Watching Point 421

421 — WATCH that you realize that the connection that exists between pleasure and pain can be said to exist between birth and death, in the sense that one cannot entertain a belief in the former, and be successful in overcoming the latter.

Death is the logical sequence to the belief that one is born into matter. The answer to the question: “O grave, where is thy victory?” lies in the acceptance of the belief in birth. When one uses his knowledge of Science to endeavor to perpetuate harmonious matter, how can he overcome the last enemy, since he is clinging to error, rather than destroying it. He is like a man who repeats the scientific statement of being to get rid of discomfort from eating, so that he can go back to the pleasure of eating.

St. Paul took pleasure in infirmities because they called his attention to the true nature of the belief of life and reality in matter, which one does not recognize under human harmony. On page 200 of Miscellaneous Writings we read, “Christians of today should be able to say, with the sweet sincerity of the apostle, ‘I take pleasure in infirmities,’ — I enjoy the touch of weakness, pain, and all suffering of the flesh, because it compels me to seek the remedy for it, and to find happiness, apart from the personal senses.”

To work in Science merely to eliminate imperfections in the body or matter, exposes the fact that one values the unreal. Such an effort clings to pleasure, and tries to fight pain, rejoices in birth, and seeks to destroy death. “If ye live after the flesh ye shall die,” shows that the belief of life in matter leads to death, since birth asserts that man is separated from God; just as a belief in pleasure leads to pain.