THE SCHOOL OF TRUTH LECTURE ROOM OF JOY
- virtualperfectassi
- Feb 2, 2021
- 4 min read
Some people say that we are living in an age of anxiety but for some every age has been an age of anxiety. We persist with our fear and worry even though we are so often told how detrimental it is to our wellbeing, and knowing that we bring forth that to which we direct our energies. Those who are sensitive to their own condition feel the lowering of their state of mind and their vision of life. Is this perennial condition of anxiety something mankind should simply accept? Is it just human nature or is there something we can do to rise above it? Perhaps more importantly, must those who are not afflicted simply learn to cope with the effect that the behaviour of others has upon them? This negation can be overcome if we are prepared to direct our will and the lifegiving Force within us consistently and consciously towards the positive, even if at first it may be an almost artificial optimism, acting the part. Also, we can learn to relax our bodies and minds. It has been proven that relaxation blocks the entry of negative influences into our lives. Devoting time to relaxation, as we introduce to you at The School of Truth, is far better than giving time to your fears. Only a few minutes spent each day is enough to establish the habit.
We all live by habits, so we should try to make them good ones. During our relaxation we invite Divine serenity into our lives. We do it by consciously accepting only that which is good, true, beautiful, sweet, peaceful and blissful. The Master exhorts us to "go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father." The homes of his society did not have the luxury of personal rooms, so clearly he meant that we should retreat to an inner part of our mind, away from the clamour of the world and away from our worldly reactions to that clamour. With practice we can all learn to do this - to establish a quiet room in the mind and to fill it with sights and sounds that bring us joy, with images perhaps of a sunset, a river, a mountain, a private garden. In our special room we find it easy to contemplate the most beautiful aspects of life. To this special Room of Joy we should retire in the morning before we rise and the evening before we retire, and as often as we can even for a few minutes during our busy day. We can take with us into our Room an affirmation of God's presence. Psalm 91 has several wonderful affirmations, for example "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will say to the Lord 'My refuge and my fortress'." At first it may require discipline but soon it becomes second nature. We do not become dreamers, detached from normal life, but become more vital, more alert in consciousness.
There is a story of a man who wanted a genie. One popped up and said to him "I will be your genie and you can have anything you desire, but there is one condition - you must keep me busy all day long. I never stop working." So the man agreed, and asked the genie to plough his fields. In a short while all the fields were ploughed. Then the man asked that a wall be built all around the fields. Again in no time the task was completed. Then the man asked that all his farm sheds be rebuilt and the genie started to work. At this point the man realised that he had a problem. How was he going to keep the genie busy all the time? He pondered and pondered his difficulty, but to no avail. So he went to see a wise man and explained his problem. The wise man thought for a while and then said, "Ask the genie to dig a big hole in the ground and in it to erect a pole. Now when he is not doing something for you ask him to slide up and down the pole. That will keep him busy at all times, and out of mischief." So that is what the man did. Now the genie is like your mind, which is a tool that never sleeps. When it is not busy with a task let it rest in the Infinite. Direct it there before you go to sleep so that it does not disturb you but fulfils itself. Even during your relaxations you may direct it there so that there is a part of you that is always attuned to ultimate Reality, to God. There is a humorous advertisement on television which shows how the housewife, unlike her husband, is able to do several chores at once. She is like the African mother who is able to carry an object on her head while holding a conversation, directing her small children, and doing other minor tasks. All the time there is a part of her mind making sure the object stays on her head. This is how we should be with God. We practice regularly to retreat into our quiet room and then to return to life's threshold. Negation, like everything else, is built up by constant practice.
It becomes a deeply entrenched habit. How often do you meet people whose entire reality seems to rest on anxiety. They seem to be happy only when they are worrying. The best way to destroy a bad habit is to replace it with a good one. The opposite of fear is faith. We can make a habit of faith - to believe in God and constantly to practice our belief. This is not just an intellectual assent to the existence of God but living as though He exists, greeting each new day with love in our hearts, expecting each day to bring forth our highest good. Each day we use our creative imagination, knowing that our consciousness creates our reality, our environment, and that our consciousness depends upon the thoughts and feelings that habitually occupy us. We need to soar above the mundane affairs of life. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." We seek to perfect ourselves that we may be an inspiration and a blessing to all whom we meet. This is indeed the day that the Lord has made. Let us be happy and rejoice in it.
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