The Complete Works of Yogy Ramacharaka. William Walker Atkinson
Читать онлайн книгу.
world.
The Hall of Learning is the state of consciousness which comes when the Spiritual Mind is allowed to flow freely into the conscious mind. Little by little the student is impressed with the truth, so gradually, often, that he scarcely realizes that it is advancing—but he is continually progressing and unfolding.
The next four precepts are very important. Although intended for quite advanced students, much of their meaning may be grasped by those who have not attained so fully. We will try to make a little plainer these difficult passages.
1. Stand aside in the coming battle; and, though thou fightest, be not though the warrior.
2. Look for the warrior, and let him in thee.
3. Take his orders for battle, and obey them.
4. Obey him, not as though he were a general, but as though he were thyself, and his spoken words were the utterance of thy secret desires; for he is thyself, yet infinitely wiser and stronger than thyself. Look for him, else, in the fever and hurry of the fight, thou mayest pass him; and he will not know the unless thou knowest him. If thy cry reach his listening ear, then will he fight in thee, and fill the dull void within. And, if this is so, then canst thou go through the fight cool and unwearied, standing aside, and letting him battle for thee. But if thou look out for him, if thou pass him by, then there is no safeguard for thee. Thy brain will reel, thy heart grow uncertain, and, in the dust of the battlefield, thy sight and senses will fail, and thou wilt not know thy friends from thy enemies.
He is thyself; yet thou are but finite, and liable to error. He is eternal and is sure. He is eternal truth. When once he has entered thee, and become thy warrior, he will never utterly desert thee, and, at the day of the great peace, he will become one with thee.
These four precepts refer to the recognition of the Real Self-Spirit—which is within each soul, and which is constantly struggling to cast from itself (when the time is ripe) each encumbering sheath of the lower self which is hindering and containing it. The precepts bid the soul to look within for the real source of strength—to be guided by it—to allow it to manifest freely through oneself—to be led by Spirit. When one has sufficiently freed oneself from the restrictions and confining bonds of the lower self, and is able to allow Spirit to flow freely and manifest with a minimum degree of resistance, then will Spirit act through him and work for him, and guide him. And even the less advanced soul may obtain the greatest benefit from opening up itself to the inflow of the divine principle, and allowing it to work through it. The man who is led by Spirit—who recognizes the existence of the Real Self, and trusts it—may live in a great measure apart from the turmoil and strife of the outer world. Not that he may withdraw from the world (for that is often cowardice), but he is able to take his place in the great game of Life, and to do his work there and do it well, and yet feel certain that while he is in it he is not of it. He is able practically to stand aside and see himself act. Spirit will guide him through the struggle, and will see that he is nourished and cared for, and will always act for his ultimate good. It will lead him to that which is best for him, and will attract to him that which he needs. Fear and unfaith are the great obstacles to this free working of Spirit, and until they are cast aside Spirit is hampered and hindered in its work.
The final precept: "Stand aside in the coming battle; and though thou fightest, be thou not the warrior," states this truth distinctly. Note that the precept does not tell you to run away from the battle, or to hide yourself, or to seek seclusion. On the contrary, it distinctly assumes that you will fight. But it tells you to "stand aside" (that is for you, in your present consciousness to stand aside) and let the real self fight through you and for you. That is, to allow Spirit to lead you, and for you to be content with its leading.
The second precept is akin to the first. It tells you to "Look for the warrior, and let him fight in thee." Look for him; believe in him; trust in him; recognize him—and let him fight the battle for you.
"Take his orders for battle, and obey them," says the third precept. If he places you in a certain exposed position, where the enemy's fire is concentrated upon you, and your retreat seems to be utterly cut off, fear not but obey orders implicitly, for there is a plan behind the orders, and you will in the end triumph. Question not the orders, nor their result, for they are given by a higher form of intelligence than your present consciousness, and have a distinct (and good) object in view. Spirit is moving for your advancement, and though it brings you temporary pain and suffering, you will be a gainer in the end. And if you once grasp the meaning of it all, you will not feel the suffering and pain as do others, for they will be seen to be only temporary and fleeting, and unreal, and you will lose sense of them in your knowledge of the greater thing coming to you through and by means of them.
The fourth precept tells you further to "Obey him, not as though he were a general, but as though he were thyself, and his spoken words were the utterance of thy secret desires; for he is thyself, yet infinitely wiser and stronger than thyself." This admonition serves to warn us of the mistake of considering Spirit as an outside entity—a thing apart from ourself—and to remind us that it is our real self—ourself. Wiser and stronger than our present conception and consciousness of self, is Spirit, and we may trust it implicitly.
"Look for him, else, in the fever and hurry of the fight, thou mayest pass him; and he will not know thee unless thou knowest him," continues the precept, and the warning is worthy of note. In the midst of the fight we are most apt to forget that the Real Self is working through us, and, being excited and inflated by success, we may imagine that we (the conscious self) are doing all the work, and may cease to look for the Spirit, and thus close the channel of communication. "And he will not know thee, unless thou knowest him." Unless you recognize Spirit within, Spirit will not be able to work through you as freely as would otherwise be the case. Unless you recognize the existence of Spirit, you cannot expect it to respond. Spirit's guidance is for those who desire it and look for it.
"If thy cry reach his listening ear, then will he fight in thee, and fill the dull void within." Note the promise, and the statement that Spirit is listening—ever listening—for your call for help. When you become disheartened and discouraged—tired and worn from the fight—wounded and bleeding from the struggle—then cry to Spirit for help, and the listening ear will hear thee and will " fight in thee and fill the dull void within." He who opens himself up to Spirit no longer is conscious of the "dull void within" which has oppressed him for so long.
"And if this is so, then canst thou go through the fight and unwearied, standing aside, and letting him battle for thee." You will gain that feeling of calm content, knowing that thy warrior is invincible, and that the battle must be yours in the end. He who is conscious of Spirit working through him has indeed acquired "that peace which passeth understanding."
Then it will be impossible for thee to strike one blow amiss." True, indeed, for then every act and move is the act and movement of Spirit, and cannot be amiss or wrong. No matter how meaningless or mistaken the act or move may seem to the conscious mind at the time, later on it will be recognized as having been the very best thing under the circumstances.
"But if thou look not for him, if thou pass him by, then there is no safeguard for thee. Thy brain will reel, thy heart grow uncertain, and, in the dust of the battle-field, thy sight and senses will fail, and thou will not know thy friends from thy enemies." Is not this the experience of all of us before we recognize and trust Spirit's guidance? Have we not gone through these things, and suffered and grieved because we could see no light; no hope? Long have we cried aloud, demanding to know all the reason of it all—demanding to be told what was truth; what was right; what was wrong. And no answer has come to us, until we threw off the confining bonds of the lower self, and allowed the pure rays of Spirit to pour into our souls.
"He is thyself; yet thou are but finite, and liable to error. He is eternal, and is sure. He is eternal truth." The distinction between the lower, temporary, consciousness of self, and the reality, is there pointed out. The paradox of the self and the Self is here presented to you. Think well over it, and the truth will gradually reach you—and having … you will never again depart from you, no matter how dim it may seem at times.
"When once he has entered thee, and become thy warrior, he will never utterly