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Notebooks of Paul Brunton > Category 1: Overview of the Quest > Chapter 2: Its Choie

Its Choie
General notes
1
Soul-finding as Life's Higher Purpose
But urb the beast woul! ast thee in the "ire#
$n! leave the hot swa"p of voluptuousness#
$ lou! between the Na"eless an! thyself#
$n! lay thine uphill shoul!er to the wheel#
$n! li"b the %ount of Blessing# whene# if thou
&ook higher# then''perhane''thou "ayest''beyon!
$ hun!re! ever'rising lines#
$n! past the range of Night an! (ha!ow''see
)he high'heaven !awn of "ore than "ortal !ay
(trike on the %ount of *ision+
'')ennyson# ,)he $nient (age,
One thing that struk "y "in! foribly on "y return to the -estern he"isphere after an
absene of several years in the Orient# was the way we busie! an! over'busie!
ourselves# whether in work# pleasure# or "ove"ent. /ew take life easily0 "ost take it
uneasily. /ew go through its !aily business serenely0 "ost go through it nervously#
hurrie!ly# an! agitate!ly. Our ativities are so nu"erous they suffoate us. It is a life
without e"otional poise# bereft of intelletual perspetive. -e are into1iate! by ation.
-e "o!erns give ourselves too "uh to ativity an! "ove"ent# too little to passivity
an! stillness. If we are to fin! a way out of the troubles whih beset us# we "ust fin! a
"i!!le way between these two attitu!es.
)he nee! of silene after noise# peae after feverishness# thought after ativity# is wi!e
an! !eep to!ay. $"i! all the nostru"s an! panaeas offere! to hu"anity there is little
evi!ene of the reali2ation of this nee!.
$nyone who an overo"e the e1troverting an! "ateriali2ing ten!enies of our perio!
has to be an e1eptional person. In!ee! a general turning towar!s spiritual life is not a
hope for the i""e!iate present but for the !istant future. )his "ay soun! pessi"isti.
But it will !isourage those only who are oppresse! by the reality of ti"e an! !o not
pereive its true nature.
)he on!itions of "o!ern ivili2e! soiety are not helpful to "ystial self'ulture#
although they will serve intelletual self'ulture. -hat is first nee!e! is a reognition of
the value of retreat# of ti"es an! plaes where every "an an! wo"an "ay perio!ially
an! te"porarily isolate hi"self or herself whilst with!rawing attention fro" worl!ly
affairs an! giving it wholly to spiritual ones.
)hese wor!s will "ake no appeal to the "aterialist "entality whih still regar!s all
spiritual e1perienes as the outo"e of pathologial on!itions. (uh an attitu!e#
fortunately# has beo"e less sure of itself than it was when first I e"barke! on these
stu!ies an! e1peri"ents# now "ore than thirty years ago.
)he "ysti who sits in an hour'long "e!itation is not wasting his ti"e# even though he
is in!ulging in so"ething whih to the septi see"s "eaningless. On the ontrary# his
"e!itation is of vital signifiane.
It is 3uite usto"ary to relegate us# the votaries of "ystiis"# to the asylu" of
eentriity# rankiness# gullibility# frau!# an! even lunay. In so"e in!ivi!ual ases our
ritis are perfetly 4ustifie! in !oing so. -hen the "ysti loses his straight ourse# he
easily !eviates into these aberrations. But to "ake a wholesale on!e"nation of all
"ystiis" beause of the rotten on!ition of a part of it is unfair an! itself an
unbalane! proe!ure.
-herever an! whenever it an# siene puts all "atters to the test. %ystiis" welo"es
this part of the sientifi attitu!e. It has nothing to fear fro" suh a pratial
e1a"ination. But there is a !rawbak here. No sientist an test it in a laboratory. 5e
"ust test it in his own person an! over a long perio!.
Owing to the wi!esprea! ignorane of the sub4et# there are so"e people who are
!isturbe! by various fears of "e!itation. )hey believe it to be har"ful to "ental sanity
or even a kin! of traffi with (atan. (uh fears are groun!less. %e!itation has been
given by 6o! to "an for his spiritual profit# not for his spiritual !estrution.
I woul! be failing in a !uty to those less fortunate if through fear of being thought a
boaster I faile! to state that "y researhes have le! "e to the ertain !isovery of the
soul.
$ny "an "ay beo"e an atheist or an agnosti an! !oubt the e1istene of his own soul#
but no "an nee! re"ain one. $ll that is re3uire! of hi" is that he searh for it patiently#
untiringly# an! unre"ittingly. 7eality elu!es us. 8et beause o""on e1periene an!
"ystial e1periene are both strongly interwoven out of it# they who persevere in their
searh "ay hol! the hope that one !ay they "ay fin! it. %en will rush agitate!ly hither
an! thither in 3uest of a single possession# but har!ly one an be in!ue! to go in 3uest
of his own soul. (trange as it "ay see" to those who have i""erse! the"selves
heavily in the bo!y9s senses# har! to believe as it "ay be to those who have lost
the"selves !eeply in the worl!9s business# there is nevertheless a way up to the soul9s
!ivinity. )hat the !ivine power is ative here# in &on!on or New 8ork# an! now# in the
twentieth entury# "ay startle those who look for it only in Biblial ti"es an! in the
5oly &an!. But hu"an pereptions in their present stage annot bring this subtler self
within their range without a speial training. Its ativity elu!es the brain.
:very "an who !oes not feel this lose inti"ate fellowship with his Overself is
neessarily a pilgri"# "ost probably an unonsious one# but still in everything an!
everywhere he is in searh of his soul.
)he soul is perfetly knowable an! e1perieneable. It is here in "en9s very hearts an!
"in!s# an! suh knowle!ge one gaine!# suh e1periene one known# lifts the" into a
higher esti"ate of the"selves. %en then beo"e not "erely thinking ani"als but
glorious beings. Is it not astonishing that "an has ever been attrate! an! aptivate! by
so"ething whih the intellet an har!ly oneive nor the i"agination piture#
so"ething whih annot even be truly na"e!; 5ere is so"ething to pon!er over: why
"en shoul! have forfeite! all that see"s !ear# to the point of forfeiting life itself# for
so"ething whih an never be touhe! or s"elle!# seen or hear!.
-hat is it that has turne! "an9s heart towar!s religion# "ystiis"# philosophy sine
ti"e i""e"orial; 5is aspiration towar!s the !iviner life is unonsious testi"ony to its
e1istene. It is the presene within hi" of a !ivine soul whih has inspire! this turning#
the !ivine life itself in his heart whih has pro"pte! his aspiration. %an has no esape
fro" the urge to seek the (are!# the Profoun!# the )i"eless. )he roots of his whole
being are in it.
-e are neither the originator of this !otrine nor even its prophet. )he first "an who
venture! into the unknown within'ness of the <niverse an! of hi"self was its originator
whilst every "an who has sine voie! this !isovery has been its prophet. )he !ay will
o"e when siene# waking "ore fully than it is now fro" its "aterialisti sleep# will
onfess hu"bly that the soul of "an !oes really e1ist.
%en are free to i"prison their hearts an! "in!s in soulless "aterialis" or to lai" their
liberty in the wi!er life of spiritual truth. &et the" pull asi!e their "ental urtains an!
a!"it the life'giving sunlight of truth.
-hat oul! be loser to a "an than his own "in!; -hat therefore shoul! be "ore easy
to e1a"ine an! un!erstan!; 8et the ontrary is atually true. 5e knows only the
surfaes of the "in!0 its !eeps re"ain unknown.
If the "in! is to beo"e onsious of itself# it an !o so only by freeing itself fro" the
easeless ativity of its thoughts. )he syste"ati e1erise of "e!itation is the !eliberate
atte"pt to ahieve this. =ust as "u!!ie! water lears if the earth in it is left alone to
settle# so the agitate! "in! larifies its pereptions if left alone through "e!itation to
settle 3uietly. )here e1ists a part of "an9s nature of whih or!inarily he is o"pletely
ignorant# an! of whose i"portane he is usually septial.
-hat is the truest highest purpose of "an9s life; It is to be taken possession of by his
higher self. 5is !issatisfations are inurable by any other re"e!y. (pino2a saw an!
wrote that "an9s true happiness lay in !rawing nearer to the Infinite Being.
(anatku"ara# the In!ian (age# saw an! taught# ,)hat whih is Infinity is in!ee! bliss0
there an be no happiness in li"ite! things.,
(uh is the inseurity of the present'!ay worl! that the few who have foun! seurity are
only the few who have foun! their own soul# an! inner peae.
2
)hree happenings "ust show the"selves: to be given direction# to feel an impulsion
towar!s it# an! to pratise purification as a neessary re3uisite for the 4ourney. )wo
warnings are nee!e! here: fall not into the e1tre"e of unbalane# an! !epen! not on
what is outsi!e. One re"in!er: seek an! sub"it to grae. It "ay be i"ageless or foun!
anywhere anyti"e an! in any for"''a work of art# a piee of "usi# a living tree# or a
hu"an being''for in the en! it "ust o"e fro" your own higher in!ivi!uality an! in
your own loneliness.
>
Before e"barking on this teahing# he shoul! ask hi"self: ,-hat attrats "e "ost in
this teahing; -hat !o I hope to get out of it; $" I seeking religious satisfation or
"etaphysial truth or "oral power or inner peae or psyhi faulties; -ill I be
satisfie! with a theoretial un!erstan!ing or woul! I go so far as to put it into pratie;
$" I willing to set asi!e a half hour !aily for the e1erise in "e!itation; 5ow far !o I
wish to travel in the Quest of the Overself;,
?
)he beginnings of this higher life are always "ysterious# always unpre!itable#
so"eti"es intelletually 3uiet an! so"eti"es e"otionally e1ite!.
@
-hen first he sets the logs of his raft afloat upon these strange waters whose en!ing an
be only ,so"ewhere in infinity, as the geo"etriians say# there are no lights to show his
frail vessel the way of travel# no suns or stars to point a path for it. But he knows then
that his hea! is bowe! in ho"age to a higher power. &ater he will know also how utterly
right was the intuition whih earlier !rove hi" forth.
A
-e walk the Quest unertainly# hu"an nature being what it is# hu"an weakness
following us so obtrusively as it !oes.
B
)he !eision to e"bark on this 3uest''so new# uno""on# an! untrie! to the average
-esterner''beo"es espeially har! to the "an seeking alone# with no o"panion or
relative to fortify his resolution.
C
)his urge to !isover an intangible reality see"s an irrational one to the "aterialisti
"entality. But# on the ontrary# it is the "ost o"pletely logial# the "ost sensible of all
the urges that have ever !riven a "an.
D
)he instint whih !raws "an to the truths of philosophy# the e1perienes of "ystiis"#
an! the feeling of religion is a soun! one.
1E
)he fact of his own self'e1istene is the innate pri"ary e1periene of every "an. It is
lear# ertain# an! inontrovertible. But the nature of that e1istene is obsure# onfuse!#
an! arguable.
11
In eah "an there is a part of hi" whih is unknown an! untouhe!.
12
(o "uh happens in the subonsious before they are 3uite aware of it that only when a
new !eision# a new orientation of feeling or thought is fir"ly arrive! at# an! openly
appears# !o they !isover an! !efine what they have been le! to by outer an! inner
!evelop"ents.
1>
It is in the region of onsiousness below the nor"al state that the "ost powerful fores
"ove the hu"an being''an! an be applie! to "ove hi". 5ere only an the ,ra!ial
transfor"ation, whih Frishna"urti so often alls for be "a!e.
1?
If he believes that these i!eas ring true# then his ourse of !uty is plain. )o keep aloof in
suh a iru"stane is to write his na"e in the Book of Failure.
1@
%an has largely on3uere! his planetary environ"ent. Now he "ust begin the sterner
task of on3uering hi"self.
1A
,(peak# &or!# for )hy servant heareth, is a sentene fro" that anient reor!# the
5ebrew Bible. But any "an "ay fin! that the &or! is still e1istent an! still willing to
speak to him even to!ay. But to atuali2e suh an enounter he "ust take to the seret
path an! pratise inner listening.
1B
In "an# 5eaven an! :arth unite. 5e is free to en4oy the one or the other. )he first lea!s
to peae of "in!# the seon! ties hi" to the ego9s wheel. -hoever sinerely wants
aess to !ivinity "ay fin! it# but he "ust "ake the first "ove.
1C
If hu"anity has not been gifte! with !ivine onsiousness by the sages# it is not only
beause suh a free gift annot be "a!e. It is also beause hu"anity prefers other things
instea!. -hen a 3uestioner suggeste! to Bu!!ha that he give Nirvana to everyone#
Bu!!ha sent hi" to ask at "any houses what the people there wante! "ost. $ll !esire!
so"e "aterial thing or so"e worl!ly 3uality. Nobo!y !esire! Nirvana.
1D
)he fulfil"ent of the heart9s nostalgi yearning for its true ho"elan! "ay be !elaye!#
but it annot be !efeate!.
2E
If he is to "oan over the length of the roa! opening out before hi"# he shoul! also
4ubilate over the fat that he has begun to travel it. 5ow few are to take even that step+
21
If the 3uest see"s too far fro" one9s environ"ent or iru"stanes# it is still a goo!
ti"e to start# for the rewar! will be better savoure!.
22
)his searh after the soul nee! not wait until !eath until it suessfully en!s. )o !o so
woul! be illogial an! in "ost ases futile. 5ere on earth an! in this very lifeti"e the
gran! !isovery "ay be "a!e.
2>
)he 3uest upon whih he has entere! will be a long one an! the task he has un!ertaken a
har! one. But the I!eal will also be his support beause his onsiene will en!orse his
hoie to the en!.
2?
,O ye aspirant# leave asi!e wrangling# an! take up the 3uest lea!ing to the true goal# the
(upre"e Overself# whih is uni3ue. (ayeth Fabir# listen O aspirant# push thy en3uiry
further.,''Fabir
2@
Is there so"e partiular purpose in "y birth here; Is it all "ere oini!ene; %ust we
!oubt# !eny# even re4et 6o!; )hese are so"e of the 3uestions a thoughtful "an "ight
ask hi"self.
2A
If e1periene# reason# or intuition annot bring hi" to the onvition that a higher power
rules the worl!# a "aster9s help# grae# or writing "ay !o so. If that fails# he has no other
reourse than to keep pon!ering the 3uestion until light !awns.
2B
If so"e are i""e!iately an! irrevoably apture! by the teahings# others are only
gra!ually an! autiously onvine!.
2C
)hose who feel an e"ptiness in their hearts !espite worl!ly attain"ents an! possessions
"ay be unonsiously yearning for the Overself.
2D
(o "any of us plae so "uh value in possessions# yet we overlook the startling fat
that we have not begun to possess ourselves+ -hat "an an all his thoughts his own;
>E
)he onventional "easure of a "an is his fa"ily an! fortune# his hurh affiliation an!
politial "e"bership. -hat has all this to !o with his essential self;
>1
Can we buil! a bri!ge between this sorrowful earthly life an! the peaeful eternal life;
$re the two forever sun!ere!; :very seer# sage# an! saint answers the first 3uestion
affir"atively an! the seon! negatively.
>2
)he ehoes of our spiritual being o"e to us all the ti"e. )hey o"e in thoughts an!
things# in "usi an! pitures# in e"otions an! wor!s. If only we woul! take up the
searh for their soure an! trae the" to it# we woul! reogni2e in the en! the 7eality#
Beauty# )ruth# an! 6oo!ness behin! all the fa"iliar "anifestations.
>>
)hose who an no longer onfine their thinking within the onventional boun!aries of
o""on e1periene "ay ross over into religion9s reverent faith# into "ystiis"9s !eep'
felt intuition# or into philosophy9s final ertitu!e.
>?
-hoever pereives the inferiority of his environ"ent to what it oul! be# as well as the
i"perfetion of his nature in the light of its un!evelope! possibilities# an! who sets out
to i"prove the one an! a"en! the other# has taken a first step to the 3uest.
>@
It is better to o"e late to the higher life with its nobler values an! uplifting praties#
than not at all. It is still better to o"e to it when one is o"paratively young an!
foun!ations are being lai!.
>A
)hey will be fortunate in!ee! if their spiritual longings are satisfie! without the passage
of "any years an! the travail of "uh e1ploration. )hey will be fortunate in!ee! if
pitying frien!s !o not repeate!ly tell the" with eah hange an! eah !isappointe!
pulling'up of tents that they are pursuing a "irage.
>B
)hose who have foun! their way to this Path leave forever behin! the" their ai"less
wan!erings of the past.
>C
One fateful !ay# he will ruefully reali2e that he is otopus'hel! by e1ternal ativities.
)hen will he take up the knife of a keen relentless !eter"ination an! ut the
i"prisoning tentales one an! for all.
>D
)he gui!ing laws of life are not easy to fin!. )he sare! wis!o" of 6o! is also the
seret wis!o".
?E
)he seeker 3uests until his thought rests.
?1
)he 3uest will ontinue to attrat its votaries so long as the 7eal ontinues to e1ist an!
"en ontinue to re"ain unaware of it.
?2
)itle: The Temple and the Tomb. G%an# who shoul! be the te"ple of holiness# is now its
to"b.H
?>
)he "ystery of the soul is as for"i!able an! as baffling as any. 8et it is also a
fasinating one. If few people have penetrate! it to!ay# "any trie! to !o so in the past.
??
Only when they are brought by the !isipline of e1periene to a sense of responsibility#
are they likely to seek this knowle!ge.
?@
)his !oes not "ean that a spiritual outlook re3uires an un3uestioning aeptane of
what "an has "a!e of hi"self an! of the worl!.
?A
-e !o not approah 6o! through our knees# or through the whole bo!y prostrate on the
groun!# but !eep in our hearts. -e !o not feel 6o! with our e"otions any "ore than we
know hi" with our thoughts. No+ ''we feel the !ivine presene in that profoun!
unearthly stillness where neither the soun!s of e"otional la"our nor those of
intelletual grin!ing an enter.GPH
?B
:ah "an who lights this an!le within his own "in! will soon begin to attrat other
"en like "oths''not all "en nor "any "en but only those who are groping for a way
out of their !arkness.
?C
Can a srupulously i"partial searh through worl!'thought an! e1periene lea! to
!isovery of truth;
?D
,-ilt thou be "a!e whole;, aske! =esus.
ualifications
@E
Only when this searh for a higher life has beo"e an absolute neessity to a "an# has
he foun! even the first 3ualifiation nee!e! for the Quest.
@1
%o!ern ivili2ation# with its tensions an! o"forts# its spee! an! e1troversion# its
pleasure an! treasure hunts# its o"pliate! ativities an! eono"i neessities# has
trappe! its viti"s so seurely that he who woul! follow an in!epen!ent path woul!
have to "ake e1essive efforts. It "ay see" foolish to suggest a she"e of living whih
involves the sarifie of ti"e separate! out fro" a pressing !ay an! given up to
purposes sel!o" bothere! with by ivili2e! soiety# whose ways in fat woul! i"pe!e
it. It "ay see" unlikely that people will follow suh a she"e when# even if they
theoretially aept those purposes# they !ee" the"selves too busy or know the"selves
too la2y to operate it. It "ay see" i"pratial to offer it# espeially to those who are
!epen!ent upon their work for a livelihoo! an! who lose so "uh ti"e getting to an!
fro" it. $n! even if they or others oul! be persua!e! into a!opting it# there is little
likelihoo! that its e1erises woul! be kept up''for only a o"parative few are likely to
have the nee!e! strength an! perseverane to keep it up. -here then is the spare ti"e
out of the "o!ern "an9s !aily progra" an! the ontinuously !riving will to o"e fro";
-here are the e1eptional persons who woul! "ake the re3uisite sarifies; No "an
will take up suh a ourse of self'i"prove"ent an! self'!evelop"ent unless he is
thoroughly onvine! of its neessity. $n! even then he "ay lak the willpower to
!elare war against his ba! habits# his sloth an! o"plaeny# his pessi"is" an!
surfae'o"fort. 5e "ay be unable to hange his pattern of thought an! life# even if he
wants to.
@2
But the i"pulse towar!s a higher life "ust in the en! o"e fro" so"ething other than
"ere esapis" or e1oti uriosity. It "ust o"e fro" the thirst for truth for its own
sake.
@>
-ithout this ever'burning thirst for spiritual awareness# no seeker is likely to travel far.
@?
)hose who" life has woun!e! "ay turn to spiritual teahings for o"fort# but too often
this is only a passing reation to sufferings. It has its te"porary value an! plae# but it is
not the sa"e as onsiously an! learly engaging in the Quest beause the thirst for
truth is pre!o"inant.
@@
$ passionate eagerness to fin! the Overself is a neessary basis for all the other
3ualifiations in its pursuit.
@A
If the 3uest is only an e"otional whi" or an intelletual fa! for a "an# he will "ake
little hea!way with it. If on the ontrary it is so"ething on whih his !eepest happiness
!epen!s an! he is rea!y to give what it !e"an!s fro" every an!i!ate# if he is resolve!
to go ahea! an! never !esert it# he will possess a fair hane of going far.
@B
5e nee!s to have the willingness an! prepare!ness to with!raw every !ay fro" his
worl!ly an! intelletual life utterly# an! then to have the hu"ility to open his heart in
fervent suppliation an! loving a!oration of the higher power.
@C
It is an age'ol! re3uire"ent of the higher self that those who seek its favours shall be
rea!y an! willing to e"pty their hearts of all other affetions if alle! upon to !o so.
Prophets like =esus an! seers like Bu!!ha tol! us this long ago# an! there is nothing that
"o!ern inventive genius an !o to alter the re3uire"ent.
@D
)o searh for truth in its full integrity# putting asi!e all the pitiful substitutes whih
ontent little# less honest "in!s# re3uires not only an in!epen!ene that reates
intelletual if not personal loneliness# but also a willingness to aban!on egois" an!
surren!er its worl!ly a!vantages.
AE
)he 3ualifiations re3uire! fro" hi" are love of the highest# !esire for truth# onfor"ity
of living to the !ivine laws# an! balane in his own person.
A1
)he seeker who has a strong yearning for )ruth an! who has a sense of orret values
alrea!y possesses so"e of the in!ispensable 3ualifiations for this path# an! shoul! go
far upon it. 5owever# the will to ontinue !espite all obstales# together with a speial
kin! of patiene# is also essential''partiularly in the earlier stages.
A2
5e "ust begin his 3uest with an attitu!e of !eep veneration for so"ething# so"e power#
higher than hi"self.
A>
$ "ighty longing for liberation fro" one9s present on!ition is a prere3uisite for the
philosophi 3uest.
A?
)he ar!ent !esire to establish his true i!entity nee!s to be present also.
A@
)o obtain so"ething they greatly !esire# "en will arouse their will an! apply it strongly.
Only when suffiient e1periene of life "atures the" suffiiently are they likely to
arouse an! apply this sa"e will to the Quest itself.
AA
)his is not a teahing for a little irle of "ystial ranks but for "ore evolve! people#
that is# for those who are finer in harater# "ore sensitive an! intelligent in "in! than
the "asses. It is for people to who" the "in!9s e1perienes are not less but even "ore
i"portant than the bo!y9s.
AB
)he Quest will be taken up an! taken seriously only by those who have o"e to see that
they "ust heneforth live as hu"an beings an! not "erely as ani"als# if life is to be
honourable an! their own self'respet retaine!.
AC
%ost stu!ents of this teahing are not highly intelletual. If they ha! been# the pri!e an!
arrogane of intellet woul!# in "ost ases# have stoppe! the" fro" entering suh a
"ystial fiel!. But neither are they unintelligent. )hey are sensible# "ature# an!
!isri"inating enough to appreiate the value of its balane! i!eal.
AD
-e "ust bring to the Quest not only all these !eliate intuitions an! subtle "etaphysial
onepts# but also a pratial o""on sense an! a stur!y# robust reason.
BE
$ woul!'be follower of this path nee! not be onerne! if he laks intellet an! has ha!
an i"perfet e!uation. 5e shoul! aept what he an un!erstan! of the books he
stu!ies an! leave the rest for so"e future ti"e. -hat is nee!e! "uh "ore than intellet
is hu"ility# intuition# an! intelligene# whih "any intelletuals !o not possess.
B1
People are nee!e! with intelletual au"en# with e"otional ontrol# with balane!
reason# with loyalty to i!eals an! with sinerity an! faithfulness in working for the".
)hey are to be un!eterre! by ritiis" an! un"ove! by praise. $n! lastly# a"i! the
ar!uous struggles of this 3uest# its soaring thoughts an! serious o"prehension of
worl!'sorrows# a sense of hu"our is nee!e! also.
B2
)hose who are enough for a!vane! i!eas to seek the" out in spite of soial rebuffs# as
well as those who have the ourage to e1plore what lies beyon! alrea!y aepte! ones#
have beo"e a "arke! proportion of 3uesters.
B>
:veryone e1pets to witness sientifi a!vane "a!e in these "o!ern ti"es but only a
few have the "ental ourage to e1pet spiritual a!vane# let alone seek it.
B?
It is for those who are rea!y for the phase of intelletual in!epen!ene an! spiritual
in!ivi!ualis"# who are ourageous enough to fae the inner solitariness of the hu"an
spirit when it turns fro" !oing to being.
B@
)hat "an is e1ellently 3ualifie! for philosophy who has a strong spirit for servie# who
is well'balane! e"otionally# an! who is well'e3uippe! intelletually.
BA
)he Quest alls for "en of the worl! who are not worl!ly# aspirants with lear "in!s#
en!owe! with o""on sense# stu!ents who will strive to lift the"selves fro" inner
"e!iority to inner superiority# followers who will strive to "ake worthwhile
ontributions to their environ"ent.
BB
If the faulties of "in! an! the 3ualities of harater whih the suessful "an of affairs
alrea!y possesses were to be transferre! to the fiel! of un!erstan!ing an! "astering life
itself# he oul! 3uikly progress in it.
BC
It is not for futile !rea"ers nor neurotis seeking so"e guru9s shoul!ers to lean on for
the re"ain!er of their years. )here e1ist plenty of ults willing or eager to serve the". It
is for those who un!erstan! there is real work to be !one by# on# for# an! within
the"selves.
BD
Is he sinerely !esirous of reeiving truth Grather than o"fort for his illusions an!
onfir"ation for his beliefsH fro" the Overself; Is he earnestly willing to obey its
lea!ing;
CE
It is a "ark of the 3uester that he is utterly sinere in seeking truth# an! that he has so"e
!epth# enough not to be ontent with shallow presentations of it.
C1
$uthentiity of being is a neessary re3uire"ent in a woul!'be !isiple. )he insinere
ha! better stay away fro" the 3uest.
C2
If he is as !eter"ine! as he is sinere# as unselfish as self'!isipline!# as sensitive as
intuitive# he "ay e1pet to go far on the 3uest.
C>
In hu"ility the 3uest is to be begun: in even greater hu"ility it is to be fulfille!.
C?
<ntil he has beo"e onsious of his shorto"ings# his ignorane# an! his sinfulness# a
"an will rest in s"ug o"plaeny an! reeive no spur to self'i"prove"ent# no
i"petus to enter the 3uest. 5u"ility is another na"e for suh onsiousness. 5ene# its
i"portane is suh as to be rate! the first of a !isiple9s 3ualifiations.
C@
It is not for the average "an but only for the e1eptional "an''for the one who is
!eter"ine! to pursue the "eaning of life to the utter"ost.
CA
-hen these wor!s awaken profoun! ehoes in a "an9s soul# he shows thereby that the
intuitive ele"ent is suffiiently alive to enable hi" to profit by further teahing.
CB
In every kin! of situation he will re"e"ber that he is !e!iate! to this 3uest# will
re"e"ber its i!eals an! !isiplines# yet not forget that he is still a hu"an being.
CC
)hey are welo"e who are willing to e3uip the"selves with proper an! profoun!er
knowle!ge# who wish to fit the"selves by stu!y of fun!a"ental priniples# by regular
"e!itation# personal self'!isipline# an! publi servie for a higher life for the"selves
an! a valuable one for soiety.
CD
)he "ass of people are apatheti towar! the 3uest: the poor for one set of reasons# the
rih for another. Only the few apable of in!ivi!ual 4u!ge"ent# the !efiant an!
in!epen!ent thinkers# will be apable of rising up out of the "ass.
DE
%oral strength is nee!e! by the 3uester.
D1
)his path re3uires so"ething "ore than a searh for righteousness or peae. It re3uires
the aspirant to "ake hi"self "ore sensitive to the sorrows an! struggles of "ankin!#
ignorane'born an! kar"ially earne! though they "ay be# to i"bue hi"self with a
wise# pru!ent# an! balane! o"passion. 5e "ust a!vane fro" an outwar!ly'
o"pulsive goo!ness to an inwar!ly'natural goo!ness. (uh a way of life# with its
haine! !esires# holy o""union# an! sensitive o"passion# gives any "an a higher
stature.
D2
It is easy to fall into a gloo"y pessi"is" an! say that the spiritual life is not for hi"#
that he is unfit to pratise its ar!uous e1erises an! that he ha! better aban!on what is
"anifestly only for those blesse! with luk or genius. 8et he woul! be wrong to assu"e
that beause the path is not easy he is "istaken in aspiring to it. Beause it is not 4ust a
"atter of !ay!rea"ing# nor passing fro" one thrilling inner e1periene to another#
beause har! work an! unflagging perseverane are !e"an!e! fro" hi"# there is still
no nee! to !espair.
D>
5e will nee! "uh ourage for the Quest beause he will be onfronte! by two
powerful ene"ies. One is hi"self# the other is soiety. -ithin hi"self he will have to !o
battle against the great !esires. -ithin soiety he will have to onten! against the great
tra!itions.
D?
5e an suessfully overo"e the "agnitu!e of his task if only he possess faith in
hi"self# ourage in his vision# an! the resolve to shape his life for its higher welfare.
D@
If the i"pulse to e"bark on this 3uest is to be so"ething "ore than an unstable fany# a
al" pereption of its stubborn !iffiulties an! a "ost espeially frank reognition of its
self'refusing !e"an!s# is nee!e!. )hat "an is "istaken who o"es to the 3uest
e1peting its rewar!s without its pains# its peae without its e"otional ruifi1ions# its
strength without its bo!ily "ortifiations.
DA
If the 3uest see"s to !e"an! too "uh fro" us# that !epen!s on what we ourself
!e"an! fro" life. )he state"ent is true only if we ask for little# but false if we ask for
"uh.
DB
)he 3uest is unattrative to sinners an! unneessary to saints. It is for those who are not
wholly in!ifferent to worl!ly !esires nor yet too strongly attahe! to the".
DC
)he 3uest is to be neither an e"otional fany nor an intelletual whi"0 it has to beo"e
so"ething stea!y# !eep'roote!# an! strong'sappe! in a "an9s life.
DD
5e will possess an irrefragable faith in the power of truth# hol!ing that even if it were
rushe! an! obliterate! to!ay ti"e will ause it to rise again to"orrow an! give it a
fresh voie.
1EE
-hoever o"es to this 3uest is unlikely to stay long with its pursuit unless he o"es
with onsi!erable !evotion an! orret evaluation of its spiritual i"portane.
1E1
-hen a "an starts on this 3uest# what work he has alle! hi"self to+ -hat !isipline of
the feelings# what "e!itation of the intuiting faulty# what stu!y of the thinking faulty#
an! what sarifie of the ego "ust now be un!ergone at the bi!!ing of no other voie
than his own+
1E2
)hose who are willing to take the"selves in han!# rea!y to tra"ple on their lower
natures# are alone fit for this 3uest. )hey are few. )he others# who o"e to it for its
sensational# !ra"ati# psyhial# an! oult possibilities# hover aroun! the entrane# but
never get on the path itself.
1E>
)he 3uest is neither for outright saints nor for outright sinners. It is for those who are
onsious of having ani"al passions an! hu"an weaknesses# but who are struggling
against the" an! stri!ing for self'"astery.
1E?
=ust as sikness reates appreiation of the value of goo! health# so life9s an1ieties reate
appreiation of inner peae. But this peae annot be ha! without a "easure of self'
ontrol an! self'refor"# whih alls for use of the will.
1E@
)hose who are satisfie! with entering the"selves within the ego will not be !rawn to
suh teahings# whih e!uate the pupils to ultivate onstantly a with!rawal fro" the
ego.
1EA
8ou have launhe! upon a 3uest fro" whih there is no turning bak. 8ou have
e"barke! upon a 4ourney whih will !e"an! fro" you the ut"ost patiene an! !eepest
faith# the strongest !eter"ination an! ultivation of the keenest intelligene lying latent
within you.
1EB
)his Quest is not an un!ertaking of a few weeks or "onths. It is# as I have often sai!# a
lifeti"e9s work: patiene is re3uire! fro" us an! "ust be given by us.
1EC
8es# you "ay !isover the elusive seret of life''but you "ust first work for it. ,)he
go!s sell anything to everybo!y#, announes :"erson# ,at a fair prie., )ake a few
"inutes off eah !ay to fin! yourself# to 3uestion yourself# to awaken yourself''that is
part of the prie !e"an!e!.
1ED
)i"e an! growth are nee!e! before a "an an sign that absolute o""it"ent of "in!
an! life for whih it asks.
11E
(poile! plans or !isappointe! hopes "ay turn a "an towar! this 3uest but only
appreiation of peae or love of truth an keep hi" on it.
111
Only suh a strong yearning for# an! loyalty to# peae or strength or wis!o" or truth an
arry hi" through the !iffiulties an! past the obstrutions on his path.
112
It has been the best "in!s# the noblest hearts of the hu"an rae whih# historially# have
enthusiastially given the"selves to this 3uest. /or they# with their superior sense of
values# oul! best appreiate its high signifiane.
11>
Only those "en who know the value of the )ruth are likely to furnish the an!i!ates to
searh for it# an! only those who searh for it are likely to pro!ue the few who fin! it.
11?
)he "ere "ove"ent of his bo!y fro" plae to plae in the na"e of a!venture will no
longer suffie to satisfy hi". )he only a!venture he now seeks is that whih will bring
hi" to the wis!o" of higher "en an! to the blessing of inspire! ones.
11@
Out of his own free hoie an! his own initiative# the hu"an being has to respon! to
this !ivine presene hi!!en in his "in! an! even bo!y# has to grow an! ripen inwar!ly
as he has alrea!y !one physially. 5ere# in this point# he !eparts fro" ani"al e1istene.
11A
5e is alrea!y on the way to being so"ething "ore than an ani"al whih has lost so"e
talents or senses an! gaine! so"e talents or faulties who stops to pon!er a single
3uestion: what is the soure of his onsiousness;
11B
5e "ay ask hi"self whether he has any o"petene for suh a great task. But this is to
forget that he has been le! to this point# to the 3uest# that the sa"e higher self or power
whih out of its grae !i! this an lea! hi" still farther.
11C
5e who wants to o'operate with the -orl!'I!ea# whih is inherent in all things# all
beings# all the universe# to live in har"ony with it an! with his fellow'reatures# will be
attrate! to this 3uest sooner or later.
11D
<seless woul! it be to thrust these truths on unprepare! people an! to get the" to take
up a way of spiritual growth unsuite! to their taste an! te"pera"ent. Persuasion shoul!
arise of its own aor! through inner attration.
12E
Only when his 3uest beo"es a whole'hearte!ly single'"in!e! enterprise# working for
a solitary en!# !isregar!ing all else yet retaining the sense of balane is it likely to
suee!.
121
No vow of serey will be re3uire! of hi"# no ple!ge of loyalty !e"an!e! fro" hi"0 he
"ust enter the sattere! for"less or!er by a silent at of his whole heart# not by a voal
utterane of his fleshly lips.
122
Is it too presu"ptuous for an or!inary "an to atte"pt to follow the philosophi path;
-e answer that no "an who feels the nee! of truth to support or gui!e his life shoul! be
regar!e! as presu"ptuous in this "atter. 5e nee! not be !isourage!. 5e "ay !abble or
penetrate !eeply. )he path is for hi" also. But it is so only to the e1tent that he is
willing to pay the ost''no "ore. 5e is free to pay as little# an! get as little# as he
wishes. No one has the right to fore hi" to give "ore.
12>
%en fin! truth only to the !egree that they are entitle! to !o so. )heir aspiration is not
enough by itself to !eter"ine this !egree0 their "ental# "oral# an! intuitional e3uip"ent
also !eter"ines it.
12?
-hether he is able to follow regular perio!s of "e!itation or not# he "ay still have the
basi essential for spiritual a!vane"ent. )his is the fun!a"ental "oo! of aspiration# a
strong yearning to gain the onsiousness of his inner"ost being.
12@
)he traveller on this 3uest is a "an who uses his onsiousness an! his will to better his
harater an! purify his heart.
12A
)he aspirant who o"es to the Quest out of pure !isintereste! love for it rather than out
of a hunger for oult powers or a thirst for oult e1perienes# who is seeking to know
an! !o the right thing# will go ahea! "uh "ore 3uikly an! enounter "uh fewer
!angers than the others who are not.
12B
5e annot even set foot on this path if he has not beo"e onvine! of his weakness
an! wike!ness. /or only then will he be really rather than voally willing to !esert the
ego.
12C
)here are not "any who are rea!y for suh in!epen!ene of attitu!e an! life. $ ertain
inner strength is neessary for it first of all# an! of ourse a natural or a3uire!
willingness to !esert the her!s if neessary.
12D
-hen a "an is rea!y to onfess his ignorane# he is rea!y to begin his stu!y of
philosophy. -hen a "an is rea!y to !rop the !istorting influene of the e"otions an!
passions whih atuate hi"# he is rea!y to begin the stu!y of philosophy.
1>E
5e who knows that he has been ignorant of truth# an! still is# has begun to enter the
knowle!ge of truth.
1>1
)his is not for those who are so satisfie! with the"selves that they want to preserve
their egos 4ust as they are. It is for those who feel the nee! of self'i"prove"ent# an! feel
it so keenly that they are willing to work har! for this ob4etive an! to take ti"e for it.
)he Quest is for those who have looke! at their own faults an! turne! their hea! away
fro" the unattrative an! !isonerting sight with !ownast eyes. But although their
weaknesses have lung in the past to the" like li"pets# philosophy bi!s the" take hope
an! take to the Quest whih an liberate an! strengthen the" in the future.
1>2
)hose who have ha! their fill of soiety# who have foun! its gaiety an! its frien!ship to
be all on the surfae# who have evaluate! it as bogus# sha"# an! unreal# "ay be
prepare! to listen "ore hee!fully to the !esription of a life that is offere! as being
"uh "ore worthwhile.
1>>
In "an9s higher yearnings# in his wishes for a better holier al"er self# he shows
evi!enes of intuition.
1>?
)o believe that this 3uest is only for religious people# or for i"pratial !rea"ers# an!
not for reasonable people or for "en ative in the worl! is to believe so"ething that is
untrue.
1>@
)he laity# the "asses# are entitle! to be tol! that a higher truth e1ists# that they an o"e
to it when they an ope with it# that it is up to the" to e3uip the"selves with the
nee!e! 3ualifiations.
1>A
=ust beause "ost people appear to have superfiial interests an! are not yet rea!y for
the !eeper thoughts of philosophy !oes not neessarily "ean that they are not "aking
spiritual progress. On the ontrary# they "ay be !oing very well on their own partiular
levels of !evelop"ent. It will si"ply be neessary for the" to inarnate "any "ore
ti"es before they are apable of un!erstan!ing the "ore a!vane! truths.
1>B
$spirants o"e fro" the low# the "i!!le# an! the high strata of life''with "ost probably
fro" the "i!!le.
1>C
No age is unsuite! to the stu!y an! pratie of philosophy. No one is too young to begin
it# nor too late.
1>D
$lthough the "i!!le'age! an! el!erly# being "ore e1periene!# are "ore reeptive to
the i!eas of e"otional ontrol an! personal !etah"ent# philosophy is not neessarily a
sub4et fit only for those in their sunset years.
1?E
%en who are sei2e! by a"bition# who want "oney# prestige# honours# power# will not
welo"e the i!ea of !etah"ent# an! they are right. /or they are not yet rea!y for it:
they nee! to gain the fruits of their !esires# to e1periene the strivings an!
ao"plish"ents fro" whih the truth about the" an be !e!ue!. Only after the
lessons have been learne! an they be in a position to reflet properly an! i"partially
upon this i!ea an! appreiate its worth.
1?1
5e who is afrai! to touh this stu!y beause he is afrai! of spoiling his worl!ly areer is
unfit for it. Nevertheless# it is an error to believe that those who she! suh a fear are
alle! upon to forget their tasks or shirk their responsibilities an! !uties in this worl!.
)hey are not. If they beo"e in!otrinate! with the i!eas here taught# they an suee!
in their tasks an! !uties0 they nee! not fail.
1?2
)hose who live in a private real" of far'fethe! phantasies whih are ariatures of the
real fats# as well as those who betray all the signs of neurotiis"# hysteria# or
psyhopathy# often talk over"uh about the 3uest but !o not see" able to apply its "ost
ele"entary in4untions. )o enourage the" to follow it is only still further to buil! up
their ri!iulous egois" an! bolster their fool9s para!ise. /or the" the 3uest is
unahievable until they beo"e !ifferent persons.
1?>
)he une3ual balane of the whole psyhe is a harateristi of those seekers who
i"patiently shun the philosophi !isipline. 5ene we fin! that e"otional neurotiis"#
intelletual !isor!er# volitional weakness# an! egotistial e1ess are strongly "arke! in
a nu"ber of people who take a fussy# shrieking interest in "ystiis". )hey seek
ar!ently for teahers but not for truth# for personalities rather than priniples. )hey
surren!er the"selves eagerly to visible organi2ations but not to the invisible Overself. It
!oes not our to the" that the absene of proper 3ualifiations unfits the" for personal
!isipleship un!er a o"petent "aster. /or anyone to e1press even a hint of this
unfitness is to arouse their anger# provoke their hostility# an! stiffen their oneit. $n! if
he goes on to suggest# in however kin!ly an! onstrutive a "anner# that their energies
woul! be "ore profitably !irete! towar!s self'i"prove"ent than towar!s running after
ino"petent teahers an! absur! sets# he is rewar!e! by abuse an! vilifiation.
1??
Neither a !ry pe!anti intelletualis" nor a sloppy e1itable e"otionalis" is !esirable
in the seeker after truth.
1?@
It is not for irresponsible persons# those of feeble will or hysterial nerves.
1?A
It is wrong to look upon this 3uest as one for se"i'lunatis# e"otionally !isturbe!
persons# or gullible# brainless "irale'hunters. It is not a plae for the !eposit of
siknesses# troubles# an! !efiienies. (uh things "ust be taken elsewhere for repair.
1?B
$ll too "any people take to this 3uest who are not really rea!y for it# who nee! to
beo"e hu"an beings before seeking the "ore "assive ahieve"ent of beo"ing
superhu"an ones# who ought to attain personal !eeny# balane# !isipline#
pratiality# an! al"ness before losing the"selves in the theoretial flights of
"etaphysial !otrines like *e!anta.
1?C
)ruth is !isoverable but not by everyone. It is not !isoverable by the ri"inals who
break every ethical law# by the la2y who won9t pause an! look within eah !ay# by the
ynis who sneer at the 3uality of reverene# by those who !o not value it enough to
ultivate their true intelligene.
1?D
Ioes everyone have the right to know this truth; 8es an! no. 8es''beause all "en "ust
!o so in the en! as a part of the fulfil"ent of life9s purpose. No''when they are as yet
unintereste! in it an! unable or unwilling to reeive it.
1@E
If our thought is to be straight an! fearless we ought to fling all pre4u!ies overboar! at
the very start of our voyage.
1@1
)he pre4u!ie! "an wants his pre4u!ies onfir"e! not ontra!ite!. 5e is not really
looking for truth. Before the 3uest an even begin# pre4u!ies "ust be re"ove!. )his is
a psyhologial operation whih the "an annot perfor" upon hi"self# e1ept in part#
without a great effort.
1@2
)he fool annot follow this Quest. 5e "ay try to but he will be sent bak to learn so"e
wis!o" through earthly lessons an! through earthly !iffiulties brought on by his
foolishness.
1@>
/lighty te"pera"ents# whih seek the latest novelty rather than the first truth# are unfit
for philosophy.
1@?
)he very na"e ,Quest, i"plies "ove"ent# travelling# 4ourney0 those who re"ain
stationary annot be sai! to be on the ,Quest., By this I !o not "ean those who fin!
the"selves stagnating against their will# but those who "ake no effort inwar!ly to
a!vane.
1@@
)he truth is so"eti"es so spiky an! so uno"fortable that people hi!e fro" it. :ntry on
the 3uest is a sign that enough ourage has been gathere! to fae it. )hose who assert
that they are 3uesters but who are too "uh in love with their own fanies are inapable
of faing the realities behin! those fanies. )o this e1tent their 3uest is a bogus one#
although not usually a consciousl" bogus one.
1@A
#merson: ,People wish to be settle!: only as far as they are unsettle! is there any hope
for the"+,
1@B
No fatory an "anufature !ivine peae for us# nor an any workshop turn out the
inspirations whih bestow herois" on a "an. -e "ay wan!er the whole length of
O1for! (treet an! fin! no shop whih an sell us a paket of starry truths that "ight
o"fort an! onsole. )he "orning post will bring a hun!re! letters in the offie "ail#
but it will not bring one wor! or hint that shall on!ut us nearer the higher ai"s.
$h" people come
1@C
It is beause we have the Overself ever present within us that we are ever engage! in
searhing for it. )he feeling of its absene Gfro" onsiousnessH is what !rives us to this
searh. )hrough ignorane we interpret the feeling wrongly an! searh outsi!e# a"ong
ob4ets# plaes# persons# or even i!eas.
1@D
:ah "an !isovers afresh for hi"self this ho"ey ol! truth# that he has a sare! soul.
5e nee! not wait for !eath to !isover it or !epen! solely on the wor!s of !ea! prophets
until then.
1AE
5e knows that in striving to fulfil the higher purpose of his being# he is not only
obeying the voie of onsiene but also approahing the plae of blesse!ness.
1A1
)here are reserves of Power an! Intelligene within yourself# of whih you live
un!rea"ing.
1A2
In its early "anifestation it "ay show as a feeling of being too li"ite! by ignorane of
life9s "eaning an! purpose an! the nee! to get so"e light in this !arkness. But the
feeling "ay be too vague# too generali2e! an! ill'!efine! to be !etete! an! known for
what it is.
1A>
$t intervals# on ertain grave# 4oyous# or rela1e! oasions# he "ay feel a !eep nostalgia
for what he "ay only !i"ly an! vaguely o"prehen!. 5e "ay na"e it# in ignorane#
otherwise but it will really be for his true spiritual soure.
1A?
-hat a bitter irony it is that the soul# whih is so near# in our very hearts in fat# is yet
felt by so few+
1A@
)hose who have o"e for the first ti"e to an awakening of thought upon these "atters#
"ay grow "ore enthusiasti as they e1plore the" "ore.
1AA
)he heart leaps at the thought that life has so"e higher "eaning# so"e better worth.
1AB
,I have tol! you all this#, sai! =esus# ,so that you "ay have the happiness I have ha!.,''
=ohn 1@:11
1AC
In starting this task# he knows that he is not arrying out his own personal !esire but
following a way halke! out for hi" by the higher self.
1AD
)hey annot really esape fro" this inner loneliness by outer "eans. In the en!# an!
however long put off# they will have to fae it. %ost often# suh an hour o"es in with
sorrow or bereave"ent# hurt or !isappoint"ent.
1BE
)here are ertain rare "o"ents when intense sorrow or profoun! bereave"ent "akes a
"an sik at heart. It is then that !esires te"porarily lose their fore# possessions their
worth# an! even e1istene itself its reality. 5e see"s to stan! outsi!e the busy worl!
whose figures flit to an! fro like the sha!owy haraters on a ine"a sreen. -orst of
all# perhaps# signifiane vanishes fro" hu"an ativity# whih beo"es a useless tragi'
o"e!y# a going everywhere an! arriving nowhere# an insane playing of instru"ents
fro" whih no "usi issues forth# a vanity of all the vanities. It is then# too# that a
terrible suii!al urge "ay enter his bloo! an! he will nee! all his "ental ballast not to
"ake away with hi"self. 8et these blak "o"ents are intensely preious# for they "ay
set his feet fir"ly on the higher path. /ew reali2e this whilst all o"plain. )he self'
!estrution to whih he is being urge! by suh !rea! e1perienes of life is not the ru!e
physial at# but so"ething subtle''a suii!e of thought# e"otion# an! will. 5e is being
alle! in!ee!# to !ie to his ego# to take the !esires an! passions# the gree!s an! hates out
of his life# to learn the art of living in utter in!epen!ene of e1ternals an! in utter
!epen!ene on the Overself. $n! this is that sa"e all whih =esus uttere! when he
sai!: ,5e that loseth his life shall fin! it., )hus the sorrows of life on earth are but a
transient "eans to an eternal en!# a proess through whih we have to learn how to
e1pan! awareness fro" the person to the Overself.
1B1
If a "an will not o"e to this 3uest willingly# beause it lea!s to )ruth an! he loves
)ruth# then he "ust be fore! onto it# unwillingly# beause there is no other way to
alleviate his bur!ens an! re!ue his "iseries.
1B2
%ost persons have no inlination to wake up when !rea"s are pleasant# whereas when
they are frightening they soon awaken. (o too the !rea" of worl!ly life !oes not
i"press the" with the nee! of true religion until it beo"es tragi or severely
!isappointing. Only when sorrow !rives the" to 3uestion the value of living !o they
take a real interest in non'worl!ly urges.
1B>
Certain events will so arrange the"selves as to put a "an upon the 3uest# or if he is
alrea!y on it# to prepare hi" for a further a!vane. )hey will not be pleasant events# for
they will rush his ego# or ren!er it la"e an! weak for a ti"e. But it is only through this
apparent !efeat by iru"stanes that he is o"pelle! to aept a ourse whih will#
spiritually# benefit hi" greatly in the en!.
1B?
Io "en9s hearts have to be broken before they yiel! to the higher power; Often# yes#
but not if they hee! the teahers# prophets# seers# an! sages.
1B@
-here a "an is rea!y for this Quest but stubbornly lings to his ol! fa"iliar way of
thought an! life# the Overself "ay or "ay not release kar"a that will tear hi" away
fro" it. 5is ego9s !esires will then be "aerate! by suffering until its will to live gets
weaker an! weaker.
1BA
$ few o"e to this 3uest after the shok pro!ue! by the unreasonableness an!
unfairness an! stupi!ity of the treat"ent they reeive! fro" the organi2ation# the group#
the set# the hurh# the party# to whih they belonge!. (o"e risis in their lives# suh as
the nee! to get "arrie! or to get !ivore!# bloke! by a sole"n bleak !og"a or
!eision# bea"e the oasion of the shok. Or# as in 6an!hi9s ase when he was thrown
out of a railway o"part"ent by an arrogant "e"ber of the ruling rae# heartless
!isourtesy provoke! swift !isillusion"ent. $ single 4arring ini!ent# a single !eliberate
in4ustie or hurt or insult was enough to bring on suh resent"ent an! in!ignation''
penetrating as sharply as a hypo!er"i nee!le''that harater hange an! a new outlook
were inaugurate!. (o"e have even o"e to the 3uest not beause they ha! any real
voation for it but beause they ha! nowhere else to go# beause the worl! ha! lost all
"eaning# all hope for the" through so"e ghastly trage!y or so"e heartbreaking loss#
an! this was a better way than o""itting suii!e. But the best way to o"e to the
3uest is of ourse to fulfil the higher possibilities as a hu"an being.
1BB
%ost persons nee! a !rasti shok# an enfore! awakening# a sharp arousal fro" that
long sleep whih is the egoi e1istene# if they are ever to o"e alive spiritually. )his is
effetive only if it breaks ol! habits# tren!s# an! inlinations# thus "aking a new "an. It
"ay o"e about through hearing or rea!ing a teaher like Frishna"urti or 6ur!4ieff# or
through harsh events like "alignant illness or une1pete! bereave"ent.
1BC
-hen a "an o"es to the point when all his outer life !issolves in trage!y or ala"ity#
he o"es also to the point when this 3uest is all that is left to hi". But he "ay not
pereive this truth. 5e "ay "iss his hane.
1BD
:ither onsiously or not# he says to hi"self# in a sense# ,By "y I alone I annot en!ure
this a!verse !estiny. I "ust seek help an! support fro" outsi!e "yself., (o he goes to
another "an or to an institution# but in the en! he "ust go to 6o!.
1CE
-hen one9s personal life is "iraulously save! !uring so"e perio! of great !anger#
perhaps in the fae of !eath# it is for a purpose.
1C1
Before a "an o"es to this path he "ay have to grope an! stu"ble an! struggle for
years.
1C2
If the "an lets others !raw hi" !own below his own level# the e"otion of re"orse an!
!isgust or the logi of suffering an! self'preservation "ay fore his return.
1C>
)hey nee! first to !isover that they are on the wrong roa!. Out of the !istress or
frustration following it "ay arise the searh for a right one.
1C?
No person "akes hi" take on this task or enterprise# this labour or 3uest''whatever he
wishes to all it. $ su""ons o"e to hi" fro" within# fro" a part of hi"self hi!!en in
"ystery# an! he obeys. -hy;
1C@
It is for those who feel that their lives ought to hol! so"ething "ore than the "ere
gaining of "aterial neessities or even the "ere satisfying of intelletual urges.
1CA
If he will follow up this intuition# he will be able to "ove his feet eventually out of
!arkness into light.
1CB
-hen a "an beo"es tire! of hearing so"eone else tell hi" that he has a soul# an! sets
out to gain firsthan! e1periene of it for hi"self# he beo"es a "ysti. But#
unfortunately# few "en ever o"e to this point.GPH
1CC
%en will seek to feel the real life only after they have felt the unertainties of hu"an
affetion# the transienies of hu"an passion# an! the insuffiienies of hu"an ativities.
1CD
)o those who wish to esape fro" the pressures an! tyrannies of onte"porary
"aterialis"# philosophial "ystiis" offers the "ost effetive way an! the safest roa!.
It seeks to un!erstan! the true relationship between the !ivine an! the hu"an. It will
enable the" to reali2e their spiritual potentialities. /or "aterialis" is an! an be only a
te"porary phase of "an9s en!eavour to o"prehen! the fats of life.
1DE
)he presene of the Overself within us sooner or later# when the "in! is suffiiently
!evelope!# reates of itself the raving for truth an! the abstrat 3uestions about life#
6o!# an! "an.
1D1
)his knowle!ge that life in this worl! an never be fully satisfying "akes hi" o""it
hi"self one da" to the 3uest.
1D2
Only when they are tire! of the frustrations an! obstrutions# the spites an! ruelties
whih so often "ar worl!ly life# will they feel rea!y to turn in real earnest to the Quest.
Only then will its perfet tran3uillity see" "ore !esirable than the heti e1ite"ent of
following !esires.
1D>
)he essential point is that the "ore an e1eutive is involve! in the worl!9s affairs# the
more he needs this %uest which leads him out of the world. )he "ore his life is !evote!
to a3uiring "oney an! goo!s an! position# the "ore he nee!s a fir" base within
hi"self fro" whih properly to use these things as they ought to be use!.
1D?
$ ti"e "ay o"e when a "an "ay tire of the whole soial roun!# the business or
professional rat'rae# an! !esire to turn away fro" it''when he begins to see through its
futilities# vanities# an! stupi!ities.
1D@
-hat other reourse an they have# after trying the usual ways''!rink# se1# !rug# or
religion''than to this 3uest;
1DA
)he first appearane of this sense of futility Gin the heart9s !eeper lifeH# "ay pass
!isregar!e! an! unhee!e!. But it will return again an! again# an! grow apae# until the
unsatisfatoriness of a wholly "aterialisti life# the transitoriness of a "erely earthly
happiness# ahieve reognition an! obtain aeptane. -ith this negative phase# "o!ern
"an9s inner life begins.
1DB
)hey feel vaguely that there are higher laws governing life# that they !o not know the".
)hey woul! like to learn# but in the "e!ley of sets an! ults''with their lai"s an!
ontra!itions''they !o not feel safe enough to entrust their lives to any partiular one#
although attrate! to so"e "ore than to others.
1DC
)o esape fro" worl!ly troubles# to assuage the !isappoint"ent of frustrate! hopes#
"ystiis" offers a way.
1DD
)he s"ugly o"plaent# the thoughtless surfae'types# or those always i""erse! in
pettinesses an! trivialities will have no awareness of a higher nee!. But the others#
relatively a few# will fin! it gnawing at their hearts an! tensing their "in!s. )he very
on!ition whih is so satisfatory to the larger group brings "isery to the s"aller one.
2EE
No longer is he ontent to be a straw swept along by the river of iru"stane.
2E1
)hose who are tire! of the falsities an! inanities aepte! by so "any# who want to
o"e to a true life# "ust o"e to the 3uest.
2E2
)hose who seek a larger "eaning to life annot live like the peasant for bo!ily nee!s
alone# or like the professional for bo!ily an! ultural nee!s alone. )heir feeling is still
the profoun!er: a peae an! har"ony# an un!erstan!ing an! strength.
2E>
)hey o"e to this 3uest seeking so"ething beyon! the "isery# wrethe!ness# an!
ruelty of this haoti worl!# so"ething of light# war"th# kin!ness# an! peae.
2E?
)he nee! to insulate ourselves privately fro" the shoks of onte"porary living# is
partly "et by "ystiis".
2E@
)here are those who o"e to this 3uest si"ply beause they are !isillusione! with the
worl!. -earie! with the self'seeking !isputations of politial she"ers# repelle! by the
heartless treat"ent of non'followers by politial e1tre"ists# they turn away an! look
elsewhere for truth# honesty# goo!ness.
2EA
%etaphysial subtleties annot hange a "an9s life. Iull ser"ons will !o it less. -e !o
not fin! a fresh basis of life in these "etho!s. -hat then is the way;
2EB
-e seek truth for various reasons. One is beause it possesses a ertitu!e that gives us
anhorage an! rest.
2EC
(o"e of those who o"e to these teahings seeking the" only for the sake of getting
relief fro" their trouble en! by seeking truth for its own sake.
2ED
)he full'grown person fin!s in his e1periene of the worl! an! in the knowle!ge of
hi"self suffiient sub4et "atter for thought about hu"an affairs. 5e then asks
3uestions# the great 3uestions# whih "en have aske! sine earliest anti3uity: -hat a"
I; -hither !o I go;
21E
:very shool of thought# variety of ult# set of religion# an! syste" of "etaphysis that
has any pretension to spirituality aepts the e1istene of the soul. Iisagree"ents !o not
start until after this aeptane. -hy not take your stan! on this un!ispute! fat an!
verify it for yourself.;
211
)here are billions of for"s an! of reatures in the universes sprea! through spae. )hey
appear an! vanish# they o"e an! go# reate an! pass away# grow an! !eay# at an!
interat. )his has been going on for i""ense perio!s of ti"e0 but in the thoughtful
"an9s "in! there "ust arise the 3uestion# ,)o what en! was is an! shall be all this;,
212
If "ental restlessness# a !isontent with ignorane# with the reurring trivialities of a life
whih !oes not offer any higher "eaning# put hi" on the Quest# he "ay fin! hi"self
suffering fro" "ental loneliness.
21>
5e "ay arrive at a true appraisal of life after he has e1periene! all that is worth
e1periening. )his is the longest an! "ost painful way. Or he "ay arrive at it by
listening to# an! believing in# the teahings of spiritual seers. )his is the shortest an!
easiest way. )he attration of the first way is so great# however# that it is generally the
only way followe! by hu"anity. :ven when in!ivi!uals take to the seon! way# they
have "ostly trie! the other one in for"er births an! have left it only beause the pain
prove! too "uh for the".GPH
21?
(o"e people o"e to the 3uest 3uikly# un!er the i"pulse of a great !eision0 but "ost
o"e slowly# by !egrees an! stages.
21@
)he worl! will o"e to philosophy when it has evolve! the neessary prere3uisites to
!o so. <ntil then it will possess only i"perfet e1pressions of the truth# or ariatures
!istortions an! falsifiations of it. Only those in!ivi!uals who are not satisfie! with
these substitutes or with the slow pae of the worl!9s evolution# will step out of the "ass
an! enter upon the Quest 4ust now.
21A
-hen a "an is thoroughly awakene! to the reality of the philosophi goal# he will soon
or late hear its su""ons to hi". -hen that happens he e"barks upon the Quest. /or
e1a"ple# he starts an ativity of onsious self'!isipline an! !eliberate restraint# a
proess of re'e!uating the "in!# the feelings# an! the will.
21B
-hen the interest in philosophi teahing no longer springs out of light uriosity but out
of !eep nee!# the !esire to e"bark atively on the philosophi life will inevitably
follow.
21C
)he hour o"es when# pro"pte! by !isappoint"ent# bereave"ent# or revelation# he is
!riven to fin! out the reasons for all his ativities. 5e is beginning to feel their
insuffiieny# their shallowness. (uh in3uiry# if persiste! in# will in the en! put hi"
upon the 3uest.
21D
$wakening to the nee! of the Iivine "ay o"e through so"e "ental risis or
e"otional shok whih shakes the whole of "an9s being to its !eepest foun!ations. It is
out of the suffering an! grief pro!ue! by suh a situation that he plants the first
tre"bling steps on the seret path. It is suh outer tor"ents of life that shatter inner
resistane so that the nee! for spiritual help is aknowle!ge!. $n! the "ore
unsatisfatory outwar! life beo"es# the "ore satisfatory !oes the blesse! inwar! life
see" both by ontrast an! in itself.
22E
%any will be irritate! by these thoughts# but so"e will be !isturbe! by the". It is only
fro" the last group that a reonsi!eration of what they seek in life an! how they propose
to attain it is at all likely.
221
Before a "an will un!ertake the "oral purifiations with whih the 3uest "ust begin#
an! the "ental trainings whih "ust o"ple"ent the"# he "ust have so"e inentive to
!o so. -here will he fin! it; )he answer is !ifferent with !ifferent "en# sine it !epen!s
on his stage of evolution# harater# an! !estiny. If so"e fin! it in the sa!ness pro!ue!
by worl!'weariness# others fin! it in the 4oy pro!ue! by a 6li"pse. (till others are
pro"pte! by the hunger for )ruth or by the thirst for self'i"prove"ent# or even blin!ly
by the ten!enies brought over fro" previous births.
222
It is the harater whih he has inherite! fro" for"er earth lives whih "akes hi"
suseptible to spiritual urges an! attrats hi" to "ystial teahings of this kin!. If
hanging events or hange! environ"ents# new ontats with living "en or with printe!
books appear to be responsible# this is only beause ,!elaye!'ation, ten!enies were
alrea!y in e1istene but still nee!e! suh e1ternal hanges to be able to "anifest
the"selves.
22>
$"ongst the "ultitu!e of those who are attrate! towar! suh teahing# it is inevitable
that there shoul! be those who are only asually intereste!# those who are tre"en!ously
in earnest about it# an! those who are to be foun! so"ewhere between these two groups.
22?
If the teahing favourably o""en!s itself to any in!ivi!ual fro" the first ontat as
being re3uisite to his nee!s# this is often a sign that he has followe! it in earlier
e1istenes.
22@
One !isiple who pike! up the Quest again in this life !esribe! it as a feeling of
reunion# of o"ing ho"e.
22A
If we are urious an! intereste! enough to follow up orretly the lues an! hints whih
life gives us so"eti"es0 if we observe# stu!y# analyse# "e!itate# an! even pray0 an! if
we beo"e sensitive enough# then we shall be !riven to beo"e pilgri"s with no hoie
e1ept engage"ent in a "ystial 3uest. Our supre"e nee! an! !eep re3uest is then inner
work.
22B
-hen he wakes up to the suspiion that the or!inary purposes of hu"an life on earth
hi!e other "uh "ore i"portant ones# an! that he will have to fin! the" by hi"self# he
"ay begin to seek out an! stu!y the teahings of those who have gone farther along this
way.
22C
-hether we are gui!e! by hu"an e1periene or superhu"an revelation# by intuitive
feeling or intelletual thinking# we "ust o"e in the en! to the reognition of the great
"ystery whih surroun!s us.
22D
)he "ysterious enig"as of the spiritual life "ust sooner or later hallenge the sleeping
"in! of "an into wakeful thoughts.
2>E
Our so'alle! intelligentsia# who playe! with politial re! fire until they painfully felt its
!estrutiveness on their own persons# playe! at the sa"e ti"e with intelletual !is!ain
for those who ,esape!, fro" the worl! into ivory'towers of spiritual seeking. )he
seon! worl! war# however# began the proess of "aking the" feel the barrenness of
their own fiel!s an! the stark ol!ness of their own outlooks. (o 3uite a nu"ber of the"
have begun to peep into the ivory'towers an! to fin! out what goes on there. )he
resultant !isoveries are opening their eyes.
2>1
)he spirit9s beauty has lure! "en on like a !rea" of unfoun! gol!. /or the heart of "an
has always see"e! to "e like a grey galleon "oving on the green sea of thought an!
seeking this worl! of treasure.
2>2
Ineffable bliss an! serene 4oy are at the heart of all things an! that is one of the reasons
why people seek the Overself9s infinite happiness even though they are not all aware of
this.
2>>
)hose who turn to the spiritual life for "aterial benefits# suh as better relations with
other people an! better physial health are entitle! to !o so. But they shoul! re"e"ber
=esus9 ounsel: ,(eek ye first the Fing!o" of 5eaven#, for then not only will ,all these
things J"aterial benefitsK be a!!e! unto you, but they have a hane of gaining the
king!o" whereas the other approah postpones suh a glorious result. )he Overself
"ust be sought for its own sake0 otherwise it will not be foun! or else will be foun!
only in fleeting gli"pses. ,That is the goal# that is the final en!#, says an ol! In!ian
writing.
2>?
)hose who pursue this 3uest !o so beause they too want to be happy. Io not i"agine
that only the worl!ly pleasure'seekers# the har! "oney'hunters# the ro"anti love'
!rea"ers# or the a"bitious fa"e'followers are# in this respet# in a !ifferent ategory. It
is only their "etho! an! result that are !ifferent. $ll without e1eption want the feeling
of un!isturbe! happiness# but only the 3uesters know that it an be foun! only in the
e1periene of spiritual self'fulfil"ent. /a"e# fortune# love# or pleasure "ay ontribute
towar!s the outer setting of a happy person9s life but what of that person hi"self; -ho
has not hear! or known of "en sitting in "isery a"i! all their rihes or power# of !eath
foring a well'"ate! ouple to bi! eah other farewell;
2>@
:"erson9s !elaration# ,-e nee!s "ust love the highest when we see it#, is 3uite true of
so"e persons but 3uite false of "any "ore persons.
2>A
-hat lures a "an to this 3uest; It "ay be that the i!eas by whih# an! with whih# he
has live! for a long ti"e have prove! insuffiient# false# or feeble. It "ay be that
bereave"ent# ala"ity# or suffering have brought hi" to herish peae. It "ay be
nothing else than the si"ple nee! for a higher 3uality of living. It "ay even be that he
o"es to this 3uest# as so"e un!oubte!ly !o# beause he seeks a speial benefit''
healing# relief# a"en!"ent of fortune# perhaps. But in that ase he "ust re"ain on it
beause he seeks the Overself# alone. &astly let it be note! that if for so"e the first step
on this 3uest is the final step !own a long roa! of inreasing !esperation# for "ost it
ought to be the first step up a gar!en path of inreasing 4oy.
2>B
(o"e o"e to this through the 4oy enkin!le! by great "usi# inspire! writing# or
"a4esti lan!sape# or through response to beauty0 but others''an! they are "ore''o"e
through being wreke! or rushe!# threatene! with !estrution# left hopeless# forlorn#
an! helpless. )hey reah the en! of their strength# or !isover the falseness an! futility
of their wis!o".
2>C
5e "ay o"e to the nee! of# as well as the illu"ination by# the Overself through two
very !ifferent paths: through 4oy an! sweetness or through suffering an! sa!ness.
2>D
In the Orient it is the general belief that a "an turns towar! this 3uest for either of two
reasons. If he is young# it is beause he has an inborn genius for it. If he is so"ewhat
ol!er# it is beause he is !issatisfie! with life# !isappointe! in it# or bereave! by its
ala"ities. But the philosophial view# while inlu!ing these reasons# goes farther an!
wi!er. /or it sees that so"e# notably those who are aesthetially sensitive an! those who
are "aritally fulfille!# are in!ee! satisfie! with their e1isting for" of life. Only# they
sense the greater possibilities open to a hu"an being an! wish to e1pan! it to reali2e
the" "ore o"pletely.
2?E
It woul! be too wi!e'sweeping a generali2ation to assert that all entrants on the 3uest
o"e out of !isgust with the worl!ly life. )his "ay be true of In!ians# for several
reasons# but it is not so true of -esterners. /or a"ong the latter there are those whose
approah to life is through art''through sensitivity to beauty an! 4oy''or through
siene''through the pursuit of truth about the universe. (uh persons are not unhappy#
not alienate! fro" earthly affairs# but they know that a !eeper basis to their present
satisfation is nee!e!.
2?1
It is not only those who have e1hauste! all their li"ite! "eans of attaining happiness
who turn away an! o"e to this 3uest: there are others whose apaity for en4oy"ent
still re"ains# but having ha! the e1periene of a single ,gli"pse, or un!erstoo! the
pointers given by inspire! art# they are attrate! towar!s living on a higher plane.
2?2
But where so"e turn away fro" the worl! for negative reasons beause of their "isery
an! !isappoint"ent# others o"e to the 3uest for positive reasons0 they have sense! or
suspete!# felt# or been tol! of# a higher plane of e1istene: they respon! to a !ivine all.
2?>
5e is not sarifiing so "uh that is !ear to the worl! for the sake of an e"pty
abstration# nor tra"pling on inborn egotis" for the sake of a ol! intelletual
oneption. 5e is !oing this for so"ething that has beo"e a war" living presene in
his life''for the Overself.
2??
Ieeper than all other !esires is this nee! to gain onsiousness of the Overself. Only it
is unable to e1press itself !iretly at first# so it e1presses itself in the only ways we
per"it it to''first the physial# then the e"otional an! intelletual 3uest of happiness.
2?@
)he i"pulse whih puts a "an9s feet on this path# is not always an e1pliable one. It is
so"eti"es har! to say why he obeys it# when it will hin!er his ego9s natural ravings at
the very start an! lea! to an unnatural self'effae"ent at the very en!. $ll he knows is
that so"ething in hi" bi!s hi" begin the 4ourney an! keeps hi" on it !espite its hurts to
his pri!e# his passion# an! his ego.
2?A
Iisenhante! with elebrities an! !isillusione! with the worl!# they will be "ore
inline! to turn in the en! towar!s the !ivinity within the"selves# to trust its first faint
lea!ings on =esus9 assurane that ,the Fing!o" of 5eaven is within you+, (uh
in!epen!ene is outwar!ly a lonely path# but with patiene it will prove not less
satisfying.
2?B
-hy shoul! anyone be willing to put hi"self asi!e# his inlinations an! !esires# unless
he is bi!!en to !o so by a power stronger than his own will;
2?C
Others are attrate! to these teahings through an i"pulse of feeling unsupporte! by the
un!erstan!ing of reason. It is safe to say that suh persons are being le! by their souls
into this attration.
2?D
)hose who oneive of this 3uest as esapis" are neither right nor wrong. )hey are
right when it is e"barke! upon beause of a neuroti refusal to !o for an! to oneself
with effort what it is hope! 6o! or guru will be able to !o without it. )hey are wrong
when it is e"barke! upon beause of an evaluation of life that is "a!e above its
!istorting battle or out of a o"pulsive# involuntary# an! inner attration towar! the
I!eal.
2@E
Only when thought an! e1periene have run !eep enough an! wi!e enough are the ego9s
e"otional an! fleshly hungers likely to yiel! to spiritual hunger.
2@1
One "ust have suffere! to the point of being weary of living# or one "ust be ol! an!
infir"# or one "ust have reflete! very honestly an! !eeply to believe that it is better to
be without the pre!o"inane of the personal onsiousness. $n! to be willing to work
for this en! "ust see" "a! to young eager vital "en an! wo"en en4oying their lives.
2@2
It is natural an! inevitable that# when ripene! by e1periene# "en shoul! yearn to be
unite! with their !ivine (oure.
2@>
)hrough wi!ely !ifferent kin!s of e1ternal e1periene# the ego seeks but never fin!s
en!uring happiness. Iisovering in the en! that it is on a wrong roa!# it turns to internal
e1periene.
2@?
5is own higher self will !iret the properly e3uippe! seeker9s steps towar!s philosophy.
5e "ay go relutantly# fighting against its i!eas seretly or openly for "onths an! years.
But in the en! he will have to yiel! to what will beo"e 3uite plainly a !ivine lea!ing.
5is intellet will have to obey this irresistible intuition.
2@@
If a "an is born with innate ten!enies for this 3uest# nothing will keep hi" fro" it an!
he will surely o"e to it in the ourse of ti"e. 5e "ay o"e beause he is so satisfie!
with life that he believes in 6o!9s goo!ness. 5e "ay o"e beause he is so
!isappointe! in life that he !isbelieves in 6o!9s goo!ness. But# by whatever the roa!# he
will o"e to it beause the urge will be irresistible.
2@A
5e an no "ore help being on the 3uest than he an help being on this earth. )he hunger
to know the inner "ysteries of life# an! the aspiration to e1periene the (oul9s peae an!
love will not leave hi" alone. )hey are part of hi"# as han!s or feet are parts of hi".
2@B
)he ti"e will o"e when# un!er the pressure of the "ysterious inner self# this 3uest will
beo"e the "ost i"portant enterprise of his life.
2@C
-hy are they seeking truth; Beause they have at last beo"e sensitive enough to
respon! to the e1istene of the !iviner self within the"# the Overself in whih only truth
e1ists. )he fact of its e1istene has presse! the" subonsiously fro" within an! finally
provoke! the" into feeling a nee! to beo"e aware of# an! o'operative with# the
Overself.
2@D
)he urge to follow the Quest# the i"pulse to fin! the higher onsiousness# o"es fro"
the Overself.
2AE
)he !eision to e"bark on this Quest "ay ripen for a long ti"e in his unonsious "in!
before it is openly an! slowly "a!e# or it "ay e1plo!e i"pulsively in a wholly
unpre"e!itate! way.
2A1
5e has entere! upon the 3uest for no other reason than that he has been inwar!ly an!
strongly o""an!e! to enter it.
2A2
)he long har! searh for the soul asks too "uh en!urane of self'!isipline fro" its
pursuers ever to be "ore than it has been in the past''an un!ertaking for the few !riven
by an inner urge. 5ene it is not so "uh a voluntary un!ertaking as an involuntary one.
)he 3uesters annot help the"selves. It is not that they neessarily have the strength to
en!ure as that they have no hoie e1ept to en!ure.
2A>
)here is an inner pro"pting whih o"es into the hearts of so"e "en# not of all "en#
whih bi!s the" believe in the e1istene of a higher power. $lthough they !o not know
learly what they are !oing when they aept it# they feel that it is then# an! will lea!
later to# so"ething tre"en!ously i"portant. )he work is going on insi!e the".
2A?
-hatever be the pull of their interests in their lives# a ti"e o"es in the reinarnations
when the !ivine self asserts itself in their onsiousness.
2A@
)here is so"ething within us whih will not let us rest in what we are# whih urges us to
think of still higher possibilities.
2AA
)his is the para!o1 that when you take the first step on this Quest# it is grae whih
i"pels you to !o so. 8et you think an! at as if you have never been grante! the !ivine
gift.
2AB
)here o"es a ti"e when the unfulfille! possibilities of a "an begin to haunt hi"# when
his inner"ost onsiene protests against the wastage of this reinarnation.
2AC
5e "ust o"e for a while to the position that ).:. &awrene of $rabia a"e to when he
wrote: ,)he truth was I !i! not like the L"yself9 I oul! see an! hear.,
2AD
-ith the o"ing of "i!!le age a "an begins to appraise his life9s ourse# work#
fortunes# an! in the en!''hi"self. Quite often the results are not very satisfatory#
perhaps even !isappointing.
2BE
$ll this work on the Quest is !irete! towar!s !isovering hi"self# his best self# an! to
bringing its influene into whatever it is that he !oes or thinks. 5e ought not to enter
into it for the sake of ego enhane"ent''that is for the worl!lings''but for the sake of
so"ething that transen!s the ego.
2B1
)oo intelligent to aept the narrow short'sighte! view of life# too i!ealisti to aept a
"erely ani"al satisfation of !esires# he nee!s gui!ane. )his is what the 3uest is for.
2B2
5e feels that he "ust enter irrevoably on the 3uest for "oral self'perfetion# however
unattainable it "ay see". /or he !oes so in obe!iene to the inner voie of a onsiene
the or!inary "an !oes not hear. $n! his feeling is a right one. )he destination "ay be
only a glorious !rea" but the direction is a serious atuality.
2B>
5e "ay o"e to see the grave ontra!ition between his i!eals an! his ations# his
"ental worl! an! his atual worl!# an! the sight "ay !isgust hi". Out of this hagrin#
the !esire to renoune a senseless e1istene an! with!raw altogether fro" it "ay take
hol! of hi".
2B?
(o long as "en feel the nee! of inner support an! "ental !iretion# of "oral uplift an!
e"otional onsolation# so long will they ontinue to stu!y# to follow# an! to pratise
philosophy''that is# to enter upon the 3uest.
2B@
)he onsiousness of his own i"perfetion sooner or later awakens in hi" an urge to
seek perfetion# that is# to enter on the Quest.
2BA
-hen they awaken to truer values# they will !esire a truer kin! of life. )hey will want
one that brings 6o! into it# an! they will view with re"orse the past whih left 6o! out
of it.
2BB
Only after he has reeive! what he has !esire!# an! o"e up against its li"itations or
!efets or !isa!vantages# will spiritual !esire begin to take "eaning or offer higher
value to hi".
2BC
-hen he is no longer ontent to be wise an! happy an! goo! only for "o"ents but
foolish an! "iserable an! weak for perio!s# he will fir"ly resolve to begin the proess
of self'hanging an! self'!eepening that is the Quest.
2BD
)he "an9s !istress over his personal shorto"ings an! the loathing for his personal
weaknesses goa! hi" in the en! to !o so"ething to i"prove the one an! on3uer the
other.
2CE
5e sees now at long last that he has ate! against his own best interests long enough:
the ti"e has o"e to re!ress the balane.
2C1
5e feels the all to !e!iate hi"self to higher i!eals.
2C2
%en pass their whole lives in error when they "ight pass the" in truth. )hey !o wrong
when they "ight !o goo!. )he result is suffering when it "ight be peae. -hen all the
hief !eisions of a "an9s life are "a!e in a on!ition of spiritual ignorane# what other
results "ay be e1pete! than unfortunate ones; It is a bitter "o"ent''an! the
onsiousness of his error falls painfully upon hi"''when he !isovers that the ai"s he
pursue! have le! hi" up a blin! alley an! that the a"bitions he nurture! have yiel!e!
only ashes for his han!s. )he parable of the Pro!igal (on now assu"es an inti"ate
"eaning for hi". 5e "ay !erive an astringent wis!o" fro" all these unpleasant
onse3uenes of the lower ego9s ativities. It has in!ee! been like a blin! "an
tre"blingly feeling his way an! "oving fro" one "ishap to another# "aking one false
step after another.
2C>
-hen he sees how the little personal self has brought hi" so "uh pain sorrow
!isappoint"ent an! waste of years# that even when it brought hi" suess the latter
turne! out to be false an! !eeptive# he will beo"e !isguste! with it. 5e will not want
to live with the ego any longer an! will yearn to get away fro" it altogether.
2C?
Beause so"ething !eep !own in the subonsious knows that the ego is !estrutible#
sooner or later# in one inarnation or another# a longing arises for that whih is
in!estrutible. /ro" this "o"ent he begins# however feebly# to ease in!ulging the
!esires# the wishes# of his ego# an! to replae the" by so"ething new an! higher. )his
is the beginning of the Quest# an! it "ay take a religious# a "ystial# or a philosophi
for"# aor!ing to "an9s "aturity.
2C@
%en of rank# fortune# influene# or power "ay beo"e o"plaent# satisfie! with what
they are or have or where they are. But this is a on!ition whih annot last. -hy;
Beause the higher purpose of life# e"bo!ie! in the -orl!'I!ea# is also present an! will
"ake appropriate hange or e1ert appropriate pressure at the !estine! ti"e.
2CA
5e shoul! guar! against being unonsiously insinere# against protesting his love of
the !ivine when it is really a "ask for love of hi"self. ,Beware lest you all !esire of
the worl! searh for 6o!#, warne! $l 5alla4# a (ufi a!ept. But "ore often his 3uest is
inspire! by "i1e! "otives. On one han!# he is intereste! in the personal benefits he
hopes to get fro" it. On the other han!# he is also intereste! in learning the i"personal
truth about life.
2CB
)o the young neophyte the 3uest# with its "ysterious tra!itions an! "agial pro"ises# is
an enhanting an! gla"orous enterprise.
2CC
)hey see" to believe their entry into the "ysti 3uest woul! set their life in or!er an!
solve their proble"s forever. )his is# of ourse# "ere wishful thinking. It is not their
entry but their o"pletion of the 3uest that oul! ever !o these things for the".
2CD
)here is always a nu"ber of en3uirers who interest the"selves in the teahing to a
ertain e1tent an! then !rop it altogether. -hy; Beause they are not pri"arily seeking
the Overself for its own sake but only the Overself along with hi!!en powers or
personal suess or so"ething else# or so"eti"es# these things only an! the Overself
"erely as a "eans of obtaining the".
2DE
%any o"e to this 3uest in the beginning beause of so"e personal !esire. )his
personal satisfation is their pri"ary goal. It "ay be that later# with growth# har"ony
with the Overself beo"es not less i"portant. $ few in the en! will o"e to see that
nothing short of pure !evotion to the Overself for its own sake is their proper goal.
2D1
)he Quest has !ifferent attrations for !ifferent people. (o"e fin! that it replaes the
very or!inariness of their lives by e1oti# unusual# even !ra"ati i!eas or e1perienes.
(o"e !raw near beause of its pro"ise of help sorely nee!e! to over up their
weaknesses. Others nee! its intelletual onepts to support their with!rawal fro"
ortho!o1y. (till others are !elighte! to get its help in the reinterpretation of ortho!o1y#
an! in its reasonable replies to reasonable 3uestions.
2D2
If "any o"e to this Quest beause they are !isontente! with living or even !espairing
of it# so"e o"e beause they feel the 4oy of living or even e1alt in it. )here are a few#
however# who o"e beause they seek truth or reality.
2D>
It shoul! not be thought that all those who rea! so"e literature# or atten! suh letures#
or even 4oin suh "ove"ents# are seeking "ore than a si"ple gli"pse. Perhaps "ost are
or!inary people who are satisfie! with having a re!o to support their lives whih
enlarges their tra!itional religion or belief.
2D?
$ll sorts of people o"e to this 3uest''the truthseekers# the halluinate!# the a"bitious
an! the "eek# the highly intuitive an! the utter i"beile# the 4oyous an! the e"bittere!
failures# the really intelligent an! the "erely urious''but few stay on it. %ost are
aught soon or late on the !etours# the si!etraks# an! the return'traks.
2D@
If the philosophial o!e attrats so"e by its "oral nobility# it attrats others through
their personal neessity.
2DA
)here are those to!ay as never before whose !eep but unonsious spiritual loneliness
re"ains unsatisfie! by religions.
2DB
If so"e o"e to this 3uest beause of !isgust with the worl! an! its ways# or of
!isappoint"ent with life an! its e1perienes# others o"e to it beause of !isgust#
!isappoint"ent# or !issatisfation with the"selves. Only a few o"e beause of the
hunger for truth for its own sake# or beause of the sense of ino"pleteness of a "erely
"aterialisti e1istene.
2DC
)he reasons whih "en give for o"ing to this 3uest are wi!ely !ifferent. If suffering
brings "any# 4oy brings others. If a kin! of a"bition brings not a few# satiety with
a"bition brings a few.
2DD
%en o"e to this 3uest si"ply beause they seek truth# beause they want to learn what
their life "eans an! what the universe "eans an! the relation of both# whih is the best
of all reasons. But others o"e beause of shaken self'respet or after a bereave"ent
whih leaves the" without a !early love! one. (till others o"e in reation to
!isillusion"ent# frustration# or ala"ity. $n! lastly there are those who o"e out of
utter fatigue with the senseless worl! an! !isgust with its evil ways# whih is the seon!
best of all reasons.
>EE
5u"an laks# hu"an sufferings# an! hu"an failures !rive "ost of the people who o"e
to it# to the 3uest as o"pensation. But there are a few whose hu"an iru"stanes are
satisfatory# yet who o"e to the 3uest also. )hey are the seekers after truth# the
e1plorers trying to fin! a higher onsiousness. Both lasses are welo"e# of ourse.
But the seon! lass e1e"plify the 3uest at its best.
>E1
-e "ay o"e to this hange of view by strit philosophial refletion alone# whih is
the easiest an! pleasantest path# but whih !e"an!s ertain intelletual an! "oral
apaities# or we "ay o"e to it by the path of bitter pain an! e1ternal o"pulsion.
>E2
(o"e people see" hungry for )ruth. )his is beause soiety has starve! the" an! given
the" no satisfation other than a surfae one.
>E>
(o"e people are slowly brought to the 3uest by the inesapable onlusions of reason#
others are brought into it "ore 3uikly by the natural gui!ane of instint.
>E?
/or so"e people the Quest begins with a feeling that so"ething is "issing fro" their
life# a nee! that none of their possessions or relations an satisfy.
>E@
(o"eti"es''!o you lie awake at night; )hinking about ,what you "ight have been,;
-athing the proession of your past life "ove like a ine"a fil" before your eyes;
7ea!ing anew the whole tale of ti"e born an! !ea!# a few 4oys# "any tears perhaps# an!
long barren years of !rought; -aiting for so"ething bigger# better# brighter to turn up;
But it has not o"e yet. )he roa! is har! an! the fiel! you are tilling is sterile.
>EA
$"ong those who o"e to the 3uest for reasons other than the searh for truth# whih
usually "eans for e"otional reasons# there are those who o"e to it at the en! of a
perio! of "ental !epression an! those who o"e at the beginning of a perio! of "ental
elation. )he first kin! "ay be unhappy beause of past personal e1perienes an! seek
o"fort# onsolation. )he seon! kin! is prone to e1aggerate! hopes beause of a
so"ewhat neuroti enthusiasti te"pera"ent. )he one "ay fin! its peae an! the other
its 4oy but both "ay overlook the nee! for !eter"ine! work an! self'!isipline as the
ost.
>EB
/ew people o"e to this 3uest by hoie0 "ost o"e by neessity. Its invitation#
a!!resse! to a relutant worl!# is hear! an! onsi!ere! only when un!er great pressure
an! suffering# or after great "oral or "ental or aestheti growth.
>EC
(o"e propulsive fore fro" within or so"e o"pulsive on!ition fro" without "ust
o"e into e1istene to "ake hi" un!ergo the self'!isipline nee!e! to open hi" to the
!ivine influ1.
>ED
-ith this event a new era opens in his personal life. 5e feels that# for the first ti"e in his
life# he has touhe! real being when hitherto he has known only its sha!ow. It is the first
link in a whole hain of goo! onse3uenes. Conse3uently it is in reality the "ost
i"portant one. -hoever one gives his allegiane to the Overself as affir"e! an!
sy"boli2e! by his entry on the 3uest# un!ertakes a o""it"ent of whose ulti"ate an!
tre"en!ous onse3uenes he has but a vague an! partial notion.
>1E
-hen the Overself soun!s the "ysti note# its eho is hear! within the "an an! he
awakens fro" spiritual stupor.
>11
$ ti"e o"es when we see at last that all the "in! has gathere! fro" its shooling is
infor"ation# when what it nee!s an! hungers for even "ore !eeply is revelation. )he
faintest lue or hint fro" a higher soure woul! be enough0 how "uh "ore the fullness
of a gli"pse.
>12
$ orrespon!ent in $"eria wrote: ,I awoke in the "i!!le of the night to !isover the
roo" fille! with bright light. I oul! see all the furniture. $ "arvellous peae perva!e!
"e. I sai! to "yself# L6o! is that 8ou;9 an! instintively# I knew that it was. $fter a
while I got up when the e1periene was fa!ing to hek its e1traor!inary nature an!
onfir"e! that none of the eletri la"ps were swithe! on. (ine then thirteen years
have passe!. I have a loving husban! an! loving hil!ren# enough "oney for the basi
things of life. But for so"e ti"e life was not "eaningful an! I felt e"pty. I looke! at "y
frien!s# so willing to aept this hollow life# but I oul! not. It bea"e intolerable. /ive
years ago I was shown the spiritual 3uest of truth an! this has sine beo"e "y
"ainstay., -as there a onnetion between the vision of &ight an! the subse3uent
restlessness until she turne! to the 3uest; )hat there is suh a line# is onfir"e! by
"any other instanes sattere! aroun! the worl!.
>1>
:very "an who athes suh a gli"pse of his !iviner possibilities will be haunte!
forever after by the" until he tries to ath up in atual thought an! life with the". )he
en!eavour to !o so brings hi" sooner or later on the Quest.
>1?
In that "o"ent of first "eeting with his 5igher (elf the 3uest is lai! open to hi" in
reality. 5e has to see the opportunity an! to take the first step by an at of intuition an!
a venture of faith. )here will be "any "ore suee!ing steps if he is to ontinue the
3uest an! "ost probably a nu"ber of "issteps# but it all begins with this initial
reognition an! reation.
>1@
5e who "eets for the first ti"e the hallenge in an a!ept9s eyes# "eets his fate# !i! he
but know it. /or he is at one presente! subonsiously with a hoie between two
ourses: the one lea!ing to a higher kin! of life an! ai"# the other ontinuing on nor"al
lines.
>1A
-hen the truth e1plo!es su!!enly like a blast of !yna"ite beneath the tra!itions or
beliefs or habits whih hel! hi" aptive in untruth# the light "ay !a22le an! bewil!er
hi" or it "ay set hi" free fro" the" in a way an! with a spee! whih oul! not have
e1iste! or!inarily.
>1B
It is this faith that there is a -orl!'I!ea an! that we "ust a!4ust our lives to it or suffer
unneessarily whih "arks hi" out fro" the her!.
>1C
It is the !esire to !o for hi"self what &ife wishes hi" to !o# to reali2e his higher
potentials# that puts hi" on this Quest.
>1D
It is this feeling that he is not in his true plae that pushes a "an into this searh for a
teahing or a teaher.
>2E
%en whose lives have been so en!angere! an! whose "in!s so trouble! will either turn
for relief to gross sensuality or searh for wholeness in new spirituality.
>21
)he sikness of the worl! wants so"ething "uh "ore than a "ere philosophy of the
leture'roo" to ure it0 no bottles of verbal !rugs an prove potent in the present
!esperation.
>22
$ "in! whih is no longer satisfie! with shallow onsolations will naturally turn to
"ystial e1periene or "etaphysial stu!y for !eeper ones.
>2>
)here are others# however# who are not satisfie! with suh ignorane an! suh
in!ifferene# who want ertain an! assure! knowle!ge of the spirit# by penetrating the
serets of their own being. $n! it is the pro"ise of the satisfation of this want whih
attrats the" to "ystiis".
>2?
It is a tra!ition in "ystial irles that anyone who has ever felt the truth power or
beauty of "ystial teahing# however briefly# will not be able to esape being !rawn to
its pratial onse3uene# the Quest# one !ay# however long !eferre! it "ay be.
>2@
Not all "en un!erstan! 4ust at what ti"e# what !ate# their 3uest of the Overself was
starte!. )his "ay be beause it !i! not happen all at one.
>2A
$ll that has happene! before his entry upon the 3uest has really been onverging
towar!s it.
>2B
It is as inevitable that so"e "en shoul! o"e to the Quest beause of their sorrows an!
!iffiulties as that other "en shoul! aban!on it te"porarily for the sa"e reasons.
>2C
%ystiis" offers the surest path to the "in!9s peae an! the heart9s satisfation.
$h" man" people don't come
>2D
7ea!ing about these truths has a revelatory effet upon ertain "in!s but only a boring
or irritating effet upon others. -hy; It is beause the first have been brought by
e1periene or refletion to a suffiiently sensitive an! intuitive on!ition to appreiate
the worth of what they are rea!ing# whereas the seon!# o"prising for the "ost part an
e1troverte! publi# will naturally be i"patient with suh "ystial i!eas an!
onte"ptuous of their heretial e1poun!er. In!ee!# so"e of these writings "ust see" as
ino"prehensible to a -estern ear as the babblings of a "an 4ust awakening fro" the
hlorofor"e! state.
>>E
)he "asses woul! show no interest for they possess insuffiient "ental e3uip"ent to
un!erstan! it.
>>1
5ow an large priniples fin! a resting plae in suh little persons;
>>2
)he ino"prehension of the un!evelope! "in!s an! unrefine! hearts puts up a barrier
between the" an! philosophy. )o ignore it is first to bewil!er an! then to frustrate the".
>>>
It is not fair to ask the" to aept an! believe in teahings whih see" to be
ontra!ite! by all their e1periene an! by all the e1periene of the soiety aroun!
the". 5ow an we !e"an! that they violate their own thinking an! their own feeling by
!oing so;
>>?
)hey are not neessarily "ore "aterialisti. It is si"ply that they have not begun to
think about life# to 3uestion its "eaning an! ask for its purpose.
>>@
)he all to a higher kin! of life "ay soun! absur! to the lower kin! of "in!.
>>A
It is often sai! in ritiis" that its !otrines are unreasonable an! its tehni3ues
i"pratiable.
>>B
It is a sub4et whih the arrogant intelletuals of our ti"e# being unable to ope with it#
fin! irritating or bewil!ering.
>>C
)he see"ing failure to get these truths aepte! "ore wi!ely# still "ore to get the"
pratise!# is no failure at all. %en are what they are as a result of what they were in the
past.
>>D
It is easier for "ost persons to lay !own their !istressing bur!ens at the !oor of faith in
for"al religion than turn to the 3uest whih e1plains the very presene of these bur!ens
an! presribes the tehni3ue to re"ove the".
>?E
)oo "any people who are or!inarily suppose! to be goo! people with so"e religious
si!e to their harater# hi!e behin! their !uties an! responsibilities to avoi! the Quest.
)hey fin! in these two things suffiient e1use to !isregar! the larger 3uestions of life.
)hey keep the"selves busy supporting the"selves an! their fa"ily or keeping up a
position in the worl! of ativity# following an oupation# or "aintaining a business. In
this way they are able to ignore any self'3uestioning about why they are here on earth at
all or what will happen to the" after !eath or whether these pratial !uties an!
responsibilities are all that is re3uire! fro" the" by the go! they profess to believe in.
>?1
,$ll the worl! o"plains nowa!ays of a press of trivial !uties an! engage"ents whih
prevents their e"ploying the"selves on so"e higher groun! they know of0 but
un!oubte!ly# if they were "a!e of the right stuff to work on that higher groun!# they
woul! now at one fulfil the superior engage"ent an! neglet all the rest# as naturally as
they breathe. )hey woul! never be aught saying that they ha! no ti"e for this when the
!ullest "an knows that this is all that he has ti"e for.,'')horeau# in a letter.
>?2
)here are now so "any ativities alling for his interest an! energies that "o!ern "an
thinks he has no ti"e to !evote to fin!ing his soul. (o he !oes not seek it: an! so he
re"ains unhappy.
>?>
)he !iso"fort of being onfronte! by the fun!a"ental 3uestions whih we "ust at
so"e ti"e# early or late# ask of life an be eva!e!''as all'too'"any persons !o eva!e it''
by !eliberately turning to "ore ativity# or by reinfore! egois".
>??
(o"e re4et the whole syste" for suh reasons as ,I !o not want to beo"e a saint#, or
,I have to earn "y livelihoo!., )his is an unwise attitu!e.
>?@
)heir "in!s are "ostly oupie! by personal "atters# both petty an! large# leaving little
or no spae in the" for thoughts about life in general. 5ow then an there be interest in
the 3uest;
>?A
)hey !is"iss the teahing in a few seon!s un!er the erroneous belief that its e1poun!er
is 4ust another ultist. It is easy to fall into suh a gross "isoneption sine they know
nothing about it# or about the anient tra!ition behin! it.
>?B
/or too "any -estern "in!s the ter"s ,"ysti, an! ,yoga, have either unpleasant or
!erisive onnotations attahe! to the". )oo "any 3uaks# ino"petents# fanatis#
harlatans# fools# or lunatis have brought reproah an! opprobriu" on the". Only a
s"all han!ful of persons e"ploy the" !eliberately to e1press the lofty# the a!"irable#
an! the honourable "eanings.
>?C
)he yogi 3uest of samadhi Gessation of thinking lea!ing to ob4et'free awarenessH like
the Men 3uest of satori Genlighten"entH has suffere! "iso"prehension in its own lan!
by its own people# "uh "ore therefore in the -est by those unfa"iliar with or unable
to ope with Oriental intuitive pereptions.
>?D
)he assu"ption that these truths are fit to be stu!ie! an! the Quest to be followe! only
by a few el!erly# gullible# or eentri persons is wrong.
>@E
)he fat is that# in the or!inary onsiousness# "any people are not intereste! in the
3uestion of truth# nor in the !isovery of what see"s without personal benefits of a
worl!ly kin!0 they are ertainly not willing to pratise various ontrols of thought#
e"otion# speeh# an! passion.
>@1
/ew are willing to un!ergo the philosophial !isipline beause few are willing to
!isturb their personal o"fort or !isrupt their personal ease for the sake of a visionary
i!eal. )he eagerness to i"prove oneself# the willingness to ultivate noble 3ualities are
uno""on.
>@2
If so"e 4oyfully reogni2e the truth as soon as they "eet with it# others shu!!eringly
turn away fro" it.
>@>
)he "aterialistially "in!e! persons are too septial to take up this training an! re'
e!uation of the "in!0 the self'in!ulgent ones are too la2ily unwilling to !isturb their
o"fort with it an! o"e out of the groove in whih they have sunk0 while the egoisti
are too unintereste! in "erely long'range# far'off# an! intangible benefits to see any
value in it.
>@?
%any people# espeially in the working an! the petty bourgeois lasses# fin! their
feliity at the beer table or the television# in i!le hatter or in the partiular suesses of
a"bition. )he notion that anyone oul! fin! it by "eans of nothing that an be
"easure! in "aterialisti ter"s woul! see" foolish to the"# while the Quest of the
Overself woul! see" the highest point of all foolishness.
>@@
)hey aept the futility of "aterialis" beause they have never known the vitality of
transen!entalis".
>@A
)his is not the at"osphere in whih those "in!s whih are satisfie! with the shakles of
!og"a or the pretensions of "ere opinion an thrive: hene a few glanes at philosophy
are often enough to keep the" away.
>@B
%ost "en !evalue the"selves# although they !o not know it. $ part of the" is !ivine#
but it is ignore! an! neglete!.
>@C
)he first trouble with us to!ay is that we have not enough faith in the higher power0 the
seon! is that we have beo"e too soft an! will not sub"it our lives to the higher
purpose.
>@D
$"use"ents# sports# gossip# theatres# even se1 protet the thoughtless "asses fro"
having to onfront the higher hallenges of life# fro" having to let into their "in!s basi
3uestions. It allows the" to esape all through the length of their inarnation fro" the
one thing they were put here on earth to fae. In short# they hi!e fro" the Quest.
>AE
It woul! be too "uh to e1pet the "ass of people to take to this 3uest in its fullness.
)hey are unable to "ake "ore than an ele"entary effort to onfine the lower nature
within the re3uire! li"its.
>A1
,Philosophy is of no use to "e+, e1lai"e! a business"an. If knowing "ore about
hi"self as a hu"an being an! living better than woul! be likely otherwise are of no use
to hi"# then he is right.
>A2
%ost people are like sleep'walkers# aught up in their own illusions. )heir belief that
they are awake is the biggest of these illusions.
>A>
)he poor are overpowere! by their grin!ing poverty# the rih by their fortune0 both fin!
neither the ti"e nor taste for spiritual en3uiry.
>A?
:asily stupefie! by sensuality# thoroughly bewithe! by onstant repetition of the sa"e
pleasure# they shrug asi!e the !isturbing thoughts an! visible re"in!ers of life9s
transitoriness an! the bo!y9s infir"ity.
>A@
$fter the work !one to gain livelihoo! or fulfil a"bition# there is usually a surplus of
ti"e an! strength# a part of whih oul! an! shoul! be !evote! to satisfying higher
nee!s. )here is har!ly a "an whose life is so intense that it !oes not leave hi" a little
ti"e for spiritual reall fro" this worl!ly e1istene. 8et the o""on attitu!e
everywhere is to look no farther than# an! be ontent with# work an! pleasure# fa"ily#
frien!s# an! possessions. It feels no urge to seek the spiritual an!# as it erroneously
thinks# the intangible si!e of life. It "akes no effort to organi2e its !ay so as to fin! the
ti"e an! energy for serious thought# stu!y# prayer# an! "e!itation. It feels no nee! of
searhing for truth or getting an instrutor.GPH
>AA
People who fin! their own o"pany boring# their own resoures e"pty# their own
higher ai"s non'e1istent# "ust nee!s flee fro" it to so"e for" of esape# suh as the
ine"a# the ra!io# the theatre# or television. 5ere they are not onfronte! by the
uno"fortable proble" of the"selves# by an ai"less "eaningless !rifting ,I.,
>AB
5u"anity or!inarily shirks this en3uiry into truth partly beause of its !iffiulty# partly
beause of its apparent personal unprofitability# an! partly beause of its loneliness.
>AC
)here are those''an! they are "any''who !o not want suh a 3uest: its !isiplines
frighten the" away or its stu!ies bore the" or its isolation "akes too !aring a !e"an!
on their gregariousness.
>AD
It is easy to un!erstan! why so "any persons have little faith in suh teahings# but it is
har! to un!erstan! why so few persons take the trouble to investigate the".
>BE
%ost people are too shallow''for whih they are not to be bla"e!# sine living itself is a
fatiguing 4ob''to be able to "ine suessfully for 7eality# or for )ruth# whih is the
knowle!ge of 7eality.
>B1
It is har! for the "o!erns to appreiate the Bu!!ha9s !elarative sentenes about the
illusory goals of !esire# har! to see that their years# when "easure! against =esus9
teahing# are often spent in futile ativities# har! to un!erstan! with the "ystis that
they "erely e1ist an! !o not really live.
>B2
)hey bow too 3uikly before the "ystery of life an! being# resign further searh an!
en3uiry# "ake no "ore effort to !evelop an! use their "ental an! intuitive faulties.
/aith an! patiene are !eserte! too soon.
>B>
Quite a nu"ber seek un!erstan!ing of life9s "eaning# but few seek a true un!erstan!ing.
%ost want a partisan or pre4u!ie! one# an en!orse"ent of inherite! i!eas or personal
satisfations.
>B?
)oo "any are "arrie! for life to their personal views: they are not seekers after )ruth
an! are not really willing to learn the New an! the )rue.
>B@
It is a wrong an! yet o""on notion to believe that one is not in a position to start out
on the Quest. )he business"an plea!s his business ares# the sinner his sins# the ol!
"an his age# an! the young "an his youth as e1use for failing to "ake any beginning
at all.
>BA
Only sel!o" !uring a lifeti"e# an! that very briefly# will "en give a thought to these
larger features of their e1istene''to its unreality# to its hangeability# an! to its
"ortality.
>BB
/ew wo"en suee! in "aking the self'!isiplinary gra!e whih the 3uest of
philosophy alls for. )his is beause they are "ore easily !istrate! fro" the 3uest by
their personal feelings than "en are.
>BC
%en who live unaware of why they are here onse3uently live unonerne! with what
see" like "ere abstrations laking any utility at all.
>BD
)hey oul! not fae truth for they woul! be e"barrasse! by the 6o!!ess9s unshrinking
ga2e.
>CE
)oo "any persons will have nothing to !o with the Quest when they learn about it for
the first ti"e. )his is not beause they fin! it i"possible to believe so"e of the i!eas on
whih it is base!# suh as the i!ea of reinarnation G,I fin! it inre!ible, was (o"erset
%augha"9s o""ent about itH. Nor is it beause the "etaphysial si!e is too abstruse
for the" to go through the nee!e! labour of troubling their "in!s with it. No''it is
beause the i!eal set up for the 3uesters is# they lai"# o"pletely outsi!e their hori2on
an! 3uite unreahable by "ost# if not nearly all of the".
>C1
Its peak see"s so austere# the li"b up it so !e"an!ing of all the bravery that a "an
oul! ever possess# that few even venture to approah it.
>C2
)hey hear of saints an! yogis who see" to ahieve the i"possible''a happiness whih
elu!es their fellow !eni2ens of this planet an! a self'ontrol whih puts hu"an !esire
an! passion easily un!erfoot. -hat these spiritual super"en an !o# in te"ptation'free
5i"alayan heights or :uropean "onasti retreats# they see no prospet of ever !oing in
their noisy busy ities.
>C>
It is not possible# they think# to live on suh a high go!like plane in a worl! where
"eanness an! violene are every!ay patterns. )his is a plausible view but it is not the
only one.
>C?
It is i"possible only if they think so. No vitory an ever be won when it is alrea!y lost
in the "in!.
>C@
)here are those who feel that the Quest is an enterprise whih is "ore than they an
un!ertake. *ery well. )he si"ple aknowle!ge"ent of this apparent fat is itself a
beginning. But it is not an en!.
>CA
5is values !epen! upon the five bo!ily senses whih is aeptable# an! upon the"
alone# whih is not.
>CB
/or "ost people it is an i!eal whih see"s so !istant that to talk of attaining it is to
"ok the".
>CC
)hose persons who are satisfie! with substitutes for )ruth oul! not appreiate or
reogni2e it even if it were offere! the". In short# they are not rea!y for the real thing.
>CD
)hose who seek neither "oral elevation nor spiritual teahing !o not thereby show their
in!ifferene to thought about life. )hey show only that they are s"ugly satisfie! with
the little thought they have "anage! to !o.
>DE
)hose who are ontent with a life of nothing "ore than sitting !own to "eals# going out
to "ake "oney# an! o"ing bak to "ake love''that is# with a solely "aterialisti life''
fin! nothing in suh inspire! "essages an! get nothing fro" suh "ystial teahings.
>D1
)here is no large i!ea in their petty lives.
>D2
It will not engage the interest of the spiritually in!olent.
>D>
(o long as we keep ourselves fouse! wholly in the physial worl!# thoughts suh as
these "ay be rea! but will not reah our "in!s.
>D?
)he "an who sees no nee! for a higher onept of his nature than the "erely physial
one will see no nee! for a higher goal than fee!ing# lothing# sheltering# an! a"using
his bo!y. In letting the senses# the passions# the intellet# an! the ego take sole harge of
his life# he 3uite naturally sees only "ere e"ptiness beyon! the". 5e !oubts an! refutes
the intuitive'spiritual an! !enies an! re4ets the "ystial. )he Infinite is nothing to hi"
so long as he prefers to re"ain shut in within the sense'boun! outlook. )his is why he
!is"isses "ysti e1periene# religious feeling# an! philosophi insight as "ere
halluinations. But all this opposition takes plae only in his onsious "in! for there is
unavoi!able reognition in his subonsious "in!. 5e wants to esape fro" hi"self#
however# an! fears the or!eal of faing hi"self. )hese wor!s will "ake no appeal to the
"aterialisti "entality whih still regar!s all spiritual e1periene as the outo"e of
pathologial on!itions. (uh an attitu!e# fortunately# has beo"e less sure of itself than
it was when first I e"barke! on these stu!ies an! e1peri"ents# now "ore than thirty'
five years ago.
>D@
People neglet the 7eal beause they believe they alrea!y have it Gin sense'e1periene
of the worl! outsi!eH an! for the sa"e reason they !o not seek truth.
>DA
)he unfortunate who have been unable to "anage their affairs or to reover fro" the
blows of !estiny "ay turn to religion for o"fort: they sel!o" turn to philosophy. /or
this fails to o"fort their e"otions: its appeal is only to those who are learning that
e"otions nee! to be heke! or balane! or ontrolle! by reason.
>DB
)he "ass of people !o not want# an! "ay even fear# the spiritual an! intelletual
free!o" to searh for truth. )hey are "ore o"fortable insi!e the gregarious protetion
of a rea!y'"a!e group tra!ition.
>DC
It is not only that so "any people are not apable of o"prehen!ing the truth but also
that a large nu"ber of the" !o not want to o"prehen! it. )he truth hurts their ego#
ontra!its their !esires# an! !enies their e1petations.
>DD
%ost people are ontente! with their hains or even strongly attahe! to the"''suh is
the aweso"e power of !esires# passions# infatuations# an! espeially egois"s.
?EE
)hey fear the 3uest beause they fear that# if they get involve! in it too seriously# they
"ight have to repress so"e inlination in their nature or renoune so"e habit in their
way of living. (o they take fro" it only what appeals to the"# an! !isar! the rest.
?E1
)he free2ing te"perature of those snowy peaks of thought frightens away so"e who
"ight otherwise venture on the Quest. It is the ego whih is so frightene!# knowing that
its own en! woul! o"e with the en! of the 4ourney into this elevate! region.
?E2
$ "an "ay stay at his present level or try to rise in harater to a better one than he was
born with. If i!eals an! values !o not stir hi"# if he is rule! by un!isipline! ani"al
appetites# these truths will not appeal to hi".
?E>
:ven if a "an is 3ualifie! to reeive truth he "ay not be in the "oo! to !o so# that is# he
is not rea!y an! willing to "eet the ost. 5is interests or his !esires or his e"otions at
that partiular ti"e lie elsewhere.
?E?
-hen they learn the prie''!isiplining an! re!uing the fattene! ego''that will have to
be pai! for this higher onsiousness# they are "ore hesitant to e"bark on the Quest.
?E@
%en who are unintereste! in affairs other than their own personal ones# in "atters other
than their own work an! pleasure# position an! fortune# "en who are preoupie! with
the trivial roun! of e1ternal# selfish ativities only# will naturally regar! the stu!y of
philosophy as a waste of ti"e# the pratie of "e!itation as a for" of in!olene# an! the
en!eavour after self'i"prove"ent as a nee!less trouble. No higher yearnings enter their
hearts# no reverent feelings touh the".
?EA
Beause of their unwillingness either to look within or to think "ore !eeply for any
higher purpose or obligation that they "ight have# people live largely in !elusion an!
!eeption# espeially self'!eeption. ,-hy a" I here on earth;, is a 3uestion for whih
they an only fin! one answer: to satisfy their own "aterial !esires.
?EB
Not everyone is prepare! by te"pera"ent# or past history# to seek the higher truth# "uh
less has the ti"e an! will for it. Not everyone a"ong the seekers is rea!y to "ake the
sarifies that a onsientious re'a!4ust"ent of harater an! behaviour wants fro" hi".
?EC
I believe in a higher power behin! the universe. Call it 6o!# if you like. I believe in a
higher power behin! "an. Call it the soul# if you like to. (uh beliefs !o not appeal to
the oktail'soake! ynis an! sophistiates of our era.
?ED
(uh teahings are ignore! or re4ete! as being of interest only to !rea"ers# i!lers# or
"isfits. )here is so"e truth in this ritiis"# so"e basis for this attitu!e. Plain nor"al
people who have to "ake a living# who are busy with the worl!9s work# politis# an!
eono"is# who have personal an! fa"ily proble"s "ost of the ti"e# fin! all this to be
unrealisti# out of touh with things as they are# hu"anity as it is an! has been.
?1E
(o long as the ob4ets of their e1istene re"ain s"all an! iru"sribe!# selfish an!
"aterialisti# so long will the "eaning of their e1istene be !enie! the".
?11
It is not that they are onte"ptuous of truth but that they are in!ifferent to it.
?12
)he opinions of "ost people about "ystiis" are either totally or partially worthless.
)his is beause they are not infor"e! either by aurate or by suffiient knowle!ge of
the sub4et. )hey know ne1t to nothing of its true history# nature# an! results.
?1>
&ak of onern for higher values reveals "en9s frailty or "alie.
?1?
)o the !isease! "entality# "ystiis" is an atte"pt to ripple progress by weakening
intellet an! inhibiting nee!e! ation.
?1@
)he wor! ,"ysti, is not the perfet one to onvey "y "eaning# but it is at least the
han!iest one. It has been so ill'use! that spouters of errant nonsense have taken shelter
un!er its roof whilst orales of the loftiest wis!o" have not hesitate! to all the"selves
by this na"e. )he partisan approah to this na"e has ause! it to beo"e either an
abusive or else an a!ulatory wor! rather than a preise !esription. -hereas so"e use it
in onte"pt# others use it in praise+ $gain# how "any are sare! by its very soun!+
)here are even persons who feel a shiver run !own their bak when they hear the wor!
,"ystiis", uttere!+
Postponing the choice
?1A
It has been state! at the en! of the appen!i1 to The Hidden Teaching Be"ond &oga that
they who !o not feel in possession of enough strength or !esire to trea! the ulti"ate
path nee! not !o so# an! that if they re"e"ber an! so"eti"es rea! about it even this
will yiel! goo! fruit in ti"e. -e have been aske! to be "ore e1pliit on this point. -e
!eeply sy"pathi2e with all those who !o not feel inline! to takle the "ental
austerities involve! in the ulti"ate path. If# however# they will 4ust !ip into its
intelletual stu!y fro" ti"e to ti"e# a little here this week an! a little there the ne1t#
without even "aking their rea!ing ontinuous an! onnete!# there will slowly take
shape in their "in!s an outline of so"e of the "ain tenets of this teahing. $n! however
vague this outline "ay be it will be i""easurably better than the blank ignorane whih
overs the rest of "ankin! like a shrou!. )hese new i!eas will assu"e the
harateristis of see!s# whih un!er the water of the stu!ent9s own aspiration an! the
sunshine of visible an! invisible fores# will grow gra!ually into fruitful un!erstan!ing
an! !ee!s. /or the kar"i onse3uene of suh interest will be one !ay birth into a
fa"ily where every opportunity for a!vane"ent will be foun!.
?1B
)he yearning for spiritual light wells up in the heart spontaneously. It is a natural one.
But !esires# egois"# an! "aterialis" over it for so long a ti"e that it see"s unnatural.
?1C
$t least it has arouse! the" to awareness that there is suh a thing: they have later the
hane to think about it# still later to try it# an! perhaps in the en! to appreiate it.
?1D
)he i!eal "ay appeal# o"ing as it !oes fro" the Overself# but the ego will put up
obstales# resistanes# to its reali2ation.
?2E
)he i"ages of the I!eal for"e! in the early years of a!ulthoo! "ay get broken or
s"u!ge! or even lost.
?21
)he la"our fro" outsi!e''by whih I !o not "ean hear! noises alone''is so insistent
that the su""ons fro" insi!e is sel!o" hear! or# if hear! at all# is taken to be a
su""ons to ulture# art# poetry# an! "usi perhaps or to intellet an! its !evelop"ent.
?22
)his !rea" of eventual illu"ination will haunt the bakgroun! of his "in! as a hope to
be fulfille! in so"e far'off future life. 5e is too aware of his own weakness to bring it
into the foregroun!.
?2>
5ow "any "en think an! say that when their "aterial fortunes i"prove# or their fa"ily
proble"s are solve!# or their living plae is hange! they will be able to give ti"e an!
effort to the spiritual 3uest# but until then they "ust wait+ But in atual fat this sel!o"
happens. /or when the i"prove"ent# solution# or hange !oes take plae# new "atters
all for their attention or new attah"ents are for"e! for the ego# an! so the spiritual
effort gets postpone! again.
?2?
)hose who believe that it is better to wait for "ore propitious iru"stanes before they
begin the Quest# !eeive the"selves into an unavailing an! lugubrious pessi"is".
Neither to"orrow nor the ne1t year will be any better.
?2@
Prorastination "ay be perilous. &ater "ay be too late. Beware of being !rawn into that
vast e"etery wherein "en bury their half'born aspirations an! paralyse! hopes.GPH
?2A
It often happens that aspirants put off the sarifie of ti"e whih prayer an! "e!itation
all for beause# they o"plain# they are too busy with this or that. )hus they never
"ake any start at all an! the years slip uselessly by. In "ost ases this involves no
penalty other than the spiritual stagnation to whih it lea!s# but in so"e ases where a
higher !estiny has been reserve! for the in!ivi!ual or where a "ission has to be
ao"plishe!# the result is far !ifferent. :verything an! everyone that suh a person
uses as an e1use for keeping away fro" the pratie of "e!itation# the e1erise of
!evotion# an! the o""union of prayer "ay be re"ove! fro" his e1ternal life by the
higher self. )hus# through loss an! suffering# he will be fore! to obey the inwar! all.
?2B
5ow long an a "an withstan! this silent all of the go! within hi"; ''as long as his
hopes an! !esires an fin! so"e "easure of satisfation# as long as frustration !oes not
rush the"# or until !estiny itself overri!es his in!ifferene an! o"pels hi" to hee! it.
?2C
)i"e'bake! an! earth'boun! as he is# it is not surprising that he often tries to eva!e the
Quest# to ignore it in various ways suh as always keeping busy trying to fulfil
inreasing a"bition# ultivating septiis" !isguise! as ,pratiality#, or !e"an!ing
instant an! !e"onstrable proofs. But "ost often he !eflets the thoughts of it or hanges
the onversation abruptly. )he very i!ea "akes hi" nervous if pursue! by hi"self or
others. 5e is uneasy at the thought of higher laws to be obeye!. 5e is fearful of what he
will be aske! to !o an! of the !isipline to be pratise!.
?2D
It is sa!ly hu"an to want to !igress fro" the straight path of the Quest at ti"es. )his
happens to "any an! a proportion of the" yiel!s to the !esire. Invariably# however# the
passing years bring the" bak to either the leaving point or even the starting point.
:1periene always points up the lesson that the initial urge faith onvition or reasoning
whih put the" on the path was a wise an! neessary one. )he piture of life grows a
little learer to the" when they learn at first han! with sorrow# loss# or frustration what
the teahers offere! free without suh unpleasant onse3uenes.
?>E
If a "an is born with spiritual apaity but refuses to use it# an! even !eliberately shuts
it away# a !ay will o"e when it will thrust itself up into his onsious self for
aeptane an! use. If he ontinues to !eny it# the apaity will then operate against
hi"# until his sanity beo"es 3uestionable or his fortunes beo"e a!verse.
?>1
No "an an affor! to fail to hee! the su""ons to the Quest. If he !oes# it is at his own
peril an! he will then fail in everything else# for this is an i"perative all o"ing fro"
the highest part of his being.
?>2
)hose who have been personally onfronte! by an illu"inate! "an with the Quest of
the Overself an! re4et it to ontinue their 3uest of the ego instea!# are !estine! to
suffer.
?>>
)he warning whih Light on the Path gives to !isiples# ,But if thou look not for hi"# if
thou pass hi" by# then there is no safeguar! for thee. )hy brain will reel# thy heart grow
unertain# an! in the !ust of the battlefiel! thy sight an! senses will fail# an! thou wilt
not know thy frien!s fro" thy ene"ies,''this warning is apposite here an! shoul! be
taken !eeply to heart.
?>?
Neessity will with ti"e fore this o"prehension on the". Prophets an! teahers will
!islose this truth to the" but if they !o not listen then har! e1periene "ust !islose it.
?>@
5u"an beings are given "ore than one hane to re!ee" the"selves. (uh is the "ery
of the higher power.
?>A
)he ,Call of the Quest, one hear! "ay be lost for a while# even a long while# but it
will return.
?>B
)he nee! of truth is an irrepressible one but it "ay take a long ti"e to o"e through in
all its fore an! larity.
?>C
5e is left free to save or !estroy hi"self# to aept the truth or turn his fae away fro"
it.
'n what sense is there a choice(
?>D
)he longer I live an! the "ore I observe in the lives of others# the "ore nu"erous
beo"e the illustrations of higher laws''the fatuality of kar"a an! the universality of
the Quest. )his is only as it shoul! be for both are parts of the -orl!'I!ea. )hought an!
ation are reflete! bak by kar"a. $ll people in all lan!s are seeking nostalgially for
their ho"elan!''the "ultitu!e unonsiously# the few onsiously''this is their Quest.
??E
&et no one "ake the "istake of separating out the 3uest fro" every!ay life. It is &ife
itself+ Questers are not a speial group# a labelle! speies# whih one !oes or !oes not
4oin# but are all hu"anity.
??1
)his is not "erely a "atter for a s"all elite intereste! in spiritual self'help. It is a
serious truth i"portant to every "an everywhere.GPH
??2
)he inability to "easure up to these i!eals !oes not arry a stig"a. $ll "en at this level
o"e to earth with their i"perfetions.
??>
$ll "en seek for truth either onsiously an! !eliberately or unonsiously an! blin!ly#
but they an seek only aor!ing to their apaity an! ability# iru"stanes an!
prepare!ness.
???
It is not a 3uestion whether 3uesters are happier than non'3uesters''for that is an
in!ivi!ual personal "atter: the !ivision itself is an artifiial one. )he asent to
Consiousness is for all "en# not for a few only.
??@
%ankin! is so near to 6o! an! yet so far away fro" 6o!+ :very fresh !ay is a fresh all
fro" the Overself to "an.
??A
5i!!en away in every "an there e1ists a being i""easurably superior to the or!inary
person that he is.
??B
It is there in all# whether it be latent or patent# this i"pulse in eah "an to i"prove an!
better hi"self into a person of worth. <lti"ately it !evelops# in this bo!y or a later one#
into the aspiration to transen! hi"self.
??C
)he !ivine soul !wells in every "an. )herefore# every "an "ay fin! it# if only he will
apply the faulties he possesses.
??D
:ah "an "ust so"e!ay take to this 3uest. )his is as ertain as the sun9s rising# for is it
not sai! on high authority that we an not live by brea! alone;
?@E
)he work of opening up to his inner being# an! to its best# not worst# si!e is both the
!uty an! the !estiny of every "an. 5e "ay eva!e the first an! retain the seon! for a
ti"e but annot !o so for all ti"e.
?@1
-hat the 3uester !oes of his own free hoie to!ay# the generality of "en will be
oblige! to !o to"orrow.
?@2
)he hour of awakening "ust o"e to every "an# even if it has to o"e at the hour of
!eath0 an! when it !oes it will be with utter a"a2e"ent an! stupefation at best# or else
with all the fore of an e1plosive shok. /or he is a "e"ber of the hu"an speies# not
of the ani"al one# an! shares its !estiny.
?@>
)he Quest annot be eva!e!: in the en! all "ust o"e to it0 otherwise they will be
pulle! or pushe! along it however unwilling or relutant they "ay be.
?@?
%ore an! "ore people are "oving# albeit at a slow pae an! with suspiious "in!s# into
"ystial teahing''but they are "oving.
?@@
Nature is trying to teah the" to e3uilibrate the"selves. )he sooner they learn this
lesson# the better for their happiness an! suess.
?@A
)he "ultitu!es who people our planet will eventually travel the sa"e ourse that the
philosophi aspirant now travels. But they will !o it slowly through the lapse of
nu"erous enturies0 they will "ove lightly# i"pereptibly# an! without the intense
pressure he puts upon hi"self.
?@B
%an is "a!e in 6o!9s i"age in the sense that he latently possesses ertain go!like
3ualities. But these have to be !evelope! by evolution# whih an be slow# through the
path of nor"al e1periene# or swift# through the Quest.
?@C
$ll people are trying to fin! their Overself# to feel its love an! sense its peae. )hose
who are in flight fro" worl!ly things !o so onsiously0 those who are in pursuit of
the" !o so unonsiously.
?@D
&ife o"pels no one to enter upon this onsious Quest# although it is lea!ing everyone
upon the unonsious Quest. :ven a"ong the stu!ents of this teahing# not all are
following the Quest# "any are "erely seeking for an intelletual un!erstan!ing0 their
interest has been attrate! an! their uriosity arouse!# but they have not felt alle! upon
to go any farther. )his "ay be !ue to inner weakness or to outer !iffiulties or both.
(uh "en an! wo"en !o not have to ple!ge the"selves to any "oral tasks or "ystial
e1erises. Nevertheless# their stu!ies an! refletions upon the teahing will not be
without a ertain value an! will plae the" on an altogether !ifferent level fro" the
unawakene! her! whih is bereft of suh an interest.
?AE
(hall we say that all hu"ans are travelling on this 3uest of the Overself but "ost
hu"ans !o so unonsiously an! unwillingly; /or then the person tehnially alle! a
,3uester, si"ply !iffers fro" other persons by his awareness of the 4ourney# the
!e"an!s it "akes upon hi"# an! his willingness to o'operate in satisfying those
!e"an!s.
?A1
%an unonsiously seeks his free!o" an! enlighten"ent# as he onsiously seeks his
welfare an! happiness.
?A2
It is beause 6o! is hi!!en in all reatures that all reatures are searhing all the ti"e
for 6o!. )his re"ains 4ust as true even though in their ignorane they usually "istake
the ob4et of their searh an! believe that it is so"ething else. Only on the 3uest !oes
this searh attain self'onsiousness.
?A>
)he uninfor"e! "an is blin! to the work of spiritual evolution whih goes on within
hi" an! onse3uently thwarts an! obstruts it unwittingly. )he infor"e! "an sees the
work an! o'operates with it onsiously.
?A?
5ow sa!# how foolish that so "any people turn their hea!s away in in!ifferene# in
apathy# an! in inertia when they hear of these truths onerning the inwar! life an! the
universal laws+ )hey believe that# even if there were any truth in the"# these i!eas are
only for a han!ful of !rea"ers# for an esoteri ult with nothing better to !o with its
ti"e an! thought than to entertain the". )here !oes not see" to be any point of ontat
between these i!eas an! their own lives# no appliability to their personal selves# an!
hene# no i"portane in the" at all. 5ow gross this error# how great this blin!ness+ )he
"ysti9s knowle!ge is full of signifiane for every other "an. )he "ysti9s !isoveries
are full of value for hi".
?A@
%an9s hope of a happier e1istene an! nee! of a faith in universal "eaning has le! hi"
to try so "any wrong turnings whih brought hi" only farther fro" the"# that it is
un!erstan!able why yniis" or in!ifferentis" shoul! lai" so "any votaries. But this
is not yet the en! result. )he few who to!ay have foun! both hope an! nee! a!e3uately
satisfie! are presages of what "ust happen to the others.
?AA
:ven those "en who !o not believe in the Overself are unknowingly seeking to fin! it
or waiting for it.
?AB
:very "an has within hi" this !ivine possibility. But if he refuses to believe it# or puts
his faith in a har! "aterialis"# or fails to seek for it# it will re"ain only latent.
?AC
It is the thought of attaining happiness in so"e way whih in!ues "en to o""it "ost
ri"es# 4ust as it is the thought of attaining truth whih in!ues the" to hol! the "ost
"aterialisti beliefs. $lthough they see both happiness an! truth fro" a wrong angle an!
so are given this !eeptive result# still the essential "otivation of their lives is the sa"e
as that of the 3uesters. )he segregation in thought of a spiritual elite as being the only
seekers is vali! only for a pratial view# not for an ulti"ate one.
?AD
&ike blin! "en they seek the unseen. &ike "ystis they want the unknown entre of
their being# but the onsious "in! !oes not yet share in this !esire. :verything else
they try "ust in the en! fail the"# sine life itself fails the" at !eath.
?BE
)hose who !o not hoose to trea! the path of "ystiis" nee! not therefore trea! the
path of "isun!erstan!ing it.
?B1
)his wis!o" is latent in the ba! as well as the goo! "an. $ny "oral on!ition will
suffie as a starting point. =esus spoke to sinners as freely as to those of better harater.
5is wor!s were not waste! as the se3uene showe!. Frishna pro"ise! salvation even to
those who ha! o""itte! great ri"es.
?B2
-as it for the sake of a s"all with!rawn spiritual elite that =esus walke! in 6alilee# that
Bu!!ha wan!ere! afoot aross In!ia# that (orates fre3uente! the $gora in $thens;
?B>
)here is hope for all# bene!ition for the poor an! the rih# the goo! an! the ba!# for
every "an "ay o"e into this great light. But''so"e "en "ay o"e "ore easily# "ore
3uikly# while others "ay !rag their way.
?B?
)hose who feel no all to !evelop the"selves spiritually# no obligation to follow the
3uest# are nevertheless unwittingly !oing both. Only# they are !oing so at so slow an!
i"pereptible a pae that they !o not reogni2e the ativity an! the "ove"ent.
?B@
$ll the e1perienes of life are in the en! inten!e! to in!ue us to seek wholehearte!ly
for the Overself. )hat is# to lea! us to the very portal of the Quest.
?BA
In a fairly wi!e e1periene# we have foun! that "ost people who are intereste! in this
sub4et are still very far fro" having ahieve! the "ystial goal# an! that not one in a
hun!re! has been suessful in travelling the "ystial path to its en!. Of the "any who
have starte! on this 3uest in "o!ern ti"es# few have reahe! the goal# "ost have gone
astray. Of those who have stoo! on the te"ple9s threshol!# only a very s"all fration
were able to "ake their way insi!e. )his is a signifiant fat that re3uires e1planation.
?BB
/ew people have either the interest or the wis!o" to arry these thoughts through
persistently to the true onlusions.
?BC
%en who live enlose! within their own little egos naturally feel no all either to pursue
truth or to pratise servie. $n! suh are the "a4ority. )herefore# it is sai! that
philosophy9s 3uest is only for the few.
?BD
Not all "en are !ispose! to look for truth# rather only a "inority.
?CE
Prophets an! teahers# sages an! saints have o"e a"ong us in all ti"es to speak of that
inner life an! inner reality whih they have foun!. But only those who are! to listen
have profite! by these revelations# o""uniations# an! ounsels# an! still fewer have
profite! by being willing to follow the path of !isipleship.
?C1
Beause the 5igher Power is present in the whole worl!# it is present in everyone too.
Beause few seek the awareness of It# fewer still fin! it.
?C2
)hose who are seeking personal help are i""easurably "ore nu"erous than those who
are seeking the i"personal )ruth.
?C>
)hose who seek philosophi ahieve"ent are to!ay# as always# neessarily few sine it
belittles the ego an! inites aspirants to overo"e or rush it.
?C?
)hose who are willing# or who are able# to put the"selves un!er the 3uest9s !isipline
are few. )he unwilling fin! it irkso"e# the unable i"possible. )hose only who o"e to
it with a passionate !evotion an! an eagerness to a!vane# an "uster up enough power
to sub"it to the !isipline an! pratise it. But they are a s"all group: the others are a
large one.
?C@
%ost "en are happy enough with the flesh# satisfie! enough to live in the bo!y alone or
the bo!y an! intellet together. /ew want the Overself0 "ost are not even rea!y for it
an! woul! be blin!e! by its light.
?CA
Not "any are willing to sub"it the"selves to the perfor"ane of e1erises# for "ost
"o!ern people an! al"ost all ity people feel they have enough to !o alrea!y.
?CB
$lthough salvation is open to all# it is not free to all. )he prie "ust be pai!. /ew are
willing to pay it. )herefore few atually lai" salvation# let alone reeive it.
?CC
)he Biblial saying# ,%any are alle! . . ., !oes not refer to the general she"e of
evolution# but only to the few who seek to 3uiken it by taking to the Quest. $n! few of
these suee! in ahieving 3uik reali2ation although "any atte"pt to !o so. )his is
beause the path is subtler# har!er# an! "ore hi!!en than other paths0 beause the
a!verse ele"ents bestir the"selves to "islea! aspirants an! take the" off on si!etraks
where they eventually get lost0 an! beause it is ne1t to i"possible to fin! orret
gui!ane# sine "any are !irete! to the wrong teahers by e"otion# !esire# egois"# an!
wrong preoneptions. )he way for hu"anity is long an! !ark# but the few who want to
shorten it "ay !o so.
?CD
Only one "an here an! there a"ong thousan!s takes to philosophy. 8et in so"e ways
the worl! is better prepare! to un!erstan! it now than in earlier ti"es.
?DE
/ew people breathe the lear# keen air of truth0 "ost prefer the i"pure air of pre4u!ie
an! illusion.
?D1
)he high goals with whih# at an i"pressionable an! i!ealisti age# youth starte! a!ult
life# have not re"aine!. %any have settle! for less. But not all !i! so. $ "inority has
refoun! its way# the better way.
?D2
Only a few suffiiently appreiate its teahings an! fewer still put the" into pratie.
'mplications of the choice
?D>
)he Quest will "ake !e"an!s upon hi" if he is to reah to its farther boun!s. It will
all for strength to steel hi"self against unwante! passions0 it will all for reason to
4u!ge persons# situations# an! iru"stanes0 an! it will all for aspiration to go one
better than his best.
?D?
)he position of personal responsibility in whih he fin!s hi"self "ay pass unnotie! or
be eva!e!# but it is present in eah i"portant !eision# eah serious ation. -hether
knowingly or unwittingly# he pronounes 4u!ge"ent on eah oasion: the faulty of
!isri"ination is always e1erise!# even by taking shelter un!er the rigi! !og"as of
anient institutions. )hey "ay rob hi" of this feeling of responsibility but its atuality
re"ains.
?D@
One o""itte! to the Quest# he will fin! that it is no light relationship. It e1ats
obe!iene# i"poses responsibility# an! !e"an!s onsi!eration in the "ost trivial an! the
"ost i"portant !epart"ents of this business of living.
?DA
Only ti"e an! e1periene will bring hi" to onsi!er the fuller i"pliations of the Quest
an! its graver onse3uenes. 5e "ay then feel alar" or even repulsion0 or he "ay fin!
gratifiation an! even 4oy.
?DB
5e has not hosen an easy way of life. $ future of strenuous self'!isipline strethes
before hi".
?DC
)he o"plete aeptane of philosophy involves a o"plete reor!ering of a "an9s life.
5is on!ut will be "otivate! by new purposes whih will the"selves be the result of
his new values. 5e will stop ating i"pulsively an! start ating rationally. But in atual
pratie we fin! that the aeptane of philosophy is never so o"plete as this. )he
in!ivi!uals will bring it into a part of life but not into the whole of their lives. It is only
gra!ually absorbe! an! the i!eals whih are sought to be reali2e! are only gra!ually set
up.
?DD
)hose who e"bark on the 3uest "ust pay for their 4ourney with personal self'!enial an!
uneasing self'struggle.
@EE
Fnowle!ge of the higher laws# onsiousness of the higher self# bring speial
obligations. )o apply the" arries new responsibilities to live aor!ing to the".
@E1
One he has engage! hi"self in this 3uest there is no rest or happiness for hi" unless he
obeys the laws that govern it an! arries out the !uties that pertain to it.
@E2
)here will be "ur"urings# o"plaints# an! !ishearten"ents0 there "ay even be short or
long lapses0 but he will un!erstan! sooner or later that he will have to go through with
this 3uest till the very en!. (o"ething that is ertainly not his or!inary self !rives hi" to
!o so. In!ee!# his power of hoie or free!o" of will have beo"e irrelevant to this
partiular "atter.
@E>
5e "ust re"e"ber that he has set his feet upon a path# an! he has begun to "ove on
that path. 5e "ust ontinue to !o so. 5e "ust not !esert the Quest un!er any
iru"stanes. 5e "ust go on until the goal is reahe!. It is i"possible in life to avoi!
at so"e perio! or other !iffiulties# trials# han!iaps# obstales# te"ptations# an! so on.
)hey "ust o"e# but that is no reason why anyone shoul! give up the Quest. One
shoul! stik to the Quest in spite of all that is happening to one. If he gets a sense of
failure''an! he "ay get it''or a sense of intense !epression# he "ay think that the Quest
is too !iffiult an! its rewar!s re"ote# an! he "ay be te"pte! to give it up. 5e "ust
un!erstan! what is happening. 5e shoul! un!erstan! that he is e1pressing a "oo!# a
"oo! of !epression an! a sense of failure. But he shoul! re"e"ber that it is 4ust a
"oo!0 it will pass away. $n! so he an say to hi"self: ,*ery well# I will not oupy
"yself with thoughts of the Quest for the present. I an feel no enthusias" for it., *ery
well# but he "ust not give up the Quest. 5e shoul! reali2e that he is !oing it 4ust for the
present# that to"orrow or ne1t week or ne1t "onth or even ne1t year he will take it up
an! ontinue# that he is not giving it up# that he is 4ust ,lying low#, so to speak# for a
while# but keeping in the bak of his "in! that he is stiking to the Quest# even though
for a while he has to give up onsious effort. If he feels that he has faile!# if he feels
that he has sinne!# even these are no reasons why he shoul! give up the Quest. 5e "ay
fall a thousan! ti"es. )hat !oes not 4ustify his giving up the Quest. 5e "ust pik
hi"self up an! try for the thousan!'an!'first ti"e. )here is no stea!y# s"ooth
progression to the goal. It is not an easy path. 5e walks# an! there is no possibility of
"oving towar!s the goal without "eeting with hin!ranes an! rebuffs. $n! he has to
learn to be patient an! to be tolerant with hi"self# not to with!raw beause he "eets
with those rebuffs or beause he beo"es !issatisfie! with hi"self. 5e "ust not give
up. 5e an wait# an! then he an ontinue# an! even if he falls# still he an say he will
try again. $lthough he "ay really fail a thousan! ti"es# it "ay be that he is !estine! to
suee! the thousan!'an!'first ti"e. (o he "ust try# beause he never knows whih of
his efforts is going to be a suessful one0 an! if he persists# there will o"e a ti"e
when this effort will an! "ust suee!. It is as though the go!s like to play with hi" for
a while to try his patiene an! en!urane# 4ust to see how keenly he wants this
attain"ent. If he gives up at the first few hin!ranes or rebuffs# it "eans that he is not so
very keen after all0 but if he an en!ure an! keep on# an! keep on# an! still keep on# no
"atter what happens# well then# the go!s say# here is so"eone who really wants truth# so
we "ust give it to hi". )hat is the attitu!e whih he "ust !evelop. It !oesn9t "atter how
trouble! he is personally or how !ark iru"stanes are: they will hange beause they
"ust hange. )he wheel of !estiny is turning all the ti"e. (o he "ust not let
iru"stanes or his own inner "oo!s !eter hi" fro" ontinuing on the path. $s a
"atter of fat# one he has begun on the right'han! path# there is no turning bak. 5e
has aepte! the responsibility# an! he will have to go on with it''an! if he tries to turn
bak# what happens is that he "eets with nothing but suffering an! !isappoint"ent in
or!er to fore hi" to return to the path. (o# it is really a serious un!ertaking to enter
upon this path# beause he has to ontinue# an! the go!s will give hi" no rest if he runs
away fro" it one he has really set his foot on it.
@E?
If he allows other people to influene hi" to aban!on a worthy en!eavour# he "ust
bla"e only hi"self# only his own weakness# not the". If# too# he allows obstrutive
iru"stane to influene hi" in the sa"e way# he is again to bla"e. )his fault is har!er
to see an! to a!"it than the first one. But the Quest annot be playe! with# nor
un!ertaken only for his easier an! "ore o"fortable hours. It is a "aster to who" he
has been in!enture! for lifelong obe!iene. It is a !uty fro" whih he "ust let nothing
swerve hi".
@E@
If the 3uest beo"es too ar!uous he an always take a holi!ay. It woul! be foolish# in
the en! futile# to give it up altogether.
@EA
5ope is the instintive turning of the flower to the sun. It bestows inspiring strength on
the weak an! gallant en!urane on the sorrowful. It is a way up fro" flinty trats to the
level plateau where the worst troubles vanish. $n! those of us who have plante! our feet
on the gran!er path that shall lea! one !ay to ulti"ate wis!o"# have to go on''whether
it be through sorrow or 4oy# weakness or strength# worl!'tur"oil or worl!'peae. /or us
there is no turning bak.
@EB
One he has sole"nly "a!e this "o"entous !eision an! has reverently !e!iate!
hi"self to the 3uest# he has to re"ain loyal to it un!er all the e1perienes of pleasure
an! pain# te"ptation an! tribulation whih will heneforth be brought to bear upon hi".
)o !esert the 3uest at any point will only !elay his "ove"ent an! inrease his suffering#
for he will fin! in the en! that no other way is open to hi" e1ept the way of repentane
an! return.
@EC
5e is in!ee! free who# unpossesse! by his own possessions# unswaye! by his own
fa"ily# un!eflete! by his own !esires# re"ains ever loyal to the 3uest.
@ED
One he has starte! on this 3uest in earnest# he will never be able to leave it again. 5e
"ay try to !o so for a ti"e an! to esape its lai"s but in the en! he will fail. /or so"e
power whih he annot ontrol will eventually an! often abruptly e"erge in the "i!st of
his "ental or e"otional life an! ontrol hi".
@1E
)his 3uest is an irreversible 4ourney. One you have really starte! on it there is no
turning bak. 8ou "ay believe that you have given it up in !espair or turne! away fro"
it for a worl!lier e1istene# but you are only fooling yourself. /or one !ay either a !eep
represse! hunger will su!!enly reassert itself or else a atalys"i turn of events will
!rive you bak to seek this last an! en!uring refuge of "an.
@11
-here is the truth to be foun! in all this bewil!ering array of !otrines# ree!s# lai"s#
syste"s# an! beliefs; )hat is the reation of "any young aspirants towar! a life higher
than the "aterialisti one offere! the" by soiety to!ay. Theirs is the hoie: the
responsibility annot be eva!e!. )here "ay be long "ental struggle or easy swift
e"otional aeptane but the onse3uenes belong to the". )hrough all these things
they learn# !evelop# !isover# an! fin! their way in the en!.
The )otebooks are opyright N 1DC?'1DCD# )he Paul Brunton Philosophi /oun!ation.

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