When we look at human society and note the so-called ills and troubles of certain modes of life, we may ask what we are to do about those things. We may also ask if it is necessary that people live in those adverse realms of society; in brief, if those people need such a life. But the answer to all these questions is very simple. The fact is, that every individual is in contact with the path, and whether he may be in the first step on the way, or higher up in the scale, he will be absolutely free from pain, adversity and ailments of all kinds the very moment he steps into the path. It is not necessary to be a master mind or an illumined soul in order to continue on the path. It is only necessary that we live on the path where we are, whether we are at the early stages of growth or upon the sublime heights.

The fact that thousands and thousands of people are ignorant of this great truth should convince us of the importance of dealing scientifically with this great subject. We all are more or less responsible for every condition that exists in the world; and therefore we must all work together to the end that every individual may find the path, and also that every individual may be trained to continue uninterruptedly upon the path; but this will necessitate an absolute revolution of practically all the ideas that we have inherited from the past, and a large percentage of more recent ideas. However, the moment we understand that we are here to learn a great lesson, and that we can learn that lesson by remaining on the path, and also that we suffer pain and adversity only when we step off the path, we shall not find it difficult to solve the great problem before us.

But this idea is not a recent revelation. The truth is that all the illumined souls of history have declared this very same thing. We cannot find a single exception. The wise men and women of all ages, including all the prophets, all the scientists and all the students of the higher life, whether they were in the first stages of wisdom or higher in the scale - they all declared that we are here to learn a great lesson; we are here to find the kingdom; we are here to rise in the scale; we are here to find and continue upon the great path. That is the message of every great soul that has ever lived; and the corresponding truth of this message, that is, that we suffer pain and adversity only when we are off the path - this has also been declared by every mind in history who saw the light.

We should therefore, once and for all time, accept this great message as absolutely true because we can prove it to be true; and we should eliminate from mind and thought every doctrine in the world that contradicts this message in any form or manner.

If we could conceive of human society waking up to the realization of this great message, we can readily imagine the result. The great mass of humanity would at once return to the path, and suffering from pain, sickness or adversity would speedily be reduced to a minimum.

The great purpose of the future must be to convey this message to all the world, and to teach mankind how to find the path. We know full well that there is not an awakened soul upon earth who would want to remain on the outside of the path. Every awakened soul can see what lies on before; and such a soul will not care to step out even for a moment. There is nothing to be gained by turning to the left or to the right, even though such experiences may appear tempting at times. It is all loss and no gain; and the very moment we do step out, our good friend on the outside - evil - will declare at once, "You are off the path, return this very moment.

From whatever point of view we may consider the subject we invariably come to the same conclusion; that is, that the purpose of life is good, as it leads to greater and greater good, to greater happiness and to more and more of everything that can add to the worth and joy of existence; and although if we should for the time being, in our study of life, gain imperfect impressions and sometimes step outside, or be tempted to investigate darkness, as learners are liable to do, we shall always find these good friends on the outside declaring, "This is no place for you; you belong on the great path; you are a Son of God; you are destined for glory; therefore return unto God." This is invariably the message of pain and of all the so-called evils of the world; and we cannot speak of those things as evil when their one advice to every human soul is this, "Return ye unto God."

But again, we shall not need the advice of those good friends on the outside after we have received this great message that the awakened of every age have received; that is, that we all belong on the path; and that we meet sin, pain and adversity only when we step outside of the path.

Knowing this great truth, we shall want to give our whole time and attention henceforth to a better understanding of how we may so live that we shall always continue on the path; but as we proceed we must not come to the conclusion that this path is so narrow that we are necessarily restricted from the majority of those things that we meet in life upon this planet. The fact is, that we can enjoy everything in life as we proceed upon the path, provided we are true to the purpose of life; that is, provided our one purpose is, through all life and through all enjoyment, to reach out for the higher, the better, the truer, the richer, the more wonderful, the ideal, the sublime.

We are entitled to all the pleasures of physical, mental and spiritual existence; and we can enjoy them all and remain upon the path; but the spirit of all such enjoyment and all modes of life must invariably be upward and onward. And when life is inspired through and through with a desire for the highest and the best on all planes, we shall find that every atom in our being will work steadily and surely for the true, the perfect, the wholesome, the beautiful and the ideal. The result will be that the upward current of life will become so strong that we will invariably be drawn upward and onward by an irresistible force; and thus the inclination to turn to the left or to the right will disappear completely.

When the desire of life for the higher becomes so strong that the whole of life is inspired by. that desire, there will no longer be any desire in mind or body to step outside of the path. The one desire will be to live on the path; and that desire will be supreme. It is possible therefore, through the development of that powerful spiritual desire, to place the human system in a position where it will be protected from temptations on all sides; and then, regardless of what may come or transpire, we shall always continue on the path - always ascending towards the greater life, the greater glory, the greater light, the greater joy.