Above Life's Turmoil by James Allen

ABOVE LIFES TURMOIL
1910
James Allen
(1864 1912) I looked around upon the world and saw that it was shadowed by sorrow and scorched by the ierce ires o su erin!" #nd I looked or the cause" I looked around$ but I could not ind it" I looked in books$ but I could not ind it" I looked within$ and ound there both the casue and the sel %&ade nature o that cause" I looked a!ain$ and deeper$ and ound the re&edy" I ound one 'aw$ the 'aw o 'o(e) one 'i e$ the li e o ad*ust&ent to that 'aw) one +ruth$ the +ruth o a con,uered &ind and a ,uiet and obedient heart" #nd I drea&ed o writin! books which would help &en and wo&en$ whether rich or poor$ learned or unlearned$ worldly or unworldly$ to ind within the&sel(es the source o all success$ all happiness$ acco&plish&ent$ all truth" #nd the drea& re&ained with &e$ and at last beca&e substantial) and now I send orth these books into the world on a &ission o healin! and blessedness$ knowin! that they cannot ail to reach the ho&es and hearts o those who are waitin! and ready to recei(e the&".James Allen
CONTENTS
/01+21+3""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""2 4oreword""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""5 1" +rue 6appiness""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""4 2" +he I&&ortal 7an""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""6 5" +he 0(erco&in! o 3el """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""8 4" +he 8ses o +e&ptation""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""10 9" +he 7an o Inte!rity""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""15 6" :iscri&ination"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""19 ;" <elie $ +he <asis o #ction"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""1; 8" +he <elie +hat 3a(es""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""20 9" +hou!ht #nd #ction""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""22 10" =our 7ental #ttitude""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""24 11" 3owin! #nd >eapin!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""26 12" +he >ei!n 0 'aw""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""28 15" +he 3upre&e ?ustice"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""50 14" +he 8se 0 >eason""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""52 19" 3el %:iscipline""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""54 16" >esolution""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""5; 1;" +he @lorious /on,uest""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""59 18" /ontent&ent In #cti(ity""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""41 19" +he +e&ple 0 <rotherhood"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""45 20" Aleasant Aastures 0 Aeace"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""46
Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen
FOREWORD
Be cannot alter eCternal thin!s$ nor shape other people to our likin!$ nor &ould the world to our wishes$ but we can alter internal thin!s$.our desires$ passions$ thou!hts$. we can shape our likin! to other people$ and we can &ould the inner world o our own &ind in accordance with wisdo&$ and so reconcile it to the outer world o &en and thin!s" +he tur&oil o the world we cannot a(oid$ but the disturbances o &ind we can o(erco&e" +he duties and di iculties o li e clai& our attention$ but we can rise abo(e all anCiety concernin! the&" 3urrounded by noise$ we can yet ha(e a ,uiet &ind) in(ol(ed in responsibilities$ the heart can be at rest) in the &idst o stri e$ we can know the abidin! peace" +he twenty pieces which co&prise this book$ unrelated as so&e o the& are in the letter$ will be ound to be har&onious in the spirit$ in that they point the reader towards those hei!hts o sel %knowled!e and sel %con,uest which$ risin! abo(e the turbulence o the world$ li t their peaks where the 6ea(enly 3ilence rei!ns" .James Allen
1. TRUE HAPPINESS
+o &aintain an unchan!eable sweetness o disposition$ to think only thou!hts that are pure and !entle$ and to be happy under all circu&stances$.such blessed conditions and such beauty o character and li e should be the ai& o all$ and particularly so o those who wish to lessen the &isery o the world" I anyone has ailed to li t hi&sel abo(e un!entleness$ i&purity$ and unhappiness$ he is !reatly deluded i he i&a!ines he can &ake the world happier by the propa!ation o any theory or theolo!y" 6e who is daily li(in! in harshness$ i&purity$ or unhappiness is day by day addin! to the su& o the worldDs &isery) whereas he who continually li(es in !oodwill$ and does not depart ro& happiness$ is day by day increasin! the su& o the worldDs happiness$ and this independently o any reli!ious belie s which these &ay or &ay not hold" 6e who has not learned how to be !entle$ or !i(in!$ lo(in! and happy$ has learned (ery little$ !reat thou!h his book%learnin! and pro ound his ac,uaintance which the letter o 3cripture &ay be$ or it is in the process o beco&in! !entle$ pure$ and happy that the deep$ real and endurin! lessons o li e are learned" 8nbroken sweetness o conduct in the ace o all outward anta!onis& is the in allible indication o a sel %con,uered soul$ the witness o wisdo&$ and the proo o the possession o +ruth" # sweet and happy soul is the ripened ruit o eCperience and wisdo&$ and it sheds abroad the in(isible yet power ul aro&a o its in luence$ !laddenin! the hearts o others$ and puri yin! the world" #nd all who will$ and who ha(e not yet co&&enced$ &ay be!in this day$ i they will so resol(e$ to li(e sweetly and happily$ as beco&es the di!nity o a true &anhood or wo&anhood" :o not say that your surroundin!s are a!ainst you" # &anDs surroundin!s are ne(er a!ainst hi&) they are there to aid hi&$ and all those outward occurrences o(er which you lose sweetness and peace o &ind are the (ery conditions necessary to your de(elop&ent$ and it is only by &eetin! and o(erco&in! the& that you can learn$ and !row$ and ripen" +he ault is in yoursel " Aure happiness is the ri!ht ul and healthy condition o the soul$ and all &ay possess it i they will li(e purely and unsel ish" Have goodwill To all that lives, letting unkindness die, And greed and wrath, so that your lives be made Like soft airs assing by!" Is this too di icult or youE +hen unrest and unhappiness will continue to dwell with you" =our belie and aspiration and resol(e are all that are necessary to &ake it easy$ to render it in the near uture a thin! acco&plished$ a blessed state realised" :espondency$ irritability$ anCiety and co&plainin!$ conde&nin! and !ru&blin!.all these are thou!ht%cankers$ &ind%diseases) they are the indications o a wron! &ental condition$ and those who su er there ro& would do well to re&edy their thinkin! and conduct" It is true there is &uch sin and &isery in the world$ so that all our lo(e and co&passion are needed$ but our &isery is not needed.there is already too &uch o that" 1o$ it is our cheer ulness and happiness that are needed or there is too little o that" Be can !i(e nothin! better to the world than beauty o li e and character) without this$ all
other thin!s are (ain) this is pre%e&inently eCcellent) it is endurin!$ real$ and not to be o(erthrown$ and it includes all *oy and blessedness" /ease to dwell pessi&istically upon the wron!s around you) dwell no &ore in co&plaints about$ and re(olt a!ainst$ the e(il in others$ and co&&ence to li(e ree ro& all wron! and e(il yoursel " Aeace o &ind$ pure reli!ion$ and true re or& lie this way" I you would ha(e others true$ be true) i you would ha(e the world e&ancipated ro& &isery and sin$ e&ancipate yoursel ) i you would ha(e your ho&e and your surroundin!s happy$ be happy" =ou can trans or& e(erythin! around you i you will trans or& yoursel " $ont bewail and bemoan!!!!! $ont waste yourself in re%e&tion, nor bark against the bad, but &hant the beauties of the good!" #nd this you will naturally and spontaneously do as you realise the !ood in yoursel "
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2. THE IMMORTAL MAN

I&&ortality is here and now$ and is not a speculati(e so&ethin! beyond the !ra(e" It is a lucid state o consciousness in which the sensations o the body$ the (aryin! and unrest ul states o &ind$ and the circu&stances and e(ents o li e are seen to be o a leetin! and there ore o an illusory character" I&&ortality does not belon! to ti&e$ and will ne(er be ound in ti&e) it belon!s to 2ternity) and *ust as ti&e is here and now$ so is 2ternity here and now$ and a &an &ay ind that 2ternity and establish in it$ i he will o(erco&e the sel that deri(es its li e ro& the unsatis yin! and perishable thin!s o ti&e" Bhilst a &an re&ains i&&ersed in sensation$ desire$ and the passin! e(ents o his day% by%day eCistence$ and re!ards those sensations$ desires$ and passin! e(ents as o the essence o hi&sel $ he can ha(e no knowled!e o i&&ortality" +he thin! which such a &an desires$ and which he &istakes or i&&ortality$ is persistence) that is$ a continuous succession o sensations and e(ents in ti&e" 'i(in! in$ lo(in! and clin!in! to$ the thin!s which sti&ulate and &inister to his i&&ediate !rati ication$ and realisin! no state o consciousness abo(e and independent o this$ he thirsts or its continuance$ and stri(es to banish the thou!ht that he will at last ha(e to part ro& those earthly luCuries and deli!hts to which he has beco&e ensla(ed$ and which he re!ards as bein! inseparable ro& hi&sel " Aersistence is the antithesis o i&&ortality) and to be absorbed in it is spiritual death" Its (ery nature is chan!e$ i&per&anence" It is a continual li(in! and dyin!" +he death o the body can ne(er bestow upon a &an i&&ortality" 3pirits are not di erent ro& &en$ and li(e their little e(erish li e o broken consciousness$ and are still i&&ersed in chan!e and &ortality" +he &ortal &an$ he who thirsts or the persistence o his pleasure%lo(in! personality is still &ortal a ter death$ and only li(es another li e with a be!innin! and an end without &e&ory o the past$ or knowled!e o the uture" +he i&&ortal &an is he who has detached hi&sel ro& the thin!s o ti&e by ha(in! ascended into that state o consciousness which is iCed and in(ariable$ and is not a ected by passin! e(ents and sensations" 6u&an li e consists o an e(er%&o(in! procession o e(ents$ and in this procession the &ortal &an is i&&ersed$ and he is carried alon! with it) and bein! so carried alon!$ he has no knowled!e o what is behind and be ore hi&" +he i&&ortal &an is he who has stepped out o this procession$ and he stands by un&o(ed and watches it) and ro& his iCed place he sees both the be ore$ the behind and the &iddle o the &o(in! thin! called li e" 1o lon!er identi yin! hi&sel with the sensations and luctuations o the personality$ or with the outward chan!es which &ake up the li e in ti&e$ he has beco&e the passionless spectator o his own destiny and o the destinies o the &en and nations" +he &ortal &an$ also$ is one who is cau!ht in a drea&$ and he neither knows that he was or&erly awake$ nor that he will wake a!ain) he is a drea&er without knowled!e$ nothin! &ore" +he i&&ortal &an is as one who has awakened out o his drea&$ and he knows that his drea& was not an endurin! reality$ but a passin! illusion" 6e is a &an
with knowled!e$ the knowled!e o both states.that o persistence$ and that o i&&ortality$.and is in ull possession o hi&sel " +he &ortal &an li(es in the ti&e or world state o consciousness which be!ins and ends) the i&&ortal &an li(es in the cos&ic or hea(en state o consciousness$ in which there is neither be!innin! nor end$ but an eternal now" 3uch a &an re&ains poised and stead ast under all chan!es$ and the death o his body will not in any way interrupt the eternal consciousness in which he abides" 0 such a one it is said$ 6e shall not taste o death-$ because he has stepped out o the strea& o &ortality$ and established hi&sel in the abode o +ruth" <odies$ personalities$ nations$ and worlds pass away$ but +ruth re&ains$ and its !lory is undi&&ed by ti&e" +he i&&ortal &an$ then$ is he who has con,uered hi&sel ) who no lon!er identi ies hi&sel with the sel %seekin! orces o the personality$ but who has trained hi&sel to direct those orces with the hand o a &aster$ and so has brou!ht the& into har&ony with the causal ener!y and source o all thin!s" +he ret and e(er o li e has ceased$ doubt and ear are cast out$ and death is not or hi& who has realised the adeless splendour o that li e o +ruth by ad*ustin! heart and &ind to the eternal and unchan!eable (erities"
3. THE OVERCOMING OF SELF

7any people ha(e (ery con used and erroneous ideas concernin! the ter&s the o(erco&in! o sel -$ the eradication o desire-$ and the annihilation o the personality-" 3o&e (particularly the intellectuals who are prone to theories) re!ard it as a &etaphysical theory alto!ether apart ro& li e and conduct) while others conclude that it is the crushin! out o all li e$ ener!y and action$ and the atte&pt to idealise sta!nation and death" +hese errors and con usions$ arisin! as they do in the &inds o indi(iduals$ can only be re&o(ed by the indi(iduals the&sel(es) but perhaps it &ay &ake their re&o(al a little less di icult ( or those who are seekin! +ruth) by presentin! the &atter in another way" +he doctrine o the o(erco&in! or annihilation o sel is si&plicity itsel ) indeed$ so si&ple$ practical$ and close at hand is it that a child o i(e$ whose &ind has not yet beco&e clouded with theories$ theolo!ical sche&es and speculati(e philosophies$ would be ar &ore likely to co&prehend it than &any older people who ha(e lost their hold upon si&ple and beauti ul truths by the adoption o co&plicated theories" +he annihilation o sel consists in weedin! out and destroyin! all those ele&ents in the soul which lead to di(ision$ stri e$ su erin!$ disease and sorrow" It does not &ean the destruction o any !ood and beauti ul and peace%producin! ,uality" 4or instance$ when a &an is te&pted to irritability or an!er$ and by a !reat e ort o(erco&es the sel ish tendency$ casts it ro& hi&$ and acts ro& the spirit o patience and lo(e$ in that &o&ent o sel %con,uest he practises the annihilation o sel " 2(ery noble &an practises it in part$ thou!h he &ay deny it in his words$ and he who carries out this practice to its co&pletion$ eradicatin! e(ery sel ish tendency until only the di(inely beauti ul ,ualities re&ain$ he is said to ha(e annihilated the personality (all the personal ele&ents) and to ha(e arri(ed at +ruth" +he sel which is to be annihilated is co&posed o the ollowin! ten worthless and sorrow%producin! ele&entsF 1" 'ust 2" 6atred 5" #(arice 4" 3el %indul!ence 9" 3el %seekin! 6" Ganity ;" Aride 8" :oubt 9" :ark belie 10" :elusion It is the total abandon&ent$ the co&plete annihilation o these ten ele&ents$ or they co&prise the body o desire" 0n the other hand it teaches the culti(ation$ practice$ and preser(ation o the ollowin! ten di(ine ,ualitiesF Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen *
1" Aurity 2" Aatience 5" 6u&ility 4" 3el %sacri ice 9" 3el %reliance 6" 4earlessness ;" Hnowled!e 8" Bisdo& 9" /o&passion 10" 'o(e +hese co&prise the <ody o +ruth$ and to li(e entirely in the& is to be a doer and knower o the +ruth$ is to be an e&bodi&ent o +ruth" +he co&bination o the ten ele&ents is called 3el or the Aersonality) the co&bination o the ten ,ualities produces what is called +ruth) the I&personal) the abidin!$ real and i&&ortal 7an" It will thus be seen that it is not the destruction o any noble$ true$ and endurin! ,uality that is tau!ht$ but only the destruction o those thin!s that are i!noble$ alse and e(anescent" 1either is this o(erco&in! o sel the depri(ation o !ladness$ happiness and *oy$ but rather is it the constant possession o these thin!s by li(in! in the *oy%be!ettin! ,ualities" It is the abandon&ent o the lust or en*oy&ent$ but not o en*oy&ent itsel ) the destruction o the thirst or pleasure$ but not o pleasure itsel ) the annihilation o the sel ish lon!in! or lo(e$ and power$ and possessions the&sel(es" It is the preser(ation o all those thin!s which draw and bind &en to!ether in unity and concord$ and$ ar ro& idealisin! sta!nation and death$ ur!es &en to the practice o those ,ualities which lead to the hi!hest$ noblest$ &ost e ecti(e$ and endurin! action" 6e whose actions proceed ro& so&e or all o the ten ele&ents wastes his ener!ies upon ne!ations$ and does not preser(e his soul) but he whose actions proceed ro& so&e or all o the ten ,ualities$ he truly and wisely acts and so preser(es his soul" 6e who li(es lar!ely in the ten earthly ele&ents$ and who is blind and dea to the spiritual (erities$ will ind no attraction in the doctrine o sel %surrender$ or it will appear to hi& as the co&plete eCtinction o his bein!) but he who is endea(ourin! to li(e in the ten hea(enly ,ualities will see the !lory and beauty o the doctrine$ and will know it as the oundation o 'i e 2ternal" 6e will also see that when &en apprehend and practise it$ industry$ co&&erce$ !o(ern&ent$ and e(ery worldly acti(ity will be puri ied) and action$ purpose and intelli!ence$ instead o bein! destroyed$ will be intensi ied and enlar!ed$ but reed ro& stri e and pain"
4. THE USES OF TEMPTATION

+he soul$ in its *ourney towards per ection$ passes throu!h three distinct sta!es" +he irst is the ani&al sta!e$ in which the &an is content to li(e$ in the !rati ication o his senses$ unawakened to the knowled!e o sin$ or o his di(ine inheritance$ and alto!ether unconscious o the spiritual possibilities within hi&sel " +he second is the dual sta!e$ in which the &ind is continually oscillatin! between its ani&al and di(ine tendencies$ ha(in! beco&e awakened to the consciousness o both" It is durin! this sta!e that te&ptation plays its part in the pro!ress o the soul" It is a sta!e o continual i!htin!$ o allin! and risin!$ o sinnin! and repentin!$ or the &an$ still lo(in! and reluctant to lea(e the !rati ications in which he has so lon! li(ed$ yet also aspires to the purity and eCcellence o the spiritual state$ and he is continually &orti ied by an undecided choice" 8r!ed on by the di(ine li e within hi&$ this sta!e beco&es at last one o deep an!uish and su erin!$ and then the soul is ushered into the third sta!e$ that o knowled!e$ in which the &an rises abo(e both sin and te&ptation$ and enters into peace" +e&ptation$ like content&ent in sin$ is not a lastin! condition$ as the &a*ority o people suppose) it is a passin! phase$ an eCperience throu!h which the soul &ust pass) but as to whether a &an will pass throu!h that condition in this present li e$ and realise holiness and hea(enly rest here and now$ will depend entirely upon the stren!th o his intellectual and spiritual eCertions$ and upon the intensity and ardour with which he searches or +ruth" +e&ptation$ with all its attendant tor&ents can be o(erco&e here and now$ but it can only be o(erco&e by knowled!e" It is a condition o darkness or o se&i%darkness" +he ully enli!htened soul is proo a!ainst all te&ptation" Bhen a &an ully understands the source$ nature$ and &eanin! o te&ptation$ in that hour he will con,uer it$ and will rest ro& his lon! tra(ail) but whilst he re&ains in i!norance$ attention to reli!ious obser(ances and &uch prayin! and readin! o 3cripture will ail to brin! hi& peace" I a &an !oes out to con,uer an ene&y$ knowin! nothin! o his ene&yDs stren!th$ tactics$ or place o a&bush$ he will not only i!no&iniously ail$ but will speedily all into the hands o the ene&y" 6e who would o(erco&e his ene&y$ the te&pter$ &ust disco(er his stron!hold and place o conceal&ent$ and &ust also ind out the un!uarded !ates in his own ortress where his ene&y e ects so easy an entrance" +his necessitates continual &editation$ ceaseless watch ulness$ and constant and ri!id introspection which lays bare$ be ore the spiritual eyes o the te&pted one$ the (ain and sel ish &oti(es o his soul" +his is the holy war are o the saints) it is the i!ht upon which e(ery soul enters when it awakens out o its lon! sleep o ani&al indul!ence" 7en ail to con,uer$ and the i!ht is inde initely prolon!ed$ because they labour$ al&ost uni(ersally$ under two delusionsF irst$ that all te&ptations co&e ro& without) and second$ that they are te&pted because o their !oodness" Bhilst a &an is held in bonda!e by these two delusions$ he will &ake no pro!ress) when he has shaken the& o $ he will pass on rapidly ro& (ictory to (ictory$ and will taste o spiritual *oy and rest" +wo searchin! truths &ust take the place o these two delusions$ and those truths areF irst$ that all te&ptation co&es ro& within) and second$ that a &an is te&pted because Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen ,-
o the e(il that is within hi&" +he idea that @od$ a de(il$ e(il spirits$ or outward ob*ects are the source o te&ptation &ust be dispelled" +he source and cause o all te&ptation is in the inward desire) that bein! puri ied or eli&inated$ outward ob*ects and eCtraneous powers are utterly powerless to &o(e the soul to sin or to te&ptation" +he outward ob*ect is &erely the occasion o the te&ptation$ ne(er the cause) this is in the desire o the one te&pted" I the cause eCisted in the ob*ect$ all &en would be te&pted alike$ te&ptation could ne(er be o(erco&e$ and &en would be hopelessly doo&ed to endless tor&ent) but seated$ as it is$ in his own desires$ he has the re&edy in his own hands$ and can beco&e (ictorious o(er all te&ptation by puri yin! those desires" # &an is te&pted because there are within hi& certain desires or states o &ind which he has co&e to re!ard as unholy" +hese desires &ay lie asleep or a lon! ti&e$ and the &an &ay think that he has !ot rid o the&$ when suddenly$ on the presentation o an outward ob*ect$ the sleepin! desire wakes up and thirsts o i&&ediate !rati ication) and this is the state o te&ptation" +he !ood in a &an is ne(er te&pted" @oodness destroys te&ptation" It is the e(il in a &an that is aroused and te&pted" +he &easure o a &anDs te&ptations is the eCact re!ister o his own unholiness" #s a &an puri ies his heart$ te&ptation ceases$ or when a certain unlaw ul desire has been taken out o the heart$ the ob*ect which or&erly appealed to it can no lon!er do so$ but beco&es dead and powerless$ or there is nothin! le t in the heart that can respond to it" +he honest &an cannot be te&pted to steal$ let the occasion be e(er so opportune) the &an o puri ied appetites cannot be te&pted to !luttony and drunkenness$ thou!h the (iands and wines be the &ost luscious) he o an enli!htened understandin!$ whose &ind is cal& in the stren!th o inward (irtue$ can ne(er be te&pted to an!er$ irritability or re(en!e$ and the wiles and char&s o the wanton all upon the puri ied heart as e&pty &eanin!less shadows" +e&ptation shows a &an *ust where he is sin ul and i!norant$ and is a &eans o ur!in! hi& on to hi!her altitudes o knowled!e and purity" Bithout te&ptation the soul cannot !row and beco&e stron!$ there could be no wisdo&$ no real (irtue) and thou!h there would be lethar!y and death$ there could be no peace and no ullness o li e" Bhen te&ptation is understood and con,uered$ per ection is assured$ and such per ection &ay beco&e any &anDs who is willin! to cast e(ery sel ish and i&pure desire$ by which he is possessed$ into the sacri icial ire o knowled!e" 'et &en$ there ore$ search dili!ently or +ruth$ realisin! that whilst they are sub*ect to te&ptation$ they ha(e not co&prehended +ruth$ and ha(e &uch to learn" =e who are te&pted know$ then$ that ye are te&pted o yoursel(es" 4or e(ery &an is te&pted when he is drawn away o his own lusts$- says the #postle ?a&es" =ou are te&pted because you are clin!in! to the ani&al within you and are unwillin! to let !o) because you are li(in! in the alse &ortal sel which is e(er de(oid o all true knowled!e$ knowin! nothin!$ seekin! nothin!$ but its own i&&ediate !rati ication$ i!norant o e(ery +ruth$ and o e(ery di(ine Arinciple" /lin!in! to that sel $ you continually su er the pains o three separate tor&entsF the tor&ent o desire$ the tor&ent o repletion$ and the tor&ent o re&orse"
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.o flameth Trishna, lust and thirst of things! /ager, ye &leave to shadows, dote on dreams0 A false self in the midst ye lant, and make A 1orld around whi&h seems0 2lind to the height beyond0 deaf to the sound 3f sweet airs breathed from far ast 4ndras sky0 $umb to the summons of the true life ke t 5or him who false uts by, .o grow the strifes and lusts whi&h make earths war, .o grieve oor &heated hearts and flow salt tears0 .o wa6 the assions, envies, angers, hates0 .o years &hase blood7stained years 1ith wild red feet!" In that alse sel lies the !er& o e(ery su erin!$ the bli!ht o e(ery hope$ the substance o e(ery !rie " Bhen you are ready to !i(e it up) when you are willin! to ha(e laid bare be ore you all its sel ishness$ i&purity$ and i!norance$ and to con ess its darkness to the utter&ost$ then will you enter upon the li e o sel %knowled!e and sel %&astery) you will beco&e conscious o the !od within you$ o that di(ine nature which$ seekin! no !rati ication$ abides in a re!ion o perpetual *oy and peace where su erin! cannot co&e and where te&ptation can ind no oothold" 2stablishin! yoursel $ day by day$ &ore and &ore ir&ly in that inward :i(inity$ the ti&e will at last co&e when you will be able to say with 6i& who& &illions worship$ ew understand and ewer still ollow$.+he Arince o this world co&eth and hath nothin! in &e"-
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5. THE MAN OF INTEGRITY

+here are ti&es in the li e o e(ery &an who takes his stand on hi!h &oral principles when his aith in$ and knowled!e o $ those principles is tested to the utter&ost$ and the way in which he co&es out o the iery trial decides as to whether he has su icient stren!th to li(e as a &an o +ruth$ and *oin the co&pany o the ree$ or shall still re&ain a sla(e and a hirelin! to the cruel task&aster$ 3el " 3uch ti&es o trial !enerally assu&e the or& o a te&ptation to do a wron! thin! and continue in co& ort and prosperity$ or to stand by what is ri!ht and accept po(erty and ailure) and so power ul is the trial that$ to the te&pted one$ it plainly appears on the ace o thin!s as thou!h$ i he chooses the wron!$ his &aterial success will be assured or the re&ainder o his li e$ but i he does what is ri!ht$ he will be ruined or e(er" 4re,uently the &an at once ,uails and !i(es way be ore this appallin! prospect which the Aath o >i!hteousness see&s to hold out or hi&$ but should he pro(e su iciently stron! to withstand this onslau!ht o te&ptation$ then the inward seducer$ the spirit o sel $ assu&es the !rab o an #n!el o 'i!ht$ and whispers$ +hink o your wi e and children) think o those who are dependent upon you) will you brin! the& down to dis!race and star(ationE3tron! indeed and pure &ust be the &an who can co&e triu&phant out o such a trial$ but he who does so$ enters at once a hi!her real& o li e$ where his spiritual eyes are opened to see beauti ul thin!s) and then po(erty and ruin which see&ed ine(itable do not co&e$ but a &ore abidin! success co&es$ and a peace ul heart and a ,uiet conscience" <ut he who ails does not obtain the pro&ised prosperity$ and his heart is restless and his conscience troubled" +he ri!ht%doer cannot ulti&ately ail$ the wron!%doer cannot ulti&ately succeed$ or .u&h is the Law whi&h moves to 8ighteousness 1hi&h none at last &an turn aside or stay," and it is because *ustice is at the heart o thin!s.because the @reat 'aw is !ood. that the &an o inte!rity is superior to ear$ and ailure$ and po(erty$ and sha&e$ and dis!race" #s the poet urther says o this 'awF The heart of its Love, the end of it 4s ea&e and &onsummation sweet7obey!" +he &an who earin! the loss o present pleasures or &aterial co& orts$ denies the +ruth within hi&$ can be in*ured$ and robbed$ and de!raded$ and tra&pled upon$ because he has irst in*ured$ robbed and de!raded$ and tra&pled upon his own nobler sel ) but the &an o stead ast (irtue$ o unble&ished inte!rity$ cannot be sub*ect to such conditions$ because he has denied the cra(en sel within hi& and has taken re u!e in +ruth" It is not the scour!e and the chains which &ake a &an a sla(e$ but the act that he is a sla(e" 3lander$ #ccusation$ and &alice cannot a ect the ri!hteous &an$ nor call ro& hi& any bitter response$ nor does he need to !o about to de end hi&sel and pro(e his innocence" 6is innocence and inte!rity alone are a su icient answer to all that hatred &ay atte&pt a!ainst hi&" 1or can he e(er be subdued by the orces o darkness$ ha(in! subdued all Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen ,3
those orces within hi&sel ) but he turns all e(il thin!s to !ood account.out o darkness he brin!s li!ht$ out o hatred lo(e$ out o dishonour honour) and slanders$ en(ies$ and &isrepresentations only ser(e to &ake &ore bri!ht the *ewel o +ruth within hi&$ and to !lori y his hi!h and holy destiny" 'et the &an o inte!rity re*oice and be !lad when he is se(erely tried) let hi& be thank ul that he has been !i(en an opportunity o pro(in! his loyalty to the noble principles which he has espoused) and let hi& thinkF 1ow is the hour o holy opportunityI 1ow is the day o triu&ph or +ruthI +hou!h I lose the whole world I will not desert the ri!htI3o thinkin!$ he will return !ood or e(il$ and will think co&passionately o the wron!% doer" +he slanderer$ the backbiter$ and the wron!%doer &ay see& to succeed or a ti&e$ but the 'aw o ?ustice pre(ails) the &an o inte!rity &ay see& to ail or a ti&e$ but he is in(incible$ and in none o the worlds$ (isible or in(isible$ can there be or!ed a weapon that shall pre(ail a!ainst hi&"
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6. DISCRIMINATION
+here is one ,uality which is pre%e&inently necessary to spiritual de(elop&ent$ the ,uality o discri&ination" # &anDs spiritual pro!ress will be pain ully slow and uncertain until there opens with hi& the eye o discri&ination$ or without this testin!$ pro(in!$ searchin! ,uality$ he will but !rope in the dark$ will be unable to distin!uish the real ro& the unreal$ the shadow ro& the substance$ and will so con use the alse with the true as to &istake the inward pro&ptin!s o his ani&al nature or those o the spirit o +ruth" # blind &an le t in a stran!e place &ay !o !rope his way in darkness$ but not without &uch con usion and &any pain ul alls and bruisin!s" Bithout discri&ination a &an is &entally blind$ and his li e is a pain ul !ropin! in darkness$ a con usion in which (ice and (irtue are indistin!uishable one ro& the other$ where acts are con ounded with truths) opinions with principles$ and where ideas$ e(ents$ &en$ and thin!s appear to be out o all relation to each other" # &anDs &ind and li e should be ree ro& con usion" 6e should be prepared to &eet e(ery &ental$ &aterial and spiritual di iculty$ and should not be ineCtricably cau!ht (as &any are) in the &eshes o doubt$ indecision and uncertainty when troubles and so% called &is ortunes co&e alon!" 6e should be orti ied a!ainst e(ery e&er!ency that can co&e a!ainst hi&) but such &ental preparedness and stren!th cannot be attained in any de!ree without discri&ination$ and discri&ination can only be de(eloped by brin!in! into play and constantly eCercisin! the analytical aculty" 7ind$ like &uscle$ is de(eloped by use$ and the assiduous eCercise o the &ind in any !i(en direction will de(elop$ in that direction$ &ental capacity and power" +he &erely critical aculty is de(eloped and stren!thened by continuously co&parin! and analysin! the ideas and opinions o others" <ut discri&ination is so&ethin! &ore and !reater than criticis&) it is a spiritual ,uality ro& which the cruelty and e!otis& which so re,uently acco&pany criticis& are eli&inated$ and by (irtue o which a &an sees thin!s as they are$ and not as he would like the& to be" :iscri&ination$ bein! a spiritual ,uality$ can only be de(eloped by spiritual &ethods$ na&ely$ by ,uestionin!$ eCa&inin!$ and analysin! oneDs own ideas$ opinions$ and conduct" +he critical$ ault indin! aculty &ust be withdrawn ro& its &erciless application to the opinions and conduct o others$ and &ust be applied$ with undi&inished se(erity$ to onesel " # &an &ust be prepared to ,uestion his e(ery opinion$ his e(ery thou!ht$ and his e(ery line o conduct$ and ri!orously and lo!ically test the&) only in this way can the discri&ination which destroys con usion will be de(eloped" <e ore a &an can enter upon such &ental eCercise$ he &ust &ake hi&sel o a teachable spirit" +his does not &ean that he &ust allow hi&sel to be led by others) it &eans that he &ust be prepared to yield up any cherished thou!hts to which he clin!s$ i it will not bear the penetratin! li!ht o reason$ i it shri(els up be ore the pure la&es o searchin! aspirations" +he &an who says$ I a& ri!htI- and who re uses to ,uestion his position in order to disco(er whether he is ri!ht$ will continue to ollow the line o his passions and pre*udices$ and will not ac,uire discri&ination" +he &an who hu&bly asks$ #& I
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ri!htE- and then proceeds to test and pro(e his position by earnest thou!ht and the lo(e o +ruth$ will always be able to disco(er the true and to distin!uish it ro& the alse$ and he will ac,uire the priceless possession o discri&ination" +he &an who is a raid to think searchin!ly upon his opinions$ and to reason critically upon his position$ will ha(e to de(elop &oral coura!e be ore he can ac,uire discri&ination" # &an &ust be true to hi&sel $ earless with hi&sel $ be ore he can percei(e the Aure Arinciples o +ruth$ be ore he can recei(e the all%re(ealin! 'i!ht o +ruth" +he &ore +ruth is in,uired o $ the bri!hter it shines) it cannot su er under eCa&ination and analysis" +he &ore error is ,uestioned$ the darker it !rows) it cannot sur(i(e the entrance o pure and searchin! thou!ht" +o pro(e all thin!s- is to ind the !ood and throw the e(il" 6e who reasons and &editates learns to discri&inate) he who discri&inates disco(ers the eternally +rue" /on usion$ su erin! and spiritual darkness ollow the thou!htless" 6ar&ony$ blessedness and the 'i!ht o +ruth attend upon the thou!ht ul" Aassion and pre*udice are blind$ and cannot discri&inateF they are still cruci yin! the /hrist and releasin! <arabbas"
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7. BELIEF, THE BASIS OF ACTION

<elie is an i&portant word in the teachin!s o the wise$ and it i!ures pro&inently in all reli!ions" #ccordin! to ?esus$ a certain kind o belie is necessary to sal(ation or re!eneration$ and <uddha de initely tau!ht that ri!ht belie is the irst and &ost essential step in the Bay o +ruth$ as without ri!ht belie there cannot be ri!ht conduct$ and he who has not learned how to ri!htly !o(ern and conduct hi&sel has not yet co&prehended the si&plest rudi&ents o +ruth" <elie as laid down by the @reat +eachers$ is not belie in any particular school$ philosophy$ or reli!ion$ but consists o an altitude o &ind deter&inin! the whole course o oneDs li e" <elie and conduct are$ there ore$ inseparable$ or the one deter&ines the other" <elie is the basis o all action$ and$ this bein! so$ the belie which do&inates the hearts or &ind is shown in the li e" 2(ery &an acts$ thinks$ li(es in eCact accordance with the belie which is rooted in his inner&ost bein!$ and such is the &athe&atical nature o the laws which !o(ern &ind that it is absolutely i&possible or anyone to belie(e in two opposin! conditions at the sa&e ti&e" 4or instance$ it is i&possible to belie(e in *ustice and in*ustice$ hatred and lo(e$ peace and stri e$ sel and truth" 2(ery &an belie(es in one or the other o these opposites$ ne(er in both$ and the daily conduct o e(ery &an indicates the nature o his belie " +he &an who belie(es in *ustice$ who re!ards it as an eternal and indestructible Arinciple$ ne(er boils o(er with ri!hteous indi!nation$ does not !row cynical and pessi&istic o(er the ine,ualities o li e$ and re&ains cal& and untroubled throu!h all trials and di iculties" It is i&possible or hi& to act otherwise$ or he belie(es that *ustice rei!ns$ and that$ there ore$ all that is called in*ustice is leetin! and illusory" +he &an who is continually !ettin! enra!ed o(er the in*ustice o his ellow &en$ who talks about hi&sel bein! badly treated$ or who &ourns o(er the lack o *ustice in the world around hi&$ shows by his conduct$ his attitude o &ind$ that he belie(es in in*ustice" 6owe(er he &ay protest to the contrary$ in his in&ost heart he belie(es that con usion and chaos are do&inant in the uni(erse$ the result bein! that he dwells in &isery and unrest$ and his conduct is aulty" #!ain$ he who belie(es in lo(e$ in its stability and power$ practises it under all circu&stances$ ne(er de(iates ro& it$ and bestows it alike upon ene&ies as upon riends" 6e who slanders and conde&ns$ who speaks dispara!in!ly o others$ or re!ards the& with conte&pt$ belie(es not in lo(e$ but hatred) all his actions pro(e it$ e(en thou!h with ton!ue or pen he &ay eulo!ise lo(e" +he belie(er in peace is known by his peace ul conduct" It is i&possible or hi& to en!a!e in stri e" I attacked he does not retaliate$ or he has seen the &a*esty o the an!el o peace$ and he can no lon!er pay ho&a!e to the de&on o stri e" +he stirrer%up o stri e$ the lo(er o ar!u&ent$ he who rushes into sel %de ence upon any or e(ery pro(ocation$ belie(es in stri e$ and will ha(e nau!ht to do with peace" 4urther$ he who belie(es in +ruth renounces hi&sel .that is$ he re uses to centre his li e in those passions$ desires$ and characteristics which cra(e only their own !rati ication$ and by thus renouncin! he beco&es stead astly iCed in +ruth$ and li(es a wise$
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beauti ul$ and bla&eless li e" +he belie(er in sel is known by his daily indul!ences$ !rati ications$ and (anities$ and by the disappoint&ents$ sorrows$ and &orti ications which he continually su ers" +he belie(er in +ruth does not su er$ or he has !i(en up that sel which is the cause o such su erin!" It will be seen by the ore!oin! that e(ery &an belie(es either in per&anent and eternal Arinciples directin! hu&an li e towards law and har&ony$ or in the ne!ation o those Arinciples$ with the resultant chaos in hu&an a airs and in his own li e" <elie in the di(ine Arinciples o ?ustice$ /o&passion$ 'o(e$ constitutes the ri!ht belie laid down by <uddha as bein! the basis o ri!ht conduct$ and also the belie unto sal(ation as e&phasised in the /hristian 3criptures$ or he who so belie(es cannot do otherwise than build his whole li e upon these Arinciples$ and so puri ies his heart$ and per ects his li e" <elie in the ne!ation o this di(ine principle constitutes what is called in all reli!ions unbelie $ and this unbelie is &ani ested as a sin ul$ troubled$ and i&per ect li e" Bhere there is >i!ht <elie there is a bla&eless and per ect li e) where there is alse belie there is sin$ there is sorrow$ the &ind and li e are i&properly !o(erned$ and there is a liction and unrest" <y their ruits ye shall know the&"+here is &uch talk about belie in ?esus-$ but what does belie in ?esus &eanE It &eans belie in his words$ in the Arinciples he enunciated.and li(ed$ in his co&&and&ents and in his eCe&plary li e o per ection" 6e who declares belie in ?esus$ and yet is all the ti&e li(in! in his lusts and indul!ences$ or in the spirit o hatred and conde&nation$ is sel decei(ed" 6e belie(es not in ?esus" 6e belie(es in his own ani&al sel " #s a aith ul ser(ant deli!hts in carryin! out the co&&ands o his &aster$ so he who belie(es in ?esus carries out his co&&and&ents$ and so is sa(ed ro& sin" +he supre&e test o belie in ?esus is thisF :o I keep his co&&and&entsE #nd this test is applied by 3t" ?ohn hi&sel in the ollowin! wordsF 6e that saith$ JI know hi& (?esus)D$ and keepeth not 6is /o&&and&ents$ is a liar$ and the truth is not in hi&" <ut whoso keepeth his word$ in hi& (erily is the word o @od per ected"It will be ound$ a ter a ri!id and i&partial analysis$ that belie lies at the root o all hu&an conduct" 2(ery thou!ht$ e(ery act$ e(ery habit$ is the direct outco&e o a certain iCed belie $ and oneDs conduct alters only as oneDs belie are &odi ied" Bhat we clin! to$ in that we belie(e) what we practise$ in that we belie(e" Bhen our belie in a thin! ceases$ we can no lon!er clin! to or practise it) it alls away ro& us as a !ar&ent out% worn" 7en clin! to their lusts$ and lies$ and (anities$ because they belie(e in the&$ belie(e there is !ain and happiness in the&" Bhen they trans er their belie to the di(ine ,ualities o purity and hu&ility$ those sins trouble the& no &ore" 7en are sa(ed ro& error by belie in the supre&acy o +ruth" +hey are sa(ed ro& sin by belie in 6oliness or Aer ection" +hey are sa(ed ro& e(il by belie in @ood$ or e(ery belie is &ani ested in the li e" It is not necessary to in,uire as to a &anDs theolo!ical belie $ or that is o little or no account$ or what can it a(ail a &an to belie(e that ?esus died or hi&$ or that ?esus is @od$ or that he is *usti ied by aith-$ i he continues to li(e in his lower$ sin ul natureE #ll that is necessary to ask is thisF 6ow does a &an li(eE-
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6ow does he conduct hi&sel under tryin! circu&stancesE- +he answer to these ,uestions will show whether a &an belie(es in the power o e(il or in the power o @ood" 6e who belie(es in the power o @ood li(es a !ood$ spiritual$ or !odly li e$ or @oodness is @od$ yea$ (erily is @od 6i&sel $ and he will soon lea(e behind hi& all sins and sorrows who belie(es$ with stead ast and unwa(erin! aith$ in the 3upre&e @ood"
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8. THE BELIEF THAT SAVES

It has been said that a &anDs whole li e and character is the outco&e o his belie $ and also that his belie has nothin! whate(er to do with his li e" <oth state&ents are true" +he con usion and contradiction o these two state&ents are only apparent$ and are ,uickly dispelled when it is re&e&bered that there are two entirely distinct kinds o belie s$ na&ely$ 6ead%belie and 6eart%belie " 6ead$ or intellectual belie $ is not unda&ental and causati(e$ but it is super icial and conse,uent$ and that it has no power in the &ouldin! o a &anDs character$ the &ost super icial obser(er &ay easily see" +ake$ or instance$ hal a doKen &en ro& any creed" +hey not only hold the sa&e theolo!ical belie $ but con ess the sa&e articles o aith in e(ery particular$ and yet their characters are (astly di erent" 0ne will be *ust as noble as another is i!noble) one will be &ild and !entle$ another coarse and irascible) one will be honest$ another dishonest) one will indul!e certain habits which another will ri!idly ab*ure$ and so on$ plainly indicatin! that theolo!ical belie is not an in luential actor in a &anDs li e" # &anDs theolo!ical belie is &erely his intellectual opinion or (iew o the uni(erse" @od$ the <ible$ etc"$ and behind and underneath this head%belie there lies$ deeply rooted in his inner&ost bein!$ the hidden$ silent$ secret belie o his heart$ and it is this belie which &oulds and &akes his whole li e" It is this which &akes those siC &en who$ whilst holdin! the sa&e theolo!y$ are yet so (astly at (ariance in their deeds.they di er in the (ital belie o the heart" What, then, is this heart-belief? It is that which a &an lo(es and clin!s to and osters in his soul) or he thus lo(es and clin!s to and osters in his heart$ because he belie(es in the&$ and belie(in! in the& and lo(in! the&$ he practises the&) thus is his li e the e ect o his belie $ but it has no relation to the particular creed which co&prises his intellectual belie " 0ne &an clin!s to i&pure and i&&oral thin!s because he belie(es in the&) another does not clin! to the& because he has ceased to belie(e in the&" # &an cannot clin! to anythin! unless he belie(es in it) belie always precedes action$ there ore a &anDs deeds and li e are the ruits o his belie " +he Ariest and the 'e(ite who passed by the in*ured and helpless &an$ held$ no doubt$ (ery stron!ly to the theolo!ical doctrines o their athers.that was their intellectual belie $.but in their hearts they did not belie(e in &ercy$ and so li(ed and acted accordin!ly" +he !ood 3a&aritan &ay or &ay not ha(e had any theolo!ical belie s nor was it necessary that he should ha(e) but in his heart he belie(ed in &ercy$ and acted accordin!ly" 3trictly speakin!$ there are only two belie s which (itally a ect the li e$ and they are$ belie in !ood and belie in e(il" 6e who belie(es in all those thin!s that are !ood$ will lo(e the&$ and li(e in the&) he who belie(es in those thin!s that are i&pure and sel ish$ will lo(e the&$ and clin! to the&" +he tree is known by its ruits"
2-
# &anDs belie s about @od$ ?esus$ and the <ible are one thin!) his li e$ as bound up in his actions$ is another) there ore a &anDs theolo!ical belie is o no conse,uence) but the thou!hts which he harbours$ his attitude o &ind towards others$ and his actions these$ and these only$ deter&ine and de&onstrate whether the belie o a &anDs heart is iCed in the alse or true"
2,
9. THOUGHT AND ACTION

#s the ruit to the tree and the water to the sprin!$ so is action to thou!ht" It does not co&e into &ani estation suddenly and without a cause" It is the result o a lon! and silent !rowth) the end o a hidden process which has lon! been !atherin! orce" +he ruit o the tree and the water !ushin! ro& the rock are both the e ect o a co&bination o natural processes in air and earth which ha(e lon! worked to!ether in secret to produce the pheno&enon) and the beauti ul acts o enli!hten&ent and the dark deeds o sin are both the ripened e ects o trains o thou!ht which ha(e lon! been harboured in the &ind" +he sudden allin!$ when !reatly te&pted$ into so&e !rie(ous sin by one who was belie(ed$ and who probably belie(ed hi&sel $ to stand ir&$ is seen neither to be a sudden nor a causeless thin! when the hidden process o thou!ht which led up to it are re(ealed" +he allin! was &erely the end$ the outworkin!$ the inished result o what co&&enced in the &ind probably years be ore" +he &an had allowed a wron! thou!ht to enter his &ind) and a second and a third ti&e he had welco&ed it$ and allowed it to nestle in his heart" @radually he beca&e accusto&ed to it$ and cherished$ and ondled$ and tended it) and so it !rew$ until at last it attained such stren!th and orce that it attracted to itsel the opportunity which enabled it to burst orth and ripen into act" #s alls the stately buildin! whose oundations ha(e been !radually under&ined by the action o water$ so at last alls the stron! &an who allows corrupt thou!hts to creep into his &ind and secretly under&ine his character" Bhen it is seen that all sin and te&ptation are the natural outco&e o the thou!hts o the indi(idual$ the way to o(erco&e sin and te&ptation beco&es plain$ and its achie(e&ent a near possibility$ and$ sooner or later$ a certain reality) or i a &an will ad&it$ cherish$ and brood upon thou!hts that are pure and !ood$ those thou!hts$ *ust as surely as the i&pure$ will !row and !ather orce$ and will at last attract to the&sel(es the opportunities which will enable the& to ripen into act" +here is nothin! hidden that shall not be re(ealed$- and e(ery thou!ht that is harboured in the &ind &ust$ by (irtue o the i&pellin! orce which is inherent in the uni(erse$ at last blosso& into act !ood or bad accordin! to its nature" +he di(ine +eacher and the sensualist are both the product o their own thou!hts$ and ha(e beco&e what they are as the result o the seeds o thou!ht which they ha(e i&planted$ are allowed to all$ into the !arden o the heart$ and ha(e a terwards watered$ tended$ and culti(ated" 'et no &an think he can o(erco&e sin and te&ptation by wrestlin! with opportunity) he can only o(erco&e the& by puri yin! his thou!hts) and i he will$ day by day$ in the silence o his soul$ and in the per or&ance o his duties$ strenuously o(erco&e all erroneous inclination$ and put in its place thou!hts that are true and that will endure the li!ht$ opportunity to do e(il will !i(e place to opportunity or acco&plishin! !ood$ or a &an can only attract that to hi& which is in har&ony with his nature$ and no te&ptation can !ra(itate to a &an unless there is that in his heart which is capable o respondin! to it" @uard well your thou!hts$ reader$ or what you really are in your secret thou!hts today$ be it !ood or e(il$ you will$ sooner or later$ beco&e in actual deed" 6e who unwearin!ly !uards the portals o his &ind a!ainst the intrusion o sin ul thou!hts$ and occupies Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen 22
hi&sel with lo(in! thou!hts$ with pure$ stron!$ and beauti ul thou!hts$ will$ when the season o their ripenin! co&es$ brin! orth the ruits o !entle and holy deeds$ and no te&ptation that can co&e a!ainst hi& shall ind hi& unar&ed or unprepared"
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10. YOUR MENTAL ATTITUDE

#s a bein! o thou!ht$ your do&inant &ental attitude will deter&ine your condition in li e" It will also be the !au!e o your knowled!e and the &easures o your attain&ent" +he so%called li&itations o your nature are the boundary lines o your thou!hts) they are sel %erected ences$ and can be drawn to a narrower circle$ eCtended to a wider$ or be allowed to re&ain" =ou are the thinker o your thou!hts and as such you are the &aker o yoursel and condition" +hou!ht is causal and creati(e$ and appears in your character and li e in the or& o results" +here are no accidents in your li e" <oth its har&onies and anta!onis&s are the responsi(e echoes o your thou!hts" # &an thinks$ and his li e appears" I your do&inant &ental attitude is peaceable and lo(able$ bliss and blessedness will ollow you) i it be resistant and hate ul$ trouble and distress will cloud your pathway" 0ut o ill%will will co&e !rie and disaster) out o !ood%will$ healin! and reparation" =ou i&a!ine your circu&stances as bein! separate ro& yoursel $ but they are inti&ately related to your thou!ht world" 1othin! appears without an ade,uate cause" 2(erythin! that happens is *ust" 1othin! is ated$ e(erythin! is or&ed" #s you think$ you tra(el) as you lo(e$ you attract" =ou are today where your thou!hts ha(e brou!ht you) you will be to&orrow where your thou!hts take you" =ou cannot escape the result o your thou!hts$ but you can endure and learn$ can accept and be !lad" =ou will always co&e to the place where your lo(e (your &ost abidin! and intense thou!ht) can recei(e its &easure o !rati ication" I your lo(e be base$ you will co&e to a base place) i it be beauti ul$ you will co&e to a beauti ul place" =ou can alter your thou!hts$ and so alter your condition" 3tri(e to percei(e the (astness and !randeur o your responsibility" =ou are power ul$ not powerless" =ou are as power ul to obey as you are to disobey) as stron! to be pure as to be i&pure) as ready or wisdo& as or i!norance" =ou can learn what you will$ can re&ain as i!norant as you choose" I you lo(e knowled!e you will obtain it) i you lo(e wisdo& you will secure it) i you lo(e purity you will realise it" #ll thin!s await your acceptance$ and you choose by the thou!hts which you entertain" # &an re&ains i!norant because he lo(es i!norance$ and chooses i!norant thou!hts) a &an beco&es wise because he lo(es wisdo& and chooses wise thou!hts" 1o &an is hindered by another) he is only hindered by hi&sel " 1o &an su ers because o another) he su ers only because o hi&sel " <y the noble @ateway o Aure +hou!ht you can enter the hi!hest 6ea(en) by the i!noble doorway o i&pure thou!ht you can descend into the lowest hell" =our &ental attitude towards others will aith ully react upon yoursel $ and will &ani est itsel in e(ery relation o your li e" 2(ery i&pure and sel ish thou!ht that you send out co&es back to you in your circu&stances in so&e or& o su erin!) e(ery pure and unsel ish thou!ht returns to you in so&e or& o blessedness" =our circu&stances are e ects o which the cause is inward and in(isible" #s the ather%&other o your thou!hts you are the &aker o your state and condition" Bhen you know yoursel $ you will percei(e that e(ery e(ent in your li e is wei!hed in the aultless balance o e,uity" Bhen
2#
you understand the law within your &ind you will cease to re!ard yoursel as the i&potent and blind tool o circu&stances$ and will beco&e the stron! and seein! &aster"
2'
11. SOWING AND REAPING

@o into the ields and country lanes in the sprin!%ti&e$ and you will see ar&ers and !ardeners busy sowin! seeds in the newly prepared soil" I you were to ask any one o those !ardeners or ar&ers what kind o produce he eCpected ro& the seed he was sowin!$ he would doubtless re!ard you as oolish$ and would tell you that he does not eCpect- at all$ that it is a &atter o co&&on knowled!e that his produce will be o the kind which he is sowin!$ and that he is sowin! wheat$ or barley$ or turnips$ as the case &ay be$ in order to reproduce that particular kind" 2(ery act and process in 1ature contains a &oral lesson or the wise &an" +here is no law in the world o 1ature around us which is not to be ound operatin! with the sa&e &athe&atical certainty in the &ind o &an and in hu&an li e" #ll the parables o ?esus are illustrati(e o this truth$ and are drawn ro& the si&ple acts o 1ature" +here is a process o seed%sowin! in the &ind and li e a spiritual sowin! which leads to a har(est accordin! to the kind o seed sown" +hou!hts$ words$ and acts are seeds sown$ and$ by the in(iolable law o thin!s$ they produce a ter their kind" +he &an who thinks hate ul thou!hts brin!s hatred upon hi&sel " +he &an who thinks lo(in! thou!hts is lo(ed" +he &an whose thou!hts$ words and acts are sincere$ is surrounded by sincere riends) the insincere &an is surrounded by insincere riends" +he &an who sows wron! thou!hts and deeds$ and prays that @od will bless hi&$ is in the position o a ar&er who$ ha(in! sown tares 1$ asks @od to brin! orth or hi& a har(est o wheat" That whi&h ye sow, ye rea 0 see yonder fields The sesamum was sesamum, the &orn 1as &orn0 the silen&e and the darkness knew0 .o is a mans fate born!" He &ometh rea er of the things he sowed!" 6e who would be blest$ let hi& scatter blessin!s" 6e who would be happy$ let hi& consider the happiness o others" +hen there is another side to this seed sowin!" +he ar&er &ust scatter all his seed upon the land$ and then lea(e it to the ele&ents" Bere he to co(etously hoard his seed$ he would lose both it and his produce$ or his seed would perish" It perishes when he sows it$ but in perishin! it brin!s orth a !reat abundance" 3o in li e$ we !et by !i(in!) we !row rich by scatterin!" +he &an who says he is in possession o knowled!e which he cannot !i(e out because the world is incapable o recei(in! it$ either does not possess such knowled!e$ or$ i he does$ will soon be depri(ed o it.i he is not already so depri(ed" +o hoard is to lose) to eCclusi(ely retain is to be dispossessed" 2(en the &an who would increase his &aterial wealth &ust be willin! to part with (in(est) what little capital he has$ and then wait or the increase" 3o lon! as he retains his hold on his precious &oney$ he will not only re&ain poor$ but will be !rowin! poorer e(eryday" 6e will$ a ter all$ lose the thin! he lo(es$ and will lose it without increase" <ut
1
+aresF a weed o !rain ields
2(
i he wisely lets it !o) i $ like the ar&er$ he scatters his seeds o !old$ then he can aith ully wait or$ and reasonably eCpect$ the increase" 7en are askin! @od to !i(e the& peace and purity$ and ri!hteousness and blessedness$ but are not obtainin! these thin!s) and why notE <ecause they are not practisin! the&$ not sowin! the&" I once heard a preacher pray (ery earnestly or or!i(eness$ and shortly a terwards$ in the course o his ser&on$ he called upon his con!re!ation to show no &ercy to the ene&ies o the church"- 3uch sel %delusion is piti ul$ and &en ha(e yet to learn that the way to obtain peace and blessedness is to scatter peace ul and blessed thou!hts$ words$ and deeds" 7en belie(e that they can sow the seeds o stri e$ i&purity$ and unbrotherliness$ and then !ather in a rich har(est o peace$ purity and concord by &erely askin! or it" Bhat &ore pathetic si!ht than to see an irritable and ,uarrelso&e &an prayin! or peace" 7en reap that which they sow$ and any &an can reap all blessedness now and at once$ i he will put aside sel ishness$ and sow broadcast the seeds o kindness$ !entleness$ and lo(e" I a &an is troubled$ perpleCed$ sorrow ul$ or unhappy$ let hi& askF Bhat &ental seeds ha(e I been sowin!EBhat seeds a& I sowin!E Bhat ha(e I done or othersEBhat is &y attitude towards othersEBhat seeds o trouble and sorrow and unhappiness ha(e I sown that I should thus reap these bitter weedsE'et hi& seek within and ind$ and ha(in! ound$ let hi& abandon all the seeds o sel $ and sow$ hence orth$ only the seeds o +ruth" 'et hi& learn o the ar&er the si&ple truths o wisdo&"
2)
12. THE REIGN OF LAW

+he little party !ods ha(e had their day" +he arbitrary !ods$ creatures o hu&an caprice and i!norance$ are allin! into disrepute" 7en ha(e ,uarrelled o(er and de ended the& until they ha(e !rown weary o the stri e$ and now$ e(erywhere$ they are relin,uishin! and breakin! up these helpless idols o their lon! worship" +he !od o re(en!e$ hatred and *ealousy$ who !loats o(er the down all o his ene&ies) the partial !od who !rati ies all our narrow and sel ish desires) the !od who sa(es only the creatures o his particular special creed) the !od o eCclusi(eness and a(ouritis&) such were the !ods (&iscalled by us @od) o our soulDs in ancy$ !ods base and oolish as oursel(es$ the abrications o our sel ish sel " #nd we relin,uished our petty !ods with bitter tears and &is!i(in!s$ and broke our idols with bleedin! hands" <ut in so doin! we did not lose si!ht o @od) nay we drew nearer to the !reat$ silent 6eart o 'o(e" :estroyin! the idols o sel $ we be!an to co&prehend so&ewhat o the Aower which cannot be destroyed$ and entered into a wider knowled!e o the @od o 'o(e$ o Aeace$ o ?oy) the @od in who& re(en!e and partiality cannot eCist) the @od o 'i!ht$ ro& whose presence the darkness o ear and doubt and sel ishness cannot choose but lee" Be ha(e reached one o those epochs in the worldDs pro!ress which witnesses the passin! o the alse !ods) the !ods o hu&an sel ishness and hu&an illusion" +he new% old re(elation o one uni(ersal i&personal +ruth has a!ain dawned upon the world$ and its searchin! li!ht has carried consternation to the perishable !ods who take shelter under the shadow o sel " 7en ha(e lost aith in a !od who can be ca*oled$ who rules arbitrarily and capriciously$ sub(ertin! the whole order o thin!s to !rati y the wishes o his worshippers$ and are turnin!$ with a new li!ht in their eyes and a new *oy in their hearts$ to the @od o 'aw" #nd to 6i& they turn$ not or personal happiness and !rati ication$ but or knowled!e$ or understandin!$ or wisdo&$ or liberation ro& the bonda!e o sel " #nd thus turnin!$ they do not seek in (ain$ nor are they sent away e&pty and disco& ited" +hey ind within the&sel(es the rei!n o 'aw$ that e(ery thou!ht$ e(ery i&pulse$ e(ery act and word brin!s about a result in eCact accordance with its own nature) that thou!hts o lo(e brin! about beauti ul and bliss ul conditions$ that hate ul thou!hts brin! about distorted and pain ul conditions$ that thou!hts and acts !ood and e(il are wei!hed in the aultless balance o the 3upre&e 'aw$ and recei(e their e,ual &easure o blessedness on the one hand$ and &isery on the other" #nd thus indin! they enter a new Aath$ the Aath o 0bedience to the 'aw" 2nterin! that Aath they no lon!er accuse$ no lon!er doubt$ no lon!er ret and despond$ or they know that @od is ri!ht$ the uni(ersal laws are ri!ht$ the cos&os is ri!ht$ and that they the&sel(es are wron!$ i wron! there is$ and that their sal(ation depends upon the&sel(es$ upon their own e orts$ upon their personal acceptance o that which is !ood and deliberate re*ection o that which is e(il" 1o lon!er &erely hearers$ they beco&e doers o the Bord$ and they ac,uire knowled!e$ they recei(e understandin!$ they !row in wisdo&$ and they enter into the !lorious li e o liberation ro& the bonda!e o sel " +he 'aw o the 'ord is per ect$ enli!htenin! the eyes"- I&per ection lies in &anDs i!norance$ in &anDs blind olly" Aer ection$ which is knowled!e o the Aer ect 'aw$ is
2*
ready or all who earnestly seek it) it belon!s to the order o thin!s) it is yours and &ine now i we will only put sel %seekin! on one side$ and adopt the li e o sel %obliteration" +he knowled!e o +ruth$ with its unspeakable *oy$ its cal&ness and ,uiet stren!th$ is not or those who persist in clin!in! to their ri!hts-$ de endin! their interests-$ and i!htin! or their opinions-) whose works are i&bued with the personal I-$ and who build upon the shi tin! sands o sel ishness and e!otis&" It is or those who renounce these causes o stri e$ these sources o pain and sorrow) and they are$ indeed$ /hildren o +ruth$ disciples o the 7aster$ worshippers o the &ost 6i!h" +he /hildren o +ruth are in the world today) they are thinkin!$ actin!$ writin!$ speakin!) yea$ e(en prophets are a&on!st us$ and their in luence is per(adin! the whole earth" #n undercurrent o holy *oy is !atherin! orce in the world$ so that &en and wo&en are &o(ed with new aspirations and hopes$ and e(en those who neither see nor hear$ eel within the&sel(es stran!e yearnin!s a ter a better and uller li e" +he 'aw rei!ns$ and it rei!ns in &enDs hearts and li(es) and they ha(e co&e to understand the rei!n o 'aw who ha(e sou!ht out the +abernacle o the true @od by the air pathway o unsel ishness" @od does not alter or &an$ or this would &ean that the per ect &ust beco&e i&per ect) &an &ust alter or @od$ and this i&plies that the i&per ect &ust beco&e per ect" +he 'aw cannot be broken or &an$ otherwise con usion would ensue) &an &ust obey the 'aw) this is in accordance with har&ony$ order$ *ustice" +here is no &ore pain ul bonda!e than to be at the &ercy o oneDs inclinations) no !reater liberty than ut&ost obedience to the 'aw o <ein!" #nd the 'aw is that the heart shall be puri ied$ the &ind re!enerated$ and the whole bein! brou!ht in sub*ection to 'o(e till sel is dead and 'o(e is all in all$ or the rei!n o 'aw is the rei!n o 'o(e" #nd 'o(e waits or all$ re*ectin! none" 'o(e &ay be clai&ed and entered into now$ or it is the herita!e o all" #h$ beauti ul +ruthI +o know that now &an &ay accept his di(ine herita!e$ and enter the Hin!do& o 6ea(enI 0h$ piti ul errorI +o know that &an re*ects it because o lo(e o sel I 0bedience to the 'aw &eans the destruction o sin and sel $ and the realisation o unclouded *oy and undyin! peace" /lin!in! to oneDs sel ish inclinations &eans the drawin! about oneDs soul clouds o pain and sorrow which darken the li!ht o +ruth) the shuttin! out o onesel ro& all real blessedness) or whatsoe(er a &an sows that shall he also reap"Gerily the 'aw rei!neth$ and rei!neth or e(er$ and ?ustice and 'o(e are its eternal &inisters"
2+
13. THE SUPREME JUSTICE

+he &aterial uni(erse is &aintained and preser(ed by the e,uilibriu& o its orces" +he &oral uni(erse is sustained and protected by the per ect balance o its e,ui(alents" #s in the physical world 1ature abhors a (acuu&$ so in the spiritual world dishar&ony is annulled" 8nderlyin! the disturbances and destructions o 1ature$ and behind the &utability o its or&s$ there abides the eternal and per ect &athe&atical sy&&etry) and at the heart o li e$ behind all its pain$ uncertainty$ and unrest$ there abide the eternal har&ony$ the unbroken peace$ and in(iolable ?ustice" Is there$ then$ no in*ustice in the uni(erseE +here is in*ustice$ and there is not" It depends upon the kind o li e and the state o consciousness ro& which a &an looks out upon the world and *ud!es" +he &an who li(es in his passions sees in*ustice e(erywhere) the &an who has o(erco&e his passions sees the operations o ?ustice in e(ery depart&ent o hu&an li e" In*ustice is the con used$ e(erish drea& o passion$ real enou!h to those who are drea&in! it) ?ustice is the per&anent reality in li e$ !loriously (isible to those who ha(e wakened out o the pain ul ni!ht&are o sel " +he :i(ine 0rder cannot be percei(ed until passion and sel are transcended) the 4aultless ?ustice cannot be apprehended until all sense o in*ury and wron! is consu&ed in the pure la&es o all%e&bracin! 'o(e" +he &an who thinks$ I ha(e been sli!hted$ I ha(e been in*ured$ I ha(e been insulted$ I ha(e been treated un*ustly$- cannot know what ?ustice is) blinded by sel $ he cannot percei(e the pure Arinciples o +ruth) and broodin! upon his wron!s$ he li(es in continual &isery" In the re!ion o passion there is a ceaseless con lict o orces causin! su erin! to all who are in(ol(ed in the&" +here is action and reaction$ deed and conse,uence$ cause and e ect) and within and abo(e all is the :i(ine ?ustice re!ulatin! the play o orces with the ut&ost &athe&atical accuracy$ balancin! cause and e ect with the inest precision" <ut this ?ustice is not percei(ed.cannot be percei(ed.by those who are en!a!ed in the con lict) be ore this can be done$ the ierce war are o passion &ust be le t behind" +he world o passion is the abode o schis&s$ ,uarrellin!s$ wars$ law%suits$ accusations$ conde&nations$ i&purities$ weaknesses$ ollies$ hatreds$ re(en!es$ and resent&ents" 6ow can a &an percei(e ?ustice or understand +ruth who is e(en partly in(ol(ed in the ierce play o its blindin! ele&entsE #s well eCpect a &an cau!ht in the la&es o a burnin! buildin! to sit down and reason out the cause o the ire" In this real& o passion$ &en see in*ustice in the actions o others because$ seein! only i&&ediate appearances$ they re!ard e(ery act as standin! by itsel $ undetached ro& cause and conse,uence" 6a(in! no knowled!e o cause and e ect in the &oral sphere$ &en do not see the eCactin! and balancin! process which is &o&entarily proceedin!$ nor do they e(er re!ard their own actions as un*ust$ but only the actions o others" # boy beats a de enceless ani&al$ then a &an beats the de enceless boy or his cruelty$ then a stron!er &an attacks the &an or his cruelty to the boy" 2ach belie(es the other to be un*ust and cruel$ and hi&sel to be *ust and hu&ane) and doubtless &ost o all would Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen 3-
the boy *usti y his conduct toward the ani&al as alto!ether necessary" +hus does i!norance keep ali(e hatred and stri e) thus do &en blindly in lict su erin! upon the&sel(es$ li(in! in passion and resent&ent$ and not indin! the true way in li e" 6atred is &et with hatred$ passion with passion$ stri e with stri e" +he &an who kills is hi&sel killed) the thie who li(es by depri(in! others is hi&sel depri(ed) the beast that preys on others is hunted and killed) the accuser is accused$ the conde&ner is conde&ned$ the denouncer is persecuted" 2y this the slayers knife doth stab himself, The un%ust %udge has lost his own defender, The false tongue dooms its lie, the &ree ing thief And s oiler rob to render! .u&h is the Law!" Aassion also has its acti(e and passi(e sides" 4ool and raud$ oppressor and sla(e$ a!!ressor and retaliator$ the charlatan and the superstitious$ co&ple&ent each other$ and co&e to!ether by the operation o the 'aw o ?ustice" 7en unconsciously cooperate in the &utual production o a liction) the blind lead the blind$ and both all to!ether into the ditch-" Aain$ !rie $ sorrow$ and &isery are the ruits o which passion is the lower" Bhere the passion%bound soul sees only in*ustice$ the !ood &an$ he who has con,uered passion$ sees cause and e ect$ sees the 3upre&e ?ustice" It is i&possible or such a &an to re!ard hi&sel as treated un*ustly$ because he has ceased to see in*ustice" 6e knows that no one can in*ure or cheat hi&$ ha(in! ceased to in*ure or cheat hi&sel " 6owe(er passionately or i!norantly &en &ay act towards hi&$ it cannot possibly cause hi& any pain$ or he knows that whate(er co&es to hi& (it &ay be abuse and persecution) can only co&e as the e ect o what he hi&sel has or&erly sent out" 6e there ore re!ards all thin!s as !ood$ re*oices in all thin!s$ lo(es his ene&ies and blesses the& that curse hi&$ re!ardin! the& as the blind but bene icent instru&ents by which he is enabled to pay his &oral debts to the @reat 'aw" +he !ood &an$ ha(in! put away all resent&ent$ retaliation$ sel %seekin!$ and e!otis&$ has arri(ed at a state o e,uilibriu&$ and has thereby beco&e identi ied with the 2ternal and 8ni(ersal 2,uilibriu&" 6a(in! li ted hi&sel abo(e the blind orces o passion$ he understands those orces$ conte&plates the& with a cal& penetratin! insi!ht$ like the solitary dweller upon a &ountain who looks down upon the con lict o the stor&s beneath his eet" 4or hi&$ in*ustice has ceased$ and he sees i!norance and su erin! on the one hand and enli!hten&ent and bliss on the other" 6e sees that not only do the ool and the sla(e need his sy&pathy$ but that the raud and the oppressor are e,ually in need o it$ and so his co&passion is eCtended towards all" +he 3upre&e ?ustice and the 3upre&e 'o(e are one" /ause and e ect cannot be a(oided) conse,uences cannot be escaped" Bhile a &an is !i(en to hatred$ resent&ent$ an!er and conde&nation$ he is sub*ect to in*ustice as the drea&er to his drea&$ and cannot do otherwise than see in*ustice) but he who has o(erco&e those iery and bindin! ele&ents knows that unerrin! ?ustice presides o(er all$ that in reality there is no such thin! as in*ustice in the whole o the uni(erse"
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14. THE USE OF REASON

Be ha(e heard it said that reason is a blind !uide$ and that it draws &en away ro& +ruth rather than leads the& to it" I this were true$ it were better to re&ain$ or to beco&e unreasonable$ and to persuade others so to do" Be ha(e ound$ howe(er$ that the dili!ent culti(ation o the di(ine aculty o reason brin!s about cal&ness and &ental poise$ and enables one to &eet cheer ully the proble&s and di iculties o li e" It is true there is a hi!her li!ht than reason) e(en that o the 3pirit o +ruth itsel $ but without the aid o reason$ +ruth cannot be apprehended" +hey who re use to tri& the la&p o reason will ne(er$ whilst they so re use$ percei(e the li!ht o +ruth$ or the li!ht o reason is a re lection o that 'i!ht" >eason is a purely abstract ,uality$ and co&es &idway between the ani&al and di(ine consciousness in &an$ and leads$ i ri!htly e&ployed$ ro& the darkness o one to the 'i!ht o the other" It is true that reason &ay be enlisted in the ser(ice o the lower$ sel % seekin! nature$ but this is only a result o its partial and i&per ect eCercise" # uller de(elop&ent o reason leads away ro& the sel ish nature$ and ulti&ately allies the soul with the hi!hest$ the di(ine" +hat spiritual Aerci(al who$ searchin! or the 6oly @rail o the Aer ect 'i e$ is a!ain and a!ain left alone, And wearying in a land of sand and thorns," is not so stranded because he has ollowed reason$ but because he is still clin!in! to$ and is reluctant to lea(e$ so&e re&nants o his lower nature" 6e who will use the li!ht o reason as a torch to search or +ruth will not be le t at last in co& ortless darkness" /o&e$ now$ and let us reason to!ether$ saith the 'ord) thou!h your sins be as scarlet$ they shall be as white as snow"7any &en and wo&en pass throu!h untold su erin!s$ and at last die in their sins$ because they re use to reason) because they clin! to those dark delusions which e(en a aint !li&&er o the li!ht o reason would dispel) and all &ust use their reason reely$ ully$ and aith ully$ who would eCchan!e the scarlet robe o sin and su erin! or the white !ar&ent o bla&elessness and peace" It is because we ha(e pro(ed and know these truths that we eChort &en to tread the middle road, whose &ourse 2right reason tra&es, and soft 9uiet smooths," or reason leads away ro& passion and sel ishness into the ,uiet ways o sweet persuasion and !entle or!i(eness$ and he will ne(er be led astray$ nor will he ollow blind !uides$ who aith ully adheres to the #postolic in*unction$ Aro(e all thin!s$ and hold ast that which is !ood"- +hey$ there ore$ who despise the li!ht o reason$ despise the 'i!ht o +ruth" 'ar!e nu&bers o people are possessed o the stran!e delusion that reason is so&ehow inti&ately connected with the denial o the eCistence o @od" +his is probably due to the Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen 32
act that those who try to pro(e that there is no @od usually pro ess to take their stand upon reason$ while those who try to pro(e the re(erse !enerally pro ess to take their stand on aith" 3uch ar!u&entati(e co&batants$ howe(er$ are re,uently !o(erned &ore by pre*udice than either reason or aith$ their ob*ect bein! not to ind +ruth$ but to de end and con ir& a preconcei(ed opinion" >eason is concerned$ not with ephe&eral opinions$ but with the established truth o thin!s$ and he who is possessed o the aculty o reason in its purity and eCcellence can ne(er be ensla(ed by pre*udice$ and will put ro& hi& all preconcei(ed opinions as worthless" 6e will neither atte&pt to pro(e nor dispro(e$ but a ter balancin! eCtre&es and brin!in! to!ether all apparent contradictions$ he will care ully and dispassionately wei!h and consider the&$ and so arri(e at +ruth" >eason is$ in reality$ associated with all that is pure and !entle$ &oderate and *ust" It is said o a (iolent &an that he is unreasonable-$ o a kind and considerate &an that he is reasonable-$ and o an insane &an that he has lost his reason-" +hus it is seen that the word is used$ e(en to a !reat eCtent unconsciously$ thou!h none the less truly$ in a (ery co&prehensi(e sense$ and thou!h reason is not actually lo(e and thou!ht ulness and !entleness and sanity$ it leads to and is inti&ately connected with these di(ine ,ualities$ and cannot$ eCcept or purposes o analysis$ be dissociated ro& the&" >eason represents all that is hi!h and noble in &an" It distin!uishes hi& ro& the brute which blindly ollows its ani&al inclinations$ and *ust in the de!ree that &an disobeys the (oice o reason and ollows his inclinations does he beco&e brutish" #s 7ilton saysF 8eason in man obs&ured, or not obeyed, 4mmediately inordinate desires And u start assions &at&h the government 5rom reason, and to servitude redu&e :an till then free!" +he ollowin! de inition o reason- ro& 1uttallDs :ictionary will !i(e so&e idea o the co&prehensi(eness o the wordF +he cause$ !round$ principle$ or &oti(e o anythin! said or done) e icient cause) inal cause) the aculty o intelli!ence in &an) especially the aculty by which we arri(e at necessary truth" It will thus be seen that reason- is a ter&$ the breadth o which is al&ost su icient to e&brace e(en +ruth itsel $ and #rchbishop +rench tells us in his celebrated work$ J0n the 3tudy o BordsD$ that the ter&s >eason and Bord are indeed so essentially one and the sa&e that the @reek lan!ua!e has one word or the& both$- so that the Bord o @od is the >eason o @od) and one o the renderin!s o 'ao%tKeDs +aois >eason$ so that in the /hinese translation o our 1ew +esta&ent$ 3t" ?ohnDs @ospel runsF In the be!innin! was the +ao"+o the unde(eloped and uncharitable &ind all words ha(e narrow applications$ but as a &an enlar!es his sy&pathies and broadens his intelli!ence$ words beco&e illed with rich &eanin!s and assu&e co&prehensi(e proportions" 'et us there ore cease ro& oolish ,uarrelin!s about words$ and$ like reasonable bein!s$ search or principles and practise those thin!s which &ake or unity and peace"
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15. SELF-DISCIPLINE
# &an does not li(e until he be!ins to discipline hi&sel he &erely eCists" 'ike an ani&al$ he !rati ies his desires and pursues his inclinations *ust where they &ay lead hi&" 6e is happy as a beast is happy$ because he is not conscious o what he is depri(in! hi&sel ) he su ers as the beast su ers$ because he does not know the way out o su erin!" 6e does not intelli!ently re lect upon li e$ and li(es in a series o sensations$ lon!in!s$ and con used &e&ories which are unrelated to any central idea or principle" # &an whose inner li e is so un!o(erned and chaotic &ust necessarily &ani est this con usion in the (isible conditions o his outer li e in the world) and thou!h or a ti&e$ runnin! with the strea& o his desires$ he &ay draw to hi&sel a &ore or less lar!e share o the outer necessities and co& orts o li e$ he ne(er achie(es any real success nor acco&plishes any real !ood$ and sooner or later worldly ailure and disaster are ine(itable$ as the direct result o the inward ailure to properly ad*ust and re!ulate those &ental orces which &ake the outer li e" <e ore a &an acco&plish anythin! o an endurin! nature in the world he &ust irst o all ac,uire so&e &easure o success in the &ana!e&ent o his own &ind" +his is as &athe&atical a truis& as that two and two are our$ or$ out o the heart are the issues o li e"- I a &an cannot !o(ern the orces within hi&sel $ he cannot hold a ir& hand upon the outer acti(ities which or& his (isible li e" 0n the other hand$ as a &an succeeds$ in !o(ernin! hi&sel he rises to hi!her and hi!her le(els o power and use ulness and success in the world" +he only di erence between the li e o the beast and that o the undisciplined &an is that the &an has a wider (ariety o desires$ and eCperiences a !reater intensity o su erin!" It &ay be said o such a &an that he is dead$ bein! truly dead to sel %control$ chastity$ ortitude$ and all the nobler ,ualities which constitute li e" In the consciousness o such a &an the cruci ied /hrist lies ento&bed$ awaitin! that resurrection which shall re(i(i y the &ortal su erer$ and wake hi& up to a knowled!e o the realities o his eCistence" Bith the practice o sel %discipline a &an be!ins to li(e$ or he then co&&ences to rise abo(e the inward con usion and to ad*ust his conduct to a stead ast centre within hi&sel " 6e ceases to ollow where inclination leads hi&$ reins in the steed o his desires$ and li(es in accordance with the dictates o reason and wisdo&" 6itherto his li e has been without purpose or &eanin!$ but now he be!ins to consciously &ould his own destiny) he is clothed and in his ri!ht &ind"In the process o sel %discipline there are three sta!es$ na&elyF 1" /ontrol 2" Auri ication 5" >elin,uish&ent Control # &an be!ins to discipline hi&sel by controllin! those passions which ha(e hitherto controlled hi&) he resists te&ptation and !uards hi&sel a!ainst all those tendencies to sel ish !rati ications which are so easy and natural$ and which ha(e or&erly do&inated
3#
hi&" 6e brin!s his appetite into sub*ection$ and be!ins to eat as a reasonable and responsible bein!$ practisin! &oderation and thou!ht ulness in the selection o his ood$ with the ob*ect o &akin! his body a pure instru&ent throu!h which he &ay li(e and act as beco&es a &an$ and no lon!er de!radin! that body by panderin! to !ustatory pleasure" 6e puts a check upon his ton!ue$ his te&per$ and$ in act$ his e(ery ani&al desire and tendency$ and this he does by re errin! all his acts to a iCed centre within hi&sel " It is a process o li(in! ro& within outward$ instead o $ as or&erly$ ro& without inward" 6e concei(es o an ideal$ and$ enshrinin! that ideal in the sacred recesses o his heart$ he re!ulates his conduct in accordance with its eCaction and de&ands" +here is a philosophical hypothesis that at the heart o e(ery ato& and e(ery a!!re!ation o ato&s in the uni(erse there is a &otionless center which is the sustainin! source o all the uni(ersal acti(ities" <e this as it &ay$ there is certainly in the heart o e(ery &an and wo&an a sel less centre without which the outer &an could not be$ and the i!norin! o which leads to su erin! and con usion" +his sel less center$ which takes the or&$ in the &ind$ o an ideal o unsel ishness and spotless purity$ the attain&ent o which is desirable$ is &anDs eternal re u!e ro& the stor&s o passion and all the con lictin! ele&ents o his lower nature" It is the >ock o #!es$ the /hrist within$ the di(ine and i&&ortal in all &en" #s a &an practises sel %control he approCi&ates &ore and &ore to this inward reality$ and is less and less swayed by passion and !rie $ pleasure and pain$ and li(es a stead ast and (irtuous li e$ &ani estin! &anly stren!th and ortitude" +he restrainin! o the passions$ howe(er$ is &erely the initial sta!e in sel %discipline$ and is i&&ediately ollowed by the process o Auri ication" <y this a &an so puri ies hi&sel as to take passion out o the heart and &ind alto!ether) not &erely restrainin! it when it rises within hi&$ but pre(entin! it ro& risin! alto!ether" <y &erely restrainin! his passions a &an can ne(er arri(e at peace$ can ne(er actualise his ideal) he &ust puri y those passions" Purification It is in the puri ication o his lower nature that a &an beco&es stron! and !od%like$ standin! ir&ly upon the ideal centre within$ and renderin! all te&ptations powerless and ine ectual" +his puri ication is e ected by thou!ht ul care$ earnest &editation$ and holy aspiration) and as success is achie(ed con usion o &ind and li e pass away$ and cal&ness o &ind and spiritualiKed conduct ensure" +rue stren!th and power and use ulness are born o sel %puri ication$ or the lower ani&al orces are not lost$ but are trans&uted into intellectual and spiritual ener!y" +he pure li e (pure in thou!ht and deed) is a li e o conser(ation o ener!y) the i&pure li e (e(en should the i&purity not eCtent beyond thou!ht) is a li e o dissipation o ener!y" +he pure &an is &ore capable$ and there ore &ore it to succeed in his plans and to acco&plish his purposes than the i&pure" Bhere the i&pure &an ails$ the pure &an will step in and be (ictorious$ because he directs his ener!ies with a cal&er &ind and a !reater de initeness and stren!th o purpose" Bith the !rowth in purity) all the ele&ents which constitute a stron! and (irtuous &anhood are de(eloped in an increasin! de!ree o power$ and as a &an brin!s his lower
3'
nature into sub*ection$ and &akes his passions do his biddin!$ *ust so &uch will he &ould the outer circu&stances o his li e$ and in luence others or !ood" Relinquishment +he third sta!e o sel %discipline$ that o >elin,uish&ent$ is a process o lettin! the lower desires and all i&pure and unworthy thou!hts drop out o the &ind$ and also re usin! to !i(e the& any ad&ittance$ lea(in! the& to perish" #s a &an !rows purer$ he percei(es that all e(il is powerless$ unless it recei(es his encoura!e&ent$ and so he i!nores it$ and lets it pass out o his li e" It is by pursuin! this aspect o sel %discipline that a &an enters into and realises the di(ine li e$ and &ani ests those ,ualities which are distinctly di(ine$ such as wisdo&$ patience$ non%resistance$ co&passion$ and lo(e" It is here$ also$ where a &an beco&es consciously i&&ortal$ risin! abo(e all the luctuations and uncertainties o li e$ and li(in! in and intelli!ent and unchan!eable peace" <y sel %discipline a &an attains to e(ery de!ree o (irtue and holiness$ and inally beco&es a puri ied son o @od$ realisin! his oneness with the central heart o all thin!s" Bithout sel %discipline a &an dri ts lower and lower$ approCi&atin! &ore and &ore nearly to the beast$ until at last he !ro(els$ a lost creature$ in the &ire o his own be oul&ent" <y sel %discipline a &an rises hi!her and hi!her$ approCi&atin! &ore and &ore nearly to the di(ine$ until at last he stands erect in his di(ine di!nity$ a sa(ed soul$ !lori ied by the radiance o his purity" 'et a &an discipline hi&sel $ and he will li(e) let a &an cease to discipline hi&sel $ and he will perish" #s a tree !rows in beauty$ health$ and ruit ulness by bein! care ully pruned and tended$ so a &an !rows in !race and beauty o li e by cuttin! away all the branches o e(il ro& his &ind$ and as he tends and de(elops the !ood by constant and un ailin! e ort" #s a &an by practice ac,uires pro iciency in his cra t$ so the earnest &an ac,uires pro iciency in !oodness and wisdo&" 7en shrink ro& sel %discipline because in its early sta!es it is pain ul and repellent$ and the yieldin! to desire is$ at irst$ sweet and in(itin!) but the end o desire is darkness and unrest$ whereas the ruits o discipline are i&&ortality and peace"
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16. RESOLUTION
>esolution is the directin! and i&pellin! orce in indi(idual pro!ress" Bithout it no substantial work can be acco&plished" 1ot until a &an brin!s resolution to bear upon his li e does he consciously and rapidly de(elop$ or a li e without resolution is a li e without ai&s$ and a li e without ai&s is a dri tin! and unstable thin!" >esolution &ay$ o course$ be linked to downward tendencies$ but it is &ore usually the co&panion o noble ai&s and lo ty ideals$ and I a& dealin! with it in this$ its hi!hest use and application" Bhen a &an &akes a resolution$ it &eans that he is dissatis ied with his condition$ and is co&&encin! to take hi&sel in hand with a (iew to producin! a better piece o work&anship out o the &ental &aterials o which his character and li e are co&posed$ and in so ar as he is true to his resolution he will succeed in acco&plishin! his purpose" +he (ows o the saintly ones are holy resolutions directed toward so&e (ictory o(er sel $ and the beauti ul achie(e&ents o holy &en and the !lorious con,uests o the :i(ine +eachers were rendered possible and actual by the pursuit o unswer(in! resolution" +o arri(e at the iCed deter&ination to walk a hi!her path than hereto ore$ althou!h it re(eals the !reat di iculties which ha(e to be sur&ounted$ it yet &akes possible the treadin! o that path$ and illu&inates its dark places with the !olden halo o success" +he true resolution is the crisis o lon! thou!ht$ protracted stru!!le$ or er(ent but unsatis ied aspiration" It is no li!ht thin!$ no whi&sical i&pulse or (a!ue desire$ but a sole&n and irre(ocable deter&ination not to rest nor cease ro& e ort until the hi!h purpose which is held in (iew is ully acco&plished" 6al %hearted and pre&ature resolution is no resolution at all$ and is shattered at the irst di iculty" # &an should be slow to or& a resolution" 6e should searchin!ly eCa&ine his position and take into consideration e(ery circu&stance and di iculty connected with his decision$ and should be ully prepared to &eet the&" 6e should be sure that he co&pletely understands the nature o his resolution$ that his &ind is inally &ade up$ and that he is without ear and doubt in the &atter" Bith the &ind thus prepared$ the resolution that is or&ed will not be departed ro&$ and by the aid o it a &an will$ in due ti&e$ acco&plish his stron! purpose" 1" 6asty resolutions are utile" 2" +he &ind &ust be orti ied to endure" I&&ediately the resolution to walk a hi!her path is &ade$ te&ptation and trial be!in" 7en ha(e ound that no sooner ha(e they decided to lead a truer and nobler li e than they ha(e been o(erwhel&ed with such a torrent o new te&ptations and di iculties as &ake their position al&ost unendurable$ and &any &en$ because o this$ relin,uish their resolution" <ut these te&ptations and trials are a necessary part o the work o re!eneration upon which the &an has decided$ and &ust be hailed as riends and &et with coura!e i the resolution is to do its work" 4or what is the real nature o a resolutionE Is it not the Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen 3)
sudden checkin! o a particular strea& o conduct$ and the endea(our to open up an entirely new channelE +hink o an en!ineer who decides to turn the course o a power ully runnin! strea& or ri(er in another direction" 6e &ust irst cut his new channel$ and &ust take e(ery precaution to a(oid ailure in the carryin! out o his undertakin!" <ut when he co&es to the all%i&portant task o directin! the strea& into its new channel$ then the lowin! orce$ which or a!es has steadily pursued its accusto&ed course$ beco&es re ractory$ and all the patience and care and skill o the en!ineer will be re,uired or the success ul co&pletion o the work" It is e(en so with the &an who deter&ines to turn his course o conduct in another and hi!her direction" 6a(in! prepared his &ind$ which is the cuttin! o a new channel$ he then proceeds to the work o redirectin! his &ental orces.which ha(e hitherto lowed on uninterruptedly.into the new course" I&&ediately this is atte&pted$ the arrested ener!y be!ins to assert itsel in the or& o power ul te&ptations and trials hitherto unknown and unencountered" #nd this is eCactly as it should be) it is the law) and the sa&e law that is in the water is in the &ind" 1o &an can i&pro(e upon the established law o thin!s$ but he can learn to understand the law instead o co&plainin!$ and wishin! thin!s were di erent" +he &an who understands all that is in(ol(ed in the re!eneration o his &ind will !lory in tribulations-$ knowin! that only by passin! throu!h the& can he !ain stren!th$ obtain purity o heart$ and arri(e at peace" #nd as the en!ineer at last (perhaps a ter &any &istakes and ailures) succeeds in !ettin! the strea& to low on peace ully in the broader and better channel$ and the turbulence o the water is spent$ and all da&s can be re&o(ed$ so the &an o resolution at last succeeds in directin! his thou!hts and acts into the better and nobler way to which he aspires$ and te&ptations and trials !i(e place to stead ast stren!th and settled peace" 6e whose li e is not in har&ony with his conscience and who is anCious to re&edy his &ind and conduct in a particular direction$ let hi& irst &ature his purpose by earnest thou!ht and sel %eCa&ination$ and ha(in! arri(ed at a inal conclusion$ let hi& ra&e his resolution$ and ha(in! done so let hi& not swer(e ro& it$ let hi& re&ain true to his decision under all circu&stances$ and he cannot ail to achie(e his !ood purpose) or the @reat 'aw e(er shields and protects hi& who$ no &atter how deep his sins$ or how !reat and &any his ailures and &istakes$ has$ deep in his heart$ resol(ed upon the indin! o a better way$ and e(ery obstacle &ust at last !i(e way be ore a &atured and unshaken resolution"
3*
17. THE GLORIOUS CONQUEST

+ruth can only be apprehended by the con,uest o sel " <lessedness can only be arri(ed at by o(erco&in! the lower nature" +he way o +ruth is barred by a &anDs sel " +he only ene&ies that can actually hinder hi& are his own passions and delusions" 8ntil a &an realises this$ and co&&ences to cleanse his heart$ he has not ound the path which leads to knowled!e and peace" 8ntil passion is transcended$ +ruth re&ains unknown" +his is the :i(ine 'aw" # &an cannot keep his passions and ha(e +ruth as well" 2rror is not slain until sel ishness is dead" +he o(erco&in! o sel is no &ystical theory$ but a (ery real and practical thin!" It is a process which &ust be pursued daily and hourly$ with unswer(in! aith and undaunted resolution i any &easure o success is to be achie(ed" +he process is one o orderly !rowth$ ha(in! its se,uential sta!es$ like the !rowth o a tree) and as ruit can only be produced by care ully and patiently trainin! the tree$ e(en so the pure and satis yin! ruits o holiness can only be obtained by aith ully and patiently trainin! the &ind in the !rowth o ri!ht thou!ht and conduct" +here are i(e steps in the o(erco&in! o passion (which includes all bad habits and particular or&s o wron!%doin!) which I will callF 1" >epression 2" 2ndurance 5" 2li&ination 4" 8nderstandin! 9" Gictory Bhen &en ail to o(erco&e their sins$ it is because they try to be!in at the wron! end" +hey want to ha(e the sta!e o Gictory without passin! throu!h the pre(ious our sta!es" +hey are in the position o a !ardener who wants to produce !ood ruit without trainin! and attendin! to his trees" Repression & Endurance >epression consists in checkin! and controllin! the wron! act (such as an outburst o te&per$ a hasty or unkind word$ a sel ish indul!ence etc")$ and not allowin! it to take actual or&" +his is e,ui(alent to the !ardener nippin! o the useless buds and branches ro& his tree" It is a necessary process$ but a pain ul one" +he tree bleeds while under!oin! the process$ and the !ardener knows that it &ust not be taCed too se(erely" +he heart also bleeds when it re uses to return passion or passion$ when it ceases to de end and *usti y itsel " It is the process o &orti yin! the &e&bers- o which 3t" Aaul speaks"
3+
<ut this repression is only the be!innin! o sel %con,uest" Bhen it is &ade an end in itsel $ and there is no ob*ect o inally puri yin! the heart$ that is a sta!e o hypocrisy) a hidin! o oneDs true nature$ and stri(in! to appear better in the eyes o others than one really is" In that case it is an e(il$ but when adopted as the irst sta!e toward co&plete puri ication$ it is !ood" Its practice leads to the second sta!e o 2ndurance$ or orbearance$ in which one silently endures the pain which arises in the &ind when it is brou!ht in contact with certain actions and attitudes o other &inds toward one" #s success is attained in this sta!e$ the stri(er co&es to see that all his pain actually arises in his own weaknesses$ and not in the wron! attitudes o others toward hi&$ these latter bein! &erely the &eans by which his sins are brou!ht to the sur ace and re(ealed to hi&" 6e thus !radually eConerates all others ro& bla&e in his alls and lapses o conduct$ and accuses only hi&sel $ and so learns to lo(e those who thus unconsciously re(eal to hi& his sins and shortco&in!s" Elimination & Understandin 6a(in! passed throu!h these two sta!es o sel %cruci iCion$ the disciple enters the third$ that o 2li&ination$ in which the wron! thou!ht which lay behind the wron! act is cast ro& the &ind i&&ediately it appears" #t this sta!e$ conscious stren!th and holy *oy be!in to take the place o pain) and the &ind$ ha(in! beco&e co&parati(ely cal&$ the stri(er is enabled to !ain a deeper insi!ht into the co&pleCities o his &ind$ and thus to understand the inception$ !rowth$ and outworkin! o sin" +his is the sta!e o 8nderstandin!" !ictor" Aer ection in understandin! leads to the inal con,uest o sel $ a con,uest so co&plete that the sin can no &ore rise in the &ind e(en as a thou!ht or i&pression) or when the knowled!e o sin is co&plete) when it is known in its totality$ ro& its inception as a seed in the &ind to its ripened out!rowth as act and conse,uence$ then it can no &ore be allowed a place in li e$ but it is abandoned or e(er" +hen the &ind is at peace" +he wron! acts o others no lon!er arouse wron! and pain in the &ind o the disciple" 6e is !lad and cal& and wise" 6e is illed with 'o(e$ and blessedness abides with hi&" #nd this is GictoryI
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18. CONTENTMENT IN ACTIVITY

+he con oundin! o a positi(e spiritual (irtue or principle with a ne!ati(e ani&al (ice is co&&on a&on!st writers e(en o what is called the #d(ance +hou!ht 3chool-$ and &uch (aluable ener!y is re,uently eCpended in criticisin! and conde&nin!$ where a little cal& reasonin! would ha(e re(ealed a !reater li!ht$ and led to the eCercise o a broader charity" +he other day I ca&e across a (i!orous attack upon the teachin! o 'o(e-$ wherein the writer conde&ned such teachin! as weakly$ oolish$ and hypocritical" 1eedless to say$ that which he was conde&nin! as 'o(e- was &erely weak senti&entality and hypocrisy" #nother writer in conde&nin! &eekness- does not know that what he calls &eekness is only cowardice$ while another who attacks chastity- as a snare-$ is really con usin! pain ul and hypocritical restraint with the (irtue o chastity" #nd *ust lately I recei(ed a lon! letter ro& a correspondent who took !reat pains to show &e that content&ent- is a (ice$ and is the source o innu&erable e(ils" +hat which &y correspondent called content&ent- is$ o course$ ani&al indi erence" +he spirit o indi erence is inco&patible with pro!ress$ whereas the spirit o content&ent &ay$ and does$ attend the hi!hest or& o acti(ity$ the truest ad(ance&ent and de(elop&ent" Indolence is the twin sister o indi erence$ but cheer ul and ready action is the riend o content&ent" /ontent&ent is a (irtue which beco&es lo ty and spiritual in its later de(elop&ents$ as the &ind is trained to percei(e and the heart to recei(e the !uidance$ in all thin!s$ o a &erci ul law" +o be contented does not &ean to ore!o e ort) it &eans to ree e ort ro& anCiety) it does not &ean to be satis ied with sin and i!norance and olly$ but to rest happily in duty done$ work acco&plished" # &an &ay be said to be content to lead a !ro(ellin! li e$ to re&ain in sin and in debt$ but such a &anDs true state is one o indi erence to his duty$ his obli!ations$ and the *ust clai&s o his ellow%&en" 6e cannot truly be said to possess the (irtue o content&ent) he does not eCperience the pure and abidin! *oy which is the acco&pani&ent o acti(e content&ent) so ar as his true nature is concerned he is a sleepin! soul$ and sooner or later will be awakened by intense su erin!$ ha(in! passed throu!h which he will ind that true content&ent which is the outco&e o honest e ort and true li(in!" +here are three thin!s with which a &an should be contentF 1" Bith whate(er happens) 2" Bith his riendships and possessions) 5" Bith his pure thou!hts" /ontented with whate(er happens$ he will escape !rie ) with his riends and possessions$ he will a(oid anCiety and wretchedness) and with his pure thou!hts$ he will ne(er !o back to su er and !ro(el in i&purities"
#,
+here are three thin!s with which a &an should not be contentF 1" Bith his opinions) 2" Bith his character) 5" Bith his spiritual condition" 1ot content with his opinions$ he will continually increase in intelli!ence) not content with his character$ he will ceaselessly !row in stren!th and (irtue) and not content with his spiritual condition$ he will$ e(eryday$ enter into a lar!er wisdo& and uller blessedness" In a word$ a &an should be contented$ but not indi erent$ to his de(elop&ent as a responsible and spiritual bein!" +he truly contented &an works ener!etically and aith ully$ and accepts all results with an untroubled spirit$ trustin!$ at irst$ that all is well$ but a terwards$ with the !rowth o enli!hten&ent$ knowin! that results eCactly correspond with e orts" Bhatsoe(er &aterial possessions co&e to hi&$ co&e not by !reed and anCiety and stri e$ but by ri!ht thou!ht$ wise action$ and pure eCertion"
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19. THE TEMPLE OF BROTHERHOOD

8ni(ersal <rotherhood is the supre&e Ideal o 6u&anity$ and towards that Ideal the world is slowly but surely &o(in!" +oday$ as ne(er be ore$ nu&bers o earnest &en and wo&en are stri(in! to &ake this Ideal tan!ible and real) 4raternities are sprin!in! up on e(ery hand$ and Aress and Aulpit$ the world o(er$ are preachin! the <rotherhood o 7an" +he unsel ish ele&ents in all such e orts cannot ail to ha(e their e ect upon the race$ and are$ with certainty$ ur!in! it towards the !oal o its noblest aspirations) but the ideal state has not yet &ani ested throu!h any outward or!anisation$ and societies or&ed or the purpose o propa!atin! <rotherhood are continually bein! shattered to pieces by internal dissension" +he <rotherhood or which 6u&anity si!hs is withheld ro& actuality by 6u&anity itsel ) nay$ &ore.it is rustrated e(en by &en who work Kealously$ or it is a desirable possibility) and this because the purely spiritual nature o <rotherhood is not percei(ed$ and the principles in(ol(ed$ as well as the indi(idual course o conduct necessary to per ect unity$ are not co&prehended" <rotherhood as a hu&an or!anisation cannot eCist so lon! as any de!ree o sel %seekin! rei!ns in the hearts o &en and wo&en who band the&sel(es to!ether or any purpose$ as such sel %seekin! &ust e(entually rend the 3ea&less /oat o lo(in! unity" <ut althou!h or!anised <rotherhood has so ar lar!ely ailed$ any &an &ay realise <rotherhood in its per ection$ and know it in all its beauty and co&pletion$ i he will &ake hi&sel o a wise$ pure$ and lo(in! spirit$ re&o(in! ro& his &ind e(ery ele&ent o stri e$ and learnin! to practise those di(ine ,ualities without which <rotherhood is but a &ere theory$ opinion$ or illusi(e drea&" 4or <rotherhood is at irst spiritual$ and its outer &ani estation in the world &ust ollow as a natural se,uence" #s a spiritual reality it &ust be disco(ered by each &an or hi&sel $ and in the only place where spiritual realities can be ound.within hi&sel $ and it rests with each whether he shall choose or re use it" +here are our chie tendencies in the hu&an &ind which are destructi(e o <rotherhood$ and which bar the way to its co&prehension$ na&elyF 1" Aride 2" 3el %lo(e 5" 6atred 4" /onde&nation Bhere these are there can be no <rotherhood) in whatsoe(er heart these hold sway$ discord rules$ and <rotherhood is not realised$ or these tendencies are$ in their (ery nature$ dark and sel ish and always &ake or disruption and destruction" 4ro& these our thin!s proceeds that serpent brood o alse actions and conditions which poison the heart o &an$ and ill the world with su erin! and sorrow"
#3
0ut o the spirit o pride proceed en(y$ resent&ent$ and opinionati(eness" Aride en(ies the position$ in luence$ or !oodness o others) it thinks$ I a& &ore deser(in! than this &an or this wo&an)- it also continually inds occasion or resentin! the actions o others$ and says$ I ha(e been snubbed$- I ha(e been insulted$- and thinkin! alto!ether o his own eCcellence$ it sees no eCcellence in others" 4ro& the spirit o sel %lo(e proceed e!otis&$ lust or power$ and dispara!e&ent and conte&pt" 3el %lo(e worships the personality in which it &o(es) it is lost in the adoration and !lori ication o that I-$ that sel - which has no real eCistence$ but is a dark drea& and a delusion" It desires pre%e&inence o(er others$ and thinks$ I a& !reat$- I a& &ore i&portant than others-) it also dispara!es others$ and bestows upon the& conte&pt$ seein! no beauty in the&$ bein! lost in the conte&plation o its own beauty" 4ro& the spirit o hatred proceed slander$ cruelty$ re(ilin!$ and an!er" It stri(es to o(erco&e e(il by addin! e(il to it" It says$ +his &an has spoken o &e ill$ I will speak still &ore ill o hi& and thus teach hi& a lesson"- It &istakes cruelty or kindness$ and causes its possessor to re(ile a repro(in! riend" It eeds the la&es o an!er with bitter and rebellious thou!hts" 4ro& the spirit o conde&nation proceed accusation$ alse pity$ and alse *ud!e&ent" It eeds itsel on the conte&plation o e(il$ and cannot see the !ood" It has eyes or e(il only$ and inds it in al&ost e(ery thin! and e(ery person" It sets up an arbitrary standard o ri!ht and wron! by which to *ud!e others$ and it thinks$ +his &an does not do as I would ha(e hi& do) he is there ore e(il$ and I will denounce hi&"- 3o blind is the spirit o conde&nation that whilst renderin! its possessor incapable o *ud!in! hi&sel $ it causes hi& to set hi&sel up as the *ud!e o all the earth" 4ro& the our tendencies enu&erated$ no ele&ent o brotherliness can proceed" +hey are deadly &ental poisons$ and he who allows the& to rankle in his &ind cannot apprehend the peace ul principles on which <rotherhood rests" +hen there are chie ly our di(ine ,ualities which are producti(e o <rotherhood) which are$ as it were$ the oundation stones on which it rests$ na&elyF 1" 6u&ility 2" 3el %surrender 5" 'o(e 4" /o&passion Bheresoe(er these are$ there <rotherhood is acti(e" In whatsoe(er heart these ,ualities are do&inant$ there <rotherhood is an established reality$ or they are$ in their (ery nature$ unsel ish and are illed with the re(ealin! 'i!ht o +ruth" +here is no darkness in the&$ and where they are$ so power ul is their li!ht$ that the dark tendencies cannot re&ain$ but are dissol(ed and dissipated" 0ut o these our ,ualities proceed all those an!elic actions and conditions which &ake or unity and brin! !ladness to the heart o &an and to the world"
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4ro& the spirit o 6u&ility proceed &eekness and peace ulness) ro& sel %surrender co&e patience$ wisdo&$ and true *ud!&ent) ro& 'o(e sprin! kindness$ *oy$ and har&ony) and ro& /o&passion proceed !entleness and or!i(eness" 6e who has brou!ht hi&sel into har&ony with these our ,ualities is di(inely enli!htened) he sees whence the actions o &en proceed and whither they tend$ and there ore can no lon!er li(e in the eCercise o the dark tendencies" 6e has realised <rotherhood in its co&pletion as reedo& ro& &alice) ro& en(y$ ro& bitterness$ ro& contention$ ro& conde&nation" #ll &en are his brothers.those who li(e in the dark tendencies$ as well as those who li(e in the enli!htened ,ualities$ or he knows that when they ha(e percei(ed the !lory and beauty o the 'i!ht o +ruth$ the dark tendencies will be dispelled ro& their &inds" 6e has but one attitude o &ind towards all$ that o !ood% will" 0 the our dark tendencies are born ill%will and stri e) o the our di(ine ,ualities are born !ood%will and peace" 'i(in! in the our tendencies a &an is a stri e%producer" 'i(in! in the our ,ualities a &an is a peace%&aker" In(ol(ed in the darkness o the sel ish tendencies$ &en belie(e that they can i!ht or peace$ kill to &ake ali(e$ slay in*ury by in*urin!$ restore lo(e by hatred$ unity by contention$ kindness by cruelty$ and establish brotherhood by erectin! their own opinions (which they the&sel(es will$ in the course o ti&e$ abandon as worthless) as ob*ects o uni(ersal adoration" +he wished% or +e&ple o <rotherhood will be erected in the world when its our oundation stones o 6u&ility$ 3el %surrender$ 'o(e$ and /o&passion are ir&ly laid in the hearts o &en$ or <rotherhood consists$ irst o all$ in the abandon&ent o sel by the indi(idual$ and its a ter%e ects is unity between &an and &an" +heories and sche&es or propa!atin! <rotherhood are &any$ but <rotherhood itsel is one and unchan!eable and consists in the co&plete cessation ro& e!otis& and stri e$ and in practisin! !ood%will and peace) or <rotherhood is a practice and not a theory" 3el %surrender and !ood%will are its !uardian an!els$ and peace is its habitation" Bhere two are deter&ined to &aintain an opposin! opinion$ the clin!in! to sel and ill% will are there$ and <rotherhood is absent" Bhere two are prepared to sy&pathise with each other$ to see no e(il in each other$ to ser(e and not to attack each other$ the 'o(e o +ruth and @ood%will are there$ and <rotherhood is present" #ll stri es$ di(isions$ and wars inhere in the proud$ unyieldin! sel ) all peace$ unity$ and concord inhere in the Arinciples which the yieldin! up o sel re(eals" <rotherhood is only practised and known by hi& whose heart is at peace with all the world"
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20. PLEASANT PASTURES OF PEACE

6e who aspires to the betterin! o hi&sel and hu&anity should ceaselessly stri(e to arri(e at the eCercise o that blessed attitude o &ind by which he is enabled to put hi&sel $ &entally and sy&pathetically$ in the place o others$ and so instead o harshly and alsely *ud!in! the&$ and thereby &akin! hi&sel unhappy without addin! to the happiness o those others$ he will enter into their eCperience$ will understand their particular ra&e o &ind$ and will eel or the& and sy&pathise with the&" 0ne o the !reat obstacles to the attain&ent o such an attitude o &ind is pre*udice$ and until this is re&o(ed it is i&possible to act toward others as we would wish others to act toward us" Are*udice is destructi(e o kindness$ sy&pathy$ lo(e and true *ud!&ent$ and the stren!th o a &anDs pre*udice will be the &easure o his harshness and unkindness toward others$ or pre*udice and cruelty are inseparable" +here is no rationality in pre*udice$ and i&&ediately it is aroused in a &an he ceases to act as a reasonable bein!$ and !i(es way to rashness$ an!er$ and in*urious eCcite&ent" 6e does not consider his words nor re!ard the eelin!s and liberties o those a!ainst who& his pre*udices are directed" 6e has$ or the ti&e bein!$ or eited his &anhood$ and has descended to the le(el o an irrational creature" Bhile a &an is deter&ined to clin! to his preconcei(ed opinions$ &istakin! the& or +ruth$ and re uses to consider dispassionately the position o others$ he cannot escape hatred nor arri(e at blessedness" +he &an who stri(es a ter !entleness$ who aspires to act unsel ishly toward others$ will put away all his passionate pre*udice and petty opinions$ and will !radually ac,uire the power o thinkin! and eelin! or others$ o understandin! their particular state o i!norance or knowled!e$ and thereby enterin! ully into their hearts and li(es$ sy&pathiKin! with the& and seein! the& as they are" 3uch a &an will not oppose hi&sel to the pre*udices o others by introducin! his own$ but will seek to allay pre*udice by introducin! sy&pathy and lo(e$ stri(in! to brin! out all that is !ood in &en$ encoura!in! the !ood by appealin! to it$ and discoura!in! the e(il by i!norin! it" 6e will realise the !ood in the unsel ish e orts o others$ thou!h their outward &ethods &ay be (ery di erent ro& his own$ and will so rid his heart o hatred$ and will it it with lo(e and blessedness" Bhen a &an is prone to harshly *ud!e and conde&n others$ he should in,uire how ar he alls short hi&sel ) he should also reconsider those periods o su erin! when he hi&sel was &is*ud!ed and &isunderstood$ and$ !atherin! wisdo& and lo(e ro& his own bitter eCperience$ should studiously and sel %sacri icin!ly re rain ro& piercin! with an!uish hearts that are as yet too weak to i!nore$ too i&&ature and uninstructed to understand" 3y&pathy is not re,uired towards those who are purer and &ore enli!htened than oneDs sel $ as the purer one li(es abo(e the necessity or it" In such a case re(erence should be eCercised$ with a stri(in! to li t oneDs sel upto the purer le(el$ and so enter into possession o the lar!er li e" 1or can a &an ully understand one who is wiser than
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hi&sel $ and be ore conde&nin!$ he should earnestly ask hi&sel whether he is$ a ter all$ better than the &an who& he has sin!led out as the ob*ect o his bitterness" I he is$ let hi& bestow sy&pathy" I he is not$ let hi& eCercise re(erence" 4or thousands o years the sa!es ha(e tau!ht$ both by precept and eCa&ple$ that e(il is only o(erco&e by !ood$ yet still that lesson or the &a*ority re&ains unlearned" It is a lesson pro ound in its si&plicity$ and di icult to learn because &en are blinded by the illusions o sel " 7en are still en!a!ed in resentin!$ conde&nin!$ and i!htin! the e(il in their own ellow%&en$ thereby increasin! the delusion in their own hearts$ and addin! to the worldDs su& o &isery and su erin!" Bhen they ind out that their own resent&ent &ust be eradicated$ and lo(e put in its place$ e(il will perish or lack o sustenance" 1ith burning brain and heart of hate, 4 sought my wronger, early, late, And all the wret&hed night and day :y dream and thought was slay, and slay! :y better self rose u ermost, The beast within my bosom lost 4tself in love0 ea&e from afar .hone oer me radiant like a star! 4 .lew my wronger with a deed, A deed of love0 4 made him bleed 1ith kindness, and 4 filled for years His soul with tenderness and tears!" :islike$ resent&ent$ and conde&nation are all or&s o hatred$ and e(il cannot cease until these are taken out o the heart" <ut the obliteratin! o in*uries ro& the &ind is &erely one o the be!innin!s in wisdo&" +here is a still hi!her and better way" #nd that way is so to puri y the heart and enli!hten the &ind that$ ar ro& ha(in! to or!et in*uries$ there will be none to re&e&ber" 4or it is only pride and sel that can be in*ured and wounded by the actions and attitudes o others) and he who takes pride and sel out o his heart can ne(er think the thou!ht$ I ha(e been in*ured by another- or I ha(e been wron!ed by another"4ro& a puri ied heart proceeds the ri!ht co&prehension o thin!s) and ro& the ri!ht co&prehension o thin!s proceeds the li e that is peace ul$ reed ro& bitterness and su erin!$ cal& and wise" 6e who thinks$ +his &an has in*ured &e$- has not percei(ed the +ruth in li e) alls short o that enli!hten&ent which disperses the erroneous idea o e(il as a thin! to be hate ully resented" 6e who is troubled and disturbed about the sins o others is ar ro& +ruth) he who is troubled and disturbed about his own sins is (ery near to the @ate o Bisdo&" 6e in whose heart the la&es o resent&ent burn$ cannot know Aeace nor understand +ruth) he who will banish resent&ent ro& his heart$ will know and understand" 6e who has taken e(il out o his own heart cannot resent or resist it in others$ or he is enli!htened as to its ori!in and nature$ and knows it as a &ani estation o the &istakes o i!norance" Bith the increase o enli!hten&ent$ sin beco&es i&possible" 6e who sins does not understand) he who understands does not sin"
#)
+he pure &an &aintains his tenderness o his heart toward those who i!norantly i&a!ine they can do hi& har&" +he wron! attitude o others toward hi& does not trouble hi&) his heart is at rest in /o&passion and 'o(e" <lessed is he who has no wron!s to re&e&ber$ no in*uries to or!et) in whose pure heart no hate ul thou!ht about another can take root and lourish" 'et those who ai& at the ri!ht li e$ who belie(e that they lo(e +ruth$ cease to passionately oppose the&sel(es to others$ and let the& stri(e to cal&ly and wisely understand the&$ and in thus actin! toward others they will be con,uerin! the&sel(es) and while sy&pathiKin! with others$ their own souls will be ed with the hea(enly dews o kindness$ and their hearts be stren!thened and re reshed in the ;leasant ;astures of ;ea&e"
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Above Life&#39;s Turmoil by James Allen

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Above Life&#39;s Turmoil by James Allen

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ABOVE LIFES TURMOIL

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

2. THE IMMORTAL MAN

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

3. THE OVERCOMING OF SELF

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

4. THE USES OF TEMPTATION

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

5. THE MAN OF INTEGRITY

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

7. BELIEF, THE BASIS OF ACTION

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

8. THE BELIEF THAT SAVES

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

9. THOUGHT AND ACTION

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

10. YOUR MENTAL ATTITUDE

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

11. SOWING AND REAPING

+aresF a weed o !rain ields

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

12. THE REIGN OF LAW

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

13. THE SUPREME JUSTICE

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

14. THE USE OF REASON

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

17. THE GLORIOUS CONQUEST

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

18. CONTENTMENT IN ACTIVITY

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

19. THE TEMPLE OF BROTHERHOOD

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

20. PLEASANT PASTURES OF PEACE

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

Above Lifes Turmoil by James Allen

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Above Life's Turmoil by James Allen

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