In order to fully comprehend the good it will be necessary to further digress from the high pattern of attainment and take one last look at the evils, that they might be forever left behind. It is necessary to take this quick, penetrating look into the weaknesses of man's little mortal "self" in order to know fully the road of overcoming so that each individual might comprehend what it is he must overcome in order to complete the journey into the Light and be able to abide in that highest vibration -- even heaven.
He who can become the least will be given power to become the greatest. To become the least one must give himself over completely to the will of God. In such complete surrender nothing but God's will matters to the individual. His love soars on wings of glory to embrace the very stars. He is no longer concerned with his own personal life. It no longer matters to him whether he lives or dies, endures trials and vicissitudes, or lies down in green pastures. He loses his life that he might find the greater life -- of service. With his eyes wholly single to the glory of God he becomes filled with the divine vision of perfection. And henceforth he beholds only perfection, even as God holds that supreme vision always before Him.
It is by vision that all things come forth. The power of vision, or the power to imagine (image in) is the power of creation. And it is by pure, high vision that all evils can be overcome, or transformed into blessings.
It is only by deep love and praising devotion that one can blend his own life so perfectly with the mind and will of God that he becomes the expressor of the "Greatest".
This condition may sound impossible, even undesirable to those who are still lost in the cravings of the flesh and who love the little mortal "self" with its dwarfed, selfish traits, its prides and personal lusts and desires. But to him who has lifted his vision to the heights, where his eyes become single to the glory of God, it is the great achievement that fulfills all things. It is the supreme accomplishment, the sublime attainment. It is the point of power.
With this power, which one receives through the inner conquest of the "self" and the deadly "I disease", one becomes a master of himself, his surroundings and all conditions connected with his life.
It is this little mortal "self" with its sin (of separation from God) that must be comprehended. This little ego-filled "self" is the block to the way of glory and full accomplishment. It is the little mortal "self" that stirs up all discords and keeps one out of tune with the great healing, restoring, perfecting symphony of the Universe, or with the outflowing glory of the Spirit of God and Its love.
In many ancient religions and in numerous modern ones, this "self" has been understood to be "the great retarder". Various methods have been instigated and used to overcome it. The Buddha used the method of fasting and begging. The yogis of India still do. But some of the yogis are completely defeated by their own method, for as they let go of all earthly claims and possessions and become separated from the multitude they take pride in their exalted achievement. The title "holy men" becomes their stumbling block, for as they are filled with pride and satisfaction at being exalted above their fellowmen they become self-righteous. Their beggarship becomes a source of pride and though they assumed it for the sake of righteousness it becomes only the outward show of empty vainglory. It is no longer righteousness but only its ugly shadow -- self-righteousness.
Anything which causes a man to take pride in the little mortal "self" is self-righteous and is empty and barren of all good. In the beginning of his endeavor, one could give all that he possessed to the poor and his body to be burned and yet, without the great Christ-like, selfless love, it would be vain and worthless. Any service to God that is lifted in pride to the exaltation of that little mortal, personal "self" is unacceptable. And so it is always this little "self" which blocks a man's way, unless it is overcome. No man is truly humble who exults in his position or his works or his own lofty seat upon the church pinnacle. No matter what his works are, as long as he is doing them to be seen of men and takes pride in the "self" or in his works, he is flaunting only the shabby, defiled garments of self-righteousness. He is only filling the seat of a Pharisee who loves his long robe and the greetings in public places and the highest seat of honor at every feast.
From the point where self-righteousness takes over all righteousness is lost. Righteousness is the ability to put God and His laws and will as the primal reality behind every act, even every thought. Self-righteousness is the continual effort to exalt the little mortal "self", to reveal its imagined importance and flaunt its mediocre works and achievements. Self-righteousness is more concerned with exalting the little personal "self" than it is with exalting and glorifying God.
It is not just among those who may consider themselves specially anointed ones that this great deception is permitted to destroy one's endeavors. It is waiting at almost every turn of the road of man's upward climb and will deceive even the very elect if they are not humble. It is humility and love which make an individual "elect". Self-righteousness and humility are incompatible. Self-righteousness and righteousness are utter strangers, enemies to each other with nothing in common. It is impossible for them to exist together. And many a proud man who thinks he is most righteous is only deceiving himself, or is permitting himself to be deceived as he serves only the forces of darkness in his unrecognized self-righteousness. Any service that is rendered without perfect love and pure humility, with eyes single to the glory of God, is rendered to the "self" instead of to God. And any individual who renders this proud self-service is no longer traveling upward, as he supposes, but downward into the darkness.
Self-righteousness is deadly in its complete destructiveness of power, and there is a little of it in almost every man. It is that "little" that can complete the downfall of those who would attain unto the heights unless it is comprehended and replaced by true humility and the pure, love-filled devotion.
Jesus said, "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him and passed by on the other side." The priest was on his way to the temple to fill an important place in a very high service to God. The Levite was on his way to burn incense to the Lord. Each in his pride believed himself to be the most chosen and righteous among men and theirs was only self-righteousness and they knew it not. The greatest service to God may sometimes be rendered by relinquishing an opportunity to serve in some outward capacity, to be seen of men.
There are millions of instances in modern times that are as vain and filled with self-righteousness as were the works of the Priest and the Levite.
True righteousness is the right use and comprehension of the powers and laws of God's Kingdom. Righteousness is an inclusive understanding and a humble devotion to His divine, higher laws. God's powers can never be used except in selfless, loving devotion and deep humility.
Neither can God's power be used in arrogance, nor in domineering bigotry of flaunted authority. Nor can the powers of God ever be used for self-satisfaction, nor for the glorification of the individual using them. The laws of righteousness are most holy and infinitely pure. No impure person can hold them in his hands, for he must first be purified and cleansed from all sin. He who takes hold of the eternal powers of God and then seeks to use them to exalt himself or to demonstrate the power of his position and importance will fail -- or fall. Anyone who uses the tiniest iota of God's power in pride and arrogance will find that he has laid his hand upon the razor's edge. And that razor's edge is the pruning knife of the Father. That knife will cut away all dead and lifeless twigs and branches and all inferior traits. This pruning process, as the knife is held in the hand of the "Husbandman", is painful and very humiliating. It is always the most humiliating experience possible to endure unless the individual, knowingly and with humble understanding, begins of himself to bring that strident, pompous, little mortal "self" into subjection. When an individual sets his own hand to such a task it becomes a work of glory and a magnificent achievement.
Everything that is wasted, lifeless, fruitless and barren of productivity is centered in the little ego "self", with its distorted ideas of importance and its worthless traits.
Those who will not accept God's divine pruning or submit themselves to disciplinary training will find that they can never become disciples of Light. A disciple is one who begins to discipline himself. Those who discipline themselves do not need the humiliating, painful trimming of the Father's knife. Those who begin to eliminate their own weaknesses and traits that are selfish and evil will find instead of the pruning knife the loving hand of the Father extended in solicitous understanding. To those who fail to discipline themselves, or those who rigidly set themselves against the pruning knife of the Father, "the road of Holiness" will be forever closed. At least it will be impossible for them to cross over it until in time the complete humiliation of their bigotry and failures crumbles the little false idol of themselves into dust. If one is willing to permit this little ego-filled "self" to be thus humbled in shame, even though he has failed to accomplish the "righteousness" through self-discipline, it will still be possible for him to be reclaimed and redeemed, though his transgressions were the usurpation of the very powers of God.
Any individual who mentally or verbally condemns or judges another is doing so in the pride of his own "self-righteousness." Only proud self-righteousness ever places itself upon the judgment seat. And the law is, that: "As a man judges, so shall he be judged." Such a one is only proving himself to be empty of love and compassion. He is revealing his own self-righteousness as he places himself in a category of unworthiness, becoming an accuser. Only the little mortal "self", completely deceived and lost in arrogance and self-righteousness, could or would condemn his brother. If his love is great he would not even behold his faults. The truly righteous man sees only through the eyes of love -- and in his love his brother can be healed. It is true, "That when one's mind and lips have lost the power to hurt and wound his voice will be heard among the Gods."
Self-righteousness is only one of the phases and expressions of the ugly, little, mortal, ego-inflated "self". Now, we must view it from another angle in order to comprehend its evils in their fullness.
One of those other aspects is self-pity. Self-pity is the point one reaches in the twilight of his soul when he opens wide the gates of darkness and bids the deep night enter and submerge the light. And throughout his dark night, which sometimes never ends, he gives himself over to almost unbearable anguish as he becomes entangled in the debasing vibrations of despair which have the power to strangle all hope of joy, progress and happiness. His strength is sapped and his vision blurred as his very will to fight is drained away.
It is in such deep distress of enfolding gloom that lives become warped, souls destroyed and minds shattered. It was to such as these to whom God issued these words: "Gird up now thy loins like a man --". As one girds up his loins he is prepared to fight an honorable fight against such repulsive darkness, no matter what its cause or how great it is. And in such determination, he will be given power to triumph and to overcome. It is only when one gives up and weakly wallows in the depths of self-pity that it is possible for him to be overwhelmed by it. Any individual who will put up even the slightest battle against such evil will emerge the victor. It will flee at even a strong glance, a spoken word of command, a keen, comprehending look or the tiniest manifestation of demonstrated courage. It is a coward and always hits below the belt in its own cowardly way. Yet it will always flee before any definite resistance. Its power is contained in man's lack of understanding as he permits it to defile his life.
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Eph. 6:12)
Self-pity is the most dangerous and destructive aspect of the "self". It is the doorway into the "Nether Regions". But be it known that no individual can be enticed or forced into its debasing realms who is not completely willing. Any individual who will put up the least struggle against such vile, repulsive, decadent evil can be the victorious conqueror of it and the darkness it represents. It is only man's great ignorance and lack of understanding that has given the darkness such power. It has been a rejection of the Christ-light, through the same ignorance, that has caused man's failure to comprehend the great issues involved.
It is not deliberate wickedness but only man's complete lack of knowledge that has left him so weak a prey to the forces of such subtle evil. It is only through ignorance that he has permitted himself to be desecrated in so unholy a degree. And it has been a rejection of that divine Light of Christ that has caused the blind ignorance that has engulfed the world.
It is from the vile "Nether Regions" of self-pity that one views every act and condition of life in a distorted, magnified, grotesque, hideous, impossible aspect. It is in this realm that all resentments and hates are injected into the bloodstream of one's being, to penetrate the body and the mind with paralyzing, decadent corrosion, as the soul becomes enslaved and bound. Within the grasp of self-pity are contained the complete powers of each man's destruction if he will not seek to rise above its deep, searing ugliness. Self-pity warps and destroys more lives each year than all the wars and all the accidents in the whole world.
The door of self-pity is always open to every man if he chooses to recognize it, or to enter therein. In fact, one has but to approach it to feel the pull of its power. There is no one on this earth who is not tempted to enter into its deadly, evil precincts to wallow in its repulsiveness at certain moments of life. But it is only those who willingly accept its invitation who are completely deceived by its hidden, subtle, defiling powers as they fly to its embrace upon every minor occasion. These are usually the ones who finally give themselves permanently over to its destroying desolation. There are millions who have become its warped, repulsive victims. It robs men of their manhood and women of their glory. It fills the mental institutions with patients and the slums with their overloads of broken humanity.
Upon every individual who abides for any length of time in the regions of self-pity there are the reeking vibrations of repellence clinging to their very bodies. This subtle vibration begins to assume the dimension of repulsiveness to those who are not also defiled by it. "Misery likes company" for the simple reason that those who wallow in their misery are repellent to the sons and daughters of light.
Few have had the understanding to look into the foul deceptiveness of self-pity with clear vision so that they can behold its desolating powers and its craven defilement. Any individual, no matter how weak or seemingly unimportant or forsaken, who refuses to be enticed into the embrace of self-pity's abhorrence will develop strength to resist and overcome it. No individual on earth can utterly fail or be conquered by circumstances if he will only gird up his loins and fight back. It takes so little effort, when one understands, to overcome this great enemy of Light. It can most easily take hold of those who blur their vision and bind their courage by the use of alcohol. Any weak dissipation oils the skids into those "Nether Regions" of heartbreaking defilement.
Not only self-pity, but even the doorway to it can be so easily destroyed before that divine, loving song of praise and gratitude to God. In praising thanks the very doors to the "Nether Regions" can be conquered and sealed forever. Its stench never permeates or even touches the garments of him who gives glory and loving praise to God.
It is often very shocking to learn that self-pity is not only a repelling factor in one's life but that it also carries a stench with it most offensive to all sensitive people. This is the reason those in the slums are avoided by the rest of humanity. It is not because mankind is judging or even disliking them. Most individuals do not know why a trip into the slums is so depressing. Neither the victims nor the rest of the world comprehend that this aversion to those defiled by self-pity is caused by the reeking vibrations of darkness which ascend from the lowest sewer level of the dark regions through its unholy victims. The vile vibrations actually become embedded in the bodies and in the very garments of those who abide mentally on that level. These vibrations become a permanent reality in all those who permit themselves to willingly remain in their repulsive depths. None can remain there who put up any effort of resistance.
No individual who comprehended its deadly vileness could possibly be enticed into the corrosive defilement of self-pity. Only a lack of understanding has caused the magnificent race of man to become so tragically, inertly blind.
These truths are now revealed that man might become free. These truths are not revealed to judge or condemn any individual. They are written only to enlighten the world as the great love of God is at last being poured out without measure, that the great healing might come. Any individual who will only make the slightest struggle, no matter how weak and erring he has been or may be, will receive help.
Blessed humanity, lost in the darkness that has engulfed the earth through the great ignorance, I implore you to shake off the apathy of the age and join the forces of Light to help redeem a world. Know that all seeming slights, hurts, misfortunes, evils and distresses can be instantly transmuted into infinite power and glory as one turns his back upon that open door of whimpering loathsomeness, which is the retreat of the coward and the weakling. But no man is naturally a weakling or a coward. Each man is noble and divine. It is only the great ignorance that has caused man to be so tragically enslaved by the forces of darkness. Each descent into the depths by any individual has but increased the blindness and the weaknesses.
To him who refuses to be enticed into such craven depths and him who makes even the slightest struggle to resist, there is always given adequate power and strength for his need. "To him who hath shall be given!" To him who has even the slightest desire to overcome will be given strength and courage and all the help required to arise in triumphant conquering glory.
Every dark condition of failure, distress or heartbreak can become a glorified, lighted stepping-stone into the higher realms of achievement to him who selects his road and travels it determinedly.
It never matters what happens to a man. It is only how he reacts that decides the results. It is always in man's reactions, not in his actions, that the greatest testings take place. It is his reactions to outside happenings which decide his failure or develop his strength. The deepest distresses, the greatest set-backs, the most heart-rending conditions have been used from time immemorial as a leverage to superhuman achievement by those who have become great. This is a truth that has existed in all ages and in all lands. It is always upon the ruins of failure that success is born.
The great and the noble were not necessarily endowed with a special title on success. The laws they used belong to the whole human race and to every and any individual included in it who will only fulfill the laws. Success is based upon law. It belongs to him who refuses to accept defeat. The laws of happiness and achievement belong to every human being. These laws have only failed to bring the full glory of victorious rewards to those who have used them amiss, or to exalt themselves at the expense of the rest of mankind. Any individual, group or nation who seeks to exalt himself or itself through the enslavement or the sacrificing of others will be destroyed by the same laws that would have exalted him or it had the laws not been misused.
Within each difficult problem, seeming failure, desolating loss or heart-rending set-back is locked the great, stupendous power for complete, triumphant, progressive achievement.
As through love and devotion, one learns to turn to the Christ Light centered right within himself, he releases the hidden powers of his own soul. These great powers are connected with the very powers of eternity. Within this Christ Light is contained all the beautiful desires, hopes, aspirations and exquisite dreams of longed-for glory and the complete power of fulfillment. Within this holy Light nothing is lacking of all that is good and desirable, permanent and real.
It is in this Light of higher understanding and vision that one is given the ability to overcome. One learns to ride upon the storm --above it -- beyond it, for it cannot touch him.
Within every condition is locked unspeakable power for good, or for ill. It is for man to say which it shall be.
It is always the little mortal "self" that stands in the way of each man's divine, spiritual progress, whether it be operating through self-righteousness, self-pity, self-importance or self-indulgence, which alone can cause him to remain on a par with the animals. Any of the attitudes that concern the pompous "self" are the traits that block one's road to happiness and glorious achievement. These little selfish, deceptive attitudes and traits of the flesh are the enslavers of the race of man. They are also the doorways into the lower regions.
It is only the little, insignificant, mortal "self" that gets its feelings hurt, its pride injured, that retaliates mentally or physically to injuries of any kind, real or imagined. It is only the little "self" that becomes strident, rebellious or filled with discordant, retaliating confusion of hates. It is only the little "self" that is ever betrayed and overwhelmed by the fleshly appetites and lusts. It is the little "self" that slinks away and refuses to face issues in which are contained all the opportunities of progress and powerful growth and fulfillment. It is the little "self" that becomes engulfed in jealousies and malicious dislikes. It is this little "self" that blocks the way to each individual's own divine, glorious destiny. It is this little mortal "self" that contains all the approaches into the realms of hell.
This little mortal "self" is each man's greatest enemy, and "He who can learn to rule it is greater than he who rules a city." This little "self" is the sin. This little "self", with its false ego, its insatiable hunger for attention, its desires to be first and most important, its endless efforts to always try to save face or protect its pride, is that within man which separates him from God. It is this little mortal "self" that has constructed the veil of unbelief. This little mortal "self" is the veil. This little "self", that is nurtured and developed by the five physical senses refuses to believe anything that it has been unworthy to experience, or too spiritually blind to behold. This little "self" has held entombed the Light of Christ as it has sought to exalt itself.
This little "self" is man's consciousness which has been cast out of the presence of God because of transgression, and has been left to wander in a lone and dreary world -- the world of "self". It is this little physical, mortal "self" that has left the light and warmth of the Father's house to pound itself to pieces in the realms of outer darkness.
It is this little "self" that has taken over the rulership of man's being and has caused him to abide in the great outer darkness, lonely and confused, poor, wretched, miserable and blind and naked.
Every intense personal desire which excludes the rest of mankind and is contrary to the laws of unselfish, honest, honorable living is only the loud, clamorous voice of the little mortal "self" seeking to deceive and entangle one's life in its blinded usurpation of power and empty importance.
Christ, when He healed individuals, did not always say, "Go thy way, and seest that thou tell no man." No. Only occasionally did He impart this strict injunction. This command was given only to those who were inclined to brag. There were those, even in the days of Christ, who would have gotten more satisfaction out of telling that they had been singled out for healing by the famous Galilean than in the healing itself.
More great and noble ones have been betrayed by the pride of their acquaintances who have basked in their own self-importance than through personal prejudice or a desire for "thirty pieces of silver." Public attention and acclaim have been more important to many individuals than their integrity. Pride is the great betrayer of trusts and the greater betrayer of friends. And all pride is but the little, mediocre, mortal "self" in true expression.
My own betrayals were always from those who were very near and dear to me. None of them had any particular desire to really injure or destroy me. They only desired to establish their own importance by acclaiming things which were not always true and sometimes revealing facts which they had pledged themselves to hold as sacred. But with this inner understanding it is so easy to say, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
It is when the little mortal "self" leads one into great darkness, wickedness or violence that it must be checked. Conditions have reached the point of such bigoted violence today the very world itself could be destroyed, along with all the pompous pride and prejudices created by man's swaggering, self-encouraged, mortal "self", as each fills his own little niche of exaggerated importance.
It would be hopeless indeed if behind this seeming decadent worthlessness did not lie the jewel of eternal, indestructible glory -- the divine TRUTH.