The Thought-Factor in Achievement
All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts. In a justly ordered universe, where loss of equipoise would mean total destruction, individual responsibility must be absolute. A man's weakness and strength, purity and impurity, are his own, and not another man's. They are brought about by himself, and not by another; and they can only be altered by himself, never by another. His condition is also his own, and not another man's. His suffering and his happiness are evolved from within. As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains.
A strong man cannot help a weaker unless the weaker is willing to be helped, and even then the weak man must become strong of himself. He must, by his own efforts, develop the strength which he admires in another. None but himself can alter his condition.
It has been usual for men to think and to say, "Many men are slaves because one is an oppressor; let us hate the oppressor." Now, however, there is among an increasing few a tendency to reverse this judgment, and to say, "One man is an oppressor because many are slaves; let us despise the slaves." The truth is that oppressor and slave are cooperators in ignorance, and, while seeming to afflict each other, are in reality afflicting themselves. A perfect Knowledge perceives the action of law in the weakness of the oppressed and the misapplied power of the oppressor. A perfect Love, seeing the suffering which both states entail, condemns neither. A perfect Compassion embraces both oppressor and oppressed.
He who has conquered weakness, and has put away all selfish thoughts, belongs neither to oppressor nor oppressed. He is free.
A man can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up his thoughts. He can only remain weak, and abject, and miserable by refusing to lift up his thoughts.
Before a man can achieve anything, even in worldly things, he must lift his thoughts above slavish animal indulgence. He may not, in order to succeed, give up all animality and selfishness, by any means; but a portion of it must, at least, be sacrificed. A man whose first thought is bestial indulgence could neither think clearly nor plan methodically. He could not find and develop his latent resources, and would fail in any undertaking. Not having commenced manfully to control his thoughts, he is not in a position to control affairs and to adopt serious responsibilities. He is not fit to act independently and stand alone, but he is limited only by the thoughts which he chooses.
There can be no progress, no achievement without sacrifice. A man's worldly success will be in the measure that he sacrifices his confused animal thoughts, and fixes his mind on the development of his plans, and the strengthening of his resolution and self reliance. And the higher he lifts his thoughts, the more manly, upright, and righteous he becomes, the greater will be his success, the more blessed an enduring will be his achievements.
The universe does not favor the greedy, the dishonest, the vicious, although on the mere surface it may sometimes appear to do so; it helps the honest, the magnanimous, the virtuous. All the great Teachers of the ages have declared this in varying forms, and to prove and know it a man has but to persist in making himself more and more virtuous by lifting up his thoughts.
Intellectual achievements are the result of thought consecrated to the search for knowledge, or for the beautiful and true in life and nature. Such achievements may be sometimes connected with vanity and ambition but they are not the outcome of those characteristics. They are the natural outgrowth of long an arduous effort, and of pure and unselfish thoughts.
Spiritual achievements are the consummation of holy aspirations. He who lives constantly in the conception of noble and lofty thoughts, who dwells upon all that is pure and unselfish, will, as surely as the sun reaches its zenith and the moon its full, become wise and noble in character, and rise into a position of influence and blessedness.
Achievement, of whatever kind, is the crown of effort, the diadem of thought. By the aid of self-control, resolution, purity, righteousness, and well-directed thought a man ascends. By the aid of animality, indolence, impurity, corruption, and confusion of thought a man descends.
A man may rise to high success in the world, and even to lofty altitudes in the spiritual realm, and again descend into weakness and wretchedness by allowing arrogant, selfish, and corrupt thoughts to take possession of him.
Victories attained by right thought can only be maintained by watchfulness. Many give way when success is assured, and rapidly fall back into failure.
All achievements, whether in the business, intellectual, or spiritual world, are the result of definitely directed thought, are governed by the same law and are of the same method; the only difference lies in the object of attainment.
He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little. He who would achieve much must sacrifice much. He who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.
Jesus passes the sixth brotherhood test and receives the sixth degree, LOVE DIVINE.
IN all the land there is no place more grandly furnished than the Beauty Parlours of the temple of the sun. 2 Few students ever entered these rich rooms; the priests regarded them with awe, and called them Halls of Mysteries. 3 When Jesus had attained the victory over fear, he gained the right to enter here. 4 The guide led on the way, and after passing many richly furnished rooms they reached the Hall of Harmony; and here was Jesus left alone. 5 Among the instruments of music was a harpsichord, and Jesus sat in thoughtful mood inspecting it, when, quietly, a maiden of entrancing beauty came into the hall. 6 She did not seem to notice Jesus as he sat and mused, so busy with his thoughts. 7 She found her place beside the harpsichord; she touched the chords most gently, and she sung the songs of Israel. 8 And Jesus was entranced; such beauty he had never seen; such music he had never heard. 9 The maiden sung her songs; she did not seem to know that any one was near; she went her way. 10 And Jesus, talking with himself, said out, What is the meaning of this incident? I did not know that such entrancing beauty and such queen-like loveliness were ever found among the sons of men. 11 I did not know that voice of angel ever graced a human form, or that seraphic music ever came from human lips. 12 For days he sat entranced; the current of his thoughts was changed; he thought of nothing but the singer and her songs. 13 He longed to see her once again; and after certain days she came; she spoke and laid her hand upon his head. 14 Her touch thrilled all his soul, and for the time, forgotten was the work that he was sent to do. 15 Few were the words the maiden said; she went her way; but then the heart of Jesus had been touched. 16 A love-flame had been kindled in his soul, and he was brought to face the sorest trial of his life. 17 He could not sleep nor eat. Thoughts of the maiden came; they would not go. His carnal nature called aloud for her companionship. 18 And then he said, Lo, I have conquered every foe that I have met, and shall I now be conquered by this carnal love? 19 My Father sent me here to show the power of love divine, that love that reaches every living thing. 20 Shall this pure, universal love be all absorbed by carnal love? Shall I forget all creatures else, and lose my life in this fair maiden, though she is the highest type of beauty, purity and love? 21 Into its very depths his soul was stirred, and long he wrestled with this angel-idol of his heart. 22 But when the day was almost lost, his higher ego rose in might; he found himself again, and then he said, 23 Although my heart shall break I will not fail in this my hardest task; I will be victor over carnal love. 24 And when again the maiden came, and offered him her hand and heart, he said, 25 Fair one, your very presence thrills me with delight; your voice is benediction to my soul; my human self would fly with you, and be contented in your love; 26 But all the world is craving for a love that I have come to manifest. 27 I must, then, bid you go; but we will meet again; our ways on earth will not be cast apart. 28 I see you in the hurrying throngs of earth as minister of love; I hear your voice in song, that wins the hearts of men to better things. 29 And then in sorrow and in tears the maiden went away, and Jesus was again alone. 30 And instantly the great bells of the temple rang; the singers sung a new, new song; the grotto blazed with light. 31 The hierophant himself appeared, and said, All hail! triumphant Logos, hail! The conqueror of carnal love stands on the heights. 32 And then he placed in Jesus' hands a scroll on which was written, LOVE DIVINE. 33 Together they passed through the grotto of the beautiful, and in the banquet hall a feast was served, and Jesus was the honoured guest...............from the Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ.....
Tao Te Ching by Lao-tzu
The Tao that can be trodden is not the enduring and
unchanging Tao. The name that can be named is not the enduring and
unchanging name.
(Conceived of as) having no name, it is the Originator of heaven
and earth; (conceived of as) having a name, it is the Mother of all
things.
Always without desire we must be found,
If its deep mystery we would sound;
But if desire always within us be,
Its outer fringe is all that we shall see.
Under these two aspects, it is really the same; but as development
takes place, it receives the different names. Together we call them
the Mystery. Where the Mystery is the deepest is the gate of all that
is subtle and wonderful.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2
All in the world know the beauty of the beautiful, and in doing
this they have (the idea of) what ugliness is; they all know the skill
of the skilful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what the
want of skill is.
So it is that existence and non-existence give birth the one to
(the idea of) the other; that difficulty and ease produce the one (the
idea of) the other; that length and shortness fashion out the one the
figure of the other; that (the ideas of) height and lowness arise from
the contrast of the one with the other; that the musical notes and
tones become harmonious through the relation of one with another; and
that being before and behind give the idea of one following another.
Therefore the sage manages affairs without doing anything, and
conveys his instructions without the use of speech.
unchanging Tao. The name that can be named is not the enduring and
unchanging name.
(Conceived of as) having no name, it is the Originator of heaven
and earth; (conceived of as) having a name, it is the Mother of all
things.
Always without desire we must be found,
If its deep mystery we would sound;
But if desire always within us be,
Its outer fringe is all that we shall see.
Under these two aspects, it is really the same; but as development
takes place, it receives the different names. Together we call them
the Mystery. Where the Mystery is the deepest is the gate of all that
is subtle and wonderful.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2
All in the world know the beauty of the beautiful, and in doing
this they have (the idea of) what ugliness is; they all know the skill
of the skilful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what the
want of skill is.
So it is that existence and non-existence give birth the one to
(the idea of) the other; that difficulty and ease produce the one (the
idea of) the other; that length and shortness fashion out the one the
figure of the other; that (the ideas of) height and lowness arise from
the contrast of the one with the other; that the musical notes and
tones become harmonious through the relation of one with another; and
that being before and behind give the idea of one following another.
Therefore the sage manages affairs without doing anything, and
conveys his instructions without the use of speech.
The Gospel of Truth Translated by Robert M. Grant
The gospel of truth is joy to those who have received from the Father of truth the gift of knowing him by the power of the Logos, who has come from the Pleroma and who is in the thought and the mind of the Father; he it is who is called "the Savior," since that is the name of the work which he must do for the redemption of those who have not known the Father. For the name of the gospel is the manifestation of hope, since that is the discovery of those who seek him, because the All sought him from whom it had come forth. You see, the All had been inside of him, that illimitable, inconceivable one, who is better than every thought.
This ignorance of the Father brought about terror and fear. And terror became dense like a fog, that no one was able to see. Because of this, error became strong. But it worked on its hylic substance vainly, because it did not know the truth. It was in a fashioned form while it was preparing, in power and in beauty, the equivalent of truth. This then, was not a humiliation for him, that illimitable, inconceivable one. For they were as nothing, this terror and this forgetfulness and this figure of falsehood, whereas this established truth is unchanging, unperturbed and completely beautiful.
For this reason, do not take error too seriously. Thus, since it had no root, it was in a fog as regards the Father, engaged in preparing works and forgetfulnesses and fears in order, by these means, to beguile those of the middle and to make them captive. The forgetfulness of error was not revealed. It did not become light beside the Father. Forgetfulness did not exist with the Father, although it existed because of him. What exists in him is knowledge, which was revealed so that forgetfulness might be destroyed and that they might know the Father, Since forgetfulness existed because they did not know the Father, if they then come to know the Father, from that moment on forgetfulness will cease to exist.
That is the gospel of him whom they seek, which he has revealed to the perfect through the mercies of the Father as the hidden mystery, Jesus the Christ. Through him he enlightened those who were in darkness because of forgetfulness. He enlightened them and gave them a path. And that path is the truth which he taught them. For this reason error was angry with him, so it persecuted him. It was distressed by him, so it made him powerless. He was nailed to a cross. He became a fruit of the knowledge of the Father. He did not, however, destroy them because they ate of it. He rather caused those who ate of it to be joyful because of this discovery.
And as for him, them he found in himself, and him they found in themselves, that illimitable, inconceivable one, that perfect Father who made the all, in whom the All is, and whom the All lacks, since he retained in himself their perfection, which he had not given to the all. The Father was not jealous. What jealousy, indeed, is there between him and his members? For, even if the Aeon had received their perfection, they would not have been able to approach the perfection of the Father, because he retained their perfection in himself, giving it to them as a way to return to him and as a knowledge unique in perfection. He is the one who set the All in order and in whom the All existed and whom the All lacked. As one of whom some have no knowledge, he desires that they know him and that they love him. For what is it that the All lacked, if not the knowledge of the Father?
He became a guide, quiet and in leisure. In the middle of a school he came and spoke the Word, as a teacher. Those who were wise in their own estimation came to put him to the test. But he discredited them as empty-headed people. They hated him because they really were not wise men. After all these came also the little children, those who possess the knowledge of the Father. When they became strong they were taught the aspects of the Father's face. They came to know and they were known. They were glorified and they gave glory. In their heart, the living book of the Living was manifest, the book which was written in the thought and in the mind of the Father and, from before the foundation of the All, is in that incomprehensible part of him.
This is the book which no one found possible to take, since it was reserved for him who will take it and be slain. No one was able to be manifest from those who believed in salvation as long as that book had not appeared. For this reason, the compassionate, faithful Jesus was patient in his sufferings until he took that book, since he knew that his death meant life for many. Just as in the case of a will which has not yet been opened, for the fortune of the deceased master of the house is hidden, so also in the case of the All which had been hidden as long as the Father of the All was invisible and unique in himself, in whom every space has its source. For this reason Jesus appeared. He took that book as his own. He was nailed to a cross. He affixed the edict of the Father to the cross.
Oh, such great teaching! He abases himself even unto death, though he is clothed in eternal life. Having divested himself of these perishable rags, he clothed himself in incorruptibility, which no one could possibly take from him. Having entered into the empty territory of fears, he passed before those who were stripped by forgetfulness, being both knowledge and perfection, proclaiming the things that are in the heart of the Father, so that he became the wisdom of those who have received instruction. But those who are to be taught, the living who are inscribed in the book of the living, learn for themselves, receiving instructions from the Father, turning to him again.
Since the perfection of the All is in the Father, it is necessary for the All to ascend to him. Therefore, if one has knowledge, he gets what belongs to him and draws it to himself. For he who is ignorant, is deficient, and it is a great deficiency, since he lacks that which will make him perfect. Since the perfection of the All is in the Father, it is necessary for the All to ascend to him and for each one to get the things which are his. He registered them first, having prepared them to be given to those who came from him.
Those whose name he knew first were called last, so that the one who has knowledge is he whose name the Father has pronounced. For he whose name has not been spoken is ignorant. Indeed, how shall one hear if his name has not been uttered? For he who remains ignorant until the end is a creature of forgetfulness and will perish with it. If this is not so, why have these wretches no name, why do they have no sound? Hence, if one has knowledge, he is from above. If he is called, he hears, he replies, and he turns toward him who called him and he ascends to him and he knows what he is called. Since he has knowledge, he does the will of him who called him. He desires to please him and he finds rest. He receives a certain name. He who thus is going to have knowledge knows whence he came and whither he is going. He knows it as a person who, having become intoxicated, has turned from his drunkenness and having come to himself, has restored what is his own.
He has turned many from error. He went before them to their own places, from which they departed when they erred because of the depth of him who surrounds every place, whereas there is nothing which surrounds him. It was a great wonder that they were in the Father without knowing him and that they were able to leave on their own, since they were not able to contain him and know him in whom they were, for indeed his will had not come forth from him. For he revealed it as a knowledge with which all its emanations agree, namely, the knowledge of the living book which he revealed to the Aeons at last as his letters, displaying to them that these are not merely vowels nor consonants, so that one may read them and think of something void of meaning; on the contrary, they are letters which convey the truth. They are pronounced only when they are known. Each letter is a perfect truth like a perfect book, for they are letters written by the hand of the unity, since the Father wrote them for the Aeons, so that they by means of his letters might come to know the Father.
While his wisdom mediates on the logos, and since his teaching expresses it, his knowledge has been revealed. His honor is a crown upon it. Since his joy agrees with it, his glory exalted it. It has revealed his image. It has obtained his rest. His love took bodily form around it. His trust embraced it. Thus the logos of the Father goes forth into the All, being the fruit of his heart and expression of his will. It supports the All. It chooses and also takes the form of the All, purifying it, and causing it to return to the Father and to the Mother, Jesus of the utmost sweetness. The Father opens his bosom, but his bosom is the Holy Spirit. He reveals his hidden self which is his son, so that through the compassion of the Father the Aeons may know him, end their wearying search for the Father and rest themselves in him, knowing that this is rest. After he had filled what was incomplete, he did away with form. The form of it is the world, that which it served. For where there is envy and strife, there is an incompleteness; but where there is unity, there is completeness. Since this incompleteness came about because they did not know the Father, so when they know the Father, incompleteness, from that moment on, will cease to exist. As one's ignorance disappears when he gains knowledge, and as darkness disappears when light appears, so also incompleteness is eliminated by completeness. Certainly, from that moment on, form is no longer manifest, but will be dissolved in fusion with unity. For now their works lie scattered. In time unity will make the spaces complete. By means of unity each one will understand itself. By means of knowledge it will purify itself of diversity with a view towards unity, devouring matter within itself like fire and darkness by light, death by life.
This ignorance of the Father brought about terror and fear. And terror became dense like a fog, that no one was able to see. Because of this, error became strong. But it worked on its hylic substance vainly, because it did not know the truth. It was in a fashioned form while it was preparing, in power and in beauty, the equivalent of truth. This then, was not a humiliation for him, that illimitable, inconceivable one. For they were as nothing, this terror and this forgetfulness and this figure of falsehood, whereas this established truth is unchanging, unperturbed and completely beautiful.
For this reason, do not take error too seriously. Thus, since it had no root, it was in a fog as regards the Father, engaged in preparing works and forgetfulnesses and fears in order, by these means, to beguile those of the middle and to make them captive. The forgetfulness of error was not revealed. It did not become light beside the Father. Forgetfulness did not exist with the Father, although it existed because of him. What exists in him is knowledge, which was revealed so that forgetfulness might be destroyed and that they might know the Father, Since forgetfulness existed because they did not know the Father, if they then come to know the Father, from that moment on forgetfulness will cease to exist.
That is the gospel of him whom they seek, which he has revealed to the perfect through the mercies of the Father as the hidden mystery, Jesus the Christ. Through him he enlightened those who were in darkness because of forgetfulness. He enlightened them and gave them a path. And that path is the truth which he taught them. For this reason error was angry with him, so it persecuted him. It was distressed by him, so it made him powerless. He was nailed to a cross. He became a fruit of the knowledge of the Father. He did not, however, destroy them because they ate of it. He rather caused those who ate of it to be joyful because of this discovery.
And as for him, them he found in himself, and him they found in themselves, that illimitable, inconceivable one, that perfect Father who made the all, in whom the All is, and whom the All lacks, since he retained in himself their perfection, which he had not given to the all. The Father was not jealous. What jealousy, indeed, is there between him and his members? For, even if the Aeon had received their perfection, they would not have been able to approach the perfection of the Father, because he retained their perfection in himself, giving it to them as a way to return to him and as a knowledge unique in perfection. He is the one who set the All in order and in whom the All existed and whom the All lacked. As one of whom some have no knowledge, he desires that they know him and that they love him. For what is it that the All lacked, if not the knowledge of the Father?
He became a guide, quiet and in leisure. In the middle of a school he came and spoke the Word, as a teacher. Those who were wise in their own estimation came to put him to the test. But he discredited them as empty-headed people. They hated him because they really were not wise men. After all these came also the little children, those who possess the knowledge of the Father. When they became strong they were taught the aspects of the Father's face. They came to know and they were known. They were glorified and they gave glory. In their heart, the living book of the Living was manifest, the book which was written in the thought and in the mind of the Father and, from before the foundation of the All, is in that incomprehensible part of him.
This is the book which no one found possible to take, since it was reserved for him who will take it and be slain. No one was able to be manifest from those who believed in salvation as long as that book had not appeared. For this reason, the compassionate, faithful Jesus was patient in his sufferings until he took that book, since he knew that his death meant life for many. Just as in the case of a will which has not yet been opened, for the fortune of the deceased master of the house is hidden, so also in the case of the All which had been hidden as long as the Father of the All was invisible and unique in himself, in whom every space has its source. For this reason Jesus appeared. He took that book as his own. He was nailed to a cross. He affixed the edict of the Father to the cross.
Oh, such great teaching! He abases himself even unto death, though he is clothed in eternal life. Having divested himself of these perishable rags, he clothed himself in incorruptibility, which no one could possibly take from him. Having entered into the empty territory of fears, he passed before those who were stripped by forgetfulness, being both knowledge and perfection, proclaiming the things that are in the heart of the Father, so that he became the wisdom of those who have received instruction. But those who are to be taught, the living who are inscribed in the book of the living, learn for themselves, receiving instructions from the Father, turning to him again.
Since the perfection of the All is in the Father, it is necessary for the All to ascend to him. Therefore, if one has knowledge, he gets what belongs to him and draws it to himself. For he who is ignorant, is deficient, and it is a great deficiency, since he lacks that which will make him perfect. Since the perfection of the All is in the Father, it is necessary for the All to ascend to him and for each one to get the things which are his. He registered them first, having prepared them to be given to those who came from him.
Those whose name he knew first were called last, so that the one who has knowledge is he whose name the Father has pronounced. For he whose name has not been spoken is ignorant. Indeed, how shall one hear if his name has not been uttered? For he who remains ignorant until the end is a creature of forgetfulness and will perish with it. If this is not so, why have these wretches no name, why do they have no sound? Hence, if one has knowledge, he is from above. If he is called, he hears, he replies, and he turns toward him who called him and he ascends to him and he knows what he is called. Since he has knowledge, he does the will of him who called him. He desires to please him and he finds rest. He receives a certain name. He who thus is going to have knowledge knows whence he came and whither he is going. He knows it as a person who, having become intoxicated, has turned from his drunkenness and having come to himself, has restored what is his own.
He has turned many from error. He went before them to their own places, from which they departed when they erred because of the depth of him who surrounds every place, whereas there is nothing which surrounds him. It was a great wonder that they were in the Father without knowing him and that they were able to leave on their own, since they were not able to contain him and know him in whom they were, for indeed his will had not come forth from him. For he revealed it as a knowledge with which all its emanations agree, namely, the knowledge of the living book which he revealed to the Aeons at last as his letters, displaying to them that these are not merely vowels nor consonants, so that one may read them and think of something void of meaning; on the contrary, they are letters which convey the truth. They are pronounced only when they are known. Each letter is a perfect truth like a perfect book, for they are letters written by the hand of the unity, since the Father wrote them for the Aeons, so that they by means of his letters might come to know the Father.
While his wisdom mediates on the logos, and since his teaching expresses it, his knowledge has been revealed. His honor is a crown upon it. Since his joy agrees with it, his glory exalted it. It has revealed his image. It has obtained his rest. His love took bodily form around it. His trust embraced it. Thus the logos of the Father goes forth into the All, being the fruit of his heart and expression of his will. It supports the All. It chooses and also takes the form of the All, purifying it, and causing it to return to the Father and to the Mother, Jesus of the utmost sweetness. The Father opens his bosom, but his bosom is the Holy Spirit. He reveals his hidden self which is his son, so that through the compassion of the Father the Aeons may know him, end their wearying search for the Father and rest themselves in him, knowing that this is rest. After he had filled what was incomplete, he did away with form. The form of it is the world, that which it served. For where there is envy and strife, there is an incompleteness; but where there is unity, there is completeness. Since this incompleteness came about because they did not know the Father, so when they know the Father, incompleteness, from that moment on, will cease to exist. As one's ignorance disappears when he gains knowledge, and as darkness disappears when light appears, so also incompleteness is eliminated by completeness. Certainly, from that moment on, form is no longer manifest, but will be dissolved in fusion with unity. For now their works lie scattered. In time unity will make the spaces complete. By means of unity each one will understand itself. By means of knowledge it will purify itself of diversity with a view towards unity, devouring matter within itself like fire and darkness by light, death by life.
Enlightenment is the same in all religions....
"Ask of those that have attained God: All speak the same word.....All the enlightened have left one message.....it is only in the midst of their journey who hold diverse opinions "...............Dadu
The Gospel of Buddha....chapter six...by Paul Carus circa 1894
It was night.
The prince found no rest on his soft pillow;
he arose and went out into the garden.
"Alas!" he cried, "all the world is full of darkness and ignorance;
there is no one who knows how to cure the ills of existence."
And he groaned with pain. [1]
Siddhattha sat down beneath the great jambu-tree and gave himself to thought,
pondering on life and death and the evils of decay.
Concentrating his mind he became free from confusion.
All low desires vanished from his heart and perfect tranquillity came over him. [2]
In this state of ecstacy he saw with his mental eye
all the misery and sorrow of the world;
he saw the pains of pleasure and the inevitable certainty of death
that hovers over every being;
yet men are not awakened to the truth.
And a deep compassion seized his heart. [3]
While the prince was pondering on the problem of evil,
he beheld with his mind's eye under the jambu-tree
a lofty figure endowed with majesty, calm and dignified.
"Whence comest thou, and who mayest thou be?" asked the prince. [4]
In reply the vision said: "I am a samana.
Troubled at the thought of old age, disease, and death
I have left my home to seek the path of salvation.
All things hasten to decay;
only the truth abideth forever.
Everything changes, and there is no permanency;
yet the words of the Buddhas are immutable.
I long for the happiness that does not decay;
the treasure that will never perish;
the life that knows of no beginning and no end.
Therefore, I have destroyed all worldly thought.
I have retired into an unfrequented dell to live in solitude;
and, begging for food, I devote myself to the one thing needful." [5]
Siddhattha asked: "Can peace be gained in this world of unrest?
I am struck with the emptiness of pleasure and have become disgusted with lust.
All oppresses me, and existence itself seems intolerable." [6]
The samana replied:
"Where heat is, there is also a possibility of cold;
creatures subject to pain possess the faculty of pleasure;
the origin of evil indicates that good can be developed.
For these things are correlatives.
Thus where there is much suffering, there will be much bliss,
if thou but open thine eyes to behold it.
Just as a man who has fallen into a heap of filth
ought to seek the great pond of water covered with lotuses, which is near by:
even so seek thou for the great deathless lake of Nirvana
to wash off the defilement of wrong.
If the lake is not sought, it is not the fault of the lake.
Even so when there is a blessed road
leading the man held fast by wrong to the salvation of Nirvana,
if the road is not walked upon,
it is not the fault of the road, but of the person.
And when a man who is oppressed with sickness,
there being a physician who can heal him,
does not avail himself of the physician's help,
that is not the fault of the physician.
Even so when a man oppressed by the malady of wrong-doing
does not seek the spiritual guide of enlightenment,
that is no fault of the evil-destroying guide." [7]
The prince listened to the noble words of his visitor and said:
"Thou bringest good tidings,
for now I know that my purpose will be accomplished.
My father advises me to enjoy life and to undertake worldly duties,
such as will bring honour to me and to our house.
He tells me that I am too young still,
that my pulse beats too full to lead a religious life." [8]
The venerable figure shook his head and replied:
"Thou shouldest know that for seeking a religious life no time can be inopportune." [9]
A thrill of joy passed through Siddhattha's heart.
"Now is the time to seek religion," he said;
"now is the time to sever all ties
that would prevent me from attaining perfect enlightenment;
now is the time to wonder into homelessness and, leading a mendicant's life,
to find the path of deliverance." [10]
The celestial messenger heard the resolution of Siddhattha with approval. [11]
"Now, indeed," he added, "is the time to seek religion.
Go, Siddhattha, and accomplish thy purpose.
For thou art Bodhisatta, the Buddha-elect;
thou art destined to enlighten the world. [12]
"Thou art the Tathagata, the great master,
for thou wilt fulfil all righteousness and be Dharmaraja, the king of truth.
Thou art Bhagavat, the Blessed One,
for thou art called upon to become the saviour and redeemer of the world. [13]
"Fulfil thou the perfection of truth.
Though the thunderbolt descend upon thy head,
yield thou never to the allurements that bequile men from the path of truth.
As the sun at all seasons pursues his own course, nor ever goes on another,
even so if thou forsake not the straight path of righteousness,
thou shalt become a Buddha. [14]
"Persevere in thy quest and thou shalt find what thou seekest.
Pursue they aim unswervingly and thou shalt gain the prize.
Struggle earnestly and thou shalt conquer.
The benediction of all deities, of all saints,
of all that seek light is upon thee,
and heavenly wisdom guides thy steps.
Thou shalt be the Buddha, our Master, and our Lord;
Thou shalt enlighten the world and save mankind from perdition." [15]
Having thus spoken, the vision vanished,
and Siddhatta's heart was filled with peace.
He said to himself: [16]
"I have awakened to the truth
and I am resolved to accomplish my purpose.
I will sever all ties that bind me to the world,
and I will go out from my home to seek the way of salvation. [17]
"The Buddhas are beings whose words cannot fail:
there is no departure from truth in their speech. [18]
"For as the fall of a stone thrown into the air,
as the death of a mortal,
as the sunrise at dawn,
as the lion's roar when he leaves his lair,
as the delivery of a woman with child,
as all these things are sure and certain -
even so the word of the Buddhas is sure and cannot fail. [19]
"Verily I shall become a Buddha." [20]
The prince returned to the bedroom of his wife to take a last farewell glance
at those whom he dearly loved above all the treasures of the earth.
He longed to take the infant once more into his arms and kiss him with a parting kiss.
But the child lay in the arms of his mother
and the prince could not lift him without awakening both. [21]
There Siddhattha stood gazing at his beautiful wife and his beloved son,
and his heart grieved.
The pain of parting overcame him powerfully.
Although his mind was determined,
so that nothing, be it good or evil, could shake his resolution,
the tears flowed freely from his eyes,
and it was beyond his power to check their stream.
But the prince tore himself away with a manly heart,
suppressing his feelings but not extinguishing his memory. [22]
The Bodhisatta mounted his noble steed Kanthaka,
and when he left the palace, Mara stood in the gate and stopped him:
"Depart not, O my Lord," exclaimed Mara.
"In seven days from now the wheel of empire will appear,
and will make thee sovereign over the four continents and the two thousand adjacent islands.
Therefore, stay, my Lord." [23]
The Bodhisatta replied:
"Well do I know that the wheel of empire will appear to me;
but it is not sovereignty that I desire.
I will become a Buddha and make all the world shout for joy." [24]
Thus Siddhattha, the prince, renounced power and worldly pleasures,
gave up his kingdom, severed all ties, and went into homelessness.
He rode out into the silent night,
accompanied only by his faithful charioteer Channa. [25]
Darkness lay upon the earth,
but the stars shone brightly in the heavens
The prince found no rest on his soft pillow;
he arose and went out into the garden.
"Alas!" he cried, "all the world is full of darkness and ignorance;
there is no one who knows how to cure the ills of existence."
And he groaned with pain. [1]
Siddhattha sat down beneath the great jambu-tree and gave himself to thought,
pondering on life and death and the evils of decay.
Concentrating his mind he became free from confusion.
All low desires vanished from his heart and perfect tranquillity came over him. [2]
In this state of ecstacy he saw with his mental eye
all the misery and sorrow of the world;
he saw the pains of pleasure and the inevitable certainty of death
that hovers over every being;
yet men are not awakened to the truth.
And a deep compassion seized his heart. [3]
While the prince was pondering on the problem of evil,
he beheld with his mind's eye under the jambu-tree
a lofty figure endowed with majesty, calm and dignified.
"Whence comest thou, and who mayest thou be?" asked the prince. [4]
In reply the vision said: "I am a samana.
Troubled at the thought of old age, disease, and death
I have left my home to seek the path of salvation.
All things hasten to decay;
only the truth abideth forever.
Everything changes, and there is no permanency;
yet the words of the Buddhas are immutable.
I long for the happiness that does not decay;
the treasure that will never perish;
the life that knows of no beginning and no end.
Therefore, I have destroyed all worldly thought.
I have retired into an unfrequented dell to live in solitude;
and, begging for food, I devote myself to the one thing needful." [5]
Siddhattha asked: "Can peace be gained in this world of unrest?
I am struck with the emptiness of pleasure and have become disgusted with lust.
All oppresses me, and existence itself seems intolerable." [6]
The samana replied:
"Where heat is, there is also a possibility of cold;
creatures subject to pain possess the faculty of pleasure;
the origin of evil indicates that good can be developed.
For these things are correlatives.
Thus where there is much suffering, there will be much bliss,
if thou but open thine eyes to behold it.
Just as a man who has fallen into a heap of filth
ought to seek the great pond of water covered with lotuses, which is near by:
even so seek thou for the great deathless lake of Nirvana
to wash off the defilement of wrong.
If the lake is not sought, it is not the fault of the lake.
Even so when there is a blessed road
leading the man held fast by wrong to the salvation of Nirvana,
if the road is not walked upon,
it is not the fault of the road, but of the person.
And when a man who is oppressed with sickness,
there being a physician who can heal him,
does not avail himself of the physician's help,
that is not the fault of the physician.
Even so when a man oppressed by the malady of wrong-doing
does not seek the spiritual guide of enlightenment,
that is no fault of the evil-destroying guide." [7]
The prince listened to the noble words of his visitor and said:
"Thou bringest good tidings,
for now I know that my purpose will be accomplished.
My father advises me to enjoy life and to undertake worldly duties,
such as will bring honour to me and to our house.
He tells me that I am too young still,
that my pulse beats too full to lead a religious life." [8]
The venerable figure shook his head and replied:
"Thou shouldest know that for seeking a religious life no time can be inopportune." [9]
A thrill of joy passed through Siddhattha's heart.
"Now is the time to seek religion," he said;
"now is the time to sever all ties
that would prevent me from attaining perfect enlightenment;
now is the time to wonder into homelessness and, leading a mendicant's life,
to find the path of deliverance." [10]
The celestial messenger heard the resolution of Siddhattha with approval. [11]
"Now, indeed," he added, "is the time to seek religion.
Go, Siddhattha, and accomplish thy purpose.
For thou art Bodhisatta, the Buddha-elect;
thou art destined to enlighten the world. [12]
"Thou art the Tathagata, the great master,
for thou wilt fulfil all righteousness and be Dharmaraja, the king of truth.
Thou art Bhagavat, the Blessed One,
for thou art called upon to become the saviour and redeemer of the world. [13]
"Fulfil thou the perfection of truth.
Though the thunderbolt descend upon thy head,
yield thou never to the allurements that bequile men from the path of truth.
As the sun at all seasons pursues his own course, nor ever goes on another,
even so if thou forsake not the straight path of righteousness,
thou shalt become a Buddha. [14]
"Persevere in thy quest and thou shalt find what thou seekest.
Pursue they aim unswervingly and thou shalt gain the prize.
Struggle earnestly and thou shalt conquer.
The benediction of all deities, of all saints,
of all that seek light is upon thee,
and heavenly wisdom guides thy steps.
Thou shalt be the Buddha, our Master, and our Lord;
Thou shalt enlighten the world and save mankind from perdition." [15]
Having thus spoken, the vision vanished,
and Siddhatta's heart was filled with peace.
He said to himself: [16]
"I have awakened to the truth
and I am resolved to accomplish my purpose.
I will sever all ties that bind me to the world,
and I will go out from my home to seek the way of salvation. [17]
"The Buddhas are beings whose words cannot fail:
there is no departure from truth in their speech. [18]
"For as the fall of a stone thrown into the air,
as the death of a mortal,
as the sunrise at dawn,
as the lion's roar when he leaves his lair,
as the delivery of a woman with child,
as all these things are sure and certain -
even so the word of the Buddhas is sure and cannot fail. [19]
"Verily I shall become a Buddha." [20]
The prince returned to the bedroom of his wife to take a last farewell glance
at those whom he dearly loved above all the treasures of the earth.
He longed to take the infant once more into his arms and kiss him with a parting kiss.
But the child lay in the arms of his mother
and the prince could not lift him without awakening both. [21]
There Siddhattha stood gazing at his beautiful wife and his beloved son,
and his heart grieved.
The pain of parting overcame him powerfully.
Although his mind was determined,
so that nothing, be it good or evil, could shake his resolution,
the tears flowed freely from his eyes,
and it was beyond his power to check their stream.
But the prince tore himself away with a manly heart,
suppressing his feelings but not extinguishing his memory. [22]
The Bodhisatta mounted his noble steed Kanthaka,
and when he left the palace, Mara stood in the gate and stopped him:
"Depart not, O my Lord," exclaimed Mara.
"In seven days from now the wheel of empire will appear,
and will make thee sovereign over the four continents and the two thousand adjacent islands.
Therefore, stay, my Lord." [23]
The Bodhisatta replied:
"Well do I know that the wheel of empire will appear to me;
but it is not sovereignty that I desire.
I will become a Buddha and make all the world shout for joy." [24]
Thus Siddhattha, the prince, renounced power and worldly pleasures,
gave up his kingdom, severed all ties, and went into homelessness.
He rode out into the silent night,
accompanied only by his faithful charioteer Channa. [25]
Darkness lay upon the earth,
but the stars shone brightly in the heavens
Fear by Chogyam Trungpa
We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot of people. A lot of people turn to something that they hope will liberate them without their having to face themselves. That is impossible. We can't do that. We have to be honest with ourselves. We have to see our gut, our excrement, our most undesirable parts. We have to see them. That is the foundation of warriorship, basically speaking. Whatever is there, we have to face it, we have to look at it, study it, work with it and practice meditation with it.
The Voice of the Silence by H.P. Blavatsky
Saith the pupil:
O Teacher, what shall I do to reach to Wisdom?
O Wise one, what, to gain perfection?
Search for the Paths. But, O Lanoo, be of clean heart before thou startest on thy journey. Before thou takest thy first step learn to discern the real from the false, the ever-fleeting from the everlasting. Learn above all to separate Head-learning from Soul-Wisdom, the "Eye" from the "Heart" doctrine.
Yea, ignorance is like unto a closed and airless vessel; the soul a bird shut up within. It warbles not, nor can it stir a feather; but the songster mute and torpid sits, and of exhaustion dies.
But even ignorance is better than Head-learning with no Soul-wisdom to illuminate and guide it.
The seeds of Wisdom cannot sprout and grow in airless space. To live and reap experience the mind needs breadth and depth and points to draw it towards the Diamond Soul (4). Seek not those points in Maya's realm; but soar beyond illusions, search the eternal and the changeless SAT (5), mistrusting fancy's false suggestions.
For mind is like a mirror; it gathers dust while it reflects (6). It needs the gentle breezes of Soul-Wisdom to brush away the dust of our illusions. Seek O Beginner, to blend thy Mind and Soul.
Shun ignorance, and likewise shun illusion. Avert thy face from world deceptions; mistrust thy senses, they are false. But within thy body -- the shrine of thy sensations -- seek in the Impersonal for the "eternal man" (7); and having sought him out, look inward: thou art Buddha (8).
Shun praise, O Devotee. Praise leads to self-delusion. Thy body is not self, thy SELF is in itself without a body, and either praise or blame affects it not.
Self-gratulation, O disciple, is like unto a lofty tower, up which a haughty fool has climbed. Thereon he sits in prideful solitude and unperceived by any but himself.
False learning is rejected by the Wise, and scattered to the Winds by the good Law. Its wheel revolves for all, the humble and the proud. The "Doctrine of the Eye" (9) is for the crowd, the "Doctrine of the Heart," for the elect. The first repeat in pride: "Behold, I know," the last, they who in humbleness have garnered, low confess, "thus have I heard" (10).
"Great Sifter" is the name of the "Heart Doctrine," O disciple.
The wheel of the good Law moves swiftly on. It grinds by night and day. The worthless husks it drives from out the golden grain, the refuse from the flour. The hand of Karma guides the wheel; the revolutions mark the beatings of the Karmic heart.
True knowledge is the flour, false learning is the husk. If thou would'st eat the bread of Wisdom, thy flour thou hast to knead with Amrita's* clear waters. But if thou kneadest husks with Maya's dew, thou canst create but food for the black doves of death, the birds of birth, decay and sorrow.
O Teacher, what shall I do to reach to Wisdom?
O Wise one, what, to gain perfection?
Search for the Paths. But, O Lanoo, be of clean heart before thou startest on thy journey. Before thou takest thy first step learn to discern the real from the false, the ever-fleeting from the everlasting. Learn above all to separate Head-learning from Soul-Wisdom, the "Eye" from the "Heart" doctrine.
Yea, ignorance is like unto a closed and airless vessel; the soul a bird shut up within. It warbles not, nor can it stir a feather; but the songster mute and torpid sits, and of exhaustion dies.
But even ignorance is better than Head-learning with no Soul-wisdom to illuminate and guide it.
The seeds of Wisdom cannot sprout and grow in airless space. To live and reap experience the mind needs breadth and depth and points to draw it towards the Diamond Soul (4). Seek not those points in Maya's realm; but soar beyond illusions, search the eternal and the changeless SAT (5), mistrusting fancy's false suggestions.
For mind is like a mirror; it gathers dust while it reflects (6). It needs the gentle breezes of Soul-Wisdom to brush away the dust of our illusions. Seek O Beginner, to blend thy Mind and Soul.
Shun ignorance, and likewise shun illusion. Avert thy face from world deceptions; mistrust thy senses, they are false. But within thy body -- the shrine of thy sensations -- seek in the Impersonal for the "eternal man" (7); and having sought him out, look inward: thou art Buddha (8).
Shun praise, O Devotee. Praise leads to self-delusion. Thy body is not self, thy SELF is in itself without a body, and either praise or blame affects it not.
Self-gratulation, O disciple, is like unto a lofty tower, up which a haughty fool has climbed. Thereon he sits in prideful solitude and unperceived by any but himself.
False learning is rejected by the Wise, and scattered to the Winds by the good Law. Its wheel revolves for all, the humble and the proud. The "Doctrine of the Eye" (9) is for the crowd, the "Doctrine of the Heart," for the elect. The first repeat in pride: "Behold, I know," the last, they who in humbleness have garnered, low confess, "thus have I heard" (10).
"Great Sifter" is the name of the "Heart Doctrine," O disciple.
The wheel of the good Law moves swiftly on. It grinds by night and day. The worthless husks it drives from out the golden grain, the refuse from the flour. The hand of Karma guides the wheel; the revolutions mark the beatings of the Karmic heart.
True knowledge is the flour, false learning is the husk. If thou would'st eat the bread of Wisdom, thy flour thou hast to knead with Amrita's* clear waters. But if thou kneadest husks with Maya's dew, thou canst create but food for the black doves of death, the birds of birth, decay and sorrow.
Akasha and the Astral Light by Geoffrey A. Farthing
Here there is introduced a teaching that goes far beyond anything known to today's sciences. Although not easy to grasp at first, it will be found to throw much light on areas of experience at present little understood even by psychology, for example, the mystical and psychic.
It has been stated that there is no such thing as empty space in the universe. Esoteric Science teaches that the entire cosmos is pervaded by Akasha, primordial substance, or rather the noumenon—the non-sensuous reality—beyond substance. In the Theosophical Glossary, Akasha (from a Sanskrit word meaning "brilliant" or "luminous") is described as "the subtle, supersensuous spiritual essence which pervades all space." This primordial substance differentiates into all the forms of matter, those of the invisible as of the visible regions of the universe. Hence the definition of Akasha as "the Universal Soul ¼ from which all that exists is born by separation or differentiation. It is the cause of existence; it fills all the infinite Space."
The lowest region of Akasha, immediately above the gross physical plane, is termed the Astral Light. It is "the invisible region that surrounds our globe" and everything in it, and corresponds to the subtle vehicle or "double" in man, the Linga-sharira. In it is impressed indelibly everything that takes place in the physical, psychical, and mental realms. It is thus the storehouse of memory, both in the cosmos and in mankind.
It has been stated that there is no such thing as empty space in the universe. Esoteric Science teaches that the entire cosmos is pervaded by Akasha, primordial substance, or rather the noumenon—the non-sensuous reality—beyond substance. In the Theosophical Glossary, Akasha (from a Sanskrit word meaning "brilliant" or "luminous") is described as "the subtle, supersensuous spiritual essence which pervades all space." This primordial substance differentiates into all the forms of matter, those of the invisible as of the visible regions of the universe. Hence the definition of Akasha as "the Universal Soul ¼ from which all that exists is born by separation or differentiation. It is the cause of existence; it fills all the infinite Space."
The lowest region of Akasha, immediately above the gross physical plane, is termed the Astral Light. It is "the invisible region that surrounds our globe" and everything in it, and corresponds to the subtle vehicle or "double" in man, the Linga-sharira. In it is impressed indelibly everything that takes place in the physical, psychical, and mental realms. It is thus the storehouse of memory, both in the cosmos and in mankind.
Theosophy...........
Theosophy is a fragment of the ancient, once universal, wisdom teaching.
The masters of Theosophy, located in Tibet and around the world, preserve and extend this ancient wisdom. Periodically they send forth one of their own - or a messenger - to help spread this teaching to all of humanity.
In the 1800's they had been searching for a century for the next messenger and finally settled upon Helena Blavatsky, born to a noble Russian family. She saw the master who would be her teacher in her dreams as a child. She met him in Hyde Park in London when she was 20. She managed to enter Tibet and was trained by those masters in Tibet from 1868 to 1870. From 1875 through her death in 1891 she spread that message around the world.
Theosophy is the name Blavatsky gave to that portion of knowledge that she brought from the masters to the world. It comes from the term "Theosophia" used by the Neoplatonists to mean literally "knowledge of the divine". "An Invitation to the Secret Doctrine."
Helpful background and introduction to Blavatsky's magnum opus - the monumental source book for esotericism in our age.
Perhaps all of her work can be summed up in one of her maxims: Compassion is the law of laws. She explained that brotherhood is not a mere ideal - it is a fact in nature on the spiritual plane. From that we derive a logical basis and a binding source for morality that can guide and inspire us, even while more traditional religious sources are losing their compelling force. She gives us the metaphysics from which we can deduce the most important priciples of how to live.
The master collection of her work extends 3 feet on a bookshelf. (In today's age it is also available on a CD-rom.) Her master work is the Secret Doctrine, written in 1888 - a book that will remain seminal for centuries. Her first book-length work, Isis Unveiled, shook the rafters of science and religion, and the world hasn't been the same since. Many people reading this will hold views that were first planted in the West by Blavatsky. Some of the views you hold were brought by her. She also has an introductory book, Key to Theosophy, and an inspiration book, Voice of the Silence, for those few who are ready to tread in the footsteps of advanced disciples - or at least for those who want their soul to hear the same call.
The masters of Theosophy, located in Tibet and around the world, preserve and extend this ancient wisdom. Periodically they send forth one of their own - or a messenger - to help spread this teaching to all of humanity.
In the 1800's they had been searching for a century for the next messenger and finally settled upon Helena Blavatsky, born to a noble Russian family. She saw the master who would be her teacher in her dreams as a child. She met him in Hyde Park in London when she was 20. She managed to enter Tibet and was trained by those masters in Tibet from 1868 to 1870. From 1875 through her death in 1891 she spread that message around the world.
Theosophy is the name Blavatsky gave to that portion of knowledge that she brought from the masters to the world. It comes from the term "Theosophia" used by the Neoplatonists to mean literally "knowledge of the divine". "An Invitation to the Secret Doctrine."
Helpful background and introduction to Blavatsky's magnum opus - the monumental source book for esotericism in our age.
Perhaps all of her work can be summed up in one of her maxims: Compassion is the law of laws. She explained that brotherhood is not a mere ideal - it is a fact in nature on the spiritual plane. From that we derive a logical basis and a binding source for morality that can guide and inspire us, even while more traditional religious sources are losing their compelling force. She gives us the metaphysics from which we can deduce the most important priciples of how to live.
The master collection of her work extends 3 feet on a bookshelf. (In today's age it is also available on a CD-rom.) Her master work is the Secret Doctrine, written in 1888 - a book that will remain seminal for centuries. Her first book-length work, Isis Unveiled, shook the rafters of science and religion, and the world hasn't been the same since. Many people reading this will hold views that were first planted in the West by Blavatsky. Some of the views you hold were brought by her. She also has an introductory book, Key to Theosophy, and an inspiration book, Voice of the Silence, for those few who are ready to tread in the footsteps of advanced disciples - or at least for those who want their soul to hear the same call.
Jesus spends forty days in the temple groves. Passes the fifth brotherhood test and receives the fifth degree, HEROISM.
THE sacred temple groves were rich in statues, monuments and shrines; here Jesus loved to walk and meditate. 2 And after he had conquered self he talked with nature in these groves for forty days. 3 And then the guide took chains and bound him hand and foot; and then cast him into a den of hungry beasts, of unclean birds, and creeping things. 4 The den was dark as night; the wild beasts howled; the birds in fury screamed; the reptiles hissed. 5 And Jesus said, Who was it that did bind me thus? Why did I meekly sit to be bound down with chains? 6 I tell you, none has power to bind a human soul. Of what are fetters made? 7 And in his might he rose, and what he thought were chains were only worthless cords that parted at his touch. 8 And then he laughed and said, The chains that bind men to the carcasses of earth are forged in fancy's shop; are made of air, and welded in illusion's fires. 9 If man will stand erect, and use the power of will, his chains will fall, like worthless rags; for will and faith are stronger than the stoutest chains that men have ever made. 10 And Jesus stood erect among the hungry beasts, and birds, and said, What is this darkness that envelops me? 11 "Tis but the absence of the light. And what is light? 'Tis but the breath of God vibrating in the rhythm of rapid thought. 12 And then he said, Let there be light; and with a mighty will he stirred the ethers up, and their vibrations reached the plane of light; and there was light. 13 The darkness of that den of night became the brightness of a newborn day. 14 And then he looked to see the beasts, and birds, and creeping things; lo, they were not. 15 And Jesus said, Of what are souls afraid? Fear is the chariot in which man rides to death; 16 And when he finds himself within the chamber of the dead, he learns that he has been deceived; his chariot was a myth, and death a fancy child. 17 But some day all man's lessons will be learned, and from the den of unclean beasts, and birds, and creeping things he will arise to walk in light. 18 And Jesus saw a ladder made of gold, on which he climbed, and at the top the white-robed priest awaited him. 19 Again he stood before the council bar; again no word was said; again the hierophant reached forth his hand to bless. 20 He placed in Jesus' hand another scroll, and on this one was written, HEROISM. 21 The Logos had encountered fear and all his phantom host, and in the conflict he achieved the victory................from the Aquarian Gospel....
Living in the Flow....by Lisa Day
Meditate and contemplate the idea of flow - reflect on the fact that things are not rigid and fixed. The chair you sit on, the table in front of you, the tree outside the window, your very own self, are all, according to the modern physicists, a flow of energy, light, waves, in constant motion. That flow is constantly moving; it cannot be made fixed and rigid. Sometimes you want to make things stop, make them rigid, keep them a certain way forever. The disturbing side of experiencing flow is realizing you can't do that. You can't fix things; you can't control things. You can affect them; you can interact with circumstances. You are a part of the flow. As you interact, the flow responds, but you can't control it. The beauty of this is that there is nothing that cannot change. As you open to that flow of energy, as you becomes less fixed and rigid, any obstructive pattern can in time transform and become freely flowing energy that supports you to move forward in your life..
This word flow has become a bit of a cliché in New Age spirituality but it has a deep and profound truth. Remember that being attuned to the flow doesn't always mean you get what you want. It doesn't mean you won't have problems to deal with, circumstances that don't seem to change immediately or that life will always be blissful. It means you will be able to flow with what is. The flow of energy in this universe does not always have the human agenda or your personal agenda as its primary focus. As you listen to your inner voice, attend to your inner rhythm, you will realize that you are intimately connected to a larger rhythm, a greater voice, a universal flow. As you attune yourself to that you will see that your own personal hopes and desires are not always going to manifest - and yet, the flow goes on, beyond your ultimate control but with your constant participation. "I enter into the flow of all that is, knowing I cannot control the outcome." This is an affirmation for these times.
This word flow has become a bit of a cliché in New Age spirituality but it has a deep and profound truth. Remember that being attuned to the flow doesn't always mean you get what you want. It doesn't mean you won't have problems to deal with, circumstances that don't seem to change immediately or that life will always be blissful. It means you will be able to flow with what is. The flow of energy in this universe does not always have the human agenda or your personal agenda as its primary focus. As you listen to your inner voice, attend to your inner rhythm, you will realize that you are intimately connected to a larger rhythm, a greater voice, a universal flow. As you attune yourself to that you will see that your own personal hopes and desires are not always going to manifest - and yet, the flow goes on, beyond your ultimate control but with your constant participation. "I enter into the flow of all that is, knowing I cannot control the outcome." This is an affirmation for these times.
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen......chap.4
Thought and Purpose
Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment. With the majority the bark of thought is allowed to "drift" upon the ocean of life. Aimlessness is a vice, and such drifting must not continue for him who would steer clear of catastrophe and destruction.
They who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to worries, fears, troubles, and self-pityings, all of which are indications of weakness, which lead, just as surely as deliberately planned sins (though by a different route), to failure, unhappiness, and loss, for weakness cannot persist in a power-evolving universe.
A man should conceive of a legitimate purpose in his heart, and set out to accomplish it. He should make this purpose the centralizing point of his thoughts. It may take the form of a spiritual ideal, or it may be a worldly object, according to his nature at the time being. But whichever it is, he should steadily focus his thought forces upon the object which he has set before him. He should make this purpose his supreme duty, and should devote himself to its attainment, not allowing his thoughts to wander away into ephemeral fancies, longings, and imaginings. This is the royal road to self-control and true concentration of thought. Even if he fails again and again to accomplish his purpose (as he necessarily must until weakness is overcome), the strength of character gained will be the measure of his true success, and this will form a new starting point for future power and triumph.
Those who are not prepared for the apprehension of a great purpose, should fix the thoughts upon the faultless performance of their duty, no matter how insignificant their task may appear. Only in this way can the thoughts be gathered and focused, and resolution and energy be developed, which being done, there is nothing which may not be accomplished.
The weakest soul, knowing its own weakness, and believing this truth - that strength can only be developed by effort and practice, will at once begin to exert itself, and adding effort to effort, patience to patience, and strength to strength, will never cease to develop, and will at last grow divinely strong.
As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.
To put away aimlessness and weakness, and to begin to think with purpose, is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment; who make all conditions serve them, and who think strongly, attempt fearlessly, and accomplish masterfully.
Having conceived of his purpose, a man should mentally mark out a straight pathway to its achievement, looking neither to the right nor to the left. Doubts and fears should be rigorously excluded; they are disintegrating elements which break up the straight line of effort, rendering it crooked, ineffectual, useless. Thoughts of doubt and fear never accomplish anything, and never can. They always lead to failure. Purpose, energy, power to do, and all strong thoughts cease when doubt and fear creep in.
The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do. Doubt and fear are the great enemies of knowledge, and he who encourages them, who does not slay them, thwarts himself at every step.
He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure. His every thought is allied with power, and all difficulties are bravely met and wisely overcome. His purposes are seasonably planted, and they bloom and bring forth fruit which does not fall prematurely to the ground.
Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force. He who knows this is ready to become something higher and stronger than a mere bundle of wavering thoughts and fluctuating sensations. He who does this has become the conscious and intelligent wielder of his mental powers.
Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment. With the majority the bark of thought is allowed to "drift" upon the ocean of life. Aimlessness is a vice, and such drifting must not continue for him who would steer clear of catastrophe and destruction.
They who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to worries, fears, troubles, and self-pityings, all of which are indications of weakness, which lead, just as surely as deliberately planned sins (though by a different route), to failure, unhappiness, and loss, for weakness cannot persist in a power-evolving universe.
A man should conceive of a legitimate purpose in his heart, and set out to accomplish it. He should make this purpose the centralizing point of his thoughts. It may take the form of a spiritual ideal, or it may be a worldly object, according to his nature at the time being. But whichever it is, he should steadily focus his thought forces upon the object which he has set before him. He should make this purpose his supreme duty, and should devote himself to its attainment, not allowing his thoughts to wander away into ephemeral fancies, longings, and imaginings. This is the royal road to self-control and true concentration of thought. Even if he fails again and again to accomplish his purpose (as he necessarily must until weakness is overcome), the strength of character gained will be the measure of his true success, and this will form a new starting point for future power and triumph.
Those who are not prepared for the apprehension of a great purpose, should fix the thoughts upon the faultless performance of their duty, no matter how insignificant their task may appear. Only in this way can the thoughts be gathered and focused, and resolution and energy be developed, which being done, there is nothing which may not be accomplished.
The weakest soul, knowing its own weakness, and believing this truth - that strength can only be developed by effort and practice, will at once begin to exert itself, and adding effort to effort, patience to patience, and strength to strength, will never cease to develop, and will at last grow divinely strong.
As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.
To put away aimlessness and weakness, and to begin to think with purpose, is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment; who make all conditions serve them, and who think strongly, attempt fearlessly, and accomplish masterfully.
Having conceived of his purpose, a man should mentally mark out a straight pathway to its achievement, looking neither to the right nor to the left. Doubts and fears should be rigorously excluded; they are disintegrating elements which break up the straight line of effort, rendering it crooked, ineffectual, useless. Thoughts of doubt and fear never accomplish anything, and never can. They always lead to failure. Purpose, energy, power to do, and all strong thoughts cease when doubt and fear creep in.
The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do. Doubt and fear are the great enemies of knowledge, and he who encourages them, who does not slay them, thwarts himself at every step.
He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure. His every thought is allied with power, and all difficulties are bravely met and wisely overcome. His purposes are seasonably planted, and they bloom and bring forth fruit which does not fall prematurely to the ground.
Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force. He who knows this is ready to become something higher and stronger than a mere bundle of wavering thoughts and fluctuating sensations. He who does this has become the conscious and intelligent wielder of his mental powers.
Divine Sufi Teacher is Channelled...
In high and thick fir forest, there is an oblong low dell grown with young birches. There reside bright, consisting of Divine Goldish Fire, Mahadoubles of Eaglestform and Babaji. And also He Whom we called before simply the Divine Sufi; on this place He gifted us and our students the first states of Samadhi. Near Him stands His Divine Disciple Karas.
This time we came to the Divine Sufi with the purpose of making a closer acquaintance. We ask Him to relate about Himself.
He does not reply immediately, but proposes to attune to Him once more and again gives us a most intense feeling of Divine Bliss… Only then He replies:
“Allah is one! There is no God but Allah! All We — in Him — are One!
“This is clear enough for you. But many other people have to be waited long: they have not gained this understanding yet.”
“How should we call You?”
“The only name is the name of Allah!”
“Tell us please how You developed to the state of Allah.”
“I do not remember it, do not know it, and do not want to know it! I came to know the Oneness with Allah — and dropped the rest from My memory. It was not of value for me any longer.”
“Tell us, at least, where did You incarnate last time?"
“In Persia, in the land of modern Iran, at the time of the last padishah. I served in a mosque as an imam. At that time, around that mosque an oasis bloomed: the people came there to touch Me…
“But I did not develop Myself at that time: I had another status already — the status of Allah. And I represented the Creator for people.”
“What recommendations would you give us?”
“Everything will go on according to the Will of Allah; there is no need to peep too far in the future. Proceed with you current affairs. Insh’Allah! — Let it be as Allah wills!”
“What would You say about our present level?”
“You have gained the ‘platform’. Now you have to master being Allah.”
“But to what extent it is possible for a person in the embodied state?”
“It is not only possible, but is necessary for all of you.”
“How?”
“You know how. There is no need to invent something else. You will succeed! You just need to substitute your will with the Will of Allah!”
“What would you say to beginners?”
“I would like to tell them about Sufism.
“Many understand Sufism as one of the numerous religious doctrines with its own set of rules, dogmas, directions. Yet, Sufism is not a ‘dead’ set of rules. Sufism is life, a way of life based on love. Therefore, any man regardless of his confession — be he a Christian or a Buddhist — can be called Sufi if his heart, full of love, longs for Me and he wants to embrace with his love the whole world.*
“To be a Sufi means to live by the Beauty — the Beauty of God! Wherever the heart of a Sufi turns — there it should see the Beauty of the Beloved invisible to the ordinary eye. The whole world is pervaded with His Beauty, which is perceivable only to the eyes of a loving heart!
“Now, who can become a Sufi? Is it possible only for people living in the East? And who is a Sufi, anyway? Is it he who just proclaimed himself so? Or the one who was attached to a certain tradition and wears special clothes?
“One can become a Sufi independent of in what corner of the Earth he or she was born or lives now. A true Sufi is he who does not take the eyes of his loving heart off the Beauty of the Beloved; he who lives by this Beauty!”
“Tell us please about Yourself.”
“My Path is the path of dissolution of ‘oneself’ in Allah! I am the Great Silence of Allah filled with sounding of strings of the Souls Who merged into Allah.”
“Why are You on this place — which is visited almost by no one of the embodied people?”
“You visit it… Besides… it is so blissful — to permeate the Earth with the Light of Allah!
“Blend with Me completely! And let the Flow of Allah stream through your body!
“… Samadhi is the state when Allah enters your spiritual heart inside your body. Nirvana is when you can submerge into the Heart of the Absolute and dissolve in It. And then only Allah remains. Discover the connectedness of these states. And rise from the Depths to the body filling it with the Light of Allah! Let it be only the Light of Allah everywhere, even inside your body!
“Were You capable of dematerializing and materializing the body?”
“What is the need of it? In the last incarnation, I did not perceive Myself a body at all! I had entered into the body with the purpose of bringing to people the knowledge about the One. His Omnipotence manifested through My body whenever it was necessary.
“But I never worked miracles for attracting attention. I worked in a different way. I filled the hearts with the Light of Allah giving to people a possibility to experience His Love. I taught aught but Love. It was My Mission — to make it possible for seekers to touch Him!
“There is a border where your meditation ceases. There you cease to be as individuality. Beyond of it, there is only Love, Which is Allah!
“I dissolve in Myself those who come to Me with love in the heart! And the Light of Allah fills them!
“I bring Myself closer to them if they are little yet.
“I submerge them into Myself if they are large. I submerge them into Allah to that depth which they have grown up to.
“But always it is the same thing that happens — dissolution in the Light of Allah!”
This time we came to the Divine Sufi with the purpose of making a closer acquaintance. We ask Him to relate about Himself.
He does not reply immediately, but proposes to attune to Him once more and again gives us a most intense feeling of Divine Bliss… Only then He replies:
“Allah is one! There is no God but Allah! All We — in Him — are One!
“This is clear enough for you. But many other people have to be waited long: they have not gained this understanding yet.”
“How should we call You?”
“The only name is the name of Allah!”
“Tell us please how You developed to the state of Allah.”
“I do not remember it, do not know it, and do not want to know it! I came to know the Oneness with Allah — and dropped the rest from My memory. It was not of value for me any longer.”
“Tell us, at least, where did You incarnate last time?"
“In Persia, in the land of modern Iran, at the time of the last padishah. I served in a mosque as an imam. At that time, around that mosque an oasis bloomed: the people came there to touch Me…
“But I did not develop Myself at that time: I had another status already — the status of Allah. And I represented the Creator for people.”
“What recommendations would you give us?”
“Everything will go on according to the Will of Allah; there is no need to peep too far in the future. Proceed with you current affairs. Insh’Allah! — Let it be as Allah wills!”
“What would You say about our present level?”
“You have gained the ‘platform’. Now you have to master being Allah.”
“But to what extent it is possible for a person in the embodied state?”
“It is not only possible, but is necessary for all of you.”
“How?”
“You know how. There is no need to invent something else. You will succeed! You just need to substitute your will with the Will of Allah!”
“What would you say to beginners?”
“I would like to tell them about Sufism.
“Many understand Sufism as one of the numerous religious doctrines with its own set of rules, dogmas, directions. Yet, Sufism is not a ‘dead’ set of rules. Sufism is life, a way of life based on love. Therefore, any man regardless of his confession — be he a Christian or a Buddhist — can be called Sufi if his heart, full of love, longs for Me and he wants to embrace with his love the whole world.*
“To be a Sufi means to live by the Beauty — the Beauty of God! Wherever the heart of a Sufi turns — there it should see the Beauty of the Beloved invisible to the ordinary eye. The whole world is pervaded with His Beauty, which is perceivable only to the eyes of a loving heart!
“Now, who can become a Sufi? Is it possible only for people living in the East? And who is a Sufi, anyway? Is it he who just proclaimed himself so? Or the one who was attached to a certain tradition and wears special clothes?
“One can become a Sufi independent of in what corner of the Earth he or she was born or lives now. A true Sufi is he who does not take the eyes of his loving heart off the Beauty of the Beloved; he who lives by this Beauty!”
“Tell us please about Yourself.”
“My Path is the path of dissolution of ‘oneself’ in Allah! I am the Great Silence of Allah filled with sounding of strings of the Souls Who merged into Allah.”
“Why are You on this place — which is visited almost by no one of the embodied people?”
“You visit it… Besides… it is so blissful — to permeate the Earth with the Light of Allah!
“Blend with Me completely! And let the Flow of Allah stream through your body!
“… Samadhi is the state when Allah enters your spiritual heart inside your body. Nirvana is when you can submerge into the Heart of the Absolute and dissolve in It. And then only Allah remains. Discover the connectedness of these states. And rise from the Depths to the body filling it with the Light of Allah! Let it be only the Light of Allah everywhere, even inside your body!
“Were You capable of dematerializing and materializing the body?”
“What is the need of it? In the last incarnation, I did not perceive Myself a body at all! I had entered into the body with the purpose of bringing to people the knowledge about the One. His Omnipotence manifested through My body whenever it was necessary.
“But I never worked miracles for attracting attention. I worked in a different way. I filled the hearts with the Light of Allah giving to people a possibility to experience His Love. I taught aught but Love. It was My Mission — to make it possible for seekers to touch Him!
“There is a border where your meditation ceases. There you cease to be as individuality. Beyond of it, there is only Love, Which is Allah!
“I dissolve in Myself those who come to Me with love in the heart! And the Light of Allah fills them!
“I bring Myself closer to them if they are little yet.
“I submerge them into Myself if they are large. I submerge them into Allah to that depth which they have grown up to.
“But always it is the same thing that happens — dissolution in the Light of Allah!”
Divine Teachers........
The universal space is really multidimensional. Its dimensions (eons, lokas) differ by the degree of subtlety-coarseness of the energies which fill them. The most subtle dimension is the Abode of the Creator. Very close to it is the dimension of paradise. The most coarse dimension is hell.
2. Consciousnesses (souls) of incarnate and non-incarnate beings abide in various dimensions, which can be likened to the “storeys” of the multidimensional universe. The higher is the level of evolutionary development of a particular soul the closer to the Creator this soul is.
3. The meaning of our lives consists in conscious development of oneself with the purpose of becoming closer (in the quality of the consciousness) to the Creator and entering the Highest loka. Merging with the Primordial Consciousness of the Creator, enriching Him with oneself constitutes the positive accomplishment of the personal evolution of this soul.
“And remember: an essential right of a soul is to become one with the Father!”
People who have approached this state become capable of cognizing the Creator directly and communicating freely with Those Who completed Their evolutionary Path, i.e. with Divine Teachers. On this stage, one can easily see Them and talk with Them.
2. Consciousnesses (souls) of incarnate and non-incarnate beings abide in various dimensions, which can be likened to the “storeys” of the multidimensional universe. The higher is the level of evolutionary development of a particular soul the closer to the Creator this soul is.
3. The meaning of our lives consists in conscious development of oneself with the purpose of becoming closer (in the quality of the consciousness) to the Creator and entering the Highest loka. Merging with the Primordial Consciousness of the Creator, enriching Him with oneself constitutes the positive accomplishment of the personal evolution of this soul.
“And remember: an essential right of a soul is to become one with the Father!”
People who have approached this state become capable of cognizing the Creator directly and communicating freely with Those Who completed Their evolutionary Path, i.e. with Divine Teachers. On this stage, one can easily see Them and talk with Them.
The meaning of Namaste as a greeting...
In namaste both our hands are closed together.
(1) This means the oneness of souls and not merely the body of you and the person you are saluting.
(2) The hands are close to heart to say it's from heart.
(3) We also bow our head downward for a moment to say every individual's soul is itself a god and so I bow before God.
(1) This means the oneness of souls and not merely the body of you and the person you are saluting.
(2) The hands are close to heart to say it's from heart.
(3) We also bow our head downward for a moment to say every individual's soul is itself a god and so I bow before God.
Why Meditate? -- Buddha, Sant Kirpal Singh
Be Still and Know God is God. (Psalm 46:10)
"Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom."
-- Buddha
And The Silence Speaks Volumes
There is a cardinal need for developing inner receptivity. The Master-Power, as you all know, is not confined to any particular place. It is working in and around you. You have but to turn your face towards Him inwardly to get the required help and guidance wherever necessary. Learn to sit still and be mentally still, and the silence thus generated with be more vocal than words spoken and written; and you will have an instantaneous solution not only to your own personal problems but to the problems of others as well.
Other passages on silence and inner guidance
Be grateful to the Maker who gave you this human birth, wherein you can realize Him. It is thy turn to meet Him, through the silence of the heart - through rising above all faculties.
God is the Ocean of utmost and restful silence. So long as we cannot have this restful silence within us, the soul cannot listen to the Voice of silence arising out of the greatest depths of Silence. By following that Voice we can reach the source and fountainhead of the Great Silence called God and be blessed forever.
In silence the heart illumines; veil after veil is removed. In the heart shines the Light, and the very silence becomes vocal giving vent to the Music of the Spheres reverberating in all creation.
The human body is the temple of God.
He is waiting there for you.
That is why I ask you to look within,
with a longing in your heart
and silence in your soul.
God will reveal himself to you.
You will find him - no, see him.
"Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom."
-- Buddha
And The Silence Speaks Volumes
There is a cardinal need for developing inner receptivity. The Master-Power, as you all know, is not confined to any particular place. It is working in and around you. You have but to turn your face towards Him inwardly to get the required help and guidance wherever necessary. Learn to sit still and be mentally still, and the silence thus generated with be more vocal than words spoken and written; and you will have an instantaneous solution not only to your own personal problems but to the problems of others as well.
Other passages on silence and inner guidance
Be grateful to the Maker who gave you this human birth, wherein you can realize Him. It is thy turn to meet Him, through the silence of the heart - through rising above all faculties.
God is the Ocean of utmost and restful silence. So long as we cannot have this restful silence within us, the soul cannot listen to the Voice of silence arising out of the greatest depths of Silence. By following that Voice we can reach the source and fountainhead of the Great Silence called God and be blessed forever.
In silence the heart illumines; veil after veil is removed. In the heart shines the Light, and the very silence becomes vocal giving vent to the Music of the Spheres reverberating in all creation.
The human body is the temple of God.
He is waiting there for you.
That is why I ask you to look within,
with a longing in your heart
and silence in your soul.
God will reveal himself to you.
You will find him - no, see him.
Three Universal Laws by Dick Sutphen
THE LAW OF DIVINE ORDER
If you seek to understand The Law of Divine Order, study the natural balance of nature, for it works very much the same way. Everything is as it should be, although mankind (our energy gestalt) is far from experiencing its potential of total harmony. There are no accidents. Your energy, translated into thoughts, words, emotions, and deeds, cause all your experiences. This assures that you always have the learning opportunities you require to resolve your karma. So, it follows the collective thoughts, words, emotions, and deeds of mankind create the environment for us all.
If enough souls focus their energy upon peace, we will have peace. If the majority of souls are filled with anger, we may all have to experience war. We are all one, and like the many sub-personalities within you, the dominate traits of mankind (the entire gestalt) will emerge to resolve our group karma.
At this moment, a Fundamentalists evangelist preaches fear from a pulpit in West Virginia while a yoga instructor directs a loving group mediation in Oregon. One is directing the energy of the gestalt into disharmony, the other into harmony. Hopefully, at least one can cancel out the other. If we can't attain global harmony, maybe we can balance the disharmony. Certainly, as growth-oriented individuals, we must not give up individually or collectively. As always, fear is the problem and love is the answer.
THE LAW OF GROUP CONSCIOUSNESS
Every one of us is part of a great energy gestalt, and connected on the level of the collective unconscious. Each individual aspect of the gestalt has its own electrical system and its own vibrational frequency, and interacts with all other aspects. Thus we are all electrically connected to one another and to a central point. On a Higher-Self of psychic level it is possible for anyone to tune into anyone else, and to draw upon the awareness of the entire gestalt. Like the concept of the hundredth monkey, mankind takes advancing steps when group consciousness reaches critical mass and new awareness is accepted by the whole.
THE LAW OF RESTRICTION
We cannot create anything higher than our own level of understanding. Thus society can never get any better than the level of mankind as a whole. Our systems for social change usually only add new burdens to already ineffective systems. Time has proven that this approach to a new society doesn't work. Our mistake is in trying to right the wrongs of the world from the outside in. This is working on the effect instead of the cause, and is doomed to failure. Instead we must work from the inside out. Everyone of us on this planet can incorporate the power of harmonious thinking, which is the only long-term solution to poverty and limitation.
To heal the world we must each first heal ourselves.
If you seek to understand The Law of Divine Order, study the natural balance of nature, for it works very much the same way. Everything is as it should be, although mankind (our energy gestalt) is far from experiencing its potential of total harmony. There are no accidents. Your energy, translated into thoughts, words, emotions, and deeds, cause all your experiences. This assures that you always have the learning opportunities you require to resolve your karma. So, it follows the collective thoughts, words, emotions, and deeds of mankind create the environment for us all.
If enough souls focus their energy upon peace, we will have peace. If the majority of souls are filled with anger, we may all have to experience war. We are all one, and like the many sub-personalities within you, the dominate traits of mankind (the entire gestalt) will emerge to resolve our group karma.
At this moment, a Fundamentalists evangelist preaches fear from a pulpit in West Virginia while a yoga instructor directs a loving group mediation in Oregon. One is directing the energy of the gestalt into disharmony, the other into harmony. Hopefully, at least one can cancel out the other. If we can't attain global harmony, maybe we can balance the disharmony. Certainly, as growth-oriented individuals, we must not give up individually or collectively. As always, fear is the problem and love is the answer.
THE LAW OF GROUP CONSCIOUSNESS
Every one of us is part of a great energy gestalt, and connected on the level of the collective unconscious. Each individual aspect of the gestalt has its own electrical system and its own vibrational frequency, and interacts with all other aspects. Thus we are all electrically connected to one another and to a central point. On a Higher-Self of psychic level it is possible for anyone to tune into anyone else, and to draw upon the awareness of the entire gestalt. Like the concept of the hundredth monkey, mankind takes advancing steps when group consciousness reaches critical mass and new awareness is accepted by the whole.
THE LAW OF RESTRICTION
We cannot create anything higher than our own level of understanding. Thus society can never get any better than the level of mankind as a whole. Our systems for social change usually only add new burdens to already ineffective systems. Time has proven that this approach to a new society doesn't work. Our mistake is in trying to right the wrongs of the world from the outside in. This is working on the effect instead of the cause, and is doomed to failure. Instead we must work from the inside out. Everyone of us on this planet can incorporate the power of harmonious thinking, which is the only long-term solution to poverty and limitation.
To heal the world we must each first heal ourselves.
Blaming others: by Guy Finlay
Whenever we allow angry parts of us to cast blame upon others for the conditions we find ourselves in, we enable the sleeping nature within us to stay in its dream that if it weren't for others doing us wrong we would never be so upset and angry, defeated or depressed. The truth is there are unconscious parts of us that readily find fault with others in a misguided effort to remain infallible in their own eyes. Each time we blame someone else we agree to remain asleep in this misery-making mistaken identity. Saying NO to this nature is saying goodbye to a host of imagined enemies this false self needs to remain itself, as well as to a war that can never be won.
Whenever we allow angry parts of us to cast blame upon others for the conditions we find ourselves in, we enable the sleeping nature within us to stay in its dream that if it weren't for others doing us wrong we would never be so upset and angry, defeated or depressed. The truth is there are unconscious parts of us that readily find fault with others in a misguided effort to remain infallible in their own eyes. Each time we blame someone else we agree to remain asleep in this misery-making mistaken identity. Saying NO to this nature is saying goodbye to a host of imagined enemies this false self needs to remain itself, as well as to a war that can never be won.
Whenever we allow angry parts of us to cast blame upon others for the conditions we find ourselves in, we enable the sleeping nature within us to stay in its dream that if it weren't for others doing us wrong we would never be so upset and angry, defeated or depressed. The truth is there are unconscious parts of us that readily find fault with others in a misguided effort to remain infallible in their own eyes. Each time we blame someone else we agree to remain asleep in this misery-making mistaken identity. Saying NO to this nature is saying goodbye to a host of imagined enemies this false self needs to remain itself, as well as to a war that can never be won.
Spiritual Advancement by Vernon Howard
The leap is made by dropping vanity over knowledge and by a willingness to become nothing in order to become everything."
Jesus passes the fourth brotherhood test, and receives the fourth degree, PHILANTHROPHY.
WHEN other certain days had passed, the guide led Jesus to the Hall of Mirth, a hall most richly furnished, and replete with everything a carnal heart could wish. 2 The choicest viands and the most delicious wines were on the boards; and maids, in gay attire, served all with grace and cheerfulness. 3 And men and women, richly clad, were there; and they were wild with joy; they sipped from every cup of mirth. 4 And Jesus watched the happy throng in silence for a time, and then a man in garb of sage came up and said, Most happy is the man who, like the bee, can gather sweets from every flower. 5 The wise man is the one who seeks for pleasure, and can find it everywhere. 6 At best man's span of life on earth is short, and then he dies and goes, he knows not where. 7 Then let us eat, and drink, and dance, and sing, and get the joys of life, for death comes on apace. 8 It is but foolishness to spend a life for other men. Behold, all die and lie together in the grave, where none can know and none can show forth gratitude. 9 But Jesus answered not; upon the tinselled guests in all their rounds of mirth he gazed in silent thought. 10 And then among the guests he saw a man whose clothes were coarse; who showed in face and hands the lines of toil and want. 11 The giddy throng found pleasure in abusing him; they jostled him against the wall, and laughed at his discomfiture. 12 And then a poor, frail woman came, who carried in her face and form the marks of sin and shame; and without mercy she was spit upon, and jeered, and driven from the hall. 13 And then a little child, with timid ways and hungry mien, came in and asked for just a morsel of their food. 14 But she was driven out uncared for and unloved; and still the merry dance went on. 15 And when the pleasure seekers urged that Jesus join them in their mirth, he said, 16 How could I seek for pleasure for myself while others are in want? How can you think that while the children cry for bread, while those in haunts of sin call out for sympathy and love that I can fill myself to full with the good things of life? 17 I tell you, nay; we all are kin, each one a part of the great human heart. 18 I cannot see myself apart from that poor man that you so scorned, and crowded to the wall; 19 Nor from the one in female garb who came up from the haunts of vice to ask for sympathy and love, who was by you so ruthlessly pushed back into her den of sin; 20 Nor from that little child that you drove from your midst to suffer in the cold, bleak winds of night. 21 I tell you, men, what you have done to these, my kindred, you have done to me. 22 You have insulted me in your own home; I cannot stay. I will go forth and find that child, that woman and that man, and give them help until my life's blood all has ebbed away. 23 I call it pleasure when I help the helpless, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, and speak good words of cheer to those unloved, discouraged and depressed. 24 And this that you call mirth is but a phantom of the night; but flashes of the fire of passion, painting pictures on the walls of time. 25 And while the Logos spoke the white-robed priest came in and said to him, The council waits for you. 26 Then Jesus stood again before the bar; again no word was said; the hierophant placed in his hands a scroll, on which was writ, PHILANTHROPY. 27 And Jesus was a victor over selfish self. ....................Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ....
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen......chap.3
Effect of Thought on Health and the Body
The body is the servant of the mind. It obeys the operations of the mind, whether they be deliberately chosen or automatically expressed. At the bidding of unlawful thoughts the body sinks rapidly into disease and decay; at the command of glad and beautiful thoughts it becomes clothed with youthfulness and beauty.
Disease and health, like circumstances, are rooted in thought. Sickly thoughts will express themselves through a sickly body. Thoughts of fear have been known to kill a man as speedily as a bullet, and they are continually killing thousands of people just as surely though less rapidly. The people who live in fear of disease are the people who get it. Anxiety quickly demoralizes the whole body, and lays it open to the entrance of disease; while impure thoughts, even if not physically indulged, will soon shatter the nervous system.
Strong, pure, and happy thoughts build up the body in vigor and grace. The body is a delicate and plastic instrument, which responds readily to the thoughts by which it is impressed, and habits of thought will produce their own effects, good or bad, upon it.
Men will continue to have impure and poisoned blood so long as they propagate unclean thoughts. Out of a clean heart comes a clean life and a clean body. Out of a defiled mind proceeds a defiled life and corrupt body. Thought is the fountain of action, life and manifestation; make the fountain pure, and all will be pure.
Change of diet will not help a man who will not change his thoughts. When a man makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure food.
If you would perfect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew your body, beautify your mind. Thoughts of malice, envy, disappointment, despondency, rob the body of its health and grace. A sour face does not come by chance; it is made by sour thoughts. Wrinkles that mar are drawn by folly, passion, pride.
I know a woman of ninety-six who has the bright, innocent face of a girl. I know a man well under middle age whose face is drawn into inharmonious contours. The one is the result of a sweet and sunny disposition; the other is the outcome of passion and discontent.
As you cannot have a sweet and wholesome abode unless you admit the air and sunshine freely into your rooms, so a strong body and a bright, happy, or serene countenance can only result from the free admittance into the mind of thoughts of joy and good will and serenity.
On the faces of the aged there are wrinkles made by sympathy, others by strong and pure thought, others are carved by passion. Who cannot distinguish them? With those who have lived righteously, age is calm, peaceful, and softly mellowed, like the setting sun. I have recently seen a philosopher on his deathbed. He was not old except in years. He died as sweetly and peacefully as he had lived.
There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the body; there is no comforter to compare with good will for dispersing the shadows of grief and sorrow. To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self-made prison hole. But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all - such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to dwell day to day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor.
The body is the servant of the mind. It obeys the operations of the mind, whether they be deliberately chosen or automatically expressed. At the bidding of unlawful thoughts the body sinks rapidly into disease and decay; at the command of glad and beautiful thoughts it becomes clothed with youthfulness and beauty.
Disease and health, like circumstances, are rooted in thought. Sickly thoughts will express themselves through a sickly body. Thoughts of fear have been known to kill a man as speedily as a bullet, and they are continually killing thousands of people just as surely though less rapidly. The people who live in fear of disease are the people who get it. Anxiety quickly demoralizes the whole body, and lays it open to the entrance of disease; while impure thoughts, even if not physically indulged, will soon shatter the nervous system.
Strong, pure, and happy thoughts build up the body in vigor and grace. The body is a delicate and plastic instrument, which responds readily to the thoughts by which it is impressed, and habits of thought will produce their own effects, good or bad, upon it.
Men will continue to have impure and poisoned blood so long as they propagate unclean thoughts. Out of a clean heart comes a clean life and a clean body. Out of a defiled mind proceeds a defiled life and corrupt body. Thought is the fountain of action, life and manifestation; make the fountain pure, and all will be pure.
Change of diet will not help a man who will not change his thoughts. When a man makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure food.
If you would perfect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew your body, beautify your mind. Thoughts of malice, envy, disappointment, despondency, rob the body of its health and grace. A sour face does not come by chance; it is made by sour thoughts. Wrinkles that mar are drawn by folly, passion, pride.
I know a woman of ninety-six who has the bright, innocent face of a girl. I know a man well under middle age whose face is drawn into inharmonious contours. The one is the result of a sweet and sunny disposition; the other is the outcome of passion and discontent.
As you cannot have a sweet and wholesome abode unless you admit the air and sunshine freely into your rooms, so a strong body and a bright, happy, or serene countenance can only result from the free admittance into the mind of thoughts of joy and good will and serenity.
On the faces of the aged there are wrinkles made by sympathy, others by strong and pure thought, others are carved by passion. Who cannot distinguish them? With those who have lived righteously, age is calm, peaceful, and softly mellowed, like the setting sun. I have recently seen a philosopher on his deathbed. He was not old except in years. He died as sweetly and peacefully as he had lived.
There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the body; there is no comforter to compare with good will for dispersing the shadows of grief and sorrow. To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self-made prison hole. But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all - such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to dwell day to day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor.
A Sikh Saint Speaks............
"There is one Reality,
The Unmanifest-Manifested
Ever-Existent, He is Naam (Conscious Spirit)
The Creator; pervading all
Without fear, without enmity;
The Timeless, the Unborn
And the Self-existent;
Complete within Itself.
Through the favor of His
True Servant, the Guru,
He may be realized.
He was when there was nothing;
He was before all ages began;
He existeth now, O Nanak,
And shall exist forevermore."
Indian Master, Guru Nanak
The Unmanifest-Manifested
Ever-Existent, He is Naam (Conscious Spirit)
The Creator; pervading all
Without fear, without enmity;
The Timeless, the Unborn
And the Self-existent;
Complete within Itself.
Through the favor of His
True Servant, the Guru,
He may be realized.
He was when there was nothing;
He was before all ages began;
He existeth now, O Nanak,
And shall exist forevermore."
Indian Master, Guru Nanak
God Repairs the Earth by the Reluctant Messenger
Chester asked the Master. "Let me see if I have this straight. You are saying that the fossil records that indicate that life has been on this planet for billions years are correct. Gen 1:1 states God created the heavens and the earth, and you claim science does not contradict that statement with the Big Bang Theory."
The Master simply nodded.
Chester said, "You are saying that the definition of was, in Gen 1:2 could better be translated as the phrase 'It came to pass'. Your Master taught you that the original Hebrew meant And it came to pass that the earth became a lifeless wasteland empty and chaotic, and that Lucifer's rebellion is what brought about this tragedy. But Genesis plainly says that God created the Sun and Moon on the fourth day."
The Master sat back. "Why would God put plants on the earth on the third day before creating a sun on the fourth day? Science knows the Sun came before the Earth. Genesis does not contradict Science. I can clear it up but hear me out before you start your debate." The Master looked relaxed and unconcerned.
Chester nodded. "Ok, go ahead."
Day 1: Black Smoke and Dark Clouds covered the Earth
"My Master explained it like this to me. "He asked me to imagine the world as being frozen and covered with a dark atmosphere, choking with smoke and clouds, air so thick with corruption that no light could glimmer through it. Lucifer's destruction was so complete that only a few deep sea creatures were still alive. The seas were close to freezing up and if the Spirit of God hadn't intervened then eventually even the deep sea creatures would have died. Genesis 1:2 begins with the The Spirit of God hovering over the water. Obviously science understands the universe was not created from water. By believing both Science and Genesis we can have understanding."
Conditions Similiar to Nuclear Winter
Chester nodded his head, so far it was logically consistent. "Sounds almost like a nuclear winter. In fact your theory might explain why the mammoths were frozen so quickly that many had food still in their mouths. That has always been a puzzle as to how or why they became frozen so quickly and suddenly. Research indicates many species disappeared over night geologically speaking. Somewhere between 10,000 and 8,000 years ago we lost mammoths, saber toothed tigers, giant armadillos and such. The best current scientific theory is violent climate changes. Perhaps Lucifer was responsible for the violent weather changes and volcanic eruptions. "
The Master recited. "God divided the light from the darkness." The Master explained, "On the first day God cleared the atmosphere enough for light to penetrate. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night."
Chester followed in the Bible trying to spot any error in The Master's story.
Day 2: The Ice Melts
"Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day." The Master explained, "The temperature of the earth was so cold that the seas were beginning to freeze and the land was covered in deep ice and snow. God warmed the earth so that water separated from the ice to became water below and rain and clouds above. This is what is meant to divide the waters from the waters to create the heavens. And the evening and the morning were the second day."
Chester quickly looked up the word heaven in the concordance and read outloud the definition for the word heaven as referenced in Gen 1:8. "visible heavens, sky." Chester motioned for the Master to continue as he had no challenge yet."
Day 3: Dry Land and Plants Appear
The Master smiled and said, "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas." The Master explained further. "Warming the Earth and melting the ice created massive flooding."
Even Chester could see the obvious meaning of Gen 1:10 and needed no further explanation. "Ok, so the water finally settled in the low areas revealing the land. Funny, I had never seen that possible meaning but it makes sense. Ok, go on."
The Master's eyes were closed as if he was remembering something. "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. ... And the evening and the morning were the third day." The Master offered more commentary, "The cold had killed all the plants. Plus God needed the plants to be in place before he could place animals on the Earth. After all they had to have something to eat."
Chester said, "So far so good, but you still can't explain why God is creating the Sun and Moon and Stars on the fourth Day!" Chester was agitated for he was sure he had found the flaw in the Master's story.
The Master seemed unconcerned as he replied, "You forget the atmosphere. On Day 2 the ice had just turned into water and clouds but the atmosphere wasn't clear yet. Clouds still covered the earth heavily on day three. As it rained and flooded, God brought the water loving plants back into the world but the cloudy steamy atmosphere prevented a clear view of the celestial heavens."
Chester was momentarily stumped. Chester flipped back to Genesis and said, "The tense is present tense on day four not past tense. It doesn't say 'God had made' it says 'God made'."
Day 4: Sun, Moon and Stars Revealed
The Master simply smiled and recited, "And God said, Let the lights in the firmament of the heaven divide the day from the night for they are the signs of days, seasons, and years. The lights in the firmament of the heaven will give light upon the earth. And God made the heavens shine with two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. The stars also were seen in their glory shining from the heavens. For God had set the sun and stars in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day."
Chester looked puzzled, "It does make sense that the Sun and Stars preceded the Earth." Chester ran his hands through his hair, "I want to make sure that I understand what you are saying. What God did on the fourth day was finish cleaning up the air and break up the cloud cover? Ahhhh.... the Sun, Moon and Stars were hidden up to this time because the atmosphere had become so polluted and dark by the War of the Angels. Your theory at least matches the scientific record. Obviously the sun came before the earth and certainly wasn't created a day after God put plants on the Earth."
The Master said, "Gen 1:1 plainly says God created the heavens and the earth. The Sun and Moon and Stars are part of the heavens. At the beginning of this conversation I told you God created the heavens and earth. Verse 2 is later in the timeline, it is not a detailed commentary of verse 1. Verse 1 stands alone. God created the heavens and the earth, period. We see the heavens mentioned again in verse 4. Billions of years later than verse 1 in the timeline. The Sun, Moon and Stars existed before the Rebellion of Lucifer and were hidden by the darkness created by Lucifer. God cleared the air for the plants restored on day 3 so they could have sunshine.
Biblical Hebrew is not a 'tense' language
Genesis 1 is a record of God repairing the damage caused by Lucifer's war. On the fourth day was the day the clouds were cleared by God so that the sun, moon and stars could be seen. Maybe it will help if you understood that there is no such thing as 'tense' in biblical Hebrew. Biblical Hebrew is not a 'tense' language. Modern grammarians recognize that it is an 'aspectual' language. This means that the same form of a verb can be translated as either past, present, or future depending on the context and various grammatical cues. So, when it references the Sun and Stars, the original Hebrew does not indicate when the Sun and Stars were made, (i.e. present tense) but simply a statement that God made them to be for times and seasons and so forth."
Chester rubbed his hands and finally said, "Ok, I will look into this further, but go ahead."
Day 5: Fish and Birds restored
The Master recited again. "And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth in the waters did God create. And every winged fowl after his kind did God place for his pleasure.
Chester realized their were no new challenges, so he let the Master continue his recitation.
The Master took a deep breath and said, "And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
Day 6: Animals and Mankind restored
And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
Chester finally said ok, You don't have to recite the rest, I get the point. I can see how Lucifer's rebellion could create the illusion that Evolution and the Genesis are paradoxes. I have to hand it to you, you are the Master fence sitter. When do you ever take a stand?"
The Master said quietly. "The Sabbath is the where I make my stand."
Chester said, "And on the seventh day God rested and God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it. You seem to make a big deal out of the Sabbath."
The Master simply nodded.
Chester said, "You are saying that the definition of was, in Gen 1:2 could better be translated as the phrase 'It came to pass'. Your Master taught you that the original Hebrew meant And it came to pass that the earth became a lifeless wasteland empty and chaotic, and that Lucifer's rebellion is what brought about this tragedy. But Genesis plainly says that God created the Sun and Moon on the fourth day."
The Master sat back. "Why would God put plants on the earth on the third day before creating a sun on the fourth day? Science knows the Sun came before the Earth. Genesis does not contradict Science. I can clear it up but hear me out before you start your debate." The Master looked relaxed and unconcerned.
Chester nodded. "Ok, go ahead."
Day 1: Black Smoke and Dark Clouds covered the Earth
"My Master explained it like this to me. "He asked me to imagine the world as being frozen and covered with a dark atmosphere, choking with smoke and clouds, air so thick with corruption that no light could glimmer through it. Lucifer's destruction was so complete that only a few deep sea creatures were still alive. The seas were close to freezing up and if the Spirit of God hadn't intervened then eventually even the deep sea creatures would have died. Genesis 1:2 begins with the The Spirit of God hovering over the water. Obviously science understands the universe was not created from water. By believing both Science and Genesis we can have understanding."
Conditions Similiar to Nuclear Winter
Chester nodded his head, so far it was logically consistent. "Sounds almost like a nuclear winter. In fact your theory might explain why the mammoths were frozen so quickly that many had food still in their mouths. That has always been a puzzle as to how or why they became frozen so quickly and suddenly. Research indicates many species disappeared over night geologically speaking. Somewhere between 10,000 and 8,000 years ago we lost mammoths, saber toothed tigers, giant armadillos and such. The best current scientific theory is violent climate changes. Perhaps Lucifer was responsible for the violent weather changes and volcanic eruptions. "
The Master recited. "God divided the light from the darkness." The Master explained, "On the first day God cleared the atmosphere enough for light to penetrate. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night."
Chester followed in the Bible trying to spot any error in The Master's story.
Day 2: The Ice Melts
"Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day." The Master explained, "The temperature of the earth was so cold that the seas were beginning to freeze and the land was covered in deep ice and snow. God warmed the earth so that water separated from the ice to became water below and rain and clouds above. This is what is meant to divide the waters from the waters to create the heavens. And the evening and the morning were the second day."
Chester quickly looked up the word heaven in the concordance and read outloud the definition for the word heaven as referenced in Gen 1:8. "visible heavens, sky." Chester motioned for the Master to continue as he had no challenge yet."
Day 3: Dry Land and Plants Appear
The Master smiled and said, "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas." The Master explained further. "Warming the Earth and melting the ice created massive flooding."
Even Chester could see the obvious meaning of Gen 1:10 and needed no further explanation. "Ok, so the water finally settled in the low areas revealing the land. Funny, I had never seen that possible meaning but it makes sense. Ok, go on."
The Master's eyes were closed as if he was remembering something. "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. ... And the evening and the morning were the third day." The Master offered more commentary, "The cold had killed all the plants. Plus God needed the plants to be in place before he could place animals on the Earth. After all they had to have something to eat."
Chester said, "So far so good, but you still can't explain why God is creating the Sun and Moon and Stars on the fourth Day!" Chester was agitated for he was sure he had found the flaw in the Master's story.
The Master seemed unconcerned as he replied, "You forget the atmosphere. On Day 2 the ice had just turned into water and clouds but the atmosphere wasn't clear yet. Clouds still covered the earth heavily on day three. As it rained and flooded, God brought the water loving plants back into the world but the cloudy steamy atmosphere prevented a clear view of the celestial heavens."
Chester was momentarily stumped. Chester flipped back to Genesis and said, "The tense is present tense on day four not past tense. It doesn't say 'God had made' it says 'God made'."
Day 4: Sun, Moon and Stars Revealed
The Master simply smiled and recited, "And God said, Let the lights in the firmament of the heaven divide the day from the night for they are the signs of days, seasons, and years. The lights in the firmament of the heaven will give light upon the earth. And God made the heavens shine with two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. The stars also were seen in their glory shining from the heavens. For God had set the sun and stars in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day."
Chester looked puzzled, "It does make sense that the Sun and Stars preceded the Earth." Chester ran his hands through his hair, "I want to make sure that I understand what you are saying. What God did on the fourth day was finish cleaning up the air and break up the cloud cover? Ahhhh.... the Sun, Moon and Stars were hidden up to this time because the atmosphere had become so polluted and dark by the War of the Angels. Your theory at least matches the scientific record. Obviously the sun came before the earth and certainly wasn't created a day after God put plants on the Earth."
The Master said, "Gen 1:1 plainly says God created the heavens and the earth. The Sun and Moon and Stars are part of the heavens. At the beginning of this conversation I told you God created the heavens and earth. Verse 2 is later in the timeline, it is not a detailed commentary of verse 1. Verse 1 stands alone. God created the heavens and the earth, period. We see the heavens mentioned again in verse 4. Billions of years later than verse 1 in the timeline. The Sun, Moon and Stars existed before the Rebellion of Lucifer and were hidden by the darkness created by Lucifer. God cleared the air for the plants restored on day 3 so they could have sunshine.
Biblical Hebrew is not a 'tense' language
Genesis 1 is a record of God repairing the damage caused by Lucifer's war. On the fourth day was the day the clouds were cleared by God so that the sun, moon and stars could be seen. Maybe it will help if you understood that there is no such thing as 'tense' in biblical Hebrew. Biblical Hebrew is not a 'tense' language. Modern grammarians recognize that it is an 'aspectual' language. This means that the same form of a verb can be translated as either past, present, or future depending on the context and various grammatical cues. So, when it references the Sun and Stars, the original Hebrew does not indicate when the Sun and Stars were made, (i.e. present tense) but simply a statement that God made them to be for times and seasons and so forth."
Chester rubbed his hands and finally said, "Ok, I will look into this further, but go ahead."
Day 5: Fish and Birds restored
The Master recited again. "And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth in the waters did God create. And every winged fowl after his kind did God place for his pleasure.
Chester realized their were no new challenges, so he let the Master continue his recitation.
The Master took a deep breath and said, "And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
Day 6: Animals and Mankind restored
And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
Chester finally said ok, You don't have to recite the rest, I get the point. I can see how Lucifer's rebellion could create the illusion that Evolution and the Genesis are paradoxes. I have to hand it to you, you are the Master fence sitter. When do you ever take a stand?"
The Master said quietly. "The Sabbath is the where I make my stand."
Chester said, "And on the seventh day God rested and God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it. You seem to make a big deal out of the Sabbath."
The Rebellion of Lucifer by the Reluctant Messenger
The Master announced, "We need to go to the Library. As we walk I will explain why Lucifer became jealous and why he hated the Plan of God."
Chester scratched his head as he followed the Master. "I thought God told Lucifer his plan from the beginning. You said Lucifer was commanded to help the souls achieve their full potential."
The Master walked and collected his thoughts. "Lucifer finally perceived the full meaning of what a souls ultimate pontential to be. God's plan is to create millions and billions of God Beings through soul evolution!"
Chester shook his head as if confused. "Why did this upset Lucifer so much?"
The Master paused as if making sure he had Chester's attention, "Lucifer felt betrayed by God. Lucifer thought he would always be the Third Highest in the Infinite Realities. Instead he discovers God is creating God by the Billions and it was Lucifer's Pride to be of the Highest. Lucifer felt he had to maintain his most high status at all cost.
"What cost?" Chester blurted, very interested.
War of Angels.........The cost was a War of Angels of such violence that it ultimately ended the Jewel of Earth's ability to sustain life. Lucifer made war against the throne of God. God commanded Michael to resist Lucifer. Michael and his Angels fought with Lucifer and his Angels. Lucifer tried to overthrow Heaven but was defeated and was forced to return back to earth. Lucifer fell like a bolt of lightening. The Angels that rebelled with Lucifer were hurled back to earth. God had commanded Lucifer to watch over this earth and Lucifer had not yet been relieved of his duty.
Lucifer became enraged at his banishment to the very Earth he had once desired and now had come to hate. To add insult to injury, Lucifer was still under the command of God to help mankind achieve their destiny. This further enraged Lucifer. It was loathsome to him to be commanded to help beings achieve a station higher than he. The Mother Earth contained the very seed of billions of Gods. God seeds that someday would all exist higher and more glorious than he. Gods more powerful than he. Lucifer devised a plan to destroy the Earth's life giving properties. This is how the Earth ultimatly became chaotic and empty of life.
Lucifer destroyed Earth's Ecosystem , Lucifer destroyed this world's ability to support life because he wanted to stop the soul evolution. Lucifer knew that Reincarnations was how God was making it possible for the souls of mankind to have enough opportunities to finally discover their God Consciousness. The Rebellion of Lucifer is also the missing information that ties Evolution and Creation together, as well as the paradox of Reincarnation and the Resurrection. Afterwards, Lucifer's name was changed to Satan which means the enemy that destroys."
Chester scratched his head as he followed the Master. "I thought God told Lucifer his plan from the beginning. You said Lucifer was commanded to help the souls achieve their full potential."
The Master walked and collected his thoughts. "Lucifer finally perceived the full meaning of what a souls ultimate pontential to be. God's plan is to create millions and billions of God Beings through soul evolution!"
Chester shook his head as if confused. "Why did this upset Lucifer so much?"
The Master paused as if making sure he had Chester's attention, "Lucifer felt betrayed by God. Lucifer thought he would always be the Third Highest in the Infinite Realities. Instead he discovers God is creating God by the Billions and it was Lucifer's Pride to be of the Highest. Lucifer felt he had to maintain his most high status at all cost.
"What cost?" Chester blurted, very interested.
War of Angels.........The cost was a War of Angels of such violence that it ultimately ended the Jewel of Earth's ability to sustain life. Lucifer made war against the throne of God. God commanded Michael to resist Lucifer. Michael and his Angels fought with Lucifer and his Angels. Lucifer tried to overthrow Heaven but was defeated and was forced to return back to earth. Lucifer fell like a bolt of lightening. The Angels that rebelled with Lucifer were hurled back to earth. God had commanded Lucifer to watch over this earth and Lucifer had not yet been relieved of his duty.
Lucifer became enraged at his banishment to the very Earth he had once desired and now had come to hate. To add insult to injury, Lucifer was still under the command of God to help mankind achieve their destiny. This further enraged Lucifer. It was loathsome to him to be commanded to help beings achieve a station higher than he. The Mother Earth contained the very seed of billions of Gods. God seeds that someday would all exist higher and more glorious than he. Gods more powerful than he. Lucifer devised a plan to destroy the Earth's life giving properties. This is how the Earth ultimatly became chaotic and empty of life.
Lucifer destroyed Earth's Ecosystem , Lucifer destroyed this world's ability to support life because he wanted to stop the soul evolution. Lucifer knew that Reincarnations was how God was making it possible for the souls of mankind to have enough opportunities to finally discover their God Consciousness. The Rebellion of Lucifer is also the missing information that ties Evolution and Creation together, as well as the paradox of Reincarnation and the Resurrection. Afterwards, Lucifer's name was changed to Satan which means the enemy that destroys."
Jesus passes the third brotherhood test, and receives the third degree, FAITH.
THE Logos waited seven days, and then was taken to the Hall of Fame, a chamber rich in furnishings, and lighted up with gold and silver lamps. 2 The colours of its ceilings, decorations, furnishings and walls were blue and gold. 3 Its shelves were filled with books of master minds; the paintings and the statues were the works of highest art. 4 And Jesus was entranced with all this elegance and these manifests of thought. He read the sacred books, and sought the meanings of the symbols and the hieroglyphs. 5 And when he was absorbed in deepest thought, a priest approached and said, 6 Behold the glory of this place: my brother, you are highly blest. Few men of earth, so young, have reached such heights of fame. 7 Now, if you do not waste your life in search for hidden things that men can never comprehend, you may be founder of a school of thought that will insure you endless fame; 8 For your philosophy is deeper far than that of Plato, and your teachings please the common people more than those of Socrates. 9 Why seek for mystic light within these antiquated dens? Go forth and walk with men, and think with men, and they will honour you. 10 And, after all, these weird initiations may be myths, and your Messiah hopes but base illusions of the hour. 11 I would advise you to renounce uncertain things and choose the course that leads to certain fame. 12 And thus the priest, a demon in disguise, sung syren songs of unbelief; and Jesus meditated long and well on what he said. 13 The conflict was a bitter one, for king Ambition is a sturdy foe to fight. 14 For forty days the higher wrestled with the lower self, and then the fight was won. 15 Faith rose triumphant; unbelief was not. Ambition covered up his face and fled away, and Jesus said, 16 The wealth, the honour, and the fame of earth are but the baubles of an hour. 17 When this short span of earthly life has all been measured out, man's bursting baubles will be buried with his bones, 18 Yea, what a man does for his selfish self will make no markings on the credit side of life. 19 The good that men for other men shall do becomes a ladder strong on which the soul may climb to wealth, and power and fame of God's own kind, that cannot pass away. 20 Give me the poverty of men, the consciousness of duty done in love, the approbation of my God, and I will be content. 21 And then he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, 22 My Father-God, I thank thee for this hour. I ask not for the glory of thyself; I fain would be a keeper of thy temple gates, and serve my brother man. 23 Again was Jesus called to stand before the hierophant; again no word was said, but in his hands the master placed a scroll on which was written, FAITH. 24 And Jesus bowed his head in humble thanks; then went his way................................from the Aquarian Gospel....
The Gospel of Buddha...chap.six by Paul Carus circa 1894
The Three Woes.........The palace which the king had given to the prince was resplendent with all the luxuries of India; for the king was anxious to see his son happy. [1]
All sorrowful sights, all misery, and all knowledge of misery were kept away from Siddhattha, for the king desired that no troubles should come nigh him; he should not know that there was evil in the world. [2]
But as the chained elephant longs for the wilds of the jungles,so the prince was eager to see the world, and he asked his father, the king, for permission to do so. [3]
And Suddhodana ordered a jewel-fronted chariot with four stately horses to be held ready, and commanded the roads to be adorned where his son would pass. [4]
The houses of the city were decorated with curtains and banners,and spectators arranged themselves on either side, eagerly gazing at the heir to the throne. Thus Siddhattha rode with Channa, his charioteer, through the streets of the city, and into a country watered by rivulets and covered with pleasant trees. [5]
There by the wayside they met an old man with bent frame, wrinkled face and sorrowful brow, and the prince asked the charioteer: "Who is this? His head is white, his eyes are bleared, and his body is withered. He can barely support himself on his staff." [6]
The charioteer, much embarrassed, hardly dared speak the truth.He said: "These are the symptoms of old age. This same man was once a suckling child, and as a youth full of sportive life; but now, as years have passed away, his beauty is gone and the strength of his life is wasted." [7]
Siddhattha was greatly affected by the words of the charioteer, and he sighed because of the pain of old age. "What joy or pleasure can men take," he thought to himself, "when they know they must soon wither and pine away!" [8]
And lo! while they were passing on, a sick man appeared on the way-side, gasping for breath, his body disfigured, convulsed and groaning with pain. [9]
The prince asked his charioteer: "What kind of man is this?" And the charioteer replied and said: "This man is sick. The four elements of his body are confused and out of order. We are all subject to such conditions: the poor and the rich, the ignorant and the wise,all creatures that have bodies, are liable to the same calamity." [10]
And Siddhattha was still more moved. All pleasures appeared stale to him, and he loathed the joys of life. [11]
The charioteer sped the horses on to escape the dreary sight, when suddenly they were stopped in their fiery course. [12]
Four persons passed by, carrying a corpse; and the prince, shuddering at the sight of a lifeless body, asked the charioteer: "What is this they carry? There are streamers and flower garlands;but the men that follow are overwhelmed with grief!" [13]
The charioteer replied: "This is a dead man: his body is stark; his life is gone; his thoughts are still; his family and the friends who loved him now carry the corpse to the grave." [14]
And the prince was full of awe and terror: "Is this the only dead man," he asked, "or does the world contain other instances?" [15]
With a heavy heart the charioteer replied: "All over the world it is the same. He who begins life must end it. There is no escape from death." [16]
With bated breath and stammering accents the prince exclaimed: "O worldly men! How fatal is your delusion! Inevitable your body will crumble to dust, yet carelessly, unheedingly, ye live on." [17]
The charioteer observing the deep impression these sad sights had made on the prince,turned his horses and drove back to the city. [18]
When they passes by the palaces of the nobility, Kisa Gotami, a young princess and niece of the king, saw Siddhattha in his manliness and beauty, and, observing the thoughtfulness of his countenance, said: "Happy the father that begot thee, happy the mother that nursed thee, happy the wife that calls husband this lord so glorious." [19]
The prince hearing this greeting, said: "Happy are they that have found deliverance. Longing for peace of mind, I shall seek the bliss of Nirvana." [20]
Then asked Kisa Gotami: "How is Nirvana attained?" The prince paused, and to him whose mind was estranged from wrong the answer came: "When the fire of lust is gone out, then Nirvana is gained; when the fires of hatred and delusion are gone out, then Nirvana is gained;when the troubles of mind, arising from blind credulity, and all other evils have ceased, then Nirvana is gained!" Siddhattha handed her his precious pearl necklace as a reward for the instruction she had given him, and having returned home looked with disdain upon the treasures of his palace. [21]
His wife welcomed him and entreated him to tell her the cause of his grief. He said: "I see everywhere the impression of change;therefore, my heart is heavy. Men grow old, sicken, and die. That is enough to take away the zest of life." [22]
The king, his father, hearing that the prince had become estranged from pleasure, was greatly overcome with sorrow and like a sword it pierced his heart.
All sorrowful sights, all misery, and all knowledge of misery were kept away from Siddhattha, for the king desired that no troubles should come nigh him; he should not know that there was evil in the world. [2]
But as the chained elephant longs for the wilds of the jungles,so the prince was eager to see the world, and he asked his father, the king, for permission to do so. [3]
And Suddhodana ordered a jewel-fronted chariot with four stately horses to be held ready, and commanded the roads to be adorned where his son would pass. [4]
The houses of the city were decorated with curtains and banners,and spectators arranged themselves on either side, eagerly gazing at the heir to the throne. Thus Siddhattha rode with Channa, his charioteer, through the streets of the city, and into a country watered by rivulets and covered with pleasant trees. [5]
There by the wayside they met an old man with bent frame, wrinkled face and sorrowful brow, and the prince asked the charioteer: "Who is this? His head is white, his eyes are bleared, and his body is withered. He can barely support himself on his staff." [6]
The charioteer, much embarrassed, hardly dared speak the truth.He said: "These are the symptoms of old age. This same man was once a suckling child, and as a youth full of sportive life; but now, as years have passed away, his beauty is gone and the strength of his life is wasted." [7]
Siddhattha was greatly affected by the words of the charioteer, and he sighed because of the pain of old age. "What joy or pleasure can men take," he thought to himself, "when they know they must soon wither and pine away!" [8]
And lo! while they were passing on, a sick man appeared on the way-side, gasping for breath, his body disfigured, convulsed and groaning with pain. [9]
The prince asked his charioteer: "What kind of man is this?" And the charioteer replied and said: "This man is sick. The four elements of his body are confused and out of order. We are all subject to such conditions: the poor and the rich, the ignorant and the wise,all creatures that have bodies, are liable to the same calamity." [10]
And Siddhattha was still more moved. All pleasures appeared stale to him, and he loathed the joys of life. [11]
The charioteer sped the horses on to escape the dreary sight, when suddenly they were stopped in their fiery course. [12]
Four persons passed by, carrying a corpse; and the prince, shuddering at the sight of a lifeless body, asked the charioteer: "What is this they carry? There are streamers and flower garlands;but the men that follow are overwhelmed with grief!" [13]
The charioteer replied: "This is a dead man: his body is stark; his life is gone; his thoughts are still; his family and the friends who loved him now carry the corpse to the grave." [14]
And the prince was full of awe and terror: "Is this the only dead man," he asked, "or does the world contain other instances?" [15]
With a heavy heart the charioteer replied: "All over the world it is the same. He who begins life must end it. There is no escape from death." [16]
With bated breath and stammering accents the prince exclaimed: "O worldly men! How fatal is your delusion! Inevitable your body will crumble to dust, yet carelessly, unheedingly, ye live on." [17]
The charioteer observing the deep impression these sad sights had made on the prince,turned his horses and drove back to the city. [18]
When they passes by the palaces of the nobility, Kisa Gotami, a young princess and niece of the king, saw Siddhattha in his manliness and beauty, and, observing the thoughtfulness of his countenance, said: "Happy the father that begot thee, happy the mother that nursed thee, happy the wife that calls husband this lord so glorious." [19]
The prince hearing this greeting, said: "Happy are they that have found deliverance. Longing for peace of mind, I shall seek the bliss of Nirvana." [20]
Then asked Kisa Gotami: "How is Nirvana attained?" The prince paused, and to him whose mind was estranged from wrong the answer came: "When the fire of lust is gone out, then Nirvana is gained; when the fires of hatred and delusion are gone out, then Nirvana is gained;when the troubles of mind, arising from blind credulity, and all other evils have ceased, then Nirvana is gained!" Siddhattha handed her his precious pearl necklace as a reward for the instruction she had given him, and having returned home looked with disdain upon the treasures of his palace. [21]
His wife welcomed him and entreated him to tell her the cause of his grief. He said: "I see everywhere the impression of change;therefore, my heart is heavy. Men grow old, sicken, and die. That is enough to take away the zest of life." [22]
The king, his father, hearing that the prince had become estranged from pleasure, was greatly overcome with sorrow and like a sword it pierced his heart.
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen......chap.2
Effect of Thought on Circumstances
A man's mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed seeds will fall therein, and will continue to produce their kind.
Just as a gardener cultivates his plot, keeping it free from weeds, and growing the flowers and fruits which he requires, so may a man tend the garden of his mind, weeding out all the wrong, useless, and impure thoughts, and cultivating toward perfection the flowers and fruits of right, useful, and pure thoughts, By pursuing this process, a man sooner or later discovers that he is the master gardener of his soul, the director of his life. He also reveals, within himself, the laws of thought, and understands with ever-increasing accuracy, how the thought forces and mind elements operate in the shaping of his character, circumstances, and destiny.
Thought and character are one, and as character can only manifest and discover itself through environment and circumstance, the outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state. This does not mean that a man's circumstances at any given time are an indication of his entire character, but that those circumstances are so intimately connected with some vital thought element within himself that, for the time being, they are indispensable to his development.
Every man is where he is by the law of his being. The thoughts which he has built into his character have brought him there, and in the arrangement of his life there is no element of chance, but all is the result of a law which cannot err. This is just as true of those who feel "out of harmony" with their surroundings as of those who are contented with them.
As the progressive and evolving being, man is where he is that he may learn that he may grow; and as he learns the spiritual lesson which any circumstance contains for him, it passes away and gives place to other circumstances.
Man is buffeted by circumstances so long as he believes himself to be the creature of outside conditions. But when he realizes that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being out of which circumstances grow, he then becomes the rightful master of himself.
That circumstances grow out of thought every man knows who has for any length of time practiced self-control and self-purification, for he will have noticed that the alteration in his circumstances has been in exact ratio with his altered mental condition. So true is this that when a man earnestly applies himself to remedy the defects in his character, and makes swift and marked progress, he passes rapidly through a succession of vicissitudes.
The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors; that which it loves, and also that which it fears. It reaches the height of its cherished aspirations. It falls to the level of its unchastened desires - and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives its own.
Every thought seed sown or allowed to fall into the mind, and to take root there, produces its own, blossoming sooner or later into act, and bearing its own fruitage of opportunity and circumstance. Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bad fruit.
The outer world of circumstance shapes itself to the inner world of thought, and both pleasant and unpleasant external conditions are factors which make for the ultimate good of the individual. As the reaper of his own harvest, man learns both by suffering and bliss.
A man does not come to the almshouse or the jail by the tyranny of fate of circumstance, but by the pathway of groveling thoughts and base desires. Nor does a pure-minded man fall suddenly into crime by stress of any mere external force; the criminal thought had long been secretly fostered in the heart, and the hour of opportunity revealed its gathered power.
Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself. No such conditions can exist as descending into vice and its attendant sufferings apart from vicious inclinations, or ascending into virtue and its pure happiness without the continued cultivation of virtuous aspirations. And man, therefore, as the Lord and master of thought, is the maker of himself, the shaper and author of environment. Even at birth the soul comes to its own, and through every step of its earthly pilgrimage it attracts those combinations of conditions which reveal itself, which are the reflections of its own purity and impurity, its strength and weakness.
Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are. Their whims, fancies, and ambitions are thwarted at every step, but their inmost thoughts and desires are fed with their own food, be it foul or clean. The "divinity that shapes our ends" is in ourselves; it is our very self. Man is manacled only by himself. Thought and action are the jailers of Fate - they imprison, being base. They are also the angels of Freedom - they liberate, being noble. Not what he wishes and prays for does a man get, but what he justly earns. His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions.
In the light of this truth, what, then, is the meaning of "fighting against circumstances"? It means that a man is continually revolting against an effect without, while all the time he is nourishing and preserving its cause in his heart. That cause may take the form of a conscious vice or an unconscious weakness; but whatever it is, it stubbornly retards the efforts of its possessor, and thus calls aloud for remedy.
Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves. They therefore remain bound. The man who does not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set. This is as true of earthly as of heavenly things. Even the man whose sole object is to acquire wealth must be prepared to make great personal sacrifices before he can accomplish his object; and how much more so he who would realize a strong and well-poised life?
Here is a man who is wretchedly poor. He is extremely anxious that his surroundings and home comforts should be improved. Yet all the time he shirks his work, and considers he is justified in trying to deceive his employer on the ground of the insufficiency of his wages. Such a man does not understand the simplest rudiments of those principles which are the basis of true prosperity. He is not only totally unfitted to rise out of his wretchedness, but is actually attracting to himself a still deeper wretchedness by dwelling in, and acting out, indolent, deceptive, and unmanly thoughts.
Here is a rich man who is the victim of a painful and persistent disease as the result of gluttony. He is willing to give large sums of money to get rid of it, but he will not sacrifice his gluttonous desires. He wants to gratify his taste for rich and unnatural foods and have his health as well. Such a man is totally unfit to have health, because he has not yet learned the first principles of a healthy life.
Here is an employer of labor who adopts crooked measures to avoid paying the regulation wage, and, in the hope of making larger profits, reduces the wages of his workpeople. Such a man is altogether unfitted for prosperity. And when he finds himself bankrupt, both as regards reputation and riches, he blames circumstances, not knowing that he is the sole author of his condition.
I have introduced these three cases merely as illustrative of the truth that man is the cause (though nearly always unconsciously) of his circumstances. That, while aiming at the good end, he is continually frustrating its accomplishment by encouraging thoughts and desires which cannot possibly harmonize with that end. Such cases could be multiplied and varied almost indefinitely, but this is not necessary. The reader can, if he so resolves, trace the action of the laws of thought in his own mind and life, and until this is done, mere external facts cannot serve as a ground of reasoning.
Circumstances, however, are so complicated, thought is so deeply rooted, and the conditions of happiness vary so vastly with individuals, that a man's entire soul condition (although it may be known to himself) cannot be judged by another from the external aspect of his life alone.
A man may be honest in certain directions, yet suffer privations. A man may be dishonest in certain directions, yet acquire wealth. But the conclusion usually formed that the one man fails because of his particular honesty, and that the other prospers because of his particular dishonesty, is the result of a superficial judgment, which assumes that the dishonest man is almost totally corrupt, and honest man almost entirely virtuous. In the light of a deeper knowledge and wider experience, such judgment is found to be erroneous. The dishonest man may have some admirable virtues which the other does not possess; and the honest man obnoxious vices which are absent in the other. The honest man reaps the good results of his honest thoughts and acts; he also brings upon himself the sufferings which his vices produce. The dishonest man likewise garners his own suffering and happiness.
It is pleasing to human vanity to believe that one suffers because of one's virtue. But not until a man has extirpated every sickly, bitter, and impure thought from his mind, and washed every sinful stain from his soul, can he be in a position to know and declare that his sufferings are the result of his good, and not of his bad qualities. And on the way to that supreme perfection, he will have found working in his mind and life, the Great Law which is absolutely just, and which cannot give good for evil, evil for good. Possessed of such knowledge, he will then know, looking back upon his past ignorance and blindness, that his life is, and always was, justly ordered, and that all his past experiences, good and bad, were the equitable outworking of his evolving, yet unevolved self.
Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results. Bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. This is but saying that nothing can come from corn but corn, nothing from nettles but nettles. Men understand this law in the natural world, and work with it. But few understand it in the mental and moral world (though its operation there is just as simple and undeviating), and they, therefore, do not cooperate with it.
Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction. It is an indication that the individual is out of harmony with himself, with the Law of his being. The sole and supreme use of suffering is to purify, to burn out all that is useless and impure. Suffering ceases for him who is pure. There could be not object in burning gold after the dross had been removed, and perfectly pure and enlightened being could not suffer.
The circumstances which a man encounters with suffering are the result of his own mental inharmony. The circumstances which a man encounters with blessedness, not material possessions, is the measure of right thought. Wretchedness, not lack of material possessions, is the measure of wrong thought. A man may be cursed and rich; he may be blessed and poor. blessedness and riches are only joined together when the riches are rightly and wisely used. And the poor man only descends into wretchedness when he regards his lot as a burden unjustly imposed.
Indigence and indulgence are the two extremes of wretchedness. They are both equally unnatural and the result of mental disorder. A man is not rightly conditioned until he is a happy, healthy, and prosperous being. And happiness, health, and prosperity are the result of a harmonious adjustment of the inner with the outer, of the man with his surroundings.
A man only begins to be a man when he ceases to whine and revile, and commences to search for the hidden justice which regulates his life. And as he adapts his mind to that regulating factor, he ceases to accuse others as the cause of his condition, and builds himself up in strong and noble thoughts. He ceases to kick against circumstances, but begins to use them as aids to his more rapid progress, and as a means of discovering the hidden powers and possibilities within himself.
Law, not confusion, is the dominating principle in the universe. Justice, not injustice, is the soul and substance of life. And righteousness, not corruption, is the molding and moving force in the spiritual government of the world. This being so, man has but to right himself to find that the universe is right; and during the process of putting himself right, he will find that as he alters his thoughts toward things and other people, things and other people will alter toward him.
The proof of this truth is in every person, and it therefore admits of easy investigation by systematic introspection and self-analysis. Let a man radically alter his thoughts, and he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in the material conditions of his life.
men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot. It rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into habits of drunkenness and sensuality, which solidify into circumstances of destitution and disease. Impure thoughts of every kind crystallize into enervating and confusing habits, which solidify into distracting and adverse circumstances. Thoughts of fear, doubt, and indecision crystallize into weak, unmanly, and irresolute habits, which solidify into circumstances of failure, indigence, and slavish dependence.
Lazy thoughts crystallize into habits of uncleanliness and dishonesty, which solidify into circumstances of foulness and beggary. Hateful and condemnatory thoughts crystallize into habits of accusation and violence, which solidify into circumstances of injury and persecution. Selfish thoughts of all kinds crystallize into habits of self-seeking, which solidify into circumstances more of less distressing.
On the other hand, beautiful thoughts of all crystallize into habits of grace and kindliness, which solidify into genial and sunny circumstances. Pure thoughts crystallize into habits of temperance and self-control, which solidify into circumstances of repose and peace. Thoughts of courage, self-reliance, and decision crystallize into manly habits, which solidify into circumstances of success, plenty, and freedom.
Energetic thoughts crystallize into habits of cleanliness and industry, which solidify into circumstances of pleasantness. Gentle and forgiving thoughts crystallize into habits of gentleness, which solidify into protective and preservative circumstances. Loving and unselfish thoughts crystallize into habits of self-forgetfulness for others, which solidify into circumstances of sure and abiding prosperity and true riches.
A particular train of thought persisted in, be it good or bad, cannot fail to produce its results on the character and circumstances. A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.
Nature helps every man to the gratification of the thoughts which he most encourages, and opportunities are presented which will most speedily bring to the surface both the good and evil thoughts.
Let a man cease from his sinful thoughts, and all the world will soften toward him, and be ready to help him. Let him put away his weakly and sickly thoughts, and lo! opportunities will spring up on every hand to aid his strong resolves. Let him encourage good thoughts, and no hard fate shall bind him down to wretchedness and shame. The world is your kaleidoscope, and the varying combinations of colors which at every succeeding moment it presents to you are the exquisitely adjusted pictures of your evermoving thoughts.
You will be what you will to be;Let failure find its false contentIn that poor word, "environment,"But spirit scorns it, and is free.It masters time, it conquers space;It cows that boastful trickster, Chance,And bids the tyrant CircumstanceUncrown, and fill a servant's place.The human Will, that force unseen,The offspring of a deathless Soul,Can hew a way to any goal,Though walls of granite intervene.Be not impatient in delay,But wait as one who understands;When spirit rises and commands,The gods are ready to obey.
A man's mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed seeds will fall therein, and will continue to produce their kind.
Just as a gardener cultivates his plot, keeping it free from weeds, and growing the flowers and fruits which he requires, so may a man tend the garden of his mind, weeding out all the wrong, useless, and impure thoughts, and cultivating toward perfection the flowers and fruits of right, useful, and pure thoughts, By pursuing this process, a man sooner or later discovers that he is the master gardener of his soul, the director of his life. He also reveals, within himself, the laws of thought, and understands with ever-increasing accuracy, how the thought forces and mind elements operate in the shaping of his character, circumstances, and destiny.
Thought and character are one, and as character can only manifest and discover itself through environment and circumstance, the outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state. This does not mean that a man's circumstances at any given time are an indication of his entire character, but that those circumstances are so intimately connected with some vital thought element within himself that, for the time being, they are indispensable to his development.
Every man is where he is by the law of his being. The thoughts which he has built into his character have brought him there, and in the arrangement of his life there is no element of chance, but all is the result of a law which cannot err. This is just as true of those who feel "out of harmony" with their surroundings as of those who are contented with them.
As the progressive and evolving being, man is where he is that he may learn that he may grow; and as he learns the spiritual lesson which any circumstance contains for him, it passes away and gives place to other circumstances.
Man is buffeted by circumstances so long as he believes himself to be the creature of outside conditions. But when he realizes that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being out of which circumstances grow, he then becomes the rightful master of himself.
That circumstances grow out of thought every man knows who has for any length of time practiced self-control and self-purification, for he will have noticed that the alteration in his circumstances has been in exact ratio with his altered mental condition. So true is this that when a man earnestly applies himself to remedy the defects in his character, and makes swift and marked progress, he passes rapidly through a succession of vicissitudes.
The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors; that which it loves, and also that which it fears. It reaches the height of its cherished aspirations. It falls to the level of its unchastened desires - and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives its own.
Every thought seed sown or allowed to fall into the mind, and to take root there, produces its own, blossoming sooner or later into act, and bearing its own fruitage of opportunity and circumstance. Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bad fruit.
The outer world of circumstance shapes itself to the inner world of thought, and both pleasant and unpleasant external conditions are factors which make for the ultimate good of the individual. As the reaper of his own harvest, man learns both by suffering and bliss.
A man does not come to the almshouse or the jail by the tyranny of fate of circumstance, but by the pathway of groveling thoughts and base desires. Nor does a pure-minded man fall suddenly into crime by stress of any mere external force; the criminal thought had long been secretly fostered in the heart, and the hour of opportunity revealed its gathered power.
Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself. No such conditions can exist as descending into vice and its attendant sufferings apart from vicious inclinations, or ascending into virtue and its pure happiness without the continued cultivation of virtuous aspirations. And man, therefore, as the Lord and master of thought, is the maker of himself, the shaper and author of environment. Even at birth the soul comes to its own, and through every step of its earthly pilgrimage it attracts those combinations of conditions which reveal itself, which are the reflections of its own purity and impurity, its strength and weakness.
Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are. Their whims, fancies, and ambitions are thwarted at every step, but their inmost thoughts and desires are fed with their own food, be it foul or clean. The "divinity that shapes our ends" is in ourselves; it is our very self. Man is manacled only by himself. Thought and action are the jailers of Fate - they imprison, being base. They are also the angels of Freedom - they liberate, being noble. Not what he wishes and prays for does a man get, but what he justly earns. His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions.
In the light of this truth, what, then, is the meaning of "fighting against circumstances"? It means that a man is continually revolting against an effect without, while all the time he is nourishing and preserving its cause in his heart. That cause may take the form of a conscious vice or an unconscious weakness; but whatever it is, it stubbornly retards the efforts of its possessor, and thus calls aloud for remedy.
Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves. They therefore remain bound. The man who does not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set. This is as true of earthly as of heavenly things. Even the man whose sole object is to acquire wealth must be prepared to make great personal sacrifices before he can accomplish his object; and how much more so he who would realize a strong and well-poised life?
Here is a man who is wretchedly poor. He is extremely anxious that his surroundings and home comforts should be improved. Yet all the time he shirks his work, and considers he is justified in trying to deceive his employer on the ground of the insufficiency of his wages. Such a man does not understand the simplest rudiments of those principles which are the basis of true prosperity. He is not only totally unfitted to rise out of his wretchedness, but is actually attracting to himself a still deeper wretchedness by dwelling in, and acting out, indolent, deceptive, and unmanly thoughts.
Here is a rich man who is the victim of a painful and persistent disease as the result of gluttony. He is willing to give large sums of money to get rid of it, but he will not sacrifice his gluttonous desires. He wants to gratify his taste for rich and unnatural foods and have his health as well. Such a man is totally unfit to have health, because he has not yet learned the first principles of a healthy life.
Here is an employer of labor who adopts crooked measures to avoid paying the regulation wage, and, in the hope of making larger profits, reduces the wages of his workpeople. Such a man is altogether unfitted for prosperity. And when he finds himself bankrupt, both as regards reputation and riches, he blames circumstances, not knowing that he is the sole author of his condition.
I have introduced these three cases merely as illustrative of the truth that man is the cause (though nearly always unconsciously) of his circumstances. That, while aiming at the good end, he is continually frustrating its accomplishment by encouraging thoughts and desires which cannot possibly harmonize with that end. Such cases could be multiplied and varied almost indefinitely, but this is not necessary. The reader can, if he so resolves, trace the action of the laws of thought in his own mind and life, and until this is done, mere external facts cannot serve as a ground of reasoning.
Circumstances, however, are so complicated, thought is so deeply rooted, and the conditions of happiness vary so vastly with individuals, that a man's entire soul condition (although it may be known to himself) cannot be judged by another from the external aspect of his life alone.
A man may be honest in certain directions, yet suffer privations. A man may be dishonest in certain directions, yet acquire wealth. But the conclusion usually formed that the one man fails because of his particular honesty, and that the other prospers because of his particular dishonesty, is the result of a superficial judgment, which assumes that the dishonest man is almost totally corrupt, and honest man almost entirely virtuous. In the light of a deeper knowledge and wider experience, such judgment is found to be erroneous. The dishonest man may have some admirable virtues which the other does not possess; and the honest man obnoxious vices which are absent in the other. The honest man reaps the good results of his honest thoughts and acts; he also brings upon himself the sufferings which his vices produce. The dishonest man likewise garners his own suffering and happiness.
It is pleasing to human vanity to believe that one suffers because of one's virtue. But not until a man has extirpated every sickly, bitter, and impure thought from his mind, and washed every sinful stain from his soul, can he be in a position to know and declare that his sufferings are the result of his good, and not of his bad qualities. And on the way to that supreme perfection, he will have found working in his mind and life, the Great Law which is absolutely just, and which cannot give good for evil, evil for good. Possessed of such knowledge, he will then know, looking back upon his past ignorance and blindness, that his life is, and always was, justly ordered, and that all his past experiences, good and bad, were the equitable outworking of his evolving, yet unevolved self.
Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results. Bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. This is but saying that nothing can come from corn but corn, nothing from nettles but nettles. Men understand this law in the natural world, and work with it. But few understand it in the mental and moral world (though its operation there is just as simple and undeviating), and they, therefore, do not cooperate with it.
Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction. It is an indication that the individual is out of harmony with himself, with the Law of his being. The sole and supreme use of suffering is to purify, to burn out all that is useless and impure. Suffering ceases for him who is pure. There could be not object in burning gold after the dross had been removed, and perfectly pure and enlightened being could not suffer.
The circumstances which a man encounters with suffering are the result of his own mental inharmony. The circumstances which a man encounters with blessedness, not material possessions, is the measure of right thought. Wretchedness, not lack of material possessions, is the measure of wrong thought. A man may be cursed and rich; he may be blessed and poor. blessedness and riches are only joined together when the riches are rightly and wisely used. And the poor man only descends into wretchedness when he regards his lot as a burden unjustly imposed.
Indigence and indulgence are the two extremes of wretchedness. They are both equally unnatural and the result of mental disorder. A man is not rightly conditioned until he is a happy, healthy, and prosperous being. And happiness, health, and prosperity are the result of a harmonious adjustment of the inner with the outer, of the man with his surroundings.
A man only begins to be a man when he ceases to whine and revile, and commences to search for the hidden justice which regulates his life. And as he adapts his mind to that regulating factor, he ceases to accuse others as the cause of his condition, and builds himself up in strong and noble thoughts. He ceases to kick against circumstances, but begins to use them as aids to his more rapid progress, and as a means of discovering the hidden powers and possibilities within himself.
Law, not confusion, is the dominating principle in the universe. Justice, not injustice, is the soul and substance of life. And righteousness, not corruption, is the molding and moving force in the spiritual government of the world. This being so, man has but to right himself to find that the universe is right; and during the process of putting himself right, he will find that as he alters his thoughts toward things and other people, things and other people will alter toward him.
The proof of this truth is in every person, and it therefore admits of easy investigation by systematic introspection and self-analysis. Let a man radically alter his thoughts, and he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in the material conditions of his life.
men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot. It rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into habits of drunkenness and sensuality, which solidify into circumstances of destitution and disease. Impure thoughts of every kind crystallize into enervating and confusing habits, which solidify into distracting and adverse circumstances. Thoughts of fear, doubt, and indecision crystallize into weak, unmanly, and irresolute habits, which solidify into circumstances of failure, indigence, and slavish dependence.
Lazy thoughts crystallize into habits of uncleanliness and dishonesty, which solidify into circumstances of foulness and beggary. Hateful and condemnatory thoughts crystallize into habits of accusation and violence, which solidify into circumstances of injury and persecution. Selfish thoughts of all kinds crystallize into habits of self-seeking, which solidify into circumstances more of less distressing.
On the other hand, beautiful thoughts of all crystallize into habits of grace and kindliness, which solidify into genial and sunny circumstances. Pure thoughts crystallize into habits of temperance and self-control, which solidify into circumstances of repose and peace. Thoughts of courage, self-reliance, and decision crystallize into manly habits, which solidify into circumstances of success, plenty, and freedom.
Energetic thoughts crystallize into habits of cleanliness and industry, which solidify into circumstances of pleasantness. Gentle and forgiving thoughts crystallize into habits of gentleness, which solidify into protective and preservative circumstances. Loving and unselfish thoughts crystallize into habits of self-forgetfulness for others, which solidify into circumstances of sure and abiding prosperity and true riches.
A particular train of thought persisted in, be it good or bad, cannot fail to produce its results on the character and circumstances. A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.
Nature helps every man to the gratification of the thoughts which he most encourages, and opportunities are presented which will most speedily bring to the surface both the good and evil thoughts.
Let a man cease from his sinful thoughts, and all the world will soften toward him, and be ready to help him. Let him put away his weakly and sickly thoughts, and lo! opportunities will spring up on every hand to aid his strong resolves. Let him encourage good thoughts, and no hard fate shall bind him down to wretchedness and shame. The world is your kaleidoscope, and the varying combinations of colors which at every succeeding moment it presents to you are the exquisitely adjusted pictures of your evermoving thoughts.
You will be what you will to be;Let failure find its false contentIn that poor word, "environment,"But spirit scorns it, and is free.It masters time, it conquers space;It cows that boastful trickster, Chance,And bids the tyrant CircumstanceUncrown, and fill a servant's place.The human Will, that force unseen,The offspring of a deathless Soul,Can hew a way to any goal,Though walls of granite intervene.Be not impatient in delay,But wait as one who understands;When spirit rises and commands,The gods are ready to obey.
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