Self mastery

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CHAPTER I. A Voice in the Desert Silence

When the dream of gold had lured men to brave the perils of unknown regions in the great American desert a short time before the news of the "Find" at Goldfield had flashed around the world, the luring voice of the desert was heard by a young man in the East who soon found himself far west of the great Rocky Mountain range — beyond the backbone of the continent, headed for the heart of the great American desert. The dream of gold had seized his brain with a relentless grip; the "fever" was running high, and his blood was filled with a spirit of adventure, which had never known any fear of the wild. Accompanied only by a burrow which was "packed" with supplies insufficient for such a perilous journey, he soon found himself venturing to that far distant point in the treacherous desert, where the wandering coyote halts before turning back again toward the north lands.

Another day found the venturesome prospector crossing great barren fields of alkali ; nearing the desert mountains of solitude, where the myriad of burning, jagged mountains of rocks seem to pierce the very heavens. This day of awful heat passed slowly and was now far spent. Shafts of steel blue, paralleled with orange and a soft red which blended to lavender were marking the sky, while the golden sun was still poised just above the hills. Night was drawing nigh. Great shadows of the towering needle peaks were falling gently upon the sand dunes and barren rocks, until at last the desert was wrapped in a mantle of complete darkness which found a tired and lonely man with his meek companion comfortably resting under the mantle of a desert night, which once beheld can never be forgotten.

The morning of another day found the seeker of fortune pushing onward; farther south through the burning sand and trackless waste, often having difficulty in crossing deep gulches with their perpendicular walls. Now a valley of black and white alkali had to be crossed ; the shore dotted with clay hills, rocks; occasionally a scrub cactus, a clump of grease wood, or a bit of sage to break the sameness of the landscape. No longer is there any sign of life.

No longer could the coyote be heard with distance making the awful silence more terrifying and hideous by his wailing notes; not even the sight or sound of the small mournful desert owl, which is one of the last evidences of bird or animal life seen or heard as one penetrates the desert.

It is now noon-day, and the awful heat turned his thoughts to his fast diminishing supply of water, but not a sign of water, other than that which spelled death to man or beast who drank of it. Scattered bones and skeletons of animals near it, told of its death dealing contents. The meager supply which he had left was now becoming scarce. His burning thirst pictured the precious drops of water as of more value than the gold which he had sought, and of which he had found so little. Only when his thirst became unbearable would he take a sip from his scanty store.

The close of another day found him near the very heart of that elusive, far off south range; the very center of the desert, in whose mirages men often witness weird pictures of ships sailing the high seas ; or of life in a city, and no city nearer than five hundred miles as the crow flies.

On the east side, and at the foot of a towering crag which now cast its shadow several miles in the east, he found a welcome spot which offered a sort of shelter for himself, and also some scraggly sage bushes which would furnish a most welcome repast for his only companion. After "unpacking" and feeding the burrow his small reward for faithful service, the prospector hobbled him safely and turned him loose for the night to find a more sumptuous meal among the sage brush after which he apportioned to himself his own meager meal.

The sky, which now for some moments had been a deep azure, slowly assumed a dull gray. The row of jagged peaks which lined the horizon a short distance to the southeast, formed what was once the shore line of a great inland lake. Its precipitous crags shot high in the heavens ; rocks which were a mile wide at the base, pushed straight up out of the earth thousands of feet. Their natural coloring was a dull red; some gray, some a yellowish white, while here and there spots of nameless combinations dotted its walls.

As the great orb of day began to sink below the crest of the far away Sierra Nevadas, this weary youth beheld a picture the like of which few mortals have ever been privileged to see. Once beheld, its glories will never fade from the memory; never become less vivid. In no other place than the heart of the desert does God paint such scenes.

The painting of this picture divine began with a dull grey mantle slowly spreading itself over the entire heavens. With this color hanging over the landscape as far as the eye could reach, there came a mantle of cool air from the sky which descended gently over the basin from the Rockies to the Sierras; a mantle, as if let down by angel hands to cheer and refresh any wanderer who might have yielded to the luring call of the desert. The sudden change of ternperature brings a welcome chill to man and beast, and caused the tired prospector to pull his Navajo blanket more closely about him. An hour before, a blanket could not have been endured, but now it was not only welcome, but necessary to keep away the approaching cold of the night. The gray of the sky is now being pierced by thousands of silvery shafts of soft white rays from the far west, which stop where they fall against the colored peaks to the east and south. The outer edges of the broad shafts of moon colored white which pierce the depths beyond the tops of the lower crags are turning to purple hue. Soft threads of gold parallel the white from the western horizon, becoming more pronounced and beautiful as they approach, and culminating in a glorious splendor as the nameless harmony of colors fall and mingle pleasingly upon the dull red spires. The whole of the mountains to the east seem now to be the central point where small lakes of pale orange color are penetrated by the soft white ray. The white is now seen to gradually merge into a rose pink; and the picture becomes more beautiful than before. Floating clouds of golden red with pillows of brightest gold, shift slowly from peak to peak, the many color combinations of orange, pink and lavender fall in glorious harmony wherever they touch the towering sentinel. The entire sky becomes more beautiful until the scene becomes awe-inspiring, and beyond the power of man to describe. It lasted in its full glory only a few moments, when great clouds of darkness began to fill the old lake bed from below, as if actually rising up out of the ancient lake; gradually filling up higher and higher against the heavenly picture, until the last of its shafts of orange and purple faded away with the light of the rising moon. The last shaft of the lingering sun who had long since covered his face beyond the great Pacific had faded from the sky and the awful stillness of the desert night was supreme ruler.

The tired prospector was sitting where he would later sleep for the night, with the twinkling desert sky for a roof, snugly wrapped in the folds of the warm blanket. So unbelievably quiet is the silence of the desert, either day or night when there is no wind, that one may hear the blood surging against the drums of Tiis ears. The heart seems to beat aloud as if to break the awful solitude.

The beautiful picture had now faded from the heavens. The silent moon had become hazy, and the huge clouds arose slowly from the south which quickly hid the solemn face of the queen of night ; and as the darkness stole over her face, the thoughts of the tired prospector turned backward and took flight to the east country and he dreamed of friends far away across the Rockies.

Soon a sense of terrible loneliness stole over him; the feeling of the certain failure of his trip in the desert; of the fast disappearing provisions and the thought of another failure added to those of his list of others. He dreamed of opportunities gone; of trials, sorrows and disappointments which time had only embittered. He thought of his honest struggles; of his worthy motives; that somehow Fate had conspired against him; of hopes and ambitions crushed, shattered and trampled under foot. While thus absorbed in thought of his own disappointments, with emotions of remorse and revenge, his thoughts suddenly were changed by faint sounds as of that soft, low harmony of a great pipe-organ; the low enchanting music borne from a great distance. His thoughts now turned to the old Sanctuary where men and women lift their voice and soul to what seemed to him the "unknown God." The music divine floated so softly in that gentle stillness that it seemed as if it were intensified by the presence of Angels, which caused his soul instinctively to seek communication with the Great Unseen.

While his soul and heart were lifted in silent prayer, his attention was suddenly attracted by some dancing thing in the basin of the ancient lake bed, which he could see but dimly through the increasing darkness. Instantly he found himself staring toward that basin which millions of years ago had held a great land-locked lake. There he beheld great soft clouds of light accumulating — gradually covering apparently a hundred feet. It quickly spread to an immense diameter. In another instant our intruder of the desert had sprung to his feet, defiantly poised to challenge, or to learn, but his attitude of challenge quickly softened. His eyes met a scene never to be forgotten. The soft, white, phosphorescent blanket of light began slowly to lift from the great floor and reveal the forms of thousands of human beings where only a moment before there was a strange, vast, uneasy mass of mysterious clouds. As the clouds lifted, the bewildered human forms began to move about in slow, weird confusion ; as if in fear and remorseful dread. As the cloud rose higher and higher their confusion gradually ceased, and soon all of them assumed attitudes of stillness. A deep and still more awful silence now seemed to pervade the whole of the desert and the apparition of human forms now stood still; watching, waiting, as if in silent expectation. Every ear seemed attentive ; every eye gazed in the direction of the only human being who beheld the vision. Disappointment, sorrow and suffering had left their unmistakable footprints marked deeply in the countenance of each weary individual. Failure was written on many a brow, while suffering marked many another. Other heart-breaking evidences were plainly visible everywhere; and each seemed to bear a sorrow all his own.

Suddenly the awful silence was broken by a voice which seemed far above. No form or light was visible in that direction. The voice spoke in soft, low, full tones as though addressing this strange assembly. It spoke in a pitying manner — words which were indelibly recorded in the eager brain of the lonely prospector. It spoke in part as follows :

"Why hither stand ye gazing When duty's plain and clear, Why sorrows so amazing When help is always near?

"Your hearts seem filled with sadness; Your bodies racked with pain ; Yet, life is filled with gladness If truth you'll seek and gain.

"Lend ear to truth ; proclaim the cause. Unfold thy soul, and learn its laws.

You're told by him that you are God's ; Right here and now; not when we're clods.

"If Godly powers be in your reach To gratify your heart, then teach This lesson to yourselves, this part, God does not mock the human heart."

The voice of one in this sorrowful multitude now broke the short silence.

"Why hither do we gaze? Our sorrows are more than we can bear. Why does a just God heap misery and pain upon the faithful? Have we not kept the faith and lived according to all the laws of the church ? Still our lives are blighted; our hearts filled with grief; our bodies marked with disease and pain. We have sought in vain. We have followed the teachings, kept the laws, and revered the commandments ; but behold our plight ! Joy and happiness are still afar off."

Following another interval of silence the first voice spoke again:

"Then bury your man-made laws of God ! For they blind the soul to light.

Cover them deep beneath the sod, Thy powers no longer they'll blight.

"Mankind has ceased to hearken To the voice that dwells within ; Therefore his life is darkened, Though innocent may seem his sin.

"Behold the powers within you!

Lend ear to the soul, and its cries ; The Soul will guide and teach you, Until truth you will realize."

Following this scene were revealed many things of profound importance to the race; and then the blackness of the lake-bed slowly engulfed the field of forms which soon faded away into a pale soft white, until no form could longer be seen. The old lake-bed was left once more hidden in its mantle of darkness, and the mountain walls were again standing out clearly in the soft light of the moon.

All that occurred or was revealed on that wonderful night, hundreds of miles from civilization, cannot be given here. It was revealed, however, that the weary prospector was to leave the desert at once; the way to go was clearly pointed out ; and that he was one chosen to lead many to a true realization of their own divine powers.

"For centuries," said the voice, "mankind has been blindly groping for the secret of power, of health, of happiness and success — groping blindly in the dark; refusing to see by the aid of the great Light Eternal which ever shines within the soul itself.

"They have sought," continued the voice, "but have not found; knocked, but no answer came, for they knocked at the wrong door."

It was made known to the seeker of gold that there were greater treasures to seek than the gold of the desert. The voice which had lured him to the center of that far-off solitude would reveal treasures without price; treasures of love; of life eternal. It was revealed that after he had gained years of experience, supplemented by education and unfoldment, that he would be prepared to do a vast good for humanity ; that his message should go to the individual.

Some of the great truths that were revealed on that memorable night, appear condensed and in a practical and understandable form, in the following pages. Enough truth to make every individual in the world happy — barring none — if these truths were applied practically to the lives of individuals.

CHAPTER II. Through Ages of Darkness, Shines the Light Eternal

Self Mastery, expressed in other terms, or at least its philosophy, is at once the most ancient as well as the most modern philosophy. King Solomon is accredited with saying that, "There is nothing new under the sun." Whether he was or was not the first to express that thought, it, nevertheless is true. All things which exist today, always existed potentially.

The great truths presented in the Philosophy of Self Mastery are as old as time itself; but as little known to the most of humanity as the nature of life at the bottom of the sea. Yet the great truths of the creative forces of the soul are so well known by a chosen few, whose lives have become "heaven on earth," as a result of the knowing and living in harmony with the secret forces of nature that, some of them are found living in paradise, in every city, though in humble homes on which fall the shadows of great marble palaces; palaces which too often are but gorgeous tombs, or prisons of sorrow and remorse; where discord, discontent and sadness reign supreme — Palaces of Sorrow.

The potent message which Self Mastery offers, finds a wondrous response today in the hearts of thousands. The world is hungering and thirsting for the message it brings and especially those who have felt that fate was unkind; those whose lives have been filled with bad luck, misfortune ; who have struggled all through life and have met obstacles at every turn, which blocked their progress and dashed their fondest hopes into the dust.

The philosophy of Self Mastery opens a new world to all who have been thus unfortunate. It shows the reason for the apparent curse which rests upon them and places the powers of Fate in their hands, so that they may shape their lives and destinies according to design.

From that other large class of people who, for some reason, real or imaginary, have pulled down the curtain of indiif erence, so that they are blinded to the divinely illuminating splendors of the Nazarene's philosophy, the Mastery of Self lifts that curtain and literally bares the soul to one's own gaze, and they rejoice in singing a new song, and all life has a new meaning.

The philosophy of Self Mastery breaks the shackles which bind one in darkness, and arouse one from that stupor of indifference ; reveals his own inherent powers and divine attributes; and forever removes the blindfold from selfdeceived eyes. It brings out in bold relief that transfiguring power of things Divine so beautifully that one is impelled to halt in the mad rush and whirl of the twentieth century grind, and behold himself as an immortal soul ; look upon himself as God looked upon man "In the beginning."

The philosophy of Self Mastery when thus seen, prompts the soul triumphantly to cry out against the awful injustice which we ignorantly heap upon ourselves ; cry out against the misery, wretchedness, sorrow and failures we bring ourselves, and unerringly points out to us the way which is right.

It would be unfair and unjust to the subject, however, to suppose or expect that a full comprehension of the great underlying laws involved in Self Mastery could be given in one discourse, for the "Realizing" requires "growth", and that requires "time."

For more than a thousand years ministers have been preaching about, and all around the most beautiful and fascinating things of life, but have sorrowfully failed to reveal the real kernel of truth and life. If they had succeeded in revealing the true philosophy, there would be but one great religious philosophy instead of several hundred.

The simpler rudiments of this beautiful philosophy to an extent, is now being seen and felt in some of the churches, but owing to the fossil nature of the church generally, the divine philosophy of Self Mastery has had to force the clergy to feed the flock something more than "stones" when the hearts of men and women are crying for "bread."

The universal religious unrest, as seen through the world, in all the various movements such as Christian Science, Divine Science, Telepathic Influences, Magnetic Healing, Spirit Healing, Theosophical Movements and the revelations of reincarnation, the revival of Buddhism, and a host of other worthy movements, is a "fore-runner" — "The voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way," for the unbelieveably wonderful light, power and happiness which is about to dawn upon the world through the evolution of "divine law" ; through the universal realization of the individual; of the great God. The voice of the soul is heard crying out against power lying dormant in every soul, its divine powers being used to mar and destroy the temple and wreck human happiness as a matter of choice. Literally to bare these forces to the senses of man is the message which Self Mastery brings to all who earnestly seek light as to the Mystery of Self, in a spirit of truth.

The Problem of all Ages.

During all the past ages, of which we have any record, the one great problem which has occupied the most serious attention of the brightest minds, and mightiest intellects, has been that of the soul and its powers. Not only is this true of the centuries which have been swept into the misty past, but likewise true of today. As the roll of the centuries brings us face to face with the problems which great minds are struggling to solve in 1913, we see eminent scholars, throughout the world, co-operating harmoniously in the investigation of the soul and its powers. Nor are their efforts in vain. The mysterious secrets of the soul are fascinating the greatest minds of Europe and America. Marvelous things are being done; and things still more marvelous in this domain, will yet be done. The surface is only touched ; the mystery of God's alphabet is just solved, and we are beginning to work in the light.

In order that the mind may be rid of anything which will prevent us from grasping a new truth, let us lay aside any thought of religion or holy books, and look at all sacred books as you do your history, or a novel, and bid time turn backward a little over 2000 years. Listen to the Sages! Hearken to the wise men of old ; lend ear to the prophet as he sings, "A Merry heart doeth good like a Medicine; but a broken spirit drieth up the bones. ,, "A Merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance; but sorrow breaketh the spirit" — A million sermons are bound up in those lines. Truths of the soul's sorrows ; its wonderful creative power ; its power for good or evil alike on the human body; (on other bodies than its own) a message announcing the fact that the secret powers of the soul were startlingly potent, and known ages ago, long since forgotten, and recently discovered again by men who dared question, wonder, and in- ' vestigate.

Wise old Solomon! Renowned in those days throughout the known world for his wisdom, he recognized the millions of good sermons which those two sentences contained. It matters not what you think of Solomon's character. Most of you know that he couldn't get a job as a dog catcher, or driving a garbage wagon if he were living today, if he lived as he did then. But wisdom is not knowledge, nor have all wise men been good. He was no better nor much worse than eminent contemporaries, and lived according to the customs of that age. Yet his mind quickly grasped the magnitude of such a proverb. Only a moment's reflection is here required to see that, in his estimation, so important and valuable were these laws of the mind and soul considered, either for producing good or evil results, that Solomon wanted to make certain that posterity might take advantage of their wondrous possibilities, and his private scribe was commanded to write it in the proverbs. That passage is in itself a gold mine to those seeking light; and worthy of being carved in marble — in the world's Hall of Wisdom. Too many of us have long chanted the songs of the prophets and the words of the Nazarene in a spirit of dutiful meaningless indifference. They mean no more than the "tinkling cymbal, or sounding brass." Many of us contentedly boast that the teachings of the Man Jesus are only for old men and enfeebled women; fables intended to make their declining days more endurable. Never did man make a more fatal error. Jesus was not an impractical dreamer, /but a wonderful Seer, who announced secret laws which

/ were then generally unknown; laws which are the most practical, sure, certain and scientifically correct that the

1 world has yet discovered.

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Let us consider some of the simple laws expounded by the one prophet whom all skeptics, all unbelievers, and all atheists everywhere alike admit was the sweetest character, the grandest brother, the noblest man, and about the only real friend of humanity of which the known world has any record. Divesting the same principle above quoted from Proverbs, of all its emotional language, Jesus expressed the same immutable law of mind, so simply, that a child, if let alone, can grasp it. "As a man thinketh in his own heart, so is he." A whole volume pressed into one sentence. As he continues to think, so shall he remain. Worth a thou- / sand sermons if you can see it ; sermons which are directly applicable to the daily life of every business man, professional or laborer alike. Men have blundered over this mine of occult gems for ages, and many will blunder, stumble and fall for centuries to come.

The renowned Plato in his life long search for the soul's secret, discovered so much about the creative power and its magic effects upon the body, that he was forced to the conclusion that man by nature was Divine, born of God, and that the devil wasn't on the job; that the real man, the soul itself ivhich inhabited the body, was an immortal entity; indestructible, eternal! That man, during the ages past, had been able to use those divine potvers at will; powers, which we have attributed to angels and gods only; that, through wrong living, and by habitually breaking the laws of his own divine nature, man's divine gifts at last became so perverted, by his own choice that his divine attributes, which he formerly could use at will, ivere gradually taken away; eliminated by a well knotvn natural law that, as a result of such a life, all the horrors of hell were naturally draivn down on the heads of those who chose so wilfully and untvisely.

This same law, in all animal life eliminates that which is not rightly exercised or wisely used. Thus it was that Plato taught of the manner in which man sacrificed his divine rights. His investigations led him to believe that it was possible for posterity again to attain this former estate.

It is a well known fact that this natural law of elimination is seen most strikingly illustrated in a physical manner in fish, which are found living in the several great caves of the world. They now have no eyes; but upon close examination the skull reveals the fact that once that particular fish family had eyes; and when the brain is examined, there is the remnant of a perfect optic nerve. When the fish were first imprisoned in their underground cave, they had eyes; but living in total darkness there was no use for the eyes; there was no sun light to furnish the active stimulant; the exercisor; and not being used at all, the function of sight soon became dead.

Thus it is with any other function of mind, body, or soul — God eliminates that which we do not wisely use.

While there are many historical figures, great and small, who taught these same laws, yet for the purpose of this book only two or three will be mentioned.

Shakespeare said, "If you would attain a virtue, assume it" ! ! That is another whole volume on metaphysical power, boiled down to one sentence. He knew what he was talking about. It is generally conceded that his knowledge of humanity, and its frailties ; of the effects of emotions upon the mind, brain and body was not exceeded before nor has it ever been exceeded since.

Emerson, Whitman, and others taught the same law. There are a thousand teaching likewise today. The initial truths then, underlying the greater laws of Self Mastery, are by no means new.

During the long years of unfaltering effort ; of untiring struggles of man to enslave the elements, harness the lightning and subdue the Earth in order to add comfort and happiness, the secrets of the miracle working power of nature were laid bare, time and again, until we now have added to our comforts, thousands of wonderful inventions which one hundred years ago existed only in the minds of some of our wildest dreamers, or only potentially. Today we have conquered many of the physical laws of nature, and exclaim, "Behold, what wonders God hath wrought."

And now the mighty cry goes up, from all over the world, "how about harnessing the most mysterious of all forces — the subtle powers of the mind?" Or, "those strange^ and mysterious forces of nature which, under certain circumstances not yet definitely known, seem to obey the will of man, and through which the most astounding facts, revelations, and phenomena are produced. How about harnessing those powers ? Powers which the chemist by the aid of his test tubes has proven that its powers are not beyond human comprehension. What will science yet do with these miracle working agencies?"

The wisest and best men proclaimed these powers ages ago. Men and women have been guillotined and burned at the stake for daring to reiterate this truth ; and behold now our chemist announces that he proves the claims of the ancients by chemical analysis.

Never in the recorded history of mankind was there such a universal awakening to the possibilities of thought power — soul power, as there is today. The wonderful potential possibilities of right thinking, and its blessing to the world ; and wrong thinking with its attendant curse is now stirring the entire civilized world. The thinking world is awakening to the fact that the beautiful teachings of the old prophets; teachings which have long been buried under theological trash, are wonderfully alive! The stupid efforts which succeeded in covering the divine truth as recorded for centuries, are now acting as a boomerang, showing as never before what an awful price is paid by posterity, in misery, sickness, sorrow, death and wholesale murder, as a result of the evil designs of ancient political intrigue, and deliberate perversion of truth. What an everlasting impression is made on minds which think, when we contemplate the heritage which befell humanity as a result of the wicked ways of our fathers. The horrors of life's tragedies which blight the world as a result of false teaching can never be computed. The wondrous miracle of truth is shown by the fact that in defiance of all this accumulated and compounded villainy, to pervert and conceal truth, up through the deep layers of theological rubbish is coming to the surface, glimpses of immortal truth, seeking the light as it were, like the plant kept in the cellar, reaching up toward God's sunlight. So successfully had the evil designers concealed the truth that mankind has been groping blindly in the dark for centuries — seeking the light. Usually when he did find it, or suspect its whereabouts, it meant death to him because it is difficult for one to conceal Self- Illumination.