to realize that this world is no dead pile of stones and timber, but that it is a living thing! It is made up of the beating hearts of humanity. It is a thing of life and beauty.
It is evident that it requires understanding to work with material of this description, but those who come into this understanding, are inspired by a new light, a new force, they gain confidence and greater power each day, they realize their hopes and their dreams come true, life has a deeper, fuller, clearer meaning than ever before.
And, now, Part One....
1:1
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That much gathers more is true on every plane of existence, and that loss leads to greater loss is equally true. |
This one as well as the following points are of great importance. They explain the connection between the spiritual, 'subtle' realm and the gross, 'real' realm. This clarifies the effects thoughts have on your reality. Even though they influence the outside itself only to a small extent, a more direct influence takes place on the human level in the form of feelings. Charles Haanel explains in Chapter 15 how thoughts reach for words to express themselves, and that words and feelings are closely linked shouldn't be news to you. |
1:2
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Mind is creative, and conditions, environment and all experiences in life are the result of our habitual or predominant mental attitude. |
It is not what we think once in a while, but what prevails. Usually, what you don't have to think about is predominant. Individual thoughts are energetically much too weak to have an effect. They have to be focused and amplified to be effective, like rays of sunlight through a magnifying glass. |
1:3
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The attitude of mind necessarily depends upon what we think. Therefore, the secret of all power, all achievement and all possession depends upon our method of thinking. |
Having thoughts is not the same as thinking. Later you will learn that thinking must be directed systematically, constructively and consciously. Constructive' stands for a conversion or transformation into practical values, because thinking alone does not achieve anything in practice and knowledge does not apply itself. |
1:4
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This is true because we must »be« before we can »do,« and we can »do« only to the extent which we »are«, and what we »are« depends upon what we »think«. |
Without a certain ability it is impossible for you to express it. You must first become 'strong' through practice in order to express strength. A purely intellectual pursuit is certainly satisfying and gratifying at this level, but in life knowledge is only of use when it comes to practical application. |
1:5
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We cannot express powers that we do not possess. The only way by which we may secure possession of power is to become conscious of power, and we can never become conscious of power until we learn that all power is from within. |
The first sentence will catch your eye many times. Often one wishes for something and wonders why it does not come true. The answer is in this sentence. Over the next six months you will acquire exactly this power through systematic exercises and then be able to express it. |
1:6
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There is a world within; a world of thought and feeling and power; of light and life and beauty and, although invisible, its forces are mighty. |
At this point it is important to internalise that the inner world is invisible to your five senses. It is the world of images and thoughts, of imagination, visualisation and idealisation. Ultimately, it is the world in which creation takes place, where new things are created. |
1:7
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The world within is governed by mind. When we discover this world we shall find the solution for every problem, the cause for every effect; and since the world within is subject to our control, all laws of power and possession are also within our control. |
Spirit and consciousness are synonymous. They express the incorporeal, that which cannot be touched or measured. As such, it is pure potential up to the moment when you directly 'address' it and enter into connection with the thing addressed. |
1:8
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The world without is a reflection of the world within. What appears without is what has been found within. In the world within may be found infinite Wisdom, infinite Power, infinite Supply of all that is necessary, waiting for unfoldment, development and expression. If we recognize these potentialities in the world within they will take form in the world without. |
The outer world must necessarily be a reflection of the inner world. That which you see and perceive as the outer world comes to you through your sense perception. It is your sensitivity and your interpretation of things that determine the quality of your life. Your interpretation depends on many factors. Family, social, societal, cultural and economic influences have shaped you, often without you being aware of this information and able to analyse it. Remember right at the beginning of your studies that nowhere is it written what you have to think. You always have the choice to literally look at things outside 'with different eyes' by taking a different view, a different point of view or perspective. Byron Katie, who is popular in the USA, always asks her clients the following four questions: 'Is it true?' 'Do you really know that it is true?' 'How do you react to what happens when you believe this thought?' 'Who would you be without this thought?' You should also always ask yourself these questions in supposed conflict situations. Dr. John Demartini, an American chiropractor, author and Inspirational Speaker, 'collapses' his clients by pointing out to them, for example, that everything they miss about one person is provided by another person in their life, or that everything they don't like about another person is themselves in some form. His point is that everything is already there at the present moment and that 'the other' is not so different as you think. In the Master Key System you will learn to know yourself. It is not so much about collapsing and questioning yourself, but about recognising the truth and that you need to express it in order to receive more of it. Truth includes prosperity, love and health - all things that many people want more of in life. You must first create and appreciate these in the inner world in order to perceive and 'use' them in the outer world. |
1:9
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Harmony in the world within will be reflected in the world without by harmonious conditions, agreeable surroundings, the best of everything. It is the foundation of health and a necessary essential to all greatness, all power, all attainment, all achievement and all success. |
You learn in the course of your studies to create an awareness of harmony. In fact, there is a separate exercise for this in a later chapter. This does not mean, by the way, that everything in your life will run harmoniously from now on. It means that you are more and more able to transform adverse circumstances into harmonious ones. Even if the former are there for you to learn and to strive upwards, they must not get out of hand, because otherwise they will destroy you as a being. It is a matter of coming to a certainty of behaviour, and this does not take place in the mind, but springs instinctively and intuitively from the subconscious. |
1:10
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Harmony in the world within means the ability to control our thoughts, and to determine for ourselves how any experience is to affect us. |
Prerequisites for this harmony in the inner world are body and mind control and relaxation. They are the subject of the exercises in the first four chapters. |
1:11
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Harmony in the world within results in optimism and affluence; affluence within results in affluence without. |
Through your involvement with a certain thing you develop an awareness of it. This subsequently leads to a sensitivity to acquired qualities and to a benefit. It is like learning a new language. If you don't know it, you don't benefit from it - it's just a vibration that hits your ear but you can't understand its meaning. By dealing with something, you develop an awareness of it. So it is possible for you to register and decode things through your sensory perception. Just as the sound of a dog whistle is inaudible to a human being because it lies outside the frequency range perceived by him, you are also insensitive to other vibrations, unless you mentally adjust yourself to them. |
1:12
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The world without reflects the circumstances and the conditions of the consciousness within. |
Remember the above here: It is your sensitivity that makes you interpret things in a certain way. It is not prescribed anywhere how it has to be. You are, like all of us, a product of various conditionings and so far not really your own creation. So it is very important to be aware that programmes run automatically in the subconscious. You are therefore not aware of what you are habitually living out. But you will become more and more aware of them and be able to dissolve them harmoniously. This way you create space for something new, for the fulfilment of desires and life on higher levels. |
1:13
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If we find wisdom in the world within, we shall have the understanding to discern the marvellous possibilities that are latent in this world within, and we shall be given the power to make these possibilities manifest in the world without. |
First inside, then outside. Here Charles Haanel refers to the power you have through your inner world to the outer world. |
1:14
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As we become conscious of the wisdom in the world within, we mentally take possession of this wisdom, and by taking mental possession we come into actual possession of the power and wisdom necessary to bring into manifestation the essentials necessary for our most complete and harmonious development. |
To make something your own mentally means nothing more than to draw attention to something through a specific intention. Through this you recognise details and eventually patterns and become aware of it. |
1:15
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The world within is the practical world in which the men and women of power generate courage, hope, enthusiasm, confidence, trust and faith, by which they are given the fine intelligence to see the vision and the practical skill to make the vision real. |
Intelligence in that these people know that they must first create for themselves a picture of what they want to realise. They do this in silence, in seclusion. Unlike the masses, they don't let anyone tell them what to do. They develop clear plans, important! They write them down, change them, adapt them, but do not deviate from the original vision and thus achieve success. Success is not a coincidence, but a systematic process with certain components and aspects that must be observed and followed. |
1:16
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Life is an unfoldment, not accretion. What comes to us in the world without is what we already possess in the world within. |
People often ask: 'What have I done to attract such a 'bad' occurrence?' The cause may never be completely clarified or understood with the mind, but it is up to you to change the quality from 'bad' to 'good' and see what you can learn from it. That is true transformation. True mastery also means consciously adjusting to something rather than dealing with the effect itself, because it has already had an effect. It is only at a much higher level that you are given the opportunity to directly influence this experience. There it will not have a negative or 'bad' effect on you at all. This is no longer necessary. |
1:17
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All possession is based on consciousness. All gain is the result of an accumulative consciousness. All loss is the result of a scattering consciousness. |
Here is a first indication of the power of concentration, of the bundling and accumulation of thoughts. In the following weeks this will be dealt with more intensively. |
1:18
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Mental efficiency is contingent upon harmony; discord means confusion; therefore, he who would acquire power must be in harmony with Natural Law. |
This is because this 'law' gives us certainty and certainty. We can literally 'build on it'. Harmony in music is identical with 'unison'. If there is no harmony, everything vibrates in confusion and no clear line, no system is apparent, hence 'confusion'. |
1:19
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We are related to the world without by the Objective Mind. The brain is the organ of this mind and the cerebrospinal system of nerves puts us in conscious communication with every part of the body. This system of nerves responds to every sensation of light, heat, odour, sound and taste. |
Charles Haanel here makes a direct connection between the physical and the metaphysical. Here, as in the following points, he builds a logically comprehensible bridge between our mind and our body. |
1:20
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When this mind thinks correctly, when it understands the truth, when the thoughts sent through the cerebrospinal nervous system to the body are constructive, these sensations are pleasant, harmonious. |
Very important here is the statement concerning the understanding of truth. Truth is that which has principle and endurance. Untruth is that which has no principle and collapses with time. While one is 'right' (right, just, aligned, structured, orderly, in order, proportional and beautiful), the other is 'wrong' (trap, defective, lacking, disorderly, unstructured, chaotic and unattractive). |
1:21
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The result is that we build strength, vitality and all constructive forces into our body, but it is through this same Subjective Mind that all distress, sickness, lack, limitation and every form of discord and inharmony is admitted to our lives. It is therefore through the Subjective Mind, by wrong thinking, that we are related to all destructive forces. |
Nowhere is it written how or what you must think. That is up to you alone. You decide what kind and quality of thoughts you allow in and which you reject. |
1:22
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We are related to the world within by the Subconscious Mind. The Solar Plexus is the organ of this mind; the sympathetic system of nerves presides over all subjective sensations, such as joy, fear, love, emotion, respiration, imagination and all other subconscious phenomena. It is through the Subconscious that we are connected with the Universal Mind and brought into relation with the infinite constructive forces of the Universe. |
This is extremely important to understand because it shows that realisation or manifestation is fundamentally subconscious. It takes place outside the sense-controlled, objective mind. But the latter plays a decisive role in the truest sense of the word in determining what is to be passed on to the subconscious. There it becomes the living truth. Here, too, the bridge between the physical and the metaphysical, that is, the bridge between the solar plexus and the subconscious, is created. |
1:23
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It is the coordination of these two centres of our being, and the understanding of their functions, which is the great secret of life. With this knowledge we can bring the Objective and Subjective Minds into conscious cooperation and thus coordinate the Finite and the Infinite. Our future is entirely within our own control. It is not at the mercy of any capricious or uncertain external power. |
Here you learn that the basis of creation is subject to laws. In the Master Key System you learn these laws and how to harmonise yourself with them. |
1:24
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All agree that there is but one Principle or Consciousness pervading the entire Universe, occupying all space, and being essentially the same in kind at every point of its presence. It is all powerful, all wisdom and always present. All thoughts and things are within Itself. It is All in All. |
This is what we usually call 'God', who is present everywhere, has all knowledge and contains all power. The Master Key System is about adapting ourselves to this cosmic intelligence and bringing ourselves into harmony with it. |
1:25
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There is but one consciousness in the Universe able to think; and when it thinks, its thoughts become objective things to it. As this Consciousness is omnipresent, it must be present within every individual; each individual must be a manifestation of that Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent Consciousness. |
From this it is clear that there is no separation between us (the individual) and the Infinite. This, in turn, gives courage to mentally realign ourselves when the present reality leaves 'something to be desired'. By the way, here is another note on the accuracy of the German language. One thing you are guaranteed to learn and appreciate through your studies is language. Your verbal expression will become more and more conscious and more and more accurate. So you are also more and more able to communicate exactly what you want and how other people can help you. |
1:26
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As there is only one Consciousness in the Universe that is able to think it necessarily follows that your consciousness is identical with the Universal Consciousness, or, in other words, all mind is one mind. There is no dodging this conclusion. |
The result is that there is no 'other'. This has fundamental implications for how you view and evaluate the outer world. In time, you recognise a part of yourself in everyone else. There would be no other way, because if one had no sensitivity for a certain energy or quality, one would not be able to 'perceive' it in the outside world - as already mentioned above. Example: Tell a dog about tax returns or a cat about algebra. |
1:27
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The consciousness that focuses in your brain cells is the same consciousness which focuses in the brain cells of every other individual. Each individual is but the individualization of the Universal, the Cosmic Mind. |
We are all parts of a non-corporeal whole, a thought, an idea. Each of us 'ticks' differently, has a different structure, different experiences, different heredity. But each of us accesses the same source through our mental recourse. This is what Haanel means when he says that 'the consciousness that affects your brain cells is the same consciousness that affects the brain cells of every other individual.' |
1:28
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The Universal Mind is static or potential energy; it simply is; it can manifest only through the individual, and the individual can manifest only through the Universal. They are one. |
This is important to understand. We humans live mainly through our sense perception. We assume that this is reality and therefore unchangeable. But what we perceive through our senses is only an effect of certain chains of causes. Now we can both set new causes in motion and change our receptivity to these things. This, too, is done by pure mental engagement. When Haanel speaks of static or potential energy, he is referring to the core of things - to the core of creation. When you realise that everything has a spiritual, that is, a non-corporeal or material, origin, then it is but a small step to realise that everything to which you direct your attention can be realised by a scientific process. By means of your mind you are tapping into this Universal Consciousness - you are thereby asking the question. Since everything is based on vibrations and everything is vibration, the Universal Consciousness answers your questions to an exact degree - that is the law! |
1:29
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The ability of the individual to think is his ability to act on the Universal and bring it into manifestation. Human consciousness consists only in the ability of man to think. Mind in itself is believed to be a subtle form of static energy, from which arises the activities called “thought” ‚ which is the dynamic phase of mind. Mind is static energy, thought is dynamic energy - the two phases of the same thing. Thought is therefore the vibratory force formed by converting static mind into dynamic mind. |
Consciousness is the source of all existence, and thoughts set this consciousness in motion and bring it to representation. |
1:30
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As the sum of all attributes are contained in the Universal Mind, which is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent, these attributes must be present at all times in their potential form in every individual. Therefore, when the individual thinks, the thought is compelled by its nature to embody itself in an objectivity or condition which will correspond with its origin. |
Here the emphasis is on 'who agrees with the source'. This is a reference to the Hermetic principle of correspondence. It is equally our opportunity, for you recognise a direct connection between cause and effect. This creates certainty from which you can boldly plan and fearlessly carry out because you already know what the outcome will be: It corresponds to the quality of your original thoughts. |
1:31
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Every thought therefore is a cause and every condition an effect; for this reason it is absolutely essential that you control your thoughts so as to bring forth only desirable conditions. |
Thought control is indispensable. Without it, it is not only possible but inevitable that the thoughts of other people or institutions will take root in you and begin to germinate there. Then you get what others have intended for you, and that is what they wanted and not what you wanted. In principle, this is also okay. But you can always turn it off if you don't like the effects. |
1:32
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All power is from within, and is absolutely under your control; it comes through exact knowledge and by the voluntary exercises of exact principles. |
Very important: The power comes from within because it is created there. Outside you only perceive the effects of the power. The athlete has become strong through training - he has developed this power inside and can now display it outside. Haanel again refers to the exact (hermetic) principles to be learned, understood and applied. That which has principle is reliable; it helps you to express a life well lived. |
1:33
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It should be plain that when you acquire a thorough understanding of this law, and are able to control your thought processes, you can apply it to any condition, in other words: you will have come into conscious cooperation with Omnipotent Law which is the fundamental basis of all things. |
In the beginning, the Master Key System is about controlling your thought processes. The exercise in Chapter 2 will let you experience this in detail. Most people aren't aware of all the thoughts that are going through their mind. With the Master Key System you will be able to become aware of your thoughts, slow them down, eventually shut them down, once you realise how useless they are. |
1:34
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The Universal Mind is the life principle of every atom which is in existence; every atom is continually striving to manifest more life; all are intelligent, and all are seeking to carry out the purpose for which they were created. |
This means nothing other than that the Universal Consciousness is present in every single cell of your body and is destined to express life. But as long as these body cells are wrongly instructed (informed), this expresses itself on many levels through discomfort, lack, restriction and disease. These are finger pointers from God that something is 'wrong' and that there is a need for action. |
1:35
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A majority of mankind lives in the world without; few have found the world within, and yet it is the world within that makes the world without; it is therefore creative and everything which you find in your world without has been created by you in the world within. |
The outer world is the world of appearances, the world of effects. It makes little sense to complain about what has already 'had an effect'. Rather, it is appropriate to set new causes within, so that these too bring about corresponding effects. |
1:36
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This system will bring you into a realization of power which will be yours when you understand this relation between the world without and the world within. The world within is the cause, the world without the effect; to change the effect you must change the cause. |
You must first create in the inner world, by means of your thoughts, all that you want to see realised in the outer world. You use imagination to create new mental pictures for yourself. These are then given details and thus take shape. The next step is to experience these images (things, situations etc.). This gives them vitality. This feeling is synonymous with pretending, or fake it, til you make it. Your brain cannot distinguish if you are just imagining it or if it is really happening. Remember, it takes time and effort to create these mental images. Just thinking about something from time to time does nothing on the outside. |
1:37
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You will at once see that this is a radically new and different idea; most men try to change effects by working with effects. They fail to see that this is simply changing one form of distress for another. To remove discord, we must remove the cause, and this cause can be found only in the world within. |
This is a very important sentence, because this is what the Master Key System is all about. You will no longer complain about external circumstances, but set new causes within. You will take responsibility for your own life and no longer blame it on other people. You will enable and empower yourself. Money can hardly pay for this, it is so important for you and your life. |
1:38
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All growth is from within. This is evident in all nature. Every plant, every animal, every human is a living testimony to this great law, and the error of the ages is in looking for strength or power from without. |
You realise immediately that the Master Key System study is only concerned with you and your very own abilities. It has nothing to do with institutions, religion or creeds. You occupy yourself with yourself for at least six months and awaken your power and strength within - something that is already present within you as pure potential, and is waiting or you laying claim to it. |
1:39
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The world within is the universal fountain of supply, and the world without is the outlet to the stream. Our ability to receive depends upon our recognition of this Universal Fountain, this Infinite Energy of which each individual is an outlet, and so is one with every other individual. |
Recognition follows permission. As mentioned above, you must give yourself permission to change and open yourself to it. If your thoughts are not aligned in this way, nothing new can enter your life. |
1:40
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Recognition is a mental process. Mental action is therefore the interaction of the individual upon the Universal Mind. As the Universal Mind is the intelligence which pervades all space and animates all living things, this mental action and reaction is the law of causation. The principle of causation, however, does not obtain in the individual but in the Universal Mind. It is not an objective faculty but a subjective process, and the results are seen in an infinite variety of conditions and experiences. |
Here Charles Haanel expresses that everything is already present in the universal. You are merely the one who, through your consciousness, expresses exactly that aspect of the infinite potential which corresponds to your consciousness. One creates wealth, the other poverty - depending on what is one's own or other's intention, on which the attention falls and what subsequently materialises accordingly. |
1:41
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In order to express life there must be mind; nothing can exist without mind. Everything which exists is some manifestation of this one basic substance from which and by which all things have been created and are continually being recreated. |
Life is based on laws, on order, structure, proportion, all of which were created by consciousness. We humans call this sacred geometry (see the Golden Section and Fibonacci in the appendix) and recognise it everywhere: from pyramids, to sunflowers and pineapples, to the animal kingdom and finally to us. Everywhere we find the same mathematical ratios with which creation works; everywhere we find regularities. |
1:42
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We live in a fathomless sea of plastic mind substance. This substance is ever alive and active. It is sensitive to the highest degree. It takes form according to the mental demand. Thought forms the mould or matrix from which the substance expresses. |
Demand implies recognition. Recognition thus leads to even more demand, even more involvement with a certain thing. This eventually develops a momentum of its own, characterised by increasing power and strength of the individual. |
1:43
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Remember that it is in the application alone that the value consists, and that a practical understanding of this law will substitute abundance for poverty, wisdom for ignorance, harmony for discord and freedom for tyranny, and certainly there can be no greater blessing than these from a material and social standpoint. |
Understanding this section is absolutely fundamental. Knowledge must be applied, for it will not come about by itself. Man learns through practice and repetition. It is not called 'practice makes perfect' for nothing. |
1:44
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Now make the application: Select a room where you can be alone and undisturbed; sit erect, comfortably, but do not lounge; let your thoughts roam where they will but be perfectly still for from fifteen minutes to half an hour; continue this for three or four days or for a week until you secure full control of your physical being. |
This exercise is primarily about sitting still. You can also do this in a semi-recumbent position, although it is more difficult not to move in a seated position because fewer muscles are used in a semi-recumbent position and they are already relaxed. It is important to master this exercise because body control is the absolute foundation of everything that will follow in the coming weeks. Therefore, it is important to do this exercise until you can really sit still. |
1:45
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Many will find this extremely difficult; others will conquer with ease, but it is absolutely essential to secure complete control of the body before you are ready to progress. Next week you will receive instructions for the next step; in the meantime you must have mastered this one. |
When I was creating this guide, the question kept coming up in a discussion with a friend: 'What do you tell people to do to change their lives?' My answer was always, 'Sit still and shut up!' You first have to stop what you have been doing, feeling and saying. This requires three things, following material from Tony Robbins: 1. A change in posture (physiology). 2. a new alignment of attention (focus). 3. a new feeling (emotions). That is why you go into stillness. Without stillness and body control, you lack the foundation on which to build new thoughts, which then include insights. Therefore, body control is absolutely fundamental in order to make any kind of progress. If you don't have control over your body, you can't change your life. It is as simple as that. Without the resulting stillness, there can be no awareness of one's own thought processes, and these can then neither be slowed down or stopped nor replaced by new ones. You can see right away how important it is to regularly take time to really 'switch off', to reflect, to breathe deeply and to look at what is happening from a distance. |
The object of the exercise is to obtain physical control. This first exercise is the basis for all the others, because for the next six months you will be doing a lot of sitting still. The MKS exercises are about mental and physical control and relaxation (1-4), visualisation (5-11), as well as concentration and contemplation (12+). You mal already notice the system underlying the exercises. They help you become more capable in creating new mental images, in visualisying your ideal life. Remember that concentration means a focussed and continuous attention or awareness. Remember that this expands your consciousness. This forms habits, which become automatic, and then become “you”. The circles closes once again.
Students often ask: “When do I know that I have obtained physical control?” Well, in this exercise it’s more about sitting still for some time rather than being able to control every pore of your skin or cell of your body. So take it easy and perhaps start with a few minutes of sitting still, increasing it every day by 3-4 minutes, and by the end of the week, you can sit still without moving for half an hour. Nothing happens overnight; it takes time and practice.
I’d like to close with a quote from Part One: “We cannot express powers that we do not possess. The only way by which we may secure possession of power is to become conscious of power, and we can never become conscious of power until we learn that all power is from within. When you know the Truth and express only the Truth, only truthful and thus beneficial things will happen to you.”
This, and always remember this, is the Master Key in brief. You will learn to become a conscious channel that expresses in form that which already exists as potential in the Universal. Which form it takes is subject to law, and dependent on how you think about life. The stronger you become, the more capable you will be in breaking old habits and patterns - those that didn’t serve you in the past, and brought you to where you are today. These habits or patterns now serve you in transforming them, transmuting or transcending them. So it is you who is doing the transformation, and you are doing it in an ever more powerful way. Then, over time, you will be able to express powers you didn’t even think existed.