Foreword

We cannot alter external things, nor shape other people to our liking, nor mould the world to our wishes; but we can alter internal things,—our desires, passions, thoughts,—we can shape our liking to other people, and we can mould the inner world of our own mind in accordance with wisdom, and so reconcile it to the outer world of men and things. The turmoil of the world we cannot avoid, but the disturbances of the mind we can overcome. The duties and difficulties of life claim our attention, but we can rise above all anxiety concerning them. Surrounded by noise, we can yet have a quiet mind; involved in responsibilities, the heart can be at rest; in the midst of strife, we can know the abiding peace.

We cannot change external things, make other people suit us, or shape the world to our wishes. But we can change what is within us: our desires, passions, and thoughts. We can adjust our preferences to suit other people. We can shape our inner world according to wisdom and bring it into harmony with the outer world of people and things. We cannot avoid the turmoil of the world, but we can overcome the unrest in our minds. Life’s duties and difficulties demand our attention, but we can rise above all anxiety about them. Surrounded by noise, we can still have a quiet mind. Burdened with responsibilities, our hearts can be at rest. Even in the midst of conflict, we can know lasting peace.

The twenty pieces which comprise this book, unrelated as some of them are in the letter, will be found to be harmonious in the spirit, in that they point the reader towards those heights of self-knowledge and self-conquest which, rising above the turbulence of the world, lift their peaks where the Heavenly Silence reigns.

Some of the twenty pieces in this book differ in their details, but they share a common spirit. They point readers toward the heights of self-knowledge and self-mastery. These heights rise above the turmoil of the world, with peaks where Heavenly Silence reigns.

James Allen.

James Allen.

Bryngoleu, Ilfracombe, England. November, 1909.

Bryngoleu, Ilfracombe, England. November 1909.