practice of Self - Examination.
He will refuse to dwell with unrighteousness.
Searching the inmost recesses of his heart,
Folly and impurity he will reject,
Following up the intricate threads of thought,
And he will say unto strife and hatred, " Depart ye
Rigorously testing the quality of his motives,
from me."
He will find out the hidden springs of desire,
Kindling the fire of inward knowledge,
He will lay bare the roots of the tree of life,
Keeping bright and constant its flame,
And finding the Eternal Cause, he will know both And feeding it with patient and loving sacrifice, Good and evil,
Let a man burn up all that is perishable within him,
He will see the Highest, and will no more perish.
Only thus will he find the Imperishable ;
As a beautiful flower is formed, its growth not
Let him eliminate the dross of error,
being seen,
Only thus will he discover the gold of Truth :
So will he grow in wisdom, unseen of men.
Let him destroy all sin, Only thus will he find the
Yet when wisdom is fully formed,
Stainless One,
When the flower of Truth becomes manifest in all Only thus will he approach the Highest.
its beauty,
Thus seeking out the source within himself.
Men unacquainted with its silent growth will say. Passion will not long torment him ;
"This man is wise, whence obtained he his wisdom Finding the cause of passion, he will destroy it,
?
And self - restraint will give way to composure of
How knoweth this man letters, having never
mind and heart,
learned?"
Far will he travel on the Way of Peace,
As a child in the womb.
And, reaching the second Resting - Place,
As a plant in the earth,
Will taste of fuller joy and blessedness.
As an object in the eye of the approaching traveller, Yet, staying there, he will not reach the Highest.
So wisdom is formed in the heart,
So knowledge grows in him who diligently
examines himself;
3. Self - Surrender
robbed;
Not loving himself he can never be wounded ;
Having well restrained himself,
And though men should slay him he can never be
Having deeply examined himself,
destroyed;
Let the lover of Truth now enter upon the practice For he is no longer self, but Truth,
of Self - Surrender.
And who shall destroy Truth ?
He who practises self - restraint travels well;
All bodies die, but Truth does not die ;
He who practises self - examination travels better; Ail things pass away, but Truth remains for ever.
He who practises self - surrender travels best.
He who has surrendered self has become, immortal,
He only can know the Highest who surrenders self, He is no longer separate but has become one with Who makes the inward sacrifice complete,
Truth,
Who holds nothing back,
And he manifests the Highest, though men perceive
Who calls nothing his own,
it not.
Who refuses to set his heart upon any earthly thing Of self - restraint is born Virtue,
;
Of self - examination is born Knowledge,
Putting aside all his lusts,
Of self - surrender is born Love.
Emptying himself of all his vanities,
Happy shall he become who restrains himself,
Divesting himself of all his theories and opinions, Blessed shall he become who purifies himself, He will become empty, naked, and without
