Welcome to the three principles of Sydney Banks.

Below you will find short verses from the book “The Missing Link: Reflections on Philosophy and Spirit” by Sydney Banks, translated from English by Danny Holtschke.

Before you start reading, I would like to share with you three tips from Sydney Banks for a deeper understanding of his wise words:

Don’t try to understand the words from an intellectual perspective.

Don’t think about the issue of ego. If you do, your work will be in vain.

Listen to a positive feeling. Positive feelings will bring you the answer you seek.

Sydney Banks: Origin of the Three Principles
Originally, psychology studied the connection between mind and soul until this theory was abandoned. Psychologists lost the main clues to what they were looking for. They focused instead on human behaviour, leading us away from our true psychological nature. And eventually encouraged us to see ourselves as passive victims of life.

Many techniques have emerged from behavioural science. Techniques, however, are to psychologists and therapists as rituals are to religion. They lead you away from the truth you seek. Many people don’t know how important it is to find your own inner wisdom.

That was the very epiphany that Sydney Banks made.

No one is mentally ill; you just “think” you are.

It was through the lectures Sydney gave after his enlightenment that the three specific concepts of spirit (mind), consciousness and thought became clear. He referred to these as the psychological trinity.

He never boasted of discovering the principles, but saw that the principles, found him.

The three principles
Mind, consciousness and thought are universal constants that never change and can never be separated. Here are the three principles simply explained according to Sydney Banks.

Mind
Wisdom is an innate intelligence that everyone possesses deep within.

Find the spiritual wisdom that will guide you through life from within.

Do not listen to words, but to what they are trying to convey.

Consciousness
Awareness is the gift of perception.

Our mental health lies within our consciousness, but it is held captive by our own false thoughts.

Somewhere in the innermost part of our consciousness lie the answers to the questions that humanity seeks.

Thoughts
Thoughts are a tool, nothing more, nothing less, just a tool. A wise person, like a good craftsman, uses this tool to the best of his ability.

A thought is the creative agent we use to guide us through life.

Feelings like joy, compassion, humility, love, happiness and contentment are rooted in positive thinking.

Feelings like hate, jealousy, insecurity, phobias and depression are rooted in negative thinking.

Thought is the missing link between mental illness and mental health. Thought is also the missing link between happiness and sadness.

Our thoughts are the camera, our eyes the lens. Put them together and the picture we see is reality.

Combined with our five senses, our ego often creates distorting lenses that prevent us from developing our true spiritual nature.

You have no control over what others think, but you have the power to control what you think.

Your thoughts and feelings are a mirror of your soul.

Don’t look on the outside. Look deep inside. Look deep into your soul; here you will find the answer.

Many people would succeed in life if their ambitions were not so superior to their abilities.

The duality of life
In the illusory works of thought, many believe that the inner self and the outer self is the body. But I can assure you that the inner self and the outer self are the same.

Your eyes must see in the singular of you, if you want to find the truth.

When you understand this, you see through the illusory duality of life.

The ego creates self-importance and is intimately connected with the personal self and the personal intellect.

The ego creates duality.

Do not try to understand the words of the sages from an intellectual perspective. Listen to a positive feeling. Positive feelings will bring you the answer you seek.

Do not think about the ego issue. If you do, your work will be in vain.

When we begin to regain the true relationship between our personal intelligence and our spiritual wisdom, we develop a higher level of intelligence and common sense.

In search of enlightenment
We seek enlightenment, deep fulfilment, whether you are aware of this fact or not.

In simplicity lies complexity.

Truth is simple.

Pay attention to common sense, simple, old-fashioned common sense.

Sydney Banks = Teacher
When you choose a teacher, ask yourself:

Is my teacher a balanced person?

Is my teacher happy?

Does my teacher reflect and demonstrate the quality of life I desire?

If one of your answers is ‘no’, keep looking. Otherwise, you will become one of the blind, led by the blind.

It is one thing to listen to the words of the wise and another to be a follower.

Any good teacher will tell you never to be a follower. A wise teacher will draw out your innate knowledge.

Stop following. Think for yourself. Never blindly follow the words of others. Use your own common sense.

Living in the Now
When people speak of living in the now, they mean being free from the contamination of yesterday’s memories and fears.

Seek a clearer understanding of the past. Realise that past memories are no longer true. The past is dead. Forget what is dead and begin life anew.

If you want to replace a glass of stale wine with a new one, you must first pour out the old wine. It is the same when we rid ourselves of unwanted, stale thoughts.

When we clear our thoughts, we may have to give up something to get something.

If your thoughts wander down a negative and rocky path, don’t take them too seriously.

Refrain from analysing yourself, because you will analyse yourself forever without reaching an end, and bitterly fail to find peace and your centre.

Let go of your negative thoughts. They are nothing but passing thoughts.

You are then on your way – to healthier feelings for yourself and others.

Feelings
Our feelings are the pressure gauge of our thoughts.

Our feelings are evidence of our mental well-being. Find positive and loving feelings, because they are far better indicators through your life guide than resentment and grudges.

Positive thoughts and feelings will help you discover the mental health and wisdom that lies within you.

Love and forgiveness

What you give in life is what you receive.

To give love is to receive love.

Love and forgiveness go hand in hand.

Judging your own mistakes or the mistakes of others leads to unhappiness.

Forgiveness is a powerful tool to clear thoughts of negative memories.

Without forgiveness, the path through life is paved with doubt and misery.

If you live in the past, you can never find happiness. You are trying to live in a reality that no longer exists.

There is a big difference between forgiving a person and forgiving a deed.

When you learn to forgive, you see with clarity the ignorance and innocence of those who offend against you.

Life is like any other contact sport. You may encounter difficulties of one kind or another at any time.

Wisdom
Spiritual wisdom lies in our consciousness. It is not to be found in the world of form or in remote caves of the world.

Only you have the golden key to your soul and the wisdom that lies within you.

The answer you seek is beyond words.

No one can reveal wisdom.

A teacher can only point you to wisdom with words, in the hope that you will have courage to look within yourself.

To find wisdom, raise your consciousness. Seek a grateful feeling for what you already have in life.

When you are grateful, the bars of your mind will fall away.

Ego is only who you think you are and what you think about life – nothing more, nothing less.

You have to find wisdom for yourself.

With wisdom, people see beyond the filters and prejudices of races and cultures to see the beauty in everyone and everything.

Search without seeking, for what you hope to achieve is already within you.

There are many ways to find the inner wisdom that leads to a healthier and balanced mind.