PRINCIPLES of DivineUnity

1. There is One Power:
There is one Creative Power (Being, Beingness, God, Spirit, Life, the Divine, Buddha Nature) which pulsates at the heart of all religions and transcends the specific, culturally-based beliefs and doctrines of any particular religion. Regardless of what name we use to describe this power, the power remains the same and the name merely transforms our perspective of this power.

2. The Kingdom is within:
This Energy/Power/Being is within--at the very core of--each of us. It is the core or foundation of our being. It is the root and fruit of all creation, of all things. The power of the universe is available to every person who chooses to live in and through harmony creatively expressing the Divine. We have our existence in and through the Energy that sustains, permeates and exceeds the Universe as we know it. This energy is innate to each of us.

3. I am an individualized expression of the Divine:
Each of us is an individualized expression of the One Life that exists in all things. Each of us is a drop in the ocean of Divine Energy which some call BuddhaNature and others call God and others Goddess. We are each individually expressing the Creative Energy which is the root of all things.

4. My thoughts and beliefs give specific form to Spirit:
Our own personal mind (consisting of our personal beliefs and thoughts) is what gives form to the Divine within us. The essence of Being within us is shaped, for better or worse, by our beliefs and thoughts, many of which we are not consciously aware. At any moment, we may choose to become aware of these beliefs and thus aware of how they are shaping the essence of our Being.

5. The principle at the basis of our lives is the Law of Cause and Effect:
Ideas create physical reality due to the operation of the Universal Law of Cause and Effect, sometimes referred to simply as the "Law." Our thoughts and beliefs (are the root Cause which) manifest in the physical world in the form of our particular life circumstances (Effect). Many Spiritual teachers have taught about this Law. Perhaps the most concise definition of it was when Jesus said, "It is done unto you as you believe."

6. We are endowed with free will and thus can embody DivineUnity by choosing Compassion:
People are endowed with free will. Each of us is free to choose experiences of freedom or bondage, abundance or lack, joy or misery -- according to the thoughts and beliefs we hold. We are free to embark upon the path of Responsibility and Compassion or to ignore the truth of the Divine Law of Love and to consequently suffer accordingly. As we realize our DivineUnity, we become aware that each moment is pregnant with possibility of healing and love and through this the manifestation of harmony and joy.

7. Evil is not a separate force but a misuse of the Law:
Evil is not a power separate from the Divine but is simply a misuse of the Law of Cause and Effect caused by a failure to realize and embody DivineUnity. Those who are doing evil deeds are doing so through the holding of false beliefs or delusions which give rise to actions that are not rooted in compassion. This produces results that are destructive and in contrast to harmony and love which is the deepest nature of the Divine. We are obligated to lovingly assist other beings in percieving their DivineUnity so that they will not continue misusing the Law of Cause and Effect.

8. Changing my thinking, changes my life:
Changing our thinking, which is rooted in our beliefs, will bring about a change in our experience. This is the key principle of DivineUnity and perhaps best summarized by Ernest Holmes' statement: "Change your thinking, change your life."

9. There are Tools which enable us to transform our consciousness by enabling us to direct our respective mindstreams. There are Seven Tools of Transformation which can be used to enable us to transform our thinking and thereby our lives and the world we live in. These tools are: i) Journaling; ii)Goal Setting/Planning; iii) Right Speech; iv) Contemplation; v) Affirmative Prayer (sometimes called Spiritual Mind Treatment); vi) Meditation; vii) Visualization:

i) Journaling is the first tool. It is simple to understand and to begin to apply. Journaling enables us to chart the progression of our consciousness.

ii) Goal Setting & Planning enable us to direct the progress of our consciousness and to choose what we wish to manifest in our lives and to set up the conditions to manifest our wishes whether we wish for deeper compassion, better health, a more balanced environment. This is an important tool in our progressive and volitional transformation.

iii) Right Speech might also be called compassionate communication. Incorporated within the tool of Right Speech is the tool of affirmation which is the principle that all that we say or communicate is a powerful cause in our lives. Thus it is important for us to use positive loving speech that is constructive and creative.

iv) Contemplation is the act of taking external things into our consciousness and using our interaction with those things to raise our consciousness. Listening to music, looking at art, watching movies, reading books are all acts of contemplation.

v) Affirmative Prayer/Spiritual Mind Treatment is a deliberate and focused way of using the Creative power of Spirit that dwells within to change our life circumstances. Consistently affirming the highest good with respect to a problem will inevitably bring about a change for the better (according to the Law of Cause and Effect).

vi) Meditation enables us to align our minds with the universal Mind / Energy / Buddha Nature / God / Goddess / Beingness so that we work together in harmony in a process that is sometimes called "co-creation" with the Divine. Meditation is a key to achieving this alignment, and thus is an important regular spiritual practice.

vii) Visualization is the directed use of the imagination, or the act of seeing the result before it happens. It is a powerful tool that assists us in achievement.

10. All these principles assist us in realizing our DivineUnity which although always present may not be realized because of 'obscurations or delusions'. Individual Realization of DivineUnity can be recognized by a person's compassionate action and being a consistent, positive presence. Although each person is responsible for his or her own personal spiritual evolution, we are also collectively responsible for the establishment and maintenance of a peaceful and prosperous ecologically balanced planet which is rooted in commonly understood laws that are fair and equally applied and rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.