The Immortal Man

Immortality is here and now, and is not a speculative something beyond the grave. It is a lucid state of consciousness in which the sensations of the body, the varying and unrestful states of mind, and the circumstances and events of life are seen to be of a fleeting, and therefore of an illusory character.

Immortality is here and now, not some imagined thing beyond the grave. It is a clear state of awareness. In this state, bodily sensations, changing and restless states of mind, and life’s circumstances and events are seen as fleeting. Because they are fleeting, they are also seen as illusory.

Immortality does not belong to time, and will never be found in time; it belongs to Eternity; and just as time is here and now, so is Eternity here and now, and a man may find that Eternity and establish himself in it, if he will overcome the self that derives its life from the unsatisfying and perishable things of time.

Immortality does not belong to time, and it will never be found in time. It belongs to Eternity. Just as time is here and now, so is Eternity. A person may find Eternity and establish himself in it. But he must overcome the self that draws its life from the unsatisfying and fleeting things of time.

Whilst a man remains immersed in sensation, desire, and the passing events of his day-by-day existence, and regards those sensations, desires, and passing events as of the essence of himself, he can have no knowledge of immortality. The thing which such a man desires, and which he mistakes for immortality, is persistence; that is, a continuous succession of sensations and events in time. Living in, loving and clinging to, the things which stimulate and minister to his immediate gratification, and realising no state of consciousness above and independent of this, he thirsts for its continuance, and strives to banish the thought that he will at last have to part from those earthly luxuries and delights to which he has become enslaved, and which he regards as being inseparable from himself.

As long as a man remains immersed in sensations, desires, and the passing events of daily life, he cannot know immortality. He sees these sensations, desires, and events as the essence of who he is. What such a man desires and mistakes for immortality is persistence. This means a continuous succession of sensations and events through time. He lives in, loves, and clings to things that stimulate him and satisfy his immediate desires. He knows no state of consciousness above and independent of these things. So he longs for this way of living to continue. He tries to banish the thought that he must eventually part from his earthly luxuries and pleasures. He has become enslaved to them and sees them as inseparable from himself.

Persistence is the antithesis of immortality; and to be absorbed in it is spiritual death. Its very nature is change, impermanence. It is a continual living and dying.

Persistence is the opposite of immortality, and being absorbed in it is spiritual death. Its very nature is change and impermanence. It is a continual cycle of living and dying.

The death of the body can never bestow upon a man immortality. Spirits are not different from men, and live their little feverish life of broken consciousness, and are still immersed in change and mortality. The mortal man, he who thirsts for the persistence of his pleasure-loving personality, is still mortal after death, and only lives another life with a beginning and an end, without memory of the past or knowledge of the future.

The death of the body can never make a man immortal. Spirits are no different from men. They live their brief, feverish lives with an interrupted consciousness, still caught up in change and mortality. A mortal man longs for his pleasure-loving personality to live on. But he is still mortal after death. He only lives another life with a beginning and an end, without memory of the past or knowledge of the future.

The immortal man is he who has detached himself from the things of time by having ascended into that state of consciousness which is fixed and unvariable, and is not affected by passing events and sensations. Human life consists of an ever-moving procession of events, and in this procession the mortal man is immersed, and he is carried along with it; and being so carried along, he has no knowledge of what is behind and before him. The immortal man is he who has stepped out of this procession, and he stands by unmoved and watches it; and from his fixed place he sees both the before, the behind, and the middle of the moving thing called life. No longer identifying himself with the sensations and fluctuations of the personality, or with the outward changes which make up the life in time, he has become the passionless spectator of his own destiny and of the destinies of men and nations.

The immortal man has risen to a steady, unchanging state of awareness, untouched by passing events and sensations. In this way, he has detached himself from the things of time. Human life is an ever-moving procession of events. The mortal man is immersed in this procession and carried along by it. Because he is carried along, he cannot see what lies behind or ahead of him. The immortal man has stepped out of the procession. He stands still and watches it. From his fixed position, he sees what is ahead, behind, and in the middle of the moving thing called life. He no longer identifies himself with the sensations and changes of his personality. Nor does he identify himself with the outward changes that make up life in time. He has become a detached observer of his own destiny and the destinies of men and nations.

The mortal man, also, is as one who is caught in a dream, and he neither knows that he was formerly awake, nor that he will wake again; he is a dreamer without knowledge, nothing more. The immortal man is as one who has awakened out of his dream, and he knows that his dream was not an enduring reality, but a passing illusion. He is a man with knowledge, the knowledge of both states—that of persistence, and that of immortality,—and is in full possession of himself.

The mortal man is like someone caught in a dream. He does not know that he was once awake or that he will wake again. He is simply a dreamer without knowledge. The immortal man is like someone who has awakened from his dream. He knows that his dream was not a lasting reality, but a passing illusion. He has knowledge of both states, persistence and immortality, and is fully in possession of himself.

The mortal man lives in the time or world state of consciousness which begins and ends; the immortal man lives in the cosmic or heaven state of consciousness, in which there is neither beginning nor end, but an eternal now. Such a man remains poised and steadfast under all changes, and the death of his body will not in any way interrupt the eternal consciousness in which he abides. Of such a one it is said, "He shall not taste of death," because he has stepped out of the stream of mortality, and established himself in the abode of Truth. Bodies, personalities, nations, and worlds pass away, but Truth remains, and its glory is undimmed by time. The immortal man, then, is he who has conquered himself; who no longer identifies himself with the self-seeking forces of the personality, but who has trained himself to direct those forces with the hand of a master, and so has brought them into harmony with the causal energy and source of all things.

The mortal man lives in the state of consciousness of time and the world, which has a beginning and an end. The immortal man lives in the cosmic or heavenly state of consciousness. In that state there is no beginning or end, only an eternal now. Such a man remains calm and steadfast through all changes. The death of his body will not interrupt the eternal consciousness in which he lives. Of such a man it is said, "He shall not taste of death," because he has stepped out of the stream of mortality and made his home in Truth. Bodies, personalities, nations, and worlds pass away, but Truth remains, and its glory is not dimmed by time. The immortal man, then, is one who has conquered himself. He no longer identifies himself with the self-seeking forces of his personality. Instead, he has trained himself to direct those forces like a master. In this way, he has brought them into harmony with the creative energy and source of all things.

The fret and fever of life have ceased, doubt and fear are cast out, and death is not for him who has realised the fadeless splendour of that life of Truth by adjusting heart and mind to the eternal and unchangeable verities.

Life’s anxiety and turmoil have ended, doubt and fear are gone, and death has no power over him. He has aligned his heart and mind with eternal, unchanging truths. In doing so, he has realized the unfading splendor of that life of Truth.