The Instinctive Mind is an aspect of the Universal Mind of the Absolute, shared in common with all lower animals. It was one of the first principles of life to appear in process of evolution. It attends to the maintenance of the organism, its repair, upkeep, replacement, digestion, elimination, etc. Even simple creatures with no brain tissue at all, such as the microscopic diatoms, still manifest evidence of basic survival instincts. They seek out and metabolize food, reproduce, avoid situations harmful to their existence, and so forth. In humans, the Instinctive Mind is usually overpowered by conscious choices, but it is still intact and can be trained to reassert itself.

You are not the collective sensations of your physical body, which are products of this Instinctive Mind. Therefore, you should not say, "I am hungry." Instead, you should think more in term of... "My body is hungry," or, "I feel hungry." The body and its feelings are of you and belong to you, but they are not you.

You are, also, not the vast panorama of emotions that flash through your mind. These are merely tools of the Instinctive Mind, too. But, do not imagine that emotions are meaningless and should be discarded, even the negative ones, like hate and fear. No, quite the contrary. The enlightened person delights in all sensations and feelings. He or she will not, though, become a slave to these energies. He or she may feel angry, but will not become angry.

The Intellectual Mind is that part of the mind that is used for reasoning, analysis, thinking, etc. But, man is not the only creature to possess such abilities. Most complex forms of animal life, from reptiles to mammals, exhibit the capacity to solve simple problems and analyze situations critical to their survival. For humans, though, it is a highly developed faculty that allows them to create mechanical tools and technology with which to alter their world.

It is only by use of the Intellectual Mind that these teachings may be grasped and understood, so do not dismiss or undervalue the intellect. Study any good publication on the science of psychology, learn to dissect and analyze every intellectual process, to classify them and place them in their proper mental pigeon-holes, and you will realize the great importance of the intellect in human existence. But, even this is not the Self.

The Spiritual Mind is the source of genius, inspiration, intuition, and revelation. This is the only aspect of mind that is uniquely human. But, even this great and miraculous aspect of the Universal Mind of the Absolute is nothing more than a tool. It is not the real Self.

Even the highest conception of the Self, known only to the most advanced souls, is but a vague reflection of the true Self, filtered through the upper regions of the Spiritual Mind, like moonlight through the clouds. Yet, the Self is always the same and manifests in all forms of Human Life, from the highest to the lowest. Its apparent growth is not a change in the nature of the Self, but an unfoldment of the conscious mind focused upon the Self. It may be likened to a light bulb wrapped in strips of cloth. As each strip is slowly removed, the light seems to become brighter and brighter. However, the light itself has not actually changed. The change is merely a matter of mental perception.

Try as you might, from now until the end of time, you can never set aside the Self. No matter how many layers you remove, It will always remain. Eventually you will arrive at the inevitable conclusion that the Self exists, period.

Do not dismiss my weak and feeble explanations of the Self as being just so many interesting words, without reality or meaning. Seek the truth of them for yourself. Awaken to the fact that you are a sleeping god, with the powers of the Universe at your command. Many lifetimes have you labored to get even this far, and longer still must you travel, before you may reach the first steps of the Temple of Life. But, from this moment forward, your eyes will no longer be closed to the path ahead of you.