“I.”
Do not crawl on your belly like a worm; do not humble yourself in the dust and call upon heaven to witness what a despicable creature you are; do not call yourself a miserable sinner worthy only of eternal damnation. No! a thousand times No! Rise to your feet; raise your head; face the skies; throw back your shoulders; fill your lungs with Nature’s ozone. Then say to yourself: “I AM.”
Man has acquired a wonderful power when he can understandingly say: “I AM a part of the Eternal Life Principle; I AM created in the Divine Image; I AM filled with the Divine Breath of Life; Nothing can hurt ME, for I AM ETERNAL.”
The first requisite for the acquirement of an understanding of the Law is the recognition of the existence and the power of the Real Self—the “I.” The more complete the recognition the greater the power. Special directions for the acquirement of this faculty of recognition cannot be given. It must be grown into and felt, rather than reasoned out by the Intellect. You will not be long in doubt as to whether or not you are on the right track; if you are right you will begin to realize it at once. You will have glimpses of it, and then it may slip away from you for a while, but fear not, you cannot escape it in the end.
You will feel that your body is but as a garment which whilst covering you temporarily is not YOU. You will feel that you are separate and apart from your body, although for a time living in it. You will feel that you could as well live in some other body, and still retain your sense of individuality. You will realize then even your mind is not You, but is merely the instrument through which You manifest yourself, and which being imperfect prevents the complete expression of the Spirit. In short, when you say, or think, “I AM,” you are conscious of the existence of your real self, and feel the growth of a new sense of power within you. This recognition of the self may be faint, but encourage it and it will grow, and whilst growing will manifest itself to your mind by impressing upon the latter the knowledge of the proper plan for further development. It is another example of “to him that hath shall be given.”
This mere calling of their attention to the fact will awaken the first glimmer of recognition in some; others will find it necessary to reflect upon the idea and awaken to a recognition of the Truth more slowly. Some will not feel the Truth. To such I say: The time is not yet ripe for your recognition of this great Truth, but the seed is planted and the plant will appear in time. This may seem like the veriest nonsense to you now, but the time will come when you will admit its literal correctness. You will find that a desire has been created that will cause a mental unrest until more light is received. As Walt Whitman says: “My words will itch in your ears till you understand them.” As Emerson says: “You cannot escape from your good.” To those who feel the first indications of the awakening of the Spirit, I say: Carry the thought with you and it will unfold like the lotus, naturally and gradually; the truth once recognized cannot be lost, and there is no standing still in nature.
What has been said is but a faint hint of a mighty Truth, which nestles in the bosom of the esoteric teachings of all religions—in the philosophies of the Orient and of ancient Greece. You will find it in the songs of the poets—in the writings of the mystics. The advanced science of this age touches it without recognizing it fully. It is not a thing that can well be conveyed by words—it is not easily comprehended by purely intellectual processes—it must be felt and lived out by those who are ready for it—those for whom the time has come. It has been known to the Few throughout all ages and in all times. All races have known it. It has been handed down from teacher to pupil from the earliest days. It is that Truth which Edward Carpenter refers to when he says:
“O, let not the flame die out! Cherished age after age in its dark caverns, in its holy temples cherished. Fed by pure ministers of love—let not the flame die out.”
It is difficult to convey even a hint of this Truth to any but those who are prepared to receive it. To others it will seem to be arrant folly. As Emerson says: “Every man’s words, who speaks from that life, must sound vain to those who do not dwell in the same thought on their own part. I dare not speak for it. My words do not carry its august sense; they fall short and cold. Only itself can inspire whom it will * * * * Yet I desire even by profane words, if sacred I may not use, to indicate the heaven of this deity, and to report what hints I have collected of the transcendent simplicity and energy of the Highest Law.”
If you prefer to try to solve the Problem of Life—the Riddle of the Universe—by scientific investigation, by exact reasoning, formal thought, mathematical demonstration—by all means follow this method. You will be taught the lesson of the power and the limitations of the human intellect. And after you have traveled round and round the circle of thought and find that you are but covering the same ground over and over again—after you have run into the intellectual cul de sac, the blind alley of Logic—after you have beaten your wings against the cage of the Unknowable and fall exhausted and bruised—after you have done all these things and have learned your lesson—then listen to the voice within, see the tiny flame which burns steadily and cannot be extinguished, feel the pressure of the Something Within and let it unfold. You will then begin to understand that as the mind of Man developed by slow stages from mere sensation to simple consciousness; from simple consciousness to self-consciousness (in its lower and higher degrees) so is there a consciousness, higher than we have heretofore imagined, in store for Man, which is even now beginning to manifest itself. You may then understand that there may be an Intelligent Faith which knows, not simply believes. These and other lessons you will learn in time. And when you have reached the stage where you feel the promptings of the Higher Reason, and live in accordance therewith, you will say with Carpenter:
“Lo! the healing power descending from within, calming the enfevered mind, spreading peace among the grieving nerves. Lo! the eternal saviour, the sought after of all the world, dwelling hidden (to be disclosed) within each * * * * O joy insuperable.”
“LET A LITTLE SUNSHINE IN”
The young people’s song—Good “New Thought” doctrine—Plenty of sunshine in life, if you look for it—Don’t make a dark dungeon of your mind—Throw open the windows of your soul—How to let a little sunshine in.
The other night, just as I was dropping off to sleep, a crowd of young people passed along, returning from some social gathering. They were bubbling over with mirth and joy, and every girl seemed to be talking at the same time, the voices of the young men serving merely to punctuate the sentences of their fair companions. Just after they passed my window, some one started up a song, and the rest joined in. I do not know the song they sang, but the chorus went something like this:
“Let a little sunshine in;
Let a little sunshine in;
Open wide the windows,
Open wide the doors,
And let a little sunshine in.”
I listened with pleasure to the words and cheerful air of the song and said to myself: “Well, that’s good enough ‘New Thought’ doctrine for me.”
The young people went on their way singing. I, now wide awake, listened and thought. The song grew fainter and fainter as the distance between us grew greater, and at last I could not clearly distinguish the words they sang, but the faint vibrations of the tune still reached me, and I imagined that I could just hear the last words of the refrain:
“Let a little Sunshine in.”
Oh, if only those young people—and all young people—and all people young or old—would take to their hearts these words, and “let a little sunshine in.” It is not sufficient that you merely agree that the advice is good—that you merely repeat the words mechanically—you must make thought take form in action, and not only say the words—not only think them—but you must ACT them. Make them a part of your life—incorporate the idea in your being—train yourself into the habit of opening yourself to the sunshine of Life—get into the way of letting it flow in.
“Let a little Sunshine in.”
There is plenty of sunshine in life, if you only look for it. And there is plenty of shadow in life, if you only look for it. But in the things that seem all shadow