meditations allen

7/27/2019 Meditations Allen

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J A M E S A L L E N' S

B O O K O F M E DI T A T I O N S

F O R E V E R Y D A Y

IN T H E Y E A R

by J A M E S A L L E N


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By Thought we rise ; by Thought we fal l , by Thought

We stand or go ; al l destiny is wr ought

By its swift potency , and he who stands

Master of Thought, and his desires commands,

Wil l ing and weaving thoughts of Love and Alight,

Shapes his high end in Truths unerring Light!

He who does not find The way of Meditation cannot reachEmancipation and enlightenment.

But thou wilt find the way of Holy Thought;

With mind made calm and steadfast, thou will see

The Permanent amid the mutable,

The Truth eternal in the things that change

Thou wilt behold the Perfect !aw "osmos

#rom "haos rises when the con$uered self

!ies underneath man%s heel !o&e be thy strength ;

!oo' on the passion(tortured multitudes,

)nd ha&e compassion on them ; 'now their pain

By thy long sorrow ended. Thou wilt come

To perfect peace, and so wilt bless the world,

!eading unto the High and Holy Way

The feet of them that see'.*)nd now + go

To my )bode ; go thou unto thy wor'.


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Editors preface

James Allen may truly be called the Prophet ofMeditation. In an age of strife, hurry, rel igious

cont roversy, heated arguments, ritual and

ceremony, he came with his message of

Meditat ion, cal ling men away from the din and

strife of tongues into the peaceful paths of

stil lness within their own souls, where the ight

that lighteth every man that cometh into the world

ever burns steadily and surely for all who will turn

their weary eyes from the str ife without to the

!uiet within! Many of the Meditations were written

as he came down from the "airn in the ear ly

morning, where he spent those precious hours

alone with #od while the world slept. $thers are

gleaned from his many wri tings, published

and unpublished, and are arranged for daily

readings at his re!uest, and, we believe, underhis spiritual guidance. %he boo& must ever be a

stronghold of 'piritual %ruth and blessing to all

who read it, and especially to those who use it for

daily meditation. Its great power lies in that it is

the very heart of a good man who l ived every

word he wrote! %he beautiful half(tone portrait is

a spea&ing l i&eness of the Author. It was ta&en
http://jamesallen.jpg/http://jamesallen.jpg/


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only si) wee&s before his translation, and has not

been published before.

*e are indebted to Messrs. Putnams 'ons

+ondon and ew -or&, and to Messrs. *m.

/ider and 'on, imited +ondon, for their cordial

e)pressions of pleasure that some of the

Meditat ions should be cul led from the boo&s

published by them, vi0., The Mastery of

"estiny, and Above Lifes Turmoil+Putnam,

and #rom $assion to $eace, and Man % & ing of

Mind, Body, and 'ircumstance +/ider.

I- . AE.

12/-#$E3,1

I4/A"$M2E, E#A5.


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The way from passion to peace is by overcoming

ones self!

JA3A/-4I/'%.

4/E63E%- the man of passion is most eager

to put others right 7 but the man of wisdom puts

himself r ight . I f one is an)ious to reform the

world, let him begin by reforming himself. %he

reformation of self does not end with the

elimination of the sensual elements only 7 that is

its beginning. It ends only when every vain

thought and selfish aim is overcome. 'hort of

perfect pur ity and wisdom, there is sti ll some

form of self(slavery or fol ly which needs to be

con!uered.

$n the wings of aspiration man rises from earth

to heaven, from ignorance to &nowledge, from the

under dar&ness to the upper light. *ithout it he

remains a grovell ing animal, earthly, sensual,

unenlightened, and uninspired.

Aspiration is the longing for heavenly things!


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Where is peace to be found( Where is the hiding)place of

truth(

JA3A/-'E"$5.

E% first things be put f irst 7 wor& before play 7

duty before en8oyment7 and others before

self % this is an e)cellent rule which cannot lead

astray. %o ma&e a right beginning is half(way to

victory. %he athlete who ma&es a bad start may

lose his pri0e 7 the merchant who ma&es a false

star t may lose his reputation ; and the %ruth(

see&er who ma&es a wrong start may forego the

crown of /ighteousness. %o begin with pure

thoughts, sterling rectitude, unself ish purpose,

noble aims, and an incorruptible conscience9this

is to start r ight : this it is to put first things first,

so that all other things will follow in harmonious

order, ma&ing life simple, beautiful, successful,and peaceful.

The soul will cry out for its lost heritage!


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* f one would f ind peace, he must come out of

passion!

JA3A/-%;I/5.

'$ long as animal condit ions taste sweet to a

man, lie cannot aspire % he is so far satisfied ; but

when their sweetness turns to bitterness, then in

his sorrow he thin&s of nobler tilings. *hen he is

depr ived of earthly 8oy, he aspires to the 8oy

which is heavenly. I t is when impurity turns to

suffering that purity is sought. %ruly aspiration

rises, phoeni)( li&e, f rom the dead ashes of

repentance, but on its powerful pinions man can

reach the heaven of heavens.

%he man of aspiration has entered the way which

leads to peace 7 and surely he will reach that end

if he stays not nor turns bac&. I f he constantly

renews his mind with glimpses of the heavenly

vision, he will reach the heavenly state.

That which can be conceived can be achieved!


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+ur life is what we mae it by our own thoughts

and deeds!

JA3A/-4$3/%;.

MA attains in the measure that he aspires. ;is

longing to be is the gauge of what he can be. %o

fi) the mind is to fore(ordain the achievement. As

man can e)perience and &now all low things, so

he can e)perience and &now all high things. As

he has become human, so he can become divine.

%he turning of the mind in high and divine

directions is the sole and needful tas&.

*hat is impurity but the impure thoughts of the

thin&er< *hat is purity but the pure thoughts of

the thin&er< $ne man does not do the thin&ing of

another. Each man is pure or impure of himself

alone. %he man of aspiration sees before him the

pathway up the heavenly heights, and his heart

al ready e)periences a foretaste of the fina l

peace.

There is a l i fe of v ictory over sin, and tr iumph

over evil!


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When a manwishes and wil ls he can find the

good and the true!

JA3A/-4 I4%;.

%;E #ates of ;eaven are for ever open, and no

one is prevented from entering by any wil l or

power but h is own 7 but no one can enter the

=ingdom of ;eaven so long as he is enamoured

of, and chooses, the seductions of hell, so long

as he resigns himself to sin and sorrow.

%here is a larger, higher, nobler, diviner life than

that of sinning and suffering, which is so common

9in which, indeed, nearly all are immersed9a

life of victory over sin, and tr iumph over evil7 a

life wise and happy, benign and tran!uil, virtuous

and peaceful. %his l i fe can be found and l ived

now, and he who lives it is steadfast in the midst

of change ; restful among the restless7 peaceful,

though surrounded by strife.

-very moment is the time of choice 7 every hour

is destiny!


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The lover of the pure life renews his mind daily!

JA3A/-' I>%;.

As the energetic man of business is not daunted

by difficulties, but studies how to overcome them,

so the man of ceaseless aspiration is not crushed

into submission by temptations, but meditates

how he may forti fy his mind 7 for the tempter is

l i&e a coward, he only creeps in at wea& and

unguarded points. %he tempted one should study

thoughtfully the nature and meaning of

temptation, for unt il i t is &nown i t cannot be

overcome. ;e who is to overcome temptat ion

must understand how it arises in his own

dar&ness and error, and must study, by

introspection and meditation, how to disperse the

dar&ness and supplant error by truth.

A man must &now himself if he is to &now truth.

'elf(&nowledge is the handmaid of self(con!uest.

-ngage daily in holy meditation on Truth and its

attainment!


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As errors and impunit ies are revealed, purge

them way!

JA3A/-'E?E%;.

?E/- step upward means the leaving of

something behind and below. %he high is reached

only at the sacri fice of the low. %he good is

secured only by abandoning the evil. =nowledge

is ac!uired only by the destruction of ignorance.

l ivery ac!uisition has i ts price, which must be

paid 1to the uttermost farthing.1 Every animal,

every creeping t il ing, possesses some gif t, so

power, which man, in his upward march, has laid

down, which he has e)changed for some higher

gif t, or power. *hat great good men forfeit by

cl inging to old sel fish habi ts @ 2ehind every

humble sacrifice a winged angel waits to bear us

up the heights of &nowledge and wisdom.

et him who has attained guard against fal l ing

bac&. et him be careful in l i t t le things, and be

well fortified against the entrance of sin.

Aim, with ardour, for the attainment of a perfect

life!


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The st r i fe of the wor ld in a l l i ts forms has i ts

origin in one common cause, namely, individual

selfishness!

JA3A/-E I#;%;.

A the varied activities of human life are rooted

in, and draw their v ital ity f rom, one common

source9the human heart. %he cause of all

suffer ing and all happiness resides, not in the

outer act ivi ties of human l ife, but in the inner

activi ties of the heart and mind ; and every

e)ternal agency is sustained by the life which it

derives from human conduct.

%he man who cannot endure to have his errors

and shortcomings brought to the surface and

made &nown, but tr ies to hide them, is unfi t to

wal& the highway of %ruth. ;e is not proper ly

e!uipped to battle with and overcome temptation.

;e who cannot fearlessly face his lower nature

cannot climb the rugged heights of renunciation.

-ach man comes under the laws of his own

being, never under the laws of another!


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When the soul is most tried, its need is greatest!

JA3A/- I%;.

5$ not despair because of fai lure. 4rom your

particular failure there is a special greatness, a

peculiar wisdom, to be gained ; and no teacher

can lead you to that greatness, that wisdom,

more surely and swiftly than your e)perience of

failure. In every mista&e you ma&e, in every fall

you encounter, there is a lesson of vital import if

you wil l but search it out ; and he who will stoop

to discover the good in that which appears to be

disastrous will r ise superior to every event, and

will util ise his failures as winged steeds to bear

him to a final and supreme success.

4oolish men blame others for their lapses and

sins, but let the truth(lover blame only himself.

et him ac&nowledge his complete responsibility

for his own conduct.

Where temptation is powerful, the greater and

more enduring will be the victory!


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The great need of the soul is the need of that

permanent

JA3A/-%E%;.

%;E old must pass away before the new can

appear. %he old cottage must be demol ished

before the new mansion can appear upon its site.

%he old error must be destroyed before the new

truth can come. . . . %he old self must be

renounced before the new man can be born.

*hen the old self of temper, impatience, envy,

pride, and impurity has perished, then in its place

will appear the new man of gentleness, patience,

goodwill, humility, and purity. et the old life of

sin and sorrow pass ; let the new life of

/ighteousness and Joy come in. ... %hen all that

was old and ugly will be made new and beautiful.

It is in the realisation of this Principle where the

=ingdom of ;eaven, the abiding home of the

soul , resides, and which is the source and

storehouse of every permanent blessing.

A life of virtue is noble and e.cellent!


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*t matters l it tle what is wi thout, for i t is a ll a

reflection of your own consciousness!

JA3A/-EE?E%;.

%;E deplorable fai lure of many outward and

isolated reforms is traceable to the fact that their

devotees pursue them as an end in themselves,

failing to see that they are merely steps towards

ultimate, individual perfection.

All true reform must come from within, in a

changed heart and mind. %he giving up of certain

foods and drin&s, and the brea&ing away from

certain outward habits, are good and necessary

beginnings7 but they are only beginnings, and to

end there is to fall far short of a true spiritual life.

I t is good, therefore, to c leanse the heart , to

correct the mind, and to develop the

understanding, for we &now that the one thing

needed is a regenerate heart.

* t matters everything what you are within, for

everything without will be mirrored and coloured

accordingly!


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/enew your resolution daily, and in the hour of

temptation do not depart from the right path!

JA3A/-%*E4%;.

%;E days are lengthening. Each day now the sun

rises a l i t t le higher, and the l ight l ingers a l i t t le

longer. 'o each day we can st rengthen our

character7 each day we can open our heart a little

more to the l ight of %ruth, and allow the 'un of

/ighteousness to shine more highly in our mind.

%he sun does not increase in volume or intensity,

but the earth turns towards it, and receives more

as it turns. All that there is of %ruth and #ood is

now. It does not increase or diminish, but as we

turn towards i t we receive of i ts radiance and

beneficence in ever(increasing abundance and

power.

As the artisan ac!uires s&ill in fashioning the

articles of his craft by daily and diligent practice

with his tools, so do you ac!uire s&ill in

fashioning good deeds by dai ly and di ligent

practice of the %ruth.

0ou can ac1uire Truth only by practice!


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The wise purify their thoughts!

JA3A/-%;I/%EE%;.

E?E/-day is a new birth in time, holding out new

beginnings, new possibilities, new achievements.

%he ages have witnessed the stars in their orbits,

but this day hath no age witnessed. It is a new

appearance, a new reality. It heralds a new life9

yea, a new order, a new society, a new age. It

holds out new hopes, new opportunit ies, to all

men. In i t you can become a new man, a new

woman. 4or you it can be the day of regeneration,

renewal, rebi rth. 4rom the old past with its

mista&es, fai lures, and sorrows, you can r ise a

new being, endued with power and purpose, and

radiant with the inspiration of a new ideal.

2e chaste in mind and body. Abandon sensual

pleasures. Purge the mind of selfishness, and

live a life of e)alted purity.

Be upright, gentle, and pure)hearted!


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-.ert yourself ceaselessly in decreasing evil

and accumulating good!

JA3A/-4$3/%EE%;.

?I"%$/- of all &inds is preceded by a season of

preparation. It can no more appear spontaneously

and erratically than can a flower or a mountain.

i&e them, it is the culminating point in a process

of growth, in a series of causes and effects. o

mere wishing, no magic word, wil l produce

worldly success ; it must be achieved by an

orderly succession of well(directed efforts. o

spir itual v ictory wil l be achieved by him who

imagines that it does not begin until the hour of

temptat ion arrives. All spiri tual t riumphs are

gained in the si lent hour of medi tat ion, and

through a series of successes in lesser trials. %he

time of great temptation is the clima) of acon!uest that long preparation has made certain

and complete.

#i. your minds on the practice of virtue, and the

comprehension and application of fi.ed and noble

principles.


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The 2ever)-nding 3ladness awaits your 4ome)

coming!

JA3A/-4I4%EE%; .

A' the falling rain prepares the earth for the

future crops of grain and fruit , so the rains of

many sorrows showering upon the heart prepare

and mellow it for the coming of that wisdom that

perfects the mind and gladdens the heart. As the

clouds dar&en the earth but to cool and fructify it,

so the c louds of gr ief cast a shadow over the

heart to prepare it for nobler things. %he hour of

sorrow is the hour of reverence. It puts an end to

the shallow sneer, the ribald 8est , the cruel

calumny; i t softens the heart with sympathy, and

enriches the mind with thoughtfulness. *isdom is

mainly recollection of a ll that was learned by

sorrow.

5o not thin& that your sorrow will remain ; it will

pass away li&e a cloud.

Where self ends, grief passes away!


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Live sweetly and happily, as becomes the dignity

of a true manhood and womanhood!

JA3A/-' I>%EE%; .

%;E/E is no greater happiness than to be

occupied with good, whether it be good thoughts,

good act ions, or good employment7 for every

good thing is fraught with bliss, and evil cannot

enter the heart or house that is tenanted by all

that is good. %he mind whose doors are guarded

by good shuts out unhappiness as the well(

sentried garrison shuts out the foe. 3nhappiness

can only enter through unguarded doors, and

even then its power over the tenant is not

complete unless it f ind him occupied with evil.

ot to entertain evi l thoughts 7 not to do bad

actions ; not to engage in worthless or

!uestionable employment, but to resort to good inall things9this is the source of supreme

happiness.

$ure happiness is the rightful and happy

condition of the soul!


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All things are orderly and se1uential being

governed by the law of causation!

JA3A/-'E?E%EE%;.

5$ not trouble about results, or be an)ious as to

the future; but be troubled about personal

shortcomings, and be an)ious to remove them 7

for &now this simple truth9wrong does not result

from right, and a good present cannot give birth

to a bad future. -ou are the custodian of your

deeds, but not of the resul ts which f low from

them. %he deeds of to(day bring the happiness or

sorrow of to(morrow. 2e therefore concerned

about what you thin& and do, rather than about

what may or may not come to you; for he whose

deeds are good does not concern himself about

results, and is freed from fear of future ill.

5erily the Law reigneth, and reigneth for ever,

and 6ustice and Love are its eternal ministers!


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Spea only words which are truthful and sincere!

JA3A/-E I#;%EE%;.

%;E storm may rage without, but it cannot affect

us i f there is peace within. As by the f ireside

there is security from the fiercest storm, so the

heart that is steadfast in the &nowledge of %ruth

abides in peace, though all around be strife and

perturbation. %he bitter opposition of men and the

unrest of the world cannot ma&e us bit ter and

restless unless we enter into and co(operate with

it. /ather, if we have peace in our heart, will the

outer turmoil cause our peace to deepen, to ta&e

firmer root, and to show forth more abundantly in

wor&s of peace for the softening of human hearts

and the enlightening of human minds.

2lessed is he who has no wrongs to remember,

no in8uries to forget, in whose pure heart no

hateful thought about another can ta&e root and

flourish.

4e who speas evi l of another cannot f ind the

way of peace!


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$urification is necessarily severe! All becoming is

painful!

JA3A/- IE%EE%;.

*;E a storm has subsided, and all is calm

again, observe how all nature seems to pause in

a restorative silence. A restful !uiet pervades all

things, so that even inanimate ob8ects seem to

participate in the recuperative repose. 'o when a

too violent eagerness or a sudden burst of

passion has spent itself, there comes a period of

reflective thought, a t ime of calm, in which the

mind is restored, and things are seen in their true

outlines and right proportions. It is wise to ta&e

advantage of this !uiet t ime by gaining a truer

&nowledge of ones sel f, and forming a more

&indly 8udgment of others. %he hour of calm is the

hour of restoration.

Joy comes and f il ls the sel f(emptied heart 7 i t

abides with the peaceful ; i ts reign is with the

pure.

Mae your every thought, word, and deed sweet

and pure!


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*n the dar t imes of sorrow, men approach very

near to Truth!

JA3A/-%*E%IE%; .

*;E the tears f low, and the heart aches,

remember then the sorrow of the world. *hen

sorrow has overta&en you, remember then that it

overta&es all 7 that none escape it 7 that it is the

great fact in human l ife that ma&es rel ig ion a

necessity. %hin& not that your pain is isolated and

un8ustly inflicted. It is but a fragment of the great

pain of the world. It is the common e)perience of

all . Perceiving this, let sorrow gently lead you

into a deeper rel igion, a wider compassion, a

tenderer regard for all men and all creatures. et

it bring you into greater love and deeper peace.

2ear well in mind that nothing can overta&e you

that does not belong to you, and that is not for

your eternal good.

The end of sorrow is 7oy and peace!


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The sorrowless state is reached through sor row!

JA3A/-%*E%-(4I/'%.

A' light displaces dar&ness, and !uiet follows

storm, so gladness displaces sorrow, and peace

comes after pain. %he deeper wisdom which flows

from ac!uaintance with sorrow brings with it a

hol ier and more abiding 8oy than that shallow

e)citement that preceded sorrow. 2etween the

lesser 8oys of the senses and the greater 8oy of

the spiri t l ies the dar& vale of sorrow through

which al l earthly pilgrims pass, and having

passed through it, the heavenly Joy, the Abiding

#ladness, is henceforth our companion. %hey

who have passed from the earthly to the heavenly

pilgrimage have lifted the dar& veil of sorrow from

the radiant face of %ruth.

4e whose treasure is Truth, who fashions his life

in accordance with Wisdom, will find the 6oy

which does not pass away7 crossing the wide

ocean of i l lusion, he will come to the sorrowless

Shore!


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All outward oppression is but the shadow and

effect of the real oppression within!

JA3A/-%*E%-('E"$5.

I happiness and unhappiness, in 8oy and sorrow,

in success and failure, in victory and defeat7 in

religion, business, c ircumstances 7 in a ll the

issues of life, the determining factor is character.

In the mental ity of individuals l ie the h idden

causes of al l that pertains to their outward l i fe.

"haracter is both cause and effect. It is the doer

of deeds and the recipient of results. ;eaven,

hell , purgatory, are contained with in i t. %he

character that is impure and vicious will

e)per ience a l ife f rom which the elements of

happiness and beauty are lac&ing, wheresoever

they may be placed 7 but a pure and v irtuous

character will show forth a life that is happy andbeautiful. As you ma&e your character, so will you

shape your life.

To put away self and passion, and establ ish ones

self in right doing, this is the highest wisdom!


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2ot departing from the path of hol iness, but

surmounting all diff icult ies and continuing to the

end whosoever does this will comprehend Truth!

JA3A/-%*E%-(%;I/5.

*;E great difficulties arise, and troubles beset,

regard your perple)ity as a call to deeper thought

and more vigorous action. othing will attac& you

that you are not capable of overcoming7 no

problem will ve) you that you cannot solve. %he

greater your trial, the greater your test of

strength, and the more complete and triumphant

your victory. ;owever complicated your ma0e of

confusion may be, there is a way out of i t , and

the finding of that way will e)ercise your powers

to the utmost, and wil l br ing out all your latent

s&i ll , energy, and resource. *hen you have

mastered that which threatens to master you, youwill re8oice in a new(found strength.

&nowing the Truth by practice, and being at one

with Truth, you will be invincible, for Truth cannot

be confounded or overthrown!


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Loo not outside thee nor behind thee for the

light and blessedness of Truth, but loo wi thin!

JA3A/-%*E%-(4$3/%;.

*E advance by a scr ies of efforts. *e gather

st rength, whether mental or physical, by a

succession of s trivings in given di rect ions.

E)ertion, oft repeated, leads to power. It is by

obeying this law that the athlete trains himself to

accomplish wonderful feats of speed or

endurance. *hen the e)ertion is along

intellectual l ines, i t leads to unusual talent, or

genius 7 and when in spiritual channels, it leads

to wisdom, or transcendent greatness. *e should

not mourn when circumstances are driving us to

greater efforts and more protracted e)ert ion.

Events are only evil to the mind that ma&es them

so. %hey are good to him that accepts thei rdiscipline as salutary.

Thou wilt f ind Truth within the narrow sphere of

thy duty, even in the humble and hidden

sacrifices of thine own heart!


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There is no blessedness anywhere until

impatience is sacrificed!

JA3A/-%*E%-(4I4%;.

5E'P$5E"-, an)iety, worry, and irritability

cannot cure the ills against which they are

directed. %hey only add more misery to the

troubles that prompt them. %he cult ivation of a

steadfast and serene spirit cannot be overloo&ed

if l ife is to yield any measure of usefulness and

happiness. %he trifles, and even greater troubles,

which annoy would soon dissolve and disappear

if confronted with a temper that refuses to be

ruffled and disturbed. Personal aims, wishes,

schemes, and pleasures will meet with chec&s,

rebuffs, and obstacles 7 and it is in learning to

meet these reverses in a wise and calm spirit that

we discover the true and abiding happiness withinour heart.

When impatience and irr i tabil ity are put away,

then is realised and en7oyed the blessedness of a

strong, 1uiet, and peaceful mind!


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The greatest blessedness comes to him who

infuses into his mind the purest and noblest

thoughts!

JA3A/-%*E%-('I>%;.

*E are becoming wise when we &now and realise

that happiness abides in certain habits of mind,

or mental characteristics, rather than in material

possessions, or in certain combinations of

ci rcumstances. It is a common delusion to

imagine that if one only possessed this or that9

a l it tle more money, a l it tle more leisure, this

mans talent, or that mans opportunities7 or if one

had better friends, or more favourable

surroundings9one would be happy with a perfect

felicity. Alas @ discontent and misery lie in such

vain wishes. If happiness is not already found

within, it will never be found without. %hehappiness of a wise mind abides through al l

vicissitudes.

0our whole life is a series of effects, having their

cause in thought9in your own thought!


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A sweet and happy soul is the ripened fruit of

e.perience and wisdom,!

JA3A/-%*E%-('E?E%;.

%;E/E is an infinite patience in nature which it is

profi table to contemplate. A comet may ta&e a

thousand years to complete its orbit7 the sea may

occupy ten thousand years in wearing away the

land 7 the complete evolution of the human race

may occupy mill ions of years. %his should ma&e

us ashamed of our hurry, fussiness, discontent,

disappointments, and ridiculous self(importance

over trif l ing things of an hour or a day. Patience

is conducive to the highest greatness, the most

far(reaching usefulness, and the profoundest

peace. *ithout it, life will lose much of its power

and influence, and its 8oy win be largely

destroyed.

1'o with well(ordered strenuousness /aise thou

thy structure of 'uccess.1

4e who f i l ls with useful pursuits the minutes as

they come and go grows old in honour and

wisdom, and prosperity abides with him!


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2o pure thought, no unsel fish deed, can fal l

shortof i ts fel ic itous results, and every such

result is a happy consummation!

JA3A/-%*E%-(EI#;%;.

I4 to(day is cold and gloomy, is that a cause for

despair < 5o we not &now that there are warm,

bright days ahead < Already the birds are

beginning to sing, and the tremulous tri l l in their

little throats is prophetic of the approaching love

of a new spring, and of the bounty of a summer

that as yet is but a sleeping germ in the womb of

this gloomy day, but whose birth is sure, and its

full growth certain. o effort is vain. %he spring of

all your aspirations is near9very near ; and the

summer of your unselfish deeds will surely come

to pass.

'elf shall depart, and %ruth shall ta&e its place ;

%he "hangeless $ne, the Indivisible, 'hall ta&e

up ;is abode in me, and cleanse %he *hite /obe

of the ;eart Invisible.

3o to your tas with love in your heart, and you

will go to it light)hearted and cheerful!


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8nrest and pain and sorrow are the shadows of

life!

4E2/3A/-4I/'%.

' there no way of escape from pain and sorrow %;.

%;E/E is no diff iculty, however great, but wil l

yield before a calm and powerful concentration of

thought, and no legi timate ob8ect but may be

speedily actualised by the intel ligent use and

direction of ones soul(forces.

ot until you have gone deeply and searchingly

into your inner nature, and have overcome many

enemies that lur& there, can you have any

appro)imate conception of the subtle power of

thought, of its inseparable relation to outward and

material things, or of its magical potency, when

rightly poised and directed, in re(ad8usting and

transforming the l i fe(condit ions. Every thought

you thin& is a force sent out, and in accordance

with its nature and intensity will it go out to see&

a lodgment in minds receptive to it, and will react

upon yourself for good or evil.

Thin good thoughts, and they wi ll 1uicly

become actual ised in your outward l ife in the

form of good conditions!


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4e only is fitted to command and control who has

succeeded in commanding and controlling

himself!

4E2/3A/-'E?E%;.

I4 you would ac!uire overcoming power, you

must cultivate poise and passivity. -ou must be

able to stand alone. All power is associated with

immovabil ity. %he mountain, the massive roc&,

the storm(tr ied oa&, all spea& to us of power,

because of their combined solitary grandeur and

defiant fi)ity 7 while the shifting sand, the yielding

twig, and the waving reed spea& to us of

wea&ness, because they are movable and non(

resistant, and are utterly useless when detached

from their fellows. ;e is the man of power who,

when all his fellows are swayed by some emotion

or passion, remains calm and unmoved. %hehysterical, the fearful, the thoughtless and

frivolous, let such see& company, or they will fall

for lac& of support7 but the calm, the fearless, the

thoughtful and grave, let such see& solitude, and

to their power more power will be added.

Be of single aim! 4ave a legit imate and useful

purpose, and devote yourself unreservedly to it!


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Self)seeing is self)destruction

4E2/3A/-E I#;%;.

I4 you would realise true prosperity, do not settle

down, as many have done, into the belief that if

you do right everything wil l go wrong. 5o not

allow the word competition to sha&e your faith in

the supremacy of righteousness. I care not what

man may say about the laws of competit ion, for

do I not &now the 3nchangeable aw, which shall

one day put them all to rout, and which puts them

to rout even now in the heart and li fe of the

righteous man < And &nowing this aw I can

contemplate al l d ishonesty with undisturbed

repose, for I &now where certain destruct ion

awaits i t. %hose who have wandered from the

highway of righteousness guard themselves

against competition 7 those who always pursuethe right need not to trouble about such defence.

8nder all circumstances do that which you

believe to be r ight, and trust the Law 7 trust the

"ivine $ower, and you will always be protected!


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$erfect Love is $erfect $ower!

4E2/3A/-I%;.

%;E wisely loving heart commands without

e)ercising any authority. All things and all men

obey him who obeys the ;ighest. ;e thin&s, and

lo @ he has already accomplished @ ;e spea&s,

and behold @ a world hangs upon his simple

utterances @ ;e has harmonised his thoughts with

the Imperishable and 3ncon!uerable 4orces, and

for him wea&ness and uncertainty are no more.

;is every thought is a purpose 7 his every act an

accomplishment7 he moves with the #reat aw,

not setting his puny personal will against it, and

he thus becomes a channel through which the

5ivine Power can flow in unimpeded and

benef icent e)press ion. ;e has thus become

Power itself.

$erfect Love is $erfect Wisdom!


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* f you real ly see Truth, you wil l be wil ling to

mae the effort necessary for its achievement!

4E2/3A/-%E%;.

A% the outset, meditation must be distinguished

from idle reverie! %here is nothing dreamy and

unpractical about it. It is a process of searching

and uncompromising thought which allows

nothing to remain but the simple and naed

truth! %hus meditating you will no longer strive to

build yourself up in your pre8udices, but,

forgetting self, you wil l remember only that you

are see&ing the %ruth. And so you wil l remove,

one by one, the errors which you have bui lt

around yourself in the past, and will patiently wait

for the revelation of %ruth which will come when

your errors have been sufficiently removed.

Let the supreme ob7ect of your meditation be

Truth!


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As the flower opens its petals to receive the

morning light, so open your soul more and more

to the glorious light of Truth!

4E2/3A/-EE?E%;.

'PI/I%3A meditat ion and self(discipline are

inseparable 7 you wil l , therefore, commence to

meditate upon yourself so as to try and

understand yourself, for, remember, the great

ob8ect you will have in view will be the complete

removal of all your errors in order that you may

realise %ruth. -ou wil l begin to !uestion your

motives, thoughts, and acts, comparing them with

your ideal, and endeavouring to loo& upon them

with a calm and impartial eye. In this manner you

will be continually gaining more of that mental

and spiritual e!uilibrium without which men are

but helpless straws upon the ocean of life.

Soar upward on the wings of aspi ration ; be

fearless, and believe in the loftiest possibilities!


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A beginning is a cause, and, as such it must be

followed by an effect!

4E2/3A/-%*E4%;.

%;E nature of an ini tial impulse wi ll always

determine the body of i ts results. A beginning

also presupposes an ending, a consummation,

achievement, or goal. A gate leads to a path, and

the path leads to some particular destination 7 so

a beginning leads to results, and results lead to a

completion.

%here are right beginnings and wrong beginnings,

which are fo llowed by effects of a li&e nature. -ou

can, by careful thought, avoid wrong beginnings

and ma&e r ight beginnings, and so escape evil

results and en8oy good results. In aiming at the

life of 2lessedness, one of the simplest

beginnings to be considered and rightly made is

that which we all ma&e every day9namely, the

beginning of each days life.

The effect wil l always be of the same nature as

the cause!


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Wisdom inheres in the common details of

everyday e.istence!

4E2/3A/-%;I/%EE%;.

E?E/-%;I# in the universe is made of l it tle

things, and the perfection of the great is based

upon the perfection up of the small. If any detail

of the universe were imperfect, the whole would

be imperfect. I f any particle were omitted, the

aggregate would cease to be. *ithout a grain of

dust there would be no world, and the whole is

perfect because the grain of dust is perfect.

eglect of the small is confusion of the great. %he

snowdrop is as perfect as the star 7 the dewdrop

is as symmetrical as the planet 7 the microbe is

not less mathematically proport ioned than the

man. 2y laying stone upon stone, plumbing and

fitting each with perfect ad8ustment, the temple atlast stands forth in all its architectural beauty.

When the parts are made perfect, the Whole will

be without blemish!


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4e who masters the small becomes the r ightful

possessor of the great!

4E2/3A/-4 I4%EE%;.

%;E foolish man thin&s that l it tle faul ts, l it tle

indulgences, l itt le sins, are of no conse!uence7

he persuades himself that so long as he does not

commit flagrant immoralities he is virtuous, and

even holy7 but he is thereby deprived of virtue

and holiness, and the world &nows him

accordingly 7 i t does not reverence, adore, and

love him 7 it passes him by 7 he is rec&oned of no

account7 his influence is destroyed. %he efforts of

such a man to ma&e the world vi rtuous, his

e)hortations to his fellow men to abandon great

vices, are empty of substance and barren of

fruitage. %he insignificance which he attaches to

his small vices permeates his whole character,and is the measure of his manhood.

4e who regards his smallest delin1uencies as of

the gravest nature becomes a saint!


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Truth is wrapped up in infinitesimal details!

4E2/3A/-' I>%EE%;.

A' the year consists of a given number of

se!uential moments, so a mans character and

l ife consists of a given number of se!uent ia l

thoughts and deeds, and the finished whole will

bear the impress of the parts. ittle &indnesses,

generosities, and sacrifices ma&e up a &ind and

generous character. %he truly honest man is

honest in the minutest detai ls of his l ife. %he

noble man is noble in every l i t t le thing he says

and does. -ou do not l ive your life in the mass 7

you live it in fragments, and from these the mass

emerges. -ou can will to live each fragment nobly

if you choose, and, this being done, there can be

no particle of baseness in the finished whole.

Thoroughness is genius!


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Truth in its very nature is ineffable and can only

be lived!

4E2/3A/-'E?E%EE%;.

%/3%; is the one /eali ty in the universe, the

inward ;armony, the perfect Justice, the eternal

ove. othing can be added to it, nor ta&en from

it. It does not depend upon any man, but all men

depend upon it. -ou cannot perceive the beauty

of %ruth while you are loo&ing out from the eyes

of self. If you are vain, you will colour everything

with your own vanities. If lustful, your heart and

mind will be clouded with the smo&e and flames

of passion, and everything will appear distorted

through them. If proud and opinionative, you will

see nothing in the whole universe e)cept the

magnitude and importance of your own opinions.

%he humble %ruth(lover has learned to distinguishbetween opinion and Truth!

4e who has most of 'harity has most o f Truth!


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That which temptation appeals to and arouses is

uncon1uered desire!

4E2/3A/- IE%EE%;.

%EMP%A%I$ waylays the man of aspiration until

he touches the region of the divine

consciousness, and beyond that border

temptation cannot fol low him. It is when a man

begins to aspire that he begins to be tempted.

Aspiration rouses up all the latent good and evil,

in order that the man may be ful ly revealed to

himself , for a man cannot overcome h imsel f

unless he fully &nows himself. It can scarcely be

said of the merely animal man that he is tempted,

for the very presence of temptation means that

there is a striving for a purer state. Animal desire

and gratif ication is the normal condit ion of the

man who has not yet r isen into aspirat ion 7 hewishes for nothing more, nothing better, than his

sensual en8oyments, and is, for the present,

satisfied. 'uch a man cannot be tempted to fall,

for he has not yet risen.

Aspiration can carry a man to heaven!


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See diligently the path of holiness!

4E2/3A/-%*E%-(4I/'%.

%;E giving up of self is not merely the

renunciation of outward things. It consists of the

renunciation of the inward sin, the inward error.

ot by giving up vain clothing7 not by

relin!uishing riches 7 not by abstaining from

certain foods 7 not by spea&ing smooth words 7

not by merely doing these things is the %ruth

found. 2ut by giving up the spir i t of vanity7 by

relin!uishing the desire for riches 7 by abstaining

from the lust of self(indulgence 7 by giving up all

hatred, strife, condemnation, and self(see&ing,

and becoming gentle and pure at heart, by doing

these things is the %ruth found.

The renunciation of self is the way of Truth!


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4e who ceases to be passions slave becomes a

master)builder in the Temple of "estiny,

4E2/3A/-%*E%-('E"$5.

A MA commences to develop power when,

chec&ing his impulses and selfish inclinations, he

falls bac& upon the higher and calmer

consciousness within him, and begins to steady

himself upon a principle.

%he realisation of unchanging principles in

consciousness is at once the source and secret

of the highest power.

*hen, after much searching, and suffering, and

sacrificing, the light of an eternal principle dawns

upon the soul , a d ivine ca lm ensues and 8oy

unspea&able gladdens the heart.

;e who has realised such a principle ceases towander, and remains poised and self(possessed.

+nly that wor endures that is bui lt upon an

indestructible principle!


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Men and women of real power and influence are

few!

4E2/3A/-%*E%-(%;I/5.

I% is easy for a man, so long as he is left in the

en8oyments of h is possessions, to persuade

himself that he bel ieves in and adheres to the

principles of Peace, 2rotherhood, and 3niversal

ove 7 but if, when his en8oyments are

threatened, or he imagines they are threatened,

he begins to clamour loudly for war, he shows

that he believes in and stands upon, not Peace,

2rotherhood, and ove, but strife, self ishness,

and hatred.

;e who does not desert his principles when

threatened with the loss of every earthly thing,

even to the loss of reputation and life, is the man

of power, is the man whose every word endures,

is the man whom the after(world honours,

reveres, and worships.

There is no way to the ac1uirement of spir itual

power e.cept by that inward il lumination and

enlightenment!


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All pain and sorrow is spiritual starvation, and

aspiration is the cry for food!

4E2/3A/-%*E%-(4$3/%;.

MA' essential being is inward, invisible,

spiri tual, and as such it derives i ts life, its

strength, from within not from without. $utward

things are channels through which its energies

are e)pended, but for renewal it must fall bac& on

the inward s i lence. In so far as man see&s to

drown this silence in the noisy pleasures of the

senses, and endeavours to live in the conflicts of

outward things, 8ust so much does he reap the

e)periences of pain and sorrow, which, becoming

at last intolerable, drive him bac& to the feet of

the inward "omforter, to the shrine of the

peaceful solitude within.

*t is in sol itude only that a man can be truly

revealed to himself!


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*n solitude a man gathers strength to meet the

difficulties and temptations of life!

4E2/3A/-%*E%-('I>%;.

J3'% as the body re!uires rest for the

recuperation of its forces, so the spirit re!uires

solitude for the renewal of its energies. 'olitude

is as indispensable to mans spiritual welfare as

sleep is to his bodily wel l(being 7 and pure

thought, or meditation, which is evo&ed in

sol itude, is to the spiri t what act iv ity is to the

body. As the body brea&s down when deprived of

the needful rest and sleep, so do the spir its of

men brea& down when deprived of the necessary

silence and solitude. Man, as a spir itual being,

cannot be maintained in strength, uprightness,

and peace e)cept he periodical ly withdraw

himself from the outer world of perishable things,and reach inwardly towards the abiding and

imperishable realities.

4e who loves Truth, who des ires and sees

wisdom, will be much alone!


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4uman loves are reflections of the "ivine Love!

4E2/3A/-%*E%-('E?E%;.

ME, c linging to self , and to the comfort less

shadows of evi l , are in the habit of thin&ing of

5ivine ove as something belonging to a #od

who is out of reach 7 as something outside

themselves, and that must for ever remain

outside. %ruly, the ove of #od is ever beyond the

reach of self, but when the heart and mind are

empt ied of sel f then the sel fless ove, the

supreme ove, the ove that is of #od, or #ood,

becomes an inward and abiding reality.

And this inward realisation of holy ove is none

other than the ove of "hrist, that is so much

tal&ed about, and so l it tle comprehended 7 the

ove that not only saves the soul from sin, but

lifts it also above the power of temptation.

"ivine Love nows neither sorrow nor change!


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#ind your centre of balance and succeed in

standing alone!

4E2/3A/-%*E%-(I%;.

3%I you can stand alone, loo&ing for guidance

neither to spirits nor mortals, gods nor men, but

guiding yourself by the l ight of the truth within

you, you are not unfettered and free, not

altogether blessed. 2ut do not mista&e pride for

se lf (rel iance. %o attempt to s tand upon the

crumbling foundation of pride is to be already

fallen. o man depends upon others more than

the proud man. ;is happiness is entirely in the

hands of others. 2ut the self(reliant man stands,

not upon personal pride, but on an abiding law,

principle, ideal, reality, within himself. 3pon this

he poises himself, refusing to be swept from his

strong foothold either by the waves of passionwithin or the storms of opinion without.

#ind the 7oy that results from well)earned

freedom, the peace that f lows from wise self)

possession, the blessedness that inheres in

native strength!


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As the fountain from the hidden spring, so issues

mans life from the secret recesses of his heart!

MA/";4 I/'%.

A' the heart, so is the life. %he within is

ceaselessly becoming the wi thout. othing

remains unrevealed. %hat which is hidden is but

for a t ime 7 i t ripens and comes forth at last .

'eed, t ree, blossom, and frui t is the fourfold

order of the universe. 4rom the state of a man s

heart proceed the condi tions of his li fe 7 his

thoughts blossom into deeds, and his deeds bear

the fruitage of character and destiny.

ife is ever unfolding from within, and revealing

itself to the light, and thoughts engendered in the

heart at last reveal themselves in words, actions,

and things accomplished.

Mind clothes itself in garments of its own maing!


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There is no nobler woror hi gher science than

that of self)perfection!

MA/";'E"$5.

E% man realise that l ife in its totality proceeds

from the mind, and lo, the way of blessedness is

opened to him. 4or he will then discover that he

possesses the power to ru le his mind, and to

fashion it in accordance with his ideal. 'o will he

elect to s trongly and steadfastly wal& those

pathways of thought and action which are

altogether e)cellent ; to him life will become

beautiful and sacred ; and, sooner or later, he will

put to flight all evil, confusion, and suffering 7 for

it is impossible for a man to fall short of

liberation, enlightenment, and peace who guards

with unwearying dil igence the gateway of h is

heart.

4e who aims at the possession of a calm, wise,

and seeing mind engages in the most sublime

tas that man can undertae!


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Without the right performance of "uty, the higher

virtues cannot be nown!

MA/";4 I4%;.

A duty should be regarded as sacred, and its

faithful and unselfish performance one of the

leading rules of conduct. All personal and selfish

considerations should be e)tracted and cast away

from the doing of ones duty 7 and when this is

done, 5uty ceases to be ir&some, and becomes

8oyful. 5uty is only ir&some to him who craves

some selfish en8oyment or benefit for himself. et

the man who is chafing under the ir&some(ness of

his duty loo& to himself, and he will f ind that his

wearisomeness proceeds, not from the duty itself,

but from his self ish desire to escape it. ;e who

neglects duty, be it great or small, or of a public

or private nature, neglects ?irtue 7 and he who inhis heart rebels against 5uty rebels against

?irtue.

The virtuous man concentrates his mind on the

perfect doing of his own duty!


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-very form of unhappiness springs from a wrong

condition of mind!

MA/";'E?E%;.

A sin is ignorance. It is a condition of dar&ness

and undevelopment. %he wrong(thin&er and the

wrong(doer is in the same position in the school

of l i fe as is the ignorant pupi l in the school of

learning. ;e has yet to learn how to thin& and act

correctly, that is, in accordance with aw. %he

pupil in learning is not happy so long as he does

his lessons wrongly, and unhappiness cannot be

escaped while sin remains uncon(

!uered.

ife is a series of lessons. 'ome are dil igent in

learning them, and they become pure, wise, and

altogether happy. $thers are negligent, and do

not apply themselves, and they remain impure,

foolish, and unhappy.

4appiness is mental harmony.


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-rror is si fted away! The 3old of Truth remains!

MA/";EE?E%;.

'PI/I%3A transmutation consists in an entire

reversal of the ordinary self(see&ing atti tude of

mind towards men and things, and this reversal

brings about an entirely new set of e)periences.

%hus the desire for a certain pleasure is

abandoned, cut off at its source, and not allowed

to have any place in the consciousness 7 but the

mental force which that desire represented is not

annihilated, it is transferred to a higher region of

thought, transmuted into a purer form of energy.

%he law of conservation of energy obtains

universal ly in mind as in matter, and the force

shut off in lower directions is l iberated in higher

realms of spiritual activity.

The clear and cloudless heights of spir itual

enlightenment!


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The present is the synthesis of the entire past;

the net result of all that a man has ever thought

and done is contained within hint!

MA/";%;I/%EE%;.

I% is this &nowledge of the Perfect aw wor&ing

through and above al l t ilings7 o f the Perfect

Justice operat ing in and ad8usting all human

affairs, that enables the good man to love his

enemies, and to rise above all hatred,

resentment, and complaining 7 for he &nows that

only his own can come to him, and that, though

he be surrounded by persecutors, his enemies

are but the blind instruments of a faultless

retribution ; and so he blames them not, but

calmly receives his accounts, and patiently pays

his moral debts. 2ut this is not al l; he does not

merely pay his debts 7 he ta&es care not tocontract any further debts. ;e watches himself

and ma&es his deeds faultless.

'haracteristics are fi.ed habits of mind, the

results of deeds!


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* t is by the eradication of the inward errors and

impurities alone that a nowledge of Truth can be

gained! There is no other way to wisdom and

peace!

MA/";%*E%IE%; .

%;E peace which passeth understanding is a

peace which no event or circumstance can sha&e

or mar, because it is not merely a passing calm

between two storms, but is an abiding peace that

is born of &nowledge. Men have not this peace,

because they do not understand, because they do

not now, and they do not understand and &now

because they are blinded and rendered ignorant

by their own errors and impurit ies 7 and whilst

they are unwill ing to give these up, they cannot

but remain ent irely ignorant of impersonal

Principles.

Whilst a man loves his lusts he cannot love

wisdom!


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MA/";%*E%-('E"$5.

ME suffer because they love self, and do notlove righteousness, and loving self they love their

delusions, and it is by these that they are bound.

%here is one supreme liberty of which no man can

be deprived by any but himself9the l iberty to

love and to practise righteousness!

%his includes all other liberties. It belongs to the

whipped and chained slave e!ually as to the &ing,

and he who wil l enter into t ins l iberty wi l l cast

from him every chain. 2y this the slave will wal&

out from the presence of his oppressor, who will

be powerless to stay him. 2y this the &ing wil l

cease to be defiled by his surrounding lu)uries,

and will be a &ing indeed.

2o outward oppressor can burden the righteous

heart.


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#ollow faithfully where the inward light leads you!

MA/";%*E%-('I>%;.

I% is well to become conscious of your

shortcomings, for, having realised them, and

feeling the necessity of overcoming them, you

will, sooner or later, rise above them into the pure

atmosphere of duty and unself ish love. -ou

should not picture dar& things in the future, but if

you thin& of the future at all, thin& of it as bright.

Above all, do your duty each day, and do it

cheerfully and unselfishly, and then each day will

bring its own measure of 8oy and peace, and the

future will hold much happiness for you. %he best

way to overcome your faults is to perform all your

duties faithfully, without thin&ing of any gain to

yourself , and to do al l you can to ma&e others

happy ; spea&ing &indly to all, doing &ind thingswhen you can, and not retaliating when others do

or say un&ind things.

$ut your whole heart into the present, l iving it ,

minute by minute, hour by hour, and day by day,

self)governed and pure!


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*t is better to love than to accuse and denounce!

MA/";%*E%-(EI#;%;.

%;E/E is that outburst of passion which is called

1righteous indignat ion,1 and i t appears to be

righteous, but loo&ed at from a higher conception

of conduct it is seen to be not righteous. %here is

a certain stamp of nobil i ty about indignation at

wrong or in8ustice, and it is certainly far higher

and nobler than indifference, but there is a loftier

nobility still, by which it is seen that indignation is

never necessary, and where love and gentleness

ta&e i ts place, they overcome the wrong much

more effectual ly. A person that is apparently

wronged re!ui res our pi ty, but the one who

wrongs re!uires still more our compassion, for he

is ignorant ly laying up for himself a s tore of

suffering C he must reap the wrong he is sowing!When divine compassion is perce ived in i ts

fullness and beauty,indignation and all forms of

passion cease to e.ercise any influence over us!


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Love is far beyond the reach of all selfish

argument and can only be lived!

MA/";%;I/%-(4I/'%.

JE'3' gave to the world a code of rules, by the

observance of which all men could become sons

of #od, could live the Perfect ife. %hese rules or

precepts are so simple, direct, and unmista&able

that it is impossible to misunderstand them. 'o

plain and une!uivocal are they that even an

unlettered child could grasp their meaning

without difficulty. All of them are directly related

to human conduct, and can be applied only by the

individual in his own life. %o carry out the spirit of

these rules in ones daily conduct constitutes the

whole duty of life, and lifts the individual into the

full consciousness of his divine origin and nature,

of his oneness with #od, the 'upreme #ood.

Men everywhere, in their inmost hearts, now

that 3oodness is divine!


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A man has no character, no soul, no life, apart

from his thoughts and deeds!

AP/I4I/'%.

EA"; man is responsible for the thoughts which

he thin&s and the acts which he does, for h is

state of mind, and the l ife which he l ives. o

power, no event, no circumstance, can compel a

man to evil and unhappiness. ;e himself is his

own compeller. ;e thin&s and acts by his own

volition. o being, however wise and great9not

even the 'upreme9can ma&e him good and

happy. ;e himself must choose the good, and

thereby find the happy.

%his l ife of t riumph is not for those who are

satisfied with any lower conditions 7 it is for those

who thirst for it and are willing to achieve it7 who

are as eager for righteousness as the miser is for

gold. It is always at hand, and is offered to all,

and blessed are they who accept and embrace

it 7 they will enter the world of %ruth 7 they will

find the Perfect Peace.

There is a larger, higher, nobler, diviner life than

that of sinning and suffering!


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Man as mind is sub7ect to change! 4e is not

something : made : and f inal ly completed, but

has within him the capacityfor progress!

AP/I%;I/5.

%;E purification of the heart, the thin&ing of right

thoughts, and the doing of good deeds9what are

they but calls to a higher, nobler mode of thought

energising forces urging men to effort in the

choosing of thoughts which shall l if t them into

realms of greater power, greater good, greater

bliss %;.

2355;A always referred to the moral law of the

universe as the #ood aw, and indeed it is not

rightly perceived if it is thought of as anything but

good, for in it there can be no grain of evil, no

element of un&indness. I t is no i ron(hear ted

monster crushing the wea& and destroying the

ignorant, but a soothing love and brooding

compassion shielding the tenderest from harm,

and protecting the strongest from a too

destructive use of their strength. It destroys an

evil, i t preserves an good. It enfolds the tiniest

seedl ing in i ts care, and i t destroys the most

colossal wrong with a breath. %o perceive it, is

the beatific vision 7 to &now it, is the beatific bliss7 and they who perceive and &now it are at

peace 7 they are glad for ever more.

The wise manbends his wil l and sub7ects his

desire to the "iv ine +rder!


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/ise above the allurements of sin, and enter the

"ivine 'onsciousness, the Transcendent Life!

AP/I'E?E%;.

%;E/E comes a time in the process of

transmutation when, with the decrease of evil and

the accumulat ion of good, there dawns in the

mind a new vision, a new consciousness, a new

man. And when this is reached, the saint has

become a sage 7 he has passed from the human

li fe to the divine l i fe. ;e is 1 born again 1 and

there begins for him a new round of e)periences 7

he wields a new power7 a new universe opens out

before his spiri tual ga0e. %his is the stage of

%ranscendence 7 this I call the %ranscendent ife.

*hen %ranscendence is attained, then the limited

personali ty is outgrown, and the divine l ife is

&nown 7 evi l is t ranscended, and #ood is a ll (inDall.

As passion is the eynote of the self)life, so

serenity is the eynote of the transcendent li fe!


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Whatsoever happens to the good man cannot

cause him perple.ity or sorrow, for he nows its

cause and issue!

AP/I%E%;.

I loo&ing bac& on the sel f( li fe which he has

transcended, the divinely enlightened man sees

that all the affl ictions of that l ife were his

schoolmasters teaching him, and leading him

upward, and that in the measure that he

penetrated their meaning, and l if ted himself

above them, they departed from him. %heir

mission to teach him having ended, they left him

triumphant master of the f ield7 for the lower

cannot teach the higher7 ignorance cannot

instruct wisdom7 evil cannot enlighten good7 nor

can the pupil set lessons for the master. %hat

which is t ranscended cannot reach up to thatwhich transcends. Evil can only teach in its own

sphere, where it is regarded as a master7 in the

sphere of good it has no place, no authority.

The strong t raveler on the h ighroad of truth

nows no such thing as resignat ion to evi l ; henows only obedience to good!


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4e is brave who con1uers another % but he who

con1uers himself is supremely noble!

AP/IEE?E%;.

2- the way of self(con!uest is the Perfect Peace

achieved. Man cannot understand i t, cannot

approach it, until he sees the supreme necessity

of turning away from the fierce fighting of things

without, and entering upon the noble warfare

against evils within. ;e is already on the 'aintly

*ay who has realised that the enemy of the world

is within, and not without 7 that his own

ungoverned thoughts are the source of confusion

and strife 7 that his own unchastened desires are

the violaters of his peace, and of the peace of the

world.

If a man has con!uered lust and anger, hatred

and pride, selfishness and greed, he has

con!uered the world.

4e who is victorious over another may in turn be

defeated ; but he who overcomes himself wil l

never be subdued!


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#orce and str ife wor upon the passions and

fears, but love and peace reach and reform the

heart!

AP/I%*E4%;.

;E who is overcome by force is not thereby

overcome in h is heart C he may be a greater

enemy than before 7 but he who is overcome by

the spir it of peace is thereby changed at heart.

;e that was an enemy has become a friend.

%he pure(hearted and wise have peace in their

hearts 7 it enters into their actions ; they apply it

in their l ives. It is more powerful than str ife 7 i t

con!uers where force would fail. Its wings shield

the righteous. 3nder its protection, the harmless

are not harmed. It affords a secure shelter from

the heat of selfish struggle. It is a refuge for the

defeated, a tent for the lost, and a temple for the

pure.

When, divine good is practised, life is bliss! Bliss

is the normal condition of the good man!


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4e who has realised the Love that is divine has

become a new man!

AP/I%;I/%EE%;.

A5 this ove, this *isdom, this Peace, this

tran!uil state of mind and heart, may be attained

to, may be real ised, by al l who are wil l ing and

ready to and who are prepared to humbly enter

into a comprehension of all that the giving up of

self involves. %here is no arbitrary power in the

universe, and the strongest chains of fate by

which men are bound are self(forged. Men are

chained to that which causes suffering because

they desire to be so, because they love their

chains, because they thin& their little dar& prison

of self is sweet and beautiful, and they are afraid

that i f they desert that pr ison they wil l lose al l

that is real and worth having.

1 -e suffer from yourselves, none else compels,

one other holds ye that ye live and die.1

To the divinely wise, nowledge and Love are one

and inseparable!


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4e who purif ies his own heart is the worlds

greatest benefactor!

AP/I4I4%EE%; .

%;E world is, and will be for many years to come,

shut out from that #olden Age which is the

realisation of sel fless ove. -ou, i f you are

wil l ing, may enter it now, by r ising above your

self ish sel f 7 i f you wil l pass from pre8udice,

hatred, and condemnation to gentle and forgiving

love.

*here hatred, disli&e, and condemnation are,

self less ove does not abide. It resides only in

the heart that has ceased from all condemnation.

;e who &nows that ove is at the heart of a l l

things, and has realised the all(sufficing power of

that ove, has no room in his heart for

condemnation.

Let men and women tae this course, and lo( the

3olden Age is at hand!


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+nly the pure in heart see 3od!

AP/I' I>%EE%;.

;E whose heart is centred in the supreme ove

does not brand and classify men 7 does not see&

to convert men to his own views, nor to convince

them of the superiority of his methods. =nowing

the aw of ove, he l ives it, and maintains the

same calm atti tude of mind and sweetness of

heart towards all. %he debased and the virtuous,

the foolish and the wise, the learned and the

unlearned, the selfish and the unselfish, receive

ali&e the benediction of his tran!uil thought.

-ou can only attain to this supreme &nowledge,

this divine ove, by unremitting endeavour in

self(discipline, and by gaining victory after victory

over yourself.

-nter into the 2ew Birth, and the Love that does

not die will be awaened within you, and you will

be at peace!


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Where there is pure spiritual nowledge, Love is

perfected and fully realised!

AP/I'E?E%EE%;.

%/AI your mind in strong, impartial, and gentle

thought 7 train your heart in purity and

compassion 7 train your tongue to silence and to

true and stainless speech 7 so shall you enter the

way of holiness and peace, and shall ultimately

real ise the immortal ove. 'o l iv ing, without

see&ing to convert, you will convince 7 without

arguing, you will teach 7 not cherishing ambition,

the wise will f ind you out7 and without striving to

gain mens opinions, you wil l subdue their

hearts. #or ove is all(con!uering, all(

powerful 7 and the thoughts, and deeds, and

words of ove can never perish.

This is the realisation of selfless Love!


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/e7oice( for the morning has dawned% The Truth

has awaened us!

AP/IE I#;%EE%;.

*E have opened our eyes, and the dar& night of

terror is no more. ong have we slept in matter

and sensation7 long did we struggle in the painful

nightmare of evil7 but now we are awa&e in 'pirit

and %ruth C *e have found the #ood, and the

struggle with evil is ended.

*e slept, yet &new not that we slept. *e

suffered, yet &new not that we suffered. *e were

troubled in our dreaming, yet none could awa&e

us, for all were dreaming li&e ourselves. -et there

came a pause in our dreaming 7 our sleep was

stayed. %ruth spo&e to us, and we heard 7 and lo @

we opened our eyes, and saw. *e slumbered,

and saw not 7 we slept, and &new not 7 but now

we are awa&e and see. -ea, we &now we are

awa&e because we have seen ;oliness, and we

love sin no more.

4ow beautiful is Truth ( 4ow glorious is the realm

of reality ( 4ow ineffable is the bliss of 4oliness (


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The &nowledge of Truth is an abiding

consolation!

AP/I%*E%IE%; .

*;E all else fails, %ruth does not fail. *hen the

heart is desolate and the world affords no shelter,

%ruth provides a peaceful refuge and a !uiet rest.

%he cares of l ife are many, and its path is beset

with difficulties 7 but %ruth is greater than care,

and is superior to all diff icult ies. %ruth l ightens

our burdens 7 i t l ights up our pathway with the

radiance of 8oy. oved ones pass away, fr iends

fail, and possessions disappear. *here then is

the voice of comfort < *here is the whisper of

consolat ion < %ruth is the comforter of the

comfortless, and the consoler of them that are

deserted. %ruth does not pass away, nor fail, nor

disappear. %ruth bestows the consolat ion ofabiding peace. 2e alert, and listen, that ye may

hear the call of %ruth, even the voice of the #reat

Awa&ener.

Truth removes the sting f rom af fl iction, and

disperses the clouds of trouble!


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4e who dings to his delusions, loving self and sin

cannot find the Truth!

AP/I%*E%-(4I/'%.

%/3%; brings 8oy out of sorrow, and peace out of

perturbation 7 it points the selfish to the *ay of

#ood, and sinners to the Path of ;ol iness. I ts

sp iri t is the doing of /ighteousness. %o the

earnest and faithful it brings consolation 7 upon

the obedient it bestows the crown of peace. I ta&e

refuge in %ruth C -ea, in the 'pirit of #ood, in the

&nowledge of #ood, and in the doing of #ood I

abide. And I am reassured and comforted. It is to

me as though malice were not, and hatred had

vanished away. ust is confined to the

nethermost dar&ness, it hath no way in %ruth s

transcendent ight. Pride is bro&en up and

dissolved, and vanity is melted away as a mist. Ihave set my face towards the Perfect #ood, and

my feet in the 2lameless *ay 7 and because of

this I am consoled.

* am strengthened and comforted, having found

refuge in Truth!


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A pure heart and a blameless life avail! They are

filled with 7oy and peace!

AP/I%*E%-('E"$5.

$3/ good deeds remain with us, they save and

protect us. Evil deeds are error. $ur evil deeds

follow us, they overthrow us in the hour of

temptation. %he evil doer is not protected from

sorrow7 but the good doer is shielded from all

harm. %he fool says unto his evil deed, 1 /emain

thou hidden, be thou une)posed 19but his evil is

already published, and his sorrow is sure. If we

are in evil, what shall protect us < *hat &eep us

from misery and confusion < or man nor woman,

nor wealth nor power, nor heaven nor earth, shall

&eep us from confusion. 4rom the results of evil

there is no escape 7 no refuge and no protection.

If we are in #ood, what shall overta&e us < *hatbring us to misery and confusion < or man nor

woman, nor poverty nor sic&ness, nor heaven nor

earth, shall bring us to confusion.

There is a straight way and a 1uiet rest!


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Be glad and not sorrowful, all ye who love Truth(

#or your sorrows shall pass away, lie the mists

of the morning!

AP/I%*E%-(%;I/5.

"*S'*$L- % %eacher of teachers, instruct %hou

me.

Master %As&, and I will answer. "isciple % I have

read much, but am ignorant sti l l ; I have studied

the doctrines of the schools, but have not become

wise thereby ; * &now the scriptures by heart, but

peace is hidden f rom me. Point out to me, $

Master @ the way of &nowledge. /eveal to me the

highway of divine wisdom 7 lead %hou %hy child

into the path of peace.

Master % %he way of &nowledge, $ 5isciple @ is by

searching the heart7 the highway of wisdom is by

the practice of righteousness 7 and by a sinless

life is found the way of peace.

Behold where Love -ternal rests concealed( The

deathless Love that seemed so far away(< -en in

the lowly heart 7 i t stands revealed To him who

lives the sinless life to)day!


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3reat is the con1uest which thou hast entered

upon, even the mighty con1uest of thyself ; be

faithful and thou shalt overcome!

AP/I%*E%-(4$3/%;.

"*S'*$L- % ead me, $ Master@ for my dar&ness

is very great@ *il l the dar&ness l i f t , $ Master%;.

%;E spi ri t o f ove which is manifested as a

perfect and rounded life is the crown of being and

the supreme end of &nowledge upon this earth.

;ow does a man act under trial and temptation %EE%;.

P$3/ the oil of tran!ui ll ity upon the turbulent

waters of the passions and pre8udices, and the

tempests of misfortune, however they may

threaten, will be powerless to wrec& the bar!ue of

your soul, as it threads its way across the ocean

of life. And if that bar!ue be piloted by a cheerful

and never(fail ing faith, its course will be doubly

sure, and many perils will pass it by which would

otherwise attac& it. 2y the power of faith every

enduring wor& is accomplished. 4ai th in the

'upreme 7 faith in the over(ruling aw7 faith in

your wor&, and in your power to accomplish that

wor&9here is the roc& upon which you must build

if you would achieve, if you would stand and not

fall.

#ol low, under all ci rcumstances, the highest

promptings within you!


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$assion is not power; i t is the abuse of power,

the dispersion of power!

A3#3'%E I#;%EE%;.

*;E that young man, whom I &new, passing

through continual reverses and misfortunes, was

moc&ed by his f riends and told to desist f rom

further effort, and he replied, 1 %he time is not far

distant when you will marvel at my good fortune

and success,1 he showed that he was possessed

of that silent and irresistible power which has

ta&en him over innumerable di ff icul ties, and

crowned his life with success.

If you have not this power, you may ac!uire it by

practice, and the beginning of power is l i&ewise

the beginning of wisdom. -ou must commence by

overcoming those purposeless trivialities to which

you have hitherto been a willing victim.

2oisterous and uncontrolled laughter, slander and

idle tal&, and 8o&ing merely to raise a laugh9all

these things must be put on one side as so much

waste of valuable energy.

Be of single aim ; have a legit imate and useful

purpose, and devote yourself unreservedly to it!


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4appiness is that inward state of perfect

satisfaction which is 7oy and peace!

A3#3'% IE%EE%;.

%;E sat is fact ion which resul ts f rom grati fied

desire is br ief and i llus ionary, and is always

followed by an increased demand for

gratif ication. 5esire is insatiable as the ocean,

and clamours louder and louder as its demands

are attended to. It claims ever(increasing service

from its deluded devotees, until at last they are

struc& down with physical or mental anguish, and

are hur led into the pur ifying f ires of suffer ing.

5esire is the region of hell, and all torments are

centred there. %he giving up of des ire is the

realisation of heaven, and all delights await the

pilgrim there.

1 I sent my soul through the invisible, 'ome letter

of that after l ife to spell, And by and by my soul

returned to me, And whispered, I mysel f am

heaven and hell. 1

4eaven and hell are inward states!


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To see selfishly is only to lose happiness!

A3#3'%%*E%IE%; .

'I= into self and all i ts gratif ications, and you

sin& into hell7 r ise above self into that state of

consc iousness which is the utter denia l and

forgetfulness of self, and you enter heaven. 'elf

is blind, without 8udgment, not possessed of true

&nowledge, and always leads to suffering. "orrect

perception, unbiased 8udgment, and true

&nowledge belong only to the divine state, and

only in so far as you realise this divine

consciousness can you &now what real happiness

is. 'o long as you persist in selfishly see&ing for

your own happiness, so long will happiness elude

you, and you will be sowing the seeds of

wretchedness. In so far as you succeed in losing

yourself in the service of others, in that measurewill happiness come to you, and you will reap a

harvest of bliss.

Abiding happiness will come to you when,

ceasing to self ishly cling, you are will ing to give

up!


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Whatsoever you constantly meditate upon you

wil l not only come to understand, but wil l grow

more and more into its lieness!

A3#3'%%*E%-(4I/'%.

'PI/I%3A meditation is the pathway to 5ivinity.

It is the mystic ladder which reaches from earth

to heaven, f rom error to %ruth, f rom pain to

peace. Every saint has cl imbed it7 every sinner

must sooner or later come to it, and every weary

pi lgrim that turns his bac& upon sel f and the

world, and sets his face resolutely towards the

4athers ;ome, must plant h is feet upon i ts

golden rounds. *ithout its aid you cannot grow

into the divine state,

meditations allen

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