It is a very old saying that he who masters self is greater
than he who conquers thousands in battle. And the meaning of this
statement, as well as the necessity for applying it in our daily
lives, is becoming more and more apparent to intelligent people.
Display of temper and ill feeling toward others are no longer
tolerantly attributed to "temperament," but are recognized
for what they actually are: lack of self-control.
The well-known admonitions in Proverbs (16:32), "He that
is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth
his spirit than he that taketh a city," and (25:28) "He
that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken
down, and without walls," are becoming basic principles in
modern therapeutics, which attempts to deal with man as the complex
being he is. The Spirit, or Ego — the real man — must conquer the
the "lower self" and learn to live according to God's
immutable laws.
Most spiritual aspirants have had enough experience in the
effort to gain self-mastery to realize the magnitude of the task,
and to agree with an authority who says, "The process of
self-purification is not the work of a moment, nor of a few months,
but of years — nay, extending over a series of lives." The
later a man begins the living of the higher life, the longer his
period of probation is likely to be, for he has to undo habits
of thinking and acting which are diametrically opposed to his
new way of living. However, no effort is ever lost, and no one
should be discouraged by the immensity of the task. There is actually
no struggle so difficult as the endeavor to gain mastery over
one's lower self, but "If one's aspiration is genuine, a
settled conviction, and not the mere sentimental flash of a moment,
he transfers from one body to another (from life to life) the
determination which finally leads him to the attainment of his
desires."
The first and central requisite which must be possessed by
the aspirant is an unswerving desire to attain. The intensity
of his desire will measure the extent of his accomplishment. A
prominent occultist has pointed out that " The trouble with
most of us is that we allow our desire force to be scattered and
diffused, thereby lessening its attractive power. It is only when
we learn the secret of concentration and focusing the desire force
by the will that we are able to get results above the average."
In a remarkable book by Napoleon Hill entitled Think and Grow
Rich, the author lists thirteen steps to achievement. first among
them is desire, "the starting-point of all achievement,"
as he puts it. Forty-eight highly successful men are listed as
notable in having applied what is called the "Carnegie secret."
Although this book was written primarily with material riches
in mind, the principles advocated apply in equal measure to spiritual
riches, which are synonymous with self-mastery.
Two other qualities of high importance to the aspirant are
a strong will and a perseverance that never admits defeat. If
we do not already possess these qualities in some measure, then
it will be necessary, first of all, to build them into our characters.
A modern teacher pertinently states that "The will acts as
the arouser, director, restrainer, concentrator, and manager of
the great occult force of desire. What is generally known as will
power is often in reality merely desire force strongly concentrated
and directed to a focus by the power of the will."
Actually, will is an attribute of the Spirit in man, who is
a microcosmic replica of the macrocosmic God, Whose first aspect
is will. However, "desire arouses will, and will may stimulate
desire." Thus "the two should work in unison, and
the trained individual has both under control and pulling
well together, like a well-trained team."
A well-known bit of verse expresses the value of perseverance:
"`Tis a lesson you should heed; try again.
If at first you don't succeed, try again. Let your courage
then appear,
For, if you will persevere,
You will conquer, never fear. Try again."
The lesson is, of course, that no matter if we fail ten thousand
times, by persevering we shall eventually conquer. Dr. Frederick
B. Robinson, Dean of the School of Civic and Business Administration
of the College of the City of New York, says:
"I believe that the intense purpose, the moral integrity,
the self-loyalty, that makes a man carry through whatever he undertakes,
is the biggest single factor in fitting his mind for great accomplishments."
Application and work were emphasized by a former president of
the U.S., Calvin Coolidge, who said: "Any reward that is
worth having comes only to the industrious. The success that is
made in any walk of life is measured almost exactly by the amount
of hard work that is put into it. It is a very old saying that
you can never tell what you can do until you try. The more I see
of life, the more I am convinced of the wisdom of that observation.
Surprisingly few men are lacking in capacity, but they fail because
they are lacking in application. Either they never learned how
to work, or, having learned, they are too indolent to apply themselves
with the steadfastness and attention that are necessary to solve
important problems."
The late Henry Ford was also a firm advocate of work and perseverance.
He stated that "There isn't any luck about it. Work is the
thing, good, earnest, hard work. Work in the right direction,
continuously work. If it required no brains, no energy, no work,
there would be no glory in achievement. Reinforce yourself with
steel-hooped, copper-riveted, well-directed energy and intelligence,
and, knowing what you want to do, do it. Work always wins."
These statements bring to mind Max Heindel's admonition: "There
is no failure save in ceasing to try." To help keep this
encouraging thought before us, we may start the day with the statement,
"Today I will strive to make every moment count."
Most of us have habits we have ignorantly formed which interfere
directly with our newly adopted purpose. What about these and
how can we overcome them?
To correct an unwise or destructive habit, be it mental or
physical, the wisest thing to do is to create its opposite. After
recognizing the fault, then think as little about it as possible,
and concentrate on its opposite. The indefatigable Saint Paul
left us a profound occult truth when he admonished, "Be not
overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Persisting
in the right, while ignoring the wrong as much as possible, overcomes
the evil much more effectively and quickly than by "fighting"
the evil. Applying this principle to the habit of destructive
criticism can bring enormous soul growth. If we start to think
or say something unkind or destructive, and then switch to something
constructive, such as "I see the Christ in you. The Christ
in you is present and all-powerful," we lay the foundation
for the expression of the Christ in the other person, as well
as in ourselves. With a little determined repetition, this attitude
will become habitual, and we will no longer be tempted to add to the evil in the world by destructive criticism.
As spiritual aspirants, we should never forget that whatever
we give our thoughts and attention to grows. Obviously, if we
wish to contribute to the good in the world, or to establish the
good in ourselves, we must direct our time and efforts to that
which we wish to become established and strengthened. Indifference
withers, and interest intensifies. Knowing this, we should realize
the enormity of the offense of fault-finding and stressing the
undesirable in the people and conditions about us. Unless we are
honest with ourselves — and watchful — we may lend our powers to the
strengthening of the very thing we profess to wish to eradicate.
As Max Heindel pointed out, "Harsh thoughts should be avoided
for they form arrow-like thought forms, and as they pass outward
from us they pierce and obstruct the inflow of good thoughts constantly
radiated by the Elder Brothers and attracted by all good men."
Then there is always the channel of prayer to assist us in
conquering the qualities of the lower self. Certainly there is
no more effective means of gaining spiritual light and strength
than true prayer. When we lift ourselves on the wings of love
and aspiration, and pour forth our praise and adoration — which
should be the burden of prayer — we put ourselves in "a favorable
position to the law of attraction, a receptive state where we
may receive a new downpouring of the Spirit of Love and Light."
Thus are we strengthened for meeting the sorrows of life and given
wisdom for meeting the problems that come to us.
Becoming imbued in some measure with divine light and love,
we gain a truer perspective of ourselves and all about us. We
see the pettiness of much that occupies our time and thoughts
and become re-dedicated to the worthwhile things of life. Today,
in the midst of the confusion of passing from one age to another,
there is urgent need for men and women who are sincerely endeavoring
to conquer the lower self and live spiritually. Only they can
be proper channels for the Higher Ones who are guiding humanity
to a higher rung on the ladder of evolution.
It is the great privilege and good fortune of some of us to
have received an understanding of the laws of life, as given in
occult philosophy, so that we know how to live the constructive
life. It should be an ever-increasing joy to those so blessed
to apply these principles in daily living, and thus hasten the
day of Universal Peace and Brotherhood.
— O.R.
— Rays from the Rose Cross Magazine, September/October, 1995
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