Topics:
| 1 | Introduction |
| 2 | The Hermetic Key That Unlocks the Door to Success |
| 3 | From Abram to Abraham |
| 4 | Nothing on Earth Is Unimportant |
| 5 | Know All Things, Remain Thyself Unknown |
| 6 | The Fountain of Life Is Within |
| 7 | The Spiritual Element in Man Should Always Be in Control |
| 8 | The Invitation to the Golden Feast |
| 9 | Consider the Lily |
| 10 | Soul Consciousness Gives a New Meaning to Life |
| 11 | The Delusion That the World Owes Man a Living |
| 12 | Doubts and Indecisions Prevent Man From Achieving Success |
| 13 | Success Demands an Intensified Desire |
| 14 | Success or Failure Is the Choice |
| 15 | Man Is a Harp With a Thousand Strings |
| 16 | Man Must Harmonize Himself With the Law of Supply |
| 17 | "I and The Father Are One" |
| 18 | Nature Perfects Herself Only After Her Own Manner and Species |
| 19 | Desire Is the Foundation of All Success |
| 20 | Man, Himself, Must Find His Center of Consciousness |
| 21 | Success Is a Possibility for All |
| 22 | To Know - to Dare - to Do - to Keep Silent |
| 23 | Concentrating the Will to One Set Purpose |
| 24 | Mutual Exchange Is the Law |
| 25 | All things Are Possible to Him That Believes - and Wills |
| 26 | How "Miracles Are Wrought |
| 27 | "Unto Him That Hath Shall Be Given" |
| 28 | Love, Impersonally Manifested, Governs All Development |
| 29 | The Four-Square "City" |
| 30 | "Let There Be" |
| 31 | The Law of Success Is Concentration - Centralization |
| 32 | Success Cannot Be Won by Proxy |
| 33 | Man Lives Under the Law of Labor |
| 34 | Thoughts of Love and Good Will Return With Interest |
| 35 | To Become a Success, Your Chosen Field Should Be a Daily Adventure |
For more centuries than man is willing to admit, it has been a wholly erroneous belief that the businessman could not be successful and at the same time advance Spiritually, that to attain worldly honors was to risk heavenly blessings. Those seeking Spiritual gifts, such as Consciousness of the Soul, had to forego riches and honors and the good things the earth had to offer.
Furthermore, although the fiat was cast in the beginning of time that men must "live by the sweat of their brow," it has been the misleading, stultifying and degrading dream of most men to be able to evade physical effort and attain a position that would permit them to live in luxury and idleness.
Lastly, it has been a universally accepted belief that all things of a Spiritual nature would have to be accepted in faith and, however great the faith, could not be demonstrated.
Every one of those conceptions is fundamentally wrong. For man can achieve success and honors honestly and without the exploitation of his fellow men. He can attain the highest Spiritual development, complete Soul Consciousness of his own Divine Origin, and at the same time achieve worldly success. Riches and fame may go hand in hand with honor and sterling manhood.
Those who have reached Spiritual enlightenment now know that labor is not debasing. It is essential to mental and physical well-being. The fewer the hours of labor, the greater the opportunity for the animal or carnal nature in man to assert itself and bring mental and physical destruction to himself and others. Labor is honorable; it is essential. It is destructive ONLY when enforced beyond reason - beyond the Divinely apportioned eight hours a day - except in extreme emergencies.
Spiritual enlightenment and Soul Consciousness
are not alone a matter of faith. They can be demonstrated
by first accepting the fundamentals with a faith strong enough
to apply them to the activities of life and mode of thought, and
then by bringing into manifestation those powers which alone belong
to the Spiritual self and to the Soul's relation to God
(the creative energy) and to all that is governed by the Divine
Law which also governs the Universe and all that is therein.
Fiat Lux! Find the Light! Man shall know the truth,
and the truth acted upon will help him fulfill his destiny.
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Material success is the clarion call, sounding the advancement of all men in this the twentieth century of achievement, in the realm of physical science and Spiritual knowledge.
Success in every type of business is a science. As in the professions, he who desires to succeed must be willing to follow the rules - the Law. Success may be accidental, but it cannot result from slipshod methods. PREPARATION IS ESSENTIAL. This demands a self-freedom from all other desires but the one, then a thorough technical and practical study and procedure.
Real success may be said to be the heritage of everyone.
This implies that everyone has the capability to succeed in some
one sphere of activity if he is willing to prepare himself,
and having prepared himself, make the necessary effort.
SUCCESS HAS NO FAVORITES. Like every attainment in life, it is
under THE ABSOLUTE LAW OF THE LEGEND OF THE SOWER.(1)
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(1) Refer to the text, The
Great Work - The Council of Three page 41, the chapter on
"The Legend of the Sower." ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Those who plan to succeed must plan well and aim high, even
higher than they think possible to achieve. Here, an old command
applies: "Hitch your wagon to a star," and in all you
do, keep your aim straight. This implies that everything must
be done AS IT SHOULD BE DONE. This is a mental attitude. IT IS
DESIRE IN ACTION WITHOUT DEVIATION.
The universal storehouse is filled to overflowing with everything man requires to succeed. It demands that he possess the "key" to unlock the door to the storehouse. This "key" is a CLEAR AIM, A KEEN DESIRE, A WILLINGNESS TO PREPARE HIMSELF FULLY. Then he must proceed with an all-out will and make the necessary effort.
"We, who must succeed in the accomplishment of a set purpose, are we who standing firm, fix a certain mark and prepare ourselves for the purpose in mind; from this course the Will never swerves or changes. We assert that irrespective of physical conditions, no matter what opposition is offered, the prototype of the purpose within ourselves claims it as its own. Thus the ego or real self moving forward, step by step, from vantage to vantage, in the end conquers, as it has the right to conquer by reason of superior fitness, preparation and stick-to-itiveness. The human Will, fortified with knowledge and keen, undeviating desire, defies all interference. It derives power or force from the creative energy to which it is inherent of everything that is part of man's inheritance - providing he lays claim to it by proving himself." - Dr. Randolph
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We find in the Book of Genesis a description of the Soul's
growth from darkness to the heights of sublimity, illustrated
by a type of man called Abram. After a long and useful life, when
he had reached the age of ninety and nine years, he was able to
talk with God. Before that time and during all those years he
was merely a type, a negative type, having all the possibilities
of the God-man, but failing in attaining any of those potentialities.
But when he was ninety and nine, he fell on his face; that is,
he liberated himself from the tentacles of the carnal desires
which held him in subjection, and came into conscious touch with
the Spiritual - the eternal - the Self within himself,
and attained to Soul Consciousness. Previous to this, there
was little difference between the generations before him and the
mass of the present. By becoming conscious of the possibilities
and capabilities inherent within, though now dormant, he
awakened to his potentialities; and by adherence in THOUGHT,
DESIRE and PRACTICE to the Divine Law, he became a Soul
Conscious being; Biblically, a son of God. He was henceforth
called Abraham, that is, Father - creator, or exponent in his
own right.
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(2)There always was, there still is, a grave misunderstanding
relative to race as it relates to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They
were of the white race - of pure blood - Hebrews, as were Sarah,
Rebecca, Leah and Rachel, descending from Heber, hence, "Hebrews."
Historically those who became known as Jews were of later origin.
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In the Divine Logos, or Spiritual orbit, success is symbolized by the "Veiled Lamp," or Absolute Wisdom.
In the intellectual world, success is prudence directed by the organized and developed Will.
In the physical world success is circumspection directing action through knowledge - science overcoming mystery.
Thus we see in the unfolding of life that prudence is the armor of the Sage or Initiate. In physical life circumspection leads man to avoid the rocks and breakers as part of his unfolding destiny, by means of the Wisdom he gains living in harmony with the Divine Law which warns him against the evils that are common to mankind, such as, irreverence and lack of devotion to God, treachery to his country, injustice to his fellow man - lest the reaction of these evils make him repay tenfold for them and even deprive him of the privileges he has honestly earned.
By choosing the "Veiled Lamp" on the road to Wisdom
as his guide in all his acts, perhaps even in the merest trifles,
he will never submit to defeat in anything worthy of doing.
Nothing on earth is actually unimportant; a pebble may alter the
destiny of both man and empire. As a rule it is the smallest incident
which sometimes leads to the greatest achievement. An infinitesimal
act left undone because of its seeming unimportance is frequently
the key to failure and makes ultimate success impossible.
The loss of a tiny screw in the largest and most intricate mechanism
will cause the machine to be useless, though otherwise perfect
and capable of functioning to complete satisfaction.
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In search for success, may all remember that if speech be silvery, silence is golden. Therefore, if he who seeks success is capable of keeping silent, the odds are in his favor. More failures can be traced to words idly spoken, secrets revealed or offense given through looseness of tongue than to all other factors combined. "Know all things, but remain thyself unknown," is the command of the Arcanum, Law of the Occult, and should be on the escutcheon of all who seek the ultimate in success.
The law underlying success is that of love, the "love" of that which one seeks to accomplish. Love's messenger is attraction, a magnetic force. Once comprehending how to send forth the message of success, one can draw all things that are lawful unto himself, because that same law of love demonstrates the law of vibration, which is attraction of its like in another form.
This does not, in its true application, encompass drawing to the self anything for a selfish or unworthy reason or purpose. He who loves self alone shrivels and consumes himself under the intensity of his own self-kindled, destroying fire. Success under Spiritual Law must have as its intent and purpose the benefit of the self, to be sure, because all things begin with the self, but it must have another motive as the impelling purpose.
Man is lawfully permitted all things which are for his benefit and enjoyment; but there is the opposite aspect of the Law also - that which will bring benefit to others and will be for their welfare as well.
Success may be considered as a triad, three-sided. Each side is absolutely necessary for the building of a symmetrical structure. These three are: Desire, Preparation and Expectation or Reception. In this, our present age of the recognized power of the unseen, i.e., Occult forces, there is freely opened to many, a method or system of thought higher than any ever before known to the intellectual faculties of man. In fulfilling the promise to those constantly seeking to realize the Presence of the Most High, or operation of the Law now functioning, great things have been revealed and continue to be revealed.
The great and mighty experiences of the past have brought
us the conditions for the present realization; the opening up
of the funds of Wisdom, the sweeping changes and onward march,
unfolding all knowledge of the Divine Law and of God who
is the Law which enables us to obey the Law and harmonize
ourselves with the operation of the Law. The sublime promise of
the future is: All Wisdom will be given those who are willing
to master the Law and co-ordinate its application to the works
that should be accomplished.
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All substance expresses ideal embodiment. Evil is no more than a misapplication and misuse if natural substances - therefore useful substances - and results in abortions of the ideal. All things are the evolvement of that substance, plus its application. Substance is the material out of which all matter is formed. From the substance we must necessarily draw our supply in one manner or another, the method not being particularly important as long as it does not infringe upon the rights of others.
If we Occultly affirm: "God (the Law) is my supply,"
then, to truly and logically manifest, according to the affirmation,
we must look within, as did Abraham, to the fountain of
life and the source of all things, of which the outer man
is but a reflection; or, as voiced by Hermes: "The inner
is like the outer, the lower is like the higher"; thus, drawing
the attention from the environment to the inner reality. But,
if that inner condition or reality be in chaos, then it is not
to be expected that perfection will issue forth. "Like attracts
like," and equally true, "like produces like."
Such is the Divine Law, each after its own kind. (3)
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(3) The Law governs ALL THINGS that concern man. Mixing is dilution
- unharmonizing and unbalancing of the Law of Nature - and ends
in ultimate destruction for that which attempts to act contrary
to the Law. Both profane and sacred history are positive that
this Law was for the government of the races beginning with India,
then Egypt, Greece, Rome and down through the ages to the present
time.
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We have a right to expect so-called miracles or wonders which are the result of the unknown or as yet unmanifested operating Occult Law. If we concentrate our eyes steadily upon the one Divine Cause, unselfish Love, God in manifestation - nothing is impossible that can enter the thought of man or be pictured by his imagination.. God imagined, and it was SO. Man being the microcosm, a small replica with all its part of the whole, likewise is the same power in limited form.
This effort toward bringing forth and manifesting
our thoughts, desires and expectations is a doctrine promising
speedier and more pronounced methods for attainment than any hitherto
employed. It is growing more and more frequent under the present
conditions to perceive for ourselves the creation or manifestation
of our thoughts - a materialization of the inner self in the outer
form.
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A new heaven or a new earth in another sphere is no longer the ideal concept. Hands are already upon the ploughshare of production and reproduction, clearing away with as little confusion as possible the erstwhile intolerable social and economic conditions, building the paradise of success upon God's promise of abundant supply which may be tapped just as quickly as we recognize the Law of Personal Responsibility and Equal Exchange. This is simply to state that success on all planes, material and Spiritual may be obtained by a superior and scientific understanding and application of mental and Spiritual Laws in their direction of material affairs, conditions and environments.
This is the heritage awaiting those whose hearts are filled with the desire for rightness and fairness: and who are trying to live a rational life, one free from taint and degrading tendencies. Those who are striving for money, honor or power ALONE - things which are no more than the symbols of reality to satisfy carnal desires - will not succeed and would never be satisfied if they did succeed as they lack the Spiritual concept which is basic for genuine material success associated with Spiritual attainment.
All success, rightfully obtained, results from man's ability to collect and properly group atoms of energy. One must preserve the inherent nobility of the Soul in order that the grouping may be harmonious and the inner forces find expression. The world does not furnish one single example of permanent and constructive success but that based upon the principle that in the conflict of forces, the Spiritual elements in man must overcome the tendencies of carnal desires. There can be no contradiction of the statement when all the facts of Spiritual Law leading up to success are understood.
In as far as WE are concerned, generally considered and
classified, worldly success is now a type of a progressive disease.
The greater the success, the more intensive the selfishness and
the hunger for power. Possessions become an obsession, no longer
to be properly directed along avenues of construction, but to
be hoarded. As the selfish desires increase and progress, selfishness,
often ending in cruelty, becomes so much a part of man's nature
that principles are sacrificed in the accumulation of a still
greater hoard. This is not real success. It is merely an accumulation
which gradually corrodes and destroys man - body, mind and Soul.
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"Come, all things are now made ready. Behold, I have prepared a feast for you." This is the perpetual invitation out of the invisible silence. The rest, man must do for himself. It is for us the repast is laid out. It is we who must accept and eat, digest and assimilate the "food" upon the "table" before we can come into individual contact with the universal storehouse of supply of all things. The table is set. The work of God now rests. Now we must act. This Law has been made clear to us repeatedly, but we have failed to obey it . We are still the slaves to our inertia. We still innately feel, or Subconsciously believe, that either the world owes us a living or that some other force outside of ourselves should be compelled to feed, clothe and supply us with our needs. We are forgetful that in the sight of the Divine Law no one man is intrinsically greater than another. Each must be responsible for himself. No human creature is so important to man, to the world or to God, as to be made an exception and to be compensated for weakness and idleness.
Why not begin now to improve the opportunity for understanding and knowledge such as will enable us to do our part in the building of that most subtle of mansions - character - the Soul; strengthened by effort and enlightened by inner development, which must crown every ultimate success known. We must willingly, aye, even gladly, cast away our own idols, which we worship and caress; for as long as we cling to them and delude ourselves in thinking them realities, we will continue to be failures, both materially and Spiritually.
So long as we husband the idea that poverty - so-called misfortune or failure - is something beyond our control, just so long are we too inert to burst the fetters which bind us to weakness and slavery in one form or another. Through such misconceptions we deprive ourselves of our inherent opportunity to freedom, and we remain our own gaolers.
To some, it may be a startling assertion when we say that we can actually make our lives just what we choose them to be; nevertheless, it is fundamentally true. We can fulfill our desires as surely and as truly as we learned to walk and talk. It DOES require effort and patience; but effort becomes a pleasure when we are engaged in doing the things we love to do and see the results begin to manifest. Success is as much a part of man's destiny and as truly an obligation as it is a possibility when his forces are husbanded and properly directed along avenues of construction and accumulation.
Consciousness of one's ability is the center of attraction
for all success. It is the Universal LIGHT for our individual
guidance. All we can attract by our own mental volition - volantia
- by our individualized, vital force, becomes more and more keenly
powerful in expression as the atoms of life become more and more
Spititualized. We may with profit watch our desires unfold,
from bud to blossom, from blossom to fruitage, as we progress;
and judge with a degree of certainty what the ultimate result
will be.
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The lily of the field has been held up to us as a symbol of true Spiritual progression with a perfect reliance of the source of supply. Of it has been said; "It toils not, neither does it spin." Why not? Because its perfection lies in the intangible secret of, "The Father and I are one," or "The Law which gave me existence will, IF OBEYED, vouchsafe my well-being." It knows, symbolically speaking, before bursting its covering of earth, that by adjusting itself to the conditions of darkness and silence for a time this very period of rest will cause it to generate a force with which to pierce a wall of great thickness - the tomb under which it lies buried - and lift its head into the brightness of the sunshine. It knows its petals will be touched with color, the like of which no artist can imitate. Its contour of form cannot be chiseled by mortal hand. And yet the same spirit which permeates the lily also leavens man's Soul into sublime manifestation. The exact proportion of the life-giving ray is not lessened nor added to in either case; it is simply a differentiation of the modes, of the grouping of atoms.
But this is not the whole story of the lily. The lily obeys
every Law of Nature without question because it is true to
its own nature; it cannot do otherwise - lacking free will.
It does neither toil nor spin, it is true, but neither does it
ask anything of man other than not to be interfered with by man.
On the other hand, it gives everything without recompense: its
beauty its encouragement to the weary and sorrowful. It offers
itself as a lesson of the generosity of God or the Law which created
it. It spins not, nor does it toil, but it gives and will continue
to give until its life span is ended.
The lily accepts Nature's Law unconsciously, it is true. Man's
faith for a time must take the place of such ready, unquestioned
acceptance. Unfortunately, and all too frequently, such faith
is lacking in man because he bases all his conclusions on the
concepts and actions of other men, unaware that they are NOT in
harmony with the LAW, thus, lacking in foresight and refusing
guidance.
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Those who have attained to Soul Consciousness are true magicians; they bring forth out of seeming nothingness, miraculous realities. They KNOW the Law, and by obedience to the Law, they manacle fate and circumstances and then transform them to advantages for themselves and their fellow men.
Hitherto the possibilities of the Adam-man (the carnal man) have not been fully recognized or appreciated. Man has been blinded to his capabilities by ignorance. In our present century of magnificent accomplishments, in this period of revelation of man's power over much that is physical,we are able to claim our God- given inheritance or royal prerogatives if we obey the Law. Thence, we may begin to climb the heights attainable in the mental and Spiritual realm, no longer puppets of fortune to be ground down by the wheel of fate as it rolls pell-mell over us; on the contrary, man may be ruler of his own world kingdom. With thoughts so polarized, the mind activated by constructive desire, life takes on a new meaning and glimpses a view of "that yet to be."
All have success in some degree. It may be only successfulness in being miserable and incompetent, but this proves we could be otherwise if our powers and energies were properly exercised and used. WE are as free to enter the Light as we are to linger in the darkness of the Light's shadow.
What man may accomplish is illustrated by the life of Napoleon.
Although a physical weakling to begin with and of the plebian
class, he was by nature an Idealist. He was keenly aware of the
gross injustice of the time and in his vision formed a plan to
change it - the establishment of justice. As long as he held to
the Ideal he was successful and conquered most of the Old World.
He, then, became aware that though he might be able to establish
a unity of nations, there was no one capable and with a vision
to follow him. As a result of this awakening, he conceived the
idea of a son; but this was not to be. THEN SELFISHNESS, BORN
OUT OF NECESSITY, HAD ITS BEGINNING. Out of dire necessity he
chose relatives wholly unfitted and incapableof the positions
in which he placed them; a new misrule had its beginning. Idealism
grew less and less. Failure was the consequence as a result of
the defeat of his idealism.
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What, in reality, does success mean? Some answer, accomplishment.
This alone does not fully meet the conditions for true success.
Behind all accomplishment, in its broadest sense, there lies a
subtle something designated by the wise as "the upholding
of accomplishment." In common parlance, "nothing succeeds
like success."
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(4)This delusion is as old as man's capability to think. He plans
and arranges, by one means or another and seldom an honorable
one, to labor as little as possible; but schemes for others to
do the work for him that he should be doing. He lets others support
him by the "sweat of their brows," and not only for
his actual needs and necessities but for his luxuries. Never before
in the history of mankind has this ignoble desire to avoid labor
been so prevalent as it is at the present time. The concept of
the August Fraternity, the great Schools of Initiates,
have always recognized the honorableness and desirability for
man to be active in the effort to fully support himself and those
for whom he is responsible. The physical work and mental activity
enable him to keep healthy, strong and capable of building fit
(physical) temples for the Spirit which they recognize as God.
So important has this been considered by all Initiatory Schools
that it was commanded of those seeking entrance, TO STAND UPRIGHT--ALONE--AS
ALL HONEST MEN SHOULD that they might be recognized as MEN, prototypes
of their Creator.
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The term "work" has almost become verboten in the modern philosophy of life. Honest labor and self-support are considered almost a disgrace and beneath the "dignity" of a gentleman INSTEAD OF THEIR BEING THE MEANS OF MAKING HIM A MAN--A GENTLEMAN.
Success is not merely in attaining a certain status in the affairs of men; to succeed and then to lose one's balance is the height of failure. But to succeed and then to be strong enough to make proper use of that which we have attained and obtained to the betterment of ourselves and for the benefit of others, is success and attests to our success. To control our success is the ultimate; to the enslaved by it is complete failure.
There are thousands of experimenters in the professions, in the liberal arts, amongst artisans in every type of activity, and amongst traders in all kinds of commerce, who are not more than on a par with the average man and his erroneous concepts. Only here and there is one who cares to labor with patience to make a brilliant success. All the rest of the mass still live under the delusion that God, the World or Society (government) owes them a living. These are the most pitiful failures because they never become conscious of their own handicap as a result of their ignorance of the Operating Law.
Following the almost universal trend of doing as others
do without any great incentive or Spiritual desire, accumulating
perishable material which may be lost or taken from us tomorrow,
is not success. It is no more than a symbol of the REAL
which may be ours to retain. The inspiration does not appear in
accumulation, as so admirably expressed by the grand old poet
Virgil. In singing of a winning crew in a boat race he concisely
said: Possunt quia posse videnter -They are able because
they seem (feel) to be able which we moderns would state as: "They
are able because they believe themselves capable of winning
and they make the effort imbued with that faith as the incentive."
This is success. It is not simply accomplishing a task. It is
the inspiration which is the heart's wish that gives
the power of adding accomplishment. Each step must bring renewed
vigor and courage in preparation for a higher and greater effort
to meet the next challenge.
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Our many doubts and lack of faith, a single deep-rooted fear are potent in withholding success from us where otherwise we might readily come into our own. Such doubts and fears may even reverse the favorable vibratory forces already accumulated.
Failure is seldom the result of a lack of ability to achieve success but is due to our weaknesses, to the need of courage to go forward and to the dearth of inner perception. The possession of these qualities--courage and inner perception--is essential for us in the struggle to win.
We are like the lady of tradition who, after an earnest and impassionate prayer to the Lord for rain, immediately afterward nullified all the vibrations she had set in motion by her fatal remark: "But I don't believe it will." The mass of humanity are like that; they live on the borderland of fortune and success; they feel themselves about to be blessed but never are actually blessed because They stop short just when success might be achieved, even in those instances where unbelief does not give birth to a positive and impassable barrier; nevertheless, it is a serious and a devastating drag on their energies and efforts, frequently sapping and neutralizing the life forces and preventing their expression in the accomplishment of a worthy object or noble purpose.
Lack of preparation frequently invalidates every effort made, even destroying the benefit of the success itself. It is much as when the businessman cast forth the fiat: "I am going to put forth all the exoteric means at my command and win success." He does so, and the reaction may be almost immediate. But despite the success, conclusive results demonstrate that there existed doubt in his innermost thoughts and heart. When he made his declaration he failed to make provision for enlargement, for storage capacity to provide for the business he planned and presumably expected. AS a result, the large volume of business he commanded was well within his grasp when he found himself without the facilities to handle it successfully.
John, the Baptist, voiced this Law of Preparedness
when he said; Prepare ye the way of the Lord: make his paths straight.'
That is merely to say: "Qualify yourself and clear away the
physical and mental rubbish so that the inner consciousness can
work out the Law you invoke for yourself," When seeking success
along any avenue of endeavor, plan, prepare and act as though
success HAD ALREADY BEEN ACHIEVED. This is PREPARING for success
by EXPECTING success.
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God's promise never fail when we comply with His requirements, or The Law. He says most emphatically: Ask and ye shall receive." Why do we fail? Because we question, we doubt; our faith is not a great as the proverbial grain of mustard seed. It is not great enough to induce us to make the necessary effort.
It was not thus with the Biblical character Noah who had faith, and consistently practiced what he believed, in an age of unbelief, incompetency and degradation. Not only did he preach the things he felt were to happen but he made full preparation for the fulfillment of the prophecy. This was all done under a continual harassment of doubt and utmost discouragement from all sides. The fear of opinions of his fellow men affected him not one iota. The building of the ark went steadily forward until it was completed. According to the sacred records, he and the members of his household alone obeyed the Law; and they were amply rewarded for their faith and works.
It is the underlying motive and not the surface conclusions which determine the ultimate result of all human activity. One constantly sees man toiling as did the fabled criminal in Tartarus who, trying to roll a huge stone to the top of the high hill, always found that as he had but one more effort to make to finish the task, the stone again would be lying at the bottom, necessitating the work to be done all over again.
This is the type of "success" man and women often vouchsafe to themselves. More or less content to drag out their existence in distressful poverty or suffering under the excuse of "what is the use" This acts as a sedative, nullifying the activities of positive action and endeavor. They fail to gain the mountain peaks of accomplishment and success. The moving power of the mighty Will. which is man"s Divine heritage from his Creator, is impeded and obstructed.
There is no success in such procedure, nor can there ever
be, because all active desire for it has become dormant; even
the ability to plan for it is faded into nothingness. Without
a single salient point or aim, the means for success become
a myth in the chain of such an existence. He who resorts to any
stupefying influence, irrespective of its nature on mind or body,
encases himself in an adamantine envelope from which even the
shock of a major misfortune can seldom free him.
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There is a wide difference between carelessness and contentment. Carelessness is not a manifestation of contentment but of inertia, which holds man in the vilest surroundings such as could readily be changed for the better if the effort were not lacking. The person who is held by environments and circumstances has little right to dream of success because only the worthy, those making the necessary effort, are entitled to the reward of their endeavors to improve both themselves and their surroundings. "Only the laborer is worthy of this hire - compensation."
"He who seeks success in untried fields," says a teacher, "must burn his bridges behind him. He must be prepared for any or all of the deprivations that can possibly beset the Soul as a part of the discipline of attainment."
True, he may never be called upon to endure, but he must be willing, always ready, ever-prepared to pay whatever price success demands. He who seeks success in an untried field or along new avenues, with the thought in mind that "if it fails I can always return to my old position or environment," has the seeds of failure active in his subconscious self. The thought of success is that "I will refuse to even think of retrieving or admitting the possibilities of failure." The choice is either success or failure.
Thus far we have considered only exoteric success - the symbol which the worldly wise as well as the philosophers have discoursed upon through the ages with more or less practical effect. There is another side of vantage, also called success.
A Biblical writer enjoined upon us to "seek" ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (power, wisdom and possessions) shall be added unto you." But who is there who is seeking religious inculcations and Biblical injunctions in connection with the search for material success? How little the mass appreciates the age-old truth that, whether they be cited as God's Laws, religious inculcations, Divine Laws or the Laws of Success, they are but one and the same Law - the underlying principle of force, or constructive activity; whatever is constructive must return, must bring forth, must yield possessions to the one directing the operation. |Top|
The sages, teachers or Initiates in communicating knowledge to the pupil and others frequently employ an Occult "jargon:"; perhaps a word or two, often so seemingly inappropriate that the whole thought seems juggled and incomprehensible to the average mind. So it is with many quotations.
What is signified by the phrase, "Kingdom of God"? "Kingdom" is a term frequently used by Initiates and Magi, the wise and the learned to signify power and dominion; the exaltation of the Spiritual, mental and even physical.
The Kingdom of God, then, must be the power of the Divine
or unseen, of the unlimited, as distinguished from the
purely human and limited. Hence, the Acolyte seeks the power of
God, of the Omnipotent, as of first and greatest importance toward
accomplishment. It is not consistent to think that we are to sit
down in an inane, lifeless manner and simply wish for success,
waiting for it to come to us, especially when we remember that
God, or the Creative - the Divine - Law, is ever active.
We are to seek, to put forth every effort and utilize every
force at our command, to attain that which we desire; we are to
cultivate and awaken every possible vibration of latent, potential
drawing power within us; we are to cultivate every faculty
so assiduously that when, Occultly speaking, the Master of Hearts
posses his fingers over our "Harp of a Thousand Strings,"
it may be well tuned and responsive to the slightest vibration
of all that is lasting and desirable here and now, as well as
in all future time.
|Top|
Having sought on all planes, and even "taken some things by violence" as commanded, we are really and truly prepared with the one means that can render man potent with power, insuring him uninterrupted success. It is rising to the Consciousness of our "oneness with the Father," which is to say with all reality, that all things become possible. It is only after we attain this point that defeat becomes almost impossible, always bearing in mind: "When ye stand take heed lest ye fall."
It is essential that we be thus fully armed and equipped,
and living and dwelling in the Consciousness of the certainty
of power to make it possible for all things to be added to flow
- or be drawn toward us. We must not develop the forces for success
to ourselves alone but also will that they be of benefit
to others as well.(5) More than this, we must open the Way and
show the Path to others who are seeking the road we have
taken. Self-help is first, and, having been helped, it is mandatory
for us to be of help to others deserving it.
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(5)The sun is a nucleus of cosmic rays, and these rays are continually
thrown off and attracted to the earth by means of the earth's
magnetism. These two, the rays of the sun and the earth's magnetism,
give life to all living things. Man must imitate the sun. Having
become a reservoir of power and success, he should freely and
willingly "cast such influence upon all who come into contact
with him.
-----------------------------------------
It is truly said that "man's power is greater than
he realizes, and
the depths of the forces of the mind have never been fathomed.
he can do all things, once he truly believes and is willing
to fully enter into his oneness with God,' or which might be differently
stated as 'when he is willing to wholly harmonize with the Divine
Law,' which encompasses all things."
Let us give consideration to this phase of our subject by
placing emphasis on the fact that in the final analysis God is
all, in all, and surrounding all. We must either admit
this or declare there is no God and that matter is the only reality.
This last statement has no basis, in fact, because the merest
tyro in physics is fully aware that matter is ever changeable
and, therefore, it is but temporary. If, then in seeking success
and inner advancement, we accept the final analysis as truth and
with full faith that His (God's) power is within us, discernible
to the degree of our Consciousness, and that if this
power be sought first, the "upholding of accomplishment"
may be expected and the ultimate may be realized.
|Top|
Success, implying and embracing constructive accomplishment, is of itself and attractive center toward which all allied forces and powers are drawn, again impressing upon us that "nothing succeeds like success." The movement toward such success commences as soon as the thought of such possibilities is established in the mind and impress upon the Subconscious - and then to an absolute certainty. The Initiates of the Secret Schools taught their Neophytes that the Nazarene, because of his attainment of Spiritual Consciousness, preformed his miracles by the application of his knowledge of Laws that were unknown to the mass of mankind.
His work was in no sense supernatural, since he used natural means, but was entirely in accordance with the Laws of the Hermetic and Alchemic Schools based on the changing or transmutation of the gross into finer elements. The law best understood by him and of which he spoke most frequently and emphasized the most, was that of the oneness of the Creator with the created.
This he enunciated fully when he said, "I and the Father are one." In other words, he sought for and had found the Kingdom of God within himself; this opportunity is offered to all men who are willing to accept the Law and attain, as a result of obedience and the practice of the precepts taught.
Appearance may be misleading. That which frequently appears
to be a failure may, under proper direction, prove to be a magnificent
success. Nor is it always true that the things which appear to
be successes count most in the age of fulfillment, but rather
it is the inspiration and the aspiration which is the incentive,
and offers the inducement to others. As the great Temple of Atlantis
was once buttressed by the surrounding mountains, so now it rests
at the bottom of the ocean, still fulfilling its mission, though
not apparent to mortal eyes.
|Top|
It is well known to all searchers of Occult truth and the greater life that in all ages there were those called the "wise ones" - the Magi - searching for success, The Philosopher's Stone, and called it the "Great Art." When questioned concerning their aims, they answered: "We seek to change or transmute all base metal into gold, incidentally, to find the recipe for the Elixer of Life, which transforms all who quaff thereof into a continuous life of Immortality." It is these, the founders of the Secret Schools of Initiation, who evolved the plan of life, and have been the guides of all who truly seek.
In the confessions of capable and tireless pioneers, who have labored for centuries to blaze through the wilderness of the material world a new Path to success, we ofttimes find statements like this:
"Wherefore, I conclude, leave sophistication and all those who believe in them; flee from their sublimations, conjunctions, separations, congelations, preparations, disjuctions, connectors and other deceptions. Let those keep silent who affirm a tincture other than ours, which is not true and brings no profit. Let those keep silent who speak of sulphur which is different from ours, and is concealed in philosophical magnesia; and who wish to derive quicksilver, except from the red servant, and other waters than ours which is permanent, and unites to its proper nature; it moistens nothing save that which is one with its own nature - nature perfecting herself only after her own kind and species."
Much of this is truth hidden in the Alchemists' jargon to conceal their work and protect themselves.
From these carefully veiled instructions we interpret in plain, simple words that we cannot manipulate matters simply to produce results in any condition or position of living; it is the influence they yield over all others things which is the ultimate consideration.
It must be conceded and accepted that all the effective,
vibrating and vitalizing forces are the result of the continually
exerted individual Will enforcing effort ceaselessy. The Will
is our portion of the Universal Spirit - the mainspring
of the golden coil (power); it is the Kingdom of God which is
to be found within ourselves.
|Top|
We repeat for emphasis what is said to be an old Persian saying: "If one sees a falling star and can formulate a wish before it ceases its fall, that wish will be granted." The foundation of success, which must be consistently reiterated, is the complete permeation of the mind by the thought and desire, and which permits its instant utterance under any condition.
Desiring success in business, success fortressed by aspiration and inspiration, we must possess the courage to be perfectly honest with the inner self and keep within the limits of the Golden Rule, which might be paraphrased as: "Do not unto others that which you would not have them do unto you." Otherwise fear and weakness will breed dishonesty; through these failure will follow. Faith in and of one's power, once acquired, is half of the victory of every achievement in any chosen direction.
To attract whatever is necessary to make life vital and
commendatory, the Spiritual (Universal) power within
must be continually given recognition. This can be cultivated.
"How?" you ask. By the constant assurance of yourself
that you are seeking to become a conscious individual which
necessarily must be "to become a child of God." Thus
one must be careful not to permit a dishonest or dishonorable
thought to creep into the consciousness, nor any dishonesty to
creep into any transaction. Each negation allowed within
the consciousness will necessarily weaken the individualism, will
build enervating elements into the physical and Spiritual
entity and, if permitted to remain, will work toward self- degradation
and failure. The elimination of all imperfect elements from the
realm of Soul building will permanently establish Divine harmony
in the microcosm or littler world which is man.
|Top|
To become a perfect magnet, an instrument of attraction, harmoniously tuned, we must tune ourselves to the keynote of the Universe, the macrocosm; to the LAW which is Infinite because it is unlimited, never-changing and all-governing to the Love atmosphere which alone can light the Fires of the SPIRITUAL Center.
Once coming into complete unity with the SPIRITUAL essence
on the threefold plane, we will be practically unable to give
thought to dishonesty in any phase in our efforts towards success;
unbelievable as this appears in a world of almost universal dishonesty,(6)
"double dealing" will not be necessary, nor any help
toward true success.
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(6) It is questionable whether any age known to history or to
man was so honeycombed with dishonesty as the present period.
Nations repudiate treaties made with each other as if they were
worth less than scraps of paper. They war with each other without
the honesty or decency of declaring war. Nations war upon their
own citizens, destroying them as though they were so much vermin.
Nations practice confiscation of the property within their borders
belonging to other nations or nationals without thought of recompense.
Individuals and families repudiate their contracts without a thought
of responsibility. Manufactures and unions enter into solemn agreements,
only to break them at the slightest whim of provocation. Property
is destroyed by individuals or mobs, as though it has no value,
and without a thought that the destroyer is responsible for the
destruction. (In all the realms of the dealings of man with man
there apparently is but one contract still held intact - the poor
man's signature upon the face of the collateral whereon he borrows
money.) This contemptuousness being true, nations universally
face disaster unless they right-about face, and also accept the
personal responsibility of their contracts, and exile their rulers
who refuse to do likewise.
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Any failure to recognize the sense of power flowing from
the innermost being - our own conscious center of Consciousness
- breaks the connection or contact with the Great Center
of both the macrocosm and Spiritual Spheres, rendering
man cowardly and impotent toward actual accomplishment. Until
a man attains consciousness of his own worthiness , and is
too much a man to be untrue to himself, he will be unable to find
the Christos which is his own Illuminated Soul: known to men
as the Christ. True, he may find the outer, the material
man, and therein put his trust - without awakening the real or
ideal nature - only to find himself in the darkness of failure.
Here again we find that the Master Teacher uttered a scientific
truth when he said that the kingdom of righteousness (rightness)
must first be sought and, when found, be immutably made a part
of the Soul.
|Top|
Not until we recognize the Law of personal responsibility and awaken the Consciousness within at least to an appreciable degree, will the power be ours to draw to ourselves the essentials for a complete and abundant life. Not until we achieve this state will the beggarly spirit of ignorance, fear and weakness leave us and free us; then, as children of an all-embracing Father, we may command - be potent to command - our loyal and princely birthright, having earned it.
Any amount of worldly goods may be bestowed upon us or be accumulated by us, but if we still be beggars in Spirit, what will it avail us? How long will we possess it before it will be taken from us? Or the Operating Law separate us from it? Let us truly live and, so living, give the same privileges, which we claim for ourselves, yea more, to our fellow men. Though we must be cautious and have the strength to prevent the vicious from taking advantage of our generosity. If we do thus, then very soon eternal forms will be robes of glory, symbolizing power, possession and potentiality; and poverty and squalor, the warp and woof of the garments in which fear wraps herself, will flee us.
Success is for all who make themselves worthy of it.
In the attainment it is not so much the outer substance with which
we must deal, but the spirit of abundance which awaits the inner
call based on the assurance of readiness. Neither is it people
or things with which we must trade in order to fully inter into
possession of our estate. We are assured that "our Kingdom
is within us." If this be true, then it is certain
that the King or the "Master" of the estate reigns there.
It is the Master's realm, and His throne is there. The one Spirit,
of which our Consciousness is a part, reigns forever and
permeates all matter. We are, or may become, part of the
Great Entirety. Therefore, the wide earth may be in our grasp
as may be the heavens above us. It is our heritage; but, we must
earn it and have the strength to take it. We are (every one is)
born to success, the lawful heirs as part of the "whole."
There is nothing at fault with the title or the legacy, but we
must be able to prove our claim, for the "Judge upon
the throne" who applies the Law can neither be bought nor
be misled. None can take our portion from us, but we may lose
it by lacking the proof of our worthiness. The proof - by your
fruits you shall be known.
|Top|
The object of our search, study, care and direction is the individual person, his capabilities and obligations. The "machine" that we must learn to "operate" carefully and with skill, if we desire it to function properly, is the physical and mental creature that is inclined to evade all Laws: natural, material and Spiritual. Time and again we are impressed with the self-evident truth that "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." It is "like a house built on sand," and unless fortified under the Law, it cannot stand. It is a most difficult task to attune the dual elements into harmony unless there is an intense desire and a willingness to obey the operating Law.
It is only by the intense ever-present desire and the illimitable ability of the Spirit that the flesh can be brought into willingness to obey the behest to KNOW, to DARE, to DO and to KEEP SILENT while the Spirit directs that which is to be accomplished.
Until we centralize our entire attention in conjunction
with willing obedience to the Law as an instrument to awaken
the Soul, we will always be decidedly at a disadvantage. An uncontrolled
mentality, uncertain of its objection, is much like a balky horse
whose driver can never be certain of obedience. In every instance
relating to the mutual concern of the body and Soul, the Spiritual
self in conjunction with reason must be acknowledged as a positive
director and dictator.
|Top|
By bringing the lower, the carnal, the mortal self to obedience rather than mere subjection, we know that within reach there is a table bountifully laden with all the good things the earth can produce; and we are fully aware that unless we reach forth our hand to help ourselves. Thus, truly it is said that "the Lord will help those who help themselves." All things being prepared, we must voluntarily, consciously and willingly fulfill our part in the Divine drama and, thus, assure ourselves of our physical and mental requirements.
The one axiom as unchangeable as the law of the Medes and the Persians - as essential to success as is the earth for the domiciling of the race and the accumulation of things material - is the persistent projection of Will with a set purpose and the conjoint effort to obtain that which we desire.
The force insuring the accomplishment of any definite purpose is universal energy. Knowing this to be true, our entire existence is to be aligned with this universal force that it may be directed by our deliberately made efforts, just as we would control and operate a powerful but highly complicated machine. In this manner we energize action with a part of the universal or Divine energy which is generally known as a magnetic, vital, life-giving force - the UNIVERSAL power.
Once set into motion, this universal force works constantly along the avenue in which it is directed. It may be a day, a month or years before the necessary dissolution and readjustment of the old material, the old self, will give place to the formative, inspiring conditions required for the new structure.
During the entire process of reconstruction, the Great
Work is carried forward by desire and effort. Moment by moment
the old is forced to give way to the new. The ultimate result,
the perfection and the means of attainment are all a part of the
new life, the new being, material manifestation.
|Top|
Success is not an accumulation of money, the winning of fame, nor yet the development of power; all these are desirable and advantageous. But success is the settled conviction of the Spirit, the Soul within, of the inability of mundane conditions to resist the silently expressed desire which the Higher Self directs.
Man declares: "I am a success!" And every single declaration, in proportion to the intensity of the vibrations set in motion by the Will and the efforts made, will bring him nearer to the end of achievement. Success is at once the cause and the result of itself. We make or mar it for ourselves. Not only can we obtain assistance from others by means of exchange; but by the same unalterable Law, we are compelled to be of service to others in the proportion we requested and received help. The Law is mutual exchange; yet, strange as it may appear, we lose nothing by it, but gain as we give. This Law was quickly recognized by the early man and he established the system of tithing to compensate.
There is a simple illustration of this. The man who has become successful in a financial way is dubbed a capitalist. He seeks investments whereby he may increase and perpetuate both his capital and his power. He decides to bring fuel oil into a vast, outlying district not heretofore served. He must purchase the right of way, he must buy an immense amount of material, and he must connect the pipelines with the source of supplies. All this commands an immense outlay of money. It is a huge risk, but in this respect it concerns only himself.
In order to accomplish his desire so that he may reap the benefits, he must employ many men to do the labor, giving them an adequate income which will make life easier for them and their families; and, when this project is completed, it will supply many homes with less expensive fuel. The benefits to the mass of the one man's desire to make a profit are unaccountable; and despite the fact that his idea was primarily a personal one, nevertheless, he has accomplished an immense amount of good and will continue to do so. But this is not the end; the fact that such a man has amassed a fortune demands of him that he subscribe to many WORTHY public charities and through these channels more good is achieved which otherwise might have been neglected.
If this man had reached the conclusion that he had accumulated
sufficient money and property for his immediate family and that
further efforts might jeopardize his present security, many workers
would have been made idle. Instead, he engaged in other business
ventures which fortunately gave work for many more workers. Although
this yielded him further profit, this was in no sense evil or
dishonest, but of benefit to all concerned. HE HAD COMPLIED WITH
THE LAW OF COMPENSATION AND EXCHANGE. It is only when selfishness
is the base of a man's activities - when he deprives others, degrades
and exploits them, or takes rights and privileges from them -
that it is evil and destructive. Time and again in these latter
days the benefit of one becomes the welfare of many, and thus
the good of one is simply expressed as, "One for all and
all for one."
|Top|
Are we in need of special help along some particular line? Do we wish to free ourselves from the destructive, enervating, paralyzing sense of fear which dominates our thoughts, feelings and desires? If so, then by every possible known means we must train the mind to look high above the entanglements of the material conditions and see the radiant glory and brightness of the Ideal - the 'Star' ahead. We must hold the gaze steadily upon the thought-ideal which is to be brought into manifestation, we must realize with all our heart that the probabilities and possibilities exist, and set about the realization of them. We must never be laggard in accepting the ever-present invitation of the Divine Law: `Come, for all things are now made ready.'"
The Master Teacher said: "Whatsoever ye ask, believing, ye shall receive." Many ask, but in their heart of hearts there is not the slightest faith that it shall be so, nor is there sufficient faith to induce them to make the necessary effort to obtain that which they seek. It is an inert request, coming forth from the mouth, induced by a selfish desire. Then there is that other injunction; or shall we call it a promise? "All things are possible to him that believeth." This is a Law of the Soul known and taught by all the Initiates, and might it not be well to call attention to the fact that great and almost unbelievable as have been the teachings of the Occult Initiates, everything they have taught or now teach, improbable as it may appear, is covered by this: All things are possible to him that believeth." Adding the potent declaration: "And liveth as he believeth."
It is the unquestionable conscious belief in himself
which enables the financier to manipulate the market or stock
exchange successfully. "Unto him that hath, it shall be given"
was the inculcation of the meekest of all men. Why? Because the
possessions in hand or under one's control give man reason and
cause to believe he will be able to gain more. This gives him
faith and confidence in his own ability. It illustrates the phrase:
"Nothing succeeds like success, assures success much more
readily than an empty purse and a hopeless outlook. The latter
offers nothing; therefore, for want of an incentive and encouragement,
the possessor constantly expects still less, or complete failure,
even if he does make a weak attempt. His fears unconsciously draw
to him less instead of more, and we see illustrated another axiom:
"The thing that I feared has come upon me." Though it
would be more truthful to say: "My fears have caused good
fortune to flee from me."
|Top|
The doubters - and they are multitudinous - will naturally
question that if man is unsuccessful, how can he believe in his
own capability to succeed? It is simple. There IS a Law of mental
ability which provides that if a proposition or a desire is repeatedly
mentioned or thought of, gradually, imperceptibly, unconsciously
and finally - even though it is thoroughly doubted at first -
it will in the end be accepted by the latent consciousness
within as true. This is an Occult Law and underlies the certainty
that he who tries again and again, however great the many failures
and obstacles he encounters, will ultimately succeed, irrespective
of the seeming impossibility of that which he proposed to accomplish.
Thus are "miracles" wrought. The more readily man accepts
this LAW as a truth, even against all the odds of environments
and the bondage of circumstances, the sooner he will be able to
taste the first fruits of achievement. Such acceptance and application
of the LAW will reveal the hidden impression opening the doors
to success.
We must even refuse to permit fear or harbor the thought of the
possibility of failure to reach either the mind or the Spiritual
self. Such an impression must be considered as a mortal enemy
to be eliminated at all cost. We must become conscious of the
feeling, even though it is only an impression at first, that we
are gaining, yea, winning in the battle against failure by envisioning
the end in view; this will become an active incentive toward the
final accomplishment.
We must be positive at all times that we are becoming what we desire to become; gradually, deep in our hearts, believe in the certainty of success. Then, faith will spring forth and grow. Faith will blossom into assurance, and assurance is the incentive to induce the necessary effort for achievement. To repeat: At all times while seeking success, think and live exactly as though success was already a fact and proceed accordingly. Thus, we reason and plan, and the vibrations sent forth will be such as to direct us toward success.
In the attainment of any goal, there is work for the Spiritual
self; it must feel, aspire to and reach forth for
that which it desires. It must contact the Æheric
spheres of the world, by feeling, and the Will,
wherein all things are created by our own thought-desire, long
before the slightest shadow of exterior manifestation becomes
apparent.
|Top|
There is an equitable Law as part of the science of human life, teaching that the joyous expectancy of the fulfillment of desire is actually greater than realization itself. Recognition of our inherent power of attraction, though possibly as yet dormant, is the basis of this Law. With this in mind we have the reason why the man who keeps faithfully the Ten Commandments may fail to win in the game of life; while the man without principle succeeds in amassing a fortune and gains recognition. The latter has become part of the Law of being, as important in its essence as the whole ten other Laws; whereas the one who keeps the Ten Commandments may have ignored that most esoteric Law of all Laws - the command to believe, to make effort accordingly, and to receive a complete fulfillment of the Law not merely a part.
Not only are we human magnets, but we are composed of an aggregation of forceful, life-centering atoms; every one of which is a magnet. Each atom is a center of life and force, pulsating toward a polarization such as every individual may build up for himself.
Vitalized energy is expressed by its own mental activity. Every function of the physical body may be thus vitalized in order that at the command of the ego or alter-self, it may express itself as a creator and manifestor. It has been shown that brain substance is found in the finger tips of the blind. Why should it be found there and nowhere else in the body, except at its commanding center - the mind? The brain substance accumulated in the finger tips of the blind is resultant of constant and effortful concentration, frequently subconscious, at that point of the body to replace - substitute - the lack of it in its proper location.
That which men call "God" is a concentration and
manifestation of all things, because concentration is centralization;
and centralization absorbs everything unto itself, and forces
and compels it to unite with itself. The first atom of brain matter
must then have been a manifestation resulting from centralization,
hence, a part or an essence from God. Why not diffuse such essence
in all parts or functions of the body? Thus, each would become
an independent and conscious unit, co-operating for the food of
the entirety.(5)
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(5) This is the ideal for governments. The effort must be toward
making every citizen a self-governing unit, all units working
in harmony with each other. Every unit must observe the Law, as
must the central, directing body. CENTRALIZATION MUST BE IN THE
INDIVIDUALIZED UNIT, all units working toward a central unit.
Thus, ultimately - not by edict or force - but by individual effort
will the least develop themselves and their consciousness to the
same degree as the greatest; and men will automatically become
possessed of the same equal rights because they have earnestly
earned such rights for themselves.
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Recognition of supreme life force or energy through all
parts of the whole is the basic philosophical thought for success
in all affairs: health, love, harmony, continued youthfulness
and Immortality of the Soul.
|Top|
It is not years which cause time to form the wrinkles upon the brow, the decrepit contour of the body, nor the decadence of any of the senses; it is the diffusion and lack of conservation of the life-carrying fluidic essences, called by one of the prophets, "The new wine that is found in the cluster." It is the waste of life or vital, virile forces which impresses the signature of age upon the body; draws the shades of death about the most beautiful of God's creations; and finally drops the curtain of shadows, diaphanous though it may be between the mortal self and Immortal sphere. The waste which clogs and decays the mortal system comes through self-indulgences of every kind: anger, lust, dissipation, over-indulgences and ignorance of the Law which would conserve our forces. This Law that holds within itself the function of teaching us Wisdom, giving us knowledge at the correct moment to act and to close the door of the Secret Chamber wherein is centered the most precious of all gifts - the Soul's Consciousness of God or the eternal verities.
This can and must be attained through the mental attitude and recognition of the needs of both body and Spiritual Self. The body must be made the perfect symbol of the Soul's outer expression, and manifest the mental and the inner Spiritual development.
Love, as the result of the transmutation of the degrading
passions - which hold almost all men in their iron grip - to constructive
emotions is the supreme Law in development. It is the ideal foundation
upon which must be built our mansions of success. The subtle demonstration
of this Law is through the union of the masculine (positive force)
and the feminine (affection, feeling) principles in united expression.
Such a union is the focus of all creative energy whose exoteric
action and ultimate is success. It is individualized vitality
by which is generated and, then expressed by the closeness or
oneness with the "I am to be" principle of existence.
Through its potentialities, REgeneration has its beginning. By
the recognition of one force as important as another, through
and by conscious efforts toward centralization, is the ultimate
attained - whatever it be.
|Top|
These various considerations make it apparent that the centering of creative forces - the principles present in all normal human beings that must manifest in unity - is for a far higher purpose than physical creation or passion's indulgence. In the unfoldment of this function is the germ cell, the cornerstone, the foundation principle, upon which must be built the "Four-Square City" the "Royal Square," the Temple of the indwelling Living God. In this manner we lift the floodgates linking us to the universal supply. The Waters of Life, and all the intricate machinery of being, from atom to organ, quiver and thrill at the impact; transmutation becomes continuous and establishes equilibrium.
In the search for the "soul" of all things there must be no barrier to the individual Soul when once it has found its Center. Each step brings it into a higher perception of life; the mystery of life becomes unveiled; Wisdom is the Book whose leaves are turned for the reading. The Soul of man has already accomplished much of its mission toward the completion of its own symbology; but there are yet many steps to be taken in rounding out the human mold to a perfect symmetry.
The man, who nature has fortunately endowed with a body fit for the residence of a god, who expresses the masculine qualities to a superlative degree, is one who should cultivate the passive graces, found in the various degrees of affection, until his individuality is crowned with the graciousness of the ideal feminine; while the timid guileless woman must add to her own innate chastity, the masterful quality of the masculine positiveness to a sufficient degree, and express all the attributes of a perfect incarnation. |Top|
It must be constantly held before the mental vision, through which the ideal is formed, that by conservation, perception and correct use, the life forces are lifted up; and all that has been transmuted is fused into the Ineffable Light - the legendary Golden Fleece. This has been the quest of the ages. The acme of all effort depends upon the perfect understanding that creative ability and energy exist in every atom of existent life, and that sublimation is the aim and the end.
Manifestation is dual. The duality is masculine and feminine - active and passive, positive and negative. One can not exist without the other because of the attracting unity - the law of action and reaction, i.e., harmony in obedience to the command; "Let there be."
Life is more or less a constant change and should be progressive; failures are regarded as a part of life and result from ignorance. So-called failures should be considered as lessons learned; forgotten by magnifying each success. Look for and believe in victory; the awakening and unfolding Soul will do the rest. Forget small annoyances by visioning greater opportunities. In summing up these activities, we find that our investment in faith has paid large dividends.
In all the affairs of life - while taking the morning vitality bath, preparing for breakfast, walking for the car, walking from place to place, going to lunch, keeping engagements - at all times have in mind the thought: "I am doing these things because they advance my progress, and now I am becoming more and more conscious of my alliance with the Divine Law - and God's manifestations."
Convince yourself that all is well and that everything is as it should be for your best interests. Smile and the world smiles with you. Your countenance will shine forth; your personality will become pleasing. There will be a new light in your eyes and more buoyancy in your walk. Others will begin to notice the change and will be attracted to you. New opportunities will open up and help you to succeed. The Spirit within you will show forth. In this manner half of your work will be accomplished.
It is through obedience to the Law that we are inabled
to "commune with the angels" in Biblical parlance or,
speaking Arcanely, with the Hierachies. The ministration of the
"Hosts of Paradise" will begin as soon as the lower
self is relegated to its proper position - in the background -
where it no longer has power to keep the good things of life away
from us.
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From the Father's house the normal requirements will be supplied according to the daily needs. The supply will never be lacking except as the result of nonrecognition of the inherent (God-given) power within us, and lack of proper efforts. However numerous and accumulative our sorrows and so-called mishaps may be, if we become conscious, as we will, of the oneness with the source of all that has been, is or shall be, we may always win the battle and come into our own. Let us build by our faith and efforts a foundation made of such substance as cannot be submerged by any force. Let it be upheld by the Eternal Law, which is incapable of harming or destroying anything.
When once we know what is the "Kingdom of God" and come into our own through our efforts, we will know how to create success without degrading ourselves or harming others in the conflict. Having the faith to work and wait, we will become fully awake to the fact that man can neither give to nor withhold from us except as we permit it. Success in life, the basis of all worth-while accomplishment, is not a matter of luck or chance, but may be due to Karmic reaction. It is a matter of proper preparation and equipment for the race and the end to be attained; the goal toward which every energy of mind and body must be directed; and it should be one which Nature has fitted the Aspirant to achieve. Steadfastness of purpose is admittedly an indispensable quality because the Law of Success is concentration - centralization of desire and effort.
It is necessary to bend all the energies to one point and
to proceed without looking to the right or left. The range
of knowledge has increased so enormously that, except in rare
instances, the brain of one man cannot master more than one subject.
The man who would succeed in the world must single out the line
of activity which he designs to make his specialty and into it
direct all the energy of his nature. Broad culture and many-sidedness
are beautiful ideas in theory; but it is the men of single vision
and intense purpose(6) who steel their Souls against every desire
that interferes with their chosen one, and who accomplish the
difficult problems of the world, and who are everywhere in demand
when the need is greatest.
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(6) This has in mind some special vocation: law, medicine, business
and inventions. Besides the vocation, one should have an avocation:
music, art, literature - especially Spiritual subjects.
Here again we see the operation of duality. The vocation is one's
business; the avocation can be recreational, innocent pleasure
or fulfilling one's Spiritual needs.
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Everyone choosing a career should carefully study his own nature, and know his own strong points of character as well as his weaknesses; hence, the ancient command: Man, know thyself. If there is an outstanding talent, then the direction will be noticeably indicated which he should follow, success being more certain by entering the field of activity where his special talent may be made available and applicable.
The successful man in any calling is the one who can truly
say, "I am master of at least one thing." With the exception
of a few master minds, the men whose names have been handed down
to us by historians are those whose lives were devoted to some
single(7) great achievement, and who gave their every
effort to the accomplishment of what they conceived as their
ideal.
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(7) A single purpose may be many-sided, as for instance, inventions.
The great musician is not satisfied with composing many masterpieces
but also conducts and instructs music; all music is his goal,
and art is his guiding star. So it is along the whole line of
achievements.
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It was Charles Dickens who said: "What I have tried to do
in my life, I have tried with all my heart to do well. What I
have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself to completely. I
never put my hand to anything on which I would not throw my whole
self [mind, body and Soul], and never to affect depreciation of
my work, whatever it was, I find now to have been the golden rule."
Whether or not your life will be successful is a
question which must be answered by yourself alone. No one can
do it for you; it cannot be done by proxy. A positive desire to
succeed is the first requisite, and if that is strong enough,
all opposing barriers will give way before it. Strong determination
and perseverance will lead you to the goal of success and prosperity.
The real difference between men, the weak and the powerful,
the great and the mediocre, is properly directed by an invincible
determination. A purpose once fixed is death or victory. This
quality in man will enable him to do anything he wants to do in
this world; and neither talent nor circumstances nor opportunity
can make a life successful without it.
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The rules of conduct which will bring success are those which embrace the dictates of the conscience - the God-consciousness within us - and it is far better to lose an apparent advantage than win it by doubtful methods. The obedience given to the voice of conscience will not ultimately require the sacrifice of any real advantage. On the contrary, it will develop a trait of character that is of the greatest aid in achieving lasting success. Disappointments and difficulties will be encountered and must be overcome by effort and determination to win. In overcoming, strength will be gained that will enable one to achieve victory in still greater conflicts.
The list of men who have overcome what appeared to others to be insurmountable obstacles is a long one and includes practically all of the Immortals. Difficulties may intimidate the weak, but they only act as a wholesome stimulus to men of vision and resolution. All experiences of life serve to prove that the impediments thrown in the way of success may be overcome by activity, concentration and perseverance and, above all, by a determined resolution to surmount difficulties and stand up manfully against seeming misfortune; which, in fact, MAY OPEN NEW AVENUES OF OPPORTUNITY.
There are many who in their eager desire for success belittle the difficulties in the way; there are as many who see nothing else. Those who are in the first classification sometimes fail, but those in the latter rarely succeed.
Success is not possible without labor - mental and physical effort in some form; it is the law of our being, for it is written: "By the sweat of thy brow shalt thou live." Labor is not only necessary but it also should be a pleasure. It is by the active application of the powers and forces given us by Nature that we find happiness, peace and the perfection of our character.
More and more we hear the murmur and complaint of an ever-increasing
number against the necessity of labor under which we live,
without reflecting on their part that obedience to it is not
only in conformity with the Divine Will but likewise necessary
for the development of the muman and God intelligence within us,
as well as for the thorough enjoyment of our inherent nature.
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Of all wretchedness, idleness is the worst. Those whose lives are barren of utility, who have nothing to do except to gratify their carnal senses, who become embittered because of their selfish self-consciousness and who though too inert to work and accumulate for themselves envy all who do. The lot of the idler and of those only partly employed is not to be envied, for idleness means the loss of or refusal to accept opportunity and therefore, the decadence of all the inherent, God-given capabilities.
It is the workers, those who never count hours, whether rich or poor, who have given the world all that is enjoyable today. To the men who have chosen to work from choice; to all those who have thrown all their heart into their work and have loved work for its own sake, we owe all of the great achievements which have made it possible in this century for everyone to enjoy more of the comforts and luxuries of life than a king could demand a short century ago.
The men who succeed know what they want to do and apply the power of Will and concentration. They know how to avoid obstacles in their path or how to remove them. They know that he who infringes on the rights of others builds barriers which will surely prevent him from attaining his end because he defies the Divine Law which governs success. It is possible to win success, honor, laurels and everything worthwhile without wronging one human Soul, and no success which is secured at the expense of others can be lasting.
The basis of "heaven" on earth, i.e., the state of peace and happiness, is actually found in contentment; and contentment is possible only when one is happy in whatever he is achieving. His vocation must be of his own choosing and he must be willing to make every necessary effort, even sacrificing when it is essential to his plan, enabling him to enter and labor in his chosen field. For example: The poor young man whose ideal concept for his life's work is to become a physician, fully aware that it will demand possibly ten years of his life; a steady grind from early morning until late at night; seven days a week; no time for social affairs and vacations, not even for his family; yet anxious each morning to get back to his studies.
To the vast majority this has little meaning; it is so much jargon. They do not "love" anything sufficiently to be ready and willing to make these sacrifices. Real success in life or Spiritual Consciousness - Occult Mastership - is not possible to them. They will remain part of the mass and continue to follow the crowd. The Hermetic philosophy means nothing to them.
We speak of peace, i.e., contentment. The young man
who visions himself a physician - is willing to put aside all
else, make the necessary effort, sacrifice whatever is necessary
- because of or due to his VISION THINKS OF NOTHING ELSE BUT THE
GOAL IN VIEW. THERE CAN BE NO DEEPER PEACE, NO GREATER CONTENTMENT
THAN IS FOUND IN DOING WHAT ONE "LOVES" TO DO. This
is the exemplification of the Hermetic Law; it is the inner and
it is the outer - IT IS THE ULTIMATE. It is the Path to the
utmost in material success. It is the Path to Spiritual
attainment.
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Become conscious of the eternal truth and governing Law that your success, in your chosen field of endeavor, depends entirely on yourself. That it is actually possible and NOT difficult to make your day a little "heaven" if you so "love" the effort you are making in an adventure to which you look forward to each morning. You can be so deeply engrossed in it that you forget to "watch the clock" and become unconscious of the hour of the day. Pattern your life's efforts after that of an Edison, a Steinmetz, a Burbank, a Bell or a Wright who were so deeply interested in what they were engaged that they often forget to eat. Difficult? Not at all, if your mind is centered on what you are engaged in accomplishing.
Remember the Hermetic Law:
"As in the Inner, so in the outer."
This is WITHIN ourselves manifesting in the outer, both in the physical and in the Spiritual. Again bearing in mind the Hermetic Law, where was there ever a lover who was not conscious of the within of himself - of his loved one, expressing both the inner and the outer? In an avocation, the avocation MUST become the thing "loved" if there is to be true success. The ARCANE philosophy has in mind only those who are sincere in their desire to achieve success in their chosen field and are ready, willing, constantly anxious to achieve in it.
By far the best training for ultimate success is to be found in the experience born of successive failures; no failure is final which does not break the Spirit and turn the desires away from the goal. Failure in one instance should merely serve to be a warning in the future how to avoid the mistakes which led to it and serve as a guide to future efforts. There is no failure for him who never despairs and is ever ready to try again with greater determination than ever before. Not until a man knows by experience the strength of the opposition, which he must overcome, will he be able to muster his own forces and lay his plans in such a way that he will finally win.
Why be content to bow the head and meekly acknowledge that your environment is impossible for you to overcome? Why spend day after dry, year after year, in complaining of your hard lot? Why not learn to "stand up" as all honest men should? The discontented man is ever an easy prey to ill health and vicious influences. Stand up and resolve to win your rightful place in life and realize your own conception of what life should be here and now. Cease your inertia and stop cringing like a slave; resolve to conquer, and you will become the conqueror.
The physical man must ever be the foundation upon which
to build and develop the "full" man, and as his outlook
changes and Will Power develops, he will gain the knowledge to
discriminate and choose wisely. Not until we recognize that man,
though positive by nature, has an emotional and affectionate nature,
do we hold the key to his fourfold development. Man needs something
more than food for the physical being and emotion for the intellectual
nature. Deep in his heart, he has a ceaseless craving to love
and to be loved; he needs an outlet for his affection, otherwise
he is not actually human. When he is making effort for attainment,
that which the Soul alone can feel and understand, he will
be certain to put forth his best efforts. The Secret Schools base
their philosophy and training on the requirements of the threefold
nature of man: body, mind and Soul; and seek to develop all three
natures harmoniously. The Spirit is always ready for its
influx but cannot enter unless the "Temple" is prepared.
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