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APHORISMS
Illusion is the cover of things; reality is the depth of things. The body is the illusion;
the soul is the reality. The
floer is the illusion; the fragrance is the reality. The fragrance is the spirit of the
floer; it persists.
Man is not !ade by "od as the ood is cut by the carpenter; for the carpenter and the
ood are different#
hile "od and !an are the sa!e. Man is !ade of the substance of "od; !an is in"od# and all that is in "od is
in !an.
$elief cannot be taught; it cannot be learned; it is the grace of "od. To affir! a belief
is one thing; to reali%e
belief is another.
The ai! of the !ystic is to stretch his range of consciousness as idely as possible# so
that he !ay touch the
highest pride and the deepest hu!ility. The only fall for a !ystic is to fall beneath the
level of his ideal.
A !an ho has no i!agination stands on the earth# he has no ings; he cannot fly.
&hen e are face to face ith truth# the point of vie of 'rishna# $uddha# (hrist# or
any other Prophet# is the
sa!e. &hen e loo) at life fro! the top of the !ountain# there is no li!itation; thereis the sa!e i!!ensity.
To every *uestion that arises in the heart of the !ystic# he finds the anser in the life
before hi!.
The false shos itself; all that is true proves itself.
That hich is not beautiful in its effect cannot be real beauty.
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It is those ho have touched the inner beauty ho are able to appreciate beauty in all
its for!s.
The beauty hich the )noer )nos and the lover appreciates# the !ystic orships.
The difference beteen spirit and soul is li)e that of the sun and the ray. The ray is the
ray of the sun# but at the
sa!e ti!e the sun is the sun# and the ray is the ray.
"od is the essence of beauty; it is His love of beauty hich has caused Hi! to e+press
His on beauty in
!anifestation.
$eauty is "od,s desire fulfilled in the ob-ective orld.
$eauty is the depth of the soul; its e+pression in hatever for! is the sign of the
soul,s unfold!ent# hen an
individual beco!es a person# the beauty hidden in the individual# hich is divine#
develops; and that
develop!ent of beauty is personality.
$eauty is hidden in every soul# hoever ic)ed; and our trust and confidence in the
beauty of the soul helps to
dra out that hidden beauty hich !ust shine out one day.
Most unbelievers have a very near hori%on# li)e birds in a covered cage hich do not
)no that there is anything
beyond.
The onderful thing is that the soul already )nos to so!e e+tent that there is
so!ething behind the veil# the veil
of perple+ity# that there is so!ething to be sought for in the highest spheres of life#
that there is so!e beauty to
be seen# that there is So!eone to be )non ho is )noable.
This desire# this longing is not ac*uired; it is a di! )noledge of the soul hich it has
in itself. Therefore#
disbelief in "od is nothing but a condition brought about by the vapors arising fro!
this !aterial life and coveringli)e clouds the light of the soul hich is its life.
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If this orld offers to a person all it possesses# even then the soul is not satisfied# for
its satisfaction lies in its
higher aspiration# and it is this higher aspiration hich leads to "od.
If the !ind did not stand as a hindrance to the intuition# every person ould be
intuitive# for intuition is !ore
natural and !ore easy than the reasoning of the !ind.
&hat co!es fro! ithout is not intuition; intuition is so!ething hich rises fro!
one,s on heart and brings a
sense of satisfaction# of ease# and of happiness.
The life of !an# hoever great and spiritual# has its li!itations. $efore the conditions
of life the greatest !an on
earth# the !ost poerful soul# ill for a !o!ent see! helpless; but it is not the
beginning that counts; it is the end.
It is the last note that a great soul stri)es# hich proves that soul to be real and true.
There can be no better sign of spiritual develop!ent than control over passion and
anger. If one can control
these# one can control life.
The secret of see)ing the ill of "od lies in cultivating the faculty of sensing
har!ony; for har!ony is beauty and
beauty is har!ony# and the lover of beauty in his further progress beco!es the see)er
of har!ony; and by trying
alays to !aintain har!ony# !an ill tune his heart to the ill of "od.
If it ere not for pain# one ould not en-oy the e+perience of -oy. It is pain hich
helps one to e+perience -oy#
for everything is distinguished by its opposite.
If it ere not for pain# life ould be !ost uninteresting# for it is by pain that the heart
is penetrated.
Since the nature of life is action and reaction# every outer e+perience has a reaction
ithin# and every innere+perience has its reaction in the outer life.
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In the spheres of conscience the soul of !an and the Spirit of "od !eet and beco!e
one.
To a soul hich is ide aa)e# the udg!ent /ay does not co!e after death. 0or that
soul every day is a
udg!ent /ay.
1very step forard gives a certain a!ount of freedo! of action# and as one goes
further and further on the path
of truth the freedo! beco!es greater at every step.
The !ore one regards the feelings of others# the !ore har!ony one can create.
The heart in its depth is lin)ed up ith the divine Mind# so in the depths of the heart
there is greater -ustice than
on the surface.
Inspiration co!es hen )noledge and the inner light# falling on one,s on
conception of things# co!e together
in the conscience# hich is the court of "od# here He Hi!self sits on the throne of
-ustice.
Happiness is our birthright; in our happiness is the happiness of "od.
Thought has its birth and death li)e a living being# and the life of a thought is
inco!parably longer than that of a
living being in the physical body.
The !ind is a orld# a orld that !an !a)es and in hich he ill !a)e his life in thehereafter# as a spider lives
in the eb it has oven.
To hat does the love of "od lead2 It leads to that peace and stillness hich can be
seen in the life of the tree; it
floers and bears fruit for others and e+pects no return.
3erily# he ho pursues the orld ill inherit the orld; but the soul ho pursues "od
ill attain in the end to thepresence of "od.
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A !aterial person has a silent craving in his heart to probe the depths of the spiritual
ideal hich he disons.
There is nothing in this orld hich does not spea). 1very thing and every being is
continually calling out its
nature# its character# and its secret; and the !ore the inner sense is open# the !ore
capable it beco!es of
hearing the voice of all things.
&hen once the inner sense has bro)en the alls around it# it breathes the freedo! and
happiness hich is the
soul,s on property# and hich the soul then attains.
The sign of the enlightened soul is readiness to understand.
The soul co!es to a stage of reali%ation here the hole of life beco!es to hi! one
subli!e vision of the
i!!anence of "od.
The brain !ay be said to be the seat of the intelligence# and the heart to be the throne
of isdo!.
&isdo! !ay be called spiritual )noledge.
The real place here the heavens are !ade is ithin !an. The soul is the ray of that
sun hich is the infinite
Spirit.
The soul is the action of the heavenly Sun. It !anifests and returns# as !an e+hales
and inhales.
"od is love; so "od is beyond the la# for love is above the la.
If e co!e to any solution of our ever4rising *uestions# it is never by studying the la
that e find satisfaction#
but by diving deep into love and letting love inspire us.
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If one has learned hile on earth ho to create -oy and happiness for oneself and
others# in the other orld that
-oy and happiness ill surround one; and if one has son the seeds of poison# one
!ust reap those fruits there.
Thus one sees that -ustice is the nature of life.
The udg!ent /ay is every day# and one reali%es this as one,s sight beco!es !ore
)een. 1very hour# every
!o!ent in life has its -udg!ent.
&hat connection has the soul hich has passed fro! the earth ith those still on this
plane2 The connection of
the heart still )eeps intact# and it re!ains unbro)en as long as the lin) of sy!pathy is
there.
To create happiness for oneself and others is the hole philosophy of religion.
&hat is Sufis!2 It is isdo!. To learn isdo! at every step on the path of life is the
only or) of the Sufi.
The one ho is the slave of conventionality is a captive; the one ho is the !aster of
conventionality is the
possessor of that )ingdo! hich is !entioned in the $ible5 6$lessed are the !ee)# for
they shall inherit the
)ingdo! of the earth.6
As soon as a person begins to regard the pleasure and displeasure of "od in the
feelings of every person he
!eets# he can only be refined# hatever his position in life.
The hu!an soul is by nature perfect# but the life of li!itation on earth bringsi!perfection to it.
The sense of sha!e is a channel hich leads to that goal hich is called Perfection.
$eauty# in all its aspects# is beyond price.
Often the sense of sha!e or)s li)e a sharp )nife upon a feeling heart# but it only
!a)es it li)e a cut dia!ond5for by it e co!e to the reali%ation that hat is !ost precious in life is feeling.
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The heights of every civili%ation sho the fineness of hu!an feeling# hich is the
highest of all aspects of culture.
&hat the !oon see!s to give as light# is not its on; it is the light of the sun. So it is
ith the divine !essengers
of all ti!es.
&hen a soul arrives at its full bloo!# it begins to sho the color and spread the
fragrance of the divine Spirit of
"od.
The one ho does not see) "od# at the end of the -ourney of illusion has a greatdisappoint!ent; for throughout
his hole -ourney he has not found the perfection of love# beauty# and goodness on
the earth# and he does not
believe in# or e+pect to find# such an ideal in heaven.
1very soul see)s for happiness# and after running after all the ob-ects hich for the
!o!ent see! to give
happiness# it finds out that nohere is there perfect happiness e+cept in "od.
All souls in the orld are receptacles of the !essage of "od; not only hu!an beings#
but even the loer creation
convey the !essage of the One and Only $eing.
7o sooner has the heart beco!e living than the la of -ustice !anifests.
"od is both udge and 0orgiver. He forgives even !ore than He -udges; for -ustice
co!es fro! His intelligence#but forgiveness co!es fro! His divine love.
&hen "od,s divine love rises as a ave# it ashes aay the sins of the hole life in a
!o!ent# for la has no
poer to stand before love; the strea! of love seeps it aay.
The very thought of the love of "od fills the heart ith -oy and relieves it of its
burden.
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The )ingship of "od !anifests in the blosso!ing of every soul.
The finest things are to be felt; ords cannot e+press the!. 7oise only spoils their
beauty and robs the! of
preciousness.
The attitude of loo)ing at everything ith a s!ile is the sign of the saintly soul.
As the sunshine fro! ithout lightens the hole orld# so the sunshine fro! ithin#
if it ere raised up# ould
illu!inate the hole life# in spite of all see!ing rongs and all li!itations.
0ear is a shado cast upon the light of the soul; the shado of so!ething the souldoes not )no# hich is
strange to the soul.
0ear co!es fro! ignorance. 0or instance# the soul is frightened on entering the body
of !atter; also# the soul
does not )no death# and so it is afraid.
The illu!inated soul finds its ay through dar)ness both ithin and ithout.
In spite of all his li!itation# a onderful poer is hidden in !an,s soul. &hat !a)es
!an helpless is ignorance of
his free ill. 0ree ill is the basis of the hole life.
0ree ill is the !ighty poer# the "od4poer hidden in !an# and it is ignorance
hich )eeps !an fro! his
divine heritage.
Many see! ide aa)e to the life ithout# but asleep to the life ithin; and although
the cha!ber of the heart is
continually visited by the hosts of heaven# they do not )no their heart# for they are
not there.
Man can only be really happy hen he connects his soul ith the spheres of heaven.
The !ore closely a person is dran to heaven# the !ore the things of earth lose theircolor and taste.
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The religions have alays taught self4denial# but the soul hich naturally rises to
heaven does not need to
practice renunciation.
The !o!ent the soul co!pares its on li!itation ith the perfection of "od it has
begun to progress.
At the cost of happiness of heaven# the soul co!es to the great fulfill!ent of life#
hich even angels are not
blessed ith; for !anifestation in hu!an for! is the ut!ost boundary of
!anifestation# the furthest that any soul
can go.
1very difficulty in life is oing to !an,s li!itation hich covers the divine spar) in
hi! until in ti!e it beco!es
obscured fro! his vie# and this cul!inates in the tragedy of life.
7ot only hu!an beings# but ani!als# birds# insects# trees# and plants all have a
spiritual attain!ent. 7o creature
that has ever been on earth ill be deprived entirely of spiritual bliss.
There is nothing in this orld ithout purpose# and# though the place of one in the
sche!e of life !ay see!
different fro! that of another# yet in the su! total of things e and the loer creation#
together ith the -inns and
angels# have our purpose; that purpose is the reali%ation of truth# and it co!es to all in
the for! of bliss.
&isdo! is love# and love is true isdo!. The cold4hearted !an is never ise# and the
truly ar!4heartedperson is never foolish# for love co!es fro! isdo! and isdo! fro! love.
One !ust not !a)e even principles so set that one cannot alter the!.
1very soul inclined to serve has a scope for service on every plane# and the one ho is
able to serve here is able
to serve even !ore on the higher planes.
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Self4pity is the orst poverty. &hen a person says# 6I a! to be pitied#6 before he says
anything !ore he has
di!inished hi!self by half; and hat is said further di!inishes hi! totally.
Out of the heart that is happy springs a fountain that pours ater fro! above and inti!e brings floers and fruit.
A person need not be unorldly in order to beco!e spiritual. &e !ay live in the
orld and yet not be of the
orld.
Spirituality is in no ay a hindrance to orldly progress. A orldly success hen
gained through the poer of
spirituality has a stronger foundation.
3irtue forced upon oneself or upon another is not a virtue; it loses its beauty. There
!ust be illingness; virtue
should not be forced.
The true ego does not )no sorro; its true being is happiness# for the real ego is "od
and "od is happiness.
Once a soul has aa)ened to the continual !usic of life# that soul ill consider it to
be its responsibility# its duty#
to play its part in the outer life# even if it be contrary to its inner condition at the
!o!ent.
The )noers of truth close their lips# for they can neither say one thing nor another
fro! the point of vie of
absolute truth.
The seas and rivers and strea!s have !any na!es# but they all contain ater; and
religions have various na!es#
but they all contain the sa!e truth e+pressed in different for!s at different ti!es.
It is the love ele!ent developing in the ani!als hich brings the! together in floc)s
and herds.
&e !ust not observe only a principle# but e !ust consult our on ideals ineverything e do.
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I thin) the )noer of the truth ill find truth in the sy!bols of the Ro!an (atholic
(hurch# and ill find the sa!e
truth in the absence of sy!bols in the Protestant (hurch.
If the soul ere aa)ened to feel hat the birds feel hen singing in the forest at
dan# !an ould )no that
their prayer is even !ore e+alting than his on# for it is !ore natural.
Trees are !ore holy and spiritual than so!e !en. Their purpose is to give so!e
contribution to life and they are
continually busy fulfilling their purpose. They feel that -oy and satisfaction hich
!an cannot feel until he attains
to their stage of stillness and peace.
&here there is for! there is shado; so here there is hu!an love there is -ealousy.
Tolerance is the sign of an evolved soul. A soul gives the proof of its evolution in the
degree of tolerance it
shos.
/eath does not belong to the soul# so it does not belong to the person. /eath co!es to
hat the person )nos#
not to the person hi!self.
There is no scripture in hich contradiction does not e+ist. It is the contradiction
hich !a)es the !usic of the
!essage.
7one of the great ones have called the!selves Masters# nor have they ever consideredthe!selves to be such.
&hat they have )non in their lives is their privilege in opening their heart ider and
ider to reflect the 8ight of
the Master# ho is "od Hi!self.
All faces are His faces# and fro! all lips it is His ord that co!es. $ut those ho can
respond to Hi! beco!e
as His appointed servants.
"od has chosen all# for all souls are near and dear to the (reator.
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The greater a person is in spiritual advance!ent# the !ore unassu!ing he beco!es.
The "reat Ones are initiated by "od Hi!self# and they prove their initiations not bytheir clai!s# but in their
or)s.
1verything has its purpose# but )noledge of the purpose !a)es us able to use it to
the best advantage.
$eauty is created out of variety.
Truth is the heritage of !an; the hu!an soul# hether in the 1ast or &est# possesses
the truth.
All souls in the orld are receptacles of the !essage of "od; and not only hu!an
beings but even the loer
creation# all ob-ects and all conditions# convey to us the !essage of the one and only
$eing.
There is nothing in the orld hich is not the instru!ent of "od.
1vil and ugliness e+ist in !an,s li!ited conception. In "od,s great $eing they have no
e+istence.
1vil is only the shado of goodness; as the shado is non4e+istent# so is evil.
It is the )noledge of the purpose of life hich gives !an the strength ith hich tostand in the !idst of the
opposing forces of life.
"od )nos Hi!self by His !anifestation. Manifestation is the self of "od# but a self
hich is li!ited# a self
hich !a)es Hi! )no that He is perfect hen He co!pares His on $eing ith
this li!ited self hich e call
nature. Therefore# the purpose of the hole of creation is the reali%ation that "od
Hi!self gains by discovering
His on perfection through His !anifestation.
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Merit is not creative; !erit is so!ething hich is possessed. Therefore# attributes are
not i!portant; the
i!portance is in the possessor of the attribute.
&e are too li!ited to see the -ustice of the Perfect One.
&e often suffer because e do not understand. 9nderstanding is a great thing; once
e understand# e can
tolerate.
The soul of every individual is "od# but !an has a !ind and a body hich contain
"od according to the
acco!!odation.
The ater of the ocean is ever pure in spite of all that !ay be thron into it# so the
Pure One consu!es all
i!purities and turns the! into purity.
The soul is the divine breath. It purifies# revivifies# and heals the instru!ent through
hich it functions.
The soul is on a continual -ourney5 on hatever plane# it -ourneys all the ti!e# and on
this -ourney it has a
purpose to acco!plish.
7othing that the hu!an heart has once desired re!ains unfulfilled; if it is not fulfilled
here# it is acco!plished in
the hereafter.
The desire of the soul is the ish of "od.
The source of the soul is perfect# and so is the goal.
7o soul perishes; the soul as not born to perish.
The one ho loves fairness blos the spar) of -ustice into a fla!e# in the light of
hich life beco!es clear to hi!.
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The one ho -udges hi!self learns -ustice# not he ho is occupied in -udging others.
There co!es a stage in life# the stage of life,s cul!ination# hen !an has nothing to
say against anyone unless itbe against hi!self; and it is fro! this point that he begins to see the divine -ustice
hidden behind !anifestation.
The ise see in every for! the divine for!; in every heart they see the divine light
shining.
&hen e -udge others# e are certainly -udging the Artist ho has created the!. If
e reali%ed this# it ould not
be difficult to feel the presence of "od everyhere.
&hen e go !ore deeply into the pheno!ena of life# e shall co!e to a place here
the hole nature of $eing
ill unveil itself# and e shall be able to say# 6There is nothing but "od.6
7oisiness co!es fro! restlessness# and restlessness is the destructive rhyth!.
Those ho have !ade any success in life# in hatever direction# have done so by their
*uiet or)ing.
1nthusias! is a great thing in life. It is creative# but too !uch of it so!eti!es spoils
things.
&hen one devotes one,s ti!e and thought to trying to )no hat one need not )no#
one loses the opportunity
hich life offers of discovering the nature and secret of the soul# in hich lies thefulfill!ent of the purpose of life.
8ife,s !ysteries apart# the feer ords used in the little things of everyday life# the
!ore profitable it is.
People thin) that !any ords e+press things better. They do not )no that !ost often
all the ords spo)en are
so !any veils rapped around the idea.
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He ho holds hi!self close to heaven is guided fro! heaven.
He ho disconnects hi!self fro! the heavenly spheres is li)e the da!aged fruit fallen
fro! the tree.
He ho clings to the light fro! heaven has a light to arn and guard hi! at everystep# according to his desire
for guidance.
The angelic souls ho are in direct touch ith the spirit of "od# and ho have no
)noledge of the false orld
hich is full of illusion# ho live and )no not death# hose lives are happiness#
hose food is divine light#
!a)e around the divine Spirit an aura hich is called the highest heaven.
/eath is the re!oval of a cover# after hich !any things ill be )non to the soul in
regard to its on life and in
regard to the hole orld hich have hitherto been hidden.
Innocence is the natural condition of the soul and the lac) of innocence is a foreign
ele!ent hich the soul
ac*uires after co!ing on earth.
/eath for the spiritual souls is only a gate through hich they enter into that sphere
hich every soul )nos to
be its ho!e.
Souls hich have beco!e conscious of the angelic spheres# even in the s!allest
degree# hear the calling of that
sphere; and the disco!fort they have in this orld is that of ho!esic)ness caused by
the call of the angelic
spheres.
Intelligence is the light of life# the life of life# and the essence of the hole $eing.
Rhyth! cannot e+ist ithout tone# nor tone ithout rhyth!. They are interdependent
for their e+istence# and it is
the sa!e ith ti!e and space.
The !ystic conte!plates the $eing of "od# and so raises his consciousness above the
li!itations of ti!e andspace and liberates his soul by lifting it to the divine spheres.
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The blessing of life is in the consciousness of the blessing.
Man ill find in the end of his search along the spiritual line# that all beings includingtrees and plants# roc)s and
!ountains# oceans and rivers# are prayerful; and that all attain to that spiritual su!!it
hich is the real longing of
every soul.
Only hen !an learns to serve and do his duty ithout the thought of appreciation#
only then ill he attain.
Self4denial hich co!es as a result of helplessness and cul!inates in dissatisfactioncannot be a virtue.
The soul,s happiness is in itself; nothing can !a)e the soul fully happy but self4
reali%ation. The life hich
everyone )nos is this !o!entary period of the soul,s captivity.
Spirit is !atter# and !atter is spirit. The denseness of spirit is !atter# and the fineness
of !atter is spirit.
According to the idth of his !otive !an,s vision is ide# and according to the poer
of his !otive !an,s
strength is great.
Such souls as are conscious of their relation to "od as being that of a child and his
parents# are especially cared
for. They are alays guided# because they as) for guidance.
There is nothing in this orld hich is devoid of for! e+cept "od# ho is for!less.
The li!itless "od cannot be !ade intelligible to the li!ited self unless He is first
!ade li!ited. This li!ited ideal
beco!es li)e an instru!ent# a !ediu! of "od ho is perfect and ho is li!itless.
&hat is religion2 In the outer sense of the ord# a for! given for the orship of "od#
a la given to the
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co!!unity that it !ay live har!oniously. And hat does religion !ean in the inner
sense of the ord2 It !eans
a staircase !ade for the soul to cli!b to that plane here truth is reali%ed.
Many do good# but ho fe do it isely: To do good isely is the or) of the sage.
The one ho lives in his !ind is conscious of the !ind; the one ho lives in his soul
is conscious of the soul.
Truth is unli!ited and inco!parable; therefore# truth alone )nos# en-oys# and
reali%es its on e+istence.
The soul is light# the !ind is light# and the body is light4light of different grades; andit is this relation hich
connects !an ith the planets and stars.
The infinite "od is the self of "od# and all that has !anifested under na!e and for!
is the outer aspect of "od.
All !en ho -oin in prayers !ay not be as sincere as the birds in the forest# for not
one a!ong these says its
prayers ithout sincerity.
Spirituality is attained by all beings; not only by !an but by beasts and birds# for they
each have their religion#
their principles# their la# and their !orals.
The pride that says# 6I a! so spiritual#6 is not spiritual pride; it is earthly pride. 0or
here there is spirituality
there is no proud clai!.
Spiritual reali%ation can be attained in one !o!ent in rare cases# but generally a
considerable ti!e of preparation
is needed.
0ineness of nature is the sign of the intelligent. 0ineness can be ac*uired by love of
refine!ent.
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Peace is not a )noledge# peace is not a poer# peace is not a happiness; yet peace is
all these. $esides# peace
is productive of happiness# peace inspires one ith )noledge of the seen and unseen#
and in peace is to be
found the /ivine Presence.
"od is happiness# the soul is happiness# and spirituality is happiness. So there is no
place for sadness in the
)ingdo! of "od.
That hich deprives !an of happiness deprives hi! of "od.
The light hich co!es fro! the soul# rises through the heart# and !anifests outardly
in !an,s s!ile# is indeedthe light fro! heaven. In that light !any floers gro and !any fruits ripen.
&e help "od to forgive us by forgiving ourselves.
He ho reali%es the relation of friendship beteen one soul and another 4 the
tenderness# delicacy# and
sacredness of this relationship 4 he is living# and in this ay he ill one day
co!!unicate ith "od.
The sa!e bridge hich connects to souls in the orld# hen stretched beco!es the
path to "od.
7irvana is as a star in our hearts hich e develop; and as e develop it# it beco!es
brilliant. Its brilliance
consu!es all the rong of life until nothing is left but that purity hich is the divine
light.
It !ust be re!e!bered as the first principle of life# that !anifestation as destined
for )eener observation of life
ithin and ithout.
The soul is happy by nature; the soul is happiness itself. It beco!es unhappy hen
so!ething is the !atter ith
its vehicle# its instru!ent# its tool through hich it e+periences life. (are of the body#
therefore# is the first and the
!ost i!portant principle of religion.
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The purpose of the hole of creation is fulfilled in the attain!ent of that perfection
hich is for a hu!an being to
attain. The saints# seers# sages# prophets# and !asters of hu!anity have all been
hu!an beings# and they have
shon divine perfection in fulfilling the purpose of being hu!an.
The teaching of esus (hrist has as its central the!e unfold!ent toards a reali%ation
of i!!ortality.
3anity in its proper place is a great virtue; hen not in its proper place it is a great sin.
1very person has his life designed beforehand; and the light of the purpose that he is
born to acco!plish in lifehas already been )indled in his soul.
Is not !an the creator of sin2 If he creates it# he can also destroy it; and if he cannot
destroy it# his eider brother
can.
In !etaphysical ter!s the i!pression of sin !ay be called an illness 4 a !ental# not a
physical illness. And as the
doctor is able to cure physical illness# so the doctor of the soul is able to heal
spiritually.
In reality no sin# no virtue can be engraved upon the soul; it can only cover the soul.
The soul in its essence is
divine intelligence# and ho can divine intelligence be i!pressed ith either virtue or
sin2
&hen the ob-ect# the purpose for hich a soul as born upon earth is fulfilled# thenthere is nothing to hold it#
and the soul is naturally dran bac) to its source and goal.
"od Hi!self sees through the eye of !an# thus the eye is a road beteen !an and
"od.
Man has neither been created to be as spiritual as an angel# nor has he been !ade to
be as !aterial as an
ani!al; and hen he stri)es the happy !ediu! he ill certainly tread the path hichleads straight to the goal.
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Man is good by nature. "oodness is his real self; badness is only a cloud. $ut clouds
are ever floating; they are
so!eti!es here and so!eti!es there# and if e trust in the goodness of !an# the
clouds ill disappear. Our verytrust ill disperse the!.
The sun shines on all the trees; it does not !a)e distinctions beteen this tree and
that# but in accordance ith
their absorption of the light falling upon the! and their response to the sun they
receive its light.
Re!e!ber that very often a disciple is an inspiration for the !aster# because it is not
the !aster ho teaches# itis "od Hi!self.
The !aster is only the !ediu!; and as great as is the response of the disciple# so
strongly does it attract the
!essage of "od.
The further e go# the !ore our disputes and argu!ents cease. They fade aay until
there is no color left in
the!; and hen all the color has gone# the hite light co!es hich is the light of
"od.
The one ho serves# hoever hu!bly# has the privilege of serving "od.
(heerfulness is life# sadness is death. 8ife attracts# death repulses.
/o not let your on !ind be i!pressed by the depression of your friend. If you do#you ill have ta)en the
ger! of his disease.
It is har!ony# established ith everyone one !eets in life# hich tunes one,s soul ith
the Infinite.
The !an conscious of his duties and obligations to his friends is !ore righteous than
he ho sits alone in the
solitude.
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The condition of "od and His true lover is that either the $eloved lives or the lover#
not both.
&hether a person feels attracted to "od no or not# there ill co!e a day hen heill be attracted; for every
soul has to return to "od.
Ignorance of the self gives the fear of death. The !ore one learns of the true self# the
less one fears death; for it
is only a door through hich one passes fro! one phase of life to another# and the
other phase is !uch better.
Hu!or is the sign of light fro! above. &hen that light touches the !ind# it tic)les it#
and it is the tic)ling of the
!ind that produces hu!or.
Renunciation is not so!ething hich e !ust torture ourselves to learn. It is in us#
but it is buried and it can only
be dug up by our love.
&hen the sun is clouded# the light does not reach the earth; and so it is ith the soul#
hich is divine and full of
light. If it is thic)ly covered ith clouds# then !an does not receive the light hich is
in the soul itself.
&hat is rooted out in the *uest of truth is ignorance. &hen it is entirely re!oved fro!
one,s heart# !an,s outloo)
beco!es ide# as ide as the eye of "od.
Man !eets ith hardships in life; so!eti!es they see! too hard for hi! to stand. $ut
often such e+periences
beco!e li)e higher initiations in the life of the traveller on the path.
Sadness co!es fro! li!itation in different for!s# fro! lac) of perception# fro! lac)
of poer over oneself and
over conditions# and fro! lac) of that substance hich is happiness itself and hich is
love.
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The nature of love is as the nature of ater in the depth of the earth. If e do not dig
deep enough# e find !ud#
not ater; but hen e dig deep# e find pure ater.
If there is any death# it is stillness and inactivity; and then the i!pulse of life co!es#hich brea)s through the
cloud of !ortality and !a)es the soul see the daylight after the dar)ness of the night.
And hat does the soul
see in this bright daylight2 It sees itself living as before# having the sa!e na!e and
for!# and yet progressing.
1very soul is striving to attain "od; "od not as a udge nor as a 'ing# but as a
$eloved. And every soul see)s
"od# the "od of love# in the for! hich it is capable of i!agining.
The soul !anifests in the orld in order that it !ay e+perience the different phases of
!anifestation# and yet not
lose its ay but regain its original freedo!# in addition to the e+perience and
)noledge it has gained in this
orld.
In order to be# one !ust pass through a stage of being nothing.
&hen illu!ination co!es# it see!s to bring annihilation; but it is not annihilation# in
reality it is e+altation.
Happiness cannot co!e by !erely believing in "od. $elieving is a process. $y this
process the "od ithin is
aa)ened and !ade living; it is the living in "od hich gives happiness.
It is not only the lin) of love and sy!pathy# but also the belief in the hereafter to thee+tent of conviction# that lifts
those on earth to )no about their beloved ones ho have passed over to the other
side.
The soul,s sustenance is the )noledge of "od; it is by this )noledge that the soul
lives the eternal life.
Man has the )ey of life in his on hands# if he only )ne it.
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Man is alays -ourneying toards the truth. He is see)ing# see)ing; for in his heart is
the love of that hich is
real.
There is no such thing as !ortality e+cept the illusion# and the i!pression of thatillusion hich !an )eeps before
his eyes as fear during his lifeti!e# and still as an i!pression after he has passed fro!
this earth.
The soul is life# it never touches death; death is its illusion.
To the one ho reali%es ulti!ate truth# ti!e and space are of little i!portance; he rises
above the!.
The further one goes on the spiritual path# the !ore ill one have to learn to play a
part.
The spiritual !an learns to anser the *uestion of every soul on its on plane of
evolution.
It is the ignorant soul# ignorant of its source and goal# that dreads leaving the sphere to
hich it has beco!e
attached. It is the soul that )nos not hat is beyond# that is afraid of being lifted up
above the ground its feet
are touching.
One,s duty is to do no hat can be done no. 7othing that one really values should
one put off till to!orro.
Souls hen they start fro! the angelic heavens are vibrations. They have no earthlyharps; they are the harps
the!selves.
There cannot be perfection here there is duality. "od alone is perfect.
The hole interest in life is in -ourneying toards perfection. If !an ere born
perfect# there ould be no -oy in
life.
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In order to attain to "od4consciousness# the first condition is to !a)e "od a reality so
that He is no longer only
an i!agination.
The soul hich develops its personality is li)e the fine floer ith its color#fragrance# and delicacy.
The essence of spirituality and !ysticis! is readiness to serve the person ne+t to us.
The *uestion# 6&hat is the purpose of !anifestation26# !ay be ansered in one ord5
satisfaction# the
satisfaction of "od.
7othing in the orld could give !an the strength that is needed to live a life on the
earth# if there ere no
blessing fro! heaven reaching hi! fro! ti!e to ti!e# and of hich he is so little
aare.
The or) of the spiritual !an is to forget his false self and to reali%e the true self#
hich is "od; and to reali%e
that this true self is in his brother also.
It is not true that Ada! as put out of the "arden of 1den. He only turned his bac)
upon it; and so he beca!e
an e+ile fro! heaven.
1very soul is born ith the capacity by hich it can dra all the spiritual bliss and
ecstasy hich is needed for its
evolution.
1very thing and being is placed in its on place# and each is busy carrying out the
or) hich has to be done in
the hole sche!e of nature.
7irvana is not an intellectual reali%ation; it is life.
There are blessed souls living on the earth today to ho! sacrifice gives no pain but
only pleasure. In seeing
another eat# their hunger is satisfied; renunciation is to the! a -oy# for they have gonethrough the cross and risen
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above it.
The better the instru!ent# the greater the satisfaction of the soul.
Truth cannot be put into ords. It !ust be seen in the light of our on intuition.
That hich is ac*uired cannot be truth. Truth is that hich is discovered.
The art of personality is not a *ualification; it is the purpose for hich !an as
created. Through this art !an not
only satisfies hi!self but also pleases "od.
&hen the soul has once fought its battle ith the things that !a)e it fear and tre!ble
and shrin)# it has
con*uered life and beco!e the !aster of life. It has inherited the )ingdo! hich is its
on.
The !an ho has proved in his life to be the friend of every person he !eets# in the
end ill prove to be the
friend of "od.
The perfection of friendship# in hich lies all spiritual perfection# co!es hen the
soul is so developed that there
is no one ho! it cannot bear. &hen it has reached this state# it has certainly passed
into the ran)s of those
initiates hose na!es are ritten in the spiritual records.
7ature in its different aspects is the !ateriali%ation of that light hich is called the
divine Spirit.
In prayer the repetition of than)sgiving brings to our soul our on voice# and that
voice echoes before the "od
ho is ithin.
The angels ere !ade to sing the praises of the 8ord; the -inns to i!agine# to drea!#
to !editate; but !an is
created to sho hu!anity in his character.
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ou !ay go to the !ost e+alted place# a place blessed ith peace and rest; but if you
ta)e sadness and unrest
ith you# you ill find the! there.
"od,s !essage does not co!e only in ords. &hat co!es in ords is s!all co!pared
ith the radiance the
!essage brings to all things and all beings. It co!es in the for! of a sacra!ent# as
bread and ine; and bread
and ine sy!boli%e life and love.
Renounce the good of the orld; renounce the good of heaven; renounce your highest
ideal. Then renounce
your renunciation.
The ay to perfection is not li!ited. 7o one can !a)e a rule that you can only pass
by this ay and none other.
$eauty is the atchord of the see)er.
Patience is a process through hich a soul goes in order to beco!e precious.
$y self4reali%ation a !an beco!es larger than the universe. The orld in hich he
lives beco!es as a drop in the
ocean of his heart.
In our sorro is "od,s sorro# for if "od cannot sy!pathi%e# !an is greater than "od.
Part of our sorro and our -oy co!es fro! life; part e !a)e for ourselves. 8ife
cannot give us -oy if e illnot earn it.
The "od4ideal is the floer of the hu!an race# and this floer bloo!s in the
reali%ation of "od.
The !ind is a orld# a orld that !an !a)es; and in it he ill live in the hereafter# as
a spider lives in the eb it
has oven.
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The further on the path of life,s !ystery a person travels# the finer he ill have to
beco!e in order to perceive
and to e+press the !ystery of life.
The prophetic soul is li)e a fruit that is on the ground but still connected ith thebranch. The branch has bent
and the fruit has touched the earth# but it has not lost connection ith the ste!.
The further e advance# the !ore difficult and !ore i!portant our part in the
sy!phony of life beco!es; and the
!ore conscious e beco!e of this responsibility# the !ore efficient e beco!e in
acco!plishing our tas).
&ith all the argu!ents for and against the divinity of (hrist# no sincere believer in"od can deny that "od
reflected Hi!self through the personality of the Master.
The prophetic soul !ust# of necessity# rise so high that it can hear the voice of "od#
and at the sa!e ti!e it !ust
bend so lo that it can hear the softest hisper of the beings on earth.
1ven the presence of the prophet is the anser to every *uestion. &ithout spea)ing
one ord# the prophet
gives the anser. The prophet is only the !ediu! beteen "od and !an; therefore#
the anser is fro! "od. It
is not that the prophet ansers the *uestion because he reads the !ind; it is the !ind
of the one ho as)s the
*uestion hich stri)es# on the inner plane# the divine bell hich is the heart of the
prophet.
The !o!ent a person rises above his !ind and aa)ens in the light of the soul# he
beco!es spiritual.
There are !any facts# but only one truth. 0acts can be put into ords# but not the
truth.
The !ystic see)s "od both ithin and ithout; he recogni%es "od both in unity and
in variety.
As one evolves spiritually one rises above the tendency to intolerance# for the reasonthat one begins to see "od
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besides seeing oneself and another person# and so one unites oneself ith the other
person in "od.
The souls of all are fro! one and the sa!e source# but a soul hich is unveiled shines
out. 8ove and light co!econtinually fro! such souls. &e need no proof of it# for it is living; all else is dead in
co!parison.
It is death that dies# not life.
The soul covers its on truth ith a thousand veils fro! its on eyes.
The ideal !ust not be turned into the idol.
The soul has not co!e on earth to die the death of helplessness# nor continually to
suffer pain and !isery. The
purpose of the soul is that for hich the hole of creation has been striving# and it is
the fulfill!ent of that
purpose hich is called "od4consciousness.
1vil is an ever4floating thing 4 so!eti!es here# so!eti!es there. So evil in !an is -ust
a cloud; it co!es and
goes; and if e trust in his goodness# the clouds ill disappear.
Man,s sacred duty is to strive to attain to that perfect consciousness hich is his true
religion.
$y !a)ing !any sacrifices and practicing renunciation# by going through !any tests
and trials# !an ill attain to
that consciousness hich is "od4consciousness# in hich resides all perfection.
$alance is the )ey4note of spiritual attain!ent.
7o sooner is the "od4ideal brought to life# than the orshipper of "od turns into
truth.
The depth of every soul is good. It is only belief in this doctrine that gives us a reason
for our belief in thegoodness of "od.
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The !an ho shuts hi!self aay fro! all !en# hoever highly evolved he !ay be
spiritually# ill not be free in
the higher spheres.
In order to fulfill the practical duties of life# it is not necessary to forget our ideal. &e
can hold the ideal in the
tenderest spot of our heart# and yet fulfill our practical duties. The ideal is to
illu!inate our lives# not to paraly%e
our actions.
The disciple can be inspired# and the disciple can shut off his inspiration. If there is no
response on the part of
the disciple# then the inspiration of the !aster is shut off. ust li)e the clouds hichcannot give rain hen passing
over the desert# but hen they co!e to the forest they are attracted by the trees and
the rain falls. The soul in its
!anifestation on earth is not at all disconnected ith the higher spheres. It lives in all
spheres# though it is
generally conscious on only one plane. Thus it beco!es deprived of the heavenly
bliss# and conscious of the
troubles and li!itations of life on the earth.
There are rays and there is light. If the rays are the source of the souls of living
beings# then the light of the divine
Sun is the spirit of the hole of $eing.
&hen e develop our sense of beauty# then e are naturally critical of that hich
does not co!e up to our
standard. $ut hen e have passed this stage# in the ne+t cycle divine co!passion is
developed in our nature
and e beco!e able to add all that is lac)ing# and so to co!pensate for that perfect
beauty.
In the !a)ing of personality# "od finishes His divine art.
As the source and goal of all creation are one# so the source and goal of all religion
are one.
The la of "od is endless and li!itless as "od Hi!self# and once the eye of the
see)er penetrates through the
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(an a co!poser give a -ustification for every note ritten in his co!position2 He
cannot; he can only say# 6it is
the strea! hich has risen out of !y heart. I a! not concerned ith every single note.
&hat I a! concernedith is the effect hich is produced by !y co!position.6
Is la predo!inant# or love2 8a is the habit; love is the being. 8a is !ade; love
as# is# and alays ill be.
$elief in the hu!an soul is the bridge to belief in "od.
$y our trust in the divine beauty in every person e develop that beauty in ourselves.
&orry co!es fro! self4pity. &hen the self is forgotten# there is no orry. &orry
co!es also fro! fear# and fear
co!es fro! the clouds of ignorance. 8ight brea)s the clouds.
The soul ta)es ith itself into the hereafter all that it has collected in the ay of
i!pressions.
The teaching of the prophets is the anser to the de!ands of individual and collective
souls.
To eigh# to !easure# to e+a!ine# to e+press an opinion on a great personality# one
!ust first rise to the sa!e
develop!ent.
If there is any solution to our ever4rising *uestions# it is never by studying the la thate shall be satisfied. If
anything ill give us satisfaction# it is diving deep into love and letting love inspire
us# and that ill enable us to
see the la.
3erily a deep4felt need is a prayer in itself.
There is no liberation unless one has an ideal before one. The ideal is a stepping4stone
toards that attain!enthich is called liberation.
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8ove is the shoer by hich sin is purified; no stain re!ains. &hat is "od2 "od is
love. &hen His !ercy# His
co!passion# His )indness are e+pressed through a "odreali%ed personality# then the
stains of sins# faults# and!ista)es are ashed aay and the soul beco!es clear.
1arthly pleasures are the shados of happiness# because of their transitoriness. True
happiness is in love# hich
is the strea! that springs fro! one,s soul; and he ho ill allo this strea! to run
continually in all conditions of
life# in all situations# hoever difficult# ill have a happiness hich truly belongs to
hi!# hose source is not
ithout# but ithin.
0ailure does not !atter in life. To a progressive person even a thousand failures do not
!atter. He )eeps
success before his vie# and success is his even after a thousand failures. The greatest
pity is hen life co!es to
a standstill and does not !ove any farther; a sensible person prefers death to such a
life.
3erily# truth is all the religion there is# and it is truth hich ill save. At every step
toards the final goal !an ill
be as)ed for a sacrifice# and that sacrifice ill be a greater and greater one as he
continues on the path. &hen
there is nothing# hether !ind# body# thought# feeling# or action# that he )eeps bac)
fro! sacrificing for others#
then !an proves his reali%ation of divine truth.
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