To Live in Depth
is to Live
in Calm;
Agitation is Shallow
Carlos Cardoso
Aveline
* Self-control
is the natural result of self-knowledge.
* It is correct to take some time each day
and leave aside every waste of energy, concentrating one’s mind and heart on
the unchanging peace of pure Law.
* Human potentialities are externally modest, internally
unlimited. A sense of courage allows one to try his best: humility and realism
stimulate an unconditional harmony.
* Discernment expands as the student has a
clear and noble goal and learns to learn from his own mistakes.
* No energy is lost as long as one’s heart
is present in what one does. However, it is always possible to improve the way
we use time.
* Individual austerity leads to happiness.
If life seems to you to be “too uncomfortable”, examine the possibility that
you have been unduly indulgent with yourself.
* “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek,
and you shall find” (Matthew, 7:7). No doubt. However, one must be careful in
choosing what one will seek.
* In order to understand the parts, one
must see the whole. If we want to better use the time available today, we must
have a notion of eternal time.
* When
the will is clean, learning takes place. Purity of intention gradually reduces
spiritual ignorance.
* Moderation is an element in attaining a
victory that lasts. Exaggeration tends to destroy harmony. A knowledge of the
appropriate limits increases efficiency.
* Universal compassion is an unlimited
balm. The healing power of selflessness is transcendent and derives its
strength from the fact that generous help is the first-hand experience of unity
in diversity.
* The spiritual path demands that we
understand the classical lesson from Epictetus and have less expectations
regarding life, less expectations regarding other people, and concentrate
instead in doing that which is right and which depends on us.
* To live in depth is to live in calm.
Agitation is shallow. Truth-seekers must be able to listen to the silence. The
right amount of rest is necessary for one to make an effective and enduring
effort.
* Classic books offer us a safe sort of
time travel. In addition to that, Lucius Seneca (4 BCE - 65 CE) wrote that
through books one can become friends with the wisest men of all time.
* Love means aiming at the happiness of
the other, or others, rather than our own. The feeling produces intense bliss
for a simple reason: it liberates one from the narrow-walled prison of
selfishness.
* As we understand the process of
reincarnation according to the original teachings of theosophy, we realize we
have the eternal time at our disposal. We live indeed in Infinite Duration.
Boundless time is part of us. As we expand our horizons, our daily efforts
become more effective.
* By keeping in order the small things of
daily existence, we can better dedicate ourselves to the issues that really
matter. As one places his heart in that which is unlimited in space or time,
one reaches voluntary simplicity regarding the material dimensions of life.
* Since outward existence is largely made
of challenges and obstacles, detachment as to outer circumstances is needed for
the student to develop his inner affinity with bliss and happiness. However,
detachment does not suppress attention: it increases attention, instead, by
liberating it from distortions and distractions.
* Time-Cycles are calculated with great
precision in esoteric philosophy. Precision does not deny complexity: it is
part of it. The precise date of the Kali Yuga is given, for instance, in
theosophical literature. Examples are countless: numbers are sacred.
* The Mathematics and Geometry of the
Universe are scientific fields of knowledge, just as Raja Yoga. To be vigilant
about details constitutes a necessity if we want to attain transcendence.
Similarly, the utmost precision is of the essence in building an airplane that
can work smoothly at 33,000 feet above ground. As we do our small daily tasks,
we can understand the teachings about universal transcendence.
* Envy implies the desire to steal
something from another person. It also means that the envious has a severe lack
of self-confidence. Admiration and good will, on the other hand, result from a
correct relation between the individual and his higher levels of consciousness.
* Sincerity is the fruit of self-respect.
Those who lie - and they often do this using beautiful excuses - have no true
self-esteem.
* A feeling of frustration regarding
others invites us to examine up to what extent we are happy with ourselves.
* We need a sense of self-esteem in order
to appreciate the positive qualities of those around us, and to try to help
them in their difficulties.
* To criticize and to show mistakes is as
natural and necessary as receiving criticisms. However, while thinking of other
people’s mistakes, one should not be ungrateful to them. We must remember our
own mistakes. By keeping conscious of our own limitations, we have a better
perspective from which to look at the faults of others.
* Truth has to be found in various successive levels
of perception. Life is not suddenly understood. In some special occasions, one
may obtain great insights and undergo experiences that change one’s way of
looking at the world and at oneself. However, the discovery of truth takes
place step by step, slowly, and by layers.
* Every level of reality has its own sort of
landscape. If we get attached to the world vision we have today, we cannot
proceed the uphill journey. The very act of walking widens the horizon and
changes the landscape. At each new step along the road, the vision changes, and
we ourselves become a little bit different.
* To each new layer of truth-perception, other forms
of detachment, devotion and personal integrity are needed. Common sense is of
the essence at higher altitudes. The more we climb, the more we need a sense of
equilibrium and the ability to place our feet with both intelligence and firmness,
on the soil of reality.
000
An initial version of the above fragments was published in the July 2015
edition of “The Aquarian Theosophist”. It had no indication as to the
name of the author.
000
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.
000
