Читать книгу A Search for God Anniversary Edition - Edgar Cayce - Страница 24

We should let neither flattery, criticism, nor opinions of others turn us aside from those vital things for which we stand—those things that are lifting us upward and building within us that which will endure until the end. Let us turn within to see if we are being true to ourselves when temptations arise. We know that we cannot be true to others unless we are first true to ourselves.

As we cultivate the ability to discriminate between right and wrong, good and evil, we are reaching the plane where we may be masters of our destiny. It is found in keeping the whole law: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart…and thy neighbour as thyself.”⁶ This is a spiritual desire, for the carnal mind is envious. There is in all of us that still Voice that teaches sacrifice, love, and service, that warns of every catastrophe and protects from all danger. When it is listened to and followed, no mistakes are made, no wars are fought, no homes are broken up; for then we seek the good of our neighbors and the will of the Creator.

Let us dare to see ourselves as others see us. It is well to stand aside and see ourselves go by. Let us think back over the words and acts of the day, asking ourselves these questions: Why did we do this or that? Would we have acted before our God in the manner we acted before our neighbor? Are we expressing our concepts of God in our lives to those we contact? It is indeed true that “No man liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself.”⁷

It is well to know what the other person thinks of us. We must, without any feeling of shame or humiliation, be willing to be measured by the standard that we have given one the impression we hold. It is our duty to study and discipline ourselves so that each word and each action may reflect just what we would be, and not let them be so different that they are not recognized as children of the same family.

While we are seeking to know ourselves through meditation or by taking an inventory, we are passing, as it were, signposts. We see a little light day by day, or catch a word here, an idea there, from those we contact, who help us to realize that all are traveling along the same road. Truly, the better we know ourselves, the better we understand others. Does it not make us more tolerant of our neighbors if we see them as we are, or as we have been?

Since service is the means of fulfilling our mission here, the question will naturally arise, “Who is this neighbor that we should serve?” It is that person who is in need of help, whether the individual be friend or foe, regardless of his or her race or creed. When Jesus defined this question, He said: “Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”⁸ If we measure our activities in the daily walks of life by the standard of the Christ, there will never be a regret. It is following the teachings of the Master that will lead more and more in the way toward a perfect understanding.

“Be what you seem. Live your creed. Hold up to earth the torch divine. Be what you pray to be made. Let the Master Jesus' steps be thine.”⁹