Are you lacking Self-Discipline ? - Part 2

Written by Carl Cholette


As a man practises self-control he approximates more and more to this inward reality, and is less and less swayed by passion and grief, pleasure and pain, and lives a steadfast and virtuous life, manifesting manly strength and fortitude. The restraining ofrepparttar passions, however, is merelyrepparttar 149660 initial stage in self-discipline, and is immediately followed byrepparttar 149661 process of Purification. By this a man so purifies himself as to take passion out ofrepparttar 149662 heart and mind altogether; not merely restraining it when it rises within him, but preventing it from rising altogether. By merely restraining his passions a man can never arrive at peace, can never actualise his ideal; he must purify those passions.

It is inrepparttar 149663 purification of his lower nature that a man becomes strong and god-like, standing firmly uponrepparttar 149664 ideal centre within, and rendering all temptations powerless and ineffectual. This purification is effected by thoughtful care, earnest meditation, and holy aspiration; and as success is achieved confusion of mind and life pass away, and calmness of mind and spiritualized conduct ensure.

True strength and power and usefulness are born of self- purification, forrepparttar 149665 lower animal forces are not lost, but are transmuted into intellectual and spiritual energy. The pure life (Pure in thought and deed) is a life of conservation of energy;repparttar 149666 impure life (even shouldrepparttar 149667 impurity not extent beyond thought) is a life of dissipation of energy. The pure man is more capable, and therefore more fit to succeed in his plans and to accomplish his purposes thanrepparttar 149668 impure. Whererepparttar 149669 impure man fails,repparttar 149670 pure man will step in and be victorious, because he directs his energies with a calmer mind and a greater definiteness and strength of purpose.

Withrepparttar 149671 growth in purity; allrepparttar 149672 elements which constitute a strong and virtuous manhood are developed in an increasing degree of power, and as a man brings his lower nature into subjection, and makes his passions do his bidding, just so much will he mouldrepparttar 149673 outer circumstances of his life, and influence thers for good. The third stage of self-discipline, that of Relinquishment, is a process of lettingrepparttar 149674 lower desires and all impure and unworthy thoughts drop out ofrepparttar 149675 mind, and also refusing to give them any admittance, leaving them to perish. As a man grows purer, he perceives that all evil is powerless, unless it receives his encouragement, and so he ignores it, and lets it pass out of his life. It is by pursuing this aspect of self-discipline that a man enters into and realisesrepparttar 149676 divine life, and manifests those qualities which are distinctly divine, such as wisdom, patience, non-resistance, compassion, and love. It is here, also, where a man becomes consciously immortal, rising above allrepparttar 149677 fluctuations and uncertainties of life, and living in and intelligent and unchangeable peace.

A Matter of Sight and Insight

Written by John Harricharan


I want to tell you a little story. It happened during my first year in college. I was sitting in my room, late one night, studying for a chemistry test.

Tests seemed to be a major part of my life in those days. I longed forrepparttar time when I would never have to take another quiz, study for one more test or awaitrepparttar 149587 results of final exams.

I took a break fromrepparttar 149588 chemistry book to reflect onrepparttar 149589 injustices of life. The food inrepparttar 149590 cafeteria seemed designed for nutrition and not enjoyment. The professors were unfair, so many projects, too much homework, too little time, too much this and too little that.

Shaking my head, I reached for a book a frien*d had dropped offrepparttar 149591 day before, leaned back in my chair, and switched my attention away from studying, at least for a short while. I looked atrepparttar 149592 title ofrepparttar 149593 book. It was "The Night They Burnedrepparttar 149594 Mountain," by Dr. Thomas Anthony Dooley.

I casually flipped it open and thought I'd skim a few pages. My eyes settled on a sentence that was to determine, to a great extent,repparttar 149595 path my life would take. The words read, "It's better to light one candle than to curserepparttar 149596 darkness."

I looked once more atrepparttar 149597 words. They seemed to burn into my mind. I closedrepparttar 149598 book, went back to studying for another hour or so and then went to bed.

Before falling asleep, I looked at my professors in a different light. Instead of seeing them as demons intent on making my life miserable, I now saw them as dedicated teachers trying to impart their knowledge and wisdom to me. Perhapsrepparttar 149599 cafeteria food was not so bad after all. Tests were there so that we could measure ourselves of today against ourselves of yesterday.

What Dr. Dooley said to me on that night long ago was this: Bring light intorepparttar 149600 situation, don't beraterepparttar 149601 darkness; be grateful for what you have, don't be angry at what you don't have; changerepparttar 149602 way you look at events andrepparttar 149603 events will changerepparttar 149604 way they appear to you.

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