1-Ant's Long Path

8/12/2019 1-Ant's Long Path

1/26

Notebooks of Paul Brunton> Category 2: Overview of Practicies Involved> Chapter : !nt"s #ong Path

!nt"s #ong Path

What is the Long Path?

$is first effort is to find the obstacles which retard the enlighten%ent& his second' to

re%ove the%( )his constitutes the #ong Path(

2

$e who feels the inner urge to seek always for the *oul' the $idden' who longs to be

+uite consciously united with it' first will have to undergo a long process of being

separated fro% his baser attributes' of having the larger part of his i%perfections washed

away(

,

)he %ind is prevented fro% knowing the truth by its own defects li%itations or

deficiencies' by its own passions self-centeredness and possessiveness( )he philosophic

discipline sets up as an ob.ective the eli%ination of these hindrances( *uch disciplines

are physical' %ental' and e%otional(

/

0or the %an or wo%an who truly desires to follow the 1uest and who wonders how to

begin' the present course should be to read and study the eercises given in %y earlier

books' going over the% carefully again and again until all the basic concepts are

fa%iliar( !t the sa%e ti%e' one should find a few %inutes out of every day when it is

possible to be alone' undisturbed and unobserved( 3editation should be opened bysilent prayer' for%ulated to epress spiritual yearnings for the higher way of life( )his

%ay be followed by concentrating on a chosen spiritual the%e( 4very endeavour should

be %ade to keep thoughts fro% wandering and to bring the% back whenever they do(

5

If we want certain knowledge' instead of vague hope' that the answer to this +uestion

67ho a% I86 is 6I a% of godlike essence'6 we %ust follow the 1uest into its disciplines

and practices(

9

$ow can the influ re%ain if the negative ele%ents of the %an"s character are still thereand contradict its presence8 One or the other has to go( If the %an cannot re%ove those

ele%ents at once--and who can8--then he %ust do so by degrees and through the years(

It is a parado whose truth the world has failed to reali;e' despite the repeated efforts of


2/26

)he #ong Path principle is that enlighten%ent %ust be earned by his own labour(

?

)he ego %ust beco%e conscious of its guilt in blocking the light of the Overself and

%ust perfor% the necessary penance to epiate that guilt( But this is %erely another way

of saying that it %ust enter on the #ong Path and purify itself(

)hose who pass through this phase when they see life as holding little that %atters' and

life"s .oys as being %ostly e%pty' are %arked out for philosophy: nothing else can serve

the% successfully after this eperience although religion %ay help the% for a ti%e(

2

)he doctrine of a gradual evolution through successive steps belongs to the #ong Path(

,

#et hi% bring hi%self' through the #ong Path' into the condition which %ay invite the

approach of @race(

/

If he is not insincere' sooner or later the +uest will force his lower nature to throw up its

hidden evil' so that he %ay face' fight' and con+uer it(

5

)he discipline cures the e%otional nature of its faults' purifies the intellectual nature of

its pre.udices' cleanses the egoistic nature of its resistances( )hus it brings the %ind into

a state where it %ay understand truth without error and with clarity(

9

$e will undertake the% not as a penance to epiate his sins but as a training to fit hi%

better for the reception of @race and the practices of the *hort Path(

!lthough the heroic way of abrupt harsh refor% is the only way suited to certain

te%pera%ents' the easier way of gradual gentle change is the only way suited to %ost

other te%pera%ents( 0ew %en can bring the%selves to abandon the s%all co%forts and

daily routines to which they are accusto%ed for the purpose of plunging straightway

into a rigorously ascetic regi%e(

=

$e will try to put into practice what is sensible and worthy' without being overawed by

environ%ent' habit' or popular pre.udice(

$e will try to avoid all eaggeration and distortion in his thought and speech' certainly

all falsehood(

2?

It is useful to put a desirable +uality into practice outwardly so that it %ay in ti%e' by

the body"s influence on the %ind' be ac+uired inwardly(

2

It is thoughtless of the poor to say that practice of philosophy is only for those who have
http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2507http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2508http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2509http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2510http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2511http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2512http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2513http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2514http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2515http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2516http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2517http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2518http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2519http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2507http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2508http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2509http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2510http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2511http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2512http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2513http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2514http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2515http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2516http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2517http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2518http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2519


3/26

the %oney' the leisure' and the freedo% to spare( It is e+ually thoughtless of the rich to

say that the practice is for those who need philosophy"s consolatory service in their

s+ualor and poverty( )he truth is that neither the %illionaire nor the pauper' nor even all

those classes in between' can escape fro% the need of philosophic practice& without it'

as Buddha pointed out' they are doo%ed to suffer(

223en lack the needful perceptions and therefore they accept the substitute whilst passing

by the reality( )his is why a preparation' a self-i%prove%ent' is prescribed to seekers

after truth(

2,

No narrower ideal' no height lower than sagehood is to be set up as his goal(

2/

!lways there is this i%age in front of hi%--what he could beco%e and what life wants

hi% to beco%e in the end(

25

)hey tell us to lose our personal identity' to let it beco%e absorbed in the universal self(

7hat is prescribed in a few words could take up a whole lifeti%e(

29

)he transfor%ation of the whole inner %an %ay happen slowly and i%perceptibly or

through a series of eperiences brought on by crises( 7ith it co%es the purification of

his character' the %aturation of his intelligence' and the self-discipline of the ego(

2

)ruth is open to all' if only all can receive it( But they cannot--until a preparation and

purification open the way(

2=

)he first steps on the path call for an awareness of the aspirant"s failings and for a

deter%ination to eradicate the%(

2

Bring again and again into re%e%brance the fact that you are a pilgri%' that this world

is but a ca%p' and that the situations in which you find yourself' or create for yourself'

should be regarded not fro% the worldly point of view only' but still %ore fro% that of

this +uest of the Overself(

,?

)he period of preparation and discipline will be a long one( 0ew have even the desire'

let alone the patience' to undergo it(

,

7hatever i%pedes the entry of spiritual lights %ust be re%oved( )hat is the #ong Path"s

work(

,2

It is essential to re.ect negative thoughts' to accept and hold only the affir%ative ones(

,,

#et hi% be vigilant about the way in which he reacts to eperiences and circu%stances'
http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2520http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2521http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2522http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2523http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2524http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2525http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2526http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2527http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2528http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2529http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2530http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2531http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2520http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2521http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2522http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2523http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2524http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2525http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2526http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2527http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2528http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2529http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2530http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2531


4/26

to %en and wo%en( #et hi% be on guard against the attractions and repulsions which

they engender' the e%otions which they ecite' and the desires which they arouse(

,/

$e will have to correct and co%plete the %aterialistic evidence of his senses as he will

have to discipline and overco%e their ani%alistic outgoing tendency(

,5

)he way %ust begin with a general +uietening down of your %ind' cal%ing of your

e%otions' an overco%ing of your passions' and a regular practising of %editation(

,9

If he can do little to bring on the advent of @race' he can do %uch to re%ove the

obstructions to it(

,

$e fails to perceive that after all his work has re%oved so%e old weaknesses' new ones

have been created in their place(

,=

7hether he identifies his faults or fails to do so' he will still have to co%e to the point

where he tries to build the virtues opposite the% Aif he knows the% or where he

concentrates on the Overself-thought and forgets the%(

,

It is the work of the #ong Path to achieve a large %easure of self-control but only the

work of the *hort Path can finish it(

/?

)he 1uester cannot i%itate the conventional lives of other people( $e has to %ake so%e

changes' and particularly so%e sacrifices' if he is to follow a path whose goal is

different fro% theirs( $e has to find so%e ti%e for %editation and study' so%e ti%e

when he can fully and truly be hi%self' and this re+uires' however short' a daily period

of solitude( $e has to arrange his diet so that it will not provide %ore difficulty for his

inner work( $e has to be careful of what co%pany he keeps' so that he will not be

constantly responding to their auras' either in struggle or in defense(

/

)he #ong Path is one where the seeker critici;es hi%self as a prelude to the atte%pt to

con+uer hi%self(

/2

)he #ong Path is an etended self-criticis%( )he #ong Path cannot of itself bring hi% to

@od' but it can re%ove obstacles' straighten warpings(

/,

)he rays of light would enter every %an"s conscious %ind even now' were they not

prevented by the etroversion of his attention' the upheavals of his e%otion and passion'

the narrow rigidities of his logical intellect' and the attach%ents of his ego( )his is why

the re%oval of these obstructions--which is the #ong Path"s special work--is

indispensable to his progress(

//

! certain educated taste for truth is needed' a develop%ent of heart and %ind which
http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2532http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2533http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2534http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2535http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2536http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2537http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2538http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2539http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2540http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2541http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2542http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2532http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2533http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2534http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2535http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2536http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2537http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2538http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2539http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2540http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2541http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2542


5/26


6/26


7/26

also practise the% cheerfully(

9,

)he inner work of %ental purification' the travail of e%otional cleansing will constantly

go on( 3any ti%es in a single day he will be called on to re.ect wrong thoughts and to

repel lower feelings(

9/

)he first stage is negative and preparatory( It is to get out of the ani%al-passional forces

and lower e%otional co%plees which %ake hi% so largely a creature of this earth(

Caught in the %eshes of his lower nature as he is' he %ust free hi%self fro% the%

sufficiently to safeguard the work in %ystical %editation fro% beco%ing a source of

self-in.ury and social danger(

95

No one can deny that a proper %ethodical training is a highly valuable factor in

achieving effective results in any sphere( )his %ust also be true of the spiritual sphere(

99

$e is not asked to be a saint' but he is asked to be sincere(

9

)he instincts are to be purified' the passions cal%ed' the feelings refined' and the

thoughts concentrated(

9=

$e %ust be brave enough to rid his thinking of enervating falsities and his e%otions of

their devastating egois%s(

9

)he life of an aspirant %ust necessarily be an ever-recurring co%bat against his egois%'

his passions' his desires' his etroversion' his attractions and repulsions( $ence it can be

neither an easy nor a s%ooth one(

?

$e has to undergo a self-discipline which is integral' total' and co%prehensive(

!re you prepared to devote %any years and %uch concentration to such studies8

4nlighten%ent is no si%ple %atter but rather a work of profound labour(

2

7hen the first transitional period of creating' pioneering' and establishing a new habit

has been passed' it beco%es no harder than holding on to a bad one(

,

$e will not hesitate to acknowledge his personal frailties and to confess his personal

li%itations( 0or this is a part of the #ong Path( $e need only do so silently and secretly--

ecept in the case of an interview with a spiritual adviser(

/

Only after passing through the prescribed cleansings can an aspirant be sufficientlyready and prepared to unfold the intuitive %ystical side of his nature without blockage

or bias interfering fro% the ani%al side(
http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2561http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2562http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2563http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2564http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2565http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2566http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2567http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2568http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2569http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2570http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2571http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2572http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2561http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2562http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2563http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2564http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2565http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2566http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2567http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2568http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2569http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2570http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2571http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2572


8/26

5

Certainly he %ust be eager to seek the truth' willing to give ti%e for the search since it

re+uires study and %editation' but e+ually he %ust be prepared to practise so%e self-

discipline( )his is partly because the +uest of truth succeeds to the etent that he

disengages hi%self fro% the ego and fro% the thoughts' the passions' and the %oods it

produces(

9

Before a %an can absorb truth he %ust render hi%self fit to do so( Otherwise' the

violent intrusion of passion will cloud his vision' the sway of personal e%otion will

unbalance his understanding' and the working of attach%ent or aversion will affect the

correctness of his knowledge(

$e should be deeply asha%ed of his failures' deeply repentant of his sins(

=

Not having set out to seek truth' but only the verification of their own pre.udices and

superstitions' naturally they do not find it( )his is why %ental purification and

e%otional discipline are necessary at the beginning(

$e who follows the 1uest will have to attend to his inferiorities of intellect' fill in gaps

of personality' fight weaknesses of will' and develop needed virtues by self-training(

=?

$is first task is to dig up and uncover %ercilessly and i%partially the hidden roots of his

character' and especially of his attach%ents' weaknesses' and repulsions(

=

It is easy and hu%an to pro.ect our wishes on the universe of our eperience and think

our fancies into the universe of our ideas( )herefore' the +uest of the Overself %ust

begin with a discipline of the underself(

=2

)he ai% of this discipline is to cleanse the heart of negative and obstructive e%otions' to

clear the %ind of false and distorted thoughts(

=,

7hat he has hitherto accepted--fro% heredity' tradition' and society--as nor%al' correct

living habits will have to be severely +uestioned and' in a nu%ber of cases' altered andrefor%ed( $e will have to give up so%e fa%iliar things and take up so%e new regi%es(

=/

)he healthy life' whether of the body or the %ind' calls for a certain a%ount of self-

discipline' self-eercise' and self-training( 7e %ust give in effort a price that will entitle

us to receive a benefit' although it need not be co%%ensurate with the benefit( Indeed

theBhagavad Gitadeclares: 6! little attention to this yoga produces great results(6

=5

)hose who are willing to endure the unconventional disciplines and stiff rigours of such

a daily schedule practise a self-denial which will bring the% %arkedly closer to the goalthan those who are not(


9/26

=9

*uch self-discipline is unattractive to' and unwanted by' those who have settled in

co%fortable ruts( et unless the lower nature is put under a yoke and %ade to obey the

higher nature' the eperiences of life fail to fulfil the purpose of life(

=

)he disciple"s inner work is %anifold' but sincere striving for self-i%prove%ent is the%ost i%portant part of it(

==

Because he has put hi%self under special obligations by the %ere act of putting hi%self

on this +uest' he %ust freely and +uickly confess his weaknesses' as a preli%inary to

setting about their correction( Condonation' .ustification' and alibis %ay be left to those

who are uninterested in the +uest(

=

$is practical work will begin by entering the stage of self-purification' by repudiating

little by little or' if he finds sufficient strength within hi%self' all at once' those ele%ents

of ani%alis% which clog his upward %ove%ent and keep his %ind physically i%%ersed(

?

One of the %ost difficult but necessary lessons to be learned in life is the understanding

and control of one"s own e%otional nature( It %ust be constantly observed' understood'

and its energies should be redirected to produce that condition of inner cal% and

stability which is indispensable to progress( ! very necessary part of this study is to

observe how the e%otional conditions of others i%pinge upon' and affect' one"s own' as

well as the reverse process(

If he is to put hi%self into a properly receptive attitude for the enlighten%ent which

)ruth brings' there are several corrections he %ust %ake in hi%self and by hi%self( $e

%ust discard the intolerance' the narrowness' the littleness which re.ects any persons or

conde%ns entire nations because of their appearance or their religion or their past

history or their social condition( $e %ust cast out all %alevolence and en%ity toward

others( $e %ust put a stop to the endless urges which covet %ore and %ore possessions'

which sti%ulate stronger and stronger a%bitions(

2

)he +uest"s practical work seeks to rise above infantile attitudes' adolescent e%otions'

and ani%al passions(

,

*elf-%astery is a personal duty for every %an who wants to %ake so%ething of his life'

and %uch %ore so for every +uester( 7hatever %ethod he uses to purge hi%self of

ble%ishes and stains in his character' or errors and delusions in his %ind' whether by

positive effort of will or by constant conte%plation of the ideal' he %ust withdraw fro%

the old %an to a substantial etent if he is to put on the new %an(

/

)he candidate who stands before the *phin %ust be prepared to part with illusions long

and dearly held' with passions which give strength to those illusions' with egoistic

pettiness(

5
http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2584http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2585http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2586http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2587http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2588http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2589http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2590http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2591http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2592http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2593http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2584http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2585http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2586http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2587http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2588http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2589http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2590http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2591http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2592http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2593


10/26

Correct social behaviour is not necessarily an epression of spirituality: it %ay vary

fro% one country' people' tribe' or century to another( But as part of the preparation of

the way to spirituality it has its value so far as it calls for considerateness toward others'

discipline of speech and action' curbing of selfishness' desire' and greed' and control of

the passions(

9It %ay be thought that being a gentle%an has nothing to do with being spiritual( But' if

the ter% is used in its ideal sense' then the belief is wrong( $e who has been

indoctrinated as a child with high ideals and inculcated with good habits' taught refined

%anners and speech' encouraged to seek the general welfare alongside of his own' and

educated to practise self-discipline' has been well prepared for the #ong Path if he

co%es to it later(

If he is to gather eperience he can hardly help %aking %istakes( 0or they are often the

heavy cost of ineperience( But he can certainly help repeating those %istakes( !nd this

depends first on how ready he is within his own heart to ad%it the% as such& second onhow ready he is to search for weaknesses of character or capacity which %ay lie behind

the%(

=

$is goal is to take these responsibilities upon his own shoulders' to develop his own

courage and knowledge wherewith to %eet the% and not atte%pt to evade the% in the

na%e of spiritual surrender(

!lthough %ost persons do spend several lives on this +uest' there is no rule which

conde%ns the% to give so %uch ti%e( 7hat they seek is close enough' withinthe%selves' but it is they who %ust bring the %ind' heart' and will into a condition

necessary to find it( 6$e is a happy %an'6 says the Bhagavad Gita' 6who during his

lifetimeis able to con+uer the passions(6

??

!ll these energies which drag %en into attach%ents that i%pede progress toward a

higher level can be trans%uted(

?

If one cannot predict with co%plete certainty when the hour of reali;ation will arrive'

one can at least prepare those conditions which are essential to its arrival( #et us do that'therefore' and then hu%bly await the fruit of one"s labour( 7hoever can instill into

hi%self this kind of patience' which is far re%oved fro% slu%bering inertia' will go far

upon this path(

?2

$e will study his own character and other people"s with the ut%ost i%partiality(

?,

*o long as a %an stays on the #ong Path alone he is clinging to the idea of his ego'

which e%barks on the 1uest to save itselfby %ethods and processes of purifying itself(

)his idea is never let go' only refined and purified( 0or it starts the 1uest as ani%perfect and low ego' finishes it as a perfectly pruned and i%proved one( Its own

reality is not +uestioned' for if it were regarded as the noneistent fiction that it is' there
http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2594http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2595http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2596http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2597http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2598http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2599http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2600http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2601http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2594http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2595http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2596http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2597http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2598http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2599http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2600http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2601


11/26

would be no need to purify or save it(

?/

Deep what is worth keeping in past ways of thought and life' custo% and character: it

took so long to co%e into being(

?5$e is saved fro% spiritual snobbishness by the practice of hu%ility' and fro% spiritual

priggishness by a sense of hu%our(

?9

)he acknowledg%ent of evil done in the past and the confession of weakness

eperienced in the present are indispensable preli%inaries(

?

$e %ust put down the lower e%otions every ti%e they rear their heads( )he ordinary

un+uesting %an %ay allow resent%ent' .ealousy' anger' lust' hate' and greed to appear

and act without restraint on the scene of his life' but the disciple cannot( *elf-purification is both his need and his duty(

?=

$is +uest will not only have to take hi% out of the body"s toicity' negative feelings'

lustful desires' and aggressive passions of the lower nature' not only out of the intellect"s

curiosity and restlessness' but also out of the ego"s vain and disorderly i%agination( It is

fro% this source that so %any false psychical eperiences and hallucinatory revelations'

so %any prophetic %essages and deceptive visions arise( )he prudent aspirant will not

blindly accept any self-flattering inti%ation or prediction' but will check it against the

appraisals of infor%ed persons' against the nature of his own conduct or the egolessness

of his own character(

?

$e %ay well weep over the %uddled nature of his efforts in the past and over the wasted

ti%e spent in bypaths and sidetracks(

?

$e can %ake a deter%ined practice of ruling his feelings' do%inating his reactions' and

controlling his reflees( )his will not be easy but with ti%e it could beco%e a habit' that

is' second nature(

$e should hold fast to the principles of the 1uest' especially those of self-cleansing'

reason' balance' and stability' because only after this preparation of the right inner

conditions is it possible for illu%ination of a %ore lasting character to be safely

received(

2

$e will obey such disciplines not as duties i%posed fro% without but as epressions of

the need to re-educate hi%self within(

,

*ociety Athat is' other people needs refor%( es' certainlyE But oneself needs not less'

possibly even %ore refor%(

/


12/26

! deeply sha%ing past cannot be pushed aside' but it can be transcended by learning to

live on a superior level(

5

4+uilibriu% is a necessary part of the +ualities to be developed on the #ong Path( It is

corrective against wrong ideas and protective against base e%otion(

9

)he ordinary %an does not feel hi%self to be under any special constraint to correct his

faults or re%ove his weaknesses or eradicate ob.ectionable +ualities& the #ong Path %an

feels this every day(

)hey resent the fact that they are called to a workand prefer the delusion that they are to

benefit by a %iracle(

=

Furing the years between the ti%es of knowingly starting on the 1uest and that of%eeting a )eacher' one should work especially hard at i%proving his whole general

character and getting rid of any faults of whose eistence he is aware( It is %ost

i%portant' for instance' to discipline te%per' to develop self-control' and to learn how to

overco%e the te%ptation to give way to anger( #esser faults' such as i%pulsiveness and

carelessness' %ust also be checked and balanced by the deliberate cultivation of

discri%ination and prudence(

#ooking at his past on the #ong Path' a %an who is honest with hi%self %ay eperience

feelings of dis%ay& but he ought to re%e%ber that all those events' thoughts' and actions

were steps in his instruction and therefore productive( 7hen ea%ining and analysing ithe should bear this in %ind and therefore take it %ore cal%ly( !t the sa%e ti%e the

instruction %ust be taken to heart and used as a base contributing towards the future(

)he lessons are not to be ignored but they need not weigh hi% down(

2?

3ost persons live in an at%osphere which %ies the negative tendencies with the

positive( )he resulting %ish-%ash obscures their way( 4ven if the gli%pse co%es'

visibility is very +uickly blotted out again( )here is necessary a cleaning-out work(

2

It is a serious step to take a vow' whether it be denying satisfaction to the seual instinctor denying the craving for alcohol' or any other of the purifications( ! vow of this kind

is a pro%ise %ade both to oneself and to the Overself( It is an unwritten contract(

22

7e %ust begin self-refor% by facing ourselves in our little hu%an eistences( !re we

failing in our relationship with others8 !re there negative ele%ents in our lives' %aking

us %elancholy' dissatisfied' unhappy8

2,

7e take our little selves even into this analysis of the past and present( 7e do not see

the% with really i%personal eyes( )he perspective is still egoistic( 7e do not care toaccept the truth about ourselves( )he task is i%possible to our present stage of

develop%ent( It cannot be done( But this does not %ean it is not worth trying( It is( 0or

though we shall co%e nowhere near to ade+uacy and to perfect honesty' we shall
http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2613http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2614http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2615http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2616http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2617http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2618http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2619http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2620http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2621http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2613http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2614http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2615http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2616http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2617http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2618http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2619http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2620http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2621


13/26

certainly %ove so%ewhat nearer(

2/

)hose who regard this regi%e as too austere to accept voluntarily give their lower nature

an advantage(

25It is open to +uestion which leads to %ore %istakes in life' hu%an frailty or hu%an

foolishness( )he %iseries appearing out of the first point to the need of practising self-

control( )he %isfortunes co%ing out of the second say plainly that %ore intelligence

%ust be developed(

29

$e %ust show his difference fro% the beast in the field by showing self-discipline' self-

denial' and self-training( 7hen a %an begins to look at hi%self with horror' he begins to

bring his sleep-walking to an end(

2If' instead of warding off the recognition of his own shortco%ings' he confronted and

sur%ounted the% he would benefit( 0or one source of inner conflict would then

disappear(

2=

$e hi%self has sought this self-cleansing( $e %ust be prepared to witness the rising up

to the surface of negative +ualities that have lain inert or only half-active' as well as the

throwing into focus by outer events of those which have already been fully active( $e

will now have to deal with these +ualities' usually one at a ti%e' and to deal with the%

repeatedly so long as they are not thoroughly trans%uted( It is all a part of the work of

purification' resulting fro% the co-operation of his own higher self( !s such it is not tobe regretted but epected' not to be deplored but to be cal%ly dealt with(

Confronting the obstacles within

2

$e will %eet with obstructions on the road( )here they will lie until he uses enough

energy and eertion to re%ove the%(

,?)he la;y disinclination to %editate and the e%otional resistance to selflessness which

obstruct his advance obstruct all other aspirants' too( It %ay console hi% to know that

they are general(

,

$e proposes to reorder his ways' to engage in the work of self-control' but finds that he

has an intractable ego to deal with and obstinate passions to contend with(

,2

On this path haste and i%patience will not help hi%' however %uch they %ay do so on

the worldly path( )hey will only dissipate his strength and obstruct the opening of thebud of intuition(


14/26


15/26

/?

If the +uest is to %ake little difference to his outer life' if he is to continue living' eating'

and spending his ti%e %uch as he did before' then it is still a theoretical %atter with

hi%( $is intellect %ay be converted but his will and heart are still a%ong the

unbelievers and dwell apart( $is position is spiritually still precarious( 0or that which

ruled his conduct before conversion was the lower nature and the darkened %ind' the

body"s %iscalled natural appetites' and the ego"s worldly desires' a%bitions' orattach%ents(

/

)here are too %any people who put forth brief efforts and then epect undisturbed

possession of spiritual heights for the re%ainder of their lifeti%es( )hey want to buy

success too cheaply and therefore fail to buy it at all(

/2

It is easy to put off the purificatory self-training' as so %any put it off' for no better

reasons than inertia' shiftlessness' or inconvenience(

/,

)o regard these regi%es as being unco%fortable and irkso%e' unnecessary and

depressing' is to %iss their purpose and %isunderstand their nature(

//

)here is no danger that the average 7estern aspirant will indulge in ecesses of

asceticis%' will lacerate his body and tor%ent his hu%anity( )hat danger eisted only in

the %edieval and earlier period' and is even fading away today in the Orient( On the

contrary' the present danger is that the aspirant wants the way %ade all too easy for hi%'

with its disciplinary regi%es and refor% of habits re%oved(

/5

$e %ust not .udge hi%self with too %uch leniency' or he will fail to fight his

weaknesses or to fight the% sufficiently' or with too %uch severity' or he will be so

easily discouraged as to bring on unnecessary %ental suffering(

/9

Fo not get so co%pulsively attached to your own little ways that you auto%atically

re.ect all new ones(

/

)he %ore he tries to .ustify his shortco%ings' the less is he likely ever to get free of

the%(

/=

If occasions eist when he is unable to curb the ani%al in hi%' that is no reason for

abandoning the +uest altogether(

/

If he finds in the end the ideal to be i%possible of reali;ation' if he feels the longing for

it to be doo%ed to perpetual i%potence' if he sadly accepts the fact of his incapacity to

attain it' then his attitude %ay change to bitter cynicis%(

5?

7e are not always eager to i%prove ourselves' overco%e ourselves( )he enterprise is a

tiring one( *o we get la;y and neglectful' showing that we are inconsistent(


16/26

5

7orse is the belief that this futility %ust go on forever' that his +uest is defeated at the

start(

52

7hen a %an never tries to turn his drea%s into realities' never proceeds with the effort

to reali;e a%bitions' he is either suffering fro% a vacillating character or fro% lack ofwillpower(

5,

)he ti%e %ay co%e when he will bring in a long bill of indict%ent against the +uest'

and turn away in disappoint%ent or frustration( Or he %ay do the sa%e against @od( !ll

this is a %isdirection of %ental energy( It would be %ore profitable' in the one case' to

indict hi%self and' in the other' to revise his notions of what constitutes 7isdo%(

5/

)hose who recur often to thoughts of their past get trapped by it and kept prisoner of the

ego( Ge%orse for sins co%%itted and self-pity for being the victi% of other people"s

sinning--both are soon overdone and create %ore obstacles to be overco%e on the +uest(

55

Not only are the lusts and passions ene%ies to his inner tran+uillity but also a%bition

and curiosity' even the wish to influence' sway' or persuade other %en(

59

)hese spiritual longings are not easily capable of fulfil%ent( It is hard to find the

strength to overco%e egois%' thwart desire' and disturb apathy( )hese are tor%ents of

frustration and stagnation when travelling the road to spiritual perfection(

5

4very negative thought which %ay arise within hi%self or be picked up unconsciously

fro% others beco%es an aggression against this +uest(

5=

)he fear of losing their fied ground in the worldly life causes so%e to withdraw fro%

the +uest( )hey sense danger to those things on which they depend for security' or else

danger to the values which they believe necessary to %aintain survival in the worldly

struggle and co%petition(

5

$e beco%es afflicted with doubts( 7hat is the use of adopting an ideal which is notreali;able in life as it is8 Or perhaps the truth is that there is no )ruth( If he is %entally

adolescent or e%otionally unbalanced' he %ay push his scepticis% to etre%es( )he

1uest"s values %ay then see% +uite spurious' the tran+uillity it pro%ises +uite bleak(

9?

If a %an falls away fro% the true +uest because of worldly trouble or spiritual dryness' it

is because he is seeking to keep within his ego rather than to get out of it(

9

)o get despondent and unhappy about one"s inner progress is to ehibit a lack of

patience( It is as if the builder of a house got despondent because after he had laid thefoundations and put up half the fra%e' the house was still useless for living in(


17/26

92

!lasE there is always plenty of ti%e in the future for taking up the +uest in real earnest

and so it is often co%fortably postponed' while the fa%iliar egoistic life is always

i%%ediate and urgent(

9,

*piritual pride will beco%e harder to con+uer the %ore he advances' for it will nourishits own strength by such advance%ent( )he con+uest of his ani%al nature will only

intensify the power of this foe which lurks in his hu%an nature& the upbuilding of his

intellectual understanding of truth will only %ake hi% %ore ab.ectly its victi%( !t no

stage should he let go of his chief protection against such a dangerous attacker' which is

hu%bly to refer everything acco%plished to the Overself and' secondly' prudently to

%easure his progress by the distance still to be travelled(

9/

7e readily give our thought and strength to negotiating and overco%ing the obstacles to

earning a livelihood' but we beco%e fatalistically defeatist when confronted by the

obstacles to deepening spiritual life(

95

7hy not accept the fact of your own i%perfection instead of tor%enting yourself about

it8

99

)oo often spiritual aspiration is si%ply worldly a%bition transplanted to a higher but

subtler level( )he aspirant is not necessarily deceiving hi%self' for a %iture of %otives

is +uite co%%on(

9

!t no stage of this +uest is he to show pride in what he has attained' for then he

obstructs the way to stages beyond(

9=

It is not enough to plead that ti%es are different and circu%stances have changed so that

unworldly ways of thought' action' and life are inappropriate( )his is really a defense

%echanis% of those who want their +uest %ade easy(

9

)oo %any +uesters are too etravagantly earnest( !ll this sole%nity is inspired by'

directed towards' and activated through the ego( )hat it presents itself in the Overself"s

na%e %akes little difference( )his ecess of seriousness betrays the egotis% behind it

and beco%es self-defeating( Better to let go( But one %ay feel sad without appearing

lugubriously sole%n( )here are ti%es when no +uester can %iss %ourning the transiency

of things' can avoid the %elancholy air which surrounds recognition of the

insubstantiality of life' fortune' friends' and hu%an happiness( et if he is faithful to his

course of %editations' the sadness should not last long nor weigh hi% down( It will pass

as his peace revives(

?

)he obsession with self-i%prove%ent on the #ong Path %ay run to such an etre%e as

to beco%e %orbid( )he %ost trivial weakness will then see% a great sin' and even

noneistent i%perfections will then be brooded over re%orsefully(


18/26

7hen the e%otions stand between hi% and situations as they are' when his passions

cripple .udge%ent and obstruct intuition' how can he reasonably de%and to have truth

conveyed to hi%--whole' co%plete' and instantaneous8

2

)oo %uch preoccupation with his own spiritual advance%ent' too %uch of self in his

thoughts and too little of the Overself--this only binds hi% tighter to the ego(

,

If the 1uest beco%es a source of stress and worry' then its precepts and in.unctions' its

pro%ises and workings' have not been clearly understood( )his condition %ay be traced

back to not enough or not correct knowledge' or both together& but other causes could

eist such as inborn te%pera%ental fears( ! less negative' %ore positive attitude toward

it will help here(

/

$owever lofty his aspirations %ay be' they are all-too-often thwarted by the weakness

of his will or the direction of his tendencies(

5

!lthough we %ust cease to bla%e others for our troubles' or conditions for our

%isfortunes' and assu%e responsibility for the self which we have created and the

actions it has done' we need not push our sense of guilt to the point of %orbidity(

!lthough we have attracted so %any of our %isfortunes by our own thoughts and

feelings and actions' we need not feed pessi%is% until it beco%es despair( )oo %any

persons on the #ong Path fall into these errors through epecting %ore fro% the%selves

than they actually reali;ed(

9It is possible to run to such etre%es on this #ong Path as to lose all sense of hu%our'

all need of lighter entertain%ent' all capacity to rela--looking only for %eaning in outer

life' for progress in inner life--to lose' in short' the art of being serious without

beco%ing too sole%n(

Of what use is #ong Path self-reproach about one"s faults if carried to ecess so that one

beco%es disturbed to the point of neuroticis%' or sad to the point of %orbidity8 Foes he

think that he alone' of all hu%an beings' is epected to be free of weaknesses8 *uch

ecessive preoccupation with his faults is not a truly spiritual activity but' on the

contrary' a highly egoistic one( )he recognition of his own faults should %ake a %anhu%bler' when it is beneficial' not prouder' which the thought that he ought to have

been above these faults %akes hi%(

=

7hen spiritual seeking beco%es too co%plicated' its eercises too elaborated' its

doctrines too esoteric' it beco%es also too artificial and the resulting achieve%ents too

fabricated( It is the beginners and inter%ediates who carry this heavy and unnecessary

burden' who involve the%selves to the point of beco%ing neurotics(

3ost %en i%ply by their hidden attitude that they know truth& so%e %en even openlyassert it( 0ro% this they take the net logical step which is always to regard the habits

they have established in the past' or allowed to beco%e established' as right ones( )hus
http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2670http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2671http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2672http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2673http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2674http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2675http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2676http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2677http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2670http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2671http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2672http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2673http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2674http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2675http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2676http://www.wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/2677


19/26

the ego .ustifies its self-indulgences and supports its weaknesses( ! habit is accepted by

a %an only because it is his own habit' even though it is an evil' bad' or unwise one(

=?

7hen we add to the oppositions offered by lifelong habit' fa%ily' and environ%ent

those which are offered by the innate sensuality and inherited gluttony of the race' we

see what a hard struggle there will be before %en will take to and follow scrupulouslythe stricter regi%e which will bring out all that is best in the%(

=

*o%e things inside his own being are blocking his way to the Overself( !n effort--

deter%ined' continuous' and daring--is needed to clear the%( )hey are e%otional and

passional in appearance' egoistic in essence(

=2

)o overco%e difficulties does not %ean to overlook the%' to be careless about the%(

=,! condition %ay co%e when the appraisal of all that he has so far achieved is

di%inished in his own %ind' and all that he has yet to achieve is grossly eaggerated(

=/

)here are those who feel' after a trial' that they are too li%ited in their capacities for this

+uest and give up the effort( In going so far as this abandon%ent they show a lack of

patience(

=5

)heir fied preconceptions of truth stand in the way of %ost persons when opportunity

presents the% with it( In the result' they fail to recogni;e it and so lose it(

=9

)oo %uch intellectual dissection of the personal ego done too often %erely nourishes

neuroticis%& and the sa%e result follows too %uch e%otional preoccupation with it(

)his is a #ong Path danger(

=

)he followers of the #ong Path are likely to for% attach%ents to its ideals' practices'

and aspirations( )his is good( But if these attach%ents cause the% to lose their

e+uilibriu%' to beco%e over-anious e%otionally' or over-argu%entative intellectually'

then it is not good but bad(

==

If he fails in his #ong Path efforts' he suffers in %isery fro% frustration( If he succeeds'

he tends to beco%e s%ugly self-righteous(

=

)hey put too %uch stress on eternal %ethods' on physical techni+ues( But spirituality

cannot be engrafted fro% the outside in' alone( )he greater stress should be laid on an

approach fro% the inside out(

?

)he #ong Path' so far as it is also a painful untangling of knots' is useful in the sensethat surgical operations and castor oil are useful( But were a %an to live only to be

operated on' or only to drink castor oil' we would regard hi% as cra;y( et' there is a


20/26

type of aspirant who wants to live only in preoccupation with his knotsE $e is

everlastingly preoccupied with shaking off his shortco%ings' is unable to get away fro%

the%' and ends by beco%ing obsessed with the%( $is life' which should flow naturally

and serenely' %oves instead artificially and .erkily( $is self-discipline' which should be

rooted in hygiene' beco%es rooted in hysteria(

)he seeker on the #ong Path tries to eli%inate his baser feelings and to cultivate his

nobler ones( But in all this effort he is looking at hi%self alone' purifying and i%proving

his ego but still his own ego(

2

It gives a %an no pleasure to perceive at last how %uch he has contributed toward his

own troubles( It is indeed a gri% awakening( But it need not be so gri% if' alongside' he

puts a positive attitude toward the future' if he adopts the *hort Path(

,

)he idea that what we like %ost and en.oy best has to be given up' see%s an ugly one(But such an idea is not at all the basis of this discipline(

/

)he continuing strain of the #ong Path co%es to a cli%a one day' to a revolutionary

crisis(

5

If a sche%e for progress' such as the 1uest' re%ains intellectual alone and does not

co%e down to the heart' and %ove it' the aspirant will continue to re%ain outside the

precinct of the Overself(

9

If the #ong Path does not lead hi% to the *hort Path' either at so%e point along its

course or in the end' it is not leading hi% aright(

)he %ore he ea%ines hi%self the %ore he is discouraged or horrified at what he finds

.ust below the surface( )his %ood will continue only as long as he re%ains on the #ong

Path( 0or by going deeper still he will find his best self( )o %ake this discovery he %ust

cross over to the *hort Path' itself a parado of passivity and non-effort' a %ove%ent of

sight to insight' of faith and identification(

=

)he #ong Path cannot be evaded( )he %an who wants to shift on to other shoulders the

work he ought to do hi%self' will fail( )he %an who' calling on a @od or a guru'

i%agines he has relieved hi%self of personal responsibility' will be deluded(

Of what use is a spiritual training' revelation' progress' or eperience which keeps the

aspirant"s identification with his ego +uite intact8 None at all fro% a narrow' short-ter%'

rigid' etre%e point of view( But fro% a broader' philosophic' tolerant' and long-ter%

point of view it is the beginning of a process which will indirectly lead to

disidentification in the end( 0or the #ong Path %ust ulti%ately show up its own futility'for truth' and thus bring about that turning over of the %ind which opens up the *hort

Path(


21/26

2??

)he #ong Path is concerned with techni+ues' how to practise and apply the%( But

techni+ues can only i%prove the hu%an instru%ent' %ake it better able to receive

enlighten%ent& they cannot of the%selves give enlighten%ent(

2?

3an' fascinated by his own ego' is always ga;ing at it' .ust as Narcissus was fascinatedby the i%age of his own body reflected in the water( 4ven when he takes to the spiritual

+uest' the fascination persists: it is only the things and desires that preoccupy the ego

which change their na%es& fro% being ob.ects of the physical senses they are transferred

to e%otional' intellectual' andHor psychical fields( )hese %ay be praiseworthy and noble

in the%selves' but they are still within the circle of the ego' although on its finest and

highest levels( )his is why the #ong Path cannot yield enlighten%ent(

2?2

*ince the %astery of his lower nature %ust take priority' the #ong Path is always

prescribed for the beginner( 7hether and when the *hort Path is to be added to it'

depends on his individual character and inner need(

2?,

)he arc of his develop%ent usually begins with the #ong Path and rises to the *hort

one' but theoretically it should begin with both together in har%onious co%bination(

2?/

*o%e fear to give the%selves to the 1uest because they fear terrifying de%ands will be

%ade on the% in the way of self-discipline( But this dread of what they %ay be

co%%anded to do is %uch eaggerated( 0or they will be directed inwardly only toward

what is within their capacity' even if it is spectacular and sacrificial(

2?5

)he reader is warned that the first part is to be regarded only as preparatory and

inter%ediate' that its point of view %ostly belongs to the practical category and that its

special function is to act as a transition to the far higher ulti%ate one( )he second part

carries the student upward to the %ountain top where he will be able to see that the

ideas and practices which served hi% well heretofore' were really only convenient and

useful steps cut in the %ountain side( )hey are not to be dallied on if he seeks truth as it

is in itself and if he will be satisfied with nothing less than reality( )he change of

outlook which co%es at the top will necessarily change his earlier evaluations(

2?9)he #ong Path %an beco%es in ti%e too egocentric because too filled with inner

conflicts(

2?

4fforts on the #ong Path are efforts in ti%e& as such they cannot touch the ti%eless(

2?=

*ince the entity which is travelling on the +uest is itself none other than the ego' it is

hardly likely that the ter%ination of the +uest will end in the ter%ination of the ego( But

without the latter how is enlighten%ent possible8 )he ego %ay lead hi% fro% one

spiritual advance' eperience' or initiation to another' but it will not lead hi% to egoless

being nor could it even if it wished to( 7hat is the way out of this i%passe8

2?


22/26

)irclean )alk by P(B('


23/26

looking' being in the sun( !s in Plato"s story' he co%es out of a cave' walking to the

opening with his back turned to the opening of the cave' %oving and seeing only the

darkness( )he other way is turning around to the %outh of the cave' seeing a little light'

then %ore and %ore light( 4ven fro% the beginning there is still so%e light(

! +uestion will be asked: 7hy does not every teacher teach the *hort Path8 )he answer

is: Because people have not got enough strength of character to give up the ego and arenot willing to turn at once to the light( It is a sacrifice( )o %ake this possible' the #ong

Path teaches the% to %ake the ego weaker by graduated stages( In the #ong Path the

progress co%es in' .ust to prepare the% to reach a point where it is easier for the% to

give up the ego( )his is one of the %ost i%portant of the reasons( It %akes the aspirant

ready to benefit by the *hort Path& otherwise he would not be able to travel on it( )he

second reason is because they have not the strength of concentration to keep the %ind

on the Overself( )hey %ay be able to keep it for one or two %inutes' but they then fall

back( )herefore it is necessary to develop the power of sustained concentration( 4ven if

one sees the )ruth' one %ust get the power to stay in the )ruth and to be established in

it(

3ost people have strong attach%ents and strong desires for worldly things( )hese are in

their way' obstructing their way on the path to Geality( )his %eans that they want to

keep attach%ents and desires that are co%ing fro% the ego' which they do not want to

lose( )herefore the teacher gives first the #ong Path' because %ost aspirants are not able

to follow the *hort Path( )he #ong Path eists to prepare the% for it( )here is no use for

the% to go on the *hort Path if they have not got the philosophical understanding to

practise it( 4ven if they were shown the )ruth in the *hort Path' they %ay' if unprepared

by study and thinking philosophically' fail to recogni;e it( )hey have not learnt what

)ruth is and %ight not value it( )hey have no philosophical knowledge to see the

difference between )ruth or Geality and illusion or error( )hey have to understand )ruth

even intellectually( )hat is a part of the #ong Path(

!nother very i%portant %atter related to the #ong Path: when people follow the #ong

Path and spend years working on it' %any such persons after several years find they

have not %ade the progress they have epected( In the beginning they have enthusias%(

)hey epect inner eperiences giving power' knowledge' and self-control& but after

%any years they have not gained these things( On the contrary' tests' hard trials of the

life co%e' death in the fa%ily' for instance' changes of the outside life' and so on( )hey

are disappointed and say: 67hy has @od chosen %e for suffering even when I follow

the Path8 )roubles co%e to %e(6 )hey are disheartened( !t this point one of three things

%ay happen:

A )hey %ay give up the 1uest altogether' for one year or %any years' or all life long'

and turn back to %aterialistic living(

A2 )hey %ay think they have taken to the wrong path' or are using wrong %ethods' or

have the wrong teacher' and they look for another teacher and another way( But with the

new teacher the results are the sa%e because they are still within the circle of the ego(

)he ego prevents the% fro% sufficiently deepening their state of light and wisdo%(

A, )he third possibility %ay happen to the%( 7hen they the%selves have tried so hard

and did not succeed and feel too tired %entally and ehausted e%otionally' they give uptrying but they do not give up the 1uest( )hey .ust sit passively and wait( )hose who are

in this last or third category are co%pletely ready to enter the *hort Path and should do


24/26

it( 4ven beginners %ay enter the *hort Path' but in practice they find it too hard(

)he best way is fro% the beginning to %ake a co%bination of both( But this

co%bination %ust be varied and ad.usted to each person' because people are different(

)here is not one fied rule for everyone( One person is suited for a little of the *hort

Path and %ore or longer of the #ong Path& with the other person it is vice versa( 7ith

%ost people the co%bination is the best way( It depends partly on their feelings' theirintuition' and advice given by teachers( In the end' everyone %ust co%e to the *hort

Path(

Contradictions between the two Paths: one is the ego and the other the Overself without

ego( )he *hort Path is without plane' intuitive' like *udden 4nlighten%ent( On the #ong

Path they are looking step by step to get out of the darkness of their ignorance( )he net

i%portant point: on the #ong Path %any students want eperiences--%ystical' occult'

psychical ones( It is the ego wanting the% and the satisfaction of progressing( )he ego

feels i%portant( In the *hort Path there is no desire for inner eperiences of any kind(

7hen you are already in the Geal' there is no desire any %ore( 0or eperiences co%e

and go' but the Geal does not( Now you see why the popular religions are only atte%ptsto get people to %ake a beginning to find @od' but are not able to go too far and too

+uickly( 0or those who are %ore developed and less bound to attach%ents' the teacher

gives the *hort Path( In the teachings of


25/26

and failures' ups and downs( 7hen he is disappointed' he gets %elancholy( On the *hort

Path such a situation cannot arise' because he has faith like a little child( $e has given

up all his future to Overself-@od and he has enough faith to trust to it( $e knows he has

%ade the right decision and therefore is always happy( $e depends on this @G!C4' he

knows It' that It co%es fro% the wisest being behind the world( 7hatever will co%e' it

will be the best( $e is always relying on the Overself and having the .oy in it(

)he *hort Path is a cheerful Path' a Path of happiness(


26/26

together in the sa%e book( )his is the highest we can go with such studies(

7hen changing to conte%plation' the thinking stops( )his is the deepest point within

oneself( )his is why everybody has to search within hi%self and to find his own Path( It

is not necessary to travel on the #ong Path any longer ti%e than that which prepares you

for the *hort Path( It is +uite i%portant to have living faith in the Overself and to

beco%e like a child and to have as %uch dependence on the Overself as a little child hason its parents( )his faith should be in the power of the *pirit itself' not in any other

hu%an being( If the aspirant is constantly anious about his faults or weaknesses' then

he is on the wrong Path( $e can try to re%ove the% but cannot do this co%pletely until

he is able to give up the ego(

)he basis of the *hort Path is that we are always divine( It is with us already' it is no

new thing' and we only have to try to recogni;e what is already there(

he "otebooksare copyright M =/-=' )he Paul Brunton Philosophic 0oundation(
http://www.paulbrunton.org/http://www.paulbrunton.org/

Documents

1-Ant's Long Path