Section 2

Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never

produce good results. This is but saying that nothing can come from corn but corn, nothing from nettles but nettles. Men understand this law in the natural world, and work with it; but few understand it in the mental and moral world (though its operation there is just as sim- ple and undeviating), and they, therefore, do not cooperate with it.
Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction. It is an indication that the individual is out of harmony with him- self, with the Law of his being. The sole and supreme use of suffering is to purify, to burn out all that is useless and impure. Suffering ceases for him who is pure. There could be no object in burning gold after the dross had been removed, and a perfectly pure and enlightened being could not suffer.
The circumstances which a man encounters with suffering are the" result of his own mental inharmony. The circumstances which a man encounters with blessedness are the result of his own mental harmony. Blessedness, not mate- rial possessions, is the measure of right thought; wretchedness, not lack of material possessions, is the measure of wrong thought. A man may be cursed and rich; he may be blessed and poor.
[ 2 o]

Blessedness and riches are only joined together when the riches are rightly and wisely used; and the poor man only descends into wretched- ness when he regards his lot as a burden unjustly imposed.
Indigence and indulgence are the two ex- tremes of wretchedness. They are both equally unnatural and the result of mental disorder. A man is not rightly conditioned until he is a happy, healthy, and prosperous being; and hap- piness, health, and prosperity are the result of a harmonious adjustment of the inner with the outer, of the man with his surroundings.
A man only begins to be a man when he ceases to whine and revile, and commences to search for the hidden justice which regulates his life. And as he adapts his mind to that regu- lating factor, he ceases to accuse others as the cause of his condition, and builds himself up in strong and noble thoughts; ceases to kick against circumstances, but begins to use them as aids to his more rapid progress, and as a. means of discovering the hidden powers and possibilities within himself.
Law, not confusion, is the dominating prin- ciple in the universe; justice, not injustice, is the soul and substance of life; and righteous-
[«]

ness", not corruption, is the moulding and mov- ing force in the spiritual government o£ the world. This being so, man has but to right himself to find that the universe is right; and during the process of putting himself right, he will find that as he alters his thoughts towards things and other people, things and other peo- ple will alter towards him.
The proof of this truth is in every person, and it therefore admits of easy investigation by systematic introspection and self-analysis. Let a man radically alter his thoughts, and he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in the material conditions of his life. Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot; it rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstance. Bestial thoughts crystallize into habits of drunkenness and sensuality, which solidify into circum- stances of destitution and disease: impure thoughts of every kind crystallize into enervat- ing and confusing habits, which solidify into distracting and adverse circumstances: thoughts of fear, doubt, and indecision crystallize into weak, unmanly, and irresolute habits, which solidify into circumstances of failure, indigence, and slavish dependence: lazy thoughts crystal-
[«]
^S ^ JWAK THIHK£7H
lize into habits of uncleanliness and dUhon- ^est y^ which solidify into circumstances of foulness and beggary: hateful and condemna- tory .tiioughtsjcrystallize into 'habits of accusa- tion and__viglence, which solidify into cir- cumstances of injury and persecution: jselfish thoughts of all kinds crystallize into habits of self-seeking, which solidify into circumstances more or less distressing. On the other hand, beautiful thoughts of all kinds crystallize into Jhabits of grace and kindliness, which solidify into genial and sunny circumstances: pure thoughts crystallize into habits of temperance and self-control, which solidify into circum- stances of repose and peace: thoughts of cour- age, self-reliance, and decision crystallize into manly habits, which solidify into circumstances of success, plenty, and freedom: energetic thoughts crystallize into habits of cleanliness and industry, which solidify into circumstances of pleasantness: gentle and forgiving thoughts crystallize into , habits of gentleness, which solidify into protective and preservative circum- stances: loving and unselfish thoughts crystal- lize into habits of self-forgetfulness for others, which solidify into circumstances of sure and abiding prosperity and true riches.
[-3]

A particular train of thought persisted in, be it good or bad, cannot fail to produce its results on the character and circumstances. A man can- not directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirecdy, yet surely, shape his circumstances.
Nature helps every man to the gratification of the thoughts which he most encourages, and opportunities are presented which will most speedily bring to the surface both the good and evil thoughts.
Let a man cease from his sinful thoughts, and alt the world will soften towards him, and be ready to help him; let him put away his weakly and sickly thoughts, and lo! opportuni- ties will spring up on every hand to aid his strong resolves; let him encourage good thoughts, and no hard fate shall bind him down to wretchedness and shame. The world is your kaleidoscope, and the varying combinations of colours which at every succeeding moment it presents to you are the exquisitely adjusted pic tures of your ever-moving thoughts.
"You will be what you will to be; Let failure find its false content In that poor word, 'environment,' But spirit scorns it, and is tree.

"It masters time, it conquers space;
It cows that boastful trickster, Chance, And bids the tyrant Circumstance Uncrown, and fill a servant's place.
"The human Will, that force unseen, The offspring of a deathless Soul, Can hew a way to any goal, Though walls of granite intervene.
"Be not impatient in delay,
But wait as one who understands; When spirit rises and commands, The gods are ready to obey."
[>i]
£FF£CT OF THOUGHT OH HEALTH
The body is the servant of the mind. It obeys the operations of the mind, whether they be de- liberately chosen or automatically expressed. At the bidding of unlawful thoughts the body sinks rapidly into disease and decay; at the com- mand of glad and beautiful thoughts it becomes clothed with youthfulness and beauty.
Disease and health, like circumstances, are rooted in thought. Sickly thoughts will express themselves through a sickly body. Thoughts of fear have been known to kill a man as speed- ily as a bullet, and they are continually killing thousands of people just as surely though less rapidly. The people who live in fear of disease are the people who get it. Anxiety quickly de- moralizes the whole body, and lays it open to the entrance of disease; while impure thoughts, even if not physically indulged, will soon shat- ter the nervous system.
Strong, pure, and happy thoughts build up the body in vigour and grace. The body is a
[26]

delicate, and plastic instrument, which responds readily to the thoughts by which it is impressed, and habits of thought will produce their own effects, good or bad, upon it.
Men will continue to have impure and poi- soned blood so long as they propagate unclean thoughts. Out of a clean heart comes a clean life and a clean body. Out of a defiled mind proceeds a defiled life and a corrupt body. Thought is the fount of action, life, and mani- festation; make the fountain pure, and all will be pure.
Change of diet will not help a man who will not change his thoughts. When a man makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure food.
Clean thoughts make clean habits. The so- called saint who does not wash his body is not a saint. He who has strengthened and purified his thoughts does not need to consider the ma- levolent microbe.
If you would perfect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew your body, beautify your mind. Thoughts of malice, envy, disap- pointment, despondency, rob the body of its health and grace. A sour face does not come by
h7l
^LS
chance; it is made by sour thoughts. Wrinkles that mar are drawn by folly, passion, pride.
I know a woman of ninety-six who has the bright, innocent face of a girl. I know a man well under middle age whose face is drawn into inharmonious contours. The one is the result of a sweet and sunny disposition; the other is the outcome of passion and discontent.
As you cannot have a sweet and wholesome abode unless you admit the air and sunshine freely into your rooms, so a strong body and a bright, happy, or serene countenance can only result from the free admittance into the mind of thoughts of joy and goodwill and serenity.
On the faces of the aged there are wrinkles made by sympathy; others by strong and pure thought, and others are carved by passion: who cannot distinguish them? With those who have lived righteously, age is calm, peaceful, and softly mellowed, like the setting sun. I have recently seen a philosopher on his death- bed. He was not old except in years. He died as sweetly and peacefully as he had lived.
There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the body; there is no comforter to compare with goodwill for dispers- ing the shadows of grief and sorrow. To live
[28]

continually in thoughts of ill-will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self- made prisonhole. But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all — such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to dwell day by day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor.
[>
THOVQHT \AHT> TUT{VOS£
Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment. With the majority the barque of thought is allowed to "drift" upon the ocean of life. Aimlessness is a vice, and such drifting must not continue for him who would steer clear of catastrophe and destruction.
They who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to petty worries, fears, troubles, and self-pityings, all of which are indi- cations of weakness, which lead, just as surely as deliberately planned sins (though by a dif- ferent route), to failure, unhappiness, and loss, for weakness cannot persist in a power-evolving universe.
A man should conceive of a legitimate pur- pose in his heart, and set out to accomplish it. He should make this purpose the centralizing point of his thoughts. It may take the form of a spiritual ideal, or it may be a worldly object, according to his nature at the time being; but whichever it is, he should steadily focus his thought-forces upon the object which he has set
[3o]

before him. He should make this purpose his supreme duty, and should devote himself to its attainment, not allowing his thoughts to wan- der away into ephemeral fancies, longings, and imaginings. This Is the royal road to self-con- trol and true concentration of thought. Even if he fails again and again to accomplish his pur- pose (as he necessarily must until weakness is overcome) , the strength of character gained will be the measure of his true success, and this will form a new starting-point for future power and triumph.
Those who are not prepared for the apprehen- sion of a great purpose, should fix the thoughts upon the faultless performanceof their duty, no matter how insignificant their task may appear. Only in this way can the thoughts be gathered and focussed, and resolution and energy be de- veloped, which being done, there is nothing which may not be accomplished.
The weakest soul, knowing its own weak- ness, and believing this truth — that strength can only be developed by effort and practice, will, thus believing, at once begin to exert it- self, and, adding effort to effort, patience to patience, and strength to strength, will never
[3'1
cAS cA JUAK THIKKeTH
cease to develop, and will at last grow divinely strong.
As the physically weak man can make him- self strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.
To put away aimlessness and weakness, and to begin to think with purpose, is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment; who make all conditions serve them, and who think strongly, attempt fearlessly, and accom- plish masterfully.
Having conceived of his purpose, a man should mentally mark out a straight pathway to its achievement, looking neither to the right nor the left. Doubts and fears should be rigor- ously excluded; they are disintegrating ele- ments which break up the straight line of ef- fort, rendering it crooked, ineffectual, useless. Thoughts of doubt and fear never accomplish anything, and never can. They always lead to failure. Purpose, energy, power to do, and all strong thoughts cease when doubt and fear creep in.
The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do. Doubt and fear are the great

enemies of knowledge, and he who encourages them, who does not slay them, thwarts him- self at every step.
He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure. His every thought is allied with power, and all difficulties are bravely met and wisely overcome. His purposes are season- ably planted, and they bloom and bring forth fruit which does not fall prematurely to the ground.
Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force: he who knows this is ready to become something higher and stronger than a mere bundle of wavering thoughts and fluctuat- ing sensations; he who does this has become the conscious and intelligent wielder of his mental powers.
[33]
1H6 THOUQHT-FACrOli IK C ACHI£V€M£H C I'
All THAT a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts. In a justly ordered universe, where loss of equipoise would mean total destruction, individual responsibility must be absolute. A man's weakness and strength, purity and im- purity, are his own, and not another man's; they are brought about by himself, and not by another; and they can only be altered by him- self, never by another. His condition is also his own, and not another man's. His suffering and his happiness are evolved from within. As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains.
A strong man cannot help a weaker unless that weaker is willing to be helped, and even then the weak man must become strong of himself; he must, by his own efforts, develop the strength which he admires in another. None but himself can alter his condition.
It has been usual for men to think and to
[34]
*AS *A J\dAH TtimKeTH
say, "Many men are slaves because one is an oppressor; let us hate the oppressor." Now, however, there is amongst an increasing few a tendency to reverse this judgment, and to say, "One man is an oppressor because many are slaves; let us despise the slaves." The truth is that oppressor and slave are co-operators in ig- norance, and, while seeming to afflict each other, are in reality afflicting themselves. A perfect Knowledge perceives the action of law in the weakness of the oppressed and the mis- applied power of the oppressor; a perfect Love, seeing the suffering which both states entail, condemns neither; a perfect Compassion em- braces both oppressor and oppressed.
He who has conquered weakness, and has put away all selfish thoughts, belongs neither to oppressor nor oppressed. He' is free.
A man can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up his thoughts. He can only remain weak, and abject, and miserable by refusing to lift up his thoughts.
Before a man can achieve anything, even in worldly things, he must lift his thoughts above slavish animal indulgence. He may not, in or- der to succeed, give up all animality and sel- fishness, by any means; but a portion of it
[35l
must, at least, be sacrificed. A man whose first thought is bestial indulgence could neither think clearly nor plan methodically; he could not find and develop his latent resources, and would fail in any undertaking. Not having commenced manfully to control his thoughts, he is not in a position to control affairs and to adopt serious responsibilities. He is not fit to act independently and stand alone. But he is limited only by the thoughts which he chooses.
There can be no progress, no achievement without sacrifice, and a man's worldly success will be in the measure that he sacrifices his con- fused animal thoughts, and fixes his mind on the development of his plans, and the strength- ening of his resolution and self-reliance. And the higher he lifts his thoughts, the more manly, upright, and righteous he becomes, the greater will be his success, the more blessed and enduring will be his achievements.
The universe does not favour the greedy, the dishonest, the vicious, although on the mere surface it may sometimes appear to do so; it helps the honest, the magnanimous, the virtu- ous. All the great Teachers of the ages have de- clared this in varying forms, and to prove and know it a man has but to persist in making him-