The Pathway To Light

» Today at 02:40am

Is there not but one thing we all desire, above all else, in Life?

And is not that one thing Happiness?

Yet how do we define Happiness?

We know that there are essentially two fundamental, driving desires we wish fulfilled in this life, which we generally equate with Happiness:

Prosperity and Love.

And in that, and according to the Nature of Happiness, this is correct.

However, if we ask the average person what it takes to fulfill these desires, are we not generally met with an objective response:

Money and women (or a woman).

It has been my realization, through personal experience and the observation of others, that we often tend to mistake the possession of the thing that we consider to represent the fulfillment of our desires — without considering the means by which it is accumulated — to give us our happiness.

That said, what becomes of us when we attain the outward, physical signs of that which are supposed to give us our Prosperity and Love, yet, when attained through means which contradict their Essential Natures, we find ourselves dismayed to discover there to be no happiness in them?

And in most cases, just the opposite!

After all, what becomes of the man who accumulates money through theft and coercion?

Looking upon him, do we consider him prosperous?

Do we not find him all the more pathetic, despicable, and miserable for it?

And what of the man who wins a woman through bribery and manipulation?

Noticing the dynamic between them, do we discover him to be loved?

Certainly, do we not find him to be secretly despised in the eyes of his woman?

Mark it well:

To attain or possess a thing in order to fulfill the prerequisites back of Happiness without considering the means by which they are attained is the Anti-Thesis of Happiness — and the Pathway into Darkness.

There is but one thing which lays at the foundation of True Happiness, irregardless of the external indicators we, in our Western Culture, seem bend on using to define it.

It is the Pathway to Light and Happiness!

And that one thing is: Morality.

Again, the stature and refinement of a man's Moral Character is in direct relation to the mastery he has achieved over the Destructive Impulses of his nature, especially as they relate to the Two Pillars of Happiness.

True Morality is not so much a matter of doing a thing or not doing a thing as it is a matter of not doing a thing until the impulse which motivated the outward expression of the thing has been identified and fully brought under the power of the Will.

To merely not do a thing when the thought-impulse which motivates it remains present is as if the thing had already been done.

Every Master throughout the Ages have claimed it so!

And upon a thorough investigation of Nature's Laws, it will be found so.

Yet how many of us look at the original Masters back of all the Religions not just as Wise Men in matters of Constructive Spirituality and Unfoldment, but as Great Thinkers and Teachers, who through their Knowledge of Nature, have discovered a Pathway by which a man may truly achieve Happiness through the fulfillment of his desires of Prosperity and Love?

For it is true:

To work-out the Destructive Impulses of one's nature so that the Moral Character is refined is the ONLY Pathway to Light and Happiness.

The Science of Happiness is thus:

Prosperity can only be truly founded on Service to Humanity, not possible while specific Sins remain a part of one's Moral Character (namely Envy and Greed).

Love can only be truly founded on Service to Sex, again, not possible while certain, identifiable Sins remain a part of one's Moral Character (namely Jealousy and Lust).

For the outward expressions of such Sins will destroy the conditions Nature requires to permanently establish the prerequisites of Happiness.

Thus, the man who takes payment were no service was rendered will never know Prosperity, nor Happiness; and the man who expects affection or sex where no feminine need was fulfilled will never know Love, nor Happiness.

Upon the Facts and Operations of Nature:

He is damned, whether he bear those external things we declare representations of Happiness, or not — for if he has not yet realized it, the Great Balance of Life will boomerang his inflictions back upon himself, whether physically, spiritually, or psychically.

Under Nature, retribution upon his Soul cannot be evaded.

Yet the man who diligently works out his Sins under the Great Creator and His crowning achievement, Nature, will eventually fulfill his desires for Prosperity and Love — for in the construction of his Moral Character he establishes the definite conditions Nature demands of him who would attain Happiness.

And as with the boomerang, where a man has constructed for himself a refined Moral Character, there too is a delay in the realization of Happiness.

But alas, no one can avoid the Great Balance, whether to his chagrin or delight!

Published by Jay Julio under Beliefs and Attitude Bookmark and Share

 

The Jungle of Life

» 2 days ago at 06:21am

Excerpt taken from "Grow Rich! With Peace of Mind" by Napoleon Hill

 

One day I knew the time had come to write this book. Perhaps the brief illness I had at that time, during which I outlined the book, was planned by those others to draw my mind away from day-to-day affairs. I wrote the book, enjoying it as one always enjoys a labor of love. It took a number of months, during which I felt highly alive and happy.

I completed the last chapter and still sat before my typewriter, musing on what I had written. Ultimately, nothing matters, I thought — yet it is good to have achieved that which the mind has conceived for so long a time. I was alone in my study and all was very still.

A voice spoke. I saw nobody. I cannot tell you whence the voice came. First it spoke a password known to few men, that riveted my attention.

"I have come," said the voice, "to give you one more section to include in your book. In writing this section you may cause some readers to disbelief you, yet you will write honestly and many will believe and be benefited. The world has been given many philosophies by which men are prepared for death, but you have been chosen to give mankind a philosophy by which men are prepared for happy living."

"I whispered: "Who are you?"

In a softened voice, which sounded like chimes of great music, the unseen speaker replied: "I come from the Great School of the Masters. I am one of the Council of Thirty-Three who serve the Great School and its initiates on the physical plane."

The Great School of the Masters!

That is the school of wisdom which has persisted secretly in the Himalayas for ten thousand years. Sometimes known as the Venerable Brotherhood of Ancient India, it is the great central reservoir of religious, philosophical, moral, physical, spiritual and psychical knowledge.

Patiently this school strives to lift mankind from spiritual infancy and darkness to maturity of soul and final illumination.

"These Masters," says J.E. Richardson in the The Great Message, "are the Great Teachers who, through all human history, have not only declared their personal knowledge of another life, but have made the personal demonstration of their knowledge in such manner as to leave no possible doubt in the minds of their disciples, or students, as to the fact of that personal knowledge."

The Great School of the Masters always has exercised its powers for constructive unfolding of individual human intelligence, in harmony with man's unchallengeable control over his individual powers of thought. The Masters believe that this great prerogative, which has been reserved for man alone, provides man with the means by which he may largely control his earthly destiny.

Now I knew that one of these Masters had come across thousands of miles, through the night, into my study.

The Master Continues To Speak

After having paused to allow me time in which to collect my thoughts, the Master continued in the same great musical voice which surely would have resounded through the house had it not been audible to my ears alone.

I shall not set down every word he said, but I shall include the gist of his message. Much of what he said already has been presented to you in the other chapters of this book or will follow in other chapters.

"You have earned the right to reveal the Supreme Secret to others," said the vibrant voice. "In the journey through life there is a Jungle of Life, a Black Forest through which every individual must pass alone. In the Black Forest he overcomes enemies and his own inner opposition and turmoil. The Black Forest helps to give refinement to the soul of man through struggle and resistance, so that the soul may return to the Great Eternal Reservoir from whence it emerged and become a part of Infinite Intelligence. You have been under the guidance of the Great School but you have been your own master. Now you must give the world a blueprint with which others may traverse that same Black Forest.

"And now I shall name the enemies who must be met and conquered in the journey.

"The foremost is FEAR. The expression of fear denies man the use of his true power of thought — a power which can enable each individual to acquire all of his physical needs and control his earthly destiny.

"The next great enemy," said the Master, "is GREED for the possession of material things and for power to control others for selfish ends. No person who is filled with greed and avarice can pass through the Jungle of Life and successfully attain and use the Supreme Secret, for he affronts the Creator when he violates the rights of others.

INTOLERANCE is third on the list of enemies. Intolerance is the evil partner of selfishness and ignorance. It closes the mind and shuts out facts. It deprives a person of valuable friendships he will need in his journey through life and repels the co-operation of others.

"EGOTISM is the fourth great enemy of man. Self-respect is a most desirable quality, but self-love is self-deceit and causes a man to lose his respect for others.

"LUST is the fifth enemy. It prevents sex emotion from being properly transmuted and properly directed. It leads to excessive sexual expressions which dissipate the vital creative forces of the mind and body.

"ANGER, the sixth enemy, is a form of temporary insanity. Righteous indignation that is controlled and directed toward the correction of a cause is occasionally necessary, but those who live with rage cannot truly know the Supreme Secret.

"HATRED, the seventh enemy, is anger which has been allowed to dwell in the mind until it has hardened like so much cement. It is a mind-poison which erroneously twists the individual's thinking. One who harbors hate cannot control and direct the power of thought toward constructive ends, and thus is denied this one and only outright prerogative with which man has been blessed by the Creator."

The Master went on while I listened raptly. He spoke of the enemy of JEALOUSY, that mixture of covetousness and fear; and of IMPATIENCE, which prevents cause from bearing its fruit to effect. He listed DECEIT, which in the end deceives the deceiver; FALSEHOOD, which weaves a noose with which the liar spiritually hangs himself; the related enemy of INSINCERITY; and VANITY, which makes men vulgar and forms a repulsive force.

In the midst of a great silence the representative of the Great School told me I had been chosen to tell others of all the enemies, including CRUELTY, which attracts all the other enemies like a pack of wolves, and MERCILESSNESS, which turns its back upon those in need and makes the soul shrivel. He spoke of INJUSTICE, of SLANDER and of GOSSIP. He pointed out that one may know the Supreme Secret in words but cannot use it if he ever attempts to destroy others. He showed me how the Black Forest closes in for a lifetime upon those who do not vanquish the enemies of UNDEPENDABILITY, DISHONESTY, DISLOYALTY and REVENGE.

In concluding with the names of four more enemies against whom I was to warn the world, the Master said they were fully as important in their menace as any of the others. They were: WORRY, which reveals that a man is no bigger than that which he allows to worry him; ENVY, a form of jealousy which most particularly destroys initiative and self-discipline. HYPOCHONDRIA, which prevents the mind from conceiving the continued good health of its bodily temple and so gives ill health its first foothold, which often is in the mind; and INDECISION, which grows stronger the more it is indulged until it rides one's back and one can fall and lie lost in the Black Forest.

"There are other enemies of man," the Master said, "but who conquers these twenty-six will conquer all the others. Know that one who seeks earnestly to conquer these twenty-six lurking enemies becomes an Initiate of the Great School. We know him, and he has access to the mind of a Master. The Initiate may at times convey his need for instruction through what is commonly known as prayer."

The Principle of Prayer

The Master then told me the principles which lie behind prayer that can bring true help and guidance. You who read the mere printed word should read this section several times until its great meaning is clear to you.

"Prayer," the Master said, "is to be based upon a real need for help to accomplish something of constructive value.

"In true prayer one asks for help only after he has proved, by his own effort, that his own powers are not sufficient to enable him to accomplish his purpose.

"The person who prays for help should not assume he gives over his own individual freedom of action, but rather should know he is to co-operate with the helping agents he cannot see.

"He must know, with confident, self-respect, that his first duty is to improve himself and his condition; and that out of this, when it is well done, flows his second duty, which is to help humanity.

"These are the principles we look for in any prayer. However the prayer may be said or thought, under whatever conditions, these principles come through when they are present and bespeak the suppliant's fitness."

The Master now gave a word of caution for the Initiate who is on his way through the Jungle. He told me — as I now tell you — that now and then open spaces appear in the that Black Forest, and as one walks clear of clinging underbrush he may think he has conquered all of the twenty-six enemies. This may be a deception on the part of the enemies. A dependable way to keep track of the enemies one has overcome is to list them on a chart, thus:

FEAR
GREED
INTOLERANCE
EGOTISM
LUST
ANGER
HATRED
JEALOUSY
IMPATIENCE
CRUELTY
MERCILESSNESS
INJUSTICE
SLANDER
GOSSIP
UNDEPENDABILITY
DISHONESTY
DISLOYALTY
REVENGE
DECEIT
FALSEHOOD
INSINCERITY
VANITY
WORRY
ENVY
HYPOCHONDRIA
INDECISION

The list should be checked closely at least once a year. Done honestly, and with the insight of self-knowledge one has gained, such a check enables one to search his record and know the names of the defeated enemies. These are crossed off the list. As long as one enemy remains, the person who made the list still wanders in the Jungle of Life. When every enemy has been accounted for, he has passed through the Jungle.

What Happens at the End of the Great Journey?

The Master explained: "When the Initiate has truly conquered all of the twenty-six enemies of success, peace, and harmony, he will receive a communication from a Master of the Great School. He will be assured of his success in having passed through the Jungle, and he will receive definite instructions for his future conduct.

"First, he will be shown that a reasonable part of his time is to be devoted to directing others who are struggling to pass the Jungle, and to helping his fellow man in every other possible way. He will know already that a benefit to others benefits himself, but now he will realize those benefits in their fullest measure.

"Second, he will be given the power to handle all adversities so that their eventual benefit to him always is revealed and he is conscious of his power to turn adversity into benefit.

"Third, the Initiate who masters the twenty-six enemies of man will quickly recognize the nature and purpose of any special mission to which he may be assigned in the future, and he always will have the courage to carry out that mission."

The Master went on quickly: "The Initiate retains the power to neglect or deny any of these requirements, but, should he do so, the penalty may be the complete revocation of the powers he has gained through many years of devoted effort. The powers include great blessings:

"Hope, faith, and courage to carry out any desired objective.

"Benevolence toward his fellow men, and compassion for their problems.

"Self-understanding which reveals to him the nature of his own stupendous powers.

"Endurance and persistence enough to enable him to overcome all obstacles in his path.

"Sound health, both physical and mental.

"The wisdom with which to evaluate all things, and the self-discipline to give him complete mastery over himself.

"Patience with which to deal with adversities.

"Tolerance toward all, and a true spirit of brotherly love.

"Freedom from worry.

"Material abundance to meet all his needs and desires.

"A keen evaluation of time.

"Freedom from all vices.

"A magnetic personality and a spirit of generosity which attracts friendly cooperation.

"The ability to profit from mistakes of the past.

"A listening ear, a silent tongue, a faithful heart, a keen sense of loyalty.

"A profound love for truth.

"A true understanding of scientific prayer, along with the capacity to get aid from the Masters when it may be needed.

"Immunity against the acts of all evil persons.

"Release from all inherited negative traits.

"Complete mastery of every kind of fear, including the fear of death.

"Understanding of the over-all purpose of life, along with the glorious ability to live according to that purpose."

The Master Concludes His Message

Another pause in the deep silence, and the Master said: "He will not only understand the true purpose of life, but also he will have at his command the power to fulfill that purpose without having to experience another incarnation of the earthly plane.

"And the Masters of the Great School, on this earthly plane and all others planes, will rejoice at his triumph and will bid him godspeed toward his own Mastership. His cycle toward Mastership will not have ended, but he will have spread before him the chart by which to navigate successfully."

The voice ended. I began to hear little sounds of the world around me, and I knew the Master had returned to the Great School of the Masters.

The Inherent Lesson in a Few Words

Ultimately, nothing matters. Read once more and see how much of the Master's message is concerned with here and now, the time in which we insure, by ourselves, whether life will reward or punish us; whether we will win our dreams or die unfulfilled. Notice the several ways in which we are enjoined not to become too meanly important... meanly important in a big show of property or power which counts as nothing in the scheme of things and can destroy health and happiness.

As for the Ultimate beyond our earthly ultimates, we see a vision of a greater reservoir of life-spirit, but we are not enjoined to walk in awe nor walk apart from the affairs of life in some kind of self-assumed sainthood. Goodness in life devolves upon living, and life was not planned as a bed or roses, but as a wholehearted adventure in training one's self to know and win it — you will see why this is so.

 

JAY'S NOTES

You'll probably find that what the Master here refers to as the "enemies in the Jungle of Life" are exactly those things I've come to refer to as the "Destructive Impulses", of which motivate Man to trespass against the rights of his brothers, and eventually, over time, evoke an equal or greater consequence or penalty upon himself.

I've discovered there to be a Great Balance in Life:

The nature of any Destructive Impulse held in the mind, especially as a habit over time, and the severity to which it is given expression, particularily in regard to how it may violate the rights of one's fellow man, boomerangs back with an equivalent — and often much greater force — at which it was projected.

And just as in the case of the boomerang (which does not return the moment it leaves the hand), there is a delay between expression and eventual "kick-back" — which seems to be why we are often lured in by their seductiveness.

But as the day follows the night, it will and must come; in this life or the next.

That is why the Greater Life is found only by refusing to accept the bribe or the initial short-term benefits that the Destructive Impulses cunningly tempt us with — for those who look back, after their Destructive Impulses have boomeranged back, moan and whimper with the realization that the long-term expenses they've incurred upon themselves weren't near worth half the price of the short-term benefit.

The True Nature of Faith

» Saturday, February 20th, 2010 at 03:55pm

When most of us speak of Faith, what do we mean?

Don't we generally seem to use it in a "religious" context?

As in, "My faith is Christianity."

Or "My faith is Buddhism."

If this is so, doesn't it imply that Faith is a mere belief or set of beliefs? That when we "have faith" in something we believe it to be true to the facts?

But does the simple act of believing in something make it true?

Most of us will probably find little difficulty in coming up with countless examples that would easily prove that there is a vast difference between mere belief and the knowledge drawn from the facts.

For it is possible for me to believe that I live on the planet Mars, but does that make it true just because I believe it to be so?

The answer is obvious:

Upon the facts, I live on the planet Earth.

And no matter how much I believe that I live on Mars and no matter how many arguments I can engineer to convince myself that I do, it does not change the facts.

Using this example, we can conclude two very important things:

  1. Belief can be based on opinion regardless of and contrary to the facts.
  2. True Faith can only be based on the facts.

This seems to be the distinction between the truly insane and the Dreamers:

The insane base their beliefs on wild imaginative wanderings or superstitions, removed from Nature, and Nature's Laws.

The Dreamers base their "belief" on their knowledge of the Facts and Operations of Nature.

And to those who do not understand Nature, the Dreamers often appear crazy — at least until their dream, through the applied effort in aligning their aims and purposes into perfect correspondence with Nature's Processes, and thus, finally give it birth in physical reality.

As it is common to "ye of little faith": Only when we can see it, do we finally believe it.

But to the Dreamer, it exists before its translation into its physical equivalent.

Thus is can be said:

Faith is like a giant oak tree.

Before it grew to maturity, I could have held the seed in my hand. I could have said, "This is the great monarch of the forest."

To an ignorant savage, who is unfamiliar with Nature and her Processes of growth, I might become the subject of ridicule and entertainment, for what does he see?

A tiny seed, resembling nothing of a tree many times taller than himself.

But us educated people know that if that seed is supplied with the conditions and essentials that Nature requires, she will do the rest in time, and eventually that seed will mature and grow into the great monarch of the forest.

Under a similar Process of Nature, within the psychical realm as opposed to the physical, so it is with the true operation of Faith:

To understand the facts and processes of Nature and to know it is within one's ability to conform to them, all with the aim of establishing the conditions Nature requires for the unfoldment of the dormant powers necessary in the translation of Dream into physical reality, is the foundation of true Faith.

After all, what was the Master Jesus' true Faith?

Were not the fundamental tenets of his Message:

  1. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
  2. "Do good to those that hate you."
  3. "Love your neighbor as yourself."

His Faith was founded not on the myths and lies concerning "the Afterlife", but in his understanding of Human Nature, the Great Problems of Life, and his own confidence that it is possible for Mankind to form a Great Brotherhood the world over, wherein everyone can learn to and apply themselves to respecting the rights of others.

I reckon He knew very well that we can only respect ourselves to the exact degree to which we respect the rights of others; therefore, in respecting others, we not only do them a service, but perhaps add unto ourselves an even greater benefit.

Or stated differently, we cannot tear another down without also tearing ourselves down to an equal or greater degree, and we cannot build others up without also building ourselves up in direct or greater ratio.

For it is true, when trespasses grow to seed:

The thief finds he has stolen only from himself.

The slanderer discovers the only person he has discredited is himself.

And so on.

In the same way, when benefactions grow to seed:

The teacher realizes he has added more knowledge to himself.

The altruist finds he has no shortage of offerings of aid.

The Greatest Master

» Sunday, February 14th, 2010 at 05:16pm

To anyone who has read the Bible outside the lens of Superstition, Intolerance, and Dogmatism, it cannot be helped that one mysterious individual stands out prominently...

Yet He is mentioned only a couple of times.

He draws attention for two very important reasons:

  1. Abraham, the great king, gave Him one tenth of his earnings (which might be where the idea of tithing or giving 1/10th to God came from)
  2. The Master Jesus became a High Priest in the Great Spiritual Order He organized

This is all the Bible reveals about him.

However, He is claimed by many who came into association with the Great Parent School of Knowledge, and therefore gained access to those documents and histories unavailable to us men of civilization, to be the Greatest Master of all the Ages.

It's interesting to note that, like the Master Jesus, He was also said to be born of a virgin mother.

Yet aside from these tidbits about the man and His life, He remains an enigmatic character.

And though I do not know with absolute certainty, it is however my strong intuitive hunch that He is the "Heavenly Father" of whom the Master Jesus commonly referred and prayed to for guidance.

Furthermore, it is known that the Master Jesus' true mission in Life was to fill the head position in the Order of Melchizedek, as it exists here on Earth.

Is there such an entity as "God, the Father"?

Or is there the Master Melchizedek, that "Heavenly Father" or Great Leader of the Great Spiritual Order, responsible for organizing and commissioning all Constructive movement and progress, existing throughout the ages and extending through all the spectrums of the spiritual planes, right down to Earth?

Gateway to the Greater Life

» Saturday, February 6th, 2010 at 01:32pm

Only by following Nature's Pathway can the Soul be truly satisfied. For in so doing, a man finally arrives at the realization of the Greater Life.

It is upon these grounds that a man's dissatisfaction in Life is in direct relation to when and where he diverges from Nature's Pathway, just as his satisfaction is in ratio to the degree to which he stays the course and follows through.

For the Pathway of Life is found in building the Gateway to the Greater Life, and then walking through it, as follows:

  1. SELF-MASTERY is the foundation of the Gateway to the Greater Life.
  2. It's headstone is HAPPINESS, which is erected and supported by two pillars, PROSPERITY and LOVE.
  3. The domain and the terrain traveled beyond the Gateway of the Greater Life is ALTRUISM — or the mutual effort of husband and wife, governed by their Moral State of Marriage, in working toward the Service of Humanity.

And though, as men, by our essential natures, Prosperity is our domain and Love is woman's, both must work out Nature's First Obligation and make the First Great Achievement, Self-Mastery.

With this accomplished, comes the unfoldment of Masculine Power in the man and Feminine Receptivity in the woman, whereby the State of Marriage becomes capable of supporting Happiness, and so finally establishing the conditions back True Altruism.

The Two Pillars of Happiness

Just as there are two pillars that make up the Gateway to the Greater Life, there are also two corresponding "composites" within a man's (and woman's) Character that make for a weak foundation.

Should a man attempt to erect his pillars upon such a foundation, they will fall, along with the Headstone of Happiness. Thus, blocking the pathway to Altruism, whereby the Soul is finally and fully satisfied.

That said, I want to share the specific Destructive Impulses I've discovered that make for a foundation of sand, and therefore undermine the conditions necessary for Self-Mastery in direct relation to both, Prosperity and Love.

It should be well noted:

Prosperity and Love are established only by and through the absence of these specific Destructive Impulses.

Thus, the man who, either through his ignorance or deliberance, so violates Nature's Constructive Laws and admits any of these Sins into his Consciousness (whereby they are given time to ferment and translate themselves into habitual outward expressions) condemns himself to Scarcity — though he may have a million dollars in the bank — and Loneliness — though he may be surrounded by or bed dozens of women.

At least until he can recognize his transgressions and work out his crimes under Nature's Jurisdiction.

For the Anti-Pillars of Happiness — Scarcity and Loneliness — are nothing more than states of mind brought about by the continued admission of specific Sins, regardless of the external conditions which may temporarily be present.

It will further be discovered that those who deliberately attempt to attain the outward "symbols" of Prosperity and Love (or money and women), in spite of the presence of these Destructive Impulses, have no other reason for doing so than to compensate and appear to the world as if they are not miserable — perhaps with the secret motive of attempting to hide this very fact from themselves.

Thus, let us discuss the specific Destructive Impulses which weaken the Foundation of Self-Mastery, decay the stability of the Two Pillars, topple the Headstone of Happiness, and ultimately undermine the Domain of Altruism.

For with the problems before us, we can learn to erect the Gateway to the Greater Life, of which all the Great Masters attempted to teach and reveal to us, no matter how others have perverted their messages through the sloth of their dogmatism.

For it is true:

"What you attempt to take from your neighbor, you truly only take from yourself."

 

Left Pillar: PROSPERITY

The Destructive Impulses back of Scarcity are those of ENVY and GREED, of which Man is more susceptible to.

It will be found that the man infected by Envy will waste his effort attempting to stop or sabotage his neighbor from creating the kind of life he wished he had the courage to create for himself.

Yet would he recognize that he could use that same effort not only to his own betterment through his own Act of Service, of which he will be compensated for in relation to his effort, but that by stopping another from serving humanity in their chosen way, he also strips his Brothers of Society from living a better life through its benefit.

And in so doing, Nature brings the Great Level upon him and condemns him to poverty by weaving into his Character those outward expressions that repel others who might have otherwise collaborated with him in building his own life as he wished.

On the other hand, the man infected by Greed will spend his effort coercing or stealing the possessions of his neighbor instead of earning them through his own Individual Effort or Act of Service, of which he would therefore be justly entitled to Compensation.

Yet should he understand that by taking something that has not come to him through his own Individual Effort, the time will come when it is no longer available to him and having come to depend on it, he will find himself in a worse financial situation than before he placed the Value of Money over the Value of Service.

Again, Nature brings the Great Level upon his Soul and penalizes him through the Effects of his Sin.

It is upon these grounds that it will be discovered that Prosperity — which is only erected through an Act of Service to Society — can be firmly founded through the Mastery of the Destructive Impulses of Envy and Greed.

Until a man has accomplished this, permanent Prosperity will forever elude him.

Right Pillar: LOVE

The Destructive Impulses back of Loneliness are those of JEALOUSY and LUST, of which Woman is more susceptible to.

The operations of Jealousy and Lust perfectly parallel those of Envy and Greed, with the exception being the Soul Craving back it:

Where Envy and Greed are the murderers of Prosperity, Jealousy and Lust are the assassins of Love.

The man who allows himself to become infected with Jealousy will waste his time attempting to stop his Brother from finding the Love he feels himself to missing out on.

But should he come to the realization that by attempting to manipulate and control women (or a woman) into conforming to his own standard of conduct, and thereby, in his mind, making them not unlike any other possession he may own, he creates within their minds a severance of Trust, that great prerequisite of True Love.

Thus, Nature administers the Great Level, and since Love is spiritual in nature, that which a man attempts to take by physical force — or its social equivalent, "logical argument" — will forever elude him.

On the other hand, the man so infected by Lust will forever search for the satisfaction his Soul craves not through its Spiritual Channel — whereby it is truly found — but solely through the Physical Channel of Sex expression.

Yet would he understand that Sex Attraction seems to be Nature's motivator or "call to action" in the Pursuit of Love and not Love itself, his Soul is forever left vacant. And like a drug, he finds himself addicted to the short-term pleasures at the expense of the long-term satisfaction of his Soul

Again, Nature brings the Great Level by killing off the finer sensibility of his nature and debases him to that level of the animal, no longer capable of True Love.

Thus, it is upon these grounds that Love — only found through the absence of desire to control another — can only be firmly planted in the Foundation of the Gateway to the Greater Life through the Mastery of the Destructive Impulses of Jealousy and Lust.

Until a man has made this accomplishment, True Love will always be that mirage that disappears just before he arrives.

And until a man succeeds in mastering both sets of Destructive Impulses — Envy and Greed, and Jealousy and Lust — the foundation of his Character will be nothing but sand, incapable of supporting the two pillars upon which rests the Headstone of Happiness, crowning the establishment of the Gateway to the Greater Life.

Published by Jay Julio under Beliefs and Attitude Bookmark and Share

Nature's Obligations

» Sunday, January 31st, 2010 at 07:27pm

We have heard it said, "Ignorance is bliss."

But I say, "Ignorance is the inability to recognize misery."

For it is true:

Without the ability to recognize a thing as it is, according to the attributes of its character and upon the conditions of its function, no remedy can be made.

Furthermore, it will be found that, through Vanity and Egotism coupled with Ignorance, we have a strong tendency to deny, excuse, or justify that which runs contrary to what we often term Happiness.

But Happiness is a result of Natural Law, which is the Effect of a Cause.

That Cause is founded on specific conditions, which are established only by undertaking and fulfilling Nature's Obligations, specifically the first.

For Nature holds us responsible for two Obligations in Life, the first lending to the second.

It will be found that it is upon the Ignorance of Nature's Obligations which can be held accountable for much — if perhaps not all of the recurring problems, crimes, and miseries that plague a Family, Society, Nation, or Civilization.

Would we all be given definite Knowledge of Nature's Obligations early in Life, hold ourselves accountable for undertaking them, and personally dedicating our lives to working out the problems back of them, the Moral fabric of Society would refine and enrich itself through Cause and Effect.

Thus, here they are...

Nature's Obligations

NATURE'S FIRST OBLIGATION is the commission to take responsibility for and work-out the Destructive Impulses of our natures, through which the conditions of the mind are finally prepared for Prosperity and Love, back of Happiness — the essential prerequisite in successfully undertaking Nature's Second Obligation.

NATURE'S SECOND OBLIGATION is the commission of starting a family and raising children so that they are fully prepared for Life by the age of Maturity, yet it is only by first accomplishing Nature's First Obligation that it truly becomes possible to successfully fulfill Her second — for without Self-Mastery (or at least an adequate understanding of the operations back of Morality), no child will have learned Personal Responsibility and Self-Reliance by the age of Maturity, the keystone of Nature's Second Obligation.

It will be found that a child's Self-Reliance at the age of Maturity is in direct relation to the State of Marriage of the parents.

And the State of Marriage is in direct relation to the dynamic established in the Marital Union.

The State of Marriage could be said to be the "blending" together of the collective attributes of each individual spouse's Character to makeup a third, invisible Moral Character, which is that force back of and responsible for the formation of the children's Characters.

Should a child move through Life on the "default" he adopted through the influence of his parent's State of Marriage, he will unconsciously reproduce that exact same dynamic in his own marriage through his own Character and by attracting a woman who corresponds with it, whereby it will be reproduced in his own children (should they also refuse to seek Knowledge and work-out their crimes under Nature, and Nature's Great Creator).

And on it goes, if uninfluenced or unaffected.

Furthermore, it will be found that our irresponsibility in taking on Nature's Obligations is the reason why superstitions are born, procreate, and survive centuries after their births.

Not only that, it will also be found that back of many of the common superstitions still running rampart today, is due, in no small part, to a fear of or misunderstanding of Sex.

The Danger of Dogmatic Abstinence

There is perhaps no greater barrier in the preparation of a man's Moral Development for fulfilling Nature's Obligations than Dogmatic Abstinence — that impish child of Jealousy and Lust, perhaps the vilest combination of Destructive Impulses the Soul is susceptible to.

Yet the common justification the dogmatist gives us in defense is:

"If you have something special to share, shouldn't you save it for a person you truly care about? After all, if you share it with others, it's not special anymore."

According to the facts and operations of the Human Soul, it will be exposed that the truth is just the opposite — for it will be found that, under such Dogmatism, the secret motive and focus of the relationship falls not on the dynamic within the Union itself but on Sex and Obsession, no matter how it is justified to the contrary.

Furthermore, through this secret motive it will be observed that nothing aids in the fostering of Jealousy and Lust in the Soul more than Dogmatic Abstinence, those enemies of Marriage and assassins of Love.

Let it be known with absolute certainty:

No marriage can or will truly succeed until both spouses have mastered the Destructive Impulses of both: Jealousy and Lust.

Without this accomplishment, there can be nothing resembling harmony in the Union. Either both will not see it — or one partner will not see it, while the other is "forced" to compensate for their partner's ignorance.

This, the only outcome of Dogmatic Abstinence:

One believes in an illusion, the other avoids addressing it and instead caters to it, at their own expense.

Is there any worse misery in Life?

Deliberate Promiscuity

The desire for promiscuity is in direct relation to the Moral Character of a man:

There is no greater urge for promiscuity than in those of very low Moral Character. Though the desire is surpressed and compensated for, often through acts of crime and violence, it is the most pronouced, even though there may be no outward sexual expression.

Though the actual urge for promiscuity is less in the libertine than in the dogmatist and their Moral Character is more evolved than the devoutly religious, the the desire is acted upon readily and given outward expression through any available channel, where it often reaps havoc in relationships.

Finally, there is little to no urge for promiscuity in the those of high Moral Character. When no woman is present who he knows would harmonize with his Individuality or he deems himself not yet prepared for Love (upon the awareness of any lingering dominant Destructive Impulses), the Sex urge is transmuted in such a way as to give the best benefit to others, that Great Force known as Altruism.

It is upon these exact grounds, that, if promiscuity is deliberately used as a "training room" to identify and control the deadly combination of Jealousy and Lust within one's Character, with the intent of developing Moral Character — perhaps in the same way that it's necessary to take several falling and shaky steps before we learn to balance — it serves a man two Constructive purposes:

  1. The experience and skill to establish a harmonious dynamic is gained throughout the process of failing through a list of relationships, thereby learning the essential lessons to attain the ability sought after, thus truly preparing him to lead in marriage and please his wife, and
  2. The Knowledge necessary to identify a woman of high Moral Character and who harmonizes with his own Individuality — instead of opting for the instant gratification by defaulting to the first option.

For it will be discovered that, through constant association, the true Character of a person often eludes us the more familiar we become with them. Close association often has a strong tendency to cause us to lose the capacity to make distinctions based on the the facts of their Character.

Instead, they become recognized as "so-and-so":

"That's just how they are," we say, without truly questioning or identifying the impulses or true motives back of their actions.

For it is a fact:

Without points of contrast, and based on direct experience, a thing cannot be truly known.

Therefore, it will be found that the majority of "virgin marriages" go down in misery — except either one or both will not recognize their misery, due to the "missing points" omitted from their experience necessary to make the contrast and see the truth.

Denial is not too far behind.

Which is why Ignorance is not bliss; it is only the inability the recognize misery.

For if we find ourselves in a marriage to a woman, and that is the only or limited sexual experience upon which we have to make our distinctions (which is none or next to it), how is it possible to truly know whether it is, indeed, a happy marriage or not.

It might also be wise to note that by observing "virgin marriages" (after the one-to-two year novelty wears off), the man tends to drop the act he unconsciously put on to win her and becomes self-righteous, which causes the wife to become disagreeable yet she submits to maintain as much harmony as possible, only to succeed in brewing silent animosity for and toward him.

The End Result?

True Love between husband and wife — or that dynamic, when established, where neither has a desire to control the other, both consciously and unconsciously — only truly accomplished through the attainment of Self-Mastery, is the foundation of successfully fulfilling Nature's Second Obligation.

It is the fundamental condition necessary for the raising of children, whereby the child is fully prepared to leave the family with a strong sense of Personal Responsibility to his Brothers of Society, and with complete Self-Reliance.

All this due to having had the opportunity to associate with and model those of high Moral Character, and, through association, absorb the Essential Attitude into their own Souls.

Only thus, can Nature's demands and purposes be fully satisfied.

For we as men, and in direct correspondence with Nature's Obligations, have two critical roles to play in Life:

  1. Husband, and
  2. Father

One unto the other, both backed by our Moral Characters, that definite determinant by which we succeed or fail in fulfilling our Personal Responsibilities, under Nature and God.

For it will be found:

The man of low Moral Character will make for a poor husband because he will be incapable of satisfying the needs of his wife, and a poor father by encouraging his children's social Irresponsibility and by tearing down or undermining their Self-Reliance instead of helping them build it up within themselves...

Just as a man of high Moral Character will make for a great husband by fully satisfying each and every need of his wife, and a great father by actively aiding his children in developing their sense of Personal Responsibility and Self-Reliance.

Thus, if we hurry into marriage before we've developed our Characters and learned how to satisfy women as a sex, and in so doing also gained enough Knowledge to identify a Moral woman (what I used to refer to as a "Quality" woman) — or stated differently, one who has gained an adequate amount of Self-Awareness and learned to exercise a suitable degree of Self-Control over her dominant Destructive Impulses — whereby a high Moral State of Marriage is established in the Union, we are almost destined to fail at fulfilling Nature's Second Obligation, having already failed in Her First Obligation.

This is especially important for us men, as women tend to adapt themselves to their men much more readily and perhaps to a much greater degree than the reverse.

However, all is not lost if this path has not been followed.

There is an alternative:

It is found in both partners cooperatively deciding to undertake Nature's First Obligation together (the Pursuit of Self-Mastery) by working through their Sins in a spirit of mutual effort, with an understanding of the Dangerous Dynamic, until that which I refer to as True Love (where there is no desire to control each other) has been established in the Union as the State of Marriage.

Only then can a man raise the Left Pillar upon which rests the Headstone of Happiness, that Gateway to the Greater Life!

The Sins of Man and Nature's Penalties

» Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 at 11:39pm

The dogmatist says:

"If you sin, you are an evil, wicked, and unworthy wretch destined to burn in hell for all eternity! But lo! Do whatever I tell you to and refuse to pursue what I don't have the courage to attempt for myself — for if you should achieve what I haven't, I would greatly envy you — therefore, I will fabricate a terrible punishment and implant it in your imagination, then offer you an equally phony way to escape it... all as a means of stopping you from enjoying what I don't."

But the Master says:

"If you sin — or allow a Destructive Impulse into your mind — it's outward expression will not only tear down your fellow man through association by default, but more importantly, it will evoke an equal or even greater penalty, through Nature's Laws, upon yourself... and stop you from living the Greater Life, of your own Volition."

Yet if any Destructive Impulse we admit into our minds and, as a result, give it opportunity to produce itself through an outward physical expression, whether unconsciously or deliberately, just why is it we often welcome and encourage it, despite the torment it brings upon us?

It will be found that almost every Destructive Impulse appears to carry with it an initial short-term benefit — which, when matured and has grown to fruitation, carries a much greater long-term penalty.

For example, we know that the desire to get revenge on someone who we feel has wronged us often appeals to us. Furthermore, we justify it with the archaic aphorism, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

But to anyone who's witnessed another spend endless time plotting and committing vengeance has probably observed the great misery it brings, perhaps initially to his victim (only to do him a service by forcing himself to grow stronger), but much more notably on him who admits the Destructive Impulse of Revenge into his mind — for he slowly destroys the conditions of his own mind which set the foundation for his own Happiness in the process.

The same can be said of Lust:

There is the initial satisfaction of sexual pleasure in the short-term, but he who over-indulges in the sex act also brings the Level, as he suffers a great dissipation not only of his vital energies but the Great Creative Force within himself, a necessity in the pursuit the Greater Life.

The dogmatist, who simply passes down the dated tenets of the Dark Ages, tells us we should not sin because it's "bad". Instead, we should mimic the outward expressions that come naturally to him of high Moral Character. The reason given for this act of Dishonesty is to avoid a conjured punishment that has no basis upon the facts of Life.

But the Master, who has observed the effects of the continued admission of the Destructive Impulses (or Sins) into the mind, knows better:

He proclaims that every Destructive Impulse penalizes the one who admits it, and in so doing, also destructively influences those who merely come into contact with him; therefore, it is to the individual's best benefit to workout his crimes under Nature.

Not because he "must" or because he "should" nor because he is condemned if he does not, but because it is the only way by which he may truly profit in Life.

For it is true:

Where others can avoid the one who harbors a Destructive Impulse of which the outward expression they find repulsive, he who admits it out of habit must bear the yolk and burden — if and until he can deliberately workout his crimes against himself, and thus, lift Nature's Penalty in correspondence from his own Soul.

Only thus may he erect the Gateway to the Greater Life.

The Essential Attitude in the Pursuit of Self-Mastery

» Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 at 10:46am

To the best of my knowledge, Self-Mastery is the foundation of Mastership, wherein the dormant potentialities or spiritual faculties and powers of man are unfolded and placed at his conscious, deliberate command.

In "Grow Rich! with Peace of Mind", Napoleon Hill revealed that the Masters from the Great Parent School of Knowledge are aware of all those who have taken on the Pursuit of Self-Mastery, and that their progress is being monitored — through methods unknown to the men of the masses.

He further goes on to say that when a man achieves Self-Mastery, he automatically becomes an Initiate of the Great Parent School and is directly notified by a Master of the School, with the purpose of assuring him he has made the First Great Achievement.

And should he desire Mastership, a Great Master is placed at his side for the Instruction in taking on the Second Great Achievement.

It seems to me that each Great Achievement carries with it a specific benefit, not only to himself, but to everyone who comes within his influence — as we've seen with those Masters who were commissioned to take the Instruction public:

SELF-MASTERY frees a man of his Destructive Impulses, the real cause of pain and suffering in Life, which, in turn, allows him to instill a harmonious union in his Marriage with his wife, and be a true Friend and encouragement to all who are open and receptive to Truth.

MASTERSHIP allows a man to prove to himself, without doubt, that Life continues after Death, along with the definiteness of what events occur thereafter, which he may pass on to those who have Faith in him, giving them Peace in their "hour of need".

Though I have not made either of these Great Achievements, I have accumulated a definite stock of knowledge, backed by direct personal experience, concerning the ESSENTIAL ATTITUDE required in the Pursuit of Self-Mastery, that First Great Achievement upon which Happiness is founded.

I want to share my findings with you by laying down the critical attributes I've discovered to make up this Essential Attitude, and perhaps save you some time — should this be an aim in your life.

It will likely be found that the Pursuit of Self-Mastery or the construction of a Moral Character follows this progression:

STEP 1: Knowledge of Human Nature
STEP 2: Self-Awareness
STEP 3: Self-Acceptance
STEP 4: Self-Initiative

Let's take them up one at a time:

STEP 1: Knowledge of Human Nature

This concerns itself with knowing the impulses which motivate the Soul, and perhaps, through observation, learning to recognize the ways in which they manifest themselves, along with the effects those expressions tend to have not only upon the state of mind and body of ourselves but also, through their Instinctive Channel, upon others.

It will be found that the Dangerous Dynamic often serves as the "Classroom of Morality".

Within, the Wisdom concerning the wicked ways of Man is learned, whereby means of protection can further be constructed.

Laid out simply:

Knowledge of Human Nature involves the understanding of both the Destructive and Constructive Impulses of which make up Man, compounded with the understanding of their corresponding expressions and the Instinctive Responses they naturally elicit from others.

And since the Pursuit of Self-Mastery is a matter of Morality, which could be said to be the act of deliberately stopping off or redirecting the Destructive Impulses along constructive lines, aiding and allowing the Constructive Impulses to better come to dominate one's Consciousness, knowledge of and the ability to identify the Impulses of Man is the starting point.

For without it, is it not impossible to see the truth about others and the ways in which their behavior tends to affect us, with emphasis put upon how it may tear us down unconsciously?

And perhaps more importantly:

How are we to see ourselves as we truly are if we are ignorant of what motivates our thoughts and actions, along with the knowledge of how giving expression to them destroys or builds our lives, and transforms others into Antagonists, where the fault is on us — or Allies, through our sympathetic and cooperative effort?

STEP 2: Self-Acceptance

There is perhaps no greater flaw in our natures than our reluctance — or at least our initial reluctance to acknowledge the negative or destructive tendencies within ourselves, which, through Cause and Effect, stops us from gaining the Self-Awareness required to see ourselves, not as we may believe, but as we are.

It will be found that our inability or instinctive hesitance to see ourselves as we truly are is perhaps the greatest roadblock in the Pursuit of Self-Mastery.

For without knowing our starting point, how is it possible to direct our efforts toward our aim and so finally arrive at the gateway of the First Great Achievement?

Since the crux of civilized man seems to be his desire to separate and label all things as either good or bad and right or wrong, often administering great penalties to those things we term bad and wrong, it will be observed that the result is the fear of making mistakes.

And with the fear of being bad and wrong, two problems arise:

FIRST, in our fear of being a bad person — lest we unintentionally do the wrong thing — we place that great barrier between Self-Ignorance and Self-Awareness in position.

Thus, when fully erected, we prevent ourselves from looking at ourselves, and identifying and acknowledging our Sins — or our dominant Destructive Impulses.

This sad condition makes Personal Responsibility impossible, which is why Dogmatism (and its sibbling sister, Intellectualism) is that deadly advocate of Immorality.

SECOND, when we do make mistakes or, through our ignorance, tread upon the rights of others, we ignore them — or if they assert their terms, we justify our crimes with the hope that we will not be held accountable for our transgressions.

Thus, we attempt to convince and prove to others — through the creation of any number of what we deem "logical" reasons and arguments — that they are the problem (only to generate resentment from them) instead of accepting that we were at fault. Then perhaps using that experience as incentive to take greater responsibility for the thoughts we admit into our minds, which caused the outward expression of our crimes to begin with.

Upon these facts, the KEY SHIFT in perspective I've found critical is to start looking at things not as good and bad or right and wrong, but as Causes and Effects.

The effects can then be taken and separated, without judgment, as either Constructive or Destructive, not through condemnation but through the observation of the nature of effect:

Does it build up? Or does it tear down?

And with this criteria in mind, the motive for change shifts from not wanting to be a bad, wrong person to wanting to live a constructive, altruistic life by removing the destructive barriers.

STEP 3: Self-Awareness

Only with the Knowledge of Human Nature as the foundation along with the removal of the "dogmatic stigma" of being bad (or the "intellecualist stigma" of being stupid), does it becomes possible, accompanied by the aid of courage and humility, to begin seeing ourselves as we truly are.

The Knowledge of Human Nature becomes that lens upon which all Self-Evaluation can be made, with definite accuracy.

Human Nature is constant and immutable; the opinions of Man are variable and whimsical, often twisted by a stock of snap-judgments and prejudices.

Self-Evaluation founded on Human Nature is the only path by which a man can begin to see himself, not as others — or even himself — may have come to believe himself to be, but upon the truth of who he actually is, based on the facts of his Moral Character, orchestrated by Nature's Laws.

And through careful Self-Analysis, based upon our understanding of Human Nature and the elimination of Pride, Vanity, or Egotism through their "psychical solvent" — Self-Acceptance — we can begin to observe the current state of our Moral Characters and identify our dominant Destructive Impulses.

It is with these realizations that we can also start recognizing the many ways in which we let them, through their unconscious admission or deliberate expression, tear down our constructive faculties and powers, along with the detrimental Instinctive Responses they elicit from others.

This reveals to us our personal path and individualized effort necessary in our Pursuit of Self-Mastery, the Master-Key to the Greater Life.

And since the Greater Life is found in mastering the dominant Destructive Impulses of our Natures — those things which repel Prosperity and Love, back of Happiness — the solution has been set down and all that is left to be done is to take upon ourselves the Great Work.

STEP 4: Self-Initiative

After the above conditions have been setup in the mind:

  1. A workable knowledge of Human Nature has been gained, namely the individual identification and operations of the Destructive Impulses of Man,
  2. Acceptance that the presence of the Destructive Impulses of our natures is a problem to be solved instead of hidden, ignored, and compensated for — or deliberately welcomed and acted upon, with the Conscience put aside — and
  3. Identification of the dominant Destructive Impulses individual to and prevalent within ourselves, along with the expressions they manifest and the negative effects they have on others through the Law of Transmission...

But one thing remains:

Self-Initiative to work-out this Great Problem, backed by adequate Self-Disipline required to follow this course of action through to completion.

For I wager, through Reason and Intuition (since I have not yet proved it to myself) that to solve this Great Problem and achieve Self-Mastery establishes the fundamental conditions necessary to living the Greater Life:

PROSPERITY is found through the cooperative effort with others in working toward the Service of Humanity.

Yet while there exists a domineering Destructive Impulse in any of the minds of those leading the Act of Service, it will, and must meet its demise due to competition, that bastard offspring of Greed and Envy, of one upon the other.

LOVE is found through the harmonious partnership between husband and wife in taking on Nature's Second Obligation, the Family.

Yet with any dominant Destructive Impulses present in the mind of those making up the Marriage, the marital Union will soon sour, which will be permeated into the children and undermine Nature's Second Obligation, as most often tends to be the case where a marriage is wrought-out with the Impulses of Jealousy and Anger.

This is what I can gather from the facts available to me, but I do not yet know on every account mentioned.

However, I suspect that he who has lived it will vouch for its accuracy.

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