The Complete Works of Yogy Ramacharaka. William Walker Atkinson
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savages and barbarians, and their acts while entirely 'wrong' when seen from our present viewpoint, were seen as 'right' from the viewpoint of the savage. And these criminals should be treated as younger bretheren of the race—undeveloped—ignorant—but still brothers.
The rule of Dharma is for each man to live up to the best in him—no matter whether that 'best' has been impressed upon his soul by revelation, intuition or conscience, or by his intelligence in accordance with 'utility.' In fact all three of these influences have impressed him somewhat, and his 'best' is a composite of the three influences. When in doubt, open yourself to the light of the Spirit, and your 'best' will stand out clearly under the illuminating influence. That best will be your Dharma.
And another rule of Dharma is to refrain from criticising or condemning the Dharma of another man less developed than yourself. He is not looking through your eyes—he is not standing in your shoes. He may be living nearer to his highest ideal than you are to yours—how dare you judge him? Are you so near perfect that you will set your standard up as the absolute? Will your highest ideal—and your best action—measure up creditably when laid next to the yardstick of the Absolute? Did you ever stop to consider that if you were in exactly the condition of that lowly brother or sister you would do exactly as does he or she? You cannot imagine yourself in exactly their condition, for you can think only of yourself as you are, and when you try to put yourself in their place you are able only to think of yourself (with all your past experiences and present attainments) clothed in the flesh and garments of the other. It is not the same at all—to be exactly like them you would have to cast aside all your past experiences and present attainments, and take the experience and attainment of the other instead. And in that case, would you not be the other instead of yourself, and could you then (being that other) act differently from him?
The student who has followed us in our consideration of the schools of ethics—the three pillars of Dharma—very naturally asks us what crowns the structure—what ideal of Dharma holds out to those who are ready to perceive it. When one has mounted into the temple supported by the three pillars, what does he find there? Let us see what answer Dharma gives to these questions. The main point to remember in the consideration of 'Right Action' as seen from the point of view of Dharma, is that the soul of man is in a state of evolution or unfoldment. It is moving, stage by stage, from the lowest to the highest—from the idea of separation to the knowledge of Oneness. This unfoldment is the aim of life—the Divine Plan. This being the case, can you not see that anything in the line of that unfoldment that aids it and tends to forward the work is 'Good' or 'Right?' And then, equally true must be the statement that anything that retards that unfoldment or tends to delay or frustrate it must be 'Bad' or 'Wrong,' when measured by the same standard. It is true that you may say 'Not-Good' or 'Not-Right,' instead of 'Bad' and 'Wrong,' or you may say 'Less-Good,' or 'Less-Right' if you prefer the terms—but the meaning is the same, no matter what words are used. The 'Right' and 'Good' falls in with the plan of unfoldment, while the 'Wrong' or 'Bad' tends to retard it or to frustrate its work. It is 'right' for the tiger to be blood-thirsty and revengeful, for that is not contrary to his stage of development, but for a developed man to revert to that stage, or stages corresponding to it is 'Wrong,' because it is a going back or retrogression. For an advanced soul to harbor feelings of hate, revenge, jealousy and the like, would be 'wrong' for it would be a going back to stages long since past, and would be contrary to the knowledge and intuition of that man. In climbing the steps of the temple of Dharma one man may be on the third step, and a second man on the fifth. Now if the man on the fifth step descends to the fourth one it is a going back for him, which is 'wrong;' while if the man on the third step advances to the fourth one it is a going ahead for him, which, consequently is 'right' and desirable for him, for he is advancing. The law of evolution and unfoldment leads upward. Whatever falls in with that law is desirable and right—whatever goes contrary is undesirable and wrong. If a teacher has a dull or wilful scholar, and after working hard with him she finds that he is doing 'just a little better,' she praises him for the improvement and is greatly pleased. But that same teacher would be greatly distressed if one of her brightest and best behaved pupils would do just the same thing for which she had just praised the poor scholar! And yet both acts would be the same, when seen from one point of view, and yet how different from the broader outlook. Do you see what we mean?
Go on dear friends and scholars, living up to your best. Read what we have written in Lesson I of this series and learn to 'seek in the heart the source of evil and expunge it.' Be a tamer of the wild beasts within you. Learn to cast out these relics of the past. Learn to keep in leash the lower animal parts of your nature—drive the beast to the corner of the cage, in spite of his teeth and claws. Learn to grow and develop and unfold until you are able to reach that step of the ladder of Attainment when you may look upon the past and realize that Dharma has become a part of the past with you, for then you will have entered into that consciousness of the Real Self, and will be able to see things as they are. Then you will receive the light of the Spirit without the dimness caused by the sheaths. Remember the words of 'Light on the Path.' "Make the profound obeisance of the soul to the dim star that burns within—steadily as you watch and worship, its light will grow stronger. Then you may know that you have found the beginning of the way—and when you have found the end, its light will suddenly become the infinite light."
Peace be to thee.
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