CULTURE OF COURAGE
Categories: Chapter I - The Twin-VersesBooks: Mastery of Self
The route by which we approach the pinnacle of MASTERY OF SELF now
takes a new turn It is neither that of Business and Financial
achievement, as we studied in the First Division of the course,
nor is it that of Success and Magnetism as was taught in the
Second Division For many students we now come to the real battle-
ground where they must wage the fight for supremacy The final
lessons group under the gen
There is an insidious foe to mastery and freedom, which dooms
millions to self-imposed bondage Most people know it has them in
its grip; countless others do not know what the hidden power is
which holds them from the richer, freer, happier conditions of
life
This foe is FEAR It assumes numerous disguises It appears in
many phases of our daily lives It has done more to wreck careers
and ruin happiness than all the wars of history Hordes of earth
toilers believe themselves beyond its influence--while all the
time it is riding their backs and laughing at them
One reason for this is the common misunderstanding of what fear
really is Most people think of it only as fearing to meet certain
people, or fearing some accident may happen to them or their loved
ones Yet there are fears of the future, fears of one's self,
fears of events, fears of natural phenomena, fears of old age,
fears of poverty And there are still more hidden, stunting fears
developed by the un-religious teachings of blind, bigoted, crafty
Religion
Therefore our higher advance to MASTERY OF SELF is up the steps of
the following lessons, in which the underlying note is the
everlasting declaration, "I AM COURAGE! WHATEVER BETIDES, THE TRUE
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Before long, alas! this body will lie on the earth,
Before long, alas! this body will lie on the earth, despised, without understanding, like a useless log ... Better it would be to swallow a heated iron ball,
Better it would be to swallow a heated iron ball, like flaring fire, than that a bad unrestrained fellow should live on the charity of the land ... Better than sovereignty over the earth, better than going to heaven,
Better than sovereignty over the earth, better than going to heaven, better than lordship over all worlds, is the reward of the first step in holiness The Buddha (The Awakened) ... Beware of bodily anger, and control thy body! Leave
Beware of bodily anger, and control thy body! Leave the sins of the body, and with thy body practise virtue! ... Beware of the anger of the mind, and control thy
Beware of the anger of the mind, and control thy mind! Leave the sins of the mind, and practise virtue with thy mind! ... Beware of the anger of the tongue, and control thy
Beware of the anger of the tongue, and control thy tongue! Leave the sins of the tongue, and practise virtue with thy tongue! ... Bimbisara Raga Becomes A Disciple
And now those five men, Asvagit Vashpa, and the others, having heard that he (Kaundinya) "knew" the law, with humble mien and self-subdued, their hands joined, offered their homage, and looked with reverence in the teacher's face. Tathagata, by wi... Bimbisara Raga Invites The Prince
The royal prince, departing from the court-master (i.e. the Purohita) and the great minister, Saddharma, keeping along the stream, then crossing the Ganges, he took the road towards the Vulture Peak,[99] hidden among the five mountains, standi... But he who has cleansed himself from sin, is well
But he who has cleansed himself from sin, is well grounded in all virtues, and regards also temperance and truth, he is indeed worthy of the yellow dress ... But he who lives a hundred years, vicious and unrestrained,
But he who lives a hundred years, vicious and unrestrained, a life of one day is better if a man is virtuous and reflecting ... But I have heard that he who is skilful in
But I have heard that he who is skilful in managing the life entrusted to him for a time travels on the land without having to shun rhinoceros or tiger, and enters a host without having to avoid buff coat or sharp weapon The rhinoceros finds no place ... But I have three precious things which I prize and
But I have three precious things which I prize and hold fast The first is gentleness; the second is economy; and the third is shrinking from taking precedence of others ... But life is hard to live for a modest man,
But life is hard to live for a modest man, who always looks for what is pure, who is disinterested, quiet, spotless, and intelligent ... But that is not a safe refuge, that is not
But that is not a safe refuge, that is not the best refuge; a man is not delivered from all pains after having gone to that refuge ... But there is a taint worse than all taints,--ignorance is
But there is a taint worse than all taints,--ignorance is the greatest taint O mendicants! throw off that taint, and become taintless! ... But they whose whole watchfulness is always directed to their body,
But they whose whole watchfulness is always directed to their body, who do not follow what ought not to be done, and who steadfastly do what ought to be done, the desires of such watchful and wise people will come to an end ... But those who, when the law has been well preached
But those who, when the law has been well preached to them, follow the law, will pass across the dominion of death, however difficult to overcome ... But, like a beautiful flower, full of colour and full
But, like a beautiful flower, full of colour and full of scent, are the fine and fruitful words of him who acts accordingly ... By earnestness did Maghavan (Indra) rise to the lordship of
By earnestness did Maghavan (Indra) rise to the lordship of the gods People praise earnestness; thoughtlessness is always blamed ... By oneself the evil is done, by oneself one suffers;
By oneself the evil is done, by oneself one suffers; by oneself evil is left undone, by oneself one is purified Purity and impurity belong to oneself, no one can purify another ... By rousing himself, by earnestness, by restraint and control, the wise
By rousing himself, by earnestness, by restraint and control, the wise man may make for himself an island which no flood can overwhelm ... Cleansing The Unclean
Zarathustra asked Ahura Mazda:-- O most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! To whom shall they apply here below, who want to cleanse their body defiled by the dead? Ahura Mazda answered:-- "To a pious man, O Spit... Colour's five hues from th' eyes their sight will take;
Colour's five hues from th' eyes their sight will take; Music's five notes the ears as deaf can make; The flavours five deprive the mouth of taste; The chariot course, and the wild hunting waste Make mad the mind; and objects rare and str... Come, look at this glittering world, like unto a royal
Come, look at this glittering world, like unto a royal chariot; the foolish are immersed in it, but the wise do not touch it ... CONCLUSIONS
Summarizing possible conclusions, we have the following: Physical health is indispensable to physical magnetism; Psychic righteousness (health) is indispensable to psychic magnetism; Psychic magnetism is indispensable to best ph... Constant action overcomes cold; being still overcomes heat Purity and
Constant action overcomes cold; being still overcomes heat Purity and stillness give the correct law to all under heaven ... Contracts And Outrages
"He that does not restore a loan to the man who lent it, steals the thing and robs the man. This he doeth every day, every night, as long as he keep in his house his neighbor's property, as though it were his own." O Maker of the material world... COURAGE ABROAD
And I hold that our life is growing better for the reason that I discover, in all this new adjustment to truth, this expectation and assumption that Good will not withhold itself, and BECAUSE of these things, a new era of courage sweeping the hea... CULTURE OF COURAGE
The route by which we approach the pinnacle of MASTERY OF SELF now takes a new turn It is neither that of Business and Financial achievement, as we studied in the First Division of the course, nor is it that of Success and Magnetism as was taught... Cut down the whole forest (of lust), not a tree
Cut down the whole forest (of lust), not a tree only! Danger comes out of the forest (of lust) When you have cut down both the forest (of lust) and its undergrowth, then, Bhikshus, you will be rid of the forest and free! ... Cut off the five (senses), leave the five, rise above
Cut off the five (senses), leave the five, rise above the five A Bhikshu, who has escaped from the five fetters, he is called Oghatinna, `saved from the flood' ... Cut out the love of self, like an autumn lotus,
Cut out the love of self, like an autumn lotus, with thy hand! Cherish the road of peace Nirvana has been shown by Sugata (Buddha) ... Death carries off a man who is gathering flowers and
Death carries off a man who is gathering flowers and whose mind is distracted, as a flood carries off a sleeping village ... Death comes and carries off that man, praised for his
Death comes and carries off that man, praised for his children and flocks, his mind distracted, as a flood carries off a sleeping village ... Death subdues a man who is gathering flowers, and whose
Death subdues a man who is gathering flowers, and whose mind is distracted, before he is satiated in his pleasures ... Difficult (to obtain) is the conception of men, difficult is
Difficult (to obtain) is the conception of men, difficult is the life of mortals, difficult is the hearing of the True Law, difficult is the birth of the Awakened (the attainment of Buddhahood) ... Discovery Of The Zend-avesta
The "Zend-Avesta" is the sacred book of the Parsis; that is to say, of the few remaining followers of that religion which reigned over Persia at the time when the second successor of Mohammed overthrew the Sassanian dynasty (A.D. 642), and which h... Do not follow the evil law! Do not live on
Do not follow the evil law! Do not live on in thoughtlessness! Do not follow false doctrine! Be not a friend of the world ... Do not have evil-doers for friends, do not have low
Do not have evil-doers for friends, do not have low people for friends: have virtuous people for friends, have for friends the best of men ... Do not speak harshly to anybody; those who are spoken
Do not speak harshly to anybody; those who are spoken to will answer thee in the same way Angry speech is painful, blows for blows will touch thee ... Doing Our Best at All Times
Life is a wondrously complex problem for the individual, until, some day, in a moment of illumination, he awakens to the great realization that he can make it simple,--never quite simple, but always simpler. There are a thousand mysteries of rig... Earnest among the thoughtless, awake among the sleepers, the wise man
Earnest among the thoughtless, awake among the sleepers, the wise man advances like a racer, leaving behind the hack ... Earnestness is the path of immortality (Nirvana), thoughtlessness the path of
Earnestness is the path of immortality (Nirvana), thoughtlessness the path of death Those who are in earnest do not die, those who are thoughtless are as if dead already ... Even a good man sees evil days, as long as
Even a good man sees evil days, as long as his good deed has not ripened; but when his good deed has ripened, then does the good man see happy days ... Even an evil-doer sees happiness as long as his evil
Even an evil-doer sees happiness as long as his evil deed has not ripened; but when his evil deed has ripened, then does the evil-doer see evil ... Even in heavenly pleasures he finds no satisfaction, the disciple who
Even in heavenly pleasures he finds no satisfaction, the disciple who is fully awakened delights only in the destruction of all desires ... Even the gods envy those who are awakened and not
Even the gods envy those who are awakened and not forgetful, who are given to meditation, who are wise, and who delight in the repose of retirement (from the world) ... Even though a Gatha (poem) be a thousand (of words),
Even though a Gatha (poem) be a thousand (of words), but made up of senseless words, one word of a Gatha is better, which if a man hears, he becomes quiet ... Even though a speech be a thousand (of words), but
Even though a speech be a thousand (of words), but made up of senseless words, one word of sense is better, which if a man hears, he becomes quiet ... Every one in the world knows that the soft overcomes
Every one in the world knows that the soft overcomes the hard, and the weak the strong, but no one is able to carry it out in practice ... EXPECTATION IN ADJUSTMENT IS ASSUMPTION
The world no longer merely ASKS for truth; it harmonizes with Nature and Life, and so, APPROPRIATES The World's New Dawn You are invited to make this thought a lifelong affirmation: IN ... Failure as a Success
It ofttimes requires heroic courage to face fruitless effort, to take up the broken strands of a life-work, to look bravely toward the future, and proceed undaunted on our way. But what, to our eyes, may seem hopeless failure is often but the da... FALSE THOUGHT--SELFISHNESS--FEAR
And when fear vanishes, replaced by the WHITE LIFE, selfishness will die as impossible, and thought will no longer be false for the reason that only truth will be possessed If the whole world, then, would but thrust out fear and receive th... Favour and disgrace would seem equally to be feared; honour
Favour and disgrace would seem equally to be feared; honour and great calamity, to be regarded as personal conditions (of the same kind) ... FEAR AND REASON
"In civilized life it has at last become possible for large numbers of people to pass from the cradle to the grave without ever having had a pang of genuine fear Many of us need an attack of mental disease to teach us the meaning of the word"--Wi... FEAR-THOUGHT AND FEAR-FEELING
The INTELLECT coldly reflects What Is: An icy, crystalline lake portraying earth and sky In shadows beautiful as death-- And void of pulse, or warmth, or music of good life This is no Eye with which to view the world! The SOUL reflects ...