Beauty and Its Function

The primordial light of Truth exists in the upper strata of mind stuff matter. When we plunge deeply into the mind’s lower densities, we enter a realm of darkness and misery.

Often the fear of poverty beclouds human vision, and we cannot perceive the light which really is shining in our mind. This absence of the light of Truth within us plunges us into the realm of misery and despair lying beneath our feet, and we open ourselves to the pressure of minds which are imprisoned in these submerged strata. Often, when a man is idle, and suffering from cold and hunger, he unknowingly contacts these submerged strata and their inhabitants put pressure upon him to increase his misery.

Evil is able to affect the ignorant in three ways:

The bombardment of our uncontrolled passions and desires, and the activity of animalism in our mental atmosphere.

The influence on our minds of discarnate spirits who have imprisoned themselves in the lower spheres of the animal world.

The lack of devotion to Truth (God).

It may seem strange to the reader that when a man does not give time for devotion to God, he is open to contact with evil, but one learns early in Yoga practice that the presence of God within oneself is the greatest protection. This world is the school room of experience, and children learn by experience that if they play with fire they get burned. As soon as a man sincerely aspires to know the Lord God of Truth within, a shield of protection of an elemental and angelic nature is placed about him.

Children have this protection until they reach the age of maturity. Thence onwards they have to endure the conditions of their environment until they seek union with the Lord God of Truth within. In other words, the soul must henceforward fight its own battles. Devotion to Truth is one of the greatest revealed mysteries of this age. Man must seek the light and truth within the strata of his higher mind, for there are the places where the light dwells. Devotion to God (Truth) gradually purifies and perfects the mind, until at last the light enters its lower dense strata.

Since the body is the instrument of the mind, we must purify our bodies. The body is constantly evolving in response to the finer vibrations which refine its gross nature.

Thus, when man becomes harmless in word and deed, the higher law manifests, and Truth descends into the lower strata of the mind. This brings the student the power to discriminate between the true and false, and, when the authority of the lower mind no longer controls him, he is given freedom (happiness). When the authority of the lower mind loosens, man experiences a complete change. It is a moment of illumination, when fear, anger, and hatred no longer exist for him, and things are seen from a cosmic wave of thought. The student witnesses humanity’s endeavor to escape from its prison-house, from the mental darkness of the illusion world and he seeks through sacrifice to bring to humanity the knowledge of Truth. The mind is a veil which, if controlled, allows the primordial light to show us our path. When we no longer have devotion to God the light which should illuminate the mind is scarcely perceived. By devotion we protect ourselves from the thoughts of envy, hatred, and malice, for in the world “like attracts like” and devotion to Truth protects us from the onslaught of forces of a demoniacal nature.

When spiritually we realize the presence of the Lord God of Truth within, those earth-bound spirits cannot enter our atmosphere unless we will it. There is danger in all seances held in the dark, for God’s messengers make themselves known in the light. Giving away to our passions and desires make this world unhappy, as the great Persian mystic said, “The world is an old hag, with a thousand wooers.”

When the light of the spirit enters our mind body, it enters our presence and nature unveils herself. No man can be really evil when beauty enters his mind, and the perception of beauty depends upon the evolution of one’s own soul into Truth. No two people can agree when discussing art, because to some people Truth manifests to a greater extent than to others. Michael Angelo, in his old age, when his sight became dim, asked to be led to the Greek torso of the Hercules in the Vatican, and spent hours lovingly running his fingers over its chiselled surface. A great sculptor, after looking at himself in a mirror, was heard to remark, “I, who am so ugly, love beauty so much!” The evil man who loves beauty finds a way of escape to a nobler purpose. Canfield, the gambler, loved beautiful things, and he will be remembered for his love of beauty. In this way the victims of circumstances often find a means to a higher and nobler expression. When humanity at last realizes the value of art, artists will no longer starve, or degrade their art into a lower commercialism.

When a man seeks to be and to become, he begins to advance into his own time and has a perception of everything that goes on around him, but the average intelligent man is living many years behind the present. For instance, he is only beginning to perceive slightly the cause of the recent Great War. Let him fall not again into the trap led by a minority of the greedy, ambitious, and dishonest people.

Habit causes man to revert constantly to the past. The student must seek to project his mind into the present and future, as man measures time. Thus he is horrified by the crime of the present time and he thinks seriously of the future. He observes a man accumulating a great fortune to provide for the future. In ninety-nine cases out of one hundred the fortune goes with the first generation. Were man only to reestablish nature, where her bounty has been destroyed, he would provide security for those who follow after, for nature is grateful to those who nourish her purpose. In China it is the grandfather’s custom to plant trees for the pleasure of those who are to come after. Those who wantonly destroy the products which nature provides for humanity, become detached from their fellows and, through the transmigration of souls, reincarnate in the underworld beneath our feet. Nature, though loving, is a severe mother. She enforces the law of her domain, seeking thus to bring her children out of ignorance into knowledge. The red Indian has often received devic instruction through some animal, and the laws governing its species. The actions of beavers have often enlightened the wise men of the tribe in the laws of nature, and in the mystery of nature’s animal world. The devas are beings who watch over the development of different divisions of nature’s elements, and they taught the red Indian the Law.

A great red Indian soul demonstrated his power over animals, called rabbits out of their holes, and stroked the wild deer in the forest. He sent the “love note” out to my cat, which responded immediately; and he afterwards sent her a danger signal, which caused her to run out of the room in panic, with her hair standing on end. He did this by means of the unspoken word. He told me that if only the white man had the graciousness of heart to approach the red Indian properly, he could receive much knowledge of great benefit to him.

The great avatar who appeared to the Indians in the eastern part of the United States, taught the initiated the written language, and they still have two books in their possession which, in some future period, as the devas wish, will be made known to humanity. The law of karma (cause and effect) will some day return justice to the Indians, and to the yellow race as well, for the armed superiority of a warring and greedy race will disappear in time, and the pendulum will swing in the opposite direction—for justice tempered with mercy will prevail.

Strength is followed by weakness, and out of weakness comes strength. This is the rhythm behind beauty’s shield. The prophet Merlin has said that war will become so terrible that nations will cry out to each other for love. Then will the emulation of nations express itself in beauty, not in war and trade.