1.1: The Beginning
The laws and regulations of the society are external. They reach to the behaviour, what the man chooses to say and do with his body. But under what influence is the man when he chooses to do things in one way over the other? The behaviour does not spring forth on its own. It is depended on that what the man has in himself. It is namely that what passes through his soul, heart, spirit, mind, and/or body, or the seeming lack thereof. First the man experiences specific internal activity, and next he chooses to make use of his body to that end. The external behaviour does merely reflect/confirm the man’s current understanding and attitude. The internal activity is the cause, while the external activity is the consequence. The man can mention truth and moral values as something to be cherished, while he fails to define from what pure source it is originated. It is not only about that in knowing the right answer and possessing the inner strength to act upon it. But the man must also abstain from a bad influence which seeks to contradict it, since it will otherwise corrupt the man’s understanding and make him neglectful of the proper path. Hence it is imperative to discern the internal activity, what kinds of two conflicting natures are involved, what belongs to the sphere of either one, and which one is to be pursued for and which one is to be avoided. The man must first know himself if he is going to overcome himself. And if the man manages to overcome himself then he will be in full control of himself. A self-knowing man ceases to allow bad internal activity (desires, thoughts, impulses) to make impression upon him. He waits patiently for the bad influence to pass, without him being swayed by it, and while holding himself in check. What the man carries in himself does affect his personal experience of all things. What is come across out in the world does appeal to existing qualities in the man. False and bad opinions of other people fail to get reception if bad qualities are absent in the man, while truthful and good opinions of other people succeed in getting reception if good qualities are present in him. The man’s siding in circumstances and human relations must be put into context of that what has already happened within him.
As people become more corrupt then they will decree more and more laws, in which is supposed to lessen their selfishness or contain it. It is come up with different penalties for different crimes, which can be executed in different way and through different intentions, even that it involves corresponding corruption from within. It is neglected to come up with simple definition of the evil nature, what kind of desires and delusions and impulses belong to it, which will later manifest itself in vices and improper conduct. It is important to know what is deemed to be a wrong conduct in general (like murder, theft, false witness) and by what driving force, rather than by dwelling on the many forms which such conduct can manifest itself in (how it can be done, the scenery). All these things might seem different to each other, and not involving precisely the same details, and yet it involves the same start driving the same means. A selfish man can seek to change his thoughts and words in the meantime, like by having different expectations or reasons for doing things. And yet that man keeps doing exactly the same selfish things, and all this time he has been motivated by the same selfish desires. The circumstances may be different, what kind of people are involved and what they have done, but we should still not allow all the minor details to confuse us. It should rather be kept ourselves to the definition of virtues and vices, what kind of attitude and manner does correspond to its general description, regardless of the outward appearance. This work deals with the spiritual activity, when it comes to discern the inner voice and what kind of values belong to it. It is about the intentions of the human heart, what kind of premises motivate the subsequent behaviour. It can be called principles, moral values, spiritual values, virtues, or good qualities. This work does also analyze the inner voice behind all temptations, what kind of temptations belong to it, and what wrong things should be avoided. But the problem remains what should be done after it has been known this fact (the reaction), ‘how’ it can actually be acted upon it, concerning the man’s determination and ability. It can apply that the man can at most avoid the wrong things, by being passive and on the defensive, while the right things are beyond his reach, something he is unable to grasp or obtain. The author confesses his own lack of understanding and ability.
Where to begin? What is the first thing which the man needs to know? What is it right now which can apply to the man in his position? It must be something which all men have in common and can relate to. It must be something which the man always has in himself and which follows him. It must be kept to the source, the essence of things, the core, that which can apply to anyone in anything, at any time, anywhere. That is namely the internal activity. It is about that what is happening inside the man while he is experiencing things outside him. It is about that how the internal activity affects the man, his personal experience and involvement. The internal activity includes the soul, heart, spirit, mind, body. It includes the man’s attention, interest, understanding, discernment, initiative, responsiveness, restraint, stability, fellow-feeling, bonding. These are the things which the man makes use of by simply existing. Success and failure is determined by that whether these factors are functioning as they should. There is a need for system which can apply both to high and low, rich and poor, strong and weak. There is a man who owns everything and then there is a man who owns nothing. There is a man who possesses something in himself and then there is a man who does not possess something in himself. But both these men have it in common to be bound to their internal activity. They both need to live with that what is happening within them. They both need to carry their own lives wherever they go. They cannot prevent that what keeps appearing within and how it manages to ‘touch’ them. What one man owns and makes use of, another man owns not and does not make use of. The man at the top does not know how the man at the bottom has it. Hence it cannot be made a system which only applies to some and not to others. It must be taken everyone into account. And it can only be taken everyone into account by discovering that what everyone have still left. It should be made a system which is centred upon the man himself. It can be separated all the external things which the man owns and which he has put around himself. It should not be healed the clothes. It should not be included the clothes when examining the human body. It should be kept things simple and essential by having the man alone, naked, and exposed. How will the man handle solitude? How will the man handle the silence? How will the man handle that what when he is all alone with his thoughts? How will the man handle that when being pressed and narrowed? Will the man grow restless and begin to seek shelter in external things? Or will the man remain steadfast and endure this experience for as long as it lasts? What does the man need to know for himself if he is going to live with himself? What is helpful when it comes to deal with the internal activity? As it has been said then it should be kept things simple. If there is a doubt about something then the man needs to confess the truth with himself and abide by the same. If the man is growing restless then he needs to stay calm and silent. If the man is beginning to lose himself in thoughts then he needs to shift his attention and maintain his distance. If the man lacks something in himself then he needs to pray for the same thing. If something is beyond the man’s control then he needs to be humble and patient about it. These are the simple things which work. It can be repeated the same simple things in countless situations, regardless of differences in outward appearance. The primary goal is not to own everything. It is rather to be well and make the best out of the situation. Even that the circumstances are not ideal and perfect then they are still being adequate, acceptable, and bearable. The man did at least manage to maintain inner stability and continue to do that which he believes in. Sometimes that is enough. The man lasted throughout the day. The man fulfilled that which helps him live with himself.
The man does not need to know about all the wrong paths that should ‘not’ be taken, but he only needs to know about the one right path which should be taken instead. If the man keeps himself on the right path then he will of course not get lost at the same time. But even that the man knows about all the wrong paths then it does still not make him any closer to the right path, whereto he should look for it and how to tread that path to the very end. It should first be understood the basic formulas, and how all of them are built upon the same foundation, and then it can be solved any challenges which can emerge in any circumstances. But one does not need to remember every possible option, how something is already being solved as correct or already disproved as wrong, like when mathematics is involved. That to possess understanding in calculating right answers to new and unexpected questions/tests, that is superior to that in relying upon mere memory in imitating answers to the same old and expected questions/tests. It should be looked upon this in context with the spiritual aspect, where the basic formulas are namely charity and freedom and reason and nobility of soul. It also concerns the question how one can discern the voice of the intuition, and cultivate it further, so the intuition will reveal itself more clearly in upcoming circumstances. It is not necessary that one should be aware of all the wrong possibilities, as if it would first be reminded oneself of evil option and next rejected it. It is either way not part of the right path, where one is actually better off not knowing it, without implicating it to oneself. The human body has different organs and limbs which need to work together, so the man can continue to live, operate with success, and perform complex moves. A similar thing applies to the spiritual body, or the man’s soul, where it does of course need to stay healthy, strong, sane, sober, stable, temperate, and able to heal from any wounds or sickness. The benefits in question are not something which we can produce directly into our soul, but it is merely the consequence or the effects, which is determined by other factors. The spiritual body is upheld by moral values, which all belong to the truth and the goodness. The fundamental values are namely charity, freedom, reason, and altruism. The spiritual values must function alongside each other, in a perfect balance and harmony, and work for the same goal in sight. Then can the man become spiritually complete, and fit for any challenges, even as when the physical body exerts itself and endures harsh surroundings. It is not possible to have success by relying upon freedom alone, while it is neglected reason and altruism. And it is not possible to rely upon reason alone, while it is neglected charity and freedom. For that one cannot become free if one is not being concerned for the wellbeing of others. One cannot become wise if one is unwilling to pursue/follow through needed changes in one’s stance. And one cannot become altruistic if it is failed to act upon wise counsel, when a corresponding situation calls for the same unchanged resolve. It is not like one can become free and wise if it is contrary to one’s personal beliefs and willingness, so it has not even been bothered to consider its possibility and reach out for it.
What defines the fundamental values, what do they stand for, and in what lies the difference between them and their opposites? For example, it is through freedom that we can continue the flow in our heart and spirit, when it comes to pursue and choose that which appeals most to that who we are and what we can do most effectively, what we were all this time meant for fulfilling such role and contribute our part to the whole. It must of course first be understood freedom before we can understand why slavery is an unnatural and distorted form of freedom, and thereby become even more determined in rejecting that opposite. If we were originally free within but have now become enslaved by self-constraint; then we will surely miss all the benefits of a free spirit which is now lost to us. Something similar can be said about charity, reason, and altruism, in what way these values benefit our life, while it is rejected every contradiction which leads to disruption of them. It must first be understood the basic teachings before one is ready to learn the advanced ones. It is not possible to discover advanced knowledge if the basics remain neglected, even as how a consequence cannot exist without cause, or an end without a beginning. It is all about right prioritization, what can be turned to and thereby away from something else, what can spotted/recognized and sought to know further, what can be focused upon narrowing down to one conclusive truth. Such thing can never happen at random or by some chance. If one is faithful in the small matters then one will also be so in the greater matters, because both of them are identical to each other, involving similar principles and approach. It is not spoken the truth as a lonesome or separate thing, but it is spoken the truth for that which is good. A truthful man is able to discover further truth while he cares about that which is true and good. A false man is never able to discover such further truth while he does not care about that which is true and good. A truthful knowledge is being principled in good things, where through principles there are benefits, and it is aimed for such benefits to accompany the result. The condition of the earth can change for better or worse, and yet the physical laws still continue to be equally valid. Even so many things can happen to the human soul and affect it in various ways, and yet moral principles continue to apply just as much to it. It should be continued to strip things or narrow things down until there is a little thing left which can apply in general, instead of something being so encumbered by additional words that it only has a limited application. It should be kept oneself to the few and simple words which define the essence, while it is not as important to know every detail about the surface. It must be separated all superfluous issues, minor issues, superficial issues, digressions, long-winded descriptions, pointless contemplations, impractical knowledge. It must be separated that which only came later, but was not there in the beginning and has not stayed all the time. It must involve an universal truth, general knowledge, fundamental lessons, timeless principles, core ethical values.
1.2: A Metaphor for the Sources
It can be mentioned tree as a metaphor, when it comes to describe how the inner source does function. The roots of a tree are the most important aspect of it, where if it is irrigated near the roots then there will go nourishment to all other parts of the tree, so in consequence can the branches grow and bring forth ripened fruits. It should not be irrigated the fruits above the roots themselves, the mere consequence above the cause itself in which leads to it, since the nourishment will otherwise be wasted. There is not received more fruits by gazing upon them, or by straining after a single fruit above everything else, the minor issues above the important ones. But the foundation must be directly cultivated so that everything else will happen indirectly by itself. The ripened fruits will fall down by themselves in the fullness of time, and one only needs to receive them. No shortage will come by taking off the fruits, while the tree itself will produce and bear new ones instead. So the roots themselves are the only priority and no fruits have priority above them. There must first be roots available in a tree before branches can grow. But if one neglects the roots then it cannot be expected that branches or fruits will appear later on, since that all consequences must have a cause prior to it. Therefore must a foundation be established, involving charity and freedom and reason and nobility of soul, so that through that basis can all other virtues grow and bring forth good choices. It is not like one can neglect one of these aspects and focus rather upon selfish things upon a selfish basis, as if one could be greedy between/among selfless qualities or that one could be greedy in some matters and moderate in other matters. Prudent counsel and good choices is not something that happens by some chance. For the selfish man is unable to look outside the box, while he proves to be so self-centred, self-absorbed, greedy for gain, and indifferent to the wellbeing of others. The man must first maintain his intentions pure before he can bring forth pure knowledge and pure choices, but if the attitude proves to be selfish then the offering will become selfish as well. If the man establishes virtues in his life then it will begin to spread to other factors, and influence them for the better. The strength of one virtue will prepare the way for new virtues in the man’s soul, so that he begins to have a different look upon the same things in his life. Every virtue contributes to an indirect victory over the vice which is the opposite of it. The virtues work together for the same goal, and derive strength from each other, so there is always a perfect harmony between the sense of the truth and its moral values. All virtues are kindred to each other, children of the same inner source, and subject to the same truth, so that where there is reason there is also modesty and humility. The man who speaks the truth is also being modest and humble, while a man who speaks presumptuous things is also being proud and arrogant, since these many qualities are siding/chaining one another upon the same basis which they are situated. If the man allows his vision to become corrupted by selfishness and partiality then he is in no position to preach to other people, how they can have perfect lives according to his message, since that same message is made imperfect through an imperfect teacher. The man’s words and human effort can only reach as far as what he has already become, where it does merely reflect that what he has already chosen and yielded to in his heart.
It can be mentioned another kind of tree that is being bad, the exact opposite of the goodness, constantly seeking to contradict it in everything. The bad tree attempts to force itself into the man’s spiritual life, and entangle him with its branches. If the man chooses to receive the bad fruits then the good fruits will be overshadowed and neglected at the same time. The bad fruits do not give any nourishment to the man, but they do on the contrary drain energy out from him and feed upon his soul. If the man is going to reject the bad fruits then he must also reject the branches of the bad tree. And if he is going to reject the branches then he must also reject the roots of the bad tree. It is about discovering the source behind all temptations and problems, what kind of delusions and vices causes the man to become receptive toward it, so the man can thereby confront and overcome it, to prevent identical problems and faults. But the man should not seek to justify the existence of the bad tree, its roots and branches, while the man does only gaze upon that in getting rid of these or those fruits (selfish problems/illusions in his mind). For even that one bad fruit is tossed away then there will always grow new fruits instead, since that while the branches do exist then other fruits will continue to appear. But even that the branches are hewn off then other branches will emerge with the time, since that while the roots continue to exist then everything else will grow in the bad tree. It can be mentioned a contradiction and hypocrisy that exists in our society at these times. Metaphorically, there is a wholly bad tree where all its fruits are being bad. And yet people are being taught that it is all right to eat one of the bad fruit on a wholly bad tree while they are not supposed to eat a bad fruit that is located somewhere near on that wholly bad tree. People are being taught that it is all right to commit faults based on covetousness in some matters while they are not supposed to commit faults based on covetousness in other matters. It is like it would be encouraged a person to become greedy or sexually immoral in some matters while expecting the same person to become moderate and spiritually pure in other matters. But because such greed and sexual immorality is founded upon absence of charity then it should not come as a surprise when a person takes things further and becomes totally inconsiderate to other people. Hence the contradiction of encouraging one thing while expecting fundamentally different thing to happen. It is like it would be told a person that it is all right to heed the devil in some matters while that person should not heed the devil in other matters. But that to tolerate the presence of the devil in some matters is to tolerate his presence when he is suggesting the other matters.
The evil foundation is driven forth by two extremes, namely selfishness and self-righteousness, which enslaves the man to obsession for irrelevant things, working against his spiritual welfare. It does corrupt the man’s understanding, into believing that lies are supposed to be truth and that the truth is supposed to be a lie, and where the wrong path is supposed to be the right one and the right path is supposed to be the wrong one. It does then finally lead to improper and immoral behaviour, which is subversive to the environment and other people. The bad tree seeks to entice the man into making use of its bad branches and bad fruits, while he is seeking to resist the bad roots or the bad tree in whole. This means that the evil source offers bad advises against itself, so the man will neglect to notice the good tree and fail to rely upon it as his true deliverance. It does thereby involve an improper struggle against temptations (selfish problems), where the man digresses to irrelevant means in order to obtain victory. It will only make the man even more self-absorbed and alienated from the reality. It is namely fought upon a wrong basis, like when it is sought to do good things for selfish reasons, or relied upon selfish means in order to achieve good outcome. As the man does digest more bad fruits then he will become even more hungered in his soul, where it does only leave emptiness and increases the problem even further. For that selfish desires are insatiable in their nature, always craving more and more, and replacing more and more. It is like a cup/vessel that has a hole at the bottom and can thereby never be filled. The remaining good things are wasted every time the man attempts to appease his craving.
It can never be made a successful compromise between the good tree and the bad tree. It cannot be attached branches of the good tree to the bad tree, or attached branches of the bad tree to the good tree. This means that it does never work out to make virtues in small matters serve selfishness in the greater matters, by abusing/misusing virtues for selfish ends, or building some kind of moral code upon a foundation which is evil in its nature. And a similar thing applies how deception and craftiness can never serve the goodness, when it is made use of lies and selfish methods in order to obtain success for a good cause. All such compromises are originated from the evil source. It taints the man’s understanding of the truth and its moral principle, so it does no longer involve any goodness at all. The goodness must always remain pure and belong to the good source. The good source does never resort to any lies, deception, selfishness, and corruption, but all such influence must surely come from the evil source, no matter how small and insignificant it might seem. It is in the nature of the selfishness to be always wrong about everything, where it has no merit and justification in itself, where it only creates a problem and increases it even further. It is in the nature of the goodness to be always right about everything, where it is merited and justified in all aspects, able to promote any benefit and solve any problem. The pure goodness and the pure evilness are always separate. The inner voice of the good source does always encourage pure goodness, while the inner voice of the evil source does both encourage pure evilness and selfish compromises. For example, the man can attempt to do both right and wrong at the same time, because he agrees with both sources but he is being conflicted about it, so he tries to ‘do the selfish thing in a more decent way’. But these two sources do never encourage the same thing, so the man does either turn to the good source or to the evil source, rather than that they would be united or both offering the same compromises. It is not like the man can successfully mix together these contradictory natures, as if a criminal act would not be blameworthy if the criminal would show a little degree of decency on his behalf, or that it could be justified the bad qualities because the man does also possess good qualities. For example, let’s say that a man would own a slave. It would be beside the point whether that man treats the slave less severely or more humanely in comparison to other slave owners, as if such a good treatment would seem to justify slavery in general. It should still the same never be enslaved a human being to begin with, regardless of the circumstances. A similar thing applies how it should never be attempted to build some kind of moral code upon a basis which proves to be corrupt from the outset. It can happen that criminals seek to create rules that attempt to limit the wickedness of crimes to a certain degree, rather than by avoiding all crimes to begin with and in having honest profession that does something constructive.
The good source is already perfect in all its glory, where it is able to know anything and conquer anything, without ever needing any advices or support from the evil source. The sole purpose of corruption is to contradict the truth and its virtues. If the man allows himself to become corrupted then he will begin to neglect the good source and its values, until the corruption has spread to all factors in his life and deprived him of spiritual health. The good tree and the bad tree can never be united, in carrying forth common branches or fruits, for their nature does completely contradict each other. All compromises are to the only effect in distancing the man from the pure goodness and its altruism, since even that the grey colour is not black then it is still the same not white. While the man keeps being swayed by selfish compromises then he keeps digressing from the good source in all its glory. The man should rather remain steadfast with the good tree and eat its fruits, where the attention should only be maintained on the right things that need to be done. But the man should not look back to the bad tree, nor have attention on the wrong things which should not be done. The bad tree must be plucked up by the roots, and the roots of the good tree must then replace the soil (the human heart and soul). It is not possible through our human effort alone, what we have struggled to do in our self-will, but it is only the good source which can bring us true and lasting change. The nourishment of the good tree is manifested in a higher truth, which makes us self-aware and enlightened, in knowing what is right or wrong with our life. The good source endows us with the power to overcome any roots, branches, and fruits that belong to the evil source. It does not matter in what form it can appear to us, how loud the temptations might seem to be, or how strong grip they have upon our soul. And the same goes if the bad tree attempts to spread its seeds to the good tree, or seek to entangle the good tree with its branches. For the good tree will never budge, since the good tree is the greater one and every part of the bad tree will break down by itself.
The man is constantly faced with the choice which source he will adhere to and base his life upon. All virtues are originated from charity, while all vices are originated from self-centred desires, so it does determine where all subsequent effort will be directed to. It is not necessary that the man should give the bad tree further attention, like when the man chooses to struggle against selfish problems on his own and he does not seem to notice anything else, since it will otherwise only lead to his negligence of the good tree and what it has to offer. It is only sufficient for the man to keep himself to the good tree, that side of the area where it is located, and then allow its good roots to replace all the bad roots that exist in his life. Therefore can new and good branches replace the old and bad ones, and bear forth fruit accordingly, until the bad tree will collapse by itself and be entirely replaced. The man will no longer consider the evil source, its evil possibilities and selfish problems, but will only focus his attention upon that in which belongs to the good source. It is like the man will ascend higher and higher upon the good tree, in which gives him a higher vantage point of all things upon the ground, when it comes to discern its true value. The man must sacrifice his loose habits and weaknesses in order to make room for virtues, since the old and decayed things would otherwise block all further growth. It must be prepared a new and pure foundation, rather than by seeking to fix that in which is already corrupt and irredeemable, since that no life will ever come of lifeless things. It is through faith and patience that the man is able to withstand temptations in the long run, even that he does not know any definite answers to his problems, since he did so through determination alone. Then after the man has overcome these temptations then he will notice things with purer eyes, and acquire deeper understanding about its value, since his heart has been freed from the evil influence that had existed prior to it. But such enlightenment cannot take place if the man has already yielded to temptations and become corrupted, since this evil influence has changed the way in which the man sees himself and all other things. The growth of the good tree must be allowed to happen on its own accord, and in its own time, rather than the man should get ahead of himself and attempt to force it to happen too soon. The man’s own eagerness does only get in the way, like when it involves a wishful thinking or when he strains to control when the growth will happen. It can rather be said that it is sufficient to believe that the good source can make it happen on its behalf, all in its due time, when a necessity calls for it in circumstances, or when we are deemed faithful and ready enough to receive it. The blissful and peaceful place is insubstantial, not something to be travelled to in this world, but it is rather to be discovered and upheld in our soul. The map to that blissful place does consist in moral principles, where our adherence to the good source will get us closer, and unlock more benefits in our life.
1.3: Truth and Goodness
To begin with then it is a truth that men have spoken something about someone or something, and yet it must still be made a discernment whether such words prove to be correct and confirming facts, or incorrect and contradicting facts. It is also a truth that men have behaved in a specific way, and yet it must still be made discernment whether such behaviour proves to be proper and adaptable to the circumstance, or improper and disregarding it. It is thereby one thing what has been said and done in this world, while its actual content and context is a different matter. It is through the truth that one is able to discern the true nature and value of all things. The truth does both bear testimony to that what proves to be true and what proves to be false, what proves to be right and what proves to be of wrong, what proves to be proper and what proves to be improper. The truth makes us able to know why a specific choice is being considered, and to what consequences it will lead to. But it is not like a specific choice is supposed to be ultimate, at the expense of all the other options, since the truth does bear testimony to the value of each opinion and choice. It is a truth that all virtues are based upon the truth, while all vices are based upon lies. It is a truth that a reasonable counsel leads to beneficial consequences, while a short-sighted counsel lead to harmful consequences. It is a truth that a right opinion is based on facts, while wrong opinions are not based on facts. So there are not many versions of the truths taking place at the same time which get in the way of each other and lead to contradiction, for the truth bears testimony to the lasting value of every factor. The truth is not only bound to external matters, like what people have said and done openly in this world, or what kind of facts and physical laws are known about the universe. For the truth does also reach to the human soul, heart, spirit, mind, and body, what kind of activity has been taking place from within, what nature it belongs to, what is its true value and effects, both in the short term and in the long one. It is true that the man can feel and think about something in a certain way, or that he has went through specific feelings and thoughts, so it cannot be denied that such personal experience took place. The truth can both accept the existence of something (that it is there) and discern whether the same thing is being founded or unfounded (what it is made out of). The truth makes us able to discern whether this activity in us is being a noble aspiration or selfish desire, whether something is really calling for it or that it is being whimsical, and whether it being done for genuine reasons or not. The individual can experience circumstances in his own unique way, according to his vantage point. People can notice the same facts and experience the same events, but the reception and interpretation and the response does vary between individuals. But many men tend to intermingle the fact with their own assumption, as if could not be noticed one fact without implicating it to an assertion, a personal bias or prejudice, which proves to be wrong in whole. For example, it is a truth that we can notice something wrong in the bearing of other people, but the following assumption or reaction toward such issue should be looked upon as a separate thing. It can namely happen that the man does receive other people’s weaknesses too much into his temper, so that he will tend to judge them in a harsh way and treat them with contempt. It was thereby a fact that such people revealed their flaws, but that man chose to interpret it in a wrong way. For he did no longer look upon these facts by themselves, what had originally happened in the situation, but he did immediately implicate the facts to another meaning, namely that superficial assertion in his mind.
It can be mentioned the concept of listening to one’s heart, by speaking from the heart, by writing from the heart, and by having the heart in the right place. Then there is the expression of having the right spirit, when it comes to have a good attitude in confronting something, in making one’s best possible effort when competing for a specific goal, and in letting the deeds speak for themselves. It is as if the achievement would be done for the sake of itself or as its own reward, so that during the attempt it is not cared about any implications to one’s self/ego. That to possess the right spirit is something which can only be sensed and felt from within, but it is not something in which can produced through mere thoughts and words. It is namely the human spirit that endows us with an inner spark, in which revives our spirit and inspires us forth, so that afterwards are noble sayings and deeds made. It has nothing to do with that what the mind says at the same time, as if the mind could claim all the credit and boast about it. We would still the same have received such inspiration from the human spirit, while experiencing total silence in the mind. It might at first seem like that our heart is talking to us, when it is sensed or perceived a silent meaning, which encourages us to be plainspoken with ourselves. It is not really the human heart which is some kind of intellectual organ. It can rather be said that the heart does contain the human spirit, the very source in which endows the man with a meaningful purpose, and drives him forth to noble undertakings. Where the human spirit is there is also spiritual health and stability. If the man is going to become healthier in his soul then he must adhere to that which belongs to the spirit. It does not consist in that of pretending to agree with the human spirit or by seeking to flatter it, but it must rather be understood its moral principles and applied them in practice. The man can sense it silently in his heart what is the right thing to do. And before the man knows it there comes over him an internal stabilizing, equanimity, and sobriety. It was not like the man did first need to stop and think about it, by reminding himself about these or those issues, by trying to re-evaluate memories or foresee things in his imaginations. The proper knowledge did arrive timely on its own accord, when it was really needed in the situation, when the man had become ready to receive it and make good use of it. It can be mentioned an example about education, when it is undertaken a specific test/exam. For that we can solve the exam in a silent way, where it is often experienced a spontaneous inspiration while we are writing down our answer, and being active with our hands, even that we have not stopped and begun to think about that what should be done next. It is something that was never planned in advance, nor thought about in the meantime. But such spontaneous inspiration happened after we had arrived on the scene, making us get the right feeling in our body.
There is a silent and hidden meaning located deeper in our heart, waiting to be unlocked and loosened, according to our conviction and experience and integrity. It could be likened to that when a sponge does absorb water into itself, but the water cannot be seen on the surface, unless the sponge is squeezed/pressed by something. The knowledge does exist in our heart, although it can remain unconscious or inactive for a time, until a specific circumstances will emerge that call for its involvement and proper use. Therefore must first appear a proper material, content, or a context, which can arouse that knowledge in us and draw it out. It would otherwise never have been discovered while we remained idle, or during our loose habits, or when seeking directly for a knowledge in a whimsical and self-centred way. It is like the knowledge does come naturally by itself, when we have to make an actual choice, be consistent with our conviction, and withstand temptations. It can happen that we sense a specific meaning, like something heading in the right direction, although it is somewhat ambiguous, difficult for us to put it into proper words and make ourselves fully comprehensible. It is like that conviction does need more material to call it forth, like further resolve in rejecting temptations within or further active participation in circumstances and human relations. We need to act upon current conviction before it can become a clearer message. Our personal conviction is often not explained in any definite words. But our conviction will obtain more growth through successful moral choices, what has been inclined to in our heart and practiced in the long run, reflecting our real stance. As the man spends more time upon idleness then it will deprive him of further necessary experience, which would otherwise have dispelled all his unfounded worries and presumptions. That man is contemplating further about things that are beyond his personal experience, where he relies upon imaginations of the mind as some kind of substitute for the reality outside. Such fantasies do lack all substance, where they do not make things any easier for the man, but these fantasies do needlessly overcomplicate things. While the man is trying to find the imaginary things that he foresees then he neglects to notice the very real things in front of him. Also, as the man spends more time upon contemplations then it makes him more idle and self-absorbed, where it is neglected participation in constructive goals with its following lessons. It must be acknowledged the reality as it is and adapted to its demands, rather than by preferring the mind’s version of the reality over the reality itself, its wishful thinking how the reality is ‘rather supposed to be’. As the man does contemplate the more about the matters ahead then he will experience less sense and inspiration, in which would otherwise have accompanied the human spirit, since the man is spending all his time upon the mind and relying upon its bad advices. The old saying applies that the deepest waters have the least noise, which means that the men whom possess wisdom are also being discreet and modest about it. But short-sighted men are loud and boastful in their bearing, deriving false confidence from the presumptions that they rely upon, and being delusional about their own importance and capability.
In our times people tend to speak of ‘good’ things, without mentioning altruism and virtues in which define the goodness. It is also spoken about ‘bad’ things, without mentioning selfishness and vices in which define the evilness. It is instead spoken of ‘positivity’ and ‘negativity’, as if mere thoughts and words would only matter, while it is not confirmed one’s stance in actual choices. ‘Positivity’ involves that which is seemingly good or to make something seem good, while it is overlooked the morality of that which is being said and what made the person say it in the first place. People speak of things which are supposed to be good or bad, while they lack understanding of the original source, its essence and lasting value. It is failed to define each nature, what separates them, and marks the boundary between them. It can apply that a man does praise good things which he himself has been unwilling to reach out for, and he does condemn bad things which he himself has already yielded to in his life. The man’s conduct does contradict his words, so that he is not in any position to pass verdicts in such matters. The matter is not about that whether specific words seem to be ‘positive’ or ‘beautiful’ to the audience, but rather whether the man is actually being consistent with his own speech. It should be looked upon the speech in context with his life, what the man has hitherto done, what has taken place before he made that speech and what will happen afterwards. Any man can speak in a ‘positive’ way, while it remains totally irrelevant to the foundation of his life and conduct at all times. That to think and speak is not the same thing as conviction and choices, so that any selfish man can speak about doing some lofty and great things in the future while it is not within his power to achieve them. But the scrupulous man can just as well think of nothing and say nothing out loud, while he goes straight for that which the conviction of his heart reaches to and silently performs a noble deed. The purpose of the speech is to make ourselves comprehensible to another person, so it will involve mutual understanding, what kind of context is wanted to share and promote. But it is not like we do think and speak as an end in itself, without any tangible response or action, since we need to make it come true what we have been intending for. If the man would always be thinking and speaking then there would be no time left for behaviour, since that empty words are unable to achieve anything on their own accord. It does not involve a good quality if the man is being inconsistent with that what he tells himself and that what he tells other people and that what he practices. It involves a good quality if the man confesses the truth with himself, and he stays true to that when he speaks to other people and when there is need for involvement/participation. It does involve empty words if the man is only pretending to be perfect and saying that what he thinks other people expect him to say. It is come up with ‘beautiful’ words which he does not mean and has no intention of doing, when he will either way continue to neglect good things and prefer bad things. The words do reflect and confirm a good quality if the man only says as much as he understands and is willing to do, when he is willing to hold himself in check and abstain from bad things, when he remains silent and discreet in the midst of bad influence, when he stays open-hearted for that in doing good things and treating people in a good way, when he recognizes the good things in other people and judges them fairly/evenly. The man is being defined by his moral choices, what kind of person he is, what he has chosen to become, and what he is capable of, so the conduct reflects what kind of qualities he possesses. But the man can’t actually decide to have these or those qualities merely by thinking and speaking about them, as if the qualities could be taken or removed at his convenience.
A pure goodness is manifested in altruism. It describes itself in an unconditional goodwill, where it is pursued and practiced goodness for its own sake, without any expectation of getting something in return. The noble man is only concerned about the welfare of another person, even that it would be at the expense of his own self-interest or image among other people. The goodness is originated from the human spirit, and the goodness is a gift shared to human beings. The man can at most receive the goodness, and follow the goodness, and become a practitioner of the goodness. The goodness did not come to exist through the man’s self-will or wishful thinking. It is not like the man can claim to have invented the goodness or to have discovered the goodness first of everyone. One should beware of implicating the goodness personally to oneself, as if one could be justified as a ‘good man’, in having something to prove and something to boast of and something to demand, which is supposed to make one obtain some kind of self-gratification. If one is truly following the goodness with one’s whole heart and soul; then one is being equally selfless before making a good choice and during the good choice and after having made a good choice. The goodness is about personal conviction and moral choices each day, by taking one day at a time, but it is not something which can be achieved once and for all. There will always be another day after this day, which will test our resolve in following the goodness, so that we can continue to build upon the recent progress. It must be explained the nature of the goodness, what is the purpose with all of this, and its relevance to our own life, why we should believe in the goodness and seek to practice it. It should not be neglected such an important question, because we would otherwise be speaking and doing things for that which we do not understand. It can be mentioned that when people are very eager to follow the divinity, and yet it is being done with so little sense. It is not even bothered to understand its true nature, what the divinity is really looking for, or what the divinity feels about their service. The people will thereby dedicate their whole life to something that they are ignorant of, as if piety would only be implicated to manual labour, but not to spiritual freedom and understanding. It should have been consulted with the divinity at the very beginning, before presuming to do anything on its behalf. We should be mindful of that when it is had faith in the goodness. For we must approach it through the fundamental values, and then we can become sensible and able enough, when it comes to undertake something which bestows benefits and is of lasting value.
Every individual should recognize his spiritual gifts and cultivate them further, what makes him special and different from other men. All blessings are bestowed by the divinity, but no man is able to contain them all at the same time. Which man is there who is best in everything and surpassing everyone? It is like the divinity has distributed blessings between human beings in different quantity and quality, what things the person is more interested in than others and able to become efficient in its practice. The individual can become an expert in a specific field, where he spends more time upon it than other people, so he is finally able to make great discoveries and inventions. That individual does then share that knowledge to other people, where he can help those that are either ignorant of that field or unable to progress in it on their own. That individual can in turn be helped by experts in other fields, and so forth, so that people are meant to support each other. This is why it has been achieved so much progress in recent centuries, because we do not need to do so many things at the same time, or try to do everything from the scratch. It is not like the old times, where most of the time was spent upon that in searching for and providing food, finding shelter, and in building objects for own use and maintenance. Back then it was like all was being centred on the same primitive needs, and every man was doing the same manual labour, so that no time was left to be invested in education and expertise. But in our times then we can turn to the expert in such matters and receive help in no time, rather than that we would always be stuck at the same problem and have no clue about it. Many small things make one great result, which in this case applies to the contribution of every individual, so the society will benefit in whole and become highly sophisticated.
When a totalitarian state is involved then it is attempted to mould all men into the same shape, into thinking and behaving in the same way. The human restrictions of the dictator will be reflected to every aspect in the society, where the selfish desires and incompetence of one man will be at the expense of everyone else. If the society remains repressed and stagnant then it is because it has already happened from within the ruler, what kind of delusions and impulses have been domineering his soul. It is a hypocritical notion when a totalitarian state encourages the citizens to be only concerned about the whole, the welfare of the state and all the people. For that every individual is being neglected at the same time, where no man is being free and happy while he is only concerned about the concept of majority (greater numbers). Each man lives in constant fear and constraint, and he thinks that he needs to live like this for the sake of someone else. But that someone else is also living in constant fear and constraint, and thinking that he needs to live like this for the sake of someone else. All these bad things are being near and ever experienced; for the sake of something ‘good’ that is being distant and never experienced by those which it is supposed to benefit. Hence the totalitarian state’s version of the wellbeing of the whole is one big illusion, because no one is being benefited by the spiritual slavery and misery of everyone. It is the individuals that make the whole, but it is not the whole that makes the individuals. So it is only individual freedom which can make everyone free in the process, where many small things lead to one great result. If the individual neglects his spiritual side then he is in no position to preach to and improve other persons, and the same goes for the society in whole and its dealings with foreign societies. It can be mentioned the contradiction when a ruler is not contented with his own kingdom and neglects its internal affairs, while he gazes upon foreign wars and conquests. But it does not matter whether new lands and new people can be obtained, for the ruler will also not be contented with it and neglect its affairs, since he does already own it. That ruler will instead gaze upon other territories which he does not still possess, as if the same problem is merely delayed or transferred between locations. There must first be an internal change and next it will lead to an external change. For the inner change will prepare the soil, make the men willing and outspoken enough for an external change, in welcoming such change when the opportunity presents itself and responsibly maintain it. A broad-minded ruler seeks to expand the spaciousness of the citizens’ souls, that they might become more enlightened and civilized, that there might be more of fair reforms and humane progress in the society. But a narrow-minded ruler is only concerned about expanding the boundaries of his country/land, while narrowing/repressing the souls of all the citizens within. Because it can no longer be done simple and fundamental things (like by confessing the humble truth and that things need to improve); then the society becomes utterly incapable of reforms and progress.
The man must know the purpose of the goodness, so it can determine his overall attitude. Why should the man practice the goodness in the first place, what kind of benefits is wanted to promote, or what end is had in sight? The goodness seeks to promote the wellbeing of the person involved and help it have a virtuous life. That same purpose will always continue to apply, regardless of time and place. This explains why we should continue to practice goodness in the long run, by being willing enough to do it, in understanding the reasons behind it, and being bold enough to confront and endure opposition, as if we were only content with the good act. The man should seek to accustom himself to virtue, until it becomes a habit to him or like a second nature, so he will continue to do good act instantly, without reminding himself too much about it. This means that the man will always stay on the path, without making exceptions or being deliberately lax in between. It is not like the man can decide to take a break/pause from the goodness, or keep some factors to himself. Can the man really tell himself that he can retire from the goodness and become selfish for some time, and then expect to return some time later uncorrupted and again manage to fully follow the goodness? If the goodness deems it possible then it will welcome the man again and make him again capable of fully following the goodness. And yet there is nothing certain about the man himself and what he can now presume about the future, because once he has been corrupted then that very same corruption can make him unwilling to return to the goodness in the first place. The goodness should be done for its own sake, and as its own reward. The man should no longer try to rationalize why he should do a good act, but rather how he can accomplish it. When a faithful soldier is issued orders to undertake a mission then he does so straight away and unconditionally. He does not first try to rationalize with himself which side he should choose, or whether to stand his ground or abandon his comrades, since it is a treachery in itself to consider such things in the first place. This is why we don’t need to enumerate/invent these or those reasons (additional, alternate) in order to rationalize whether we should follow the goodness or not, by weighing up the selfish advantage to be gained or lost by doing so. For the matter is not about that whether the goodness has a rightful claim, but rather whether we are willing to acknowledge the obvious truth (originally known) and apply its human decency to our life. But a selfish man is constantly re-evaluating a good act and it only involves a temporary behaviour, having no foundation and being unable to last for long. The selfish man presumes it is too difficult to do a good act, and even that he manages to accomplish it then he will instantly boast about it. So he is indirectly admitting that such good act is the mere exception of the day, contrary to his general attitude and conduct.
The goodness always continues to be just as valid and functioning in full force, why one should be drawn to it and draw from it, why one should make use of its force and be used by it for good. But the means are not always the same. What works in one situation does not necessarily work in another, since the circumstances and the people involved can differ from one another. It should first be discerned why there is a need for intervention, and next how it should be executed and at what timing. For example, people do first decide what justifies their involvement in a war, and then that reason will drive forth everything else, where the subsequent effort is in the name of that reason. But it is a different matter in what way the war is conducted in order to obtain victory. The participants can come up with different military goals and locations, like why it should be attacked a certain target, how it should be approached and planned and executed. It is all about a right prioritization, where a proper motive leads to proper execution, at a proper timing, and then finally to proper results or consequences. But if one factor is neglected and found lacking then it will ruin the undertaking in whole. If the motive is wrong then the execution will be neglected as well, or the success of the execution will surely be misused in the end. A servant can come up with a right execution for his master, but since that master/leader proves to be selfish and foolish then the success of the operation will turn out short-lived. Further success is being undermined while the selfish and foolish notions of the leader keep getting in the way. The motive can be right but it is come up with a sloppy execution, or a proper execution at a sloppy timing, so it is failed to achieve proper results. A right motive is more likely to prepare the way for a right execution than a wrong motive, while a right motive on its own does not guarantee right results. Only proper means can lead to proper results, and proper means are being properly aligned and narrowed down by a proper motive. A wrong motive tends to turn into a completely different direction, where it is digressed to something irrelevant and needless, so even that the means can succeed then the very outcome is of no success in regard to the bigger picture. If the man is going promote good consequences then he must consistently heed and obey the good source in the long run, from the beginning to the very end. The man should heed the voice of the goodness when it encourages good motive and intention in his heart, and also heed its voice when it encourages good execution and good timing in circumstances, and also heed its voice when it encourages good use of the success/consequences (responsibility, pursuit of further good things, that in helping other people). All of this must be true and pure from the first one to the last one. There will be failure if the man also chooses to heed and obey the evil source in these matters, when it is tried to mix evil things with good things (in between, alongside), when it is tried to do good things for the sake of evil things or tried to do evil things for the sake of good things. It disrupts the chain/row of the good things in whole. Hence it should be loved and followed the divinity with one’s whole heart and soul.
It is not like one can contemplate everything in advance and standardize every response, before one has ever attended to the circumstances and experienced its demands. Such improper measures can be likened to a lifeless and stiff statue/sculpture, where beyond the first impression had of it the statue is unable to move or respond to any changes. But proper means must be fluid and flexible, where it is first attended to the circumstances and next adapted to it, rather than by seeking to make the circumstances adapt to one’s presumptions. It is not enough to wish for good things during isolation/idleness, and come up with one-sided measures to help other people, before one has actually inquired into their affairs and their true stance/attitude. The goodness must always work in harmony with the human recipient, what he does feel about one’s intended intervention and whether he will approve of it. What is that man’s current stance? Is he really ready to receive help when someone offers to help him? Does he really want to be helped by helpful things? One could give a valuable object to a person, and yet it will not conclude the matter, because that person can either use this object for a decent or selfish end. For example, it can be come across a homeless person which has no money, because that person is a drug-addict and it has wasted all its money on drugs. If one chooses to give money to the drug-addict then it will not help that person to rebuild its life, because that person will also waste that money on drugs. It would be more prudent to use that money to buy food for the homeless person, or support an organization which can help all drug-addicts in general. The goodness does not involve a mechanical process, as if one would be too aware about the intended good effects, while it is neglected to care about the intended recipient during human relations. For example, we do not need to think directly about good qualities and their description, as if we would only be verbally mentioning ‘courage’ during adversity while failing to believe in the courage of confronting it. It is only sufficient to focus upon the person, the circumstances, and the moment, what kind of topics and intervention can appeal to the qualities and draw them out. The man does first need to move on with his life, and then afterwards will he experience all kinds of new circumstances, which can happen unexpectedly and without any preparation on his behalf. Then will the man need to make an important choice, where it is chosen one thing and rejected another thing at the same time, instead of it being possible of choosing two contrary options. It is not like the man can chase after that kind of circumstances, attempt to force good deeds to happen, and meddle with the choices of other people. A good act must work in harmony with the human spirit, the sense of decency had at that moment, but the man is never able to achieve a good act contrary to that which is of the human spirit.
Larus Thorhallsson 