In Part I of this two-part article, I described the evolution of my personal experience with learning to live the fundamental truth principles that underlie all Unity teachings. I articulated how learning, or rather memorizing, the five short statements that comprise Unity’s five principles proved frustrating. That is, until I experienced Ellen Debenport’s book, The Five Principles: A Practical Guide To Spirituality, which clarified the history of how the five principles came to be first articulated and why there were different versions. In the book, she writes: “Don’t be distracted by the specific language. Pay attention to the essence of the teachings.” That was a big turning point for me in not only my LUT studies, but also in the deepening of my understanding as to the nature of principles themselves.
Unity’s co-founder, Charles Fillmore famously held the position that he reserved the right to change his mind about truth, but that he would never change his mind about truth principle. In Fillmore’s view, the revelation of truth is an ongoing dynamic process that reveals itself according to the evolution and progress of the consciousness of mankind.
History undeniably confirms that truth, or what is considered truth, can and often does change over time. What we sometimes believe and hold to be the truth can be overturned at times when new knowledge or understanding is revealed. For example, it may seem quaint to us today, but it was only a little over 500 hundred years ago that the majority of humankind still held a cosmological view of the universe that believed the earth was flat. Science has since overturned that one, as well as an untold number of old truths into new understandings of truth. This is why Charles reserved the right to change his mind about truth. It is a good position to keep in mind whenever we might feel a little too attached to a particular version of the truth.
Fillmore likewise insisted he would never change his mind about truth principles. I remember when I first encountered this bit of Fillmore’s teachings, a perhaps obvious question instantly surfaced in my consciousness: what’s the difference? Indeed, what is the difference between truth and truth principle? I did not know it at the time, but that question, perhaps more than any other question, would lead me to one of my deepest, personal dives into Unity teachings. The experience has progressively led me towards a deeper understanding and appreciation of the creative life principles that underpin everything in the universe and in our lives.
So, first off, what exactly is a principle?
There is no simple, one size fits all dictionary definition for principle. The word itself is powerful in that it applies in many different contexts. But, a good basic definition is that principle is a fundamental expression or proposition of truth upon which a belief system is based. For example, the principle of gravity as we understand it is fundamental to our beliefs about the truth upon which the mechanics of the universe operates.
In order to understand this definition at a deeper level, a reasoning mind soon encounters another question: what makes it fundamental? In other words, what is the litmus test to determine that something is fundamental to a truth principle? What are the underlying fundamental qualities or characteristics that elevate it to the status of truth principle in the first place?
More succinctly, what are the principles of principle?
In my own studies and writings, perhaps not coincidentally, I have identified five principles of principle. Like Charles Fillmore, I do not claim these are the only five that could exist. There may indeed be others. But, for our purposes these five are more than enough. As a mnemonic device to assist in learning them, I have uniquely articulated the characteristics or qualities upon which principle is founded by having each one begin with the letter “u.”
Principle is universal. Another way to state this is: principle must be ubiquitous. It must be everywhere present, available to all at all times. One of the principles of human life is that we need oxygen to breathe. This universally applies to all.
Principle is unchanging. A principle is a rule or law that never changes. It is consistent and can be relied upon by everyone, everywhere, all the time. For example, the principle of fire requires three conditions: fuel, oxygen, and heat (or ignition source). Every fire that has ever started or burned must have these three conditions. If one is missing, the fire never starts. If we removed one from the equation, the fire goes out. This is an unchanging, reliable principle available universally.
Principle is unbiased. A principle is fundamentally neutral and operates without prejudice. It must apply universally to everyone, everywhere. The principles of electricity operate the same for everyone everywhere. If any one of us takes a metal fork into our naked hand, stands barefoot in a puddle of water and sticks the fork into an electrical source, we will get shocked. Electricity has no attachment to who we are, where we come from, how much money we have. Electricity is unbiased. Misuse it, we get hurt.
Principle is unlimited. Principle cannot be depleted. It is inexhaustible in its capacity for expression. Einstein showed us that everything is energy, which according to the principle implied, means that energy is all there is and is therefore limitless. Still, we still largely believe we live in a world with limited and depleting energy sources. This is sure to be one of the truths that science will overcome in consciousness over time. There will come a time when everyone knows that the principle of energy is indeed unlimited.
Principle is unerring. The application of principle yields precise effects, depending on application. Principle can be used or misused, either way its effects are predictably precise. According to our current understanding, the revolution of Planet Earth around the sun each year, year in, year out operates unerringly. Each day, Planet Earth travels approximately one million miles through space on a reliable and predictable path that after 365 and one-quarter days completes one lap around the sun. It achieves this in accordance with the operation of a whole range of principles, each one unerring. If it weren’t so, we would find ourselves in a different part of the universe every single year, and at some point might move out of the range of the principles necessary for human life to form and be maintained on Planet Earth. In this sense, our very lives rely on the unerring nature of principle.
Spiritual principles are principled too.
Just as there are scientific truth principles of nature that govern our physical existence, there are immutable spiritual principles that determine outcomes in the expression of our human and divine natures. Practicing the five principles Unity teaches allows us to awaken to an entirely new dimension of creative power in the expression of our being. At UCOH, we express the five principles that provide the fundamental ideas upon which all Unity teachings are based, as follows:
There is only One Power and One Presence in the Universe and in my life, God the Good, Omnipotent.
We are Spiritual Beings created in God’s Image. The Spirit of God lives within each person; therefore, all people are inherently good.
We create our life experiences through our thoughts and feelings.
There is Divine Power in meditation and affirmative prayer, which increases our awareness of our oneness with God.
Knowing and understanding these Spiritual Principles, also called Truth, is not enough. We must live them.
In next week’s blog, I will test the five principles of principle against these statements of Unity principles to see if they apply and support Charles Fillmore’s position to never change his mind about truth principles.
