While The Western world is devouring itself with selfishness, and the Eastern world is abasing itself with selflessness let us try to contemplate an impartial, perfect attitude of mind, which is not a respecter of persons but which is rationally able to see that the good of all depends upon the good of the individual, that the good of the individual depends upon the good of the all, that we cannot lift ourselves up without lifting others, that others may not be lifted up without lifting us.

Let us lift up - let us rally ourselves to this normal place in consciousness, where we see that that expression which was essential in primitive consciousness, which was an element of good, that selfishness for conquest, that seeking for gratification for self, that reaching forth to preserve self and one's own, was divine, and is today a divine right: and that that selfishness which is necessary for self preservation, when united with that selflessness that gives to self not before than to another equally in need, that would give impersonal," to another not before it would give to itself if equally in need, is the ideal balance in consciousness.

Let us maintain the consciousness that refuses to be prejudiced, that refuses to lose sight of perfect proportion; let us grow away from the old teaching that demanded humility and sacrifice from ourselves greater than we should ask of our neighbor, or that permitted of greater sacrifice or humility on the part of a neighbor than we would ask of ourselves.

Let us maintain and practice that true golden rule of behavior toward one another, which preserves In perfect harmony universal brotherhood, unity of heart and interest of motive, of ideals, co-operation in spirit, and in labor. Let us maintain this rational attitude; let us serve others by equipping ourselves to serve well - the blind no longer leading the blind; let us seek for light that we may shed light afar; let us seek for strength that we may lend strength to the faltering: let us seek for wisdom that we may throw light in the dark places of the consciousness of those about us; let us see to it - by careful study of our motives - that they are not dammed into narrow ways, that our desire for attainment is not closed in with ourselves, but that it may render service to others, that our every motive is flung out upon fields consciously, a precious cargo going forth to cheer, to Divine Selfishness serve and to bless others. See to it that life reveals a larger aspect than ever before.

Through the teaching of past prejudices, through the teachings of past negativeness, we have found ourselves involved in race beliefs, in many thoughts that. are not over pregnant thoughts, many thoughts, many vibrations that are not from the voice within - from the light that lighteth all men that come into the world. If we do not realize that we have this power to turn and challenge all that has been and demand to know a reason why it should continue to be; if we shall longer respect or obey commands, if we will chain a habit to serve us - that of discriminately inquiring a reason for the need of, usefulness of, a practice, a custom, before we will submit to it, and if we practice the habit of seeking to live life daily, reasonably, purposefully, intentionally, carrying ourselves forward in that courageous spirit of responsibility of ourselves, willing to bear the fruits of our frailties or ignorance, willing to aid in a manifestation of the wisdom indwelling, willing to call forth and out into expression the love mighty, the wisdom divine, willing to aid in that which we will enjoy and earn and bless others with the manifestation of these attributes, - if we will resolve to live each day up to our highest standard, using as much of our indwelling potentialities, expressing as much of our possi bilities as comes within our power, throughout that day - urgent, alert, vital, aware, seeking continual expression of larger and larger volume from this boundless storehouse of the All Good, seeking to radiate forth light that will encourage all, love that comfort all, strength that will sustain all, wisdom that will illumine all, living throughout the day with that earnest desire to lift self up that we may lift all up, to seek the relief, the comfort, the blessing of all, that we may also partake of these blessings; knowing that we are not vassals to others, nor to ourselves, but that we are indeed a part of God - all life - all good - that we have our mighty mission to perform and that we will to perform it with that perpetual steadfastness and constancy of determination, with that single eye to the goal of larger expression, that we to stand forth living exemplars, an inspiration to others lives, that they may find the higher road of peace.

For the consciousness that can see the sunset in the West and can declare, “I have lived up to my standard; I have aimed perpetually and have attained well toward the goal," this soul knows satisfaction that surpasses all others, this soul is success, is victory in one, this is the consciousness of the victor, this is the consciousness of perfection. The soul who sets forth upon his journey in the love of humanity, for the love of light, for the love of all these potentiali ties of his nature within, waiting to be unfolded and expressed, - the life that sets forth to make of opportunities the most possible - such a life we have indeed need of. Such being that are within themselves their own reward, that within themselves the indwelling potentiality of joy, of satisfaction, of fulfillment, the emblem of the harvest time, - these souls we have need of.

Let us buckle on our armor. Let: us come forth in the mom with determination and resolution that our life shall out picture its ideal, its conception of the highest ideal it is capable of, manifested into fulfilment and complete realization.

We emphasize again and again that it is possible for the individual to induce whatever state of consciousness he wills to induce, - let that be in the ascendency, let that be always pointing upward, let it be conquest, positiveness, constructiveness, creativeness, and lovingness. Let our attitude of mind be continually and perpetually pushing upward, pressing outward, springing forward, including more and more in that inclusiveness that widens the orbit continually. It is possible for us to be, to induce, what we will. It is no longer excusable for us to declare, " this is not natural to me, this is not my disposition, and that is not possible because of my disposition.”

When the soul has learned that he can transcend all of these prenatal conditions, all of these conditions of environment, all of the circumstances that have, in fact, ruled humanity in the belief of abject subjection, are passing from the minds of the awakened selfhood of today, and we are learning that we only slaves to that which we are not masters of, and that our only reason for our subjection to limitation of any kind is because we have not learned the mastery and the consciousness of that victor who holds dominion over his domain.

There is no field with which we need to he more familiar than that of the soul's power to induce its own stale of consciousness, to order its own thoughts, to be willing to think, to dictate its activities, its words. When the soul can understand that he stands monarch over these subjects, these vehicles, these instruments, these creations which he has created, when the soul realizes that it is possible for him to induce an attitude of mind which transcends any condition that can possibly present itself for his contemplation, that that which will bring the death blow to one soul lifts another soul far beyond its reach in its consciousness, of its imperishable and eternal uplifting; that one soul will cower beneath a burden while another soul will call forth that transcending consciousness that teaches it that it is eternal, that the

Divine Selfishness thing in hand, the problem, is a passing event to be worked out soon, that from its consciousness a soul can swing itself ahead, beyond, can stand aloof over the conditions that subject others to fear of perishing, that these conditions are in the passing. The soul that fears a situation places himself subject to it. The soul that boldly fears it not, that induces a consciousness of fearlessness toward it, that declares that he will make no place in his consciousness for this fear, such a soul completely expels the elements that can relate up to that condition which could produce such fear in another.

The soul that is coming into this victorious consciousness of constructive and ascendent thinking, a soul that realizes that daily he must weed out old habits and establish new and better and more constructive ones, the soul that realizes that all of these implements, all of these customs, all of these habits and expressions of the vehicle of the brain, of this body and environment, are for him to manipulate and to draw out of them the essence of experience that expand him into a consciousness larger than he was before, - the soul that recognizes his relationship to them only as one who is using them but not used by them, only as one who has an attack upon things discordant, upon dark places, and upon inharmonies that will reform them, but who will see to it that if the room is dark he will bring in his light, that if an association is hateful he will bring in his love, that if a soul is ignorant and foolish, he will baptize him with his wisdom, and in that wisdom he will know how to call forth the corresponding wisdom that is in his command, he will learn to call out love where hatred seemed to be manifesting, he will learn how to call forth from that being the correspondence to his own vibrating keynote.

So if you find conditions unsatisfactory, do not fling out your forces to contend with them, but see to it that back within yourself are the keynotes to which you would have these external things tuned up, see to it that you, within yourself, are in perfect law and order, in perfect harmony, and love and wisdom, see to it that your attitude of mind toward these conditions is as the conqueror who knows his power - in the conquest of that Victorious Consciousness is the laurel won.

It is not for us to externally combat, but it is for us to internally harmonize and blend in perfect order our nature divine - with the infinite nature divine - which is inseparable, but which we must gain the consciousness of, for that which is is to us only in the degree that we become aware of it, only in the degree that we have learned to be conscious of it. We must be willing to love, because we know that God is

Divine Selfishness good, that all is God, and all is lovable; - knowing that wisdom slumbers within us, wisdom that can reveal to us the good in everything, and that it is more of this wisdom that we would consciously and steadfastly strive to unfold - to call forth into expression - to call out into larger volume and manifestation, that it is more of these potential things which abide in us, which we have use for, which the world has need of. This is our work, this is our sacred mission on earth - to call out into larger expression the indwelling potentialities of the individual.

Think for a moment of the Eden on earth which would maintain if each soul were busy with itself, - each soul busy with its environment of highest and noblest manifestation from within; each soul knowing that his duty is with himself, to lift himself up; each soul trusting because he knows that if other souls are seeking to lift themselves, they can wrong no other, - knowing that if the practice is long, is faithful, that power surely will follow. Think upon this, and see to it that your part of the work is well done, see to it that that which you are responsible for shall not fail through your indolence or negligence. See to it that you maintain an even quota of consciousness that perpetually knows itself to be faithful, constant, and loving, - think of yourself as a being too loving and noble to stoop to less than Godly acts.