Judge, William Quan, 1851-1896; Theosophists -- United States -- Correspondence; Theosophy
Now let me elevate a signal. Do not think much of me, please. Think
kindly of me; but oh, my friend, direct your thoughts to the Eternal
Truth. I am, like you, struggling on the road. Perhaps a veil might
in an instant fall down from your spirit, and you would be long ahead
of us all. The reason you have had help is that in other lives you
gave it to others. In every effort you made to lighten another mind
and open it to Truth, you were helped yourself. Those pearls you found
for another and gave to him, you really retained for yourself in the
act of benevolence. For when one lives thus to help others, he is
thereby putting in practice the rule to try and "kill out all sense of
separateness," and thus gets little by little in possession of the true
light.
Never lose, then, that attitude of mind. Hold fast in silence to all
that is your own, for you will need it in the fight; but never, _never_
desire to get knowledge or power for any other purpose than to give it
on the altar, for thus alone can it be saved to you.
So many are there around me who are ardent desirers and seekers,
devotees; but they are doing it because the possession seems valuable.
Perhaps I see in you--I hope I mistake not--a pure desire to seek
Knowledge for its own sake, and that all others may be benefitted. So
I would point out to you the only royal road, the one vehicle. Do all
those acts, physical, mental, moral, for the reason that they must be
done, instantly resigning all interest in them, offering them up upon
the altar. What altar? Why, the great spiritual altar, which is, if
one desires it, in the heart. Yet still use earthly discrimination,
prudence, and wisdom.
It is not that you must rush madly or boldly out _to do_, _to do_. Do
what you find to do. Desire ardently to do it, and even when you shall
not have succeeded in carrying anything out but some small duties,
some words of warning, your strong desire will strike like Vulcan upon
other hearts in the world, and suddenly you will find that done which
you had longed to be the doer of. Then rejoice that another had been so
fortunate as to make such a meritorious Karma. Thus, like the rivers
running into the unswelling, passive ocean, will your desires enter
into your heart.
I find all your remarks just; and besides, there seems to be a real
spirit behind them. Do not fear nor fail because you feel dark and
heavy. The very rage you feel will break the shrine that covers the
mystery after a while. No one can really help you. No one can open your
doors. You locked them up, and only you can open them. When you open
any door, beyond it you find others standing there who had passed you
long ago, but now, unable to proceed, they are there waiting; others
are there waiting for you. Then you come, and, opening a door, those
waiting disciples perhaps may pass on; thus on and on. What a privilege
this, to reflect that we may perhaps be able to help those who seemed
greater than ourselves!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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