its compelling and restraining power
over the easier one. Says Sister Nivedita: "The Indian ideal is that man
whose lower mind is so perfectly under control that he can at any moment
plunge into the thought-ocean and remain there at will without the least
possibility of a sudden break and unexpected return to the life of the
senses." Yes, your interests should be within and not without. _You must
rise above all personal impulse_. Even in this world you find that men of
distinction, fame and honour have achieved recognition by practising a
little _self-denial_, which is a "milder" form of absolute Renunciation
as practised by true Sanyasis. The man who can work at his aim with
perseverance and denies himself the mess of pottage of present indulgence
in view of some future gain develops Will-Power. So in training your Will
to 'resist', you must, as a first step, sternly refuse to indulge
impulses, desires and tendencies not in consonance with the dictates of
your Higher Self. You must actually go out of your way and "deny"
yourself the little or great "comforts" to which you are or have been
accustomed. The strongest-willed man is he who has the greatest control
over his inclinations, and who can 'force' himself to do such things as
he is naturally most inclined to do. This is a characteristic which
cannot be developed in a day. There are some children and even grown-up
men and women who mistake their 'obstinacy' for Will-Power. They want a
thing and when they do not get it they tear their hair, gnash their
teeth, stamp their feet and fly into a terrible passion. Since people
think that these uncontrolled creatures are strong-willed while all that
you could say about them is that _they are utter slaves to their
desires_. You must practise self-denial in fifty different ways and force
yourself to do certain things, 'little and big,' every day purely for
developing this power of Resistance. No short-cut to this. Some children
develop it unconsciously by 'forcing' themselves to study when they might
play, and by applying themselves to such studies as are dry and
uninteresting to them they thus practise voluntary Concentration.
Practise self-denial in every possible way. Cut off such luxuries as you
think "you must have." "Take a cold bath when you would prefer a warm
one. Arise promptly in the morning. Make yourself call upon people you
have avoided. Stand up in a street car when you would prefer sitting;
walk when it is conv