(Posted on August 1, 2013 by David McMillin)
[NOTE: While serving as mentor for an online version of "A Search For God" study group and working on the Destiny of the Mind lesson, a class member shared her thoughts and questions on "mind of Christ" and "Christ Consciousness." Here is my replay. – David McMillin]
Your reflections on the "mind of Christ" and "Christ Consciousness" in this and your previous post are very deep and evocative.
It sometimes helps to remember that mind has multiple layers (spiritual and physical). Also, consciousness is commonly recognized as an attribute on the mind, which is the builder. The best explanation of Christ Consciousness and its relationship to mind that I have seen was put forth by Thomas Sugrue and confirmed by Cayce in this excerpt from one of the readings that were used in the creation of "There is a River" (the biography of Edgar Cayce):
(Q) Should the Christ-Consciousness be described as the awareness within each soul, imprinted in pattern on the mind and waiting to be awakened by the will, of the soul's oneness with God?
(A) Correct. That's the idea exactly! (5749-14)
Thus Christ consciousness is the pattern or blueprint that the mind uses for building when attuned in Oneness with God. The pattern is dormant and imprinted within the mind of each soul and must be awakened by the will. In other words, we have choose it. I think this is what is meant by the "mind of Christ" – Jesus made that choice and became Christ – attained Christ Consciousness. Here are a couple more excerpts from the readings that discuss this dynamic as it is put into practice in the midst of life:
Know first, in the spiritual attitude, as ye attempt to analyze self and self's abilities, self's faults, self's virtues, that the nearer ye may build thy mind to the Christ Consciousness the better may be the mental being, and a great deal of strength may be gained in the physical being also. (5064-1)
Be used for something; not only good but good FOR something; that ye may bring into the experience of others - even by thine own ability to suffer - the glorious knowledge of the working of the Christ-Consciousness within the individual mind. (528-8)
Keep thy heart and mind in the love of the Christ-Consciousness. This will bring the greater joys in thine own material experience. (1483-1)
Interestingly, since this lesson addresses the concept of Destiny of the Mind and "signs along the way," here are a couple of excerpts from the readings that tie in astrology and reincarnation with mind and Christ Consciousness:
In Jupiter, in Venus, we find the universal consciousness, the universal awareness, the desire to be more of a universal help, without making a show – or less and less of self, and more and more of that influence which brought to the mind of the man Jesus the Christ-Consciousness, the awareness of being at one with Him. (2282-1)
So, no urge arising from astrological aspects or from sojourns of the entity in the earth (past lives/reincarnation) surpasses the will of the individual entity, when its trust, its hope, its desire is put in the mind of God or the Christ-Consciousness. (5000-1)
Considering our last lesson on Desire, note the reference to desire from astrological influences and also the importance of attunement. I have noticed this in my study of desire in the Cayce readings. Desires apparently do carry over from past lives (in the earth and other realms). This is also relevant from the standpoint of "signs," motivation of desire, and attunement of will to the mind of God (Christ Consciousness).
Of course the key to attaining the "mind of Christ" and "Christ Consciousness" is application – living it out in loving service to others in the world. That's where working with ideals (spiritual, mental, and physical) comes in. "In the application comes the awareness" of Christ Consciousness that Jesus attained in becoming Christ. That is the Destiny of the Mind for each of us. Blessings, Dave