TALKSONTHEPATHOFOCCULTISM-VOL.I

ACommentaryon“AttheFeetoftheMaster”ANNIEBESANT,D.L.

AND

TheRt.Rev.C.W.LEADBEATER

1947

THETHEOSOPHICALPUBLISHINGHOUSE

Adyar,Madras,India

FirstEdition,1926SecondEdition,1930ThirdEdition,1947

FOREWORD

ThisbookismerelyarecordoftalksbyMr.C.W.Leadbeater—nowBishopLeadbeater—andmyselfonthreefamousbooks—bookssmall insizebutgreatincontents.Webothhope that theywillproveuseful toaspirants,andeven tothose above that stage, since the talkerswereolder than the listeners, andhadmoreexperienceinthelifeofdiscipleship.

The talks were not given at one place only; we chatted to our friends atdifferenttimesandplaces,chieflyatAdyar,LondonandSydney.Avastquantityof notes were taken by the listeners. All that were available of these werecollected and arranged. They were then condensed, and repetitions wereeliminated.

UnhappilytherewerefoundtobeveryfewnotesonTheVoiceoftheSilence,Fragment I, so we have utilized notes made at a class held by our goodcolleague, Mr. Ernest Wood, in Sydney, and incorporated these into BishopLeadbeater’stalksinthatsection.Nonotesofmyowntalksonthisbookwereavailable;thoughIhavespokenmuchuponit,thosetalksarenotrecoverable.

None of these talks have been published before, except some of BishopLeadbeater’saddressestoselectedstudentsonAttheFeetoftheMaster.AbookentitledTalks on”At the Feet of theMaster “was published a few years ago,containingimperfectreportsofsomeofthesetalksofhis.Thatbookwillnotbereprinted; the essential material in it finds its place here, carefully condensedandedited.

Maythisbookhelpsomeofouryoungerbrotherstounderstandmoreofthesepricelessteachings.Themoretheyarestudiedandlived,themorewillbefoundinthem.

AnnieBesant

PARTI

INTRODUCTORY

CHAPTER1

THEOCCULTPATHANDTHEINTERESTSOFTHEWORLD

C.W.L.—At the Feet of the Master is one of three books—the other twobeingThe Voice of the Silence andLight on the Path—especially intended tohelp people to set their feet upon the Path. It is most valuable for us, at themoment, becauseof its extreme simplicity, andbecause it bears especially thestampandapprovaloftheWorld-Teacher,whoissosoontocome.Itconsistsofteaching given by his Master to the young disciple J. Krishnamurti (calledAlcyone in the series of his past lives recently published)1 in the year 1909,whenhewasaboyofthirteen.HisknowledgeofEnglishwasnotthenperfect,and since the instruction was given in that tongue, both the teaching and thelanguage had to be made especially clear. The Master Kuthumi, with Hismarvellous power of adaptability, therefore put all that was necessary for theattainmentoftheFirstInitiationintothatwonderfullysimplestylewhichisoneofthegreatrecommendationsofthislittlebook.

TheLightonthePathappearedin1885,andTheVoiceoftheSilencein1889.Eachofthesebooksofethicshasitsowncharacteristics.BoththeolderonesaremorepoeticalthanAttheFeetoftheMaster,althoughinitalsotherearesomevery beautiful expressions; it could not be otherwise, since it comes from theMasterKuthumi.LightonthePath,weweretoldbySwamiT.SubbaRow,hasseveraldepthsofmeaning,onebehindanother,themostprofoundrelatingtotheInitiationattheMahachohanlevel,astagebeyondwhereevenourMastersnowstand.TheVoiceof theSilence carries us as far as theArhat Initiation.At theFeetoftheMasterappliesespeciallytotheFirstInitiation,sowewillcommentuponitfirst.

We have all heard often about the qualifications for the Path, butwe shallcontinue to hear of them until we have succeeded in putting into practiceeverythingthatiswritteninsuchbooksasthis.Thereisnodifficultyinknowingexactlywhatoughttobedone,andthereisnoobstacleinourpathwhichisnotof our ownmaking, yet comparatively few people succeed in following thesedirections,becausetheyhavepersonalitieswhichoftenget intheway.Whatis

writteninthesebooksmustbedefinitelyappliedbyeachpersontohimself.Theteacher can explain and illustratewhat ought to be done in variousways, buteveryonemusttreadthePathforhimself.Itisliketrainingforaraceortakingupphysicalculture:theremaybeatrainerwhocangivecarefuldirections,butthecandidatemustexercisehisownmuscles;nobodyelsecanbyanypossibilitydothatforhim.

Millions of people around us are supposed to be living according to theprecepts of their respective religions, but very few actually do so. Even thosewholivegoodandholylivesdonotusuallystrictlyfollowallthepreceptslaiddownforthem.Insomecasestheteachingsofexotericreligionsareunessentialor inappropriate, but in occultism no unnecessary precept is given; an exactadherencetoallofthemisrequired.ThisdoesnotmeanthatwemusthaveallofthesequalificationsinabsoluteperfectionbeforewecanbereceivedbyaMaster—thatwouldbe the attainmentofAdeptship;but theymustbepossessed to areasonable extent, and they must be real, not merely polite fictions. When aprofessor of chemistry tells us that if we compound certain chemicals in aspecifiedwaywe shall obtain certain results, we know that those results willfollow,and that if theproportionsarealteredweshallnotgetwhatweexpect,butsomethingelse.Inreligiousmatterspeopleseemtothinkthatasortofvagueapproximationtotheinstructionsgivenisquitesufficient,butinoccultismthatwillnotdoatall;itmustbetakenasascience;andalthoughwehaveheardsooften about these qualifications, it is to be hoped that by going through themcarefully and endeavouring to understand and followwith scientific precisionexactlywhat isrequired,manywhohavenotyetsucceededmaybeabletosettheirfeetuponthePath.

Theseinnerthingsarenotfarawayanduncertain.Uptoafewyearsagotheyseemedmoreremote,becausesofewwhomweknewhadcomeintodirecttouchwiththeMasters,andastudentmighthavethoughttohimself:“Yes,twoorthreemenspeciallygifted,orinsomewayspeciallyfortunate,havesucceeded,butitdoesnotseemtobeforordinarypeople.”ButnowthatanumberhavecomeintodirecttouchwithThem,onemayreasonablysaytohimself:“Iftheseothershavereachedthis,whynotI?”Thecausefornon-successmustbeinourselves,notinanythingoutside.ItiscertainlynotthefaultoftheMasters,whoarealwaystherewhenthepupilisready.Insomethereisonedefectthatbars;inothersitmaybeonly a general lackof development; but if therewerenot somedeficiencyweshouldallhavesucceeded.Itisworthwhiletomakeadefiniteefforttofindout

whatisthematter—whatislacking—andtoremedythedefect.

Thereisarealinnerworldwhichsurpassesinimportanceallthisouterworld,whichissoincessantinitspressureuponus.Everywheretherearepeoplewhothinkthemselvessobusyandsowiseinfollowingtheirrespectivelines,andyetthetruthisthatallofthemareworkingintheunrealandtheouter,andfewhaverealizedthat thereisaninnerandspiritualworldwhichisofenormouslymoreimportanceineverywaythanthatwhichisexternal.

OnthePathwehavetoplayourpartsintheworld,butwedosoonlybecauseof the true life inside.Anactorplaysonastagebecausehehasanother life tolive—a life which is consecutive and coherent. He may take various parts atdifferenttimes,justaswecomebackinotherincarnationsandwearotherkindsofbodies;butallthetimetheactorhashisreallifeasamanandasanartistaswell, and because there is that real life he wants to play his part well in thetemporary life of the stage. Similarly, we wish to do well in our temporaryphysical lifehere,becauseof thegreatrealitybehind,ofwhichit isbutaverysmall part. If that is clearwe shall seewhat is the relative importance of thisouterlife;thatitsonlyvaluetousisthatweshallplayourpartwell,whateverthatpartmaybe;whatkindofpart it is,andwhathappenstous in thismimicexistence—thesethingsmatterlittle.Itmaybeanactor’sbusinesstogothroughallsortsofpretendedsorrowsanddifficulties;butthesedonottroublehimintheleast.Hemayhave,forexample,tobekilledeverynightinaduel;whatdoesthefeigneddeathmattertohim?Theonlythingthatconcernshimisthatheshouldacquithimselfwell.

Itshouldnotbehardtorealizethattheworldaboutusisamimicworld,andthat it reallydoesnotmatterwhat experiencesmaycome tous.All the thingsthathappentopeoplefromtheoutsidearetheresultoftheirkarma.Thecausesweresetgoinglongagoinotherlives,andcannotnowbealtered.Thereforeitisuseless toworry about the things that happen.They come as the result of thepast,andshouldbebornephilosophically.Manypeoplebearthemfoolishlyandallow them to cause a vast amount of pain, suffering and worry. The rightattitudeisalwaystotrytolearnthelessonthattheybring,andthentoputthemout of themind as far as possible—like the bee and the flower, as our Indianbrotherssay.Thewayinwhichthesethingsarebornemouldsourcharacterforthefuture,whichistheonlyimportantthing.Oneshouldusekarmatodevelopcourage,enduranceandvariousothergoodqualities,andthendismissitfromthe

mind.

This outlook is hard to reach because we are surrounded by thousands ofpeoplewhoareall taking theplayasserious—as theonly real life.What theysayanddo toushinders to someextent,but a fargreaterobstacle inourway(thoughwenever think of it) is the immense and incessant pressure of publicopinion. That is simply stupendous, for there are many thousands who areignorant to each onewho knows the truth. They are thinking:Wemustmakehastetogainpossessionsandriches;whatotherpeoplethinkofusiseverythinginlife.”

Agreatdealofthoughtisalsopouredoutbythosewhowanttogainpositionsandhonours,toobtaininvitationstocertaindinnersandballs,togetadukeoranearlontheirvisitinglist,andsoon.Inreligiousmatterstoo,thereisavastseaofdelusionbeatingaroundus,for therearefewwhoareliberalandmillionswhoare not. Social delusions also abound, as for instance the prudery ofEngland,where it isconsideredimproperever tospeakof thesexsideof things,so thatforwantof some small fragmentsof simpleknowledge theyounggrowup inperil and sometimes fall into unexpected disaster, for there is a river of vicealwaysrunning, intowhichit iseasyfor theignorant tofall.Peoplelookuponthe manners of the classical times of Greece and Rome as in many waysindecent,butfrommemoryofthosetimesIamboundtosaythattheywerefarlessimpureinthoughtthanEuropeistoday.

Wewho understandmore of the inner side of things have to stand againstthesereallytremendousodds,andsaytoourselves:“No,thisisnotso,allthisisunreal, and we pray to be led from the unreal to the real.” The real is theunderlyinglife,thelifewhichpersists,thelifewhich,astheScriptureputsit,is“hidwithChristinGod”.Toliveinthatrealizationallthetimeandtoregardtheouterasnotofessentialimportanceisnoteasy,butthatisexactlywhathastobedone.OneofourMastershassaid:“Hewhowishestofollowusmustcomeoutofyourworldintoours.”Thisdoesnotmeanthatonemustgiveupone’sdailylife and live as a hermit—it implies that even more than before we performheartilyallthedutiesthatareoursinthisstrangeplayoflife—butitdoesmeanthat the aspirant must abandon his ordinary attitude and adopt that of theMasters.

Thosewhosucceed in theseeffortswillsomedayfind themselvesacceptedpupilsofoneorotheroftheMasters.Whentheman’sthoughtbecomespartof

that of his Teacher the pupil can test his own thought by that of theMaster,whichisneveraffectedbythecrowd,andcanseeexactlywhatHethinksonanysubject.ThenhewillsoongetintothewayofthatandwillunderstandHispointofview; thoughat firsthewillbeconstantlymeetingwithunexpectedshocks.Thingsthatseemedofvastimportancebeforedonotnowmatteratall,andotherthingswhich he had passed by as comparatively unimportant, stand out as ofgreat significance, because in some way, great or small, they affect ourusefulness, andwhatever affectsourusefulness is important, because therewetouchupontherealthing.

The pressure that comes upon themind from all around in themental andastralplanesisnotfromonhighatall.Theearsmustbeclosedtothat,andopenonlytothesoundfromabove,tothevoiceandthoughtoftheMaster.Itislittlewonder that in older days in India and other countries, whenever men setthemselves to live the spiritual life, the first thing they did was to get out ofordinary life and go away and camp in a cave or jungle by themselves. Theygainedtheadvantageofescapefromthispressureofignorantopinion,andwerefreer then to follow their ownway.Many of the Christian Saints also retiredfromtheactiveworldandbecamehermitsandmonksorassociatedthemselveswithpeoplewhowerethinkingonthesamelines.

Thisadvantageofretirementisstillfurtherincreasedforthosewhohavetheprivilege of being in the aura of theMaster or of one of Hismore advancedpupils.Thevibrationsof thatauraareconstantlyactinguponthebodiesof thepupil,tuningthemup,shakingoutunsuitablegradesofmatterandfeedingthemwithwhatisrequired.Thepupilshouldbealwaystryingtodevelopsomevirtue—letussaylove,forexample.Iflefttohimselfhedoessointermittently,forheconstantlyforgetsabout it;but theauraofhissuperiorholdshimto thehigherstandard of thought and feeling that he wants to establish permanently inhimself.Theeffectisnotunlikethataimedatinthetreatmentofthemalformedlimbofachild,whenitisputintosplintsuntilitgrowsintopropershape.WhileintheauraoftheMasterthepupilfeelsthathecouldnotthinkawrongthought,evenifhewantedto,whichthenseemstohimimpossible.Inthatposition,welooksmilinglydownatourthoughtsofyesterday,andsay:“Inevercanhavethatfeelingagain;ithasvanishedlikeadream.”Butto-morrow,whenweareawayfromtheMaster,wemayfindourselvesstrugglinghard tomaintain thehigherattitude,whichwethoughtsoeasywheninHispresence.

At the present time those who are reaching towards the Path must try toachieve the same condition while they remain in active life, because it isintendedthattheyshallhelptheworld,notbymeditationandthoughtalone—asnodoubtthehermitandthemonkdid—butbyminglinginitsvariousactivities.Itisaverybeautifulideaandagreatprivilege,butitishard,veryhard,todo.

Theresultofthatdifficultyhasbeenthatfewhavereallyachieved.Mosthavebeen content to take theTheosophical teachingmuch as the averageChristiantakeshisreligion:regardingitasverynicetotalkaboutonSunday,butnotatallthethingtocarryouteverydayandalldaylong.Theearneststudentoftheinnerlifecannotbe thusunreal;hemustbeconsistentandpractical,andmustapplyhis ideals constantly toeveryday life.Toattain this constancy isdifficult. It isnot that people are unwilling tomake some great effort for the Theosophicalidea.IftheycouldhelpaMaster,coulddosomepieceofworkdirectlyforHim,theywoulddo it, though it cost them life itself.RememberwhatS.Augustinesaid:“ManytherearewhowilldieforChrist,butfewtherearewhowillliveforHim.”Tobecomeamartyrsoundsmagnificent,heroic;itisagreatdeed.Butthemartyrwho does it has the feeling that he ismaking amighty effort, and theconsciousnessofthatbearshimupandsupportshimthroughpainandsuffering.Heiskeyedupforthemomenttothisgreatactofheroism.Whathastobedonenowismuchharderthanthat.Itisnotpossibletokeeponeselfalwaysstrungtothatpitchofheroism,amid the littledaily troubles thatareperpetuallycomingup. It isverydifficult tokeep the sameequanimityofmindwhendealingdayafterdaywiththesamewearisomepeople,whowillnotdothethingsonethinkstheyshoulddo.LivingforChristinallthesmallthings—thatishardtodo;andit is just because these things seem comparatively small that there is somuchdifficultyinfollowingthePath.

Letustakethesethreebooks,letusfollowtheirinstructions,andseehowfaritispossibletoapplythem.Othershavedoneit,andhavesucceededinreachingthePath;whyshouldnotwe?Successmeanstheconquestoftheself;itmeansthatwetakeourselvesinhandandfacethefactsand,wherethereareweeds,pullthemup.Itdoesnotmatterhowdeeplytheyarerooted,orhowmuchsufferingitentails;upwiththem!Hardwork,indeed;butthosewhohavealreadyenteredonsomeofthehigherstagestellusthatitisverywellworthwhile,infinitelyworthwhile, tomake any effort, great or small, whether it be once for all ormanytimes.

CHAPTER2

INITIATIONANDTHEAPPROACHTHERETO

C.W.L.—ThenameofthisbookwaschosenbyourPresident,outofthirtyorfortywhichweresuggested,andsheisalsoresponsibleforthededication

ToThoseWhoKnock

thesymbolismofwhichisobvious:“Knockanditshallbeopeneduntoyou;seekandyeshallfind.”InherprefaceDr.Besantsays:

Theprivilegeisgiventome,asanelder,topenawordofintroductiontothis little book, the first written by a younger Brother; young in bodyverily,butnotinSoul.

Here is a point of great importance. In ordinary life, thinking only of thisworldand thisone incarnation,we judgeaperson’sageby thephysicalbody;but inoccultprogressweconsider theageof theego,of the soulwithin.Onemustbewareofjudgingbyexternalsonly,thoughalmosteveryoneintheworlddoesit.Thesoulgrowssteadily,andwhenitishighlydevelopeditoftenbeginsto exhibit signs of its advancement in intelligence, emotion and occult power,evenwhilethephysicalbodyisstillyoung.Alcyonecertainlyshowedthistobeso in his case by the extreme rapidity of his progress. He responded to theteachingsofullythathewasabletoattaininafewmonthswhatwouldusuallytake many years, because for most it would mean a fundamental change incharacter.

Casesofthiskindwillbeincreasinglynumerousinthesedays,becauseofthenear approachof theWorld-Teacher.Hisprincipal disciplesmust bepeople inthe prime of life and strength, most of them probably not much older thanHimselfinthephysicalbody,andsinceHeistocomesoonthosewhoaretobeinthatpositionthenmustbeyoungnow.Itisexceedinglyprobablethatsomeofthosewho are children now among usmay in the future be prominent in thework,foritislikelythatmanyofthosewhoaredestinedforsuchgoodfortunewillbebornwheretheycanhavetheteachingthatwillfitthemforit,thatis,in

Theosophicalfamilies.

Weshould, therefore,watchforsuchpossibilities,andsee thatanychildrenthatcomeinourwayaretoldabouttheadventoftheWorld-Teacher,sothattheymayknowthepossibilitywhichisopentothem.Itmustbelefttothemtograsptheopportunity,butatleastitshouldbegiven.Itwouldbeverysadifanyparentshouldhear fromhis sonordaughter the reproach: “If youhad toldmeaboutthesethingswhenIwasyoung,Imighthavetakentheopportunity,butyouletme grow upwithout knowing anything about them; you letme grow into theworldlylife,andtherefore,whentheopportunityoffered,Ididnottakeit.”Wemustgivetheopportunity,butwhenwehavedonethat,ourdutyisover,becauseitisnotforustotrytoforceanyoneintoanyline,oreventomapoutafutureandexpecttheseotherandpossiblygreatersoulstoadheretoit.

The teachingscontained in itweregiven tohimbyhisMaster inpreparinghimforInitiation.

ThewordInitiationhasoftenbeenusedinaverygeneralway;buthereithasadefinite technical significance.MadameBlavatskyherself in the earlier daysemployeditsomewhatloosely,butasourterminologyhasbecomemoresettled,themeaningof thewordought tobeconfined to thegreat Initiations, the fivestepsonthePathProper,tousetheoldterm.IntheolderwritingswespokeoftheProbationaryPath,thePathProper,andtheOfficialPeriodasthreestagesintheadvanceddevelopmentofman.TheProbationaryPathmeans theperiodofprobation for Initiation, the Path Proper is the Path ofHolinesswhich beginswith the first of the great Initiations (that in which a man “enters upon thestream”)andendswiththeattainmentofAdeptship.Fortyyearsagoweusedtotalk about “initiation into the Theosophical Society,” and theword is used inconnection with Masonic and other ceremonies; we must take care not toconfusethoseideaswiththegreatInitiationsoftheoccultPath.

TheperiodofprobationforInitiationwasintheearlydaysspokenofasbeingdividedintostages,whichcorrespondtothefourqualificationswhicharegiveninthisbook:discrimination,desirelessness,goodconductandlove.

It isnotcorrecttocall thesestages,ortospeakofinitiationsbetweenthem.Thesequalificationsarenotatallnecessarilytakenupintheordergiven.Theyarewritten down in that order in the oldOriental books, butwe are probablyengagedinacquiringallofthemsimultaneously.Wedowhatwecanwithallof

them,andtosomeofusonequalificationmaybemucheasierthantheothers.

Discriminationhasitspositionasthefirstqualification,becauseitenablesaman to decide to enter upon the Path at all. The Buddhist name for it ismanodvara-vajjana,“theopeningof thedoorsof themind,”whichmeans thattheman’smindisopenfor thefirst timetosee that thespiritual thingsare theonlyrealthings,andthattheordinaryworldlylifeisawasteoftime.TheHindusnameitviveka,whichmeansdiscrimination.TheChristiancallsthisrealization‘conversion,’which is also avery expressiveword,because conversionmeansturningandcomingtogetherwith;itisderivedfromthesupineofverto,toturn,andcon,togetherwith.

Itmeans that themanhavingpreviouslygonehisownway,having thoughtnothing about the Divine Will, has now realized the direction in which thatDivineWillwishestheevolutionarycurrenttoflow,andhasturnedhimself,intoline with it. With many Christian sects it has degenerated to mean a sort ofspasmodic,hystericalcondition,buteventhatcontainstheideaofturningaboutandgoingalongwiththeDivineWill.Itisverymuchwhatwasexpressedbytheapostlewhenhesaid,“Setyouraffectiononthingsabove,andnotonthingsoftheearth.”

AstherearestepsonthePath,sothereareotherdefinitestepswhichmarkthedegreesofthepupil’spersonalrelationshiptotheMasterwhoprepareshimfortheInitiations.InitiationsaregivenbytheGreatWhiteBrotherhood,inthenameof theOne Initiatorwho is itsHead—andbyHis order alone.But the pupil’srelationshipwithhisMaster ishisownaffair.Onemaybe,first,aprobationer,or, secondly, anacceptedpupil;or, thirdly,what is calleda sonof theMaster;these are private relationships and must not be confused with the InitiationswhicharegivenbytheGreatHierarchyitself.

TheFirst Initiation is that stepwhichmakes aman amember of theGreatWhiteBrotherhood.BeforethatheisnotreallyonthePathatall,butistraininghimselfinpreparationforit.Itisnotconferredarbitrarily,butinrecognitionofhisattainmentofacertainstageofevolution—whatusedtobecalledtheunionof thehigherand lowerself, the joiningof theegoand thepersonality.Amanwhowishes toputhimself forwardasacandidate for theFirstGreat Initiationmustacquirethequalificationsdescribedinthisbook,andmakehispersonalityanexpressionoftheego;theremustbenolowerpersonalitylefttothrustitselfforward, and to have desires of its own in opposition to those of the

reincarnatingself.

Thechange that then takesplace is shown in the illustrationsgiven inManVisible and Invisible. The astral body of the savage is full of colours whichindicateallsortsoflowerpassions,andisirregularinoutline,becausethemanhasnocontroloverit;andthecausalandmentalbodiesshownorelationtooneanother.Thecausalisapparentlyblank;thementalhasalittledevelopment,butithasnotmuchconnectionwiththeastralbody.Intheastralbodyofthesavagethere are all sorts of emotions and passions that have nothing to do with themind.Hedoesnot thinkabout them;hedoesnotknowhowto think; theyaresimplythere,andtheyrunawaywithhim.

In the advanced man, however, all those vehicles are closely linked. Thecausalbodyisfullinsteadofbeingempty;allthedifferentcoloursexpressiveofthehighervirtuesaredeveloped in it,and it isalreadybeginning topour itselfoutinvariousdirectionsforthehelpingofothers.Thementalbodycontainsthesame colours, somewhat denser, but still the finest of their kind, and theyrepresentthecausalbodyonthelowerlevel.Theastralbodyisinturnamirrorof themental—thereare the samecolours,only just a littledarkeranddenser,becauseaplanelower.

Theself inthesavageexpressesitself inallkindsofdifferentemotionsandpassionsofwhichtheegocouldnotpossiblyapprove,butinthedevelopedmantherearenoemotionsbutsuchashechoosestohave.Insteadofbeingswayedbyhisemotionsandcarriedoffhisfeet,hesimplyselectsthem.Hesays;“Loveisagoodthing,Iwillallowmyselftofeellove;devotionisagoodthing,Iwillallowmyselftofeeldevotion;sympathy—thatisbeautiful,Iwillallowmyselftofeelsympathy.”Andhedoesthiswithhiseyesopen,intentionally.Theemotionsarethusunderthedominionofthemind,andthatmindisanexpressionofthecausalbody,sowearecomingverynear to theconditionofcompleteunityofthehigherandlowerself.

It shouldnotbe imagined that thereare twoentities inman.Therenever isany lower self as a separate being, but the ego puts down a tiny fragment ofhimself into the personality in order to experience the vibrations of the lowerplanes. The personality then becomes much more vividly alive than the ego,becauseitisatastagewhereitcanrespondtothosevibrations;consequentlyitforgetsthatitbelongstotheego,andsetsupinthebusinessoflifeonitsownaccount,andtriestogoasitwouldratherthanastheegowould.Inthecourseof

many incarnations, however, the ego grows strong, and then the man canrecognize that the personality is nothing but an expression of himself, thereincarnatingego,andthatwheneverittriestobemasterinsteadofservantitisgoing wrong and needs to be controlled. It is our business so to order thepersonality that it shall express the ego, and nothing else. That is what Mr.Sinnettcalledgivingallegiancetothehigherself.InTheVoiceoftheSilencewearetoldthatthediscipleshouldslaythelunarform.Thisreferstotheastralbody.Itdoesnotmean thatyou shouldcommit anastralmurder; itmeans thatyourastral body should have no existence but as an expression of the higher, thatinsteadofhavingitsownpassionsandemotionsitshallreflectonlywhattheegochooses.

This condition must be attained before one can be presented for the FirstInitiation.Themanmusthavecontrolofhisphysical,astralandmentalbodies.Allthesemustbeservantsoftheego.Togainthatmasterywouldmeanaverygreat deal of work for the ordinary person, and many people would say: “Icannotdothat;itisnousetalkingaboutit.”Itisaltogethertoohighanidealtosetbeforethemallatonce,butitoughtnottobesoseriousademandtomakeupon thosewhohavebeenmeditating and thinkingon thesematters formanyyears. Truly it is not easy to tread down one by one all sort of passions anddesires,tocurbtheastralandmentalbodies;thesethingsarehard,buttheyaresplendidlywellworth doing, and the result attained thereby is quite out of allproportion toeven thegreat efforts required.The thoughtofmakingourselvescapableofgreaterusefulnesstotheWorld-Teacherisanadditionalincentiveandencouragementinthisarduousundertaking.ThosewhotaketheseInitiationsdonotdoitforthemselves,inordertoescapefromthesorrowandthesufferingoftheworld,butthattheymaybeofuseinthemightyplan.

There are certain definite changes which outweigh all others in a man’sexistence. The first of these is when he individualizes and enters the humankingdom—whenhecomesforthfromtheanimalstageandbeginshiscareerasanego.HisattainmentofAdeptshipattheFifthInitiationisanother;itmarkshisdeparturefromthehumankingdom,becausethenheentersasuper-humanstate.Thatisthegoalwhichissetbeforeallhumanity;itisthepointwhichwearetoendeavour to attain in this chain ofworlds.At the end of this period themanwho has done what God has willed for mankind, who has carried out to theutmostthedivinedesignforhimself,willthuspassoutofthehumankingdom;andmanyofusmaydoitlongbeforetheend.

Inbetween these twocomesanotherpointofquiteasgreat importance, thedefinite “entry on the stream” at the first great Initiation. The words used inadmittingthecandidatetotheBrotherhoodincludethisstatement:“Youarenowsafeforever;youhaveentereduponthestream;mayyousoonreachthefurthershore.”TheChristiancallshimthemanwhois‘saved’or‘safe.’Thatmeansthatheisquitesuretogooninthispresentstreamofevolution,thatheiscertainnottodropoutatthedayofjudgmentinthenextround,likeachildinschoolwhoistoobackwardtogoonwiththerestofhisclass.

The Initiate has to pass the Second, Third and Fourth Initiations before hereachesAdeptship,whichistheFifth,butwhenhegainsthatstageheunitesthemonad and the ego just as before he had united the ego and the personality.When the man has achieved the union of the higher and the lower self, hispersonalityno longerexistsexceptasanexpressionof theego;hehasnow tobeginthatprocessoveragain,asitwere,andmakethategoanexpressionofthemonad.Whetherbeyondthatthereliesanotherstageofthesamekindwedonotknow, but it is at least certain that when we attain Adeptship we shall findopeningbeforeusastillmoregloriousvistaofprogress.

People often ask what will be the end of this evolution which we seeoutstretchedbeforeus.Ipersonallydonotknowwhetherthereisanyendornot.Agreatphilosopheroncesaid,“Itisequallyinconceivablethatthereshouldbeanendorthatthereshouldbenoend;yetoneofthosetwomustbetrue.”Somespeakofabsorption into theSupreme;butof thatweknownothing.Weknowthatour consciousness continues towiden; thatbefore it liesgradeaftergradeabove and beyond our own.We know that it is possible to touch the buddhiclevel, and thusattainanenormousexpansionofconsciousness, so thatbesidesbeingoneselfoneisalsootherandgreaterpeople.

Inthiswedonotfeelthatwehavelostindividualityatall,butthatwehavesowideneditthatweareabletofeelthroughothersaswellasthroughourselves.Allwhocandothisinmeditationshouldcontinuethepractice,andexpanduntilmoreandmoreisincludedintheconsciousness—notonlythosefarabove,butthosebelowaswell,althoughthoseabovecomefirstbecausetheyaresomuchstronger,somuchmoretremendousintheirpower.Suchexpansiontakesplacegradually andonewinsone’sway through subplaneafter subplaneofbuddhicconsciousness, until presently he learns to develop a buddhic vehicle—abodywhichhecanuseat thatstupendousheightwhereall thespheresseemasone,

andhecantraversespacewithoutactuallypassingthroughitinoursenseofthewordatall.

Now, since that is in the experience of a number of us,we are justified inassumingthatthefurtherextensionsofthatconsciousnesswillbesomewhatofthe same kind. We have attained that unity without losing our sense ofindividualityintheveryleast,withoutfeelingourselvesmergedinashiningsea,asthepoetputsit,butfeelinginsteadthattheshiningseahasbeenpouredintothedrop.

Paradoxical as itmay sound, that is the sensation; the consciousness of thedropwidensintotheconsciousnessofthesea.Thatbeingso,sofarasweknowit,wearesurelyjustifiedinassumingthattherewillnotbeanysuddenchangeinthemethod.Wecannotconceiveofbeingmergedintosomethingelseandlosingthat consciousness which we have taken so long to develop. I believe it willwiden so thatwemay become onewithGod, but only in the sense inwhichChrist put itwhenHe said: “Ye are gods; ye are all the children of theMostHigh.”

Wecan look farback inevolutionandcanalsosee far forward.Wecanbesureofafutureextendingovermillionsofyearsofusefulactivity,onsplendidlevelswhosegloryandpowerandloveanddevelopmentareinconceivabledownhere;butwhatliesbeyondthatwedonotknow.Ifweconsiderthematterfromacommon-sensepointofview,wecanhardlyexpecttoknow.Ifthefinalendofitweresomethingthatwecouldnowunderstand,itwouldbeaverypoorkindofending,altogetheroutofproportiontoallthestageswhichleaduptoit.

Ourintellectisanarrowthing—howlimitednomanrealizesuntilhecomesintotouchwithitshigherdevelopments,whenhebeginstoseethattheintellectaboutwhichwe have boasted somuch is in reality a poor affair, a beginningonly,aseedofafuturetree.Incomparisontothatofthefuture,menhavenowonlyachild intellect, thoughit is thatofahopefulchild, for ithasdonemuchalready, and shows promise of more. But compared with the intellect of theGreatOnesitisstillthatofaverylittlechild.Thereforeitcannotyetreachgreatheightsanddepths,andwecannotexpecttounderstandeitherthebeginningorthe end. I, at least, ammore thanwilling to admit quite frankly that I do notknowwhatgoaltheSupremehasinHismind;IdonotknowanythingabouttheSupreme,exceptthatHeis.Themetaphysicianandthephilosopherspeculateonthesethings,andgainfromtheeffortconsiderabledevelopmentofthemindand

thecausalbody.Thosewholovesuchimaginationsdonoharminindulginginthem,butIthinktheyshouldclearlyunderstandthattheyareimaginations.Thephilosophershouldnotdevelophistheoriesintoasystemandexpectustoacceptit,forheisquitelikelytobeleavingoutofaccountsomeofthemostimportantfactors.Formyself, Idonot speculate. I feel that thesplendourandglory thatunquestionably lie ahead of us are far more than sufficient to satisfy all ouraspirations. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into theheartofmantoconceivethethingswhichGodhathpreparedforthemthatloveHim.”Thatistruenow,asitwastwothousandyearsago.

CHAPTER3

HOWTHEBOOKCAMETOBEWRITTEN

C.W.L.—Dr.Besant’sPreface(whichisdatedDecember,1910)thengoesontoexplainhowAlcyonewrotethebook.

Andwerewrittendownbyhimfrommemory—slowlyandlaboriously,forhisEnglishlastyearwasfarlessfluentthanitisnow.Thegreaterpartisareproductionof theMaster’sownwords; thatwhich isnot suchaverbalreproduction is theMaster’s thought clothed in His pupil’s words. Twoomitted sentences were supplied by the Master. In two other cases anomittedwordhasbeenadded.Beyond this, it is entirelyAlcyone’sown,hisfirstgifttotheworld.

Thefollowingismyownaccountofwhathappened,asgiveninTheMastersandthePath:

The story of how this little book came to be written is comparativelysimple.EverynightIhadtotakethisboyinhisastralbodytothehouseofthe Master, that instruction might be given him. The Master devotedperhapsfifteenminuteseachnighttotalkingtohim,butattheendofeachtalkHe always gathered up themain points ofwhatHe had said into asingle sentence, or a few sentences, thusmaking an easy little summarywhich was repeated to the boy, so that he learnt it by heart. Herememberedthatsummaryinthemorningandwroteitdown.

The book consists of these sentences, of the epitome of the Master’steaching,madebyHimself,andinHiswords.Theboywrotethemdownsomewhat laboriously, because his English was not then very good. Heknewall these things by heart and did not trouble particularly about thenotes that he had made. A little later he went up to Benares with ourPresident.Whiletherehewrotetome,IbeingdownatAdyar,andaskedmetocollectandsendtohimall thenotes thathehadmadeofwhat theMasterhadsaid.IarrangedhisnotesaswellasIcould,andtypedthemallout.

ThenitseemedtomethatastheseweremainlytheMaster’swordsIhadbettermakesurethattherewasnomistakeinrecordingthem.ThereforeItookthetype-writtencopywhichIhadmadeto theMasterKuthumiandaskedHimtobesokindastoreaditover.Hereadit,alteredawordortwohere and there, added someconnecting and explanatorynotes and a fewother sentences which I remembered having heard Him speak to Mr.Krishnamurti.ThenHesaid“Yes,thatseemscorrect;thatwilldo”;butHeadded,“Letusshowit to theLordMaitreya.”Andsowewent together,Hetakingthemanuscript,anditwasshowntotheWorld-TeacherHimself,whoreaditandapproved.ItwasHewhosaid:“YoushouldmakeanicelittlebookofthistointroduceAlcyonetotheworld.”Wehadnotmeanttointroducehimtotheworld;wehadnotconsidereditdesirablethatamassof thoughtshouldbeconcentratedonaboyof thirteen,whostillhadhiseducationbeforehim.Butintheoccultworldwedowhatwearetold,andsothisbookwasputintotheprinter’shandsassoonaspossible.

Alltheinconvenienceswhichweexpectedfromprematurepublicitycameabout; but still theLordMaitreyawas right andwewerewrong; for thegoodthathasbeendonebythatbookfaroutweighsthetroubleitbroughttous.Numbersofpeople,literallythousands,havewrittentosayhowtheirwholeliveshavebeenchangedbyit,howeverythinghasbecomedifferenttothembecausetheyhavereadit.Ithasbeentranslatedintotwenty-sevenlanguages.Therehavebeensomefortyeditionsofit,ormore,andoverahundred thousand copies have been printed. Even now an edition of amillioncopies isbeingpreparedinAmerica.Awonderfulworkhasbeendone by it. Above all, it bears that special imprimatur of the comingWorld-Teacher,andthatisthethingthatmakesitmostvaluable—thefactthatitshowsus,toacertainextent,whatHisteachingistobe.2

CHAPTER4

THEPRELIMINARYPRAYER

C.W.L.—Dr.Besantconcludeswithagoodwishforallofus:

May ithelpothersas the spoken teachinghelpedhim—such is thehopewithwhichhegivesit.Buttheteachingcanonlybefruitfulifitislived,ashe has lived it since it fell from his Master’s lips. If the example befollowedaswellastheprecept,thenforthereader,asforthewriter,shallthegreatPortalswingopen,andhisfeetbesetonthePath.

Inreviewingthisbook,Dr.Besantsaid:“Veryrarelyaresuchwordsasthesegiven to men; teaching so direct, so philosophical, and so beautifully put.”Thereforeassuredlyeverywordofitisworthourmostcarefulconsideration.

At the beginning of the book, beforewe enter even upon the Foreword ofAlcyone,issettheoldprayer,translatedfromtheSanskrit:

FromtheunrealleadmetotheReal.FromdarknessleadmetoLight.FromdeathleadmetoImmortality.

The use of the word ‘real’ in this case may sometimes prove a littlemisleading.Whenwesay‘real’and‘unreal,’theideaconveyedtoourmindsisthatonethinghasadefiniteexistenceandtheotherhasnot.Theunrealistouspurely imaginary. But that is not quite what the Hindu understands by thissentence. Perhaps we should come a little nearer to his meaning if we said,“Fromtheimpermanentleadmetothepermanent.”

Thestatement that the lowerplanes,physical, astralandmental, areunreal,oftenleadstoseriousmisunderstanding.Theyarenotunrealattheirownlevel,andwhile they last. Physical objects seem perfectly real while we are on thephysical plane, but when the body falls asleep and we use our astralconsciousness insteadof thephysical, thoseobjectsareno longervisible tousbecausewe have passed into a higher plane. Therefore people sometimes say

theyareunreal.But there is justasmuch reason to say that theastralplane isunreal because we do not see its objects when on the physical plane. Bothphysical and astral objects are there all the time; they remain visible to thosewhoseconsciousnessisontherespectiveplanes.

Sofarasweknowallmanifestationisimpermanent;onlytheUnmanifestedis absolutely and always the same.Allmanifestation, even that of the highestplanes,will onedaypass again into the changeless, so thedifferencebetweenwhat we commonly call the impermanent and those higher planes is only amatteroftime,whichincomparisontoeternitycanbeasnothing.Thephysicalplane,then,isjustasrealasthenirvanic,andjustastrulyanexpressionoftheDeity,andsowemustnotformtheideathatoneofthesethingsisrealandtheothermeredreamorphantasmagoria.

Anotherverycommonlyheldtheoryisthatmatterisevil;butthatisnotsoatall.MatterisanexpressionoftheDivinejustasmuchasspirit;bothareoneinHim—twosidesofHim.Matteroftenoperatestohinderusinourprogress,butonlywhen it is so used as to delay us on ourway; aswellmight amanwhohappenstocuthimselfwithaknifesaythatknivesareevilthings.Consideringtheflexibilityof theSanskritwordswemightequally translate thefirst lineas“From the false leadme to the true”. ‘True,’ ‘permanent’, ‘real’—thesewordsseemallofthemtobeincludedinthemeaning;sowhatweareaskingis,ratherthat from the outer,where the illusion is greater,wemay be led to the inner,whichisnearertotheabsolutetruth.

Thesecondpetitionis,“FromdarknessleadmetoLight,”—thatis,ofcourse,from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge. The prayer isaddressed to theMaster;weaskHim toenlightenusbyHiswisdom.There isalsoasecondarymeaningattachedtothatinIndia,forinthesewordsoneisalsosupposed tobeaskingHimto leadone to theknowledgeof thehigherplanes,and there comes in a rather beautiful thoughtwhichwill be found in someofthose old books, that the light of the lower plane is the darkness of the planeabove itThat iswonderfully true.What is thought of here as light is dimandmurky, compared to the light of the astral world, and that in turn is poor incomparisonwith thatof themental. It isverydifficult toput thesedistinctionsintowords,becauseeachtimeyouriseoneplaneinyourconsciousnessyougetthe impression of something quite stupendously greater than you have everknownbefore—greaterpower,greaterlight,greaterbliss.

Whenamanmakesadefiniteadvanceinconsciousness,hethinks:NowforthefirsttimeIknowwhatlifereallymeans,whatblissis,andhowsplendidallthesethingsare.”Soeachplaneisquiteoutofallproportionsuperiortotheonebelowit,sothat,forinstance,toreturnevenfromtheastral,theverynextplane,intothephysicalislikecomingoutofthesunlightintoadarkdungeon.Whenaman can function consciously on the mental be finds an expansion in manydirections absolutely beyond thatwhich he knows on the astral.When he cantouchthebuddhicconsciousness,forthefirst timehefeelsaverylittleofhowGodseesthings.OneisthencomingintotouchwithDivinity,andbeginningtoknowhowHewhoisinall,feelsthroughall.ItissaidthatInHimweliveandmoveandhaveourbeing,”andthat“OfHimandthroughHimandtoHimareall things”3and all that is not merely a beautiful and poetic expression, butrepresentsanactualfact.Thereisagloriousunity—notbrotherhoodalone,butactualunity—andwhenthelowestfringeofthatcanbetouchedonebeginsforthe first time very dimly to understand howGod feelswhenHe looks onHisuniverseandsays:“Itisgood.”Andsofromthedarknessofthelowerplanesweasktobeledtothelightofthehigherconsciousness—anditislightascomparedwith darknesss. No phraseology could bemore apt; no expression could givemoreexactlywhatonefeels.

Thenwesay:“FromdeathleadmetoImmortality.”Thatdoesnotmeanwhatat first sight the ordinary religious personwould take it tomean, because theTheosophist’s attitude towards death should be very different from that of themanwhohasnotstudiedthesethings—quitethereverse,infact.Deathisnotahorror,notakingofterrors,butratheranangelbearingagoldenkeytoopenthedoor into a higher and fuller life.Of coursewe always regret thosewho passaway;buttheregretisfor“thetouchofthevanishedhandandthesoundofthevoicethatisstill”.AndwhenweasktobeledfromdeathtoimmortalitywedonotatallmeanwhataChristianwouldhaveinmind:thatheshouldliveforalleternity inhispresentpersonality in some formorother.Wehave,however, avery definitewish to escape fromdeath, and its inseparable companion, birth.What lies before men is the round which the Buddhist calls the sansara, thewheelof life.Theprayerhere is: fromthiscycleofbirthanddeath, leadus toimmortality—tothelifewhichliesabovebirthanddeath,whichnolongerneedstodipintothelowerplanes,becauseitshumanevolutionisfinishedandithasgainedallthatmatterhadtoteachit.

Althoughpeopleneverseemtoseeit thatideaisprominentintheChristian

scriptures also.ModernChristianity suffers from certain obsessions—I do notthinkwecancallthembyanyothername—andoneofthemistheterribleideaof an eternal hell. That belief has cast a cloud of misunderstanding over anumberofotherdoctrines,too.Thewholetheoryofsalvationhascometomeansalvationfromthisnon-existent,eternalhell,whereasitdoesnotmeanthatatall,and all the passages which are supposed to refer to that, which seem soincomprehensible,becomeclearandluminouswhenitisunderstoodthatitreallyisthebirthoftheChristintheheartthatsavestheman.

TheChristoftenspoketothepeopleofthebroadroadwhichledtodeathordestruction,andthemanywhofollowedit.HisdisciplescametoHimonceandasked:“Lord,aretherefewthatbesaved?”ThenHesaid:“Straitisthegateandnarrow is thewaywhich leadethunto life,and few therebe that find it.”Menhaveactuallytakenthoseverybeautifulandperfectlytruewords,andinterpretedthemtomeanthatthemajorityofmankindwillbecastintoeternalhell,thatveryfew indeedwill succeed in attaining heaven; but it is absolutely ridiculous toattribute that idea to the Christ. What He meant was perfectly clear. ThediscipleswereaskinghowmanypeopleenterthepathofInitiation,andHesaid,“Few,”whichisastrueinourdayasitwasthen.WhenHesaid:“Broadistheroadthatleadethtodeath,andmanytherebethatfollowit,”Hereferredtotheroadthatleadstothecycleofdeathandbirth.Ofcourse,itistruethatthatroadis broad and easy; there, is no trouble at all about following that line ofdevelopment,andthosewhosodowillattainthegoaleasilyenough,somewhereabouttheendoftheseventhround.

But strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to Initiation, to thekingdom of heaven.WhenChrist speaks of the kingdom of heavenHe nevermeanstheheaven-world,thestateafterdeath,devachan,butalwaysthebodyofthesaved,thecompanyoftheelect,thatistosay,theGreatBrotherhood.WhenHe refers to the conditions of life between death and rebirth, we find a verydifferent set ofwords. Remember the passagewritten by S. John: “And lo, agreatmultitude,which noman could number, of all nations and kindreds andpeoplesandtongues,stoodbeforetheThroneandbeforetheLamb,clothedwithwhiterobes,andpalmsintheirhands.”Whentheyspokeofthatconditiontheytoldofavastmultitudewhichnomancouldnumber,notof a fewwho foundtheirwaywithdifficulty.

CHAPTER5

THESPIRITOFTHEPUPIL

C.W.L.—WecomenowtotheForewordofAlcyonehimself:

Thesearenotmywords;theyarethewordsoftheMasterWhotaughtme.WithoutHimIcouldhavedonenothing;but throughHishelpIhavesetmyfeetuponthePath.

He plainly attributes all his progress to the influence and the help of hisMaster.Wehavemuchof thehelp thathe then received,becausewehave thewordsofthisbook,whicharetheMaster’swords;buttheenormoushelpofHispresenceandpersonalguidance is also readyandwaiting for everyoneofus,too.Thatmustsinkintoourmindsasareality;wemaybeconfidentofitasanabsolutelycertainfact.AsAlcyonewashelped,sowillallbeaidedwhochoosetomakethemselvesreadyforit.

Youalsodesire toenter thesamePath,sothewordswhichHespoketomewillhelpyoualso, ifyouwillobey them.It isnotenough tosay that theyaretrueandbeautiful;amanwhowishestosucceedmustdoexactlywhatissaid.Tolookatfoodandsaythatitisgoodwillnotsatisfyastarvingman;hemustputforthhishandandeat.SotoheartheMaster’swordsisnotenough;youmustdowhatHesays,attendingtoeveryword,takingeveryhint.

Itisnotenoughtosay:“Iwilldoallthatiswritteninthebook”;itsteachingmustbemadetopermeateeverypartofone’slife.Onemustbeonthewatchforopportunities. There is a little bit of poetry at the end of the book whichexpressesthisverywell:

WaitingthewordoftheMaster,WatchingtheHiddenLight;ListeningtocatchHisordersIntheverymidstofthefight;SeeingHisslightestsignal

Acrosstheheadsofthethrong;HearingHisfaintestwhisperAboveearth’sloudestsong.

Inthemidstofallthenoise,thewhirlandexcitementofthefightoflife,onemustlistenallthewhileifoneaspirestobecomeapupiloftheMaster.Onemustbeeagerlylookingoutforopportunitiestoputintopracticeanyoftheteachings.This isnot,afterall, reallydifficult,because it is largelyamatterofhabit.Cen’estquelepremierpasquicoute.4.Whenonehastakenthat,andhassetupthehabit,itisjustaseasytobewatchingkeenlyallthetimeforthis,asitisforthebusinessmanwhoislookingforopportunitiestomakemoney.Itisrightthatthemanshouldkeepupsuchconstantwatchfulness,forwhileheisdoingbusinessitishisdutytodoitwell.Butifhecanbeeageraboutthetemporarythings,surelywemightwellbeequallyearnestaboutthesethingsofthehigherlife.

ItisveryimportantthatthosewhowishtoreachthefeetoftheMastershouldunderstandHisattitude.ItisthesameasthatwhichisinducedbyTheosophicalstudy.Buttheattitudeisreallywhatthestudyaimsat,forTheosophyisalifetobelived,notmerelyasystemtobelearned.Wemusttry,therefore,tobringourviewsintoharmonywithHis,yetwithoutforcingthematall.Itwouldnotbethewisest thing for any of us to adopt a point of view merely because it is theMaster’s,withoutunderstandinghowHearrivedatit.WeshouldbequitesafeinadoptingitbecauseHeknowssomuchmorethanwedo,butHewouldnotwishit.Our intellectmustbeconvinced,notmerelyour feelings influenced,byHisthought.

Thegreatrequirementistohaveitcertaininone’smindthatthesethingsarethemorerealandpermanentandimportant.TheaverageChristiancertainlysaysthattheunseenthingsaremoreimportant,thatthatwhichisseenistemporary;but he does not act at all as though he believed it. Why? Because he is notcertainofit.Heisquitesureonthephysicalplanethatmoneywouldbeagoodthing,andthatthemorehecangetofitthebetteritwillbeforhim;butheisnotequallyconvincedthatthespiritualthingsarereal.

Theybelongtothegroupofsubjectswhichhelabels‘religion,’andthereisnot,somehow,thecertaintyandthepracticalityandthematter-of-factnessaboutthosethingstohimthatthereisintheaffairsofordinarylife.Wewhoaretryingtomakeprogressalongtheselinesmustintroducejustpreciselythatmatter-of-

factness,thatabsoluteanddefinitecertainty,intotheserealmsoftheunseen.Mr.SinnettsaidinhisfirstTheosophicalbook:“ThesethingsmustbeasrealtoyouasCharingCross”; that is true; theymust be as familiar as the thingswe seeeveryday.

They may become so for us through reasoning about them, or throughintuition, or best of all through direct experience.When we have completelyconvincedourselvesintellectuallythatathingmustbeso,itgrowsintoafactforus.That isprobablyoneof theadvantageswhich theolder studentshaveoverthenewerones.Howeverenthusiasticthenewonesmaybe,theolderoneshavehad time to live into this thingand tomake it,bitbybit,grainbygrain, so tospeak,partofthemselves.Knowledgegrowsfrommoretomore,asthepoetputsit.Therearesomewhoassoonas theyhearof thehigherfacts,springatonceinto the state of absolute certainty about them, by a happy intuition,which isreallytheirgoodkarmafrompastlives.Butformostofus,whosekarmahasnotbeen quite so good as that, the steady growth tells very much. Of course, apersonmaybeamemberoftheSocietyforthirtyyearsandknownomoreattheend of the time than at the beginning. That is sad, because it is a waste ofopportunity. But for thosewho have constantly thought about Theosophy andlived it, there is a feeling of certainty which has gradually grown. Theexperiencesof life and thoughton these thingshave accumulated forusproofafterproof,untilweseethattheymustbeso.

InmanycasestheTheosophicalideashaveappearedintricateanddifficultatfirst,but lateronsimpleandeasy.Theyhavebecomepartofyourself.Achildcopiesoutapageofwriting,andisveryproudofitiftherearenomistakes,butlateronhewilldothesamethingwithoutthinkingofit—ithasbecomeapower.So long as we aremaking efforts to understandwe have not yet realized thevalueofTheosophicaltruths;laterontheywillbeapowerinourlives.

Easier and more rapid is the path of the man who gets some personalexperience.Fewofusareentirelywithoutthat,andevenonelittlebitofdirectknowledgeofthatsortshowsus—not,perhaps,thatalltherestistrue,but—thattherestiseminentlyprobable.Wehaveseenforourselvesthatapartofwhatwehave learnt is so; we recognize that the rest is probably so, since the entirephilosophy iscoherent; and thisprobability is so strong that itbecomes foruspracticallyacertainty.

Ifahintisnottaken,ifawordismissed,itislostforever;forHedoesnotspeaktwice.

A.B.—Manypeoplefailtounderstandthatthosewhohearthesethingsagainandagainareworseoff,notbetteroff, than thepeople in theouterworldwhohavenotheardthismessage,iftheydonottrytocarrythemout.Idonotsay,itwillbenoticed,iftheydonotcarrythemout,butiftheydonottrytocarrythemout.Itisthestrenuousendeavourthatisnecessary,anditisthisthatistoooftenforgottenamongstus.ItistruethattheMasterdoesnotspeaktwice;Hemakesasuggestion;ifitisnotused,Heletsitgo;HedoesnotrepeatwhatHehassaid.OnlyHisdisciples,meetingtheconditionsoftheworld,repeatagainandagainthe things that theyhave tosay,until theyproducean impression. Ifyouwereaccepteddisciples,yourMasterwouldnot tellyou todoa thing if itwerenotpossible.IfyoudidnottakeapieceofadvicewhichHeoffered,Hewouldnotgiveityouanymore.ThisisnotbecauseHeisunkind,butbecauseHecannotaffordtowasteanytime;Hehasfartoomuchtodo.Allthisteachingwasgivento Alcyone, because he worked hard all the time. It is only those who arestrenuouslyinearnestwhocanthuscomeintotouchwiththeMaster.Iknowthatit is just thisstrenuous,unremittingeffortwhichmanyofyoufindsodifficult,butitisthatwhichisneeded,andwithoutityoucannotenteruponthePath.

C.W.L.—WewhofollowtheMaster,andtrytodosomeofHisworkintheouterworld,havetospeaktwiceconstantly;wehavetosayoverandoveragainthevarious thingswhicharecommitted tous,becausepeopleareheedlessandinattentive;butwhenonecomes into touchwith theMasterHimself,he isnotexpected tobeheedless anymore; then a singlehint shouldbe sufficient, andcertainly if it is not taken itwill not be repeated, not because theMaster is aproudTeacher,butbecausethepupilisnotready.

The method used by the Masters in training Their pupils should beunderstood. It is very rarely indeed that They issue any direct order.When Imyselfwas takenonprobationmanyyears ago, almostmy first questionwas,“WhatcanIdo?”TheMastersaidinreply:“Thatisforyoutodiscover.”ThenHeexplained:“IknowquitewellthatifItellyoutodoanything,ofcourseyouwilldoitatonce.Butinthatcaseyouwillhaveonlythekarmaofpromptandinstantobedience; I shall have thekarmaof thedeed. Iwantyou tohave it; Iwantyou, foryourself, todogood thingsand tomakegoodkarma. Itmustbeyou who originate the idea, not I.” The Great Ones very rarely give direct

commands;butoftenfromsomethingthataMastersays,orevenfromtheglanceofHiseye,oneformstheopinionastowhetherHeapprovesordisapprovesofacertainthing;andthosewhostandroundHim,moreespeciallyinthecaseoftheMasterKuthumi,learnveryreadilytonotethesethings;theyarealwaysonthewatchforanysortofhint.

TheMasterMoryawasaKing in theearlierpartofhispresent incarnation,andHespeakswiththecommandofaKing.Hemoreoftengivesdirectorders,and ifHedisapprovesof something,Hegenerally says so clearly.TheMasterKuthumi has hardly ever expressed disapproval. His pupils have learnt tointerpretHislook,forHerarelysaysanywordofblame.Soitcomesthattheywatchvery carefully for anythingwhatever in thenature of a hint.When it isgiven they endeavour to take it, because they know that if it is missed thatparticular hint will not be given again. Nothing could possibly follow in thenatureofblameorlossfromnottakingit,excepttothepupil,whowouldbelesslikelytoreceiveahintonanotheroccasion.

InTheMastersandthePathithasbeenexplainedthatthedifferentMasterstrain theirpupils indifferentways,according to the rays towhich theybelongandthelinesofworkwhichtheyaredestinedtopursue.OnthelineoftheManuandMasterMoryaarepeopleofthekshattriyakind—menofthegoverningtype,judges, lawyers, soldiers, statesmen. On the line of the Bodhi-sattva and theMaster Kuthumi are those of the Brahmana type—teachers, preachers,reformers.Inadditiontothesetherearefiveothergreatrays,withtheirspecialcharacteristics.AChohan,whohaspassedatleasttheSixthInitiation,standsattheheadofeachtype,whileunderHimthereareseveralMasters.Thus,onthesecond ray, for example, a pupil need not necessarily belong to the MasterKuthumi;hemightbeattachedtotheMasterDjwalKul.

CHAPTER6

THEFOURINTRODUCTORYPATHS

C.W.L.—TheytellusintheEasternbooksthattherearefourmainroadsbywhichmenmaybebroughttothebeginningoftheProbationaryPath.Theysaythatthemostfrequentmethodofsuchturningisthroughthecompanionshipofthose already on the Path. Thatmakes them see its glory and beauty, and thenecessityforfollowingit.Theinfluenceofanadvanceddiscipleisnotlimitedtothewordshespeaks;it is thevibrationoftheliferadiatingfromsuchapersonthatissopowerful.ThisfactisfullyrecognizedinIndia,wheretherearemanyteachers of different sorts standing at different levels, of varying degrees ofpower, who are there called gurus. Each has his own set of followers, andteachesthemhisownideasuponphilosophy,andsometimesgivesthemmantrasto recite, forms ofmeditation, and yoga practices to do. But it is not by anymeansmainlythroughthesethingsthathehelpsthem.Themoreimportantthingis that they shall bewith him. If he is a peripatetic,wandering from place toplace,theygoaboutwithhim,justasthedisciplesofJesustravelledwithHimthroughPalestine.Ifhelivesinoneplace,thesedisciplesgatherroundhim,sitathisfeetandlistentoanywordsofwisdomwhichhemaydrop,but thebenefitthey gain is not so much from what he teaches as from the influence of hispresence.

Thisprocessisentirelyscientific.Thehighervehiclesoftheguruarekeyedup toahigher rateofvibration than thoseofhispupils,whohavecomemorerecentlythanheoutoftheworldlylife,wherethevibrationsareatalowerlevel.Theyarenotentirelywithdrawnfromtheselfishsideof things,ashe is.Theymusttakethemselvesinhand,realizetheirfaultsandresolvetogetridofthemand develop certain virtues, in brief, change their own characters, and that isusually a slow and tedious business. They can be quite immensely assisted inthatprocessbybeinginconstantcontactwiththeguru,whohasdevelopedthesevirtues and extinguished those vices in himself. The pressure of the highervibrationisconstant,whethertheywakeorsleep,andtheyareabsorbingitandbeingattunedtoitallthetime.Theprincipleofthisiswellknowninphysics:ifyou put close to each other two timepieces which are not moving regularlytogether in harmony, the stronger one will gradually bring the weaker into

agreementwithitself,orstopitaltogether.

ThesecondwayofenteringtheProbationaryPathisthehearingorreadingofteaching upon the subject.Amanwho is interested in thematter gets hold ofsometeachingalongthesehigher lines; itcommendsitself tohis intuition,andimmediatelyheseekstosatisfyhisdesiretofindoutmoreaboutit.Thiswasmyownexperience.IcameacrossTheOccultWorld,andatoncemadeupmymind:“If thatbe so—and it is so evidently—if therebe theseGreaterPeople, and ifTheyarewillingtoacceptservicefromus,andtogiveusinreturnsomethingofTheirpricelessknowledge—thenIamgoingtobeoneofthosewhoserveThem.Iamgoing topickupwhatevercrumbs I can, and theonly thingworthdoingfromnowonistosettoworktogetintothatpositionsomehow.”Ofcoursetherearemanythousandswhohearandreadtheteaching,andyetdonotreceiveanyimpulsefromit.Thatisaquestionoftheman’sexperienceinotherlives.Onlyifhehasalreadycomeintocontactwiththetruth,andhasconvincedhimselfofitsbeautyandrealityinapreviouslife,doesheinstantlyfeelittobetruewhenitcomesbeforehiminthislife.

It seems to many of us amazing that everyone who gets hold of aTheosophicalbookisnotconverted.Theosophyisawonderfulteaching,anditsolvesagreatmanyproblems,andyetyouknowquitewellwhenyoutrytolendTheosophicalbookstofriends,halfofthemreturnthem,andsay“Yes,nodoubtitisveryinteresting,”buttheyhavenotreallyunderstooditatall.One’spresentunderstanding is thegoodkarmaofhavingstudied itbefore; themoreonehasknownofathingbefore,themorehewillseeinitnow.Thatiscurexperiencewithanygoodbookthatwemayhaveread,say,twentyyearsago.Readitagainnow,andseehowverymuchmoreyouwillfindinitthanyoudidthen.Youareabletoseeinitthatwhichyoubringthepowertosee.

ThethirdmodebywhichmenaresometimesbroughttothebeginningoftheProbationary Path is by what is called in the Indian books, ‘enlightenedreflection’.Thatmeansthatbysheerhardthinkingamanmaycometoseethattheremustbeaplanofevolution,thattheremustbeThosewhoknowallaboutit—theevolvedandperfectedMen—andthattheremustbeaPathbywhichTheymaybereached.ThemanwhobysuchthinkingcomestothatdecisionthensetsouttolookforthePath;butthosewhotravelbythisroadareprobablyfew.

Insomewaysthemostremarkableisthefourthway—thepracticeofvirtue.That is an idea which would quite commend itself to the average Christian,

because he often believes that all that is necessary is to be good. But theTheosophist recollects that in theearlydaysofChristianity thepurification,orsaintship,whichtheynowsetbeforethemselvesastheirgoal,wasconsideredtobeonlythefirststep.S.Clementsaysof itquiteboldlythatpurityismerelyanegativevirtue,valuablechieflyasaconditionofinsight.Havingachievedthat,youarethenfittolearn,toprepareforillumination,whichwasthesecondstage,andafterthatto,passintothethirdstage,calledperfection.YouwillrememberhowSt.Paulspeaksof that.Hesays:“Wespeakwisdomamongthemthatareperfect,”butnottoothers.ThisvirtueleadstothebeginningofthePathbecause,though the man who leads a good life through many incarnations may nottherebydevelop intellect, hewill presently acquire sufficient intuition to carryhimintothepresenceofthepeoplewhodoknow,tobringhiminfacttothefeetof someonewho is a servant of theMaster. It is admitted, however, that thatmethodtakesthousandsofyearsandmanylives.Themanwhopractisesvirtueanddoes not develophismindwill reach thePath eventually, but it is a slowprocess.ItwouldsavehimmuchtimeifhefollowedS.Peter’sadviceandaimedatknowledgeaswell.

CHAPTER7

THEFOURQUALIFICATIONS

FourQualificationsthereareforthispathway:

(1)Discrimination.

(2)Desirelessness.

(3)GoodConduct.

(4)Love.

C.W.L.—These qualifications have been stated over and over again in thevarious religions, but this translation differs slightly from any that have beengiven previously. In the case of the first, discrimination, there has been littlevariation. I have already explained thewords used for this by theHindus andBuddhists,howtheymeanthesamethingasconversionamongtheChristians,andhowthepupilmustunitetheegoandthepersonality.OnthePathpropertheprocess has to be repeated between the Monad and the ego. The ego is afragmentoftheMonadputdownasfarasthehigherpartofthementalplane;italsocomesdownforthecollectionofexperience,tolearntoreceiveandrespondtovibrationssuchascannotbesensedbytheMonadathisownlevel.Sotheegoin turnhas to learn thathe is apartof theMonad, thathe existsonly for thatMonad,andwhenthatinturnisfullyrealized,themanisreadytotaketheFifthInitiationandsobecomeanAdept.

Those are the actual definitions of readiness for the two Initiations; for theFirst,thatthehigherandthelowerselfshallhavebeenunified,thatthereshallbenothingbut the egoworking in this personality; and for theFifth Initiationthat there shall be nothing in the ego that is not approved or inspired by theMonad.WhenevertheMonadtouchesourlivesdownherehecomesinasagodfrom above. In all cases of Initiation he flashes down, and for a moment

becomesonewiththeego,justastheywillbepermanentlyonewhenadept-shipis gained. At certain other times also theMonad comes down, as in the casementioned inThe Lives of Alcyone, whenAlcyone took a pledge to the LordBuddha.

Byoneorotheroftheforegoingmeansthemanisledtodiscrimination—thisknowledgeofwhatisworthfollowingandwhatisnotworthfollowing.Thenhefindshehastodevelopthesecondqualification,towhichtheMasterheregivesthe name of desirelessness. Dr. Besant previously translated it dispassion orindifference.ThisistheHinduvairagya,whichmeansindifferencetotheresultofone’sactions.TheLordBuddha’sstatementofthatisjustalittledifferent.Forthis second stageHeuses thePaliwordparikamma.Karmaorkamtnaalwaysmeansdoingoracting,andparikammameanspreparationforaction;soHecallsthatsecondstagepreparationforaction,thegradeinwhichtheemphasisislaidonlearningtodorightforright’ssake,notforthesakeofanythingthemanmaygain from it in any way for himself. This must not be misunderstood.Manypeoplesay that indifference to thefruitofactionmeans thatonemustperformdutywithouttakingintoaccounttheeffectonanyoneelse.Asthisbooktellsuslateron,“thatwhichisrightyoumustdo,thatwhichiswrongyoumustnotdo,”whatevertheconsequencesmaybe;butitdoesnotmeanthatpeopleshouldgoondoingjustwhattheylikewithoutthinkinghowtheiractionwillaffectothers.In fact, it is that very effect which determines whether the action is right orwrong.ThepupiloftheMasterdoesnotthinkoftheeffectuponhimself,buthedoesmostemphaticallythinkofthatonothers.

Thethirdqualification,whichiscalledGoodConduct,includesthesixruleswhich the Hindus name shatsampatti. In the Pali form, as given by the LordBuddha, that qualification is called upacharo, which means ‘attention’ ratherthan ‘conduct’—one is to pay attention to conduct in the ways prescribed bythose six jewels, as they are called.We shall come to the Master Kuthumi’srendering of thempresently, aswe go through this book.By theBuddha theywere given as samo, ‘quietude,’ that is, control of mind; then damo,‘subjugation,’thatis,controlofthebody;thenuparati,titikkha,samadhana,andsaddha, literally‘cessation,endurance,intentness,andfaith’.I tookthetroubleto have all these words looked up in the principal dictionaries, and got thesetranslations from theHighPriestHikkaduweSumangalaThero,whowas thenHead of the Southern Buddhist Church. The words also represent the currentbeliefofthatChurch.

Thesearealittledifferentfromthetranslationswhicharegiveninthisbook.What is here called ‘cessation’ is translated ‘tolerance,’ because the cessationmeant is frombigotryandsuperstition, theputtingasidealtogetherofany ideathat yourway is better than anybody else’sway, and the idea that any rite orceremony is necessary. Endurance is simply cheerfulness in another form.Intentnessisone-pointednessandbalance,bringingallone’slifetothefocusofone’saim,andthereforealsosteadiness;andfaithisconfidenceinone’sMasterandoneself.Thequalificationsarethesameexactlyinbothcases,buttheLordBuddha spoke of them specially from the point of view of the necessity forwisdom,andtheLordMaitreyaandtheMasterKuthumiareemphasizingmorethenecessityforlove.InteachingAlcyonetheMasteralsoaimedmoreatgivingthepracticalmeaningthanliterallytranslatingtheoldwords.

The last qualification is called Love. It is in Sanskritmumukshatva, whichmeans“theintensedesireforliberationfromtheroundofbirthsanddeathsandfor union with the Supreme”. The Lord Buddha in His scheme called thatanuloma,whichmeans‘directorder’orsuccession.Hismeaningisthatwhenthemanhasdeveloped theotherqualifications, hemustdesire to escape from thelowerlimitationsandtobecomeonewiththeSupremeinorderthathemayhelp.

Alcyonethengoesontosay:

WhattheMasterhassaidtomeoneachoftheseIshalltrytotellyou.

Andthenbeginsthebookproper.

PARTII

DISCRIMINATION

CHAPTER1

TRUEANDFALSEAIMS

C.W.L.—WenowcometoSectionIofthebookitself

ThefirstoftheseQualificationsisDiscrimination;andthisisusuallytakenasthediscriminationbetweentherealandtheunrealwhichleadsmentoenterthePath.Itisthis,butitisalsomuchmore;anditistobepractised,notonlyatthebeginningofthePath,butateverystepofiteverydayuntiltheend.

ThoselastfewwordsshowpreciselythedifficultieswhichstandinthewayofmostofthosewhoseethegloryandthebeautyofthePath,andintendtoenterupon it and come to the feet of the Master. They are all good, earnest,painstaking people, but the personality iswayward, and they have to face thegreatpressureofpublicopinion,asIhavealreadyexplained.Inadditionthereisalsothefactthathumanityisnowbutalittlepastthemiddleofthefourthround,andtheyaretryingtodoinitthatwhichwillbeveryeasytodoattheendoftheseventhround.Thosewhogoontothattimewillhave,intheirphysical,astralandmentalvehicles,matterfarmorefullydevelopedthanwehavenow,withallitsspirillaeinactivityinsteadofonlyabouthalf,andalltheforcessurroundingthemwillbehelpfulandnothinderingastheyarenow.

TheMastersareonoursideandTheirforceshelpus.Theforceofevolution,slowas it is,also isonourside,and thefuture iswithus:but thepresent isaveryhardtimetodoanythingofthissort.Inthemiddleofthefifthroundallthepeoplewhoseinfluenceisnowbearinghardagainstusinanoppositedirectionwillhavebeenshuntedout,andtherewillbenoneleftbutthosewhoaregoingourway. In the seventh round thingswill therefore bewonderfully easy.Onemaythenliveintheouterworldwithalltheadvantagesthatcannowbefoundonly in amonastery under the direction of a spiritually developedman. Somemight think: “Why then should we not wait for the seventh round?” Many

amongushavebeendriftingalongcomfortablyandhappilyenoughduringthelasttwentyorthirtythousandyears,andthosewhohavenotakeendesirefromwithin toprogressor tohelp theworldmaygoonforanothermillionyears injustthesameoldline,andnodoubtitwillbeverymucheasierintheend;butthosewhogo through thedifficultiesnowwillhave theenormousprivilegeofhelping forward evolution, and they will wear the crown of the helper.RemembertheoldChristianhymnwhichtellshowamanwenttoheavenand,lookinground,foundhimselfsomehowdifferentfromalltherest,andwondered,whatwasthematter.

AtlasthemettheChrist,andaskedHimwhythiswasso,andtheChristsaidinreply:

IknowthouhastbelievedinMeAndlifethroughMeisthine,ButwhereareallthosegloriousstarsWhichinthycrownshouldshine?ThouseestyonderjoyousthrongWithgemsoneverybrow.ForeverysoultheyledtoMeTheywearajewelnow.

IntheChristianScriptureit issaidthat theythatarewiseshallshineas thebrightnessofthefirmament,asthelightoftheclearsky;buttheythatturnmanyto righteousness shall be as the stars for ever and ever—great glowing suns,sendingoutlightandwarmthandstrengthtothousandsofotherlives.Thatisthedifferencebetweendoingtheworknow,andwaitingtodriftinwiththecurrentintheseventhround.

Youenter thePathbecauseyouhavelearnt thatonitalonecanbefoundthosethingswhichareworthgaining.Men,whodonotknow,worktogainwealth and power, but these are atmost for one life only, and thereforeunreal. There are greater things than these—things which are real andlasting;whenyouhaveonceseenthese,youdesirethoseothersnomore.

A.B.—Thequestionoftherealandtheunrealisadeeplymetaphysicalone,butwearenotreallyconcernedwiththathere,becausetheMasterwasteachingAlcyoneasquiteayoungboy,andfurthertheteachingwasgivenontheastralplane.InsuchcasestheMasterisspeakingtothelowermindaswellastotheego,andonthisoccasionhegaveHisteachinginaformsuitableforthelowermindofaboywhichhadbynomeans reached its fulldevelopment.Howeveroldtheegomaybe,thethreebodieswereyoung,sotheteachingwasexpressedvery simply, that on returning tohis body thepupilmightunderstand it inhiswakingmind.

Theunrealisheretakentobeeverythingwhichisnotdivine,everythingthatispassing in thephenomenalworld, everythingbelonging to thepersonal self,includingeventhehigherthingsforwhichmenworkforthesakeofamaterialgoal. Following the Master’s thought, we may say that everything is unrealexcept thatwhichispartof thewillofGod.Thosewhodiscriminateknowthereal things, so theywork as agents ofGod, doingHiswill,He being the realdoer. There is no suggestion that they should neglect material activity. Menshould do their work better, not worse, because they are the agents of God,executingHisactionsintheouterworld.“Yogaisskillinaction,”saystheGita,andyogaisunionwiththeDivine.Actionmustbeskilfulinthecaseofthemanwhohasthisunion,for it isnothewhodoesthework,butGodinhim.WhenArjunawasaskingShriKrishnaaboutfighting,theLordrepliedthatHeHimselfhadalreadykilledtheenemy,andHeadded:“Thereforefight,OArjuna.”

Whenthehigherthingshavebeenseen,saidtheMaster,theothersaredesirednomore.ThatideaisfamiliartostudentsoftheGita, inwhichit issaid:“Theobjects of sense, but not the taste for them, turn away from the abstemiousdwellerinthebody;andeventasteturnethawayfromhimaftertheSupremeisseen.”WhenamanhasseentheOne,theverydesireforthethingsofthesensesdiesoutinhim.

C.W.L.—Itisafactthatwhenthegreaterthingshaveoncebeenseenonenolonger has a taste for the lower things, but itmust be absolutely that fact thatinduces one to refrain from following the latter. Very often people confoundcause and effect, and think that to pretend not to care for the lower things—which, thoughquitegood in theirway,areyetsocalled incontradistinction tohigherandspiritualthings—atonceputsamanonahighlevel.Ofcourseitdoesnot.Itisanotherformoftheverycommondelusionwithregardtoascetipism.A

great many people follow what they call asceticism as an end in itself, andwrongly think that to avoid all the ordinary pleasures of life, tomake oneselfuncomfortable in various ways, is highly meritorious. That is a relic of thepuritanideawhichatonetimedominatedEnglandandagooddealofEurope.Itwasdistinctlyoftheessenceofthatpuritanismthattobegoodyoumustbeasuncomfortableaspossible.Wheneveramanwas inanysortofwayhappy,hewassurelyinfringingsomeofthedivinelaws,ashewasnotintheleastmeanttobehappydownhere;hisbodywasavilethingwhichhadtoberepressedinallsortsofways,andifatanytimeitdelightedinanythinghewasdoing,hemightbecertainthatthatthingwaswrong.Thatisallnonsense,butitdoescomefromaperversionofthetruth,andthetruthisthatthosethingswhichmostpeopleintheworldenjoyandregardasgreatpleasuresceasetobethoughtofassuchbythemanwho, rising to ahigher level, has altogetherhigherpleasures inview,whichfarmorethantaketheirplace.Peopleintheworldtakegreatpleasureinall sorts of things which do not interest those who aspire higher—in horse-racing, for example, and drinking and gambling, and also in various forms ofamusements such as dancing and card-playing, which are not necessarilyharmful, but are rather like children’s toys. As a little child grows up heabandonshis toys.At theageof threeor fourhe likes toplaywithbricksanddolls;whenhegetsalittleolderhetakestotoysoldiers,kites,topsandmarbles;whenhegetsagaina littlebitolderhenolongercaresforanyof thesethings,butplays cricketor football, or somegameof that sortwhich requires agreatdealofout-door exertion.All these are stages throughwhich the childpasses,andeach isquiteproper in its turn.Ashegrowsstillolderheabandons thosethingshehadpreviouslyenjoyed,notbecausehethinksheought todoso,butsimplybecausetheyhaveceasedtointeresthim;hehasfoundsomethingwhichismoreappropriatetohisstageofdevelopment.Butyoucanseeatoncethatalittle childof threewouldnotbecomeabigboybychoosing to ignore all thethingsofearlychildhood,andwantingtoplaycricketorfootball.

The highly advanced man does not care for a great many things whichordinarypeoplethinknecessary,andthemanoftheworldwouldprobablyfindthelifeofthediscipleintolerablywearisome,ifhetriedtoliveasmanyofusdo,with no real interest outside Theosophy and the deeper problems of life. Theaveragewordingwouldsaythatsuchpeoplearealwaysdoingtheonething,andthat they donot seem to knowor care for anything else—which is quite true,becausethatincludesalltherest.Buthewouldnotbecomeanadvancedmanby

pretendingnottocareforhisownthings,whileallthetimeinhishearthereallydesiredthem.

Inalltheworldthereareonlytwokindsofpeople—thosewhoknow,andthosewho do not know; and this knowledge is the thingwhichmatters.Whatreligionamanholds,towhatracehebelongs—thesethingsarenotimportant.

A.B.—TheMaster drawshere a very luminousdistinction.Hedividesmenintotwoclasses—thosewhoknowandthosewhodonotknow.Thatisthegreatdivisionfromtheoccultstandpoint,andeachshouldaskhimselftowhichclasshebelongs.Bothclassesincludemanyvarietiesofpeople,forouterdistinctionsanddifferencesarethingsthatdonotmatter.Thosewhodonotknow,workforwhatexistsforonelifeonly;buthewhohasonceclearlyseentherealthings,isfilledwiththesoledesiretoworkfortheLogos,tofallinwithHismightyplanandhelpinhoweversmallawaytocarryitout.Wecantestourownknowledgeto seewhether it bearson thatworkornot.Themerebrainknowledgewhichenablesonetotalkveryintelligently,perhaps,andtoteachothers,isallunreal;therealknowledgeisonlythatwhichisworkedintoone’s life.Thereareverymanypeoplewhomakeittheircustomtositquietlyforalittletimeeverynightbeforegoingtobed,andreviewtheirday’swork.Thatisaveryusefulthing,butifyoudoit,askyourselfnotmerelywhatyouhavedone,whatyouhavefelt,andwhat you have thought, but what has been your attitude. If you have beensubmergedinthethingsyouhavedone,thetimehasbeenlargelylost:butifyouhaddonethesamethingsaspartofthedivinework—asactsofsacrifice—theywouldhavehelpedandnothinderedyou.

Thereallyimportantthingisthisknowledge—theknowledgeofGod’splanformen.ForGodhasaplan,andthatplanisevolution.Whenonceamanhasseenthatandreallyknowsit,hecannothelpworkingforitandmakinghimselfonewithit,becauseitissoglorious,sobeautiful.

C.W.L.—The spirit which makes men join political and temperanceassociationsofvarioussortswhichtheythinkwillhelptheworld,iscalledforthinitsveryhighestaspectthemomentamanseestherealplanoftheLogosforHissystem.Heseesthat itwillbecarriedoutoneday,andthat thetimewhenthatdesirableconsummationwillbereacheddependsuponthenumberofpeople

who are ready to work for it. If the whole world could be induced, in a fewweeks or years, to see and to co-operate with it, everything that the LogosdesiresforHispeoplewouldbeveryrapidlyachieved.Itisjustbecausemenarenotyetsufficientlydevelopedtoseeit,thatwefallshortsosadly,andsomanysorrowsandwrongsandwickednessesremaininthefaceofthesun.

ManystudentsofTheosophyknowsomethingofthePlan.Idonotsaytheyhaveseenityet,buttheyhavebeenincontactwiththosewhohave,andknow,therefore,whatitis,andinwhatdirectiononemustmoveifhewouldassociatehimselfwithit.Butwhenthetimeofabsolutelyseeingitcomes,itwillbefoundthatallthatissaidhereoftheenthusiasmistrue.Intheworld,peopleoftentakeupgoodcausesandreformswithenthusiasmandvigour,butunlesstheyknowsomethingofthelargerplanofevolution,andseewheretheirownworkfitsintoit, mistakes may easily be made. They attach themselves to certain causesbecausetheyareimpressedwiththeirurgencyandutility.Suchis,forexample,the cause of temperance, which they espouse because they have seen thetremendous evil caused by the drinking habit, and have realized in how verymany ways the world would be quite infinitely better if that evil could beremoved.Theytrytoremoveit,notbyinducingmentogiveupthefoolishnessandwickednessofdrink,butbyprohibiting its sale,andso forcing thepeopleintosobriety—aplanwhichbynomeansweedsoutthedesire,butonlyrendersit impossible to gratify it. I am not for a moment speaking against theprohibition, scheme; there is verymuch tobe said in its favour. Ifwe think itwisetoplacearestrictiononthesaleofarsenicorprussicacid,whyshouldnotthesamebedoneinthecaseofapoisonwhichisresponsibleforfarmoreharmthan both of them together? I am only pointing out that this remedy does notstrike at the root of the evil; it tries to reform people by compulsion, not bypersuasion.Justinthesamewaypeoplewhohaverealizedtheawfulsufferingofthesubmergedtenthseekinalldirectionsforaremedyforthisgreatandcryingshame;butunfortunatelysomethinktheyhavefounditinextremeradicalismoreven inanarchism.Onecannotblamepeople forprosecutingunselfishlya linewhichtheythinkwillbringrelieftotheirfellows.Itistheirheadswhichareatfault in suchcasesas this,not theirhearts,whichdrive them togreatpersonallossandsacrifice inorder,,as theyhope, to relieve the troubleof their fellow-men.Theyhavetorealizethatthereisaplanforhumanevolution,andtogive

themselvestoitsstudy,thattheiractionsmaybecomewiseaswellasunselfish.Itisdiscriminationthatislacking;theyseeonlyonesideofthedifficulty,andsotheyplungethemselvesintosomethingwhichwillleadtoworsetroublethanthatwhichtheyaretryingtoassuage.

So,becauseheknows,heisonGod’sside,standingforgoodandresistingevil,workingforevolutionandnotforselfishness.

C.W.L.—Thatisthetouchstonebywhichwemayrecognizethepeoplewhoknow—itisnotintheleastbytheirreligionortheirrace,butbytheoneandonlyfact that theystandforgoodandagainstevil.Whereverwefindamanwhoisloyaltothehighestthatheknows,isstandingforwhatseemstohimtobegoodandresistingwhatseemstohimtobeevil,wemustseeinhimabrotherworkingonGod’sside,eventhoughsomeoftheworkhedoesishardlysuchaswecouldapprove,orthinkofasbeingpleasingtoGod.Therearenumbersofpeoplewhoare utterly good and loyal to their convictions and yet have most crushinglimitations.Theseearnest,devotedpersonsactuallysacrifice theirenergy, theirwhole time, and everything they have, to bring other souls to Christ, as theywouldputit;yettheyhavethemostlimitedandbigotedconceptions.Theyshowinsomecasesafeelingofbitteropposition,practicallyamountingtohatred,forthosewhosebeliefisalittledifferentincertainwaysfromtheirown.

OneofthemoststrikingfeaturesoftheworkofthegreatHierarchyisthatineverysuchcaseitsmembersextractthegoodandputasidetheevil.Theytakeuptheforcewhichthatdevotionandearnestnessgenerates,anduseeveryounceofit,puttingasidealltheevilwhich,onthisplaneatanyrate,solargelypreventsthegoodfromshowingitself.TherearemanyChristiancommunitieswherethebigotrysoovershadowstheloving-kindnessthatalltheoutwardimpressiononegets isof itsbitterness.TheBrothersof theHierarchydeplore thebigotryandsee theevildoneby itevenmore thanotherscan,butneverthelessTheydrawout from it all the force of loving-kindness and devotion and good intention,utilizeit,andgivecredittothosewhopouritout;andeveryoneofthosepeoplewillgetallthebenefitthatfollowsfromhisgoodness,althoughatthesametimeforhisangerandhisbigotrytherewillalsobeexactlythedueresultsaccordingtokarmiclaw.

Whereforeitbehovesustobecharitableindealingwiththese,otherpeopleandtotryinallcasestofixourthoughtsonthegoodthings,to“pounceuponthepearls,” as theMaster said, instead of everlastingly flying at the flaws, as somanypeopledo.

Ifhe isonGod’ssidehe isoneofus,and itdoesnotmatter in the leastwhether he calls himself a Hindu, or a Buddhist, a Christian or aMuhammadan,whetherheisanIndianoranEnglishman,aChinamanoraRussian.

A.B.—ThisisathingthataspirantstothePathshouldneverforget,forunlessitislived,youarestillveryfarfromthePortal.Therenoonewillaskwhatyourraceis,oryourcreed,butonlywhatyouhaveaddedtoyourcharacterinthewayofqualities.Allofuspassthroughdifferentracesinturn.Wefindourselvesnowinaparticularsub-raceofaparticularrootracebecauseweneedtoacquirethegood qualities in which it specializes, and which it can therefore give to us,whatevertheymaybe;yetatthesametimemanypeoplearebusydevelopingtheweaknessesofthatparticularsub-raceaswell.Itwouldprobablybequiterightto say: “No other race would be so suitable for me just now, to remove mydefectsandfill inmycharacter,”but it isnot intended thatweshould takeup,say,Englishmethodsandglorifythemtotheexclusionofallothers,andfeelthatnonecanbeasgoodasthose.Eachracehasitsparttoplayintheharmony;eachcontributesitssharetothemightywhole.Inwhateverraceyouhappentobe,thepart of the harmony which is played by that race offers for the moment theeasiestandmostnaturalworkforyou.Butyouwillpassthroughthatandlearntoplaysomeotherpartlater.Ifpeopleunderstoodthis,theywouldbelesspronetofoolishprideofrace,andcriticismofotherraces.

When I hear some one complaining of some one elsewith the implicationthat the fault of the other exists because he is an Englishman or an Indian, itshowsmeatoncethatthespeakerisstilldeludedbytheunreal.Thesamethingoccurs when a person excuses his own shortcomings by saying that they arethoseofhissub-race.Youmusttrytoacquirethebestqualitiesofyourraceandsub-race, not its deficiencies. The Indian, for example, should try to acquirespirituality,harmlessness,tolerance,andcapacityforactionwithnon-attachment—forthesearethequalitiesthatthefirstfamilyoftheAryanracewasmeantto

showout.

Yet sometimeswe find that non-attachment is accompaniedby carelessnessand slipshod work, rising from the wrong idea that because one should beindifferent to-the fruits of action the action is unimportant. Butwhat is reallywantedisperfectionofactionwithindifferencetothefruitsofaction.WiththeEnglishman,itisoftenquitethereverse.Heisgenerallycompetentandcarefulinaction;butisapttogetexcitedaboutthefruitsofit,becauseheoftenlacksthequalityofindifference.

Itisthebusinessofeachtotrytoacquirewhathelacks;theIndianshouldtryto practise action, the Englishman indifference, without loss of the qualitieswhicharealreadytheirs.Ifthisweredonedifferencesofracewouldworkfortheenrichment of all races, for each could learn from the other what he himselflacked.

C.W.L.—To be patriotic, to admire your own race, to feel that you owesomething to it,and tobe ready toserve it,areallgood things.But takegreatcare lestyou showyouradmirationbydepreciating theothers.Ourpermanentrelationistohumanityasawhole.Wearecitizensoftheworld,notofanyonerace.Yetpatriotismisgood,justasfamilyloveisgood.Inbothcases,however,wemustnotletourselvescarryourvirtuetosuchextremesastoputevilintheplaceofgood.Trulyfamilyaffectionisasplendidthing,butthatoftherobberbaronsoftheMiddleAges,whichledthemtomurderotherpeopleforthesakeofenrichingtheirownfamilies,wascertainlyavirtuecarriedtoanexcess,andbecome a vice. In exactly the sameway patriotism is good, but if it leads toaggressionagainstotherraces,itbecomesbad.Butifyoucandosomethingforyour race, without injuring others; if you can show yourself to be a worthymemberofit,sothatitshallbethebetterforyourpassingthroughit,youmaythenhavesomecauseforsatisfaction.Itispreciselythesamewithreligion.Wehaveallbeenthroughmanyofthegreatreligions.Eachoneemphasizescertainvirtues,butallarenecessaryfortheprogressofmankind.

ThosewhoareonHissideknowwhytheyarehereandwhattheyshoulddo,andtheyaretryingtodoit;all theothersdonotyetknowwhattheyshoulddo,andsotheyoftenactfoolishly.

C.W.L.—HereisatouchoftheteachingoftheLordGautamaBuddhathatallevil comes from ignorance. The fact that those who do not know often actfoolishlymakes it true that the wickedman is always to be pitied, not to bedislikedorhated.Whatimpressesitselfmostuponpeoplegenerallyisthatheisacting in selfishness—forhisown interests, ashe thinks—and theyare a littleapt to forget his ignorance of the facts. To take an instance—there have beencertain great millionaries who won their way to temporary prosperity bythrowingoutofbusinessanumberofsmallerpeopleandbeggaringthem.Theyareregardedwithexecrationbythosepeoplewhoselivelihoodtheyhavetakenaway,andeveryonesayshowutterlyselfishandbrutalthesepeopleare.

Yes,butwhentheyaresoitisbecausetheyareignorant.Suchamanisdoingexactlywhathesetouttodo:tocrushoutthoseotherpeoplebecausehethinkshe can do all that business better. Perhaps he can turn out better results, andmakeafortuneforhimselfatthesametime,buthewouldneverhavesetouttodoithadheknownthathewasdoingfarmore,harmtohimselfthantoanyoftheotherpeople,thathewasmakingforhisownfutureakarmathatwouldbequite infinitely worse than that of those men whom he crushed. Instead ofexecratingthatmanforhisselfishnessthewiserpartwouldbetopityhimforhisignorance.

And try to inventways for themselveswhich they thinkwillbepleasantforthemselves,notunderstandingthatallareone,andthatthereforeonlywhattheOnewillscaneverbereallypleasantforanyone.

C.W.L.—It is agreatmottoofutilitarianism topursue thegreatestgoodofthegreatest number. It is agreat improvementupon theprevious idea that thegoodofonlyafewshouldbeconsidered,andthat theotherswereanegligiblequantity.But theminority cannot be ignored; indeed every onemust be takeninto account, because all are one. This cannot be understood until theconsciousnessofthebuddhicplanehasbeendevelopedtosomeextent,andeventhenonlybyslowdegreescanonelearnhowutterlyallareone.Wethinkofitasasortofreligiousdutytobelieveittobeso,orasasortofpiousaspirationthatsomedayallwillbecomeone.Wesay:“WehaveallcomeforthfromthesamegreatFather,andthereforeweareallbrothers,andweareallone.”Wedonot,however, understand the reality and thedepthof thatuntilweexperience it in

buddhicconsciousness.

Some suggestion of it may be given, nevertheless, if we say that allconsciousnessesareone,thatalltheworldisone,thatalltheloveinitistheoneDivine Love, that all the beauty in it is the one Divine Beauty, and all theholinessoftheworldistheoneHolinessofGod.

Christ expressed that when a man came to Him and called Him “goodMaster”,Hesaid:“WhycallestthouMegood?ThereisnonegoodbutOneandthatisGod.”ThegoodnessofeachmanisthegoodnessofGodshowingitselfforthinhim,andallthebeautyandgloryoftheworld,asweseeit,intheearthandseaandsky,isnothingbutpartoftheoneDivineBeauty;andaswerisetodifferent subplanes, from level to level, more and more we see that beautyopening itself out before us, until we learn to see all beauty through eachbeautifulthing.Itisallone.

When that is learned, the glory of theDivinewill be seen in and througheverything, and all its other glories through each of those, so that when abeautiful landscapeopensbeforeus, itwill notbemerely the scenewhichweshalladmire,butallthatitsuggests—theinfinitewholeofwhichitisonlyatinypart.Thenlifewillbecomewonderfullyhappyforus,andfulloflove.Throughthathappinessweshallexperiencesomethingof theEternalBliss,andthroughthat love we shall realize the Eternal Love. It is only in that way that greatadvancementcancome,onlywhenwerealizethatweourselvesarenothingbutapointinthewhole;then’ourconsciousnessisinaconditiontomergeintoHis,sothatthroughusHemayseeallthisbeauty,andwe,asinHim,mayseeitandrealizeittoo.

They are following the unreal instead of the real. Until they learn todistinguishbetweenthesetwo,theyhavenotrangedthemselvesonGod’sside,andsothisdiscriminationisthefirststep.

Butevenwhenthechoiceismade,youmuststillrememberthatoftherealand the unreal there aremany varieties; and discriminationmust still bemadebetweentherightandthewrong,theimportantandtheunimportant,the useful and the useless, the true and the false, the selfish and the

unselfish.

C.W.L.—Thoseareallsubdivisionsofthegreatdistinctionbetweentherealandtheunreal,andtheirenumerationshowsushowdiscriminationmustramifydownintothesmallestaffairsoflife,ifwearetotreadthisPath.Littlepointsareconstantlyarisingwhichwehavetodecidethiswayorthatway,soalwayswehavetobeartheideaofdiscriminationinmind,andkeepconstantlywatchful.Tostopandthinkallthetimeiswearisome.Manygoodpeoplegettiredwhentheytry it; the perpetual strain of it is too great for them.That is very natural, butthosewhogive in fail toachieve; thereforehoweverwearisome itmaybe,wemustcontinuethelifeofrecollectedness.

Betweenrightandwrongitshouldnotbedifficulttochoose,forthosewhowish to follow theMaster have already decided to take the right at allcosts.

A.B.—IfanyonehesitatesbetweenrightandwronghedoesnotreallywishtofollowtheMaster.Thosewhodecidetodosomustmakeuptheirmindstotakethe right at all costs on all occasions, small and great, no matter what theconsequencesmay be. In theYoga Sutras it is said of the five great qualitiescalled yama, which include harmlessness, truth, honesty, and other virtues,whichareprescribedattheverybeginningofthePath,that“thesearecalledthegreat vows, being universal,” whichmeans that they are to be kept under allcircumstances, that no gain for himself or others could justify the disciple inbreakingoneofthem.Themanwhohasattainedthispositionwillnevertell,oract,anuntruth,howevergreatmaybetheapparentadvantageofsodoing.Thiswillbesonotonly inmoneymattersbut ineverything;hewillnever takeanymore credit than belongs to him, for example.Youmust ask yourselfwhetheryoualwayschoosethetruthinstinctively,foruntilthisissoyouarefarfromthefirstPortal.Onthis^subjecttheMasterdoesnotthinkitworthwhiletosayanymore;itissoclear,sopalpable.

C.W.L.—Thisidearefersnotonlytothequestionofconduct,butalsotothefactthattherearerightandwrongwaystogoaboutanypieceofworkthathastobedone.Hewhoisnotstrictinfollowingthisruledoesnotreallydesiresuccessdeepdowninside.Peoplesometimessay:“HowIwishIwereclairvoyant;howIwishIcouldseeastrally,howmustIbegin?Whatisthefirststep?”Thefirststep

istopurifyallthevehicles;youmustbecarefulthatthephysicalbodytakesnofoodbut themostsuitable-Manywouldlikeastralsight,butwhenitcomestothepointtheypreferwhattheycallagooddinner.Theyfeelthattheymusthavethat,becausetheyareusedtoit,andforthetimetheyforgetallabouttheirdesireforastralsight.Thefeeling,however,issimplyduetohabit,andwhenweknowabout this peculiarity of the body we can proceed with confidence in thewearisometaskofwearingdowntheoldbadorunsuitablehabits,andsettingupnewones. It isencouraging that theprincipleofhabitcanbemadeapowerfulallyinourwork,althoughitisahindranceinthebeginning;forwhenoncewehaveestablishedgoodhabits, theywillgoonautomatically,andwecan forgetthem,andgiveourattentiontootherthings.

In conduct there is no question as to choosing between right and wrong.Anyonewho is likely tobe interested in thisbook,orwhowants to reach theMaster’sfeet,willnothesitateinchoosingtheright,whenheseesit.Letushopethatnoneofuswould try tocheata fellow-creature—Ihopewehavegotpastthat—orbeguiltyoftheslightestuntruthfulness,eventodoapparentgood.Weshouldprobablynotbeobtainingalivinginanyobjectionableway,suchasbythe slaughter of animals, nor be of the number of thosewhowear articles ofdress or adornment which can only be obtained by the killing of animals,—sometimes by the slaughter of, say, themother-bird under peculiarly revoltingcircumstances.AllpeoplewhocontinuetowearsuchthingsdonotreallydesiretofollowtheMaster;theyprefertofollowthefashion.

CHAPTER2

THELIFEOFTHEBODIES

Butthebodyandthemanaretwo,andtheman’swillisnotalwayswhatthe body wishes. When your body wishes something, stop and thinkwhetheryoureallywishit.

A.B.—HeretheMastergivesHispupilthedecidedorderthatwhenhisbodywishessomething,hemuststopandconsiderwhetherhehimselfreallywishesit.Manypeoplewillfindthatstoppingandthinkingeverydayandalldaylongverydifficultandirksome;butthefactmustbefacedthatitisanimportantpartofthepreparation.Itisverydifficult,Iknow,andthereforemanyaspirantsgettiredofmakingtheeffort.

Those who give up because they are tired do not achieve, that is all. Theefforttodothismustbegreatandprolonged—itallmeanssucharegulatedlife,inwhichthereshallbenohastyaction,nohastyspeech,notevenhastythinking,but all the pupil’s activities, physical, emotional andmental,must be entirelyundercontrol.

C.W.L.—If onewants really to do his best in thismatter of progress it isworthhiswhiletomakeacarefulstudyofhisdifferentvehiclesandseeexactlywhat they are. Here it is said quite clearly that the physical body wishes forthingsthat themandoesnotwishfor,andthat isequallytrueof theastralandmental bodies. If the constitution of these vehicles is understood, one can seethat what they are likely to want would be undesirable for the man. We arespeakingofthemalmostasthoughtheywereseparatepersons,andinawaytheyare.Eachofthesebodiesisbuiltoflivingmatter,andthelifeinthemjoinsitselftogether,andacquiresakindofcorporateconsciousness.

In the astral body that formswhatwe sometimes call the desire-elemental,whoispracticallyanentitycomposedofthejointlifeofalltheastralcellsthatmake up that body. Each cell by itself is a small, only partly-conscious life,strugglingonitsupwardway—or,rather,itsdownwardway,becauseevolution

for it is to pass down into the mineral kingdom. When these lives findthemselves all joined together in an astral body, they do to a certain extentpractically club together and act as though theywere a unit, and you get theeffectofanastralbodythathasstronginstinctsofitsown,sostrong,infact,thatyoucouldalmostsaythatithasawillofitsown.Thewayforittoevolveistoget stronger and coarser vibrations, connected with all those feelings andemotions which we do not want to develop, such as envy, jealousy andselfishness: that iswhyits interestsaresooftenopposedtoours.Thefarmoredelicate,morerapidandreallymorepowerfulvibrationsoflove,sympathyanddevotion,allbelongtoahigherpartoftheastralbody,consequentlytheyareofthetypethatthebodyitselfdoesnotwant,thoughwedo.

Peopleofunregulatedlife,whowant tobefree,as theyoftencall it, tosayand do what they wish, are really slaves to their astral bodies. We must notblametheastralbodyforthis,norregardit,asthemediaevalChristiansdid,asatemptingdemon.Itdoesnotknowanythingaboutusorourexistence;anditisnottemptingusatall,butissimplytryingtofindexpressionforitself,toevolve,initsownway,justasallothercreaturesaredoing.

People have sometimes asked the question, “Ought not we to give thiselemental a chance for its evolution; ought we not to let it have its coarsevibrations?” No, that is mistaken philanthropy, and could not be donethoroughly, anyhow. The kindest thing one can do with the coarser matter—whichisinourastralbodiesbecauseinsomepreviousliveswehaveallowedtheloweremotionstoplaystronglythroughus—istoshakeitout,andletitfastenitselfuponsomesavage,oradogoracow,whereitsvibrationscanactwithnoharmtoanybody.

The desire-elemental is in its way quite cunning. We cannot quite putourselves in its place and realize consciousness at so very low a stage, butevidentlyitfeelsthatitissurroundedbysomethingfinerthanitself—thementalmatter—andappears to findoutbyexperiment that if itcanget that tovibratealongwith itsmatter, itobtainsamuchmoreintensevibration,andmoreof it,thanitotherwisecould.Ifitcanmakethemanthinkthathewantswhatitwants,itismuchmorelikelytogetit,soittriestostirupthatfinermatter.Ifitcanthus

induceanimpurethought,forexample,itwillpresentlygettheimpureemotionsthatitlikes,orifitcanarouseajealousthoughttherewillpresentlybeafeelingofjealousyrankling,whichiswhatitwants;not,however,becauseitisevil,fortoitisnothingbutaverystrongcoarsevibrationsuchasitenjoys.Inthiswaytheelementaloftenprovesmorethanamatchforthehumanbeing,thoughitisverylowinthescaleofevolution.Itisratherhumiliating,whenyouthinkofit,torealize thatyouarebeingovercomeandusedasa toolbysomething that isnotyetevenamineral.Wehavetofaceitandpurifytheastralbodyagainstitswillbychanginganybadhabitsthatmaybeoursfromthepast,andputtingintheirplacesgoodemotionsforthefuture.

There is amental elemental and a physical elemental aswell.The latter isengagedinthebuildingupoftissueandlookingafterthebodygenerally.Ifonegetsascratch,acutorawound,itisthephysicalelementalthatatoncehurriesthewhite corpuscles to the spot, to try to build together new cells.There is agreatdealthatisveryinterestingabouttheworkofthiselementalinthephysicalbody;someofitsactivitiesareeminentlyusefultous,butatthesametimeitisliabletohaveimpulseswhicharenotforourgood.

ForyouareGod,andyouwillonlywhatGodwills;butyoumustdigdeepdown into yourself to find theGodwithin you, and listen toHis voice,whichisyourvoice.

C.W.L.—TheideaofourunitywiththeOneSelfisdifficulttorealize.Iwilltellyouhowitwasfirstbroughtdefinitelyhometome,thoughitwasnotbyamethodthatIcanrecommendtoothers.Iwasat thetimetryingtoconcentratethe whole of my power in the atomic part of the mental plane, in order todiscoverhowfaronecouldutilizewhatwecalltheshortcutswhichrunbetweentheatomicsubplanesofthedifferentplanes.Inrisingthroughtheplanesonecantravelupthephysicalplanefromsubplanetosubplanetotheatomic,fromthattothelowestastral,andonbydegreestotheastralatomic,andthentothelowestmental,andsoon.Oronecantakeashortcutfromtheatomicphysical to theatomicastral,andfromthattotheatomicmental.

Ihadheard,amonghigherpupils,ofanotherkindofshortcut,atrightangles,asitwere,tothat.Theysaidthatifone’sconsciousnesswerefocusedinoneof

our atomic subplanes one could get a line of communication open to thecorresponding cosmic plane. Therefore, by focusing oneself entirely in theatomicmental,therewouldbeapossibilityofcomingintotouchwiththementaldivisionofanentirelynewsetofplanes,(thatistosay,thecosmicmentalplane)altogetherabovealltheplanesthatweknow.

Ihadnot,ofcourse,anyhopeofreachingsuchaplaneasthat,buttherewasa possibility of communication. I tried, and found that I was able to see—Icannot describe it, I am afraid—the corresponding subplane in the cosmicmental,twowholesetsofplanesabovewhereweare.Icouldnotactuallyreachitinanysortofway—IdonotthinkevenanAdeptcoulddothat—butIcouldseeit.ItwasasthoughIwereatthebottomofawellandwerelookingupatastar—but I could see that higher consciousness. The one thing that was thenborneinuponme,withanintensitywhichIcannotdescribe,wasthefactthatifbefore I had supposed that I had a will, that I had an intellect, that I hademotions, theywerenotmine, theywereHis; itwasHiswill,His feeling,notmineatall.Ihaveneverforgottentheexperience,asitimpressedthatfactuponmewithacertaintythatIcannotdescribe.

That certainty that theDivine is within us can be gained also through thebuddhicconsciousness,asIhavealreadyexplained.Assoonasweachievethat,wefindtheseaofconsciousnessopeningroundus,andweknowthatwearepartofit,andyetatthesametimemanyothersareinitandshareitalongwithus;andpresently,inadditiontothatfeeling,wecometorealizethatthisisalloneconsciousness,penetratingusandallothers—thatweareGod.Thatrealizationgives one a sense of the utmost safety and confidence, the most tremendousimpulseandstimulusofwhichonecouldpossiblythink.YetIcanquiteimaginethatatfirstitmightalarmsomepeople,becausetheymightfeelthattheywerelosingthemselves.Theyarenot,ofcourse;butrememberwhatChristsaid,“Hethat loseth his life for My sake shall find it.” Christ represents the buddhicprinciple, and is saying: “He who for My sake—for the Christ developmentwithinhim—willputaside thecausalbody inwhichhehasbeen living for solong,willfindhimself,willfindthefargranderandhigherlife.”Itneedssomecouragetodoit,anditisastartlingexperiencethefirsttimethatoneiswhollyinthe buddhic vehicle and finds that his causal body, upon which he has been

dependingforthousandsofyears,hasvanished.WhenanyonehasoneorotheroftheexperiencesIhavedescribed,hewillknowwithabsolutecertaintythattheSelfisone.Theideacannotbeconveyed,butitwillbeknownwhenthethingisexperienced,andnothingwilleveragainshakethatcertainty.

Donotmistakeyour bodies for yourself—neither thephysical body, northeastral,northemental.EachoneofthemwillpretendtobetheSelf,inorder to gain what it wants. But you must know them all, and knowyourselfastheirmaster.

C.W.L.—TheMaster speaksof thesebodiesquitedefinitelyas though theywere separate persons, referring, of course, to the elementals which we havealreadyconsidered.Theirempireisabsolutelyuncheckedformostpeopleintheworld,whonotonlymakenoefforttothrowofftheirdominion,butdonotevenknowthatthereisanyyoketothrowoff.Theydonotseparatethemselvesfromtheirbodies.Thedisastrousteachingaboutmanhavingasoulisresponsibleformuchharminthisdirection.Ifpeoplecouldonlyrealizethatmanisasoulandhasbodies,atoncetheywouldbegintodisentanglethingsalittle.Solongasamanhas the idea that thesoul is somethingvaguefloatingabovehim, there isvery little hope of doing good.Whenwe find the elementals rising in us,weshouldsay:“Thisemotionisavibrationinmyastralbody,andIwillvibrateas/choose. Iam thecentre for the timebeingof this setofbodies,and IwillusethemasIwant.”

Whenthereisworkthatmustbedone,thephysicalbodywantstorest,togooutwalking,toeatanddrink;andthemanwhodoesnotknowsaystohimself:“Iwanttodothesethings,andImustdothem.”Butthemanwhoknowssays:“ThisthatwantsisnotI,anditmustwaitawhile.”

C.W.L.—Youwillnoticethatverystronglyinthecaseofchildren.Ifachildwantstodoathing,itisheavenandearthtohim;hemustdoitthenandthereinamoment,andifhecannothethinkstheuniverseisfallingroundhim.Savagesalsoarelikethat—creaturesofimpulse,whichissostrongthatjusttodosometrifling thing theywill sometimeskill aman.Thecivilizedmanwould say: “Iwillwaitandconsiderwhatwillhappen.”Thechilddashesoffandplays,andfartoo oftenwewho are older blame and scold him, not understanding the child

nature.Hesays,“Ididnot remember.”That isabsolutely true,butwedoubt itbecause we know that we should remember. We have forgotten our ownchildhoodandthatoftherace.Weoughttosay,“Iknowyouhaveanimpulse,butreallyyoumustnotdothatjustnow.Itwillupsetthearrangementsofagreatmanyotherpeople.Youshalldoitsomeothertime.”Thatisthewayeducationprogresses. It is the same with the savage, who in course of time learns thatcertainimpulsesmustnotbefollowed.Ittakeshimseveralbirthstodoso,andhe generally gets killed in the process, but gradually he becomes a little lesssavageandmorecivilized.Buttheadvanced,manisdealingwiththebodyasaseparateentity,asathinghecanmanage.

Oftenwhenthereisanopportunitytohelpsomeone,thebodyfeels:“Howmuch trouble it will be for me; let some one else do it.” But the manrepliestohisbody:“Youshallnothindermeindoinggoodwork.”

C.W.L.—Dr.Besant remarkedwith regard to this that there are verymanycaseswherethereisobviouslyagoodpieceofworktobedone,butmostpeoplelookat itandsay:“Yes, that isa thingthatmustbedone.Someonewilldoitsomeday;whyshouldJbotheraboutit?”butthepersonwhoisreallyinearnestsays:“Thereisapieceofworkthatoughttobedone;whyshouldnotIdoit?”andhewillplungeinanddoitatonce.

Thebodyisyouranimal—thehorseuponwhichyouride.Thereforeyoumusttreatitwell,andtakegoodcareofit;youmustnotoverworkit,youmustfeeditproperlyonpurefoodanddrinkonly,andkeepitstrictlycleanalways,evenfromtheminutestspeckofdirt.

C.W.L.—Theideathatthebodyisananimalisreallyveryuseful;itsoundssoobvious,andyetthemorecloselythesimileisfollowed,thenearerweshallbe to doing what is required. Suppose you keep a horse—I am taking it forgranted that you are a reasonable and kindly person, and thatwhile youwantyour work done, at the same time you want your horse to be as happy andcomfortableaspossible,andingoodhealth.Firstofall,then,youwanttomakefriendswithhim, toget toknowthecreature,andgethimtoknowyouandtofeel thatyouarekindlydisposedtowardshim.Thenyoufindoutwhatkindoffoodsuitshimbest,andhowmuchofitheneeds,andgivetohim.Youtakecare

thatheshallhaveenough,butyoudonotgivehimthethingsthatwillbebadforhim. At the same time you work him, because that is the object of having ahorse;yetyoudonotoverworkhiminanyway.Youfindoutwhathecando,andsethimtodoit.Youhavetaughthimtotrustyousothathewillobeyyou,andwhenyousuggestanythinghewillfollowwhatyouwant,knowingthatallwillbewellwithhim,andthenhewilltrustyouevenwhenheisfrightened.Soyougetthemostworkoutofhimwiththeleastpossibletrouble.Abadtrainerwillsometimesterrorizeahorse;butneverafterthatwillbegetreallygoodworkoutofhim.Youdonotwantthat;youwanttohaveafriendlyarrangementwiththecreatures.

Thebodyisexactlylikethathorse.Weoughttofindoutthebestwaytodealwith it. It isagreatmistake toapplysevereHathaYogamethods.Wemustbekindtoit,andgetoutofitasmuchaswecomfortablycan,butneveroverworkit,foronemaydoharminanhourthatitwilltakeyearstorepair.Thereisgreatstrainandstress inmodernlife.Menconstantlysayinbusiness:“Ireallymustdoa littlemore”;butveryoften that littleoverstrains themechanism,and thatwhichisoverstraineddoesnotreturntoitsnormalcondition.Itisveryeasytodothisharm,becausethebodyissuchaverydelicatepieceofmachinery—alivingpieceofmachinery.It iswonderfullyrecuperative,andinmanycaseswhatweknowas“agoodbody”willstandagreatdealof ill-usage.But thefact that itsurvivestheill-usage,andthatthemanlivesthroughit,doesnotbyanymeansprovethatnoharmhasbeendone.Onthecontrary,veryoftenaslightoverstrainleaves a permanent mark. Therefore I would caution any who are attemptinganythinginthewayofoccultdevelopmenttobeverycareful,andtorealizefullythat,asourPresidenthassaid,whatwehavenottimetodoisnotourwork.

Thencomes thequestionofnourishment.The theory thatanybodycan liveonanythingisnotonethatcommendsitselftothepracticalman.Peoplediffer,enormouslyintheirdispositionsandcapacities.Itisanoldproverbthatwhatisoneman’smeat isanotherman’spoison,andthat is true in thismatteroffoodvalues.Iknowthereisatendencytothinkthatpeoplewhopaymuchattentiontofood are worrying themselves unnecessarily about purely physical things.Certainly Iwould saydonot overdo it, but take themiddlepath andbewise.Eachoneowesittohisbodytofindoutwhatitcantakeandwhatamountofthatsuitsitbest.Withinreasonweshouldgivethebodywhatitwantsandlikes,butnever things which are bad for it, like alcohol or meat. Never try to force

anything,butalwaysaimatwhatiswantedwithunderstandingofwhatyouaredealingwith,andthusgaintheco-operationofsuchintelligenceasthecreaturemayhave.

Peopleveryoftenhavetroubleinchangingtovegetarianismfromameatdiet.InEnglandwhenpeople begin to be vegetarians theyoftenmisunderstand thewhole matter; they have been living principally on meat, with cabbage andpotato.Theirideaofbeingvegetariansistogiveupthemeatandtrytoliveoncabbageandpotato.Nowpotato ispracticallyall starchandcabbage ismostlywater.Amancannotliveonstarchandwater:otherelementsareneeded—foodsthat will-form flesh, bone and blood—and there are many different kinds ofthem, so assuredlyone canwith a little trouble /findwhat kinds suit his bodybest,andthenliveprincipallyonthose.Ifanyonehastroublewithdigestionheisprobablytakingthewrongthings;heshouldtryothers, for there isalwaysawayout,unlessheishopelesslydiseased.Whenlittlechildrenkeepcaterpillarsinordertoseethemturnintobutterfliestheytakeagooddealoftroubletofindwhatkindofaleafthecaterpillarwilleat—theyknowthatonlyonekindofleafwill suit it.Surelywemight takeasmuch troubleover theanimalwhich is toserveusforsomanyyears,andfeeditproperlyonpurefoodanddrinkonly.

Verygreatcaremustbetakenaboutcleanliness.Therearevariousreasonsforit—notonlyforhealth,norsimplybecauseitistherefinedthingtodo,butalsobecausetheMasterparticularlyusesthosewhoareincloserelationwithHimaschannels for the outpouring of His force. That is generally confined to Hispupils,whoareinclosetouchwithHim,butanypersonwhoisseriouslytryingtolivebytheprincipleslaiddowninsuchbooksasthis, isunderHiseye,andthereforeitisnotimpossiblethatsuchaonemightbeneeded,andmightbeusedasachannelforforce.Itmightwellhappenthatinanygivenplacetherewasnopupilquitesuitableforsomekindofoutpouring;buttheremightbesomeotherpersonwho,thoughnotsofaradvanced,wassuitableforthatparticularpurpose.InsuchacasetheMasterwouldwanttousehim.

ManyvarietiesofforcearepouredoutbytheMasterfordifferentpurposes;sometimesonepersonissuitableasachannelandsometimesanother.Watchingthecaseoftwopupilssidebyside,oneseesthatoneisusedalwaysforonetype

of force and theother for another type.Thisoutpouring is physical aswell asastral,mental,andbuddhic,andon thephysicalplane it issuesmainly throughthehandsandfeet.If,then,thephysicalbodyofthepersonselectedfailedhimforamomentinthismostimportantmatterofcleanliness,theMastercouldnotutilize it, because the man would not be a suitable channel. It would be likepouring pure water through a dirty pipe—it would be fouled on the way.ThereforethosewhoareincloserelationwiththeMasterareexceedinglycarefulaboutperfectbodilycleanliness.Letustakecare,then,thatweshallbefitinthisrespectifweshouldbeneeded.

Anotherpointaboutwhichweneedtobecarefulifwewishtobeofuseistoavoiddistortion,especiallyofthefeet.NotlongagoIstayedforafewweeksinacommunitywhere it is thecustomtowalkbarefooted,andIwashorrified toseethetwistedandcrippledappearanceofthefeetofmanyofthestudents,andto observe how seriously this deformity interfered with their usefulness aschannelsfortheMaster’sforce.Thenaturalcourseforthatforceunderordinaryconditions is to fill the whole body of the pupil and rush out through theextremities; but in caseswhere unhygienic foot-gear had produced permanentmalformationtheAdeptcouldutilizeonlytheupperhalfofthebody;andasthatimposed upon Him the additional trouble of constructing each time a sort oftemporarydamorbarrierintheneighbourhoodofthediaphragmofthepupil,itinevitably followed that others who were free from this disfigurement wereemployedfarmorefrequently.

Forwithoutaperfectlycleanandhealthybodyyoucannotdothearduousworkofpreparation,youcannotbearitsceaselessstrain.

C.W.L.—Under present circumstances preparation for the Path is trulyarduous,andifitishurrieditisaceaselessstrain,whichwecannotbearunlessallourbodies,includingthephysical,areingoodorder.Thereforeperfecthealthisanecessity for rapidprogress,andwherever it fails there isadelayatonce.Those who are in charge of the progress of any pupil always watch mostcarefully tosee that there isnooverstrain,andtheywillnotput the leastextraworkupononeundertheircareuntiltheyseethatheisperfectlyabletobearitwithasuitablemargin.

Butitmustalwaysbeyouwhocontrolthatbody,notitthatcontrolsyou.Theastralbodyhasitsdesires—dozensofthem;itwantsyoutobeangry,tosaysharpwords,tofeeljealous,tobegreedyformoney,toenvyotherpeopletheirpossessions,toyieldyourselftodepression.Allthesethingsitwants,andmanymore,notbecauseitwishestoharmyou,butbecauseitlikesviolentvibrations,andlikestochangethemconstantly.Butyouwantnone of these things, and therefore youmust discriminate between yourwantsandyourbody’s.

A.B.—I suppose thatmost thinking people clearly realize that they are nottheir physical bodies, but the examples that theMaster gives here show howcontinually they identify themselves with their astral bodies. You maysometimes findyourself saying, “I amangry,or irritable.”Even thosewhodonot like to think of themselves as the lower emotions often still confuse themwith thehigher.Probably theywillnotsay,“Iamjealous,”when theybecomeconsciousof thefeelingof jealousywithin them;for thoughmenmay identifythemselveswith their feelings they try toveil the lowerones, and in this casetheydeceivethemselvesintobelievingthattheirfeelingisnotjealousy,butlove;“Iamhurtbecauseso-and-so,whomIlove,lovessomeoneelsebetterthanme.”

Love is such a far-reaching, all-embracing virtue, that men like to shelterunderit,andtheymanagetoattributetoitallsortsofthingswithwhichithasnothingwhatever todo.It isfarbetterforus toexamineourfeelingshonestly,and not to play with these serious matters and deceive ourselves with prettywords.Inthecaseunderconsideration,youarenothurtbecauseyouloveyourfriend,butbecauseyoudesire toappropriate that friend toyourself.Wheneverthere is this feeling of being: hurt it springs from selfishness, which is theopposite pole to love.You—the realSelf—cannot feel jealous, but your astralbody can; nor can you be angry or irritable; these are allmoods of the astralbody.

The Master also mentions further examples—greed, envy and depression.AspirantsforthePatharenotsolikelytoyieldtothefirsttwooftheseastothethird. Often people are less careful about depression than about their otherfeelingsbecausetheyareunderthedelusionthatitaffectsonlythemselves.Theythink:“IfIfeelsadorlow,afterallitisonlymybusiness,anditconcernsnoone

else.”But that is not true; it does injure other people. Themechanism of thisprocessiswellknowntoallstudentsofoccultism.Thevibrationsofdepressionspreadaround,andaffect theastralbodiesandeventhementalbodiesofotherpeople.Thisisafarmoreevilthingthanisgenerallyrealized,becausemanyofthepeoplewhomyourthoughtmaytouchmaybeofaless-developedtype,andmayalsobeincircumstancesinwhichtheyareexposedtoconditionsthattendtocrime.

Thosewhoare familiarwith thehistoryandstatisticsofcrimeknow thatalarge number of crimes, especially such asmurder and suicide, are committedafter a period of deep depression. The prisoner in the dock often says: “Anoverwhelmingfeelingofdespaircameoverme;IfeltIcouldnothelpmyself.”Therearemanypeopleinthelowerstagesofevolutionwhomaybeaffectedinthisway;andsomemaysufferimprisonmentanddeath,whoyetwerenotreallyresponsible, or only partly so for the crime committed by their hands.We areliving in a world where few people understand these inner laws and veryimperfectjusticeisrenderedinourcourtsforwantofsimpleknowledgeoftherudimentsofpsychology.PerhapsIfeelthisallthemorekeenlybecauseIusedto be subject myself to moods of great elation, and then of equally greatdepression when the pendulum swung back. Many people have the sametemperament;onedaytheworldseemsfullofhappiness,thesunshineisbright,nature is beautiful, all things are joyful and fair. Then follows the inevitablereaction;afeelingofgreatsadnesscomesoveryou,andthewholeworldseemsdarkened.Ifyoulookatthematterquietly,youwillrealizethattheoutercausestowhichyoumayattributeyourchangesofmoodarenotsufficient toaccountfor such large results.Still, this temperamenthas someadvantages. I certainlycouldnotspeaksoeffectivelyifIhadnotbroughtitintotheworldwithme;itispart of the orator’s temperament to know these extremes of feeling. But, likeeveryothertemperament,ithasitsdrawbacksaswellasitsuses.Onemustnotyieldtotheseviolentalternationsoffeeling.

Idoubtwhetheronecangetridofthisdefectbymerelysayingtooneself:“Ioughtnottofeeldepressed“;buteventheworstcasescanbeovercomeifoneremembersthatoneoughtnottoyieldtoitbecauseofitsdeplorablybadeffectonotherpeople.Donotthereforesimplytrytodriveitaway,butreplaceitwith

a strong thought of courage and cheerfulness, to which should be added thewarmthofyourunselfishfeeling.

Theastralbodydoesnotwish todoanyharm,as theMasterpointsout. Itactsasitdoessimplybecauseitismadeupofelementalessencewhichisonthedownward arc, and is evolving by violent and constantly changing vibrations.Thisconstantdesireoftheastralbodyforviolentchangesisathingthatshouldhelpthestudenttorealizethatitisnothimself,butsomethingthatbringsaboutmoodsfornoapparentcause,andnotapprovedbythereason,becausetheyareindependent activities of the astral body.Onemust realize this, and not allowoneselftobetheplaygroundofallthesechangingmoods.Studyyourownastralnature,and findoutwhatare theundesirable things that itparticularlydesires.Thenquietlydeterminethatyouwillnotallowittohavethem.Thatdone,donotthink any more about them; do not brood over them. Pick out the oppositemoods,andpractisethemalldaylong.Ifyourastralbodywantstobeimpatient,set your mind on patience; think patience in your morning meditation, andpractiseitthroughoutthewholeoftheday.Ifyourastralbodywantsyoutofeeljealous,simplyobservethefact,andthendonotthinkanymoreaboutjealousy,butthinkofunselfishnessandpractiseithard,andthentherewillbenoroomforjealousy.Yourmindcannotbefilledwithtwoopposingthingsatthesametime.

Remember that all difficulties constitute opportunities for the would-beoccultist. It is no credit for the disciple to showout lovewhen all around arekind,orgentlenesswhenallareconsiderate.Themostordinarypersondoesthat.Thosewhowishtobedisciplesmustshowoutrightemotionwhenthewrongisbeing shown to them; otherwise they are just like all the rest. This should beremembered indifficultyand temptation; theaspirantshouldspringforward tomeetthemasopportunitiesforthepaymentofdebts.Toadisciple,everytryingpersonandcircumstancehemeets isnota temptation,butanopportunity. It iswhenheisreturninggoodemotionsforevilonesthatthediscipleresembleshisMaster;itisthenthatheisshowingforththeMaster’squalities.

Think, then, inyourmorningmeditations,of thequalities thatyouwant; ifyou are irritable, for example, think of patience. Then, when you meet anirritableortiresomepersonduringtheday,youwillatfirstrespondtohimwith

irritabilitythroughforceofhabit,butamomentafteryouhavemadethemistakeyouwill thinkofpatience.Thenext timeyouwill thinkofpatiencewhileyouare making the mistake; a little more practice, and you will think of it themomentbefore,andthenyouwillfeeltheirritability,butwillnotshowit;atlastyou will not even feel irritable. The first of those stages shows that yourmeditationisbeginningtobearfruit.

Iknowmanypeoplewhohavesetthemselvestodothisandhavekeptitupforafewdaysorweeksandthensaid:“Iwillnotmeditatealongtheselinesanymore: I am getting no results.Mymeditation is doingme no good. I am notmakingprogress.”It isexactly thesameas ifapersonstartedona threedays’journeytosomeplace,andafteranhourortwosatdown,saying:“Itisnousemywalking; I do not seem to be getting there.”Everybody can see how sillysuchconductwouldbedownhere in thephysicalworld; theother isnot abitless foolish.Meditationmust produce results, just as walkingmust carry youovertheground.Itisascertainasthat.Scientificrulesactatalltimes,andeveryforceyousetgoingmustproduceresults.Ifyoudonotatoncegainwhatyouareaimingat,itisbecausethereisstillmoretobeovercome,andtheforceisgoingintothat,toneutralizeitandthentoconqueritcompletely.Donotthinkofthequestionofresults.Justdirectthethoughttothequalityofpatience,orwhateveritisthatyouaregoingto’develop,andtheresultswilltakecareofthemselves.

C.W.L.—Itisnot,afterall,verydifficultwithalittlepracticetorealizethatwearenotthisphysicalbody,that it isonlyanovercoat,buttheastralbody—ouremotionsanddesires—presentsmoredifficulty,becauseitseemsoftentobeaveryintimatepartofourselves.Onefindspeopleinevery-daylifeeverywherewhofeelthemselvestobetheiremotionsanddesires;somearesofullofthemthatifyoucouldimaginethesetakenawaytherewouldseemtobenothingleft—thewholepersonisdesireandemotion.Itwouldbeverydifficultforsuchaonetoseparatehimselffromhisastralbody,andyetthatiswhathastobedone.The fact that the astral body is constantly changing its moods ought to helppeopletorealizethatitisnottheSelf,the‘I’.Assouloneisnotchanging;onewishesalways the same thing—advancement tobeable tohelpothers towalkalone the Path intended by ourMasters. Surely, therefore, it is clear that thisemotionalbodyisnottheSelf.

Theastralelementalgainsacertaincontinuitybecausethepermanentatoms

attractroundthemjustthekindofmatterwepossessedinourpreviouslife.Itisthereforedifficulttoturnroundsuddenlyandcheckthiscreature.Itcanbedone,however,andthebestwayistodiscoverbycarefulexaminationalongwhatlinesofundesirableactivityone’sastralbodywantstorun.Eachpersonhashisowndifficulties. One perhaps is nervous and irritable or prone to jealousy, or isgreedyformoney.Whenhefindsout,hemustquietlysethimselftocheckthatparticular thing. Suppose it is irritability, which is very common under thehorribleconditionsandthenoiseofmodernlife.Thepersonshouldmakeuphismind that hewill not be irritable. It is a good thing to take it as a subject formeditation;yetinthatoneshouldnotsettoworktocombatthevice,butrathertomeditateupontheoppositequalityofpatience.Neverthinkoftheevil thingandoffightingagainstit,becausethatstirsitupthemore.

Thesamemethodmustbeappliedalsowhenyouaretryingtohelpothersbyyourthought.Ifyouarehelpingsomeonewhohasthisfault,insteadofdwellinguponhisirritabilityandwhatapityitis,andtherebyintensifyingit,youshouldthink:“Ishouldlikehimtobecalmandpatient.”Thenallthestrengthofyourthoughtgoesinthedirectionofmakinghimso.

At first, whenwemeet an irritating personwe shall probably be irritable,becauseweareinthehabitofit;andafterwardsweshallremember,“Ididnotmeantodothat.”Itissomethingeventorememberafterwardslikethat.Perhapsthenexttime,orthetwentiethtime,weshallrememberatthemoment,insteadofjustafterwards.Inthethirdstage,weshallrememberjustbeforewesaytheirritable thing; the feelingof irritability is there,butwe shallnot show it.Thenextstepisthatweshallnotfeeltheirritabilityatall,andthenit isconqueredandweshallhavenomoretroublewithitinthislifeorotherlivestocome.

Itisalsonecessaryforthemasteryoftheastralnaturethatweshouldhavenopersonalfeelingsatallthatcanbehurtoroffended.Thebetterfeelings,suchassympathy and love, we may and must have to the uttermost. But it must beimpossible forus tohaveour feelingshurt, tobeoffended.Hewhose feelingscanbehurtisthinkingabouthimself,andthatwehavenorighttodoifwehavegiven ourselves to theMaster. Itmay be that there are some people so thick-headedthattheycannotseeaninsult—thatisnotdesirable;butwhenyoudosee

it, be wise enough to take no notice of it, which is always the better way. Ifpeoplesaynasty thingsaboutyou,nevermind;peoplehavebeensayingnastythingsaboutotherpeopleeversincetheworldbegan,anduntilweareallwellonthewaytoAdeptshiptheywillcontinuetodoso.Andafterallitdoesnotmatterwhatanotherpersonsays. It isapassingvibrationof theair,and it isnomorethanthatunlessweallowittobeso.Ifapersonsayssomethingaboutyouwhichisunpleasant, ifyoudonothear it, itdoesnothurtyou in the least. Ifyoudohappentohearitandgetintoafumeofangerandhorroranddespairandalltherestof it, that isnot thedoingof theoriginal sinner;youarehurtingyourself.Takeitquitephilosophically.Say,“Poorcreature,thatisallsheknowsaboutit!”Be quite gentle and kindly about it. What other people say is of very littleimportance, because they never know. Remember “the heart knoweth its ownbitterness”.Ineachcaseamanhashisownreasonsforwhathesaysanddoesandthinks; fromtheoutsideyouneverknowthewholeofhisreasonsbecauseyouarelookingatthemsuperficially,andusuallyquitewrongly.Untilyoureachthebuddhicplane therefore,givehim thebenefitof thedoubt,ormorewiselystill do not attempt to attributemotives to anyone. If you feel that a person’sactioniswrongthekindestthingistosay:“Ishouldnotdothat;tomeitseemstobewrong;butIassumethatthatpersonhashisreasons,thoughIdonotknowwhattheymaybe.”

Whenapersonisrude,itisoftenbecausesomethinghasgonewrong,andtheresultisthathefeelsalloutoftune—andyouhappentobethenextpersonwhospeaks tohim.He isnot reallyangrywithyou.Somethingelsehasupsethim;perhapshehadnotagooddinner.Wehavetolearntomakeallowancesforotherpeople and say: “Poor fellow, I suppose he cannot always feel as perfectlyamiableandagreeableasIalwaysam!”Probablythatpersonwillberathersorryafterwards that he spoke a little rudely, or else he will not even realize thatanythingoutofthecommonhasbeensaid.Anyfeelingofbeingoffendedorhurtmust spring from a thought of self. If we were not thinking of ourselves wecouldnotfeelhurtoroffended.This thoughtofself ispreciselywhatwemustweedoutandcastaway.Whereverthereisacaseofjealousy,thereisalsothisthoughtofself.Ifthepersonwerethinkingonlyhowmuchhelovedtheother,itcouldnotmattertohimhowmuchthatotherlovedsomeoneelse.Thedelusionoftheseparateselfisatthebackofnearlyallourtroubles.

The selfishman isnowananachronism—still carryingonwhatwasusefulandnecessary forhim twentyyears ago, but it is not useful andnecessary forhimnow,andheissimplybehindthetime.Ourbusinessistobeup-to-date.WearelivingforandthinkingofthefuturethatthegreatWorld-Teacherwillmakeforus;andbecauseofthatwemustbrushawayalltheseantiquatedideas.

Whenyouexamineyourself to find the faults thatyou intend toovercome,beware of being upset by delusions about remorse and repentance.Rememberthe story of Lot’s wife, and do not look back—that is a very profitlessoccupation.Youmaysayquitecalmlywhenyouhavemadesomebadmistake:“Thatwasafoolishthingtodo;Iwillneverdoitagain.”Talleyrandisreportedtohavesaid:“Anymanmaymakeamistake—weallmakemistakes—but themanwhomakes the samemistake twice is a fool.”AMaster once remarked:“Theonlyrepentance,whichisworthanythingistheresolvenottodoitagain.”Remember:“Themanwhonevermadeamistakenevermadeanythingatall.”You do not worry about what you did in past lives; why then worry aboutyesterday?Bothareequallypast.Remorseisawasteoftimeandenergy—worsethanthat,foritisaformofselfishness.

It iseasy tobe lovingandkindly to thosewhoareso tous,but ifwehavemadeanyrealprogressweshallpouroutloveevenwhenwemeetwiththelackofit.TheChristsaid:“Ifyelovethemwhichloveyou,whatrewardhaveye?donoteventhepublicansthesame?”5.Hiscommandwastoloveyourenemiesandprayfor themwhichdespitefullyuseyou.6That is the timewhenadiscipleoftheMastercanshowhistruevalue;whenhecandowhattheMasterwoulddo;when,althoughpeoplespeakillofhim,andill-treathim,hestillthinksofthemkindly and lovingly, andmakes excuses and allowances for their foolishness.That iswhatwehave todo. It isnotenough to return loveandkindliness;wemustbeabletopouritoutuponpeoplewhoasyetscarcelyknowwhatitmeans.ItwassaidoftheChristthatwhenHewasreviled,Herevilednotagain;whenHe suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgethrighteously.7Weareallwrongedandmisjudgedandmisunderstoodsometimes.Nooneneedworryaboutit,forkarmawillseethatallisputright.“Vengeanceismine;Iwillrepay,saiththeLord.”8LeaveittoHim.Justicewillalwaysbedone,and all that is wrong will some day come right, and those who nowmisunderstand will some day realize their error,and be sorry that they

misunderstood.Noinjusticewillbedone:thetotalwillcomeoutasitshould.

TheLogosHimselfissettingtheexampleofLoveallthetime.ManypeoplespeakillofHim;manymisunderstandandfloutHim.Hemakesnoanswer,butthe steadyoutpouringof thedivine lovegoeson for ever, and in so far aswewishtobeanexpressionofthedivinethatmustcharacterizeusalso.

Yourmentalbodywishestothinkitselfproudlyseparate,tothinkmuchofitselfandlittleofothers.

C.W.L.—Here again we must differentiate between what the mental bodydesiresandwhatweourselvesdesire,andrealizethatwearenotthemind.Weareinthehabitofsaying,“Ithinkso-and-so,”butaboutninetimesoutoftenthefactisnot“Ithink,”butthemindthinks.Manyofushavebeentryingtocontrolandtrainourthoughts,yetifwereviewthemweshallseehowfewareworthytobe attributed to us—to the Self—and how many belong merely to the lowermind.

The lowermind flies from one thing to another, flits over the surface of avarietyofsubjects,butusuallydealsfullywithnone.Itisnotitsdesireasaruletodealexhaustivelywithanything,butsimplytopassfromsubjecttosubjectinorder to get constant change of vibrations.We shall probably find, ifwe lookback,thatwehave,duringevenashortspaceoftime,thoughtagreatnumberofquite insignificant things.Whenyouarewalkingalong thestreet, for instance,youwillfindthatthoughyouarenotspeciallythinking,thereissomethingthatisdoingsoallthetime;thatisthementalbody.Ifyoudonotholditincontrol,itwill pass in review a vast number of things, useless to you, though notnecessarily bad, unless they are self-centred or selfish. It has the habit ofassociationofideas,also,bywhichitwillsometimestwistone’smostbeautifulthought and carry it away to something quite different and trivial. We mustcontrolandchangeallthat.Iknowitishardeverymomenttokeepcheckuponwhat themind isdoing,but itought tobedone,because themind isamightypower,by far thestrongest thingwehaveaboutus. If thewillcanbedirectedthroughthementalbodytherearefewthingsonecannotdobyitsmeans.Thisenormous power can be ours, be we rich or poor, young or old—a valuableinstrument in our service of theMaster, if wewill practise constant vigilanceuntil new habits ofmind are formed.Many things can be donewith thought,

whichcannototherwisebeaccomplished.Affectionatethoughtthatissentouttosomeonewhomweknowtobeinneedofassistancemaybeoffargreaterhelpthanthegiftofasumofmoney—itmayproducealife-longeffect.Theresultsofthismaynotevenshowonthephysicalplane,butit isnonethelessrealworkfortheMaster.

Thebackgroundof themindshouldbea thoughtof theMaster, towhichitwillturnwhenevertheSelfisnotreallythinkingaboutsomethingthatrequiresattention.Thisthoughtshouldbeaspreciseaspossible.TherearemanypeoplewhosethoughtoftheMasterisakindofvaguebeatitude,asortofsemi-ecstasy,a species of religious coma in which they are not really actively thinking ofanything. Instead of vaguely bathing ourselves in a thought which has noprecisionaboutit,weshouldletourdevotiontotheMastertakeadefiniteform,such as “What can I do to serve Him, in what direction can I employ mythought-power?”

Youwillfindagainandagaininthisbookthestrongestinsistenceuponthefact that there is reallyonlyone thought,onlyonewill,onlyonework forus.TheonethoughtisthethoughtofservicetotheMaster,theonewillistodothatwork, the one work is the devotion to Him, and for His sake to the world.Thoughthereisthemostcomplexvarietyintheworkthatwillcomeinourwayto do, it is all for Him and for the world. There is only one thought in theMaster’smind—thatofservice;andifwewishtobeonewithHimthatmustbeouronlythought,too.Itimpliesthatweshallmakeourselvesfitforservice,andinthatwayitincludessomeprogressforus,notbecausewewanttobegreat,butbecausewedesiretobegoodinstruments.

Manypeoplearedeveloping theirmentalbodies.Great scientificmendo itforthepurepursuitofknowledge.Sometimestheremaybeasidethoughtintheman’sbrainthatifhemakesagreatdiscoveryhewillbecomefamous,butIdonot think that is true of most scientific men. There is usually a wish in thebackground to make the knowledge useful, but first of all there is in thescientificmindan intensedesire toknow. It isanoble line,and in it therearemanynoblesouls,doinggreatservicetomankind.

Wetoomustendeavour tocultivateourmentalbodies, tomake themkeen,

active,useful.Why?Whydoesacarpentersharpenhisplane?Notinorderthathemayhaveasharperplanethansomeothercarpenter,butinorderthatitmaycut thewoodwell,and thathisworkmaybewelldone. It ispreciselyfor thatreasonthatourmentalbodiesmustbetrained.Butwemustallthetimehaveinviewthethought:“IammakinganinstrumentfortheMaster’swork.”Onewhokeepsthisidealwillbefreefromspiritualpride,andsowillavoidmanyofthepitfallsintowhichmereintellectualdevelopmentdoesundoubtedlyleadpeople.

Evenwhenyou have turned it away fromworldly things, it still tries tocalculate for self, to make you think of your own progress, instead ofthinkingoftheMaster’sworkandofhelpingothers.

A.B.—The thingwhich has perhaps struckmemost in this teaching of theMasteristhatitinvariablycentresroundandreturnstotheideaofonethought,onewill,onework.Itseemstoradiatethatunitysostrongly, thatyoufeel thatthe Master can have only the one thought, that he has blended Himself soperfectlywiththeOnethatHecouldnotthinkofanythingelse,thatHecouldnotforget it,whatevermight be occupyingHis attention.That is the ideal for thedisciple.HemustthinkalwaysoftheMaster’sworkandofhelpingothers;thatoneideamustdominateallelse.Ifitisotherwise,thenitisyourmindwhichisthinking,notyou.Butifyouhavethatidea,youhaveeverythingelse.Supposeyou thinkofavirtue inmeditation;whydoyouwant it—tobeadmired,or tobring yourself nearer to initiation? Or do you want it in order to be a betterinstrument for the Master’s work? That is the test by which you may knowwhetheritisyourmindoryouwhichisthinking.

Itisagoodplantoputthetesttoyourselfinadefiniteway.Supposethecase—andIdonotthinkitaninconceivableone,thoughasageneralrulethemoredevelopedamanisthemoreusefulheisalso—ofapieceoftheMaster’sworkwhich called for “qualities far inferior to others which you had developed.Wouldyoubewilling to take it and toworkawayat that, insteadofgoingonusingyourhighertalentsandimprovingyourselfonthoselines?Wouldyoubewillingtobeless,inordertobemoreuseful?Youwouldifyoualwayskeptinmind theonemotiveofbeinguseful for theMaster’swork. In thatwork therewillbeplentyofopportunityforthecultivationofourmentalbodies,thatthey

maybekeen,active,useful.Ifweimproveourselvesforthispurposeweshallbeinnodanger of falling into theheresyof separateness. In the lowerworldwemustcontinuallykeepoureyesopentoturntoaccounttheopportunitieswhichotherpeoplehaveleftasidebecausetheythoughtthemunimportant.Adisciplealways looks for the things left undonebyothers, that hemay supplywhat islacking.Suchanattitudemeansthatthemindiscomingundercontrol.

C.W.L.—TheMaster’sworkmustdominateallelseinourminds.Ifwefindanyotherthoughtthanthat,anyotherreasoncomingforwardfordoinganything,then that which is putting forward a reason is the mind, not the ego—animportantdistinctiontomake.Themindisindeedproudandseparate,andwhenithasquitegivenupalltheearthlykindsofpride,itsnextstagewillbetotrytomakeusproudofourprogress,ofourpositioninrelationtothegreatMasters,orsomething of that kind.Whenwe have trodden that down, and are rid of anypride in these things, itwill try tomake us proud of not being proud.Donotblamethesubtlementalelemental;ithasnoideaofyou,butitissimplytryingtogetthevarietiesandkindsofvibrationswhichitneedsforitsownevolution.

When youmeditate, itwill try tomake you think of themany differentthingswhichitwantsinsteadoftheonethingwhichyouwant.Youarenotthismind,butitisyourstouse;sohereagaindiscriminationisnecessary.Youmustwatchunceasingly,oryouwillfail.

C.W.L.—They say in India that themind is the rajaorkingof senses, andthatofallpartsofournatureitisthemostdifficulttocontrol.Inthatrespectwein theWestareperhapsevenworseoff than theIndian,becausewehavebeenespeciallydevelopingthislowermind,andhavepridedourselvesontherapiditywithwhichitcanchangefromonesubjecttoanother.

However, by patient effort youmay bring to bear upon this elemental themightypoweroftheforceofhabit;youmaygetitintoagroove,andinduceittounderstandthatyou,theego,intendtopreserveyourdominantideaallthetime,butthatinconnectionwiththatideathereareinfiniteramifications,forthereisnothingthatcannotbebroughtintotheserviceoftheMaster.Thenpresentlythiscuriousunmanageableelementalwillcometounderstandthat,onthewhole, itgetsmorebyworkingwithyou,whomitdoesnotunderstand,thanbyworking

againstyou;andafterwardsitwillworkpleasantlyandharmoniouslyalongwithyou.

CHAPTER3

RIGHTANDWRONG

BetweenrightandwrongOccultismknowsnocompromise.Atwhateverapparent cost, thatwhich is right youmust do, thatwhich iswrongyoumustnotdo,nomatterwhattheignorantmaythinkorsay.YoumuststudydeeplythehiddenlawsofNature,andwhenyouknowthemarrangeyourlifeaccordingtothem,usingalwaysreasonandcommonsense.

A.B.—Ifyoulookhonestlyatityouwillfindthatordinarylifeisaseriesofcompromises.Menareconstantlydoingalittlelessthanwhattheyknowtoberight in order to meet that deadliest of questions: “What will people say?”Knowingquitewellinagivencasewhatisbesttodo,theyshiftitalittle,tamperwithit,fallshortofit,inordertomakethewaysmootherforthemselves.Thisfearoftheopinionsofothersispartlyduetoaweaknesswhichisamiableatitsroot—thedesiretoplease.ThisdesireisverycommoninIndia,butifyouwanttotreadtheoccultpathproperly,youmustneverletyourselvesbeledbyitintocompromises,whereprinciplesormattersofimportanceareconcerned,suchasin the big religious and social questions. Take, for example, the case of childmarriage.Therearemanycasesinwhichthesemarriagesareconsummatedtooearly.Ihavespokenagainandagainonthepublicplatformaboutthecrueltyofmaking a girl amother before she is full-grown, andof the injury that such apracticedoestothevitalityoftherace.Manyamanknowsthatitiswrong,andopenlysaysso;heaskswhyotherpeoplemarrytheirchildrentooyoung,andyethestilldoesithimself,becauseofwhatpeoplewouldsayifhedidnot.Outofsuchmaterialasthisyoucannotmaketheoccultists.

Puttingasideforamomentthegreatquestionsonwhichthefutureofanationlargelydepends,letusturntothesmallmattersofevery-daylife.Herealsotheremustbenocompromise.Youmustmakeupyourmindastowhatisright,andthen keep firmly to it. I know that you cannot carry out your highest idealsimmediately,anymore thanyoucanget fromthebottomofamountain to thetopbytakingonestep.Butifyoumeantoscaleyourmountain,everystepmust

betakenwithaviewtoreachingthesummit,everystepmustbringyounearertoit.Neverloweryourideal;thatisfatal.AstheUpanishadsays:“Onethingistheright,thepleasantanother;rightuntopleasantthewisemanpreferreth.”

Try in little things to do what your conscience thinks right. You are notresponsible for what another person’s conscience thinks, nor for whether hefollowshisownconscience;butyourareresponsibleforfollowingyourown,atwhateverapparentcost.It isonlyapparentcost,mindyou;youcannot losebydoingwhatyoubelievetoberight,Ofcourse,caremustbetakennottoidentifyyourwhims,prejudicesandfancieswiththeright;astothattheMastergivesawarninghere,whenhesays:“Studydeeplythehiddenlawsofnature.”Firstfindoutwhatisright,andthenliveaccordingtoyourknowledge.

The Master adds the important suggestion in the last few words of thispassage:Usingalwaysreasonandcommonsense.”Alwaysconsiderthefeelingsofotherpeople,butneverlettheminterferebetweenyouandwhatyouknowtobe right. If you have to choose between hurting people’s feelings andcompromisingwithyourownconscience, thenchoose theformer.Anoccultistwillalwaysdiscriminate,indealingwithpeople,betweentherealpersonandtheprejudicesofhisvariousbodies.Hewillneverhurtaperson,buthewillhurthisprejudices rather than do wrong. Still, he will not hurt even his prejudicesunnecessarily;butifhemustdoso,hewillatthesametimeknowthatreallytheperson is being helped, not hurt, and that he himself is being used as aninstrument for breaking down a limitationwhich is cramping theman inside.Eveninthatcase,hisactionwillbegentlyandconsideratelycarriedout.Manypeoplefindthisdifficult.Itismuchhardertodoathingwithquietreason;arushofemotionmakesiteasier.Theemotion,beitgoodorbad,suppliesanimpulsewhichcarriesamanthroughwithoutfurthereffortonhispart.Ifyouwouldbean occultist youmust not act through impulse, as ordinarymen do; youmustdevelop reason, power of discrimination, and in this effort you will beginunconsciouslytounfoldthebuddhi.

C.W.L.—People usually have their prejudices—plenty of them; and theyidentifythesewiththeright.Havingbeenbroughtupalongsomeparticularline,ithasneveroccurredto themtoquestionit,so theyare liable to thinkthat themanwhodoesnotfallinwiththeirparticularmethodiswrong,especiallywhen

itisfollowedbythemajority.Popularprejudicesareusuallyveryunreasonable,and therefore we cannot allow them to influence us in matters of right andwrong.Idonotsaythattherearenotoftensomegroundsofreasontobefoundbehindapopularprejudice,ifwedigdowndeeptoit—notprobablythereasonthatpeopleareallegingatall,butsomeotherreason.Butusuallythatfragmentoftruthisdistortedandmisappliedonaccountofthemassoferrorinwhichitisswathed.

Theoccultistneverallowshimselftobeforcedtodoawrongthingforfearofhurting other people’s prejudices, but he will never offend those prejudicesunnecessarily. Reason and common sense must rule in all things. There issomething,letussay,thatyouwanttodobecauseyouknowitisagoodthing,andimportant.Verywell,butdonotchargeatitlikeabullatagate.Hepossiblygetsthrough,butatthecostofconsiderabledamagetohimselfandthegate.Oneshouldalwaysshowsweetreasonablenessinallthatisdone.Ifweletourselvesbecomestirredupandangryaboutathingthereisawaveofemotionthatcarriesus through; but todo the thinggently andquietly,without any feeling againstthosewhooppose, ismuchmoredifficult;yet that isquiteobviously the rightwaytodoit.

Onemustnotactonimpulse,asmostpeopledo.Theycannotbearthisandthat;theydonotunderstand,anddonotwanttotakethetroubletounderstand;they just drive ahead and take it for granted that they are in the right; butwehavetoconsiderothers—totakeintoaccounttheirfeelings,andtothink,too,ofthepossibilitythattheymaybeintheright,andweinthewrong,inaparticularcase.

Youmustdiscriminatebetweentheimportantand/theunimportant.Firmasa rock where right and wrong are concerned, yield always to others inthings which do not matter. For youmust be always gentle and kindly,reasonable and accommodating, leaving to others the same full libertywhichyouneedforyourself.

A.B.—This is a very tender and beautiful passage, and it balances thepreviousone,which,takenbyitself,mightsoundratherhard.Now,asthethingsforwhichpeoplegenerallycaremostarethosewhichdonotmattertheoccultist

canaffordtoletthemhavetheirownway,inmanycases.Whatisimportanttohimisacertainthingthathastobedone;hepointshiswilltotheonethinginthe middle that really matters, and with regard to the rest he lets people doexactly as they like.As he yields to them in those things, they realizewhat adelightfulpersonheistoworkwith;andtheygraduallyfollowhimquitehappilyon the important point, hardly conscious that they are following at all. In theworldthisqualityiscalledtact.Inoccultismitiscalleddiscrimination.

Itisthisqualitythatthefanaticoverlooks,andthereforehedoesnotsucceed,while the occultist always succeeds. This fanatic never knows the differencebetweentheimportantandtheunimportant,sohewillnotyieldevenin thingswhichdonotmatter; thereforehe rubspeople’s furupall thewrongway, andthen they will not follow him, however much he may be in the right, andhoweverimportanthismainobjectmaybe.If,insteadofthat,yousmooththeirfurdown, theypurr and comealong after you.This is baseduponauniversalfactinnature.Inbothmenandanimalsit isaninstincttopullinoppositiontoanyonewho is trying topull them. I sawa little instanceof this fact theotherday.Amanwastryingtopullacalfalong,and,ofcourse,thecalfhadplanteditsfour feet firmly into theground, stuck its tail out, andwaspulling against themanforall itwasworth.Ifthatmanhadbeensensiblehewouldhavestoppedpulling,andthentheanimalwouldhavestoppedpullingagainsthim,andwithalittlepattingandcoaxinghecouldhavegotittofollowhimwillingly.

Therewasavaluablelessoninthat.Ifpeoplewillnotdowhatyouwant,lookforthefaultinyourself;youwillgenerallyfindthatitissomethinginyourwayof acting that sets them against you. I follow this planmyself.When there isfrictionandtroubleconnectedwithmyworkinanyplace,Isitdownandthinkitover,andtrytofindoutwhatIamdoingthatproducesthesedifficulties,andtodiscoversomeotherwayofdoingthework.Thisisfarbetterthantryingtomakepeople followyourway.Youcan force them toacertainextent,nodoubt,butthat is wrong in principle, and also in practice it only creates opposition andtrouble.Itshowsagreatlackofthequalitiesofleadership—afacultywhichtheMasterswillwantinusinthefuture.TheMasterswillwantyoutoknowhowtolead,sothatyoumayhelppeopleon,insteadofhammeringthemalong.

C.W.L.—Some seven hundred years from now many of us will have the

opportunityofworking in thedevelopmentof theSixthRoot-Race, and in themeantimeweshallhavemuchtodowithpreparingtheworldforthecomingoftheWorld-Teacher.SomeofuswillbealivewhenHecomes,andweshallworkunderHim; thereforeweshallhave todevelop thequalitiesof leadership.Thefirstnecessityofaleaderistact.

Because theoccultistnevergivesup inanyworkof importance,healwayssucceedsintheend,thoughhemaymeetwithacheck,andbethrownbackforthetime.TheFrenchRevolutionwasaninstanceofthissort.ThosewhostoodatthebackofthemovementtowardslibertyinFrancewereunabletocontrol themadpassionsof thepeople, so that terriblecarnageandcrimeensued,and theStarsetinbloodforthetime.NeverthinkforamomentthatTheyapprovedofthe madness, of the devilish lust for slaughter, of the unspeakable filth andcruelty,ofthetreacheryandterrorism,ofalltheindescribableloathsomenessofthat awful time. The power passed into the hands of a rabble, maddened byabominabletyrannyandoppression,whoshowedthemselvesfarlowerthanthebeasts of the field. Never imagine that their incredible atrocities werecountenanced by Those who were working towards civilization. But later onTheymanagedtogainTheirendinsomeotherway,andatthepresentdaythatcountry and many others have all the freedom for which those people werestruggling.ThatissowithallothergreatreformsthatTheyintroduce,andalltheotherworkthatTheytakeup—Theysucceedinthelongrun,thoughnotalwaysjustatfirst.Weshallhavetodojustpreciselythat—neveracceptdefeat,alwaysgo on with the work—but to do it well we must acquire the art of helpingskilfully.Agreatmanygoodpeoplewanttodriveeverybody.Butthatisnottheway—wemustshowothersthedelightandjoyandgloryofman’sfutureandtheMasters’work,andthentheywillcomealongwithusoftheirownaccord.Ifyoucannotgetonwithcertainpeople,lookforthedefectinyourself.Donotbotherabouttheirfaults,althoughnodoubttheyhaveplenty,butseewhatitisinyouthatpreventsyoufromgettingonwiththem.Youwillprobablyfindsomethingifyoulookcloselyenough.

Trytoseewhatisworthdoing:andrememberthatyoumustnotjudgebythesizeofthething.AsmallthingwhichisdirectlyusefulintheMaster’swork is farbetterworthdoing thana large thingwhich theworldwould

callgood.Youmustdistinguishnotonly theuseful fromtheuseless,butthemoreusefulfromthelessuseful.

A.B.—As I have already said, the things which are worth doing from thestandpointof therealare thoseaboutwhichpeopleusuallycarenothingatall.Theyare interested inunimportant things.Thedisciple is required therefore topractisethiskindofdiscrimination,andmustnotwastehistimeinalltheuselessoccupationswhichfillthedaysofworldlypeople.

Thencomesa subtlerpoint;youmustnot judge thevalueofa thingby itssize.Theactsofastatesmanwhichare loominglarge in theeyesof theworldmaypossiblybequiteunimportantfromtheMaster’sstandpoint—meredustonthewheel.SomesmallthingdonebyanunnoticedpersonmaybeinfinitelymoreimportantifitisexactlyinlinewiththeMaster’swork.

Then comes a stillmore subtle distinction—that between themore and theless useful. You cannot do everything, so you must do what in your ownjudgmentwillservetheMasterbest.EverythingwhichhelpstheworldisusefulfortheMaster’swork,butasyourtimeandenergyarelimitedyoumusttakethemore useful, whenever the choice is open to you. TheMaster gives a typicalillustration of this in the next two sentences, when He speaks of feeding thesoulsofmeninpreferencetotheirbodies.Byhelpingthesoulyouarestrikingatthe root of all the evils in the world, for without exception they grow out ofignoranceandselfishness.

To feed the poor is a good and noble and usefulwork; yet to feed theirsoulsisnoblerandmoreusefulthantofeedtheirbodies.Anyrichmancanfeedthebody,butonlythosewhoknowcanfeedthesoul.

C.W.L.—It has sometimes been brought as a reproach against theTheosophicalSocietythatitdoesnotengageitselfinactivephilanthropicworksuchas thedistributionof foodand clothing to thepoor.SomeofourLodgeshavedoneagooddeal in thatway,but it isnot theirprincipalwork.Anymanwho is rich and kindly disposed could do that, but there ismuchworkwhichonly thosewhoknowcando. Itmayperhaps seem to some thatweare ratherconceitedtoarrogatetoourselvesthetitleof“thosewhoknow”.Butwearenot

really praising ourselves in doing that.We can quite clearly see that there areplentyofgoodpeoplewhohavenothingwhatever todowithTheosophywhoareintellectuallyfarinadvanceofmanyofus;butithasbeenourkarmatostudythese subjects, and because of that we knowmore about them than all thoseexcellent people who have not studied them. There are many among thosepeople of greater intellect, spirituality or devotion,whowill go rapidly aheadwhentheyacquirethisknowledgethatwehaveofthewayinwhichourforcesoughttobedirected.Theywillpassusontheway,perhaps,butweonourpartshallwelcomethemandrejoicetoseeit,forthereisnojealousyonthispathandeveryoneonithailstheadvanceofabrother.

MeantimethisTheosophicalknowledge is thegreat talentwhich isput intoourhandsforuse.Ifwedidnothingforotherswithit,butsimplyhuggedit toourselvesandenjoyedallthatitbringsusinthewayoffreedomfromworryandtrouble, comprehensionofdifficult problems, and soon,we shouldbe exactlylikethemanintheBiblewhoburiedhistalent.Butifwedoourbesttospreadthelightthatcomestousandtohelpineverypossibleway,thenatleastweareputtingourtalentouttointerest.‘Onewhoknows’canfeedthesoulsofthepoorandtherichalikewithhisknowledge.Thisisinnowaylesspracticalthantheother work, even from amaterial point of view.What is the cause of all thepovertyandsuffering in theworld?Ignoranceandselfishness. Ifweattack theignoranceandtheselfishnessbytryingtoputbeforemenknowledgeofthelaws’oflife,andtoshowthemwhytheymustnecessarilybeunselfish,wearedoingmoreevenfromthemostmaterialpointofviewtobringaboutthewelfareandhappiness of people on the physical plane than we should do by merelydistributing food. Not for amoment would one say that that is hot good andnecessary,thatitshouldnotbedone.Theneedofthemomentmustbemet;butitisagreaterservicetoremovethecauseofallthetrouble.Wearedoingwhatthepurelyphysicalplanehelpercouldnotdo.

Wherever therehasbeenanywisdom,anyknowledgeat allon these lines,thosewhoknowhavebeensetfreefromtheotherworkinorderthattheymayteach.Youmayread,forexample,intheActsoftheApostles,howintheearlyChristian Church, they had community of goods, and when there was sometroubleaboutthedistributionofthefoodsupply,theApostleswererequestedtosettlethedispute—todealwithitthemselves,infact.

Theysaid:“ItisnotreasonablethatweshouldleavethewordofGodtoservetables,” and told the other people to elect from among themselves thosewhowoulddothatwork,andabidebytheirdecision,butnottoexpectthem,whosebusinessitwastoexpoundtheword,todevotethemselvestothepurelyphysicalside of things. It was not that those thingswere to be neglected, but that theproperpeopletoattendtothemwerethosewhocoulddothatbutcouldnotdotheotherwork.

A.B.—WeintheSocietyhaveknowledgewhichthoseoutsidehavenot,andthereforethespreadingofTheosophyistheonethingweoughttodo.Thoseinthe Society who are not yet ready for that work—for lecturing or writing orteaching in some other way—should do other kinds of work while they arepreparing themselves. I established theOrder ofService for thosewho cannotteach,sothateveryonewhojoinstheSocietymayfindsomethingtodo.TheonethingthatapersonintheSocietyshouldnotdoistobeidle.AllmembersshouldbeactiveintheMaster’swork.

C.W.L.—It is hard to realize how many people are reasonably near thepositionwheretheymightmakerapidprogressifonlytheycouldbeawakenedtoit.Ihavemyself,Isuppose,seenitmostamongtheyoung,becausemyworkgenerallyliesthere.IseeboysandgirlsbythescoreinalmostanycountrywhocouldmakegoodprogressalongTheosophicallines,ifthemattercouldonlybeputbeforethem.Butitisnot,andtheyplungeoffintothework-a-dayworld,andbecomeverygoodpeopleoftheordinarytype.Theywillgooninthatwayfortwenty or thirty incarnations, or more, though they are capable of taking upTheosophy andwould be interested in it, if itwere properly put before them.Surely that state of affairs throws a serious responsibility upon those whopossess thisknowledge. It is thereforeourbusiness tobecapableandready toput Theosophy forward whenever there is a suitable opportunity. There areplentyofpeoplewhomight justaswellenteruponTheosophicaldevelopmentnow,asintwentylives’time.Itis,ofcourse,aquestionoftheirkarma,butitisourkarmatogivethemtheopportunity,toputthematterbeforethem—whetherthey take itornot is theiraffair.Untilwehavedoneourbestwedonotknowwhetheritistheirkarmatobehelpedornot.

Ifyouknow,itisyourdutytohelpotherstoknow.Howeverwiseyoumaybe already,on thisPathyouhavemuch to learn; somuch that here also

theremustbediscrimination,andyoumust thinkcarefullywhat isworthlearning. All knowledge is useful, and one day you will have allknowledge; but while you have only part, take care that it is the mostuseful part.God isWisdom aswell asLove; and themorewisdomyouhave, themoreyoucanmanifestofHim.Study then,butstudyfirst thatwhichwillmosthelpyoutohelpothers.

C.W.L.—TheMasterhereadvisesstudy,butHetellshispupil tochoosesofarashecanwhatwillhelphimtohelpothers.Itakeitthatthatmeansthatoneshould try to understand Theosophy thoroughly and first of all, but should inadditionacquire theknowledgeandeducationof thetimethatmakeaculturedman. I know that there are many in the Theosophical Society who findthemselves, for various reasons, uneducated, but yet are very earnest anddevoted, who say: “Why should we bother ourselves about the details ofeducation?Wewant toget at the realityof the thing, and topresent the truthssomehow.”Yes,buttheuneducatedmanislikelytopresenttheminaformthatwillprobablyatonceestrangeandrepeltheeducatedandcultured.Ihaveheardpeoplesaythatanintuitionalmanwhohearsthethingbadlyputwillriseabovethe form to the truth that lies behind; but unfortunately most men are notintuitional and we have no right, on account of our own laziness, to put anadditionalobstacleinthewayofanyonewhomightotherwisebeinducedtotakeaninterestinthesubject.Itisdistinctlyandemphaticallyourdutytomakeourpresentationasnearlyperfectaswecan.

Workpatientlyatyourstudies,notthatmenmaythinkyouwise,noteventhatyoumayhavethehappinessofbeingwise,butbecauseonlythewiseman can bewisely helpful.Howevermuch youwish to help, if you areignorantyoumaydomoreharmthangood.

A.B.—Hereisadviceespeciallyimportantforouryoungermembers.Ioftencomeacrossyoungmenatcollegewhoaretouchedbythenewspirit; theyareveryeagertohelp,andoftenwanttoputasidetheirstudies.“Whatistheuseofthese studies to us?” they ask. The advice I always give in such a case is:“Continue your studies and become an educatedman.Although theremay bemany things among those you learn which have not much importance, thetrainingoftheintelligenceisall-important.Thatiswheretheuseofyourstudies

lies; theyrenderyourmind logicalandaccurate. Ifyoudonotgo through thismentaldiscipline,afterwardsyouwillbebadlyhamperedinyourwork.”

ItisnotenoughtobeabletorecognizeTheosophictruths;ifyouwanttohelpothers to know, youmust have that intellectual trainingwhich enables you topresentthemproperly.Ifapersonisuneducated,oneseesitatonceinthewayhepresentsasubject.ThereisnopartofmyowntrainingwhichIammoregladtohavegonethroughthanthescientificpart.Firstofallithashelpedmetoputthings in a rational, logical way, which gains a hearing from intellectual andcultured people; and secondly, it supplies me with many illustrations, whichappealtothemindbecausetheyaredrawnfromsubjectswhichcanbedefinitelyproved.

Thoseamonguswhoareoldercanbeofmuchusetotheyoungerwithwhomthey have opportunities of dealing if they will, without damping theirenthusiasm,explaininakindandsensiblewaytheimportanceof theirmakingthemselveswhattheworldcallseducated.Whenonehasthehigherthings,oneisapttobealittleimpatientwiththeselowerstudies.ThereforetheMastersaysto His young disciple, who had still much of his intellectual training to gothrough:“Workpatientlyatyourstudies.”

C.W.L.—History emphatically supports this counsel. Many good people,with thebest intentions,haveblundered in themost terriblemanner, andhaveinjuredtheircause,whateveritmayhavebeen,farmorethananyoutsideattackcould have done. Theosophical work has frequently suffered from faulty ornegligentpresentation.WedonotwishthatTheosophyshouldbespokenillofbecauseofourpersonaldefectsordisabilities.IfyouaresettodoworkfortheSociety and do not do it satisfactorily, then go to work and learn to do itsatisfactorily.Ifyouareaskedtoreadsomethingandcannotdoit,learnhowtodoitproperly.Ifyoucannotlecture—presently,whenyouknowenoughandtakethe trouble to prepare, you will learn to do that. But, at any rate, be doingsomething and try to do it well. It is our duty as Theosophists to master thecorrect grammar and the correct expressionwhichwill enable us to put thesethingsacceptablybefore thepeople thatwewish to reach.Any truth,howeverglorious,maybeeclipsed,ifclumsilyandwronglyput.Itisourdutytodoourbest in this matter. We must be educated if we are to present these truthsproperly.

CHAPTER4

BETRUEALLTHROUGH

Youmust distinguish between truth and falsehood; youmust learn to betrueallthrough,inthoughtandwordanddeed.

A.B.—Onemightwonder,ifonewerenotfollowingtheMaster’sthoughtaswellasHiswords,whythispointcomeswhereitdoes.Discriminationbetweentruth and falsehood—surely this should have come first! TheMaster places itlaterbecauseit isaverydifficult thing.Youmustbetrueall through,Hesays,and it is not easy tomakeoneself so in thought andword anddeed.Youwillnotice that thought comes first; this is the regular occult order, which putsthought first, thenspeechandaction.TheLordBuddhaalsogave them in thisorder,asrightthought,rightspeechandrightaction.

Inthoughtfirst;andthatisnoteasy,forthereareintheworldmanyuntruethoughts,manyfoolishsuperstitions,andnoonewhoisenslavedbythemcanmakeprogress.

C.W.L.—We think in Theosophy that we are absolutely free fromsuperstition;Iamnotquitesurethatthatisalwaystrue.Thereisapossibility,itseems to me, of a Theosophical superstition. The man who believes a thingbecause “it is written in the Bible” is no doubt superstitious to that extent,because be has no goodbasis for that belief. Still, it is only one step forwardfromthatsuperstitiontosay,“ThussaithMadameBlavatsky”or“ItiswritteninTheSecretDoctrine”. It is a step, because there is a great dealmore evidencethatMadameBlavatskyknewwhatshewastalkingabout,thanthat,letussayS.Pauldid,oranyoftheolderwriters;butthethingisnomoreourownbecauseMadameBlavatskysaidit, thanbecauseit isattributedtoS.JamesorS.Peter.Wemustunderstandathingandmakeitpartofourselves,growintoitandletitgrowintous.Solongasweareonlyreadingthingsparrot-wisethosethingsaresuperstitions.Theverybeliefinthetruthmaybeasuperstition,ifithasnobetterbasis for us than that it iswritten here or there.When it becomes part of our

mentalsystem,wecansay,“Itispartofmeanditismine;IknowwhyIbelieveit,andthereforemybeliefisanintelligentbeliefandnotmerelysuperstition.”Iamafraidthereisagreatdealofunintelligentbeliefeveninthetruth,inmanycases.

A.B.—It is so difficult for a person to free himself from superstition, fromtakingtheunessentialfortheessential(forthisistheessenceofsuperstition)thatheisnotexpectedwhollytodosountilaftertheFirstInitiation.Thisshowsthatit isadeepandsubtle thing,whichworks into theverynatureof theman.Noone who is enslaved by it, says the Master, can make progress. That is asweeping statement, butwemust observe theword enslaved.Hedoesnot saythatnoonewhoisinanydegreesuperstitiouscanmakeprogress,butthatnoonewhoisaslavetosuperstitioncandoso.Superstitionisagreatthingforholdingpeople back. How many religious people one knows who are good, pious,philanthropic,who leadbeautifulandearnest lives,butare superstitious!Theythink that their ceremonies, their formulas, theirways of doing things,matter.Buttheydonotmatterabit.

Let us take as an example the performance of a particular function, thatintendedtohelpthedead.TheRomanCatholiccelebratestheMassforthedead;the Hindu performs the Shraddha ceremonies for the same purpose. Bothceremoniesare inspiredbythesamewishtohelpthosewhohavepassedover,and both effect their purpose, though they arewidely different in form.Yet aHindu or a Catholic in clinging to these forms would be superstitious. Thegoodwill and the earnestness that they put into it, the love that they pour outtowardsthedeparted—thesearetherealthings,andtheyproducetheresult.Thegoodwishmattersverymuch,butthespecificcharacteroftheouterformdoesnot, for thegarmentof theirwish is localandunimportant.Thatoutwardformdependsonwhereyouhappentobeborn,foryouarebornintoareligionasintoaraceandcountry.Ofallthesuperstitiousbeliefinritesandceremonies,intheefficacyofmereoutward forms,youmust ridyourselves.Fora long time thisbeliefwasveryimportant,agoodthing,becauseit is theonlythingwhichcangetpeopleoutofsloth,carelessnessandindifference.Theseoutwardthingsarecrutches;theyarenecessaryforthosewhocannotyetwalkalone,butwhenonceyoucanwalkwithoutthemyoumustcastthemaside.

Therefore youmust not hold a thought just becausemany other peoplehold it, nor because it has been believed for centuries, nor because it is

written in some book which men think sacred; you must think of thematterforyourself,andjudgeforyourselfwhetheritisreasonable.

C.W.L.—Those are the words of the Master Kuthumi. They were also,twenty-fivehundredyearsago, thewordsof theLordGautamaBuddha,whenmencame toHimasking:“Therearesomany teachersandsomanydoctrinesputbeforeus,and theyall seemgood;howarewe toknowwhich is thebest:howcanwedecideamongthem?”HisreplytothatquestionisgivenasfollowsintheKalamaSuttaoftheAnguttaraNikaya:

OurLordBuddhahas said thatwemust not believe in a thing saidmerelybecause it is said;nor in traditionsbecause theyhavebeenhandeddownfromantiquity; nor rumours, as such; nor writings by sages, because sages wrotethem;norfanciesthatwemaysuspecttohavebeeninspiredinusbyadeva[thatis, in presumed spiritual inspiration]; nor from inferences drawn from somehaphazard assumption we may have made; nor because of what seems ananalogicalnecessity;noron themereauthorityofour teachersormasters,Butweare tobelievewhen thewriting, doctrine, or saying is corroboratedbyourownreasonandconsciousness.“Forthis,”saysHeinconcluding,“Itaughtyou—nottobelievemerelybecauseyouhaveheard,butwhenyoubelievedofyourownconsciousness,thentoactaccordinglyandabundantly.”9

Oneof the exercises set by theMasters forTheirpupils is to findouthowmuchtheyreallyknowandhowmuchtheyonlybelieve.Itisagoodpracticetoobservehowmuchofourmentalfurniturewecandefinitelyclaimasbelongingto ourselves, how much is ours because we have thoroughly understood andassented to it, and how much we have accepted from others almost withouthavingthoughtaboutit.Ineverycasepeoplearebornintoreligionsastheyareintocountries.Itisthesamewithagreatnumberofcustoms.Forexample,whenyougoout to dinner youmustwear a certain dress. It is the custom, andonedoes notwant to go against custom in amatterwhich is of no importance, inwhichthereisnoquestionofrightorwrong.

A.B.—Itisaveryusefulexercisetoexaminethecontentsof themindfromtime to time, and observe first, howmany things you believe simply becausemany other people believe them; second, how many things you believe onlybecausetheyareoldbeliefs;thirdhowmanythingsyoubelievebecausetheyarewritteninsomesacredbook.Andwhenyouhavesweptoutthesethreeclasses

ofbelief,noticehowmuchremainsandthesewillshowyouwhatrealbasisyouhave foryourbeliefs.That isoneadvantageofgoing through theFreethoughtexperience,asIdid.Noonewhohasnotbeenthroughitcanquiteunderstand,Ithink,whatitmeanstohavetogiveupone’sreligiousbeliefsiftheyhavebeenreallysincerelyheld;whatthefinalcrashislike,whenthefoundationsthatyouhave been standing upon giveway. It very nearly killedme; Iwas physicallyprostrate forweeks.Butwhenonceyouhavedone it thoroughly like that,youneednotdoitoveragain.So,whenIcameintotouchwithTheosophy,althoughIfeltsureofitwithaperfectinwardconviction,ItesteditallwithmymindasIreceivedit.

Rememberthatthoughathousandmenagreeuponasubject,iftheyknownothingaboutthatsubjecttheiropinionisofnovalue.

C.W.L.—Thatisamatterwhichisveryhardforthemodernworldtorealize.Peopleseemtothinknowadaysthat, ifyouonlypileupenoughignoranceyouwillsomehowgetknowledgeoutofit.Butyoudonot.Theignorantmusthavethosewhoknowtodirectthem.

A.B.—Inoneway,themultitudeofbooksthatwehaveatthepresentdayisadisadvantage.Itinducesreadingwithoutthinking,whichproducessuperficialityandficklenessofthought.ThatiswhyIalwaysadvisepeopletoreadalittleandthenreproducewhattheyhaveread,notbymemory,butoutofthecleargraspofthe subject that they have obtained.Onlywhat you have thought out is reallyyours,andonlybythinkingoverandunderstandingwhatyoureadandhear,canyoumakeityourown.Otherwise,themoreyoureadthemoresuperstitiousyoubecome.Yougoonaddingmorebeliefstothosethatyoualreadyhave,noneofwhichhasanysurefoundation.

Ionceemployedamanwhokeptaccountsverybadly.Wheneverhegothisaccountsintoamuddle,hebegananewaccountbook,andhopedinthatwaytoget them straight again. In the same way, people nowadays always wantsomethingnewbecause theyhavenot gained any real satisfactionout of theirsuperficial acquaintance with what they already have. Those among ourmemberswhoquoteBishopLeadbeater’sbooksandmineallovertheplacearealsosuperstitious.Howevertruethestatementstheyquotemaybe,theyarenottruetothem;foriftheyhadgraspedthemtheywouldnotneedtofallbackupon

us as authorities. If theyquotewhatwe say at all, they shouldonlyquoteourwords as opinions, and not try to force them on anyone. There is only oneauthorityintheworld,andthatiswisdom.

Hewhowouldwalk, upon the Pathmust learn to think for himself, forsuperstitionisoneofthegreatestevilsintheworld,oneofthefettersfromwhichyoumustutterlyfreeyourself.

C.W.L.—ThatsuperstitionisaverybigandsubtlethingisevidentfromthefactthatitisthethirdofthefetterswhichmenmustcastoffonthePathaftertheFirst Initiation. The Pali name for it is silabbata-paramasa, “belief in theefficacyofritesorceremoniesofanykind”.

Yourthoughtaboutothersmustbetrue;youmustnotthinkofthemwhatyoudonotknow.

C.W.L.—Ifwethinkofotherpeoplewhatweonlysupposeaboutthem,thethought is probably the merest speculation.We really know remarkably littleevenaboutthosewhoareveryneartous,stilllessaboutcasualacquaintances;andyetthereisconstantlymuchprofitlessbabbleaboutthedoingsandsayingsandsupposedthoughtsofotherpeople,andmostofit,fortunately,ishopelesslyuntrue.

A.B.—Opinions about other people are mostly untrue. We can only thinktruly of anotherwhenwe really know him,whenwe can see his thought andunderstand it. That knowledge is impracticable tomost people, yet they havevery definite opinions about others; they constantly judge them and thinkunkindlyofthem.

AlittlefurtherontheMastersays:“Neverattributemotivestoanother.”Thatis anenormously importantpieceof advicewhich, if carriedout in theworld,woulddoawaywithatleasthalfthetroublethatexists.Ifapersondoesathingwhichyoudonotunderstand,leaveitatthat;donotinventpossiblemotives.Apersondoessomething, forwhat reasonyoucannotknow;butyouhunt roundforapossiblemotive,generallyanunworthyone,andfastenitontotheact;thenyoublamehimforwhatyouhavethoughtanddoneyourself.Bythusattributingmotivesmenadd to anyevil force thatmaypossibly exist in’ themindof the

personcriticized,ortheysupplyitifitisnotalreadythere,Christsaid:“Resistnot evil”; this is a casewhere that applies; it is not our business to search inpeople’smindsforeviltobattleagainst;leavethethingaloneanditwilldie.

Donotsupposethattheyarealwaysthinkingofyou.

C.W.L.—Thishappensperpetually:whateversomeotherpersonsaysordoesis takenasreferringtoourselves.Becausewearealwaysthinkingofourselvesweimaginethatotherpeoplemustbethinkingofusalso;butifwearealwaysthinking of ourselves, it seemsmore sensible to assume that other people areprobably thinking about themselves, not that they are thinking about us. Theymake themselves thecentreof theirowncircle, roundwhichall their thoughtsandemotionsrevolve,andtheythinkofeverythingasitaffectsthem.Theyarerunningroundthemselvesinacircleallthetime,andbecausetheyarerunningroundthemselvestheythinkeveryoneelsemustberunningroundthem,too.Buttheyarenot.Eachmanisinhisowncircle—anequally,viciousone,nodoubt.Probablynine-tenthsofthecasesinwhichpeopletakeoffenceatwhatothersdoandsay,arerootedinthisidea.

If a man does something which you think will harm you, or sayssomethingwhichyouthinkappliestoyou,donotthinkatonce:“Hemeanttoinjureme.”Mostprobablyheneverthoughtofyouatall,foreachsoulhas its own troubles and its thoughts turn chiefly around itself. If amanspeaks angrily to you, do not think: “He hatesme, hewishes towoundme.” Probably some one or something else has made him angry, andbecausehehappenstomeetyouheturnshisangeruponyou.Heisactingfoolishly,forallangerisfoolish,butyoumustnotthereforethinkuntrulyofhim.

C.W.L.—Thatisplaincommonsense,buthowveryfewpeopleeverpractiseit!WhenIwasapriestintheChurchofEnglandIoncepreachedasermonaboutsomeordinarytrialortemptationwhichIthoughtmightcomeinthewayofthefarmersandlabourerswhoweremycongregation.Iexplainedhowamanmightget into trouble along a certain line.After the service a farmer came into thevestry in a towering rage, and askedmewhat Imeant by preaching a sermondirected at him.Of course, poorman, he gavehimself hopelessly away. I had

neverbeforesupposedthathewasguiltyofthisparticularthing,butevidentlyitwasasorepoint,andmyremarkshadgonehometohim.IhavenodoubtthattothisdaythatmanreallythinksIsingledhimout,andpreachedabouthim.

Inthiscrowdedlifewhichweareallliving,itisinevitablethatthereshouldbeacertainamountoffriction,whichneednotbetakenseriously,orregardedasofgreatimportance.Aswewalkalongthestreetsofanygreatcitythousandsofpeople,eachfullofhisownbusiness,arepushingaheadandnotthinkingintheleastofothers. Inevitably ithappens thatpeople jostle eachother,but itneveroccurstoanyonetotakeitseriouslyasaninsult;thatwouldheridiculous.Thesamethingisboundtohappenmentallyandemotionally.Wheretherearegreatcrowdsthereisinevitablyacertainamountofmentalandemotionaljostling.Weoughttotakethatinexactlythesamespirit,realizing”thatthemanwhohappenstotreadonourmentalcornsdidnotmeantodosointheveryleastbutthathewasfollowinghisownlineofbusinessandnotthinkingofus.Wemustnottakeallsuchlittlefrictionsasseriousthings,anymorethanwedothedailyjostlinginthestreet.

Atthesametime,whileweholdthatattitudewithregardtotheabsorptionofother people in their business, it is our duty to see thatwe in turn are not soabsorbedinoursastoforgetthelittlecourtesiesthatmakelifegosomuchmoresmoothly.

TheTheosophistoughttobedistinguishedfromtherestoftheworldbyhiscourtesy, and by his calm and unchanging cheerfulness.Be gentle, be patient;there is always time to be friendly and gentle, however much one may behurried.Oneshoulddeclinetobesweptoffone’sfeetbythewavesofirritabilitywhichcomefromoverstrainednerves,whicharesocommonin thesecrowdedtimes.

A.B.—The suggestion that the Master makes here is very wise. Do notsuppose that everybody is thinking about you, because you are thinking aboutyourself.Theother people are also thinking about themselves andnot of you;theyareconcernedwiththeirownaffairsjustasyouarewithyours.Itwouldaddgreatlytothehappinessofnations-ifpeoplewouldonlytakeupthisideaandputit intopractice.Whensomeonejoltsupagainstyouin thebustleandhurryoflife do not think that he means to injure you, or that he has any personalintentionatall.Unlessyouaresurethatapersonmeanttoharmyou,itismuchbettertothinkthereverse.

Suppose aman speaks angrily to you. If youwould remember then not toattributewrongmotivestohim,andnottogetangryalso,youwouldmakeveryrapidprogress in self-control.Generallypeople remember this afterwards. If aman is self-controlled he will not show irritation, but if he is perfectly self-controlledhewillnotevenfeelit.Eveniftheothermanisatfault,itis,afterallbutaweaknessofhis,andhewhowouldbeanoccultistmustremembertobecharitable to theweaknessesofothers.Onemustalsorememberthat theangryspeech,orthehastyandirritableanswer,veryoftenmeansthatthepersonwhomakesitisunderagreattensionarisingfromsometroubleoranxiety,andisnotquite strong enough to bear the strain and showno signs of it; his nerves arehighlystrung;thatiswhyheactsashedoes.

It is true,ofcourse, thatheacts foolishly,as theMaster says.Butwemustmakeallowances.Mostofthelittledifficultiesthatpeoplehaveariseinthisway.Aheavy strainon apersonwill causehim to takeoffence at almost anything.Thinkhowmanytroublesthereareintheworld—troublesofallkindsconstantlypressingon people andworrying at them.Wedonot know the troubles of allthosearoundus,ofcourse,becausenosensiblepersongoesaboutproclaiminghis difficulties. Ordinary dignity forbids that. But if wewould remember thatthey exist, andmake allowance for them,we should obtain that perfect peacewhichtheMasterisaimingatinthisteaching.

WhenyoubecomeapupiloftheMaster,youmayalwaystrythetruthofyourthoughtbylayingitbesideHis.ForthepupilisonewithhisMaster,andheneedsonlytoputbackhisthoughtintotheMaster’sthoughttoseeat oncewhether it agrees. If it does not, it is wrong, and he changes itinstantly,fortheMaster’sthoughtisperfect,becauseHeknowsall.

A.B.—Anacceptedpupilcanalwaystesthisthoughtbylayingitbesidethatof theMaster. If he feels a jar he knows that the thought is wrong. To use aphysicalanalogy,itislikeafalsenoteinmusic.ThepupildoesnotneedtocalltheMaster’sattention;hesimplyputshisthoughtbesidetheMaster’s,andif itdoesnotringtrue,hecastsitoutatonce,andsetstoworkimmediatelytobringhisthoughtintoharmonywiththatoftheMaster.Hedoesnotargueaboutit,nortrytomakeoutthathisthoughtmayberightafterall,becauseifitisfaulty,itserroratoncebecomesapparent.Thosewhoarenotacceptedpupilscannotquitedothis,andthatpresentsadifficultytomanyaspirants.Astheconsciousnessof

thepupilisonewiththatoftheMaster,thelatterwillnotacceptanyoneagainstwhosethoughtHewouldafterwardsfinditnecessarytobuildawall.

C.W.L.—ItissaidthatthepupilisonewithhisMaster.Thatistrueinasensewhich only the Master knows perfectly. The pupil knows it too, but lessperfectly.Thosewhohavenot yet entered into that relation cannot understandtheintensityofthatunity.ThepupilbecomesanoutlyingsectionofhisMaster’sthought,belongingtoHiminawaynotatallunlikethatinwhichthepersonalitybelongstotheego.Theegoputsdownasmallpieceofitself—thatisnotquitecorrect, but it ismore accurate than the idea of reflectionwould be—into theconditionsofthelowerplanes,whereeventhebestofphysical,astralandmentalbodies can give only a very imperfect expression of him. That ought to be acomforttouswhenwefeeldepressedatourownvariousweaknessesdownhere.Onemaysaytooneself;“Atanyratetheegoknowsbetterthanthat;thereforeIneednotdespair.ItisonlyneedfulformetobringmoreofmyselfdownintothislowermanifestationtomakeitapurerexpressionofwhatIreallyamupabove,andthenmydefectswillbecomeless.”

InthesamesortofwaythepupilnotmerelyrepresentstheMaster;heistheMaster in a very real sense, but theMaster under tremendous limitations—thelimitationsnotonlyofthelowerplanes,butalsoofthepersonalityofthepupil,which is by nomeans perfectly transcended. If the disciple’s ego had gainedperfectcontrolofitslowervehicles,sothattheywerenothingbutreflectionsorexpressions of the higher, he would be able to express the Master far moreperfectly thanhedoesnow,but even then therewouldbea limitationofwhatmustbecalledthesizeofhim,becausethepupilisasmalleregothantheMasterwhom he follows, and therefore can be only an incomplete representative ofHim.Still,whateverthoughtsthepupilhas,thoseareintheMaster’smentalandastralbodiesalso.Partlyforthatreasonallpupilshavetopassthroughaperiodof probation, during which the living image of the probationary pupil isconstantlybeforetheeyeoftheMaster.TheMasterwantstoknowexactlywhatare the thoughts, and feelings ofHis prospective pupil,, because otherwiseHemightfindconstantlyobtrudedintoHisownastralandmentalbodies thoughtsandemotionswhichwereoutofharmonywiththeworkHeisdoingallthetime.It isonlyafterHehasseen for someconsiderable time that such thoughtsandemotionsaswouldnotharmonizeareveryrareinthepupil,thatHeacceptshim,andmakeshimapartofHimself.

Eventhen theMasterstill retains thepower to interposeaveilbetweenHisconsciousnessandthatofHispupil.Itisthelatter’searnestdesirenottobeshutoff,butstillwearefalliblepeopledownhereonthephysicalplane,anditmayoftenhappen that some thoughtor feeling comes touswhich shouldnot.TheMasterdoesnotwantthat,soHeshutsitquietlyawayfromHim.Thereis,itistrue,a laterperiodatwhichtheMasterrenounceseventhepower todothat—whenHeaccepts thepupilasHis ‘son,’but thatcomesonlywhenHe isquitesurethattherewillbenothingthatneedstobeexcluded.

OnaccountofthisintimateassociationwithhisTeacher’sconsciousnessthepupil is able to layHis thought by the side of theMaster’s thought. It is notnecessarytocall theMaster’sattentionatall;he isnotseekingHisopiniononthequestioninhand.Heissimplygoingbackalongthelineofthatonenesstodiscover what is the idea in the Master’s mind with regard to this particularquestion.“How,”youmayask,“wouldthepupildoit?”Therearevariousways,according to the extent to which he has realized the unity. Hewouldmake avividimageofHisMaster;hewouldraisehimselfintoitwithallbisforce,andthen would think his thought and see whether there was the slightest jar ordisharmony,andiftherewerehewould,ofcourse,alterhisownthoughtatonce.

There ishereagreatdifferencebetweentheoccultandtheworldlypointofview. In the world if there is a difference of opinion between yourself andanotherman,youatonceproceed toargue infavourofyouropinion,or try tojustifyit.Inoccultismweneverargue;weknowthatthemanwhostandsonthehigherlevelknowsbetter,andwesimplyaccepthisview.Itwouldneveroccurto us for one moment to set up our own opinion against that of the Master,becauseweknow(itisnotamatterofopinion;butofactualknowledge)thatHehasaccesstoallkindsandsourcesofinformationthatwehavenot;thereforeHeknowswhatHeistalkingabout.Hisopinionisbasedonfargreaterknowledgethanourown.Afterwardswemaytrytofindthereasonswhichgaverisetoit—that isquiteanothermatter—but in themeantimewedonotoppose it,andweshould never think of doing so. When the pupil lays his thought beside theMaster’shedoesnotargue.Whenyouhaveaninstrumentoutoftuneyoudonotarguethatperhapsthatisabetterpitch;youtuneitup.

Intheoccultworldwenevercriticize,wetakeitforgrantedthateverymanwhoisworkingfortheHierarchyisdoinghisutmost;andifheisdoinghisbest,thentohisownMasterhestandsorfalls—nottous.Ofcourseitmaysometimes

bepossible,ifweseefailureinsomedirection,tomakealittlesuggestioninthemostdelicatewaywecan:“Ifso-and-soweredone,doyounotthinkthatthingsmightperhapsbea littlebetter?”Theway inwhichpeople recklesslycriticizeothersofwhosetroublesanddifficultiestheyknownothingwhateverisentirelyforeigntooccultistsorthosewhoaspiretobecomesuch.Wesimplydonotgothatwayatall;weshouldconsideritwrong.

Thosewhoare really inearnestaboutgettingon thePathwoulddowell tofollow the customof theMasters’ pupils in thismatter.We shouldnot plungeintocriticismofpeoplewhoaredoingtheirwork;mostpeoplearedoingthebesttheycanfromtheirpointofview.Wemaypossiblyhaveamuchhigherpointofview, but at any rate they can work only according to their own light, notaccordingtoours.Whenanofficialisappointed,forexample,todosomethingin our Society, we should give him his chance; if he does not do the worksatisfactorily,thenwemayinduecoursegivetheworktosomeoneelse,butinthemeantimeweshouldnothamper theman.Heshouldbegivenachance toshowwhatheismadeof,totrytheideaswhichareinhismind.Itisabadthingtobealwaysinterfering.

Itwouldbeaverymuchworsethingtobealwaysinacriticalframeofmind—constantlylookingforholes,alwaystryingtofindweakspots.Thatisnotthewayinoccultism.Weoftenhearpeoplesay,“Icannothelpcriticizing;thatismynature.” If that isyournature it isaverybadnature,andyouhadbetter try totranscend it.Whenyousaya thing isnatural,human,youmean it iswhat theaveragemanwoulddo;butifamanhasreallytakenhimselfinhandheistryingtobea littlemore than theaverage.Wearehere tochangeournatures.Thereneed be no pride in this; the aspirant is seeking to raise himself above theaverageinorder thathemaybeable toadvancethataverage—whichhecouldnotdo ifhewereon the same levelorbelow.Anyonewhowills todo socangiveupthebadhabitofcriticism.

Sometimesonewouldliketosaytopeople,“Dogetoutofthewayofyourhigherselfandgivehimachancetodowhathecan.Youarelettingthelowerpersonalitystandinthewayofwhatthehigherwouldandcoulddoquiteeasily.”No one should ever say, “I cannot.” If you take that line, you have alreadyprejudged the case, and foredoomed yourself to failure. Set up rather thethought-form,“Icandothisthing,andIwilldoit”—thenitisalreadyhalfdone.Peopleoftenfailintheirefforts;thatisverynatural.Whiletheycontinuallytry,

however, force isbeingaccumulated,and thiswillpresentlybringsuccess.Wemustnotthinkwhenafailurecomesthateverythingislost;fortheforcewhichhasbeengained,thoughitmaynotbeenoughtobringimmediatesuccess,isallthesameasubstantialgain,andifwegoonputtingmoreandmoretoitthetimewillcomewhensuccesswillcrownourefforts.

Thereisavastgulfbetweenthesetwoattitudes:tositdownanddespair,andtogetupanddosomething.Ithasbeensaidthat theworldisdividedintotwoparts:thepeoplewhogoanddosomething,andthepeoplewhositstillandsay:“Whywasitnotdonesomeotherway?”Weoughttobeamongtheformer,andnotmindintheleastwhatissaidbytheotherkindofpeoplewhonevermoveahandtodoitthemselves.

ThosewhoarenotyetacceptedbyHimcannotdoquitethis;buttheymaygreatly help themselves by stopping often to think: “What would theMaster think about this?What would theMaster say or do under thesecircumstances?“Foryoumustneverdoor sayor thinkwhatyoucannotimagine theMaster as doing or saying or thinking.Youmust be true inspeechtoo—accurateandwithoutexaggeration.

C.W.L.—Ifwecouldkeep thatalways inmind,never to thinkor sayordoanythingthattheMasterwouldnotthinkorsayordo,therewouldnotbemuchneedofcorrectioninourlives.Wemightmakesomeerrors,perhaps,astowhatwethoughtHemightthinkorsayordo,butonthewholeourswouldbealifewonderfullypureandneartoHim.Nodoubtmanypeoplemayfeel:“IfIhadtostopandthinkthat,Ishouldneversayanything.”Theworldwouldprobablynotbegreatlythepooreriftheydidnot,formostofwhatissaidisnotparticularlyuseful.Ifamaneachtimebeforehespeaksreallyseriouslysetshimselftothink:“WouldtheMastersaywhatIamgoingtosay?”hewillspeakagreatdealless.Theprocessof referring to the thoughtof theMastermaybeslowat first;butpresentlyitbecomesahabit,andthenittakesplacelikeaflash.

Thoughtmoveswiththerapidityoflight,probablyevenfaster,andif,asthephysiciststellus,lighttravelsabout186,000milespersecond,yourthoughtofEngland,forexample,whichis12,500milesaway,wouldbetherelikeaflashoflight. The speed of thought is one of the questions of occult physics amidstwhichweareonlystumblingasyet.Wearetryingallthetimetolearnnewfacts

aboutoccultscience,andaremakingexperimentsblunderingly,muchasdidtheoldalchemists,outofwhoseeffortemergedthebeginningsofchemistry,whichhas slowlyevolved intoagreat sciencecomprisingmany thousandsof facts. Ibelievethatoutofthestumblingexperimentswhicharenowbeingmadebyonlya few people, there will arise, as the years roll on, a development of occultsciencegenerallywhichwillbeofgreatimportancetotheworld.

Usuallyourthoughtsdonotmoveasfastastheymight,becausewehavenotpractisedusingthemapartfromspeechandactiontoanygreatextent.Itisoneofthefruitsofmeditationthatittrainsustousethoughtapartfromtheseotherthings.Fromsuccessinthatoneobtainsreallywonderfulresults.Dr.Besanthasmadeastudyof this. Ihaveheardhersay thatwhenshe isgivinga lecture inpublic,whilesheisspeakingonesentence,thenextcomesbeforeherthoughtinthree or four different forms, and she deliberately selects that one which shethinkswillbemosteffective,whilesheisspeakingtheprevioussentence.Veryfewpeoplecoulddo that. It is amatterofusing thoughtaltogetherapart fromaction,andwitharapiditywhichwouldbehardtocalculate—butitshowswhatmaybedone.Itisquiteworthwhiletotrytopractiseusingthoughtasthought.Thepupil, followingout theexcellentpracticeof thinkingbeforehespeaksoracts,willfinditnotonlyfruitfulinbringinghislifeintoharmonywiththatofhisMaster,butalsoausefultraininginswiftthought.

Never attributemotives to another; only hisMaster knows his thoughts,andhemaybeactingfromreasonswhichhaveneverenteredyourmind.

C.W.L.—Everymanisanenigmaeventothosewhoarenearestanddearesttohim,andifsometimes,longafterwards,youdogetathisreasonsforhavingdone something, they are usually surprising—something which would neverhaveoccurredtoyouhasbeenthecontrollinginfluenceinhismind.Ihaveseenthatmanytimesmore,perhaps,inIndiathananywhereelse,becausetheIndianminddiffersgreatlyfromoursinmanyways,andmostofourHindubrothersaremoved to action by ideas that never would have occurred to an Englishman.Theirmind is infinitelymore subtle, and its activities are based upon a set oftraditionsforeigntoourwaysofthought.If,therefore,eveninourownraceitisneveradvisabletosupplyamotivetoanyoneforwhatheorshesaysordoes,itis far less safe in a foreign country, where you are dealing with anothercivilization altogether. Hopeless misunderstandings occur because we supply

motives, andwemust not do it. It is not our business to knowwhy a certainthingwasdone.Weneednottroubleaboutit.

Ifyouhearastoryagainstanyone,donotrepeatit;itmaynotbetrue,andevenifitis,itiskindertosaynothing.

A.B.—If,havingheardthis,yougoandtellastoryagainstsomeone,youaredisobeyingtheMaster’sdirectcommand,becauseithasbeenpassedontoyou,and so is directed to you personally. It is easy enough to hold your tongue; itmaybedifficulttocontrolyourthought,butsurelyyoucancontrolyourbody!Thestorythatyoutellmaynotmattermuch,butifitisuntrueandyourepeatit,you are telling a lie, and thatmatters verymuch for thosewhoare striving topreparethemselvesforInitiation.Itsoundshardtocallitlying,perhaps,butitisafact,andwehavetofacefacts.

Itisobviousthatwecannotspendourlivesinenquiringintothetruthofsuchstories,sotheonlysafecourseisnevertorepeatthematall.Quiteapartfromthequestionof injuringourselves andour ownprospects and even supposingyouknowsuchastorytobetrue,itiskindertosaynothing.Whyshouldyouwishtoharmanyperson?Whyshouldyouwishtorepeatanythingwhichshowsanotherinanunfavourablelight?

Ofcourse,ifwehappentofindoutthatamanisarogueoraswindlerandisbentupondoinginjurytounsuspectingpersons,itisourdutytoexposehim,oratleasttowarnthosewhoareindangerfromhim;butthatisamatteraltogetherdifferent from those which form the pabulum of common gossip. This is,however, a duty which should be exercised only with the greatest care andforethought,andcertainlywithouttheslightestill-feelingorindignation.-

Thinkwellbeforespeaking,lestyoushouldfallintoinaccuracy.

C.W.L.—This has been preached for many years and yet even our ownpeople go onmaking inaccurate statements. People sometimes talk in a mostexaggeratedway.Ifathingisahundredyardsawaytheysayitis“milesoff”.Ifadaycomesthatishotterthanusual,theysay,itis“boiling”.OurcommandofEnglishispoorifwearenotabletofindwordstoexpressdifferentgradationsofthoughtwithoutplungingintothesewild,meaninglesssuperfluities.Itisalack

ofeducationaswellasofaccuracy,andIdonotthinkweoughttobecarelessaboutthismatter.NotwithoutsignificancetheChristisreputedtohavesaidthatforevery idleword thatmenshall speak they shallgiveaccount in thedayofjudgment.

Betrueinaction;neverpretendtobeotherthanyouare,forallpretenceisahindranceto thepure lightof truth,whichshouldshinethroughyouassunlightshinesthroughclearglass.

A.B.—Truthinactionisaverydifficultthingtocarryout.Itmeansnevertodoa thingbeforepeople inorder to impress themwithahighopinionofyou,andnevertodowhenyouarealoneanythingofwhichyouwouldbeashamedinthecompanyofothers;buttobeperfectlyhonestalways.Letpeopleseeyoujustasyouare, anddonotpretend tobeanythingelse.Mostofushaveakindofidealofwhatweshouldlikeotherpeopletothinkustobe;consequentlythereareallsortsofsmallthingswhichwedowhenwearealone,butwouldnotdoifotherswerepresent,becausetheyarenotquitethethingsthatwefeeltheywouldexpectofus.

Whenever you are inclined not to do a thing because-somebody is there,checkthefeeling:ifitisright,nevermindotherpeople’sopinionaboutit;ifitisnot,neverdoitatall.Iknowthefeelingwell,forIusedtohaveit.IusedtofeelthatImustbehavebeforepeopleastheywouldexpectanauthorandlecturerandalltherestofittobehave.Inthepast,Isometimesfoundthatthisfeelingcameupaboutsomequiteharmless-thing.Togiveanexample;onboardship,whereInever feel well, I was at one time in the habit of playing patience—a mostharmless recreation, Iconsider. Itcame intomymindoneday towonderwhatthepassengerswouldthinkwhenseeingmeplayitonaSunday,knowingIwasateacherofoccultism—whetheritwouldshockthem.ThenIthought:“Itdoesnotmatterwhether people seeme or not. Ifwrong it ought to be dropped; ifright,theiropinionsdonotalterthefact.”MadameBlavatskywasremarkableinthisway.Shealwaysdidwhatshewanted,andcarednotintheleastwhatpeoplethoughtaboutit.Ifpeoplethoughtherbehaviourwasnotwhattheyconsideredthatofanoccultistshouldbe,whatonearthdid itmatter?Theyknewnothingwhateveraboutit,anyway.

Anoccultistdoesnotgoaboutwithagraveandsolemnface,takingcareto

do things in a very dignified manner, though that is the notion which manypeople have of him. The popular views are entirely false on the subject. Anoccultist is supremely natural. I think one reason why it is important, at thepresenttime,toleadaperfectlytrueandfranklife,isthatitmayserveinasmalldegreetopreparethewayforthegreatTeacherwhoiscoming;itmaymakeHispath a little bi,: smoother.For theGreatOnes are not alwayswhat thepeopleexpectthemtobe.Theydonotruninmouldspreparedforthem,butTheycometoreformtheworld,generally toalter radically thepopularoutlook;andwhileTheyareveryconsiderateofpeople’sfeelings,Theyarenotalwayssoof,theirprejudices.We,by livingfranklyandopenly,mayhelp toprepare thepeople’sminds, so thatwhen theLordMaitreyacomes theywillalreadyhave loosenedsomeoftheirprejudices,andtherewillbeachanceoftheirbeinglessoffendedthanmightotherwisehavebeenthecase.Letus,then,leadaperfectlyopenlife,always provided that we do not fall below our ideal.We must not make themistake of thinking that it does notmatter howwe act before people; butwemustbeequallycarefulandhonestinprivateandinpublic.

C.W.L.—It isquite true thatweshouldneverpretend, that there isafalsityaboutanykindofpretension,but takecarethat in theeffort toavoidityoudonotrunintotheoppositeextreme.Sometimespeoplesay,“IwanttoshowmyselfjustasIamnaturally,”andthentheyproceedtoshowtheworstandcoarsestandmostvulgarpartofthemselves.Theyarenotshowingthemselvesnaturally,butaverylowandpooranddegradedcopyofwhattheyshouldbe.Thatinmanwhichishighestandbestandnoblestisnearesttotherealself;therefore,tobenaturalweshouldbeatourbest.

Sanctimoniousness isaformofuntruth. Ifyoufindapersongivinghimselfout as an occultist, and at the same time talking very largely about his ownloftiness and tolerance, hinting at his great powers, and trying to win theadmiration of credulous people, like the hypocrites of old who “love to praystanding in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that theymaybeseen of men” and the scribes and Pharisees who “for a pretence make longprayer,”10youmayknowthatheisnotarealoccultist.Thegenuineoccultistisneversanctimonious, thoughhe isdeterminedto livefarabove thestandardofwhatisusuallycalledthe“natural“man.

People often fail to recognize aMaster because they have a rigid idea ofwhataMastermustbe,andthereal,livingMastermaynotbelikethatatall.He

doesnotadaptHimselftoourprejudicesandideas;HeisthatwhichHeisonHisownplane, and ifwearehideboundbyourownprejudiceswemaynotknowHimwhenHeappears.Somehavealreadymadeuptheirmindsastowhat theWorld-Teacher will do and say, and how He will carry Himself. Do not riskshuttingyourselfofffromHimbypreconceptions.WeknowthatHewillteachthedoctrineof love,but themanneranddetailof itwillbe settledentirelybyHim.LetusrecognizeHimtothefull,andbereadytofollowwheresoeverHewilllead.

CHAPTER5

UNSELFISHNESSANDTHEDIVINELIFE

You must discriminate between the selfish and the unselfish. Forselfishnesshasmanyforms,andwhenyouthinkyouhavefinallykilleditinoneofthem,itarisesinanotherasstronglyasever.Butbydegreesyouwillbecomesofullofthoughtforthehelpingofothersthattherewillbenoroom,notime,foranythoughtaboutyourself.

A.B.—TheMasterheredescribeswhat is Ibelieve theonlyway tobecomeperfectlyunselfish.Itispossibletogetridofoneparticularformofselfishness,certainly, if we turn our efforts to its eradication, but, as the Master says, itcomesupinanotherform.Workinginthisway,youmayspendalongtimeinkillingoneformofselfishness,andthenfindyourselflikeHerculeswhenhewaskillingthehydra—assoonashehadcutoffonehead,anothergrew.Butthewaythatisrecommendedheregoesstraighttotherootofthematter.

Oneofthevaluableresultsofdevotionlieshere—Iaminclinedtothink,thegreatest of all: the thought of another person, who is the object of devotion,occupies thewholemind, and theman becomes unselfishwithout any specialeffort. That is the proper way of growth, to “grow as the flower grows,unconsciously,openingitshearttothesun”.Effortsareallsignsofweakness;ifyou can find clever ways of getting round yourself, as it were, it is a greatadvantage. You circumvent your thoughts and turn your force into a goodchannel, and the undesirable quality gets starved out. This is the best way ofgetting over one’s faults; for thinking of them, even regretfully, strengthensthem.

Befullof thought forothers,and then,as theMastersays, therewillbenoroom,notime,forthinkingaboutyourself.Then,too,youwillbehappy.Ihavefoundthatthisistrueinmyowncase.IfeverIfoundmyselfinclinedtogrieve,to feel the least regret about anythingwhich affectedme personally (I do notthink that Iamever inclined todosonow,butatone timeIwas) I -filledmymind at oncewith the thought of helping andofworking for others.Grievingover things which affect oneself is selfish, and it only serves to make one

unhappy.Yetitiswhatmanypeopledo.Theysitdownandsay:“Oh,howsaditis.Howharditis.Thisthingisveryhardonme.Thatpersondoesnotcareforme,doesnotlookafterme,doesnotloveme”—andsoonindefinitely.

All that is selfishness. The remedy, both for your own grief and theselfishness, is togoatonceanddosomethingforsomeoneelse.Goandwork.Yourmindcannotbefilledwithtwothingsatonce,andthemomentyouceasetothinkofyourselfyoubegintobehappy.

When you can say: “I do not want anything from anybody around; I lovethem and need nothing in return”—then you will be happy. What peoplegenerallycallloveisalittleloveunderneathwithagreatcoatingofselfishnessoverit.Themomentthatthereispainthroughlove,itmeansthatselfishnessisalsothere.

That is a hard lesson for the warm-hearted and the affectionate to learn, Iknow,butithastobelearned;andwhenlearneditbringshappinessandpeace.Ispeak to you from my own experience. Learn to love all, without askinganythinginreturn,andwhenyoudothatyouwillfindplentyofpeopletoloveyou;butsolongasyoukeepongrabbing,theirnaturalinstinctistodrawback.Ahardlessonitis,butoncelearneditbringsapeacethatnothingcanshake,notevenwhen a person you love dearly is for the time being disagreeable.Whatdoes it matter? You know he will come round again some day, and in themeantimeyougoonpouringoutyourloveonhimjustthesame.Ifyousuffer,justmakeupyourmindnottotroubleaboutit.Saytoyourself:“Idonotmindhowmuchmylowernaturesuffers.”Whatarewe—ourlowerselvesatanyrate—that we should care if we suffer, or that we should claim to be loved? Bytakingupthisattitudetowardsyoursufferingyouwillovercomeit.

C.W.L.—Tothinkaboutafaultistostrengthenit.ThatisthemistakeoftenmadeintheChristiansystem,wheremenareurgedtorepentoftheirfaultsandto feel remorse for them.Themore sorry one feels and themore he turns hisfaultoverinhismindthestrongeritgrows.Butifonegoesaheadanddoessomework for someone else, the thought-form is not intensified; it dies a naturaldeath,dropsaway,andisforgotten.Morbidintrospectionoftenmagnifiessmallfailings intogreatsins. It remindsoneof littlechildrenwhoconstantlypulluptheir plantsby the roots, to seehow they aregrowing.Thus, aperson eagerlytakesupsomegoodandnoblework,thenbeginstodoubthimself,andsays:“Iam not sure that my motive was pure; I must have done it because I was

inwardly proud,” or, if he relieves suffering, he thinks: “it was not reallyunselfish; I could not bear to see the suffering, and so I relieved it.” In theChurchofEnglandtheysay:“Lord,havemercyuponusmiserablesinners.”Wemaybesinners,butweneednotaggravatetheoffencebybeingmiserableaboutit, and somaking othersmiserable too. Never brood over the past, but set toworktodobetterinthefuture.Itisuselesstowishthatyouhadnotdoneso-and-so;muchbetter to say: “I did that; it is a pity; nevermind, this is thepresentconditionofaffairs,andImustseewhatIcandotomakethebestofit.”Idonotsay that it may not be possible at some exalted level to alter the past, but itcertainlyisnotpracticalforustotakethatintoconsideration.

In theLordBuddha’sNobleEightfoldPath, the laststepbutonewasRightRemembrance.HesaidtoHispeople:“Youmustbeverycarefulwhatyouallowyourselves to remember. If you say you cannot help remembering everything,thenyouhavenocontroloveryourmemory,over themindwhich isapartofyourself. It isas thoughyouwentalong thestreetgatheringupall the rubbishwhich came in your way; you are sweeping into your memory all kinds ofuseless and undesirable things. You should remember the right things and beparticularly careful to forget the others.” ThenHe enumerates elaborately anddefinitelythethingsthatpeopleshouldforget,andamongtheseHementionsallunkindwordsspokentothem,allfanciedslightsandinjuries.Thoseareamongthethingswhichoneshouldpermanentlyandabsolutelyforget,whereas,amongthe things one should remember are all the kind words that ever have beenspokentoone,allthekindlydeeds,andallthegoodqualitiesonehaseverseeninone’sneighbours.

Wemustlearntoloveallwhomwecontact.Idonotsayallalike;thatisnotexpected.TheLordBuddhaHimselfhadHisfavouritedisciple,Ananda,whomHelovedmorethantheothers,andtheChristhadHisbeloveddiscipleS.John,who leaned upon His breast at the Last Supper.We are not expected to lovepeopleallalike,tofeeltowardseveryonethesamelovethatisfeltforfatherormother,wifeorchild,buttoholdtheattitudeofactivegoodwillorlovetowardsall, and of hate to none.We are to hold this attitude alsowithout asking anyreturnforit;themomentonebeginstomakedemandshesetsupaclaim;heisintroducingthefactorofdesireagain,andoncemorethinkingofhimself,notofthoseheloves.Topouroutloveandnotexpectanyreturnistheonlythingthatdeservestobecalledlove.Withoutthatunselfishnesspeoplegetentangledwithjealousies,envyingsandmanyotherdesires,andtheirlove,insteadofshowing

the pure glorious rose-colour, is seen as a sort of brownish-crimson, a poor-looking thing, and unpleasant also in form, because instead of outraying likesunlight,itishookedandgrasping,andmakesaclosedcurve,oftenaffectingnoonebutthesender.

Theworlds aremoved by the divine unselfish love that pours out in greatopencurves,andneverreturnsanddoesnotmeantoreturn.It ispouredoutinotherdimensions andotherplanes, todo theworkofGod inGod’sownway.This is the lesson tobe learned—it ishardbecause itmeans thedestructionofthelowernature,butitisthepathtopeace.

Youmustdiscriminateinyetanotherway.LearntodistinguishtheGodineveryoneandeverything,nomatterhowevilheor itmayappearon thesurface. You can help your brother through that which you have incommonwithhim,andthatistheDivineLife;learnhowtoarousethatinhim, learn how to appeal to that in him; so shall you save your brotherfromwrong.

A.B.—This is the final lesson in discriminating between the real and theunreal.Howeverevila thing is fromtheoutside,God is there, for itcouldnotexistatallifGodwerenotatitsheart.ThistruthistoldagainandagainintheHindu scriptures. “I am the gambling of the cheat,” says the Lord in theBhagavad-Gíta. That statement sometimes shocks people dreadfully; but it istrue,becausethecheathassomethingtolearninthatwaywhichheisrefusingtolearninabetterway.Ifapersoncannotlearnquietlybyprecept,bemustlearnfromexperienceofnatural laws.Whatwecall the lawsofnatureare themostmaterialexpressionoftheDivineMind.

Thelawsofnaturestandtherelikerocks;ifamangoesandbruiseshimselfagainst themthepain thatresults teacheshimtoavoidasimilarmistakein thefuture.Whenapersonwillnotlearnbypreceptorexample(andthereareplentyofbothof these in theworld)hemustdoso throughthepain thatcomesfrombreaking the law. Hemust be carried on at all hazards towards unity, for thedivinewillisforevolution,andhisowninnermostwillisonewiththedivine.IthinkthatisthemeaningwhichunderliesalsothewordsoftheHebrewsinger:“ItIascendupintoheaven,Thouartthere.”Sofaritisplain;weallknowGodisinheaven,butthen:IfImakemybedinhell,behold,Thouarttherealso.”11

Seethereforethedivineineverythingaroundyou;therestdoesnotconcernyou. In thatway, and in thatwayonly,youcanhelpyourbrother, for theonethingyouhaveincommonisthedivinelife;alltherestisdifferent,butinthatyouareatone,andyoucanusethatasaleverforhelpinghiminallways.Whenyouwanttohelpamantoovercomeafault,rememberthatheisjustasanxiousasyoucanbetogetridofthewrongthinginhim;itinjureshim,andifyoucanonlyreachtherealmaninside,youwillfindthathewantstoberidofit.Thisistherightwaytohelp;theinsidewayneverhurtsoroffendsanybody.

C.W.L.—All that exists on this plane, as much as on any other, is amanifestationof thedivineLife: and thereforeallof it—thegoodand theevilalike—mustbeanexpressionofGod.NothingcanexistofwhichGodHimselfisnottheheartandroot.Thatfactisemphasizedinallthescriptures.WehaveitintheChristianScriptures:“Iformthelight,andcreatedarkness;Imakepeace,andcreateevil;ItheLorddoallthesethings.”12.Peoplecannotunderstandhowallthatmencommonlycallevilcansomehowbealsodivine,yetwemustfacethefact.Thereareblackmagiciansandevilpeopleofallsortsandkinds,butthelifeinthosepeopleistheDivineLife,becausethereisnootherlife.

If a man introduces evil into his life by his own stupidity, by his wrong-headedness,outof itgoodwillneverthelesscome;it is theonlywaytoevolvethat‘particularman.Thecheatwillcheat;hehasitinhismindtodothat.Heisunder theDivineLawstill,andalthoughhe isdoingwrong,outof itgoodforhimwillcome,becausehewilllearnbydoingthat,andbyfailure,tostepintotherightpath.Itis,asitwere,thelastresort,butitisaresort,andthereforewemustacknowledgeittobewithintheDivinePlan.

ThereisasenseinwhicheverythingabsolutelyisGod.Stillitisnotexactlyin that sense that these words are written; it is the divine spirit in every onewhich makes him man. If you can see through the personality which is sowarped,whichhasgonesofarwrong,andgetatthedivinelifeintheman,youcanappealtothat.Wemustrememberthatthe“evil”man,asasoul,wishestomakeprogressjustasmuchaswedo.Hewishestogetridoftheevilwhich,ishauntingandobsessingandtroublinghispersonality,andthereforeifwecangetback to that soul throughall thisoutercrustofhardnessandevil,hewill rushforwardtohelpusinourendeavourtoassistthepersonality.

Ihavebeenapriestandlay-helpermostofmylife,andhaveworkedinsomeof the veryworst parts of England. I have seenmanymenwhom onewould

thinkhopelesscriminals;butIhaveneverseenonewhohadnotsomesparkofgoodinhimsomewhere.Itmightbehisloveforachild,orhisloveforadog,that seemed tobe theonlyhuman touch inwhatwasotherwise abrute, andadangerousbrute;butthereistheOneLifestirringinhimsomewhere,andifonecanget into touchwithhimat thatpoint there is justachance thathemaybehelpedupwardthroughanappealtothatonething.

A.B.—TheMaster’s lastwordson the subject are: “So shall you saveyourbrotherfromwrong.”HereHemakesthestrongestappeal;itistothatwhichistheveryobject and endof life to thedisciple, for his one aim is tobecomeasaviouroftheworld.Farstrongerisitthananyappealtothediscipleforhisownpersonaladvantagecouldpossiblybe.TheMasterlivesonlytohelptheworld;and themorewe can bring service into our lives themorewe shall reflect inthemthebeautyofHis.

PARTIII

DESIRELESSNESS

CHAPTER1

THEREMOVALOFDESIRE

A.B.—We come now to the second qualification, which in the Sanskrit isvairagya, for which, speaking in English, the Master uses the worddesirelessness. That is a very accurate translation. In the past I have used theworddispassion,buthenceforthIshalltranslatethetermastheMasterdoes.

TherearemanyforwhomtheQualificationofDesirelessnessisadifficultone, for they feel that they are their desires—that if their distinctivedesires, their likingsanddislikihgs,aretakenawayfromthem,therewillbenoselfleft.

A.B.—Practically all those who sincerely desire to tread the Path feel thetruth of the first sentence, in which the Master says that the qualification ofdesirelessness is a difficult one. The difficulty arises because people identifythemselveswith theirdesires.So longasadesirewhich isnotgratifiedmakesyouunhappy,solongareyouidentifyingyourselfwithyourdesires.Itiswelltorecognize this, admit it to yourself; for it is quite easy to think that you haveseparatedyourselffromyourdesires,wheninrealityyouhavenotdoneso.Verymanypeopleliketothinkthattheyhaveconqueredthedesire-nature,whentheirwholelife,theireveryact,showsthatitisnotso.Itisfarbettertorecognizethefact,ifyouhavenotyetdoneso,andthenyouarepreparedtoadopttheremedy.

The first step that should be taken is to dwell on the idea; “I am not mydesires.”HereyoucancalltoyouraidwhatIhavealreadyexplainedwithregardto moods; your desires, like your moods, are changing, and anything thatchanges isnot theSelf,whoisnotsubject tofluctuations.For instance, Ihaveknown peoplewho think one day: “How delightful it is to be at Adyar; howbeautifultothinkofallthegreatthingsthataregoingtohappen”;andthenextday they feel depressed, discouraged. Now, neither of these changingmoods,neither theenthusiasmnor thedepression, isyourself;botharemerelypassingvibrationsoftheastralbody,rousedbysomecontactfromtheoutside.

It is for this reason that people are advised tomeditate every day; for you

cannot meditate properly until your desires are quiescent. If you meditateregularlyandfaithfully,youwilllittlebylittlerealizeaSelfbehindyourdesires,and as you go on meditating, and also during the day practise the attituderequired, you begin to realize that Self all the time. Then youwill no longeridentify yourself with your desires, and constantly feel: “I want; I wish; Idesire”;butwillthink:“ItisnotI;itisthelowerself.”

This is the first great lesson which the Master gives-about the secondqualification. You are not required to have desirelessness perfectly beforeInitiation,butwhattheMasterdoesexpectisthatyoushouldhaveittoagreatextent,andwhatHeexpects is law.All theswingingbetweenthe twopolesofdepressionandelationmustgobeforeyoucanreachInitiation.

C.W.L.—Large numbers of people make no effort to distinguish betweentheirdesiresandthemselves,butsay:“IamasGodhasmademe.IfIhaveabadtemper, or aweakwill;He gave it tome. If I am not strong enough to resisttemptation, that is how I was made.” They do not understand that they havemade themselves by their past lives, but they are in the habit of taking theircharacterasasortofinalienablesomethingwhichisgiventothem,asonemaybebornblindorwithalameleg.Theydonotrealizethatitistheirbusinesstochangeanaturewhichisundesirableinitscharacter.Theydonotknowthattheycan,andfurthermore,oftentheydonotparticularlyseewhytheyshould.

There is usually no adequate reason held up to the average man why heshould take all the very great trouble necessary to change his character. Somemaysaythatunlesshedoessohewillnotgotoheaven,butmanyreplythattheconventional heaven would bore them inexpressibly, and they are hoping forsomethingdifferent. It is obvious, in fact, that though teaching concerning theheaven-lifehasbeenwidelyspread,ithashadlittlepracticalinfluenceonmostpeople’scharacterprobablybecause it isso lackinginverisimilitude.Theonlytheory that I have ever heard that seems tome adequate as an inducement toeffortisthatofTheosophy.Itshowswhatisworthdoing,andshowsusthatthereis every opportunity and sufficient time for complete success. If a manunderstandsGod’splan,andseekstoco-operatewithHim,hehasthestrongestpossiblemotive to throwhimself into theworkofevolution,and tofithimselfforit.Heseesthenthatitispossibletomakethemostfundamentalchangesinhischaracteranddisposition,and thatsuccess isabsolutelyassured.Theneverchangingdesireoftheegoisforprogress,fortheunfoldmentofthehigherself,

andthebringingofthelowervehiclesintotuneasitsinstruments.Wheneverwefindotherdesireswhicharenotpartofthat,anddonotagreewithit,weknowthatthosearenotfromthesoul,andsowedonotsay,“Idesirethis”but,“Mydesire-elemental ismoving again; hewants so-and-so; but I, the ego,wish toprogress; I wish to co-operate in the divine plan. These changingmoods anddesiresarenotmine.”Aslongasanungratifieddesirecancauseunhappinessaman may know that he is still identifying himself with the desires of theelemental.

ButtheseareonlytheywhohavenotseentheMaster;inthelightofHisholyPresencealldesiredies,butthedesiretobelikeHim.Yetbeforeyouhave the happiness of meeting Him face to face, you may attaindesirelessnessifyouwill.

A.B.—Thisrecallsoncemore theverse in theBhagavad-Gita:“Theobjectsofsense,butnot the relish for them, turnawayfromanabstemiousdweller inthebody;andevenrelishturnethawayfromhimaftertheSupremeisseen.”Alldesire dies “when a glimpse of the one desirable object has been, obtained.HencetorealizethepresenceoftheMasterwillridyounotofdesiresonly,butofdesireitself.Desireisarootthatsendsforthmanyshoots;youmaylopofftheshoots,butwhiletherootremainsitwillsendforthnewones.ButunionwiththeMasterwillfinallyridyouoftherootofalldesires.

Evenbefore that,however, theMastersaysyoumayattaindesirelessness ifyouwill.Thosethreewords“ifyouwill”arespeciallyimportant.Theyshowuswherethedifficultylies.Itisnottheability,itisnearlyalwaysthewilltodoathing,which is lacking. If youcouldput intoyourworkon thepath the sameamount of will that you put into your worldly work, your progress would berapidindeed.

C.W.L.—Wehavehereoneof thespeciallybeautiful sentences in thisverybeautifulbook.ItistruethatwhenyouseetheMasterandrealizewhatHeis,alllower desires are simply not there anymore; your whole being is filled withsomethinghigher.

Manypeoplespeakof theirwish toattaindesirelessness,andareyetall thetimehuggingtheobjectsofdesireandwouldbeunhappywithoutthem.Theydonotinrealitywishforthisdesirelessness;theyonlythinktheydo;onthesurface

theydo,butdeeperdown in thepersonality theydonot. It iswell toquestionourselvesonthismatter,tosearchdeeplyandseewhetherwehavereallygotridofalltheselowerdesires.ATheosophistoftenthinksthathehas,andthinksthatitismerelyanelementarymatter:butagreatmanyoftheseelementarythingsgoverydeep.Superficiallyonegetsridofthem,buttheycropupagainindifferentforms,anditishardtobesurethatonehasreallydisposedofthem.Fortunately,it is not expected of us that we shall be utterly free from them at this stage.Initiationmaybeattainedwiththerootsofsomeofthesethingsstillwithinus,butafterthatonemustweedthemoutentirely.Still,itisbettertorootthemoututterly even now, so that our progressmay be smoother andmore rapid. It ispracticable, for the Master never suggests to us anything that we cannot do,thoughHedoessetbeforeusmanythingswhichwilltaxourenduranceormoralstrength,becausethathastobedoneifwewanttogetonrapidly.

Discrimination has already shown you that the things which most mendesire,suchaswealthandpower,arenotworthhaving;whenthisisreallyfelt,notmerelysaid,alldesireforthemceases.

A.B.—Desiresforwealthandpowerclothethemselvesinavarietyofways,notonly in connectionwithmoneyand social orpolitical influence.Wealth isthethingwhichmostpeoplewantaboveallothers;butitisnotinitselfagoodthingtohave,foritonlyfostersdesires,anddoes:notgivehappiness,asmaybeseenbylookingatrichpeople,whoarebynomeansahappyclassofbeings.Itisthesamewithpower,socialorpolitical;itisalldrossandtinsel,notgold.TheGita says that thewiseman iscontentwithwhatsoevercometh—whichmeansthathewillcheerfullymakeuseofwhatisavailable,andnotwastehistimeandenergyincravingforsomethingdifferent.

Few people attain high social or political positions, but the temptation ofpower is often present without that. Power includes all wish to control otherpeople,tointerferewiththemandtellthemwhattodo,insteadofmindingone’sown business. Though there may not be much desire for social or politicalpower, there still is frequentlyanunhealthydesire tomakeothersdowhatwethinktheyoughttodo.Thatmustgoifwemeantomakeprogress.Thosewhomeanbusinesswillsoonfindout,asmanyofushavedone,thatwehavequiteenoughtodotomanageourownlowerselves,without tryingto interferewithanybodyelse.TheSelf inothers is the sameas theSelf inus, and theway in

which it chooses tomanifest in them is their business, not ours.Therefore alltendenciestointerferencemustbeweededout.

Youhaveno right to interfere exceptwhen it is yourduty, and that is onlywhenyouhaveacertainlimitedcontroloverapersonwhoisplacedunderyoubynature, as in the caseofyourownchildren, orbykarma, as in the caseofservants or workmen. Your control of a child should be protective control,exercisedwhenandaslongasthereisweaknesswhichneedsprotection;anditmustgraduallydisappearas theego insidebecomesable to takepossessionofhisownvehicles.Withyourequals—Iusethewordinawidesense—youclearlyhavenorightofinterference.

C.W.L.—Peopleoftenwant tointerferewithothersonlybecausetheythinkthey canmanage affairs better than those others can; but after all they do notknow that.Thedivinepowerisworkingthrougheachman;wehadbetterlet itdo so in its ownway.Rememberhow theChrist reminded the Jews that theirScripturestoldthem,“YeareGods”,andthattheywereallchildrenoftheMostHigh.Itmaybethattheothermanisnotdoinghisworkintheverybestway,orpossibly that he is making some mistakes, but so long as he is honestly andearnestlydoinghisbestitiswell.Lethimhavehisinnings,evenifheisnotsogoodabatsmanasyouare.Sometimesonemayverytactfully,veryrespectfullyanddelicately,offeradvice,buttherearemanycaseswhereeventhatwouldbeanimpertinence;oneshouldneverunderanycircumstancesattempttoforceanopinion on any one. Our first care should be that our own affairs are wellmanaged,foreachmanisresponsibletohimself.13

CHAPTER2

THEONEGOODDESIRE

Thusfarallissimple;itneedsonlythatyoushouldunderstand.Butthereare some who forsake the pursuit of earthly aims only in order to gainheaven, or to attain personal liberation from rebirth; into this error youmustnotfall.

C.W.L.—Thedesire for personal liberation from rebirth is found chiefly inIndia,becausemostofthepeopletherebelieveinreincarnation.TotheaverageChristian,heavenisalsoareleasefromearth.Theseinstructionsweregiventoan Indian boy; therefore first of all and most of all they refer to Indianconditions, though the ideas can be applied to ourWesternworld aswell.WeTheosophistsarenotparticularly likely tomakeviolentefforts inorder togainthe happiness of the heaven-world, in which men spend hundreds and eventhousands of years between incarnations.Many of uswould prefer to avoid italtogether and returnquickly toworkuponearth, and that ispossible to thosewhoreallydesireit.Thatdoesneedacertainamountofstrength,however,aswemust then carry the samemental and astral bodies over into the newphysicalbody.

Itisnotthattheastralbodyandthementalbodyarecapableoffatigue,likethe physical brain. There is, however, another consideration: the astral andmentalbodiesthatwehaveinthislifearetheexpressionofourselvesaswewereat the end of the last incarnation. Aswe go on through life wemodify themconsiderably,butthatcannotbedonebeyondacertainpoint.Thereisalimittowhich, for example, a motor-car is susceptible to repair or improvement, andveryoftenitisbettertobuyanewcarthantotrytobringtheoldoneuptodate.It issomewhatthesamewiththeastralandmentalbodies.Aradicalchangeinthem would take a great deal of time, and might perhaps be only partiallyaccomplishedafterall.Ifaman’scapacitiesinthislifehavegreatlyincreased,itmightbebetterforhisprogressthatheshouldgetanewastralandmentalbodyinwhichtoexpresshimself,insteadoftryingtopatchupandaltertheoldonesTherefore quick reincarnation is not always quite a practicable thing. Yet we

maytakeit,asthingsarenow—withthespecialneedofworkersonaccountofthecomingoftheWorldTeacher—thatanypersonwhohasworkedwellinthislife and is earnestly desirous of taking an immediate incarnation in order tocontinueinservice,maybeabletoachievehisdesires.

Thereisanordinarycourseoflifeafterdeathforallmen,andforthosewhopassthroughit thereisnoneedtomakeanyspecialarrangement;butifamanwishestodepartfromthathehastomakewhatamountstoanapplication,orithastobemadeforhim.Ithastobesubmittedtoahigherauthority,whocangivepermissionifHethinksitdesirable;butHewouldquitecertainlyrefuseitifHedidnotthinkittobeinthebestinterestsoftheperson.Ithinkthosewhohaveanxietyonthissubjectmaysettheirmindsatrest,however,forthosewhohaveworked well now will certainly have further opportunities of continuing thatwork.Amanwhowishesrapidreincarnationmustmakehimselfindispensable,so that hewill be known as onewhowould be useful if he did comeback atonce.Thatalso,incidentally,isthebestwaytobringthementalandastralbodiesintotherequiredcondition.

Ifyouhaveforgottenselfaltogether,youcannotbethinkingwhenthatselfshouldbesetfree,orwhatkindofheavenitshallhave.Rememberthatallselfishdesire binds, however highmaybe its object, anduntil youhavegotridofityouarenotwhollyfreetodevoteyourselftotheworkoftheMaster.

A.B.—We must remember that the astral and mental planes are material,though they are made up of subtler matter than the physical. They also areobjective, and full of objects of desire.Thedesire for heaven,which is in thelowermentalplane,isthereforejustasmuchadesireofthelowerselfasisthedesire for earth—only it is furtheroff andmore impalpable.The advantageofthe former desire over the latter is that it gives a check to the desire-nature,becauseitcannotbegratifiedatonce;soithelpsthemantogetridofdesireingeneral,andatthesametimeitcauseshimtoselectmorerefinedpleasures,andtodwelluponthoseinhisthoughtratherthanthecoarserones.Therearemanymentowhomitwouldobviouslybeuselesstosay,“Killoutdesire”.Ifyouwanttohelpamanwhoisaddicted to thepleasuresofeatinganddrinkingandsex,youmayputbeforehimthedesireforheaven,inorder,tohelphimtostarveoutthelowerdesires.Thereforeitisthatallreligionsmakesomuchoftheteaching

of heaven and hell. Even the Lord Buddha spoke of these when he wasaddressingtheordinarypeople.

ThosewhowishtotreadthePathmustgiveupnotonlydesireforheaven,butalsothatforpersonalliberationfromtheroundofbirthsanddeaths,thatis,formoksha.The reason is quite simple, and theMaster gives it here. If youhaveforgottenyourselfaltogether,youcannotbethinkingofthosethingswhichaffectyourself.Youmustbefreefromdesirefor those things, ifyoumeantodevoteyourselftotheworkoftheMaster.

Therearemanypeoplewhowishtoserve,inonewayorinanother,butthedisciple must wish to serve the Master in the way He wills, and where Herequirestheservice.Suchunconditionalserviceisnotpossiblewhiletheheartisboundup inanything.Asoneof theUpanishadssays:“Until thebondsof theheart are broken,man cannot attain immortality.”That sounds a hard thing tosay, ifwe thinkof thebondsof theheart as including thequalitiesof love, towhichweattachthegreatestvalue.Itdoesnotsay,however,thattheheartmustbebroken,but that thebondsmustbebroken, so that theheart’s lovemaybeboundless.Donotmisunderstandme,and think that Ihavesaid that to love isnot desirable. It is not the love which binds, but the elements of selfishnesswhicharetoooftenmixedwithit.TheloveoftheSelfinonemanfortheSelfinanother is in its very nature everlasting;we could not change that even ifwewould,butwhenlovefortheSelf ismixedwithlovefortheform,itbeginstobind,andthusevenloveitselfmaybecomeabondage.

ThereisnowaytoreachtheconditionthatmakesyoufreefortheMaster’sworkbutbyconstantefforttobreakeverybondthatrestrictsyou.Ifyoufindinyour love anythingwhich can cause youpain, there is selfishness in it,whichmust be eliminated.Get rid of it, and your lovewill remain, stronger, nobler,purer; and such love cannever interferewith theMaster’swork.Supposeyouhave awish to go to a certain place because there is a particular person therewith whom you like to be; well, give up the idea of going. That is just oneinstanceofthewayinwhichyoumaydeliberatelybreakthebondsthattieyoubyselfishnesstospecialpersonsandthings.Breakoffsuchties.

Isaythisonlyforthosewhoareindeadearnest—notforthosewhowishtogogentlyandquietlyalongtheroadofprogress.Thereisnoblameattachedtothis latter course, mind; each is free to go forward slowly or swiftly as hechooses.ButIamspeakingnowforthosewhomeanbusiness,forthosewhoare

wholly in earnest. TheMaster is always looking out for this earnestness, anddoesnotfindtoomuchofit.OncemoreIamspeakingfrommyownexperience,for Ihavehaddifficulty in thisway.ThenIbegan to trainmyself,andwhenIfoundthatIhadagreatwishtobewithsomeone,Iwouldtrytokeepawayfromthatperson.Ifyouhavetactandstrength,youcanoftenuntieyourselfinside,sotosay,withoutshowingothersthatyou-aredoingit.Youremainjustaslovingasbefore,andyouroutwardmannershowsnoalteration,butyouarelooseningthepersonalbondinsideyourownheart.Itisbythusclearlyseeingwhatoughtto be done and then deliberately doing it that some of us have made moreprogress thanmost people. Youwill find such an effort easier if you keep inmindthefactthatyoucannotdevoteyourselfentirelytotheworkoftheMasteruntilnothingremainsthatcanbindyou.

C.W.L.—This passage shows us that desire for heaven belongs to thepersonality. It isnot,however,byanymeansabad thingatanearlier stageofdevelopmentthanthatofthedisciple.Ithasitsplaceintheevolutionaryscheme.The primitive man is full of thoughts about eating and drinking, and similarpleasures. Itwouldbequite useless to talk tohimabout desireless-ness, as hemustfirstpassthroughastageofhigherandmorerefineddesire.Theutmostwecansaytohimis:“Trytorefineyourdesires;thereareotherandgranderthingsthantheseofwhichyouarethinking,andyoucannotrisetothoseinthefutureunlessyouarepreparedtochecktheoutrushofyourfeeling.”Mencanriseonlystep by step, and only the strongest can climb the great heights of the Pathrapidly.Yetthosewhoreadthewordsofthisbook,andwishtodoasAlcyonehasdone,mustresolveatoncetogetridofallselfishdesire,becauseitbinds.AsI have said, even love itself is a bond of the heart if there is in it a grain ofselfishness, but when it is utterly free from any thought of selfishness it is apowerof theheart.Until thebondsarebroken,until theselfishness isweededout,evenloveitselfmaybeahindranceaswellasahelp.

There has been much misunderstanding in India and elsewhere on thissubject, on account of the confusion of love (which is unselfish) with desire(which is selfish). Some philosophers try to harden themselves so as to beindifferenttowhathappens,toescapesufferingbyavoidinglove.Butthatisthewrongway; it producesmen half-developed, intellectual but unemotional.Wemusthave thepower toexpressevengreat surgesof feeling,but theymustbereflectionsof thehigher emotionsof theSelf, strictly under control, not astralwavessweepingusalongatthewillofthedesire-elemental.Tocontrolemotion

bykilling it is something like that other ideaof trying to avoidbadkarmabydoing nothing at all. The Master’s way for us is that we should becomeincreasinglyusefultohumanitythroughouractions,emotionsandthoughts,andthemorewecandoinallthreewaysthebetteritwillbeforallconcerned.

Whenall desires for self aregone, theremay still be a desire to see theresultofyourwork.Ifyouhelpanybodyyouwanttoseehowmuchyouhave helped him; perhaps even you want him to see it too, and to begrateful.Butthisisstilldesire,andalsowantoftrust.

A.B.—ThisiswhattheBhagavad-Gitacallsnotworkingforfruit.Theresultisthefruit.Ifyouarereallyworkingyouhavenotimetonoticeresults,notimetostopand lookatapieceofworkwhich is finished.Assoonasone thing isdonethereissomethingelseathandtobedone.Youarewastingtimeifyouarelookingat theresults; ifyouare thinkingofwhatyouhavealreadydone,howareyoutocarryonthenextpieceofwork?Andwhenitcomestopersonalhelp,whichisthepleasantestofalltogive,becausethereispersonalloveatthebackof it,donot look tosee if thepersonwhomyouhavehelpedappreciateswhatyouhavedone.Thatislikerunningafteronetowhomyouhavemadeapresent,inordertoseeifheisgrateful,andtoclaimthanks.Onewhoactslikethathasnotgiven;hehassold.Itisbarter;somuchhelpforsomuchgratitude.Youmustnot barter here! Remember how the Christ drove from the temple those whowere selling, although they were selling things for sacrifice, saying to them:“MakenotmyFather’shouseahouseofmerchandise.”14

C.W.L.—No one is busier than the occultist. Themoment he finishes onething he goes onwith another, and he does not stand gazing to seewhat hasresultedfromwhathedidbefore.Supposeyouwereactingasanurseorahelperon thebattle-field;youwouldhave todo thebestyoucould foronecase,andinstantly turn to another; you could not stop to watch for half-an-hour to seeexactlywhatwas going to be the final effect; you could not even stop to seewhether the man was likely to recover or not. It is just the same with theMaster’swork;wehavenottimetostopandthinkabouttheultimateresults,andabove allwe have no time to think about ourselves, in connectionwith thoseresults.Itisbuthumantodesirethatoureffortsshouldmeetwithsuccess,andtobeelatedwhenitcomes,butwemustriseabovesuchhumanfrailties,becausethegoalatwhichweaimissuperhuman.Ifathingiswelldone,wemayrejoice

inthefact,butwemustfeeljustasgladifthesuccessisanother’sasifitwereourown.

Itspeakshereofsometimeswantingthemanyouhavehelpedtosee it too,and be grateful. If one has any feeling of that sort he is not giving at all, butselling.TheonlygivingwhichisrecognizedinoccultismisgivingasGodgives,pouringoutloveasthesunpoursoutlife.

Whenyoupouroutyourstrengthtohelp,theremustbearesult,whetheryoucanseeitornot;ifyouknowtheLawyouknowthismustbeso.

A.B.—InthebookOftheImitationofChristitisasked:“WhowillserveGodfornaught?”Thedisciplemustworkforthesakeofthework,notforseeingtheresult, and even without the happiness and satisfaction of thinking, “I amserving”.Hemustgivehimselftotheworldbecausehelovesit.Theremustbearesult, of course, becausewe live in aworld of law; that iswhywe need notmake itourconcern.Veryoften thenatureofourwork issuchasnot tobringaboutimmediateresultsonthephysicalplane,buttobringsomethingnearertoaccomplishment; someoneelsewillput the finishing touches to thework,butwithout thosewhohave toiledandseennoresults the thingcouldnotpossiblyhavebeendone.

You cannot do important work without trusting the law, because all greatworkisslowwork.Consider,forexample,theworkofaManu:thousandsuponthousandsofyearsgobybeforeanythingyouwouldcallaresultisseen.Eveninbuilding a big house the same rule holds good, for deep foundations arenecessary. Ourwork is largely the laying of foundations, which are not seen;latersomeonewillcomealongandputarowofbricksabovethesurface;thosewillatoncebeseen.Arethefoundationsuseless,then?

Resultsareinevitable.Thereforeworkinaquiet,scientificway,andyouwillneverbedisappointed.Alldisappointmentisduetoadesireforfruit.Youmaygoonworkingstrenuouslyforalongtimewithoutseeinganyconsequences,andoneday the resultwill flash into sight.Achemistmaking a saturated solutiongoesondroppingasaltintothewater,andforsometimetheliquidremainstoallappearanceunaffected;thenthelastgrainisadded,andthewholesuddenlyturnssolid. So it is with our work; suddenly it will be manifest complete.We arepreparingforthecomingoftheGreatTeacher.Wemustputallourforceintothis

work, quietly, confidently, patiently; sacrificing ourselveswholly to thework.WhentheLordMaitreyacomes,Hewilltakeupallthatwehavedone,andtheresultofitwillthenbemanifesttotheworld.

C.W.L.—It often takes the work of a number of people, following oneanother, to achieve some great result. When there is a great reform to beintroducedintheworld,itusuallyhappensthatoneman,oronegroupofmen,will see the need and begin to talk and write about it. He or they will beridiculed,anditwillseemthattheirworkiswithoutresult,buttheywillconvertafewpeopletotheircause,andthesewillcarryiton,untilatlastsocietyacceptsthereform.Whatwasdonebythelatermenwouldhavebeenimpossiblewithouttheapparentlyresultlessworkofthepioneers.

Very often itmaybe the nature of ourwork to bring something near to itsaccomplishment.Somebodyelsewillstepinandputthefinaltouchtothework;hiseffortswillthenberecognized,andhewillbeconsideredashavingdonethewhole thing. Never mind; we must care nothing whatever about getting thecredit,butbehappytobeallowedtodothework.Onemustnotthink:“Thatisratherhardonme.”Ourkarmawilltakecareofwhatwehavedone,anditdoesnotmatterwhat theworld does or says about it at the present time.Onewhoworksscientifically,understandingly,withoutathoughtoftheresult,exceptthatsomehow, somewhere, all good work must do good, will never knowdisappointment.

WhentheLordcomesHewilltakeupallourwork,carryitonandcompleteit;andsoitwillappearthatitisallHiswork.InasenseitallisHis,aswehavebeeninspiredbyHim;yetagreatdealofitwillhavebeenmadepossiblebytheunseen, or apparently profitless work done by a number of humble peoplebeforehand. That we should have a chance of being among those people isassuredlytheverygreatestprivilegewecoulddesire.

Inallcases,whenoneknowsthelawsofnatureonecanusethem.Thisisastrueofalltheworkthatweareconstantlydoingontheinnerplanes,asofthatinwhichwe are engaged on the physical plane. Every thought of oursmakes aformontheastralormentalplane,andthisgoestothepersonorthingofwhichwearethinking,andhoversaroundordischargesitself,forgoodorillaccordingto itsnature andquality. It isnomore trouble tomakeahelpful thought-formthanaharmfulone.Italldependsupontheattitudeofthemind.Onemaythink:“Myattitudeofmindmattersonlytome,andonlyjustnow.”Butitmattersto

others aswell, and also itwillmatter to you the next day, the nextmonth, oreven thenextyear,because itgenerates thoughtswhich reactuponyou.Everythought intensifies itself, by calling up repetitions of itself. It restswith us tomakeformswhichwillbebeneficialineveryway;forthoughtheybeinvisibletoordinarysight,theyinfalliblydotheirwork.

Soyoumustdorightforthesakeoftheright,notinthehopeofreward;youmust work for the sake of the work, not in the hope of seeing theresult;youmustgiveyourselftotheserviceoftheworldbecauseyouloveit,andcannothelpgivingyourselftoit.

C.W.L.—Loveisindeedthegreatestofallmotives.Allthroughtheteachingofthisbook,andofsomelateroneswhichhavebeenmouldedtoalargeextentupon it, itwillbeobservedhowstrongandconstantly repeated is thisneedofloveasthemotiveinlife,astheexplanationofeverything,andastheremedyforall ills. It is because that will be the key-note of the teaching of the WorldTeacherHimselfwhenHecomes,thatitisalreadysostronglyforeshadowedinthatofthosewhoaretryingintheirsmallwaytoprepareforHim.

Another thing the studentwill note is that all through this book theMastertakesitforgrantedthatweareallutterlyinearnest,andthattheworkistheonethingforus.Thatiscertainlytheverybestwayofbringingusintothatframeofmind,iftherearestillsomelingeringfragmentsofotherideashangingaboutus.ThefactthatinHismindthere,isclearlynothoughtofanythingbutservice,isthegreatestincentiveforustomakeourselveswhatHedesires.

Weoftengetinourownway;wehavetostandasideandgivetheSelfinusachance towork, for as long aswehave some reservations, as long as there issomethingwhichwe are not prepared to give up for the sake of theMaster’sservice,wearestandinginourownway.Itisararethingtofindonewhohasnoreservationswhatever,whowillgivehimselfutterlytotheserviceoftheMaster,whowillstopatnothing,butgiveall.Itisrare,butthemanwhohasthatqualitywillgofarandveryfast.

CHAPTER3

PSYCHICPOWERS

Havenodesireforpsychicpowers;theywillcomewhentheMasterknowsthatitisbestforyoutohavethem.

A.B.—Theterm“psychicpowers”properlyincludesallthemanifestationsofthepowersofconsciousnessthroughorganizedmatter, in thephysicalbody,ortheastral,orthemental.Allpowersoftheintellectarethereforepsychicpowers.Thedistinctionwhichhasgrownupbetween theordinarypowersof themindshown through the brain, and the various kinds of clairvoyance and similarpowers, is an unfortunate one. One hears many people speaking against theacquisitionofpsychicpowers,whiletheythemselvesareusingthemallthetimethrough the physical body. They denounce astral vision while they are usingphysicalsight.Itisillogicaltodenounceastralsight,unlessyouarepreparedtotakeupthelogicalpositionofsomeoftheIndianyogis,whoregardtheuseofboth physical and superphysical senses equally as a hindrance.Thesemen arequite rational; theydonot value anyof the senses, because they consider thattheseonlybringthemintocloser touchwith theworldsof illusionfromwhichtheywishtoescape.Idonotagreewiththosepeople.Ithinkthatitisbettertobehealthy and to have the use of one’s faculties on all planes; but unless theirthorough-goingattitudeisadoptedagooddealofthetalkagainstpsychicpowersisfoolish.

Whatistrueisthatintheearlyexerciseofone’sastralsensesthereisalwaysapossibilityofbeingmisled.Butone’sphysical senses alsomaydeceiveone.Certainsight-illusions,forexample,areduetobaddigestionandliverdisorders,though I would not include in this category many things which the averagedoctor does, which are in reality instances of etheric or astral sight. Thecommonestillustrationofthewayinwhichoursensesdeceiveusisthatoftherisingofthesun;youknowthatthesundoesnotrise,butyouseeitdoingso.

Thesenseshavealwaystobecorrectedbythereason,whichishigherthanallsenseperceptions.Yourastralvisionconstantlydeceivesyou,whenyoubegintoexerciseit.ThatiswhyanyonewhoisbeingtrainedbyaMasterisputthrougha

definite and thorough course of practice. He is asked what he sees, and hisrepliesatfirstaremostlywrong; thenhismistakesarepointedout tohim,andexplanationsaregiven.

Suppose that a person who is not being trained by aMaster awakens thatsight.This frequentlyhappens, for in thenormalcourseofevolution theastralsensesareunfolding,sothatmanypeoplearebeginningtopossessthem.Suchaperson is in the same position on the astral plane that a baby is in here.Youknowhowababywillstretchoutitshandtograspalightedcandlewhichisatthe other end of a room. The baby’s mistakes get corrected naturally by hiselders;hewillfindoutthatcertainobjectsthatattracthimareatadistance,bybeing carried to them. So our astral baby—as wemay call the person newlyfunctioning with his astral senses—makes many mistakes, which would notmatter in the least if he were in the midst of his elders. Neither would theymattersomuchifonlypeoplewouldhavecommonsense.Butunfortunatelythepersonwhoreceivesanastralcommunication,orseesanastralvision,toooftenthinkshimselfdistinguishedfromalltherestoftheworldbybeingvouchsafedaspecial revelation.Theyare thusnot inaposition to learn from their elders inthissortofknowledge,asababyiswillingtobetaughtbygrown-uppeople,andsoagooddealoftroublearises.

C.W.L.—Thosewho become pupils of theMasters are put through a longcourse of training with regard to this matter of higher sight and higherimpressions generally. I suppose that to many that training would be verywearisome.Anelderpupilwilltaketheyoungerandpassbeforehimanumberofdifferentobjectsandaskhimwhathesees.Theyoungpupilisgenerallyquitewrongatfirst,becausehehasgotthethingoutoffocus.Hedoesnotknowthedifferencebetweentheastralbodyofadeadmanandofalivingman,northatbetweenthemanhimselfandathought-formmadebysomefriend.Intheseandmany other ways the untrained observer is liable to deception. Patiently theteacher will show him these things again and again, and show him how torecognizethem,pointingouttheminutedifferences.

Nooneshould think thatbecause this training isnecessary theastralsensesare especially unreliable. All senses are unreliable until they are trained, andeven then when they are not used along with the rational intelligence. Everymorninginfineweather,ifweareupintime,wemayseethesunrise;weknowperfectlywellthatitdoesnotriseandyetweseeitdoingso.Sometimesillogical

people say with regard to things a little outside the range of most people’sexperiencethattheywillnotbelieveinwhattheycannotsee,butiftheyseetheywill believe. Some go further and say that theywill be convinced if they cantouchthething.Asimpletestwillshowthefallacyofthis.Takethreebowlsandput into them water at different temperatures; very hot, icy cold, and oftemperatedegree.Putonehandintothehotandtheotherintothecoldwater;letthem remain there for a fewminutes, thenmove themboth into the temperatewater. The hand that has been in the hotwaterwill tell you that this bowl ofwater is very cold, and the other hand will tell you that it is very hot. Thisdemonstrates that the sensesarenotalways tobe implicitly reliedupon.Theirtestimonymustbecheckedbytheuseofreason,andthishastobedonejustasmuchwiththeastralandmentalsensesaswiththephysical.

Ifamanwishesforpsychicpowershemustworkattheirdevelopmentanditisoftenamatterofyearsbeforethemanisperfectlycertainofhisaccuracyinallcases.Itisdifficulttorealizetheextentoftheareaoverwhichthisclairvoyantvisionextends.Takeoneexampleonly:intheastralplanetherearetwothousandfourhundredandonedifferentvarietiesofwhatiscalledelementalessence,andifonewishestobereliableandtodohisworkwellandquickly,hemustlearntodistinguishonefromanother,andknowwhentheyaretobeused.Theworkcanbe done without any of this knowledge, but wastefully—on the principle ofemptyingabucketofwateroveramantowashhislittlefinger.

Wearetold,however,thatwasteofenergyispreciselyoneofthethingswemustavoid.Energyiscapital,andweareboundtomakethemostofit.Weareresponsibleforanywasteofit,justasweshouldbeifweletitlieidleanddidnothingwithit.

ItwouldbeofnouseforapupiloftheMastertosay:“Iknowalready.”Thatis not the spirit inwhichwe approach these things.We are always eager andanxioustoacquirefurtherinformation,butalwaysthatwemayservethebetter,inorderthatwemaybemoreuseful.Thatistheidea,andmostassuredlythereisno knowledgewhich comes amiss in theworkwe have to do. Everything heknows enables the occultist to illustrate points, and often to understand pointswhichotherwisemightnotbecleartohim.Theysayattheendofthisevolutionwe shall attain all knowledge; we shall get rid of ignorance. All our work istendinginthatdirection,andweshallcertainlyneedtobemostwonderfullywellinformed to do the higher work well when our turn comes. Meantime, it is

wisdomtousetothefullthepowersonehas,andtohavenodesireforpsychicpowersuntiltheMasterseesfitthatweshoulddevelopthem.

Toforce themtoosoonoftenbrings in its trainmuchtrouble;often theirpossessor ismisledbydeceitfulnature-spirits, orbecomesconceitedandthinkshecannotmakeamistake;andinanycasethetimeandstrengththatittakestogainthemmightbespentinworkforothers.

C.W.L.—The deceitful nature-spirits, of which there are many differentkinds,areaveryrealfeatureinthecase.Mostofthemarerathersmallcreatures,andtheythinkitisveryamusingiftheycanmakeagreatbigmandowhattheysay,whentheyorderhimabout.Theydothatveryoftenmerelybypretendingtobe JuliusCaesar,NapoleonBonaparte or anygreat andwell-knownpersonagewhosenamehappens tooccur to them, and it is great fun for them to seebigpeoplewhobelongtoahigherstageofevolutionthantheirowndoingwhattheysuggest. It isperhapsa littlehardon thepeople,but theyshouldhavebroughttheirreasonandcommonsensetobearontheirvisions.

If you hear an astral voice sometimes, do not immediately jump to theconclusionthatitisthatoftheMasterorofagreatArchangel.Deadpeopleoftenmanage to communicate and offer advice, and nature-spirits play their littletricksfrequently,soit ismorelikelyinmostcasestobeoneofthese.So, takethevoicequitecalmly;itisaninterestingphenomenon,notnecessarilybecauseofwhatyoumaygetoutofit,butbecauseanythingalittleoutoftheordinaryisinitselfinteresting,andthereisgenerallysomethingtobelearnedinconnectionwithit.Butdonotstartbydenyingthatthereisacommunication—thatagainisanunwisethingtodo.Onemaythinkofathingasimprobable,butitisnotsafetosayitisimpossible.Listenrespectfullytotherevelation,but,unlessyouhavegoodreasontodoso,donotletitaffectyourconductinanyway.Actionshouldbe the consequence of one’s decision, following upon one’s own reasonedthought,notofsomethingsaidbysomebodyelse,onedoesnotknowwho.

A great number of people have revelations which they think are going toremodel the world. Though they are usually quite good, there is generallynothingverystrikingaboutthem,andtheyareapttobesomewhatindefiniteinoutline, and vague in their teaching. As far as they go they are generally animprovement upon the very limited and cramped orthodox theories. They are

nearlyalwaysalongTheosophicalorNewThoughtlines—Theosophyandwater,the water predominating. They are usually given out with perfectly goodintentions,bysomedeadman,whohasnowrealizedcertainbroadfactsoflifewhichhewishestoimpressuponthosewhomhehasleftbehind.Hethinksthatifthesehigherideaswereacceptedtheworldwouldbeamuchbetterplace,andhetries to impress themuponthepeopleonthegeneral theoryofDives in theparable, that ifsomeonecameto thepeoplefromthedead theywouldrepent,forgetting,ofcourse,thesageanswerofAbraham:“IftheyhearnotMosesandtheProphets,neitherwilltheybepersuadedthoughonerosefromthedead.”15

Such a man forgets that he himself paid no attention whatever to spiritmessageswhenalive.Ifsuchcomeourway—theyaresure to,moreor less, ifwearewhatiscalledpsychic—weshouldreceivethemquiterespectfully,butatthe same time without undue excitement. Many of those who receive themessage think that they are going to revolutionize the planet, but that is noteasilydone.Whentheyarebroughttoournotice,weapplytothem,ifnecessary,certainmeans of testing the truth and validity of such communications.Mostpeoplehavenotthosemeansimmediatelyattheirdisposal,butiftheywilljustapplyplaincommonsensetotheirsuper-physicalexperiencestheywillgetalongverywellinregardtomostofthem.Therearetwoattitudeswhichareadoptedbymostpeople;eithertheyreceivethemblindlyorelsetheyscoffandsayitisridiculous.Boththeseextremesaresilly.Everyonewhohasstudiedthesethingsknowsthattheydocome,butforthemostpartonlyfrompeoplewhocantellusnothingnewandaccurate.Adeadman,ifheiswiseenoughtodoit,maylearncertainthingswhichasalivingmanhecouldnotgettoknow,butnearlyallthedead neglect this opportunity, and go on contentedly with the limitations andprejudicestheyhadonearth.

Experiencesofthesuper-physicalarenowontheincrease,becausethetimeof the coming of theWorld-Teacher is drawing near, and that fact is widelyknownonall theplanes. In thephysicalworld there isastrongexpectationofHiscoming,quiteoutsidetheTheosophicalranks.TherearemanypeoplewhofeelthenearnessofHisapproach,andconsequentlyaremorelikelythanbeforetobetherecipientsofsuchcommunications.Theyinvitethembytheirattitudeof expectancy. Therefore it is quite certain that there will be a great deal ofinformationandmisinformationspreadabroadwithregardtothecomingoftheLord.HeHimselfsaida long timeago that therewouldbemanyfalseChristswhowouldcome.TheaverageChristianprobablythinksofthefalseChristsas

anti-Christs,deliberatelydeceivingthepeople.Butmostofthemwillbeentirelywell-meaning people, who have really persuaded themselves that they areovershadowedby theChrist, and thevery fact that theyarewell-meaningwillrenderthemmoredangerous,becausepeoplewillfeeltheirearnestness,andbecarriedawaybythat.

The Theosophical attitude about false Christs may be expressed somewhatthus:itisapitythatpeopleshouldbemisledintothinkingthatsomeonewhoisveryordinaryistheWorld-Teacher.Nevertheless,iftheteachingsaregoodandthepeoplefollowthemheartilyandnobly,theirliveswillbeimproved.Thefactthat theyhavewrongimpressionsoncertainpointswillnotprevent themfromreceivingthekarmaof theirgoodlives.Itwouldbebetter that theyshouldseethetruthclearly,butwemustnotmakethemistakeofthinkingthatpeoplewhoare in error with regard to a certain important truth are necessarily wrong ineveryotherrespect—becausetheyarenot.

Ihope,however, thatwewhoarestudentsofTheosophyshallbe free fromthisparticularerror,becauseweareexpectingthecomingwithaclearnessandadefinitenesswhichmost of the sects havenot.As the timedrawsnearermorethan ever shall we have to use our own common sense, never denying thepossibility of anything, but exercising judgment and reason always. We mayadopt theattitudeofGamaliel:“If this,counselor thisworkbeofmen, itwillcome to nought; but if it be ofGod, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye befoundeventofightagainstGod.”16Letus takewhatevercomesofgood,fromanysourcewhatever.

The Masters influence many people, and care nothing about whether theinstrumentsthatTheyuseknowThemornot;thereforewemustbepreparedtofind that quite outside Theosophical organizations other forces are workingtowards thesamegreatgoal.Andwhilewefollowour lineandserveourownSocietyfirmlystrongly,faithfully,loyally,keepingtothatbecauseitisobviouslythewayforus,yetweshouldbecarefulnottocondemnortospeakagainstanyother forms of manifestation outside it, which may be tending in the samegeneraldirection,andwemustnotexpectsuchmanifestationstobeallpureorperfect.Inallsortsofwaysspiritualpowerwillbeoutpouredfromnowontothetime of the coming. TheHierarchy itself is pouring upon theworld floods ofinfluencewhichmayperhapstouchbutlittlethemanwhoisentirelywraptupinworldlymatters,butwhichmeanagreatdealtothosewhoaresensitive;tothose

whoarereadytoprofitbyit,itwillmeanthemakingofanewheavenandanewearth.

Thattherewillbeunusualhappeningsiscertain.TheLightofAsia,whichisavery faithful transcript of theBuddhist books, referring to the life of theLordBuddha, relates again and again howvarious non-human entities knewofHiscomingandrejoicedinit,andhowdevasandnature-spiritseverywherefeltHiswonderfulmagneticinfluenceandgatheredroundwhenanythingspeciallygreatwas going to happen—at the time of His birth, when He was about to attainBuddhahood, and at the time ofHis first sermon. There ismuch truth in thatidea.Wheneveranygreatmanifestationofthehigherpoweristakingplace,theother and moire sensitive evolutions feel it much more than humanity does.Because men have given themselves largely to the development of the lowermind,andforalongtimehaveneglectedthehiddensideofthingsandbeensoentirelywrapped up in themselves, they are generally at present less sensitivethan someof the lower creatures. I haveknowncats anddogs thatweremoresensitive to higher influences than human beings—not that they could get somuchfromthem,buttheywereawareofthemwhenhumanbeingswerenot.

When the Lord comesHewill no doubt take up the experimentsmade bythose who have prepared for Him and carry them through to a successfulconclusion, so probablyHewill leave theworld in all sorts ofways differentfromtheconditioninwhichHewillhavefoundit.HewillnotonlypreachHisreligion, but it may well be that all sorts of other reforms as well may beintroduced as a consequence of His teaching. One cannot say definitely, ofcourse,becausetherewillprobablybeoppositionthistime,astherewasbefore.

I do not think we can assume that He will carry the world before Him.Probablymany teachers will have to come before His pure doctrinewins theallegianceoftheworldingeneral.WhenHecametwothousandyearsagomenbarelyheardofHim.Wemustexpect the lifeof theTeacherand thosearoundHimtobeanythingbuteasy.Theworldatlargeisalwaysreadytotakeupandcirculateevilreports,sowemayaswellbepreparedforavastamountofpettyannoyance and discomfort, if nothingworse. All sorts of vested interests willobviously find the changes which He may propose unpalatable to them. ThevestedinterestsmurderedHimlasttimeafteronlythreeyearsofteaching.Howitwillbethistimewecannotknow,butwehopethatatleastanucleusofpeoplewillexistineverycountry,whomaybeabletomakeitprofitableforHimtostay

andworkwithuslongerthanthreeyears.TheOrderoftheStarintheEasthasdefinitelysetitselftheworkofpreparingforHim,withafullknowledgeofwhatitmeansandwhatlinesHisteachingislikelytofollow.Theremaywellbealsoother individuals and organizations inspired to work in the same way, oftenwithout anymeansofobtaining suchknowledgeasweareprivileged tohave.Wehopethatourservicewillmakepossiblewhatwasnotpossiblebefore.Wehope,butwecannotsay.Wecanonlydoourbest.

Thosewhoaredestinedbykarma toworkwith thegreatLordofLove arenowofnecessitycomingintoincarnation.Weoftenhear,therefore,ofthebirthofextraordinarychildren.Theymustcomenow, inorder tobe in theprimeoflifewhentheLordarrives.Itislikelythattheywilldifferincertainwaysfromother children, so do not be surprised when you hear of young people whorememberpreviousbirths,orhaveothersuperphysicalexperiencesoftheirown;allthesethingsarequitenaturalandtobeexpected,becauseofthespecialtimeinwhichwelive.Dr.Besantoncegavedirectionsastohowpeopleshouldtreatsuchcasesascamewithintheirken.Shesaid:“Donotbeexcitedwithregardtoanysuchthings,anddonotrecountallegedidentificationsofsuchchildrentooreadily,forveryfewpeopleknowwhotheywereinpreviousbirths.Rememberthat all such children areunusually sensitive, thereforeyoumustbeverykindandverygentleinyourdealingswiththem.Theremustneverbeaharshwordorgesture of any sort; youmust never startle or alarm them, for they feelmuchmoreacutelythanotherchildren.Youmustguardthemfromcrowdsorfromtheneighbourhoodofundesirablepeople.Youshouldletthemknowbutfewpeople,and should surround them with harmonious magnetism, which should not bechangedtoooften.Youshouldnotsendthemtoschool,butyoushouldsurroundthemwithaspeciallylovinghomeatmosphere.”

A.B.—Here theMaster adds a further reasonwhyone should not desire toobtainpsychicpowers:thetimeandstrengththatittakestogainthemmightbespentinworkforothers.NoticehowconstantlytheadvicethattheMastergiveshasforitsaimserviceandthegettingridofselfishnessineveryform.Insteadofusingtimeandstrengthtoacquirepsychicpowerforyourself,givethemtotheservice of those around you. If theMaster sees that you are thus using everypoweryoualreadyhaveintheserviceofothers,sothatmorecanbeentrustedtoyoubecause it is certain that youwill alsouse thoseunselfishly, thenHewillstep in. If you canhonestly say that you areusing every facultyyouhave, besureyouareonthethresholdofhavingfreshpowersentrustedtoyou.Butthere

areveryfewwhocansayit,andifyouarenotoneofthoseyouhadbettersettoworktoattainthiscondition.

This is the meaning of the parable of the talents—the name is equallyapplicable whether you take the word talent in its modern meaning or in itsoriginaloneofacertainmeasureorweightofmoney.Amanwentawayonajourney, entrusting somemoney to his servants; one had five talents given tohim, another two, another one. On the employer’s return, he asked bow thetalents had been used. Those who had five and two talents respectively hadtradedwith them, andwere able to return themwith interest. But the servantwithone talent onlyhadhidden it away, andnowhebrought it andhanded itback.Then the lord took it away fromhim;while the other servantswhohadbeenfaithfulinsmallthingshemaderulersovermanythings.Andhesaid:Untoeveryone thathath shall begiven, andhe shall have abundance:but fromhimthat hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.”17. It seemsparadoxical, but the occult meaning of the words is clear. He who uses hispowerstothefullshallbeentrustedwithmore;hewhodoesnotusehispowers,andwhothereforefromtheoccultstandpointdoesnotpossess them,shall loseeventhepossibilityofusingthem;theywillatrophy.

NooneshouldcomplainthatheisnotreceivingfromtheMastersallthehelptowhichhe thinkshimself entitled.There isonlyoneway inwhich to satisfyyourwishtocomeintotouchwiththegreatTeachers,andthatistobeusefultoyourfellow-men.ThatistheonlyclaimwhichtheMastersrecognize;theylooknotatthecapacityofaperson,butathisusefulness.IcameintotouchwiththeMasterinthislifewhenIdidnotknowofHisexistence,andsowasobviouslynot thinking of reachingHim. It is true that I had beenHis disciple formanylives,butitwasnotthatwhichcausedHimtorevealHimselftome;HedidsobecauseIwasstrainingeverynervetohelpthepeopleaboutme—thepoor,themiserable, thedown-trodden—becauseitwasworthwhileforHimtopourHisstrengthintome,whenitwaspassedontothousands.

So, instead of crying out to theMaster in yourmeditation, asking Him torevealHimselftoyou,seewhatgoodworkthereisthatoughttobedoneinyourtownorvillage,andgoanddoit.ItdoesnotmattertotheMasterwhetherornotHisinstrumentknowsthatHeisusingit.TherearemanygreathelpersscatteredthroughouttheworldwhoareassistedandinspiredbytheMaster.ManyoutsidetheTheosophicalSocietyaresoinspired.

Theywillcomeinthecourseofdevelopment—theymustcome;andiftheMasterseesthat itwouldbeusefulforyoutohavethemsooner,Hewilltellyouhowtounfoldthemsafely.Untilthen,youarebetterwithoutthem.

C.W.L.—People often say: “I hear of thesewonderful powerswhichmaketheirpossessorssomuchmoreuseful.Iwanttobeuseful.Ishouldliketohavethemtoo.”Thereisnothingwronginthat,onlyonehadbetterfollowtheadvicewhich is given here, and wait until they come naturally, or until the MasterHimselftellsonehowtoopenthem.IsHelikelytodothat?Yes;whenyouareready.Myownexperiencetellsmethat.Ihadnoneofthesepowers,andwasnotthinkingaboutthem,becausewethoughtintheearlydaysofourmovementthattheycouldbedevelopedonlybythosewhowerebornwithacertainamountofpsychic faculty to beginwith, and I had none. One day, however, theMasterHimself,whenvisitingAdyar,gavemeahintinthatdirection.Headvisedmetotryacertainsortofmeditation,andsaid:“Ithinkyouwillgetgoodresultsfromit.” I tried it andgot the results.Thesame thingwillbe said toeveryonewhoworks for theMaster, when the right time comes.Wemay take that as quitecertain.InwhatformHewillsignifyHiswishcannotbeforetold,butHewilldoitinsomeway.

Thebestwaytomakeoneselffitforsuchaneffort isunquestionablytouseforservicetothefullestpossibleextentallthepowersonehas.Anypersonwhoisdoingthatwithoutthoughtofselfislikelytoreceivesomenewpowers.

Itistheoldparableofthetalentsagain.Yourememberthosewhomadegooduse of their talents were able to go on, and were given charge of far greaterwork. It was said to them, “Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I willmake theerulerovermany things:enter thou into the joyof thy lord.”18.Veryfewpeoplestoptothinkwhatthatmeans—thejoyoftheLogos,thejoyoftheMasters.Itisnotvaguepleasureorbliss,orentryintoheaven.Themakingoftheworlds is joy toHim; it is theplayofBacchus in theGreekMysteries,andofShriKrishna among theHindus.TheLogoshas chosen to throwHimself intothismightyworkofevolution;thatisthejoyofourLord,thejoyofcarryingoutthissplendidplanofpouringoutHislovethroughtheuniverse;andifwearetoenterintothejoyoftheLordwemusttakepartinthatworkandtheblisswhichit brings. Ifwe arenot using all thepowers thatwehave, theMasterwill nothelpustoobtainothers.

Hewillwait untilHe sees thatwe aremaking full use ofwhatwe alreadyhave. People do not always understand that. They want to become invisiblehelpers;we tell themalways,“Youmustbevisiblehelpers first. Ifyourwholelife is fullofhelpfulnesson thephysicalplanewhereyouare fullyconscious,thenquitecertainlyyouwillbeusefulalsointheotherplanes.”

CHAPTER4

SMALLDESIRES

Youmustguard, too, against certain smalldesireswhichare common indailylife.Neverwishtoshine,ortoappearclever.

C.W.L.—Most people rather like to appear clever, to appear to the bestadvantage.But nomanwhohasmet theMaster face to face could ever thinkaboutshininghimself.Whenhehasseenthatgloryherealizesinamomentthatanylighthecanshowisasafarthingrushlightcomparedtothesun.Thereforetheideadoesnotoccurtohim,orifitwastherebeforeitisnowdissolved.Themanwho thinks that his tiny light is going tomake a vast impression in theworldistheonewhohasnotyetseenthehigherlights,andthereforehasnotthemeanstocompare.

Yet in every possiblewaywemustmake the best of every quality thatwehave, in theMaster’s service.What lightwehave is not tobehiddenunder abushel.ItisnotonlythemightybeaconoftheWorld-Teacherthatisneeded;letthelowerlightsbebornealongtheshore.Thegreatlightshinesoutsobrightlythat it dazzles some; others never lift their eyes, and hardly know of itsexistence.Thelesserlights,whicharenearertotheirowncomprehension,mayappealtothese.Theremaybemanywhomwecanhelpwhoasyetarenotatallreadytobehelpedbygreaterpeople.Soeachhashisownplace;butneverdesiretoshineforthesakeofshining,thatwouldbefoolish.

Havenodesiretospeak.Itiswelltospeaklittle;betterstilltosaynothing,unless you are quite sure that what you wish to say is true, kind andhelpful.Beforespeakingthinkcarefullywhetherwhatyouaregoingtosayhasthosethreequalities;ifithasnot,donotsayit.

A.B.—Peoplewhowantconstantlytotalkhavenotenoughtosaytobeablealwaystotalksensibly,andsotheysaythingswhicharenotworthhearing,andthusadd to the tremendousstreamofgossipwhich there is in theworld.Thustheydoincalculableharm,iftheyallowthetonguetobetheirmaster,insteadof

themselves mastering the tongue. Then comes a teaching which I have oftenheard from theMaster: thinkbeforeyouspeakwhetherwhatyouaregoing tosayistrue,kindandhelpful,andifithasnotthosethreequalitiesdonotsayit.Thiswillmakeyouslowinconversation,sothatgraduallyyouwillfindthatyoutalkless,andthatwillbeagoodthing.

Talkativepeople fritteraway theirenergies,whichought tobeemployed inusefulaction.Thepersonwhotalksagreatdealisgenerallyapoorworker.Youmay think, perhaps, that these remarks about speaking might very well beappliedtomyself,asIamconstantlylecturing.ButIdonotspeakmuchoutsidemywork.Ihavelost thecapacityforsmall talk,sothatpeopleoftenfindfaultwithmeformysilence.IntheWestIhaveoftentoforcemyselftotalk,becausesilence is frequently mistaken for moroseness or pride, or a disinclination tomakeoneselfagreeable.Naturally,then,myfacilityofspeechisnotgreatunlessIhavesomethingdefiniteandusefultosay.Speak,byallmeans,whenyouhavegoodcausetospeak,whenyouhavesomethingtosaythatisworthsaying,whenitisdoneoutofkindnesstoothers.Itisnotsuchspeech,butuselesstalking,thatmustbestopped.Everyuselesswordisanotherbrickbuilt into thewallwhichseparatesyoufromtheMaster,andthatisaseriousconsiderationforthosewhowanttoreachHim.

Hewhospeaksmuchcannotbetruthful.Idonotmeanthatheisconsciouslyand wilfully untruthful, but he cannot always be accurate, and inaccuracy isuntruth. There is scarcely anything worse than to have around you anatmosphereofuntruthfulness,suchasisalwayscreatedbyinaccuratespeech.Ioftenreceiveletters,forexample,whichareamassofverbiage,withperhapsalittlekernelof fact in themiddleof it all. Inall theordinaryaffairsof lifewelearn to discount exaggeration; so also, when I receive a letter containing acomplaintagainstsomebodyelse—andtherearemanysuch—Ijudgehowmuchgroundthereisforitlargelybymyknowledgeofthewriter’scharacterandalsobysensingthemoodinwhichhewaswhenhewroteit.

TheManusaidthathewhohadmasteredthetonguehadmasteredall;andaChristianteachersaid:“Thetongueisalittlemember,andboastethgreatthings.Beholdhowgreatamatteralittlefirekindleth!Andthetongueisafire,aworldof iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the wholebody.”19.Tomasterthetongueistomasterthelowernature.Thesmalltroubleswhichpeoplehave aremostly the result of their idlewords; the reaction from

them.Littleheadaches,indispositions,depressionsandsoforthariseinthisway.If peoplewho have thesewould learn silence, theywould soon improve theirphysical health, partlybecause theywouldno longer lose all thenerve-energywhich now trickles away in talk, and partly because they would not haveconstantly to pay the little karmic debtswhich result from their idlewords. Itwill be remembered thatPythagoras imposed twoyears’ silenceonhis pupils;thatfactshouldweighwithus,becausehewastheMasterwhomwenowknowasKuthumi,theteacherofAlcyoneandalsoofBishopLeadbeater.

InIndiatherearemanyyogiswhoarecalledmunis;theyhavetakenavowofsilence,astheirnameimplies.Thevalueofthathasalwaysbeenrecognizedinthiscountry.Iknowonemanwhohascarriedoutthisvowfortenyears,andithas given him great peace and dignity; because of it he is leading a farmorespiritual life thanhecouldhavedonewithout it.Ofcourse,mostofuscannottakesuchavowwhenwearelivingintheworldandhaveallkindsofworktodoinit;butwecanandshouldfollowthespiritofit,keepingsilentwheneveritispossibletodosowithoutgivingoffence.

Theneedofconstantlywatchingandjudgingisalsovaluableasatrainingingreaterself-recollectedness.Youmustsaysomething,butyouhavetodeterminenottosaymorethanwillfulfiltheoccultruleastokindnessandusefulness.Itisa good practice to make a resolution on this point for one day at a time;determineinthemorningthatyouwillspeaknoidlewordduringtheday—thatwill be one day to the good, at least. Our Jain brethren make use of similarexercisesinordertolearnwatchfulnessandself-recollectedness;theydetermineinthemorningthatduringthatdaytheywillnotdoacertainthing—whichmaybe quite unimportant in itself—and they do not do it, and the habit ofwatchfulness thus engendered does awaywith carelessness. TheLordBuddhaalso spoke very strongly on the subject of carelessness, the lack ofthoughtfulnesswhichleadsmenintosomanyblunders.

C.W.L.—Peoplewhoareall the timechatteringcannot alwaysbe speakingsensiblyorprofitably;furthermore,theycannotbetruthful.Ifpeoplearealwaystalking loosely, quite certainly some of the things they say will not be true,thoughnotintentionallyfalse.Theymakeallsortsofinaccuratestatements,andafterwardssay:“Ididnotmeantobeinaccurate,soitdoesnotmatter.”Itisnotwhatyoumean,butwhatyoudothatproducesresults.Ifyoudoafoolishthing,thefactthatyourintentionwasgooddoesnotalteritscharacter,norrelieveyou

fromthekarmaof it.Thegood intention, ifdefinite,willbebeneficial toyou,but the foolish thing will bring you bad physical karma. A man will saysomething,andlatercorrecthimself:“IseeIwaswrong;itisnotquitelikethat.”Hehastoldafalsehood:hedidnotmeanit,buthehasmadeanassertionwhichisnottrue.Tosaythathedidnotmeanitislikethepleaofamanwhohappenstoshootsomeonebyaccident:“Ididnotknowthegunwasloaded.”Heoughttohavepresumedthatitwasloadeduntilheknewitwasnot.

Itwouldbeagood thing ifwesetourselves just foroneday tomakequitesure that we spoke nothing that was not true, kind, and helpful. It would beratherasilentday,butperhapstheworldwouldnotlosemuch,anditwouldbevery good for us. Of course, it would be impossible to carry on a rapid andanimatedconversationbecauseweshouldhavetostopandthink.Theserulesarebased upon the laws of the higher life. If a man wants to make more rapidprogress,hemusttrytokeepthesehigherrules.Hemustchangehimselftosuitthem,evenwhentheyseemtobringhimintoconflictwithordinarylifeanditsmethods.Thatmayappearhard,perhaps;butif,aftercarefullythinkingitover,hefeelsthatthedemandsofthehigherlifearetoohardforhim,lethimwaitalife or two before trying tomake real progress.We cannot do the two things:haveaneasy lifewithoutanyeffectandexertion,andhave therapidprogress;butwecandoeitherone,andthereisnoblameattachedtothemanwhofeelsthatasyetheisnotequaltothestrain.

It iswell togetusedevennowtothinkingcarefullybeforespeaking;forwhenyoureachInitiationyoumustwatcheveryword,lestyoushouldtellwhatmustnotbetold.

C.W.L.—That might possibly be misleading if one did not understand thefactswithregardtoInitiation.IfanyonethoughtofdivulgingtherealsecretsofInitiation, before he uttered thewords hewould have forgotten that therewasanythingtobetray.Thereforetherealsecretsareperfectlysafe;theyhaveneverleakedout,andtheycanneverdoso.Still,thereisgreatdangerfortheInitiatewho may become careless. He may put himself in a very awkward positionindeed. I myself am possessed of certain information of various kinds, as towhichIcannotseethatanyparticularharmwouldbedoneifitwerepublishedinthedailynewspapers;butIwastoldnottorepeatitsoIdonot;Idonotknowwhy.Apromiseisapromise,andmustbekeptasasacredthing.Ifthereareany

whodonotfeelthatwayaboutit,theyhadbettergiveupatonceallthoughtofoccultprogress.

Much common talk is unnecessary and foolish; when it is gossip, it iswicked.

C.W.L.—Oftenwhatwemust call unnecessary talk is nevertheless spokenwith intent tohelp topass the timepleasantly forsomeone. It is,perhaps, theunfortunatecustomofourperiodtospendagreatdealoftimeintalkingwhichreallymightbeemployedmuchmoreprofitablyinthinking.Theremustbetimeswhenwesay thingswhicharenotabsolutelynecessary, just inorder topleaseother people who would misunderstand us if we were persistently silent. Yetoutsidethatthereisagreatdealofunnecessarytalkingwhichdoesnotfallunderthatheadatall,doneapparentlyjustforthesakeofsayingsomething.Thatisamistake.Real friends can be silent and yet enjoy one another’s company, andrealizeaclosecommunityofthought;butifpeopleareinaconditionwheretheyare afraid of gaps in the conversation and must keep on talking, thenunfortunately therewill be a great deal saidwhichwould bemuch better notsaid. Garrulous people are not the wisest, and are not, as a rule, notable forthought.

Sobeaccustomedtolistenratherthantotalk;donotofferopinionsunlessdirectlyaskedforthem.

C.W.L.—Somepeoplecannothearastatementmadewhichtheythinktobewrongorincompletewithoutinstantlycontradictingitandcreatingdisharmonyandargument.Wemustrealizethatitisnotourbusinesstocorrectopinions,ortotrytoputrighteverybodywhoiswrong.Itisourbusinesstogoabouthelpingpeopleasmuchaswecaninaquietsortofway,andifouropinionisaskedonthe subject to state it very calmly and temperately, and not in a spirit ofopposition.Weneednotassumethatouropinionisofgreatinteresttoanybodyelse; sometimes it isnot, and then it iswrong to thrust ituponpeople.Amanmaybequitesurethatthefactisso-and-so,andwemayknowverywellthatitisnotso,butitisbettertolethimtalk;itprobablypleaseshimanddoesnotdousanyharm.Hemaychoose tobelieve that the earth is flat or that the sungoesroundit—itishisownaffair.Ifonewereinthepositionofaschoolmasterand

wereappointedtoteachcertainboys,thenonewouldgentlyandquietlycorrectthem, because that would be one’s duty; but no one is appointed as aschoolmastertothegeneralpublic.

Ofcourse,ifweheardsomeone’scharacterbeingtakenawayitwouldbeourdutytosay,“Excuseme,youarenotquiteright;thatisnottrue”andasfaraspossible put the thing right before people.Thatwould be a case of a helplesspersonbeingattacked—thenitisone’sdutytodefendhim.

OnestatementoftheQualificationsgivesthemthus:Toknow,todare,towill,andtobesilent;andthelastofthefouristhehardestofthemall.

C.W.L.—The Rosicrucians held that he who would make occult progressmust resolve to know, dare, will and be silent. We must know the truths ofnature,anddaretousethem.TousethegreatpowersthatbecomeoursonthisPathwemusthaveastrongwillthatcancontrolthem,andcontrolourselvestoo.Then, when these things are done, we must know enough to be silent aboutthem.

CHAPTER5

MINDYOUROWNBUSINESS

Another common desire which you must sternly repress is the wish tomeddle in other men’s business. What another man does or says orbelieves is no affair of yours, and youmust learn to let him absolutelyalone.Hehasfullrighttofreethoughtandspeechandaction,solongashedoesnotinterferewithanyoneelse.Youyourselfclaimthefreedomtodowhatyouthinkproper;youmustallowthesamefreedomtohim,andwhenheexercisesityouhavenorighttotalkabouthim.

C.W.L.—Oneshouldnotinterferewithotherpeople’sbeliefsandactions,aslongastheiractionsarenotobviouslytothecommonharminanyway.Ifamancomportshimselfsoastobeanuisancetohisneighbours,itmaysometimesbeourdutytosuggestsomething;buteveninsuchcasesitisoftenbesttogoawayandletthingsquietlyrightthemselves.

Weof theAnglo-Saxon raceboastmuchof freedom,butwe are not in theleast free really, forwe are hide-bound by custom to an almost inconceivableextent.We cannot dress as we like, or go about as we choose. Amanmightprefer theancientGreek—it isprobablyoneof themostbeautifulcostumes intheworld—but if he put it on andwalkeddown the street hewould probablyhaveacrowdofpeopleroundhim,andmightbearrestedforblockingthetraffic.Inanylandoflibertyhewouldbequitefreetodressandactasheliked,solongashedidnotmakehimselfanuisancetoothers.Butthereisnorealfreedomatall;wecannotdepartfromthelinewhichotherpeopletake,oratleastonlyveryslightly,otherwiseagreatdealoftroubleanddisturbanceiscaused.Itisapity,becauserealfreedomwouldbesoverymuchbetterforallconcerned,especiallyforthosewhowanttointerferewithothers.

A.B.—Isupposethatmostofuswhoareearnestandenthusiasticaresosureof the value of what we have learned, so convinced, and rightly so, of itssupremeimportance,thatwewantotherpeopletofeelthesame;andsometimesweshouldalmost like to force them toseeaswedo.That isa faultofalmostevery enthusiastic nature. But aman can only receive gladlywhat he already

knowsinside,thoughhedoesnotyetknowitinthebrainandthereforecannotyet articulate it tohimself.Until thatpreliminary stagehasbeen reachedbe isnotinapositiontoacceptatruthpresentedtohimfromtheoutside,andtotryandforceituponhimdoesfarmoreharmthangood.

Inthesamewayconsciencecannotbecreatedfromtheoutside;itisonlythefruit of past experiences. Therefore the acceptance of all teaching and adviceimplies that theouterpresentationhas stirredknowledgealreadypossessedbythemaninside,andithasthenflasheddownintothebrain.Allthattheteachercan do along these lines, therefore, is to bring to a man’s physical-planeknowledge that which he already knows on other planes. One of the greatTeachers has pointed out that many people are taught much Theosophicalknowledgewhileoutoftheirbodiesduringsleep.Therealmanthenlearns,andtheknowledge that is thusacquiredcan thenbe regiven tohimbyaphysical-planeteacher,whosewordshelpthemantobringitdownintohisbrain.Thatisallthatthephysical-planeteachercando.

Wehavealltolearnbyrepeateddisappointmentsthatwecannothelpamanalongthewaywhichheisnotyetreadytotread.Thuswebecomemuchquieter—ready to help when help can be useful, also ready to Stand aside andwaitwhenourhelpwouldbenohelpatall,thatis,whenthepersoncouldnotprofitbywhatwecouldtellhim.Thisattitudeoftengivestheignoranttheideathatweareindifferent,whereasthetruthisthatthepersonwhoismoreadvancedknowsexactlywherehecanhelpandwherehecannot.

Forthosewhocannotseeexactlywherehelpcanbegiventhepolicyoughttobetentative.Suggestathought;ifitismetwithindifferenceorisrepelled,yousee that you cannot help the person whom you are addressing along thatparticularline.Thenyoumustwaitortrysomeotherway,asthecasemaybe.That ismuchbetter thanforcinguponhimall thatyouknow;donotdrownorchokethepersonmentallybypouringallyourknowledgeoutuponhimortryingtoramitintohim.Peopleareoftenverywillingtoclaimfreedomforthemselvesbutextraordinarilyreluctanttogiveittoothers.Thatisaseriousfault,forotherpeoplehavefullyasmuchrighttotheirviewsandtotheexpressionofthemaswehave.

Sometimes the fault is the otherway.Donot run into the other extremeofthinkingthatyoumustacceptotherpeople’sopinions.Youhavethefullestrighttodisagree.Youmaysayquite frankly,“No, Idonotagreewith that,”oryou

maykeepsilent;butwhatyoumustnotdo is toattackanother forholdinghisown opinion.When you hear a personmaking some statement, use your owncommonsensefirstofall;alwaysexerciseyourreasononeverystatementyouhear.Leaveotherpeoplefree,butdonotenslaveyourself.

If you think he is doingwrong, and you can contrive an opportunity ofprivatelyandverypolitelytellinghimwhyyouthinkso,itispossiblethatyoumayconvincehim;buttherearemanycasesinwhicheventhatwouldbe an improper interference. On no accountmust you go and gossip tosomethirdpersonaboutthematter,forthatisanextremelywickedaction.

A.B.—Youmaysometimesbeable tohelpapersonwhomyouknowtobemorally doingwrong, but here great circumspection is required, since it is soeasytodomoreharmthangoodinsuchcases.HelpsogivenmustcertainlybeofferedonlyintheprivateandutterlyfriendlywaywhichtheMasterindicates.Ifthe person is self-opinionated we can but leave him to learn by experience,whichfortunatelyisagreatteacher.

Ifapersonhasgotholdofsomemistakenidea,andhecomesandexpressesittoyou,itisnotnecessarytosaythatitiswrong,unlessyouaresurethathehasmore confidence in your judgment than in his own, or at least is willing toconsiderseriouslywhatyousay;inmanycases,heisboundtofindouttheerrorforhimself,andthenitisbettertolethimdoso.Peopleoftencometomeandmakesomegreatannouncementofwhat isgoing tohappen,according to theirbelief; generally I listen quietly and politely and do not express an opinion.When theprophecyfailsof its fulfilment, thepersonwhomade it sees thathemade amistake, but one leaves him to draw the conclusion for himself. It isinevitable that such things should happenwhenmany people are coming intotouchwithoccultism.Sometimestheybecomeconfused,becausemanyoftheirformer standards of judgment are swept away, and theywonder howmany oftheircriteriaaregoingtofalltopiecesamongalltheearthquakesthataretakingplace.Theonlythingtodounderthesecircumstancesisnottohurry,buttokeepcalmandcoolandsteady;graduallythingswillbecomeclear,thatwhichisfalseandmistakenwillpass,andtherealthingswillremain.

If you see a case of cruelty to a child or an animal, it is your duty tointerfere.

A.B.—In the case of cruelty to a child or an animal interference is a duty,because strength is taking advantage of weakness, which it ought always toprotect,becauseweaknesscannotprotectitself.Whenever,therefore,achildoran animal is being ill-treated, the duty of one who is stronger is to step inbetween and not allow an infringement of its rights, nor permit the liberty ofanothertobetakenaway.Sowheneveryouseeacaseofcrueltytoachildyoushouldinterfere,andtrytomakeyourinterferenceeffective.

Ifyouseeanyonebreakingthelawofthecountry,youshouldinformtheauthorities.

C.W.L.—Agreatdealhasbeensaidabout thatpassage,andvariouspeoplehave taken exception to it.This is curious because, as amatter of fact, if youconcealacrimeyoubecomeanaccessorytothatcrime,beforethefactorafterthefactasthecasemaybe,andyouaresoregardedbythelaw.Peoplesay,“Butarewetospyuponotherstoseewhethertheyarebreakingthelaw?”Certainlynot;youarenotconstitutedadetectivetogoandfindpeoplebreakingthelaw.

Law gives cohesion to a country; it establishes order for the good of all;thereforeitisthedutyofeverycitizentoupholdit.Still,onemustusecommonsense. No one is expected to obey obsolete laws, though they remain on thestatutebook.Norneedanyonegooutofhiswaytoreportminordelinquencies.Letustake,forexample,thequestionoftrespassingonanotherman’sproperty;ifyouseeamantakingashortcutacrossanotherman’spark,Idonotthinkyouaretherebyboundtogoandreportthematter.Ifyouareaskedaboutit,then,ofcourse,youmustsayso.Or take the lawagainstsmuggling things throughthecustoms. I should say a good citizen would obey that law, and not think ofendeavouringtosmuggleingoodsofanysort.Atthesametimeitseemstomethatifsomefellow-travelleristryingtosmugglesomecigarsorsomethinglikethatthrough,itisnotexactlymybusinesstoinformtheauthorities,becausethatisnotamatterofthebreakingofalawwhichinjuresanyoneelse.

Iwouldnotmyselfbreakit,becauseIthinkthatwhenalawismadeitshouldbe obeyed, and if it is a bad law we should endeavour to use constitutionalmeanstochangeit.Wehaveinsomeeaseslawswhichitwouldbedifficult toobey. In some places there is a law of compulsory vaccination. Personally Ishouldobject tobeingvaccinated, and should refuse to submit to it except by

major force. Ishouldbeprepared ifnecessary togo toprisonrather thanhavethatdone,becauseitisanevilthing.Theseareallmattersonwhicheachpersonmustpasshisownjudgment.

InIndiaitisespeciallylaiddownwhatcrimesmustbereportedifseen—theyare,ofcourse,alltheseriouscrimes.Ifoneweretoseeamurderorarobberyitwouldbeone’sdutytoreportit,butwithregardtoahostofminorthings,onedoesnotlegally,inIndia,makeoneselfanaccessorybynotreportingthem.

A.B.—Itisthedutyofeverycitizen,wheneverheseesthelawbeingbrokentoputastoptothewrong.

This is one of the elementary duties of citizenship. Yet the other day anobjectionwas raised to this teaching.Astudentcame tomeandsaid thatherewasathinginthebookwhichhecouldnotaccept;itseemedtohimtosuggestageneralpryingabout,aspying intootherpeople’saffairs.Ofcourse, it intendsnothing of the kind; but when you see the law broken you must interfere,becausethelawiswhatgivescohesiontoacountry,establishingandpreservingorder,andbindingitspeopletogether.Itisthedutyofeverycitizenthereforetoupholdit;noonehastherighttoconcealacrimewhichheknowsisgoingtobecommitted, and ifhedoes sohebecomesapartaker in it.This is sogenerallyrecognized that apersonwhoknowsof the crimeand fails to report it is heldlegally tobeanaccessory to itand ispunishableby law. Icouldonlysupposethatmyobjector hadnot consideredwhat hewas saying, for a countrywhosecitizens do not recognize this simple duty and act accordingly goes down,becauseofthelackofpublicspirit.

Ifyouareplacedinchargeofanotherpersoninordertoteachhim,itmaybecomeyourdutygentlytotellhimofhisfaults.

C.W.L.—That is obvious. A child, a pupil, or a servant is placed in ourchargebecauseweareolderandwiser.Ifwedonottellhimofanyfaultswhichhecommitsheislosingtheadvantageofourwisdomandexperience;thereforeweshouldbesofarfailinginourdutytowardshim,neglectingtodothatwhichweareplacedtheretodo.

Except in such cases, mind your own business, and learn the virtue ofsilence.

A.B.—Thinkhowdifferentsocietywouldbeifthiswerepractised!Insteadofbeingconstantlyonguardagainsthisneighbours,amancouldlivehisownlifefreelyandopenly,forpeoplewouldleaveoneanotheralonetoactaseachmightthink best, andmutual tolerance and goodwill would replace interference andcriticism. Our fifth race, which dominates the world to-day, is aggressive,combativeandcritical,butwehavetotrytolivethelifeofthefuture,thatofthesixth root-race,which is to be reached by tolerance and active goodwill. Thiswillleadontothegeneralideaofbrotherhood,onwhichthesixthracewillbeestablished.

C.W.L.—Itdoesnotseemdifficulttomindone’sownbusiness,butveryfewpeople do it. What is meant here is that a general attitude of tolerance andgoodwill should replacewhat is sopainfully commonatpresent—the spirit ofinterferenceandcriticism.IfapersondoessomethingquiteunusualIamafraidmany people fly to the conclusion that he has some nefarious reason for sodoing.Itdoesnotatallfollow;hemayhavehisownprivatereason,andanyhow,unlessheisdoingsomethingclearlywrongorinterferingwithothers,weshouldlethimgohiswayanddowhathewill.

Likesomeoftheothercommonpresent-dayfaults,thisspringslargelyfromanexcessofourfifthraceandfifthsub-racequalities.Ourraceisdevelopingthecriticalfacultiesofthelowermind,andthatcarriedtoexcessmakesusliabletobeaggressive,combativeandargumentative.Thosewhoaimatoccultprogressare supposed, however, to develop the next quality—buddhi, the unifyingquality,thatwhichgivessynthesisratherthananalysis,andtriestoseethepointsofcontact rather than thoseofdifference.Thedevelopmentof thatwillbe thebusinessof the sixth root-race, andalso, ina subsidiaryway,of the sixth sub-race,whichisnowdawninginAmerica,Australiaandsomeotherplaces.

IntheTheosophicalSocietyweupholdtheideaofbrotherhood,andthisisawayofpractising it—find somethingnot toblamebut topraise.Something topraise as well as something to blame can be found in everybody and ineverything, if you look for it; and there is every reason why we shouldconcentrateourattentiononthegoodqualities,notontheblameworthythings.Wemighttrythustobringdownthesideofthebalancealittle.Wecanaffordtoleave the fault-finding to the rest of theworld,who are certain to continue toattend to the business of blaming, and will do it with more gusto than wepossiblycould.Itisavaluableexercisetopickoutthegoodthings,becauseuntil

webegin to lookfor themwedonot reallyunderstandhowmanygood thingsthere are in everybody.Whenwe do this, we shall begin to find all kinds ofbeautifulqualities inpeoplewhomwehavebeen regardingveryunfairly. It iseasy to formanopinionofpeoplewhomwedonotknowwell,basedononlyoneor two things:wesaw themlookingangry,and therefore thinkof themasirritablepeople;orwesawthemonedaylookingdiscontended,andsoputthemdown as usually that sort of people. Probablywe have simply stumbled uponthem just at an awkwardmoment, and their life in general may not be at allcolouredasweconceiveittobe.

Ifwemusterrnowandthen,letitbeonthegoodside;giveapersoncreditfora littlebitmore thanhisdue—thatwillnothurthimorus.AMasteroncesaid, “In everyone there is good, and in everyone there is evil.” Beware ofthinkingofapersonasbad;foryoumayexpecthimtoactbadly,andthen,whenhe does not do so, youmay be disappointed, because it shows that youwerewrong in your judgment. It is much better to think too well of hundreds ofpeoplethantothinktoobadlyofevenone.Letuslivethebuddhiclifeatleasttothe extent that we look for the things which are good and not for the thingswhichareevil,notonlyintheinterestsoftruthandjustice,butbecauseweknowthatourthoughtsarepowerful,thattothinkofanotherasbadtendstomakehimso,buttoseethegoodinhimdiminishestheevilandhelpsthatgoodtogrow.

Oneofthechiefthingswehavetolearnisnottoletthelowermindrunawaywithusandmakeusattributeunworthymotivestootherpeople.Ourexperienceof human nature has shown us that it is a fallible thing, that people are notalwaysswayedbyunselfishconsiderations; thereforethenatural tendencyis tolook for something selfish in the way of a motive, rather than for somethinghigh. But we must not allow ourselves to be dragged down to that level ofsuspicion and unkindness; not only for our own sakes, but for thewelfare ofothersitisnecessarythatweshouldlookfirstforthehighestmotive,and,evenwhenwedonotseeit,shouldgivethepersoncreditformeaningwell.Whenwethinkofabadmotiveweareintensifyingitbyourthought,forthemindisveryreceptive. If a man has slipped back a little, and we give him the credit ofmeaning well, he will soon become ashamed of the lower motive and willreplace itby thehigher.Besides, inattributing thebestpossiblemotives toallourfriendswearesuretoberightinninecasesoutoften.Ofcourse,theouterworld in itscynicalwaywillsay to themanwhodoes this.“Youareasimplefellow.”Itisbettertobethesimplefellowwhodoesgoodinthiswaythanthe

cleveronewhocannotthinkwellofanybody.

Practically no one is intentionallywicked. One should, therefore avoid thecommonmistakeofthinkingthatthosewhodowhatweshouldcallwrong,dosothroughwickedmotives.Wemustguardagainstdoinginjusticebysupposing,forinstance,thatthosewhoeatmeatthinkanythingaboutit,andaredoingwhattheyknowtobewrong.Theyarenotusuallyactingagainsttheirbetterfeelings;theyare following thecustomwithout thinkingabout it.Suchpeoplearequitegood; indeed,goodpeopleburntoneanother in themiddleages,withnomorethought.Butoneof theMasterssaid:“Ourobject isnot tomakegoodpeople,buttomakemightyspiritualpowersforgood.”

PARTIV

GOODCONDUCT

CHAPTER1

CONTROLOFMIND

The six points ofConductwhich are specially required are givenby theMasteras:

Self-controlastotheMind.

Self-controlinAction.

Tolerance.

Cheerfulness.

One-pointedness.

Confidence.

[Iknowsomeoftheseareoftentranslateddifferently,asarethenamesoftheQualifications;butinallcasesIamusingthenameswhichtheMasterHimselfemployedwhenexplainingthemtome.]

A.B.—As Alcyone says, the Master’s translation of some of thesequalificationsisa littledifferentfromthat towhichwehavebeenaccustomed.Thefirst threearenotunlikethetranslationsthatIhavebeenusingforagreatmany years, but the last three are somewhat dissimilar, though of course theessentialmeanings are unaltered. The third of these points of good conduct Ihavealwaystranslated“tolerance”,astheMasterdoeshere,butthatrenderingisnot acceptable, I know, to a goodmanypeople.TheSanskritword isuparati,whichmeansliterally“cessation”.Wetakethecessationasreferringtoqualitieslike criticism and discontent, and the positive side of this virtue is thereforetolerance.

The fourth, titiksha, I have always called endurance; of course, the idea ofcheerfulness is the same, for a personwho has endurancewill necessarily becheerful. Here the Master, who is—if I may venture to use the word—particularly sunny, gives the translation that emphasizes this aspect of thequality,anditiswellthatallshouldmeditateuponit.Thencomesone-pointed-ness;thatistheSanskritsamadhanawhichIhavegivenasbalance—andagainthe idea is the same, for the one-pointed person is balanced, and vice versa.Lastlycomesshraddha,whichIhavealwayscalledfaith.Hereitisconfidence;butoncemorethemeaningisunchangedbecauseIhavealwaysdefinedfaithasutterbeliefintheGodwithinandintheMaster.Itiswelltonotethedifferencesaswellasthelikenesses,becausethesehelpustograspthemeaningbetter.

Self-control as to theMind.—TheQualification ofDesirelessness showsthattheastralbodymustbecontrolled;thisshowsthesamethingastothementalbody.Itmeanscontroloftemper,sothatyoumayfeelnoangerorimpatience;oftheminditself,sothatthethoughtmayalwaysbecalmandunruffled; and (through themind) of the nerves, so that theymay be aslittleirritableaspossible.

C.W.L.—Controloftemperispreciselyoneofthethingswhicharedifficultfor us, because we are trying the new experiment of raising ourselves inevolution (whichmeansmuchrefiningallourvehiclesandmaking themmoreandmore sensitive)while remaining in themidstof the lifeof theworld.Ourvictory is somuch thegreaterbecauseof thesedifficulties, theovercomingofwhich shows that we have progressed further in strength ofwill than has themonkorthehermit.

Sometimespeoplesucceed inweedingout theangryfeeling,andyet find itdifficulttocontroltheoutervehiclesentirely;theremaystillbeamovementofimpatience when really the feeling which used to be behind it has absolutelygone.Itisnotsobadashavingthefeelingandnotshowingit,butwemustgetridevenofthat,becauseitmisleadsotherpeople.Ifyoulookclairvoyantlyattheastralbodyoftheaveragemaninthestreet,youwillseethatthewholethingisaswirling mass, and instead of having definite striations, and colours clearlymarkedandcirculatingastheyshouldbe,ithasonthesurfacefiftyorsixtylittlevortices or whirl-pools in violent agitation, each of which, because of therapidity of its motion, makes a hard knot resembling a wart. If you examine

thesevorticesyouwillfindthattheyallaroseinthelittleoutburstsoftemper,orsmallworries, or feelings of offence, jealousy, envy and perhaps even hatred,which the man has had some time within the last forty-eight hours. Largervortices,lastingmuchlonger,aremadewhenthemanrenewsanumberoftimesthesamekindofthoughtaboutthesameperson.

Whileaman is in that state it isquite impossible forhim to thinkwith theclearness and definiteness thatmight otherwise be his; if hewants to think orwriteonanysubject,hisviewsareboundtobecolouredanddistortedbythesevortices, even though he has forgotten the feelings which caused them. Menforgettheirfeelingsofannoyance,anddonotrealizethattheeffectisstillthere;mostofthemkeepuptheirstockofvorticesatmuchthesamelevel.

Prejudice shows itself in this way very clearly to astral and mentalclairvoyance.Thematterofthementalbodyoughttobeinrapidcirculation;notall over it, but in certain zonesor areas.Broadly speaking, it tends to arrangeitself according to its density, so that the coarser matter, while circulating tosomeextent allover thebody, tends togravitate towards the lowerpartof theovoid, so thatpeoplewhohaveapreponderanceofselfish thoughtand feelinglook like eggs standing on their larger ends, while those who are notablyunselfish or occultly developed resemble eggs standing on their smaller ends.Therearefourzonesorslicesinthementalbody,justastherearedepartmentsinthebrainwhichdealwithparticulartypesofthought.

Imagine a man who is very illiberal in his religious thought. The mentalmatter, insteadof flowing freely in that particular department, piles upuntil itactually projects and becomes a heap, and begins to fester and decay. As histhoughtonreligioussubjectsmustpassthroughthisdivisionofthementalbody,itcanneverbetrue,becauseitsvibrationsareovercomebywhatisliterallythemental disease that has fastened upon it. His view is bound to be prejudiced,untilhesetstoworkandcureshimselfbydeliberatecontrolandpurificationofthemind.Onlythenmayhelearntothinktruly—thatis,toseethingsasdoestheDeity,whoknowsabsolutelythewholeofHissystemexactlyasitis.

Prejudicesarenotnecessarilyagainstpersonsor things;quiteoftentheyarein favour. Even so, they are a form of untruth, and they show the samecorruption in the aura.Oneof the commonest cases is thatof themotherwhocannot believe that there ever beforewas such a baby as hers since theworldbegan.Anotherexampleisthatoftheartistwhoisincapableofseeinggoodin

anyotherschoolofartthanhisown.

Allthosethings,fromthepointofviewofpsychicforce,arelikeopensores,throughwhichthewill-powerofthemanisleakingawayallthetime.Thatbeingthe condition of the averageman,when you get a personwho is by nature aworrier,youhavenaturallyastillworsecase—apersonwhoisallonesore,andhas no force left, for all is spent. Ifwewant to conserve our energies and dogoodworkwith them, asmust be the case ifwe are to be occultists, the firstthingtodoistocheckallthesesourcesofwaste.Supposewewanttoputoutafire;wemusthaveajetofwater.Itmustbepumpedathighpressure,andtheremustbeabsolutelynoleakinthewatercylindersandpipes.Thatmeansforuscalmnessandcontrolofmind.

Theaveragemanseemstohavelittleornowill-power;whentroublecomeshesimplyliesdownunderitandgroansandcomplains,insteadofdirectinghiswill to deal definitely with it. There are two reasons for this weakness. Thedegree of power that comes down into any man varies according to hisrealization of the true Self—the extent to which the One Self, the Deity, isunfoldedwithin him. In essential naturewe are all of equal strength, butmendiffer in the extent to which they have unfolded the divine strength inthemselves.Theordinarymanhasnotdevelopedmuchofthat,andevenwhathehasheiswasting.

ManyamonguswouldliketorealizemorefullythepresenceoftheMaster,andtobringvariousothergoodinfluencesfromthehigherplanesdownintothephysicalbrain.Suchinfluencesmustcomedownthroughthesedifferentvehicles—must be reflected fromone to another. Look at the reflection of a group oftreesonthesurfaceofalakeorriver.Ifitisquitecalmwegetaperfectpicture,in which every leaf is clearly seen; but the least ripple distorts the picturealtogether. If there is a storm, it is completely destroyed. That is exactly truewith regard to the astral andmental bodies.Theymust bekept calmandheldstill if through them any true or valuable influences are to come from above.Peopleconstantlyask,“Whydon’twe rememberall thatwedo inour sleep?”That is one of the reasons—because their vehicles are not quiet enough.Nowandagaintheymaybecomecalmenoughtobringsomethingthrough,buteventhen the impression is usually somewhat distorted, because themedium is notperfectlyclear.Itislikelookingatsomethingthroughcheapbottle-glassinsteadofgoodplate-glass;italtogetheralterstheproportionsofthings.

Whenwe have become calmwe canwork in themidst of disturbance andtrouble,butofcourse it isalwaysa strain tohold thebodiescalmunder theseconditions. It is sogreata strain that somepeoplecannotdo it at all;but theymustgraduallyacquirestrength.

Theoccultistlearnsthroughself-controltoworkontwoplanesatonce,thatis, to be partly out of his body at the same time that he is working on thephysical plane; so thatwhile he iswritingor speakinghemaybedoingotherthingswithhisastralbody. Ihaveheard itsaid, forexample, thatwhenIhavebeenlecturingvariouspeople in theaudiencehaveseenastralentitiesstandingontheplatformandcomingupandspeakingtome.Thatiscorrectlyseensofar;itisoftenthecasethattheycomeupinthatway,desiringanswerstoquestionsorwantingsomethingdone,whilethelecturestillgoeson.Thatisonlyasmallandpassingexample,butoftentherearemuchmoreseriouspiecesofworktobedone,inwhichtheoccultistuseshisconsciousnessinthatcomplicatedway.

This double concentration is performed to some extent quite frequently inordinarylifealso-Manyladiescanknitandgoontalking,becausetheknittingisamechanicalactiontothem.IhadmuchtodooncewithoneofthegreatbanksinLondon,andIhaveseentheremen,whowereusedtoit,rapidlyandsteadilyaddinguplongcolumnsoffigures,andatthesametimesingingasongfortheentertainmentoftheirfellows.Imustadmitthatwouldbeimpossibletome,butIhaveseenitdoneoverandoveragain.

A.B.—Inthesectionondesirelessness theMasterhasdealtwith thecontrolof the astral body and its numerous forms of desire, and in the section ondiscriminationHespokemuchabouttruth,whichinvolvesthepurificationofthemental body.NowHe deals furtherwith control of themind, and also of theemotions; an emotion is a combination of thought and desire. Emotions aredesireswhicharepenetratedbythethought-element.Inotherwords,emotionisdesiremingledwiththought.WhentheMasterspeakshereofcontroloftemper,He is speaking of emotion, because impatience and similar feelings proceedpartly from the desire-body and partly from the mental body. The would-beoccultistmustcertainlynotlethimselfbecarriedawaybytemper,foruntil thecontrolofthatisgained,sothathisemotionscannotbeupset,hewillnotbeabletoseedefinitelyorclearly.Thevibrationsofemotionwillarousecorrespondingexcitementinpurelymentalmatter,andalltheman’sthoughtswillbedisturbedanddistorted,sothathewillnotbeabletoseethingscorrectly.

TheMasterthensaysthatthethoughtitselfmustbecalmandunruffled;thisisnecessarybecauseonlyinsuchconditionscaninfluencesbethrowndownintothelowermindfromthehigher.IthinkitisinTheOccultWorldthatMr.SinnettquotedaletterfromthesameTeacherinwhichHetoldhimthatifhewantedtowriteusefullyhemustkeep themindcalm,and then thoughts from thehighermindwouldreflectthemselvesinit,asmountainsinacalmlake.

It is a good plan, if youwant towrite a letter on a serious subject—aboutTheosophy,forinstance—ortoproduceanarticle,tositquietforsomeminutes,steadying yourself before you begin towork. This is not awaste of time, forwhenyoubeginwritingyouwill then find thatyour thoughtwill flowquietlyandwithout effort, andyouwill not have topause in themiddle and considerhowyouaretogoon.Thiswillbesobecausethehighermindisbeingreflectedin themirror of the lower.This practice is especially important for thosewhocannotyetshutofftheouterthingsatwill.

Onemaymakeuseofouterdisturbancestopractiseconcentration.AsachildI was made to learn my lessons in a room where other children were beingtaughtdifferentthings,sograduallyIacquiredthepowertoworkatataskofmyownwhileallsortsofotheractivitiesweregoingonaroundme.InconsequenceIhavenowthepowertoworkundisturbedbywhatmaybehappeningnearby,though Imust admit that I find it difficult toperformcalculationsunder thosecircumstances.Ihavealwaysfeltgratefultomyteacher,MissMarryat,forthis.Thepowercomeswithpractice,andisthenusefulinavarietyofways.Ifound,forexample,thatIcouldalsouseitwhenpartlyoutofmybody,aswhenIwaswritingoneofthelivesofAlcyone.

In the Indian household this faculty is developed as a matter of course,becausethereitiscustomaryforpeopletododifferentthingsinthesameroom,and there are generally children running about and numerous other smallhappenings.Inthevillageschool,andinthehometoo,anumberofchildrenaretaught a variety of things at the same time, all reading aloud, each his ownspecialsubject,while their teacherfollowsitall,andcorrects theirmistakesasthey aremade. I do not think it is an idealmethod of teaching any particularsubject,but thechildrenare learninghowtoconcentrate,and thatwillbeveryusefultothemafterwards.

Ifyoucangetthatpowerofconcentrationsomuchthebetter;hence,ifyouhavetoliveamidnoise,donotcomplainofitbutprofitbyit.Thatisthewayin

whichthestudentofoccultismworks.Imentionthisespecially,becauseitisbysuchmeansthatoccultistsaremade.Tolearntoworkunderdifficultconditionsmeansprogress.Thatisoneofthereasonswhysomeofushavemadeprogress,andothersnotsomuch. Ipersonallyhavealways tried to takeeverythingas itcame,insteadofcomplaining.Bythismeansoneseizeseveryopportunity.

Thislastisdifficult,becausewhenyoutrytoprepareyourselfforthePath,youcannothelpmakingyourbodymore sensitive, so that itsnerves areeasilydisturbedbyasoundorashock,andfeelanypressureacutely;butyoumustdoyourbest.

A.B.—TheMaster says that it is difficult to control the nerves. That is sobecause thephysicalbody is thatoverwhich thoughthas the leastpower.Youcanaffectyourastralandmentalbodiescomparativelyeasily,becausetheyaremadeoffinermatter,moreaffectedbythought;buttheheavierphysicalmatterismuchlessresponsiveandthereforehardertocontrol.Yetitmustbemasteredintime.

The pupilmust be sensitive, and yet have the body and nerves completelyunder control. The greater the sensitiveness becomes, themore difficult is thetask; therearemanynoiseswhichpassunheededbyanordinarypersonwhichare torture to one who is sensitive. There are certain diseases which produceexcessivesensibilityofthenerves;insuchacasethebarkofadogmaythrowaperson into convulsions. That example is sufficient to show how acutelysensitivethenervesmaybecome.

Thenervesofanoccultstudentarenotdiseased—iftheywere,hewouldnotbeundertraining—butheislikeatensestring,vibratingtotheleasttouch.Hisnervesthusbecomesosensitivethathehastousegreatforceofwillinordertoprevent irritability. The strain on the body under these circumstances maybecomesogreatthatinsomecases,likeMadameBlavatsky’s,itmaysometimesbewisertoletgo,toallowthebodytogoonasitlikesattimes,lestitshouldgotopiecesaltogether.Itwasnecessarythatsheshouldkeepherbodyfortheworkthatshehadtodo,soshecouldnotallowthestrainonittoreachthebreakingpoint.This,however,wasanexceptionalcase:theaspirantwhowantstofollowtheMaster’steachingmustdoasHesayshere,andtryashardashecantogaincontroloverhisnerves.Hemayfailagainandagain—thatdoesnotmatter.The

Master’slastwordsonthesubjectare:“Youmustdoyourbest.”ThatisallthatHeasks,sodonotletfailuresdiscourageyou,butgoondoingyourbest.

Sometimesasimilardisturbedconditionissetupfromwithin,becauseofanexaggeration of scrupulousness and conscientiousness, into which the mostearneststudentsareliabletofall.Therearetwotendenciesamongaspirants;oneistobecareless,theothertotormentoneself.Inthesecondcaseconsciencemayreach a pointwhen its condition is like that of theoverstrainednerve.Thus itoften happens to the best class of students to make toomuch fuss over littlefailures.Donotsitdownandbroodoversuchthingstilltheyhavegrowntothedimensionsofaseriouscrime.Makeyourpathbetweenthesetwoextremes.Youcannotbetooscrupulousbeforetheevent,butyoumayeasilymakeyourselftoounhappy afterwards.Do not brood over your faults and failures.Only look atthem to see the reasonwhyyou failed, and then try again.Sodoing,youwillstarveoutthetendencieswhichledyouintothem;whereasthinkingaboutthemonlygivesthemnewstrength.

C.W.L. The physical body is that overwhich thewill has the least power.Peoplesay,“Ohyes,youcan learn todoa thingwithyourphysicalbody,youmay even control your feelings but it is a much harder thing to control yourthoughts.”Iknowitisapopularideathatofallthingsthatisthemostdifficult.In oneway it is; because thementalmatter is finer andmore active, there ismuchmoretocontrolinthewayofmotionandofinitiative.Ontheotherhand,thementalbodyismuchnearertotheegowithin,andthereforemoreunderhiscontrol: he has greater forceswithwhich to grasp thementalmatter and dealwithit,thanhehasdownhereinthephysicalplane;andalsothephysicalmatteris less responsive. People think it easier, because they are in the habit ofcontrollingthephysicalbody,butnotthementalbody.

It is often said that you can control pain on the physical plane, but cannotignore mental suffering. Really, exactly the contrary is true. The mental oremotional suffering ceases to exist if one grasps it and just puts it away fromoneself,butactualseverephysicalpainismostdifficulttoignore,thoughitcanbe very largely diminished by removing from it the mental element. TheChristianScientistdoesthatbydeclaringthatthereisnopain;heleavesonlythephysicalsideofit,andthatiscomparativelysmall.

We should learn to control the mind so that the mental part of physicalsuffering is eliminated, because as pupils of the Masters we have to make

ourselvesexceedinglysensitive.Thenitbecomespainfultositnearamanwhodrinksalcohol,smokestobaccoandeatsmeat.Itispositivetorturetogoaboutina city, along abusiness street,with its tremendous roarof all sorts of hideousnoises. It goes all through the physical body and makes it shiver, but if onethinksaboutit,thatmakesitmuchworse;whereasifnonoticeistakenatleastonefeelsitless.Thepupilwhoistryingtoreachthehigherplanes,hastolearntoeliminatethementalpartofit,andnotimportintoitanythoughtthatmakesitstronger. Those who are practising meditation will find that they are moresensitivethanthepeoplewhodonotmeditate,andbecauseofthatthestrainonthe physical body is sometimes enormous. One frequently hears it said thatMadameBlavatsky used sometimes to have outbursts of temper. Therewas averygoodreasonforthat,certainly,asshehadaveryunfortunatephysicalbody;there was probably never an hour when she had not some acute physicalsuffering. The bodywas old, broken down andworn out, but it was the onlybodyavailablefortheparticularworkshehadtodo,andshehadtokeepit;shecould not throw it away, asmany of usmight do. The opportunity was onceofferedtohertodothat,butshesaid:“No,IwillholdittillIhavefinishedTheSecret Doctrine”—the work in which she was engaged. That meant that thephysicalbodywasinaconditionofterriblestrain,andsometimesforreliefsheletitdowhatitliked.Ofcourse,manypeopledidnotunderstand,butwearoundhercame toknow that these thingsdidnotmeanmuch.Wehadmanycuriousinstancesof that.Forexample, shewouldbe inawild tirade, apparentlyquiteangryaboutsometriflingthing,butwhile thenewerpeoplewhodidnotknowshrank away from her in fear, we discovered that if in the middle of thatexcitement some one suddenly asked her a philosophical question, the wholethingdroppedaway,wascutoffasyoumightcutathreadwithapairofscissors;immediatelytheragedisappearedandsheproceededtoanswerthequestion.Apersoninanordinaryragecouldnothavedonethat.Manypeoplemisunderstoodherandturnedaway,butIknowquitewellthatshehadsometimestoletgoorherbodywouldhavegonetopieces.

Thecalmmindmeansalsocourage,sothatyoumayfacewithoutfearthetrialsanddifficultiesofthePath.

A.B.—Courage isaqualityuponwhich immensestress is laid in theHinduScriptures. It has its root in a recognitionof theunityof theSelf. “What fear,whatdelusionisthereforonewhohasseentheSelf?”itisasked;andthephrase

isused:“thefearlessBrahman.”InIntheOuterCourtIrecommendedstudentsto meditate upon the ideal character, using the list of qualities given by ShriKrishnaat thebeginningof the sixteenthchapterof theGíta.The firstqualitythatHementionsthereisabhayam,fearlessnessorcourage.

CouragegrowsoutoftherealizationthatyouarethedivineSelfwithin,andnot your outer vehicles, which are the only part of you that can be hurt. Alldifferences of power betweenpeople arise from the degrees of strengthwhichtheSelfwithinhasunfolded.Essentiallyweareallequallystrong,buttherearestages of evolution.When you realize that you are yourself divine, you knowthatyourweaknessorpowerdependsupontheamountofunfoldedstrengthoftheSelfwithinyou;soyourrefuge,whenyoufeelfear,istocalloutthepowerfromwithin.

ThisrealizationofyourselfastheSelfisoneofthethingsthatoughttocometo you through your meditation. Those who do morning meditation shouldincludeinitanefforttorealizetheSelf;someofthestrengththeygainthroughthateffort should then remainwith them throughout theday.Thatwillhelp togivethemthecouragethatisneededforprogressuponthePath.Onittherearemanydifficultieswhich call for fortitude and endurance, if they are to bemetand overcome, and these qualities are forms of courage.There is a novelty inthingsonthePathwhichalsocallsforcourage.IknowofnowayofacquiringthisqualityexceptbyrealizingtheSelf.

C.W.L.—Muchstressislaiduponthenecessityofcourageinallsystemsofoccult training. If a man enters upon the Path he will have to facemisrepresentation,calumnyandmisunderstanding.Thathasalwaysbeenthelotof those who try to raise themselves above their fellows. Moral strength isnecessarytomeetthat,andtoenableamantomaintainhispositionanddowhathethinksright,whateverthosearoundhimmaythinkorsayordo.Suchstrengthis required to carry out the teaching as given in this book—and plenty offortitudeanddeterminationaswell.

Actual physical courage is needed, too. There are many dangers anddifficultiesonthePathnotbyanymeanssymbolical,oronhigherplanesonly;testsofbraveryandendurancedocometousinthecourseofourprogress,andwe must be prepared for them. A man who is faint-hearted will not makeprogress on this Path,where is required, notmerely goodness, but strength ofcharacterthatcannotbeshakenbytheunaccustomedorthealarming.

IknewanoccultsocietyinEnglandwhichtriedformanyweekswithvariousinvocationstoraisecertainkindsofspooks,andatlasttheydidraisesomething;butnobodystayedlongenoughtoseewhatitwas.Similarly,peopletrytoobtainresultsonhigherplanes,butassoonastheygetthemtheyareafraid.Thefirsttimeamangoesoutofhisbody inwakingconsciousness,hemay feela littlealarmedandmayhaveapassing-wonderwhetherhewillgetbackagainornot.Hemustrealizethatitdoesnotmuchmatterwhetherhedoesornot.Heisusedtocertainlimitations,andwhenthosesuddenlydropaway,heisquitelikelytofeelthatthereisnocertainbaselefttostandupon.Weshallfindaswegofurtheron,thatcourage—plain,straightforwardbravery—isathingwhichisverymuchneeded.Allsortsofforceshavetobeencountered;itisnotchild’splay.

When we realize and remember that we are one with the Divine, we fearnothing;butsometimeswhensuddendangerarises,menforget thatandshrinkback. The Self within is utterly unaffected, utterly uninjured, by any of thepassing things, so if we can realize that we are that Self and not the outervehicles,weshallhavenofear.Ifeverfearofanysortisfelt,thethingtodoistocall upmore power fromwithin, not to appeal for help from some one fromwithout. The common Christian teaching on that subject has been veryunfortunate. They tell people always to take refuge in prayer, which literallymeansasking,andshouldnotbeappliedtothehighestformofaspiration,asitsooftenis.ThewordprayercomesfromtheLatinprecari,whichmeanstoask—nothingbutthat.IfweholdthatGodisall-good,weshouldfollowtheadviceoftheLordBuddha:“Donotcomplainandcryandpray,butopenyoureyesandsee.Thelightisallaboutyou,ifyouwillonlytakethebandagesfromyoureyesandlook.Anditisscwonderful,sobeautiful,sofarbeyondanythingmancouldthinkoforprayfor,anditisforeverandever.”

IknowthatmanypeoplehavethehabitofcallingupontheMasterforhelpwhen they find themselves in difficulties. We may be sure that the Master’sthought is always near, and assuredlyHe can be reached; butwhy shouldwetroubleHimfor something thatweought tobeable todoourselves? It is truethatwemaycalluponHimifwewish;butsurelyifwecancallupontheGodwithin,andbringoutmoreofthat,weshallthusdrawnearertotheMasterthanwecouldbycallingfeeblyonHimforhelp.Onedoesnotquestionaman’srightto do that; but ^knowing how theMaster is always occupied inwork for theworld,surelyweshouldnotwishtocalluponHimwhiletherewasanypossibleresourcelefttouswherebywecould,byanymeans,dothethingforourselves.

Tofail indoingit is tofail infaith; it isawantofconfidencenot inourselvesonly,butinthedivinepower.

Thepracticeofmeditationalsooughttoprepareonetomeetemergencies,soas not to be upset by them. Those who have grasped the inner laws shouldremain calm and composed whatever may come, realizing that to do so is anecessary condition of real progress, and that the shock and upsetting whichresultfromahystericaloutburstwillleavetheirscarsonthesensitivevehiclesofapupilforalongtimeafterwards.

Itmeansalsosteadiness,sothatyoumaymakelightofthetroubleswhichcomeintoeveryoneslife,andavoidtheincessantworryoverlittlefilingsinwhichmanypeoplespendmostoftheirtime.

A.B.—Steadiness is thenextrequirementmentionedbytheMaster; it is thequalitythatisnecessarysothatthepupilmaynotbeblownaboutbyeverywindthatcomes.Suchadependenceuponoutsidethingsgivesrisetoendlessworrybecausethemanisthennotincontrolofhisownaffairs,andsocannotdecideuponadefinitelineofwork.Itisworrythatwearspeopleout,notwork.Worryis thegoingoverandoveragainofacertainpainfulsequenceof thought. It isdifficultforatimorouspersontopreventhimselffromfallingintothishabit inoneorotherofitsdifferentforms.

Insomecasesthereisatendencyofthemindtodramatize,andthentoliveinits self-created drama. It is a thing I used to do to some extentmyself. I ammentioningthisandsimilarpersonalexperiencesbecauseIthinktheywillmakewhat I have to tell you more living and useful than merely abstract thoughtwouldbe.Mostaspirantshaveprobablydonesomesuchmentaldramatization,forweareallmadeupinmuchthesameway.Iusedtoimaginethatsomefriendofminemusthavebeenhurtbysomewordoractionofmine;Ithenimaginedmy next meeting with that person—the first words, the whole ensuingconversation.WhenweactuallydidmeetthewholethingfailedtoworkoutasIhad anticipated, because the first remark of my friend was always somethingquitedifferentfromwhatIhadimagined.Sometimespeopleconjureupin thiswayanunpleasantscene,andimaginehowtheywillactinthetryingconditionstheyhave invented;andat last theyarriveatapainfulconditionofminduponwhich they expend much feeling and emotion. Nothing of all this has as yet

takenplace, andprobablynoneof it everwill: it has all been apurewasteofforce.

Allthissortofthingismerelyunnecessarytrouble,anditweakensthementalandemotionalnature.Theonlywaytogetridofthishabitistomakeyourselfstandoutsidethescene,andobservewhether thefirst thoughtintheseriesisathingoverwhichyouhaveanycontrolornot.Ifyouhave,thencontrolit;ifyouhavenot,itisofnousetothinkaboutittillitcomes,andthis,afterall,itmaynever do. It is useless to let yourmindbroodover possible happenings in thefuture. It is equally useless to let it run over and over the things which havehappened;youcannotalterpastevents,soitispalpablyuselesstoworryaboutthem.

Many good people make their lives a burden by brooding over the past,thinking;“PerhapsifIhad,orhadnot,donesoandso,thistroublewouldneverhave happened.” Suppose that is true, the thing is done, and no thinkingwillchange the past. People lie awake at night andworry all day over unalterablepast things or possible future eventualities.This actionof themind is like theracing of an engine or of the heart when normal resistance is lacking, whichinjuresbothheartandenginemuchmorethanworkdoes.Recognizethefutilityand the positive harmfulness of suchmental racing, and youwill stop it, andlearn to put out your strength effectively instead. It is pure silliness; it comesdowntothat.Itisathingwhichnearlyeverybodydoes,butoughtnottodo,andthewould-bedisciplesimplymustnotdoit.

C.W.L.—Ofallmentaldifficulties,worry is theworst todealwith. It is anabsolutebartoanythinglikeproperprogress.Itisimpossibleinthatconditiontobringoneselfintothestateofmindformeditation.Somepeopleworryaboutthepast,othersaboutthefuture,andbythetimetheyhavedroppedoneworrytheyhavepickedupanothertotakeitsplace,andsotheyareneverinastateofcalm,andcannothopetomeditatewithanyprospectofsuccess.

ThebestcureforitistoreplacethetroublebyathoughtoftheMaster,butittakes unusual strength to do that. Suddenly to try to impose calmness on anastralbodyoramentalbodyinthatconditionisliketryingtopressdownwithaboardthewavesoftheseaduringastorm.Oftenthebestthingtodoistogetupanddosomethingphysical—weedthegardenorgoforabicycleride.Therecanbe no permanent calm until the vehiclesmove rhythmically together; then allthese other practices may be undertaken with some reasonable chance of

success.

Often people worry over their own defects. Everyone finds himself fallingintofaultsandfailingsnowandthen;itwouldbebetternottodoso,butthatishardlytobeexpectedyet,forifwehadnofaultsandfailingsweshouldallbeAdepts.Itis,ofcourse,wrongtobecarelessaboutthesethingsandthinktheydonotmatter, but it is also equallywrong toworryunnecessarily about them. Inworrythemindracesmadlyroundandround,tonopurpose.Ifyouhavebeenonboard a steamer in rough weather you may remember that now and then thescrew rises out of the water and racesmadly in the air. It is just amatter ofmechanicsthatthatdoesfarmoreharmtothemachinerythanagreatamountofregularwork.Thatisexactlylikeworry.

PeriodicallytroublesariseinourSociety.Ihaveseenagoodmanyoftheminmytime.IrememberverywelltheexcitementovertheCoulombaffairin1884,andhowmanyTheosophistsweregreatlydisturbedandworriedover that,andtheir faith in Theosophy was in some cases quite destroyed, because theysupposed that Madame Blavatsky had been playing tricks upon them. Thatreally, had nothing to dowith the case.Our faith in Theosophy does not restuponthestatementsofMadameBlavatskyoranyoneelse,butuponthefactthatit is a perfect and satisfactory system which has been given to us, and thatremains trueevenif ithadbeenthecasethatMadameBlavatskyhaddeceivedthem—which was not so, of course. If people rest their belief on personalgrounds,itcaneasilybeshaken,butifourbeliefisbaseduponprincipleswhichweunderstand, itwouldremainunshakenevenifa trustedleaderdidsuddenlyfailus.

TheMaster teaches that itdoesnotmatter in the leastwhathappenstoamanfromtheoutside:sorrows,troubles,sicknesses,losses—allthesemustbeasnothingtohim,andmustnotbeallowedtoaffectthecalmnessofhismind,Theyare the resultofpastactions,andwhen theycomeyoumustbearthemcheerfully,rememberingthatallevilistransitory,andthatyourdutyistoremainalwaysjoyousandserene.Theybelongtoyourpreviouslives, not to this; you cannot alter them, so it is useless to trouble aboutthem.

A.B.—HeretheMastergivesareasonfornotworryingwhich, I fear,many

people will not appreciate. He says that it does not in the least matter whathappenstoamanfromtheoutside.Thethingswhichcometousinthiswayarequitebeyondourcontrol,becauseweourselvesmadetheminthepast;theyareourkarma.

Thisdoesnotmean,however,thatthereisnothingthatwecannowdointhematter.Onthecontrary,wecandomuch;wecanmeetthemintherightway,andthusenormouslymodifytheireffectuponus.Todothisislikechangingadirectblow,whichhasforceenoughtoknockonedown,intoaglancingblow,whichiscomparativelyunimportant.Italldependsuponchangingtheangleatwhichyoumeet toblow. If youmeet every affliction that comes toyouwith the feeling:Thisisonlythepaymentofadebt;itiswelltoclearitoff,”thenthesorrowwillweighuponyoubutlightly.Amanwhoknowshowtomeetlifewillbecalmandhappyinthemidstofdifficulties,whileonewhodoesnotknowmaybecrushedbytroublesthatarehalfimagination.

Howmuchofthetroubleandpainthatyoufeelisreallycausedbythemind,you can test for yourself when you are suffering physically; if you will thenstandoutsideitall,asitwere,yonwillfindthatthesufferingwilldiminishverymuch.Thisfactcanberealized inanotherway,byconsidering thestateof theanimals.Ananimalthathasbrokenits legwilleatquitecomfortably,draggingitswoundedlegbehindit.Now,thatisathingwhichamancouldnotdo,yetahorsewilldoit,andthehorse,sophysiologiststellus,hasanevenmoredelicatenervoussystemthanmanhas,sothatitsnervesaremoresensitivetopainthanhis.Donotmisunderstandme,andthinkthatIsaythatanimalsdonotsuffer,orthattheirsufferingsdonotmatter.Quitethereverse.Butmanintensifieshisownsufferingandprolongsit,becauseofthewayinwhichhedwellsuponit inhismind.

Ifyoulearn tochecktheeffectsofpainonyourastralbody,youwillknowhowtodiminishthepainitselfverygreatly.ThosewhocallthemselvesChristianScientists thus reduce pain very much, because they take away the mentalelement that usually mingles with it and increases it. I have had also someexperienceofthesamething,whenIhavehadtolecturewhilesufferingacutelyphysically;theresulthasbeenthatduringthetimeoflecturingIdidnotfeelthepain.Why?Simplybecausemymindwasentirelyengrossedbymylecture. Ifyoucouldcompletelywithdrawyourmindfrompayingattentiontothephysicalbody,asyouwoulddoperforcewereyoulecturing,anyphysicalhurtwhichyou

mighthavebeenfeelingwoulddisappeartoalargeextent.Ifyouhavecompletecontroloveryourmindyoucandothat,andsoleavetheoutsidethingstoaffectonly theoutsidebody.Peopleoftendo itunder sufficient stimulus.Sometimesthe soldier on the battlefield does not feel his wound until the excitement offighting is over; and certainly some of the religious martyrs did not feel theflamesaroundthem,onaccountoftheecstasythattheyfeltinsufferingfortheirLord.Similarly,ifachildmeetswithanaccident,itsmotherwillforgetallaboutanypainthatsheherselfmaybesuffering,assherushesforwardtorescueandhelpherchild.

It ispossibletolearnthissortofcontrolwithout thestimulus,andthenyoucanlargelyneutralizetheeffectofanypainuponyourastralandmentalbodies.Idonotsaythatitiseasytodothis,butthatitcanbedone.Personally,Idonotthinkitisworthwhiletouseagreatdealofforce,ormakeaveryspecialeffort,to obtain so little result as the stopping of a mere physical pain. Instead ofturningyourmind to theserviceof thebody,asmostpeopledo, it isbetter toturn it away andoccupy itwith somethingprofitable. If you take up the rightattitudetolifeyouwillseethattheseoutsidethingsdonotmatter,andyouwillleavethemalonetohavetheireffectonlyontheoutsideofyourself.Theyhaveto be gone through, and their only value lies in the strength which you gainthroughthem.Bylookingattheminthiswayyouwillgaingreatpeaceofmind.

Allevil istransitory.Youwillrealizethatthisissoifyoulookatthelargercycleofyourlife,andrealizeyourpast,notindetail,fordetailsdonotmatter,butinitsgeneralsweepandtrend.Ifonerealizeshowoftenbeforeonehasbeenthroughthesethingsthatgrieveandtroubleone—friendstakenawaybydeath,sicknesses, losses, troubles of all sorts—they sink into something approachingtheirtruerelativeinsignificance.Itisimportanttomakethiseffort,becausethepresent is so insistent that it blocks out with its petty anxieties the deeperknowledge.Therealizationofyourownlongpastwillmakeyoustronger,andthenwhensomemisfortuneoccursyouwillthink,“Whytrouble?Itwillpass!”

I feel sure that I could not leadmypresent life at all if I did not refuse tobother,andtoreacttocircumstances.Troublesofallsortscomepouringindaily,and if I reacted to them I should be dead in aweek. In the past I have comethroughmanymovementsofthekindwithwhichIamnowconnected,andhavefoundthattheyarealwaysaccompaniedbyturmoil.Itisbetternottoanticipatetrouble, but to attend to it when it comes, and afterwards to put it aside and

forgetallaboutit.

Yourduty,saystheMaster,istoremainalwaysjoyousandserene.Awarningwasoncegivenagainstcastingdross into thecrucibleofdiscipleship.TheevilanddangerofdoingsoiscarriedtoanextremepointataplacesuchasAdyar,whereanydross—anyformoftrouble,suspicion,anxiety,doubt,andthelike—acquiresmuchmoreforcethanthatofthepersonwhosentitout.Ifsometimesyoucannotatonceridyourselfofdepression,vexation,oranyotherundesirablefeelingthatyoumayhave,thenatleastkeepittoyourself.Donotletitpouroutand infect the atmosphere, and make things harder for others. After trainingyourselfinthiswayyouwill lookbackwithsurpriseatyourformercondition,andwonderhowsuchtriflescouldeverhavetroubledyouastheydid.

C.W.L.—Themanwhoknowsremainscalmandhappyeveninthemidstofwhatwouldbeveryserioustroubletootherpeople.Themanwhodoesnotknowisveryoftencrushedbythetrouble,becauseofhisownattitudewithregardtoit.Thereisavastdealofimaginationatthebackofoursufferings.Therealamountof payment exacted by karma is often small; but by taking itwrongly peoplefrequentlydouble theirnecessary sufferingorevenmultiply itby ten; it isnotfair to charge that to ancient karma, for it is the karma of the present foolishaction—whatMr.Sinnettcalled“ready-moneykarma.”

Theamountofthedebttobepaidcannotbealtered—thekarmawhichcomescallsforacertainamountofsufferingonourpart;butasitcanbeincreased,soitcanbedecreased.Byaneffortofourownwecanapplynewforce,andchangewhat would be the effect of a direct blow into one that glances off, as ourPresidenthasexpressed it, so that itwillbemuch less felt.Everysuchputtingforthofstrengthistheintroductionofanewforceintothecase;thereforethereis in it no sort of injustice, or interference with karma. That force whichotherwisewouldhavebeenspentinsomeotherwayisnowspentinmodifyingtheblow.

All evil is necessarily transitory.Therewas aPersiankingwho took ashismotto:“Eventhiswillpassaway.”Itisagoodmotto,becauseitappliesequallyto pleasure or to suffering, and to good or evil fortune, whichever may bedominantatthetime.Theonlythingsthatdonotpassaretherealprogressandthe bliss which come from within—those remain for ever. Whatever is oursufferingnow,itwillpass;wehavehadsufferingbeforeinotherlivesandhavepassed through it. If this can be realized it will help very much. Things that

troubledusearlyinlifeseemquiteunimportantnow.Wesay:“Dearme,thosethings were not of any importance; I wonder why I worried so much aboutthem?”Thewisemanlearnsfromlookingback.Hesays:“Herearetheseotherthings which are worrying me now, surely they are just as unimportant.” Ofcoursetheyare,butittakesawisemantomakethatdeduction.

Think rather ofwhat you are doingnow,whichwillmake the events ofyournextlife,forthatyoucanalter.

C.W.L.—Yournextlifewilldependverylargelyuponthekarmayoumakeinthis.Morethanthat—theWorld-Teacherwillcomesoon;thingsaremovingfastnow; the force which is being outpoured is tremendous, and because all thatplaysroundustosomeextent,wewhoaretryingtoprepareforHiscomingmaymodifynotonlyournextlifebuttheremainingpartofthis.

Thekarmaofthepupilengagedinthisworkismoreintensethanthatofmostotherpeople.Thereareprobablymanythingswhichthemanoftheworlddoesconstantly andmay dowithoutmuch harm resulting in anyway; but if thesethings were done by those who are nearing the Path, they would be verydecidedlyharmful.Inthecaseofadisciple,whateverhappenstohimhappenstothe Master, because He has made him part of Himself. “No man liveth tohimself,andnomandiethtohimself”;thisistrueofeveryone,butthosewhoaredrawn to the feet of the great Masters must be doubly careful. Especiallyanything whatever which puts difficulties in the way of a fellow-student inoccultmattersisathingwhichmakesseriouskarma.

Never allow yourself to feel sad or depressed. Depression is wrong,becauseitinfectsothersandmakestheirlivesharder,whichyouhavenorighttodo.Thereforeifeveritcomestoyou,throwitoffatonce.

C.W.L.—Anybodywhosuffersfromseriousdepressionwillprobablyshakehisheadandsay:“Thatisverygoodadvice,ifonecouldonlytakeit.”But,asIsaidbefore,athoughtofitseffectuponotherswillgiveamanstrengthtothrowit offwhen nothing elsewould.Depression iswrong, because it affects one’sfellow-studentsandotherpeople,andmakestheirwayharder.Nothingcanaffectus that does not come from ourselves—from our own past lives, through our

ownkarma.Onemaylearnfromthattobeverycarefulthatnooneelseshallbehurt by us. If some one has said or done something not quite creditable, weshouldthink;“Iwillnotpassthison;Iwillnotdoorsayanythingmyselfwhichwillmakethedayharderforsomeoneelse.”Wecanalsodeterminenottobetheinstrument whereby the bad karma of others works itself out. If one hurts oroffendssomeone,itistruethatoneisonlytheinstrumentofthatother’skarma;butitisaveryungenerousroletoplay.Weshouldbetheinstrumentsofthegoodkarma,inhelpingpeopleandbringingthemblessingandcomfort;theevilkarmamustworkitselfoutthroughotherchannels,notthroughus.

In yet another way you must control your thought; you must not let itwander.Whateveryouaredoing,fixyourthoughtuponit,thatitmaybeperfectlydone.

C.W.L.—Itoughttobeasimplemattertofixourthoughtuponwhateverweare doing, so that it may be perfectly done. If we are writing a letter, forexample, we can concentrate on that and see that it is what the letter of anoccultist should be. An ordinarymanwrites his letters in a rather careless orslipshodway;hesayswhathehas tosaywithoutmakinganyspecialeffort tosee that it iswell done. It appears to bequite a new idea to somepeople thatordinary little matters like that ought to be well done. I receive a number ofletters, and I must say that many of them are not such as I should think ofsendingoutmyself.Frequentlytheyarefaultyinexpression,andoftensobadlywrittenthattheywasteagooddealofmytime.

This sortofcarelessnessmattersverymuch for thosewhoareoccultistsorendeavouring to become such. The letter of an occultist should be carefullyexpressed, andwellwritten or typed, as the casemay be. It should be a nicethingtolookat;apleasuretothepersonwhoreceivesit.Whateverwedo,itisemphaticallyourdutytodoitdecentlywell.Idonotmeantosaythatonecanalwayssparethetimetowriteeverythinglikecopper-plate,ortomakeofeveryletterafinishedworkofart;thatcannotbedoneinthesedays.Butevenoutsideofoccultism,asamatterofcommonpoliteness toacorrespondent,oneshouldwriteclearlyandlegibly.Ifyouwritehurriedlyandbadlytosaveafewmomentsofyourowntime,rememberthatitisdoneatthesacrificeof,perhaps,fourtimestheamountoftheotherperson’stime.Wehavenorighttodothatsortofthing.

Every letter thatwe send out should be amessenger;we shouldmake it amessageoftheMaster.Itmaybeaboutbusinessoranyordinarysubject,butitshouldbechargedwithgoodfeeling.Thiscanbedoneinamoment:aswearewritingtheletterweshouldhaveinmindstrongkindlyfeeling;thatwillaffecttheletterwithoutanyfurtheractiononourpart,butwhenwearesigningitweshouldtakeamoment tosendintoitacurrentofgoodfeelingofsomesort. Ifoneiswritingtoafriend,oneshouldpouraffectionintotheletter,sothatwhenheopens it thereshall rushoutathim the feelingofbrotherlyaffection. If theletterbetoabrotherTheosophist,putintoitathoughtofhigherthingsandoftheMaster, so that it will recall to him the higher thought which Theosophistsalwaysdesiretocherish.Ifwearewritingtosomepersonwhomweknowtobeinwantofaparticularquality,’weshouldpourthatqualityintotheletter,takingthe opportunity to give what is needed. So let us see that each letter is wellwritten,andalsothatithasasoul.

Thesameservicemayberenderedwhenwemeetothersdirectly.Someofuscomeintocontactwithmanypeopleduringtheday;wehavetospeaktothem,andsometimestoshakehandswiththem.Wecantakeadvantageofthatdirectphysicalcontacttopourinarushofvitalityornerveforceoraffectionorhigherthought, or whatevermay seemmost suitable. One should never shake handswith anybody without leaving something of that nature behind—it is anopportunity. Our business, if we aspire to become pupils of theMaster, is towatchforsuchopportunities toserve.Amanwhoisnot insomewayorotherbeingusefultohisfellow-menisnotontheroadtobeingaccepted.Isupposeitis doingno injustice to the averageman to say that his idea inmaking a newacquaintanceisverylargely:“WhatshallIgetoutofthismaninsomewayorother?”Itmaynotbeinmoney;itmaybeinamusement,orsocialbenefits;butatanyratehethinksaboutgettingsomething.Ourattitudemustbeexactly thereverse:“Hereisanewopportunityforme,whatcanIgive?”IfIamintroducedtoastrangerIlookhimoverandthrowoutsomethingorotherintheshapeofagoodthought;itwillstickthereandpenetratewhenitstimecomes.ThepupilsoftheMasterdo thatas theyarewalkingabout thestreetsor ridingon the tramsandferries.Theywatchforcaseswheretheyseeagoodthoughtisneeded,andthey give it—a hundred times perhaps in the course of a singlemorning’s orafternoon’sjourney.

Whenagreetingisgiventoanyoneitshouldbeareality,notmerelyaformofwords.ThegreetingsintowhichthenameofGodcomes,andwhichinvokeHisblessing,suchasarecustomaryamongtheMuhammadans,forexample,aresometimes only formal, but sometimes they are hearty good wishes, and thethoughtofGodisreallythere.Wesay,“Good-bye.”Fewpeopleknowthatthisisacontractionof“Godbewithyou,”butweshouldknowitandmeanit.Theseseem small things, but it is the small things in everyday life that make thedifference.Theyshowcharacterandtheyshapecharacter,andifwedoallthesesmalleverydaythingscarefullyandwell,weshallsoondevelop inourselvesacharacterwhichwillbecarefulandself-controlledandaccurateaboutallsortsofthings,greataswellassmall.Onecannothaveacharacterthatiscarefulingreatthings and careless in small things. It is inevitable in that case that we shallsometimes forget and be careless at thewrong time, butwemust learn to becareful altogether.Again,many small things taken togethermount up to a bigthing,andwithalittlepracticeonemaylearntogivenotasmall,butaverylargeamountofhelptoapersonbythetouchofahandorthewritingofaletter.

TheMaster says: “Whatever you are doing, fix your mind upon it.” Thisapplieseventothethingswedoinordertorestourminds,suchasthereadingofnovelsormagazines.Thebestkindofrest,apartfromdeliberaterelaxationandsleep,isgenerallysomeotherformofexercise,soevenwhenpeoplearereadingsomethingforthesakeofamusementorrest, themindshouldbetheirservant,not they its slave. If you are reading a story, fixyourmindupon it and try tounderstandit,toseewhattheauthormeantbyit.Oftenpeoplereadsovaguelythat by the time they reach the end of the story they have forgotten thebeginning;theyaresoutterlyvaguethattheycouldnotgiveyouasketchoftheplot,norsaywhatitismeanttoteach.Butifwewanttotrainoarmindswhenwearereadingforpleasureorrecreationweoughttodoitwell.Similarly,whenwe are resting.There are actuallymillions of people in theworldwhodonotknowhowtoliedownandrestthemselvesproperly.Theyhavenotlearnedthatten minutes of relaxation is worth two hours of lying down in a tense andstrained condition.Quiet control of themind is necessary even for success inresting.Suchcontrolformsahabitlikeeverythingelse,andthosewhopractiseitpresently find that they cannot do things in the old slipshodway; if they rest,

theymustrestproperly.

Do not let your mind be idle, but keep good thoughts always in thebackgroundofit,readytocomeforwardthemomentitisfree.

A.B.—That ought to be a very easy thing for the ordinary Hindu to do,because he has been taught from childhood to repeat good sentences inunoccupiedmoments.EventhequiteuneducatedpeopleinIndiadoso.Youmayoftenhearsomemanwhohasfinishedhisworksuddenlybegintorepeat,“Ram,Ram, Ram, Sitaram, Sitaram, Sitaram,” over and over again—just the sacrednameandnothingelse.Somepeoplemaythinkthatthatisasenselessthingtodo;butit isnot,forithasaveryrealeffectuponthepersonwhoisreciting;itsteadies his unoccupied mind on a soothing and elevating thought. That isinfinitelybetterthanallowingthemindtoroamasitwill,occupyingitselfmostlikelywiththeaffairsofitsowner’sneighbours,andsoleadingtogossipandalltheuntoldharmthatthatdoes.Ofcourse,ifyoucancontrolyourmindwithoutanyoutwardrepetition,itisallthebetter;butmanypeopledoneithertheonenortheother.

It is a good plan,which youwill find recommended inmany religions, tochooseinthemorningsomephrasewhichyouthenlearnbyheart.Itwillcomeupof itself in themindduring theday, andwill drive awayother lessworthythoughts at times when the mind is unoccupied. You can select a phrase orsentencefromanygoodbook,andtherepetitionofitafewtimesinthemorning(perhapswhileyouaredressing)withyourthoughtsfixeduponit,willmakeitcomeupofitsownaccordduringtheday.Onecanseehoweasysuchautomaticrepetition becomes to the mind when one remembers how a chance piece ofmusic,acatchingtune,willimpressitselfuponthemind,willtakepossessionofit and be repeated by it over and over again. Formany years I have kept thethought of theMasters in the background of mymind, and now it is alwaysthere, so that themomentmymind is released fromapieceofwork it revertsnaturallytoThem.

C.W.L.—ThoughtsoftheMastershouldbealwayspresentinthebackgroundofourmind,sothattheycomeforwardwhenitisnotoccupiedbyotherwork.Ifone is reading or writing a letter or doing some physical work, one is not

necessarilythinkingactivelyabouttheMaster;buttheresolutionismadeatthebeginning:“IwilldothiswellforthesakeoftheMaster.”Havingdonethat,oneis thinking of thework, not of Him, but as soon as thework is finished, thethoughtof theMaster returns into the foregroundof themind.Sucha thoughtnot only ensures that the mind shall be well occupied, but it also causes ourthinkingonothersubjectstobeclearerandstrongerthanitotherwisewouldbe.

Sometimes people practise the repetition of the names ofGod, in order toformsuchabackgroundforthemind.InIndiayouoftenfindpeoplemutteringto themselves as they stand waiting for a train or walk along the road, andsometimesyouhearthemsayingasacrednameoverandoveragain.Oneofthespecialcriticismswhichmissionarieshavealwaysmadeagainstthe“heathen”isthattheyare“giventovainrepetitions“.TheMuhammadangoesaboutrecitingtexts;healwayshasthenameofAllahuponhislips.ItmaybethatsometimeshedoesnotthinkmuchofHim,butoftenitdoesmeansomethingtohim.It istruethatamanmaysaythingsofthatsortmerelyasamatterofhabit,andgiveno thought to it: aChristianmay repeat his prayers, and his thoughtsmay bewanderingsomewhereelseallthetime.Evenapriestmaygothroughhishoursofprayerwithoutnecessarilyconcentratingmuch thoughton them,becauseheknows the whole thing by heart; he may utter his “Ave Marias” and“Paternosters”withouteverthinkingofOurLadyorourFatherinheaven.Inanyreligionitispossibletobeaformalist,toretaintheoutershell,havinglostmostofitsinnerspirit;butthatisnotdonemoreinHinduismandinBuddhismthanitisinChristianity—Ishouldbeinclinedtosaynotnearlysomuch.Itisafactthattherepetitionofnameslike“Rama,Rama,Rama,”doeshelptokeepthethoughtoftheDeityinthemindsofpeople,andwhenitdoesthatassuredlyitisgood.Ifwe can think equally readily and fruitfully of theMasterwithout needing therepetitionofHisname,thatisastillbetterthing;butitisinfinitelybettertodothephysicalrepetitionthannottohavethethought.

Thereisacertainrateofvibrationinthementalbodywhichisappropriatetothese devotional feelings; in time that rate becomes a habit, so that devotioneasilyarisesandisbuiltintothecharacter.Thishabitalsoservestokeepoutevilthoughts.If themindisvacant,anypassingthoughtcanenterandinfluenceit,andsuchathoughtismorelikelytobebad,oratanyrateuseless,thanuseful.It

comes from the vast quantities of thought floating round us, representing theaveragelevelofthecountry,butweareaimingatsomethinghigher.Wewanttobeinapositiontoliftouraveragebrother,andwecannotdothatuntilwefirstattainahigherlevelourselves.

Use your thought-power every day for good purposes; be a force in thedirectionofevolution.

C.W.L.—Wehavebeeneducatedonanamby-pambysortof theorythat theonethingnecessaryistobegood;butitisnotenoughtobepiousandtoabstainfromdoingevilthings;wemustgoaheadanddosomethingwithourgoodnessand piety.Why arewe on earth at all?Why shouldwe encumber the ground,unlesswecandosomething?Tositdownandbegood(thoughitisbetterthansittingdownandbeingbad,ofcourse!)issimplyanegativestate.WeareheretobechannelsforthedivineForce.We,theMonad,cameforthfromGodlongagoasaglowingsparkofthedivineFire.Truly,asTheSecretDoctrine says:“Thesparkburns low”—very low, inmanycases—butwemust rekindle itwith thefervourofourenthusiasmandfaithandlove,andmakethatsparkintoalivingflamethatwillwarmotherpeople.

Thinkeachdayofsomeonewhomyouknowtobeinsorrow,orsuffering,orinneedofhelp,andpouroutlovingthoughtuponhim.

C.W.L.—Thought-forceisjustasrealanddefiniteathingasmoney,orasthewaterwe pour out of a jug into a glass. Ifwe send a definite stream of it toanybody,wemaybeabsolutelycertainthatitwillgetthere,thoughwemaynotseeit.Mostofusknowsomebodyinsorrowandsuffering,whocouldbegreatlyhelpedbythestreamof thought thatwemaysend.Evenif itshouldhappenatanytimethatweknowofnooneinparticularwhoisinsuchneed,wecansendout our thought in amore general way, and it will find some one among themanywhoareintrouble.

Ifoneknowsofapersonwhoisintouch(asisDr.Besant,forexample)witha great many people who are in need and sorrow, onemay send thoughts ofdevotionandstrengthtoher,sothatshewillhavealittlemoretopourout.Itisthe samewith theMasters.When anyone pours put a thought of devotion to

Them,itcallsdownuponhimtheansweringthoughtoftheMaster,whichisinthenatureofablessing.Butbesidesthat,alittlemoreisaddedtotheMaster’sstoreofforce,andHeusesthatforthegoodofothers.

A.B.—ImustsaythatuntilIreadthisithadnotoccurredtometomakesuchadefiniteandregularpracticeof thismentalhelpingofothers. It iscertainlyaverygoodthing.Decideinthemorninguponsomepersonwhomyouwillhelpduringthedayinyouroddmoments—therearealwaysplentyofpeopleneedinghelp,unfortunately.Then,wheneverduring thecourseof thedayyourmind isfree,insteadoflettingitbeusedasakindofhotelforthemostcasualvisitors,engage it in sending the person thoughts of strength, comfort, happiness, orwhatever it is that hemost needs. This practice is a stage beyond that of therepetitionofagoodsentence.

In one way or another you should close your mind against undesirablethoughts,untilitissostrongthatthesehelpsarenotneeded.ThethoughtoftheMastershouldalwaysbeinmind;it isonethatalwaysgoesoutinhelp,anditdoes not prevent any of the higher activities of themind. It does not excludeotherwaysofhelping,butthrowsgreaterforceintothem.Afteratimeitwillfillthewhole of yourmental horizon, and then all that you dowill be better andmorestronglydonebecauseofit.

Holdbackyourmindfrompride,forpridecomesonlyfromignorance.

C.W.L.—Thereisagreatdealofsubtleprideamongststudentsofoccultism.Theycannothelprealizingthat theyknowalittlemoreof therealfactsof lifethan do peoplewho have not studied these things. It would be foolish not torecognizethefact,buttheymusttakecarelesttheyhaveafeelingofdespisingthe ordinary man who does not know these things as yet. In this particularrespectstudentsofoccultismareaheadoftheordinaryman,buttheremaywellbeothermattersinwhichtheordinarymanisfaraheadofthem.Themanwhoknows, literature,science,orart thoroughly, forexample,hasspentverymuchmore time and trouble in learning that than many of us have in studyingTheosophy, and surely he deserves credit for the work he has done, and theamountofselflesslabourthathehasputintoit.Itisnotthemarkofawisemantodespisetheworkofanother,buttorealizethatallalikeareprogressing.

Manypeoplehavewhatiscalledagoodconceitofthemselves;theyliketothinkof themselves as always right, as verygoodpersons, and soon.But thepoints onwhich they admire themselves are generally not at allwhat the egowouldacknowledge.Intheego,sofarasanyqualityisdeveloped,itispure.If,for example, affection is there, it is utterly untainted with jealousy, envy, orselfishness.Itisamirrorofthedivineloveinsofarashecanreproduceitathislevel.Sometimesweprideourselvesonprogressingfairlywell.Thatisverylikealittlechildoffouryearspridinghimselfonthefactthatheisgettingonverywell. So he may be—for that age—but it will be different with the man oftwenty-one.Ourpowersofintellect,devotion,affection,sympathy—existinusbutinasmalldegree,ascomparedwithwhattheywillbe.Instead,therefore,ofstoppingtopatourselvesontheback,wemustpressonandtrytogainmoreofsuchqualities.

In this work, meditation is a great help. If a man really sets himself todevelop affection, meditates upon it and works to try to feel it, he will besurprisedatthestrengthofthequalityevokedinhimselfinashorttime.

Pride, the Master says, comes always from ignorance. The more a manknowsthelesslikelyheistobeproud,becausethemoreheisabletoseethathedoesnotknow.MostespeciallyisthistrueifitbehisgoodfortunetocomeintotouchwithoneofourgreatMasters.Suchamanwillneverfeelproudagain,notevenproudofthatfact,becausewheneverhethinkshecandoanything,orthathepossessesanyquality,itcannotbutcomeintohismind:“ButIhaveseenthatqualityintheMaster,andwhatisminebesideHis?”

The virtues in Them are so magnificently developed that to know one ofThem is an absolute and instantaneous cure for anything like pride. YetdiscouragementnevercomesfromtheMaster.Inordinarylifeyouthinkyoucandoalittlebitofsomething,butwhenyoucomeintothepresenceofanexpertinthatline,youseeatoncehowlittleyoucandocomparedwiththegreatman,andyoufeelrathercrushedandhopeless.Butthatisnotthefeelingonegetsinthepresenceof theMaster.Yourealizeyourownincompetenceand insignificanceacutely,butatthesametimeinHispresenceyourealizeyourownpotentiality.Insteadoffeelingthatthereisanabysmalgulfwhichcanneverbepassed,onefeels,“Icandothis;Iamgoingtosetmyselftoimitatethat”;thatisthestimulus

whichany touchwith theMasteralwaysgives. InHispresenceone feelsverymuch what the Apostle says: “I can do all things through Christ whichstrengthenethme.”20.Becauseof thisstrengthof theMaster,apersonthinksatthe time:“I shallneveragainbedepressed; Icanneveragain feel sorry; IcanneveragainfallintothesillymistakeofirritabilitywhichIcommittedyesterday.I lookbackandsee thatsomethingsworriedme.Howridiculous;whyshouldanythingeverworryme!”Itmaybethat,lateron,havingpassedoutofthedirectraysofthatdivineinfluence,wedofallback,forgettingthatitcanreachusjustaswellwhentheraysarenotvisibleanddirect,thatwemaylivealwaysintheMaster’sauraifwechoosetodoso.

Themanwhodoesnotknowthinksthatheisgreat,thathehasdonethisor that great thing; thewiseman knows that onlyGod is great, that allgoodworkisdonebyGodalone.

A.B.—HerewehaveagreatlessonoftheGíta.It is theonewill thatworksthroughusall.Allworkisdonebythewhole,notbytheparts;andthemostthatanyofuscandoistomakeourselvesgoodorgansfortheonedivineactivitytoworkthrough.Itisasfoolishforustoboastasitwouldbeforoneofthefingersofourhandstodoso.Makeyourselveshealthyorgansof thedivinewill; thenyouwillfindthattheoneActorisusingyou,becauseyouareconvenientforuse.

Wehavecomebacktothepointwherewebegan.WesawthatrealizationoftheSelfdestroysallfear;wenowseethat itdestroysallpride.That is theonegreatbasictruth.Itisgoodtoseehowthesemultifariousthingsallleadusbacktotheonetruth—theoneLifeseatedequallyinallbeings.

C.W.L.—Godisineveryone,andwhatevergoodnessorgreatnessthereisinanymanistheGodinhimshiningthrough.AllthatwedoHedoesthroughus.Thismay appear strange.Youmay say that it seems to destroy the feeling ofindividuality,but that isonlybecauseourphysicalbrainscannotgrasp therealrelationship.NotwithoutreasonthemediaevalChristiansusedtosay:“ToGodbetheglory.”Foroneofustobeproudofanythingthathehasdoneisjustasthough,whenoneisplayingapieceonthepiano,oneofhisfingersshouldsay:“HowwellIstruckthatnote!ItwasIwhomadethat tunesobeautiful!”Afterall, ail the other fingers did their part, and they all acted, not with separatevolition,butasinstrumentsofthebrainbehind.WeareallfingersofHisHand,

manifestationsofHispower. Iknowquitewell that it ispractically impossibleforusfullytorealizethat;butthemorewedevelopthehigherconsciousnessthemore acutely we feel it, and sometimes in meditation, in moments of highexaltation,wegetamomentarygraspofthatunity.

CHAPTER2

SELF-CONTROLINACTION

Self-controlinAction.—Ifyourthoughtiswhatitshouldbe,youwillhavelittletroublewithyouraction.

A.B.—Thissentenceemphasizesthefact,withwhicheveryoccultstudentisfamiliar,thatthoughtismoreimportantthanaction.Thisisexactlythereverseoftheordinarypointofview;butitistrue,becausethoughtalwaysprecedesaction.Therecanbewhatiscalledspontaneousaction;butthatonlymeansthattofindtheprecedingthoughtyoumustgofurtherback,perhapseventoaformerlife.

Whensufficientthought-forcehasbeenaccumulatedinthemindinanygivendirection, and then an occasion presents itself for the expression of thatparticular kind of thought, it inevitably overflows into action. Every thoughtalongagivenlineactsasalittleaddedimpulse,untilatlastthestored-upforceof the impulses carries you over into action along that line. The Hindu quiterightly looks upon action, or karma, as made up of the three parts—thought,desire and act. It is true; so you may have in any life an act which isunpremeditatedsofarastheimmediatepastisconcerned,anactcommittedonthe spur of the moment. Those are cases in which the thinking having beencompleted, the act—that is the last part of thewhole action—must follow, asbeing the net impulse along that line.Thus itmay happen that on any line ofthinking youmay exhaust your power of selection, and then, even when youhaveexertedtothefullyourpowerofcontrol,onthefirstoccasionthatpresentsitself your thoughtwillmanifest in action. Itmay lie latent for a long time, ifopportunity for expression be lacking, but as soon as ever the circumstancespermittheactionwillbedone.

Hencethegreatimportanceofunderstandingtheworkingofthought.Guardyourthoughtandleaditalonggoodlines,foryoucannottellwhenthemomentwillbe reachedandyournext thoughtwillbeembodied inaction.This isonereasonforthestresslaidontheimportanceofthoughtbyallthegreatTeachers

oftheworld,andhereinthisbookthestudentisremindedofitagain.Itmaybewelltorememberatthispointthatmanas,themind,isitselfactivity.YouhaveintheMonad the three aspects of will, wisdom and activity, and these embodythemselves in atma, buddhi and manas. Here you have the recognition thatthoughtembodiesitselfinaction.

C.W.L.—It is a truism to say that thought precedes action. There areoccasions onwhichwe act, aswe say,without thinking, but even so it is theresult of previous thought—we have a habit of thought on certain subjects oralongacertainline,andweactinstinctivelyinagreementwiththat.Amandoesa thing,and thenexplains:“Icouldnothelpdoing it; Ididnot think.”But thefact is that he is carrying out thought belonging, perhaps, to previousincarnations.Althoughamanhasnotusually thesamementalbodynowas inhis last incarnation, he has the samemental unit,which is the nucleus of thatbodyandistoagreatextentakindofepitomeofit,andthatcarriesfromlifetolife the impressions of the type of thought to which the man has beenaccustomed.

Ithasoftenbeenpointedoutthatamancantakeoverfromlifetolife,inhiscausal body, only his good qualities. That is quite true. The causal body isconstructed from thematter of the higher subplanes of themental plane—thefirst,secondandthird—andmatterofthoselevelscannotvibrateinresponsetoanyoftheloweror lessdesirablequalities.Thereforeamancanactuallybuildinto himself only good, which is very fortunate for us, because otherwiseweshould all have built in a great deal that is not good,whichwould retard ourevolutioninsteadofhelpingit.Buthecarriesoverwithhimthepermanentatomsbelonging to the different planes—mental, astral and physical—and so thevibrations which belong to them come up as inherent qualities in his newvehicles.

In thiswayone brings over the possibilities of qualities, rather than actualqualities.MadameBlavatskyusedtocallthese,amongotherthings,“privationsofmatter,” that is, forceswhichwould operatewhen thematterwas there forthemtoWorkin,butweresuspendeduntil itgatheredroundtheegoagain.Sowhenamanacts“withoutthinking”hedoessoaccordingtothemomentumofthoseoldthoughts.Thatisoneofthereasonswhyweshouldsocarefullyguard

ourthoughts;weneverknowwhentheywilloverflowintoaction.Themanwhoyieldshimselftosomeevilthought,thinkingthathewillneverallowhimselftoact upon it, may some time find it translated into action almost before he isawareofit.

Greatusecanbemadeofthisknowledgeforthehelpingofchildren.Whentheegotakesuphisnewvehicles,parentsandfriendscandoverymuchtohelphimbyencouragingthegoodqualitiesastheyshowthemselves,andgivingthebad ones no opportunities to manifest.We give the greatest help to the childwhenweget thegoodqualities intoaction,andmake themintoahabitbeforethose which are bad can assert themselves. The latter will sooner or latermanifest, probably because the outer world will stir them up, but if there isalreadyastrongmomentuminfavourofthegoodqualities,thosewhichareevilwillfinditverydifficult tomakeanyimpression.Thewholewilloftheegoisthenacting throughhisvehicles against their impacts, and in sucha case theywillprobablybeentirelyweededoutinthecourseofthatlife-period,sothatinthefollowingincarnationtheegowillcomeinwithoutanytraceofthematall.

Yetrememberthat,tobeusefultomankind,thoughtmustresultinaction.Theremustbenolaziness,butconstantactivityingoodwork.

A.B.—Hereisaveryimportantreminder—thoughtto-beusefulmustresultinaction.Thatisapointonwhichmanyofusaredefective;wehaveinourmindsthoughtswhichdonotresultinaction,andallsucharesourcesofweakness.TheMasterMoryaoncesaidthatagoodthoughtnotacteduponactslikeacancerinthemind.That isagraphic simile,whichshouldhelpus to realize that suchathought isnotmerelynegative,butpositivelyharmful.Weshouldnotenfeebleourmoralfibrebygoodresolutionsnotcarriedout,whichactasanobstacleandmake itmoredifficult tocarryout the same thought intoactionwhen it arisesagain.Donotdelay,therefore.Donotputthingsoff;donotleavethemundone.Many of us stultify our growth by good resolutions not put into practice. AnEnglishproverbsaysthatthewaytohellispavedwithgoodintentions.

Agoodintentionnotcarriedoutbecomesaforceforill,asitactslikeadrugwhichdulls thebrain.Becareful toregulateyour thinking,andwhenfromthehigherSelfcomesanimpulseofservicegoandcarryitout;donotleaveitfor

to-morrow.Thisputtingoffisareasonwhysomanygoodpeopleintheworldaremarkingtime.Itisquiteacommonthingtomeetareallygoodpersonafteralapseofabouttenyears,andfindhimjustthesameashewaswhenyouknewhim before. Thus people remain for years, having the same difficulties andtemptations,thesameweaknessesandstrength.ThatoughtnevertobetrueofamemberoftheTheosophicalSociety,forallofusoughttoknowsomethingofthewayinwhichtheselawswork.

That it is sometimes true is very much due, I think, to the failure tounderstand that good impulses not carried out make barriers. If you put intoeffectthosewhichyoureceive,moreandmorewillcome.Nofavourableoutercircumstancesoradditionsofouterknowledgecanmakeupforthewantofinnereffort and resolution, and for failure to carry out into actionwhat you alreadyknow.Yourthoughtoughtalwaystoresultinaction.Makethatarule.Idonotmean that youwill always be able to carry out your thought at once, becausecircumstancesmaynotpermitit:butpresentlyopportunitieswillcome.Insuchcasesputyourthoughtby,notlosingit.Itwillthenbelikefruitthatisripening.Ifyoudo that, theunembodied thoughtwillnotharmyou, andas soonas thetimeisripeyouwillcarryitout.

Butitmustbeyourowndutythatyoudo—notanotherman’s,unlesswithhispermissionandbywayofhelpinghim.Leaveeverymantodohisownworkinhisownway;bealwaysreadytoofferhelpwhereitisneeded,butnever interfere.Formanypeople themostdifficult thing in theworld tolearnistomindtheirownbusiness;butthatisexactlywhatyoumustdo.

A.B.—Awarning is nowgivenwhich is needed by thosewhohave a veryactive—arajasic—nature.Wehavetoconsidernowtheothersideoftherazor-path; laziness must be shunned on the one hand, but interference must beavoidedon theother.Veryactivepeopleareprone towant, as the saying is, afingerineverypie.Butotherpeople’spiesaretheirownpies,andyououghtnottoputyourfingers into them.Youmayrememberhowoftenin theBhagavad-Gita,which isagospelofactivity—for itsconstantburden is,“act!act!”—thewarning isgivenagainstwrongactivity.Thedutyofanother, it says, is fullofdanger.

Thereasonisclear.Ifyou,withyourownlineofthought-activitybehindyou,mixyourselfintheactionofanotherperson,whosimilarlyhashisownlineofthought-activitybehindhim—whichisadifferentonefromyours—youaresureto spoil what he is doing, His action is the logical outcome of his thought-activity;itis‘not,andcouldnotbetherightandproperoutcomeofyours.Theenergetic type of personmust learn that he only creates confusion bymixinghimself in another person’s action. I used to want to set other people right,accordingtowhatwasmyviewofwhatwasrightforthem,whichwasmyownright,ofcourse;butIlearnedinthecourseofdiscipleshipthatthatwasnotthewaytowork.

Evenifanotherperson’swayisnotthebestwayfromtheabstractstandpoint,itmayyetbethebestforhim.Ithastheforceofbothhisfaultsandhisvirtuesbehindit,anditmarksthelineofevolutionproperforhim.Supposethatamanholdshispeninsomeparticularwaythatisnotthebestone,whenheiswriting:ifyouinterfereandinducehimtoholditinadifferentway,youwillmakehimwriteworse,notbetter.Hewilllosealltheadvantageofhislongpracticeintheoldmethod,and itwill costhimagreatdealof timeand trouble tomake thatgood.Ofcourse,ifhehimselfwantstochangehiswayofwritingbecauseheisconvinced thatanotherway isbetter,andheasksyourhelp in this, thecase isdifferent;hehasarighttodoashepleases,andhewillthenhavetheforceofhisownwillbehindhisaction.

Itisclearthatastrongpersoncaneasilydominateanotherforatime.Historyaffordsmanyexamplesofgreatmenwhodominatedallaroundthemwhiletheylived,butwhoseworkfelltopieceswhentheydied.Theyforgotthattheyweremortal and should therefore have provided for the gap that their deathwouldleave; the unfortunate karma of their error, their self-centred-ness, lay in thatresultofthingstumblingtopiecesassoonastheyweregone.Thatshowsatoncethatthosemendidnotunderstandtheconditionsofsuccessfulactivity.Theydidnot realize thataworkerand leader shouldgather fitpeople togetherand trustthem, and leave them independent in their own part of thework, independentalongtheirownlines—thatoneshouldnottrytolookaftereverydetailoneself;moreover,itcannotbedone.

Theworldismadeupofagreatvarietywithanunderlyingunity.Thelowertypesintheworldobeylaw,because,unknowingofthefactthemselves,theyarecompelled to do so. But man is left comparatively free—free within a greatcircle of lawsoutsidewhichhe cannot get, but insidewhichhemaydo as hepleases.Indoinghisworkinhisownwaylieshisdevelopment.Thedivineplanissuchthatmoreandmorelibertyisbestowedonmanasheprogressesandcanbe trusted touse itwisely; so thatbitbybit, stepby step,wecome toperfectfreedom. The animal, at the lower end of the scale, obeys perfectly,unconsciously; theMaster at the upper end of it obeys perfectly, consciously;andweallstandsomewherebetweenthosetwo.

We must remember too, that interference extends to the mind, and non-interferencehasalsotodowiththepreviousqualification,thatofself-controlastothemind.Interferencebythoughtisverypotent.Takeforexamplesuchacaseas the following. One of us has a particular difficulty which he is trying toovercome;perhapsitarisesfromsomeweaknessinhischaracter,perhapsitisanundesirablewayofthinkingoracting,alongwhichfromforceofoldhabitheisinclinedtogo.Whateveritis,heisdoinghisbesttoovercomeit.Thensomeonecomesalongandsuspectshimofthatparticularlineofweaknessordifficulty—suspects, and goes on hisway, never thinking that he has done any particularharm.

That second person does not realize that he has given a little push to hisbrother,whichmayjustdeterminethelatter’sactionandsenditalongthewrongline.The twoforcesofhabitandeffortwereperhaps trembling in thebalance,andthesuspiciousthoughtturnedthescale.Thatiswhysuspicionissowrong.Itisalwayswrong. Ifunfortunately it is true, itonlygives themansuspectedanadditional push in thewrong direction; if it be untrue, itmaymake it a littleeasierforhimtogowronginthatparticularwayatsomeothertime.Inanycaseitissendingoutanevilthoughtagainsthim;soitiswrongeitherway.Weoughtalways to thinkwellofpeople,even ifour thoughtof themisbetter than theirpractice; thuswe throw out to them a thoughtwhichwillwork only for theirgood.

Itisalsoimportanttorememberthesefacts,becauseamassofevilthoughtis

soonerorlaterdirectedbythedarkforcesagainsteverypersonwhoisadvancingrapidly on the Path. Because you are having a mass of evil thrown againstyourself,tendingtopushyouintowrongactions,youshouldrealizetheharmfulwayinwhichsuspicionworks,andshouldbeextracarefulofyourownthoughtsandactions.Youshouldthinkofwhatishappeningtoyourselfmerelywithadryrecognition of the facts, without any feeling of anger or resentment, andwheneveryoucomeacrossagreatoutburstofhatred,rememberthatyouought,tousetheBiblicalphrase,togirduptheloinsofyourmind,andsimplybringtobearuponthesituationanaddedforceofacontrarynaturetoneutralizetheevilone.Do that, and themass of evil thought directed against youwill not harmyou;onthecontrary,youwilldrawadvantagefromit,asitwillhelpyoutoseewhatareyourweakpoints;itwillbringthemintothelightwhenotherwisetheymighthaveremainedhiddenfromyou.Alsoyourveryresolutioninthefaceofattack will strengthen you, and lead you onwards to the time when all thesethingswillbeatagainstyouwithsmalleffect.

Therefore you should do your own work perfectly, and leave the work ofotherpeoplealoneunlesstheyaskyouforhelp.Doyourownworktotheutmostofyourability,andleaveotherpeople’sworkalonetotheextentofyourability.

C.W.L.—A good deal of interference with others is due to religiousmisconceptions. Orthodox Christianity makes it its business to interfere witheverybody.Itstartsouttosaveotherpeoples’souls,insteadofrecognizingthateachman’sbusinessistolethissoulsavehim.Mostassuredlynoonehasarightto interfere between the lower and the higher self of another under anycircumstanceswhatever. The torturers of the Inquisition thought it right to doanyfrightful thingwithaman’sbody inorder tosavehissoul,bymaking thebodysay thisor that. Itwasnevereven suggested, so far as I canunderstand,thatyoucouldmakehimbelieve it,but ifyoucouldmakehisbodysay that itbelieveda certain thing, that statement, even if false, somehoworother savedthesoul.Ifthosepeoplereallybelievedthat(Iwonderwhetheranybodyeverdidreally believe so monstrous a lie!) they could actually justify all the horriblethingstheydid;forwhateverthehorrorstowhichyousubjectedtheunfortunatebody for a few hours or days, they would be as nothing compared with thefrightfulpainlastingforalleternityfromwhichyouweresavinghissoul.Thetortureofyourneighbourunder those circumstancesbecomesquite a laudable

action.Itisdifficultforustobelievethatanyonecouldtakeupthisposition,yetitappearstohavebeenheldbygreatnumbersofpeople—evenafterallowingforthosewhowereusingthepoweroftheChurchforpoliticalpurposes.

Becauseyoutrytotakeuphigherwork,youmustnotforgetyourordinaryduties, for until they are done you are not free for other service. Youshouldundertakenonewworldlyduties;butthosewhichyouhavealreadytakenuponyou,youmustperfectlyfulfil—allclearandreasonabledutieswhichyouyourselfrecognize,thatis—notimaginarydutieswhichotherstrytoimposeuponyou.IfyouaretobeHis,youmustdoordinaryworkbetterthanothers,notworse;becauseyoumustdothatalsoforHissake.

A.B.—Wesometimesfindthatwhenapersoncomesintooccultismhebeginstodohisordinaryworkworse,notbetterthanbefore.Thatisaltogetherwrong.Hisgreatoutburstofenthusiasmforhisnewstudiesandhiseffort toreachthehigher things have their danger as well as their advantage; and the danger isprecisely that theworldlydutyappearsunimportant.There is truth in the idea,anditisinthetruththatthedangerlies;allerrorsaredangerousonlyonaccountofthetruththatliesatthebaseofthem.Itisthelittlebitoftruthinanerrorthatgivesititsstrength,notthegreatwrappingoffalsehoodthatoverliesthescrapoftruth.

The perfect carrying out of the duties that have to be done in theworld iswhatshowsthattheforcecomingdownfromthehigherplanesisbeingturnedinthe right direction. “Yoga is skill in action.”21If a man is disciplined on thehigherplaneshis lowerplaneactivitieswillbegood;but ifhe isundisciplinedtheywillnotbegood.Even this last,however, isverymuchbetter thannot tocareaboutthehigherthingsatall.Theunwiseactivitiesofamaninthisplightmayworkmuch temporaryharm,butnotpermanentharm,because themotivepowerbehindthemisgood.

The disciple must try to carry out physical plane duties better than otherpeople.Veryoften,whenheactsunwisely,aMastermayhavetostepinordertobalanceuphisunwiseactivities.ThatisonereasonwhyaMasterputsachelaonprobation,and the long time that theprobationoften lasts is sometimesdue tothis.Generallypeopleneedafairlylongtimetobalanceuptheirenthusiasmandactivitywithwisemoderationandforethought.

Thefirsttestofdiscipleshipisusefulnesstoothers.Theaspirantshouldneverthinkthathisesotericworkismoreimportantthanhisexotericwork.If,beingaTheosophist,heneglectshisLodgeandhisworkfortheSocietyforthesakeofhis own progress in esoteric matters, he is blundering. If he neglects outsidework for the sake of study, to take another example, he is doing quitewrong.Studyisgood,butitshouldsubserveusefulness;youshouldstudyinordertobemore useful, not cease to be useful for the sake of studying.Andwhenever aconflict arises between outer duties and such studies, the outer ought to takeprecedence.

Inallsuchmattersasthese,wemustneverforgetthatthepathofoccultismisnarrowas theedgeofa razor. Itwouldbequitepossible togivealmost everymomentofone’swakingtimetosmallservicesforothers,butinsuchcasemanyofthemcouldnotbewellchosen,andmostofthemwouldnotbewelldone.Justasonemustspendtimeinsleepingandeating,inordertohavestrengthtoworkthe rest of the time, so must one spend time in meditation and study, and inconsideringwhatworkshouldbedoneandhowitshouldbedone.ThisaspectofthematterwasdealtwithbytheMasterinthesectionondiscrimination.EveryportionofHisteachingdirectsthepupilbackintothemiddlepath;ifhefollowsanypieceofadvicetoexcess,hewillonlyfalloveragain.Ithasbeensaidthatthe trackof thebestship isnotastraight line,but ismadeupof thousandsoftracks,now toone side,now to theother.The lifeof thedisciple is similar tothat;thecaptainonthebridgeistheMaster,whopointsoutthestarsbywhichhecanguidehimself,andassistshimtokeepascloseaspossibletothedirectline.Onemeetssomanypeoplewhofastenontoonegoodidea,andthenletitridethemtodeath.

Themaster tells his pupil that he should undertake no newworldly duties.The man who has pledged himself to the Master’s work should know theimportanceofbeingalwaysready toserveHiminanywayandanywhere thatHe needs him. I can give you a striking example of this out of my ownexperience.When Iwasyoungmychildrenwere takenaway frommeagainstmywill.Ifoughtagainsttheseparationbyeverymeansthatthelawallowed,butlostmycase; the lawbroke the tie, tookaway fromme thedutyofprotectionwhichamotherhastoherchildren.Mydaughtercamebacktomeassoonasshewasfreetodoso;fortenyearsIhadnotseenorwrittentoher,butmyinfluenceheld and she came straight back to me. I was then living with MadameBlavatsky,andshewarnedme:“Takecarethatyoudonotre-knitthetieswhich

karmabrokeforyou.”IfIhadtakenupmyoldlifeagainthen,afterIhadtakenmypledgetotheMaster,Ishouldhavedonewrong.Itdidnotmean,ofcourse,thatIwastoneglectthegirl—shecameandlivedwithus,andstayedwithustillshemarried,butshehadtocomesecond,notfirst.

Youareresponsibleforthedutieswhichyouhavetofulfil,notanybodyelse;youareresponsibletoyourMasterandnottoanybodyelse.Ifpeopletrytoforceuponyouwhattheyimaginetobeyourduty,andyouseethatit isnotso,youmustsimplydisagreewiththem—good-temperedly,butfirmly.Youmustdecide.You may do so rightly or wrongly, and if wrongly you will suffer, but thedecisionmustbeyours.ThatresponsibilityofanindividualtohimselfandtohisMaster must not be interfered with by anyone. To your ownMaster you areresponsible,andyoumustdoyourordinaryworkbetterthanotherpeopledo,forHissake.

C.W.L.—Thisprinciplethat theoccultistshoulddoordinaryworkwellwasunderstood in theold religions. In thestoryof theyouthofPrinceSiddhartha,who afterwards became the Lord Buddha, for example, it is related that hedevoted himself very much to study and meditation, but when it becamenecessary that he should win his bride by skill in various manly sports, heshowedthatwhenhewishedhecouldexcelinthoseaswellasthehigherthings.IntheBhagavad-Gita it issaid thatyoga isskill inaction; it isdoing therightthingcarefully,tactfullyandcourteously.DisciplesoftheMastershavethereforetolearnbalanceintheirlives,toknowwhenthelowermaysafelybeputasideandwhenitshouldnotbeputaside.

Amanwho has pledged himself and his time and strength to theMaster’sserviceoughtnottoundertakeanythingnewwhichisnotactuallyHiswork.Hemustnotletpeopleforceuponhimdutieswhichhedoesnotrecognizeashis.Icanquiteimagine,forexample,thatpeoplemightsometimesexpectmembersofthe Theosophical Society to attend various social functions. Amembermightsay, “I am willing to give up a reasonable amount of time for the sake offriendliness,”butheisquitejustifiedinreservingmostofhistimeforanyworkthathehastakenupfortheSociety.

This instructionconcerningdutieshadspecial reference toAlcyone’s lifeatAdyar,whiletheMasterwasteachinghim.Inonespecialcase,forexample,hewasbeingpressedtodevoteawholedaytosomeceremonyinconnectionwithadistantrelation.ThematterwassubmittedtohisMaster,andHesaid:“Yes,for

thesakeoftherestofthefamilywhomightbeshockedortroubled,youmaygodownforanhouratsuchandsuchatime,butbeverycareful that,duringthattime,yourepeatnothingwhateverwhichyoudonotunderstand,thatyouinnocaserepeatthingsblindlyafterthepriest,andthatyoudonotallowanythingtobedoneforyouthatyoucandoforyourself—thatis,inthewayofceremoniesandblessings.”

CHAPTER3

TOLERANCE

Tolerance.—Youmustfeelperfecttoleranceforall,andaheartyinterestinthebeliefsof thoseofanotherreligion, justasmuchasinyourown.Fortheirreligionisapathtothehighest,justasyoursis.Andtohelpall,youmustunderstandall.

A.B.—I suppose tolerance is one of the virtues most talked about at thepresentday,butoneoftheleastpractised.Itisoneofthemostdifficultvirtuestoacquire, for where a belief is strongly held and highly valued people notunnaturally tend to try to push it on others. Out of that aggressiveness allreligiouspersecutionsandwars,bothpublicandprivate,havegrown;buteventhataggressiveness isbetter than indifference,which issooftenconfusedwithtolerance.Indifferenceisnottolerance,andshouldneverbemistakenforit.

NowadaysthereisverylittleStatepersecution,butthereisstillmuchsocialand family persecution. Some State persecution of religion does still exist incertaincountries,wherethefree-thoughtpartyhastheupperhand.Free-thinkerswere somuch persecuted that the temptation to retaliate has been too strong,though of course they are acting in direct violation of their own principles. Ihopeitisonlythereactionofthepersecutionthatthereligiouspartymetedouttothem,andthatitwillsooncease.

Therestillexistsintheworldmuchofthespiritoutofwhichallpersecutiongrows,andsometimes theStatefinds itnecessary to imposeforbearance,as inIndia,forfearofdisturbancesandtroublesarising.Thesufferancethatwefindexisting between members of different creeds in countries where variousreligions aremore or less evenly balanced is largely due tomutual fear. Thuswhattolerancethereis,springsgenerallyfromsomemotivethatismoreorlessunworthy.

The occult student must aim at the kindly feeling which grows out of therecognition that the Self in each finds his own road. This is the only rightattitude,andnothinglessthanrecognitionofitwillmaketoleranceawidespread

virtue.Wemustrecognizethateachmanhashisownwayofsearchingfor thehighest,andmustbeleftabsolutelyfreetofollowit.Thisimpliesnotonlythatyouwillnottrytodrawapersonintoyourownreligion,butthatyouwillnottrytoforceargumentsandopinionsuponhim,willnottrytoshakehisbeliefswhichhefindshelpful.Suchperfectforbearanceistheobjectatwhichyouhavetoaim.It is far as the poles are apart fromwhatmen of theworld often think to betolerance—semi-contemptuous feeling that religious things do not very muchmatter,butareusefulmerelyasakindofpoliceforce tokeeppeople inorder.But aman’s religionmust be sacred to you, because it is sacred to him. TheWhiteLodgewillnotallowanyone tocome into itsBrotherhoodwhohasnotdevelopedthisattitudetoaconsiderableextent.

C.W.L.—There isperhaps in thepresentdaymore tolerance than therehasbeen since the time of the greatRomanEmpire, and it is verymuch like thatwhichthenexisted.WehearcuriousthingsofthewayinwhichtheRomansaresupposed to have treated the earlyChristians.Careful research shows that thegreatestofthepersecutionsaboutwhichsomuchhasbeensaidneverhappenedatall;butitistruethattheChristiansfrequentlygotthemselvesintotrouble.Idonotmean to say that the conditionswerenot in somewaysbarbarous;but theearlyChristiansseemtohavebeenananarchical setofpeople,andwhen theycame intocollisionwith theauthorities itwasnotonaccountof their religion,butbecauseof the things theysaidanddid.TheRomansdidnotwelcome thekindofbrotherhoodthattheearlyChristianspreached.Itwasfartoomuchlike:“Soismonfrereoujetetuerai.”22.Insomecasestheywouldnotperformsmallceremonieswhichwere consideredmatters of loyalty; theywouldnot throwapinchofincenseonthealtarorpouroutadropofwinetotheEmperor—actionsmoreorlessequivalenttotakingoffone’shatinLondonwhentheKingpasses.The Roman Empire was themost tolerant in the world about other religions.Theydidnotcareintheveryleastwhatgodanybodyworshipped,becausetheydidnotbelievetherewereanygods.Theyhadahugepantheon,wheretheysetup temples to all the gods, and when they realized that the Christ was beingworshipped they promptly set up a statue to Him. Their tolerance reallyamountedtoindifference.

ManyofthoseancientRomansareincarnatedintheEnglishrace.Therearemany people now who are tolerant to all forms of belief, just because theythemselvesdonotbelieveinanything.Theylookonreligionasapleasantfabletoamusetheladies,butofcourseforamanitisnotaseriousmatter.Thatisnot

the kind of tolerance at which we are aiming. Ours must come from arecognitionthatthebeliefsofothersarealsowaystothehighest.Whenonegoesintoa templeorchurchof some formof religionwhich isnotone’sown,onewhoisreallytolerantconformstothecustomsoftheplace,notsimplybecauseitis the custom, but because he respects those people who are different fromhimself,andthatreligionwhichisdifferentfromhisown.Therearepeoplewhogo intoachurchand then refuse tobow to thealtarandevenmakeapointofturningtheirbacksuponit.Ihaveknownpeoplewhotriedtogointoamosquewithouttakingofftheirshoes.Onehasnobusinessinthechurchorthetempleofanotherfaithifoneisnotpreparedtobehavesoasnottohurtthefeelingsoftheworshippers.IfyouthinkitiswrongtogenuflectbeforethealtarofaCatholicchurchyoucanalwaysstayoutside,andifyoufeelitwouldbewickedtotakeyourshoesoffyouneednotgoinsidethemosque.

AllmenaremanifestationsoftheOneSelf,sotheformanother’saspirationtakesistoberespected.Oftenchildishmanifestationsappear,butnogoodmanwould make fun of them, or try to turn people against them, for the lessdevelopedintellectcannotbeexpectedtotaketheviewthatappealstoonemuchmore advanced. Tolerancewill always direct us to say, with the old Romans,“SinceIamaman,nothinghumanisforeigntome,”andtrytounderstandtheotherman’s point of view; even as an exercise for oneself thatmethodwouldsoonshowusathowmanydifferentanglestheraysoftruthmaybereflectedbythehumanmind.Theworldwouldbemonotonousifallthingsweredoneinonewayonly.Itwouldbelikeaprison,whereeverythingisdoneatthesametimeeachday,andinthesameway.

Therearecertainbroaddivisions,suchasyoufind,forexample,inthemindsof theCatholic and theProtestant.Eachof themapproachesChristianity fromhis own point of view, and many on both sides are quite incapable ofunderstanding the other. The Catholic takes the view that a great deal ofceremony should appear in his ritual, that it should bemade in everyway asbeautifulas itcanbe, inorder that itmayglorify theGodwhomheworships,and that it may appeal to the people. He feels keenly that the ritual and theceremonyandallthesebeautifulsurroundingsareofthegreatesthelptohiminhisdevotions.TheProtestant,ontheotherhand,thinksallthattobeverywickedand dreadful, because it distracts the mind from the inner meaning. TheProtestant’smindis,perhaps,suchthatifhehadtoattendtoalltheseceremonieshewouldnotatthesametimebeabletokeepbeforehimtheinnerthings.What

appeals so strongly to the Catholic type of man would be to him rather anuisance,adisturbance—somethingwhichinterfereswithhisinnerdevotion.

Therearemanypeoplewhofeeltheirdevotionandaspirationtobevagueanduncertainwhenonlysubjectivemethodsofworshipareemployed.Tothemtheouter form gives great comfort and help;why should they not have it? Thosewhofindtheceremony,thestatue,thepicture,thephysical-planemanifestation,anintensesatisfactionandinspiration,belongdefinitelytooneofthesevengreatrays of life, one of the seven great lines of human endeavour that lead to thethroneofGod.Thosewhowishfornoneofthesethings,whofindthemrathertroublesomeanddistracting,arealsofollowingtheirowndifferentline;letthemenjoyit;whyshouldwetroublethem?

As each one of us has his own language, inwhich hewas born, so he haswhatmightbecalledhis religious language—away inwhichhis thoughtsandfeelings and aspirations most readily express themselves. It would be in thehighestdegreefoolishtodespiseaFrenchmanbecausehislanguageisdifferentfromourown,andequallysotodespiseanyonebecausebisreligionisdifferentfromours.AFrenchman saysmaison instead of ‘house’: itmeans exactly thesamething;itwouldbeabsurdtoarguethatoneisabetterwordthantheother.One recalls thecelebratedMr.Lillyvick,acharacter inNicolasNickelby, who,after hearing that Veau meant “water” in French, decided that it was a poorlanguage.ThereisalsoastoryaboutanoldwomaninthetimeoftheNapoleonicwarswhoprayedtoGodthat theEnglishmightbesuccessful,andwhensomeone reminded her that probably people on the other sidewere praying for thesuccess of the French, she replied, “What does that matter; how can Godunderstandthemwhentheyspeaksuchnonsense?”

There can be no possible reasonwhy eachman should not follow thewaywhichhefindstobebestforhimself,inthepathtoGodwhichseemstohimthemost direct. All that is needed for peace and harmony is that both shouldrecognizethatfact.Eachshouldsay,“Iprefermypath,butIamperfectlywillingthateveryothermanshouldhavethesameprivilege,thathealsoshouldtakethepathwhichseemsbest tohim.”Thatdoesnot seemmuch toask,yet fewwillconcede it. Each feels that what is best for himmust be best for others. Thelarger mind sees that there are many paths, that they all lead equally to thesummitofthemountain,andthateachmanshouldbelefttotakethatwhichcanmostinspirehim.

IconfessthatthereisonedispositionIpersonallyfindithardtounderstand—theverygushingtypeofreligiousdevotion,whichappliestotheDeityallsortsofendearingtermscollectedoutoflove-poetryandnovels.Itgivesmeashock,andanimpressionofirreverence,thoughIknowperfectlywellthatitissincereandwell-meant. Probably thosewho like it thinkme cold and expressionless,becausemydispositionistotakeacommon-senseviewofeverythingandtrytoreasonaboutitandunderstandit.

Thedevotionalbookswrittenforthehighertypeofpeopleineveryreligionare remarkably similar. If one compares, for example, those familiar to theRomanCatholicwiththoseusedbythefollowersofShriRamanujacharya,onefinds theclosest resemblance.The life, too,ofagoodChristian is thesameasthatofagoodHindu,orBuddhist,orMuhammadan,or indeedagoodmanofanyreligion.Thesamevirtuesarepractisedbyall;thesameobjectsarestrivenfor;thesameevilsareshunned.

But inorder togain thisperfect toleranceyoumustyourself firstbefreefrombigotryandsuperstition.

A.B.—Thebigot is themanwho considers only his ownopinions, and notthose of anyone else. I was once told by a very good lady—but also a verybigotedone,ofthestraitestsectoftheevangelicals—thatIoughtnevertoreadabookwhichwasnotwrittenexactlyfrommyownreligiousstandpoint.That isthepositionofthebigot—neverreadanotherviewlestitmayshakeyourown.Itistheveryoppositeofthatoftheseekeraftertruth,themanwhowantstoleadthehigherlife.Hetriestoreadallroundasubject,inordertoseeathowmanydifferentanglestheraysoftruthhavestruckthehumanmindandbeenrefractedbyit.Ifyouwouldreachthetruthyoumuststudyallthesedifferentviewsandopinions,andthenassimilatewhatlittle,orgreat,truththeymaycontain.

It iswell also to studypeople’s superstitions; for, as thegreatphrase in theUpanishad says: “Truth alone conquers, not falsehood.” Superstitions derivetheirstrengthfromthelittlebitoftruthwhichtheycontain.Youshouldfindthatfragmentoftruth.Thebigot,ofcourse,willseeonlythefalsehoodinthem,butyououghttoknowsomethingofallreligions;notstudyingtheminthespiritofthemissionary,butsympathetically.Andthesameplanshouldalsobefollowedinpoliticalandsocialquestions.

Youmustalsodestroysuperstition,whichischaracterizedlaterinthisbookasoneofthethreegreatsinswhichdomostharmintheworld,becauseitisasinagainst love. Religion and superstition have been so muddled together in theworldthatitisnecessarytoseparatetheminourmindsbycarefuldefinition.Myfavouritedefinitionofsuperstition—thoughitdoesnotcoverthewholeground—isthetakingoftheunessentialfortheessential,themistakingofasideissuefor one of importance. In religious controversies people fight over someunessential matter, and each side as a rule represents a differentmisunderstandingofthetruth.

Another definition of superstition—which also does not cover the wholeground—isthatitisabeliefwhichhasnorationalfoundation.Thus,manytruthsaresuperstitions to thepeoplewhohold them,because theyhavenogoodandsoundreasonfordoingso.TheLordBuddhasaidthattheonlyrightgroundforbelievingathingisthatitcommendsitselftoyourreasonandcommonsense,sothatyoumaybesaidtoknowityourself.Ifweapplythattest,thegreaterpartofmost people’s religion comes under the heading of superstition. For them thatdoes not reallymatter, but for thosewho are trying to reach the Path all thatcannotjustifyitselftotheintuitionandreasonshouldbeputasideforatime.Asthathighersenseinyouwhichknowstruthatsightgraduallyunfolds,youwillbeabletotakeinmoreandmoreofthetruth.Thentherewillgrowupinyouadeepinnerconviction,andwhenatruthispresentedtoyou,youwillknowitistrue.Thissensecorrespondstoeyesightonthephysicalplane.Itisthefacultyofbuddhi,pure reason.Weshouldall tryourbeliefsby this test, forwe inheritagreatmanyofthemwhichareonlysuperstitionstous.Aswedoso,andtothedegree that this attitude of mind becomes habitual to us, shall we get rid ofsuperstitionanddeveloptolerance.

C.W.L.—Superstition has often a very strong hold indeed on theminds ofmen, so that sometimes it has been said that it is impossible to have religionwithoutit.Itistruethatthereismuchconfusioninreligiousthought,andmuchof it isunreasonable,butwhenever there isabelief thathasaverywidehold,thereisprobablyafragmentoftruthsomewherebehindit.Generallyspeaking,superstitionsarenotmere inventions,butdistortionsor exaggerationsof facts.OurPresidentoncecitedacelebratedIndianinstanceofsuperstition.Therewasonce a holymanwho had a pet cat whichwas so fond of him that when hewantedtoperformhisreligiousceremoniesbefounditnecessarytokeepitquietbytetheringittothelegofhisbed.Peopleseeingthisthoughtthetyingupofthe

catwasanecessarypartof theceremony,and incourseof timetherestof theceremony fell away, and the only part that remained of the devotion was thetraditionthatacatshouldbetetheredtothelegofabed.

ThescribesandPharisees,whomChristdenouncedashypocrites,andlikenedunto whitened sepulchres, showed a similar form of superstition. They paidtithes,Hesaid,ofmintandaniseandcummin;becausetheywereorderedtopayatitheofalltheyhad,theytookintoaccountmostpunctiliouslythelittlethingscorresponding to our pepper and salt; but they entirely forgot the weightiermattersofthelaw—justice,mercyandfaith.

ThesuperstitionofSundayisaserioustroubleinsomepartsofGreatBritain,especiallyinScotland,wherethedayismadeunutterablytedious.Theideawastominimize the amount of ordinarywork thatmust be done on that day, andmake it a day that could be devoted to spiritual things. However, the divineservice aspect has dropped verymuch into the background, and there ismoredrunkennessandgeneralloosenessinotherwaysonSundaythanonotherdays—certainly an instance of taking the non-essential for the essential. Becausethereisonedayatleastonwhichpeoplearesupposedtobereligious,menoftenseem tohave the feeling thatonotherdays it doesnotmatter seriously ifonefailstoobservereligiouspreceptsandideals.IhavenoticedthatthepeoplewhodonotkeepSunday—Hindus,Buddhistsandothers—havereligionpermeatingtheirlivesinawaythatisnotfoundamongChristians.Idonotsaythattheyareall goodpeople, anymore than theChristians are, but religionmeansmore tothem than it does to the averageChristian,whooften thinks that if he attendsserviceonedayaweekhehasdischargedallhisreligiousobligations.

Superstition has also been defined by our President as the holding of anybelief without a reasonable foundation. It is quite rational to believe in therotation of the earth, in the existence of foreign countrieswhichwe have notseen, in the reality of atoms and electrons which are beyond physical sightaltogether,becausewehavegood reason tobelieveall these things.Butmanypopular beliefs are not in this class. The ordinary belief of the Christian ineternal fire and everlasting punishment is nothing but a peculiarly pernicioussuperstition.Thereisnorationalbasiswhateverforit,yetifyoutoldthattotheaverage Christian he would say that you were an atheist and that you weremakingamockofhisreligion.Thefirstmanwhotaughtitmayormaynothavebelieved it, butmillionsof people havedone so since, therebymost assuredly

yielding themselves to superstition. The only thing which from the ChristianpointofviewoughttobeofimportanceinconnectionwithitiswhattheChristHimself said on the subject.There are, I think, eight passages inwhichHe issupposed to mention this eternal punishment: and every one of those can bequite plainly shown to have nothing to do with the popular idea which isattributedtothem.ThereisaveryvaluablebookonthissubjectcalledSalvatorMundi,writtenbyaChristianclergyman,theRev.SamuelCox;heverycarefullygoesintotheoriginalGreekofwhattheChristisallegedtohavesaid,andshowsat once and conclusively that there is no scriptural basis for the belief ineverlasting punishment. There certainly is no rational basis, for if God is alovingFatheritisabsolutelyimpossible.

OnewouldhaveexpectedmodernChristianstohaveoutgrownthathorriblesuperstition,whichworksenormousevilinthisworld,butmillionsofthemhavenotdone so, and it is still being taught. I sawnot longagoaRomanCatholiccatechismforchildren,andinthattheoldideasofhellasaplaceofeverlastingtormentweresetforthinthesameoldfoolishway.WemightbestilllivinginthemostbrutalpartoftheMiddleAgesasfarastheteachinggiventolittlechildrenisconcerned.Itisaverysadthing.TherearemanyChristiansectswhichhaverisenabove that,but theoldestand largestof themstillclings to itsmediaevalteachings.Thereare individualpriestswhoexplain thewhole thingawayverymuchaswemightdo,buttheprintedwordwhichtheyteachtolittlechildrenisanutterlyhorribleandblasphemousthing,becauseitstartstheminlifewithanaltogetherwrongideaofGod,fillingtheirlivesandmindswithfearandcruelty,totheseriousdetrimentoftheircharacterandevolution.

The teaching of the Lord Buddha about belief and reason, which I havealreadyquoted,wasveryfine.AtthecouncilcalledafterHisdeathtodeterminewhichof themanyreportscurrentshouldbeacceptedasHissayings, theveryfirst rule they laid downwas: “Thatwhich is contrary to reason and commonsenseisnottheteachingoftheBuddha.”Theyruledouteverythingthatdidnotsatisfy them from that point of view, saying: “This is obviously not commonsense;Hecouldnothavesaidit.”Theymayperhapshavecastasideoneortwogoodthingswhichtheydidnotunderstand,buttheysavedtheirreligionfromavast amount of superstition. The Founders of the great religions, with theexceptionofMuhammad, didnot giveTheir teachings to theworld inwrittenform.Itissaid,however,thattheLordBuddhawroteabook,whichiskeptbytheAdepts,notpublishedto theworld.Usually, threeorfourgenerationshave

elapsed before the teachings have takenwritten form, and then thosewritingshavebeencompoundedfrommanysources.Forexample,intheBookofIsaiah,scholarshave foundeightdifferent layersof tradition—three Isaiahs,oneafteranother,thenacommittee,andsoon.Thereisdeteriorationinthereligionwhenpeoplewritedownnotwhat theyknowbut that theyhavebeen told, and thenquarrelaboutminutiae.

Thereisalsoanothersourceofconfusioninthefactthatwhenanewreligionis launcheditspreads likeawaveofconquestover theexistingones,butdoesnotobliteratethem.Awisegeneral,conqueringanewcountry,triestoadapthisrules to the people, so as to minimize trouble; so have the religions becomeadapted to the various communitieswho adopted them.Thus theChinese andJapanesestillreverencetheirancestors,andfollowtheancientway,theShinto,but theyhave added thereto theBuddhist ethics;while inCeylon, theyhold amaterialisticformofthereligion,andwilltellyouthatnothingofamanpassesonfromlifetolifebuthiskarma,yettheyspeakoftheirpreviouslivesandtheirhopetoreachnirvanainafuturelife.TheChristiansalsoadoptedthefestivalsofthenationsamongwhich thereligionspread,butconveniently foundnamesofChristiansaintsbywhichtocallthosedays.

Traces of the old traditions are thus found everywhere—devil-dancing inCeylon,theKalicultinIndia,andsoon—andthesearesometimestakenfortherealthing,andthusformaprolificsourceofsuperstition.

Onemaysometimesknowathingtobetruewithoutbeingabletoreasonitout—thatistheothersideofthequestion.Theegoknows,andhasgoodreasonforhisknowledge;butsometimeshecannotimpresshisreasonsonthephysicalbrain, though the fact comes through that he knows. So,when a new truth ispresented tous,weknowatoncewhetherwecanaccept itornot.That isnotsuperstition,butanintenseinnerconviction.Idonotthinkanybodywilleverbefoundwiththat intenseinnerconvictionabouthell.Theybelievethat theywillbeburntforeverbecausetheyhavebeensotaught.Thissounds,perhaps,alittlelikeabandoning reason in favourof intuition,but then itmustbe rememberedthat thatverybuddhiwhichwetranslate“intuition”isknowninIndiaas“purereason”.Itisthereasonoftheego,whichisofahighertypethanthatwhichwehaveinlowerplanes.

The Master goes on to give instances with regard to this question ofsuperstition:

You must learn that no ceremonies are necessary; else you will thinkyourself somehow better than those who do not perform them. Yet youmust not condemn otherswho still cling to ceremonies. Let them do astheywill;onlytheymustnotinterferewithyouwhoknowthetruth—theymust not try to force upon you that which you have outgrown. Makeallowanceforeverything;bekindlytowardseverything.

C.W.L.—TheMasterspokesostronglyaboutceremoniesperhapsbecausethelifeoftheyouthofthehighBrahmanacastetowhichAlcyonebelongedbeginstobeveryfullof thematabout theagewhichhehadthenreached.There isatendencyatthattimeforaboytoconsiderhimselfveryimportantonaccountofthem,forheisquitethecentreofagreatdealofattentionwhichsurroundstheupanayana or initiation-of a boy into his full caste privileges. The life of anorthodoxBrahmanaisfullofceremonial;therearegesturestobemadeandtextstoberecitedatthetimeofrising,bathing,eatingandalmosteveryotheraction.Somepeople roundAlcyonewere probably trying tomake himdo these veryfully, because they feared thatmodern education and the European friends hehad made might possibly divert him from the old cult of his people; so theMasterguardedHispupilbysayingthattheywerenotabsolutelynecessaryandthatwhendoingthemorwhengivingthemuphemusttakecarenottofallintotheerrorandfollyofthinkinghimselfsuperioronthataccount.

ChristianceremonialsdifferfromthoseoftheHindusandBuddhistsinbeinggenerally done by a number of people together. Worship is nearly alwaysindividualamongthelatter,but inChristendomit ismainlycollective.Thoughall these ceremonials are not necessary (except for the people whosetemperament is sostrongly in favourof them that theycannot reallybehappywithout them), they are nevertheless a form of science, dealing with naturalforcesoftheinnerplanesinperfectlydefiniteways.

There aremanyways in which spiritual force can be poured out upon theworld.ThatwhichwefindintheceremonyoftheMass,theHolyCommunionortheHolyEucharist, isoneinstitutedbytheFounderofChristianityHimself,for thedistribution throughHisChurchofwhat iscommonlycalled thedivinegrace—certain spiritual forces of the higher planes, which are, of course, notsupernatural, but superphysical.He arranged it so that the priest,whatever hisnaturemightbe,doingtheceremonywouldbeachannelforthedistributionofthisforce.Itwouldbeallthebetterthatthepriestshouldbeareallygoodman,

full of thoughts of devotion and service, but it has been arranged that theceremonial shall be effective in any case, for the benefit of the people. ThegeneralChristianschemeisthatthereshallbeChurchesdottedovertheland,sothat theoutpouringmay radiateout and reach everybody.This ceremonydoesenormousgoodtomillionsofpeople,buttosaythatitisnecessaryforsalvationwouldbesuperstition.

Various forces are tappedbydifferent ceremonies.They all, nomatter howspiritual,workunderthelawsofnature,andif,therefore,thebenefitofthemisto be felt in the physical world there must be a physical mechanism throughwhichtheycanwork.Itisthesameinthecaseofelectricity;theforceexistsallaboutusall the timeand is always inactivity,but ifyouwant it toperformaparticularworkinaparticularwayinaparticularplaceyoumustprovidecertainphysicalmachinerythroughwhichitcanoperate.

A.B.—TheMastersaysthatnoceremoniesarenecessary,andallthereligionsrecognizethistruth.InIndia,themanwhoishighestandmostrespectedofallisthesannyasi,whoperformsnoceremoniesatall.Hebreaksandthrowsawaythesacredthread,whichwashismostimportantpossession,putuponhimwhenasaboyhewasinitiatedintohiscaste,andwornthroughoutlifeashismostsacredsymbol,untilhebecameasannyasi.

Ceremoniesareonlynecessarysolongasamanhasnotreachedrealizationand true knowledge, so long as they help to give him right emotions, quietthoughts and noble aspirations. The great majority of people are stillundevelopedandneedallthehelpthatcanbegiventheminanyway.Thereforenowisemanwillcondemnceremonies, thoughtheyarenotnecessaryforhim.TheBhagavadGitaisthegospelofthesannyasi,yetitistherewritten:“Letnowiseman unsettle theminds of the ignorant, attached to action, but acting inharmony with Me, let him render all action attractive.”23. The child who islearning towalk catches hold of any thing that is firm enough to help him tosustain himself on his feet—chairs, table-legs and walls. So ceremonies aresupports,intendedforthemanwhoisnotstrongenoughtosupporthimself.Asaman develops, his ceremonies become more refined, more beautiful andsymbolical,andatlasthearrivesatastagewhentheyarenolongerofanyusetohim and he lets them go. There are two kinds of peoplewho do not performceremonies—thosewhoareabovethem,andthosewhoarebeneaththem.

Theresponsibilityofchoosingthepointwhenheshallabandonceremonies

restsentirelywith themanconcerned;eachmustdecideforhimself.Nonecantaketheresponsibilityofsayingwhenamanshouldbecomeayogi.Soalsowithceremonies;nonemustcriticizewhenamandecidestogivethemup,orchoosesto retain them.Sometimes amanmay still feel bound to attend them after hefeels that he no longer needs them himself, on account of his position in thecommunity. He alone is responsible for his choice, so wemust not condemnthosewhoperformceremonies,northosewhodonotperformthem.

Ceremoniesmaybedangerousaswellashelpful.InancientHinduismtherewasastrictruleforbiddingtheutteranceofcertainformulaeinacrowd;itwasnot made in order to withhold any benefit from the people, as nowadays issometimes ignorantly supposed, but to avoid the harm that certain vibrationsmightdo to somepeople. Itwason thisaccount thatManu laiddown the lawthatonlyBrahmanaswhowerelearnedandofgoodlifeshouldbeinvitedtotheshraddha ceremonies.Apersonwhohas somepower but does not understandwhen he should use it and when he should withhold it might possibly, if heassistedatcertainceremonies,putstrengthintotheformulaewhichmightinjurethepeoplepresent;forthatreasononewhohasbeguntogainsuchpowermightdowell to keep away. I found, for example, when I attended some shraddhaceremoniesatGaya,thathadIaddedmyforcetothem,Imighthaveinjuredthepriests, for some of the mantras which they were reciting were exceedinglypowerful.They,however,didnotbringoutthepower,sincetheywereignorantandnotveryclean-livingmen.MadameBlavatskyadvisedstudentsofoccultismnottogointoacrowdunlesstheywereinperfectsympathywithit,notmerelybecauseofanyeffect itmighthaveontheirownauras,butbecausetheirforcemightdomoreharmthangood.Insuchcases,amanwithknowledgemightfinditbettersometimesnottotakepartincertainceremonies,while:anotherwhodidnotunderstandhowtosaytheformulainsuchawayastobringoutthepowerwhichisreallyinitmightattendwithperfectsafetytothepeoplearoundhim,nomatterwhatkindofpeopletheymightbe.

Now that your eyes are opened, some of your old beliefs, your oldceremonies,mayseemtoyouabsurd;perhaps,indeed,theyreallyareso.Yetthoughyoucannolongertakepartinthem,respectthemforthesakeof those good souls to whom they are still important. They have theirplace, theyhave theiruse; theyare like thosedouble lineswhichguidedyou as a child towrite straight and evenly, until you learnt towrite far

betterandmorefreelywithoutthem.Therewasatimewhenyouneededthem;butnowthattimeispast.

A.B.—Inevitably,aswegrowolderandwiser,somethingsinwhichweusedtobelievetakeonanaspectofnon-realityandevenabsurdity;yetwecanlookatthemkindlyandsympathetically,aswecanlookonachildnursingabundleofragswhichshemakesbelieve tobeadoll.Fromonepointofview thechild’saction issomewhatgrotesque,but it isdoingherarealservice, for itdevelopsthemotherinstinctinthelittlegirl—shedoesnotseetherags;sheseesachild;and as she fondles and comforts her imaginary child she practises maternaltendernessandprotection,andcareoftheweakandhelpless.So,whenwesmileatthatlittlechild,oursmileisaverytenderandgentleone.Itisthesamewithouroldbeliefsandceremonies;theyhadtheirplace;theyhadtheiruse.

If one finds a savage tribe performing ceremonies which to us seem quiteabsurd,orwhenwesee,aswefrequentlydoinIndia,aragtiedtoavillagetreeasanoffering,weshouldnotdespisethepoorouterexpressionofthesavage’sorvillager’sdevotion—weoughttolookatthefeelingunderlyingit.Theirhumbleofferingsmaymeanasmuchtothemasthecostliestonecouldmean-tous;thesamespiritisunderneath.

Allouterofferingsareunnecessary;theonlyacceptableoneistheofferingofthe heart, and where that accompanies the gift the poorest gift becomesacceptable.Therefore it says in theGita thatevena leaf, a flower,a fruitoralittlewater,ifofferedwithdevotion,isacceptabletotheSupreme.24.Itwouldbea hard and un-brotherly act to discourage these things—to tear away the ragfrom the tree, for instance, as has sometimes been done—it would show acompletelackofthefeelingofunity.

C.W.L.—Always be gentle and kindly towards childhood—that of thechildren,andthegeneralchildhoodofthehumanraceatitspresentstageaswell.OurPresidenthasspokenofalittlechildnursingabundleofragsandpretendingthatitisadoll.Thatisasuperstition,ofcourse,butatthesametimeitdoesnotoccurtoanyoneindignantlytoscoldthechildforit.Onthephysicalplaneitisabundleofrags,butinthechild’simaginationitisperhapsalmostalivingthing,withallsortsofqualities.Onecannotdisturbtheideainthechild’smindwithoutinjuringthedevelopmentofgoodfeelingsthatarebeingaroused.

She has also mentioned the practice of the common people of India, whosometimes tieapieceof ragona treeasanoffering to thedeity.TheaverageChristian missionary would come along and be very angry about it, therebyshowinghisownignorance,becausetheofferingismadeinallgoodfaith.Thecomparativelyprimitiveandchildlikesoulmeantitwell,andthethingshouldbetakenlikethechild’sragdoll,forwhatitmeans.Theypouroutalittlewaterasalibation,ortheyofferaflower—averysmallofferingtruly,butwhyshoulditbedespised?TheChristHimselfsaidthatthosewhogaveevenacupofcoldwaterinHisNameandforHissakeshouldbynomeanslosetheirreward.Itmustberemembered,too,thatprobablynopeople,noteventhemostprimitive,thinkofthestatueortheformasareality,butallhavesomesenseoftheDeitybehindit.

A great Teacher oncewrote: “When Iwas a child, I spake as a child, Iunderstoodasachild,Ithoughtasachild;butwhenIbecameamanIputaway childish things.” Yet he who has forgotten his childhood and lostsympathywith the children is not themanwho can teach them or helpthem. So look kindly, gently, tolerantly upon all; but upon all alike,BuddhistorHindu,JainorJew,ChristianorMuhammadan.

A.B.—Youhavethereanexactdescriptionoftheoccultist;heisthemanwhohasnot forgottenhischildhood.Hehasgrown tomanhood,buthe rememberswhathehaspassedthrough,andsohecanhelpall.Inordertotrainourselvesinthis power of sympathy for all and help towards all, it is a good practice totranslate your religious thoughts into the language of some particular exotericreligion, to put your thought into its formulae. We all have one particularlanguageofourown,inwhichweexpressthingstoourselves,untilwereachthestagewhenwehaveacommonlanguageinwhichwecanspeaktoanybody.Thestudentwilldowelltostudysomelanguageorformotherthanhisown.Those,whohavebeenbroughtupasChristiansmightpractisespeakingandthinkinginterms of Hinduism; then they would learn to see things from the Hindustandpoint,andwouldbequiteastonishedtoseehowdifferenttheylookedfromwhattheyhadimaginedthemtobe.HindusmightsimilarlylearntospeakandthinkintermsusedinChristianity.

Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the guru of Swami Vivekananda, trainedhimself in thatway.He took several religions in turn, and for the time beingfollowed their methods and practices. He took up Christianity: prayed in the

Christianway, thought inChristian terms,andevendressed inChristiandress;andthushewentthroughonereligionafteranother,learningtoidentifyhimselfwith each.He used every outside help that he could contrive in order to helphimself in thiseffort.Whenhewas trying torealize themothersideofnature,that which is represented by the Virgin Mary in the West, by the Shaktis inHinduism,hedressedhimselfasawomanandthoughtofhimselfasawoman.Certainlytheresultofthesepracticesinhiscasewasverybeautiful,forallouterreligiousdifferencesceasedentirelytoaffecthim.

Howdifferentisthislinefromthatwhichmostpeoplepursue!Yetitisonlyby learning to identify oneself with all around that one can fit oneself fordiscipleship.ShriRamakrishnawas fundamentallyabhakta, adevotee, andhelearnedthroughemotioninthisway.

Theaspirantshouldtryforatime,then,tothinkofhimselfasaHindu,oraBuddhist, or awoman—somethingwhichhe is not.How fewmen ever try tothinkorfeelasawomandoes,toseethingsassheseesthem!Isuppose,too,thatnotmanywomenreally,trytoseethingsfromaman’sstandpoint;butitismoremarked in men—a man always wants to feel himself “he”. Even amongTheosophists it seems to me that the fact of our brotherhood being withoutdistinctionofsexissometimesoverlooked.

Learnalso tounderstandhow thingswouldappear toyou if coming toyouthroughsomeparticularatmospheretowhichyouarenotaccustomed.Youhaveto cure yourself of the habit of looking at things exclusively from your ownstandpoint—thatiscontrarytooccultism.Dothis,andintheworldyouwillbeblamed; your impartiality and sympathywill be called indifference.That doesnot in the leastmatter. Ihavebeenaccusedofbeing“tooHindu” in theWest,andofbeing“tooChristian”intheEast;becauseintheWestIspeakinWesterntermsand thepeople in Indiadonot like it,and in theEast Ispeak inEasterntermsandthepeople in theWestdonot like it.Myanswer tosuchcomplaintsalwaysisthatIspeaktothepeopleinthelanguagewhichtheyunderstand.

Suchcomplaintsandsuchblamerisefromlookingat thingsfromthe lowerpole insteadof from thehigher.To learn to speakmany religious languages isoneof the lessonsnecessaryfor themanwho is tocarry themessage tomanylands.Thisisnonewtruth,andtheblamewhichfollowssuchactionisalsonotnew.Thegreat reproachmadeagainstS.Paulwas thathewasall things toallmen. Hewrote: “For though I be free from allmen, yet have Imademyself

servantuntoall, that Imightgain themore.Andunto the Jews Ibecameas aJew,thatImightgaintheJews;tothemthatareunderthelaw,asunderthelaw,that Imightgain themthatareunder the law; to themthatarewithout law,aswithoutlaw,(beingnotwithoutlawtoGod,butunderthelawtoChrist,)thatImight gain them that are without law. To the weak I became as weak, that Imightgaintheweak;Iammadeallthingstoallmen,thatImightbyallmeanssavesome.”25.Frombeingoneofthestraitest,hebecameoneofthemostliberalofmen; he belonged to one of the strictest sects of the Jews, yet became theapostleoftheGentiles—aremarkabletransformation.

Theoccultistbelongstonoreligionortoallreligions,accordingtothewayyouliketoputit—tononeexclusively,toallinclusively.Nothinglessthanthatistolerance.Thereasonwhyitisgoodtokeepoutofcontroversiesisthatforthetimeonemaybecomeintolerant;itisdifficulttobequiteimpartial,ifoneistobeeffective,whencontrovertingaone-sidedpresentment.Alwaysputthetruthfromthestandpointofunity,notfromthatofdifference;thenonlywillyoubeabletohelpall,andallalike.Thenonlywillyoubeabletoseethegoodineachandall,overlookingandlookingthroughthatwhichisdefective.

C.W.L.—The Theosophist aims at brotherhoodwithout distinction of race,creed,caste,sexorcolour.Thatbrotherhoodcanbestbelivedwhenweareabletoenterintothefeelingsandthoughtsofthoseofotherracesandcreeds,andofthe other sex.Aman forgets the fact that he has hadmanybirths in feminineform; a woman also forgets that she has hadmany incarnations inmasculinebodies.Thoughnoteasytodo,itisanexceedinglygoodexerciseforthemantotrytoputhimselfinthoughtinthewoman’splaceandtounderstandherwayoflooking on life; and so also for a woman to try to see how aman envisagesthings.The twopointsofvieware surprisinglydifferent invariousways.Onewho can identify his consciousness with that of the opposite sex has alreadytaken a step towards a brotherhoodwhich transcends the idea of sex. Havingtriedtounderstandthepointofviewofhissistersormotherorwife,amanmaythenextendthispracticetopeopleofotherreligionsandracesthanhisown.Itisa most helpful exercise, because when anyone can really understand andthoroughlysympathizewithanotherperson’spointofview,hehaswidenedhisownoutlookbyjustthatmuch.

Concerning tolerance there is a good story in the Talmud, aboutAbraham,whenonceatravellercametohim,andhewasabouttogivehimfoodanddrink,

as is the custom of the desert.Abraham called upon his visitor to praiseGodbefore eating, but when he refused and said he did not know anything aboutGod,Abrahamroseinangerandturnedhimoutofhistent,andwouldnotgivehimanythingatall.ThentheLordcamealong,asapparentlyHeusedtodointhose days, and said: “Why did you send him away?”Abraham replied, withgreatindignation,“Lord,HerefusedtorecognizeThyName;heisaninfideloftheworst type.” “Yes,”God said, “but I havebornewithHim for sixtyyears;surelyyoumightbearwithhimforonehour.”

SomeofuswhoareTheosophistsstillhaveanoutwardreligiontowhichwecling, yet I think we ought to be able to say that we belong to no religionexclusively,buttoalloftheminclusively.Imyself,forexample,amaChristianBishop,but I amalsoaBuddhist, because I took thevowsandobligationsbywhich I accepted the Lord Buddha as my guide. In that, I was not asked torenounceanyotherreligion.Buddhismisperhaps thewidestofall religions inthatrespect—theydonotaskyouwhatyoubelieve,butwhetheryouwillfollowthe teaching of the Lord Buddha and live so far as you can the life Hecommends.AChristian,Muhammadanor followerofanyother religionmightsay,“Theteachingisgoodteaching,Iwillundertaketofollowit”,andtherebybecomeaBuddhist,withoutleavinghispreviousreligion.Theosophyisthetruthwhichliesbehindallthesereligions.Westudycomparativereligion,notmerelyto see that theTheosophical truths do appear in all religions, but also thatwemayunderstandthedifferentpresentationsoftruthandbeabletohelpalongalltheselines.

Our President shows us the value of this. She speaks as a Hindu to theHindus;shequotesfromtheirScripturesinsupportofwhatshesays,usingsomeoftheirownSanskritterms—andthatappealstothemjustasthesonorousLatinappealstoaRomanCatholic.WhenshespeakstotheBuddhistsshesaysexactlythe same things, but quotes the sayings of the Lord Budhha, and uses theterminology of Buddhism. In the Western world you will hear her speak toChristians in their own terms, not in the least changing her own belief orreligion, but simply speaking their language. She is, of course, learned in allthose religions.Whenweknow the truthbehind all religions, even thoughwecannotbegintocomparewithherinknowledgeandskillofutterance,manyofuscanbyalittlestudyofaprimerofanyparticularreligion,understanditwellandbecomeabletopresentthetruthinitsterms,andtoexplainthemeaningofmuchthatisobscuretoothers.IhaveheardColonelOlcottdoitagainandagain.

Hewasnotamanofthestudentorscholar-type,buthewasanexceedinglygoodpracticallecturer.HewouldspeakeffectivelytoaudiencesofHindus,ParsisandBuddhists,andlearnedmenofallthosefaithsagreedinsayingthathehadgiventhemnewlightontheirrespectivereligions.ThatshowshowTheosophyisthemasterkeytoallthereligions.AtthegreatconventionsofourSocietyatAdyarthesamefactappearsinanotherway,forpeopleofmanydifferentreligionsandraces,gather together,andnoonewhoattendscan fail tobedeeply impressedwith not merely the tolerance, but the active affectionate brotherhood that isshownthere.

CHAPTER4

CHEERFULNESS

Cheerfulness.—Youmustbearyourkarmacheerfully,whateveritmaybe,taking itasanhonour thatsufferingcomes toyou,because it shows thattheLordsofKarmathinkyouworthhelping.

A.B.—This is the qualification which, as I have already explained, wasformerly frequently translated endurance. Endurance may be a somewhatnegativevirtue;butwhatyouhavetodoisnotsomuchtoendurethingswhichyoucannothelpastotakethemcheerfullyandbrightly,facingalltroublewithasmile.Thewordcheerfulneesgivesyou thewhole ideaofwhat is requiredbythegreatTeacherswith regard to thisparticular endowment.Manypeople canendure,buttheydososadly;youmusttakeallyourtrialsandtroublesbrightly.OnthatpointagreatdealofstressislaidinsomeoftheHindubooks;thingsaretobetakengladly.

Thatkarmaisverymuchquickenedforpeoplewhocomeforward.andofferthemselvesascandidatesforthePathisafactthathasbeenmuchemphasized;thisisdonefirstinordertowarnpeoplebeforehandofwhattheyhavetoexpect,andsecondly,inordertocheerthemupandwhentheexperiencecomestothempractically,insteadofonlytheoretically—forthatmakesagreatdifference.

Karma, being a law of nature, can be avoided for a while or else can bebrought immediately into effect, that is to say, you can put yourself intoconditionswhere itwill affect you or into otherswhere youwill be shelteredfrom it for the timebeing. It isnecessary to repeatveryoften that the lawsofnature arenot enactments; theydonot commandus todo anything.To take acommonillustration:electricalforcesarealwaysinactivityaboutus,but ifwewant them to produce certain effects at a given place and time, we require aspecialapparatusinordertobringthemintomanifestation.Similarly,karmaisalawofnature,andtheapparatuswhichmaystartitsforcesworkinginthelifeofan individualmay be his appearance on the stage of physical life through theprocess we call birth. Some changes in an individual’s life may very muchintensify and quicken the working of the law of karma upon him.When, for

example, you offer yourself as a candidate for rapid progress, Those whoadminister the laws of karma may, by your consent, which you have given,modify the apparatus, so to speak, and let the forcewhich is there show itselfmore strongly, exhaust itself upon you in a shorter time.Yourwill is the realcauseofthealterationintheapparatus.

Iftheexpresseddesiretogrowmorerapidly,andthereforetogetridquicklyofhisevilkarma,isarealwishontheman’spart,sothathissoulissetinthatdirection,thenhiswishreachestheLordsofKarma,andTheyputinmotionthekarmahehasmadeinthepastandletitdescenduponhim.Thekarmawasthere;itisnotthatthemaniscreatinganythingnew,buthebeginstoclearoffwhathehasstoredup.

Ifyourealizewhatistakingplace,youwillnotbesurprisedatanythingthatmayhappen toyou.Consider the livesofAlcyone,andseehowmany terriblethingsoccurredin them.Inonelifehischildwasmurdered; inanotherhewasexecutedforacrimehehadnotcommitted,andsoon.Youscarcelyrealizethesethingswhenyoureadthemlikeastory;butyouwouldthinkthemverydreadfulif any of them were to happen to you in this life. All those misfortunes andsorrowsweresomuchclearingoffofbadkarma.

When troubles fall quickly on you it shows that the Lords of Karma havetakennoticeofyourprayer,andthatisaverygoodsign.Ifthingsweretogoonvery smoothly it would mean that They had not yet taken notice. So in thismatter again the occult view reverses the judgment of the world: the thingswhichtheworldcallsevilare,fromtheoccultstandpointgood-

Whentothepainandlosswhichfalluponyouthereisaddedthecensureandungenerouscriticismofthosearoundyou, thenyouhavethebestkarmaofall.Some misfortunes at once awaken sympathy in others, and all the sympathypoured out on the man who is suffering helps him a great deal. But othermisfortunesmayexciteblame;youmayhavedoneyourbestbutacutesufferinghasfallenuponyou,andinadditiontheworldturnsagainstyouandblamesyou.When this happens one is clearing off a great amount of past karma; thatadditionaldisagreeablefactorenablesonetoworkitoffquicklyandthoroughly.

It is easy to see that these things are true theoretically, as youhear or readthem;butwhatyouhavetodoistorememberthemattherightmoment.Whatpeople generally do is to admit them till the time comes for their practical

realization, and then promptly to forget them. Try to get these facts sothoroughly intoyourmind that you cannot forget them, so that the thought ofthem shall strengthenyouwhen suffering and enable you to helpotherswhenthey are suffering. Itmay help a little towards the clear understanding that isneeded if you look around you and see how constantly troubles come to verygoodpeople,whohavedone, as sooftenonehears it said,nothing todeservethem—that is, nothing in their present lives,which are noble anduseful ones.Ourtendencyistocompareourselveswiththosewhoaremorefortunatethanweare;itiswellsometimestodosowiththosewhoarelessfortunate,thatwemayfeelgratitudeforallthegoodthatwehavereceived.Weareliabletoforgethowmuch there is for whichwe should feel grateful, becausewe think always ofwhateverpainandlossfalltoourshare;butweoughtnottodothis.

C.W.L.—Noonewho really understands and believes in the law of karmacan fail tobe cheerful. It shouldbemadequite clear that karma is a law, likegravitation,anditisalwaysacting.Peoplesometimesthinkofitandspeakofitas thoughitcameintooperationoccasionallywhentheydosomething.This isnottrue;weareunderitsoperationeverymoment.Amanprovidesconditionsinwhichthelawofkarmacanactuponhimwhenhedoesorthinksorspeakssomedefinite thing.The lawofkarmaforeachofusat thismomenthasanaccountwithus,thesumtotalofourgoodandourbaddeeds.Becausewehaveallcomeup throughsavage stateswhenwedidall sortsofuncontrolled things, there islikelytobeacertainamountofevilkarmawaitingforallofus,unlesswehavespentmany livesworking it out.Whenwe find suffering cominguponus,weshouldassumethatweareworkingout,perhaps, the lastpartof thatkarma.Ifwereadthestoriesofsomeof thegreatestof thesaintsweshallfindthat theypassedthroughanimmenseamountofsuffering.Allthepeoplewhohavetriedtohelptheworldhavesufferedterribly.ItispartofthetrainingforInitiation,butit is absolute justice always, for not even for thepurposes of training can anyinjusticetakeplace.

TheLordsofKarmaaresimplytheAdministratorsofthatLaw.InsomewaysperhapsthewordLordsisalittleindefinite,becauseitrathersuggeststhatTheydirectandrulekarma.Youcannotdirector rulegravitation;butyoucanmakearrangementstouseitatcertainpointsandincertainways.Sowiththelawofkarma;thosewhoareworkinginconnectionwithitareitsadministrators.Onefunction of the Lords ofKarma is to select a certain part of aman’s store ofkarmaandgiveittohimtoworkoutinhisforthcomingincarnation.

They cannot takemore of good ormore of evil than there is in theman’skarma,butTheydoselectfromthatwhatTheythinkhecanworkthrough.Still,theman’swill isfree,andif theselectedkarmaisworkedthroughsoonerthanThey had expected, if one may put it that way, They may give some more.“Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth”—that is the meaning of thatextraordinarystatement.Peoplealsomakemuchtroublefromthemselveswhichis not within their karma from the past, by taking things hardly instead ofphilosophically, and also by downright folly—but theLords ofKarma are notresponsibleforthis.

Howeverharditis,bethankfulthatitisnoworse.

C.W.L.—Thetendencyofalmosteveryonewhosuffersistosayhowharditisandtothinkofothertimeswhenthingswerebetter.Wemaytakeittheotherwayandsay,“Thingsmighthavebeenmuchworsethanthis,”andalso,“Iamverygladtobeworkingoffallthiskarma;Imighthavehadmuchmoretoworkout;atleastletmemakethebestofit.”

RememberthatyouareofbutlittleusetotheMasteruntilyourevilkarmaisworkedout,andyouarefree.

A.B.—FromtheMaster’sstandpointitisaverygoodthingforamantogetridofapieceofbadKarmawhichishangingoverhiminthebackground,forwehave toremember that theMaster ishamperedby thebadkarmaof thosewhowish toserveHim; itpreventsHisusing themas freelyasHeotherwisecoulddo. Madame Blavatsky, who always spoke very openly about herself, beingtruthfulthroughandthrough,saidoftheCoulombtrouble:Ihavenotdeserveditnow,butformypast.”Itwasavitalthingforhertogetridofthiskarma,andsothescandalousandshamefulwayshewastreatedthroughoutthataffairwasthegreatest blessing for her; she recognized this when she looked at the matterphilosophically,butattimesshewasdisturbedbyitonthesurface.

Allaspirantsought tobehelpedby that thought,helped to lookaway fromthemselvestoHimandtothink:“ThesetroublesthatIamgoingthroughmakememoreusefultoHim.”

If youhave asked that your karma shall be quickened it is unreasonable to

complainwhenyourrequestisgranted.Keeptheinspiringideaalwaysinyourthoughts:“IshallbeofmoreusetotheMasterthefreerIbecome.”Agift,oncegiven,must not be taken back. This idea is very common in some of the oldIndian books, recurring over and over again in the stories told in them; a giftoncegiven,orawordoncespoken,cannotbetakenback.Ifagiftthatyouhaveoncegivenshouldbeputbackintoyourhandsbycircumstancesyoumustgiveitagain;itisnotyours,andtokeepitwouldbetheft.So,whenthereisthisgiftofyourself—the highest and noblest gift of all—you must never take it back.PeoplecontinuallygivethemselvesverballytotheMaster,butkeepafingeronthegiftinordertobeabletopullitbackiftheMastergoestoofar—thatisreallywhat it comes to. They draw back, if theMaster takes them at theirword, assometimesHemightdo, inorder to let themsee that theyhadbeendeceivingthemselves,andhadpromisedmorethantheywerepreparedtofulfil.

C.W.L.—Ifallone’sbadkarmawereexhaustedonewouldhavethewholeofone’stimeandstrengthfreefortheMaster’swork.IthasbeenexplainedthattheMasterishamperedbyourbadkarma,andthereforeingettingridofitquicklywe aremaking ourselvesmore fit to serveHim.MadameBlavatsky took thatview very strongly with regard to the attacks made upon her by MadameCoulombandothersinMadras /abouttheyear1884.Whileshewasindignantthat theattacksshouldbemade,andsadat the ingratitudewhichtheyshowed,andalsodisturbedlesttheyshouldreflectuponherSocietyandinjureit,yetshesaid:“Atleastthereisthistoremember,thatallthesetroublesmakememorefittoserveHim.”

WecanapplythatideatotheSociety’stroublesaswellastoourown.Thinkalwaysof the serviceof theMasterwhen theSociety is getting ridofwhat isevil;itgoesforwardthemomentithaspassedthroughsomeparticulartrouble,for it has got rid of some bad karma and so become more useful, a betterinstrumentforitstrueowners.

HavingdisposedofthatportionofitskarmatheSocietycouldmoveonwardtogreaterthings.Suchkarmashakesoutthedeadmaterial,thepeoplewhohavereachedtheir“saturation-pointfortruth“,asMadameBlavatskyusedtoexpressit,andcannotgofurther.Theymaypreviouslyhavebeenagreathelp,buttheyhave become a hindrance to future progress.Yet the rest of us are often verysorry to lose those friends. In the last trouble, it seemed to me that I wassomewhatofa storm-centre,and that therewasverygoodexcuse formanyof

the peoplewhomisunderstood, so I ventured to represent to theMahachohanthat the testwas very hard for them, and to ask for an act of grace for them.Naturally,Hesmiledkindlyatmypresumption,andsaid:“Willyoubesatisfiedif thesamepeople throwasideMrs.Besant?”“Oh,yes,” I said,“ofcourse.” Ifelttheywouldnotdothat,butafewmonthslatertheydidturnagainsther,andtheMahachohansaid,withthesamegentlesmile:“Yousee;forthislifetheirsunhasset.Butthereareotherlives,andthesunwillriseagaintomorrow.”

No one is indispensable, though it does sometimes happen in India that aLodgegrowsuproundsomeinfluentialmember,andfadesawayagainwhenheremoves to some other town. When Madame Blavatsky went, many of us,accustomed to daily inspiration from her, felt that allwould be dark.AnothergreatindividualityaroseinthepersonofourpresentPresident.YetIamsurethatshewouldbethefirst tosaythatweneednotbeanxiousfortheSocietywhenherturncomestoleaveus.Theinstrumentschangetheirbodies—”inthesightoftheunwisetheyseemtodie.”ButtheMasterswhostandbehinddonotdie,andwhileTheyaretheresomeonewillalwaysbefoundtocontinueTheirwork.

By offering yourself to Him, you have asked, that your karma may behurried,andsonowinoneortwolivesyouworkthroughwhatotherwisemighthavebeen,spreadoverahundred.Butinordertomakethebestoutofityoumustbearitcheerfully,gladly.

A.B.—According to theway inwhich an old debt is paid, a new cause isstarted.Thatshouldneverbeforgotten.Ifyoumakethebestofwhatlookslikebadkarmayousetinmotionnewforcesforgood,whereasifyoutakebadkarmaunwillinglyandpayyourdebtsgrudgingly,thereversehappens.RememberhowtheChristsaidinthesermonontheMount:“Agreewiththineadversaryquickly,whiles thouart in thewaywithhim.”26.That isgoodcounsel to follow in theadversecircumstancesthatcometoyou.Yourtroublesandlossesappeartoyouto come as adversaries;meet thembravely, agreewith themquickly, and thentheywill be donewith.We should rid ourselves of our badkarmaverymuchmorerapidlyifwedidnotsownewwhilereapingtheold.

C.W.L.—PeoplesometimestalkofgivingthemselvestotheMaster,andarethenafraidthattheMasterwillasktoomuch.ThatisthespiritofAnaniasandSapphira.Thatunfortunatecouplehadassuredlythemostperfectrighttoretain

part of their; goods for themselves if they wished to do so, but they made amistakewhentheypretendedthattheyweregivingeverything.Tosay,Icangivethis;IcandothismuchforHim,butIcannotgivemyselfunreservedly“,marksa stage throughwhichwe pass. Butwhen one offers himself to theMaster itoughttobeinthesamewhole-heartedspiritthathewouldgiveanyothergift.Itshould be offered without reservation as to how it should be used, and oneshouldnotwanttotakeanyofitback.NooneneedfearthatHewillwanttoomuch.IfweofferourselvestotheMasterwemustnotbesurprisedandhurt ifsuffering comes suddenly upon us. That shows that the offering has beenpartially accepted. Many things that the world calls evil and suffering maytherefore be taken as signs of swift progress. Instead of sympathizingwith uspeople often blame us, but generally that is the best karma of all. To bemisunderstood, so that our good shall be evil spoken of, asRuysbroek put it,seems tocomealwayswhenpeoplearedrawingnear to their finalgoal. Ithashappenedtoeverygreatoccultormysticalteacherallthroughhistory.Tobearitall cheerfully in itselfmakes good karma and develops in us various valuablequalities—patience,perseverance,endurance,long-suffering,determination.So,outofevillongpast,wemaybringgood.

Yetanotherpoint.Youmustgiveupallfeelingofpossession.Karmamaytakefromyouthethingswhichyoulikebest—eventhepeoplewhomyoulovemost.Even thenyoumustbecheerful—ready topartwithanythingandeverything.

A.B.—We come now to a thing that is enormouslymore difficult than thepreceding.Thebearingofpastkarmaisfareasierthanthis.Youmusteliminateof all feeling of ownership—first of all for things, and then for persons. Thelatterisamoresubtletask;haveyougivenupallsenseofpossessionwithregardto the people you love best? Ever/ when people think they have done so,circumstancesarisetotestthem,andoftenshowthattheyhavenot.Canyouletalifegooutofyourown,whichismoretoyouthanyourownlife?Youmaycallthis the last andmost difficult test of your real devotion to theMaster. It is apointonwhichallaspirantsshouldtrytotestthemselves,beforethetestcomesupon them by circumstances, because they can lessen the blow by practisingbeforehand.Donottrytokillouttheloveyoufeeltowardsanyone—thatisthewayofthedarkpowers.Youmightpractisebylovingapersonallthetime,butwithdrawingyourselfforatimefromthatperson’ssociety,bydoingsomework

whichhastobedoneawayfromthepersonwhomakeslifehappyforyou,orinsomesuchwayasthat.Ifyoucandothatcheerfullyandgladly,youarewellonthewaytoanswer thecallwhenitcomes—thecall to leaveallandfollowtheMaster.

Rememberhowmuchstressislaiduponthatintheaccountsthathavecomedown to us ofwhat tookplacewhen theLordMaitreyawas inPalestine.Noteveryonewhowascalledrosetotheheightofhisopportunity,butsomedidso.ThosewhoforsookallandfollowedHimbecameteachersafterHewentaway;theothersneverheardofHimagain.Rememberthecaseoftherichyoungmanwhowentawaysorrowing,althoughitwasonlyricheshewasaskedtoabandon.Peoplethinkthattheywouldhaveobeyedthecallatonce,hadtheybeeninthatyoungman’s place, yet I am not sure that there aremany peoplewhowouldleave great possessions to follow a vagrant preacher—for that was how theChrist appeared, as a wandering teacher surrounded by some half-educatedpeople.Yetthisisthetestofdiscipleship,toforsakeeverything—thethingsyoumostlikeandthepeopleyoulovebest—andfollowtheMaster.

C.W.L.—We must realize that nothing is ours in the personal sense, thatwhateverwehave isgiven tous in trust for theworkof evolution. If onehasmoneyorisinapositionofinfluence,thatisbecauseitgivestheopportunityofdoingmoreforthework.Nothingisourown,inthesensethatwemaymakeaseparate use of it; one is always in the position of the trusted manager oremployeewhoisusingthefirm’smoney,butisineveryrespectjustascarefulwitheverypennyof itashewouldbeif itwerehisown.Thatought tobetheattitudeofeveryrichman,andeverymaninapositionofpower.

Theattitudeoflivingasarepresentativeofhumanityisverywonderfullyandbeautifully expressed by the Masters. They regard Themselves merely asstewardsofallthemightypowerswhichTheypossess.ThatiswhytheMastermakesnokarma,eithergoodorill,tobindHimtothehumancondition.Thosewho are the greatest actors and performers make no karma that binds Them,becauseTheydoallimpersonally,utterlywithoutpersonaldesire.Theydoitallas a soldier fights inbattle,withno thoughtof theparticular enemywhomhehappenstokill,butwiththefeelingthatheisworkingforacause,aspartofamightymachine.SoTheyworkaspartoftheGreatBrotherhood,aspartoftheHierarchy,partofhumanity,andall thegood theydocomesback tohumanityandhelpstoupliftit.

First we must have no feeling of possession about things, and then aboutpeople,whichisharderstill;theymaybetakenfromusbydeath,asitiscalled,and also perhaps for service to humanity. Of many thousands that was trueduringtheGreatWar;thewifegaveherhusband,themotherherson,togoforthandfightfortheright.SurelyitisnotforusevertohesitatetodoaswellintheMaster’sserviceassomanythousandsofothershavedoneintheserviceoftheirnations.Itisdifficulttoletalifegooutofourswhichismoretousthanourownlife, and yet many have had to do that—some under very sad circumstances,othersinconditionswhichmadethesacrificeholyandbeautiful.

It is theway of thosewho follow the darkermagic to kill out love and soescape all this suffering. But those who would be of the Great WhiteBrotherhoodmustmaketheirloveeverstronger,yetkillouttheselfishnessthatsooftenmarsit.RememberhowaswordpiercedtheheartofourLadyHerself,theBlessedVirginMary.ShemighthaveescapedthatswordifshehadchosentotearoutfromherheartallremembranceofherSonandforgetHimaltogether.Inmanycases it is asChrist saidofHimself, “Thinknot that I amcome to sendpeaceonearth:Icamenottosendpeace,butasword.”27.HemeantthatHisnewteachingwouldbetakenuphereandtherebyoneinafamily,andthattheotherswouldobjectandsocausedivision,orthatonemighthavetoleavehisoldhomeandfriendsforthesakeofsomespecialworkthathecoulddo.SimilarlytherehavebeencaseswhereonememberofafamilyhasseentheTheosophicaltruthandtheresthavenot,andthathasledtosufferinganddivision.Often,inmoderndays, onewill leave the family togo to theother sideof the earth inorder tomakemoney,andnooneobjectstothat;butifoneshouldproposetodoitforthegoodofhumanitythere is immediateprotest—sounevolvedis thespiritofourtime.

Remember the difficulties that King Suddhodana created when PrinceSiddharthawishedtodevotehimselftothereligiouslife.Hespentvastsumsofmoneyandagreatpartofhislifeinendeavouringtokeephissonbackfromthehighdestinythatopenedbeforehim—endeavouringtomakehim,insteadofthegreatestreligiousteachertheworldhadeverknown,thegreatestkinginIndia—analternativefuturethattheastrologershadforetoldforhim.Thekingknewthattobecomea religious teacherwouldmeanpoverty and self-abnegation for hisson,andhedidnotrealizethatitwouldbeinrealityahigherpositionthanthatofanyking.Itisnotthegreatkingwhosenamegoesdownlongestandfurthestin history, but the great religious teacher.King Suddhodanawished enormous

powerandfamewithoutparallelforhisson,anditcame,butnotinthewayforwhichhehadhopedandplanned.ThepowerofLordBuddhaisgreaterthanthatofanyearthlymonarch,andhisrenownhasspreadallovertheworld.

The Christ said to the people: “Forsake all and follow Me.” When ourChristianfriendsreadthisintheGospeltheyfeelthattheywouldhavedoneitatonce. That is not so certain. Let us try to put ourselves into the place of thepeopleofthattime.RemembertheyoungmanwithgreatpossessionsandgreatricheswhocametoHim;thosepossessionsprobablybroughttheirdutieswhichhefelthehadtofulfil,andthereforehecouldnotforsakethem.All thepublicopinion of the time, all the respectability, and all the orthodox powers werearrayed against the Christ; He was only a poor wandering Teacher who hadnowheretolayHishead.WouldwehavefollowedHiminthefaceofallthat?IsitsocertainthatwewouldhaveforsakeneverythingtofollowHimwhomalltheelders and the high priests and the orthodox people stigmatized as a fanatic?Wouldwenothavefeltadoubtastowhether,afterall,wemightnotbethrowingaway the substance and grasping at the shadow? It is not so certain. In thepresentday,perhaps,itlookslikethatstill,andyetthoseofuswhohavethrownawayother things for thesakeof followingThemhavenever foronemomentregrettedit.

OftentheMasterneedstopouroutHisstrengthuponothers throughHisservant; He cannot do that if the servant yields to depression. Socheerfulnessmustbetherule.

C.W.L.—Constantlyallthroughthisbookthesamereasonisbroughtforwardfor everything that is to be done, that it is for the sake of the service of theMaster.Wemightexpectmanyother reasons tobegivenagainstdepression—thatitisbadforthepersonandithasanunpleasanteffectuponothers;buttheonepointwhichisemphasizedhereisthattheMastercannotuseusasachannelforHisforceifweyieldtoit.

A.B.—Herethereasonwhycheerfulnessmustbetheruleisgiven,foragainthatinspiringideaispresented,thattheMasterneedsyourhelp,thatyoucanbeofusetoHim!HisforceisalljoyousbecauseitispartoftheforceoftheLogos;itcannotthereforepouroutthroughapipethatischokedwithdepression.

ItmaysoundstrangetosaythattheMasterisunabletodothisorthat,yetthe

factisso.NowandagainonewillheartheMastersayofsomething:Icouldnotsucceedindoingit.”TheirpowerislimitedwhenTheyworkdownhere,bytheconditionsthatexistonthephysicalplane.OftenTheycannotreachapersononthephysicalplaneexceptthroughanintermediary;thereforeTheyneedthehelpwhich perhaps you can give Them.Without that help, things have to remainundone,andlateron,inconsequence,obstacleshavetoberemovedwhichneedneverhavebeenthere.

CHAPTER5

ONE-POINTEDNESS

One-pointedness.—TheonethingthatyoumustsetbeforeyouistodotheMaster’swork.Whateverelsemaycome inyourway todo, thatat leastyoumustneverforget.

C.W.L.—Inordinary lifeone-pointedness isnecessaryfor realsuccess.Theone-pointedman alwayswins in the end, because all his powers areworkingtogether,whileotherpeoplehaveavarietyofaims,andareconstantlychangingthem.Themanwhosetshimself tomakemoney,forexample,andusesallhisthought andwill for thatpurpose, andwatchesandplans for it all the time, isalmostsuretogainhisobject.IfonedeterminesallthetimetoservetheMasterwithconstantlyincreasingpower,andiswillingtoputasideallotherthingsforthat,hisprogresswillbeswiftindeed.

Yetnothingelsecancomeinyourway, forallhelpful,unselfishwork istheMaster’swork,andyoumustdoitforHissake.Andyoumustgiveallyourattentiontoeachpieceasyoudoit,sothatitmaybeyourverybest.

C.W.L.—A good deal of a pupil’s work consists in preparing himself formore responsiblework for theMaster in the future. Someof it is not directlyusefulintheMaster’spresentplans,butmaybecomparedtomuchoftheworkof a boy at school, who in learning, for example, Latin, is not doing anyparticulargood,butisoroughttobedevelopingpowersofmindandqualitiesofcharacter which will be useful in later life. The duties of common life oftencombinesomethingofboththesethings,fortheyprovideasplendidtrainingandeducationforthosewhodothemwell,andalsooffermanyoccasionsforhelpingotherpeopletoprogressincharacterandideals,whichismostemphaticallytheMaster’swork.All thevariedactivitiesofdaily lifewillcomewithinourone-pointedendeavourtoservetheMaster,whenwelearntodothemallinHisnameandforHim.TheMaster’sworkforusisnotsomethingpeculiarandapartfromourfellows.ToraiseagoodfamilywhowillserveHiminturn,tomakemoney

touseinHisservice,towinpowerinordertohelpHimwithit,areallpartofit;yet indoingthesethingswemustbeeveronguardagainstself-deception, thatwearenotcloakingwiththeholinessoftheMaster’snamewhatis,underneath,aselfishdesiretowieldpowerorhandlemoney.

ThatsameTeacheralsowrote:“Whatsoeveryedo,doitheartily,astotheLord,andnotuntomen.”ThinkhowyouwoulddoapieceofworkifyouknewthattheMasterwascomingatoncetolookatit;justinthatwayyoumustdoallyourwork.Thosewhoknowmostwillmostknowallthatthatversemeans. And there is another like it,much older: “Whatsoever thyhandfindethtodo,doitwiththymight.”

C.W.L.—ThewholeworldexistswithintheconsciousnessoftheLordoftheWorld, theOne Initiator, and therefore everything thatwedo is beingdone inHisPresence.FromthatisderivedtheoldChristianideaoftheomniscienceandomnipresenceofGod,ofwhomitissaid,“InHimweliveandmoveandhaveourbeing.”Itisnotapoeticfancy,butascientificfact,thatwelivewithintheauraofthegreatSpiritualKingoftheworld.Ofcourse,aconsciousnessthatcangraspalltheworldsimultaneouslyistousinconceivablyincomprehensible,yetonedayweshallreachHisstupendouslevel.

TheoldconceptionofGodusedtomakeHisomnipresenceaterriblethought;Godwas supposed to be onewhowas alwayswatching to find fault, lookingeagerlyforanybreachofHisrulesthatHemightcomedowninwrathuponthehaplessoffender.ManyachildhassufferedterriblybecauseofthatthoughtthatGodseeseverythingthathedoes;hefeelsitinawayunfairthattherecanbenoprivacy. This is especially so because a frightened child cannot tell how hismentorwill take anything that he does.But if instead one realizes themightydivineLove,thenonebeginstoseethatHisomnipresenceisoursafetyandourgreatestblessing.

A.B.—ThetestthattheMastergiveshereshouldbeappliedtoallourwork.Supposeyouarewritinga letter; ifyouknewthat theMasterwouldcomeandread it over, itwould be very carefullywritten, both as to its contents and itsform.Whateveryourworkis,itisHiswork,ifitisthebestyoucando;whetherit is something that the Master wants done for some immediate purpose, orsomething thatpreparesyou for futurework.Everything is forHim, ifweare

His;itcannotbeforanybodyelse.Makethisyournormalandcontinualattitudeofmind,andyoumaketheatmosphereinwhichone-pointednesscangrow.

If we had that real one-pointedness, how splendidly everything would go.ThatthoughtofdoingallbecauseofHisserviceisonewhichIkeepinmyownmind,justasyoungerdisciplescando,thoughIhavemoreforceofhabittohelpme than theyhaveasyet. “Whyshould I answer this letter?” I sometimesaskmyself;and theanswer tomyownquestionatoncecomesup inmymind:“Ithascomeinmywaytodo,andsoitisMaster’swork.”

Youwillcontinuetoholdthisthoughtforemostinyourmindsallthroughthetimethatyouaredisciples;allhavetomakethehabit,andwhenitismadetheymustgoonstrengtheningit.Thatwillhelpustodowithallourmightwhateverworkwehave.Wemustdoitwithourmightbecausesoitbecomespartofthedivinework, andbecause of the trainingof character that it gives.Makeyourworkquitetrue,allowingnothingsecond-ratetopass.

One-pointednessmeans, too, thatnothing shall ever turnyou, even for amoment,fromthePathuponwhichyouhaveentered.Notemptations,noworldlypleasures,noworldlyaffectionseven,musteverdrawyouaside.ForyouyourselfmustbecomeonewiththePath;itmustbesomuchpartofyournaturethatyoufollowitwithoutneedingtothinkofit,andcannotturnaside.You,theMonad,havedecidedit;tobreakawayfromitwouldbetobreakawayfromyourself.

C.W.L.—ThestatementthattheindividualmustbecomeonewiththePathismadeinotherScripturesbesidesthis.TheChristsaidtoHisdisciples,“IamtheWay”28. Shri Krishna made a very similar observation: “I am the way alongwhichthetravellermustwalk.”Thesameidea,isputforwardinTheVoiceoftheSilence, where it said: “Thou canst not travel on the Path before thou hastbecomethatPathitself.”Whatishappeningreallyisthatoneisbecomingone’sowntrueself.Patanjali,definingyoga,saysthatwhenamanhasgainedcontrolofhismindhe“resides inhisowntruestate”.TheMonadisour trueSelf, theGodinman,buthehasputdownashadowofhimselftoformtheego,andthatagain has incarnated in a personality.Not until aman is considerably evolvedcantheegomanagethepersonality;beforethat,helooksdownuponitwithouttryingtodomuchinsuchahopelesscause.ThencomestheFirstInitiation,the

pointwhenthepersonalityhasceasedtohaveawillofitsown,andlives(exceptwhenitforgets)onlytoservethehigher.Theegoisnowactivethroughitinthelowerplanes,andisbeginningtorealizetheexistenceoftheMonad,andtoliveaccordingtoitswill.TheMonadhasdeterminedthepathfortheego’sevolution;and he can choose no other, because he is becoming himself, gaining releasefromthebondageevenofthespiritualplanes.Constantly,whileonthePath,thepupil will be swayed from side to side, but when he has achieved one-pointednesshewillalwaysswingbacktotheonerightway.

A.B.—PeopleoftenforgetthattheyaretheexpressionoftheMonad.TherealyouistheMonad,andthereforewhateveryoudodownhereisdoneofyourowntruewill,notthroughoutercompulsionofanotherwill.TheMonad’swillisyourwill; your desires are not your will at all, but you are drawn to outer thingsbecauseoneorotherofyourbodieswantstotakeaparticularpleasure.Itisnotyouwho like the pleasure; it is the elementalmaterial thatwants to taste andexperienceit.Againstthisstateofaffairsyoumustoppose,yourtrue“I”,whichpoints undeviatingly to the highest.Youmust be like a stronglymagnetized -compasswhoseneedlemayindeedbedrawnaside,butreturnseverback.Untilyouaresostrongthatnothingcandrawyouaside,youmustconstantlypractisebringingyourselfbacktotheonewill.

Youarenotmatter;youmustmakematteryourinstrument.It isabsurdthatyoushouldgivewaytothepieceofmaterialthatyouhavepickeduptofashiontoyouruse.Itisasthoughthehammerinthehandofthecarpenterstruckwhereitchoseinsteadofwherehechose,andcrushedhisfingerinsteadofdrivinginthenail.Ithappenssometimesthatamancrusheshisownfingerwithhistool,but that isbecausehe isaclumsyworkman.Learnfidelity toyourpurpose, toyourtruewill,andthetimewillcomewhenyoucannotturnasidefromit.

One-pointednesscanalsobedevelopedbyconcentration.Fixyourattentiononasmallareaatanygiventime;concentrateupononethingatatime,soastodoitwell.Aquantityofwaterwhichissufficienttomakeastrongcurrentwhenpennedintoachannel,becomesamerefilmwhenitisallowedtospreadoveralarge surface. So is it with your energies. Take up one piece of work afteranother,anddoeachthingdefinitelyandforcefully,insteadofvaguelytryingtodoeverything.Ifyoufollowthisadvicesteadilyyouwillsoonbegintoseesomedefiniteresult,verysmalleachweekperhaps,butastheweekspasstheresultsaccumulateandsoonbecomeveryconsiderableinquantityofworkdoneaswell

asinincreaseofpower.

CHAPTER6

CONFIDENCE

Confidence.—Youmusttrustyourmaster;youmusttrustyourself.Ifyouhaveseen theMaster,youwill trustHimto theuttermost, throughmanylivesanddeaths.IfyouhavenotyetseenHim,youmuststilltrytorealizeHimandtrustHim,becauseifyoudonot,evenHecannothelpyou.

C.W.L.—ThesearepartlythewordsofAlcyone,whoisspeakinghereofHisMaster; but the Master Himself spoke similarly of others greater than He,becausejustaswespeakandthinkoftheMasterssodoTheyinturnspeakandthink of the Lord Buddha, of the Lord Maitreya, and others greater thanThemselves.

ItispracticallyimpossibleforustorealizeaMaster.Wemaytrytodoso;wemay think of the highest ideals we know; but theMaster embodies so manykinds of greatness thatwe cannot even imagine, that the highest idealwe canform of Him is still far too low. Such being the case, uttermost trust in Hiswisdomisbutsimplecommonsense.

UttertrustintheMasterislargelyaquestionofone’spast.IfwelookatthelivesofAlcyonewecanseehow thathasbeenso inhiscase.Hehasbeen incloseassociationwithhisMasterthroughmanypastlives.Fromthesamesetoflives,Isee,forexample,thatImyselfhavebeeninsimilarassociationwithmyMaster,andsohaveothers.IsupposeImusttakethatasaccountingforthefactthat the moment I read of the Master I instantly felt the strongest possibleattractiontowardsHim.WhenIhadtheprivilegeofseeingHim, itneverforamomentoccurredtometodistrustHim.Insuchcasesitmaybesaidthattheegoknows, either by being aware of theMaster’s presence on the higher mentalplane, or by memory of past lives in which the Master has been known.Sometimes the ego knows but cannot send that knowledge down into thepersonality,andsometimesitistransmittedimperfectlyorincorrectly,oragain,in other cases the ego simply does not know. The ego is never likely to bewrong;heis,apparently,notdeceivedaboutanything,butthatheisignorantofcertainmattersisquiteclear,andindeedtheverypurposeofhisincarnationisto

removethatignorance.ThosewhohavenoproofoftheexistenceoftheMastersmaywellconsiderthereasonablenessoftheidea,thecertaintythatsincemanisevolvingandmanystagesliebehindhim,theremustbeotherstagesofevolutioninfrontofhim.Wecannotregardourselvesas thecrownof theages.There isalsomuch testimony toTheir existence coming from thosewhohavemet andspokenwithsuchMen.29

There are some who have actually seen the Masters and yet,incomprehensible though itmayappear,haveafterwards fallenaway fromfulltrust in Them. I remember very well, for example, a certain Mr. Brown ofLondon; he haswritten a pamphlet describing his life, so there is no harm inreferring to him. Many years ago he went to India, and there had the mostunusualprivilegeofmeeting in thephysicalbodyoneof the twoMasterswhostarted the Theosophical Society. They come down very rarely from TheirTibetanhome,butbothofThemhavebeeninIndiasinceIhavebeenamemberoftheSociety,intheearlieryearsofthemovement.InTheOccultWorldthereisan account of the visit of the Master Kuthumi to Amritsar, where the greatGoldenTempleoftheSikhsis.Hesaid:“IsawourSikhsdrunkontheflooroftheir own temple,... I turnmy face homeward to-morrow.”More andmore, Isuppose,TheyfindTheycanuseTheirenergies tobestadvantageuponhigherplanes, and leave the work on the lower to those who are now graduallygatheringroundThemin theworld.YoungMr.Brownhadfirstseen theastralappearanceoftheMasterKuthumi,andthenhehappenedtobetravellinginthefarnorthofIndiaassecretary toColonelOlcott,whentheMastercameinHisphysicalbodytoseetheColonel.Mr.BrownwassleepinginthesametentastheColonel,but inaseparatedivisionof it.TheMasterspoke forsome timewithColonelOlcott,andthencameroundintotheotherdivisionofthetent.Idonotunderstandwhy,butMr.Brownwrappedhisheadupin thebed-sheetandwasafraid to face the Master. Naturally, one would be highly conscious of one’sfaults, but to adopt the ostrich-like plan of putting one’s head under thebedclothes does not seem to me to help much, because the bed-clothes, ofcourse,werealsotransparenttothehighersight.TheMaster,however,spoketohimpatiently.“Takeyourheadoutofthebed-clothes,”Hesaid,“IwantyoutoseeifIamthesamepersonyousawinyourastralbody.”EventuallytheMastergaveup and left a little note for him, andonly thenMr.Brown recoveredhissenses.He had there an opportunity forwhichmanywould give a very greatdeal.Hehaddeservedit,ofcourse,buthedidnotmakethebestuseofit.And

afterwardshedoubtedtheexistenceoftheMasters.TherehavebeenothersalsowhohavehadtheprivilegeofseeingThem,andyethavesomehowfallenaway.

Some people, owing to the experience of their past lives, have built up ascepticalnature;othersareover-credulous.Neitheroftheseextremesisgoodforaman’sprogress;bothalikeareunscientific.Eachmanhasageneralschemeofthingsinhismind.Ifnewfactswhicharetoldhimatoncefitinwiththat,heisreadytoacceptthemasprobablewithoutdemandingexactproof.Wesay,“Yes,that seemsvery likely; that fits in verywell; probably it is so.”But if, on theotherhand,theaveragepersonistoldofsomethingwhichdoesnotinanywaygearinwithwhatheknewbefore,healtogetherrefusestoacceptit.Whenonehashadexperience in thestudyof the innersideof things,onesoonabandonstheattitudewhichrefusestoacceptastatementbecauseitdoesnotgearinwithwhatonealreadyknows.Onelearnstosuspendjudgment,neitheracceptingnordecliningtoaccept,butsimplysaying:“FromwhatIhaveseensofarthatdoesnotseemtomeverylikely;butIdonotdenyit,Ishallputitasideandwaitforfurther light.” It is futile to say thatbecausea thing isnot inone’sexperiencethereforeitcannotbe.Thatisthetendencyofignorance.

Generally speaking, the less people know themore certain they are, downhere on the physical plane. In ordinary science, those who dogmatize are thestudents. The great scientificmenwill usually say: “I have had experience ofsuch-and-suchthings,butofcourseIcannotpretendtolaydownthelaw.”TheLord Chancellor once said: “I am as certain of that as the youngest barristerpresent.”Heiscertainbecausehehasnotlearntthattherearemanypossibilities,thatyoucannotlaydownthelawtoodefinitely.Thosewhohavebeenstudyingfor years are much more thoughtful of the way in which they expressthemselves.Therearevastnumbersofrealitiesbeforeusallthetime,whichasyetwedonotknow.Agenerationagomanyofwhatarecommonplacesofourdailylifenowwouldhavebeenderidedbymostpeopleasutterlyimpossible.Itis well to recognize that fact from the beginning and to be prepared for newdiscoveries,whichmayconstantlybeexpected,asmanevolves.

Itisdistinctlyusefulforusasstudentsofthesehighermatterstotrytogetoutof the attitudeof beingboundbyour preconceptions.Wemust be sufficientlyplastictoacceptevenrevolutionarytruthswhentheyhavegoodreasonontheirside. Failing that,wemust simply put them aside and saywe do not yet see,without condemning themor the peoplewho hold them.Truth ismany-sided,

andtoseeitfromallsidesatonceisnotcommonlygiventoanyonemanorsetofmen;consequentlytheremayalwaysbeamodicumoftruthinthatwhichatpresentseemstousunreasonable.

Onegreat trouble is thatmanypeoplewhoknownothingwhatever about asubject are persuaded that they know all about it; especially in matters ofreligionpeoplewhoknowlittleareneverthelessclamorouslyinsistentthatothersshould believe the particular delusion that happens to occupy their minds.Sometimestheysaytheirconscienceisthusdirectingthem.Evenifthatbesoinsomecases,wecannotalwaysdependupontheconscience,sincetheegowhosevoice it is doesnotknoweverything.History records that peoplehaveburnedandtorturedothersforconsciencesake.Anegowhorecommendssuchideasisdistinctly ignorantonvery importantpoints.Onemust,ofcourse,giveheed toone’s conscience, when one is sure the voice is that, but always rememberBishop South’s celebrated reply to a dissenter: “By all means follow thyconscience,buttakeheedthatthyconscienceisnottheconscienceofafool.”

While it is well to have confidence, one cannotmake oneself believe, anymorethanonecanmakeoneselflove.Butjustaswecandwelluponaperson’sgood points and so ‘gradually acquire reason for loving him, sowe can thinkover the reasons for belief, and perhaps gradually attain it thereby.Strictly, ofcourse,oneshouldnotdesiretobelieveanythinginparticular,butonlywhatevermaybetrue;yetthattruthmaycometousonlyafterconsiderablestudyofthematter,ifwehavenoconvictionarisingfromthepast.

Itisnotthemethodofgreatspiritualteacherstomakeeverythingeasyforus.I first came into touch with occultism throughMadame Blavatsky. She gaveoccasional crumbs of knowledge to her people, but she constantly appliedrigorous tests to them. It was a drastic method, but those who really meantbusinessremainedwithher,whileothersverysoonabandonedher.Shecuredusofconventionality,buttherewasmuchsearchingofheartsamongherfollowersin theprocess.Manypeoplesaidshedid thingswhichagreatspiritual teacheroughtnottodo.Myownfeelingwasalwaysthis:“MadameBlavatskyhasthisoccult knowledge, and I amgoing to get that knowledge fromher, if shewillgiveittome.Whateverelseshedoesisheraffair.Iamnotheretocriticizeher;to her ownMaster she stands or falls, and not tome. Shemay have her ownreasons for what she does; I do not know anything about that. She has thisknowledge,shespeaksoftheseMasters.Iintendtogetthisknowledge;Iintend,

if it is humanly possible, to reach the feet of those Masters.” I gave upeverythingelse to followher lead,and Ihavenever regretted theconfidence IplacedinMadameBlavatsky.Ifoneiscriticalbynatureitishiskarma;hewilllearn much more slowly than the man who is prepared to accept thingsreasonably.

We have to remember that we cannot play with occultism. If we do, nobenefitresultsfromitandwearedoingnogood;ifitisnotthefirstinterestinlife it is of no value. We cannot give to it the second or the third or theseventeenthplace in lifeassomanygoodpeople try todo.Itmustactuallybethefirstthinginlifeandeverythingelsemustbesubsidiarytoit.ConfidenceintheMasterdoesmeanthatwebelievethatHeknowsexactlywhatweoughttodo,andthatHesayswhatHemeans;andsowhen,asinthisbook,Helaysdowncertaindefiniteruleswemustdoourverybesttofollowthem.Iknowitseemsdifficult, and it is very hard tomake people believe just that thing.They say:“Well,Hemeansanapproximationtothat.Hemeanssomethinglikeit.”ButHemeansexactlywhatHesays,andifwedonotbelieveHim,andthereforewefail,wemustblameourselves.Inoccultismwehavetopassfromtheinsincerityoftheworldintothelightoftruth,outofourworldintoTheirs.

Unless there isperfect trust, therecannotbetheperfectflowof loveandpower.

C.W.L.—IfoneisinaconditionofdoubtastotheexistenceoftheMaster,ordoubtas toone’sownpowerever toreachHimor tomakeprogress, then thatverydoubtsetsallthevibrationsgoingthewrongway,andthepersonhavingitwill not be a channel which can be used. Therefore the pupil must haveconfidence in theMaster and love forHim, andyet at the same time love formankindwhichisquiteimpersonal.ItisallthetimetheMaster’soneideatodowhathas tobedonewithas littleexpenditureofspiritual forceaspossible, sothat He may have the more to use in other work. If anyone is in any suchconditionasIhavedescribedhe isnotagoodchannelandso isuseless to theMaster.ItwouldbeindeedsadtofailHimjustwhenHewantedourservice—tohavevibrationsinourvariousvehiclesthatwouldrepelHisinfluenceinsteadoftransmittingit.

I rememberacaseofonewhoaspiredverystronglytobecomeapupilofa

certainMaster.HehadalreadyservedHimwellinvariousways,andhisgreatestdesirewastoseetheMaster.Iwasmyselfstayinginthatperson’shousewhentheMastercameinHisphysicalbodytovisitthecitywherehelived;butHedidnotcometothehouse.ImetHimoutsideandspoketoHimforalongtime,butHecouldnotcome tosee theonewhowished tobeHispupil,because justatthat time thatperson’s astralbodywasveryviolently affected—itwasall tornwithignoblepassionalongcertainlines.Thustheopportunityofalifetimewaslost—perhaps the opportunity of many lifetimes. If that person could haveknownhowneartheMasterwas,Iamsurethatallhispassionwouldhavefallenaway in amoment.Yet for theMaster touseHispower todrive that away inordertoshowHimselfwouldhavebeenawasteofHisforce.

ItmustnotbethoughtthattheMasterresentswantoftrustoranyattitudeofthatnature,orthatHeishardwhen”Hedoesnotspendhistimeinremovingthisorthatstateofpassionfromanaspirant.Hewilldoonlywhatwillbestservethework, and He will not be swayed by sentimental reasons of any description.Whenthere isrealbusiness tobedoneyoumust take thebestmanthatoffers,whetherhebeafriendornot,andtoputhimasideandtakealessefficientone,becausehewasafriend,wouldbetofailinyourduty.Inthecaseofagreatwar,forexample,youmusttakethebestavailablemantoleadyourforces,tobeattheheadof thisMinistryor that, or to carryon aparticular department of thework. It is not a time for nepotism, to consider whether somebody’s nephewcouldbefoundacertainpost;youmusthavethemanwhocanbestdothework,becauseit isaboveallelseimportanttoeveryonethattheworkshouldbewelldone.

Thework of occultism is of that nature: it has to be done, andThosewhodirect itwill employ thebestman.Yearsof service toThemdonot constituteanyclaimtoofficeortoattentionfromtheMaster.ItistheMaster’sdutytotakethemanwhocandothework,whetherhebeonewhohasjustcometoHimoronewhohasbeenservingHimformanyyears.

Anyonewho puts the work first cannot but rejoice at seeing another do itbetter thanhehimselfcould.LongagoRuskinsaidofacertainpieceofwork:“Beitmineoryoursorwhoseelseitmay,thisalsoiswell;itiswelldone.”Youshouldnothesitate to say that it iswelldoneeven thoughyoudid ityourself;youshouldnotfailtorecognizethebetterworkofanother,becauseitdoesnotmatterwhodidit.TherearewonderfulpassagesinRuskin;heknew,sofarasI

amaware,nothingofoccultism,nordid Iwhen Iknewhim,yet there isverymuchinhiswritingwhichbearsthetruestampofoccultism.

Youmusttrustyourself.Yousayyouknowyourselftoowell?Ifyoufeelso,youdonotknowyourself;youonlyknowtheweakouterhusk,whichhasfallenoftenintothemire.Butyou—therealyou—youareasparkofGod’sownfire,andGod,whoisAlmighty,isinyou,andbecauseofthatthereisnothingthatyoucannotdoifyouwill.Saytoyourself:“Whatmanhas done,man can do. I am aman, yet alsoGod inman; I can do thisthing,andIwill.”Foryourwillmustbeliketemperedsteel,ifyouwouldtreadthePath.

A.B.—When the various instructions that we have been considering areplacedbeforesomepeople,andtheyareadvisedtoceasetheiroldfoolishnessorwrongdoing, they sometimes say: “I cannot help it; it is my nature.” Manypeopletrytoshelterunder thatexcuse.Butyouarenotreallyinearnest ifyousaythat,andyoumustbeearnest;youcannotaffordtoplaywiththingsthatareso serious.Youcando anythingyou set yourself todo, thoughperhapsnot atonce.

Ofcourse,ifyousay,“Icannothelpit”,youcannot;foryouparalyzeyourselfbythethought.Itisafatalfault;itpreventsallprogress,andleavesyouwhereyouareformonthsandyears.Itisasthoughamantiedhislegswitharope,andthen said, “I cannotwalk.”Certainly he cannot, as he has been at pains to tiehimselfup;lethimundotheropeifhedoesnotwishtositwhereheis,andthenhewillbeabletowalkwellenough.Youcandothings!Getridofthefalseideathat you allow to incapacitateyou.Makeupyourmind that you can, and thatyouwill;thenyouwillbeastonishedattherapidityofyourprogress.Ifyouwillnotdothis,youarenotinearnest,oratleastyouarenotinearnestinthewayinwhichtheMasterwantsyoutobe;youaremerelyplayingatbeinginearnest.Idonotsaythatyouarenottrying,butitistryinginawaythatdoesnotcountformuch.

SeewhatImeanbyapplyingittoworldlythings,tothebusinessbymeansofwhichyoufeedwifeandchildren.Youknowquitewellthatifathingstoodinyourwaythere,youwouldatoncemakeupyourmindtoremoveit,andwouldexertyourselftotheutmosttodoso.Youwouldnotsitdownandsay,“Icannot

helpit.”Usesomeofthatseriousnesshere.Youhavemuchofitforallthethingswhicharenotserious.Itseemsasiftheonethingwhichmattersisthatinwhichearnestnessisthemostlacking.

ItisofnouseapplyingtotheMasterforhelp,ifyoumakenoefforttohelpyourselves.Itisasthoughyouheldacupwhichyoucarefullycoveredoverwithyourhand,andprayedforwater;whenthewaterispoureddowntoyouitflowsoverthecoveringhandandroundthecup,andyouarenonethebetterforit.Solongasamanistryingtodoathingwithallhisavailablestrength,heisdoingitintheoccultmanner.Theresultsofhiseffortsmaynotshowthemselvesintheouterworldatonce,butheisallthetimegatheringuphisforcewhichatlastwillpouroutinsuccessfulaction.

Thethingsthatyouhavetodohavebeendoneandcanbedone,butaslongasyou think that youcannotdo them,youcannot.But if you say toyourself:“Thesethingshavetobedone,andIwilldothem”,thenyoucandothem.Dothat,andyourthoughtwillbeaguardianangel,evernearyou,enablingyoutoaccomplish. Otherwise you have near you—as the Christian would put it—adevil, created by yourself with your own thought. You need not create suchdevils;makeinsteadanangel,agreatthought-form—”IcanandIwill.”

C.W.L.—It isquite true that there isnothingamancannotdo,but it isnotsaidthathecandoitatonce.Thatiswherepeoplesometimesmakeamistake.Iknowthisverywell,becauseIreceivescoresoflettersfrompeoplewhoareinsomeseriousdifficulty,fallenperhapsundertheinfluenceofdrinkordrugsorofsomekindofobsession,andtheyoftensay,“Wehavenowillleft,itisallgone;wecannotovercomeourdifficulty;whatcanwedo?”Thosewhohavenotmetwithanysuchcaseshavenoideahowterribletheholdofsuchathingisontheman, how entirely his will is sapped away and how he feels that he can donothingatall.

Suchpeople sometimescontemplate suicide.Thatwouldbe fatal.Even ifaman ismaimed for life, he should takewhat opportunity he has to repair theharm,shouldgirduphisloinsandvaliantlycontinuethestruggle.Suicidewouldmeanareturntoconditionssimilar to thosefromwhichescapeissought,withthe added bad karma of the act. Let the sufferer realize that thewill is there,however much it may be hidden. If he had to create the will for himself, hemightverywelldespair,butlethimrememberthatthewillisthere;itisthewillofGodwhichshowsforthineveryman.Ithasyettobeunfoldedanddeveloped,

but thatcanbedonegradually.Sometimes thedevotionofa relativeor friend,endowedwithgreatloveandpatience,provesaveritablegodsendinsuchacaseasthis.

Whathasthatmandonetobeinsuchacondition?Probablyforthewholeofthisincarnation,perhapsforoneortwopreviouslives,hehasbeendeliberatelyyieldinghimselftothedesire-elemental,tothetemptationsofthelowernature—deliberatelylettingitseizeuponhim.Atfirsthecouldhavestruggledagainstit,but,sincehedidnotcheckit,hehasanaccumulatedmomentumoftheevilforce—somuchofitthathecannotallatoncestemit.Buthecanbegintodoso.Wemayusetheexampleofamanpushingarailwaytruckorcarriage.Atacountrystationwheretheyhaveplentyoftimeyouwillsometimesseearailwayportershuntingacarriagefromonelinetoanother.Seehowhegoestowork;thereisahugeobjectweighingtons;hepushesagainstitsteadily,andatfirsthemakesnoimpression. Presently the thing begins slowly tomove.He continues pushing,anditmovesfasterandfaster.Thenhegoestoworktostopit.Nowhecannotstopitallatonce;ifhestoodinthewayandrefusedtomove,itwouldrunoverhim and crush him; so he sets himself to oppose it steadily, giving way yetpressingallthetime,untilgraduallyhebringsittoastandstill.Hehadputintoitacertainamountofforce;hecannottakeitoutagain,butcanneutralizeitbyasimilaramountofenergy.

The man who has yielded himself to the desire-elemental is in a similarposition.Hehasputgreatforceintothething,andhemustmeetandfaceit.Onemaysay:Butthereissomuchofit.”Yes,butitisalimitedamount.Ifonlyhecould look at the matter not sentimentally, but abstractly, as a problem inmathematics, hewould not say, “I am a degradedworm, and the force is toogreatforme”,butwouldgotoworkandopposeit.Hecanbeabsolutelycertainthatheputintoitonlyalimitedamountofforce.Butnowhehasunlimitedforceat his disposal. Just becausewe are sparks of theDivineFirewe have all thepowerofGodbehindus.Onlyaverylittlecancomethroughusatagiventime,butitiscomingallthewhile.

Allthismustbelookedatfromthepointofviewoftheego;hecandothesethingsandhewill.Onecanneverdoinstantlyanythingthatisworthdoingintheworkofoccultdevelopment;justasitisnotenoughtohavemusicinone’ssoul,buttheearandhandsmustbetrainedsothatonecanbecomeasuitablechannelforthepowerofthemusic.Theegohastotrainhisvehiclespatientlyinasimilar

way.

Peoplesometimessay:“IfIcannotovercomethisbadhabitnow,letmewaittill Igetanotherbody.”Suchapersonforgets thathisnextbodywillhave thecharacterandqualitiesofthepresentone,ifhedoesnothingtochangethem,andthe hopeless conditions will continue in the next life. But if he makes adeterminedfightagainstthemnow,eventhoughtheydominatehimtotheveryendofhis life,hewillbeginwithaverymuchbetterbodynext time. It is thesamewayathigherlevels.Amanmaysoinjurehismentalbodybydebaucherythatinthislifeitnevercancomebacktoitspristinecondition.Nevertheless,ifhemakesadeterminedattemptagainsttheevilhewillgetagoodmentalbodynexttime,insteadofhavingonewhichreproduceshispresentdefects.Inthis,asin other cases, the chief struggle is at the beginning; confidence grows andbecomesstrongalittlelateron.

JustasmanypeoplewanttointroducesentimentintotheirrelationswiththeMaster,sosomepeoplealsowanttoobtainexemptionfromtheworkingofthelawsofnature; theywant tobesuddenly takenoutofall their sinandsorrow.TheemotionaltypeofChristiansays:“YouwillbesavedbythebloodofJesushere andnow.Youwill be taken rightoutofyour trouble andbe as though itneverhadbeen.”Thatisinsomewaysattractive,butitisnottrue.WhatistrueisthatwhenyouturnroundandgotherightwayalongwiththedivineWill,youatoncebecomefreefromallthetroublesanddifficultieswithinyouwhichhavearisen from fighting against that; but it does not follow that the outerconsequencesofwhatyouhavealreadydonewillbewipedout.Youhavemadethechange;youareaconvertedmanandyouaregoingintherightwaynow,butyouhavestilltodealwiththeresultsofhavinggonethewrongway.

Youmaychangeyourattitudeinonemoment;andofcourseyouareforgiven—there isnothingstandingagainstyouspiritually;youareabsolved.Butevenan orthodox priestwill tell you at once: “I do not profess to put right all theresultsofthewrongyouhavedone.Ifyouhavelivedalifeofdebauchery,ifyouhave undermined your constitution, I cannot put that right—these results willremainanditwillbepartofyourpenancetotrytoundothem.WhatIcanputright is theguilt—touse theecclesiastical term.Youhave setyourself atoddswithGod;Icanputyoustraightagain.Theremyabsolutionwilldosomethingforyou;itisthepowerofthehigherwillandnotthelower.Itwilltakeyouwhenonce youwant to be taken; it will help to keep you in the right line; but the

physical results cannot be undone.You yourself can change your attitude; thepriestcanputyourightonthehigherplaneswhereyoulackthepower.Idonotsay that a person could not do this for himself, but hewould do itwith greateffort, clumsily, unscientifically. That is the power that lies behind theabsolution; but it cannot take from a man the results of his sin—the laws ofnaturedonotworkthatway.

There is another consideration to be added to what has been said: Until apersonhasdevelopedhiswilland takenholdofhimselfhecannot reallyofferhimselftotheMaster.Peoplesay,“IgivemyselfentirelytotheMaster,”butisitnot obvious that one has not the entire self to give when part of it is inpossession of evil qualities of various sorts? For this reason also we mustdevelop thewill.TheMaster said that thatwillmust be like tempered steel. IremembertheoccasionverywellbecauseAlcyonedidnotunderstandwhatwasmeantbytemperedsteel,andalittlematerializationwasnecessary,toshowhim.Itmustbenotsimplyawillofiron,butoftemperedsteel,awillthatcannotbeturnedaside.Thewillisthere;thedivinepowerisinus;wehavebuttounfolditand so become masters of ourselves, and then we may make the gloriousofferingofthatwillatthefeetoftheMaster.

PARTV

LOVE

CHAPTER1

LIBERATION,NIRVANAANDMOKSHA

Of all the Qualifications, Love is themost important, for if it is strongenough in a man, it forces him to acquire all the rest, and all the restwithout it would never be sufficient. Often it is translated as an intensedesire for liberation from the round of births and deaths, and for unionwithGod.Buttoputit inthatwaysoundsselfish,andgivesonlypartofthemeaning.

C.W.L.—Wehavesaidthatinthisbookthereareseveraldeparturesfromtheordinarytranslationofthesequalifications.Ofallthosedeparturesthisoneisthemostdaring—thepresentationofmumukshatvaasLove.Thewordiscomposedfromtherootmuch,“toreleaseorsetfree”.Inthedesiderativestemtherootisreduplicated, and other changes occur, to formmumuksh, “to desire release”.Mumuksha is the noun form,meaning “desire for release”, andmumukshatwameans“the stateofdesire for release”.The termination twa has somewhat themeaningofourness,asin“eagerness”.Fromthesamerootcomesalsothewordmoksha,“deliverance”,“release”,or“liberation”.

Thequestionhasoftenbeen askedwhethermoksha is the same as nirvana.Thewordsmeandifferentthings,buttheymaybetakenasattributesofthesamestateofbeing—orratherstatebeyondwhatweknowasbeing.Nirvanacomesfromtherootvawiththeprefixnis,“toblow”or“toblowout”,soitistranslated“theblowingout”.Moksha is release from the cycleof births anddeaths, andnirvanaistheblowingoutofthatpartofmanwhichbindshimtothatcycle—whichmeans all thatmen canusually thinkof asman.SomeHindus thinkofmoksha as a negative condition, andwork to destroy all personal desires andhuman interests, so that neither things nor persons can attract them back torebirth, and so theywin freedomfrom thewheelofbirthsanddeaths for longperiodsoftime,buttheconceptionofmostofthemisofanindescribablestateofhappiness, beyond the illusion of separateness, called kaivalya, independence,absoluteoneness.SomeBuddhiststhinkofnirvanaasacompleteblottingoutofman,butothersthinkofitastheattainmentofwisdomandblissthatblotsoutall

previousconceptionsof selfandexperience,because it is superinenarrable.Soweseethateveninthesamereligionmenholddifferentviews.

We Theosophists sometimes apply the term nirvana to the state ofconsciousnessontheatmicorspiritualplane,butwealsospeakofnirvanaastheconditionofthosesupermen,orAdepts,whohavetakentheFifthInitiation,whochoose among the seven paths open to them that which resembles the trueBuddhistnirvana—notthe“blowing-out”,oftheSouthernChurchofBuddhism,buttheindescribablerestandblissoftheNorthernChurch.

It is theArhat, hewho has passed the Fourth Initiation, who can raise hisconsciousnesstothenirvanicplane,andthereexperiencethefloodoflifethatIhave tried to describe inThe Inner Life andTheMasters and the Path. Thatconsciousnessissomuchwiderthananythingthatweknowdownherethatonehesitatestocallithisconsciousnessatall.Hehasbecomeonewithaverymuchgreaterconsciousness;hehaslostthesenseofbeingseparate.Alleffortsfailtoputtheseideasintowordsbecausewehavenotwordstoexpressthem.

It isverydifficult toget the right shadesofmeaning in translatingSanskritbooks,buthewhohashadatouchofthenirvanicconsciousnesswillbestknowwhattheoldwriters,whohadthemselvesexperiencedit,meantbynirvana;themerelexicographercannotbeexpectedtogiveexactmeaningstowordsofthatkind.SupposethatamanwhoknewnothingabouttheChristianreligiontriedtounderstandsuchawordas“grace”.Ifhelookeditupinthedictionaryhewouldbecome entangled with words like “graceful” and “gracious” and get quiteanothermeaning.Thatissoalsowith“dispensation”,inecclesiasticallanguage;itisquiteadifferentthingfromwhatitisinordinarylife.Everyreligionhasanumberof termswhich inprocessof timecome tohave their special religiousmeaning,andunlessonehasbeenbroughtupinthatfaith,approachingitfromtheinside,itisnoteasytorealizetheexactshadeofthought.Inthebeginningofthe Theosophical movement none of us knew Sanskrit. Madame Blavatskyunderstood something of the religions of India, but she did not know Pali orSanskrit.Hermethodwastodescribeaswellasshecouldwhatsheherselfsaw,andthensaytoanyIndianfriendwhomightbepresent,“Whatdoyoucallthatinyoursystem?”Heoftendidnotfullyunderstandhermeaning,buthegaveherthe nearest term he could. The next time she wanted a word she would askanotherman,butsheneverpaidanyattentiontothefactthatthefirstmanmightbeaHinduandthesecondaBuddhist—orthatthevariousHindusmightbelong

todifferentschoolsofphilosophy.

Inadditiontothis,MadameBlavatskywasnotinthepositionofateacherofscience, who is expounding a theory which he is illustrating with suitableexperiments,broughtforwardasproofsashegoesalong.Shewasnotworkingwith a plan or skeleton, into which one would try to fit every new piece ofknowledge. Shewouldmake several statementswhich did not agree as far aswordswereconcerned,andifaskedforexplanationswouldsay,“Nevermindthecontradictions.Goand thinkover thestatements.”Her ideaswerewonderfullyclear,andherknowledgedefinite.

Herswastheoppositemethodofworkingtothatofourday,whenwordsarefirstdefinedverycarefullyandgivenfixedmeanings.Often, it is tobefeared,the result of that is that science and philosophy become a kind of game, likechess,wherethemovesthatapiececanmakearestrictlyprescribed.Withher,words were living things—thought-forms on the physical plane, as it were—usedasameanstoawakeninthehearer’smindtheknowledgealreadyexistinginherown.

Ifwewishtounderstandallthecomplicatedrelationshipbetweentheegoandthepersonality,wemustfirstofallhaveaclearideainourmindofwhatthesethings respectively are. This matter has been dealt with at great length inTheosophicalliteraturebothintheearlierdaysoftheSociety’steachingandalsoquite recently.. I have said something about it in The Masters and the Path.Puttingitverybrieflyandcrudely,letitbeunderstoodthatwecanthinkofmanasexisting in the threedivisionswhichS.Paulused longago—body,soulandspirit. The corresponding Theosophical terms would be the personality, theindividuality and theMonad. TheMonad is definitely divine—a spark of theeternalflame—toallintentsandpurposesapartofGodHimself.ItisofcoursetrueinthehighestsensethateverythingisapartofGod—thatthereisnothingwhichisnotHe;andthatistrueofmatteraswellasofspirit.NeverthelessthereisaveryspecialsenseinwhichtheMonadmaybethoughtofasafragmentofthe Deity coming down into manifestation. I know quite well that isunphilosophical,unscientific,inaccuratetospeakofafragmentofthatwhichisindivisible;buttherearenowordstoexpresstheconditionsofhigherplanes,sothatwhateverwe saymust be utterly inadequate and therefore to some extentmisleading.SomewriterswhohavetriedtoexpresstheserelationshavespokenoftheMonadasareflectionoftheLogos,theegointurnasareflectionofthe

Monad,andthepersonalityasrepresentingtheegoinasimilarway.Thereisasenseinwhichthatexpressionhasitsadvantages,andyetitseemstometogivesomewhat less of the true relation than this other suggestion—that theMonadmaybeconsideredasafragmentoftheDeity,theegoafragmentoftheMonad,andthepersonalityinitsturnafragmentoftheego.

Aspartof theeternalunfoldment ithaspleased theLogosofoursystemtoprojectfromHimselfavasthostoftheseMonads.Ifwemayusethesimilewithallreverence,theyarethrownforthfromHimassparksinorderthataftertheirpassage through variousmaterial planes theymay return toHim as great andglorious suns, each capable of giving life and light to a magnificent system,throughwhich and bymeans ofwhichmillions of otherMonadsmay in turndevelop.

ThestupendousheightfromwhichthisdivinemanifestationwhichwecallaMonadoriginallycomescannotbemeasuredintermsofanyplanesofwhichweknowanything;but thelowestpointwhichtheMonadappearsabletoreachinhisoutrushisthatwhichforthatveryreasonwecalltheMonadicplane.ItwillberememberedthataccordingtoourgreatPresident’snomenclaturethehighestof thesevenplanesaboutwhichweare taught iscalled thedivine, thesecond(comingdownwards) being themonadic, the third the spiritual, and the fourththeintuitional.AstillfurtherdescentintomatterisnecessarythatthepurposesoftheLogosmaybeachieved.TheMonadasawholeappears tobeincapableoffurther descent, but it can and does put forth what we must call a part orfragment of himself which is capable of descending to the upper part of thementalplane.Onthewaydownthisfragmentsoputforthmanifestsitselfonthespiritual or nirvanic plane as the triple atma. Of that triple spirit the firstmanifestationremainsonthatplane,whiletheseconddescendstotheintuitionalplane and clothes itself in buddhic matter. The third aspect or manifestationdescends one plane more and resides in the higher part of the mental plane,wherewecallitthehighermanas.Thustheego(whichisthenamegiventothisfragmentputdownby theMonad)consistsofatma,buddhiandmanas,whichwe represent somewhat inadequately in English by the terms spiritual will,intuitionalwisdomandactiveintelligence.

Theegoinhisturnputsdownaminutefragmentofhimselfthroughthelowermentalandtheastralplanesandeventuallymanifestshimselfinaphysicalbody.Eachofthesesuccessivedescentsisaquiteindescribablelimitation,sothatthe

manwhomwemeetdownhereonthephysicalplaneisatthebestafragmentofafragment,andasanexpressionoftherealmanissoinadequateastofurnishuswithnothingevenremotelyresemblingaconceptionofwhatthatmanwillbeattheendofhisevolution.

Theegoswithwhomwehavetodoindailylifeareatdifferentstagesofthisincrediblyprolongedevolution.Inallcasestheegoexistsprimarilyonhisownplane,whichaswehavesaidisthehigherpartofourmentalplane.Atthatlevelquite apart from his manifestation as a personality, he may be already wideawake,consciousofhissurroundingsandJivinganactive life;oron theotherhandhemaybesomnolent,almostentirelyunconsciousofhissurroundingsandtherefore capableof experiencing anything like an active life only throughhispersonalityonmuchlowerlevels.Asmanraiseshisconsciousnessthroughthevariousplaneshe finds thevibrationsoneachone farmore rapid thanon thatnext below it.Whenwe speak of the ego as developed on his own planewemeanthatheisablefullytorespondtoall thevibrationsofthatplane;ifheisnotsoconsciousthentheseveryrapidvibrationspassoverhimwithoutaffectinghim,and inorder toattainconsciousnesshemustputhimselfdownloweranddrawroundhimselfavehicleofthematterofagrosserplanetowhosevibrationshecanalreadyrespond.Bymuchpracticeinthatlowerplanehewillgraduallygrowtobeabletorespondtoitshighervibrationsandthenveryslowlyandbydegreestothevibrationsoftheplanenextaboveit;sothattheconsciousnesshastoworkitswayuplevelbylevel.

Hisconsciousnessthereforeinthepersonalityshouldbereachingupwardsallthe while towards the ego; and when the consciousness of the ego is by thismeans fullydeveloped,he inhis turnwillbegin to reachupwards towards theMonad.ThewholecourseofthemovementdownwardsintomatteriscalledinIndia the pravritti Marga or the path of outgoing. When the lowest pointnecessaryhasbeenreachedthemanentersuponthenivrittimargaorthepathofreturn.He returns fromhisday’sworkofharvesting,bearinghis sheaveswithhimintheshapeofthefullyawakenedconsciousnesswhichenableshimtobefarmoreusefulonthosehigherlevelsthanhecouldhavebeenbeforehisdescentintomatter.Onthispaththereisalwaysthetemptationforthatlowerpartoftheego to forget itsconnectionwith thehigher,and to identify itselfentirelywiththelowermanifestationwhichissomuchmorevividtoit,andinthatwaytocutitselfofffromthehigherandasitweretosetupinbusinessinthelowerworldonitsownaccount.PresumablytheegohimselfaspartoftheMonadisliableto

asimilartemptationonhisverymuchhigherplane;butweareforthemomentdealingwiththerelationsbetweentheegoandhispersonality;andfurthermoreweareviewingitfromthepointofviewofthepersonalitylookinguptowardstheegoandtryingtobecomeonewithhim.

Theegohasassociatedhimselfwiththepersonalitybecausehehasahunger,or thirst, for vivid experience.He is undevelopedonhis ownplane, unable torespondtothehighvibrationsofthatregion;theslowervibrationsofthelowerplanesmeanmore tohim, sohe comesback again and again for them.Ashedevelops,thehungerabateslittlebylittle,andsometimeswhenheisadvancedandhasbecomesensitivetothedelightsandactivitiesofhisownplane,hegoestotheotherextremeofneglectinghispersonality—caughtasitisinthegripofkarma,sunkinconditionswhicharenowfullofsorroworofboredomforhimbecausehefeelshehasoutgrownthem.

This diminution of his thirst for the lower planes has taken place as hedevelopedhispersonality.Whenhegainedfullconsciousnessontheastralplanethephysicallifebegantoappeardullbycomparison;reachingthelowermentalworldhefoundtheastraldarkanddismal;andallthreeofthelowerlevelslosttheir attraction when he began to be able to enjoy the still more vivid andluminous life of the causal body. Many-people have reached the point ofevolutionatwhichtheycantravelaboutanddousefulworkontheastralplaneduringsleep.All studentsofoccultismhave theirastralbodieswelldevelopedandreadyforuse,thoughmanyofthemhavenotyetacquiredthehabitofusingthem.Thelowestpartofthementalvehicleisalsoinorder,andisreadytocomeintoactivity;regularmeditationdevelopsthisandbringsitundercontrol.Atthisstage themanmaybe taught touse thatbody,andhecan then leavehisastralwith the physical vehicle during sleep.When this has been accomplished, theprocessisrepeatedatthecausallevel,andtheegoisthenawakeandactiveonhisownplane.

All the lower vehicles are temporary vestureswhichwe put on in order tolearn how to use the forces of their planes, and when we have done thatcompletely,andtheegoisworkingperfectlyinhiscausalbody,whichhappensat the Fourth Initiation, there is no need to incarnate again at those levels.Havingtriumphedoverthem,amancanatanymomentmaterializeatemporaryastralandmentalbody,showhimselfonthoseplanesanddowhathewantstodo.Onewhohas reached this stageneedno longergo through thewearisome

roundofbirthanddeath,whichissounpleasant.Perhapswedonotalwaysthinkofitassounpleasant,becausewedogetalittleenjoymentoutoflife;true,butifwe could look at it from the standpoint of the egowe should realizewhat anunspeakableboreitistotheeternalspirittobedownhere“cribb’d,cabin’dandconfin’d”inabodythatcannotdothisandwillnotdothat.Whileweareinitwemakethebestofit,butitisonlyatemporaryvehicleputonforthepurposeoflearning,andwhenwehavelearnedthelessonweareverygladtogetridofthewholething.

Themanwhohashadsomeexperienceofthecausallevelssometimesfeelsverydeeply theoppressive limitationsof the three lowerworlds.Hemissesallthegloriousfreedomandloveandtruthoftheego’sownregions.Herealizesthecauseofhisdescentintothisstateofdarkness,andmaythensaytohimself:“Iwillridmyselfofthisdesire,whichistheprimarycausebringingmedownintoincarnation, and I will balancemy karma by actingwithout attachment.” Themanwhocansaythisisalreadyadevelopedman,whohasthoughtagooddealabout these things; he is a metaphysician and a philosopher. He saysdeliberately:“Iwillshutoffthisdesire;Iwillbalancethekarmaaccurately,andthen there will be nothing to bring me back.” That can be done. When hesucceeds—andtherehavebeenmanyinIndia,all thoughitshistory,whohavesucceededindoingit—themanescapesfromthisroundofbirthsanddeaths.Helivesintheheaven-world,orperhapshemayreachthecausallevel;buthedoesnot, as a rule, rise any higher than that. He has attained what he would callmoksha.

Themanwhocando thatmustbeamanwhohas raisedhimself abovealllowerpassionsanddesires,otherwisethethingwouldbeimpossible,butallthesamehehasforgottenonesideofevolution.Hehasunderstoodtheactionofthelawofkarmaperfectly,andthereforehehasbeenabletoreleasehimselffrom:it.But he has not learned perfectly the law of evolution and he has not freedhimselffromthat.Heislikeacleverboyatschool,whomightgetfaraheadofhiscompanionsandtakeseveralexaminationsinadvance,andthendonothingfor three or four years while the others were coming up to his level. That ispreciselywhathappenstothemanwhoattainsmoksha;hehasnotattainedthegoal which is set for humanity, because the evolution of humanity ends inAdeptship.

Now,anAdeptisnotonlyaman,freefrombirthanddeath,butheisalsoa

livingpower;hehasbecomeonewiththeMonad,whois,inturn,asparkoftheDeity.ButthemethodoftheDeityistoputHimselfdown,topourHimselfoutinutterself-sacrificeintothiswholeplan.Thereforethemanwhobecomesonewith theDeitymust be also filledwith this spirit of self-sacrifice. TheAdeptdoesmoregoodworksthanthegreatestphilanthrophistcouldpossiblydo,andisdoing them all the time on higher planes, butHe does them on behalf of thehumanityofwhichHeisapart.ThereforethekarmaresultingfromthemcomestohumanityandnottoHim,sothereisnothingtobindHimtorebirth;butthewhole of humanity gets a little uplift. It is not a great uplift; that amount ofkarma spread all over theworld is not a very large amount for anyone, but itdoesmeanasteadyupliftforall.Therefore,inasense,everyonegetsjustalittlemore than he may appear exactly to deserve. There is no injustice in this,however,becauseliketherainthatfallsonthejustandtheunjust,itisthesameforeveryone.

Therefore,afterthelapseofthousandsorevenmillionsofyearsthemanwhohasattainedmokshafindsthatthetideofevolutionhasrisentohislevelandlapsroundhimoncemore,andhehastocomebackandbereborn,andproceedwithhisdevelopment.Hewhoseeksmokshagenerallyknowsthathisliberationisnotfor ever, but he thinks that hewill be called back in a remote future, and theworldwillprobablybebetterbythetimehehastoreturn.Hesays:“Icanaffordtoriskthat;Ishallgainthousandsofyearsoffreedomandbeallthattimeintheheaven-worldenjoyingmyself.”

Ouridealisperfectconsciousnessonthehighestlevelwecanreach.Wedonot propose to rest satisfied at any levelwhatever.But on the other hand,wedeclinetogiveupourconsciousnessandgointotrance,assomepeopledoforthepurposeofreachingalevelbeyondthescopeoftheirwakingconsciousness.Peopletalksometimesabout“passingintosamudhi”,andsome,whoarefondoftherollingSanskrit,talkofgoingintosamadhiwhentheymeditate.Wewereinmuchconfusionas to themeaningof thisword,untilwerealized that itwasarelativeterm.Samadhiforanyoneisthepointwhichisjustbeyondthatatwhichitispossibleforhimtoretainhisclearconsciousness.Ifoneisconsciousontheastralandnotonthemental,thenforhimsamadhiwouldbethenextlevel—themental.Itistogetjustbeyondthepointwhereonecanbeconscious,topassintoasortoftrancefromwhichoneemergeswithallsortsofglorifiedandbeautifulfeeling, but not generallywith clear consciousness. People should not go intosamadhi when they meditate; they should retain their consciousness, so that

whentheycomebacktheycanrememberwhattheyhaveseen.Iknowthatmanyhavepassedintosamadhiandhaveexperiencedagreatfeelingofhappinessandbeatitude.That,however,doesnotmeanprogress,becausetheyloseholdanddonotknowclearlywhattheyhavebeendoing.Thereisalwaysacertaindangerinthat—onedoesnotknowthathewillbeabletoreturn.

Dr.Besant and Iwere oncewatching some tremendous outpourings of lifefrom the higher planes, great waves that came pulsating forth from the SolarDeity.Shesaid:“Letusthrowourselvesintothatwave,andseewhereit takesus.”WeshouldhaveplungedinhadherMasternotintervened,andtoldusnottodo it.AfterwardsDr.BesantaskedHim,“ifwehad thrownourselves into thatwave, where should we have found ourselves?” He said, “You might havewashed up in amillion years or so somewhere on Sirius or some other solarsystem.”Manifestly it is notwise to throw ourselves into outpourings of thatsort,whenwedonotknowexactlywhat ishappening.It isnotagoodplantoloseconsciousness; it ismuchbetter to try tokeepcontrolofourvehiclesandsee a little bitwherewe aregoing—otherwisewemay lose thephysical bodyandendourtemporaryusefulness.Ourmethodistokeepfullconsciousnessonany plane thatwe can reach, and try to be of use on that plane.OurMastersneverspeakofmerepassivecontemplation.Ouraimisnottositdownandenjoyourselvesanywhere,buttobeactiveintheMaster’sworkatalltimes.

ThisparaphrasethattheMasterhasgivenofthefourthqualification,Love,iseminentlycharacteristicofHim.Hegoesbehindtheworditselftothereasonforit.Hesays:“Whatisyourreasonforwantingliberation?Inorderthatyoumaybefreetohelpbetter,youaretryingtomakeyourselfonewithGod.WhatisthisGod?God isLove.Youmust developLove if youwant to be onewithHim.Therefore thisqualification is inrealityLove.”ReadersofMan:Whence,HowandWhitherwillrememberhowitexplainsthatdifferentbodiesofpeoplecameover from the other chains to this, and how certain of those groups of peoplewere spoken of as boat-loads of servers. Practically all members of theTheosophicalSocietybelongtooneofthosegroups;sothisideaofserviceisaverystrongfactorinourdispositions.Weknowhowharditistogetawayfromanythingwithwhichwe are born.Ournationality, for example, carrieswith itmanylittlepointsofview,verydifficult toavoid.That is thenationalityof thepersonality; but this idea of servicewemay call the nationality of the ego, orperhaps of theMonad. He was born with that streak in him, and it has beencultivatedeversince.

Itisdifficultforustounderstandthatthereareothertypeswhicharejustasgoodasthisoneunderconsideration.ThesolarDeitymanifestsHimselfthroughthreeaspects:will,wisdomandlove.Thatisthewaytheyaregiveninthisbook.MenappoachHimalongall these three lines.Eachman’sownwayis thebestforhim,butheshouldrememberthattheotherman’spathisbetterforhimandthat, in the long run, they allmerge.Wemust acquire the ability to look outsimultaneously throughall theaspects andknow that in truth theyareallone.We are told, in the Athanasian Creed, that wemust hold this doctrine of theTrinity neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the Substance; we mustlearnthatthroughalleternitythereisonlyoneGod,althoughHismanifestationsarethroughThreePersons,

Itwassaid in thebeginning that if love isstrongenough inaman it forceshim to acquire all the other qualities. It makes people act, according to theirpower.Takeoneoftheverybestandmostbeautifulexamples:motherlove.Letusseehowthatoperatesamongasavagerace.Themothersavagedoesnotknowmuch,butat leastsheispreparedtodefendherchild,andevenifnecessarytosacrificeherownlifeforhim.Thecivilizedmotheramongourselveswoulddojust the same thing in the same circumstances. Now and again you hear of amotherlosingherlifeinsavingherbabyfromaburninghouse,ormoreoftenasa result of attending to itwhen it has some infectiousdisease. Inordinary lifeamongusthatstronglovemakesthemotherthink.Herloveforthechildinduceshertostudyhygiene,allaboutfoodandthingsofthatsort.Soloveleadstobothmentalandphysicalactivity.

Amanmusthavethislove,whichisanintensedesireforservice,ifhewouldreachtheMaster.S.Johnsaid:“Weknowthatwehavepassedfromdeathuntolife because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth indeath,”30and:“HethatlovethnotknowethnotGod.”31.Allthatisperfectlytrue.It is a very good thing to know the technical terms of Theosophy, and tounderstanditsphilosophyandscience,andtobeabletodistinguishandemploythetwothousandfourhundredandonetypesofelementalessenceisveryusefulforpracticalpurposes—butlovemakesthetrueTheosophist.

Irememberwell,longago,whenBabuMohiniMohunChatterji,whowasadisciple,cametoLondontoinstructus,hetoldusforthefirsttimeaboutthesequalifications, which were not expounded in Mr. Sinnett’s books, or in IsisUnveiled,whichwere almost the only bookswe had.He told us quite plainly

thatwithoutthisfourthqualification,thisintensedesireforliberation(thatisthewayheputit),forunionwithGod,thesixpointsofgoodconduct“wateredbutthedesert“;theywouldbereallyaridandallbutvaluelesstousunlesswehadthis intensedesire tobeonewithGodand todoasHedoes.Wedidnot thenrealize that it meant service so fully as we do now, though the Masters hademphasized from the beginning Their love for “the teeming millions ofhumanity, the lowly and the despised”.Weweremainly occupied in trying tolearnTheosophy.Allwassonew,sointeresting,soexciting, thatourtimewasmainlygivento that—muchmore,perhaps, thanitought tohavebeen,were itnotthatonemustlearnsomethingbeforeonecanbeofrealservicetoothers.

Itisnotsomuchdesireaswill,resolve,determination.

C.W.L.—Will is pre-eminently the quality of the first ray, on which theMasterMoryastands.TheMasterKuthumiisonthesecondray,thatofwisdomand love; but here He spoke as a first ray man would do. I remember oneoccasiononwhichAlcyonementionedhisdesiretoattainacertainquality.TheMastersaid:“Donotdesireathing;desireisfeeble.Will,becauseyouareGod.If you want to acquire a quality, will to do so, and go and do it.” ThatemphaticallyisthestandpointoftheHierarchy.Itisveryimportantindeedforusto understand theMaster’s attitude andway of looking at things, which havebroughtHimwhereHeisnow,andcandothesameforus.

To produce its results, this resolvemust fill yourwhole nature, so as toleaveno room for anyother feeling. It is indeed thewill tobeonewithGod,notinorderthatyoumayescapefromwearinessandsuffering,butinorderthatbecauseofyourdeeploveforHimyoumayactwithHimandasHedoes.BecauseHe isLove,you, ifyouwouldbecomeonewithHim,mustbefilledwithperfectunselfishnessandlovealso.

C.W.L.—ThepupiloftheMasterhasonlyonedesireandthatistoserve.Forthis,heiswillingtogiveupallpersonalpleasureandambition,andremainbutasmallwheelinthegreatmachine.Theordinarymanhasnotyetbeguntothinkveryseriouslyofanythinghigher.Hetakeslifeverymuchashefindsit,andhisdesireisnottogetoutofthiskindoflifeintosomethinghigherandnobler,butrathertosucceedinit.Ifyousuggestedthatheshouldgiveupallthatwecallthe

lowerself,hewouldask:“ButwhatwillbeleftofmeifIdothat?”Itistruethattherewouldinsuchacasenotbeverymuchleft,asfarashecouldsee,althoughthewholeoftherealitywould,intruth,remain.

Itisdifficulttoexplaintosuchamanwhatwemeanby“becomingmergedinto theDivineLife”. Iknewaverygoodandcleverman,whowasmakingaconsiderablestudyofNorthernBuddhism.Hecametomeonedayandsaid:“Ican’tmakeanythingoutofthis;itdoesnotseemtomeworthfollowingup.Itisquite interestingasa study inarchaeology,but theonlyobject theyputbeforeyouseemstobetobecomeonewiththeBuddha.Ican’tseethatthatwouldbeofanyvaluetoBuddha,anditwouldcertainlybetheendofme.”Thatisthepointof view the average man takes of these things. Yet there is a real, glowing,burningmeaning to it all; if one can get hold of that it will revolutionize hiswholeconception.Thiswideningof theconsciousnessdoesnot takeawayanyfreedom,nordestroyindividualityintheleastdegree.ItisnotthatIamabsorbedintheuniverse,buttheuniversebecomesI.Peoplesay,“ThatSelfamI.”Thatisadelusionasappliedtothelowerself,butwhenonerealizes“IamGod”,thenthe sense that God is God is not an illusion at all, and the sense that what IthoughtwasIisinrealityanexpressionofHimisnotanillusion.ItistheideathatanythingcanexistoutsideThatorcanbeseparatedfromtheoneSelfthatisillusion.

Inevery-daylife therearesomethingsthatwillserveasanexampleof thisinclusionof thesmaller in thegreater.Youhaveagreatmercantilehouse,andsomeyoungmanjoinsitasajuniorclerk.Atfirstheregardsthehouseasatask-master,anditisagreattroubletohimtohavetocomeatregularhoursanddoallhiswork.But afterhehasbeen there for someyears andhasbeen raised to amoreresponsibleposition,hebeginstosay,“Wedothis,”and“Wedothat,”andthenheisbeginningtoidentifyhisinterestwiththatofthehouse.Sohegoeson,untilhebecomesamanager,andatlastapartner.Thenhespeaksalwaysforthehouse;andwhenheconsidersanyofthebusiness,itis“thefirm”hehasalwaysinhismind.Heis justasfreeandascapableof takingtheinitiativealonganylineasever,yetheisnowcertaintousehiswillalongtherightlines.Thefirmhasnotcoercedhim into thatattitude,buthehasgrown into it.That isonlyasmall illustration,but itgivesan ideaof theway inwhichamanmay identifyhimselfwithagreaterpower,yethiswillmaybeasmuchhisownasever.

TherewillcomeatimewhenweshallhavebecomethePathitself,whenwe

shallneverfailinanyofthequalificationsbecausetheywillhavegrownintousandbecomepartofourverynature.WeareclosetothelivingGodallthetime,becauseHeisinusandaboutusandwithusalways,yetitisforustolearntorealizethat,toraiseourconsciousnessstepbystep,employingallthemeansthatcomeinourway,untilwecanreallygraspthatidea.WearetobecomeonewithGod in His highest manifestations, in the internal manifestations, not in themerelymaterialform.Theverymatterinourbodies,andaroundusalso,isHisoutergarment—butitisnotthegarment,itisHewithwhomwewishtobecomeone.WhenwebecomeonewithHim,HeonHissiderecognizesthatandusesusas livingchannels throughwhichHisforcecanbeoutpoured.Wearechannelsfor the divine force on these lower planes, butwe are effective channels onlywhen we have reached the point where we have no separate personality inoppositiontoHim.Heworksthroughsuchmeansalways,andHisministers,thegreat occult Hierarchy, do likewise. No doubt They could work miracles bydirect action on people, but it would unnecessarily use up a great amount ofTheirforce,soTheyworkthroughthemeanswhichTheyhavearranged.

Thereisalargeclassofpeoplewhonevertrytounderstandtheprinciplesoflife.Theythinkthatnaturemustbowtothem,andtheywillnotacceptthingsinthe way that is ordained. They are, in their way, like those investigators atspiritualistic seances, who want to prescribe the conditions under whichmanifestations should takeplace. It is a very absurd attitudeofmind, becausethereisnolineofinvestigationintheworldinwhichyoucanprescribewhatthelawsofnatureshalldo.Onehasheardofsavagestowhomelectricalphenomenawere shown, who declared that they were due to trickery. The savage chiefwould say, “I see all this is connected by wires; you are doing it with thosewires.CutthemawayandthenIshallbelieveyou.”Theelectriciansmilesandsaysinreply:“Youdonotunderstandthelaw.Thewiresconducttheelectricity;without them the force could not come through.”Then theman says: “I haveexposedyourtrickery.”Peopledothesamethingatspiritualisticseances.Theywill not take thewayordained,butwant to strikeout anotherway.There is acertainamountofindividualityabouttheideaofcompellingGodtodothingsinone’sownwaywhich,Isuppose,recommendsitselftosometypesofminds,butitdoesnotappealtomineanymorethantheideaoftellingGodinprayerwhattodo.IalwaysfeelprofoundlythatHeknowsinfinitelybetterthanIdo,andifbyanyutterlyinexplicablechanceHeshouldchangeHisintentiononaccountofmyaskingHim,IknowIshouldbeinfinitelyworseoffunderthatschemethanI

shouldhavebeenunderHis.

Theideathatoneshouldwill tobeonewithGodmaynothaveoccurredtomanyofus,butitisveryfamiliartoourbrothersinIndia.TheMasterusesthatsortofphraseseveral times in thisbookwhenHespeaksofGod.Inanearlierlife He was a prominent Buddhist teacher named Nagarjuna, and in thatincarnationHemademanygreatspeechesandwrotemuch.InHisbookswhichhavebeenpreserved,HeisverystronglyopposedtoanyideaofpersonalityintheDeity.Heobjectseventotheuseofthatwordorthatname,andgoesdeeplyinto metaphysical questions connected with it. Indians, knowing all thatphilosophyofNagarjuna,haveoftensaid,“Howcurious it is that, in this littlebook,ourMaster,whohasspokensostronglyagainstpersonality in theDeity,should now use that word God. The Lord Buddha also spoke very stronglyagainstanything likepersonality in theDeity.”Theanswer to thatobjection isthis:InthisbooktheMasterisnotgoingintothequestionoftheAbsolute;HeisnotspeakingofThat—theSupreme,theEternal;HeisspeakingprimarilytoanIndianboy,aboutIshwara—thatis,thesolarLogos,thesolarDeity—anditisinthatsenseundoubtedlythatourMasterusesthewordGodhere.AsNagarjunahewasspeakingtostudentsmanyofwhomknewthesystemsofIndianphilosophy,andsohespokestronglyagainstanyendeavourtodegradetheconceptionoftheDeitybymakingitpersonalinthewayinwhichmanyofourChristianbrothersnowdo.

Then He says that you must make yourself like Him. This brings up thequestion: what do we know of Him? We know that He manifests Himselfthrough threeAspects. Some approachHim through one of theseAspects andsomethroughanother.Ourwayisthewayofactivelove,becausethatisthewayofourMasters.Therearesevengreatraysofthedivinelife,andthereforeseventypesofmen.One is the lineofdevotion, another thatofwill, another thatofwisdom.MenseekGod invariousways,butasourMastersareon the lineofactivelove,allwhowishtofollowThemmustusethepowersofhisownspecialtypeinactiveservicefor loveofGodandman.Take,forexample, thecaseofdevotion,ofwhichtheremaybethreetypesorkinds.Onepersoncastshimselfdownbeforetheobjectofhisadorationandjustlongstobecomeonewithit.Isuppose this type is found in ourWestern races only among some fewmonksandnuns,whosedesireissimplytospendthemselvesinperpetualadorationoftheDeity.Thatisasplendidthing,butforthemoment,atanyrate,themanisnotthinking of others, but only of becoming one with the Deity. If you ask him

aboutothershewillsay:“LetthemdowhatIamdoing.”IknewamaninIndiawhoseoneideawasjustpreciselythat—tosit inadorationbeforetheimageofhis Deity, and try to become one with Him. That is the goal he set beforehimself,anditisthefuturehewillgain.Hewillspendthewholeofhisheaven-life, probably a very long one—thousands of years—in a sort of swoon ofadoration.,Suchpuredevotionmeans thedevelopmentofhisvariousvehicles,andcertainadvanceforhimself.

Asecondkindofdevotionscarcelydeservesthename—thatlowerdevotionwhichdemandsaquidproquooftheDeity,andsays:“Ifyourepaymesomuchin theway of riches and promotion and general assistance, Iwill give you somuchdevotion.”

Athirddevoteewillsay:“IlovethatGreatOne,orthatTeachersomuchthatbecause of that I must be doing something to help others to know Him andunderstandHimasIdo.ImustdogoodworksinHisname.”Thisisaverynobleandpracticalkindofdevotion.Thoseofuswhoareon thedevotional raywillnotbepurelydevotional,butwillhavethisvariantofactivitywhichwillmakeuswanttodosomethingonaccountofourdevotion.Soalsoifanyofusbeonthe line that wishes above all things to know, we shall also have the samecharacteristicinournature.Therearethosewhodesiretobecomewisemerelyinorder toknowandunderstand.That isaverywonderfulquality inaman,andtherearemanywhomakegreatprogressinthatway.Butthoseamongthemwhoareserverswillfindinthemselvesthecomplexresultant:Iwantknowledge,butIwantitonlythatIcanbereallyusefultoothers.”Suchapersonwouldseeveryclearlythemistakesmadebyotherpeoplewho,thoughtheydesirewithalltheirhearts to serve,yet,becauseof foolishness,domoreharm thangood.“Letmehaveperfectknowledge, then I shallbeable to serve reallywell,” suchamanwouldsay.

WewishtobecomeonewithGod,notmerelythatwemaybeonewithHim,andmaybaskinall thatgloryandjoy,butthatwemayactasHedoes,andasHisgreatactionwastopourHimselfoutinutmostself-sacrificeintomatter,inorder thatwemight come into being, therefore hewhowill be onewithGodmusthimselfshowforththesamespiritofutterforgetfulnessofhimselfforthesake of theworkwhich is to be done for theGodwho is all Love. That onesentence:“You,ifyouwouldbecomeonewithHim,mustbefilledwithperfectunselfishness and love also,” really epitomizes thewhole Path.Will, wisdom,

love—eachoneofthesecarriedtoperfectionandemployedinservicebringsinalltheothers,soitisreallytruethat“loveisthefulfillingofthelaw.”32

CHAPTER2

LOVEINDAILYLIFE

Indailylifethismeanstwothings;first,thatyoushallbecarefultodonohurttoanylivingthing;second,thatyoushallalwaysbewatchingforanopportunitytohelp.

C.W.L.—Thoseare twosidesof thesame thing—thepassive thatyoushalldonohurt,andtheactivethatyoushalldogood.PeoplesometimessaythattheOriental religions are negative, that the idea of service which we import intothemisinrealityaChristianidea.Thatisnotso.ThoughthemodernChristianhasrelegatedittoabackseat,itistruethatinoriginalChristianityservicewasexpressed and emphasized very strongly. “But he that is greatest among youshallbeyourservant.”33Thesameideaappearsintheoldreligionsalso.

In Buddhism—which has always been spoken of as the most negative ofreligions—itcertainlydoesgiveyoudirectionsastothethingsyoumustavoid.ButitsfivepreceptsarenotmorenegativethantheJewishtencommandments.TheBuddhistreligiondoesnotsay“Thoushaltnot”,thoughitasksitspeopletopromisetoavoidcertainthings.Thewordingis:“Iobservetheprecepttorefrainfrom taking life, to refrain from taking that which does not belong tome, torefrain from saying that which is not true, to refrain from taking intoxicatingdrinksorstupefyingdrugs,torefrainfromunlawfulsexualintercourse.”Thatistheform;itisnotacommandbutapromise.

In the summary of the religion in one sutta or verse, given by theBuddhaHimself,weseeitspositiveaspect:

1. “Ceasetodoevil;2. Learntodowell;3. Cleanseyourownheart:4. ThatisthereligionoftheBuddha.”

ThesamethingcomesoutclearlyintheNobleEightfoldPath,inwhichyouhave: “Right views, right aims, right words, right behaviour, right mode of

livelihood,rightexertion,rightmindfulnessandrightmeditation.”Mostofthisisverypositiveindeed.

IntheBhagavad-Gita,whichispracticallythegospelformillionsofHindus,you find taught themostpositiveactivity.ThereGod isdescribedas thegreatActor,anditissaidthathewhowillnotfollowHisexample,andworkforthewelfareoftheworld,livesinvain.Inaction,itsays,maybereallyanactioninadeadly sin. Itwarns people, asMadameBlavatsky used frequently to do, thatsinsofomissionareasmuchtobefearedassinsofcommission.Andastothesannyasi, the man who has renounced the material life, it says that he mustconstantly perform acts of charity, sacrifice and austerity. The great historicalScripturesoftheHindusarefullofaccountsofmenwhodevotedthemselvestothe public weal, and teachers, many of them considered to be divineincarnations,whotaughttheserviceofourfellow-man.

Nowherecouldpublicservicebemoreemphasizedthanithasbeeninthosereligions,yettheyhavealwayshadtheircontemplativesides,ashadChristianityallthroughthemiddleages.Itisonlyinrecentyearsthat,intheintensityofouractivity in the fifth sub-race of the fifth root race, we have become secretlyinclinedtodespisethemonkandthenunandtomagnifythemanofaction,thegreatcommanderinwar,thegreatrulerorstatesmaninpeace.Thewholeideaofthecontemplativeordersis,however,averybeautifulone.Theplanwasthattheactiveordersofthemonkandthefriarwouldpreachtothepeopleandperformacts of charity, while the contemplative orders would shut themselves up anddevote themselves wholly to meditation and supplication. Translating it intootherterms,thatwouldmeantheformulationofgoodandhighthought,andthesending of it out with a definite view to the helping of people. It was theirbusiness to make a speciality of prayer and meditation and to do it for theirbrethrenwho,forvariousreasons,wereunabletodoitsowellandsothoroughlyfor themselves. The theory in every religion was that they were a part-ofhumanity supplying a need of humanity; they were not merely lazy monksretiringfromactivework.Theyweredoingverymuchharderwork,whichtheothers could not do, in connection with higher planes, and doing it generallyunder circumstances of self-abnegation and asceticismwhichwould appal theordinaryman.

That the life of themonk, however, when it was not so definitely ascetic,attracted many who wanted a comfortable, lazy existence, is also true. Such

peopleescapedphysicalwork,butdidnotsubstituteforittheworkofthehigherplanes.AmongtheBuddhistmonkstherearesomeofthiskind,whoarelookeddownupon and called “ricemonks”—menwhoaremonks for the sakeof theassuredliving,which,thoughitisnotaveryluxuriousone,willneverfailwhileanyone in the country has any food at all. The same was true, perhaps to asomewhatgreaterdegree,ofthemonasticordersofthemiddleagesinEurope.Therewerepeoplewhojoinedthemforthesakeofpowerandinfluenceanddidnotmind, inmanycases, the lackofpossessions.Though the individualmonkhadnopossessions,themonasteryasabodydidacquireaverygreatdeal,whichwasatthedisposaloftheindividualtoalargeextent.

First, todonohurt.Threesins therearewhichworkmoreharmthanallelseintheworld—gossip,cruelty,andsuperstition—becausetheyaresinsagainstlove.

C.W.L.—Whenonehearsofsinswhichworkmoreharmthanallothersoneisapttothinkofmurderandrobberyandsuchcrimes,andperhapsissurprisedtofindsuchcomparativelyordinarythingsasgossip,crueltyandsuperstitionattheheadofthelist.TheMasteristakingintoaccountthequantityofthesesins,andtheirfar-reachingeffect.Murderandrobberyareuniversallyrecognizedasserioussins,andconsequentlyrespectablepeopleavoidthem,unlessyoudignifythembythenameofwar.Butgossipisuniversal;andifonethinksoftheharmitdoesinanyindividualcase,ofthegreatamountofmentalsufferingwhichitmaycause,of thedepreciationof idealswhichitoftenbringsabout, thenmultipliesthatbythemillionsofcaseswhicharegoingonallthetime,onewillverysoonseethatitdoesvastlymoreharmthantheother.Itisaterriblethingtodestroyaperson’sideal,tocheapenitandlowerit,andmakehimfeelthatafterallitisnotso good or high or noble as he had thought. Sometimes there is talk of thedestructionof idolsasagoodthing.Thedestructionofaperson’s idolmaybethemostseriousinjuryonecandohim.Ifheidealizessomethingwhichtousislowandmean,wemay,perhaps,beabletoleadhimtosomehigherideal,butitis a most evil and wicked thing to take away his ideal without leaving himsomething higher and better to take its place. It is not for us to point out theflawsortotrytobelittleanyoneunderanycircumstances.

Manyofusknow,probablybypersonalexperience,whatawonderfulamountofgoodDr.Besanthasdone.Tensofthousandshaveseenthelightthroughher

lecturesandwritings,butstill thegossipthathasbeencirculatedaboutherhaspreventedthousandsofothersfromlisteningtoherandreadingherbooks.Theysay:“Ihaveheardso-and-soaboutMrs.Besant.WhyshouldIreadabookbyapersonofthatsort?”Therehavebeenmanyinthatwayturnedasidefromwhatwould have meant their salvation in this particular incarnation. Thousands ofpeoplealsowritetoherandaskheradviceaboutallsortsofdifficultiesinwhichtheyfindthemselvesinvolved.Manypeoplehavebeenpreventedfromapplyingfor such advice by the evil and utterly false reports that have been circulatedabouther.IthinkIknownoonewhohasbeenmorefrequentlyandmorefullyattacked than our great President. Long before she became a Theosophist shewasbeforethepublicasateacheroffree-thought.Shewasassailedandvilifiedfirst of all because she republished what is called the Knowlton pamphlet,dealing with sex problems which ought to be faced and studied, and notprudishlyhidden.Thispamphlethadbeenwrittenlongbeforeshewasborn,butitspublicationhadbeendiscontinuedonaccountofathreatofprosecution.OurPresidenttookthematteruppartlybecauseshebelievedthatthequestionshouldbeventilated and that the poor should be put in possessionof the informationwhichthepamphletgave,butstillmore,Ithink,asamatterofprotestagainstthesuppression of facts and in vindication of free speech and free publication inregardtoeverythingthatconcernedthepublichealthandpublicgoodgenerally.Her reissue of the pamphlet was fully intended as a challenge to what sheconsideredabad law;sheannouncedbeforehand to thepoliceher intentionofsellingthisworkandinvitedthemtocomeatacertainhourandofficiallybuyacopy. They accepted the invitation, came and formally purchased theincriminatingdocumentandthenproceededtoprosecuteher,butthecaseendedin nolle prosequi. Then she wrote a more carefully worded pamphlet on thesubject.Herrewardforthat—atanyrateonthephysicalplane—wastohaveherpersonalcharacterattackedinthemostabominablemanner.Latershewithdrewthepamphlet,havingcometotheconclusionthatitdidnotpresentthebestwayofdealingwiththissocialdifficulty;butIamsureshehasneverregrettedthatshe did her best to deal with the facts as she then understood them. Suchunselfishnessandcouragearerareinthisworld.

A great deal of gossipwas also started by jealous people againstMadameBlavatsky.Wildandmadaccusationswerebroughtagainsther; theseappearedinstantly and obviously ridiculous to all of us who knew her personally, yetmany people have been deterred by them from a careful examination of

Theosophical truths. She died in 1891, yet to this day it is quite a commonexperience, ifyoumention theTheosophicalSociety, tobemetby theremark:“Oh, yes, that was founded by Madame Blavatsky, who was exposed as acharlatan.Wedonotwanttospendourtimeandenergyconsideringtheteachingofafraud.Itisnotlikelytocontainthetruth.”InthiswaymanyhavemissedtheTheosophicalknowledgethatmighthavechangedtheirlives.

Fromtheseinstancesaloneweseethatimmeasurableharmmaybedonebyspiteful and foolish gossip. This form of selfishness also verymuch hurts thefeelingsofthepersonatwhomitisaimed.Thatthepersoncanbehurtshowsaweakness in his character, but that does not excuse the gossip, or relieve himfrom the evil karmawhich he hasmade.OurPresident is quite impervious togossipabouther,thoughifsheisabusedformorethantheusualtimealongoneparticularlineshedoessometimessay:“Thisisgettingverymonotonous;Iwishtheywouldfindsomethingelsetodiscuss.”Ialsohavebeenmuchabused,butithasnevercostmeanight’ssleep.Thuskarmafallsbackfromus.Buttheharmdonetoothersbythegossipbringsitskarmatothosewhostarteditandpassediton. It is more difficult not to care what is said about somebody else, and Iconfess I still find it hard not to be angry when some one speaks ill of ourPresident, for example, or when unworthy thoughts, which to us who knowThemarenothinglessthanblasphemous,aredirectedtotheMasters.

Gossipisnotrealcriticism.Unfortunatelytheverywordcriticismhascometomeanpickingholes.ItisderivedfromtheGreekkrinein,tojudge,andshouldmeanajudicialattitude,butnowitdoesnot.Justiceisoneofthemanifestationsof God; therefore to judge a man’s words or actions without their context iswrongandleadstoevil.Isupposethereisnotascriptureintheworld,nomatterhow holy and beautiful, which could not be made ridiculous by taking somewordsawayfromtheircontextandputtingthembythemselves.Wearealwaysdoing thatwith the thoughtsofotherpeople.Wefindaman tobe irritable;hespeaks sharply, perhaps roughly, andweat once assume that this indicateshischaracter.Butwedonotknowthereasonforhisirritability.Possiblyhehasbeensitting up all night with a sick child; somebody else may have jarred him orannoyed him intensely in some way and we get the reflex action of that,althoughheisnotreallyannoyedwithus.IfhewereagreatAdepthewouldnotbeannoyed,butwearenotallgreatAdeptsyet,andsothesethingshappen.

Ifirstlearntthisasasmallchild,fromanoldcoachman.Iwasnearhimone

daywhenamanapproachedandspoketohimveryroughly.Theoldcoachmanansweredwithout seeming to pay any attention to the gruff tone of the other.After themanhadgone,Isaid,“Why,John,whathaveyoudonetomakethatman so angrywith you?” “Oh, nothing, sir; he’s not angrywithme,” the oldservantreplied.“Ihaven’tannoyedhim;butprobablyhiswifeorsomebodyelsehas.”Andheexplainedtomethatwhenonceamangotthoroughlyupsethewaslikelytoventhisfeelingsonanyonewhocameinhisway.

Thegripofunkindjudgmentonaman’smindandthetenacityandvirulenceof its poisonwould be unbelievable, didwe not have thrust upon us constantevidenceofit.Amangetsawrongidea,andhiswholeoutlookiscolouredbyit.Wehaveseenthateveninregardtothisbook.WhenIfirstheardthisteachingaboutgossipgiventoAlcyone,longbeforethebookwaspublished,Iwasmuchimpressed by its importance, so I repeated it on several occasions.When thebook was issued some people immediately pounced upon the fact that thesestatements had been made months before it was published, and said thatthereforepartofitmusthavebeenmywork.

I have mentioned that there were two periods in the development ofAlcyone’smemoryof astralplaneexperiences;oneduringwhichhecouldnotrememberperfectly,whenIwouldrepeattohimthespecialpreceptgiventohimby theMaster as applying to the next day; the other, inwhich he could bringthroughthememory.IfoundthatinBombaythestorywasbeingcirculatedthatthewholebookhadbeenrepeatedtohimbymeinthatway.But,asamatteroffact,thebook.waswritteninthesecondperiod,whenhewasabletorememberwhattheMasterhadsaidtohim,andhewroteitdownbyhimself.Whenpeoplegetalittletwistlikethattheydistorteverything.Ihavesufferedfromallsortsofinjusticeandmisconceptioninconsequenceofsuchdistortionoffacts.Idonotmind in the least, but it shows me very clearly how easy it is for people tomisunderstandwhentheystartwithawrongidea.Ihaveseenthemostludicrousmistakesmade,inwhicheveryeventthatoccurredwasmadetobolsterupsomeidea for which there was no foundation in fact, but which was simplyimaginationfrombeginningtoend.

Oneoftheexperimentswehavetomakeinthecourseofourocculttrainingistoidentifyourselveswiththeconsciousnessofcertainanimals.Itismerelyaquestionofpractice;apupilissettodothatinorderthathemaybeabletolearnlaterhowtodothesamethingwithotherandhigherformsofconsciousness.We

consider ourselves far superior to any kind of animal, and rightly, since webelong to a higher kingdom. It should therefore be perfectly simple for us tounderstandthemindofthatanimal,yetfromtheexperienceIhavehadIimaginealmost everybodywho pays any attention to animalsmust bemisrepresentingtheirideasandmotivesallthetime.Whenyoureallyfindoutwhatananimalisthinking,youdiscoverthatithasreasonsforwhatitdoeswhichneveroccurredtoyou.Sinceweareunabletounderstandtheanimal,whoselinesofthoughtarefewandsimple,weareeven less likely tounderstandour fellow-men.Wearenearertothehumanbeing,ofcourse,butIdoubtwhetheranyhumanbeingeverunderstands another human being at all. Strange as it may sound, we are allisolated;eachstandsbyhimself.Thereisanotherwayinwhichitistruethatweareamightybrotherhood,yetasfarasourmindsareconcerned,eachlivesinatowerofhisown.Thecircumferenceofhismindtouchesthatofanotherman’sonlyatapoint,andeventhereonlydoubtfullyanduncertainly.

AgainstthesethreethemanwhowouldfillhisheartwiththeloveofGodmustwatchceaselessly.

C.W.L.—Onewouldthinkitfairlyeasytoavoidthethreeevilsmentioned.Itisnot,becausetheyaresopainfullycommonandsomuchamatterofhabitthatfewpeople realize their existence.They are our special difficulties because oftheplacewherewestandinevolution.Wehavebeendevelopingthelowermindwhichlooksfirstforpointsofdifference.Becauseofthatpeoplenoticefirstthepoints which they do not like in anything which comes before them; thencommentandcriticismalmost invariably follow.Themanwho isdevotinghisenergiestopickingholesandfindingdifferencesisbehindthetimes—ahopelessanachronism. We ought now to be studying synthesis and trying to find thedivine and good in everything, because we should be beginning to developbuddhi.Wearetryingtoliveforto-morrow,notforyesterday;thereforewemustnot let ourselves be swept awayby this tide of ignorant obscurantism; butwehaveconstantlytoremindourselvesnottogiveway,otherwisethestreamwillsosurroundandpressuponusthatweshalloccasionallyslipback.

CHAPTER3

GOSSIP

Seewhat gossip does. It beginswith evil thought, and that in itself is acrime.Forineveryoneandineverythingthereisgood;ineveryoneandineverythingthereisevil.Eitherofthesewecanstrengthenbythinkingofit,andinthiswaywecanhelporhinderevolution;wecandothewilloftheLogosorwe can resistHim. If you thinkof the evil in another, you aredoingatthesametimethreewickedthings.

C.W.L.—TheMasterspeaksofevilthoughtasacrime.Whenwerememberhowexceedingly careful andbalanced is the speechof theMaster always,werealizethatthatagainstwhichHespeakssostronglymustbeevilindeed.

Anattempt tounderstand themotivesof anotherman, to followhis lineofreasoning,isverylikelytobeincorrect;thereforetheleastwecandoistogivehimthebenefitofthedoubt.Mostpeopleareonthewholequiterespectableandwell-meaning,thereforeweshouldgivethemthecreditofgoodintentions.Ifwearewrong,our slightlyhigher thoughtabout thepersonwill actuponhimandactuallydohimgood.Whenyouhearsomethingtothedisadvantageofanother,askyourselfwhetheryouwouldrepeatthatpieceofgossipandsenditontobemagnifiedifitwereaboutyourownsonorbrother?No,emphaticallyyouwouldnot. You would combat it in the first place, and in any case you would notcirculateit.Whyshouldyouactdifferentlywithregardtosomebodyelse’ssonorbrother?

Youarefillingyourneighbourhoodwithevilthoughtinsteadofwithgoodthought,andsoyouareaddingtothesorrowoftheworld.

C.W.L.—Theworldisverymuchtouswhatwemakeitandaswetakeit.Ifamanispessimistic,bentuponfindingevilanddarkness,lookingforachancetobeoffendedorhurt,hecanfindit.Thereisevilintheworldandmuchsorrowin these lowerplanes, as theLordBuddhapointedout.Wecanmagnify thesethingsintoseriousdifficulties,orwecanapproachtheworldoptimistically,ina

cheeryspiritofdeterminationtomakethebestofeverything.Inthelattercaseweshallfindthatthereisagreatdealthatisbright,andshallalsobemakingtheworldmorecheerfulforothersbyourouterlifeandourthought-power.

Therearemanypeoplewhohavebeenpractisingregularmeditationformanyyears. They must inevitably have learnt to think a little more definitely thanthose who have made no such attempt; their thoughts are therefore morepowerful.Ifthesepeopleshouldthinkevilofothers,itisverymuchworseinagreatnumberofwaysthaniftheordinarypersondidit.First,becausetheyknowbetter, they are, as it is expressed in the Church, “sinning against light”.Secondly,theirthoughtproducesdefiniteandrelativelypermanentforms,whichoftenhaveconsiderableinfluenceintheastralandmentalatmosphere.Useyourpower,therefore,tomaketheworldbrighterandhappier.Youhavenoideahowmuchthatcanbedone,simplybyputtingawayallsorrowfulandselfishthought,andfillingyourselfwithlovethatwillradiateallaroundyou.

If there is in thatman theevilwhichyou think,youare strengthening itandfeedingit;andsoyouaremakingyourbrotherworseinsteadofbetter.Butgenerallytheevilisnotthere,andyouhaveonlyfanciedit;andthenyourwickedthoughttemptsyourbrothertodowrong,forifheisnotyetperfectyoumaymakehimthatwhichyouhavethoughthim.

C.W.L.—Theclairvoyantcanseethethoughtsofonepersongoingtoanotherandbuzzingroundhimlikeacrowdofmosquitos.Theycannotgetinwhiletheman is busy with some other matter, but when his thoughts for the momentslacken,when he ismeditative or tired, or absent-minded for amoment, theytaketheiropportunity.Thethought-formthenfastensonhisauralikeaburr,andbyitsvibrationsgraduallycoloursthepartonwhichithasimpinged,andfromthereitsinfluencespreads.Thusitsuggeststhebadorgoodidea,andiftherebesomethinginhimthatisakintoit,asisusuallythecase,itsetsthatinmotion.

Alittleimpetusgiventoanothermightnotmattersomuchsometimes,butinsomecasesitmakesallthedifferenceintheworld.Schoolboysrunningaboutoften push one another; cases have been known in which a boy has quiteunintentionally pushed another over the edge of a precipice. You never knowwhenaman’sthoughtmaybeonthevergeofsomewrongcourseofaction,andoneevilthoughtabouthimmayjustpushhimover.Ontheotherhand,whena

manisinthatwaybalancedbetweenthegoodandtheevil,onestrong,helpful,goodthoughtmaypushhimdefinitelyonthegoodsideandsethimgoingonacareerwhichmaymeanforhimrapiddevelopment.

Ihaveseencasesinwhichanevilthoughtaboutamanledtoacourseofevilactiononhisparttheresultofwhichwouldlastformanylives;itwasnearthesurface,but it hadnotmaterialized itself in action; therecameanevil thoughtfromsomeoneelse,whichgavejustthepushwhichsenthimoverfromthoughtinto action, and committed him to a course of crime. Till you see thatclairvoyantlyyouwillscarcelybeabletorealizeit;butseeitonce,andyouwillbe careful forever, with a care born of horror. It gives you a new sense ofresponsibility,sometimesratheroverwhelming.RememberhowthepoetSchillerwroteaboutclairvoyance,howhedesired thewelcomeblindnessof thesensesagain;“Takebackyourcruelgift;takebackthisdreadfulgift,”waswhathesaid.

You fill your ownmindwith evil thoughts instead of good; and so youhinder your own growth, andmake yourself, for thosewh6 can see, anuglyandpainfulobjectinsteadofabeautifulandlovableone.

C.W.L.—Many people take much trouble about their physical personalappearance,andthegraceandgentlenessof theirmanners,notmerelybecausethey are anxious to appear at their best and to be thought well of, but alsobecauseitisrecognizedtobeadutytosocietyingeneral.Inancientdaysitwasunderstoodtobeeveryman’sdutytomakehimselfasperfectandasbeautifulaspossibleineveryway;inattire,appearance,speechandaction,hewastolearnthe right, the graceful, the proper way to do everything. Not only one’spersonality but one’s surroundings alsowere to be notmerely useful but alsobeautiful. If a man built a house it was his duty to his neighbours to put upsomething thatwouldbegraceful andbeautiful, thoughnotnecessarily costly;andhispottery,aswellashisstatuesandpictures,wastobegood.Inthesedaysmany thinkonly of building as cheaply as they can, regardless of the hideouseffectproduced.Amanbuildsagreatuglyhouseorfactory,andeverybodywhoissensitiveshrinksbackfromitatonce,andallwholookatitaretheworsefordoing so. The man who is responsible for the building actually makes badkarma.Somethinksuchthingsdonotmatter,buttheydo.Oursurroundingsareofverygreatimportance.True,thestrongsoulcanconquer,butwhyshouldwenot have things which would help us instead of those which hinder us?

Everybody who builds a beautiful house deserves well of his fellow-citizens,becausehehasputupsomethingthesightofwhichwillbenefiteveryonewhoseesit.Thetouchofpleasurethatyougetwhenyouseesomethingbeautifulisno light thing. I always feel thatourgratitude isdue to anybodywhowears abeautifulcolour,becauseof theeffect thatcolourproduces in this terriblygreycivilizationofours.

Allthatistrueofbeautyphysicallyisevenmoreevidentonotherplanes.Themanwhomakesforhimselfaradiantandbeautifulastralbody,fullofloveanddevotion,which he pours out on all around him, deserves the gratitude of hisfellows. The audience on the astral plane is generally larger than that on thephysical.Ifweallowourselvestoappearbadlyintheastralworld,afargreaternumberofpeoplearescandalizedbyourappearanceorannoyedbyit,thancouldpossibly be the case on the physical plane.Not only do the inhabitants of theastralworldseethebeautyofit,buteveryone,eventhosewhodonotsee,feelsit.Thesevibrationsactuponthem,andthepeoplearehelpedthereby.Themanwho yields himself to ugly, selfish, evil thoughts is spreading unpleasantnessabout him, besides being a horribly disagreeable and unpleasant sight. In thephysicalplanepeoplehide their loathsomediseases,but theastral lepercarrieshissoresinfullview.

Notcontentwithhavingdoneallthisharmtohimselfandtohisvictim,thegossip trieswith all hismight tomake othermen partners in his crime.Eagerlyhe tellshiswicked tale to them,hoping that theywillbelieve it;andthentheyjoinwithhiminpouringevilthoughtuponthepoorsufferer.And this goes on day after day, and is done not by one man but bythousands.Doyoubegintoseehowbase,howterribleasinthisis?Youmustavoiditaltogether.Neverspeakillofanyone;refusetolistenwhenanyoneelsespeaksillofanother,butgentlysay:“Perhapsthisisnottrue,andevenifitis,itiskindernottospeakofit.”

C.W.L.—Itrequiresacertainamountofcouragetosaythis,butitshouldbedone,inkindnesstothegossip,aswellastothepersonwhoisbeingcriticized.Onemaydoitgentlybyusingthefirstpersonplural:“Perhapswehadbetternotsay any more about it.” Then you have not appeared to assume superiority,whichisbothunoccultandirritating,andprobablythemanwillagreewithyou,andletthematterdrop.

CHAPTER4

CRUELTY

Then as to cruelty. This is of two kinds, intentional and unintentional.Intentional cruelty is purposely togivepain to another livingbeing; andthatisthegreatestofallsins—theworkofadevilratherthanaman.Youwouldsaythatnomancoulddosuchathing;butmenhavedoneitoften,andaredailydoing it now.The inquisitorsdid it;many religiouspeoplediditinthenameoftheirreligion.

C.W.L.—Crueltyistheworkofadevilratherthanaman;thatishowitlookstoaMaster.Veryoften indaily life amandoesor says something inorder tocausepaintosomebodyelse.Hecomesunderthatcondemnation;heisdoingathing which is worthy of a devil rather than a man. It seems incredible, butpeoplecanbefoundwhodoit.

Horrible things have been done in the name of religion. Read the oldestliteratureweknow,theVedas,andwefindevidenceofthemcroppingoutverystrongly there.We find theAryans pouring down into the plains of India andproceeding to put to the sword the people who were there. Nothing is toodreadfultobedonetothesepeople;theymustbewipedoffthefaceoftheearth!Why? For one all-sufficient reason: because their rites are different! TheMuhammadanssweptoveralargepartoftheworldofferingtheirKoranorthesword to thepeople theyconquered.Christianshavebeennobetter.The samespirit led to the persecutions by the Inquisitors, the atrocious treatment of theSouth American Indians, and all the rest of such things. We think we arebecomingmorecivilizednow,yeteventodayreligiousfeelingisverystrongandbitterinsomequarters.Itisthefashiontosaythatevenifthelawpermittedsuchpersecutionsasusedtotakeplace,ourhighercivilizationwouldpreventusfromeverresortingtothehorrorsofthepast.Iamnotsosureofit.IknowplacesinEngland where a person of unorthodox religious views is regarded as to beexcludedfromsocialfunctions,andtobesuspectedofallsortsofbadthings.Wedonotputpeopleontherack,andwrenchouttheirteeth,asourforefathersdid.Autrestemps,autrestnoeurs!IdonotthinkIshouldliketoseeabsolutepower

givenintothehandsofanyofthedogmaticsects.

Vivisectorsdoit.

C.W.L.—Thereisnoexcuseforpractisingdeliberatecrueltytoanimals.Theyareouryoungerbrothers,and thoughnotyetmen, theywillbecomesoafteragreaterorlessernumberofincarnations.Thepracticeofanimalexperimentationinvolvingcrueltyisabhorrent,andcanneverreallybenefitmankind,becausethelawofkarmacannotbechanged,andasmansowssoshallhealsoreap.IhaveheardDr.Besantsaythatnolivesoughttobesavedbysuchmethodsasthat.Weknow that the instinct of self-preservation is strongly implanted in everymanand every animal, so that the body which has been acquired at the cost ofconsiderable effort and troublemay give service to the life within as long aspossible, and that therefore human life must be saved when it can rightly bedone.Butthatendcannotjustifyallpossiblemeans.Werightlyadmirethemenwho face death rather than dishonour; surely it is great dishonour to humanbeingstohavetheirlivessavedbyanythingobtainedinsuchadiabolicalmannerasthis.OurPresidentsaidshewouldratherdiethanbesavedinthisway.

There is very varied opinion on this subject among members of theTheosophicalSociety,inwhicheveryoneisfreetohavehisownbeliefs,buttheMaster’sopinion,asquotedabove,isdefinite.Whatevermaybeourabhorrenceofthecrueltyofvivisection,however,wemustmakeallowancesforthefactthatmanydoctorsandotherswhosupportandpractiseitdosoregretfully—notforthe pleasure of cruelty (though the existence of such things in ourmidst doesgiveanopportunity for that to someghouls inhuman form),butbecause theythinkit theonlywaytosavehumanbodiesfromsufferinganddeath,andtheysincerely believe that the end justifies themeans in this case.Howevermuch,therefore,wemaydisagreewiththem,letuscondemnthesinbutnotthesinner.Therecanbenoquestionbutthatkarmawillbringgreatsufferingtothosewhopractisevivisection.Manywhoviewthemwithindignationapproachinghatredwouldchangetheirfeelingtopitydidtheyrealizethisfact.

All vivisectionists are not cruel to the same degree. I know, for example amember of our own Society, who is one of the leading surgeons, who hasperformedvivisectionsof a certainkind.Thereare certain tubes in thehumanbodywhichsometimesbecomesevered.Theyaresofinethatwhenonetriesto

jointheseveredendsagaintheinevitablescaralwaysblocksthetube.Itwasforatimeimpossibletosavepeopleinthisconditionuntilitoccurredtothisdoctorthatifonemadealargerincisionitmightbepossibleforthewoundtohealandyetatthesametimetokeepthetubeopen.Hedidthisbymakinganincisioninthe tube near the end of one piece and on the side of the other, and let themoverlapandhealinthatway.Inordertoseewhetherthiswouldwork,hetriedituponanumberofdogs.Hetoldmethathetriedthisexperimentonabouthalfadozenstraydogs.Theywerethoroughlywellfedandbroughtintoperfecthealthbeforetheoperation,someanastheticwasthenadministered,andthedogswerenursed very carefully until they had recovered, and it was found that theoperationhadbeen successful.The resultwas that thiswhichbeforehadbeenthought impossible became a recognized possibility. The operation is now acommononeallover theworld,and isknownby thenameof thedoctorwhoinventedit.Theprinciplewaswrong,buttherewaspracticallynocrueltytotheanimalsconcerned,andtheyweremuchbetteroff,insteadofworse,forthetimebeing.Thisexperimentwasthusquitedifferentfromwhatusuallyoccurs,andIthinkitwouldbeentirelyinappropriatetoattackthisdoctorinthewayinwhichanti-vivisectionistsconstantlyattackthemassofthevivisectors.

Someof theexperiments thatonereadsaboutareatrociouslycruel, suchasthat of seeing to what degree of temperature an animal can be baked beforecertain functions disappear, and dozens of other ghastly and obviously uselesshorrors.Andtherearethousandsofothersperformedneedlesslyforthegeneralinstructionofstudents,and to tryallkindsofeffects,manyofwhicharequiteuseless,becausethehumanconstitutiondiffersfromthoseofdifferentanimalsinavarietyofways.Forexample,agoat,amongitsothermiscellaneousfood,willeatfreelyofhenbane,withnoapparentinjury;butifahumanbeingtakesithewillpassonto theastralplane.Again,whenananimal is infrightfulpainandterror,thatmustchangethefluidsofitsbodyandrenderanyobservationswithregardtothemofveryuncertainvalue.

Thepropersubstituteforallthiscrueltyis,ofcourse,clairvoyance.Itisveryfarbetterforthedoctorifhecanseeintotheinterioreconomyofthelivingmanwhile thebody iswhole, than it is todeducecertain thingsabout itbycuttinginto the livingbodyofananimalwhichdiffers from theman.Thosewho feelthattheymustdovivisectionhadbetterformasocietyinwhichtheywillagreeto practise on one another; in that way theywill have human subjects givingreactionslikelytobeusefulwhenthoseofananimalarenot,andtheywillavoid

horrible cruelty to defenceless creatures, which in God’s world they have norighttoinflict.Thisisunnecessary,however,foratenthpartofthetrouble,andstudyandresearchthatisputintotheseexperimentswouldproduceanarmyofreliableclairvoyants;indeed,theattentionthatisgivenbytheaveragestudenttohislongtrainingwouldgenerallybequiteenoughtodevelophisclairvoyance.

There is serious danger of another form of cruelty rising out of the greatauthorityclaimedbytheorthodoxmedicalfraternity.Wedonotwanttobecomeslavestothem,asourforefatherswereslavestotheChurch.Thoughtheyhavedone good in various ways, that gives no authority for the establishment ofscientific“inquisitions”withpowertopenalizethehereticwhodoesnotwishtosubmit to their creedof themoment.True, itwouldbeonly the civil law thatwouldpunish,butthatwasalsothecasewiththeChurch—thosewhowouldnotbelieveandsubmit,ithandedovertothecivilauthorities,withthehypocriticalprayer that there should be no shedding of blood, which prevented those inpower from cutting off their heads andmade them burn their victims instead.There has been trouble with the enforcement of vaccination, and it is stillcompulsory in somecountries; though it is anarguablequestionas towhethertheremedyisnotworsethanthediseasewhichitisprofessedtoprevent.Thereare very frequent changes in medical opinion, yet each fad is franticallysupportedwhile it lasts. The interests of a community in power have often inhistorygivenrisetoterribleoppressionandwidespreadmisery.Letushavenoscientific“inquisitions”.

Therearesomepeoplewho try toexcuseanycruelty toanimalson theoldJewishtheorythattheyexistonlyforthesakeofman.Weknowbetterthanthat.TheyexistfortheLogos;theyarestagesofevolutionpermeatedbyHislife.Itis, however, justifiable for us tomake use of animals, so long aswe promotetheir evolution. They benefit by being in contactwithman. It is true that weinterferewiththewildhorsewhenwecapturehim,butinotherways,especiallymentally,hegainsmuchdevelopment.

Some even extend the old Jewish idea to children. There are parents whothinkthatchildrenexistforthem—tobeusedasservants,tobeasourceofpride,toprovidefortheiroldage,andsoon.Andthatleadsontotheinhumannotionthatachildshouldbeforcedtobecomewhatwethinkheoughttobe,regardlessofthespecial interestsandaptitudesthatarehisbecauseofhispastlives.Thisleadstosuperfinecruelty.

Manyschoolmastersdo ithabitually.All thesepeople try toexcuse theirbrutalitybysayingthatitisthecustom;butacrimedoesnotceasetobeacrimebecausemanycommitit.

C.W.L.—Thebeating of children is awidely spread custom, but that is noexcuseforit.Itisnot,however,auniversalcustom;Iamhappytosaythatthereareafewcountrieswhichinthatrespecthaveattainedcivilization.IbelievethatJapan is oneof them. I know frommyown experience that Italy is another. Ilived for someconsiderable time inoneof the Italian cities, in ahousewhichoverlookedthegroundsofalargeschool,andIwatchedwithverygreatinteresttherelationsbetweenthemastersandtheboys.Becauseoftheirmoreexcitableandfreernaturestheydidnottreatdisciplineaswedo.Theboys,wouldallbedrawnupinlineandatanymomentoneofthemwouldsuddenlyleavetheranksandrushuptothemaster,seizeuponhisarmandsaysomethingtohiminquitean impassioned way. The master would smile and pat his head, evidentlygranting his request or saying something about it. Theywere all on themostfriendlyterms.Inoticed, too, thatwheneverthoseboysmettheirmaster inthestreet, they immediately spranguponhim andpulled him about, andwere thevery greatest of friends out of school hours also. Thatwas a very good sign,because themanwhom children love is always a goodman at bottom—theirinstinctisinfallible.InItalyanythinglikethecrueltythatexistsinmostEnglishschoolscouldnothappen,becausethecustomsaredifferent.Tolayahanduponapersonistheoneunforgivablesininthatcountry;itinvolvesknivesandduelsandthingsofthatsort.Sothechildrenareperfectlysafe.

Punishmenthaslongbeenacustom,butthatdoesnotpreventitfrombeingboth cruel and futile. First of all, it is not our business to administerchastisement. The law of karma will attend to all that, and it cannot makemistakes,asweoftendo.Frightfullegalinjusticehasbeencommittedagainaridagain;theseverestpenaltieshavebeenimposeduponquiteinnocentpeople.Thecriminalhasdonemorewrongtohimself thantoanybodyelse,andvengeancemaybelefttothecourseofnature.

Apartfromthat,punishmentisappliedtoinspirefear—intheoffenderforthefuture, and in thepossibleoffender at large.The ideaofbeatinga child is thesame as that of punishing a criminal by law; these things have in them theelementsof revenge.They seem to say: “Youdo such-and-sucha thing, and Iwillmake it very uncomfortable for you.”Often a teacher gets angry, and his

feelings are the cause of the punishments he applies—not any reasonedjudgmentastowhatisbestforthechild.Iknowitissaidthatpunishmentbylawisintendedtopreventpeoplefromcommittingcrimes.Butitdoesnotactinthatway.AhundredyearsagothepunishmentsoftheEnglishlawwereverysevere.Forexample,apersonwouldbehangedforstealinganythingtothevalueofoneshilling and sixpence. I remember having seen it recorded at the entrance toNewgateprison—andinotherplacesthereisthesamesortofthing—thatsuch-and-such a personwas hanged for stealing a pair of gloves, valued at two orthreeshillings.Whensuchseverepunishmentwasmetedout,theproportionofcrimewasmuchgreaterthanitisnow.Theamountofcrimehaslittletodowiththe punishments meted out; it is chiefly a question of general education andcivilization.

Punishmentbythelaworbytheschoolgenerallyhasnorelationtothecrimecommitted.Amanstealssomething;thenheisshutupinaprisonforacertaintime.Whatistherelationbetweenthetwothings?Hemightreasonablybemadetodosomeworkwhichshouldreturnthevalueofthearticlestolen,tothepersonfrom whom it was taken. The punishment should fit the crime in some way.Merelytoshutamanupbecausehehasstolensomethingisakindofnightmare.Soalsoamongusachilddoesnotlearnacertainlessonandtheybeathim.Whatis the connection between the two things? There would be some reason insaying: “Youhavenot learnt the lesson;youwillbebehind theothers inyourclass, therefore you must stay and learn it when otherwise you would beplaying.”Thereisnosenseinthiskindofthing,anditisradicallywrong.Theideaofgiving intentionalpain isalwayswrong,andnoamountofcustomcanmakeitright.Allsortsofeminentlyundesirableandfoolishthingshavebeenthecustom—foot-binding inChina, forexample,andsomeofourownfashionsatdifferenttimes.Wemustnotgettheideathatbecauseathingisthecustom,evenif it has been so for hundreds of years, itmust be a good or necessary thing,becauseveryoftenitisnot.

Acommunitymightreasonablysaytosomehabitualcriminals,astheydidtosuchpeopleinancientPeru:“Weareacivilizedrace.WithgreattroublewehavearrangedourStateuponacertainscheme,anditisintendedforpeoplewhowillkeepitslaws.Ifyoudonotintendtokeeptheselaws,gooutandlivewithsomeoneelse.”There,exilewas theonlypunishment;and tobecastoutamongthebarbarian tribeswas thegreatestdisgrace,aswellasadiscomfort.Societyhasthe right to restrainadangerousperson.WhenyougetaMalay runningamuk

youmuststopthatman,eventhoughitshouldbeatthecostofhavingtotakehislife.Butexceptinemergencies,whenitisunavoidable,wehavenorighttokill;and no one ever has the right to torture—that is absolutely certain. Capitalpunishment,ifitisrevenge,meansthatwebecomeasbrutalasthecriminalwhohasarousedwhatweeuphemisticallycallourrighteousindignation.Ifithasthepurposeofsavingusfurthertroublewiththatmanitiswronginprinciple,sincetheStatehasadutytoevery,citizen,notonlytothosewhoarenormal,andalsoitshouldthinkoftherealman,notmerelyofthebody.Toseektheeasiestwayoutofourdifficultybykillingthemanisthuspositivelycriminal;anditdoesnogood because much evil passion is aroused, and the man will reincarnate inunpleasantkarmicrelationswithusinthefuture.Therealcriminal—whoisrare,because most offenders are products of unfortunate environment—is really apathological case. What he requires is not torment and brutalization, whichaccentuate his anti-social tendencies, but the right treatment and training thatwillbringhimphysicallyandemotionallywithintheranksofnormalcitizenship.The State cares for the physically andmentally defective; it must deal in thesame way with the criminal, who is generally either mentally or emotionallydefective.Thiswouldbetheattitudeoflove,thestandpointoftheMaster.

Theseidealsarereal,andquiteclearandpractical.Boththecriminalandthechildmustbehelpedbyeducation,notdrivenbyfear.Thesystemofterrifyingchildrenproducesexceedinglyevilresults.Itintroducesintotheirlivesfearandpainanddeceit,andisgenerallydisastroustocharacterandgoodcitizenship.ItisanotherformoftheoldChurchideaofhell:butthehellistobehere,anditcanbeescapedbyonewithsufficientcunning.Peoplethoughttheycouldmakeothersgoodbyfrighteningthem.Itisoddhowthatideastillholds.Oneofourprincipal livingnovelistswrote tomesome timeagoandsaid thatonceat theseaside he met a young man and gave him some Theosophical ideas, in thecourseofwhichheexplainedtohimthatthehelltheorywasallnonsense.Lateronthisyouth’smother,fullofanger,paidthenovelistavisit.Shesaid:“ThatistheonlywayIhavebeenabletokeepthisboyinorder—bythefearofhell,bythreateninghimwithiteverydayandalldaylong.Nowthatyouhavepersuadedhimthat there isnohell,whatamIgoingtodo?”Perhaps ifshehadknownalittlebetter,andhadexplainedthingstohimfromthefirsttherewouldhavebeennoneedtoadoptthisveryunpleasantformofterrorism.

Liberty and love are great factors in the development of the human soul.Therearemanypeoplewhoarequitewillingtogivelibertytoothers,iftheywill

do exactly what they prescribe! But true liberty means the freedom to try inone’sownway.Ingeneralthereisfartoomuchinterference;toomuchdirectionfromtheoutsidediminishestheverylife-activitythatitseekstoprotectorassist.Thisisseeninschoollife,wherequantitiesofunnecessaryrulesaremade,whenindividualfreedomwouldgivemoreopportunityforgrowth.ThatisoneofthegreatdifferencesbetweentheEnglishschemeofgovernmentandthatofsomeofthe other nations. England tries on the whole to leave its people as free aspossible.Somecountriestrytoavoidtroubleanddangerandtoassistthepeoplebyallkindsofrestraints.Irememberanofficialofaforeignstatesayingtomeonce: “Well, sir, in a really well-managed country everything would beforbidden!” In travelling about the world I have been much struck by thedifferentformsinwhichtheregulationsareexpressed.Inonecountryyouwillfindasternprohibition;inanother,arequest.Someobviouslyadoptthemilitaryplan,which is good only for very young souls; but others appeal to the goodsense and goodwill in a man. I remember, for example, reading one sign,forbidding certain unpleasant practices, which ran: “Gentlemen will not, andothersmustnot”doso-and-so.ThatwasinAmerica,whichisoneofthenewercountries.Ithoughtitwasratherwellput.

There are cases where you must assert compulsion in the interests of thecommunity;butitisalwaysbetterwhenpossibletohavethewillsofthepeoplewith you than to drive them along. I am afraid that is only very slightlyunderstoodwithregardtoeducation.Everythingisprescribed;allthetimeitis:“Do this,donotdo that.”Even in teaching thechildhis interest isnotusuallyengaged,butheistold:“Thisisalessonanditmustbelearned.”

In thenewermethods,suchas thatofMme.Montessori, the lesson ismadeinteresting,sothatthechildmindopenslikeaflower.Thereisonlyonewayinwhichyoucanreallyandusefullyteachachildanything,andthatisbymakinghim love you to begin with. You exercise a certain amount of moral suasionafterwards,becauseyoulookinjuredandpainedifhedoeswrong.Thatisquitelegitimate,becauseyou reallydo feel thepain. Ifyou start rulingby loveyoucall out the love of the pupil, and get something done. To teach children onemusthaveaclevermind,aheart fullof love,andpatienceaswideas thesea;onemustunderstandthemistakesthatchildrenmake,andbeabletoshowthemhow to do things properly, but in their own way. If you start with force andbrutality you call out nothing but hostility, and then you do not get anythingworthwhiledone.

It is the same inordinary life. Ifonebusinessmanwants todealprofitablywith another, he speaks pleasantly to him, and tries to convince him that thebusiness he proposeswill be to theirmutual advantage. Itwould not occur tohimtostartoutbytryingtodrivetheotherman;itwouldonlyantagonizehimandmake anything like friendly relations between them impossible.Boys andgirlsarehumanbeings,too,andyoucangetmoreoutofthemifyouhavethemonyoursidethanifyousetthemagainstyoutostartwith.Thesearemattersofexperience to those who try to teach. No teacher, however skilful, howeverlearned, is worthy of that highly honourable name unless he can interest thechildrenandgetthemtolovehim.Itisanabsoluteprerequisite.ThatisthewayinwhichtheMastersteach:neverbyforce,neverbyissuingcommands,butbyshowingtherightwayandencouragingustotrytoimitateThem.

Karma takesnoaccountofcustom;and thekarmaofcruelty is themostterribleofall.InIndiaatleasttherecanbenoexcuseforsuchcustoms,forthedutyofharmlessnessiswell-knowntoall.

C.W.L.—Themanwhotakesuptheprofessionofaschool-masterdoessoinordertoearnhisliving,justashemightenteranyotherprofession.TheLordsofKarmadonot,however, regard thematter from thatpointofview.Theyputamanintosuchapositionwiththeideaofgivinghimamagnificentopportunity.Ifheshould take it,andcarryhiswork throughcarefully, tactfully, lovingly, itwill lead him to another life inwhich hewill probably be a religious teacher.From that the way is open to become a great saint, a great benefactor ofmankind.Theteachingprofessionliesstraightintheroadtosomeofthehighestprizesoflife,fromthepointofviewoftheLordsofKarma.

Theteachershouldrealize thateachchild isanego;andshouldgiveall thehelp possible to the development of its character. He naturally has a vastopportunity, because the children are in his care to learn, and he canmake ofthemverymuchwhathewill.Astothestrengthofthisinfluence,awell-knownJesuitoncesaid:“Letmehaveachilduptotheageofeleven,andafterthathecangowherehepleases.”Theteacher’sinfluenceupontheyoungoperatesquiteasmuchbywhatheisandthewayinwhichheacts,asbyanythingdirectlysaidtothem.Hewhoiswhatheoughttoberadiatesloveinastrongandpowerfulinfluence.Hispositionisalsooneofgreatresponsibility,forifinsteadofrousinglove and good qualities in his charges he awakens fear and deceit, he is

hamperingtheprogressofthoseegos,andthusdoingseriouspositiveharm.

Misuseofsuchanopportunityinvolvesaterriblefallfortheman.Crueltyinsuchcasesproducesveryhorribleresults;oncertainoccasionswehavefoundittobringasortofrepaymentinkind,butquiteoftenitbringsinsanityasitsresult,andshortofthat,agreatmanyconditionssuchashysteriaandneurasthenia.Inmanycasesalso ithas resulted ina remarkableandcataclysmicdescent in thesocial scale.Apersonwhohasbeen cruel in a reasonablygoodposition findshimself throwndownamongthedrugsof thepopulacebecauseof thatcruelty.Forexample,IhaveseencasesofBrahmanasrebornaspariahs,inconsequenceofcrueltytochildren.SoitisevidentthattheLordsofKarma,demonstratingthegreatlawsoftheuniverse,takethesameviewofthesethingsastheMasterdoes.

An opportunity somewhat similar to that of the schoolmaster is given to amanwhoisthemanagerofafactoryortheheadofalargebusinessofanykind.A man thinks of such a place as one to be desired because it gives him anopportunity of getting a good salary or ofmaking a good deal ofmoney andobtainingacertainamountofpower.ButtheLordsofKarmawouldregardthat,again,asanopportunitytohelpallthoseothermenwhocameunderhiscontrol.Anemployeroften regardshismenwith a sort of scarcelyveiledhostility; hethinkstheywanttogetasmuchoutofhimastheycanandtotakeadvantageofhim in variousways.On their part, themen usually think hewishes to grindthemdown, to get all he can out of them, paying themas little as possible inreturn.Itistrue,unfortunately,thatinsomecasesbothsidesarerightinthinkingastheydo.Thereareemployerswhohavethatattitude;andthereareverymanyworkmen who take that line towards their employers: but the man whounderstands will look at it not in the least from that point of view. That thepositiongivesthemananopportunityofbeingahelpfulinfluenceinthelifeofanumberofpeopleis theonlyaspectof thematterwhichconcernstheLordsofKarma. The Lords of Karma do not usually look at things from our point ofview.Mankind generally, for example, regards death as a terrible thing and aheavypunishment:butitisoftengivenasakindofreward—asareleaseleadingtobetterandmorepromisingconditions.

ThefateofthecruelmustfallalsouponallwhogooutintentionallytokillGod’screatures,andcallit‘sport’.

C.W.L.—AsregardsconditionsinthecountryinEnglandPunch’ssatire,“Itis a fine day; let us go out andkill something”was not very farwrong.As aclergymaninacountryparishinEnglandIwasincloserelationwithatypicalsetofthepeoplewhoshootandhuntandfish.Theydidallthesethingsastheirregular daily occupation, and that formed also the principal subject of theirconversation.Yet,howeverhardonemay find it tobelieve, thesepeoplewereperfectlygentleandkindlytowardstheirfellow-men;themenweregoodfathersandhusbands,lenientjudgesandkindfriends,buttheydidnotseethewronginthisparticular thing.Oneof thoseverymen,whowouldkilldeerandshootasmanypheasantsashecouldinthemostrecklessway,wouldneverthelesssitupall nightwith a dog thatwas sick, showing that he had a kind heart, and thateventowardstheanimalshefeltacertainbrotherhood.Thecrueltyisallduetoakindofmentalblindness.Theydonotlackintellect,butonthismattertheyhaveneverthought,buthavetakenitforgrantedthatallthesecreatureswerecreatedfortheiruse,andfortheenjoymentwhichtheycouldderivefromtheirskill inkillingthem.Peopleeatmeatwiththesamethoughtlessness.AsayoungmanIdidso,anditneverdawneduponmethatitwaswronguntilIfoundabookonthesubject—thatwaslongbeforetheTheosophicalSocietywasfounded.

Whenwe have once seen that such “sport” is a horrible thing, and that infollowing itweare takingpart in the slaughterofGod’screatures,wewonderwhywenevernoticeditbefore.Thousandsofpeoplehavenotyetseentheevil.The glamour of custom is upon them, and they have never thought of thefrightfulharmthatisbeingdone.Thesamethingistrueinconnectionwithsomearticlesofattire.Therearecertainkindsoffeathers,forexample,thatcanonlybeprocured at terrible cost in animal life—not only thepain anddeathof thecreature concerned, but generally of other young creatures depending upon it.People who wear these things are certainly criminally careless. They are notdesperatelycruel—notintheleast: theyaresimplyfollowingthecustom.Still,karmawilloperate.Amanmaybeinabrownstudyandwalkoveraprecipice;thefactthathedidnotknowwherehewasgoingdoes,notaltertheresult.

Suchthingsastheseyouwouldnotdo,Iknow;andforthesakeoftheloveofGod,whenopportunityoffers,youwillspeakclearlyagainstthem.

C.W.L.—Herewemustnotethewords“whenopportunityoffers”.Wedonotwant to thrust our ideas upon other people, so one speaks on such matters

usuallyonlywhenanopinionisasked,orwhenthesubjectcomesforwardinanaturalway.Tothrustforwardone’sownideas,howeverexcellenttheymaybe,generallydoesmoreharmthangood.Theaggressivepeoplewhodothisalwaysarouse resentment. A man who accosts you in the street and wants to knowwhetheryouhavefoundJesus,orwhetheryoursoulissaved,doesnotimpressyoufavourably,andmostpeopleareinclinedtofeelthatsinceheissotactlesshis religioncannotbeofgreatpracticalvalue. If a suitableopportunityoccursone may lend a book or a pamphlet, or converse gently and quietly on thesubject. But if you find yourself among a number of sportsmen, I should notadviseyoutostartoutbysaying:“Thisisaverywickedthing”—althoughitis.If Iwere asked, I should say quietly: “I hold that all life is sacred, that theseanimalsare reallyyoungerbrothersofours,andyouhavenomore right togoout and kill them for pleasure than you would have to kill a man for yourpleasure.”Theywouldbesurprised,nodoubt;perhapstheywouldsneercovertlyatme;but theywouldnotbe so strongly set against the idea as theywould iftheywereattacked.

Wewhoarevegetariansoftenfeelgreatdisgustifwehavetositatthesametable with people who are eatingmeat, yet it is frequently unavoidable whentravelling.Still,itisnotwelltoshowourfeelings;thatiscertainlynotthewaytoconvert other people, but if they ask about our views we can express ouropinionstemperately,forcefullybutquietly.Ifwedothisitisquiteprobable,ifthemanbeginstothinkaboutit,thathewillcomeovertoourpointofview.

But there is acruelty in speechaswell as inact; andamanwhosaysawordwiththeintentiontowoundanotherisguiltyofthiscrime.That,too,youwouldnotdo;butsometimesacarelessworddoesasmuchharmasamaliciousone.Soyoumustbeonyourguardagainstunintentionalcruelty.

C.W.L.—Somepeoplepridethemselvesonspeakingoutjustwhattheythink,evenifithurtsothers,andtheyseemtoregardthisasavirtue.TheMaster,whoneveruseswordscarelessly, says itmaybea crime, if thewordsare cruel. Indebateordiscussionweneednotrefrainfromputtingoursideof thecase,butwe can put it carefully and courteously. TheApostle said: “Let everyman befully persuaded in his ownmind.”34. That does not mean that he is to try topersuade other people, but that he himself should understand why he holdscertain beliefs.When that is the case hewill be able to state his views,when

necessary,gentlyandtemperately.

It is a curious fact that many people cannot differ in opinion from otherswithoutgettingmoreorlessangry,althoughtheyknowthattherearethousandsuponthousandsofquestionsintheworlduponwhichthereissomuchtobesaidon several sides that one point of view is almost as defensible as another. AdiscussionbetweenaCatholicandanOrange-manisexceedinglylikelytoendinblows, which, after all, do not constitute a form of argument which carriesconvictionwith it. If a person differs from another’s opinion it appears to betakenasakindofslight;suchapersonissosurethathisownideaisrightthatanyothermanwhodisagreesiswilfullyofmaliceprepensedecliningtoacceptit!Wehavethereforetobecarefulhowweputourviewsbeforeothers.

There isaspecial temptation in regard toTheosophy,becausewedefinitelybase our belief on reason, andwe only try to show people this; yet often theother man cannot see it. Reason, however perfect, however logical, does notnecessarilyimpresstheordinarymanatall;hedoesnotliveinhisreason,butinhis feelings, and if theseare rousedbywhat is said,noamountof reasonwillconvincehim,andthemorewetalktheangrierhewillbecome.

Itcomesusuallyfromthoughtlessness.Amanissofilledwithgreedandavarice that he never even thinks of the suffering which he causes toOthers by paying too little, or by half-starving his wife and children.Anotherthinksonlyofhisownlust,andcareslittlehowmanysoulsandbodiesheruinsinsatisfyingit.Justtosavehimselfafewminutestrouble,amandoesnotpayhisworkmenontheproperday,thinkingnothingofthedifficulties he brings upon them. So much suffering is caused just bycarelessness—byforgettingtothinkhowanactionwillaffectothers.ButKarmaneverforgets,andittakesnoaccountofthefactthatmenforget.Ifyouwish to enter thePath, youmust thinkof the consequencesofwhatyoudo,lestyoushouldbeguilty,ofthoughtlesscruelty.

C.W.L.—By paying a little less than what a thing is worth one may becausing much suffering to the workman, and his wife and children. Thereduction of a few pence from a day’s wages may mean that the family hasinsufficient food.Business is business, I know, but it is better if necessary, tomakelessratherthanfallintothesinofgrindingdownthepoor.Employersare

finding that it pays to give “goodwages”, as has been the experience ofMr.HenryFord,whoissaid tobenowtherichestmanin theworld.Asapriest, Iusedtogoamongthepoorandseethingsfromtheirstandpoint,andoftenfoundpeopletakingadvantageoftheirhelplessness.ThiswassoalsoinIndia,wheresometimesinthePariahSchoolschildrenactuallyfaintedfromhunger,untilwewereinapositiontogivethemfood.

CHAPTER5

SUPERSTITION

Superstition isanothermightyevil,andhascausedmuchterriblecruelty.Themanwhoisaslavetoitdespisesotherswhoarewiser,triestoforcethemtodoashedoes.

C.W.L.—Superstition never takes into account the differences oftemperament between people. It has some form of belief which it wishes toimpress upon all alike, not realizing that you never can impress any belief,except,perhaps,somedryscientificfact,uponallpeoplealike,becausethereareasmany attitudes towards life as there are people. Even if you know a greatnumberofpeople,youwill rarely find twowhoarealike in theway inwhichcircumstances affect them. You can predict certain general possibilities withregard to the great majority of men, but until you know them very well youcannot judge accurately how they will react to certain things. So superstitionimplies among other things a very great want of sympathy. The man who issubject to it does not understand that there are other ways than his own oflookingatthings.

Superstition is not only bad for the person himself, butwhen prominent italwaysleadstoattemptstocoerceotherpeople.Allthroughhistory,superstitionin religion has led to frightful trouble. On its account the followers ofMuhammad have at different times spread bloodshed and slaughter over vasttracts of Asia, Europe and Africa, offering “the Koran or the sword”. ThesuperstitionwhichproducedtheInquisitionhasbeenpreviouslydiscussed.ThemassacresofSt.BartholomewandtheSicilianVespers,whentheProtestantsandthe Catholics respectively massacred each other were other terrible results ofsuperstition. The last were partly political, but the former was a matter of“religion”. The ill-feeling between the different sects of Christians was verylargely responsible for the massacre, though no doubt political considerationsalsohadtheirshare in it,as theyhadalsowithConstantinewhenhebecameaChristian, thinking it a good card to play in the then state of affairs in theByzantineEmpire.

TheCrusadeswereanothermightysuperstition.Becauseofastorywhichhadlittle foundation in fact, as to the life and death of the teacher Jesus, twentymillionmenlosttheirlivesinthoseCrusades,tryingtogetintoChristianhandsthe countrywhereHis life story occurred. If they could have been brought tounderstandthatitwasthelifestoryofeveryInitiate,andthatthathasbeenledinallcountriesoftheworldatonetimeoranother,allthatlossoflifemighthavebeenavoided.Perhapsitwasnotallloss,however,becausebygoingouttofightwith the more enlightened Saracens the Christians brought back some usefulinformationintoEurope,andthattheywerewillingtodieforanidealcountedtothemforrighteousness.Therewassomethingchivalrousandbeautiful,nodoubt,intheideathat thesacredplacesofareligionoughttobelongtothepeopleofthatreligion.Timehasproved,however,thatinthiscaseitwasfortunatethattheChristiansdidnotsucceed.InthatholylandtheMuhammadansoldiershavehadto keep peace between the rival Christian sects—the Latin and the Greek—because they always fight for precedence about the holy fire and at thesepulchre.

AtthepresentdaywehaveinIndiaasimilarproblem,butnoonedreamsoftrying to settle it by the method of the Crusades. The holy places of theBuddhists—the place where the Lord Buddha was born, the place where Heattained His Buddhahood, the place where He died—are all in the hands ofpeople of the Hindu faith, a religion which is as different fromBuddhism asChristianityisdifferentfromMuhammadanism.TheBuddhistsearnestlydesiretopossess theirholyplaces,but it hasnotoccurred to theBuddhistnations tostartuponawarofconquest.Wemaybeverythankfulforthat,fortheBuddhistsnumber about five hundred million people. Their religion forbids them to doanythingsoirrational.SomeBuddhistshavetriedtobuybackthesite,andtheynearly succeeded in doing so. The Theosophical Society assisted them, butunfortunatelyagreatpartofthemoneywaslostinalawsuit,andtheplanfellthrough.

There is no great religion exceptBuddhismwhich has never persecuted. Itcouldnotdosobecauseofitsinherentprinciples:itisboundtotolerationbytheverywords of its Founder.Who is aBuddhist?He is amanwho follows theteachingsof theLordBuddha;notamanwhobelieves thisor that,butamanwholivesastheLordBuddhasaidmenshouldlive.AskamissionarywhatwillbecomeofthereallygoodBuddhist,andhewillusuallyanswer,“IfhedoesnotbelieveinChrist, thereisnohopeforhim”,oratbesthewill leavehimtothe

uncovenantedmerciesofGod,ifheisaverygoodman.IfyouaskaBuddhistthe same question about a good Christian, he will say, “He is quite a goodBuddhist;hecallshimselfaChristian,buthe is following the teachingsof theLordBuddha;allwillbewellwithhim.”SuchisthetoleranceofBuddhism,asIhaveexplainedbefore.Ofcourse, every religion really forbids intoleranceandviolence,butthelevelofignoranceandfanaticisminsomeofthemhasblindedtheirpeopletothissimplefact.

The formof superstition called race hatred, inwhich one race instinctivelydislikesanotherenbloc,isalsofoolish,becausethereisgoodandbadineveryrace.Irememberthatinremote,villagesinEnglandtheattitudeofthepeasantrytowards a foreignerwas always one of suspicion and ridicule. The fact that amanspokeadifferentlanguagewassomethingtolaughat,amongthoseignorantpeople. There are other peasantries who, in that particular respect, are lessuncourteous thanour common folk. I always feel that if a foreigner visits ourcountryweareintherelationofhosttowardshim,anditisourdutytomakehispatheasy,andtogivehimasgoodanimpressionofourpeopleandourcountryaswecan.

IntheNapoleoniceratherewasasuperstitioninEnglandthatallFrenchmenwere practically devils, fighting against us with the full knowledge that theywereonthewrongsideandagainstthelight.Todayyoumaygetcaseswhereavastnumberofpeopleareobsessedbyonedominantidea,resultinginakindofnational monomania. Under the influence of such a temporary monomaniadreadful atrocities occur, which the same people would never dream ofcommittingatothertimes.Inthiscasetheindividualsareresponsibleonlytotheextenttowhichtheyallowthemselvestobesweptofftheirfeetinthatway;thethings that they do are done by themonomaniamore than by the individualsthemselves. It is in much the same way that a man will sometimes lose histemperandsayunpleasantthings;it isthetemperthatspeaksandnottheman.Heistoblameinthatheallowsthetempertogetcontrolof’him,butwemusttakeintoconsiderationthatinallprobabilityhewillafterwardsverymuchregretwhathehassaid.

Think of the awful slaughter produced by the superstition that animalsshouldbesacrificed.

C.W.L.—Mentionofanimalandothersacrificesinconnectionwithreligionraises thewhole question of the relation ofGod toman.There are only threefundamentalviewsthatwecantakeuponthissubject:thefirstisthatGodstartedthis scheme of things and left it to take care of itself afterwards, being quiteindifferentastowhathappenedtoit;thesecondisthatHeretainswhatmustbecalledamalevolentinterestinit,desiringtoenjoybloodorothersacrifices;thethirdisthatHeremainsalwaystheall-lovingFatherofHiscreation.

Thefirsttheoryispracticallymodernmaterialismplustheideaofanoriginalcreator.ThesecondrepresentsGodasamonsterfullofblood-lust.ManyoftheoldscripturesmisrepresentHiminthisway.InonecaseintheOldTestamenttheJews boast of sacrificing a hundred and twenty-two thousand bullocks at onetime. Probably theywere exaggerating, aswas their habit in those early days.Jehovahdemandedsacrifices,anddidnotintheleastcarehowmuchsufferinghecausedso longashecouldgetwhathewanted.Hewasalwaysclamouringforsacrifices,whichmustbemadetohim,andtonootherdeity.TheJewsofthepresentday-wouldrecoilinhorrorfromsuchathing,butevidentlytheydidnotdosointhedaysofDavidandSolomon.ItfollowsthattheJehovahwhomtheythenworshippedwasnotwhatwecallGod,towhichconceptiontheycouldnotthen rise, but one of the great elemental deities coming over from Atlanteandays.TheJewshadbeforethencontactedthecivilizationofEgypt,butitsgreatideas hadmade little impression upon them; but later, during the Babyloniancaptivity, they learned of a supreme God. They at once identified Him,characteristically, with their own Jehovah, and their later prophets wrotemagnificentlyofHim,butstillwithfrequentoutcroppingsoftheoldideas.

Blood-sacrifices belong only to early stages of human-evolution. Theyinvolve the primitive magic of elemental-worship, and are always connectedwith elementals which live on the fumes of blood. The elemental wants thesacrifices because he absorbs the aroma of the blood and obtains from it thepowertomaterializehimself.Amongsomehilltribesthepeoplesaythatiftheydonotperformsuchsacrificestroublescomeuponthem—theircropsarespoiledand their houses catch fire; the hill gods of India are therefore also probablygreatelementaldeitiesofAtlantis.

WemaybesurethattheGreatOneshavenevercountenancedsuchsacrifices.In India, for example, the original revelation of the Vedas certainly did notcontain them,but theycame from theaboriginal traditions,which still exist to

some extent. The Lord Buddha spoke against animal sacrifices, and inducedKingBimbisaratoissueanedictabolishingtheminhisrealm.

Clearly noDeitywhomwe couldwish toworshipwouldwant offeringsofblood, though there are elementals and nature-spirits who do. We must,therefore, regard thoseportionsofScripturewhichdealwith suchofferings asbelonging toaperiod inhumanevolution longoutgrown.Somepeopledonotlike to say thisopenly,because they reverence theScriptures,but it isnothingbutsuperstitiontoregardoneparticularsetofwordsassacredandsacrosanctforalltime.WeoughttobeeclecticabouttheScriptures,asabouteverythingelse.Wetakeupabook,andvalueandrememberthosepassagesinitwhichwefindespecially beautiful and helpful. In the same way, we should take from anyscripturewhat isnoble andbeautiful andgrand for all time, andwemaywithadvantagedropallthosepartswhichdonotcomeuptoourstandards.Althoughblood-sacrifices arementioned in the Psalms and other parts of theBible,wemust face the fact that God could never have wanted them; they invariablybelongtothetypeofreligionthatconsiderstheDeityasanevilbeing,whomustbeboughtoff.

It has been the great tragedy ofChristianity that this idea becamemingledwith thepure teachingof theChristaboutGod the lovingFather.True,animalsacrificestotheDeityhavenotdisgracedChristianity,buttheideaofGodasabeingwhowilldoharmunlessboughtoff is still taughtby thegreatChristianorganizations. They invented the amazing theory that God sacrificed his ownSoninsteadofalltheotherpeoplewhowouldotherwisehavebeensenttohell.Isupposemost people never stop to thinkwhat kind of a god it could bewhowouldrequireorpermitsuchasacrifice.Youcanimaginewhatwouldbesaidofanyearthlykingwhocondemnedquitecasuallyanumberofpeopletohorribletorturesandthenreleasedthembecausehisownsoncameforwardandsaid,“Ifyou must kill somebody, kill me. I have not done anything wrong; butnevertheless, kill me, and let these people go free.” That theory-is notChristianity.

Colonel Ingersollwas rightwhenhe said that anhonestGod is thenoblestworkofman. It is true thatonlyanationwhichwasalreadyhighlydevelopedcouldrise to theconceptionofareallygrandandgloriousDeity.It is true thatourremoteforefathers,whoranaboutinthewoodsandpaintedthemselvesblue,and theancientwar-like Jews, andothers,hadcrudeconceptionsof theDeity,

butthereisabsolutelynoreasonwhyweshouldcarrythemonatthepresentday.

Thethirdtheory,whichweholdinTheosophy,isthatGodisbeneficent,thatHe has brought the whole scheme into existence for a purpose which He issteadilypursuingallthetime,andthatthereforeeverythingthathappensispartofHiswork.Heallowsacertainamountoffree-willtoHiscreaturesandtheydothingswhichareclearlynotinharmonywithHisgreatplan;yetastheirwillispartofHisplan,allisultimatelyHiswork.

WhenwesaythatGodallowsmansomeindependenceorfreedom,wemustmakeitclearthatweunderstandittobelimited,andgrowing.Ifamanuseswellthe freedom and power that he has, more will be given to him. The methodseemstobelikethatbywhichalittlechildistaughttowalk.Theteacherallowshim to try, and tumble, and try again; if hewere always carried in some oneelse’sarms,soastoavoidallpossibletumbles,hewouldendasacripple.Butwhattheteacherdoesnotdoistoletthechildlearntotakehisfirststepsaloneonamarblefloor,attheheadofastaircaseorinotherdangerousplaces.Later,whenhehasgrownup,hemaywalkon theedgeofaprecipice toadmire theview,ifhesochooses.InsomesuchmannertheLogosguardsuswhileHetrainsus,sothatwecannotwreckourlivesorhurtourselvesbeyondrepair.

Thisthirdtheoryissteadilygainingground.Foralongtimenow,Christianityhasbeenmuchbetterthanitscreeds,andverymanyChristianshaveheldwiderviewsthantheirChurcheshaveofficiallyauthorized.TheChurchofEngland,forinstance, formulates what it supposes to be its theory of things in a certainpredicationcalled“TheArticlesofReligion”.Theclergyhavetoassenttothem,but if one of them should ask, “How am I to accept these Articles; they areevidentlycontradictory?”heistoldthatatthetimetheywerewrittenthereweretwo irreconcilable parties, and something had to be said to please them both.Theysay:“TheBishopandtherestofushaveallsignedthem,wehavealltakentheminthisphilosophicway,andsincewehavedoneso,Ithinkyoumaydoso,too.”Theyoungmanwillprobablysay.“Well,Isupposeifyouassuremethatitdoesnotmeananything, Imayaswellaccept it.”But theposition isnotquitedignified.

I have no objection to the Christian Creeds; there is a far deepermeaningunderlying them than the Christian usually suspects.35 But I do object to theThirty-nine Articles and the Confession of Faith, because with some mostbeautiful ideas they contrive to intermingle others which are absolutely

impossible. If in the Catechism they had only stopped at the end of the firstquestionandanswer:“Whatisthechiefendofman?ToglorifyGodandenjoyHimforever”,thatwouldhavebeenmagnificent.

Christianityhasgoneverymuchaheadofitsauthorizedpronouncementsandbeliefs. Icameacrossapassage theotherdaywhichshows that ratherclearly.ThereisabookbytheDeanofRipon,inwhichhesays:“ThedevelopmentofChristinmanistheobjectofChristianity.”ThenhegoesontoexplainwhattheChristinmanis:“Itisthewisdomofthemanofscience;itistheeloquenceofthelawyer;itisthefairnessofthejudge;itistheloveofbeautyintheartist;itisthe loveofmanin thephilanthropist,”andsoon.ThatkindofChristianitywewill all accept.There isverymuch the same idea in theGita.Of rulers,”saysShriKrishna,“Iamthesceptre;ofthosewhoseekvictoryIamstatesmanship;andofsecretsIamalsosilence;theknowledgeofknowersamI.”“Whatsoeverisglorious,good,beautiful,andmighty,understandthouthattogoforthfromafragmentofMysplendour.”36.TheChristianDean isverynearly inagreementwith the writer of theBhagavadGita, a scripture of immense antiquity, verymuch older than theMahabharata, of which it became a part. Much of thegloriousteachingincorporatedintheGitaexistedamongtheAtlanteansresidingontheplainsofIndialongbeforetheAryaninvadersenteredthecountry.Iknowthatthatisnotthegenerallyacceptedidea,butitrepresentscertainfactswhichwehaveseen.

AssuredlywemaytrustGodutterly,becauseHeknowsandwedonotknow.Weknow,inageneralway,whatisexpectedofusinthehelpingforwardofHisschemeof evolution, butwedonot know thedetails.Yetweknow that thosedetailsareincompetenthands.Whatourkarmawillbewedonotknow,butthegreatPowerswhoaremanaging thematterknow itall, andwilldecidewiselyhow much of it can usefully be brought down upon us now, and how muchshouldbereservedforthefuture.IfitwerepossiblefortheGreatOnestolistentous,andtochangeourdestinyinaccordancewithwhatwethinkweshouldlikeatany time, itwouldassuredlybe theworse forus. Idonot say thatourownaspirationsinthematterareuseless—verymuchthereverse,forifwehavegoodaspirations, those are new factors introduced into the case, and theymaywellenabletheGreatLordstomodifytheworkingoutofourkarma,perhapstobringdownmoresothatwemaythesoonerberidofit,perhapstoalteritsincidenceandbringitdowninsomeotherway.Butwhateverisdone,isdoneforthebestfor everyone andnot for a fewonly, and sowe surely shouldnot try to alter

God’s will; we should thankfully accept whatever comes to> us, and shouldalways make the best of it, not the worst.We should take our difficulties assomething to be dominated, yet be always glad becausewe know thatGod isbehinditall,andHeisutterlybeneficent.

Andbythestillmorecruelsuperstitionthatmanneedsfleshforfood.

C.W.L.—That is a superstition, because, there aremanymillions of peoplewhoexistinperfecthealthwithoutit.Thereareprobablysomefewpeoplewho,owing to bad heredity and their own karma, are really unable to make theirbodiesdigestthepurerformoffood,buttheyarevery,veryfew.Ihavemyselfknown of a few instances, amongmany hundreds of Theosophists, of peoplewhoafterreallytryingforalongtimetoadoptavegetariandiet,foundthattheywereunabletodoit;butall therest,afteracertainamountofdifficultyjustatfirst,wereabletomaintainandoftenimprovetheirhealthonvegetarianfood.

It hasbeenprovedunquestionably thatmostpeople canbeperfectly strongwithout saddling themselves with the crime of taking part in the slaughter ofanimals.Itisbutasmallpercentageofphysicalbodiesthatcannotbeadaptedtovegetarianfood.It isanunfortunateconditionfor thesepersons,but ifonehasreallytriedintelligentlytoreformone’sdietinthisway,andfindsitimpossible,onemustacceptitaskarma.Insuchacaseitisnotalwayswiseorrighttosay,“IwillforcemybodytodowhatIwill,orletitgo.Iwillliveonpurefoodornot at all.” It may be that one has duties towards others, which cannot befulfilledifthebodyisweak,dutieswhichdemandrudehealth.Iknow,ofcourse,thatadviceofthiskindmayveryeasilybeusedasanexcusebythosewhodonotlikethehigherformoffoodorwhoshrinkfromthetroubleofadaptingthebodytoanewdiet,butitmustbegivenbecausetherearesomefewunfortunateswhomustneedscontinueintheiroldways.

Fleshfoodisundesirablebecauseitiscrueltokillanimals,andalsobecauseit bringsundesirableparticles intoourbodies,which coarsen them, and exciteanimaldesires in theelementalsof thosebodies.Therearemanyotherreasonsalso,whichImarshalled togetheronce ina lecturewhichmaybefoundinmybookSome Glimpses of Occultism. This is one of the few subjects in whichpracticallyall theargumentsareononeside,forthereisnothingtobesaidformeat-eating,except thatpeoplefollowthepracticebecause they like it. I think

wecanmakeitabundantlycleartoanyenquirerthatitisentirelyinhisintereststoabstainfromfleshfood.Itisnotonlyaquestionofprinciple,althoughsurelythat is enough for us, but a vegetarian diet means better health, and theavoidanceofcertainfearfuldiseases;anddefinitefactsshowthatthevegetarianhasrelativelygreaterendurance.

Peoplesometimesobjecttothisideaandsaythatinanycasewemustdestroylifeinordertolive,thatthosewhoarevegetariansalsodestroylife.Thatistrue,toaverylimitedextent.Isupposewemaybesaidtobedestroyingthevegetablelife, but that is much more primitive, and has not the acute sentiency of theanimal.Thefundamentalobjectiontokillingisthatitinterfereswiththecourseofevolution.Ifyoukillaman,youreallydonoharmtothatindividual,sofarashispleasureandhappinessareconcerned;hegoesusually toaplanewherehewill be far happier than he ever was on the physical plane; and the meredestructionof thebodyisnotnecessarilycruel,becauseamankilledsuddenlydoesnotfeelit.Thewrongyouhavedoneistocuthimofffromtheopportunityof evolutionwhichhewouldotherwisehavehad in that body.Hewill have afurther opportunity in another body later on, but you are delaying him, andgiving theLords ofKarma the trouble of finding another place for thatman’sevolution,andofcarryinghimonagainthroughbabyhoodandchildhoodbeforehehastheopportunityfordevelopment that theconditionsofmaturemanhoodprovide. That is also why it is so much more serious to kill a man than ananimal;themanhastodevelopanentirelynewpersonality,buttheanimalgoesbackintohisgroup-soul,fromwhichincarnationisacomparativelyeasymatter.Still, in the case of the more evolved animal, which is a more complicatedmanifestation,itcauses,ifwemayreverentlyputitso,agreatdealoftroubletotheevolutionaryPowers.Thekilling,say,ofamosquitoisaninfinitelysmallermatter,becauseitflowsbackintoitsgroup-soulandcomesoutagaininaveryshorttime.Thetroublecausedbythedestructionevenofhundredsofthousandsofthoseinsectsisasnothingcomparedtothekillingofonehorse,orcow,orcat,ordog.

Thereisnoconceivablecaseinwhichitcouldbetherightthingtokillamanfor any purpose of one’s own, except in emergencies in self-defence or thedefenceofanother.Theyogidoesnotevendefendhimself;heleavesthewholematter in thehandsofkarma.Still, Ibelieve thatweare justified indefendingour lives when they are attacked, and I am quite certain we are justified indefendingafriendorachild,evenatthecostofkillingtheaggressor.Thesame

thingholdsgoodwith regard toallkindsofanimals. Ifananimalattacksyou,endangering your life or your safety, you have, I think, the right to kill it ifnecessary. The whole question is: which will cause the greater harm? If, forexample,youaretroubledbymosquitos,whichhavelefttheirownnaturalfoodtoattackyouandpoisonyourblood,andperhapsspoilsomeimportantwork,itmightverywellbe the lesserevil tokill themosquitos. Ifyoucan takerefugebehindamosquitonet,ordrivethemaway,somuchthebetter.Themosquitoisvegetarianbynatureandby instinct.Therearemillionsuponmillionsof themwhichhavenevertastedblood.Bringthemintocontactwithhumanbeingsandgivethemthatvitiatedtasteandyouknowhowitturnsout.Itisexactlythesamewithavarietyofothersmallpests.Theyaregoodintheirproperplace,butthatisnotinclosecontactwithhumanbeings.Notonlydoweourselvessufferifwepermitthemtooverrunus,butwealsosubjectotherhumanbeingstoinfectionfromwhichtheywouldhavebeenfreeifithadnotbeenforus.

Though,withourimperfectknowledge,itgivesusnospecialjustificationtokillorexterminateanycreatureoffensivetous,it isafactthatsomeformsarenowintendedtodieaway,eitherbecausetheyhaveruntheircourse,orbecausetheyareexperimentsthathavebeenimproveduponandarethereforenolongerneeded. It is not irreverent to think of the great evolutionary Powers asexperimentingtosomeextent.TheLordMaitreya,whenHesucceededtheLordBuddha as World-Teacher, tried some new methods in religion, which mightconceivablyhavefailed.MadameBlavatskyusedsometimestospeakguardedlyofcertainplantsandanimalsasfailures,whoselife-formwasbeingpermittedtoflow on and die out gradually, being used sometimes for the indwelling ofcreatures lower than those originally intended to occupy them and sometimesevenfor thoseundergoinginvolution.Shespokeofcertainloathsomeformsofinsectandreptile lifeas“by-products”,andconsideredthat thekillingof thesewasbynomeansthesamethingasthedestructionofevolvingformsoflife.Thetheoryof thenon-destructionof life iscarried toextremes incertainplaces,asfor example,where people decline to kill vermin, and allow themselves to beeatenby them.Thatdoesnotcommenditself toanycivilizedperson.Again,apersonwhohasalibraryofusefulbookswillsometimesfindthemattackedbylittle silver-fish. It would be preferable to drive them away, but it is better,certainly,todestroythoseinsectsthantoallowgoodbooks,whichmightbeofusetoothersbesidesoneself,toberendereduseless.Therearemanysmallformsof lifewhich ifwepermit them,wouldrenderour livespractically impossible.

For the yogi, who never destroys life, food is always provided, but theagriculturistwhoprovidesithastoprotecthiscropsfromgrubsandworms.InAustralia hehasparticularly todealwith rabbits,whichhavingbeen importedinto the country, have increased in suchmillions that if left free todo so theywoulddestroyeveryvestigeofcultivation.

Itisnotonlyforthesakeoffoodformanthatonemustdestroysomeofthepests,butalsoasamatterofprotection,for ifonecultivatesplants,or treesorvegetables,onehasacertainresponsibilitytothelifethattakesupitsdwellinginthoseforms.Ithinkweshouldusecommonsenseinallthesemattersallthewaythrough.Inanycase,tokillanyanimalinself-defenceissurelyadifferentthingfromkillinghighlyevolvedcreatures,suchascowsandsheep,togratifyalowformoftaste,whenitisabsolutelyunnecessary.

Thinkof thetreatmentwhichsuperstitionhasmetedout to thedepressedclassesinourbelovedIndia,andseeinthathowthisevilqualitycanbreedheartlesscrueltyevenamongthosewhoknowthedutyofbrotherhood.

C.W.L.—ThedepressedclassesinIndia,sometimescalledthepanchama,orfifth caste, really the outcaste, the pariah—are the descendants of the originalinhabitants of India, whom the Aryans found there when they came over theHimalayas.ThecasterulesordainedbytheManu,whichweregoodeugenicandmagneticrulesatthetime,forbadethesettlerstointermarryormixoreatwiththem. Beyond that, however, they have been treated with great cruelty. Forinstance, the pariah is not allowed to approach the caste well to draw water,because he will contaminate it for the caste people; consequently he has todependupon such inferiorwells ashecanmakeor find, and thisoftencausesserioushardships,especiallyasinsomepartsofthecountrytheoutcastevillageshavebeendriventounfavourableplotsofland,andoftenforcedtomove.Untilquiterecentlyapariahcouldhardlyattainagoodpositioninlife,exceptbytheundesirable expedient of becoming a Christian or a Muhammadan, a coursewhichremovessomeoftheirmostserioussocialdisabilities.

This,andevenworsethanthis,hasbeenthetreatmentwhichsuperstitionhasmetedouttothesedepressedclasses,evenamongpeoplewhomakeaspecialityof brotherhood. In this case they have forgotten what brotherhood means,becauseof their superstition.Onehopes that in time theywill come to forma

respectableandcleancommunity.Modernconditions,suchastheminglingthattakesplaceontrainsandtramcars,tendtofacilitatethisprocess.

It is the duty of the better classes of the Indian people, and also a karmicobligationuponthem,touplifttheseoutcasteswhomtheirancestorsconquered.Theirverynobility,theirinnateAryanqualityshouldurgethemtothisnecessarytask. If a child isnot cleanwedonot recoil fromhim,butwe takehim tobewashed;somustwenotshrinkfromthepariah,butprovidehimwithconditionsinwhichhecanacquirehealth,cleanlinessandknowledge.Itisnotnecessarilyaquestion of eating together, but it is assuredly our duty to be kindly andcompassionatetoouryoungerbrothers.

Itistruethatbirthinagivencasteorcommunityalwaysoffersamancertaindefiniteopportunities,butitdoesnotfollowthatheismakingthebestofthem.To be born into the family of a good man of lower caste would offer betteropportunities in some ways than to belong to the family of an unworthyBrahmana.Oftenmenstriveforsomegoal,andwhentheyattainit theyfail tomakegooduseofopportunitieswhichitbrings;henceabadBrahmanamaybeonewhoistakinghisfirstincarnationassuch,orwhohasneglectedormisusedhisopportunitiesinaformerbirth.Itistrueonlyinrarecasesthat:

WhotoiledaslavemaycomeanewaPrince

Forgentleworthinessandmeritwon;

WhoruledaKingmaywanderearthinrags

Forthingsdoneandundone.37

Asageneralrulethosewhoareinthegreatmassoftheworkingclasseswillonlygraduallyraisethemselvesintothebourgeoisie,andthenhigher.Mostofaman’skarmaismadewiththeclassofpeopleamongwhomheis,andheneedssimilarconditionsforworkingitoutinafuturelife.Thewayofevolutionisalsoby gradual advance in culture and refinement, so a sudden transition into adistinctlyhigherorlowerclassissomewhatinthenatureofasurgicaloperation,necessitated by very exceptional karma. Still, mankind is one family, and thedutyofbrotherhoodappliestoallwithoutexception.

ManycrimeshavebeencommittedinthenameoftheGodofLove,movedbythisnightmareofsuperstition.

C.W.L.—One other point about superstition is that the man who does themostharmbecauseofitistheonewhohasthebestintentions,whoisstandingloyallytotheletterofhislaw.Areallyselfishbadman—therearesuchpeople,though perhaps not very many—is concernedmostly with gratifying his owndesires.Hedoesnotwanttointerferewithothersunlesstheyobstructhisway;so,afterall,hedoesnotdosomuchharmintheworld.Thestupidpersonwithgoodintentionsisreallyafarmoreseriousdanger,becausehealwayswantstointerferewithothers.Missionaries, forexample,areoftenacase inpoint. Idonot doubt that themissionaries sent out fromEurope andAmerica have donemuchgoodamongCentralAfricansavagesandpeopleofthattype,butinIndia,where any common labourer in the street usually knows more than themissionary about the philosophy of religion, about all the greater and higherideas, the missionary is ridiculously out of place. His intentions are goodenough,buthedoesagreatdealofharm.Manywarshavebeencausedbytheirrationalmethodsofmissionaries;theirStatehastostepinandsavethemwhenthey are in danger of what they call martyrdom. It has come to be a regularthing:firstthemissionaries,thenthosesellingbrandyandgin,andafterthemaconqueringarmy.Pooroldladies inEnglandandAmericaevengowithout thenecessitiesoflifeinordertohelpthesemissions,andthinktheyaredoingitforChrist’ssake!TheyhaveabsolutelynoconceptionthatthousandsofyearsbeforeChristIndiahadaprofoundreligionandphilosophy,andthattheirmoneycouldbebetteremployedinconvertingtheheatheninEnglanditself.

Beverycareful,therefore,thatnoslightesttraceofitremainsinyou.

C.W.L.—The emphasis which is laid upon it clearly shows that there is adanger thatwemay be superstitiouswithout knowing it, so it iswell thatweshouldcarefullywatch.Therearealwaysatleasttwosidestoanyquestion.Noone sees the whole thing—not even the Theosophist. When we becomeconsciously onewith theLogos onHis own high plane, thenwe shall see allroundeverything,andbeabletosay:“Myviewisright”,butwhenthatoccursour viewwill probably include all the others, because there is generally somegermoftruthinall.

Thesethreegreatcrimesyoumustavoid,fortheyarefataltoallprogress,becausetheysinagainstlove.

C.W.L.—Thatloveshouldgovernourlivesandvivifyallourotherpowersisthe special teaching of the line to which the Master Kuthumi belongs. It isdifficult formany to understand exactly how theMasters,who containwithinThemselvesallthehighestandthenoblestqualitieswhichwecanimagine,canyet somehow have one quality more than another. The Master Morya, whorepresentstoustheFirstRay,hasforHisgreatestcharacteristicwillandpower,yetitwouldbeamistaketosupposethatHehasanylessofloveorofwisdomthananyoftheotherMasters.SoalsoshouldwebequitewronginsupposingtheMasterKuthumitohaveanylesspowerthanMastersoftheFirstRay.Thesearedifferencesbeyondmerehumanknowledge.

In the sameway there are distinctions of level among theGreatOnes; theBodhisattvastandsfarhigher thanourMasters.TousTheyallappearsogreatthatwecannotventuretomakeanydistinctionbetweenthem.Theyareallsunsofblindinglight,andtousthereseemsnodifferencebetweenagreatAngelandaDevaraja;yetone isawholekingdom,awholeevolutionabove theother. Itmustbe that theSolarLogoshasgreaterpower thanall these thatarepartsofHim; although it seems as though no being could havemore than They. TheknowledgeandthepoweroftheMasteraresomuchgreaterthanoursthatforusthewholethingisoneblindingglory;butthedistinctionexists.

CHAPTER6

SERVICE

Butnotonlymustyouthusrefrainfromevil;youmustbeactiveindoinggood.Youmustbesofilledwiththeintensedesireofservicethatyouareever on thewatch to render it to all around you—not toman alone, buteventoanimalsandplants.Youmustrenderitinsmallthingseveryday,that the habit may be formed, so that you may not miss the rareopportunitywhenthegreatthingoffersitselftobedone.

C.W.L.—Wemayveryoftenmissachanceofhelpingsomeoneifwehavenotformedthehabitofwatchfulness;butifwehavethathabitwearenotlikelytopassmanyopportunities,becauseitwillassertitself,eveninthemostunusualsurroundingsorinthegreatestemergencies.Thatisthewholereasonofthelong,ratherpainfuldrillthroughwhichsoldiersareput;notonlythattheymayknowexactlywhattodowhencertainordersaregiven,butthattheymayhavecertainhabitsinstinctivelypartofthem.Inbattleintheolddays,ifnottoday,thesoldierfoundhimselfinabsolutelynovelsurroundings,thatmightwelltryhiscourage,howeverbravehemightbe,conditionssuchthatamanmightwellbeexcusedifhelosthishead.Buteveninsuchanemergencyhabitwouldassertitself,andthemanwouldobeyordersanddowhatwasrequired.

This remark about being active in doing good is not directed in any wayagainst those whose activity is on other planes. Such a remark as that mighteasilybewronglyusedagainstthecontemplativeordersofmonksandnuns,ortheBrahmanacasteinIndia.ThetheoryintheolddayswasthattheBrahmanawasthespiritualleaderofthenation,andhewassupposedtodevoteallhistimetotheperformanceofceremoniesandrites,andtostudyandteachingandgivingadvice,whichwouldbenefit all thecommunity.Theotherpeople,whose livesweretakenupinordinarywork,andinmakingmoney,supportedhimbecausehewasdoingthisspiritualworkforthem.AsimilarideainCatholiccountriesisbehindthoseordersofmonksandnunswhosetimeistakenupinprayingforthedead.Inthedayswhenthosearrangementsweremadeitwasrecognizedthatthedeadandthelivingwereonecommunity,andthatthiswasafarhigherserviceto

thecommunity than thegrowingofcorn; therefore thosepeople received theirlivingincharityandwereinnowiseashamedofit,andthosewhogavetothemfelt themselves highly honoured. The whole conceptionwas entirely differentfrom themodernone; therewasno shamewhatever attached tobegging for aliving;infact,thosewhodiditwerethemostspiritualofthepeople,boundbythevowsofpoverty,chastityandobedience.Tocondemnthepeoplewholivedin that way is to make exactly the samemistake as was made in the FrenchRevolution,when theysaid thataphilosopherorawriterwasaman livinganidleanduselesslife,andthatheoughttobebreakingstonesupontheroad.

ForifyouyearntobeonewithGod,itisnotforyourownsake;itisthatyoumay be a channel throughwhich His lovemay flow to reach yourfellow-men.HewhoisonthePathexistsnotforhimself,butforothers;hehasforgottenhimself,inorderthathemayservethem.

C.W.L.—Thewholeideaofthisbookistogetpeopleintoacertainattitude.What is aimed at is not nearly somuch to know as to be; that is, to live theTheosophicallife,tobefilledwithloveforallandwithanintensedesiretohelpforward evolution, so thatwe forget ourselves in the service of others. If youeversawasurgeonperformabigoperation,youknowhowamaninthemostintenseactivityandwiththekeenestuseofbrainandhand,canyetbeabsolutelyabsorbedintheworkheisdoing,withhiswholelife,asitwere,intheendsofhisfingers.Inwar,too,amansometimesforgetshimselfutterlyintheefforttosaveawoundedcomradeortoperformsomenecessarybutdangerousdeed.

TheLogosisomnipotentinHissystem;Hepoursoutforceatalllevelsinthatsystem.WecannotbutsupposethatHecouldfloodthewholesystemwiththatforceatanylevelandtoanyextentthatHechose.AsamatteroffactHedoesnotdothat;theforcepouredoutateachlevelseemstobeadefiniteamount,andofadefinitekindonly,andsoitremainsthatwe,whoaresparksofHisfirecando certain thingswhich theGreat Flame ofwhichwe are a part does not do,exceptthroughus,whoarepartsofHim.WecannotsaythatHecouldnotdoit,but that He does not, apparently. It is within our power, with our intensedevotion,settingourwillstoworkalongwithHiswill,todrawdownmoreforcefromhigherplanes,totransmuteitandsenditout.Thatisworkwhichwouldnotbedone,asfaraswecansee,unlesswedidit.ItwouldseemthatHecountsonourcooperation.YetthatisalsoHis,becausethereisnoforcethatisnotHis.

Ihaveseveraltimesusedthesimileofachannelorpipetohelpindescribingthe fact that the force of theMaster is distributedon lower planes by a pupil.Onemay use also the simile of the transformer of electricity; you have greatquantitiesofelectricitysentathighpressure,perhapshundredsofmilesfromthegenerating station, to the transforming station in a city; there are theretransformers which receive it at that high pressure, and convert it into hugevolumesofcurrentatlowerpressure,suitableforlightingandotherpurposes.SoapupilinSydney,forexample,mayreceivetheMaster’sforcecomingonhigherplanes from theHimalayas, and transform it into forceof the lowerplanes, sothat it may be distributed around him or directed to those for whom it isintended.

EveryInitiateisthusatransformerofspiritualforce;throughhimitcanflowatacertainlevel,accordingtohisstageordegree.Thedivineforceisallroundus,justasthesunisshiningallthetime.Whenthesunshinedoesnotreachtheearthitistheearth’sdoing,exceptduringasolareclipse,becauseitraisescloudswhichcomebetweenitandthesun;soalsodomenraisecloudsofselfishnessand ignorance between themselves and the Logos, who is raying out a greatvariety of His forces on every plane. The Initiate takes a definite step whichenableshimtobeabetterchannel for theseforces. It isnot that theforcesarethemselvesintheleastaffected—theyarethereallthetime,buttheypassusbywhenwearenotreadytoreceivethem.

Letustaketheanalogyofpranaonthephysicalplane.Everybodydrawsinprana, but sometimes when a man falls ill he is unable to specialize it forhimself, and soon begins to feel a great lack of vitality Although he is thenunable to specialize prana for himself, he can still use that which has beenpreparedbyanother;anotherman,aboundinginvitality,maypourituponhimandgivehim thestrength thathe requires toenablehim to recoverhisnormalcondition. Similarly, the Initiate takes up many of the higher forces andtransforms them into a condition inwhich theybecome readily assimilablebyothers.Asmoreandmoreofourmankindreachthestageatwhichtheycandothisworktheevolutionofmeningeneralwillincreaseinrapidity.Thoughitistruethatthereisalimittotheamountofsunlightthatplantscanbear,itisalsotruethatitisimpossibletopouruponanymantoomuchofthespirituallight.

Donot,however, thinkofthesechannelsasmerelypassive.Theyarelivingchannels. The pupil is not sitting still and simply acting as a pipe. There are

forces that do come through like that, and the pupil of the Master is oftenconsciousofthenatureoftheforcepouringthroughhimandknowstowhomitisgoing.Butthereisalsoagreatamountofitwhichhecanatanytimeemployashewill,whichhecanturnthiswayorthat,asheseesittobeneeded.Hisownadaptabilityandtactarethuscalledintoplay,andhislifeisveryfullindeedofpositiveactivityofthiskind.Hisisnot,therefore,alifeofblindobedience—onthecontrary,heisbusywhenothersareidlythinkingaboutthemselves.Ordinarymen cannot commonly be used in this way, because they are not sufficientlydeveloped on the higher planes, and because evenwhen the ego is somewhatadvanced the thread of connection with the personality is very narrow. TheMaster can use the pupil because the channel is open; so also can the OneInitiatorusetheInitiatesfortheforceoftheHierarchy.Inthesecasesthemanisthehigherself,andevenwhenheisengagedinthedutiesofthephysicalplanethereisthefeelingalwaysinthebackgroundofthemind:“IamI;asparkoftheDivine;IcandonothingunworthyofThat;noblesseoblige.”

Becauseoftheimportanceofthework,therelationbetweenMasterandpupilis never based on sentiment, though it is full of the deepest affection that theworld can know. TheMaster does not accept aman as a pupil because someothermemberofhisfamilyisapupilorbecauseHehasknownhiminpreviouslives.BothMasterandpupilthinkonlyofwhatwascalledinEgypt“thehiddenwork”, the building up again of the given body ofOsiris, the reuniting of thescatteredfragments.Theyknowof“thehiddenlight”ineveryman,“thejewelinthe lotus”, throughwhich he can always be helpedwhen the appeal is rightlymade.ThiswastheworkoftheInitiatesinancientEgypt,asitisofthoseofto-day.They use the power thatmade theworlds, the love ofGod,which is notpersonal.Nooneisboundtocomeforwardintooccultism,butifhedoessohemust adopt themotto andattitudeof theBrotherhood,which is to livenot forhimself,butforothers,notforpersonaladvancementorsatisfaction,butforthework.

HeisasapeninthehandofGod,throughwhichHisthoughtmayflow,andfindforitselfanexpressiondownhere,whichwithoutapenitcouldnothave.

C.W.L.—ItwouldseemthatHemusthavecalculatedthatatacertainstageofevolutionHewouldhavemany suchpens throughwhichHe couldwrite, that

GodHimself,asapoetputsit,“needsyouandme.”Ourhelpispartoftheplan.Thatisagrandideaandverylogical;weseeatoncethatifwehavebeenabletoreacha levelofknowledge,of love,ofpowerwhich is a littlehigher than thestandardaboutus,wehavedoneitinorderthatwemaybeofuseindistributingittoothers.

Yetatthesametimeheisalsoalivingplumeoffire,rayingoutupontheworldtheDivineLovewhichfillshisheart.

C.W.L.—There is a story of two Alexandrianmonks who wanted to keepthemselves perfectly pure; one did it by making round himself a shell ofprotectivethought,buttheotherwassofulloftheloveofGodthatitrayedoutfromhimallthetimeandkepthimpure.Therearealwaysthetwowaysoftheoccultist,whoprogressesbyworkintheworld,andthemystic,whoretiresintohimself. Inmany cases the aimof themystic is simply to becomeutterly onewithGod; yet it is not right to call him selfish, because even in the act of sobecominghemustanddoesshedatremendousinfluenceonallaroundhim.Ouraim,thatoftheoccultist,shouldbetoraiseourselvesstepbystepthroughallthedifferent stages until at certain high levels of Initiation we can merge ourconsciousnessintheThirdAspectoftheDeity,thenwiththeSecondAspect,andfinallywiththeFirst.ThemysticthrowshimselfintotheDivineLifehereashestands,but it is a lowermanifestationof theDivineLife; thenhehas toworkupwardsinordertofeelhimselfoneathigherlevelsalso.

Thewisdomwhichenablesyoutohelp,thewillwhichdirectsthewisdom,the love which inspires the will—these are your qualifications. Will,WisdomandLovearetheThreeAspectsoftheLogos;andyou,whowishto enrol yourselves to serve Him, must shew forth these aspects in theworld.

C.W.L.—Thatisabeautifulending,mybrothers.AsAlcyoneachieved,mayyouattain.

Notes

[←1]

TheLivesofAlcyone,T.P.H.,Adyar,1924.)

[←2]

Op.cit.,pp.76-78.SecondEdition,1927.

[←3]

Rom.,XI,36.

[←4]

Itisonlythefirststepthatcosts.

[←5]

S.Matthew,v,46

[←6]

S.Luke,VI,27-29

[←7]

IPeter,11,23

[←8]

Romans,xn,19

[←9]

SeeABuddhistCatechism,byH.S.Olcott,question131.

[←10]

S.Matthew,vi,5,andxxiii,14

[←11]

Psalm,cxxxix,8.

[←12]

Isaiah,45,7

[←13]

S.John,10,34,andPsalm,82,6.

[←14]

S.John,2,16.

[←15]

S.Luke,16,31.

[←16]

Acts,5,38-39

[←17]

S.Matthew,25,29.

[←18]

S.Matthew,25,21,23.

[←19]

James,3,5-6.

[←20]

Philippians,4,13.

[←21]

Bhagavad-Gita,II,50.

[←22]

“BemybrotherorIwillkillyou.”

[←23]

Op.cit.,Ill,26.

[←24]

Op.cit.,ix,26.

[←25]

ICorinthians,9,19-22

[←26]

S.Matthew,5/25

[←27]

S.Matthew,10,34.

[←28]

S.John,14,6

[←29]

ThissubjectisdealtwithatlengthinTheMastersandthePath

[←30]

IJohn,3,14.

[←31]

Ibid.,4,8

[←32]

Romans,13,10,

[←33]

S.Matthew,23,11

[←34]

Romans,14,5

[←35]

SeeTheChristianCreed,byC.W.Leadbeater.

[←36]

BhagavadGita,x,38,41

[←37]

TheLightofAsia,BookVIII.