THE WAY OF PEACE

BY JAMES ALLEN

AUTHOR OF "AS A MAN THINKETH, " "OUT FROM THE HEART"

CONTENTS

THE POWER OF MEDITATION

THE TWO MASTERS, SELF AND TRUTH

THE ACQUIREMENT OF SPIRITUAL POWER

THE REALIZATION OF SELFLESS LOVE

ENTERING INTO THE INFINITE

SAINTS, SAGES, AND SAVIORS; THE LAW OF SERVICE

THE REALIZATION OF PERFECT PEACE

THE POWER OF MEDITATION

Spiritual meditation is the pathway to Divinity. It is the mystic ladderwhich reaches from earth to heaven, from error to Truth, from pain topeace. Every saint has climbed it; every sinner must sooner or later cometo it, and every weary pilgrim that turns his back upon self and the world, and sets his face resolutely toward the Father's Home, must plant his feetupon its golden rounds. Without its aid you cannot grow into the divinestate, the divine likeness, the divine peace, and the fadeless glories andunpolluting joys of Truth will remain hidden from you. 

Meditation is the intense dwelling, in thought, upon an idea or theme, withthe object of thoroughly comprehending it, and whatsoever you constantlymeditate upon you will not only come to understand, but will grow more andmore into its likeness, for it will become incorporated into your verybeing, will become, in fact, your very self. If, therefore, you constantlydwell upon that which is selfish and debasing, you will ultimately becomeselfish and debased; if you ceaselessly think upon that which is pure andunselfish you will surely become pure and unselfish. 

Tell me what that is upon which you most frequently and intensely think, that to which, in your silent hours, your soul most naturally turns, and Iwill tell you to what place of pain or peace you are traveling, and whetheryou are growing into the likeness of the divine or the bestial. 

There is an unavoidable tendency to become literally the embodiment of thatquality upon which one most constantly thinks. Let, therefore, the objectof your meditation be above and not below, so that every time you revert toit in thought you will be lifted up; let it be pure and unmixed with anyselfish element; so shall your heart become purified and drawn nearer toTruth, and not defiled and dragged more hopelessly into error. 

Meditation, in the spiritual sense in which I am now using it, is thesecret of all growth in spiritual life and knowledge. Every prophet, sage, and savior became such by the power of meditation. Buddha meditated uponthe Truth until he could say, "I am the Truth. " Jesus brooded upon theDivine immanence until at last he could declare, "I and my Father are One. "

Meditation centered upon divine realities is the very essence and soul ofprayer. It is the silent reaching of the soul toward the Eternal. Merepetitionary prayer without meditation is a body without a soul, and ispowerless to lift the mind and heart above sin and affliction. If you aredaily praying for wisdom, for peace, for loftier purity and a fullerrealization of Truth, and that for which you pray is still far from you, itmeans that you are praying for one thing while living out in thought andact another. If you will cease from such waywardness, taking your mind offthose things the selfish clinging to which debars you from the possessionof the stainless realities for which you pray: if you will no longer askGod to grant you that which you do not deserve, or to bestow upon you thatlove and compassion which you refuse to bestow upon others, but willcommence to think and act in the spirit of Truth, you will day by day begrowing into those realities, so that ultimately you will become one withthem. 

He who would secure any worldly advantage must be willing to workvigorously for it, and he would be foolish indeed who, waiting with foldedhands, expected it to come to him for the mere asking. Do not then vainlyimagine that you can obtain the heavenly possessions without making aneffort. Only when you commence to work earnestly in the Kingdom of Truthwill you be allowed to partake of the Bread of Life, and when you have, bypatient and uncomplaining effort, earned the spiritual wages for which youask, they will not be withheld from you. 

If you really seek Truth, and not merely your own gratification; if youlove it above all worldly pleasures and gains; more, even, than happinessitself, you will be willing to make the effort necessary for itsachievement. 

If you would be freed from sin and sorrow; if you would taste of thatspotless purity for which you sigh and pray; if you would realize wisdomand knowledge, and would enter into the possession of profound and abidingpeace, come now and enter the path of meditation, and let the supremeobject of your meditation be Truth. 

At the outset, meditation must be distinguished from _idle reverie_. Thereis nothing dreamy and unpractical about it. It is _a process of searchingand uncompromising thought which allows nothing to remain but the simpleand naked truth_. Thus meditating you will no longer strive to buildyourself up in your prejudices, but, forgetting self, you will rememberonly that you are seeking the Truth. And so you will remove, one by one, the errors which you have built around yourself in the past, and willpatiently wait for the revelation of Truth which will come when your errorshave been sufficiently removed. In the silent humility of your heart youwill realize that

 "There is an inmost centre in us all Where Truth abides in fulness; and around, Wall upon wall, the gross flesh hems it in; This perfect, clear perception, which is Truth, A baffling and perverting carnal mesh Blinds it, and makes all error; and to know, Rather consists in opening out a way Whence the imprisoned splendour may escape, Than in effecting entry for a light Supposed to be without. "

Select some portion of the day in which to meditate, and keep that periodsacred to your purpose. The best time is the very early morning when thespirit of repose is upon everything. All natural conditions will then be inyour favor; the passions, after the long bodily fast of the night, will besubdued, the excitements and worries of the previous day will have diedaway, and the mind, strong and yet restful, will be receptive to spiritualinstruction. Indeed, one of the first efforts you will be called upon tomake will be to shake off lethargy and indulgence, and if you refuse youwill be unable to advance, for the demands of the spirit are imperative. 

To be spiritually awakened is also to be mentally and physically awakened. The sluggard and the self-indulgent can have no knowledge of Truth. He who, possessed of health and strength, wastes the calm, precious hours of thesilent morning in drowsy indulgence is totally unfit to climb the heavenlyheights. 

He whose awakening consciousness has become alive to its loftypossibilities, who is beginning to shake off the darkness of ignorance inwhich the world is enveloped, rises before the stars have ceased theirvigil, and, grappling with the darkness within his soul, strives, by holyaspiration, to perceive the light of Truth while the unawakened worlddreams on. 

 "The heights by great men reached and kept, Were not attained by sudden flight, But they, while their companions slept, Were toiling upward in the night. "

No saint, no holy man, no teacher of Truth ever lived who did not riseearly in the morning. Jesus habitually rose early, and climbed the solitarymountains to engage in holy communion. Buddha always rose an hour beforesunrise and engaged in meditation, and all his disciples were enjoined todo the same. 

If you have to commence your daily duties at a very early hour, and arethus debarred from giving the early morning to systematic meditation, tryto give an hour at night, and should this, by the length and laboriousnessof your daily task be denied you, you need not despair, for you may turnyour thoughts upward in holy meditation in the intervals of your work, orin those few idle minutes which you now waste in aimlessness; and shouldyour work be of that kind which becomes by practice automatic, you maymeditate while engaged upon it. That eminent Christian saint andphilosopher, Jacob Boehme, realized his vast knowledge of divine thingswhilst working long hours as a shoemaker. In every life there is time tothink, and the busiest, the most laborious is not shut out from aspirationand meditation. 

Spiritual meditation and self-discipline are inseparable; you will, therefore, commence to meditate upon yourself so as to try and understandyourself, for, remember, the great object you will have in view will be thecomplete removal of all your errors in order that you may realize Truth. You will begin to question your motives, thoughts, and acts, comparing themwith your ideal, and endeavoring to look upon them with a calm andimpartial eye. In this manner you will be continually gaining more of thatmental and spiritual equilibrium without which men are but helpless strawsupon the ocean of life. If you are given to hatred or anger you willmeditate upon gentleness and forgiveness, so as to become acutely alive toa sense of your harsh and foolish conduct. You will then begin to dwell inthoughts of love, of gentleness, of abounding forgiveness; and as youovercome the lower by the higher, there will gradually, silently steal intoyour heart a knowledge of the divine Law of Love with an understanding ofits bearing upon all the intricacies of life and conduct. And in applyingthis knowledge to your every thought, word, and act, you will grow more andmore gentle, more and more loving, more and more divine. And thus withevery error, every selfish desire, every human weakness; by the power ofmeditation is it overcome, and as each sin, each error is thrust out, afuller and clearer measure of the Light of Truth illumines the pilgrimsoul. 

Thus meditating, you will be ceaselessly fortifying yourself against youronly _real_ enemy, your selfish, perishable self, and will be establishingyourself more and more firmly in the divine and imperishable self that isinseparable from Truth. The direct outcome of your meditations will be acalm, spiritual strength which will be your stay and resting-place in thestruggle of life. Great is the overcoming power of holy thought, and thestrength and knowledge gained in the hour of silent meditation will enrichthe soul with saving remembrance in the hour of strife, of sorrow, or oftemptation. 

As, by the power of meditation, you grow in wisdom, you will relinquish, more and more, your selfish desires which are fickle, impermanent, andproductive of sorrow and pain; and will take your stand, with increasingsteadfastness and trust, upon unchangeable principles, and will realizeheavenly rest. 

The use of meditation is the acquirement of a knowledge of eternalprinciples, and the power which results from meditation is the ability torest upon and trust those principles, and so become one with the Eternal. The end of meditation is, therefore, direct knowledge of Truth, God, andthe realization of divine and profound peace. 

Let your meditations take their rise from the ethical ground which you nowoccupy. Remember that you are to _grow_ into Truth by steady perseverance. If you are an orthodox Christian, meditate ceaselessly upon the spotlesspurity and divine excellence of the character of Jesus, and apply his everyprecept to your inner life and outward conduct, so as to approximate moreand more toward his perfection. Do not be as those religious ones, who, refusing to meditate upon the Law of Truth, and to put into practice theprecepts given to them by their Master, are content to formally worship, tocling to their particular creeds, and to continue in the ceaseless round ofsin and suffering. Strive to rise, by the power of meditation, above allselfish clinging to partial gods or party creeds; above dead formalitiesand lifeless ignorance. Thus walking the high way of wisdom, with mindfixed upon the spotless Truth, you shall know no halting-place short of therealization of Truth. 

He who earnestly meditates first perceives a truth, as it were, afar off, and then realizes it by daily practice. It is only the doer of the Word ofTruth that can know of the doctrine of Truth, for though by pure thoughtthe Truth is perceived, it is only actualized by practice. 

Said the divine Gautama, the Buddha, "He who gives himself up to vanity, and does not give himself up to meditation, forgetting the real aim of lifeand grasping at pleasure, will in time envy him who has exerted himself inmeditation, " and he instructed his disciples in the following "Five GreatMeditations":--

"The first meditation is the meditation of love, in which you so adjustyour heart that you long for the weal and welfare of all beings, includingthe happiness of your enemies. 

"The second meditation is the meditation of pity, in which you think of allbeings in distress, vividly representing in your imagination their sorrowsand anxieties so as to arouse a deep compassion for them in your soul. 

"The third meditation is the meditation of joy, in which you think of theprosperity of others, and rejoice with their rejoicings. 

"The fourth meditation is the meditation of impurity, in which you considerthe evil consequences of corruption, the effects of sin and diseases. Howtrivial often the pleasure of the moment, and how fatal its consequences. 

"The fifth meditation is the meditation on serenity, in which you riseabove love and hate, tyranny and oppression, wealth and want, and regardyour own fate with impartial calmness and perfect tranquillity. "

By engaging in these meditations the disciples of the Buddha arrived at aknowledge of the Truth. But whether you engage in these particularmeditations or not matters little so long as your object is Truth, so longas you hunger and thirst for that righteousness which is a holy heart and ablameless life. In your meditations, therefore, let your heart grow andexpand with ever-broadening love, until, freed from all hatred, andpassion, and condemnation, it embraces the whole universe with thoughtfultenderness. As the flower opens its petals to receive the morning light, soopen your soul more and more to the glorious light of Truth. Soar upwardupon the wings of aspiration; be fearless, and believe in the loftiestpossibilities. Believe that a life of absolute meekness is possible;believe that a life of stainless purity is possible; believe that a life ofperfect holiness is possible; believe that the realization of the highesttruth is possible. He who so believes, climbs rapidly the heavenly hills, whilst the unbelievers continue to grope darkly and painfully in thefog-bound valleys. 

So believing, so aspiring, so meditating, divinely sweet and beautiful willbe your spiritual experiences, and glorious the revelations that willenrapture your inward vision. As you realize the divine Love, the divineJustice, the divine Purity, the Perfect Law of Good, or God, great will beyour bliss and deep your peace. Old things will pass away, and all thingswill become new. The veil of the material universe, so dense andimpenetrable to the eye of error, so thin and gauzy to the eye of Truth, will be lifted and the spiritual universe will be revealed. Time willcease, and you will live only in Eternity. Change and mortality will nomore cause you anxiety and sorrow, for you will become established in theunchangeable, and will dwell in the very heart of immortality. 

STAR OF WISDOM

 Star that of the birth of Vishnu, Birth of Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Told the wise ones, Heavenward looking, Waiting, watching for thy gleaming In the darkness of the night-time, In the starless gloom of midnight; Shining Herald of the coming Of the kingdom of the righteous; Teller of the Mystic story Of the lowly birth of Godhead In the stable of the passions, In the manger of the mind-soul; Silent singer of the secret Of compassion deep and holy To the heart with sorrow burdened, To the soul with waiting weary:-- Star of all-surpassing brightness, Thou again dost deck the midnight; Thou again dost cheer the wise ones Watching in the creedal darkness, Weary of the endless battle With the grinding blades of error; Tired of lifeless, useless idols, Of the dead forms of religions; Spent with watching for thy shining; Thou hast ended their despairing; Thou hast lighted up their pathway; Thou hast brought again the old Truths To the hearts of all thy Watchers; To the souls of them that love thee Thou dost speak of Joy and Gladness, Of the peace that comes of Sorrow. Blessed are they that can see thee, Weary wanderers in the Night-time; Blessed they who feel the throbbing, In their bosoms feel the pulsing Of a deep Love stirred within them By the great power of thy shining. Let us learn thy lesson truly; Learn it faithfully and humbly; Learn it meekly, wisely, gladly, Ancient Star of holy Vishnu, Light of Krishna, Buddha, Jesus. 

THE TWO MASTERS, SELF AND TRUTH

Upon the battlefield of the human soul two masters are ever contending forthe crown of supremacy, for the kingship and dominion of the heart; themaster of self, called also the "Prince of this world, " and the master ofTruth, called also the Father God. The master self is that rebellious onewhose weapons are passion, pride, avarice, vanity, self-will, implements ofdarkness; the master Truth is that meek and lowly one whose weapons aregentleness, patience, purity, sacrifice, humility, love, instruments ofLight. 

In every soul the battle is waged, and as a soldier cannot engage at oncein two opposing armies, so every heart is enlisted either in the ranks ofself or of Truth. There is no half-and-half course; "There is self andthere is Truth; where self is, Truth is not, where Truth is, self is not. "Thus spake Buddha, the teacher of Truth, and Jesus, the manifested Christ, declared that "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate theone and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise theother. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. "

Truth is so simple, so absolutely undeviating and uncompromising that itadmits of no complexity, no turning, no qualification. Self is ingenious, crooked, and, governed by subtle and snaky desire, admits of endlessturnings and qualifications, and the deluded worshipers of self vainlyimagine that they can gratify every worldly desire, and at the same timepossess the Truth. But the lovers of Truth worship Truth with the sacrificeof self, and ceaselessly guard themselves against worldliness andself-seeking. 

Do you seek to know and to realize Truth? Then you must be prepared tosacrifice, to renounce to the uttermost, for Truth in all its glory canonly be perceived and known when the last vestige of self has disappeared. 

The eternal Christ declared that he who would be His disciple must "denyhimself daily. " Are you willing to deny yourself, to give up your lusts, your prejudices, your opinions? If so, you may enter the narrow way ofTruth, and find that peace from which the world is shut out. The absolutedenial, the utter extinction, of self is the perfect state of Truth, andall religions and philosophies are but so many aids to this supremeattainment. 

Self is the denial of Truth. Truth is the denial of self. As you let selfdie, you will be reborn in Truth. As you cling to self, Truth will behidden from you. 

Whilst you cling to self, your path will be beset with difficulties, andrepeated pains, sorrows, and disappointments will be your lot. There are nodifficulties in Truth, and coming to Truth, you will be freed from allsorrow and disappointment. 

Truth in itself is not hidden and dark. It is always revealed and isperfectly transparent. But the blind and wayward self cannot perceive it. The light of day is not hidden except to the blind, and the Light of Truthis not hidden except to those who are blinded by self. 

Truth is the one Reality in the universe, the inward Harmony, the perfectJustice, the eternal Love. Nothing can be added to it, nor taken from it. It does not depend upon any man, but all men depend upon it. You cannotperceive the beauty of Truth while you are looking out through the eyes ofself. If you are vain, you will color everything with your own vanities. Iflustful, your heart and mind will be so clouded with the smoke and flamesof passion, that everything will appear distorted through them. If proudand opinionative, you will see nothing in the whole universe except themagnitude and importance of your own opinions. 

There is one quality which pre-eminently distinguishes the man of Truthfrom the man of self, and that is _humility_. To be not only free fromvanity, stubbornness and egotism, but to regard one's own opinions as of novalue, this indeed is true humility. 

He who is immersed in self regards his own opinions as Truth, and theopinions of other men as error. But that humble Truth-lover who has learnedto distinguish between opinion and Truth, regards all men with the eye ofcharity, and does not seek to defend his opinions against theirs, butsacrifices those opinions that he may love the more, that he may manifestthe spirit of Truth, for Truth in its very nature is ineffable and can onlybe lived. He who has most of charity has most of Truth. 

Men engage in heated controversies, and foolishly imagine they aredefending the Truth, when in reality they are merely defending their ownpetty interests and perishable opinions. The follower of self takes up armsagainst others. The follower of Truth takes up arms against himself. Truth, being unchangeable and eternal, is independent of your opinion and of mine. We may enter into it, or we may stay outside; but both our defense and ourattack are superfluous, and are hurled back upon ourselves. 

Men, enslaved by self, passionate, proud, and condemnatory, believe theirparticular creed or religion to be the Truth, and all other religions to beerror; and they proselytize with passionate ardor. There is but onereligion, the religion of Truth. There is but one error, the error of self. Truth is not a formal belief; it is an unselfish, holy, and aspiring heart, and he who has Truth is at peace with all, and cherishes all with thoughtsof love. 

You may easily know whether you are a child of Truth or a worshiper ofself, if you will silently examine your mind, heart, and conduct. Do youharbor thoughts of suspicion, enmity, envy, lust, pride, or do youstrenuously fight against these? If the former, you are chained to self, nomatter what religion you may profess; if the latter, you are a candidatefor Truth, even though outwardly you may profess no religion. Are youpassionate, self-willed, ever seeking to gain your own ends, self-indulgent, and self-centered; or are you gentle, mild, unselfish, quitof every form of self-indulgence, and are ever ready to give up your own?If the former, self is your master; if the latter, Truth is the object ofyour affection. Do you strive for riches? Do you fight, with passion, foryour party? Do you lust for power and leadership? Are you given toostentation and self-praise? Or have you given up the love of riches? Haveyou relinquished all strife? Are you content to take the lowest place, andto be passed by unnoticed? And have you ceased to talk about yourself andto regard yourself with self-complacent pride? If the former, even thoughyou may imagine you worship God, the god of your heart is self. If thelatter, even though you may withhold your lips from worship, you aredwelling with the Most High. 

The signs by which the Truth-lover is known are unmistakable. Hear the HolyKrishna declare them, in Sir Edwin Arnold's beautiful rendering of the"Bhagavad Gita":--

 "Fearlessness, singleness of soul, the will Always to strive for wisdom; opened hand And governed appetites; and piety, And love of lonely study; humbleness, Uprightness, heed to injure nought which lives Truthfulness, slowness unto wrath, a mind That lightly letteth go what others prize; And equanimity, and charity Which spieth no man's faults; and tenderness Towards all that suffer; a contented heart, Fluttered by no desires; a bearing mild, Modest and grave, with manhood nobly mixed, With patience, fortitude and purity; An unrevengeful spirit, never given To rate itself too high--such be the signs, O Indian Prince! of him whose feet are set On that fair path which leads to heavenly birth!"

When men, lost in the devious ways of error and self, have forgotten the"heavenly birth, " the state of holiness and Truth, they set up artificialstandards by which to judge one another, and make acceptance of, andadherence to, their own particular theology, the test of Truth; and so menare divided one against another, and there is ceaseless enmity and strife, and unending sorrow and suffering. 

Reader, do you seek to realize the birth into Truth? There is only one way:_Let self die_. All those lusts, appetites, desires, opinions, limitedconceptions and prejudices to which you have hitherto so tenaciously clung, let them fall from you. Let them no longer hold you in bondage, and Truthwill be yours. Cease to look upon your own religion as superior to allothers, and strive humbly to learn the supreme lesson of charity. No longercling to the idea, so productive of strife and sorrow, that the Savior whomyou worship is the only Savior, and that the Savior whom your brotherworships with equal sincerity and ardor, is an impostor; but seekdiligently the path of holiness, and then you will realize that every holyman is a savior of mankind. 

The giving up of self is not merely the renunciation of outward things. Itconsists of the renunciation of the inward sin, the inward error. Not bygiving up vain clothing; not by relinquishing riches; not by abstainingfrom certain foods; not by speaking smooth words; not by merely doing thesethings is the Truth found; but by giving up the spirit of vanity; byrelinquishing the desire for riches; by abstaining from the lust ofself-indulgence; by giving up all hatred, strife, condemnation, andself-seeking, and becoming gentle and pure at heart; by doing these thingsis the Truth found. To do the former, and not to do the latter, ispharisaism and hypocrisy, whereas the latter includes the former. You mayrenounce the outward world, and isolate yourself in a cave or in the depthsof a forest, but you will take all your selfishness with you, and unlessyou renounce that, great indeed will be your wretchedness and deep yourdelusion. You may remain just where you are, performing all your duties, and yet renounce the world, the inward enemy. To be in the world and yetnot of the world is the highest perfection, the most blessed peace, is toachieve the greatest victory. The renunciation of self is the way of Truth, therefore, "Enter the Path; there is no grief like hate, No pain like passion, no deceit like sense; Enter the Path; far hath he gone whose foot Treads down one fond offense. "

As you succeed in overcoming self you will begin to see things in theirright relations. He who is swayed by any passion, prejudice, like ordislike, adjusts everything to that particular bias, and sees only his owndelusions. He who is absolutely free from all passion, prejudice, preference, and partiality, sees himself as he is; sees others as they are;sees all things in their proper proportions and right relations. Havingnothing to attack, nothing to defend, nothing to conceal, and no intereststo guard, he is at peace. He has realized the profound simplicity of Truth, for this unbiased, tranquil, blessed state of mind and heart is the stateof Truth. He who attains to it dwells with the angels, and sits at thefootstool of the Supreme. Knowing the Great Law; knowing the origin ofsorrow; knowing the secret of suffering; knowing the way of emancipation inTruth, how can such a one engage in strife or condemnation; for though heknows that the blind, self-seeking world, surrounded with the clouds of itsown illusions, and enveloped in the darkness of error and self, cannotperceive the steadfast Light of Truth, and is utterly incapable ofcomprehending the profound simplicity of the heart that has died, or isdying, to self, yet he also knows that when the suffering ages have piledup mountains of sorrow, the crushed and burdened soul of the world will flyto its final refuge, and that when the ages are completed, every prodigalwill come back to the fold of Truth. And so he dwells in goodwill towardall, and regards all with that tender compassion which a father bestowsupon his wayward children. 

Men cannot understand Truth because they cling to self, because theybelieve in and love self, because they believe self to be the only reality, whereas it is the one delusion. 

When you cease to believe in and love self you will desert it, and will flyto Truth, and will find the eternal Reality. 

When men are intoxicated with the wines of luxury, and pleasure, andvanity, the thirst of life grows and deepens within them, and they deludethemselves with dreams of fleshly immortality, but when they come to reapthe harvest of their own sowing, and pain and sorrow supervene, then, crushed and humiliated, relinquishing self and all the intoxications ofself, they come, with aching hearts to the one immortality, the immortalitythat destroys all delusions, the spiritual immortality in Truth. 

Men pass from evil to good, from self to Truth, through the dark gate ofsorrow, for sorrow and self are inseparable. Only in the peace and bliss ofTruth is all sorrow vanquished. If you suffer disappointment because yourcherished plans have been thwarted, or because someone has not come up toyour anticipations, it is because you are clinging to self. If you sufferremorse for your conduct, it is because you have given way to self. If youare overwhelmed with chagrin and regret because of the attitude of someoneelse toward you, it is because you have been cherishing self. If you arewounded on account of what has been done to you or said of you, it isbecause you are walking in the painful way of self. All suffering is ofself. All suffering ends in Truth. When you have entered into and realizedTruth, you will no longer suffer disappointment, remorse, and regret, andsorrow will flee from you. 

 "Self is the only prison that can ever bind the soul; Truth is the only angel that can bid the gates unroll; And when he comes to call thee, arise and follow fast; His way may lie through darkness, but it leads to light at last. "

The woe of the world is of its own making. Sorrow purifies and deepens thesoul, and the extremity of sorrow is the prelude to Truth. 

Have you suffered much? Have you sorrowed deeply? Have you ponderedseriously upon the problem of life? If so, you are prepared to wage waragainst self, and to become a disciple of Truth. 

The intellectual who do not see the necessity for giving up self, frameendless theories about the universe, and call them Truth; but do thoupursue that direct line of conduct which is the practice of righteousness, and thou wilt realize the Truth which has no place in theory, and whichnever changes. Cultivate your heart. Water it continually with unselfishlove and deep-felt pity, and strive to shut out from it all thoughts andfeelings which are not in accordance with Love. Return good for evil, lovefor hatred, gentleness for ill-treatment, and remain silent when attacked. So shall you transmute all your selfish desires into the pure gold of Love, and self will disappear in Truth. So will you walk blamelessly among men, yoked with the easy yoke of lowliness, and clothed with the divine garmentof humility. 

 O come, weary brother! thy struggling and striving End thou in the heart of the Master of ruth; Across self's drear desert why wilt thou be driving, Athirst for the quickening waters of Truth

 When here, by the path of thy searching and sinning, Flows Life's gladsome stream, lies Love's oasis green? Come, turn thou and rest; know the end and beginning, The sought and the searcher, the seer and seen. 

 Thy Master sits not in the unapproached mountains, Nor dwells in the mirage which floats on the air, Nor shalt thou discover His magical fountains In pathways of sand that encircle despair. 

 In selfhood's dark desert cease wearily seeking The odorous tracks of the feet of thy King; And if thou wouldst hear the sweet sound of His speaking, Be deaf to all voices that emptily sing. 

 Flee the vanishing places; renounce all thou hast; Leave all that thou lovest, and, naked and bare, Thyself at the shrine of the _Innermost_ cast; The Highest, the Holiest, the Changeless is there. 

 Within, in the heart of the Silence He dwelleth; Leave sorrow and sin, leave thy wanderings sore; Come bathe in His Joy, whilst He, whispering, telleth Thy soul what it seeketh, and wander no more. 

 Then cease, weary brother, thy struggling and striving; Find peace in the heart of the Master of ruth. Across self's dark desert cease wearily driving; Come; drink at the beautiful waters of Truth. 

THE ACQUIREMENT OF SPIRITUAL POWER

The world is filled with men and women seeking pleasure, excitement, novelty; seeking ever to be moved to laughter or tears; not seekingstrength, stability, and power; but courting weakness, and eagerly engagedin dispersing what power they have. 

Men and women of real power and influence are few, because few are preparedto make the sacrifice necessary to the acquirement of power, and fewerstill are ready to patiently build up character. 

To be swayed by your fluctuating thoughts and impulses is to be weak andpowerless; to rightly control and direct those forces is to be strong andpowerful. Men of strong animal passions have much of the ferocity of thebeast, but this is not power. The elements of power are there; but it isonly when this ferocity is tamed and subdued by the higher intelligencethat real power begins; and men can only grow in power by awakeningthemselves to higher and ever higher states of intelligence andconsciousness. 

The difference between a man of weakness and one of power lies not in thestrength of the personal will (for the stubborn man is usually weak andfoolish), but in that focus of consciousness which represents their statesof knowledge. 

The pleasure-seekers, the lovers of excitement, the hunters after novelty, and the victims of impulse and hysterical emotion lack that knowledge ofprinciples which gives balance, stability, and influence. 

A man commences to develop power when, checking his impulses and selfishinclinations, he falls back upon the higher and calmer consciousness withinhim, and begins to steady himself upon a principle. The realization ofunchanging principles in consciousness is at once the source and secret ofthe highest power. 

When, after much searching, and suffering, and sacrificing, the light of aneternal principle dawns upon the soul, a divine calm ensues and joyunspeakable gladdens the heart. 

He who has realized such a principle ceases to wander, and remains poisedand self-possessed. He ceases to be "passion's slave, " and becomes amaster-builder in the Temple of Destiny. 

The man that is governed by self, and not by a principle, changes his frontwhen his selfish comforts are threatened. Deeply intent upon defending andguarding his own interests, he regards all means as lawful that willsubserve that end. He is continually scheming as to how he may protecthimself against his enemies, being too self-centered to perceive that he ishis own enemy. Such a man's work crumbles away, for it is divorced fromTruth and power. All effort that is grounded upon self, perishes; only thatwork endures that is built upon an indestructible principle. 

The man that stands upon a principle is the same calm, dauntless, self-possessed man under all circumstances. When the hour of trial comes, and he has to decide between his personal comforts and Truth, he gives uphis comforts and remains firm. Even the prospect of torture and deathcannot alter or deter him. The man of self regards the loss of his wealth, his comforts, or his life as the greatest calamities which can befall him. The man of principle looks upon these incidents as comparativelyinsignificant, and not to be weighed with loss of character, loss of Truth. To desert Truth is, to him, the only happening which can really be called acalamity. 

It is the hour of crisis which decides who are the minions of darkness, andwho the children of Light. It is the epoch of threatening disaster, ruin, and persecution which divides the sheep from the goats, and reveals to thereverential gaze of succeeding ages the men and women of power. 

It is easy for a man, so long as he is left in the enjoyment of hispossessions, to persuade himself that he believes in and adheres to theprinciples of Peace, Brotherhood, and Universal Love; but if, when hisenjoyments are threatened, or he imagines they are threatened, he begins toclamor loudly for war, he shows that he believes in and stands upon, notPeace, Brotherhood, and Love, but strife, selfishness, and hatred. 

He who does not desert his principles when threatened with the loss ofevery earthly thing, even to the loss of reputation and life, is the man ofpower; is the man whose every word and work endures; is the man whom theafterworld honors, reveres, and worships. Rather than desert that principleof Divine Love on which he rested, and in which all his trust was placed, Jesus endured the utmost extremity of agony and deprivation; and today theworld prostrates itself at his pierced feet in rapt adoration. 

There is no way to the acquirement of spiritual power except by that inwardillumination and enlightenment which is the realization of spiritualprinciples; and those principles can only be realized by constant practiceand application. 

Take the principle of divine Love, and quietly and diligently meditate uponit with the object of arriving at a thorough understanding of it. Bring itssearching light to bear upon all your habits, your actions, your speech andintercourse with others, your every secret thought and desire. As youpersevere in this course, the divine Love will become more and moreperfectly revealed to you, and your own shortcomings will stand out in moreand more vivid contrast, spurring you on to renewed endeavor; and havingonce caught a glimpse of the incomparable majesty of that imperishableprinciple, you will never again rest in your weakness, your selfishness, your imperfection, but will pursue that Love until you have relinquishedevery discordant element, and have brought yourself into perfect harmonywith it. And that state of inward harmony is spiritual power. Take alsoother spiritual principles, such as Purity and Compassion, and apply themin the same way, and, so exacting is Truth, you will be able to make nostay, no resting-place until the inmost garment of your soul is bereft ofevery stain, and your heart has become incapable of any hard, condemnatory, and pitiless impulse. 

Only in so far as you understand, realize, and rely upon, these principles, will you acquire spiritual power, and that power will be manifested in andthrough you in the form of increasing dispassion, patience and equanimity. 

Dispassion argues superior self-control; sublime patience is the veryhall-mark of divine knowledge, and to retain an unbroken calm amid all theduties and distractions of life, marks off the man of power. "It is easy inthe world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to liveafter our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keepswith perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. "

Some mystics hold that perfection in dispassion is the source of that powerby which miracles (so-called) are performed, and truly he who has gainedsuch perfect control of all his interior forces that no shock, howevergreat, can for one moment unbalance him, must be capable of guiding anddirecting those forces with a master-hand. 

To grow in self-control, in patience, in equanimity, is to grow in strengthand power; and you can only thus grow by focusing your consciousness upon aprinciple. As a child, after making many and vigorous attempts to walkunaided, at last succeeds, after numerous falls, in accomplishing this, soyou must enter the way of power by first attempting to stand alone. Breakaway from the tyranny of custom, tradition, conventionality, and theopinions of others, until you succeed in walking lonely and erect amongmen. Rely upon your own judgment; be true to your own conscience; followthe Light that is within you; all outward lights are so manywill-o'-the-wisps. There will be those who will tell you that you arefoolish; that your judgment is faulty; that your conscience is all awry, and that the Light within you is darkness; but heed them not. If what theysay is true the sooner you, as a searcher for wisdom, find it out thebetter, and you can only make the discovery by bringing your powers to thetest. Therefore, pursue your course bravely. Your conscience is at leastyour own, and to follow it is to be a man; to follow the conscience ofanother is to be a slave. You will have many falls, will suffer manywounds, will endure many buffetings for a time, but press on in faith, believing that sure and certain victory lies ahead. Search for a rock, aprinciple, and having found it cling to it; get it under your feet andstand erect upon it, until at last, immovably fixed upon it, you succeed indefying the fury of the waves and storms of selfishness. 

For selfishness in any and every form is dissipation, weakness, death;unselfishness in its spiritual aspect is conservation, power, life. As yougrow in spiritual life, and become established upon principles, you willbecome as beautiful and as unchangeable as those principles, will taste ofthe sweetness of their immortal essence, and will realize the eternal andindestructible nature of the God within. 

 No harmful shaft can reach the righteous man, Standing erect amid the storms of hate, Defying hurt and injury and ban, Surrounded by the trembling slaves of Fate. 

 Majestic in the strength of silent power, Serene he stands, nor changes not nor turns; Patient and firm in suffering's darkest hour, Time bends to him, and death and doom he spurns. 

 Wrath's lurid lightnings round about him play, And hell's deep thunders roll about his head; Yet heeds he not, for him they cannot slay Who stands whence earth and time and space are fled. 

 Sheltered by deathless love, what fear hath he? Armored in changeless Truth, what can he know Of loss and gain? Knowing eternity, He moves not whilst the shadows come and go. 

 Call him immortal, call him Truth and Light And splendor of prophetic majesty Who bideth thus amid the powers of night, Clothed with the glory of divinity. 

THE REALIZATION OF SELFLESS LOVE

It is said that Michael Angelo saw in every rough block of stone a thing ofbeauty awaiting the master-hand to bring it into reality. Even so, withineach there reposes the Divine Image awaiting the master-hand of Faith andthe chisel of Patience to bring it into manifestation. And that DivineImage is revealed and realized as stainless, selfless Love. 

Hidden deep in every human heart, though frequently covered up with a massof hard and almost impenetrable accretions, is the spirit of Divine Love, whose holy and spotless essence is undying and eternal. It is the Truth inman; it is that which belongs to the Supreme: that which is real andimmortal. All else changes and passes away; this alone is permanent andimperishable; and to realize this Love by ceaseless diligence in thepractice of the highest righteousness, to live in it and to become fullyconscious in it, is to enter into immortality here and now, is to becomeone with Truth, one with God, one with the central Heart of all things, andto know our own divine and eternal nature. 

To reach this Love, to understand and experience it, one must work withgreat persistency and diligence upon his heart and mind, must ever renewhis patience and keep strong his faith, for there will be much to remove, much to accomplish before the Divine Image is revealed in all its gloriousbeauty. 

He who strives to reach and to accomplish the divine will be tried to thevery uttermost; and this is absolutely necessary, for how else could oneacquire that sublime patience without which there is no real wisdom, nodivinity? Ever and anon, as he proceeds, all his work will seem to befutile, and his efforts appear to be thrown away. Now and then a hastytouch will mar his image, and perhaps when he imagines his work is almostcompleted he will find what he imagined to be the beautiful form of DivineLove utterly destroyed, and he must begin again with his past bitterexperience to guide and help him. But he who has resolutely set himself torealize the Highest recognizes no such thing as defeat. All failures areapparent, not real. Every slip, every fall, every return to selfishness isa lesson learned, an experience gained, from which a golden grain of wisdomis extracted, helping the striver toward the accomplishment of his loftyobject. To recognize

 "That of our vices we can frame A ladder if we will but tread Beneath our feet each deed of shame, "

is to enter the way that leads unmistakably toward the Divine, and thefailings of one who thus recognizes are so many dead selves, upon which herises, as upon stepping-stones, to higher things. 

Once come to regard your failings, your sorrows and sufferings as so manyvoices telling you plainly where you are weak and faulty, where you fallbelow the true and the divine, you will then begin to ceaselessly watchyourself, and every slip, every pang of pain will show you where you are toset to work, and what you have to remove out of your heart in order tobring it nearer to the likeness of the Divine, nearer to the Perfect Love. And as you proceed, day by day detaching yourself more and more from theinward selfishness the Love that is selfless will gradually become revealedto you. And when you are growing patient and calm, when your petulances, tempers, and irritabilities are passing away from you, and the morepowerful lusts and prejudices cease to dominate and enslave you, then youwill know that the divine is awakening within you, that you are drawingnear to the eternal Heart, that you are not far from that selfless Love, the possession of which is peace and immortality. 

Divine Love is distinguished from human loves in this supremely importantparticular, _it is free from partiality_. Human loves cling to a particularobject to the exclusion of all else, and when that object is removed, greatand deep is the resultant suffering to the one who loves. Divine Loveembraces the whole universe, and, without clinging to any part, yetcontains within itself the whole, and he who comes to it by graduallypurifying and broadening his human loves until all the selfish and impureelements are burnt out of them, ceases from suffering. It is because humanloves are narrow and confined and mingled with selfishness that they causesuffering. No suffering can result from that Love which is so absolutelypure that it seeks nothing for itself. Nevertheless, human loves areabsolutely necessary as steps toward the Divine, and no soul is prepared topartake of Divine Love until it has become capable of the deepest and mostintense human love. It is only by passing through human loves and humansufferings that Divine Love is reached and realized. 

All human loves are perishable like the forms to which they cling; butthere is a Love that is imperishable, and that does not cling toappearances. 

All human loves are counterbalanced by human hates; but there is a Lovethat admits of no opposite or reaction; divine and free from all taint ofself, that sheds its fragrance on all alike. 

Human loves are reflections of the Divine Love, and draw the soul nearer tothe reality, the Love that knows neither sorrow nor change. 

It is well that the mother, clinging with passionate tenderness to thelittle helpless form of flesh that lies on her bosom, should be overwhelmedwith the dark waters of sorrow when she sees it laid in the cold earth. Itis well that her tears should flow and her heart ache, for only thus canshe be reminded of the evanescent nature of the joys and objects of sense, and be drawn nearer to the eternal and imperishable Reality. 

It is well that lover, brother, sister, husband, wife should suffer deepanguish, and be enveloped in gloom when the visible object of theiraffections is torn from them, so that they may learn to turn theiraffections toward the invisible Source of all, where alone abidingsatisfaction is to be found. 

It is well that the proud, the ambitious, the self-seeking, should sufferdefeat, humiliation, and misfortune; that they should pass through thescorching fires of affliction; for only thus can the wayward soul bebrought to reflect upon the enigma of life; only thus can the heart besoftened and purified, and prepared to receive the Truth. 

When the sting of anguish penetrates the heart of human love; when gloomand loneliness and desertion cloud the soul of friendship and trust, thenit is that the heart turns toward the sheltering love of the Eternal, andfinds rest in its silent peace. And whosoever comes to this Love is notturned away comfortless, is not pierced with anguish nor surrounded withgloom; and is never deserted in the dark hour of trial. 

The glory of Divine Love can only be revealed in the heart that ischastened by sorrow, and the image of the heavenly state can only beperceived and realized when the lifeless, formless accretions of ignoranceand self are hewn away. 

Only that Love that seeks no personal gratification or reward, that doesnot make distinctions, and that leaves behind no heartaches, can be calleddivine. 

Men, clinging to self and to the comfortless shadows of evil, are in thehabit of thinking of divine Love as something belonging to a God who is outof reach; as something outside themselves, and that must for ever remainoutside. Truly, the Love of God is ever beyond the reach of self, but whenthe heart and mind are emptied of self then the selfless Love, the supremeLove, the Love that is of God or Good becomes an inward and abidingreality. 

And this inward realization of holy Love is none other than the Love ofChrist that is so much talked about and so little comprehended. The Lovethat not only saves the soul from sin, but lifts it also above the power oftemptation. 

But how may one attain to this sublime realization? The answer which Truthhas always given, and will ever give to this question is, --"Empty thyself, and I will fill thee. " Divine Love cannot be known until self is dead, forself is the denial of Love, and how can that which is known be also denied?Not until the stone of self is rolled away from the sepulcher of the souldoes the immortal Christ, the pure Spirit of Love, hitherto crucified, deadand buried, cast off the bands of ignorance, and come forth in all themajesty of His resurrection. 

You believe that the Christ of Nazareth was put to death and rose again. Ido not say you err in that belief; but if you refuse to believe that thegentle spirit of Love is crucified daily upon the dark cross of yourselfish desires, then, I say, you err in this unbelief, and have not yetperceived, even afar off, the Love of Christ. 

You say that you have tasted of salvation in the Love of Christ. Are yousaved from your temper, your irritability, your vanity, your personaldislikes, your judgment and condemnation of others? If not, from what areyou saved, and wherein have you realized the transforming Love of Christ?

He who has realized the Love that is divine has become a new man, and hasceased to be swayed and dominated by the old elements of self. He is knownfor his patience, his purity, his self-control, his deep charity of heart, and his unalterable sweetness. 

Divine or selfless Love is not a mere sentiment or emotion; it is a stateof knowledge which destroys the dominion of evil and the belief in evil, and lifts the soul into the joyful realization of the supreme Good. To thedivinely wise, knowledge and Love are one and inseparable. 

It is toward the complete realization of this divine Love that the wholeworld is moving; it was for this purpose that the universe came intoexistence, and every grasping at happiness, every reaching out of the soultoward objects, ideas and ideals, is an effort to realize it. But the worlddoes not realize this Love at present because it is grasping at thefleeting shadow and ignoring, in its blindness, the substance. And sosuffering and sorrow continue, and must continue until the world, taught byits self-inflicted pains, discovers the Love that is selfless, the wisdomthat is calm and full of peace. 

And this Love, this Wisdom, this Peace, this tranquil state of mind andheart may be attained to, may be realized by all who are willing and readyto yield up self, and who are prepared to humbly enter into a comprehensionof all that the giving up of self involves. There is no arbitrary power inthe universe, and the strongest chains of fate by which men are bound areself-forged. Men are chained to that which causes suffering because theydesire to be so, because they love their chains, because they think theirlittle dark prison of self is sweet and beautiful, and they are afraid thatif they desert that prison they will lose all that is real and worthhaving. 

 "Ye suffer from yourselves, none else compels, None other holds ye that ye live and die. "

And the indwelling power which forged the chains and built around itselfthe dark and narrow prison, can break away when it desires and wills to doso, and the soul does will to do so when it has discovered theworthlessness of its prison, when long suffering has prepared it for thereception of the boundless Light and Love. 

As the shadow follows the form, and as smoke comes after fire, so effectfollows cause, and suffering and bliss follow the thoughts and deeds ofmen. There is no effect in the world around us but has its hidden orrevealed cause, and that cause is in accordance with absolute justice. Menreap a harvest of suffering because in the near or distant past they havesown the seeds of evil; they reap a harvest of bliss also as a result oftheir own sowing of the seeds of good. Let a man meditate upon this, lethim strive to understand it, and he will then begin to sow only seeds ofgood, and will burn up the tares and weeds which he has formerly grown inthe garden of his heart. 

The world does not understand the Love that is selfless because it isengrossed in the pursuit of its own pleasures, and cramped within thenarrow limits of perishable interests mistaking, in its ignorance, thosepleasures and interests for real and abiding things. Caught in the flamesof fleshly lusts, and burning with anguish, it sees not the pure andpeaceful beauty of Truth. Feeding upon the swinish husks of error andself-delusion, it is shut out from the mansion of all-seeing Love. 

Not having this Love, not understanding it, men institute innumerablereforms which involve no inward sacrifice, and each imagines that hisreform is going to right the world for ever, while he himself continues topropagate evil by engaging it in his own heart. That only can be calledreform which tends to reform the human heart, for all evil has its risethere, and not until the world, ceasing from selfishness and party strife, has learned the lesson of divine Love, will it realize the Golden Age ofuniversal blessedness. 

Let the rich cease to despise the poor, and the poor to condemn the rich;let the greedy learn how to give, and the lustful how to grow pure; let thepartisan cease from strife, and the uncharitable begin to forgive; let theenvious endeavor to rejoice with others, and the slanderers grow ashamed oftheir conduct. Let men and women take this course, and, lo! the Golden Ageis at hand. He, therefore, who purifies his own heart is the world'sgreatest benefactor. 

Yet, though the world is, and will be for many ages to come, shut out fromthat Age of Gold, which is the realization of selfless Love, you, if youare willing, may enter it now, by rising above your selfish self; if youwill pass from prejudice, hatred, and condemnation, to gentle and forgivinglove. 

Where hatred, dislike, and condemnation are, selfless Love does not abide. It resides only in the heart that has ceased from all condemnation. 

You say, "How can I love the drunkard, the hypocrite, the sneak, themurderer? I am compelled to dislike and condemn such men. " It is true youcannot love such men _emotionally_, but when you say that you must perforcedislike and condemn them you show that you are not acquainted with theGreat over-ruling Love; for it is possible to attain to such a state ofinterior enlightenment as will enable you to perceive the train of causesby which these men have become as they are, to enter into their intensesufferings, and to know the certainty of their ultimate purification. Possessed of such knowledge it will be utterly impossible for you anylonger to dislike or condemn them, and you will always think of them withperfect calmness and deep compassion. 

If you love people and speak of them with praise until they in some waythwart you, or do something of which you disapprove, and then you dislikethem and speak of them with dispraise, you are not governed by the Lovewhich is of God. If, in your heart, you are continually arraigning andcondemning others, selfless Love is hidden from you. 

He who knows that Love is at the heart of all things, and has realized theall-sufficing power of that Love, has no room in his heart forcondemnation. 

Men, not knowing this Love, constitute themselves judge and executioner oftheir fellows, forgetting that there is the Eternal Judge and Executioner, and in so far as men deviate from them in their own views, their particularreforms and methods, they brand them as fanatical, unbalanced, lackingjudgment, sincerity, and honesty; in so far as others approximate to theirown standard do they look upon them as being everything that is admirable. Such are the men who are centered in self. But he whose heart is centeredin the supreme Love does not so brand and classify men; does not seek toconvert men to his own views, not to convince them of the superiority ofhis methods. Knowing the Law of Love, he lives it, and maintains the samecalm attitude of mind and sweetness of heart toward all. The debased andthe virtuous, the foolish and the wise, the learned and the unlearned, theselfish and the unselfish receive alike the benediction of his tranquilthought. 

You can only attain to this supreme knowledge, this divine Love byunremitting endeavor in self-discipline, and by gaining victory aftervictory over yourself. Only the pure in heart see God, and when your heartis sufficiently purified you will enter into the New Birth, and the Lovethat does not die, nor change, nor end in pain and sorrow will be awakenedwithin you, and you will be at peace. 

He who strives for the attainment of divine Love is ever seeking toovercome the spirit of condemnation, for where there is pure spiritualknowledge, condemnation cannot exist, and only in the heart that has becomeincapable of condemnation is Love perfected and fully realized. 

The Christian condemns the Atheist; the Atheist satirizes the Christian;the Catholic and Protestant are ceaselessly engaged in wordy warfare, andthe spirit of strife and hatred rules where peace and love should be. 

"He that hateth his brother is a murderer, " a crucifier of the divineSpirit of Love; and until you can regard men of all religions and of noreligion with the same impartial spirit, with all freedom from dislike, andwith perfect equanimity, you have yet to strive for that Love which bestowsupon its possessor freedom and salvation. 

The realization of divine knowledge, selfless Love, utterly destroys thespirit of condemnation, disperses all evil, and lifts the consciousness tothat height of pure vision where Love, Goodness, Justice are seen to beuniversal, supreme, all-conquering, indestructible. 

Train your mind in strong, impartial, and gentle thought; train your heartin purity and compassion; train your tongue to silence and to true andstainless speech; so shall you enter the way of holiness and peace, andshall ultimately realize the immortal Love. So living, without seeking toconvert, you will convince; without arguing, you will teach; not cherishingambition, the wise will find you out; and without striving to gain men'sopinions, you will subdue their hearts. For Love is all-conquering, all-powerful; and the thoughts, and deeds, and words of Love can neverperish. 

To know that Love is universal, supreme, all-sufficing; to be freed fromthe trammels of evil; to be quit of the inward unrest; to know that all menare striving to realize the Truth each in his own way; to be satisfied, sorrowless, serene; this is peace; this is gladness; this is immortality;this is Divinity; this is the realization of selfless Love. 

 I stood upon the shore, and saw the rocks Resist the onslaught of the mighty sea, And when I thought how all the countless shocks They had withstood through an eternity, I said, "To wear away this solid main The ceaseless efforts of the waves are vain. "

 But when I thought how they the rocks had rent, And saw the sand and shingles at my feet (Poor passive remnants of resistance spent) Tumbled and tossed where they the waters meet, Then saw I ancient landmarks 'neath the waves, And knew the waters held the stones their slaves. 

 I saw the mighty work the waters wrought By patient softness and unceasing flow; How they the proudest promontory brought Unto their feet, and massy hills laid low; How the soft drops the adamantine wall Conquered at last, and brought it to its fall. 

 And then I knew that hard, resisting sin Should yield at last to Love's soft ceaseless roll Coming and going, ever flowing in Upon the proud rocks of the human soul; That all resistance should be spent and past, And every heart yield unto it at last. 

ENTERING INTO THE INFINITE

From the beginning of time, man, in spite of his bodily appetites anddesires, in the midst of all his clinging to earthly and impermanentthings, has ever been intuitively conscious of the limited, transient, andillusionary nature of his material existence, and in his sane and silentmoments has tried to reach out into a comprehension of the Infinite, andhas turned with tearful aspiration toward the restful Reality of theEternal Heart. 

While vainly imagining that the pleasures of earth are real and satisfying, pain and sorrow continually remind him of their unreal and unsatisfyingnature. Ever striving to believe that complete satisfaction is to be foundin material things, he is conscious of an inward and persistent revoltagainst this belief, which revolt is at once a refutation of his essentialmortality, and an inherent and imperishable proof that only in theimmortal, the eternal, the infinite can he find abiding satisfaction andunbroken peace. 

And here is the common ground of faith; here the root and spring of allreligion; here the soul of Brotherhood and the heart of Love, --that man isessentially and spiritually divine and eternal, and that, immersed inmortality and troubled with unrest, he is ever striving to enter into aconsciousness of his real nature. 

The spirit of man is inseparable from the Infinite, and can be satisfiedwith nothing short of the Infinite, and the burden of pain will continue toweigh upon man's heart, and the shadows of sorrow to darken his pathwayuntil, ceasing from his wanderings in the dream-world of matter, he comesback to his home in the reality of the Eternal. 

As the smallest drop of water detached from the ocean contains all thequalities of the ocean, so man, detached in consciousness from theInfinite, contains within him its likeness; and as the drop of water must, by the law of its nature, ultimately find its way back to the ocean andlose itself in its silent depths, so must man, by the unfailing law of hisnature, at last return to his source, and lose himself in the great oceanof the Infinite. 

To re-become one with the Infinite is the goal of man. To enter intoperfect harmony with the Eternal Law is Wisdom, Love and Peace. But thisdivine state is, and must ever be, incomprehensible to the merely personal. Personality, separateness, selfishness are one and the same, and are theantithesis of wisdom and divinity. By the unqualified surrender of thepersonality, separateness and selfishness cease, and man enters into thepossession of his divine heritage of immortality and infinity. 

Such surrender of the personality is regarded by the worldly and selfishmind as the most grievous of all calamities, the most irreparable loss, yetit is the one supreme and incomparable blessing, the only real and lastinggain. The mind unenlightened upon the inner laws of being, and upon thenature and destiny of its own life, clings to transient appearances, thingswhich have in them no enduring substantiality, and so clinging, perishes, for the time being, amid the shattered wreckage of its own illusions. 

Men cling to and gratify the flesh as though it were going to last forever, and though they try to forget the nearness and inevitability of itsdissolution, the dread of death and of the loss of all that they cling toclouds their happiest hours, and the chilling shadow of their ownselfishness follows them like a remorseless specter. 

And with the accumulation of temporal comforts and luxuries, the divinitywithin men is drugged, and they sink deeper and deeper into materiality, into the perishable life of the senses, and where there is sufficientintellect, theories concerning the immortality of the flesh come to beregarded as infallible truths. When a man's soul is clouded withselfishness in any or every form, he loses the power of spiritualdiscrimination, and confuses the temporal with the eternal, the perishablewith the permanent, mortality with immortality, and error with Truth. It isthus that the world has come to be filled with theories and speculationshaving no foundation in human experience. Every body of flesh containswithin itself, from the hour of birth, the elements of its own destruction, and by the unalterable law of its own nature must it pass away. 

The perishable in the universe can never become permanent; the permanentcan never pass away; the mortal can never become immortal; the immortal cannever die; the temporal cannot become eternal nor the eternal becometemporal; appearance can never become reality, nor reality fade intoappearance; error can never become Truth, nor can Truth become error. Mancannot immortalize the flesh, but, by overcoming the flesh, byrelinquishing all its inclinations, he can enter the region of immortality. "God alone hath immortality, " and only by realizing the God state ofconsciousness does man enter into immortality. 

All nature in its myriad forms of life is changeable, impermanent, unenduring. Only the informing Principle of nature endures. Nature is many, and is marked by separation. The informing Principle is One, and is markedby unity. By overcoming the senses and the selfishness within, which is theovercoming of nature, man emerges from the chrysalis of the personal andillusory, and wings himself into the glorious light of the impersonal, theregion of universal Truth, out of which all perishable forms come. 

Let men, therefore, practice self-denial; let them conquer their animalinclinations; let them refuse to be enslaved by luxury and pleasure; letthem practice virtue, and grow daily into high and ever higher virtue, until at last they grow into the Divine, and enter into both the practiceand the comprehension of humility, meekness, forgiveness, compassion, andlove, which practice and comprehension constitute Divinity. 

"Good-will gives insight, " and only he who has so conquered his personalitythat he has but one attitude of mind, that of good-will, toward allcreatures, is possessed of divine insight, and is capable of distinguishingthe true from the false. The supremely good man is, therefore, the wiseman, the divine man, the enlightened seer, the knower of the Eternal. Whereyou find unbroken gentleness, enduring patience, sublime lowliness, graciousness of speech, self-control, self-forgetfulness, and deep andabounding sympathy, look there for the highest wisdom, seek the company ofsuch a one, for he has realized the Divine, he lives with the Eternal, hehas become one with the Infinite. Believe not him that is impatient, givento anger, boastful, who clings to pleasure and refuses to renounce hisselfish gratifications, and who practices not good-will and far-reachingcompassion, for such a one hath not wisdom, vain is all his knowledge, andhis works and words will perish, for they are grounded on that which passesaway. 

Let a man abandon self, let him overcome the world, let him deny thepersonal; by this pathway only can he enter into the heart of the Infinite. 

The world, the body, the personality are mirages upon the desert of time;transitory dreams in the dark night of spiritual slumber, and those whohave crossed the desert, those who are spiritually awakened, have alonecomprehended the Universal Reality where all appearances are dispersed anddreaming and delusion are destroyed. 

There is one Great Law which exacts unconditional obedience, one unifyingprinciple which is the basis of all diversity, one eternal Truth whereinall the problems of earth pass away like shadows. To realize this Law, thisUnity, this Truth, is to enter into the Infinite, is to become one with theEternal. 

To center one's life in the Great Law of Love is to enter into rest, harmony, peace. To refrain from all participation in evil and discord; tocease from all resistance to evil, and from the omission of that which isgood, and to fall back upon unswerving obedience to the holy calm within, is to enter into the inmost heart of things, is to attain to a living, conscious experience of that eternal and infinite principle which must everremain a hidden mystery to the merely perceptive intellect. Until thisprinciple is realized, the soul is not established in peace, and he who sorealizes is truly wise; not wise with the wisdom of the learned, but withthe simplicity of a blameless heart and of a divine manhood. 

To enter into a realization of the Infinite and Eternal is to rise superiorto time, and the world, and the body, which comprise the kingdom ofdarkness; and is to become established in immortality, Heaven, and theSpirit, which make up the Empire of Light. 

Entering into the Infinite is not a mere theory or sentiment. It is a vitalexperience which is the result of assiduous practice in inwardpurification. When the body is no longer believed to be, even remotely, thereal man; when all appetites and desires are thoroughly subdued andpurified; when the emotions are rested and calm, and when the oscillationof the intellect ceases and perfect poise is secured, then, and not tillthen, does consciousness become one with the Infinite; not until then ischildlike wisdom and profound peace secured. 

Men grow weary and gray over the dark problems of life, and finally passaway and leave them unsolved because they cannot see their way out of thedarkness of the personality, being too much engrossed in its limitations. Seeking to save his personal life, man forfeits the greater impersonal Lifein Truth; clinging to the perishable, he is shut out from a knowledge ofthe Eternal. 

By the surrender of self all difficulties are overcome, and there is noerror in the universe but the fire of inward sacrifice will burn it up likechaff; no problem, however great, but will disappear like a shadow underthe searching light of self-abnegation. Problems exist only in our ownself-created illusions, and they vanish away when self is yielded up. Selfand error are synonymous. Error is involved in the darkness of unfathomablecomplexity, but eternal simplicity is the glory of Truth. 

Love of self shuts men out from Truth, and seeking their own personalhappiness they lose the deeper, purer, and more abiding bliss. SaysCarlyle--"There is in man a higher than love of happiness. He can dowithout happiness, and instead thereof find blessedness. 

. . . Love not pleasure, love God. This is the Everlasting Yea, wherein allcontradiction is solved; wherein whoso walks and works, it is well withhim. "

He who has yielded up that self, that personality that men most love, andto which they cling with such fierce tenacity, has left behind him allperplexity, and has entered into a simplicity so profoundly simple as to belooked upon by the world, involved as it is in a network of error, asfoolishness. Yet such a one has realized the highest wisdom, and is at restin the Infinite. He "accomplishes without striving, " and all problems meltbefore him, for he has entered the region of reality, and deals, not withchanging effects, but with the unchanging principles of things. He isenlightened with a wisdom which is as superior to ratiocination, as reasonis to animality. Having yielded up his lusts, his errors, his opinions andprejudices, he has entered into possession of the knowledge of God, havingslain the selfish desire for heaven, and along with it the ignorant fear ofhell; having relinquished even the love of life itself, he has gainedsupreme bliss and Life Eternal, the Life which bridges life and death, andknows its own immortality. Having yielded up all without reservation, hehas gained all, and rests in peace on the bosom of the Infinite. 

Only he who has become so free from self as to be equally content to beannihilated as to live, or to live as to be annihilated, is fit to enterinto the Infinite. Only he who, ceasing to trust his perishable self, haslearned to trust in boundless measure the Great Law, the Supreme Good, isprepared to partake of undying bliss. 

For such a one there is no more regret, nor disappointment, nor remorse, for where all selfishness has ceased these sufferings cannot be; andwhatever happens to him he knows that it is for his own good, and he iscontent, being no longer the servant of self, but the servant of theSupreme. He is no longer affected by the changes of earth, and when hehears of wars and rumors of wars his peace is not disturbed, and where mengrow angry and cynical and quarrelsome, he bestows compassion and love. Though appearances may contradict it, he knows that the world isprogressing, and that

 "Through its laughing and its weeping, Through its living and its keeping, Through its follies and its labors, weaving in and out of sight, To the end from the beginning, Through all virtue and all sinning, Reeled from God's great spool of Progress, runs the golden thread of light. "

When a fierce storm is raging none are angered about it, because they knowit will quickly pass away, and when the storms of contention aredevastating the world, the wise man, looking with the eye of Truth andpity, knows that it will pass away, and that out of the wreckage of brokenhearts which it leaves behind the immortal Temple of Wisdom will be built. 

Sublimely patient; infinitely compassionate; deep, silent, and pure, hisvery presence is a benediction; and when he speaks men ponder his words intheir hearts, and by them rise to higher levels of attainment. Such is hewho has entered into the Infinite, who by the power of utmost sacrifice hassolved the sacred mystery of life. 

 Questioning Life and Destiny and Truth, I sought the dark and labyrinthine Sphinx, Who spake to me this strange and wondrous thing:-- "Concealment only lies in blinded eyes, And God alone can see the Form of God. "

 I sought to solve this hidden mystery Vainly by paths of blindness and of pain, But when I found the Way of Love and Peace, Concealment ceased, and I was blind no more: Then saw I God e'en with the eyes of God. 

SAINTS, SAGES, AND SAVIORS: THE LAW OF SERVICE

The spirit of Love which is manifested as a perfect and rounded life, isthe crown of being and the supreme end of knowledge upon this earth. 

The measure of a man's truth is the measure of his love, and Truth is farremoved from him whose life is not governed by Love. The intolerant andcondemnatory, even though they profess the highest religion, have thesmallest measure of Truth; while those who exercise patience, and wholisten calmly and dispassionately to all sides, and both arrive themselvesat, and incline others to, thoughtful and unbiased conclusions upon allproblems and issues, have Truth in fullest measure. The final test ofwisdom is this, --how does a man live? What spirit does he manifest? Howdoes he act under trial and temptation? Many men boast of being inpossession of Truth who are continually swayed by grief, disappointment, and passion, and who sink under the first little trial that comes along. Truth is nothing if not unchangeable, and in so far as a man takes hisstand upon Truth does he become steadfast in virtue, does he rise superiorto his passions and emotions and changeable personality. 

Men formulate perishable dogmas, and call them Truth. Truth cannot beformulated; it is ineffable, and ever beyond the reach of intellect. It canonly be experienced by practice; it can only be manifested as a stainlessheart and a perfect life. 

Who, then, in the midst of the ceaseless pandemonium of schools and creedsand parties, has the Truth? He who lives it. He who practices it. He who, having risen above that pandemonium by overcoming himself, no longerengages in it, but sits apart, quiet, subdued, calm, and self-possessed, freed from all strife, all bias, all condemnation, and bestows upon all theglad and unselfish love of the divinity within him. 

He who is patient, calm, gentle, and forgiving under all circumstances, manifests the Truth. Truth will never be proved by wordy arguments andlearned treatises, for if men do not perceive the Truth in infinitepatience, undying forgiveness, and all-embracing compassion, no words canever prove it to them. 

It is an easy matter for the passionate to be calm and patient when theyare alone, or are in the midst of calmness. It is equally easy for theuncharitable to be gentle and kind when they are dealt kindly with, but hewho retains his patience and calmness under all trial, who remainssublimely meek and gentle under the most trying circumstances, he, and healone, is possessed of the spotless Truth. And this is so because suchlofty virtues belong to the Divine, and can only be manifested by one whohas attained to the highest wisdom, who has relinquished his passionate andself-seeking nature, who has realized the supreme and unchangeable Law, andhas brought himself into harmony with it. 

Let men, therefore, cease from vain and passionate arguments about Truth, and let them think and say and do those things which make for harmony, peace, love, and good-will. Let them practice heart-virtue, and searchhumbly and diligently for the Truth which frees the soul from all error andsin, from all that blights the human heart, and that darkens, as withunending night, the pathway of the wandering souls of earth. 

There is one great all-embracing Law which is the foundation and cause ofthe universe, the Law of Love. It has been called by many names in variouscountries and at various times, but behind all its names the sameunalterable Law may be discovered by the eye of Truth. Names, religions, personalities pass away, but the Law of Love remains. To become possessedof a knowledge of this Law, to enter into conscious harmony with it, is tobecome immortal, invincible, indestructible. 

It is because of the effort of the soul to realize this Law that men comeagain and again to live, to suffer, and to die; and when realized, suffering ceases, personality is dispersed, and the fleshly life and deathare destroyed, for consciousness becomes one with the Eternal. 

The Law is absolutely impersonal, and its highest manifested expression isthat of Service. When the purified heart has realized Truth it is thencalled upon to make the last, the greatest and holiest sacrifice, thesacrifice of the well-earned enjoyment of Truth. It is by virtue of thissacrifice that the divinely-emancipated soul comes to dwell among men, clothed with a body of flesh, content to dwell among the lowliest andleast, and to be esteemed the servant of all mankind. That sublime humilitywhich is manifested by the world's saviors is the seal of Godhead, and hewho has annihilated the personality, and has become a living, visiblemanifestation of the impersonal, eternal, boundless Spirit of Love, isalone singled out as worthy to receive the unstinted worship of posterity. He only who succeeds in humbling himself with that divine humility which isnot only the extinction of self, but is also the pouring out upon all thespirit of unselfish love, is exalted above measure, and given spiritualdominion in the hearts of mankind. 

All the great spiritual teachers have denied themselves personal luxuries, comforts, and rewards, have abjured temporal power, and have lived andtaught the limitless and impersonal Truth. Compare their lives andteachings, and you will find the same simplicity, the same self-sacrifice, the same humility, love, and peace both lived and preached by them. Theytaught the same eternal Principles, the realization of which destroys allevil. Those who have been hailed and worshiped as the saviors of mankindare manifestations of the Great impersonal Law, and being such, were freefrom passion and prejudice, and having no opinions, and no special letterof doctrine to preach and defend, they never sought to convert and toproselytize. Living in the highest Goodness, the supreme Perfection, theirsole object was to uplift mankind by manifesting that Goodness in thought, word, and deed. They stand between man the personal and God the impersonal, and serve as exemplary types for the salvation of self-enslaved mankind. 

Men who are immersed in self, and who cannot comprehend the Goodness thatis absolutely impersonal, deny divinity to all saviors except their own, and thus introduce personal hatred and doctrinal controversy, and, whiledefending their own particular views with passion, look upon each other asbeing heathens or infidels, and so render null and void, as far as theirlives are concerned, the unselfish beauty and holy grandeur of the livesand teachings of their own Masters. Truth cannot be limited; it can neverbe the special prerogative of any man, school, or nation, and whenpersonality steps in, Truth is lost. 

The glory alike of the saint, the sage, and the savior is this, --that hehas realized the most profound lowliness, the most sublime unselfishness;having given up all, even his own personality, all his works are holy andenduring, for they are freed from every taint of self. He gives, yet neverthinks of receiving; he works without regretting the past or anticipatingthe future, and never looks for reward. 

When the farmer has tilled and dressed his land and put in the seed, heknows that he has done all that he can possibly do, and that now he musttrust to the elements, and wait patiently for the course of time to bringabout the harvest, and that no amount of expectancy on his part will affectthe result. Even so, he who has realized Truth goes forth as a sower of theseeds of goodness, purity, love and peace, without expectancy, and neverlooking for results, knowing that there is the Great Over-ruling Law whichbrings about its own harvest in due time, and which is alike the source ofpreservation and destruction. 

Men, not understanding the divine simplicity of a profoundly unselfishheart, look upon their particular savior as the manifestation of a specialmiracle, as being something entirely apart and distinct from the nature ofthings, and as being, in his ethical excellence, eternally unapproachableby the whole of mankind. This attitude of unbelief (for such it is) in thedivine perfectibility of man, paralyzes effort, and binds the souls of menas with strong ropes to sin and suffering. Jesus "grew in wisdom" and was"perfected by suffering. " What Jesus was, he became such; what Buddha was, he became such; and every holy man became such by unremitting perseverancein self-sacrifice. Once recognize this, once realize that by watchfuleffort and hopeful perseverance you can rise above your lower nature, andgreat and glorious will be the vistas of attainment that will open outbefore you. Buddha vowed that he would not relax his efforts until hearrived at the state of perfection, and he accomplished his purpose. 

What the saints, sages, and saviors have accomplished, you likewise mayaccomplish if you will only tread the way which they trod and pointed out, the way of self-sacrifice, of self-denying service. 

Truth is very simple. It says, "Give up self, " "Come unto Me" (away fromall that defiles) "and I will give you rest. " All the mountains ofcommentary that have been piled upon it cannot hide it from the heart thatis earnestly seeking for Righteousness. It does not require learning; itcan be known in spite of learning. Disguised under many forms by erringself-seeking man, the beautiful simplicity and clear transparency of Truthremains unaltered and undimmed, and the unselfish heart enters into andpartakes of its shining radiance. Not by weaving complex theories, not bybuilding up speculative philosophies is Truth realized; but by weaving theweb of inward purity, by building up the Temple of a stainless life isTruth realized. 

He who enters upon this holy way begins by restraining his passions. Thisis virtue, and is the beginning of saintship, and saintship is thebeginning of holiness. The entirely worldly man gratifies all his desires, and practices no more restraint than the law of the land in which he livesdemands; the virtuous man restrains his passions; the saint attacks theenemy of Truth in its stronghold within his own heart, and restrains allselfish and impure thoughts; while the holy man is he who is free frompassion and all impure thought, and to whom goodness and purity have becomeas natural as scent and color are to the flower. The holy man is divinelywise; he alone knows Truth in its fullness, and has entered into abidingrest and peace. For him evil has ceased; it has disappeared in theuniversal light of the All-Good. Holiness is the badge of wisdom. SaidKrishna to the Prince Arjuna--

 "Humbleness, truthfulness, and harmlessness, Patience and honor, reverence for the wise, Purity, constancy, control of self, Contempt of sense-delights, self-sacrifice, Perception of the certitude of ill In birth, death, age, disease, suffering and sin; An ever tranquil heart in fortunes good And fortunes evil, . . . . . . Endeavors resolute To reach perception of the utmost soul, And grace to understand what gain it were So to attain--this is true wisdom, Prince! And what is otherwise is ignorance!"

Whoever fights ceaselessly against his own selfishness, and strives tosupplant it with all-embracing love, is a saint, whether he live in acottage or in the midst of riches and influence; or whether he preaches orremains obscure. 

To the worldling, who is beginning to aspire towards higher things, thesaint, such as a sweet St. Francis of Assisi, or a conquering St. Anthony, is a glorious and inspiring spectacle; to the saint, an equally enrapturingsight is that of the sage, sitting serene and holy, the conqueror of sinand sorrow, no more tormented by regret and remorse, and whom eventemptation can never reach; and yet even the sage is drawn on by a stillmore glorious vision, that of the savior actively manifesting his knowledgein selfless works, and rendering his divinity more potent for good bysinking himself in the throbbing, sorrowing, aspiring heart of mankind. 

And this only is true service--to forget oneself in love towards all, tolose oneself in working for the whole. O thou vain and foolish man, whothinkest that thy many works can save thee; who, chained to all error, talkest loudly of thyself, thy work, and thy many sacrifices, andmagnifiest thine own importance; know this, that though thy fame fill thewhole earth, all thy work shall come to dust, and thou thyself be reckonedlower than the least in the Kingdom of Truth!

Only the work that is impersonal can live; the works of self are bothpowerless and perishable. Where duties, howsoever humble, are done withoutself-interest, and with joyful sacrifice, there is true service andenduring work. Where deeds, however brilliant and apparently successful, are done from love of self, there is ignorance of the Law of Service, andthe work perishes. 

It is given to the world to learn one great and divine lesson, the lessonof absolute unselfishness. The saints, sages, and saviors of all time arethey who have submitted themselves to this task, and have learned and livedit. All the Scriptures of the world are framed to teach this one lesson;all the great teachers reiterate it. It is too simple for the world which, scorning it, stumbles along in the complex ways of selfishness. 

A pure heart is the end of all religion and the beginning of divinity. Tosearch for this Righteousness is to walk the Way of Truth and Peace, and hewho enters this Way will soon perceive that Immortality which isindependent of birth and death, and will realize that in the Divine economyof the universe the humblest effort is not lost. 

The divinity of a Krishna, a Gautama, or a Jesus is the crowning glory ofself-abnegation, the end of the soul's pilgrimage in matter and mortality, and the world will not have finished its long journey until every soul hasbecome as these, and has entered into the blissful realization of its owndivinity. 

 Great glory crowns the heights of hope by arduous struggle won; Bright honor rounds the hoary head that mighty works hath done; Fair riches come to him who strives in ways of golden gain. And fame enshrines his name who works with genius-glowing brain; But greater glory waits for him who, in the bloodless strife 'Gainst self and wrong, adopts, in love, the sacrificial life; And brighter honor rounds the brow of him who, 'mid the scorns Of blind idolaters of self, accepts the crown of thorns; And fairer purer riches come to him who greatly strives To walk in ways of love and truth to sweeten human lives; And he who serveth well mankind exchanges fleeting fame For Light eternal, Joy and Peace, and robes of heavenly flame. 

THE REALIZATION OF PERFECT PEACE

In the external universe there is ceaseless turmoil, change, and unrest; atthe heart of all things there is undisturbed repose; in this deep silencedwelleth the Eternal. 

Man partakes of this duality, and both the surface change and disquietude, and the deep-seated eternal abode of Peace, are contained within him. 

As there are silent depths in the ocean which the fiercest storm cannotreach, so there are silent, holy depths in the heart of man which thestorms of sin and sorrow can never disturb. To reach this silence and tolive consciously in it is peace. 

Discord is rife in the outward world, but unbroken harmony holds sway atthe heart of the universe. The human soul, torn by discordant passion andgrief, reaches blindly toward the harmony of the sinless state, and toreach this state and to live consciously in it is peace. 

Hatred severs human lives, fosters persecution, and hurls nations intoruthless war, yet men, though they do not understand why, retain somemeasure of faith in the overshadowing of a Perfect Love; and to reach thisLove and to live consciously in it is peace. 

And this inward peace, this silence, this harmony, this Love, is theKingdom of Heaven, which is so difficult to reach because few are willingto give up themselves and to become as little children. 

 "Heaven's gate is very narrow and minute, It cannot be perceived by foolish men Blinded by vain illusions of the world; E'en the clear-sighted who discern the way, And seek to enter, find the portal barred, And hard to be unlocked. Its massive bolts Are pride and passion, avarice and lust. "

Men cry peace! peace! where there is no peace, but on the contrary, discord, disquietude and strife. Apart from that Wisdom which isinseparable from self-renunciation, there can be no real and abiding peace. 

The peace which results from social comfort, passing gratification, orworldly victory is transitory in its nature, and is burnt up in the heat offiery trial. Only the Peace of Heaven endures through all trial, and onlythe selfless heart can know the Peace of Heaven. 

Holiness alone is undying peace. Self-control leads to it, and theever-increasing Light of Wisdom guides the pilgrim on his way. It ispartaken of in a measure as soon as the path of virtue is entered upon, butit is only realized in its fullness when self disappears in theconsummation of a stainless life. 

 "This is peace, To conquer love of self and lust of life, To tear deep-rooted passion from the heart To still the inward strife. "

If, O reader! you would realize the Light that never fades, the Joy thatnever ends, and the tranquillity that cannot be disturbed; if you wouldleave behind for ever your sins, your sorrows, your anxieties andperplexities; if, I say, you would partake of this salvation, thissupremely glorious Life, then conquer yourself. Bring every thought, everyimpulse, every desire into perfect obedience to the divine power residentwithin you. There is no other way to peace but this, and if you refuse towalk it, your much praying and your strict adherence to ritual will befruitless and unavailing, and neither gods nor angels can help you. Only tohim that overcometh is given the white stone of the regenerate life, onwhich is written the New and Ineffable Name. 

Come away, for awhile, from external things, from the pleasures of thesenses, from the arguments of the intellect, from the noise and theexcitements of the world, and withdraw yourself into the inmost chamber ofyour heart, and there, free from the sacrilegious intrusion of all selfishdesires, you will find a deep silence, a holy calm, a blissful repose, andif you will rest awhile in that holy place, and will meditate there, thefaultless eye of Truth will open within you, and you will see things asthey really are. This holy place within you is your real and eternal self;it is the divine within you; and only when you identify yourself with itcan you be said to be "clothed and in your right mind. " It is the abode ofpeace, the temple of wisdom, the dwelling-place of immortality. Apart fromthis inward resting-place, this Mount of Vision, there can be no truepeace, no knowledge of the Divine, and if you can remain there for oneminute, one hour, or one day, it is possible for you to remain therealways. All your sins and sorrows, your fears and anxieties are your own, and you can cling to them or you can give them up. Of your own accord youcling to your unrest; of your own accord you can come to abiding peace. Noone else can give up sin for you; you must give it up yourself. Thegreatest teacher can do no more than walk the way of Truth for himself, andpoint it out to you; you yourself must walk it for yourself. You can obtainfreedom and peace alone by your own efforts, by yielding up that whichbinds the soul, and which is destructive of peace. 

The angels of divine peace and joy are always at hand, and if you do notsee them, and hear them, and dwell with them, it is because you shutyourself out from them, and prefer the company of the spirits of evilwithin you. You are what you will to be, what you wish to be, what youprefer to be. You can commence to purify yourself, and by so doing canarrive at peace, or you can refuse to purify yourself, and so remain withsuffering. 

Step aside, then; come out of the fret and the fever of life; away from thescorching heat of self, and enter the inward resting-place where thecooling airs of peace will calm, renew, and restore you. 

Come out of the storms of sin and anguish. Why be troubled andtempest-tossed when the haven of Peace of God is yours!

Give up all self-seeking; give up self, and lo! the Peace of God is yours!

Subdue the animal within you; conquer every selfish uprising, everydiscordant voice; transmute the base metals of your selfish nature into theunalloyed gold of Love, and you shall realize the Life of Perfect Peace. Thus subduing, thus conquering, thus transmuting, you will, O reader! whileliving in the flesh, cross the dark waters of mortality, and will reachthat Shore upon which the storms of sorrow never beat, and where sin andsuffering and dark uncertainty cannot come. Standing upon that Shore, holy, compassionate, awakened, and self-possessed and glad with unendinggladness, you will realize that

 "Never the Spirit was born, the Spirit will cease to be never; Never was time it was not, end and beginning are dreams; Birthless and deathless and changeless remaineth the Spirit for ever; Death hath not touched it at all, dead though the house of it seems. "

You will then know the meaning of Sin, of Sorrow, of Suffering, and thatthe end thereof is Wisdom; will know the cause and the issue of existence. 

And with this realization you will enter into rest, for this is the blissof immortality, this the unchangeable gladness, this the untrammeledknowledge, undefiled Wisdom, and undying Love; this, and this only, is therealization of Perfect Peace. 

 O thou who wouldst teach men of Truth! Hast thou passed through the desert of doubt? Art thou purged by the fires of sorrow? hath ruth The fiends of opinion cast out Of thy human heart? Is thy soul so fair That no false thought can ever harbor there?

 O thou who wouldst teach men of Love! Hast thou passed through the place of despair? Hast thou wept through the dark night of grief? does it move (Now freed from its sorrow and care) Thy human heart to pitying gentleness, Looking on wrong, and hate, and ceaseless stress?

 O thou who wouldst teach men of Peace! Hast thou crossed the wide ocean of strife? Hast thou found on the Shores of the Silence, Release from all the wild unrest of life? From thy human heart hath all striving gone, Leaving but Truth, and Love, and Peace alone?