 17 The glorious conquest. Truth can only be apprehended by the conquest of self. Blessedness can only be arrived at by overcoming the lower nature. The way of truth is barred by a man's self. The only enemies that can actually hinder him are his own passions and delusions. Until a man realizes this, and commences to cleanse his heart, he has not found the path which leads to knowledge and peace. Until passion is transcended, truth remains unknown. This is the Divine Law. A man cannot keep his passions and have truth as well. Error is not slain until selfishness is dead. The overcoming of self is no mystical theory, but a very real and practical thing. It is a process which must be pursued daily and hourly, with unswerving faith and undaunted resolution if any measure of success is to be achieved. The process is one of orderly growth, having its sequential stages like the growth of a tree, and as fruit can only be produced by carefully and patiently training the tree, even so the pure and satisfying fruits of holiness can only be obtained by faithfully and patiently training the mind in the growth of right thought and conduct. There are five steps in the overcoming of passion, which includes all bad habits and particular forms of wrongdoing, which I will call one, repression, two, endurance, three, elimination, four, understanding, five, victory. When men fail to overcome their sins, it is because they begin to try at the wrong end. They want to have the stage of victory without passing through the previous four stages. They are in the position of a gardener who wants to produce good fruit without training and attending to his trees. Repression consists in checking and controlling the wrong act, such as an outburst of temper, a hasty or unkind word, a selfish indulgence, etc., and not allowing it to take actual form. This is equivalent to the gardener nipping off the useless buds and branches from his tree. It is a necessary process, but a painful one. The tree bleeds while undergoing the process, and the gardener knows that it must not be taxed too severely. The heart also bleeds when it refuses to return passion for passion, when it ceases to defend and justify itself. It is the process of mortifying the members of which St. Paul speaks. But this repression is only the beginning of self-conquest. When it is made an end in itself, and there is no object of finally purifying the heart, that is a stage of hypocrisy, a hiding of one's true nature, and striving to appear better in the eyes of others than one really is. In that case it is an evil, but when adopted as the first stage toward complete purification, it is good. Its practice leads to the second stage of endurance, or forbearance, in which one silently endures the pain which arises in the mind when it is brought in contact with certain actions and attitudes of other minds toward one. As success is attained in this stage, the striver comes to see that all his pain actually arises in his own weaknesses, and not in the wrong attitudes of others toward him, these latter being merely the means by which his sins are brought to the surface, and revealed to him. He thus gradually exonerates all others from blame in his falls and lapses of conduct, and accuses only himself, and so learns to love those who thus unconsciously reveal to him his sins and shortcomings. Having passed through these two stages of self-crucifixion, the disciple enters the third, that of elimination, in which the wrong thought which lay behind the wrong act is cast from the mind immediately it appears. At this stage conscious strength and holy joy begin to take the place of pain, and the mind having become more comparatively calm, the striver is enabled to gain a deeper insight into the complexities of his mind, and thus to understand the inception, growth, and outworking of sin. This is the stage of understanding. Perfection and understanding leads to the final conquest of self, a conquest so complete that sin can no more rise in the mind even as a thought or impression, for when the knowledge of sin is complete, when it is known in its totality, from its inception as a seed in the mind to its ripened outgrowth as act and consequence, then it can no more be allowed a place in life, but it is abandoned forever. Then the mind is at peace. The wrong acts of others no longer arouse wrong and pain in the mind of the disciple. He is glad and calm and wise. He is filled with love and blessedness abides with him. And this is victory. CHAPTER XVIII CONTENTMENT IN ACTIVITY The confounding of a positive spiritual virtue or principle with a negative animal vice is common amongst writers, even of what is called the advanced thought school, and much valuable energy is frequently expended in criticizing and condemning, where a little calm and reasoning would have revealed a greater light, and led to the exercise of a broader charity. The other day I came across a vicious attack upon the teaching of love, wherein the writer condemns such teaching as weakly, foolish, and hypocritical, needless to say that which he was condemning as love, was merely weak sentimentality and hypocrisy. Another writer in condemning meekness does not know that what he calls meekness is only cowardice, while another who attacks chastity as a snare is really confusing, painful, and hypocritical restraint with the virtue of chastity. And just lately I received a long letter from a correspondent who took great pains to show me that contentment is a vice, and is the source of innumerable evils. That which my correspondent called contentment is, of course, animal indifference. The spirit of indifference is incompatible with progress, whereas the spirit of contentment may and does attend the highest form of activity, the truest advancement and development. Indolence is the twin sister of indifference, but cheerful and ready action is the friend of contentment. Contentment is a virtue which becomes lofty and spiritual in its later developments, as the mind is trained to perceive and the heart to receive the guidance in all things of a merciful law. To be contented does not mean to forgo effort. It means to free effort from anxiety. It does not mean to be satisfied with sin and ignorance and folly, but to rest happily in duty done, work accomplished. A man may be said to be content to lead a groveling life, to remain in sin and in death, but such a man's true state is one of indifference to his duty, his obligations, and the just claims of his fellow men. He cannot truly be said to possess the virtue of contentment. He does not experience the pure and abiding joy, which is the accompaniment of active contentment. So far as his true nature is concerned, he is a sleeping soul, and sooner or later will be awakened by intense suffering, having passed through which he will find that true contentment is the outcome of honest effort and true living. There are three things with which a man should be content. One, with whatever happens. Two, with his friendships and possessions. Three, with his pure thoughts. With whatever happens, he will escape grief. With his friends and possessions. He will avoid anxiety and wretchedness. And with his pure thoughts, he will never go back to suffer and grovel in impurities. There are three things with which a man should not be content. One, with his opinions. Two, with his character. Three, with his spiritual condition. Not content with his opinions, he will continually increase in intelligence. Not content with his character, he will ceaselessly grow in strength and virtue. And not content with his spiritual condition, he will, every day, enter into a larger wisdom and fuller blessedness. In a word, a man should be contented, but not indifferent to his development as a responsible and spiritual being. The truly contented man works energetically and faithfully, and accepts all results with an untroubled spirit, trusting at first that all is well, but afterwards, with the growth of enlightenment, knowing that results exactly correspond with efforts. Not so ever material possessions come to him, come not by greed and anxiety and strife, but by right thought, wise action, and pure exertion. CHAPTER 19 THE TEMPLE OF BROTHERHOOD Universal Brotherhood is the supreme ideal of humanity, and towards that ideal the world is slowly but surely moving. Today, as never before, numbers of earnest men and women are striving to make this ideal tangible and real, fraternities are springing up on every hand, and press and pulp it, the world over, are preaching the brotherhood of man. The unselfish elements in all such efforts cannot fail to have their effect upon the race, and are with certainty urging it towards the goal of its noblest aspirations. But the ideal state has not yet manifested through any outward organization, and societies formed for the purpose of propagating brotherhood are continually being shattered to pieces by internal dissension. The brotherhood for which humanity's size is withheld from actuality by humanity itself. Nay more it is frustrated even by men who work zealously, for it is a desirable possibility, and this because the purely spiritual nature of brotherhood is not perceived, and the principles involved as well as the individual course of conduct necessary to perfect unity are not comprehended. Brotherhood as a human organization cannot exist so long as any degree of self-seeking reigns in the hearts of men and women who band themselves together for any purpose, as such self-seeking must eventually rend the seamless coat of loving unity. But although organized brotherhood has so far largely failed, any man may realize brotherhood in its perfection, and know it in all its beauty and completion, if he will make himself of a wise, pure, and loving spirit, removing from his mind every element of strife, and learning to practice those divine qualities without which brotherhood is but a mere theory, opinion, or elusive dream. For brotherhood is at first spiritual, and its outer manifestation in the world must follow as a natural sequence. As a spiritual reality it must be discovered by each man for himself, and in the only place where spiritual realities can be found, within himself, and it rests with each whether he shall choose or refuse it. There are four chief tendencies in the human mind which are destructive of brotherhood and which bar the way to its comprehension, namely pride, self-love, hatred, condemnation. Where these are there can be no brotherhood, and whatsoever heart these holds sway, discord rules, and brotherhood is not realized, for these tendencies are, in their very nature, dark and selfish, and always make for disruption and destruction. And these four things precedes that serpent brood of false actions and conditions which poison the heart of man, and fill the world with suffering and sorrow. Out of the spirit of pride precede envy, resentment, and opinionativeness. Pride envies the position, influence, or goodness of others. It thinks, I am more deserving than this man, or this woman. It also continually finds occasion for resenting the actions of others, and says, I have been snubbed, I have been insulted, and thinking altogether of his own excellence, it sees no excellence in others. From the spirit of self-love precede egotism, lust for power, and disparagement and contempt. Self-love worships the personality in which it moves. It is lost in the adoration and glorification of that I, that self, which has no real existence, but is a dark dream and a delusion. It desires preeminence over others, and thinks, I am great, I am more important than others. It also disparages others, and bestows upon them contempt, seeing no beauty in them, being lost in the contemplation of its own beauty. From the spirit of hatred precedes lander, cruelty, reveling, and anger. It strives to overcome evil by adding evil to it. It says, this man has spoken of me ill. I will speak still more ill of him, and thus teach him a lesson. It mistakes cruelty for kindness, and causes its possessor to revile a reproving friend. It feeds the flame of anger with bitter and rebellious thoughts. From the spirit of condemnation precede accusation, false pity, and false judgment. It feeds itself on the contemplation of evil, and cannot see the good. It has eyes for evil only, and finds it in almost every thing and every person. It sets up an arbitrary standard of right and wrong by which to judge others, and it thinks, this man does not do as I would have him do. He is therefore evil, and I will denounce him. So blind is the spirit of condemnation, that whilst rendering its possessor incapable of judging himself, it causes him to set up as the judge of all the earth. From the four tendencies enumerated no element of brotherliness can proceed. They are deadly mental poisons, and he who allows them to wrinkle in his mind cannot apprehend the peaceful principles on which brotherhood rests. Then there are chiefly four divine qualities, which are productive of brotherhood, which are, as it were, the foundation stones on which it rests, namely humility, self-surrender, love, compassion. Wheresoever these are, their brotherhood is active. In whatsoever heart these qualities are dominant, their brotherhood is an established reality, where they are in their very nature unselfish and are filled with the revealing light of truth. There is no darkness in them, and where they are so powerful as their light, that the dark tendencies cannot remain, but are dissolved and dissipated. Out of these four qualities proceed all those angelic actions and conditions which make for unity and bring gladness to the heart of man and to the world. From the spirit of humility proceed meekness and peacefulness. From self-surrender, compassion, wisdom, and true judgment. From love spring kindness, joy, and harmony. And from compassion proceed gentleness and forgiveness. He who has brought himself into harmony with these four qualities is divinely enlightened. He sees once the actions of men proceed and wither they tend, and therefore can no longer live in the exercise of the dark tendencies. He has realized brotherhood in its completion as freedom from malice, from envy, from bitterness, from contention, from condemnation. All men are his brothers, those who live in the dark tendencies, as well as those who live in the enlightened qualities, for he knows that when they have perceived the glory and beauty of the light of truth, the dark tendencies will be dispelled from their minds. He has but one attitude of mind towards all, that of good will. Of the four dark tendencies are born ill will and strife. Of the four divine qualities are born good will and peace. Living in the four tendencies a man is a strife producer. Living in the four qualities a man is a peacemaker. Involved in the darkness of the selfish tendencies, men believe that they can fight for peace, kill to make alive, slay injury by injuring, restore love by hatred, unity by contention, kindness by cruelty, and establish brotherhood by erecting their own opinions, which they themselves will, in the course of time, abandon as worthless, as objects of universal adoration. The wished four temple of brotherhood will be erected in the world when its four foundation stones of humility, self-surrender, love, and compassion are firmly laid in the hearts of men. For brotherhood consists, first of all, in the abandonment of self by the individual, and its after effects is unity between man and man. Theories and schemes for propagating brotherhood are many, but brotherhood itself is one and unchangeable, and consists in the complete cessation from ego and strife, and in practicing goodwill and peace, for brotherhood is a practice and not a theory. Self-surrender and goodwill are its guardian angels, and peace is its habitation. Where two are determined to maintain an opposing opinion, the clinging to self and ill-will are there, and brotherhood is absent. Where two are prepared to sympathize with each other, to see no evil in each other, to serve and not to attack each other, the love of truth and goodwill are there, and brotherhood is present. All strife divisions and wars, in here in the proud unyielding self, all peace, unity and concord, in here in the principles, which the yielding up of self reveals. It is only practiced and known, by him whose heart is at peace, with all the world. CHAPTER XX. Pleasant Pastures of Peace. He who aspires to the bettering of himself and humanity, should ceaselessly strive to arrive at the exercise of that blessed attitude of mind, by which he is enabled to put himself mentally and sympathetically in the place of others, and so, instead of harshly and falsely judging them, and thereby making himself unhappy, without adding to the happiness of those others, he will enter into their experience, will understand their particular frame of mind, and will feel for them and sympathize with them. One of the great obstacles to the attainment of such an attitude of mind is prejudice, and until this is removed, it is impossible to act toward others as we would wish others to act toward us. Prejudice is destructive of kindness, sympathy, love, and true judgment, and the strength of a man's prejudice will be the measure of his harshness and unkindness toward others, for prejudice and cruelty are inseparable. There is no rationality in prejudice, and immediately it is aroused in a man he ceases to act as a reasonable being, and gives way to rashness, anger, and injurious excitement. He does not consider his words, nor regard the feelings and liberties of those against whom his prejudices are directed. He has, for the time being, forfeited his manhood, and has descended to the level of an irrational creature. While a man is determined to cling to his preconceived opinions, mistaking them for truth, and refuses to consider dispassionately the position of others, he cannot escape hatred, nor arrive at blessedness. The man who strives after gentleness, who aspires to act unselfishly toward others, will put away all his passionate prejudice and petty opinions, and will gradually acquire the power of thinking and feeling for others, of understanding their particular state of ignorance or knowledge, and thereby entering fully into their hearts and lives, sympathizing with them, and seeing them as they really are. Such a man will not oppose himself to the prejudices of others by introducing his own, but will seek to allay prejudice by introducing sympathy and love, striving to bring out all that is good in men, encouraging the good by appealing to it, and discouraging the evil by ignoring it. He will realize the good in the unselfish efforts of others, though their outward methods may be very different from his own, and will so rid his heart of hatred, and will fit it with love and blessedness. When a man is prone to harshly judge and condemn others, he should inquire how far he fails short himself. He should also reconsider those periods of suffering, when he himself was misjudged and misunderstood, and gathering wisdom and love from his own bitter experience, should studiously and self-sacrificingly refrain from piercing with anguish hearts that are as yet too weak to ignore, too immature and uninstructed to understand. Sympathy is not required towards those who are purer and more enlightened than oneself, as the purer one lives above the necessity for it. In such a case reverence should be exercised, with a striving to lift oneself up to the purer level, and so enter into possession of the larger life. Nor can a man fully understand one who is wiser than himself, and before condemning he should earnestly ask himself whether he is, after all, better than the man whom he has singled out as the object of his bitterness. If he is, let him bestow sympathy. If he is not, let him exercise reverence. For thousands of years the sages have taught, both by precept and example, that evil is only overcome by good, yet still that lesson, for the majority, remains unlearned. It is a lesson profound in its simplicity, and difficult to learn, because men are blinded by the illusions of self. Men are still engaged in resenting, condemning, and fighting the evil in their own fellow men, thereby increasing the delusion in their own hearts, and adding to the world some of misery and suffering. When they find out that their own resentment must be eradicated, and put love in its place, evil will perish for lack of sustenance. With burning brain and heart of hate I sought my wronger early late, and all the wretched night and day my dream and thought was slay and slay. My better self rose uppermost, the beast within my bosom lost, itself in love, peace from afar, shone o'er me radiant like a star. I slew my wronger with a deed, a deed of love I made him bleed, with kindness and I filled for years his soul with tenderness and tears. Dislike resentment and condemnation are all forms of hatred, and evil cannot cease until these are taken out of the heart. But the obliterating of injuries from the mind is merely one of the beginnings in wisdom. There is a still higher and better way, and that way is so to purify the heart and enlighten the mind, that far from having to forget injuries there will be none to remember, for it is only pride and self that can be injured and wounded by the actions and attitudes of others. And he who takes pride and self out of his heart can never think the thought I had been injured by another, or I had been wronged by another. From a purified heart precedes the right comprehension of things, and from the right comprehension of things precedes the life that is peaceful, freed from bitterness and suffering, calm and wise. He who thinks this man has injured me, has not perceived the truth in life, fall short of that enlightenment which disperses the erroneous idea of evil as a thing to be hatefully resented. He who is troubled and disturbed about the sins of others is far from truth. He who is troubled and disturbed about his own sins is very near to the gate of wisdom. He in whose heart the flames of resentment burn cannot know peace nor understand truth. He who will banish resentment from his heart will know and understand. He who has taken evil out of his heart cannot resent or resist it in others, for he is enlightened as to its origin and nature, and knows it as a manifestation of the mistakes of ignorance. With the increase of enlightenment sin becomes impossible. He who sins does not understand. He who understands does not sin. The pure man maintains his tenderness of his heart toward those who ignorantly imagine they can do him harm. The wrong attitude of others toward him does not trouble him. His heart is at rest in compassion and love. Blessed is he who has no wrongs to remember, no injuries to forget, in whose pure heart no hateful thought about another can take root and flourish. Let those who aim at the right life, who believe that they love truth, cease to passionately oppose themselves to others, and let them strive to calmly and wisely understand them, and in thus acting toward others they will be conquering themselves, and while sympathizing with others their own souls will be fed with the harmony dues of kindness, and their hearts will be strengthened and refreshed in the pleasant pastures of peace.