Selected from
The Spiritual Crisis of Man & The Notebooks of Paul Brunton
by Paul Brunton
PB eTeaching #14 – Creativity
The infinite Mind did not suddenly decide to become creative. It always was and always will be so. All the infinitude of this cosmos is a kind of mirror reflecting the infinitude of the Godhead whence it comes. All Nature is but a parable of the primeval reality which transcends it. From the human standpoint the most important characteristic of the World-Mind is its creative ability. We see the infinite and boundless cosmos consisting of universes, galaxies, and solar systems coming into existence by its means. This creative ability is also the most important characteristic of the human being. It manifests in a variety of ways, whether through the half-blind act of self-reproduction or the fully conscious act of logical intellectual creation, whether in the inspirational production of an artist or the mechanical ingenuity of an inventor. The creative energy displays itself also in the human being’s destiny which, for better or for worse, it is making every day. Whether he remains in darkness and ignorance or whether he enters into light, peace, and power, lies within each individual’s own hands. (The Spiritual Crisis of Man)
“How am I to start upon this process of true self-knowledge?” The answer begins with this: first adopt the right attitude. Believe in the divinity of your deeper self. Stop looking elsewhere for light, stop wandering hither and thither for power. Your intelligence has become falsified through excessive attention to external living, hence you are not even aware in which direction to look when you seek for the real Truth. You are not even aware that all you need can be obtained by the power within, by the omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient Self. You have to change, first of all, the line of thought and faith which pleads helplessly: “I am a weak man; I am unlikely to rise any higher than my present level; I live in darkness and move amid opposing environments that overwhelm me.” Rather should you engrave on your heart the high phrases: “I possess illimitable power within me; I can create a diviner life and truer vision than I now possess.” Do this and then surrender your body, your heart and mind to the Infinite Power which sustains all. Strive to obey Its inward promptings and then declare your readiness to accept whatsoever lot it assigns you. This is your challenge to the gods and they will surely answer you. Your soul will be slowly or suddenly liberated; your body will be granted a freer pathway through conditions. You may have to be prepared for a few changes before the feet find rest, but always you shall find that the Power in which you have placed an abiding trust does not go into default. (The Notebooks, Category 1, Chap. 5, Para. #1)
Since the gift of creativity belongs to all of us and is usable in all spheres of a man’s life, he can do much to mold that life if he exerts strength and holds to determination. (The Notebooks, Category 14, Chap. 1, Para 109)