In The Twelve Powers, Charles Fillmore describes the generative power of life as the ultimate “mystery of mysteries” in the consciousness of humankind. If you think about it for a moment, it is easy to see his point. After all, scientific inquiry has been plumbing the depths of the processes of life in the universe for some time now. We know a lot about a lot of things.
We have cracked the code on many of the secrets of nature. In many areas, we have evolved to the point where we can duplicate the generative processes of life in the laboratory, even sustaining them to the point of viability. However, despite everything that we do know about the generative and creative power of life, we know virtually nothing of its origins.
We use names like God, Spirit, the Universe and others in an attempt to ascribe a source to the power of life. But, the truth is we don’t know anything with certainty about either the origins or its source. Wherever and whatever its source may be, one thing is certain. Nothing comes into existence in the universe without the mysterious power of life. It is the principle cause of all life. Without it, there would be no life. Yet, the power of life is not effective at creating good if it ignores its relationship to the other eleven powers.
The Power Of Life Is Like The Wind
In some ways, the power of life is like the wind. We cannot see the wind, but, through its effects in our environment, we can see where it is or where it’s been. We cannot touch the wind, but we can feel when it touches us. Science and technology are farming the power of wind on an increasingly massive scale to provide renewable, clean energy for the needs of humankind. Yet, we still can’t see the wind, even though we can harness its power.
Like the wind, the power of life cannot be seen, but its presence and power is undeniable. We cannot touch it or hold it in our hands, yet we could not touch or feel anything in our experience were it not for the power of life underlying our very existence. In the world of material phenomena, the power of life is the energy that animates and motivates all forms of physical life to action.
Metaphorically speaking, Fillmore says, “Life in the body is like electricity in a motor.” Like electricity, the power of life is not intelligent in the rational sense of the word. Life is raw generative energy and creative power in potential. Like a train needs an engineer to regulate and direct its power, life needs a wise executive that knows how to direct and apply its power towards the development of our creative potential and spiritual good. Without an able engineer, a runaway train can wreak great destruction. Likewise, we undermine our expressions of life power through an unwise act of will.
Life Is Sensation, Life Is Generation
In The Twelve Powers, Fillmore called the ego the “engineer of the life force in the body.” It is a useful analogy, yet prompts an obvious and perhaps disconcerting question for some. How wise is my ego? Does my ego sell out on my long term good for the instant gratification of sensation in the moment? Or, is my ego directing my life power to the long-term generation of my creative and spiritual good?
Fillmore sees the power of life as being constantly engaged in these two interrelated purposes: sensation and generation. Even though he viewed sensation as the “most subtle and enticing of all factors that enter into being,” he still saw it as necessary for the development of man’s character and evolution of his soul. He advises that we develop the capacity to observe the impulses and desires of our consciousness in the same way that chemists watch the activity of the solutions.
Built To Live Forever, If Only…
Throughout his teachings, Fillmore maintained that humankind’s biggest shortcoming was the failure to properly understand the true nature of our being. Misunderstanding our true nature, we misuse and misdirect our creative powers chasing sensation in ways that undermine our powers of generation. Fillmore believed we were created and built to live forever. Not theoretically, or through reincarnation, but literally, forever.
In its most perfect conception and expression, the power of life has the capacity to generate and regenerate our physical bodies even unto eternity. The power of life is ageless. It does not grow old and die when the body dies. Rather it is released from the limitations of the physical body at the point of death. Being formless energy and limitless power, life simply returns back into life itself to be expressed anew in another form.
To Fillmore, death merely evidences that we have not yet achieved perfection in the use and expression of our life power. Nor, have we completely harmonized the power of life with the other eleven powers to insure the expression of our highest creative and spiritual good. In the most perfect expression of the generative power of life we can imagine, humankind would generate and regenerate our physical bodies even unto eternity. That we are not there yet, merely means we still have work to do.
