Desirelessness
There
are
many
for whom the Qualification of
Desirelessness is a difficult one,
for they feel that they are
their desires - that if their
distinctive desires, their likings
and dislikings, are taken away from
them, there will be no self left.
But these are only they who have not
seen the Master; in the light of His
holy Presence all desire dies, but
the desire to be like Him.
Yet
before
you have the happiness of meeting
Him face to face, you may attain
desirelessness if you will.
Discrimination has already shown you
that the things which most men
desire, such as wealth and power,
are not worth having; when this is
really felt, not merely said, all
desire for them ceases.
Thus
far
all is simple; it needs only that
you should understand. But there are
some who forsake the pursuit of
earthly aims only in order to gain
heaven, or to attain personal
liberation from rebirth; into this
error you must not fall. If you have
forgotten self altogether, you
cannot be thinking when that self
should be set free, or what kind of
heaven it shall have. Remember that
all
selfish desire binds, however high
may be its object, and until you
have got rid of it you are not
wholly free to devote yourself to
the work of the Master.
When
all
desires
for self are gone, there may still
be a desire to see the result of
your work. If you help anybody, you
want to see
how
much
you have helped him; perhaps even
you want him to see it too, and to
be grateful. But this is still
desire, and also want of trust. When
you pour out your strength to help,
there must be a result, whether you
can see it or not; if you know the
Law you know this must be so. So you
must do right for the sake of the
right, not in the hope of reward;
you must work for the sake of the
work, not in the hope of seeing the
result; you must give yourself to
the service of the world because you
love it, and cannot help giving
yourself to it.
Have
no
desire
for psychic powers; they will come
when the Master knows that it is
best for you to have them. To force
them too soon often brings in its
train much trouble; often their
possessor is misled by deceitful
nature-spirits, or becomes conceited
and thinks he cannot make a mistake;
and in any case the time and
strength that it takes to gain them
might be spent in work for others.
They will come in the course of
development—they must
come; and if the Master sees that it
would be useful for you to have them
sooner, He will tell you how to
unfold them safely. Until then, you
are better without them.
You
must
guard,
too, against certain small desires
which are common in daily life.
Never wish to shine, or to appear
clever; have no desire to speak. It
is well to speak little; better
still to say nothing, unless you are
quite sure that what you wish to say
is true, kind and helpful. Before
speaking think carefully whether
what you are going to say has those
three qualities; if it has not, do
not say it.
It
is well to get used even now to
thinking carefully before speaking;
for when you reach Initiation you
must watch every word, lest you
should tell what must not be told.
Much common talk is unnecessary and
foolish; when it is gossip, it is
wicked. So be accustomed to listen
rather than to talk; do not offer
opinions unless directly asked for
them. One statement of the
Qualifications gives them thus; to
know, to dare, to will, and to be
silent; and the last of the four is
the hardest of them all.
Another
common
desire
which you must sternly repress is
the wish to meddle in other men’s
business. What another man does or
says or believes is no affair of
yours, and you must learn to let him
absolutely alone. He has full right
to free thought and speech and
action, so long as he does not
interfere with any one else. You
yourself claim the freedom to do
what you think proper; you must
allow the same freedom to him, and
when he exercises it you have no
right to talk about him.
If
you think he is doing wrong, and you
can contrive an opportunity of
privately and very politely telling
him why you think so, it is possible
that you may convince him; but there
are many cases in which even that
would be an improper interference.
On no account must you go and gossip
to some third person about the
matter, for that is an extremely
wicked action.
If
you see a case of cruelty to a child
or an animal, it is your duty to
interfere. If you see any one
breaking the law of the country, you
should inform the authorities. If
you are placed in charge of another
person in order to teach him, it may
become your duty gently to tell him
of his faults. Except in such cases,
mind your own business, and learn
the virtue of silence.
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