Knowledge and Victory

FAITH is the beginning of the Triumphant Life, but knowledge is its consummation. Faith reveals the way, but knowledge is the goal. Faith suffers many afflictions; knowledge has transcended affliction. Faith endures; knowledge loves. Faith walks in darkness, but believes; knowledge acts in light, and knows. Faith inspires to effort; knowledge crowns effort with success. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for”; knowledge is the substance of things possessed. Faith is the helpful staff of the pilgrim; knowledge is the City of Refuge at his journey's end. Without faith there will be no knowledge, but when knowledge is acquired, the work of faith is finished.

Faith is the beginning of the Triumphant Life, but knowledge is its fulfillment. Faith shows the way, but knowledge is the goal. Faith suffers many hardships, but knowledge has risen above them. Faith endures, but knowledge loves. Faith walks in darkness, but believes. Knowledge acts in the light and knows. Faith inspires effort, but knowledge crowns effort with success. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for.” Knowledge is the substance of things possessed. Faith is the pilgrim’s helpful walking stick, but knowledge is the City of Refuge at the journey’s end. Without faith there can be no knowledge, but once knowledge is gained, faith’s work is finished.

The Life Triumphant is a life of knowledge; and by knowledge is meant, not book-learning, but life-knowing; not superficial facts committed to memory, but the deep facts and truths of life grasped and comprehended. Apart from this knowledge there is no victory for man, no rest for his weary feet, no refuge for his aching heart. There is no salvation for the foolish except by becoming wise; there is no salvation for the sinful except by becoming pure; there is no liberation for man from the turmoils and troubles of life but through divine knowledge reached by the pathway of a pure and blameless life. Nowhere is there permanent peace except in an enlightened condition of mind; and a pure life and an enlightened mind are identical.

The triumphant life is a life of knowledge. This does not mean book learning, but knowledge of life. It means understanding the deep facts and truths of life, not memorizing superficial facts. Without this knowledge, a person cannot find victory, rest for weary feet, or refuge for an aching heart. The foolish can find salvation only by becoming wise. The sinful can find salvation only by becoming pure. People can find freedom from life’s turmoil and troubles only through divine knowledge. They reach this knowledge by living a pure and blameless life. Lasting peace exists nowhere except in an enlightened mind. A pure life and an enlightened mind are one and the same.

But there is salvation for the foolish because wisdom can be acquired; there is salvation for the sinful because purity can be embraced; there is liberation for all men from the troubles and turmoils of life because whosoever wills to do so—whether rich or poor, learned or unlearned—can enter the lowly way of blamelessness which leads to perfect knowledge. And because of this—that there is deliverance for the captives and victory for the defeated—there is rejoicing in the High Places, and the universe is glad.

But there is salvation for the foolish because they can gain wisdom. There is salvation for the sinful because they can embrace purity. All people can be freed from life’s troubles and turmoil. Anyone who chooses to can follow the humble path of blamelessness that leads to perfect knowledge. It is open to rich and poor, educated and uneducated alike. Because captives can be freed and the defeated can be victorious, there is rejoicing in the High Places. The universe is glad.

The man of knowledge, being victorious over himself, is victorious over sin, over evil, over all the inharmonies of life. Out of the old mind marred by sin and sorrow, he has framed a new mind glorified by purity and peace. He has died out of the old world of evil, and is reborn in a new world where faultless love and faultless law prevail, where evil is not, and where he has become deathless in immortal Good.

The person of knowledge has overcome himself, and so he has overcome sin, evil, and all the discord in life. From his old mind, scarred by sin and sorrow, he has created a new mind, made glorious by purity and peace. He has died to the old world of evil and been reborn in a new world. There, perfect love and perfect law prevail, evil does not exist, and he has become deathless in immortal Good.

Anxiety and fear, grief and lamentation, disappointment and regret, wretchedness and remorse—these things have no part in the world of the wise. They are the shadowy inhabitants of the world of self, and cannot live, nay, they are seen to have no substantiality—in the light of wisdom. The dark things of life are the dark conditions of a mind not yet illuminated by the light of wisdom. They follow self as the shadow the substance. Where selfish desires go, there they follow; where sin is, there they are. There is no rest in self; there is no light in self, and where the flames of turbulent passions and the fires of consuming desires are rife, the cool airs of wisdom and peace are not felt.

Anxiety and fear, grief and lamentation, disappointment and regret, misery and remorse have no place in the world of the wise. They are the shadowy inhabitants of the world of self. They cannot live in the light of wisdom. Indeed, in that light, they are seen to have no substance. The dark things of life are the dark conditions of a mind not yet illuminated by wisdom. They follow the self as a shadow follows the thing that casts it. Wherever selfish desires go, they follow. Wherever sin is, they are there. There is no rest in the self, and there is no light in the self. Where turbulent passions and consuming desires burn fiercely, the cool air of wisdom and peace is not felt.

Safety and assurance, happiness and repose, satisfaction and contentment, joy and peace—these are the abiding possessions of the wise, earned by right of self-conquest, the results of righteousness, the wages of a blameless life.

Safety and security, happiness and rest, satisfaction and contentment, joy and peace are the lasting possessions of the wise. They earn these through self-mastery. These are the rewards of doing right and living a blameless life.

The substance of a right life is enlightenment (knowledge), and the spirit of knowledge is peace. To be victorious over self in all the issues of life is to know life as it is in reality, and not as it appears in the nightmare of self; it is to be in peace in all passages, and not to be stricken with trouble and grief in the common happenings of life.

The foundation of a right life is enlightenment (knowledge), and the spirit of knowledge is peace. To overcome yourself in all of life’s challenges is to know life as it really is. You see it not as it appears in the nightmare of self. Overcoming yourself means being at peace through all of life’s experiences. It means not being overcome by trouble and grief at the ordinary events of life.

As the ripe scholar is no more troubled by incorrect work and lessons imperfectly done, and the painful reproof and punishment formerly inflicted by his teachers are left behind for ever, so the perfected scholar in virtue, the wise man, the enlightened doer of righteousness, is no more troubled with wrong-doing and folly (which are merely the imperfectly accomplished lessons of life), and the scourgings of sorrow and remorse have passed away for ever.

A mature scholar is no longer troubled by mistakes or imperfect lessons. The painful scolding and punishment once given by teachers are left behind forever. In the same way, a person who has mastered virtue, the wise person who knowingly does what is right, is no longer troubled by wrongdoing and folly. These are merely the imperfectly learned lessons of life. The painful blows of sorrow and remorse have passed away forever.

The skilled scholar has no more doubt or fear concerning his ability. He has overcome and dispersed the ignorance of his intellect. He has attained to learning, and he knows that he has attained; and he so knows because, having undergone innumerable intellectual tests in the form of lessons and examinations, he has at last proved his skill by passing successfully through the severest tests of scholarship. And now he no longer fears, but rejoices when severe tests are applied to prove his ability. He is capable, confident, and glad.

The skilled scholar no longer doubts or fears for his ability. He has overcome and dispelled his intellectual ignorance. He has gained knowledge, and he knows he has gained it. He knows this because he has passed countless intellectual tests in lessons and examinations. At last, he has proved his skill by passing the toughest tests of scholarship. Now he no longer fears such tests. Instead, he rejoices when they are used to prove his ability. He is capable, confident, and glad.

Even so the skilled doer of righteousness is no more troubled with doubt and fear concerning his destiny. He has overcome and dispersed the ignorance of his heart. He has attained to wisdom, and he knows that he has attained; and he so knows because where he formerly failed and fell when tested by the wrong conduct of others, he now maintains his patience and calmness under the severest tests of accusation and reproof.

Likewise, a person skilled in doing what is right is no longer troubled by doubt or fear about his destiny. He has overcome and dispelled the ignorance in his heart. He has attained wisdom, and he knows that he has attained it. He knows this because he now remains patient and calm under the harshest accusations and criticism. In the past, he failed and fell when tested by the wrong conduct of others.

Herein is the glory and victory of divine knowledge, that, understanding the nature of deeds both good and bad, the enlightened doer of good deeds no longer suffers through the bad deeds of others. Their actions towards him can never cause him pain and sorrow, nor rob him of his peace. Having taken refuge in good, evil can no more reach or harm him. He returns good for evil, and overcomes the weakness of evil by the power of good.

This is the glory and victory of divine knowledge. A person who understands the nature of good and bad deeds and does good no longer suffers because of others’ bad deeds. What others do to him can never cause him pain or sorrow, or rob him of his peace. Having taken refuge in good, he can no longer be reached or harmed by evil. He returns good for evil and overcomes the weakness of evil with the power of good.

The man who is involved in bad deeds imagines that the bad deeds of others are powerful to do him injury, are filled with grievous harm against him, and he is stung with pain and overwhelmed with sorrow, not for his own bad deeds (for these he does not see) but for the wrong deeds of others. Involved in ignorance, he has no spiritual strength, no refuge, and no abiding peace.

A man who does bad things imagines that the bad things others do have great power to hurt him. He believes they are full of harm against him. He feels pain and is overwhelmed with sorrow, not because of his own bad deeds, which he does not see, but because of the wrongs others do. Trapped in ignorance, he has no spiritual strength, no refuge, and no lasting peace.

The man victorious over self is the true seer; not the seer of spirits or supernatural phenomena, for such seeing is narrow and illusory, but the seer of life as it is, both in its particular aspects and in its divine principles; the seer of the spiritual universe, of cosmic law, cosmic love, and cosmic liberty.

The man who conquers himself is the true seer. He does not see spirits or supernatural phenomena, for such sight is narrow and illusory. Instead, he sees life as it is, in both its particular aspects and its divine principles. He sees the spiritual universe, cosmic law, cosmic love, and cosmic liberty.

The man of knowledge and victory, who has shaken off the painful dreams of self, has awakened with a new vision which beholds a new and glorified universe. He is the seer of the Eternal, and is blessed with perfect love and endless peace. He is lifted far above all sordid desires, narrow aims, and selfish love and hate; and being so lifted up he perceives the lawful course of things, and does not grieve when overtaken by the inevitable. He is above the world of sorrow, not because he has become cold and cruel, but because he abides in a love where no thought of self can enter, and where the well-being of others is all-in-all. He is sorrowless because he is selfless. He is serene because he knows that whatever he receives, it is good, and whatever is taken from him, that also is good. He has transmuted sorrow into love, and is filled with infinite tenderness and abounding compassion. His power is not violent, ambitious, worldly, but pure, peaceful, heavenly, and he is possessed of a hidden strength which knows how to stand and when to bend for the good of others and the world. He is a Teacher, though he speak but little; he is a Master, yet he has no desire to rule others; he is a Conqueror, but makes no attempt to subdue his fellow-men. He has become a conscious instrument for the outworking of cosmic law, and is an intelligent, enlightened power directing the evolution of the Race.

The man of knowledge and victory has shaken off the painful dreams of self. He has awakened with a new vision and sees a new and glorious universe. He sees the Eternal and is blessed with perfect love and endless peace. He has risen far above base desires, narrow goals, and selfish love and hate. Because he has risen above them, he sees how things unfold according to law. He does not grieve when the inevitable overtakes him. He is above the world of sorrow, not because he has grown cold and cruel. He lives in a love that leaves no room for thoughts of self. In that love, the well-being of others is everything. He is free from sorrow because he is selfless. He is serene because he knows that whatever he receives is good. He also knows that whatever is taken from him is good. He has transformed sorrow into love and is filled with infinite tenderness and abundant compassion. His power is not violent, ambitious, or worldly. It is pure, peaceful, and heavenly. He has a hidden strength that knows when to stand firm and when to bend for others and the world. He is a Teacher, though he speaks little. He is a Master, yet he has no desire to rule others. He is a Conqueror, but he makes no attempt to conquer his fellow men. He has become a conscious instrument through which cosmic law works. He is an intelligent, enlightened power directing the evolution of the Race.

At this, the beginning of a new epoch, let the Good News again go forth throughout the world that there is purity for the sinful, comfort for the afflicted, healing for the broken-hearted, and triumph for the defeated. In your heart, O man! stained as it is with sin, and torn with conflicting desires, there is a place of power, a citadel of strength: you are the dwelling-place of the Supreme Good, and the Sceptre of Victory awaits you: deep in your consciousness is the High Seat of Empire. Arise, O stricken one! ascend your kingly throne.

At the beginning of this new era, let the Good News go out again across the world. There is purity for the sinful, comfort for the afflicted, healing for the brokenhearted, and triumph for the defeated. Your heart is stained with sin and torn by conflicting desires. Yet within it is a place of power, a fortress of strength. You are the dwelling place of the Supreme Good, and the Scepter of Victory awaits you. Deep in your consciousness is the throne of supreme rule. Rise up, you who suffer! Take your royal throne.