Sometimes Even a Wall
of Ugly Facts
Can Become a
Source of Sacred Lessons
John Garrigues
John Garrigues
It may be due to the constant stress and strain under which we work in this so-called civilized age, with its hectic call of lo here, lo there, but it is a sad reality that we seldom attain to that philosophic calm which we have seen exemplified in the teachers of Theosophy - that calm which is not disturbed by anything which may come to pass.
There is a constant grasping after the will-o’-the-wisp;
there is an uneasiness, a dissatisfaction with our present lot. Instead of
accepting the events of daily life with the assurance that “this is what I in
fact desired”, we protest lustily, and bemoan our lot. Especially is this true
in the present “depression”. [1]
Finding ourselves at a standstill when all that we can
do is to hold on and wait, we look defiantly at the blank wall and try to see
what caused it. “But”, we protest, “this is not
just what I in fact desired!”
We glare at the wall, kick it perhaps, but that only
bruises our feet. What are we to do about it? Having come down to plain
unbeautiful facts, and having gotten rid of our emotional upheavals, we may be
better fitted to see facts calmly and to discover what in truth did cause this
cessation of desired progress.
True, Theosophy teaches us that we suffer from
ourselves, that all that happens to us is due to our own past failures. But the
blank wall still stands. Then it is that we realize that duty alone will lead
us to the goal. So say those who have gone before and who point the way, the
small old path which travels far. Close inspection shows that we have not been
doing well and uncomplainingly the small daily duties. How can we hope to go on
if we have not learned the lessons here before us? We discover that we are not
the only Micawber [2] “waiting for
something to turn up”; others all about us are facing their blank walls.
The fresh start comes in fulfilling the seemingly
unimportant duties which lie close at hand. We can still work as those who are
ambitious, leaving the results to law. We can still fulfill, even in
distasteful tasks. Once that attitude of mind is reached, the daily duties no
longer seem unpleasant. Behold, the valley of waiting has become a veritable
school of experience. We have learned to recognize our fundamental identity
with all when we see them bound by the same chains which hold us. The blank
wall has been erected by ourselves; it will melt away by our own efforts.
NOTES:
[1] A reference to the economic
depression of the United States in the early 1930s. Although the present article
was first published in July 1932, its lesson is timelessly valid in any
collective cycle or situation when a clear and luminous future is not easy to
see. (CCA)
[2] Wilkins Micawber is a fictional character from
Charles Dickens’ 1850 novel “David Copperfield”. He was incarcerated in the debtors’
prison for failing to meet the demands of his creditors. (Wikipedia) (CCA)
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The above text
was first published as an anonymous note at the July 1932 edition of
“Theosophy” magazine, Los Angeles, p. 414. An analysis of its contents, style
and historical context shows the author is John Garrigues.
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In September 2016, after a careful
analysis of the state of the esoteric movement worldwide, a group of students decided
to form the Independent Lodge of
Theosophists, whose priorities include the building of a better future in
the different dimensions of life.
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