intelligence. Heaven will help us to bear our burdens and to display a virtuous conduct. 7. Does an unjust Heaven send down these exhaustive disorders? Does an unkind Heaven send down these great miseries? Let superior men come into office and that would bring rest to the people's hearts. Let superior men execute justice and the animosities and angers would disappear. O great Heaven! there is no end to the disorders; yet they will not correct their hearts and resent endeavors to rectify them. 8. Men who are wise are temperate and masters of themselves; but those who are benighted become slaves of evil habits and more so day by day. Be careful, each of you, of your deportment; what Heaven confers when once lost is with great difficulty regained. 9. Be prepared for unseen events. Be reverently careful of your behavior. Do not speak lightly, you are responsible for every word. Every deed has its recompense. Be anxious not to do anything wrong, even in the secrecy of your chamber. Do not say: "This place is private, no one can see me here! You ought to be as pure as the light that shines in at your windows. Your 'inmost thoughts, though unseen by men, are open to the inspection of Heaven and to the sight of spiritual beings. SELECTION IX. THE Eternal One is without origin; but all things exist as off spring of this Self-existence. Neither to be seen, nor heard, nor felt by the bodily senses; and yet to the spiritual senses visible, perceptible and palpable is the Self-Existent One. This Eternal Pure Being determines the Universe; illimitable, not to be defined or named; by whom all beautiful and harmonious events take place whether celestial, or terrestrial, or human; through Whom all are produced, nourished, protected and completed. 2. Comprehension of the SelfExistent One is obtainable only by the purified and ennobled mind; the lowest thus may be elevated, while the highest without this comprehension will be degraded; for reason and learning alone cannot attain this sense of Eternal Harmony and Right which is timeless and limitless, restful yet never idle, merciful and yet just. Time, space, eternity, life, death, matter, mind, spirit all exist in the Self-Existing One. 3. All who really believe this teaching regulate their conduct according to Virtue and Wisdom: avoid display and self-assertion; are humble, chaste, calm, prepared for all emergencies, ready equally to die or to live; master all lower passions, deem Virtue and Wisdom the only true riches, in poverty or prosperity are equally contented; have no fears or apprehensions, no envy or ill-will, love enemies as well as friends, and devote themselves to the amelioration and elevation of mankind; their dispositions are yielding, they have no distractions and seek neither pleasures nor diversions, for peace and happiness flow ever from the purified sources within their own characters and minds. it, accepts with equal grace the humblest station or the most exalted, has no aim in life other than to be and to do whatever is wisest and best; he kindly and lovingly protects even the humblest form of life, respects all men as his brothers, honors all rulers who rule with justice and reveres ever the Supreme Justice, Wisdom and Love that rules the Universe. 4. The man who is truly virtuous and wise takes no pride in success or in glory, or in superior stations, or in ranks, or dignities, in titles or in obsequious salutations; he is equal and equable to all men alike, whether poor or rich, low or high; he aims at eternal results and seeks perfection in all he does or strives to become; he looks for no recompense beyond the goodness, harmony and beauty of his character and deeds; he injures no one, loves mercy, is slow to condemn, avoids strife, thinks much but says little, prefers retire-ing to do anything. ment and meditation to publicity and the turmoils of ambition; the superstitions of the ignorant and the pride of intellect equally he avoids, striving only for pure truth and prefering reality to appearances. 6. The highest form of a man knows the world without crossing his threshold, discerns the Providence of Heaven without gazing from the window, comprehends truth without demonstrations and accomplishes much without appearThe farther 5. He who seeks to be truly virtuous and wise does not yield to temptations of sensuous or of selfish indulgences, avoids the disgust and shame of any form of excess or of satiety, and by showing no anxiety to preserve his own fortunes or his own life he suggests to no one the disposition to take them take them away; moderation in all things and selfeffacement he strives to practice, is continent in mind as well as in body, deems self-conquest the greatest of all achievements, feels and maintains superiority but never parades know. While seeming to do nothing, abroad you go, the less you may leave nothing undone; manage an about it. Have no fixed plans, but affair without making much ado follow events. Show goodness to the good and also to those who are not good, in order to grace Goodness. Show truth to the truthful and also to those who are not truthful, in order to grace Truth. 7. Persons possessing the fulness of life never fear wild beasts, never shrink from an enemy, never apprehend deadly disease; no tiger can find in them the where to place his claws, no weapon can find in them the where to insert its point, no sickness can find in them the where to lodge its poison. For such an one there is no danger and no death. 8. Providence gives birth to all character-building which is unfailthings, bears them, nurtures them, ing and everlasting. develops them, completes them, ripens them, tends them and perfects them; this is what is called the Grace of Providence. SELECTION X. THE reason why the Great Rivers and the Sea are able to rule over countless streams is that the former place themselves in low positions of receptivity as compared with the latter; hence they are able to act as a ruling impulse to the countless streams. In like manner the highest form of man places himself below others in order to direct them, and keeps his personality in the background; then the people delight to acclaim him, do not get weary of him, and constrain him to occupy the most important station. Refusing to place one's self in front of others is greatness, tender-heartedness, bravery. Profusion in helping those who need help is thriftiness. This is the Grace that doth not strive, the capacity to help mankind, the virtue born of Heaven-the supreme ideal of all great souls. 2. Early and complete self-subjection means a rich accumulation of Grace; with a rich accumulation of Grace there is nothing but what can be conquered; when there is nothing but what can be conquered it is possible to possess all power and a likelihood of eternal enduring. This is called deepening the roots and strengthening the stem; this is the 3. Better remain at home and advance the store of Grace and of Character-building than to ride in a state chariot preceded by jewelledscepter bearers; the good man's chariot is noble deeds and his jewels are his virtues. The highest form of man never magnifies himself and is thus able to achieve magnificent results. 4. Use your knowledge in service of the highest Providence and let your sole anxiety be, how so to use it; and do not prefer short cuts. Behold! Our royal courts are very spruce, while our granaries are empty and our fields are overgrown with weeds; we wear rich raiment, gorge ourselves with food and drink, and use our wealth for enjoyment and display; this is "dancing to the wicked piper" instead of serving the highest Providence. 5. Cultivated in one's own person, Grace should be genuine; in the family, abundant; in the community, permanent; in the state, fertilizing; in the world, universal. This is the service of the highest Providence; without this service men deteriorate and the end soon comes. Check undue impulse, subdue ambition, keep free of entanglements, practice equanimity in vexations, avoid excessive affection and repulsion. Those who know best speak least; those who speak most know least. 6. The more luxurious the rulers and leaders of an empire the poorer will be the people; the greater the armaments of war the more lawless will be the people; the more legal enactments there are the more thieves and robbers will abound; if the administration is inquisitorial mischief and rebellion will prevail. Therefore make as little ado as possible about government and wrongs will right themselves; if the rulers and leaders are virtuous the people will improve their own line of conduct; if they are calm the people will be calm; if they are righteous and wise the people will right themselves and become both virtuous and wise of their own accord. SELECTION XI. O Eternal One who hast separated the earth from the sky in Thy work of creation and hast produced sun, and moon and planets all pure and beautiful in their light; who hast spread the Vault of Heaven as a curtain and caused the Earth to sustain all that live upon it in abundance and in happiness, we Thy offspring, reverently thank Thee and adore Thee as and adore Thee as our Eternal Parent, the Father and Mother of the Universe. The numerous tribes of animated beings all are indebted to Thy favor for their existence and all are emparadised in Thy love. All living things are indebted to Thy goodness, but how few realize from whom their blessings come. Especially are all human-kind Thy wellbeloved offspring and from their hearts and lives continually should thanksgivings arise to Thee. JEWISH SCRIPTURES-GENERAL SELECTIONS YAH-VEH: Heaven Parent, Father-Mother, Our Father, Our Mother. SELECTION I. I AM THAT I AM! Thus shalt thou say to them: I AM hath sent me unto you. 2. Thou shalt worship no other beside Me. 3. Thou shalt not make any graven image, or any likeness of things in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth, to bow down thyself to it. 4. Thou shalt not profane My name; for I will not hold him guiltless that profaneth My name. 5. Remember the seventh day as a day of rest; six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox, and thine ass, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger may be refreshed. and thy father and thy 6. Honor thy father mother. 7. Thou shalt not kill. 14. Thou shalt not raise a false report. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to assist the many to pervert justice. 15. If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again; and if thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden thou shalt surely help with him. 16. Thou shalt not wrest the judg ment of thy poor in his cause; keep thee far from a false matter; for I will not justify the wicked. And 8. Thou shalt not commit adul- thou shalt take no gift; for gifts tery. 9. Thou shalt not steal. 10. Thou shalt not bear false witness. 11. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man blind the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. 17. Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment. Ye shall not despise the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty; in righteousness shall ye judge a neighbor. |