P1446:4, 131:3.2
"Out of a pure heart shall gladness spring forth to the Infinite; all my being
shall be at peace with this supermortal rejoicing. My soul is filled with
content, and my heart
overflows with the bliss of peaceful trust. I have no
fear; I am free from anxiety. I dwell in security, and my enemies cannot alarm
me. I am satisfied with the fruits of my confidence. I have found the approach
to the Immortal easy of access. I pray for faith to sustain me on the long
journey; I know that faith from beyond will not fail me. I know my brethren
will prosper if they become imbued with the faith of the Immortal, even the
faith that creates modesty, uprightness, wisdom, courage, knowledge, and perseverance.
Let us forsake sorrow and disown fear. By faith let us lay hold upon true
righteousness and genuine
manliness. Let us learn to meditate on justice and
mercy. Faith is man's true wealth; it is the endowment of virtue and glory.
P1446:5, 131:3.3
"Unrighteousness is contemptible; sin is despicable. Evil is degrading, whether
held in thought or wrought out in deeds. Pain and sorrow follow in the path
of evil as the dust follows the wind. Happiness and peace of mind follow pure
thinking and virtuous living as the shadow follows the substance of material
things. Evil is the fruit of wrongly directed thinking. It is evil to see
sin where there is no sin; to see no sin where there is sin. Evil is the path
of false doctrines. Those who avoid evil by seeing things as they are gain
joy by thus embracing the truth. Make an end of your misery by
loathing sin.
When you look up to the Noble One, turn away from sin with a whole heart.
Make no
apology for evil; make no excuse for sin. By your efforts to make
amends for past sins you acquire strength to resist future tendencies thereto.
Restraint is born of repentance. Leave no fault
unconfessed to the Noble One.
P1447:1, 131:3.4
"Cheerfulness and gladness are the rewards of deeds well done and to the glory
of the Immortal. No man can rob you of the liberty of your own mind. When
the faith of your religion has emancipated your heart, when the mind, like
a mountain, is settled and
immovable, then shall the peace of the soul flow
tranquilly like a river of waters. Those who are sure of salvation are forever
free from lust, envy, hatred, and the delusions of wealth. While faith is
the energy of the better life, nevertheless, must you work out your own salvation
with perseverance. If you would be certain of your final salvation, then make
sure that you sincerely seek to fulfill all righteousness. Cultivate the assurance
of the heart which springs from within and thus come to enjoy the ecstasy
of eternal salvation.
P1447:2, 131:3.5
"No religionist may hope to attain the enlightenment of immortal wisdom who
persists in being slothful, indolent, feeble, idle,
shameless, and selfish.
But whoso is thoughtful, prudent, reflective, fervent, and earnest -- even
while he yet lives on earth -- may attain the supreme enlightenment of the
peace and liberty of divine wisdom. Remember, every act shall receive its
reward. Evil results in sorrow and sin ends in pain. Joy and happiness are
the outcome of a good life. Even the evildoer enjoys a season of grace before
the time of the full ripening of his evil deeds, but inevitably there must
come the full harvest of evil-doing. Let no man think lightly of sin, saying
in his heart: `The penalty of wrongdoing shall not come near me.' What you
do shall be done to you, in the judgment of wisdom. Injustice done to your
fellows shall come back upon you. The creature cannot escape the destiny of
his deeds.
P1447:3, 131:3.6
"The fool has said in his heart, `Evil shall not overtake me'; but safety
is found only when the soul craves reproof and the mind seeks wisdom. The
wise man is a noble soul who is friendly in the midst of his enemies, tranquil
among the turbulent, and gen erous among the grasping. Love of self is like
weeds in a goodly field. Selfishness leads to grief; perpetual care kills.
The tamed mind yields happiness. He is the greatest of warriors who overcomes
and subdues himself. Restraint in all things is good. He alone is a superior
person who
esteems virtue and is observant of his duty. Let not anger and
hate master you. Speak harshly of no one. Contentment is the greatest wealth.
What is given wisely is well saved. Do not to others those things you would
not wish done to you. Pay good for evil; overcome evil with the good.
P1447:4, 131:3.7
"A righteous soul is more to be desired than the sovereignty of all the earth.
Immortality is the goal of sincerity; death, the end of thoughtless living.
Those who are earnest die not; the thoughtless are dead already. Blessed are
they who have insight into the
deathless state. Those who torture the living
will hardly find happiness after death. The unselfish go to heaven, where
they rejoice in the bliss of infinite liberality and continue to increase
in noble generosity. Every mortal who thinks righteously, speaks nobly, and
acts unselfishly shall not only enjoy virtue here during this brief life but
shall also, after the dissolution of the body, continue to enjoy the delights
of heaven."