Foreword

1 min

Every being lives in his own mental world; his joys and sorrows are the creations of his own mind, and are dependent upon the mind for their existence. In the midst of the world, darkened with many sins and many sorrows, in which the majority live, there abides another world, lighted up with shining virtues and unpolluted joy, in which the perfect ones live. This world can be found and entered, and the way to it is by self-control and moral excellence. It is the world of the perfect life, and rightly belongs to man, who is not complete until crowned with perfection. The perfect life is not the far-away, impossible thing that men who are in darkness imagine it to be; it is supremely possible, and very near and real. Man remains a craving, weeping, sinning, repenting creature just so long as he wills to do so by clinging to those weak conditions; but when he wills to shake off his dark dreams and to rise, he rises and achieves.

Every being lives in their own mental world. Their joys and sorrows are creations of their own mind and depend on it for their existence. Most people live in a world darkened by many sins and sorrows. Yet within it is another world, lit by shining virtues and untainted joy, where perfect people live. This world can be found and entered through self-control and moral excellence. It is the world of the perfect life, and it rightly belongs to humanity. People are not complete until they are crowned with perfection. The perfect life is not the distant, impossible thing that those in darkness imagine it to be. It is entirely possible, very near, and real. People remain creatures who crave, weep, sin, and repent only as long as they choose to cling to those weak conditions. But when they choose to shake off their dark dreams and rise, they rise and achieve.

James Allen.

Bryngoleu, Ilfracombe, England.