THE DIVINE COMPANION/PART 3
Part
III: The Divine Messages
I, a Sower,
Cast forth this seed upon the broad plains of the world.
And leave it to the watchful care of the Supreme.
The Divine Messages
The
First Prophecy, called the Awakening
SONS of Light, I salute you.
Children of the Morning, I greet you.
Awake ! arise! and rouse ye them that slumber!
I proclaim to you the advent of the Morning;
The dawn of the New Day is upon every living thing,
And down the holy Mountain cometh the Light of Love, the
Lowly One,
Bringing good tidings and publishing peace.
And this is the majesty of the Morning,–
That evil shall flee from the valleys,
And hardly shall darkness find a lodging-place:
For where light is, there is no darkness ;
Where good is, evil is dispersed,
Where peace is, strife is destroyed;
Where love is, all hatred has ceased;
Where purity is, all sin is overcome,
And from the abode of Truth all error has fled away.
And this is the joy of the Morning,–
That evil is conquered, and Good is triumphant;
That the glory of Truth is revealed;
That the Path of Perfection is opened up,
And the bliss of a holy life is partaken of.
And this is the consummation of the
Morning,–
That darkness is dispelled by Light
Ignorance by Knowledge,
Illusion by Reality,
And error by Truth.
And the majesty of the Morning is revealed;
And the joy of the Morning is comprehended ;
And the consummation of the Morning is realised.
Ye who have waited, come now, and gaze your fill:
Upon the Heights the coming of the King is announced,
Even the King of Peace;
And they who are stricken and afflicted shall be made
glad;
The mourners and they that sorrow shall look up, and
rejoice:
The chains of them that are bound shall be broken, and
they shall go free;
The defiled shall be cleansed and purified,
And the weary and travel-stained shall be at rest.
Come, ye that are thirsty, and drink ;
Come, ye that hunger, and be filled;
For the Water of Immortality is found,
And the Bread of Life is made known.
Awake, ye sleepers, and shake off the dreams of illusion
!
Rouse ye from the stupor of mortality !
And slumber no more in the realm of self !
For the Master of Compassion is revealed,
The Law of Good is expounded,
And the Great Reality of a stainless life is accomplished
!
The Truth of the ages is made plain;
In the tabernacle of the holy heart it is revealed.
The guileless perceive it;
The righteous hear it;
The holy realise it.
It is manifested in all its glory in the conqueror of
sin.
Ye that search in the darkness,
Come now unto the Light;
Ye that see the evil and the woe without,
Come with me, and I will show you its source:–
Go ye into the secret chambers of your hearts,
Seek there until ye find ;
Meditate there until ye awake.
He that dreams in self is asleep in Truth.
The dreamer can neither know himself nor the awakened ;
The awakened knoweth both himself and the dreamer,
He also knoweth the emptiness of the thing dreamed.
The sleeper in self is involved in evil ;
He is encompassed with darkness;
He is surrounded with woe ;
Such is the plight of the dreamer,
And the source, continuance, and end of evil are hidden
from him.
Awake ! therefore, ye that sleep !
Awake from the sleep of lust !
Awake from the slumber of hatred !
Come out of the painful dreams of avarice,
self-indulgence, vanity and pride !
Shake off the nightmare of doubt!
Be drugged no more by groundless faith,
By error, and the clinging unto death !
End ye the sleep of self, and awake in the Reality of
Truth !
For the end of self is the beginning of Truth. Behold,
the glorious Truth !
Awake ! awake ! awake ! ye are sleeping I ye
are dreaming ! Awake! Sons of the Morning, and fill the
world with music.
Come ye, and dwell in the Light;
Come ye, and tread the Path of Perfection ;
Come ye, and be exalted with the exaltation of Holiness,
So shall ye. know the supreme Love and Peace.
The
Second Prophecy, called the Messiah
CONSIDER the signs of the times:
War is rampant, strife is raging,
And the fires of passion are devastating the earth ;
Nation is opposed to nation, creed to creed and system to
system :
Science has discovered its own weakness,
Philosophy has confounded philosophy,
And a confusion of mental tongues has become universal.
Yet in the height of all this confusion,
In the midst of the fierce clash of prejudice and
passion,
One has descended whose name is Love,
Whose mission is Peace,
And whose end is Unity.
Walking in the midst is He,
But men know Him not because of their infirmities ;
Yet at His touch the blind receive their sight,
The deaf hear, and the lame walk.
Silently, holily is He working in isolated hearts:
Here and there a disciple is called,
And he hears and follows;
And the disciple knows his Master, and the Master His
disciple.
The Chosen Few have not been deaf to the command,
"Follow Me",
And they have followed with sure and certain steps.
They have gazed upon the face of the Serene One ;
They have sat at the feet of the Perfect One;
They have accepted the instruction of the Holy One,
And peace abides with them.
They walk amongst men, and are not discerned ;
They have relinquished all strife in their inmost hearts,
Hating none, condemning none ;
They have entered the Gate of Forgiveness;
Goodwill is the breath of their nostrils,
And boundless charity is the master of their
thoughts. They have ceased from vain longings ;
They have chased away all fluctuating desires;
They have passed through the Gate of Sacrifice,
They have clothed themselves with the Garment of
Humility,
They tread the Path of Good, and their gait is steadfast.
Fear and doubt they have dispersed ;
They walk upon the turbulent waters of sorrow,
And they sink not, and are comforted.
They are no longer confounded by false philosophy ;
They have passed through the Sea and the Desert,
And have entered the Promised Land.
And these are they who have been born again for the
salvation of the world ;
In the time of darkness, they have accepted the Light;
In the time of evil, they have chosen the Good;
In the day of self-seeking, they have silenced the many
voices of self,
And have followed the One Voice whose music harmonises
all.
Therefore, they rejoice;
Not blind to the evil,
But because the Omniscient One has shown them the end of
evil;
Yea, in themselves they have already accomplished that
end,
For they have become One with Him whom they have
followed.
All that belongs to the world they have given to the
world,
And they have not murmured.
The clouds of confusion do not darken them,
And the fires of passion do not scorch them;
Therefore let gladness reign !
For with the great darkness of these times, there has
also come great Light ;
Though the rivers of sorrow are swollen high,
The banks are perfumed with the flowers of blessedness ;
Though strife is raging, Peace has entered into the midst
;
Though confusion has covered the earth, unity has been
revealed ;
And though many continue to dream the dreams of illusion,
The vision of the Great Reality has gladdened the ken of
the wakeful.
Awake, ye sleepers! Arouse yourselves, ye dreamers !
When will ye open your eyes, and see ?
The Perfect One has appeared!
The stainless majesty of the Holy One is revealed ;
His sleepless watchers have hailed Him,
And He has borne away their weariness.
Come, then, ye sorrowing, and be glad !
Come, ye weary, and find peace !
Come, ye toilers, and be at rest !
For the longing of the ages is fulfilled,
And He whom we call Master has appeared :–
He is the sacred inmost heart of Love.
The
Third prophecy, called the All - One
TO do good and to remain unknown,
Let this be called Humility ;
To bless one’s persecutors,
Let this be called Love ;
To rejoice at the good fortune of one’s enemies,
Let this be called Perfection :
Thus is the All-One manifested,
Thus is the Truth made known.
The knowers of the All-One are perfect ;
They are without sin,
Dwelling in Truth and robed with holiness.
Behold ! the All-One is revealed,
He is made known to His worshippers ;
The garment of evil has fallen away from them,
And they have put on the perfect garment of Good;
The old bottles of error are broken,
And the new bottles of Truth are filled with the Wine of
Life.
The believers in the-All-One drink and are satisfied.
And the doers of His word enter into the joy of
immortality.
And who are they that believe in the All-One?
Who are the doers of His Word ?
The believer and doer is known by these sure signs,–
He is freed from ignorance and is not enslaved by likes
and dislikes ;
He is freed from hatred, and does not condemn ;
He is freed from partiality, and does not engage in
strife ;
He is freed from self-seeking, and does not defend
himself.
He never lets go of patience ;
He does not doff the robe of Purity;
He goes not out from the dwelling-place of Love.
The knower of the All-One is perfect in knowledge.
He is blameless in thought, word, and deed.
The All-One is sought by practice,
He is perceived by knowledge,
And he is realised by the perfection of practice and the
consummation of knowledge.
To rise above good and evil,
Hatred and love,
Prejudice and error,
Desire and pain,
Self - love and sorrow,
Passion and remorse,
Life and death,
Is to enter the unending peace of the All-One,
Is to realise the immortality of the All-One,
Is to become the All-One.
The All - One is that Perfect Good which is beyond both
good and evil;
He is that Perfect Love which neutralises love and hate;
He is that Perfect Life which is not broken by life and
death.
He that would know Him, let him become His disciple.
Let him remove the ever - changing opposites within until
he comes to that which changes not;
So shall he find the Eternal Rock,
Even the blessed All-One, the Master of peace.
He that searches without, he shall not find ;
He that is proud of his knowledge, he shall not find;
He that fortifies himself against others, he shall not
find ;
Realise, O disciple! thine inward error,
Thine inward ignorance,
Thine inward delusion rooted in self ;
And, having realised, leave error and cling to Truth;
Fly from ignorance to the knowledge that is pure.
And fortify thyself against the enemies within thyself.
By this way is the All-One approached,
By none other is He accessible;
He that is willing to be naked to self, let him come and
be clothed with Truth ;
He that is willing to die to error, let him come and be
reborn as a child of Truth;
He that is willing to become empty, let him come and be
filled with the knowledge of the All - One.
The Good that is supreme,
The Humility that is sublime,
The love that transcends all sorrow,–
To this attainment shall he surely come
Who seeks the All-One by the Path of Peace.
The
Fourth Prophecy, called Unrest
HE voice of the Spirit to the children of the flesh,–
This is darkness,–to be enslaved by sin ;
This is light,–to be free from sin.
There is a place of darkness,
A dwelling - place of deep darkness,
And they who abide there cry out of their unrest,
They cry and are not heard, because their cry is of self;
They call upon their God, but the silence is not broken ;
The echo of their own voice they hear, and it affrights
them.
And they remain in their sins.
And remaining in their sins, they shall cry,–
"We have sown wheat and have reaped straw,
We have ploughed, but we have no produce of our labour,
And lo ! the Great Famine is upon us.
We stored away much grain, but the rats have devoured it;
We put away much fruit, but it has decayed, and the long
winter is before us ;
We bartered, and acquired much gold, yet we perish,
For some the thief has stolen, and the rest is mouldy.
What shall we purchase, having no Bread?
There is no Bread, and no seller of Bread ;
We die, and there is none to save us !"
And again, in their deep bitterness, they shall say,–
"We have toiled mightily, but we have no reward;
That which we built is destroyed,
That which we made secure is undermined,
And all our wonderful works are crumbling away.
We ate and slept, but now we are afflicted,
We made sacrifices, yet now we are deserted,
We built ourselves pleasant mansions, and there is no
rest in them.
Our sorrows are as the deep seas,
Our miseries are as the great mountains,
Our woes are many, and our pains are great.
There is no cure for our diseases,
There is no relief for our sorrows,
We are weary, and there is no rest !"
So shall they cry, and they shall not be heard;
So shall they suffer, and shall not be relieved ;
And they shall seek for rest, and shall not find it ;
For in the place of darkness,
In the dwelling-place of deep darkness,
There is no remedy,
There is no redress,
There is no salvation.
Where self is lord and king there is no peace.
Ye who are in the way of impurity,
Ye who are the subjects of self,
Listen, though ye understand not.
Hear,–for the day cometh when the precepts of the prophet
are remembered,
And his words are burnt into the heart with brands of
fire,–
Where there shall come upon you the night which is more
than darkness,
The hunger which is more than famine,
And the deprivation which is more than death,
When Love shall be crucified, and hatred be set free,
When peace shall be banished, and strife be glorified.
When righteousness shall be mocked, and confusion shall flourish,
And the voice of the prophet is no longer heard;–
When that time comes, and ye cry, and are not heard,
Suffer, and are not relieved,
Sorrow, and are not comforted,
Remember this,–
He that rouseth himself early seeth the sun rise,
He that watcheth diligently and taketh a light, findeth
his way out of the darkness,
And he that striveth with an uncomplaining heart, is
crowned with the Crown of Peace.
The
Fifth Prophecy, called Transition
THE Voice of the Spirit to the children of sorrow,–
Arise ye ! Awake !
Open your eyes, and see !
Why will ye sleep the sleep that is painful ?
Come out of the night of unrest,
Out of the dark nightmare of sin and affliction !
For there is a Way out of the place of darkness,
And out of the dwelling-place of deep darkness a Pathway
that is sure.
There shall be light and safety,
There shall be rest and healing,
There shall be joy and satisfaction.
There shall be no more dreaming for him who is awake,
Who says, with deep resolve, "I will abandon self,
and Truth shall be my Lord".
And thus resolving, there shall appear upon his right
hand a Gateway that is dark,
And upon his left hand a portal pleasant to behold ;
And he shall stoop and enter the Gateway that is dark,
And there shall come behind him mockeries and revilings,
and laughter that stingeth:
And, entering, he shall take up two swords.
The first is called the Sword of Searching,
And the second is called the Sword of Dividing;
And with the Sword of Searching he shall destroy the
enemies of Wisdom,
And with the Sword of Dividing he shall sever Good from
evil.
He shall encounter all the enemies of Light;
Them that cast the Great Shadow he shall disperse,
And the strong keepers of the keys of hell he shall put
to rout.
He shall pass through the Fire called Suffering and it
shall not devour him;
He shall cross the dark Ocean called Sorrow, and it shall
not swallow him up;
And when he cometh to the Great Desert called Desertion,
he shall not turn back.
And he shall come out of all his darkness,
He shall find the Shadowless Light.
Upon the outermost edge of the Great Darkness he shall
hear a Voice,
The Voice of the Holy One,
Then shall he know that the King of Truth is near,
And that there cometh the anointed Prince of Peace.
And he shall follow the Voice because it is gentle and
true,
And it shall lead him to the eternal abode of Light,
Where every veil shall be lifted, and every mystery
solved.
And he shall perceive the majesty of the Master of Truth
;
He shall behold the beauty of the Law of Righteousness ;
He shall gaze upon the glory of the Great Reality;
He shall hear the song of the redeemed,
Even this the sweet song of salvation :–
Sin is destroyed,
How perfect is the Law !
Sorrow is slain,
How mighty is Love !
The clouds of affliction are dispersed,
How glorious is the Light !
Error is fallen,
How immaculate is the Truth !
Awake ! ye sleepers,
Rejoice in the Truth !
Look up I ye fallen,
And rejoice in the Light !
Let the thirsty come and drink,
Let the hungry come and eat,
Let the dying come and live,
Salvation abounds, and redemption is sure.
And entering the Gate of Peace, the empires of this world
shall be to him as dust,
Its glories as clouds that are dispersed,
Its pleasures as chaff that is carried away,
And its pursuits as houses having no-foundation;
And the Voice of the Holy One shall say unto him,–
"Conqueror of self, Slayer of sin and sorrow,
Disperser of shadows and illusions,
Put away the Sword of Searching,
And let the Sword of Dividing be sheathed;
Here are no sorrows,
Here is no darkness and affliction,
And strife and division cannot enter here.
Lowly doer of righteousness, thou hast found my Law,
Silent seeker of Truth, thou hast found my Peace,
Lover of meekness and Good, thou hast found Me;
Take up thy abode in my eternal Habitation,
Thy warfare is ended, and thy rest is achieved."
The
Sixth Prophecy, called Peace
THE Voice of the Spirit to the children of Truth,–
Rejoice, and be glad I Yea, be filled with gladness !
For the Great Task is completed, and there is no more
labour ;
The Long Journey is ended, and there is no more weariness
;
The days are numbered, and the Saviour has come.
There is peace upon the hills, and in the valleys a
tumult of great joy,
For the Child who is Love and Wisdom is apprehended,
And the Kingdom which is Goodwill and Peace is
proclaimed.
Sing, ye holy ones !
Ye pure and peaceful, let your voices be heard !
Truth is established, and righteousness reigneth.
There is joy for every sorrow,
This is oil for every wound,
And there is healing for every broken heart.
For the weary there is a rest that endureth,
For the wandering an eternal refuge,
And for the despairing and tempest-tossed a harbour of
great gladness,
Fur there is sinlessness of heart.
Out of the dark places of self,
Beyond the uncertain valley of Transition,
Is found the peaceful Path of Holiness.
Upon the high Peaks of Purity,
Upon the Mountains of Righteousness,
Even upon the lofty Hills of Love,
There abideth eternal peace,
There awaiteth everlasting rest.
Whosoever will climb, let him come and see;
Whosoever will strive, let him come and know ;
Whosoever will overcome, let him come and enter in.
The darkness is dispersed,
The power of evil is destroyed,
And the wheel of Fate is broken.
The Light abideth in eternal glory,
The power of Good is supreme,
And Righteousness and Love have broken every bond.
Death is slain, for Life is known ;
Doubt is no more, for immortality is tasted;
Fear is cast out, for Perfect Love is revealed,
The King of Truth is near,
And He is Perfect Knowledge ;
The Lord of Life is at hand,
And He is Perfect Purity ;
The Saviour is here, and He is Perfect Love;
Therefore, peace abideth,
Yea, abideth for ever.
These things are made known to the righteous,
To the wise their glory is revealed,
And by the guileless alone are these three Perfections
comprehended ;
For he that is unholy knoweth only that which is unholy ;
He that is holy knoweth holy things.
Perfection cannot be distorted,–
Behold its beauty !
Righteousness cannot be broken,–
How faultless are its proportions!
Truth remains undisturbed,–
How incomparable is its calm !
And because of this, there is great rejoicing,
Because of this, there is holy gladness,
Because of this, there is unending peace.
The
First Exhortation, concerning Purity
THE Purity that is stainless,
To this I exhort men ;
To the Purity of the Highest I point the Sons of Light.
I exhort also the children of error to the excellent Way
of Purity ;
For out of Purity groweth Truth,
And they who seek it, seek the heavenly Light.
Ye who are bound, come now and be free ;
Say not, "I am helpless", ye who are enslaved,
For the way of emancipation is opened up,
Yea, even salvation knocketh at your door.
Will you choose liberty ?
Or will ye rather choose to be bound ?
In Purity there is freedom,
Understanding dwelleth in her Temple,
And joy, and Gladness, and Peace are her doorkeepers.
Come, then, and listen to the exhortation of Truth,
And, having listened, do that which is pure,
And doing that which is pure ye shall know the supreme
blessedness.
Not in thy acts alone shalt thou find Purity,
The Purity of the Highest is not confined to acts.
Not by cutting off thy acts shalt thou become pure,
But by cleansing the source of thy acts,
Even thy mind and heart,
For a pure mind cannot commit impure acts,
Neither can a stainless heart bring forth any unlovely
thing.
What, then, defileth, and what maketh clean?
The unchaste thought,
The impure desire,
The selfish inclination,
This defileth, and bringeth forth darkness and death.
The pure thought,
The holy aspiration,
The unselfish love,
This cleanseth, and bringeth forth Light and Life.
Come, then, and see how straight is the narrow Path of
Purity !
Come and know how open and unsecret are the beautiful
Courts of Truth !
Come and understand how simple is the excellent Law of
Righeteousness!
Easy to find and pleasant to walk: is the path, of Purity
;
Open wide, and inviting entrance, are the Gates of Truth
;
Near at hand and ready for investigation is the Law of
Righteousness.
To harbour hateful thoughts,
To cherish lustful inclinations.
To nurture the seeds of malice in the heart,–
This defileth, and leadeth to suffering.
To thirst for pleasures and rewards,
To dwell upon the sins of others,
And to think, " I am better than this man,"–
This maketh impure and causeth thee to wander from Truth.
To seek for thyself and not to consider others,
To depreciate others, and to think highly of thine own
Works,
And to make proud and stubborn thy heart,–
This staineth thy soul, and taketh thee away from thy
peace.
Behold how glorious is the Path of Purity !
How lovely is the treasury of Truth !
How comely and beautiful is the Garment of Holiness !
To be free from hatred, lust and malice,–
How sweet ! How pleasant !
Not to desire pleasures and rewards,–
How good ! How joyful !
Not to magnify evil in others,–
How fair ! How lovely !
To put away all egotism,–
How beautiful! How peaceful !
The blessedness of a pure heart is beyond conception;
The loveliness of a sinless mind is beyond comparison ;
And supremely blissful is the immortality of the
righteous.
Peace-producing is the Purity of the Highest;
Joy - inspiring is the stainlest life,
And rich in wisdom is the heat that is sinless.
Ye who are tired of sin ;
Ye who know the bitterness of impurity;
Ye who seek the everlasting peace,
Come and enter the door of Purity And let Holiness be
your companion.
Purify your thoughts ;
Wash white the garment of your mind ;
Cleanse ye the secret places of your heart :–
This done, Truth shall come and dwell with You;
Knowledge shall be your lamp, and wisdom your guide ;
Righteousness shall be your everlasting protection,
And Light, and Joy, and Peace shall abide with you for
ever.
The
Second Exhortation, concerning Humility
THE Humility that is blameless,
To this I exhort men ;
I point them to the sublime pathway of Humility.
Without Humility who shall see Truth?
Without Meekness who shall comprehend the All - One ?
Without Lowliness who shall find the Great Reality ?
Love dwelleth with Humility,
Wisdom also abideth there ;
And peace remaineth with the lowly heart.
Put away thy Pride,
Think no more of thy superiority,
And purge thy mind of all its vanity ;
Then shall the Truth dignify thee.
Truth fleeth from pride ;
Wisdom departeth from egotism ;
And holiness and vanity cannot dwell together.
Out of Humility cometh Light,
But darkness dwells with vanity and pride.
Of what art thou proud ? O man ! of thy beauty ?
Corruption awaits it.
Of thy garments ?
The moth and the dust shall destroy them.
Of thy possessions ?
To - morrow another shall possess them.
Of thy talents ?
Their lusture shall be dimmed.
Of thy fame ?
It shall disappear as a mist Of thy learning ?
Even now it is surpassed.
Of thy! works ?
They shall vanish away for ever.
What, then, remaineth, if these things are as naught ?
Wisdom remaineth, and Truth and Love ;
And Joy and Peace and Enlightenment are established.
But these cannot be known to the proud.
Neither can the vain man understand them,
And their glory is not revealed, to him that is subject
to self.
What can darkness reveal ?
And he who walketh in darkness, what shall he see ?
The proud are blinded by darkness;
The vain stumble and lose their way ;
And grief and desolation are the end of self.
The enlightenment of Humility is more than learning ;
The power of Meekness is more than the strength of many conquerors,
And he who makes lowly his mind establishes himself upon
a rock.
How shall the proud stand ?
They fall of their own weakness.
How shall the vain endure ?
They are as reeds without support.
How shall the self-seeking flourish ?
They are as barren seed blown about and finding no soil.
Put on the Garment of Humility, and thou shalt not fall ;
Make gentle thy heart, and thou shalt endure as the
mountain;
Put away self, and thy works shall flourish is seed upon
good soil.
The arrogant regard themselves as kings, But they are
less than serfs;
The meek regard themselves as serfs,
But they are more than kings,
How easily are the proud injured,
Every day they suffer pain ;
How often arc the vain wounded.
Weeping and sorrow are their portion ;
How readily do the selfish suffer deprivation,
Every day they grieve over that they have lost.
There is no pain in Humility,
Meekness destroyeth sorrow,
And the pure in heart can suffer no loss.
What can a man retain ?
What endureth ?
And where dwelleth immortality ?
The things of the world pass away, and none can hold them
;
The body perishes, and is no more seen ;
And the opinions of men are as smoke in a high wind.
Holiness can be retained,
Truth endureth,
And immortality dwelleth in the sinless heart.
I sought the world, but peace was not there ;
I courted learning, but Truth was not revealed
I sojourned with philosophy, but my heart was sore with
vanity
And I cried, " where is peace to be found ?
And where is the hiding - place of Truth ?"
In Humility I found peace,
In the practice of righteousness Truth was. revealed ;
And in self - obliteration I reached the end of pain and
vanity.
Bend low, Ye pilgrims;
Prostrate Yourselves, Ye weary and disconsolate;
Give up that ye love, ye stricken and afflicted;
For he that bendeth himself shall be straightened,
He that prostrateth himself shall be lifted up,
And whosoever relinquishes self shall see the end of his
afflictions.
Narrow and Low is the Portal of Humility,
But he that stoopeth, and entereth therein, shall stand
for ever.
The
Third Exhortation, concerning Love
THE Love that is perfect,
To this I exhort men ;
Even to the Love of the Highest.
How beautiful to behold is Love!
How glorious to contemplate !
And in practice how sweet and full of gladness!
To find Love is to find Perfection;
To know Love is to know the Eternal;
To practise Love is to manifest Truth.
But how is Love found ?
How is it revealed in the heart ?
How is it practised and made manifest?
Not to be a partisan,
Not to practise hatred,
Not to engage in strife,
Not to practise deception,
Not to covet,
Not to retaliate,
Not to condemn,–
Not to do all these is to find Love.
To put away prejudice,
To rid the mind of pride and vanity,
To disperse doubt and fear,
To wash from the heart the stains of desire.
To purify the mind of every defilement,–
To do all these is to know Love.
To be always patient,
To be supremely calm,
To be ceaselessly holy,
To be forgiving to the uttermost,
And to be equal - minded towards enemies as towards
friends,–
To be all these is to manifest Love.
Where Love is, Light is,
Where Love is not, there is impenetrable darkness.
Where Love is, Life is ;
Where Love is not, there is the deeper death.
Where Love is, Truth is ;
Where Love is not, there is error and confusion
Love changes not, for Love is Truth ;
Love sins not, for Love is perfect;
Love grieves not, for Love is the Eternal;
Love is not subject to birth and death, for Love is
Immortality.
How illusory is the world!
How fleeting and empty are the pleasures of the world !
How real is Love!
How steadfast and full of peace is the life of Truth!
How vain are the pursuits of men!
How heavy is the weariness of self !
But the practice of righteousness is fruitful.
And sweet is the peace of Truth.
He who hath Love hath all things,
The Master dwelleth in Love,
In Love the Great Reality abides,
And the wonderful Peace is only found by Love.
The Purity of the Highest is there,
The majesty of humility also,
And he who adjusts his heart to Love is perfect
Seek self, and Love shall be withheld from you;
Seek Love, and lo! it is already with you.
Who seeketh enlightenment ?
Who seeketh Truth ?
Who seeketh Love ?
Let him that seeketh, come, and say,–
" Open ! ye doors of Purity !
Be closed no more, ye narrow portals of Humility!
Swing open wide, ye everlasting gates of Love !
And his voice shall be heard in the innermost places:
He shall not cry in vain, nor shall he lose his way.
But shall pass through to his everlasting rest.
Instruction,
concerning the Master
TO the obedient and the ready ;
To all who are willing to understand ;
To those wandering in the darkness, and: unable to
perceive the Light: –
Come now, and listen ;
Come now, and be made glad;
Enter now into the revelation of Purity.–
The Master is not perceived by the senses,
Not comprehended by the reason,
Not realised by argument.
Not on the hills, nor in the valleys ;
Not in the earth, nor sky, not in any outward thing is
the Master to be found.
Creeds and schools and books cannot contain Him,
He dwelleth within.
Cease from thine outward search, O weary one!
Cease from thy wanderings, O child of night !
In thine own heart dwelleth the Master ;
He is not hidden from thee but by thyself.
The Master is the inward Voice,
The inward Light,
The inward Peace.
Behold I show you the dwelling - place of the Master,–
It is a purified heart,
He who hath broken the bonds of self,
Who hath slain desire,
Whose mind is quiet, conquered, and subdued,
Whose heart is calm and mild and full of peace,
He hath entered the presence df the Master,
Unto him the glory of the Master is revealed.
O thou who criest and receivest no answer !
O thou who wanderest and findest no rest !
O thou who searchest and findest no Light !
Bring hither thy fainting heart,
Bring hither thy blindness,
Come and listen to the instruction that is holy,
And, having listened, find satisfaction and rest.–
There are truths many, and there is one Truth,
Even the pure mind, the supremely Perfect Life:
There are saviours many, and there is one Saviour,
Even the supreme enlightenment of Wisdom:-
There are teachers many and there is one Teacher,
Even the glorious revelation of Righteousness:
There are masters many, and there is one Master,
Even the Spirit of Truth;
And Truth, Saviour, Teacher and Master are one.
Plain and unmistakable is the way which leadeth to the
Master,–
Overcome thyself, this is the Way.
Purify thy heart, and thou shalt gaze upon the face of
the Master.
Cling to self, and thou shalt not find Him;
Abandon self arid lo ! the Master abideth with thee.
The impure have no eyes to see the pure,
The darkness cannot penetrate the Light,
And immortality is hidden from that which is perishable.
Therefore, leave that to which thou clingest.
Yield up thy desires,
And the satisfaction of the Master shall fil thee.
Yield up thy opinions,
And the Light of the Master shall illumine thee;
Go not after the evanescent and the perishable,
And thou shalt enter into the possession of the Eternal
and imperishable ;
Thou shalt become one with the Master,
And shalt dwell with Him in Immortality,
The Master waiteth,
Yea, eternally waiteth,
Patience is His name;
He departeth not from compassion,
And where Righteousness abides, there dwelleth He.
Hidden is He in Love ;
Come unto Love, and thou shalt find Him.
The Light of Wisdom envelopeth Him ;
Purify thine understanding, and thou shalt know Him.
The glory of Truth covereth Him up;
Relinguish self, and thou shalt see His Form.
Why perceivest thou not the Truth?
Why hearest thou not the Voice of the Master?
Thou perceivest not the Truth because of thine own
errors;
Thou hearest not the Master’s Voice because the voices of
self clamour loudly within thee.
As clouds hide the face of the sun,
So the clouds of error hide the face of the Master;
Yea, the thick clouds of sin they shut Him but from men.
Who, then, shall see the Master?
Who shall comprehend Him ?
Who shall dwell with Him?
Who shall hear His Voice ?
Even he who is of a pure heart ;
Who is gentle, compassionate, and infinitely patient;
Who returneth meekness for anger,
Love for hatred,
Forgiveness for abuse,
And silence for condemnation.
Clothe thyself, therefore, in the Garment of Humility;
Acknowledge thine errors,
Even thine inmost sins,
Thus confessing thyself,
thou shalt find the Way of Love,
And finding Love thou shalt find the Master ;
And finding the Master thou shalt be at rest.
Deny thyself ;
Subdue thyself ;
Conquer thyself.
Let not goodwill depart from thee ;
Be at peace with all, yea, even with the beasts,
So shall the highest Truth take up its abode within thee
;
Unto thee the heart of the Master shall be revealed;
Sorrow and suffering and fear and doubt shall flee far
from thee,
And the knowledge of immortality shall fill thy heart
with peace.
Thus is the heart of the Master made known,
Thus is He revealed unto them that are ready to receive
Him.
Instruction,
concerning the Law
TO the humble and the faithful ;
To them that are seeking humility and faith,–
There is one Supreme Law,
Even the Law of Good.
Think not that which is evil;
Say not that which is evil ;
Do not that which is evil,
Think that which is good ;
Say that which is good;
Do that which is good,
So shalt thou come to know the Law ;
By no other way can it be comprehended.
The knowledge of the Law maketh the heart glad,
It filleth the mind with joy,
It destroyeth all sorrow.
Suffering ceases for him who knows the Law,
Sin and grief and affliction leave him,
And wheresoever he goes, peace follows him.
Happy is he who has perceived the Law;
Blessed is he who practises it;
Divine is he who has become one with it.
Come, thou that searchest, weary and almost hopeless,
Prostrate thyself in the dust of obedience;
Deny thyself to the uttermost ;
Leave all that thou art proud of;
Yea, sacrifice all ;
So shalt thou put on the yoke of Lowliness,
And shalt thou enter into a knowledge of the Law;
Then shalt thou come to know the three Names of the Law
of Good,–
The first is Justice;
The second, Righteousness;
The third, Love.
Men, loving self, deny these lofty names,
And have no knowledge of the Law of Good;
Wandering in the dark, they fall into treacherous places,
And fear and doubt and sorrow and suffering dwell with
them.
Practise the inward Righteousness,
And thou shalt see the ineffable glory of the three
Names;
Thou shalt comprehend the Law of Good,
And bliss and peace shall fill thee.
To know the Law ;
To obey the Law ;
To practise the Law,–
This only is salvation,
This only is emancipation from error and unrest.
Supremely glorious is the Law of Good,
Supremely peace - giving is the knowledge of the Law,
Supremely blessed is he whose pilgrim feet walk in
obedience to the Law.
He who says,–
I will no more cling to self ;
I will no more engage in strife ;
I will no more retaliate ;
I will no more judge and condemn.
Hitherto I have clung to self;
I have sought to gratify self ;
I have defended and protected myself ;
But now I will abandon self;
I will sacrifice and not defend myself ;
Yea, utmost crucifixion shall be mine.
I will love all men, and only myself will I condemn;
The Garment of Humility shall cover me;
Righteousness and Love shall be my protection;
Even in the Highest will I take my refuge.
Goodwill shall be my guide ;
Compassion shall not depart from me.
And the divine gentleness of Truth shall guide my
thoughts and actions.
Thus will I cease from sin;
Thus will I practise the Highest Good.
He who thus resolves shall know the Law,
The Law of Good shall he comprehend ;
The fulness of its majesty shall be revealed to him,
And from all evil shall he be protected.
Therefore, let a man believe in Good ;
Let him cling to Good;
Let him practise Good;
He will thus come to comprehend himself;
Comprehending himself he will comprehend the universe;
He will thus arrive at peace.
When a man’s body is defiled, does he not wash it and
make it clean ?
When a man’s heart is defiled, let him likewise wash it,
and be clean.
Five are the waters which wash away sin:–
Purity, which washes away all indulgences and lusts;
Pity, which washes away all self-seeking and
indifference;
Humility, which washes away all prejudice and pride ;
Joy, which washes away all covetousness and envy ;
Love, which washes away all hatred and condemnation.
Whosoever will, let him come and be clean,
The waters are ready and waiting.
Blessed he is who is free from sin.
He knows the supreme Law of Good, and dwells in peace.
Thus is the Law qf Good expounded ;
Thus is it spread abroad in the hearts of men.
Instruction,
concerning The Great Reality
TO the awakened and enlightened,
To those who seek to be awakened and enlightened,–
There is darkness and there is Light ;
There is dreaming and there is Waking ;
There is illusion and there is Reality.
The darkness apprehendeth not the Light ;
The dreamer knoweth not his waking mind ;
And the wanderer in illusion is unacquainted with Reality
;
Of two ways, therefore, one must be abandoned.
The dweller in darkness seeth nothing,
Not even himself,
His feet stumble, he knoweth not his way.
Abandon darkness, and thou shalt come unto the Light;
Coming to the Light, thou shalt see all things:
Thou shalt know thy way, and thy feet shall cease from
stumbling.
The way of the dreamer is uncertain and painful;
Pleasure and terror afflict him ;
He knoweth not where he standeth;
He controlleth not himself, and is at the mercy of the
unreal.
Abandon the dreams of self, O thou that sleepest !
Awake ! open thine eyes to the Morning,
And thou shalt comprehend thine own divinity.
The walker in the way of illusion is surrounded with
shadows;
He perceiveth not the substance ;
Grasping at bubbles, he is scourged with grief and
disappointment;
Clinging to the perishable, he mourns,
And following after that which vanishes, he is troubled
with unrest.
Abandon the pathway of illusion,
The pathway of thy perishable self,
So shalt thou find the imperishable Truth;
Gladness shall take the place of mourning,
And thine eyes shall be opened to the glory of the Great
Reality.
What, then, is the Great Reality ?
The Great Reality is a stainless heart,
An enlightened understanding,
A soul whose perfect peace is not disturbed.
By the practice of righteousness only can the Great
Reality be known ;
He alone can perceive it who controls himself;
He alone can enter it who purifies himself ;
He alone can abide therein who is free from all sin.
In the Great Reality all religions and philosophies
culminate,
They meet here, and then vanish away,
For there is no division in the Great Reality,
Strife and unrest cannot enter there,
And he who comes to it is filled with peace.
Thou who wouldst understand the Great Reality ;
Thou who would’st enter it, and know its peace;
Seek the One behind the many,
Seek the Silence behind the noise,
Seek Truth behind self ;
Seek for that which is holy and peace-giving,
Which abides, and does not pass away like the morning
dew.
Wisdom abides ;
Love abides ;
Compassion abides ;
Truth abides;
Therefore sacrifice self,
For self and all the things of self are perishable,
They belong to the unreal !
Awake, then, out of thy dreaming!
Disperse all thy shadows,
Destroy all thine illusions,
And thou shalt enter the Great Reality;
Filled with peace, thou shalt dwell with the Eternal
Harmonies ;
Filled with bliss, thou shalt sing the everlasting Song,
The Song which thrills the spaces and the worlds ;
Thy Song and mine thus shalt thou sing,–
I have made the acquaintance of the Master of Compassion;
I have put on the Garment of the Perfect Law ;
I have entered the realm of the Great Reality.
Wandering is ended, for Rest is accomplished ;
Pain and sorrow have ceased, for Peace is entered into;
Confusion is dissolved, for Unity is made manifest;
Error is vanquished, for Truth is revealed.
Blessed is he who has resolved to abandon self:
Blessed is he who is pure;
Blessed is he who has destroyed all his illusions;
He has found the Great Reality at last.
The universe is glad, for again the Master is revealed;
The universe is glad, for again the Law of Good is
expounded;
The universe is glad, for again the Great Reality is
comprehended.
Instruction,
concerning The Great Reality
TO the awakened and enlightened,
To those who seek to be awakened and enlightened,–
There is darkness and there is Light ;
There is dreaming and there is Waking ;
There is illusion and there is Reality.
The darkness apprehendeth not the Light ;
The dreamer knoweth not his waking mind ;
And the wanderer in illusion is unacquainted with Reality
;
Of two ways, therefore, one must be abandoned.
The dweller in darkness seeth nothing,
Not even himself,
His feet stumble, he knoweth not his way.
Abandon darkness, and thou shalt come unto the Light;
Coming to the Light, thou shalt see all things:
Thou shalt know thy way, and thy feet shall cease from
stumbling.
The way of the dreamer is uncertain and painful;
Pleasure and terror afflict him ;
He knoweth not where he standeth;
He controlleth not himself, and is at the mercy of the
unreal.
Abandon the dreams of self, O thou that sleepest !
Awake ! open thine eyes to the Morning,
And thou shalt comprehend thine own divinity.
The walker in the way of illusion is surrounded with
shadows;
He perceiveth not the substance ;
Grasping at bubbles, he is scourged with grief and
disappointment;
Clinging to the perishable, he mourns,
And following after that which vanishes, he is troubled
with unrest.
Abandon the pathway of illusion,
The pathway of thy perishable self,
So shalt thou find the imperishable Truth;
Gladness shall take the place of mourning,
And thine eyes shall be opened to the glory of the Great
Reality.
What, then, is the Great Reality ?
The Great Reality is a stainless heart,
An enlightened understanding,
A soul whose perfect peace is not disturbed.
By the practice of righteousness only can the Great
Reality be known ;
He alone can perceive it who controls himself;
He alone can enter it who purifies himself ;
He alone can abide therein who is free from all sin.
In the Great Reality all religions and philosophies
culminate,
They meet here, and then vanish away,
For there is no division in the Great Reality,
Strife and unrest cannot enter there,
And he who comes to it is filled with peace.
Thou who wouldst understand the Great Reality ;
Thou who would’st enter it, and know its peace;
Seek the One behind the many,
Seek the Silence behind the noise,
Seek Truth behind self ;
Seek for that which is holy and peace-giving,
Which abides, and does not pass away like the morning dew.
Wisdom abides ;
Love abides ;
Compassion abides ;
Truth abides;
Therefore sacrifice self,
For self and all the things of self are perishable,
They belong to the unreal !
Awake, then, out of thy dreaming!
Disperse all thy shadows,
Destroy all thine illusions,
And thou shalt enter the Great Reality;
Filled with peace, thou shalt dwell with the Eternal
Harmonies ;
Filled with bliss, thou shalt sing the everlasting Song,
The Song which thrills the spaces and the worlds ;
Thy Song and mine thus shalt thou sing,–
I have made the acquaintance of the Master of Compassion;
I have put on the Garment of the Perfect Law ;
I have entered the realm of the Great Reality.
Wandering is ended, for Rest is accomplished ;
Pain and sorrow have ceased, for Peace is entered into;
Confusion is dissolved, for Unity is made manifest;
Error is vanquished, for Truth is revealed.
Blessed is he who has resolved to abandon self:
Blessed is he who is pure;
Blessed is he who has destroyed all his illusions;
He has found the Great Reality at last.
The universe is glad, for again the Master is revealed;
The universe is glad, for again the Law of Good is
expounded;
The universe is glad, for again the Great Reality is
comprehended.
2. Self-Examination
He who seeks the Highest will enter upon the practice of
Self - Examination.
Searching the inmost recesses of his heart,
Following up the intricate threads of thought,
Rigorously testing the quality of his motives,
He will find out the hidden springs of desire,
He will lay bare the roots of the tree of life,
And finding the Eternal Cause, he will know both Good and
evil,
He will see the Highest, and will no more perish.
As a beautiful flower is formed, its growth not being
seen,
So will he grow in wisdom, unseen of men.
Yet when wisdom is fully formed,
When the flower of Truth becomes manifest in all its
beauty,
Men unacquainted with its silent growth will say.
"This man is wise, whence obtained he his wisdom ?
How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?"
As a child in the womb.
As a plant in the earth,
As an object in the eye of the approaching traveller,
So wisdom is formed in the heart,
So knowledge grows in him who diligently examines
himself;
Who, having found the roots of evil,
Tears them up with the hands of Renunciation,
And burns them to ashes in the fire of Knowledge.
He who thus examines himself,
Who rectifies his inmost heart,
And rejects all the errors of his mind,
Who, seeking out and humbly acknowledging his own faults,
Refusing to dwell upon the faults of others,
Will make swift progress toward the goal of peace.
He will cleanse his heart ;
He will purify his understanding ;
Subduing self, he will no longer look through the eye of
self;
Apprehending Truth, he will perceive with the unveiled
eye of Truth ;
He will know both self and Truth.
All his works will prosper, for his acts will be
righteous ;
His tongue will speak wisdom, for his heart will be pure
;
And where his feet have trodden, the flowers of Love and
Peace will grow.
He will refuse to dwell with unrighteousness.
Folly and impurity he will reject,
And he will say unto strife and hatred, " Depart ye
from me."
Kindling the fire of inward knowledge,
Keeping bright and constant its flame,
And feeding it with patient and loving sacrifice,
Let a man burn up all that is perishable within him,
Only thus will he find the Imperishable ;
Let him eliminate the dross of error,
Only thus will he discover the gold of Truth :
Let him destroy all sin, Only thus will he find the
Stainless One,
Only thus will he approach the Highest.
Thus seeking out the source within himself.
Passion will not long torment him ;
Finding the cause of passion, he will destroy it,
And self - restraint will give way to composure of mind
and heart,
Far will he travel on the Way of Peace,
And, reaching the second Resting - Place,
Will taste of fuller joy and blessedness.
Yet, staying there, he will not reach the Highest.
3.
Self - Surrender
Having well restrained himself,
Having deeply examined himself,
Let the lover of Truth now enter upon the practice of
Self - Surrender.
He who practises self - restraint travels well;
He who practises self - examination travels better;
He who practises self - surrender travels best.
He only can know the Highest who surrenders self,
Who makes the inward sacrifice complete,
Who holds nothing back,
Who calls nothing his own,
Who refuses to set his heart upon any earthly thing ;
Putting aside all his lusts,
Emptying himself of all his vanities,
Divesting himself of all his theories and opinions,
He will become empty, naked, and without possessions ;
And having become empty, he will be filled with Truth ;
Having become naked, he will be clothed with
Righteousness ;
Possessing nothing, he will be lord of all.
When self surrender is practised in its completeness.
Then is the Highest reached,
Then is Truth comprehened,
Then is Perfect Peace enjoyed.
He who has conquered himself can never be brought low,
He who has surrendered himself can never be confounded;
He who has overcome the world can never be disturbed,
The flames of lust will not burn him, for he has quenched
them ;
Temptation will no more scourge him, for he has destroyed
the cause of temptation ;
Restraint will no more be needed, for he will be perfect
in Truth,
Freed from self, he will be freed from sorrow;
Freed from error, he will no more grieve ;
Freed from impurity, he will cease from suffering.
He will enter into the highest joy,
And, reaching the final Resting - Place,
Will partake of perfect bliss and blessedness.
Not valuing that which perishes he can never be robbed;
Not loving himself he can never be wounded ;
And though men should slay him he can never be destroyed;
For he is no longer self, but Truth,
And who shall destroy Truth ?
All bodies die, but Truth does not die ;
Ail things pass away, but Truth remains for ever.
He who has surrendered self has become, immortal,
He is no longer separate but has become one with Truth,
And he manifests the Highest, though men perceive it not.
Of self - restraint is born Virtue,
Of self - examination is born Knowledge,
Of self - surrender is born Love.
Happy shall he become who restrains himself,
Blessed shall he become who purifies himself,
Divine shall he become who surrenders himself.
By Virtue one’s life is governed,
By Knowledge one’s life is purified,
By Love one’s life is perfected.
Virtue is the seed, Knowledge the plant, and Love the
flower.
The seed knoweth not the plant,
The plant knoweth not the flower,
But the flower knoweth itself, plant, and seed.
By self-restraint passion is slain ;
By self - examination false belief is slain;
By self - surrender all illusion is laid low.
Self - restraint leads to strength ;
Self - examination leads to wisdom;
Self-surrender leads to holiness.
Perfect in self-restraint, self-examination and self -
surrender.
A man has reached the Highest;
He has become one with Truth, and will no more wander.
Unalterable in compassion,
Firmly established in righteousness,
And steadfast in holiness,
His heart thrills in unison with the Heart of all;
He knows the unending joy,
He has found the heavenly peace.
Having stooped to the lowest, he is exalted to the
Highest;
Having conquered sin, he is crowned with Holiness ;
Having crucified self, he is glorified by Truth.
Willing to be nothing, he has become all ;
Yielding up all things, he has become possessed of all;
Giving his life, he is clothed with Immortality.
Altogether virtuous, he is altogether happy ;
Altogether righteousness, he is altogether blessed ;
Altogether pure, he is altogether peaceful.
Beautiful in Meekness,
Majestic in Love,
And invincible in Innocence,
He will manifest the Ineffable ;
He will teach without words.
No more troubled ;
No more tormented ;
No more afflicted;
Arisen, awakened, healed, and made perfect;
He has unveiled the Face of the Highest ;
He knows the Great Rest,
The Deep Silence,
The Profound Peace.
In the Light which knows no darkness he walks,
And it casts no shadow on his pathway.
END
OF THIS BOOK.
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