Stay ye without a friend and go your way forever as a continuous wanderer. Know ye even just one friend for just one moment in a lifetime and that life has meaning.

There are many difficult things in life, but the most difficult of all is to learn and to know and to practice the art of personality.

We learn personality by our love of art, by our love of beauty in all its less various aspects.

The art of personality is not a qualification. It is the purpose for which man was created, and it leads man to that purpose in the fulfillment of which is his entire satisfaction.

Gentleness is the principal thing in the art of personality; one can see how gentleness works as the principal thing in every art.

 

The art of personality is, in reality, learning to dance.

For no soul is created to stand aside and look on, every soul is created to dance.

The soul who refuses certainly shows its ignorance of the great purpose for which the whole play is produced on the stage of the earth.

When once a person's inclinations, fancies, and tendencies have grown stronger than his will-power, he experiences in his life several enemies existing in his own self, and he finds it difficult to combat them. For inclinations, fancies, and tendencies, when powerful, do not let will-power work against them. If there is any such thing as self-denial, it is this practice; and by this practice in time one attains to a power which may be called mastery over oneself.

Life is a continual battle. Man struggles with things that are outside him, and so he gives a chance to the foes who exist in his own being. Therefore the first thing necessary in life is to make peace for the time being with the outside world, in order to prepare for the war which is to be fought within oneself. Once peace is made within, one will gain by that sufficient strength and power to be used through the struggle of life within and without.

Sex is a direction. Two is a part of one, growing out of one. As the conductor guides the music, each movement of his baton demands a second movement; a single motion is not possible. A single stroke has no meaning; but as soon as there is a second motion, then the rhythm of the music begins and wins even the hearts of children. In the same way every single expression of activity reveals two aspects or directions of the same action; and these may be distinguished from each other as its positive and negative aspects.

The Supreme Intelligence, which is the source of this world of variety, works through numberless paths and channels. Every channel it takes must necessarily be but a limited expression of itself; but it is humanity that has been considered by the wise of all ages to be its clearest and final expression. As it is written: man was created last and 'in His own image'.

If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the (Father's) kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is within you and it is outside you. When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty.

 

Grapes are not harvested from thorn trees, nor are figs gathered from thistles, for they yield no fruit. Good persons produce good from what they've stored up; bad persons produce evil from the wickedness they've stored up in their hearts, and say evil things. For from the overflow of the heart they produce evil.

I am the light that is over all things. I am all: from me all came forth, and to me all attained. Split a piece of wood; I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there.

When we think that we let our life pass in the pursuit of earthly things alone, and wait before looking at something higher, perhaps it will be too late. Earthly things last only as long as the life of the body lasts: in a moment it has gone.

Who knows into whose hands the wealth one has collected will go.

At the same time we must remember that Solomon with all his wealth was not less wise. We need not give up all those things; by pursuing God we need not lose the things of the earth; they all follow. But one should not say: 'After I have finished my acquirements, then I shall take the spiritual path'. This is a dream which may never be accomplished.

If you want to take the spiritual path, you must take it right now, at this moment, and at the same time think about worldly obligations. One may just as well earn money and profit by it and experience all the comfort that is there. It does not matter, as long as one pursues the spiritual path.

There is that which can be seen by an intelligent study of the cosmos.

The laws of nature teach us and prove to the knower the influence of each planet upon souls, both individually and collectively, as families, nations, and races; even upon the whole world, the condition of each and all being in accordance with the nature of the planet under whose influence they are.

 

Over birth, death, and every rise and fall, and over all life's affairs the planet acts as ruler. If planets, the reflections of the sun, have power upon the external affairs of humanity, how much greater must be the power of the God-conscious, the reflections of the divine light, of which the sun is merely a shadow!

The further we advance, the more difficult and the more important becomes our part in the symphony of life; and the more conscious we are of this responsibility, the more efficient we become in accomplishing our task.

Once a soul has awakened to the continual music of life, that soul considers it as his responsibility, his duty, to play his part in the outer life, even if it be contrary to his inner condition at the moment.

Noisiness comes from restlessness, and restlessness is the destructive rhythm.

Man's atmosphere explains the condition of his soul. The further we go, so the more our disputes and arguments cease. They fade away until there is no color left in them; and when all the color has gone, the white light comes which is the light of God.

When the soul comes into the physical world it receives an offering from the whole universe; and that offering is the body in which to function. It is not offered to the soul only by the parents, but by the ancestors, by the nation and race into which the soul is born, and by the whole human race.

This body is not only an offering of the human race, but is an outcome of something that the whole world has produced for ages; a clay which has been kneaded a thousand times over; a clay which has been prepared so that in its very development it has become more intelligent, more radiant, and more living; a clay which appeared first in the mineral kingdom, which developed in the vegetable kingdom, which then appeared as the animal, and which was finished in the making of that body which is offered to the new-coming human soul.

Love produces harmony and harmony creates beauty. Therefore the chief motto in life is 'Love, harmony and beauty'. Love in all things and beings, the beloved God, in harmony with all in the right understanding, and beautify your life by observing the beauty within and without. By love, harmony and beauty you must turn the whole of life into a single vision of divine glory. There is nothing in this world which does not speak. Every thing and every being is continually calling out its nature, its character, its secret; the more the inner sense is open, the more capable it becomes of hearing the voice of all things.

If the soul were awakened to feel what the birds feel when singing in the forest at dawn, man would know that their prayer is even more exalting than his own, for it is more natural.

In Him we live, and move, and have our being

The value of each thing in life, wealth, power, position, possession, is according to the evolution of man. There is a time in his life when toys are his treasures, and there is a time when he puts them aside;


there is a time in his life when copper coins are everything to him, and there is another time when he can give away gold coins; there is a time in his life when he values a cottage, and there is a time when he gives up a palace.

When a person has in view an object he wants to attain, he is smaller than the object; but when a person has attained the object, he is greater than the object. And as he holds the object which he has attained, so he diminishes his strength, and the value of the object becomes augmented; but when he renounces the object he has once attained, he rises above the object, he takes a new step in life and a higher step.

Renunciation, a great moral in life; where the difference of 'mine' and 'thine' and the distinction of 'I' and 'you' fade away in the realization of the one Life that is within and without, beneath and beyond; and that is the meaning of the verse In Him we live, and move, and have our being.

As you live in your days, in this the worldly state, keep ye with you the wisdom of those it was so given and passed:

For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these Commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers: But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And on his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water,That bringeth forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also doth not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.The wicked are not so,But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous;But the way of the wicked shall perish.

The souls in the angelic heavens are all goodness; and this shows that goodness is natural, and what is contrary to our nature we call evil. 

Souls in the angelic heavens are innocent; this also shows that innocence is the natural condition of the soul, and the lack of innocence is a foreign element which the soul acquires after coming upon earth.

 

Such souls are in direct touch with the spirit of God, and have no knowledge of the false world which is full of illusion, who live and know not death, whose lives are happiness, whose food is divine light. 

 In the angelic spheres the souls are happy; this shows that unhappiness does not belong to the soul. It is something which is foreign to it; therefore in the experience of man the discomfort coming out of life gives unhappiness.

Seeking after goodness, innocence, and happiness helps the angelic qualities to develop in a soul.

Accept life as eternal and everlasting so you might give credence to purpose and mission. When you give yourself to the ideal of working for a connection to a higher self, then you will reach that attainment sooner rather than later in your eternal journey. 

Live with grace and care and love and kindness and understanding and generosity, so you might live with the divine all of your days, and your days of eternal life are adorned.

We are as the One; connected by all that is and was and shall be. There is no disconnection in life or in death. Life is eternal and creation is, and therefore you will, then you shall, witness in Him forever.

Knowledge of this should be your only vitality. Go ye with aim; while you understand and doubt not and question only your conviction.

Daily reflection is as a mirror of time and living. Meditation promotes reflection while inherently removing the self.

Conscious daily learning is reinforced by this self meditation or reflection; that is not of the dream state. The dream state reinforces life's lessons on the subconscious level; while meditation gives strength and vitality to the learned lessons on the conscious level.

Meditate with intent and purpose and openess. From this comes understanding. Practice this with conviction and duration daily. Be thee in the flock that is thoughtful and mindful before verbose and astir.

There are two principal experiences of life: one experience is called sensation and the other exaltation. What is generally known and experienced by the average man today is what is called sensation: all the beauty that one sees, of line or color, all that one sees with the eyes or that one tastes and touches. It is living in sensation that makes man material, and after some time he becomes ignorant of the spirit.

Exaltation, which is a greater bliss, a higher pleasure, and which makes man independent of the outer life for his happiness. Pleasure belongs to sensation and happiness to exaltation. Pleasure is only the suggestion; happiness is reality. Happiness can only be gained by getting in touch within oneself. 

Every soul yearns for knowledge, that knowledge which will give exaltation. But the soul cannot be satisfied by the knowledge one gathers from books, by learning, or by the study of outside things. Instead it is the knowledge of life that the soul yearns, it is the unseen and the unexplored. The greater knowledge, which can only be learned from within. There is also concentration, focus and feeling. The power of feeling can reach anywhere and penetrate anything and with this you can achieve whatever you might wish. And there is peace. It cannot be gained by outer means, by outer comfort and rest alone. It can only be gained when the mind is at rest. We must enrich ourselves with thought, with that happiness which is spiritual happiness, with that peace which belongs to our soul, with that liberty, that freedom, for which our soul longs; and attain to that higher knowledge which breaks all the fetters of life and raises our consciousness to look at life from a different point of view. Once a person has realized this opportunity he has fulfilled the purpose of Life.

Every individual has a certain motive in his life. The higher his motive, the greater the current of thought or feeling that streams from him towards it.

If two mates are drawn by the same motive, they advance through life together; but if it is not so, then life may be like swimming against the tide for each of them. There must be some incentive to stimulate each partner to progress along the path of life, and this is best given by each to the other when a common interest makes them share both joy and sorrow together, their gaze centered on the same aim.

Nature is such that no two things are created alike; and the human being cannot expect his or her mate, whom nature made, to be as docile and flexible as that creature whom his imagination alone conceives. To make a friend, forgiveness is required which burns up all things, leaving only beauty; but to destroy friendship is easy.

Music is called the divine art, while all other arts are not so called. We may certainly see God in all arts and in all sciences, but in music alone we see God free from all forms and thoughts.

Every word of poetry forms a picture in our mind. Every piece of art forms itself a picture. Sound alone does not make any object appear before us.

Music inspires not only the soul of the great musician, but every infant, the instant it comes into the world, begins to move its little arms and legs with the rhythm of music. Therefore it is no exaggeration to say that music is the language of beauty, the language of the One whom every living soul has loved. And we can understand that, if we realize and recognize the perfection of all this beauty as God, our Beloved, then it is natural that this music, which we see in art and in the whole universe, should be called the Divine Art.

The person living the inner life never condemns and does not criticize the objects of another, however small or ridiculous they may appear, for he knows that every object in the life of a person is but a stepping-stone, which leads him forward if he only wishes to go forward.

Man places before himself at different times such objects as riches, pleasure, or a material heaven; the spiritual person starts his journey from the point where these end.

We are all on the journey; life itself is a journey. No one is settled here; we are all passing onward, and therefore it is not true to say, that if we are taking a spiritual journey we have to break our settled life; there is no one living a settled life here; all are unsettled, all are on their way. Only, by taking the spiritual journey you are taking another way, one which is easier, better and more pleasant.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

There is not anything one should not be ready to tolerate, and there is nobody whom one should not forgive.

Never doubt those whom you trust; never hate those whom you love; never cast down those whom you once raise in your estimation.

Wish to make friends with everyone you meet; make an effort to gain the friendship of those you find difficult; become indifferent to them only if you cannot succeed in your effort.

Never wish to break the friendship once made.

The mind that is more involved in earthly cares and attachments cannot let the soul be in the light.










The tendency of the soul is to go to the highest spheres, to which it belongs; that is its nature.






Yet, the soul cannot rise from the lower regions until it has left behind all earthly longings and attachments.

If the mind is not much attached to the earthly life and has gathered up the satisfaction of its deeds, it enjoys heaven; if the contrary is the case, then it experiences hell.

Friendship, in reality is more sacred than any other connection in the world.

Friendship is not done for a return, where measure is given for measure.

Friendship is just like recreation after the toil of the day. One can speak or be with someone who is different from all others in life.



The unselfish friend is the pure one, and it is such a friendship that will last; but a selfish friendship will vanish.



For the law of beneficence teaches this: that goodness is worth while which can withstand even badness; that kindness is valuable which can withstand tyranny.

Health depends upon the balance between activity and repose in the five senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch;

and every sense, in the normal condition of health, must be able to express itself and to respond.

Yet, know too that the senses need more time for repose than for activity.

But, tiredness is due to three causes: loss of energy which is the chief reason, and besides this excess of activity of mind and of body. One generally knows tiredness to be caused by excess of bodily activity, but one is apt to overlook the fact that excess of activity of mind also causes tiredness.

Health is harmony.

Harmony is tone and rhythm.

Tone is the energy; circulation. Rhythm is the regularity; the beat.

In physical terms the lack of circulation means congestion and no energy, the lack of regularity means out of rhythm. These two conditions attract illness and are the cause of illness.

As well, inharmony of the physical or the mental will and do act upon the other.

As ye should surely treat the body with love and adornment as well tune the mind to be steady and still.