Creating Character

8/12/2019 Creating Character

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Adyar Pamphlets Creating Character No. 205, 206 & 20

Creating Characterby: Annie Besant and C.W. Leadbeater

Published in the !00"s#heosophical Publishing $ouse, Adyar, Chennai %adras' (ndia

#he #heosophist )**ice, Adyar, adras. (ndia

THE BUILDING OF CHAACTE

(N beginning this lecture, ( +ant as a preliminary step to +arn you +ith regard to the uali*ications +ith+hich ( am dealing, and the line o* thought and o* action +hich +ill be *ollo+ed by those +ho are in themystical position that ( call -(n the )uter Court-.%A stage on the Path that leads to the asters o* isdom#he position o* an aspirant +ho had reached that Court is /ery di**erent *rom the position e/en o* thegood and /irtuous and religious man, +ho has not thoroughly seen the goal +hich is be*ore him, +ho hanot thoroughly realied the magnitude o* his tas1. And ( +ant to remind you that in the +hole o* this in

+hich ( am s1etching the uali*ications o* those +ho come into the Court, ( am dealing +ith e/erything*rom this standpoint o* a deliberate !"age #$sel*training to+ards an aim that is de*initely recognied3 andmore than that, that ( by no means mean in spea1ing o* these uali*ications that they are completelyachie/ed +hile the aspirant still remains in the )uter Court o* the #emple. $e begins, as it +ere, thema1ing o* the character, he realies to some e4tent +hat he ought to be, and he stri/es more or lesse**ecti/ely to become that +hich he aspires to achie/e. (t is not that the de*inite puri*ication, or thecomplete control o* the thoughts, or the per*ect building o* the character, or the entire transmutation o*the lo+er into the higher it is not that all these must be accomplished ere he can stand on thethreshold o* the #emple3 he is really employed +hilst in the )uter Court in dra+ing as it +ere the*oundations o* his buildings, in s1etching out care*ully and *airly *ully the outlines o* that edi*ice +hich hehopes to carry to per*ection. #he +or1ing out o* all these lines, the building on this *oundation, the raisin

o* the +alls higher and higher, the placing o* the cro+ning stone *inally upon the +or1 that is donerather +ithin the #emple than +ithout it, a*ter the eyes ha/e !"age %$been opened, not +hile they are stilpartially blinded and the aspirant is in the )uter Court. ut +hat ( do +ant you to understand is that theplan is s1etched, that the plan is recognied3 that nothing less than this /ery much more may come inthe course o* the ages that nothing less than this is the goal that the candidate sets be*ore himsel* *othe reaching3 so that ho+e/er great may seem the aspirations, ho+e/er magni*icent may seem theoutline +hich is to be *illed in, that outline is to be de*initely recognied in the )uter Court, although not be *illed in in detail, and ho+e/er lo+ly may be the achie/ements o* the present they are none the lessthe de*inite *oundations on +hich the glorious achie/ements o* the *uture are to be based. And ( say thisthus e4plicitly, although it be a repetition, because it +as suggested to me that in ma1ing so +ide a scop*or the )uter Court, in tracing so /ast an outline, it might come on some o* my hearers +ith a sense o*

discouragement i* not o* despair3 so that it is +ell that all should understand that +hile the beginnings artraced they may still be only the beginnings, and that a*ter the threshold is !"age &$crossed, there are stmany li/es in *ront in +hich these beginnings may be carried to *ul*illment, and this plan o* the architectser/es as basis *or the *inished edi*ice. #a1ing then that as a thing to be understood, let me remind you the building o* the character, +hich is to be a distinct and a positi/e building +hich this candidate in the)uter Court +ill set be*ore himsel*3 +e ha/e seen already that he is to ha/e been in past li/es a /irtuousand a religious man, that is, that he +ill ha/e already realied that nothing o* absolute /ice must ha/e itsplace in him, that nothing o* e/il must be permitted to remain3 that i* any seed o* /ice remain, it, must atonce be *lung +ithout, that i* any tendencies to+ards positi/e e/il are still there, they must be completely

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and entirely rooted out. $ere in this Court there can be at least no compromise +ith e/il, here there canbe at least no paltering +ith that +hich is not right and pure and good. hile there may still be *ailures inthe achie/ement o* the right, there is most de*initely no contented remaining in the +rong3 thathas hadthe bac1 o* the aspirant de*initely turned upon it, !"age '$ and all the grosser part o* the nature +ill alreadha/e been eliminated, all the rougher part o* the inner struggle +ill ha/e been *inished. (nto the Court o*the #emple utterly unhe+n stones cannot be brought *or the building3 the he+ing must ha/e been goingon during many pre/ious li/es, much +or1 must ha/e been done upon the characters be*ore they

become *it to be built at all e/en in the )uter Court o* such a #emple. And this roughhe+ing o* thecharacter is supposed to lie behind us3 +e are dealing +ith the building o* the positi/e /irtues, and /irtueo* an e4ceedingly high and noble type3 /irtues +hich are not those simply that are recognied asnecessary in the +orld, but *ar rather those +hich the aspirant desires to achie/e in order that he may become one o* the $elpers and the a/iours o* the +orld, those characteristics that go to ma1e up one o*the +orld"s 8edeemers, one o* the pioneers o* the *irst*ruits o* man1ind.

#he *irst thing perhaps that +ill stri1e us, in this building o* character by one +ho is in the )uter Court, isits e4ceedingly deliberate nature. (t is not a thing o* *its and !"age ($ starts, it is not a casual building andlea/ing o**, it is not an e**ort in this direction one day and in another direction tomorro+, it is not a runnin

about see1ing *or aims, it is not a turning about loo1ing *or a purpose3 the +hole o* this at least isde*initely done, the purpose is recognied and the aim is 1no+n. And the building is a deliberate buildingas by one +ho 1no+s that he has time, and that nothing in Nature can be lost3 a deliberate building +hicbegins +ith the materials ready to hand, +hich begins +ith the character as it is recognied to e4ist,+hich loo1s, as +e shall see, uietly at all its strength and at all its +ea1nesses, and sets to +or1 toimpro/e the one and to remedy the other3 a deliberate building to+ards a de*inite aim, a car/ing inpermanent material o* a statue o* +hich the mould has already been made.

And so the *irst thing that +ill be noticed in these candidates in the )uter Court is this de*initeness o*purpose and this deliberateness o* action. #he man 1no+s that he +ill carry e/erything on that he ma1e

that *rom li*e to li*e he +ill ta1e +ith him the treasures !"age )$that he has accumulated3 that i* he *inds ade*iciency and only partly *ills it up, still it is *illed up to that e4tent, that part o* the +or1 is done3 that i* hema1es *or himsel* a po+er, that po+er is his *or e/ermore, a part o* the oul ne/er to be ta1en a+ay *romit, +o/en into the te4ture o* the indi/idual, not again e/er to be separated *rom him. And he builds +iththis deliberate purpose +hich has its root in 1no+ledge, recogniing the 9a+ that underlies e/ery aspeco* Nature. 8ealiing that that 9a+ is changeless, 1no+ing that he may trust it +ith uttermost andcompletest *aith, he calls upon the 9a+ and 1no+s that the 9a+ +ill ans+er, he appeals to the 9a+ and con*ident that the 9a+ +ill :udge. #here is in him then no trace o* +a/ering, no shado+ o* doubting3 hegi/es out that +hich must needs bring to him his har/est, and e/ery seed that he so+s, he so+s +ith thiabsolute certainty that the seed +ill bear *ruit a*ter its 1ind, that that and none other +ill come bac1 to hiin *uture days. o there is naught o* hurry in his +or1, naught o* impatience in his labour3 i* the *ruit be

not ripe, he can +ait *or the !"age *$ gathering3 i* the seed be not ready, he can +ait *or the gro+ing. $e1no+s that this 9a+ to +hich he has gi/en himsel* is at once changeless and good3 that the 9a+ +illbring all in its appointed time, and that the appointed time is best *or him and *or the +orld. And so, as (said, he starts +ith his a/ailable material, content +ith it because it is +hat the 9a+ brings him *rom hispast3 content +ith it, because it is that +ith +hich he has to +or1, that and nothing else3 and +hether *ullor scanty, +hether poor and small or rich and great, he ta1es it and begins to +or1 +ith it, 1no+ing thatho+e/er scanty it be there is no limit to the +ealth to +hich it may be increased, and 1no+ing thatho+e/er small it may bul1 today, there is no limit to the /astness to +hich it may gro+ in the years +hichlie in *ront. $e 1no+s that he mustsucceed3 not a uestion o* possibility but o* certitude, not a uestion

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chance but o* de*inite reality. #he 9a+ must gi/e bac1 the eui/alent o* that +hich he gi/es, and e/en i*he gi/e but little, that little +ill come bac1 to him, and *rom that he +ill build in the *uture, adding al+ays!"age +$something to the store, standing a little higher +ith each achie/ement, +ith each ne+accomplishment.

Already +e 1no+ something o* the +ay in +hich he +ill build3 +e 1no+ that he +ill begin +ith right

thought. ;lse+here %A tudy in Consciousness, by Annie esant or #hought Po+er< (ts Control andCulture, by Annie esant ' +e ha/e studied this control o* the thoughts, +hich is necessary in order thatthe right may be chosen, and the +rong may be re:ected. or1ing steadily at that thoughtcontrol and1no+ing its conditions, understanding the la+s, by +hich thoughts are generated and by +hich thoughtsact in the +orld and react upon their generator, he is no+ in a condition de*initely to choose right though*or the building o* his character. And this stage o* right thin1ing +ill be one o* the early steps that he +illta1e +hile he is tra/ersing the )uter Court. =irst o* all because his right thin1ing a**ects others and althose +ho are thus candidates *or the #emple ha/e their primary moti/e in the ser/ice o* others sothat, in the choosing o* his thought, in the selection o* the thoughts that he either !"age ,-$ generates orpermits to come +ithin his consciousness, his *irst moti/e *or such choice +ill be the e**ect that thesethoughts +ill ha/e upon others, not in the *irst place the e**ect they +ill ha/e upon himsel*3 *or abo/e and

beyond all else he is uali*ying *or ser/ice, and there*ore as he chooses the thoughts to +hich he +illbend his energy, he calculates their action on the outer +orld ho+ *ar they +ill +or1 *or helping, ho+*ar they +ill +or1 *or strengthening, ho+ *ar they +ill +or1 *or puri*ying3 and into the great stream o*thoughts that he 1no+s must go out *rom his consciousness, understanding ho+ that stream is +or1ing,he +ill send the thoughts that are use*ul to others, +ith the deliberate purpose o* this ser/ing, +ith thedeliberate ob:ect o* this helping o* the +orld.

And ne4t he +ill consider the nature o* the thoughts as they a**ect himsel*, as they react upon him toma1e his character, a thing that in a *e+ moments +e shall see is o* the most /ital importance, *or hereindeed is the instrument by +hich the character +ill be built3 and not only as they react upon his

character, but also as, in ma1ing that character, they !"age ,,$turn it into a magnet *or other thoughts, sothat he, acting as a *ocus *or high and noble thoughts not no+, +e may hope, *or thoughts that areacti/ely in:urious +ill deliberately ma1e his consciousness a magnet *or e/erything that is good, sothat all that is e/il may die as it stri1es against him, and all that is good may *lo+ into his consciousnessto gain there *resh nourishment, to gain there *resh strength and *resh energy3 that the good thoughts o*others coming to him may go out +ith ne+ li*eimpulse gi/en to them, and that he may act not only as asource o* help by the thoughts he generates, but as a channel o* helping by the thoughts that herecei/es, that he re/i/i*ies, and that he transmits. And these +ill go to the ma1ing o* character, so that atthe beginning o* the building this right thin1ing +ill be one dominant in*luence in his mind, and he +illconstantly be +atching his thoughts, scrutiniing them +ith the most :ealous care, in order that into thissanctuary o* the consciousness nothing may come +hich +ill o**end, *or unless this be guarded all else

le*t open to the enemy. (t is the /ery citadel o* the !"age ,#$ castle3 at the same time it is the gate+aythrough +hich e/erything enters in.

And then he +ill learn in this building o* character perhaps he has already learned to guard hisspeech3 *or right speech, to begin +ith, must be true, scrupulously and accurately true, not +ith thecommonplace truth*ulness o* the +orld, though that be not a thing to be despised, but o* that scrupulousand strict truth*ulness +hich is necessary abo/e all to the student o* )ccultism truth o* obser/ation,truth o* recording, truth o* thin1ing, truth o* spea1ing, truth o* acting3 *or +here there is not this see1ing

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a*ter truth and this strenuous determination to become true, there is no possibility o* )ccultism +hich isaught but a danger, there is no possibility o* anything but *all, deep and terrible, in proportion to the heigto +hich the student may ha/e climbed. =or this uality o* truth in the )ccultist is at once his guide andhis shield< his guide, in that it gi/es him the insight +hich enables him to choose the true road *rom the*alse, the right hand path *rom the le*t3 and his shield, in that only as he is co/ered +ith this shield o*truth, can all the delusions and the glamours !"age ,%$ o* the planes through +hich he passes *allharmless. =or it is in the practice o* truth in thought, in speech, and in act, that there gradually +a1es up

that spiritual insight +hich pierces through e/ery /eil o* illusion, and against +hich there can be in Naturno possibility o* setting up a success*ul deception. ;/ery+here /eils are spread, e/ery+here in the +orlo* illusion this deceit*ulness o* appearances is to be *ound, until the spiritual insight can pierce throughthe +hole o* them +ith unchanging and direct /ision. #here is no such thing as the de/elopment o*spiritual insight, sa/e as truth is *ollo+ed in the character, as truth is culti/ated in the intellect, as truth isde/eloped in the conscience3 +ithout this nothing, but *ailure, +ithout this nothing but ine/itable blunderand mista1e.

#he speech *irst o* all, then, +ill be true, and ne4t it +ill be gentle. =or truth and gentleness are not inopposition, as too o*ten +e are inclined to thin1, and speech loses nothing o* its truth by being per*ect in

its gentleness and per*ect also in its courtesy and its compassion. #he more true it is the more gentle itneeds must be, *or at the /ery heart !"age ,&$o* all things is truth and also compassion3 there*ore thespeech that re*lects the innermost essence o* the ?ni/erse can neither causelessly +ound any li/ingbeing, nor be *alse +ith the slightest shado+ o* suspicion. #rue and gentle then the speech must be, trueand gentle and courteous3 that is said to be the austerity o* speech, the true penance and sacri*ice o*speech +hich is o**ered up by e/ery aspirant. And then out o* the right spea1ing and the right thin1ing,ine/itably must *lo+ right acting3 that, as an outcome, must be the result o* this *lo+ing *orth *rom thesource. =or action is only the mani*estation o* that +hich is +ithin, and +here the thought is pure, +herethe speech is true and right, there the action must ine/itably be noble3 out o* such s+eet source the +atcan only be s+eet in the *lo+ing, out o* the heart and the brain that ha/e been puri*ied necessarily theaction must be right and good. And that is the three*old cord by +hich the aspirant is bound ali1e to

humanity and to his aster3 the three*old cord +hich, in some great religions, stands as type o* thisper*ect sel*control3 sel*control in thought, in speech and in action that is !"age ,'$ the triple cord +hicbinds the man to ser/ice that is per*ect in its character, +hich binds the disciple to the *eet o* his aster3the three*old cord +hich may not easily be bro1en.

hen all this is realied, and the beginning o* it attempted, this candidate o* ours +ill begin a /eryde*inite method o* practice in his building o* the character, and *irst he +ill *orm +hat is called an -(deal-9et us ha/e clearly in the mind +hat +e mean +hen +e use this +ord -(deal-. #he mind +or1ing +ithinitsel* builds an internal image, +hich is made as the mind gro+s in strength out o* much that it dra+s*rom the outer +orld3 but although it dra+s the materials *rom the outer +orld, the idea is the result o* th

internal action o* the mind upon the materials. An idea is at its highest an abstract thing, and i* +e realieho+ the abstract idea is *ormed in the mere brainconsciousness, +e shall then ha/e a /ery clear /ie+ o+hat is meant by an ideal3 a little enlargement o* the idea +ill gi/e us e4actly +hat +e reuire. 9et meta1e the ancient illustration, an abstract idea o* a triangle. #he idea o* a triangle may be gained at *irst bthe brainconsciousness !"age ,($ +or1ing in the child through a study o* many *orms +hich he is told aretriangles. $e +ill notice that they are o* many di**erent shapes, that they are made up o* lines +hich go i/ery di**erent directions. $e +ill *ind +hen he loo1s at them separately and +ith this brainconsciousness o* the child he +ill *ind them e4ceedingly di**erent, so that loo1ing at them at *irst he +see them as many *igures, and +ill not recognie certain underlying unities +hich gi/e them all the same

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name. ut as he goes on+ard in his thin1ing he +ill gradually learn that there are certain de*initeconceptions +hich underlie this one conception o* the triangle3 that it al+ays has three lines and no morthat it al+ays has three angles and no more3 that these three angles put together ha/e al+ays a certainde*inite /alue, and that the three lines, called the sides o* the triangle, bear certain relations to eachother, and so on. All these di**erent conceptions he +ill gain as he studies, and the mind, +or1ing uponthe +hole o* these, e4tracts *rom them +hat is called an abstract idea o* a triangle, +hich has noparticular sie, and no particular shape, and no particular angles ta1en separately. !"age ,)$And this

abstract idea is made up by the +or1ing o* the mind on all the many concrete *orms, so *ar as the brainconsciousness is concerned. hat greater idea this may be the re*lection o*, ( am not no+ considering3but it is thus that in the brain +hat is called an abstract idea is built, +hich has neither colour nor shapenor any special characteristic o* any one *orm, and +hich unites +ithin itsel* that +hich ma1es the many*orms o* it a unity. And so +hen +e build an ideal it is an idea o* this abstract 1ind, it is the +or1 o* theimagebuilding *aculty o* the mind, +hich dra+s out the essence o* all the di**erent ideas that it hasgained o* great /irtues o* that +hich is beauti*ul, o* that +hich is true, o* that +hich is harmonious, o*that +hich is compassionate, o* that +hich is in e/ery sense satis*ying to the aspirations o* the mind, o*the heart. =rom all these di**erent ideas, as they ha/e been seen limited in mani*estation, the essence ise4tracted, and then the mind constructs and thro+s out+ards a /ast heroic *igure in +hich e/erything iscarried to per*ection3 in +hich e/erything touches its highest and most !"age ,*$ complete e4pression3 in

+hich +e no longer deal +ith the things that are true, but +ith truth3 no longer +ith the things that arebeauti*ul, but +ith beauty3 no longer +ith the things that are strong, but +ith strength3 no longer +ith thethings that are tender, but +ith tenderness3 no longer +ith the beings +ho are lo/ing, but +ith lo/e3 andthis per*ect *igure mighty and harmonious in all its proportions, grander than anything +e ha/e seen,only not grander than that +hich in rare moments o* inspiration the pirit has cast do+n+ards into themind that ideal o* per*ection it is +hich the aspirant ma1es *or himsel* as per*ect as he is able toconcei/e it, 1no+ing all the time that his most per*ect dreaming is but the *aintest shado+ o* the reality+hence this re*lection has come. =or in the +orld o* the 8eal, there e4ists in li/ing light that +hich do+nhere he sees, as it +ere, in *aint re*lection o* colour, hanging high in the hea/ens o/er the sno+ymountains o* human aspiration3 it is still only the shado+ o* the 8eality +hence it has been re*lected, allthat the human soul may image o* the per*ect, o* the sublime, o* the ultimate All that !"age ,+$+e see1.

#his ideal he *orms is still imper*ect, *or it must needs be so ut, ho+e/er imper*ect it may be, none theless *or him it is the ideal according to +hich his character is to be built.

ut +hy ma1e an idealB #hose o* you +ho ha/e gone so *ar +ith me in the +or1ing o* thought +ill 1no++hy an ideal is necessary. 9et me ta1e t+o sentences, one *rom a great $indu cripture and the other*rom a Christian, to sho+ you ho+ (nitiates spea1 o* the same *acts, no matter in +hat tongue they tal1,no matter to +hat ci/iliation their +ords may be addressed. (t is +ritten in one o* the most mystical o* th?panishads, the Chhndogya< -an is a creature o* re*lection3 +hat he re*lects upon, that he becomes3there*ore re*lect upon rahman.- %op. cit., (ll, 4i/, ' And many thousand years a*ter+ards another great#eacher, one o* the builders o* Christianity, +rote e4actly the same thought put into other +ords< -ut +e

all, +ith open *ace beholding as in a glass the glory o* the 9ord, are changed into the same image *romglory to glory.- !2 Corr., >, D' $ !"age #-$ eholding as in a glass< *or the mind is a mirror and images acast upon it and are re*lected, and the oul that in the mirror o* the mind beholds the glory o* the 9ord ischanged into that same image *rom glory to glory. o that +hether you ta1e the $indu spea1er or theChristian, +hether you read the scripture o* the (ndian or the scripture o* the estern age, still the samteaching o* the rotherhood comes out to you that you must ha/e the ideal be*ore you in order thatyou may re*lect it, and that that on +hich the mind is constantly d+elling +ill ine/itably be that +hich theman shall become.

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And ho+ shall the building to+ards the ideal be made B =or that is the uestion that +e must no+consider. y contemplation< de*initely, +ith *ull purpose, choosing his time and not permitting himsel* tobe sha1en *rom it, this aspirant +ho is disciplining his o+n character +ill contemplate day by day theideal that he has built. $e +ill *i4 his mind upon it, and constantly re*lect it in his consciousness. Eay byday he +ill go o/er its outline, day by day he +ill d+ell !"age #,$upon it in thought, and, as hecontemplates, ine/itably +ithin him +ill rise up that re/erence and that a+e +hich are +orship, the greattrans*orming po+er by +hich the man becomes that +hich he adores, and this contemplation +ill

essentially be the contemplation o* re/erence and o* aspiration. And as he contemplates, the rays o* theEi/ine (deal +ill shine do+n upon him, and the aspiration up+ards +ill open the +indo+s o* the oul torecei/e them3 so that they shall illuminate him *rom +ithin, and then cast a light +ithout, the ideal shininge/er abo/e and +ithin him, and mar1ing out the path along +hich his *eet must tread. And in order thathe may thus contemplate, he must train himsel* in concentration3 the mind is not to be scattered, as ourminds so o*ten are. e ha/e to learn to *i4 it, and to *i4 it steadily, and this is a thing that +e should be+or1ing at continually, +or1ing at in all the common things o* li*e, doing one thing at a time until the mindans+ers obediently to the impulse, and doing it +ith the concentrated energy +hich bends the +holemind to+ards a single point. No matter that many !"age ##$ things that you ha/e to do are tri/ial3 it is the+ay o* doing them, and not the things that are done, that ma1es the training +hich results in discipleship not the particular 1ind o* +or1 that you ha/e to do in the +orld, but the +ay that you do it, the mind th

you bring to it, the *orces +ith +hich you e4ecute it, the training that you gain *rom it. And it matters not+hat the li*e may be, that li*e +ill ser/e *or the purpose o* the training3 *or ho+e/er tri/ial may be theparticular +or1 in +hich you are engaged at the moment, you can use it as a trainingground *or themind, and by your concentration you may be ma1ing your mind onepointed, no matter +hat *or themoment may be the point to +hich it is directed. =or remember, +hen once you ha/e gained the *aculty,then you can choose the ob:ect3 +hen once the mind is de*initely in your hand, so that you can turn ithither and thither as you +ill, then you can choose *or yoursel* the end to +hich it shall be directed. utyou may :ust as +ell practise and gain the control in little things as in great3 in *act, /ery much better,because the little things are around us e/ery !"age #%$ day, +hereas the great things come but seldom.hen the great thing comes, the +hole mind arouses itsel* to meet it3 +hen the great thing comes, the+hole attention is *i4ed upon it3 +hen the great thing comes, e/ery energy is called to play upon it, so th

you may bear yoursel* +ell +hen the mighty tas1 is to be accomplished. ut the real /alue o* the oul istested more in the little things +here there is nothing to arouse attention, nothing in any sense to gainapplause, +here the man is deliberately +or1ing *or the end that he has chosen, and is using e/erythingaround him in order that he may discipline himsel*. #hat sel*discipline is the 1ey o* the +hole. Fuide yoli*e by some plan3 ma1e to yoursel* certain rules into +hich your li*e shall *lo+3 and +hen you ha/e madethem, 1eep to them, and alter them only as deliberately as at *irst you *ormed them. #a1e so simple athing *or the body has to be brought under control ta1e so simple a thing as a de*inite rule o* risingin the morning3 *i4 the time that you *eel is best *or your +or1, *or your place in your household, and +heyou ha/e *i4ed it, 1eep to it. Eo not permit the !"age #&$ body at the moment to choose its o+n time, buttrain it in that instant and automatic obedience +hich ma1es it a use*ul ser/ant o* the mind. And i* you*ind a*ter practising *or some time that you ha/e chosen badly, then change3 do not be rigid because you

are stri/ing to strengthen your +ill3 be ready to change +hat does not +or1 +ell3 but change it at youro+n time and +ith per*ect deliberation3 do not change it because on the impulse o* the moment passionor bodily desire or emotion may be ruling3 do not change it at the demand o* the lo+er nature that has tobe disciplined, but change it i* you *ind that you ha/e badly chosen. =or ne/er in ruling your o+n li*e musyou ma1e your rule a hindrance to those around you, or choose +ays o* sel*discipline that aggra/ate ointerrupt others instead o* simply training yoursel*.

#he ne4t stage, +hen all this has been clearly recognied as the +ay in +hich the character is to be buil

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+ill be to study the character itsel*3 *or you are to +or1 +ith 1no+ledge and not blindly. Gou +ill perhaps,you are +ise, in :udging your character, !"age #'$ta1e some o* the things that great men ha/e put be*oreyou as outlining a character +hich +ill lead you to the Fate o* the #emple. Gou might ta1e, *or instance,such a tracing as is gi/en in the si4teenth discourse in the Bhagavad-Gita, by ri Hrishna to Ar:una,+here he is telling Ar:una +hat should be the ualities +hich build up the di/ine character. Gou might ta1that as sho+ing you the ualities at +hich you should aim in building yoursel*, and as mar1ing out *or yothat +hich you desire gradually to e/ol/e. And i* you ta1e it as it is s1etched in the si4teenth discourse,

you *ind a list o* ualities, e/ery one o* +hich might +ell ser/e as part o* your constant thought andendea/our, remembering that the character is built *irst by the contemplation o* the /irtue, and then bythe +or1ing out o* that /irtue +hich has become part o* the thought into the speech and the action in daili*e. And the list runs ho+e/er great it is, +e ha/e time enough be*ore us to *ill it in -=earlessness,Purity o* $eart, tead*astness in the Goga o* isdom, Almsgi/ing, el*restraint and acri*ice, and tudo* the astras, !"age #($Austerity and traight*or+ardness, $armlessness, #ruth, Absence o* rath,8enunciation, Peace*ulness, Absence o* Calumny, Compassion to 9i/ing eings, ?nco/etousness,ildness, odesty, Absence o* =ic1leness, oldness, =orgi/eness, =ortitude, ?prightness, Amity,Absence o* Pride these become his +ho is born +ith the di/ine ualities.- Not all are his at once, butbecome his, and are made in the building o* the character. And you +ill *ind, i* you read these at yourleisure and +ith care, that you can group them together under /ery de*inite heads, and that each o* thes

may be practised, at *irst o* course /ery imper*ectly but still steadily, and day by day +ith ne/er a*eeling o* discouragement at the lac1 o* achie/ement, but only +ith :oy in recognition o* the goal, and1no+ing that each step is the step to+ards an end +hich shall be achie/ed. And notice ho+ through therun the golden threads o* unsel*ishness, o* lo/e, o* harmlessness3 see ho+ courage and strength andendurance *ind also their place, so that you get an e4uisite balance o* character, a character that is atonce strong and tender, !"age #)$ that is at once sel*reliant and compassionate, that is at once a helpero* the +ea1 and in itsel* strong and unmo/ed, that is *ull o* de/otion and *ull o* harmlessness, that is *ullo* sel*discipline and there*ore o* harmony. 9et us suppose you accept that to some e4tent as ideal *orthe guidance o* daily thin1ing, and you begin to +or1 it out3 let us consider a point that is o*ten *ound inconnection +ith this e**ort, +hich is o*ten *ound in summing up many /irtues together, and +hich is muchmisunderstood3 pausing a moment upon it, let us see ho+ the building o* character to+ards this /irtue +

be carried on. (t is a name +hich is strange in ;nglish ears< it is indi**erence3 and sometimes it is +or1edout in detail as indi**erence to pleasure and pain, indi**erence to cold and heat, indi**erence to blame anapplause, indi**erence to desire and a/ersion, and so on3 +hat does it really mean B

=irst o* all, it means that sense o* proportion +hich must come into the li*e o* one +ho has gained aglimpse o* the 8eal amid the *leeting, o* the permanent amid the transitory3 *or +hen once the greatnesso* the goal has been !"age #*$recognied, +hen once the numberless li/es ha/e been realied, +henonce the aspirant has understood all the length o* time that lies in *ront o* him, all the /astness o* the tasthat he is going to achie/e, all the grandeur o* the possibilities that lie still un/eiled be*ore him3 +hen hehas caught some glimpse o* the 8eal, then all the things o* one *leeting li*e must ta1e their place in

proportion to the +hole. And +hen a trouble comes, that trouble +ill no longer bul1 so largely as it did+hen one li*e +as all that he realied, *or he +ill begin to understand that he has been through manytroubles be*ore, and has come out the stronger and the more peace*ul *or the passage. And +hen :oycomes, he +ill 1no+ that he has been through many :oys be*ore, and has learned their lessons also, andhas *ound amid other things that they are transitory and so +hen a :oy comes or a pain, he +ill ta1e it, n*ailing to *eel it, *eeling it really *ar more 1eenly than the ordinary man o* the +orld can *eel, but *eeling itin its true place and at its true +orth, and gi/ing it only its real /alue in the !"age #+$great scheme o* li*e.o that as he gro+s in this indi**erence, it is not that he becomes less capable o* *eeling, *or he is e/erbecoming more sensiti/e to e/ery thrill o* the +orld +ithin and o* the +orld +ithout inasmuch as he

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has become more harmonious +ith the All, he must become more responsi/e to e/ery shade o* harmonthat is therein but that none o* these may a/ail to sha1e him, that none o* these may a/ail to changehim, that none o* these may touch his serenity, that none o* these may cast a shado+ on his calm. =or hhimsel* is rooted +here storms are not, he himsel* is grounded +here changes ha/e no place, and +hilehe may *eel, he can ne/er be altered by them3 they ta1e their right place in li*e, they bear their properproportion to the +hole span o* e4istence o* the oul. #hat indi**erence, that true and real indi**erence+hich means strength, ho+ shall that de/elop B

=irst, by this daily thin1ing on +hat it means, and +or1ing it out bit by bit until you thoroughly understandit, and +or1ing out detail a*ter detail, so that you 1no+ e4actly +hat you mean by it. And then +hen yougo !"age %-$out into the +orld o* men, by practising it in your daily li*e3 practising, not by hardeningyoursel* but by ma1ing yoursel* responsi/e, not by ma1ing round yoursel* a shell that thro+s e/erythingo**, but by ma1ing yoursel* ans+er to e/erything that comes *rom +ithout3 at the same time 1eeping aninner balance +hich re*uses to /ary +hile the change is *elt right through. A hard and a di**icult lesson,but a lesson that has so much in it o* hope and o* :oy and o* 1eener and more /i/id li*e, that i* that +ereall it +ere +orth +hile to practise it. =or, as the oul *eels itsel* gro+ing too strong to be sha1en, and yet*eels e/ery thrill that comes *rom +ithout, it has a sense o* +ider li*e, it has a sense o* *uller harmony, it

has a sense o* e/erincreasing consciousness, o* e/ergro+ing oneness +ith that o* +hich it is part. Andas the *eeling o* isolation gradually melts a+ay there *lo+s into it the :oy +hich d+ells at the heart o*things, and e/en that +hich to the ordinary man is pain*ul loses to the disciple its uality o* pain3 *or he*eels it, as it +ere, as part o* the ?ni/ersal 9i*e, as a syllable +hich is spo1en out o* this /ast language oani*estation, and !"age %,$he can learn its meaning +ithout any agony at his o+n heart, *or the peace+hich gro+s out o* this +idening 1no+ledge *ar o/erbears to him, and changes, as it +ere, his attitudeto+ards e/erything in the outer +orld +hich men 1no+ as pain and loss. #hus thin1ing and thuspractising, you +ill *ind this sense gro+ +ithin you, this sense o* calm and o* strength and o* serenity, sothat you +ill *eel as though you +ere in a place o* peace, no matter +hat the storm in the outer +orld,and you +ill see and *eel the storm and yet not be sha1en by it. #his peace is the *irst*ruits o* thepiritual 9i*e, +hich sho+s itsel* *irst in this sense o* peace and then in that o* :oy, and ma1es the li*e o*

the disciple a gro+th +hich is e/er up+ards and in+ards to the heart +hich is 9o/e. And out o* this theregro+s the sense o* sel*control, that the el* +ithin is stronger than the changes +ithout, and +hile it is+illing to respond, it re*uses to be altered by the contacts *rom +ithout. And then *rom the sel*control an*rom the indi**erence there comes that po+er o* hating none, on +hich so much stress is laid in all thebuilding o* character laid do+n *or the !"age %#$ aspirant +ho +ould become the disciple. Nothing is to behated, e/erything is to be brought +ithin the circle o* 9o/e, no matter ho+ out+ardly repulsi/e, no matteho+ out+ardly antagonistic, no matter ho+ out+ardly repugnant3 the heart o* all is 9i*e and 9o/e, andthere*ore this aspirant +ho is learning his lessons can shut nothing out *rom the circle o* compassion3e/erything is ta1en +ithin it according to its o+n po+er o* *eeling, and he is the *riend o* e/ery li/ingthing, the lo/er o* all that li/es and *eels.

And as he is thus building these stones into his character he becomes *earless3 *earless, because hatinnothing there is nothing that has po+er to harm. (n:ury *rom +ithout is but the reaction o* aggression *ro+ithin3 because +e are the enemies o* others they in their turn are our enemies, and because +e go outinto the +orld as in:urers, there*ore li/ing things in:ure us in turn. e, +ho ought to be the lo/ers o* allli/ing things, go out as destroyers, as tyrants, as haters, grasping the +orld *or tyranny and not *oreducation, as though man"s +or1 here +ere not to educate his younger brethren and lead them up+ard!"age %%$by all tenderness and all compassion3 +e go out and +e tyrannie o/er others, +hether they behuman or brute, so long as they are +ea1er than oursel/es3 and by their +ea1ness +e too o*ten measur

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our tyranny, and by their helplessness too o*ten the burden that +e lay upon them. And then +e +onderthat li/ing things *ly *rom us that as +e go out into the +orld +e are met +ith dread *rom the +ea1, an+ith hatred *rom the strong3 and +e 1no+ not in our blindness that all the hatred *rom the outer +orld isthe re*lection o* the e/il that is in oursel/es, and that to the heart o* lo/e there is nothing that is hate*ul,and there*ore nothing that can in:ure. #he man that has lo/e can +al1 unharmed through the :ungle, can+al1 untouched through the ca/e o* the carni/orous brute, or ta1e in his hands the serpent3 *or there isnothing that has message o* hate to the heart that has in it only lo/e, and the lo/e that radiates to the

+orld around us, that dra+s all things in to ser/e and not to in:ure, dra+s all things in to lo/e and not tohate. And so at the *eet o* the Gogi the tiger +ill roll in *riendship, and so to the *eet o* the !"age %&$ saintthe +ildest +ill bring their young *or shelter and *or helping, and all li/ing things +ill come to the man +hlo/es, *or they are all the o**spring o* the Ei/ine, and the Ei/ine is 9o/e, and +hen that is made per*ect iman it dra+s all things in+ards to itsel*. o then +e learn gradually and slo+ly to +al1 *earlessly in the+orld, *earlessly e/en though things may still in:ure3 *or +e 1no+ i* +e are hurt that +e are only payingthe debt o* an e/il past, and that *or e/ery debt that is paid there is less against us, as it +ere, in thecredit boo1 o* Nature. And *earless too, because +e learn to 1no+, and *ear springs *rom doubt as +ell a*rom hatred3 the man +ho 1no+s has passed beyond doubt, and +al1s +ith *oot un*earing +here it maytread, *or it treads on solid ground alone, and there are no pit*alls in its +ay. And out o* this gro+s a *irmand unsha1en +ill, a +ill that is based on 1no+ledge, and a +ill that gro+s con*ident through lo/e. And a

the aspirant is crossing the Court o* the )uter #emple, his step becomes *irmer, and his course becomemore direct, unsha1en in its purpose and gro+ing in its !"age %'$strength3 his character begins to sho+itsel* out in de*inite outline, clear, distinct, and *irm, the oul gro+ing on+ards to maturity.

And then comes the absence o* desire, the gradual getting rid o* all those desires that tie us to the lo+e+orld, the gradual +or1ing out o* all those longings +hich in the li/es that lie behind us +e *ound had nosatis*action *or the oul, the gradual casting aside o* all the *etters that tie us do+n to earth, the gradualelimination o* the personal desire, and the sel*identi*ication +ith the +hole. =or this one +ho is gro+ingis not going to be tied to rebirth by any bonds that belong to the earth3 men come bac1 to the earthbecause they are held there, tied by these lin1s o* desire that bind them to the +heel o* births and o*

deaths3 but this man +e are studying is going to be *ree3 this man +ho is going to be *ree must brea1these lin1s o* desire *or himsel*3 there is only one thing that +ill bind him, only one thing that +ill dra+ hibac1 to birth, and that is the lo/e o* his *ello+s, the desire o* ser/ice. $e is not bound to the +heel, *or heis *ree, but he may come bac1 and turn the +heel once more *or !"age %($ the sa1e o* those +ho still arebound upon it, and +hom he +ill stand beside until the bonds o* all ouls are bro1en. (n his *reeing hebrea1s the bonds o* compulsion, and so he learns a per*ect unsel*ishness, learns that +hat is good *or ais that +hich he is see1ing, and that +hat ser/es the All is that +hich alone he desires to achie/e. Andthen he learns sel*reliance3 this one +ho is gro+ing to+ards the 9ight, learns to be strong in order thathe may help, learns to rely upon the el* +hich is the el* o* all, +ith +hich he is gro+ing to identi*yhimsel*.

#here is a thing that he has to *ace, upon +hich ( must say a +ord, *or it is perchance one o* the hardesto* his trials +hile he is +or1ing in this )uter Court. hen he entered that Court, 1no+ing and seeing themighty :oy beyond, he turned his bac1 on much that ma1es li*e glad to his *ello+s3 but there is a time thacomes sometimes, there is a time that no+ and then descends upon the oul, +hen, as it +ere, he hassprung out+ards into a /oid +here no hand seems to grasp his o+n, and +here there is dar1ness arounhim, and nothing on +hich his *eet !"age %)$may rest. #here are times +hich come in these stages o* theoul"s gro+th +hen there is nothing le*t on earth +hich can satis*y, there is nothing le*t on earth +hichcan *ill, +hen the *riendships o* old ha/e lost some o* their touch, and the delights o* earth ha/e lost all

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their sa/our, +hen the hands in *ront, though they are holding us, are not yet *elt, +hen the roc1 beneathour *eet, though our *eet are planted upon it, is not yet understood as changeless and immo/able, +henby the /eil o* illusion the oul is co/ered thic1ly, and it thin1s itsel* *orsa1en and 1no+s nothing o* helpthat it can *ind. (t is the /oid into +hich e/ery aspirant in turn has plunged3 it is the /oid that e/ery disciphas crossed. hen it ya+ns be*ore the oul, the oul dra+s bac13 +hen it opens up dar1 and seeminglybottomless, he +ho stands upon the brin1 shrin1s bac1 in *ear3 and yet he need not *ear. Plunge on+ardinto the /oid, and you shall *ind it *ull pring *or+ard into the dar1ness and you shall *ind a roc1 beneath

your *eet 9et go the hands that hold you bac1, and mightier $ands in *ront +ill clasp your o+n and dra+you on+ards, and they !"age %*$ are $ands that +ill ne/er lea/e you. #he earthly grasp +ill sometimesloosen, the *riend"s hand +ill unclasp your o+n and lea/e it empty, but the =riends +ho are on the otherside ne/er let go, no matter ho+ the +orld may change. Fo out then boldly into the dar1ness and into thloneliness, and you shall *ind the loneliness is the uttermost o* delusions, and the dar1ness is a light+hich none may lose again in li*e. #hat trial, once *aced, is *ound again to be a great delusion3 and thedisciple +ho dares to plunge *inds himsel* on the other side.

#hus the building o* character goes on, and +ill go on *or li/es to come, nobler and nobler as each li*e isended, mightier and mightier as each step is ta1en. #hese *oundations +hich +e ha/e been laying are

only the *oundations o* the building ( ha/e hinted at, and i* the achie/ement seem mighty, it is becauseal+ays in the mind o* the architect the building is complete, and e/en +hen the ground plan is as1etching, his imagination sees the completed edi*ice, and he 1no+s +hereto he builds.

And the end B Ah the ending o* that building o* character our tongues not yet can !"age %+$ s1etch Npaintbrush +hich is dipped only in earth"s dull colours can limn anything o* the beauty o* that per*ectideal to+ards +hich +e hope to, nay, to+ards +hich +e 1no+ +e shall, e/entually rise. $a/e you e/ercaught a glimpse o* it in silent moments B $a/e you e/er seen a re*lection o* it +hen the earth +as stilland +hen the hea/en +as calm B $a/e you e/er had a glimpse o* those Ei/ine =aces that li/e and mo/ #hose that +ere men and no+ are more than men, superhuman in #heir grandeur3 man as he shall b

though not as he is, sa/e in the innermost Courts o* the #empleB (* you ha/e e/er caught a glimpse inyour stillest moments, then you need no +ords o* mine to tell you3 you 1no+ o* the compassion +hich at*irst seems the +hole o* the being, so radiant in its per*ection, so glorious in its di/inity3 the tenderness+hich is so mighty that it can stoop to the lo+est as +ell as transcend the highest, +hich recognies the*eeblest e**ort, as +ell as the mightiest achie/ement3 nay, +hich is tenderer to the *eeble than to themighty, because the *eeble most needs the helping o* the sympathy +hich ne/er changes !"age &-$ thelo/e +hich only seems not to be di/ine because it is so absolutely human, and in +hich +e realie thatman and Fod are one. And then beyond the tenderness, the strength the strength that nothing canchange, the strength +hich has in it the uality o* the *oundations o* the ?ni/erse, on +hich all +orldsmight build, and yet it +ould not sha1e, strength so in*inite :oined +ith compassion so boundless. $o+can these ualities be in one eing and harmonie +ith such absolute per*ectionB And then the radiance

o* the :oy the :oy that has conuered, the :oy that +ould ha/e all others share its beatitude, the radiansunshine that 1no+s no shado+, the glory o* the conuest +hich tells that all shall +in, the :oy in the eyethat see beyond the sorro+, and that e/en in loo1ing at pain 1no+ that the end is peace. #enderness andstrength and :oy and uttermost peace peace +ithout a ru**le, serenity that naught can touch< such isthe glimpse +hich you may ha/e caught o* the Ei/ine, such is the glimpse o* the ideal that one day +eshall become. And i* +e dare to raise our eyes so high, it is because #heir *eet !"age &,$still tread theearth +here our *eet are treading. #hey ha/e risen high abo/e us3 none the less stand #hey beside #hebrothers, and i* #hey transcend us it is not that #hey ha/e le*t us, although on e/ery side #hey arebeyond us3 *or all humanity d+ells in the heart o* the aster, and +here humanity is, +e, its children, ma

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dare to realie +e d+ell.

ANN(; ;AN#

HOW TO BUILD CHAACTE#$; /ery idea implied in the building o* character is a ne+ one to many people. #hey usually thin1 andspea1 o* a man as born +ith a certain character and practically incapable o* changing it. #hey sometimethin1 o* a man"s character ha/ing been altered by great sorro+ or su**ering, as in truth it o*ten is3 butcomparati/ely *e+ people seem to realie that it is a thing that they can ta1e in hand and mould *orthemsel/es a thing at +hich they can steadily +or1 +ith the certainty o* obtaining good results. Get it true that a man may change himsel* intelligently and /oluntarily, and may ma1e o* himsel* practically+hat he +ill +ithin /ery +ide limits. ut naturally this is hard +or1. #he man"s character, as it stands no+is the result o* his o+n pre/ious actions and thoughts. Gou +ho are *amiliar +ith the idea !"age &%$ o*

reincarnation, +ith the thought that this li*e is only one day in the *ar larger li*e, +ill recognie that this damust depend upon all other days, and that the man is no+ +hat he has made himsel* by antecedentde/elopment. ut he has li/ed through many li/es, and that means that he has been many thousands oyears in training himsel* to be +hat he is, e/en though such training has been unconscious on his partand +ithout any de*inite aim. $e has there*ore established +ithin himsel* many decided habits. e all1no+ ho+ di**icult it is to conuer habit ho+ almost impossible it is to get rid o* e/en some smallphysical tric1 o* manner +hen once it has become a part o* oursel/es. 8easoning *rom small things tolarger ones, +e may readily realie that +hen a man has certain habits +hich ha/e been steadilystrengthening themsel/es *or thousands o* years, it is a serious tas1 *or him to try to chec1 theirmomentum and to re/erse the currents. #hese lines o* thought and *eeling are +elded into the man, andthey sho+ as ualities +hich seem to be deeply ingrained in him. No+ that he has yielded to them

through all !"age &&$that length o* time it seems *rom the +orldly point o* /ie+ impossible *or him to resisthem, yet it is by no means impossible *rom the point o* /ie+ o* the occultists.

(*, *or e4ample, the man has +hat +e call an irritable character, that is because he has yielded himsel* to*eelings o* that nature in pre/ious li/es because he has not de/eloped +ithin himsel* the /irtue o* sel*control (* a man has a narro+, mean, and grasping character, it is because he has not learnt the opposit/irtues o* generosity and unsel*ishness. o it is all the +ay through3 the man o* open mind and genialheart has built into himsel* these /irtues during the ages that ha/e passed o/er his head. e are e4actl+hat +e ha/e made oursel/es. Get +e ha/e become +hat +e are +ithout any special e**ort o* thought oo* intention. (n those li/es that are past +e ha/e gro+n +ithout setting any de*inite ob:ect be*ore us, and

+e ha/e allo+ed oursel/es to be to a great e4tent the creatures o* our surroundings and circumstances

(n some cases +e may ha/e intentionally *ormed oursel/es upon the model o* someone !"age &'$ +hom+e admired, and that person may ha/e in*luenced our li/es largely *or a time. ut ob/iously this hero o*ours, +hom +e ha/e copied, may ha/e had bad ualities as +ell as good ones3 and at these earlierstages it is little li1ely that +e had the discrimination to choose only the good and to re*use the e/il. o+e may probably ha/e reproduced in oursel/es his undesirable ualities as +ell as those +hich +ere+orthy o* imitation. Gou may see that this is so i* you +atch the actions o* children in the present day, *o

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*rom them +e may learn much as to the probable actions o* the childnature o* our unde/eloped souls inthe past. Gou may see ho+ sometimes a boy concei/es a /iolent hero+orship *or some older person,and tries to model himsel* upon him. uppose, *or e4ample, that the ob:ect o* his adoration is some oldsailor +ho can tell him +onder*ul stories o* ad/enture on stormy seas and in *ar distant lands. hat theboy admires is the courage and endurance o* the man, and he respects him *or the e4perience and the1no+ledge +hich he has acuired in his +anderings. $e cannot immediately reproduce the courage, the!"age &($ endurance, or the e4perience3 but he can, and he does *orth+ith, copy the out+ard traits o* his

sailor*riend, and so he +ill *aith*ully imitate the curious nautical e4pressions, the tobaccoche+ing andthe rolling gait. uch in the same +ay +e also may ha/e been hero+orshippers in days and li/es goneby, and +e may ha/e set up many an unpleasant habit in mimicry o* some sa/age chie*tain +hoseboast*ul bra/ery e4torted our admiration.

(t is probable, ho+e/er, that this idea Io* de*initely ta1ing our sel/es in hand *or the sa1e o* impro/emenhas occurred to *e+ o* us be*ore this li*e. #here is no uestion that to uproot old bad habits and toreplace them by good ones means a great deal o* trouble and a great deal o* arduous sel*control. (t is aserious tas1, and the ordinary man has no 1no+ledge o* any moti/e su**iciently po+er*ul to induce him tattempt it. (n the absence o* this adeuate moti/e, he does not see +hy he should put himsel* to so muc

and such serious trouble. $e probably thin1s o* himsel* as a good *ello+ on the +hole, though possibly+ith one or t+o amiable +ea1nesses3 !"age &)$but he re*lects that e/ery one has his +ea1nesses, andthat those o* many other people are much +orse than any +hich he obser/es in himsel*. o he letshimsel* dri*t along +ithout ma1ing any e**ort.

e*ore such a man can be e4pected to re/erse his old habits, and set to +or1 pain*ully to *orm ne+ oneshe must *irst realie the necessity o* a change o* standpoint, and must obtain a +ider /ie+ o* li*e as a+hole. #he ordinary man o* the +orld is *ran1ly, cynically sel*ish. ( do not mean that he is intentionallycruel, or that he is de/oid o* good *eelings3 on the contrary, he may o*ten ha/e good and generousimpulses. ut his li*e on the +hole is certainly a sel*centred li*e3 his o+n personality is the pi/ot round

+hich the ma:ority o* his thought re/ol/es3 he :udges e/erything instantly and instincti/ely by the +ay in+hich it happens to a**ect him personally. ;ither he is absorbed in the pursuit o* +ealth, and blind to thehigher side o* things and to the spiritual li*e, or else his chie* ob:ect in e4istence appears to be thephysical en:oyment o* the moment. !"age &*$

THE AEAGE IE/"ON/IBLE FACULT0#o see that this is so, +e ha/e only to loo1 round us at the men +hom +e meet e/ery day, or to listen tothe con/ersations +hich are going on in the streets or the rail+ay carriages. (n nine cases out o* ten +e

shall notice that the people are tal1ing either about money, or amusements, or gossip. #heir one idea inli*e seems to be +hat they call -ha/ing a good time-, or, as they *reuently put it in still coarser and moreob:ectionable language, -ha/ing lots o* *un- as though this+ere the end and the ob:ect o* thee4istence o* a reasonable being, a li/ing spar1 made in the Ei/ine (mage ( ha/e been much struc1 +iththis that the only idea +hich many people seem to connect +ith li*e is that o* the sensuous pleasure othe moment :ust amusement and nothing else. #hat seems to be all that they are able to comprehendand it appears to be a su**icient reason *or not ha/ing /isited a certain place to say that there is no -*un-to be had there. ( ha/e o*ten heard a similar remar1 made in =rance3 there !"age &+$also s'amuser bienseems to be the great duty +hich is recognied by the ma:ority, and it has passed into a *igure o* ordinaspeech, so that a man +ill o*ten +rite to another, -( hope you are amusing yoursel* +ell- as though th

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pleasure o* the moment +ere the only important business.

#o listen to the con/ersation o* these men and +omen o* the present age one +ould suppose them to bthe mere insects o* a day, +ith no sense o* duty, o* responsibility, or o* seriousness3 they ha/e not in theleast realied themsel/es as immortal souls +ho are here *or a purpose, and ha/e a de*inite e/olutionbe*ore them3 and so their li*e is one o* shallo+ ignorance and giggling /acuity. #he only li*e they seem to

1no+ is the li*e o* the moment, and in this +ay they lo+er themsel/es to the le/el o* the least intelligent the animals about them. an has been de*ined as a thin1ing animal, but it seems e/ident that as yet thade*inition applies only to part o* the race. ( thin1 +e must admit that to one or other o* these t+o classes the moneyhunters, or the pleasurehunters belong the ma:ority o* the people o* our !"age '-$occidental races, and that those +hose principal thoughts in li*e are duty and the pursuit o* spiritualde/elopment are only a small minority.

#here are many o* them +ho ha/e a recognition o* duty in connection +ith their business, and theyconsider that e/erything else must yield to that e/en their personal pleasure. Gou +ill hear a man say-( should li1e to do this, but ( ha/e my business +hich reuires attention3 ( cannot a**ord to lose time *rom

my business-. o that e/en the idea o* personal pleasure becomes subsidiary to that o* business. #his at least some+hat o* an impro/ement, though it is o*ten sadly o/erdone, and you +ill *ind many people t+hom this idea o* business has in its turn become a 1ind o* god +hich they +orship. #hey are in acondition o* ab:ect sla/ery to it, and they ne/er can let themsel/es escape *rom its in*luence e/en *or amoment. #hey bring it home +ith them, they are +holly in/ol/ed +ith it, and they e/en dream o* it atnight3 so that they sacri*ice e/erything to this oloch o* business, and they cannot be said to ha/e time*or any !"age ',$ true li*e at all. (t +ill be seen that though there is here a da+ning conception o* duty it isstill only upon the physical plane, and their thought is still limited to the a**airs o* the day. )nly in the caso* a small number +ill it be *ound that this idea is dominated by a light *rom higher planes3 rarely indeedhas the man a glimpse o* +ider horion. #his concentration o* attention upon the physical li*e o* thepassing day seems to be a characteristic o* our present race, o* the great socalled ci/iliation +hich at

present e4ists both in ;urope and in America. )b/iously the man +ho +ishes to do anything de*inite inthe +ay o* characterbuilding must *irst o* all change this standpoint, *or other+ise he has no adeuatemoti/e *or underta1ing so se/ere a tas1.

CONE/ION(n religious circles this change o* standpoint is called con/ersion3 and i* it +ere *reed *rom the some+haunpleasant canting associations +ith +hich it is ordinarily surrounded, this +ould be a good +ord toe4press e4actly +hat happens to the man. e 1no+ that in 9atin !"age '#$ vertomeans -to turn-, and co

signi*ies -together +ith-, so con/ersion is the point at +hich the man turns *rom *ollo+ing sel*ish ends an*ighting against the great stream o* di/ine e/olution, and hence*orth begins to understand his positionand to mo/e along +ith that stream. (n the $indu religion they call this same change by the name o*viveka, or -discrimination-, because +hen that comes to a man it means that he has learnt to see therelati/e /alue o* ob:ects and to distinguish to some e4tent bet+een the real and the unreal, so that he isable to percei/e that the higher things only are those +hich are +orthy o* his attention. (n the uddhistreligion another name is gi/en to this change mano-dvaravarjana, or -the opening o* the doors o* themind-. #he man"s mind has in reality opened its doors3 discrimination has a+a1ened +ithin it and itso+ner has brought it to bear upon the problems o* li*e. #he man +ho is +rapped up in pleasure has notyet opened his mind at all3 he is not thin1ing about li*e in any serious +ay, but is immersed in the lo+er

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currents. #he business man has de/eloped the desire *or.acuisition, and is !"age '%$bending all hisenergies into action *or that purpose3 but his mind also has not yet opened to understand the realities o*higher li*e.

#his opening o* the doors, this discrimination, this con/ersion, means the realiation that the things +hicare seen upon the physical plane are temporal and o* little importance as compared +ith these other

things +hich are unseen and eternal. (t is precisely that +hich is spo1en o* in the ible, +hen +e are told-et your a**ection on things abo/e and not on things o* the earth ... *or the things +hich are seen aretemporal, but the things +hich are not seen are eternal-. #his does not mean that a man must gi/e up hiordinary daily li*e, or must abandon his business or his duties in order to become +hat is commonlycalled a pious or a de/out man3 but it does mean that he should learn intelligently to appreciate otherthings besides those +hich are immediately ob/ious upon the physical plane.

e all o* us at di**erent stages ha/e to learn to do this3 +e ha/e to learn to +iden our horion. As littlechildren, *or e4ample, +e appreciate only those things +hich are near !"age '&$ to us, and +e are unableto loo1 *ar ahead in time, or to plan much *or the *uture. ut as +e gro+ older +e learn by e4perience tha

it is sometimes necessary *or us to gi/e up the pleasures o* the moment in order that +e may gainsomething in the *uture +hich shall be better and greater. (n the *irst place this is usually to gainsomething still *or oursel/es3 *or it is only by degrees that the true unsel*ishness da+ns. (n many casesthe little child +ould spend the +hole o* his time in play i* he +ere allo+ed to do so, and it is a matter o*regret to him that restrictions are imposed upon him and that he is compelled to learn. Get +e uni/ersallyrecognie that the child should learn, because +e 1no+ +hat the child as yet does not that thatlearning +ill *it him to ta1e his place in li*e, and to ha/e a *uller and more use*ul career than +ould bepossible *or him i* instead o* learning he de/oted himsel* entirely to the :oys o* the moment.

Get +e +ho thus en*orce this learning upon the child are oursel/es doing the same thing *or +hich +e

blame the little one, +hen +e regard the matter *rom a some+hat higher !"age ''$ standpoint. e also a+or1ing *or the moment *or the moment o* this one li*e, and +e *ail to realie that there is somethingin*initely grander and higher and happier +ithin reach i* +e only understood it. e are +or1ing *or thisone day only, and not *or the *uture +hich +ill be eternal. #he moment a man becomes con/inced o* thishigher li*e and o* the eternal *uture as soon as he realies that he has his part to play in that, naturallyhis common sense asserts itsel*, and he says to himsel*< -(* that be so, ob/iously these material thingsare o* comparati/ely little account, and instead o* +asting the +hole o* my time ( must be learning toprepare mysel* *or this greater li*e in the *uture. #here at once is the adeuate moti/e +hose lac1 +epre/iously deplored3 there is the incenti/e to learn to build the character, in order to *it onesel* *or thatother and higher li*e.

"UITANI/1( thin1 that Puritanism, +hich has played such a prominent part in the history both o* !"age '($;nglandand o* America, arose chie*ly as a reaction against that /ie+ o* li*e o* +hich ( +as spea1ing :ust no+ the mere li/ing *or the careless sel*ish en:oyment o* the moment. ( belie/e that Puritanism +as in itsel*largely a protest against that, and in so *ar as it emphasies the reality o* the higher li*e, and thenecessity o* paying attention to it, it had good in it. #rue, it also did much harm more harm than goodon the +hole, because it did this terrible thing, that it made people identi*y religion +ith sourness and

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sadness. (t made people thin1 that to be good one must be miserable3 it degraded and all but destroyedthe idea o* the lo/ing =ather. (t blasphemed Fod by telling horrible and +ic1ed *alsehoods +ith regard to$im3 it misrepresented $im as a stern and cruel :udge, a monster, instead o* a =ather *ull o* lo/e andcompassion3 and in doing this it +arped and distorted Angloa4on Christianity, and set a stamp upon it*rom +hich it has not e/en yet reco/ered.

Perhaps the reason o* this may be that it made a common mista1e that it con*used cause and e**ect. is true that a man +ho !"age ')$has learned to appreciate the higher :oys o* the spiritual li*e cares little *those o* the ordinary physical e4istence. #hat is not because he has lost his capacity *or :oy, but becaushe has no+ realied something so much *uller and +ider, that by comparison +ith it the lo+er delight hasceased to seem :oy at all. hen the boy comes to be a man he has outgro+n his childish toys, yet he iscapable o* other and much greater pleasures than those could e/er ha/e gi/en him. Kust so the man +hrises in e/olution, so that instead o* mere sel*ish delights he comes to appreciate the *ar greater :oy o*unsel*ish +or1, +ill *ind that his ordinary pleasures are no longer satis*ying to him and seem to him nolonger +orth the trouble o* pursuit. #his is because he has reached a higher standpoint and gained a+ider horion3 but the result upon the physical plane gi/es the impression that he has ceased to beinterested in the lo+er physical pleasures.

e must not, ho+e/er, con*use the cause +ith the e**ect as the un*ortunate Puritans did, and supposethat by turning our bac1s !"age '*$upon the :oys o* the physical plane +e there*ore instantly become themore highly e/ol/ed men +ith the +ider outloo1. (t is true that because the young man has de/eloped hno longer cares *or in*antile pleasures3 it +ould not be true that the in*ant by re*using the delightsappropriate to his age +ould thereby become an adult. (t is +ell, then, that +e should realie clearly thatit is emphatically a *alse and *oolish doctrine that to be good men must be miserable. ;4actly3 the re/ersis the truth, *or Fod means man to be happy, and it is certainly his duty to be so3 *or a man +ho isunhappy radiates depression all round him, and thus ma1es li*e harder *or his *ello+ men.

THE AWA2ENING$o+ then does a man come to ma1e this great e**ort o* trying to build his character, trying to ma1esomething o* himsel*B #he sa*est and the most satis*actory path is that +hich +e ha/e :ust indicated. #hman comes to +ider 1no+ledge, he comes to understand that there is a grander and !"age '+$ higher li*ehe sees that there is a great scheme, and that man is part o* that scheme. eeing that, and appreciatingto some e4tent the splendour and the glory o* the plan, he +ishes to become an intelligent part o* it h+ishes to ta1e his place in it, no longer merely as a stra+ s+ept along by a storm, but rather as one +hounderstands and desires to ta1e his share in the mighty di/ine +or1 that is being done.

#here are others +hose a+a1ening comes along a di**erent line the line o* de/otion, rather than o*1no+ledge. #hey are strongly attracted either by a high ideal or by some lo*ty personality3 their lo/e andadmiration are e4cited, and *or the sa1e o* that ideal, *or the sa1e o* that personality, they ma1estrenuous endea/ours to de/elop themsel/es. hen this de/otion is inspired by the glimpse o* asplendid ideal it is indeed a glorious thing, and its action is practically indistinguishable *rom that o*spiritual 1no+ledge. hen the de/otion is to a person it is o*ten hardly less beauti*ul, though then there a certain element o* danger arising *rom the *act that the ob:ect !"age (-$ o* this intense a**ection ishuman and must there*ore possess imper*ections. ometimes it happens that the de/otee comes

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suddenly upon one o* these imper*ections, and recei/es there*rom a rude shoc1 +hich may tend todiminish or di/ert the de/otion. #he high ideal can ne/er *ail the man +ho trusts it3 the person mayal+ays do so to some e4tent or in some respect, and conseuently there is less security in the de/otionto a teacher.

e in #he #heosophical ociety ha/e had some e4perience in this direction, *or among our students

there are many +ho approach the truth by this road o* de/otion. hen the de/otion is to #heosophy, allgoes +ell3 their enthusiasm gro+s e/er more and more brilliant as they learn more o* the truth3 and nomatter ho+ *ar they penetrate, or +hich o* its many sides they in/estigate, they can ne/er bedisappointed. ut +hen the de/otion has been not to #heosophy or to the great asters +ho ga/e it tothe +orld, but to some one o* their instruments on the physical plane, +e ha/e *ound that its basis is lesssecure. any entered the ociety and too1 up its !"age (,$studies on the strength o* a personal de/otioto its great *ounder, adame la/ats1y. #hose +ho 1ne+ her most intimately, those +ho came nearest understanding that +onder*ul manysided indi/iduality, ne/er lost their *aith in her, nor their deep heart*ea**ection and de/otion *or her3 but others +ho 1ne+ less o* her +ere perturbed +hen they read or heardo* +ild accusations brought against her, or +hen they sa+ the un*a/ourable report o* a learned ocietyconcerning her. #hen it o*ten happened that because their *aith had been based upon the personality

Iand upon one +hich they did not understand' they *ound themsel/es altogether o/erthro+n, andabandoned the study o* #heosophy *or this incarnation. uch action is ob/iously utterly irrational, *ore/en i* all the absurd stories circulated about adame la/ats1y had been true, the mighty doctrines o*#heosophy still remain the same, and its system is still unassailable3 but the emotional person does notreason, and so +hen the pre:udices o* these good people +ere shoc1ed or their *eelings +ere hurt, theyabandoned the ociety in a rage, not realiing that they +ere !"age (#$ themsel/es the only su**erersthrough their *olly.

Ee/otion is a splendid *orce3 yet +ithout an intelligent comprehension o* that to +hich the de/otion is *elit has o*ten led people terribly +rong. ut i* the man clearly grasps the mighty di/ine scheme o* e/olutio

and *eels his de/otion called *orth by that, then all is +ell +ith him, *or that cannot *ail him, and the morehe 1no+s o* it the deeper his de/otion +ill become and the more thoroughly +ill he identi*y himsel* +ith #here is no *ear o* close in/estigation there, *or *uller 1no+ledge means deeper adoration, greater+onder, pro*ounder lo/e. =or these reasons it is best *or the man to *eel his de/otion *or the ideals rathethan *or personalities, ho+e/er lo*ty these may be. est o* all is it that he should base himsel* uponreason and *act, and argue *rom +hat is +ell 1no+n scienti*ically to the things not yet 1no+n in the outer+orld. $is in*erences may sometimes be +rong, but he realies that possibility, and is al+ays ready tochange them i* good reason can be sho+n to him. Any such alterations in detail cannot a**ect the basis!"age (%$ upon +hich his system rests, since that is not accepted upon blind *aith, but stands on thesecure plat*orm o* reason and o* common sense. $e 1no+s that the mighty scheme o* e/olution e4ists,although as yet our 1no+ledge o* it is imper*ect3 he 1no+s that he is put here *or a purpose, and that he

ought to be trying to do his share in the +or1 o* the +orld. $o+ then can he begin to *it himsel* to ta1ethat share B

#here comes in the uestion o* the building o* character. A man sees himsel* to be *it or un*it as the casemay be3 to be *it in certain +ays perhaps, but much hampered in others by characteristics +hich hepossesses. #here at once is an adeuate moti/e *or him to ta1e himsel* in hand, +hen he realies thathis li*e is not *or this short and *leeting period only, but *or all eternity, +hen he sees that the conditions othe *uture days o* this +ider li*e +ill be modi*ied by his actions no+. $e recognies that he must so train

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himsel* as to be able to do this noble +or1 +hich he sees opening up be*ore him that he must not+aste his time in idleness or *olly, because i* he does he cannot sustain the part destined !"age (&$*orhim. $e must learn, he must educate and de/elop himsel* in /arious +ays in order that he may not *ail inhis ability to bear his share in the *uture that a+aits us, in the glory that shall be re/ealed.

As to the stages in +hich this can be done, perhaps, +e can hardly do better than listen to the +ords o*

one o* the mightiest o* the earth"s #eachers. Gou +ill remember that men as1ed the 9ord uddha to statethe +hole o* his mar/ellous doctrine in one single /erse3 and that he replied in these memorable +ords

Creating Character

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