On the Way to Learn the Secret of the Sages
John Garrigues
It is so strange
that men perpetually seek happiness when that which they eternally ARE, That
which forever stands, That which forever knows, partakes eternally of Bliss,
the essence of happiness.
They do but seek in happiness their own nature; but
alas, they are not aware that it is only in
their own nature happiness may be found. They seek ever in outward paths of
power and precedence; they seek in noble arts; they seek in supreme ardors of
personal loves. And ever the power and precedence wanes; the noble arts decay
under their touch; the loves falter, change, or disappear from mortal sight to
leave a desolation deeper even than a great happiness measured.
Can that be true happiness which is assailable by
change, decay, or death? Can that be true happiness which is exalted today and
a myth tomorrow? Can that be true happiness which depends on outward things, or
seasons, or persons? No; but there is a happiness declared by the Sages - known
by the Sages of all times and now - which may be won back by each man from an
unremembered past; a happiness unremitting, ceaseless and eternal, a happiness
which is and which on nothing
dependeth.
Even in mortal joys, there is no joy like that lost
that is regained. What, then, if the whole Kingdom of Conscious Bliss is gained
again? We all have possessed that kingdom. Consider, how at the end of this
earth’s great Day, the minds of men will have become “pellucid as crystal”; how
in the seventh race of the seventh round [1]
a perfected humanity - and we among it - will have found its flower. Then what?
In the next Day of evolution, surely we shall again start upon the long journey
immaculate; we shall take up the cross of matter once again, not for our own
sakes; once more we shall sacrifice ourselves to ourselves in identifying
ourselves with a new humanity that we may help it on its “weary uphill path of
self-conscious existence”.
It is a part of the sacrifice that we forget in the nature assumed the nature we have
once attained, the nature of conscious godhood; and now it must again be
reached through struggle in new envelopments of matter. But there are Elder
Brothers always to elevate the signal whereby we may find again the sure path
and true; Their clarion note is ever sounding in the world. Some hear it soon;
some, late. Whoever hears it, and whenever, knows he must forsake the path he
has been treading; the path of dalliance with desires, of sweet habitude of the
senses. But dimly seeing ahead of him, there stretches a path of woe; on either
side old joys renounced, new pain engendered. While he surrenders mortal joys,
while he is feeling mortal pains, while he is being ground in the ceaseless
friction of mortal strife, the fact that the vast root of his being stands
waiting in unshaken happiness seems to him only an idle abstraction. Now, as a timid would-be swimmer will loosen
the hold of but one foot on the sandy bottom, he dare not utterly let go his
hold on mortal things; so, he cannot presently reach the inner depths of calm
and peace. Strange paradox! For most of us, the struggle is in letting go.
Bravely one day we dash a cup of nectar from our lips
- and we were proud we could do it, or we rebelled that it was necessary, or we
pitied ourselves that this was asked of us alone. We did not “let go”. Still
our thought and feeling dwelt on that cup. Again the cup comes to our lips;
this time, the nectar is for healing; it is to clear the brain for better work;
it is to meet the insistency of family or friend. Only at the last moment do we
glimpse the demon of self-indulgence riding on the rim. The trial goes on,
farther and deeper into our natures, ever subtler. Whatever we give up, there
is still something held, until finally we reach the place where there is no thing more to be given up, yet we are held by abject loneliness and
despair and longing for all that has been surrendered.
Only then, against the great blackness, do we see
there is a far calm light of happiness where surrender is complete. We remember
that someone has passed our way whose trials have been so infinitely worse than
ours that ours are as nothing in comparison. Yet, instead of dejection,
despondency, and despair, they have shown unceasingly a radiating happiness; a
never wavering enthusiasm, an ardency more than that of youth, because of youth
regained and wisdom fulfilled. Then, we suspect that what we withheld from our
surrender was ourselves. We suspect
the fault is ours, and ours alone, that happiness is not our habitude.
At last, we are ready to seek the habitude of
happiness. We find how all along we have lost it in trying to constrain others
rather than control ourselves; in failing to trust others as well as ourselves;
in doing our own will rather than the will of the Good Law. We begin to learn
the secret of the Sages; that no thing matters;
yet all may serve, if not one way, then another. And slowly, but surely and
steadily, the habitude of happiness grows.
What was once as poison to us has now become the sweet
waters of Life. What was once desire and passion has become compassion for
those still “dead units” in the human race, beaten with life, disappointed of
nature, unknowing that there is the bread that feeds the whole man, and that
true happiness has its still abode in them. Safe guidance for them can only
come from a place of peace; sure help from a place where trials have ceased to
rend, and where the only trials are others’ woes.
NOTE:
[1] “Seventh race of the seventh
round”; our humanity in a distant future, according to the long term evolution
of Life described in “The Secret Doctrine”, by Helena P. Blavatsky. (CCA)
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The above article
was first published at the March 1922 edition of “Theosophy” magazine, Los
Angeles, pp. 156-157. It had no indication as to the name of the author. An
analysis of its contents, style and historical context shows the author is John
Garrigues. The text was also published at “The Aquarian Theosophist”, April
2016, pp. 01-03.
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See in our
websites the article “Life and Writings of John Garrigues”.
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