The ignorant think that we are separated from the Source of all life and consciousness - or if you prefer to uses the much abused label - 'God', and that our material bodies engender and harbour pleasure and pain and that there is an evil influence called 'the devil' manifesting in the world, opposing God's will.

They THINK this is so, and it IS -to them- for all things are to mankind what mankind thinks and believes them to be. Germs, bacteria, viruses, cigarette smoke and the sin's rays are absolutely neutral until we give them the quality of being evil by our own beliefs.

Nothing of itself is evil, but if we believe a thing to be evil, that thing becomes evil, And if we believe a thing to be good that thing becomes good. Hence the placebo effect.

If you believe that surgery will help you, go to a surgeon. If you believe that herbs will help you, go to a herbalist. Whatever you may do, it is your belief that creates your reality. The only reality we will ever know is the way we FEEL and it is of the utmost importance that we learn to be honest about our own feelings. Usually we do what the 'experts' tell us we should do, ought to or must do, rather than what we feel we want or need to do. Most counsellors tell us to follow our heads and not our hearts. By doing this we destroy the very fibre, the integrity, of our own being.

If you believe a thing is so, isn't it really so -to you? Or as Shakespeare puts it, "There is no good or bad but thinking makes it so." Others may see things differently and might think your view is foolish. Who is right? All of you. Some see God in all things and others see the devil everywhere. Some regard meditation as listening or tuning-in to God, others believe that if you still the mind the devil can creep in. So if you believe that meditation is the work of the devil, DO NOT MEDITATE. If you believe that God does not dwell within you, and that you are therefore powerless and have no domination over the physical plane, do not smoke; hide from the sun, and wear an antiseptic mask at all times. Happily we can learn to change our beliefs.

Your body, your personality, your environment, your world, are what they APPEAR to be TO YOU, because you have thought them into their present condition. You can change all these things BY THE SAME PROCESS.

If you begin imagining them to be good, they will become good. The 'things' of your experience are, in truth, creative illusions of the mind. Quantum physicists are now saying that "patterns of matter that we see in physics are reflections of the mind". The Buddha said that 2,500 years ago. This creative illusion is the loving gift of the God Force. We are in the process of learning to use it consciously and with responsibility. It is meant to be fun. Use it skilfully.