om
the soul, the Subjective Man, the "I am I" side of consciousness. It is
not that you are a body and have a soul--this is the dirty conviction of
the matter-fed mind--but you are a soul and have a body. The dawn of
Soul-Consciousness makes a man a Force for good. He himself is Fearless.
His is the voice of strength that does not crush and dominate but that
puts warmth, life, energy, hope and indomitable courage into cold and
despairing hearts. Some are born with this Soul-Consciousness. Do not
think that I am feeding with the theories of eccentricity. Often when a
boy playing with others the thought would strike me hard, "Are you the
same that is running and jumping and shouting." I would stop, looking
blankly ahead. A feeling of confusion would come over me and I would
forget everything. I could recall the feeling distinctly and vividly. Now
I understand. These were flashes of Soul-Consciousness unfolded in a
past life and struggling for "recognition" in this life. Such men face
DEATH for themselves calmly. They know they can't die. Such men are
incapable of sustained hatred. They too have their physiognomical
signs and distinctions. They represent an advanced order of intellect.
And, lastly, when the full blaze of realisation comes, your one object in
life shall be to bestow your sense of freedom on others. You shall
not be able to mock and smile calmly at the pain, the ignorance to
imperfections of your brother-man. You shall realise what it is to 'feel'
for humanity, yea, even for animals. You shall glimpse, in some measures,
the great feeling of pain that rent the hearts of the Buddas, the
Christs, the Ramakrishnas, the Vivekanandas of this world. They suffered,
they felt for humanity. And when undeveloped humanity forced them to the
Cross; they bore it in the same spirit in which the gentle nurse bears
the blows and abuses of the disease-racked patient. "Father forgive them,
for they know not what they do." Verily to know all is to forgive all.
This Soul-Consciousness is as much yours as that of anyone. It comes
through meditation on the Infinite, and the Formless Absolute--the
Over-soul of the universe--the Brahman of the Vedanta--the Self of the
philosophers--the Atman of the Yogis--the personal--impersonal God
of the devotee--and, last, but not least, the humanity of the
humanitarian.

CONCENTRATION.

The mind can think of one thing only. Fear is an acute form of negative
concentration--worry its chronic