This topic is an extract taken from The Rosicrucian #85 (Aug, 2021).

All manifestations of life are governed by various forms of Isaac Newton’s third law of motion: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” In its most general form, we could call it the “universal law of cause and effect”, and it has a great bearing on how we find spiritual and mental tranquillity. As you sow, so you will reap. Or to put it another way, what you give to life is what you will receive from it. No one can escape the operation of this fundamental law, yet the sad fact is that very few appear to realise it.

We can’t be healthy for any length of time if we transgress nature’s laws. If we eat the wrong foods and fill our bodies with all sorts of the artificial things, we will suffer the consequences in the form of increasing waistlines, creaking joints, high levels of uric acid, cholesterol, gout, etc., and we won’t be terribly happy for it. Similarly, when we allow our minds to be filled with senseless violence from television, movies and online blogs, can we reasonably believe we can avoid starting to behave like the fictional characters we see on the screen or read about in hateful tirades in chat groups? Of course we will be affected, and painfully so.

We can't be healthy for any length of time if we transgress nature's laws.

We can’t expect to be full of life if we don’t exercise, if we don’t have quiet moments to ourselves, if we never meditate, if we never indulge in creative things. And obvious as it may seem to us who are already on a path of inner spiritual development, it is not obvious to many billions on our planet that we can’t manifest the joys of living if we allow ourselves to hate or intensely dislike others. Spiritual and mental tranquillity doesn’t come for free, it takes effort and hard inner work to achieve such states of being, and here is how it can be done.

Forgiveness

Peace cannot enter the lives of people who are full of selfish motives, trying to ‘get their own back’ on others. We are all guilty of these negative emotions to some extent and need forgiveness, just as much as we need to forgive others. For we know that only when we have forgiven others, can we justifiably be forgiven ourselves. And furthermore, would it be reasonable to expect to be forgiven to a greater extent than we have forgiven others?

The great master Jesus often said to a sick person he was about to heal: “Your sins are forgiven.” Why? What do sins have to do with being ill? Two thousand years ago in the Roman province of Judea, illness was believed to be the work of evil spirits, and if a person was possessed by such spirits it followed, by the logic of the day, that it was his or her own fault for letting them in. In the minds of primitive people, a sick person must have done something wrong to have become sick in the first place, to have allowed evil spirits in, and the first thing needed therefore was forgiveness for their perceived transgression.

Ridiculous as it may seem to us today, that a sick person could be perceived as being the guilty party, not only by society but by the sick person as well, Jesus’ patient first had to be freed of all guilt before s/he could be healed. Let’s face it, if a person is conscious of some personal guilt, s/he cannot find tranquillity until forgiveness has been fully and inwardly realised. And before personal forgiveness becomes possible, the sufferer must freely forgive others.

We are all blessed to some extent with an innate sense of natural justice, and that inner understanding mandates us to forgive others before we can expect to be forgiven by anyone. To live in a state of continual hatred or strife towards anyone or any circumstance is to be in perpetual misery, and it is surprising that so many hate-filled people manage to survive as long as they do.

Forgiving is a mental and emotional outpouring of benediction...

Moreover, we should not just forgive, but also give of ourselves as we do so. Forgiving is a mental and emotional outpouring of benediction, but giving of oneself in some material way is even more, and helps to cement the thoughts of forgiveness we hold. At the very least, we are able to prove to ourselves just how sincere or insincere our forgiveness is. A celebrated psychologist said that a well-adjusted person is one who has discovered that there is more happiness and fulfilment in the act of giving than in receiving. And what does that mean in practical terms? It means putting into practice the basic laws of your esoteric inner journey. Give and you will receive, forgive and you will be forgiven.

The golden rule of “do to others as you would have them do to you” will always hold good. Don’t automatically blame others; do a little self-examination instead and you’ll find that you also make mistakes and need the forgiveness of others. A person who never errs is no longer a mere person, and we hardly ever find such unique people. Be honest with yourself and remember that in the sight of your highest concept of goodness, we are all equal. It is easy to be a hypocrite and not be aware of it, but it is much harder to be inwardly alert to our thoughts and true motives, and to control them before they control us.

True Spirituality

Many seek peace and inner tranquillity in a place of worship, and to be honest, entering a church, mosque, temple or sacred grove with deep inner conviction still works for many of us. But more and more are becoming dissatisfied with the outer rigid forms of formal religions, and see them as poor substitutes for true spiritual food.

People asking for ‘spiritual bread’, receive ‘spiritual stones’ in return…, hardly digestible ‘spiritual food.’ They seek the counsel of priests, imams, rabbis and gurus who often have a form of godliness outwardly only, and purely because of the prestige of the high offices they bear. Seldom do such seekers of solace receive the inner relief they are looking for, and sadly, turn to cynicism of all religious beliefs instead. At their cores, all religions have precisely the deep spirituality that everyone innately seeks, though those centres are however hidden from view from all but the most determined and sincere seekers.

No wonder then that places of formal worship are so empty nowadays! Of course, bodies of people exist who show the fruits of true spirituality, namely, love, joy, peace, etc. But true spirituality is neither understood nor practised by the vast majority of religious adherents, for they do not understand what it means to ‘be spiritual.’ Spirituality is the practice of love towards all things in the universe, indeed love for the universe itself, and the holding of an inner attitude of confidence that love really does unite things that otherwise could never coexist.

Many seek peace and inner tranquillity in a place of worship, but more and more are becoming dissatisfied with the outer rigid forms of formal religions.

To banish from the mind those things which are opposed to peace is to make an enormous stride towards true health and happiness, and most people need some help with this. What better way then to help them than to live your life in an attitude of peace and good will towards all creatures. The amazing thing is that with the correct inner motive, with the right blend of humility and positive action, help is always forthcoming if asked for with sincerity. Happy are those who have learned to let peace rule their hearts instead of allowing their thoughts to be dominated by the chaos of greed, revenge and selfishness. The American literary critic and biographer Van Wyck Brooks wrote:

How delightful is the company of generous people, who overlook trifles and keep their minds instinctively fixed on whatever is good and positive in the world about them. People of small calibre are always carping. They are bent on showing their own superiority, their knowledge or prowess or good breeding. But magnanimous people have no vanity, they have no jealousy, they have no reserves, and they feed on the true and solid wherever they find it. And, what is more, they find it everywhere.

Little minds are wounded by hosts of little things that do not matter, while larger minds take it all in with welcoming arms, observing everything with impartiality and a sense of justice for all. And they are not injured or hurt by anything that life throws at them. On the contrary, they are grateful for the lessons they derive from all situations they find themselves in, whether pleasant or unpleasant.

Facing Adversity

Adversity is a great character builder. It is the abrasive that gives a sharp edge to courage. Pain and suffering have their virtues, for pain in the physical body is Nature’s warning that something is wrong. By taking heed of the pain we may eliminate the cause which, if not removed, may result in more serious illness or even death.

Mental pain is also a warning that something is wrong with the way we are thinking. The remedy is to ascertain the cause of our inner pain and to remove it by the roots. In order to accomplish this, self-help and courage, together with self-honesty, are needed. And in accordance with a spiritualised version of Newton’s third law of motion, we are always rewarded…, eventually…, for our sincere efforts. The process of betterment takes time and patience to manifest, but it surely does manifest in the end. The author of the following gem of wisdom is S.E. Kiser and is reproduced here with gratitude.

I’ll start anew this morning with a higher, fairer creed; I’ll cease to stand complaining of my ruthless neighbour’s greed.

I’ll cease to sit repining while my duty’s call is clear; I’ll waste no moment whining and my heart shall know no fear.

I’ll look sometimes about me for the things that merit praise; I’ll search for hidden beauties that elude the grumbler’s gaze.

I’ll try to find contentment in the paths that I must tread; I’ll cease to have resentment when another moves ahead.

I’ll not be swayed by envy when my rival’s strength is shown; I’ll not deny his merit but strive to prove my own.

I’ll try to see the beauty spread before me, rain or shine; I’ll cease to preach your duty and be more concerned with mine.

Adversity is a great character builder. It is the abrasive that gives a sharp edge to courage.

Humility

Many people long to be as good as, or even better than someone else they know. But few who say “I am as good as you…” really believe this in their heart. The claim to be as good as anyone else is made because in some way we feel ourselves to be inferior. Such a claim suggests a painful, smarting awareness of one’s own inadequacies which one refuses to recognise.

To be hurt by an awareness of one’s own inferiority engenders a dangerous state of mind both to the self and to others. We all have something in our nature that is inferior to the qualities in someone else. The cure is to be honest and to accept the facts without shame. It is hard to develop talents we do not possess, but we can all improve on what we already have. It is a satisfying course to find out what one’s talents really are and to then concentrate upon them, thereby bringing out into the light of day, abilities we never thought we possessed.

Possessions and some sort of attainment are the goals of most people, but possessions never bring true happiness; indeed they are often the cause of sorrow. The more we have, the more we want, and the more we have to lose! And the more we have, the more there is to worry about, the more responsibility we have to look after our possessions. The happiest people I have met have, with but few exceptions, been those who are poor in purse but rich in spirit.

On the other hand, seeking to attain something is good if what we aim for is high, noble and for the good of humanity and not only for the good of ourselves. We may fail over and over again, but there is virtue in rising up after every fall and going on living one day at a time. Living in the past is useless, for yesterday is dead unless we deliberately keep it alive in our minds. Worrying about tomorrow is equally foolish, for tomorrow has yet to come and we must surely love the present moment and not the past or the future? Tomorrow will take care of itself if we do our best today.

Spirituality is the practice of love towards all things in the universe, indeed love for the universe itself, and the holding of an inner attitude of confidence that love really does unite things that otherwise could never co-exist.

The hallmark of true mystics is that when they fall flat on their face in the proverbial mud of society, they do not wallow in self-pity, but get up forthwith, clean themselves thoroughly and continue on their chosen path, unhindered by the unpleasantness and nasty thoughts of others.

Good Thoughts

The human brain with its complex neurological tentacles spread throughout the body, is constantly changing. It doesn’t really have a choice for it must either adapt or die; it cannot remain still.

That change can be for the better or for the worse according to how we think and live. In a famous parable, the master Jesus said that what comes out of the mouth contaminates us far more than what we put into it. In other words, what we utter are verbalised thoughts, and evil words have the unpleasant habit of feeding back through the ears to the mind from which they originated. And there they ‘poison’ the speaker’s mind as much as they poison the minds of others…, no, even more!

Good thoughts promote good deeds; they cleanse the mind and invigorate the body. It is quite easy to demonstrate the effects of misery and morbidity of mind on the physical body. For example, stand before a mirror and deliberately look miserable. Can you possibly imagine the face you observe in the mirror inviting peace and happiness? Maintain an expression of misery for any length of time and it is guaranteed that you will begin feeling exactly as you appear.

Good thoughts promote good deeds; they cleanse the mind and invigorate the body.

Smile before the mirror, spruce yourself up and look your best without being ostentatious. What a difference! Surely not the same person? Maintain that smile and continue looking your best, and if you are honest with yourself, you will become conscious of better feelings in both mind and body. Being a mystic means controlling how you feel about yourself. Mystics, above all else, make things happen; they don’t simply wait for some unknown fate to make them happen. And that is what we must do with our lives.

The happiest people I have met have, with but few exceptions, been those who are poor in purse but rich in spirit.

Living in the Present

The pioneering psychologist William Marston (1893-1947) in a landmark study asked 3,000 people what they had to live for. He was shocked and astonished to hear that 94% were simply enduring the present while they waited for something better to happen in the future. They never realised that all that matters is what is with them today, and contentment and tranquillity can’t come about until we have learned to accept life as we find it! We must stop blaming others or ‘fate’ for our misfortunes.

Why allow the bad conduct of someone to determine whether we are sad or happy? Self-possession is the best possession, for the self-possessed individual is in command of his or her life, and is “greater than the one who takes a city.” All around there is fear, discontentment, rudeness, anger, greed, pessimism, lies and deceit, and by far the majority of fast paced action films are filled to overflowing with this negativity. But here and there one encounters a person who is above it all, and who possesses the quality of radiating the peace and contentment s/he has acquired through personal effort. Such is a happy person, a person at peace. Imitate that individual and do not allow yourself to be contaminated..., yes, ‘contaminated’ is the word..., by the negative and destructive words of others. As the old nursery rhyme goes: “Sticks and stone can break my bones, but words can never hurt me!” and make that a daily affirmation.

A person I once knew, after many years of self-inflicted illness, finally reached the stage where she gave up the struggle. An amazing thing then happened..., her health started improving! Why? I can’t be sure of course, but I suspect it was that she stopped fighting both herself and others. By ‘giving up’, namely, by releasing everything and allowing the inner spiritual forces to take charge, her mind became quiet and at rest, and her body, for the first time in years, had a chance to adjust itself to a reality she had fought against for so long.

It is the same with unquiet mental states: cease fighting, struggling, moaning and complaining and the mind will relax, things will start sorting themselves out and you’ll find that all things are working together for the greater good. Remember the master Jesus’ parable “…consider the lilies how they grow. They toil not...” The lily grows because it is not suppressed by having a negative, disease-producing mind. It grows because it obeys instinctively the laws of nature. It is up to us then to be transformed by the renewing of the mind. And the power and ability to do this resides in every cell of the brain and body if we will only allow this power to become active again.

In conclusion, it may be said that tranquillity is a most desirable state of both mind and body. But if mental and physical peace are desirable, we must be prepared to do something about it ourselves. To take medicines is not enough, for to obtain real and lasting tranquillity we must learn to dwell on thoughts that are true, honest, good and beautiful. Mystics, and Rosicrucians in particular, are alchemist of the mind – they make good things happen, and they don’t wait until it is too late. And most important of all, they govern their minds and regulate the intensity and quality of all thoughts emanating from themselves.