discredit to these prophets, or to the source from which they received their information, to say that we have advanced far beyond many of their teachings, and today are enabled to discard nearly all of their precepts, with the exception of a few fundamental ones which were intended to last. The religious sects are apt to insist upon the infallibility of these teachings, and to hold that they were intended as rules of conduct and standards of morality for all people, at all times. A moment’s thought will show the folly of this idea. Take Moses for example, and see how the details of his teachings were intended for the people of his time, and how well they fitted inta their requirements, and yet you how well they fitted into their requirements, and yet how absurd many of them would be if applied to our life today. Of course, the fundamental principles laid down by Moses still obtain in full force, but the minor rules of conduct laid down for the Jewish people have been outgrown and no one pretends to observe them. Many critic of the theory of revelation find fault with many of the rules laid down by Moses, and point to their savage and barbarous nature, many of which are revolting to the ideals of today. And yet, these teachings each had a definite purpose, and were intended for the aid of the slowly evolving souls in the flesh at that time. The object of all of these teachings was to help man along in his evolution—to give him something just a little higher than his then mode of living to serve as an ideal of conduct. Some of these teachings which seem so barbarous to us today, if examined closely in the light of the condition of the race at that time, will be seen to be just a few steps i» advance of the customs of the race at the time the teachings were given. To us on the higher rounds of the ladder, these teachings are seen to be on a lower plane than ourselves, but if we were to stand on the round occupied by the race at that time, we wouId see that the teachings were a round or two higher still. It is unreasonable to insist that the highest conceivable ideal should have been given the race in its infancy—just imagine the highest ideals of Christ submitted to the semi-barbarous tribes of Israel. But here let us call your attention to a remarkabie fact, namely, that in the majority of these crude ancient teachings may be found an esoteric or secret teachings intended for the few advanced souls of that generation, and those to follow—just enough to show that the teachers understood the higher teachings. These esoteric teaching are found embedded in the exoteric teachings intended for the multitude. It has ever been so. The teachings of Christ are not understood by the masses of today, not to speak of yesterday. Look at the history of Christianity and see how the so-called followers of the Christ misunderstood his teachings—see how barbarous and savage have been their conceptions, and are even to this day. And yet, the advanced soul in every generation for the last nineteen hundred years has been able to read the esoteric teachings between the lines of the imperfectly reported, and often distorted accounts of the sayings of Jesus. And yet, Christ’s teachings have done wonderful work, in spite of the lack of understanding. The ethics of the Sermon on the Mount are not in force today—the race has not grown up to them—but future generations will live by their light and guidance.
At this point, let us call your attention to a fact. The teachings of all the prophets were intended to help man in casting off the old sheaths of the lower planes of the mind, and to help him to work his way to a higher stage of growth. The evolution of the soul was the end aimed at, and all observances were intended for that purpose. One step at a time was, and is, the rule. The word spoken was not the final word, but was intended to fit in a certain place. This is the key to much that has perplexed you in the past. Another important point to remember, is that all the teachings were intended to raise man up and all were for his own benefit. They were not intended to make man perform certain duties toward God, as we have been taught to believe. God was not worrying aboui man’s lack of consideration toward him. He was not vain—glorious, and demanding worship and burnt-offerings to tickle his nostrils. Such ideas belong to the infancy of the race. God gets along very well without man’s worship and praise. Man alone is the gainer by the love of God—the Absolute is not injured or benefited by man’s actions. If the teachers and the prophets commanded that man worship God, it was solely for the purpose of bringing man’s attention to the fact that there was a Power above, the fact of the attention being so directed causing man to obtain the advantage of the upward attraction of the Absolute in his unfoldment. Get out of your mind the idea that Gad needs your praise and worship in order to satisfy His love of approval and your statements of His exalted position. All the benefit of prayer, worship and love of God is on the side of Man—it is one-sided.
To understand the teachings of the prophets of all religions, we must put ourselves in the place of the prophet and see the kind of people he had to deal with. Then will we understand that the crude commands were calculated to bring them up just one step in the scale—and they did. But because the teachings were so intended, and accomplished their purpose, we must not allow ourselves to be bound by the letter of them at this time. If we grow to an understanding of the matter, along the lines pointed out, we will be able to discard the chaff of the teachings (which was the wheat in the past) and to seize upon the scattered grains of wheat still to be found in the measure. Let us make use of all the good in the old teachings for there is still much good to be found in them—they have not as yet outlived their usefulness. But let us not bind ourselves with the worn-out teachings of the past—let us not forget the spirit of all teachings and tie ourselves to the dead letter of the old law. Let us not commit the folly of claiming that because a teaching was is inspired, that it is an infallible rule of conduct for all time, and all people—let us remember the other two pillars of Dharma, intuition and reason. But, at the same time, let us not sneer at the old teachings, and deny their inspiration, simply because they belong to a long past age and time. Let us recognize the thing for what it is, and govern ourselves accordingly. And let us not suppose that the clay of revelation and inspiration has passed. There is as much inspiration in Emerson as there was in the Hebrew prophets—each was ahead of the times, and the message of each is but imperfectly understood. by the multitude—each truck a higher select Emerson merely as an instance—there are many others in our own times. But there is this difference between the prophet of old and the modern seer and teacher. The ancient prophet had a following that were compelled to accept the teaching in blind faith, illuminated with but a faint degree of spiritual insight, while the people of today are able to measure value of the teachings by the light of their souls, and the aid of the reason—that is, some of the modern people may do this, the others must be content with the old teachings, for they belong to a past age of development, and not having kept pace with their brothers must remain content with the tales of the spiritual childhood. And even this is good.
The Yogi Philosophy recognizes the Theory of Intuition or Conscience as the second pillar supporting the edifice of Dharma, As we have already said in the consideration of this particular theory, many persons who have devoted thought to the question of ethics are repelled by the difficu1ties surrounding the theory of Revelation (considered by itself) and not being willing to accept as authoritative, nfallible, and final, the so-called revelations given to primitive peoples in the past ages, they deny the inspiration of these revelations and look around them for some other theory and rule of conduct. Many of such people accept the Utilitarian Theory, as appealing to their reason, although it does not seem to fill the needs of their souls so fully as; might be desired. Others being repelled by the coldness and selfishness of the last mentioned theory, and yet not heing unwilling to go back to the old Theory of Revelation, adopt the Theory of Intuition or Conscience, and accept the idea that “conscience” or “intuition” is the direct and sole arbiter of morality and conduct, and believe that the human laws are really based upon the same. Some take the radical position that the voice of “conscience” or “intuition” is really the voice of God-speaking to Man and should be obeyed implicitly—that God makes his revelations to each man, As we have stated before, this position has been severely attacked upon the ground that the conscience of no two people agree, and that it is dependent upon environment, age, race, public opinion, education, etc., and that therefore it cannot he an infallible guide nor one safe to follov, as every man would have his own laws which no other man would be bound to take into consideration, etc., etc. Dharma reconciles these two apparently conflicting opinions. Let us see what it ha- to say about Intuition or Conscience.
We had hoped to take up the question of the Theory of Conscience or Intuition, and also the Theory of Utility, in this lesson, reserving the next lesson for an elaboration of Dharma, but we find that we have exceeded our space. Therefore,