A transformative lecture by Joel Goldsmith exploring the profound spiritual principle of "Is" - moving beyond denial and affirmation to a deeper understanding of divine treatment and prayer.
The Foundation of "Is"
Beyond Human Concepts
"We know nothing of body. We only know that body is. That's all we know. But we want to be taught of God, not of man. So, we don't want anybody's definition of body."
Inner Receptivity
"We have our ear of receptivity. We have our inner vacuum waiting to be filled in. And you will find that as you practice that form of meditation eventually you will catch a vision of the nature of body."
Divine Self-Definition
"We do not know what God is. We only know God is... and then we get quiet and we let God define itself to us. And sooner or later like many others you will hear I am God."
The Revolutionary Approach to Treatment
Never Deny Again
"When you are called upon for help, never again deny anything. Never make a denial of it. Never think or declare it isn't true or it isn't real. Never again try to negate it."
Come Into Agreement
"On the contrary, let us come into agreement with it and acknowledge it is it is something has come to our awareness. something is. The only thing we don't know about it is what is it?"
Understanding the Nature of Evil
No Creative Power in Evil
"The world says it's evil, but we certainly know it can't be because God's the only creative principle. So, it really can't be evil, can it? Now, why deny it?"
Something Touches Consciousness
"Something is touching our consciousness. I don't care what its name or nature. The reason I don't care is that I actually don't know its name or nature. I don't know what it is. I only know it is."
No Labels or Judgments
"I am not going to judge it, criticize it, condemn it. Most certainly, I'm not going to praise it... I am not going to put no label on it."
The Profound Realization: No Law of Disease
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The Doctor's Request
"A medical doctor asked for help for a condition that materiamedica could not take care of. And when he asked for help, this strange sentence came from me which I didn't consciously declare: 'There is no law of disease.'"
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The Logic Unfolds
"If there were a law of disease, wouldn't disease be universal? Wouldn't it be everywhere equally present if it were a law? And if it were a law, how could you break it? Who can break a law?"
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The Instantaneous Healing
"That realization brought the healing to that man because 24 hours later he went to the hospital to be checked and there was no sign of the disease and there hasn't been since."
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Life Transformation
"He has given up his medical practice. He gave it up within one week. It was a tremendous experience that took place within him when he heard those words."
Agreeing with Our Adversary
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Don't Resist Evil
"We must not resist evil. Resisting evil is the acknowledgment of evil."
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Agree with Adversaries
"We must agree with our adversaries. We must agree with our adversary."
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No Other Gods
"Thou shalt have no other god. Thou shalt not acknowledge any other creative principle or sustaining power."
The Danger of Labeling
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Avoid Good/Bad Labels
"Don't say it's not evil but it is spiritual. You are still putting a label on it. You are still putting a judgment on it."
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Concepts Change
"The very moment you say it's good that represents your concept of it... Regardless of what concept you may hold, you may yourself at the next moment change that concept."
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The Power of "Is"
"When you begin to work with this standpoint of is something very wonderful happens within you."
The Snake in the Rope Analogy
Denial Won't Work
"The snake in the rope will never disappear while you are denying it and saying it is evil. And certainly it won't disappear while you're saying it is spiritual either."
Inner Vision Required
"The only one way that the snake in the rope will disappear is by your realization of the fact that something is presenting itself to you and then letting your inner vision revealed to you that it is rope, not snake."
True Healing Occurs
"Then you really have a healing. Your human statement that it isn't a snake, it's a rope. Won't heal it."
Applying "Is" to People
Judge Not by Appearances
"Be very careful not to label people as being good or bad or rich or poor or down or up or saints or sinners be very careful to take the standpoint of is."
Withdraw Judgment
"The moment you are willing to withdraw your judgment of them or the world's judgment or the world's opinion of them... you will then find an entirely different relationship to the people of this world."
Even Enemies Transform
"Even those who not injure you because they can't, but would injure you if they could. Even those who despitefully use you."
The Desire to Behold Truth
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Behold As They Are
"Never have a desire to change anyone or anything. Have only a desire to behold them as they are in truth."
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Beyond Mental Activity
"That you can't do with your mind... You could take somebody's word for it that everyone is the Christ of God, but that will not do much for you."
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Not Judging Appearances
"You will bring it out by not judging by appearances."
Beyond Healing Disease, Sin, and Lack
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Good Humanhood Isn't True
"You must come to the place of looking at the nicest human being you know and the healthiest one and the wealthiest one and also withdraw your judgment and concept."
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All Humanhood Changes
"Good humanhood can become bad humanood. Alive humanood can become dead humanood. Rich humanood can become poor humanood."
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Don't Believe Good Appearances
"Even when you yourself are enjoying good health and good supply, don't believe it. Don't believe it."
Mrs. Eddy's Wisdom on Problems
The Paradox of No Problems
"Mrs. Eddie's remark about she was never disturbed by any of the problems that touched the members of her household. The only time she was disturbed is when they had no problem because she was sure then they were resting in matter."
Resting in Human Comfort
"The moment we our heart, liver and lung doesn't bother us... that moment we are apt to be enjoying the health of our body or the wealth of our pocketbook and that very moment we may be opening ourselves to a sudden change."
Spiritual Versus Physical Good
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Use "Is" with Good Appearances
"It becomes necessary for us to use this teaching of ism. Even with good appearances, even with good humanood."
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Spiritual Realization Flows
"That which flows to us as health or wealth becomes no longer the chance of physical good health or physical good wealth, but the outpouring of the spiritual realization."
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Look Through Appearance
"We do not judge by appearances even when it is good appearance. We look through the appearance to the is and then behold spiritual entity and spiritual identity."
Treatment Is Not Eliminated
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Declaration of "Is"
Treatment begins with the statement of "is"
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State of Receptivity
Listening for inner unfoldment from God
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God Gives Treatment
Not the treatment you give, but God gives
The Word of God Versus Human Words
"I do not give a treatment... no mental activity of mind would heal anybody... There must be a treatment from within, a prayer from within that which I call the word of God coming to human consciousness."
The Nature of God's Word
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Received Within
"The word of God is something that you receive in your ear. The word of God is something that you receive within your own being."
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Various Forms
"It may come as a statement, a quotation, an assurance, may come as a feeling. It may just come as a of relief."
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Never Returns Void
"When that word of God comes, be assured it does not return void... You knew that it must have happened because you could feel it."
Treatment Continues But Transforms
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One Second Treatments
"Treatment may eventually come to a place in some instances where it only takes one second. In other words, an appearance is presented to you and you may just quickly realize is and that may be the whole treatment."
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Extended Unfoldments
"On the other hand, you may realize that is and then sit in the silence and you may be there for 5, 10 or 20 minutes receiving an unfoldment until the moment comes of complete release."
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Never Dispensed With
"At no time do we ever dispense with treatment. That's why I have said, 'Please do not call this the infinite way an absolute teaching or a teaching of the absolute.'"
The Relative and the Absolute
We Are Not Absolute
"There is only one absolute and that is after you have lost all concepts of truth and stand in the revelation of truth itself. That is absolute. But we are not."
Heavenly State
"Once the heavenly state of consciousness is realized there are no need for words or statements or reminders of truth. One is then in a constant being of truth."
Living in the Attitude of "Is"
Mental Activity Ceases
"You see how you're giving up mental activity there. The minute you say is, you can't think another thought about what is or how is or how much is."
No Opinions Formed
"You never form an opinion about anything or anyone out here, you wait for spirit to reveal the true picture."
Absolute Healings Occur
"Somebody in your city or another city may reach out to you for help... and receive their healing before you are consciously aware that they're reaching out to you."
The London Teacher's Experience
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The Lecture Trip
"A Christian science teacher and lecturer in London... had been away on a lecture trip and returned that morning."
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The Thank You Cable
"On top was a cablegram... 'Thanks for immediate healing or instantaneous healing so forth.'"
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The Request Cable
"He dug through his mail to find another cable. And there it was, asking for help for an emergency."
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Absolute Healing
"The man was out on the lecture platform and had no conscious knowledge and had done nothing of a human or conscious nature about bringing about the healing."
The Woman Who Touched His Robe
Unconscious Healing
"The same type of healing as the woman who came through the throng, pushed through the throng and touched the robe of the master. He was not consciously aware of her presence, but she was healed."
Faith Made Her Whole
"He very honestly said, 'So, thy faith hath made thee whole.' In other words, her reaching out had touched the absolute of his consciousness without any conscious effort on his part."
Modern Examples
"We do have those experiences of people who sit down and write us and then write that before the letter could have left the letter box the healing had come."
Entering the Picture with "Is"
Human Factor Enters
"Once somebody has asked for help and you say is you have entered the picture... the moment you have entered the picture there must come the release from the spirit."
From Relative to Absolute
"Then again you are in the absolute but for a moment while you are ising you are in the relative."
Wrong Impressions Corrected
"I do something about everything and about everybody not always the same thing... sometimes it is necessary that I sit for a long long time before what I have to do is accomplished."
Attaining the Absolute
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The Miracle Occurs
"It is in the attainment of the absolute that the miracle takes place."
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Waiting in Expectancy
"I sat there waited in expectancy. I listened for the still small voice. I waited for a realization of the presence of God."
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Christ Consciousness
"When it came I had attained the mind that was in Christ Jesus. I had attained the mount of transfiguration. I had attained absolute consciousness."
Every Treatment Is Unique
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Different Treatments
Cases per day, each requiring unique approach
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Different Forms
No two treatments are ever alike
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State of Being
"Is" becomes your consciousness, not just words
The Principle of Infinite Individuality
"Has there ever been a time when there was a principle of mathematics but not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9? God is the creative principle of the universe. But could there have been a God without a universe to be a principle to?"
Incorporating "Is" Into Daily Spiritual Life
Begin Each Day with "Is" Consciousness
Start your morning meditation by acknowledging that everything you encounter simply "is" - without labeling, judging, or trying to change it. Let Spirit define what each experience truly represents.
Apply "Is" to All Relationships
When dealing with difficult people or situations, resist the urge to label them as good or bad. Simply acknowledge their presence as "is" and wait for divine revelation of their true spiritual nature.
Use "Is" in Prayer and Treatment
Replace denial and affirmation with the simple acknowledgment "it is" followed by receptive listening. Allow God to provide the treatment rather than trying to mentally manipulate conditions.
Practice Non-Resistance Daily
When challenges arise, remember "resist not evil" and "agree with thine adversary." This doesn't mean accepting evil as real, but refusing to give it power through resistance while maintaining faith in God as the only creative principle.
Cultivate Inner Receptivity
Develop the habit of inner listening throughout your day. Create moments of silence where you can receive divine guidance rather than relying solely on human reasoning and concepts.
Through consistent practice of these principles, consciousness becomes purified and prepared for divine grace. "Grace is not something that is given to us or withheld from us. Grace is a state of our being which comes into active expression the moment consciousness has been purified." This leads to "the ultimate of prayer... a sense of completeness, perfection in God. Nothing to be desired, nothing to be attained... There is just a sense of perfection attained a pure rest in the soul."