Contrastación de la hipótesis

“I think I could tackle my problem more wisely if I could see what it is. Isn’t it strange that I don’t know what’s bothering me? I used to think I understood, but no longer. Do you have insight into this? Do you know what my problem is?”

“Yes, I know.”

“Will you point it out?”

“If you are deeply interested in the exploration. It is a psychological law that no one can be given anything that they don’t really want. Do you want a thorough discussion?”

“Yes. I somehow sense that this is the only way. So tell me, please, what is my basic difficulty?”

“You are afraid.”

“Afraid? Really?”

“Fear is always a dominating difficulty of anyone separated from his original nature.

Just as thorns are natural to a cactus, so are fear and anxiety a part of the false self. But there is bright hope here. Do you see it?”

“By recovering our natural self, we lose our fears. Is that what you mean?”

“Yes. Anxiety becomes impossible.”

“That’s what I want. So, please, I’d like to explore it.”

That is what we will do in this chapter. Everyone treading the Mystic Path must slay the dragons of fear, both the surface shakings and the deeper dreads. Fear is not only a terrible foe in itself but leads to other negativities, such as anger, which Confucius described as a foremost self-destroyer.

The very root of fear is a false sense of identity. All other negative states, like worry and restlessness, grow from this, just as sour apples spring from an unhealthy tree. Man wrongly assumes that he is his name, or body, or possessions. Because of this, he fearfully fights through life trying to prove that he is these things. This is utterly futile—

as men sadly discover every day. Because they don’t see the alternative, they continue the vain struggle. And so you see millions of people acting gaily but their eyes tell quite another story.

Living from this false sense of identity creates thousands of fearful and self-damaging ideas toward life. For instance, there is no more dangerous, nor frustrating, doctrine than that “you ought” to live according to the dictates of a confused society. You ought to do nothing of the sort. In fact, the only real life you have is that which springs spontaneously from your own spiritual nature.

When this life is achieved, we are no longer mechanical robots but noble human beings who live as we really want to live. No longer do we march dully to the blaring bands of an authoritarian society, but we dance gaily to the music swelling up from our original being. In that free state we are unafraid of anything or anyone—anything or anyone.

THE TREMENDOUS DISCOVERY OF SOCRATES

One deeply rooted anxiety that must be abolished has been expressed in the phrase,

“But what will happen to me tomorrow?” People strain over their future finances, friendships, health, just about everything. They hope they will improve, or at least not

worsen. But the hope is fearful, for they sense their lack of control over the future.

Away with all this self-torture. I tell you truly that you need not have the slightest concern with tomorrow. All is well. Even if you do not realize it, the fact remains. But you must not try to feel this fact, for your emotions will fool you. Without involving your feelings, simply see the fact that all is well. By doing this, you create the legitimate and abiding feeling of assurance. The right order is to place fact before feeling.

Perhaps someone asks, “But does all this apply to me as an individual? Can I personally know the answers?”

You can. You can certainly establish yourself upon the unshakeable rock of your True Self. Yes, of course, the answers come to the man or woman who inquires with this kind of earnestness:

I would rather have trustworthy and satisfying answers to these questions than all the gold of the Indies. To know—not to believe, not to hope, not to have faith, but to know that the universe is friendly, that our feet are set on an intelligent pilgrimage, and there is Love at the heart of things: this is knowledge for which I am still questing and for which I would gladly barter, as for the pearl of great price, all other knowledge.¹⁷

It is helpful to see that those who attain the lofty life have the same experiences. The Mystic Path presents the same challenges—and rich rewards—to all. Everyone meets baffling questions which seem unanswerable. Discouragement and a sense of futility are common to all. But all who persist, arrive. Let’s examine the experiences of two

enlightened men; these serve as heartening examples.

When Socrates reached his fortieth year, his perplexities about himself reached their peak: “What is life all about? What is really worthwhile? Who is this person called Socrates? Is there another way to live?”

Socrates put his questions to men who supposedly knew the answers—the educators, philosophers, politicians, men of skill, and men in authority. Their muddled replies proved that they were just as ignorant as he. But there was a difference. Socrates knew he was ignorant, while they, in their human conceit, perfectly believed in the mythical self-pictures they had of themselves as wise counselors. So Socrates resolutely set out to do what every psychic explorer must do—seek the truth for himself, within himself.

Seeking, he found. He came up with the declaration, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

Compare Socrates’ quest with that of Count Tolstoy’s in Chapter 2. Notice how their intense inner integrity compelled them to see through the shallow authorities of the day and to plunge into the mystery for themselves. Though widely separated by centuries, Socrates and Tolstoy reached the same tremendous conclusion: “To find yourself, think for yourself.”

THE STRANGE TRUTH ABOUT RESULTS

“I’m both fascinated and baffled by something you said the other night. You said we must learn to be completely unconcerned with the results of our social and business efforts. Of all the mystical principles you have given us, this is the hardest to grasp.”

17 Raynor C. Johnson, The Imprisoned Splendour (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., 1953).

The inquirer is right. While it takes intensive study, no mystical truth offers more enrichment. It is vital that we do not misunderstand, so let’s explore carefully.

Learn to be indifferent to the results of your efforts in the human affairs of moneymaking, friendships, career, and so forth.

Notice the tormenting worry over results. Will the new friends like us? Can I make the sale? Will my marriage be happy? Can I succeed at this? Concern with results is a major torture to man. Moreover, it is the very thing that unconsciously causes failure.

Meet both so-called good results and so-called bad results with quiet indifference.

Neither makes any difference as far as your personal happiness is concerned.

We demand a financial success, or a social gain, because we think it will fulfill us inwardly. It won’t. It never will—as we have suspected all along. So-called success provides ego-excitement, but never self-fulfillment. It is just as impossible for an exterior result to provide inner happiness as it is for a new hat to give us a new mind.

A man may object, “But what do I have to live for, if not for exciting results?” The mystic replies, “For abiding happiness.”

I know. This principle goes against everything we have been taught. All of us are conditioned from birth to insist, expect, demand—and be anxious. Yes, this is the human way. But we are tired of it. We are on the esoteric path where everything is different. The difference is the gift of cheery abandonment for which we have always yearned.

When we don’t have an ego-centered demand for a particular result, we remain light-hearted, whether the outcome is so-called good or so-called bad. The free man dwells above human good and bad; he floats in a higher Good.

Not that we are careless in our human affairs. Far from it. We are much more skillful in running our daily tasks. This freedom clears the mind, turns emotions into allies. (See Chapter 10 for more details on this idea).

Think of some plan that you desperately want to succeed. Now ask yourself, “How would I feel if I didn’t care how it turned out?” See! Your peace is assured, regardless of results. That is what we are getting at.

“I am a practical business executive. I don’t see how I can be indifferent to results in the arena of dollars and cents. This particular idea somehow eludes me.”

“Let’s put it this way: Be just as active as you like in your business, but do it to earn your living, never for ego-gratification. Try to see the difference in the two. I guarantee that you will never again have a business headache, not even when severe problems arise.

The situation may be confused, but you are not.”

LET COSMIC PRINCIPLES WORK FOR YOU “I’d like that. Will you please summarize?”

“Intelligently work for this or that goal in your daily affairs, but give up all concern for results. Let whatever wants to happen go ahead and happen. You keep your peace when you don’t demand a certain result; for example, that the customer should buy your product, or that this person should appreciate you. Set up no demands for anything from anyone. Grasp this tremendous principle and your life will never again be the same.”

You, the reader, can start right now. Try it in small matters at first. Do what you like, but leave results entirely to themselves. Call it an outcome, but do not label it as either a good or bad outcome. By doing this, you work in harmony with mysterious and powerful

cosmic principles. Now, let’s discover a practical procedure for effective work.

Over the years I have found it a valuable practice to select a basic principle, reduce it to a single sentence, and reflect on it for several days. We do this in our Mystic Path Study Groups here in Los Angeles. You can do likewise with any of the hundreds of ideas in this book. Select one that attracts you in particular and work with it. Let’s select three mystical principles and see how our reflections might go.

PRINCIPLE: The Mystic Path calls for courage and persistence.

MY REFLECTION: “I work daily to become a stronger and more self-aware person. I will be neither surprised nor afraid if and when my present world of beliefs and opinions comes tumbling down. This is both good and necessary. Now, on the cleared space, I can build a new self made of wisdom and quietude.”

PRINCIPLE: Man is asleep, but can awaken.

MY REFLECTION: “Man suffers because he does not see the true nature of things. So great is his sleep-hypnosis that he doesn’t even suspect that he sees everything through the screen of his own false assumptions. But man can wake up! All can be changed.

There is another world. Through willingness to surrender the ego-self—not through strength or wisdom, but through willingness—he can break free into spontaneous living.”

PRINCIPLE: We must constantly seek a clear self-understanding.

MY REFLECTION: “Self-clarity comes first. Unless I am clear within myself, I cannot prevent problems from arising, nor can I dismiss them. I must wash away confusing emotions, like depression and self-pity, which make self-clarity impossible.

How can we see things clearly when our eyes are full of tears?”

THE WINNING WAY

One permanent enrichment given by universal principles is a flexibility that enables us to meet and handle any situation. If it is an unwanted habit, it falls away. If it is a family crisis, we remain in calm command.

A person living from his false self cannot do this. He reacts rigidly and mechanically to everything. He has no choice; he must obey the tyrannical dictates of the artificial self, which leads to distress and disaster. This explains the repeated failure of the person who vows not to lose his temper any more and to be nicer to others. The false self cannot be anything but negative. “It is foolish to be surprised when the fig tree produces figs.”

(Marcus Aurelius)

A rigid man is like a lecturer who writes out ten speeches but is satisfied only with the last one. Since he carelessly carries the nine jumbled versions with him as he faces his audience, he fumbles around, reads the wrong notes, forgets what he wants to say, and so on. He is embarrassed and distressed, all because he is still connected with the faulty material of the past. Yet, he can use his intelligence so that this won’t happen again. He can toss out the wrong notes. Then he can speak accurately and easily.

So can we, by dismissing the false ideas we have collected over the years, be free and flexible.

One useless idea is that a mere discussion of our faults, that is, merely talking about them, does any good. Self-confession must be accompanied by self-insight. Without insight, talk becomes an endless procession of wrongdoing and confession, misbehaving and admitting. Genuine confession represents an honest breakthrough into ourselves.

When that happens, there is less and less of wrongdoing and, quite naturally, less pain in the form of reactions. The New Testament term metanoia, sometimes translated as

“repentance,” means “change of mind.” That is what we gain as we see into ourselves.

We experience genuine change of mind, a new kind of mind, one that is flexible, wise, unafraid, one capable of serving our true interests.

Another false notion to dismiss is that we are threatened by our past follies. Listen!

Once we determine to find ourselves, past experiences turn to profit. This includes everything unhappy, sinful, shameful, childish, impulsive, regretful. How? One way to know this is by contrasting what we used to be and what we are changing into. Nothing is more encouraging than to see ourselves actually changing our very nature.

In addition, past events help us to see a basic lesson of the Mystic Path: Human folly is done while in a state of non-awareness, of psychic hypnosis. This encourages us to become more awake, for we see that wakefulness is the true and only answer to human folly. Finally, we see that we can become entirely free of guilt and shame stemming from past behavior. We realize that it was not done by the True Self, but by the artificial self—

which is now fading out. Who needs a candle in the sunlight?

FEAR HAS NO POWER WHATSOEVER

Fear toward something gives that something false power over you. The chains which appear to enslave us are made of paper. That is what we must see. For example, the question comes:

“You often repeat that we must see things as they really are, not as we imagine them.

May we have an example of this from everyday life?”

“Take a man in middle age or older who suddenly sees that his business affairs have failed, or are only mediocre. His friends are much more successful or are already retired on comfortable pensions. The thought fills him with despair. He feels cheated. That man could change everything in a wink. He need only see things as they are in reality; that is, it makes no difference whatsoever to his own happiness whether he succeeds or not. It never did make any difference, but he is still hypnotized by deluded society with all its stupid praise of what it calls success. Incidentally, that man’s more successful friends are not nearly as happy as they pretend.”

To destroy the false power of fear, a man can start with his human relationships. He can break the paper chains looped around him by society. He can refuse to cringe before the cruel and the domineering and daringly pursue his true individuality. If Ralph Waldo Emerson had not penned anything but the following, he would have left mankind with a resounding battle cry of freedom:

“Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its

members... Self-reliance is its aversion... It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs... He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of

goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” (Self-Reliance)

We might add: Nothing is at last noble but a human being whose mind is free of fear.

“There is a particular area of social relation that is seldom discussed as it needs to be.

I’m speaking of the fear that people have toward each other. Will you comment on this?”

“You must never inwardly consent to a fear relationship with another person. Even if you must live with him or her, you must refuse to be afraid. The techniques of the Mystic path will help you detach yourself.”

“What do you mean by a fear relationship?”

“Where you are not fully at ease. There can be no love or understanding if you are uneasy toward another. It is necessary that you become aware of your anxiety toward him or her. This leads to other insights which gradually set you free.”

“Why are we afraid of others?”

“Because we want something from them. The desire can be almost anything—

companionship, approval, sex, security. The mistake is this: Not having found the True Self which is free from compulsive desires, we seek gratification from people. This creates fear that we won’t get what we want, or anxiety that the other person will make us pay dearly for it. All this is terrible torture which you must refuse to endure any longer.

With your new insight, all your human relationships are carefree.”

THE UNUSUAL GEORGE GURDJIEFF

Let’s meet a modern mystic with some uniquely exciting ideas about escape from psychic prison: George Gurdjieff. Though his early life is veiled in mystery, Gurdjieff was probably born in Alexandropal, in Asia Minor, about 1872. This remarkable and often controversial man spent a dozen years roaming about the East in search of esoteric teachings. He returned with a tremendous wealth of wisdom for the Western world.

Gurdjieff summarized the problem: Mankind is asleep but doesn’t know it. So deep is

Gurdjieff summarized the problem: Mankind is asleep but doesn’t know it. So deep is