We believe that Heaven is within us and that we experience it to the degree that we become conscious of it.

The Kingdom of Heaven means the kingdom of harmony, of peace, of joy, and of wholeness. It is an inward kingdom. This is why Jesus said that we should not lay up treasures on earth, but “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”

Heaven is not a place but an inward state of consciousness. It is an inward awareness of Divine Harmony and Truth. It is the “house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Ezekiel said, “The spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house.” The glory of God fills every person’s consciousness who is aware of that glory.

Jesus likened the Kingdom of Heaven to a child: “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” This refers to the childlike consciousness, to a simple trust in the goodness of God.

The Spirit has placed divine intuition within everyone. This divine intuition is the gateway through which the inspiration of the Almighty enters the mind. This is why the Psalms tell us to “lift up our gates.” That is, lift up the intuition and permit the Divine Light to enter.

When Jesus said that we are to be perfect even as God within us is perfect, he certainly implied that there is such a Divine Kingdom already established within each person. “When the without shall become as the within” then the Kingdom of God shall be established here and now. Jesus said that we should assume a childlike attitude toward this Kingdom. “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” This certainly refers to a state of inner awareness.

The kingdom to which Jesus referred is not external but within. It is not to be placed outside the self “Neither Lo here! or, lo there!” but it is to be perceived as an everlasting dominion within. The Kingdom of Heaven is something we possess but have not been conscious of. It is not some far off divine event, “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” It is neither in the mountain nor at Jerusalem, but within the mind.

Jesus likened the Kingdom of Heaven “…unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” The treasure of the inner kingdom is already hid at the center of our being, and when we discover it, great joy follows. Our whole desire is to possess this inner kingdom; to drill deep into the wellspring of our being and bring up the pure oil of Spirit; to tunnel the granite rock of our unbelief and at the center of our being, discover “the pearl of great price.”

“And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” On first reading, this sounds as though Jesus were withholding his teaching from the common multitude, but such was not the case. He spoke in parables realizing that those who comprehended their meaning would understand his teaching, for he had already instructed his disciples in the mysteries of the kingdom. That is, he had directly taught them the inner meaning of life.

In Corinthians it says: “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.” This is a direct reference to the inseparable unity between God and man. God has ordained that forever man shall be one with His own being, that the kingdom of good shall forever be at hand. Since we are individuals, God has also ordained that our good shall make its appearance when we recognize it.

Emerson said that “Nature forevermore screens herself from the profane, but when the fruit is ripe it will fall.” The inner mysteries of the Kingdom of God are hid from the vulgar, not because the Divine withholds Itself, but because only to the pure in heart, to the childlike in mind, can the Kingdom be revealed.

One of the greatest of the Greek philosophers said that this kingdom is something which everyone possesses but which few people use. Encased in materiality, filled with the din of objective confusion, we do not hear the still small voice which evermore proclaims, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.”

Again, Jesus likened the Kingdom unto “…a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field…” He then goes on to say that very soon this small seed becomes a tree which puts forth branches. Here Jesus is referring to the Tree of Life, which means the unity of God with humankind. The seed is the consciousness of the little child which becomes aware of its relationship to the Divine Parentage. Out of this inner awareness grows and blossoms a concept of harmony. The Tree of Life expands and puts forth branches; its shade provides shelter.

No matter how small our concept of heaven may be to begin with, it has the possibility of eternal unfoldment. The power to live is within the self, implanted by the Divine. Ultimately, each one of us will realize our inner kingdom, which will become to us as the Tree of Life, providing food and shelter, perfection and joy.

Again Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” He is referring to the action of consciousness of the Kingdom of God in the mind as yeast spreading through the whole lump of mortal thought, lifting the weight of the burdens of life into lightness. Jesus is referring to the Kingdom of God as the Bread of Life; the eternal Substance upon which the soul feeds; the everlasting Presence upon which the inner eye feasts; the house not made with hands in which the Spirit dwells forever. •

Excerpted from What Religious Science Teaches, published by Science of Mind Publishing.

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