James Allen Daily

[Knight_Bachelor_Trevor]

[B]Training of the Will[/B]

Without strength of mind, nothing worthy of accomplishment can be done, and the cultivation of that steadfastness and stability of character which is commonly called “willpower” is one of the foremost duties of man, for its possession is essentially necessary both to his temporal and eternal well being. Fixedness of purpose is at the root of all successful efforts, whether in things worldly or spiritual, and without it man cannot be otherwise than wretched, and dependent upon others for that support which should be found within himself.

The mystery which has been thrown around the subject of cultivation of the will by those who advertise to sell “occult advice” on the matter for so many dollars, should be avoided and dispelled, for nothing could be further removed from secrecy and mystery than the practical methods by which alone strength of will can be developed.

The true path of will cultivation is only to be found in the common everyday life of the individual, and so obvious and simple is it that the majority, looking for something complicated and mysterious, pass it by unnoticed.

A little logical thought will soon convince a man that he cannot be both weak and strong at the same time, that he cannot develop a stronger will while remaining a slave to weak indulgences, and that, therefore, the direct and only way to that greater strength is to assail and conquer his weaknesses. All the means for the cultivation of the will are already at hand in the mind and life of the individual; they reside in the weak side of his character, by attacking and vanquishing which the necessary strength of will be developed. He, who has succeeded in grasping this simple, preliminary truth, will perceive that the whole science of will cultivation is embodied in the following seven rules:

Break off bad habits
Form good habits
Give scrupulous attention to the duty of the present moment
Do vigorously, and at once, whatever has to be done
Live by rule
Control the tongue
Control the mind

Anyone who earnestly meditates upon, and diligently practices, the above rules, will not fail to develop that purity of purpose and power of will which will enable him to successfully cope with every difficulty, and pass triumphantly through every emergency.

It will be seen that the first step is the breaking away from bad habits. This is no easy task. It demands the putting forth of great efforts, or a succession of efforts, and it is by such efforts that the will can alone be invigorated and fortified. If one refuses to take the first step, he cannot increase in willpower, for by submitting to a bad habit, because of the immediate pleasure which it affords; one forfeits the right to rule over himself, and is so far a weak slave. He who thus avoids self-discipline, and looks about for some “occult secrets” for gaining willpower at the expenditure of little or no effort on his part, is deluding himself, and is weakening the willpower which he already possesses.

The increased strength of will which is gained by success in overcoming bad habits enables one to initiate good habits; for, while the conquering of a bad habit requires merely strength of purpose, the forming of a new one necessitates the intelligent direction of purpose. To do this, a man must be mentally active and energetic, and must keep a constant watch upon himself. As a man succeeds in perfecting himself in the second rule, it will not be very difficult for him to observe the third, that of giving scrupulous attention to the duty of the present moment.

Thoroughness is a step in the development of the will which cannot be passed over. Slipshod work is an indication of weakness. Perfection should be aimed at, even in the smallest task. By not dividing the mind, but giving the whole attention to each separate task as it presents itself, singleness of purpose and intense concentration of mind are gradually gained—two mental powers which give weight and worth of character, and bring repose and joy to their possessor.

The fourth rule—that of doing vigorously, and at once, whatever has to be done—is equally important. Idleness and a strong will cannot go together, and procrastination is a total barrier to the acquisition of purposeful action. Nothing should be “put off” until another time, not even for a few minutes. That which ought to be done now should be done now. This seems a little thing, but it is of far reaching importance. It leads to strength, success, and peace.

The man who is to manifest a cultivated will must also live by certain fixed rules. He must not blindly gratify his passions and impulses, but must school them to obedience. He should live according to principle, and not according to passion.

He should decide what he will eat and drink and wear, and what he will not eat and drink and wear; how many meals per day he will have, and at what times he will have them; at what time he will go to bed, and at what time get up. He should make rules for the right government of his conduct in every department of his life, and should religiously adhere to them. To live loosely and indiscriminately, eating and drinking and sensually indulging at the beck and call of appetite and inclination, is to be a mere animal, and not a man with will and reason.

The beast in man must be scourged and disciplined and brought into subjection, and this can only be done by training the mind and life on certain fixed rules of right conduct. The saint attains to holiness by not violating his vows, and the man who lives according to good and fixed rules, is strong to accomplish his purpose.

The sixth rule, that of controlling the tongue, must be practiced until one has perfect command of his speech, so that he utters nothing in peevishness, anger, irritability, or with evil intent. The man of strong will does not allow his tongue to run thoughtlessly and without check.

All these six rules, if faithfully practiced, will lead up to the seventh, which is the most important of them all—namely, rightly controlling the mind. Self-control is the most essential thing in life, yet least understood; but he who patiently practices the rules herein laid down, bringing them into requisition in all his ways and undertakings, will learn, by his own experience and efforts, how to control and train his mind, and to earn thereby the supreme crown of manhood—the crown of a perfectly poised will.

[Knight_Bachelor_Trevor]

Another great book recommendation, really I will post anything I feel is in line with the main vision and purpose of even feeling compelled to begin this thread in the first place :47:
[B]EGO IS THE ENEMY[/B]

Rehashing ancient ideas seems to be a popular phenomenon of younger generations out for fame and profit. Perhaps their purpose is deeper than that, hey let’s hope so :36:

[Knight_Bachelor_Trevor]

[B]The Cultivation of the Will[/B]

Will is the product of the last analysis in the scientist’s laboratory. It is the last analysis of everything, everywhere. It would be an idle exploit of language to attempt in words its definition. No one has failed to recognize its existence. It is as veritable as thought; and since no man can live without a conscious or unconscious operation of will it has an individual significance as stupendous as it is inevitable. Is it a thing to be controlled? Can the moving force itself be moved?

A careful research into the realms of higher evolution reveals a curious thing. There is no practice enjoined or enforced by the wisdom of the ages that does not bear directly upon the cultivation of Will Power. The ascetic who renounces the pleasures of sense, all those “sins which so easily beset us,” controls his body by the force of a dominant instinct resident in his individual will. It is the law of the universe that the exercise of a function or faculty shall engender its growth. Appetite on any plane, high or low, is nurtured by gratification. The physical cells, from muscle to brain, develop special aptitude under proper training. Within a certain range of limitation we can learn to do anything; and it follows, since the physical is but a reflex of the mental, within certain limits we can do anything. The important thing to determine is first where the limit is, and secondly, whether that limit is an immutable barrier fixed, or whether it is a mere flimsy structure wrought by our own weakness. If “As a man thinketh, so is he,” the corollary is indisputable: “As a man willeth, so may he become.” But what is the source of Will—that power to accomplish the thing we think; the power which grinds every circumstance to powder? Is it a gift that marks the favor of fitful Fortune, a mere incident in the environment of the you and the me, who are so different? Then surely the justice of the Universal stands impeached. Is not Will rather a great potential springing into active energy at the touch of the Infinite Mind in which all things are possible? A man can accomplish nothing till he is convinced of his own power. Yoke that conviction with reason and he may rise to the stars! That little spark of intention, flaming to the first definite act, may become a fire eternal.

But in all things finite we indicate what is to the sense a beginning. The Will has its period of incubation, its hour of birth and its day of nurture. In the round of human events how are these determined? They are determined in the play of such apparently trivial circumstance as marks the daily life of an individual. We do not realize what we do when we break that solemn covenant with our own souls. The cultivation of Will begins with its simplest exercise—the determination to rise at a certain hour, to refrain from injurious habits, to curb an unruly tongue, to think such thoughts as are fitting. These things, difficult in the beginning, pave the way to that which is more pretentious, and, little by little, the power to do grows in proportion as it is fed by the things already done.

—The Light of Dharma

[Knight_Bachelor_Trevor]

I suppose I’m at a place in life, where after enduring years of what was basically hell on earth to put it lightly, I am ready to walk myself through the furnace so to speak and truly absorb deeply and fully digest and embody these words I am sharing. Sharing them allows me to digest them better, and having a thread of this kind serves as a torchlight as I meander through a dark abyss of sorts in my quest to making a living with Forex trading.

It is important to be compassionate to yourself though and definitely only bite off what you think you can chew at a time. If you’re hungry enough go ahead and eat the entire self-improvement cake.

Soothing words as some of these excerpts pull no punches and are as cold as a solid boulder high up in the Rockies. Boulders don’t yield to anything and endure the fiercest storms, I think having a mind like a boulder could be a very useful thing for someone who wants to make a living with FX trading.

[B]The Power of Purpose[/B]

Dispersion is weakness; concentration is power. Destruction is a scattering, preservation a uniting, process. Things are useful and thoughts are powerful in the measure that their parts are strongly and intelligently concentrated. Purpose is highly concentrated thought.

All the mental energies are directed to the attainment of an object, and obstacles which intervene between the thinker and the object are, one after another, broken down and overcome. Purpose is the keystone in the temple of achievement. It binds and holds together in a complete whole that which would otherwise lie scattered and useless.

Empty whims, ephemeral fancies, vague desires, and half-hearted resolutions have no place in purpose. In the sustained determination to accomplish there is an invincible power which swallows up all inferior considerations, and marches direct to victory.

All successful men are men of purpose. They hold fast to an idea, a project, a plan, and will not let it go; they cherish it, brood upon it, tend and develop it; and when assailed by difficulties, they refuse to be beguiled into surrender; indeed, the intensity of the purpose increases with the growing magnitude of the obstacles encountered.

The men who have molded the destinies of humanity have been men mighty of purpose. Like the Roman laying his road, they have followed along a well defined path, and have refused to swerve aside even when torture and death confronted them. The Great Leaders of the race are the mental road makers, and mankind follows in the intellectual and spiritual paths which they have carved out and beaten.

Great is the power of purpose. To know how great, let a man study it in the lives of those whose influence has shaped the ends of nations and directed the destinies of the world. In an Alexander, a Caesar, or a Napoleon, we see the power of purpose when it is directed in worldly and personal channels; in a Confucius, a Buddha, or a Christ, we perceive its vaster power when its course is along heavenly and impersonal paths.

Purpose goes with intelligence. There are lesser and greater purposes according with degrees of intelligence. A great mind will always be great of purpose. A weak intelligence will be without purpose. A drifting mind argues a measure of undevelopment.

What can resist an unshakable purpose? What can stand against it or turn it aside? Inert matter yields to a living force, and circumstance succumbs to the power of purpose. Truly, the man of unlawful purpose will, in achieving his ends, destroy himself, but the man of good and lawful purpose cannot fail. It only needs that he daily renew the fire and energy of his fixed resolve, to consummate his object.

The weak man, who grieves because he is misunderstood, will not greatly achieve; the vain man, who steps aside from his resolve in order to please others and gain their approbation, will not highly achieve; the double minded man, who thinks to compromise his purpose, will fail.

The man of fixed purpose who, whether misunderstandings and foul accusations, or flatteries and fair promises, rain upon him, does not yield a fraction of his resolve, is the man of excellence and achievement; of success, greatness, power.

Hindrances stimulate the man of purpose; difficulties nerve him to renewed exertion; mistakes, losses, pains, do not subdue him; and failures are steps in the ladder of success, for he is ever conscious of the certainty of final achievement.

All things at last yield to the silent, irresistible, all conquering energy of purpose.

[I]Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not whined nor cried aloud;
Under the bludgeoning of chance
My head is bloody but unbowed.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishment the scroll;
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.

~ William Ernest Henley ~[/I]

[Knight_Bachelor_Trevor]

‘Megastorms’ that throw thousand-tonne boulders over clifftops may be on their way back thanks to global warming | Environment | The Independent

You know what I take that back.

It looks like ‘megastorms’ have the power to move boulders.

What is going on in this world?

[Knight_Bachelor_Trevor]

[B][I]MONK MODE[/I][/B]

[B]Where self is, Truth is not ; where Truth is, self is not.

[I]August Twenty-sixth.[/I][/B]

UPON the battlefield of the human soul two masters are ever contending for the crown of supremacy, for the kingship and dominion of the heart ; the master of self, called also the " Prince of this world," and the master of Truth, called also the Father God. The master self is that rebellious one whose weapons are passion, pride, avarice, vanity, self-will, implements of darkness ; the master Truth is that meek and lowly one whose weapons are gentleness, patience, purity, sacrifice, humility, love, instruments of Light.

In every soul the battle is waged, and as a soldier cannot engage at once in two opposing armies, so every heart is enlisted either in the ranks of self or of Truth. There is no half-and-half course. Jesus, the manifested Christ, declared that " No man can serve two masters ; for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon."

You cannot perceive the beauty of Truth while you are looking out through the eyes of self .

[U]Twenty-Sixth Morning[/U]

A man will reach the Kingdom by purifying
himself, and he can only do this by
pursuing a process of self-examination
and self-analysis.

:53:

The selfishness must be discovered and
understood before it can be removed. It is
powerless to remove itself, neither will it pass
away of itself. Darkness ceases only when
light is introduced; so ignorance can only be
dispersed by knowledge, selfishness by love.

:7:

A man must first of all be willing to
lose himself (his self-seeking) before he
can find himself (his Divine Self). He
must realize that selfishness is not worth
clinging to, that it is a master altogether
unworthy of his service, and that divine
goodness alone is worthy to be enthroned
in his heart, as the supreme master of
his life.

[U]Twenty-Sixth Evening[/U]

Be still, my soul, and know that peace
is thine.
Be steadfast, heart, and know that
strength divine
Belongs to thee; cease from thy turmoil,
mind,

:64:

And thou the Everlasting Rest shalt find.
If a man would have peace, let him
exercise the spirit of peace; if he would
find Love, let him dwell in the spirit of
Love; if he would escape suffering, let him
cease to inflict it; if he would do noble
things for humanity, let him cease to do
ignoble things for himself. If he will but
quarry the mine of his own soul, he shall
find there all the materials for building
whatsoever he will, and he shall find there
also the Central Rock on which to build
in safety.

[Knight_Bachelor_Trevor]

[B][U]The Will[/U][/B]

The Willl is like a lever that lifts in any direction desired. Yet it may also be the power that decides the direction. It is the factor in human experience which makes or mars character, and fulfils or defeats every promise of nature. If unguided, except by the caprice of the senses, it is the unworthy helmsman that steers the ship directly on to the rocks. But exalted, trained and consecrated, it leads into the harbor of peace and safety. So subtle and wonderful is this grand faculty, that only the closest study and most careful analysis will reveal either its nature, its modes of action, or its possibilities.

From the superficial standpoint it is forcible and sometimes violent, yet always successful in the accomplishment of its ends. This is the external or positive phase.

There are two aspects to every force, one is the positive, the other is the negative. Sometimes this quality which runs through everything is called masculine and feminine, masculine corresponding to the positive, feminine to the passive or negative.

The masculine is always the aggressive, forcible, active, positive power. The feminine is the passive, receptive, hidden, unmanifest potency. Both are equally requisite to the operation and fulfillment of any project, but either may be too much in excess, thereby causing a lack of balance between the two, and the consequent defeat of the end to be attained.

As to Will, it is too often only the masculine phase which is recognized and brought into activity. Will in the sense-man means what is commonly called brute-force, because it is the same exhibition of violent energy directed by Will, as that seen amongst animals, the wild beast attacking his prey or defending his little ones, for example.

Masculine will-force is powerful but convulsive and short-lived; hence while it may accomplish wonders with its explosive energy, it is not to be relied upon for the accomplishment of great ends, unless in wedded harmony with its other half, the feminine.

Note the illustration of this perfect quality of force in the male and female parents. The male acts and gives. The female receives, and silently and secretly carries that which she receives to perfect fulfillment. She is the carrying, bringing to pass power, and while the first exhibition of energy was active, the final and crowning result could only be attained by the patient, persistent, secret work of the helpmeet. So in the dual Will, the positive or masculine must act, remove obstructions, build conditions, put forth energy in the initial step of an undertaking, and then subside into the background until necessity again demands active assertion. The feminine meantime quietly holds, matures, and brings to fruition. Is this not so in the inception and accomplishment of any earnest purpose?

Note the man of the world who has made a success of himself or his work. Is he a noisy, boasting, blustering talker? Nay, rather the quiet, plodding, tenacious worker. He may be left far behind his more brilliant mate. He may seem to sink even below mediocrity as compared with his associates in the social scale. Yet there comes a time when his achievements are known, when all the plodding, self-denying work of years reaps a rich harvest. And all this, not so much the product of his brain as his Will, his feminine Will.

It seems to me that this truth is worth most earnest thought. No soul comes into this world without Will, although people often declare that they have no will, and bewail the lack. But if we look deeply into the fundamental nature and character, have we found one who has not Will, and who does not exercise it in the direction of his wants? I think not one, be he lunatic, imbecile or sane. But upon the whole-heartedness of his wants much depends. It may be that only with his lips he wants this or that. It may be because a friend has suggested it that he wants it, it may be that he dislikes to be different to his neighbors. For all these reasons he will often fail in attaining, but if right deep down in his heart he wants it, so that his very being demands it, though all the world stands and thunders “No!” in his unheeding ears, he will have it.

The surface of the water will make but a light wave that recedes quickly, causing no damage, but beware when the whole body of water returns in the same direction at the same time! This is an illustration of the dual force and action of Will; the upper and lower, the outer and inner which, acting in concert, are absolutely invincible.

The first step in cultivating and using the magnificent power of Will is to concentrate upon a noble aim, and then with a single eye and unswerving purpose work to attain it. Concentration of Will upon a noble purpose is the privilege of every soul. Are we seeking to alive the true, unselfish life, the spiritual life, meaning by that the life that accords with our highest conception of what is God-like? Then surely we have found that the first step is to dethrone self and enthrone Truth—that the right use of the senses is as interpreters and not as dictators. Have we come to the point when we can say, “Come what will, let it cost what may, I will be true to my aim.” If we have, and then give the whole force and fervor of our being to the attainment. This is concentration of Will. Quickly will the positive force of our Will sweep all obstacles aside, and make conditions by which the gentle feminine may bring to pass our heart’s desire.

But the difficulty some of us have found ere this, is that the subjection and dethronement of the senses, and hence of the self is not accomplished with a mere wish. So deeply in- grained in the very fiber of our being are the erroneous views and ideas inculcated by ages of perverted sense use that many a time, even after we have intellectually and earnestly accepted the higher truth, our old habits and inclinations will force a battle wherein we are victors or vanquished. We may be tempted to judge someone, or to yield to a sensual desire; this is our opportunity to prove the value of concentrated Will. Will we, or will we not, be true to our highest in this emergency? “True to the death,” pleads our soul. “True to the death,” echoes the heart. “True to the death,” urges the mind. “True to the death,” thunders the Will, and gathering all the forces of Soul, Heart, and Mind, positive Will hurls them full upon the temptations and they are broken. Thus strengthened and encouraged by victory, both phases of Will gain power and accumulative force until the final victory is won.

In the greatest need, do not scatter your strength by lamentations.
—Johann Kaspar Lavater

We should educate our wills to be able to direct attention to whatever may for the time be best.
—Paget

There is nothing in this world which a resolute man, who exerts himself, cannot attain.
—Somadeva

Instead of the “I will” of procrastination, the words should be “I will now,” and the work should follow instantly.
—Paget

[Knight_Bachelor_Trevor]

:38:

[Knight_Bachelor_Trevor]

I suppose a subconscious motivation for even feeling compelled to just go ahead and whip this thread up without really giving it much of a second thought is due to my Father. My Father was a very successful stockbroker. He is now at the top of a major firm, top of the regional branch that is. The president of the regional branch lost his position due to alcoholism a couple of years ago. Shows you just how comfy one can get at the top. My Father’s personal habits of course rubbed off on me, but his professional habits not so much. He was also a big partier and still likes to play as hard as he works. I’ve seen what the comforts of wealth, prestige, and power can do to an untrained mind. Many people think if only they made such an amount of money, gained such an amount of freedom, and had such a reputation and level of recognition of some kind they would ‘have it made’. What I have seen is quite the opposite. I believe my Father is a slave to his own sensual indulgences, and for as much worldly power he may have acquired, he is not truly a free man. One can only possibly understand fully what I am saying if they have known such a person or have become a slave themselves. I don’t care how much money I ever make, how much reputation I may or may not acquire in this lifetime, but I WILL NOT BE A SLAVE TO LOWER IMPULSES AND A PUPPET OF HEDONISM.
[B][I]
MONK MODE (When James refers to ‘self’ he is talking about the egotistical, self-centered part of us, he’s not saying let yourself truly die, just let the negative tendencies die and what remains will be a pure being of light, quite naturally jubilant and radiant with a deep inner wellspring of boundless abiding joy)[/I][/B]

[B]The lovers of Truth worship Truth with the sacrifice of self.[/B]

[B][I]August Twenty-seventh.[/I][/B]

DO you seek to know and to realise Truth? Then you must be prepared to sacrifice, to renounce to the uttermost, for Truth in all its glory can only be perceived and known when the last vestige of self has disappeared.

The eternal Christ declared that he who would be His disciple must “deny himself daily.” Are you willing to deny yourself, to give up your lusts, your prejudices, your opinions? If so, you may enter the narrow way of Truth, and find that peace from which the world is shut out. The absolute denial, the utter extinction of self is the perfect state of Truth, and all religions and philosophies are but so many aids to this supreme attainment.

As you let self die, you will be reborn in Truth.

[U]Twenty-Seventh Morning[/U]

Men go after much company, and seek out
new excitements, but they are not
acquainted with peace; in divers paths of
pleasure they search for happiness, but
they do not come to rest; through divers
ways of laughter and feverish delirium they
wander after gladness and life, but their
tears are many and grievous, and they
do not escape death.

Drifting upon the ocean of life in
search of selfish indulgences, men are
caught in its storms, and only after many
tempests and much privation do they fly
to the Rock of Refuge which rests in the
deep silence of their own being.
[U]
Twenty-Seventh Evening[/U]

Meditation centered upon divine realities
is the very essence and soul of prayer.
It is the silent reaching upward of the
soul toward the Eternal.

Meditation is the intense dwelling,
in thought, upon an idea or theme with
the object of thoroughly comprehending
it; and whatsoever you constantly meditate
upon, you will not only come to understand,
but will grow more and more into its
likeness, for it will become incorporated
with your very being, will become, in fact,
your very self.

If, therefore, you constantly dwell upon
that which is selfish and debasing, you will
ultimately become selfish and debased;
if you ceaselessly think upon that which
is pure and unselfish, you will surely
become pure and unselfish.

[Knight_Bachelor_Trevor]

Virtue is found with both the rich and the poor. Anyone can embody virtue regardless of social status and income level. Making alot of money isn’t inherently wrong, money is not necessarily the root of all evil per se. I suppose it is man’s greed and lust that sometimes rise to power under the influence of acquiring much wealth and overshadow his innate virtuous heart without much of a deliberate choice to indulge on his part if he isn’t grounded in virtue. Interesting site: Becoming Minimalist

Affluence and status are strange things. Best to be grounded before acquiring either.

Virtue

The throne of Virtue is in the heart, its scepter is righteousness, and its sway is in the realm of thoughts and deeds. It has no place in the outward accretions of a man—his clothing, money, possessions, and acts of conformity. It is a living power within, and not a something put on from without, and as such it can thrive under all conditions, even as far as the two extremities of beggary and pomp.

This is made plain by a consideration of the lives of those men of surpassing Virtue who have lived in the past, and whose names and words and deeds are so dearly cherished by mankind. Epictetus, the slave, and Marcus Aurelius, attended on by slaves, are seen today to be clothed in the same resplendent Virtue. We do not think of one as greater than the other. Great is the solitary slave, not because of his simple cloak, but because of his superior Virtue. Great is the solitary emperor, the grandeur of whose Virtue far outshines those perishable trappings of state and appurtenances of worldly power with which he is surrounded.

Confucius, the ceremonialist, faultlessly and sumptuously arrayed in the courtly garments of his office; and Buddha, the disapprover of ceremonial, clothed in the habiliments of a beggar, are alike today the adored of untold millions for the faultless and transcendent Virtues which they manifested.

Socrates, the polygamist, is called “Master” by Plato the celibate, and who dare say that the master was less pure, less master of himself and his passions, than the divine pupil?

George Fox, the condemner of “Steeple-houses,” wandering and poor, and clothed in leathern breeches, is one in virtue with High Latimer, the cathedral preacher, living in a palace, and rich, and adorned with priestly vestments.

Thoreau in his cabin in the forest, and Emerson in his well-equipped residence, and surrounded with all refinements, practiced the same Virtues and lived the same truth.

Not only do the words of the sages and the acts of the wise ceaselessly and unerringly point to the inward independence of Virtue, but the whole ethical history of the race demonstrates the truth (which men should train themselves to perceive and comprehend) that Virtue and vice have no actual existence in any external thing; in any custom, contrivance, condition or circumstance, but that they subsist in the heart, and in the heart only.

A man is defiled or made clean by what he is and does from within, and not by what he uses and adopts without. The man who, having become master of his mind and detached his heart from everything but Virtue, will, in pursuing his particular mission for the good of mankind, use and adopt those things and conditions by the employment of which he can best accomplish his high purposes. If by riches, then he will use riches; if by poverty, he will adopt poverty; if by a mean between the two, he will take the middle course. If by being well-clothed, he will clothe himself well; if by mean clothing, he will see that he is meanly clad. If by preaching to the world, he will so preach; if by remaining obscure, then he will so remain. If by writing, he will write; if by not writing, he will not write. If by conforming to established rites and customs, he will conform; and if by abandoning such rites and customs, he will not conform. Whether to be rich or poor, known or unknown, public or private, a householder or a celibate, a governor or a mendicant a dignitary or a servant, is, to a Master of Virtue, of no primary importance, all such outward conditions being merely accessorial.

Not by money, nor marriage, nor food, nor raiment, nor possessions, nor poverty, nor position, nor servitude, is a man defiled and made vicious; but by the lusts, desires, and follies of his heart. It is covetousness, not money; lust, not marriage; self-indulgence and gluttony, not diet; vanity, not clothing; selfishness, not possessions; ignorance and indolence, not outward poverty; arrogance, not position; and meanness of spirit, not servitude, which constitute vice.

Outward things have in them no life, and their possession or absence, their use or nonuse is no part f Virtue or vice. These conditions exist only in the heart.

Between the poplar misquotation, “Money is the root of all evil,” and the true rendering, “The love of money is a root of all kind of evil,” the discriminating mind will perceive a vast world of difference. Between the wise and generous use of money, and the greedy love of it for its own sake or for the selfish uses to which it may be put, is the gulf which divides wisdom from folly.

He who says in his heart, “this man is rich and therefore selfish, and this other man is poor and therefore virtuous;” or, “this man is poor and therefore vicious, and this other man is rich and therefore virtuous,” confuses the outer with the inner, the false with the true; and does not escape hatred, false judgment, and suffering.

He who is given up to the love of externals will judge from externals only, and, not knowing the realities within himself, will not perceive them in his fellow men. To judge from appearances is to judge false judgment; to understand the hidden motives of the heart, is to know men as they are.

Plato, the philosopher, invited, one day, a number of his friends to dine with him, and Diogenes, the cynic, hearing of it, entered the house of Plato, and unbidden guest, having first smeared his bare feet with slime and mud with which, before the host and his assembled guests, he proceeded to defile the beautiful floors and delicate draperies, exclaiming as he did so: “Thus do I trample on the pride of Plato!” The philosopher’s dispassionate retort: “Ay, and with greater pride than that of Plato’s, O Diogenes!” reveals the wisdom and Virtue of which Plato, as the world has now acceded, was an accomplished master, and forcibly illustrates the truth that pride, and not external possessions, is the great evil.

To be proud of one’s renunciations, and to obnoxiously intrude them upon the notice of others, is to be in the same wretched condition as to be vain of one’s material accumulations. There is pride of poverty, and pride in riches; pride of sin, and make a vanity of confession, is of the same unregenerate kind as to boast of Virtue and insinuate personal superiority. Both are alike attitudes of pride, and boasting is folly and vice. He who understands what Virtue is, will banish pride from his heart, and will put away boasting for ever.

Seeing that it is neither possible not necessary to avoid the use of external things, the wise man, while using them becomingly and in their proper place, will stand aloof from them in his mind, unmoved by them, and with heart detached and free from all love of them. With his mind fixed only upon the eternal Verities, following Truth only, and not following selfish desire, he will stand fearless and serene amid all the fleeting shows by which he is surrounded, unpolluted by the lust for things, untarnished by their rust, and untroubled by their inevitable decay.

Though a person be ornamented with jewels, the heart may have conquered the senses. The outward form does not constitute religion or affect the mind…A man that dwells in lonely woods and yet covets worldly vanities, is a worldling, while the man in worldly garments may let his heart soar high to heavenly thoughts. There is no distinction between the layman and the hermit, if but both have banished the thought of self.
—Buddha

He is wise who knows others.
He who knows himself is enlightened.
He is strong who conquers others.
He who conquers himself is mighty.
—Lao-Tze

Righteousness can be practiced only when we have freed our mind from the passions of egotism.
Perfect peace can dwell only where all vanity has disappeared.
—Buddha

Real Glory springs from the silent conquest of ourselves;
And without that the conqueror is naught
But the first slave.
—Joseph Thompson

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
—Jesus (John 7:24)

[peterma]

“Those people are worth a lot of money”, someone said of a rich couple.

“No”, was the reply, “they have a lot of money”.

[Knight_Bachelor_Trevor]

Change of plans.

Gonna wrap this sucker up.

It became much more than I intended. It also doesn’t seem to be the best fit for a Melting Pot section lol even if it’s off topic.

Going to consult with my friend who wanted to trade FX in the first place, and see if this is going to become something we are both going to commit to. If so I’ll be back around here posting photos in the Sanctuary for sure. Until then, adios amigos.

Truly, the love of money has tarnished this once beautiful nation land. Not money itself, just the love of it over the love of other humans and life itself.

[Knight_Bachelor_Trevor]

Down the Warpath we continue, don’t be mistaken I am still visiting A Site Devoted to the Works of Author James Allen DAILY.