Out From The Heart (1904) by James Allen

out from the Heart by James Ellen read by Lou Lambert originally published in 1904 this recording is a production of masterkey Society for the purpose of research study and discussion make pure thy heart and thou Wilt make thy life Rich sweet and Beautiful unmarred by Strife guard well thy mind and Noble strong and free nothing shall harm disturb or conquer thee for all thy foes are in thy heart and mind there also thy salvation thou Wilt find forward confucious said the perfecting of oneself is the fundamental base of all progress and all moral development a

maxim as profound and comprehensive as it is simple practical and uninvolved for there is no sure way to knowledge nor no better way to help the world than by perfecting oneself nor is there any nobler work or higher science than that of self-perfection he who studies how to become faultless who strives to be pure-hearted who aims at the possession of a calm wise and seen mind engages in the most Sublime task that man can undertake and the results of which are perceptible in a well-ordered blessed and beautiful life James Allen the heart and the life

as the heart so is the life the within is ceaselessly becoming the without nothing remains unrevealed that which is hidden is but for time it ripens and comes forth at last seed Tree Blossom and fruit is the four-fold order of the Universe from the state of a man's heart proceed the conditions of his life his thoughts blossom into deeds and his deeds bear the fruitage of character and Destiny life is ever unfolding from within and revealing itself to the light and thoughts engendered in the heart at last reveal themselves in words Act actions and things

accomplished as the fountain from The Hidden Spring so issues man's life from the secret recesses of his heart all that he is and does is generated there all that he will be and do will take its rise there sorrow and gladness suffering and enjoyment hope and fear hatred and love ignorance and Enlightenment are nowhere but in the heart they are solely mental conditions man is the keeper of his heart The Watcher of his mind the solitary Sentinel of his Citadel of life as such he can be diligent or negligent he can keep his heart more

and more carefully he can more strenuously watch and purify his mind and he can guard himself against the thinking of unrighteous thoughts this is the way of enlightenment M and Bliss on the other hand he can live Loosely and carelessly neglecting the Supreme task of rightly ordering his life this is the way of self- delusion and suffering let a man realize that life in its totality proceeds from the mind and lo the way of blessedness is opened up to him for he will then discover that he possesses the power to rule his mind and to

Fashion it in accordance with his ideal so will he elect to strongly and steadfastly walk those Pathways of thought and action which are altogether excellent to him life will become beautiful and sacred and sooner or later he will put to flight all evil confusion and suffering for it is impossible for a man to fall short of Liberation Enlightenment and peace who guards with unwear diligence the Gateway of his heart the nature and power of Mind mind is the Arbiter of life it is the Creator and shaper of conditions and the recipient of its own results

it contains within itself both the power to create illusion and to perceive reality mind is the infallible Weaver of Destiny thought is the threat good and evil Deeds are the warp and woof and the web woven upon the LOM of life is character mind clothes itself in garments of its own making man as a mental being possesses all the powers of mind and is furnished with illimitable Choice he learns by experience and he can accelerate or his experience he is not arbitrarily bound at any point but he has bound himself at many points and having

bound himself he can when he chooses liberate himself he can become bestial or pure ignoble or Noble foolish or wise just as he chooses he can by recurring practice form habits and he can by renewed effort break them off he can surround himself with Illusions until truth is completely lost and he can destroy one and another of those Illusions until truth is entirely recovered his Poss abilities are Limitless his freedom is complete it is the nature of mind to create its own conditions and to choose the states in which it shall dwell it also has

the power to alter any condition and to abandon any state and this it is continually doing as it gathers knowledge of state after state by repeated choice and exhaust of experience inward processes of thought make up the sum of character and life and man can modify and alter these processes by bringing will and effort to Bear upon them the bonds of habit impotence and sin are self-made and can only be destroyed by oneself they exist nowhere but in one's mind and although they are directly related to outward things they have no real existence in those

things the outer is molded and vivified by the inner and never the inner by by the outer Temptation does not arise in the outer object but in the lust of the mind for that object nor do suffering and sorrow inhere in the external things and happenings of life but in an undisciplined attitude of Mind toward those things and happenings the mind that is disciplined by Purity and fortified by wisdom avoids all those lusts and desires which are inseparably bound up with Affliction and so arrives at Enlightenment and peace to condemn others as evil and to

rail against outside conditions as the source of evil increases and does not lessen the world's suffering and unrest the outer is but the Shadow and effect of the inner and when the heart is pure all outward things are pure all growth and life is from within outward all Decay and death is from without inward this is a universal law all Evolution proceeds from within all adjustment must take place within he who ceases to strive against others and employs his powers in the transformation regeneration and development of his own mind conserves his energies and preserves himself

and as he succeeds in harmonizing his own mind he leads others by consideration and charity into a like blessed state for not by assuming Authority and guidance over other Minds is the way of Enlightenment and peace discovered but by exercising a lawful authority over one's own and by guiding oneself in Pathways of steadfast and lofty virtue a man's life proceeds from his heart his mind he has compounded that Mind by his own thoughts and deeds it is in his power to refac in that Mind by his choice of thought he can therefore transform his life

let us see how this is to be done formation of habit every established mental condition is an acquired habit and it has become such by continuous repetition of thought despondency and cheerfulness anger and calmness covetousness and generosity indeed all states of Mind our habits buil built up by choice until they have become automatic a thought constantly repeated at last becomes a fixed habit of the mind and from such habits proceedes the life it is the nature of the mind to acquire knowledge by the repetition of its experiences a thought which it is very difficult at

first to hold and to dwell upon at last becomes by constantly being held in the mind a natural and habitual condition just as a boy when commencing to learn a trade cannot even handle his tools a right much less use them correctly but after long repetition practice applies them with perfect ease and consummate skill so a state of mind at first apparently impossible of realization is by perseverance and practice at last Acquired and built into the character as a natural and spontaneous condition and this power of the mind to form and reform its habits its

conditions is contained the basis of man's salvation and the open door to perfect Liberty by the Mastery of self for as man has the power to form harmful habits so he has the same power to create habits that are essentially good and here we come to a point which needs some elucidating and which calls for deep and Earnest thought on the part of my reader it is commonly said to be easier to do wrong than right to sin than to be holy such condition has come to be regarded almost universally as axiomatic and no less

a teacher than the Buddha has said bad deeds and deeds hurtful to ourselves are easy to do what is beneficial in good that is very difficult to do and as regards Humanity generally this is is true but it is only true as a passing experience a fleeting factor in human evolution it is not a fixed condition of things it is not of the nature of an internal truth it is easier for men to do wrong than right because of the prevalence of ignorance because the true nature of things and the essence and meaning of life

are not apprehended when a child is learning to write it is extremely easy for it to hold the pen wrongly and to form its letters incorrectly but it is painfully difficult to hold the pen and to write properly and this because of the child's ignorance of the art of writing which can only be dispelled by persistent effort and practice until at last it becomes natural and easy to hold the pen properly and to write correctly and difficult as well as altogether unne necessary to do the wrong thing it is the same in the vital things

of mind and Life to think and do rightly requires much practice and renewed effort but the time at last comes when it becomes habitual and easy to think and do rightly and difficult as it is then seen to be altogether unnecessary to do that which is wrong just as an artisan becomes by practice accomplished in his craft so a man man can become by practice accomplished in goodness it is entirely a matter of forming new habits of thought and he to whom right thoughts have become easy and natural and wrong thoughts and acts difficult to

do has attained to the highest virtue to Pure spiritual knowledge it is easy and natural for men to sin because they have formed by incessant repetition harmful and unenlightened habits of thought it is very difficult for the thief to refrain from stealing when opportunity occurs because he has lived so long in Covetous and avaricious thoughts but such difficulty does not exist for the honest man who has lived so long and upright and honest thoughts and has thereby become enlightened as to the wrong Folly and fruitlessness of theft that even the remotest idea of stealing does

not enter his mind the sin of theft is a very extreme one and I have introduced it in order to the more clearly illustrate the force and formation of habit but all sins and virtues are formed in the same way anger and impatience are natural and easy to thousands of people because they are constantly repeating the anger and impatient thought and act and with each repetition The Habit is more firmly established and more deeply rooted calmness and patience can become habitual in the same way by first grasping through effort a calm and patient thought and

then continuously thinking it and living in it until use becomes second nature and anger and impatience pass away forever it is thus that every wrong thought may be expelled from the Mind thus that every untrue act may be destroyed thus that every sin may be overcome doing and knowing let a man realize that his life in its totality proceeds from his mind and that that mind is a combination of habits which he can by patient effort modify to any extent and over which he can thus gain complete ascendancy and control and he has at once

obtained possession of the key which shall open the door to his complete emancipation but emancipation from the ills of Life which are the ills of one's mind is a matter of steady growth from within and not a sudden acquisition from without hourly and daily must the mind be trained to think stainless thoughts and to adopt right and dispassionate attitudes under those circumstances in which it is prone to fall into wrong and passion like the patient sculptor upon his marble the aspirant to the right life must gradually work upon the crude material of his mind until

he has wrought out of it the ideal of his holiest dreams in working toward such Supreme accomplishment it is necessary to commence at the lowest and easiest steps and proceed by natural and Progressive stages to the higher and more difficult this law of growth progress evolution unfoldment by gradual and ever ascending stages is absolute in every Department of life and in every human accomplishment and where it is ignored total failure will result in acquiring learning in learning a trade or in pursuing a business this law is fully recognized and minutely obeyed by all but in

acquiring virtue in learning truth and in pursuing the right conduct and knowledge of life it is unrecognized and disobeyed by nearly all hence virtue truth and the perfect life remain unpracticed unacquainted pointed and unknown it is common error to suppose that the higher life is a matter of reading and the adoption of theological or metaphysical hypothesis and that spiritual principles can be apprehended by this method the higher life is a Higher Living in thought word and deed and the knowledge of those spiritual principles which are imminent in man and in the universe can only be

acquired after long discipline in the pursuit and practice of virtue the Lesser must be thoroughly grasped and understood before the greater can be known and practice always precedes real knowledge the school Master never attempts to teach his pupils the abstract principles of mathematics at the commencement he knows that by such a method teaching would be Vain and learning impossible he first places before them a simple sum and having explained it leaves them to do it when after repeated failures and ever renewed effort they have succeeded in doing it correctly a more difficult task is set

them and then another and another and not until the pupils have through many years of diligent application mastered all the lessons in arithmetic does he attempt to unfold to them the underlying mathematical principles in learning a trade say that of a mechanic the boy is not at first taught the principles of mechanics but a simple tool is put into his hand and he is told how rightly to use it and is then left to do it by effort and practice as he succeeds in applying his tools correctly more and more difficult tasks are set him

until after several years of successful practice he is prepared to study and grasp the principles of mechanics in a properly governed household the child is first taught to be obedient and to conduct itself properly under all circumstances the child is not even told why it must do this but is commanded to do it and only after it has so far succeeded in doing what is right and proper is it told why it should do it no father would attempt to teach his child the principles of Ethics before exacting from it the practice of filial Duty

and social virtue thus practice ever precedes knowledge even in the ordinary things of the the world and in spiritual things in the living of the higher life this law is rigid in its exactions virtue can only be known by doing and the knowledge of Truth can only be arrived at by perfecting oneself in the practice of virtue and to be complete in the practice and acquisition of virtue is to be complete in the knowledge of truth truth can only be arrived at by daily and hourly doing the lessons of virtue beginning at the simple and

passing on to the more difficult and as a child patiently and obediently learns its lessons at school constantly practicing ever exerting itself until all failures and difficulties are surmounted even so does the child of Truth apply himself to right doing in thought and action undotted by failure and made Stronger by difficulties as he succeeds in acquiring virtue his mind unfolds itself in the knowledge of Truth Tru and it is knowledge in which he can securely rest First Steps in the higher life seeing that the path of virtue is The Path of Knowledge and that before

the all embracing principles of Truth can be comprehended perfection in the more lowly steps must be acquired how then shall a disciple of Truth commence how shall one who aspires to the writing of his mind and the purification of his heart that that heart which is the Fountain and repository of all issues of Life learn the lessons of virtue and thus build himself up in the strength of knowledge destroying ignorance and the ills of Life what are the first lessons the first steps how are they learned how are they practiced how are they mastered and

understood the first lessons consist in overcoming those wrong mental conditions which are most easily eradicated and which are the common barriers to spiritual prog as well as in practicing the simple domestic and social virtues and the reader will be better aided if I group and classify the first 10 steps in three lessons as follows vices to be overcome and eradicated vices of the body first lesson discipline of the body step one indolence step two self-indulgence vices of the tongue second lesson dis discipline of speech step one slander step two gossip and idle conversation step three

abusive and unkind speech step four levity or irreverence speech step five captious or fault finding speech virtues to be practiced and acquired third lesson discipline of inclination step one unselfish performance of Duty step two unswerving Reit toe step three unlimited forgiveness the two vices of the body and five of the tongue are so-called because they are manifested in the body and tongue and also because by so definitely classifying them the mind of the reader will be the better help but it must be clearly understood that these vices arise primarily in the mind and our wrong

conditions of heart worked out in the body and the tongue the existence of such chaotic conditions is an indication that the mind is altogether unenlightened as to the real meaning and purpose of life and their eradication is the beginning of a virtuous steadfast and enlightened life but how shall they be overcome and eradicated by first and at once checking and controlling their outward manifestations by suppressing the wrong act this will stimulate the mind to watchfulness and reflection until by repeated practice it will at last come to perceive and understand the dark and wrong conditions of

mind out of which such acts spring and will abandon them entirely it will be seen that the first step in the discipline of the mind is the overcoming of indolence this is the easiest step and until it is perfectly accomplished the other steps cannot be taken the clinging to indolence constitutes a complete barrier to the path of Truth indolence consists of giving the body more ease and sleep that it requires in procrastinating and in shering and neglecting those things which should receive immediate attention this condition of laziness must be overcome by rousing up the body

at an early hour giving it just the amount of sleep it requires for complete recuperation and by doing prly and vigorously every task and Duty no matter how small as it comes along on no account should food or drink be taken in bed and to lie in bed after one has awakened indulging in ease and in revery is a habit fatal to promptness and resolution of character and purity of Mind nor should one attempt to do his thinking at such a Time strong pure and true thinking is impossible under such circumstances a man should go

to bed to sleep not to think he should get up to think and work not to sleep the next step is the overcoming of self-indulgence or gluttony the Glutton is he who eats for animal gratification only without considering the true end and object in eating who eats more than his body requires and is greedy after sweet things and Rich dishes such undisciplined desire can only be overcome by reducing the quantity of food eaten and the number of meals per day and by resorting to a simple and uninvolved dietary regular hours should be set apart for

meals and eating at other time should be rigidly avoided supper should be abolished as they are altogether unnecessary and conduce to heavy sleep and cloudiness of mind the pursuit of such a method of discipline will rapidly bring the hitherto ungoverned appetite under control and as the sensual sin of self-indulgence is taken out of the Mind the right selection of food will be instinctively and infallibly adapted to the purified mental condition it should be well borne in mind that change of heart is the needful thing and that any change of diet which does not subserve this

end is feudal whilst one eats for enjoyment he is gluttonous the heart must be purified of sensual craving and gustatory lust when the body is well controlled and firmly guided when that which is to be done is done vigorously when no task or duty is delayed when early Rising has become a delight when frugality Temperance and abstinence are firmly established when one is contented with the food which is put before him no matter how scanty and plain and the craving for gustatory pleasure is at an end then then are the first two steps and the

higher life accomplished then is the first great lesson and Truth learned thus is established in the heart the foundation of a poised self-governed virtuous life the next lesson is the lesson of virtuous speech in which are five orderly steps the first step is the overcoming of slander slander consists in inventing or repeating evil reports about others in exposing and magnifying the faults of others or of absent friends and introducing to unworthy insinuations the elements of thoughtlessness Cruelty insincerity and untruthfulness enter into Every slanderous Act he who aims at the living of the right life will

commence to check the cruel word of slander before it has gone from his lips and will then check and eliminate the insincere thought which gave rise to it he will watch himself that he does not vilify any and will refrain from disparaging and condemning the absent friend whose face he has so recently kissed whose hand he has shaken or into whose face he Has Smiled he will not say of another that which he dare not say to him thus coming at last to think sacredly of the character and reputation of others he will destroy those

wrong conditions of mind which gave rise to slander the next step is the overcoming of gossip and idle conversation idle speech consists in talking about the Private Affairs of others in talking merely to pass away the time and engaging an aimless and irrelevant conversation such an ungoverned condition of speech is the outcome of an ill-regulated mind the man of virtue will Bridle his tongue and thus learn how to rightly govern the mind he will not let his tongue run idly and foolishly but will make his speech strong and pure and will either talk with a

purpose or remain silent Abus of an unkind speech is the next Vice to be overcome the man who abuses and accuses others has himself wandered far from the right way to hurl hard words and names at others is to sink deeply into Folly when a man is inclined to abuse and condemn others let him restrain his tongue and look in upon himself the virtuous man refrains from abuse and quaring and employs only words that are useful necessary pure and true the next step is the overcoming of levity or irreverent speech light and frivolous talking the

repeating of coarse jokes the telling of vulgar stories having no other purpose than to raise an empty laugh offensive familiarity and the employment of contemptuous and irreverent terms when speaking to or of others and particularly of of one's elders and those who rank as one's teachers guardians or superiors all this will be put away by the love of virtue and Truth upon the altar of irreverence absent friends and companions are ulated for the passing excitement of a momentary laugh and all the sanctity of life is sacrificed to the zest of ridicule when respect towards others

and the giving of reverence where reverence is due or abandoned virtue is abandoned when modesty gravity and dignity are eliminated from speech and behavior truth is lost yay even its entrance gate is hidden away and forgotten irreverence is degrading even in the young but when it accompanies gray hairs and appears in the demeanor of the preacher this is indeed a Pious spectacle and when this can be imitated and followed after then are the blind leading the blind then have elders and preachers and people lost their way the virtuous man will be of grave and reverent

speech he will think and speak of the absent as he thinks and speaks of the Dead tenderly and sacredly he will put away thoughtlessness and watch that he does not sacrifice his dignity to gratify a passive impulse to lightness and frivolity his mirth will be pure and innocent and his voice will be become subdued and Musical and his soul be filled with grace and sweetness as he succeeds in conducting himself as becomes a man of Truth the last step in the second lesson is the overcoming of captious or fault finding speech this Vice of the

tongue consists in magnifying and harping on small or apparent faults in foolish quibbling and Hair S splitting and in pursuing vain arguments based upon groundless suppositions beliefs and opinions life is short and real and sin and sorrow and pain are not remedied by carping and contention the man who is ever on the watch to catch at the words of others in order to contradict and controvert them has yet to reach the higher way of Holiness the truer life of self- surrender the man who is ever on the watch to check his own words in order

to soften and purify them will find the higher way and the truer life he will conserve his energies maintain his composure of mind and preserve within himself the spirit of Truth when the tongue is well controlled and wisely subdued when selfish impulses and unworthy thoughts no longer rush to the tongue demanding utterance when the speech has become harmless pure gentle gracious and purposeful and no word is uttered but insincerity and truth then are the five steps in virtue with speech accomplished then is the second great lesson in truth learned and mastered and now some will

ask but why all this discipline of the body and Restraint of the tongue surely the higher life can be realized and known without such strenuous labor such incessant effort and watchfulness no it cannot in the spiritual as the material nothing is done without labor and the higher cannot be known until the lower is fulfilled can a man make a table before he has learned how to handle a tool and drive a nail and can a man fashion his mind in accordance with truth before he has overcome the slavery of his body as the intricate subtleties

of language cannot be apprehended and wielded before the alphabet and the simplest words are mastered neither can the Deep subtleties of the Mind be understood and purified before the ABC of right conduct is perfectly Acquired and as for the labor involved does not the youth joyfully and patiently submit himself to a seven-year apprenticeship in order to master a craft and does he not day by day carefully and Faithfully carry out every detail of his master's instructions looking forward to the time when perfected through obedience and practice he shall be himself a master where is the

man who sincerely aims at excellence in music painting literature in any trade business or profession who is willing to give his whole life to the acquirement of his particular Perfection shall labor then be considered where the very highest Excellence is concerned the Excellence of Truth he who says the path which you should point out is too difficult I must have truth without labor salvation without effort that man will not find his way out of the confusions and sufferings of selfhood he will not find the calm and well fortified mind and the wisely ordered life his

love is for ease and enjoyment and not for truth he who deep in his heart Ador truth and aspires to know it will consider no labor too great to be undertaken but will adopt it joyfully and pursue it patiently and by perseverance and practice he will come to the knowledge of Truth the necessity for this preliminary discipline of the body and tongue will be the more clearly perceived when it is fully understood that all these wrong outward conditions are merely the expressions of wrong conditions of heart an indolent body means an indolent mind an ill-regulated

tongue reveals an ill-regulated mind and the process of remedying the manifested condition is really a method of rectifying the inward State moreover the overcoming of these conditions is only a small part of what is really involved in the process the ceasing from Evil leads to and is inseparably connected with the practice of good while a man is overcoming indolence and self-indulgence he is really cultivating and developing the virtues of abstinence Temperance punctuality and self-denial and is acquiring that strength energy and resolution which are indispensable to the successful accomplishment of the higher tasks while he is

overcoming The Vices of speech he is developing the virtues of truthfulness sincerity re an kindliness and self-control and is gaining that mental steadiness and fixedness of purpose without which the remoter subtleties of the Mind cannot be regulated and the higher stages of conduct and Enlightenment cannot be reached also as he has to do right his knowledge deepens and his Insight is intensified and as the child's heart is glad when his school task is mastered so with each victory achieved the man of virtue experiences a bliss which the Seeker after pleasure and excitement can never know

and now we come to the third lesson in the higher life which consists in practicing and mastering in one's daily life three great fundamental virtues virtue one unselfish performance of Duty virtue two unswerving rectitude and virtue three unlimited forgiveness having prepared the mind by overcoming the more surface and chaotic conditions mentioned in the first two lessons the striver after virtue and Truth is now ready to enter upon greater and more difficult tasks and to control and purify the deeper motives of the heart without the right performance of Duty the higher virtues cannot be known and

Truth cannot be apprehended duty is generally regarded as an irksome labor a compulsory something which must be toiled through or in some way circumvented the way of regarding Duty proceeds from a selfish condition of mind and a wrong understanding of Life all Duty should be regarded as sacred and its faithful and unselfish performance one of the leading rules of conduct all personal and selfish considerations should be extracted and Cast Away from the doing of one's duty and when this is done Duty ceases to be irksome and becomes joyful duty is only irksome to him who

craves some selfish enjoyment or benefit for himself let the man who is chafing under the irksomeness of his duty look to himself and he will find his worsom proceeds not from the duty itself but from his selfish desire to escape it he who neglects Duty be it great or small or of a public or private nature neglects virtue he who in his heart Rebels against Duty Rebels against virtue when Duty has become a thing of love love and when every particular duty is done accurately faithfully and dispassionately there is much subtle selfishness removed from the

heart and a great step is taken to the heights of Truth the virtuous man concentrates his mind on the perfect doing of his own Duty and does not interfere with the duty of another the second step in the third lesson is the practice of unswerving rectitude this virtue must be firmly established in the mind and so enter into every detail of man's life all dishonesty deception trickery and misrepresentation must be forever put away and the heart be purged of every vesage of insincerity and substra the least swerving from the path of rectitude is a deviation

from virtue there must be no extravagance and exaggeration of speech but the simple truth should be stated engaging in deception no matter how apparently insignificant for vain Glory or with the hope of personal Advantage is a state of delusion which one should make efforts to dispel it is demanded of the man of virtue that he shall not only practice the most rigid honesty in thought word and deed but that he shall be exact in his statements omitting and adding nothing to the actual truth in thus shaping his mind to the principle of rectitude he will

gradually come to deal with people and things in a just and impartial Spirit considering Equity before himself and viewing all things with freedom from personal bias passion and Prejudice when the virtue of rectitude is fully practiced Acquired and comprehended so that all temptation to untruthfulness and insincerity has ceased then is the heart made pure and nobler then is character strengthened and knowledge enlarged and life takes on a new meaning and a new power thus is the Second Step accomplished the third step is the practice of unlimited forgiveness this consists in overcoming the sense of injury

which Springs from vanity selfishness and pride and in exercising disinterested charity and large hardens towards all spite retaliation and revenge are so utterly ignoble and so small and foolish as to be altogether Unworthy of being noticed or harbored no one who Fosters such conditions in his heart can lift himself above Folly and suffering and guide his life U right only by casting them away and ceasing to be moved by them can a man's eyes be open to the true way in life only by developing a forgiving and charitable Spirit can he hope to approach and

perceive the strength and beauty of a well-ordered life in the heart of the strong Le virtuous man no feeling of personal injury can arise he has put away all retaliation and has no enemies and if men should constitute themselves his enemies he will regard them kindly understanding their ignorance and making full allowance for it when this state of heart is arrived at then is the third step in the discipline of one's self-seeking inclinations accomplished then is the third great lesson in virtue and knowledge learned and mastered having thus laid down the first 10 steps and

three lessons in right doing and right knowing I leave those of my readers who are prepared for them to learn and master them in their everyday life there is of course a still higher discipline of the body a more far-reaching discipline of the tongue and greater and more all embracing virtues to acquire and understand before the highest state of bliss and knowledge can be apprehended but it is not my my purpose to deal with them here I have expounded only the first and easiest lessons on the higher path and by the time these are thoroughly

mastered the reader will have become so purified strengthened and enlightened that he will not be left in the dark as to his future progress those of my readers who have completed these three lessons will already have perceived Beyond and above the high altitudes of truth and the narrow and precipitous track which leads to them and will choose whether they shall proceed the straight path which I have laid down can be pursued by all with greater profit to themselves and to the world and even those who do not aspire to the attainment of truth will develop

greater intellectual and moral strength finer judgment and deeper Peace of Mind by perfecting themselves in this path nor will their material Prosperity suffer by this change of heart nay it will be rendered truer purer and more enduring ing for it there is no one who is capable of succeeding and fitted to achieve it is the man who has abandoned the petty dissipations and everyday vices of his kind who is strong to rule his body and his mind and who pursues with fixed resolve the path of unswerving integrity and Sterling virtue mental conditions and their effects

without going into the details of the greater steps and lessons in the right life ATT ask outside the scope of this small work a few hints and statements concerning those mental conditions from which life in its totality Springs will prove helpful to those who are ready and willing to penetrate further into that inner realm of heart and mind where love and wisdom and peace await the strenuous Comer all sin is ignorance it is a condition of darkness and underdevelopment the wrong thinker and the wrongdoer is in the same position in the school of life as

is the ignorant an pupil in the school of learning he has yet to learn how to think and act correctly that is in accordance with law the pupil in learning is not happy so long as he does his lessons wrongly and unhappiness cannot be escaped while sin remains unconquered life is a series of lessons some are diligent in learning them and they become pure wise and altogether happy others are negligent and do not apply themselves and they remain impure foolish and un happy every form of unhappiness Springs from a wrong condition of Mind happiness inheres

in right conditions of Mind happiness is mental Harmony unhappiness is mental inharmony while a man lives in wrong conditions of mind he will live a wrong life and will suffer continually suffering is rooted in error Bliss inheres in Enlightenment there is salvation for man only in destruction of his own ignorance error and self- delusion where there are wrong conditions of mind there is a bondage in unrest where there are right conditions of mind there is freedom and peace here are some of the leading wrong mental conditions and their disastrous effects upon the life wrong mental

conditions hatred which leads to injury violence disaster and suffering lust which leads to confusion of intellect remorse shame and wretchedness covetousness which leads to fear unrest unhappiness and loss Pride which leads to disappointment Chagrin lack of self- knowledge vanity which leads to distress and mortification of spirit condemnation which leads to persecution hatred from others ill will which leads to failures and troubles self-indulgence which leads to misery loss of judgment grossness disease and neglect anger which leads to loss of power and influence desire or selfs slavery which leads to grief Folly sorrow uncertainty and loneliness the

above wrong conditions of Mind are merely negations they are states of darkness and deprivation and not of positive power evil is not a power it is ignorant and misuse of good the hater is he who has failed to do the lessons of Love correctly and he suffers in consequence when he succeeds in doing it rightly the hatred will have disappeared and he will see and understand the darkness and impotence of hatred it is so with every wrong condition the following are some of the more important right mental conditions and their beneficient effects upon the life

right mental conditions love which leads to Gentle conditions Bliss and blessedness Purity which leads to intellectual clearness Joy Invincible confidence selflessness which leads to courage satisfaction happiness and plenty humility which leads to calmness restfulness knowledge of Truth meekness which leads to equipoise contentment under all circumstan an es compassion which leads to protection love and reverence for others Good Will which leads to gladness and success self-control which leads to Peace of Mind true judgment refinement health and honor patience which leads to mental power far-reaching influence self-conquest which leads to Enlightenment wisdom insight and profound peace the

above right conditions of Mind are states of positive power of light of Joyful possession and of knowledge the good man knows he has learned to do his lessons correctly and thereby understands the exact proportions which make up the sum of life he is enlightened and knows good and evil he is supremely happy doing only that which is divinely right the man who is involved in the wrong conditions of Mind does not know he is ignorant of Good and Evil of himself of the inward causes which makes his life he is unhappy and believes other people

are entirely the cause of his unhappiness he works blindly and lives in darkness seeing no Central purpose in existence and no orderly and lawful sequence in the course of things he who aspires to the attainment of the higher life in its completion who would perceive with unveiled Vision the true order of things and the meaning of life let him abandon all the wrong conditions of heart and persevere unceasingly in the practice of the good if he suffers or doubts or is unhappy let him search within until he finds the cause and having found it let

him cast it away let him so guard and purify his heart that every day less of evil and more of good shall issue there from so will he daily become stronger nobler wiser so will his blessedness increase and the light of Truth growing ever brighter and brighter within him will dispel all Gloom and illuminate his pathway exhortation Disciples of Truth lovers of virtue Seekers of wisdom ye also who are sorrow stricken knowing the emptiness of the self-life and who aspire to the life that is supremely beautiful and serenely glad take now yourselves in hand enter

the door of discipline and know the better life put away self- delusion behold yourself as you are and see the path of virtue as it is there is no lazy way to truth he who would stand up upon the Mountain's Summit must strenuously climb and must rest only to gather strength but if the climbing is less glorious than the cloudless summit it is still glorious discipline in itself is beautiful and the end of discipline is sweet rise early and meditate begin each day with a conquered body and a mind fortified against error and weakness Temptation

will never be overcome by unprepared fighting the Mind must be armed and arrayed in the silent hour it must be trained to perceive to know to understand sin and Temptation disappear when right understanding is developed right understanding is reached through unabated discipline truth cannot be reached but through discipline patience will increase by effort and practice and patience will make discipline beautiful discipline is irksome to the impatient man and the self- lover so he avoids it and continues to live Loosely and confusedly discipline is not irksome to the truth lover and he will find the infinite

patience which can wait and work and overcome as the joy of the gardener who sees his flowers develop day by day so is the joy of the man of discipline who sees the Divine flowers of Purity wisdom compassion and love grow up in his heart the loose liver cannot Escape sorrow and pain the undisciplined Mind fails weak and helpless before the fierce onslaught of passion array well your mind then lover of Truth Be watchful thoughtful resolute your salvation is at hand your Readiness and effort are all that are needed if you should fail 10 times

do not be disheartened if you should fail a 100 times rise up and purpose your way if you should fail a thousand times do not despair when the right path is entered success is sure if the path is not utterly abandoned first strife and then Victory first labor and then rest first weakness and then strength in the beginning the lower life and the glare and confusion of battle and at the end the life beautiful the silence and the peace the end I hope that you have enjoyed this presentation and please remember to subscribe to receive

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