,transcriber's ,note3 ,accented         
characters with macrons are marked in   
this file as x1 while those with        
inferior dots are marked as x44         
,,the ,,basis ,,of ,,morality  ,,by     
,,annie ,,besant    ,,author ,,of       
,mysticism1 ,the ,immediate ,future1    
,initiation3 ,the ,perfecting of ,man1  
,superhuman ,men1 etc4 etc4             
,,theosophical ,,publishing ,,house     
,,adyar1 ,,madras1 ,,india   #aiae      
99       99       99       99       99  
,,contents       ,i4 ,,revelation       
,,ii4 ,,intuition   ,,iii4 ,,utility    
,,iv4 ,,evolution     ,v4 ,,mysticism   
99       99       99       99       99  
,i  ,,revelation   ,must religion and   
morals go together8 ,can one be taught  
without the other8 ,it is a practical   
question for educationists1 and ,france 
tried to answer it in the dreariest     
little cut and dry kind of catechism    
ever given to boys to make them long to 
be wicked4 ,but apart from education1   
the question of the bedrock on which    

morals rest1 the foundation on which a  
moral edifice can be built that will    
stand secure against the storms of      
life--that is a question of perennial   
interest1 and it must be answered by    
each of us1 if we would have a test of  
,right and ,wrong1 would know why ,right
 is ,right1 why ,wrong is ,wrong4       
,religions based on ,revelation find in 
,revelation their basis for morality1   
and for them that is ,right which the   
,giver of the ,revelation commands1 and 
that is ,wrong which ,he forbids4 ,right
 is ,right because ,god1 or a ,r4s4hi or
 a ,prophet1 commands it1 and ,right    
rests on the ,will of a ,lawgiver1      
authoritatively revealed in a           
,scripture4  ,now all ,revelation has   
two great disadvantages as a basis for  
morality4 ,it is fixed1 and therefore   
unprogressive2 while man evolves1 and at
 a later stage of his growth1 the       
morality taught in the ,revelation      
becomes archaic and unsuitable4 ,a      
written book cannot change1 and many    

things in the ,bibles of ,religion come 
to be out of date1 inappropriate to new 
circumstances1 and even shocking to an  
age in which conscience has become more 
enlightened than it was of old4  ,the   
fact that in the same ,revelation as    
that in which palpably immoral commands 
appear1 there occur also jewels of      
fairest radiance1 gems of poetry1 pearls
 of truth1 helps us not at all4 ,if     
moral teachings worthy only of savages  
occur in ,scriptures containing also    
rare and precious precepts of purest    
sweetness1 the juxtaposition of light   
and darkness only produces moral chaos4 
,we cannot here appeal to reason or     
judgment for both must be silent before 
authority2 both rest on the same ground4
 ,thus saith the ,lord precludes all    
argument4  ,let us take two widely      
accepted ,scriptures1 both regarded as  
authoritative by the respective         
religions which accept them as coming   
from a ,divine ,preceptor or through a  
human but illuminated being1 ,moses in  

the one case1 ,manu in the other4 ,i am1
 of course1 well aware that in both     
cases we have to do with books which may
 contain traditions of their great      
authors1 even sentences transmitted down
 the centuries4 ,the unravelling of the 
tangled threads woven into such books is
 a work needing the highest scholarship 
and an infinite patience2 few of us are 
equipped for such labour4 ,but let us   
ignore the work of the ,higher          
,criticism1 and take the books as they  
stand1 and the objection raised to them 
as a basis for morality will at once    
appear4  ,thus we read in the same book3
 ,thou shalt not avenge1 nor bear any   
grudge against the children of thy      
people1 but thou shalt love thy         
neighbour as thyself4 ,the stranger that
 dwelleth with you shall be unto you as 
one born among you1 and thou shalt love 
him as thyself1 for ye were strangers in
 the land of ,egypt4 ,sanctify          
yourselves therefore and be ye holy4    
,scores of noble passages1 inculcating  

high morality1 might be quoted4 ,but we 
have also3 ,if thy brother1 the son of  
thy mother1 or thy son1 or thy daughter1
 or the wife of thy bosom1 or thy friend
 which is as thine own soul1 entice thee
 secretly saying1 let us go and serve   
other ,gods 444 thou shalt not consent  
unto him nor hearken unto him2 neither  
shalt thine eye pity him1 neither shalt 
thou spare1 neither shalt thou conceal  
him1 but thou shalt surely kill him2    
thine hand shall be first upon him to   
put him to death4 ,thou shalt not suffer
 a witch to live4 ,a man is told1 that  
he may seize a fair woman in war1 and be
 her husband and she shall be thy wife4 
,and it shall be that if thou hast no   
delight in her1 then thou shalt let her 
go whither she will4 ,these teachings   
and many others like them have drenched 
,europe with blood and scorched it with 
fire4 ,men have grown out of them2 they 
no longer heed nor obey them1 for man's 
reason performs its eclectic work on    
,revelation1 chooses the good1 rejects  

the evil4 ,this is very good1 but it    
destroys ,revelation as a basis4        
,christians have outgrown the lower part
 of their ,revelation1 and do not       
realise that in striving to explain it  
away they put the axe to the root of its
 authority4  ,so also is it with the    
,institutes of ,manu1 to take but one   
example from the great sacred literature
 of ,india4 ,there are precepts of the  
noblest order1 and the essence and      
relative nature of morality is          
philosophically set out2 the sacred law 
is thus grounded on the rule of conduct1
 and ,he declares that good conduct is  
the root of further growth in           
spirituality4 ,apart from questions of  
general morality1 to which we shall need
 to refer hereafter1 let us take the    
varying views of women as laid down in  
the present ,smr4t4i as accepted4 ,on   
many points there is no wiser guide than
 parts of this ,smr4t4i1 as will be seen
 in ,chapter ,,iv4 ,with regard to the  
marriage law1 ,manu says3 ,let mutual   

fidelity continue unto death4 ,of a     
father ,he declares3 ,no father who     
knows must take even the smallest       
gratuity for his daughter2 for a man1   
who through avarice takes a gratuity1 is
 a seller of his offspring4 ,of the     
home1 ,he says3 ,women must be honoured 
and adorned by their fathers1 husbands1 
brothers and brothers-in-law who desire 
happiness4 ,where women are honoured1   
there the ,d4evas are pleased2 but where
 they are not honoured1 any sacred rite 
is fruitless4 ,in that family where the 
husband is pleased with his wife and the
 wife with her husband note the         
equality1 happiness will assuredly be   
lasting4 ,food is to be given first in a
 house to newly-married women1 to       
infants1 to the sick1 and to pregnant   
women4 ,yet the same ,manu is supposed  
to have taken the lowest and coarsest   
view of women3 ,it is the nature of     
women to seduce men2 for that reason the
 wise are never unguarded with females  
444 ,one should not sit in a lonely     

place with one's mother1 sister or      
daughter2 for the senses are powerful1  
and master even a learned man4 ,a woman 
must never act independently1 even in   
her own house1 she must be subject to   
father1 husband or 7on her husband's    
death7 sons4 ,women have allotted to    
them as qualities1 impure desires1      
wrath1 dishonesty1 malice and bad       
conduct4 ,the ,shud4ra servant is to be 
regarded as a younger son2 a slave is to
 be looked on as one's shadow1 and if a 
man is offended by him he must bear it  
without resentment2 yet the most ghastly
 punishments are ordered to be inflicted
 on ,shud4ras for intruding on certain  
sacred rites4  ,the net result is that  
ancient ,revelations1 being given for a 
certain age and certain social          
conditions1 often cannot and ought not  
to be carried out in the present state  
of ,society2 that ancient documents are 
difficult to verify--often              
impossible--as coming from those whose  
names they bear2 that there is no       

guarantee against forgeries1            
interpolations1 glosses1 becoming part  
of the text1 with a score of other      
imperfections2 that they contain        
contradictions1 and often absurdities1  
to say nothing of immoralities4         
,ultimately every ,revelation must be   
brought to the bar of reason1 and as a  
matter of fact1 is so brought in        
practice1 even the most orthodox        
,brahman4a in ,hind4uism1 disregarding  
all the ,shast4raic injunctions which he
 finds to be impracticable or even      
inconvenient1 while he uses those which 
suit him to condemn his unorthodox      
neighbours4  ,no ,revelation is accepted
 as fully binding in any ancient        
religion1 but by common consent the     
inconvenient parts are quietly dropped1 
and the evil parts repudiated4          
,revelation as a basis for morality is  
impossible4 ,but all sacred books       
contain much that is pure1 lofty1       
inspiring1 belonging to the highest     
morality1 the true utterances of the    

,sages and ,saints of mankind4 ,these   
precepts will be regarded with reverence
 by the wise1 and should be used as     
authoritative teaching for the young and
 the uninstructed as moral textbooks1   
like--textbooks in other sciences--and  
as containing moral truths1 some of     
which can be verified by all morally    
advanced persons1 and others verifiable 
only by those who reach the level of the
 original teachers4         99       99 
99       99       99     ,,ii           
,,intuition   ,when scholarship1 reason 
and conscience have made impossible the 
acceptance of ,revelation as the bedrock
 of morality1 the student--especially in
 the ,west--is apt next to test         
,intuition as a probable basis for      
ethics4 ,in the ,east1 this idea has not
 appealed to the thinker in the sense in
 which the word ,intuition is used in   
the ,west4 ,the moralist in the ,east   
has based ethics on ,revelation1 or on  
,evolution1 or on ,illumination--the    
last being the basis of the ,mystic4    

,intuition--which by moralists like     
,theodore ,parker1 ,frances ,power      
,cobb1 and many ,theists1 is spoken of  
as the ,voice of ,god in the human      
soul--is identified by these with       
conscience1 so that to base morality on 
,intuition is equivalent to basing it on
 conscience1 and making the dictate of  
conscience the categorical imperative1  
the inner voice which declares          
authoritatively ,thou shalt1 or ,thou   
shalt not4  ,now it is true that for    
each individual there is no better1 no  
safer1 guide than his own conscience and
 that when the moralist says to the     
inquirer3 ,obey your conscience he is   
giving him sound ethical advice4 ,none  
the less is the thinker faced with an   
apparently insuperable difficulty in the
 way of accepting conscience as an      
ethical basis2 for he finds the voice of
 conscience varying with civilisation1  
education1 race1 religion1 traditions1  
customs1 and if it be1 indeed1 the voice
 of ,god in man1 he cannot but see--in a

 sense quite different from that        
intended by the writer--that ,god in    
divers manners spoke in past times4     
,moreover he observes1 as an historical 
fact1 that some of the worst crimes     
which have disgraced humanity have been 
done in obedience to the voice of       
conscience4 ,it is quite clear that     
,cromwell at ,drogheda was obeying      
conscience1 was doing that which he     
conscientiously believed to be the ,will
 of ,god2 and there is no reason to     
doubt that a man like ,torquemada was   
also carrying out what he               
conscientiously believed to be the      
,divine ,will in the war which he waged 
against heresy through the ,inquisition4
  ,in this moral chaos1 with such a     
clash of discordant ,divine ,voices1    
where shall sure guidance be found8 ,one
 recalls the bitter gibe of ,laud to the
 ,puritan1 who urged that he must follow
 his conscience3 ,yea1 verily2 but take 
heed that thy conscience be not the     
conscience of a fool4  ,conscience      

speaks with authority1 whenever it      
speaks at all4 ,its voice is imperial1  
strong and clear4 ,none the less is it  
often uninformed1 mistaken1 in its      
dictate4 ,there is an ,intuition which  
is verily the voice of the ,spirit in   
man1 in the ,god-illuminated man1 which 
is dealt with in the fifth chapter4 ,but
 the ,intuition recognised in the ,west1
 and identified with conscience1 is     
something far other4  ,for the sake of  
clarity1 we must define what conscience 
is since we have said what it is not3   
that it is not the voice of the ,spirit 
in man1 that it is not the voice of     
,god4  ,conscience is the result of the 
accumulated experience gained by each   
man in his previous lives4 ,each of us  
is an ,immortal ,spirit1 a ,divine      
fragment1 a ,self3 ,a fragment of mine  
own ,self1 transformed in the world of  
life into an immortal ,spirit1 draweth  
round itself the senses1 of which the   
mind is the sixth1 veiled in ,matter4   
,such is each man4 ,he evolves into     

manifested powers all the potentialities
 unfolded in him by virtue of his divine
 parentage1 and this is effected by     
repeated births into this world1 wherein
 he gathers experience1 repeated deaths 
out of this world into the other        
twain--the wheel of births and deaths   
turns in the ,t4riloka1 the three       
worlds--wherein he reaps in pain the    
results of experiences gathered by      
disregard of law1 and assimilates1      
transforming into faculty1 moral and    
mental1 the results of experience       
gathered in harmony with law4 ,having   
transmuted experience into faculty1 he  
returns to earth for the gathering of   
new experience1 dealt with as before    
after physical death4 ,thus the ,spirit 
unfolds1 or the man evolves--whichever  
expression is preferred to indicate this
 growth4 ,very similarly doth the       
physical body grow2 a man eats food2    
digests it1 assimilates it1 transmutes  
it into the materials of his body2 ill  
food causes pain1 even disease2 good    

food strengthens1 and makes for growth4 
,the outer is a reflection of the inner4
  ,now conscience is the sum total of   
the experiences in past lives which have
 borne sweet and bitter fruit1 according
 as they were in accord or disaccord    
with surrounding natural law4 ,this sum 
total of physical experiences1 which    
result in increased or diminished life1 
we call instinct1 and it is             
life-preserving4 ,the sum total of our  
interwoven mental and moral experiences1
 in our relations with others1 is moral 
instinct1 or conscience1 and it is      
harmonising1 impels to good--a word     
which we shall define in our fourth     
chapter4  ,hence conscience depends on  
the experiences through which we have   
passed in previous lives1 and is        
necessarily an individual possession4   
,it differs where the past experience is
 different1 as in the savage and the    
civilised man1 the dolt and the         
talented1 the fool and the genius1 the  
criminal and the saint4 ,the voice of   

,god would speak alike in all2 the      
experience of the past speaks           
differently in each4 ,hence also the    
consciences of men at a similar         
evolutionary level speak alike on broad 
questions of right and wrong1 good and  
evil4 ,on these the voice is clear4 ,but
 there are many questions whereon past  
experience fails us1 and then conscience
 fails to speak4 ,we are in doubt2 two  
apparent duties conflict2 two ways seem 
equally right or equally wrong4 ,i do   
not know what ,i ought to do1 says the  
perplexed moralist1 hearing no inner    
voice4 ,in such cases1 we must seek to  
form the best judgment we can1 and then 
act boldly4 ,if unknowingly we disregard
 some hidden law we shall suffer1 and   
that experience will be added to our sum
 total1 and in similar circumstances in 
the future1 conscience1 through the aid 
of this added experience1 will have     
found a voice4  ,hence we may ever1     
having judged as best we can1 act       
boldly1 and learn increased wisdom from 

the result4  ,much moral cowardice1     
paralysing action1 has resulted from the
 ,christian idea of sin1 as something   
that incurs the wrath of ,god1 and that 
needs to be forgiven1 in order to escape
 an artificial--not a natural--penalty4 
,we gain knowledge by experience1 and   
disregard of a law1 where it is not     
known1 should cause us no distress1 no  
remorse1 no repentance1 only a quiet    
mental note that we must in future      
remember the law which we disregarded   
and make our conduct harmonise          
therewith4 ,where conscience does not   
speak1 how shall we act8 ,the way is    
well known to all thoughtful people3 we 
first try to eliminate all personal     
desire from the consideration of the    
subject on which decision is needed1 so 
that the mental atmosphere may not be   
rendered a distorting medium by the     
mists of personal pleasure or pain2     
next1 we place before us all the        
circumstances1 giving each its due      
weight2 then1 we decide2 the next step  

depends on whether we believe in ,higher
 ,powers or not2 if we do1 we sit down  
quietly and alone2 we place our decision
 before us2 we suspend all thought1 but 
remain mentally alert--all mental ear1  
as it were2 we ask for help from ,god1  
from our ,teacher1 from our own ,higher 
,self2 into that silence comes the      
decision4 ,we obey it1 without further  
consideration1 and then we watch the    
result1 and judge by that of the value  
of the decision1 for it may have come   
from the higher or from the lower ,self4
 ,but1 as we did our very best1 we feel 
no trouble1 even if the decision should 
be wrong and bring us pain4 ,we have    
gained an experience1 and will do better
 next time4 ,the trouble1 the pain1 we  
have brought on ourselves by our        
ignorance1 we note1 as showing that we  
have disregarded a law1 and we profit by
 the additional knowledge in the future4
  ,thus understanding conscience1 we    
shall not take it as a basis of         
morality1 but as our best available     

individual light4 ,we shall judge our   
conscience1 educate it1 evolve it by    
mental effort1 by careful observation4  
,as we learn more1 our conscience will  
develop2 as we act up to the highest we 
can see1 our vision will become ever    
clearer1 and our ear more sensitive4 ,as
 muscles develop by exercise1 so        
conscience develops by activity1 and as 
we use our lamp it burns the more       
brightly4 ,but let it ever be remembered
 that it is a man's own experience that 
must guide him1 and his own conscience  
that must decide4 ,to overrule the      
conscience of another is to induce in   
him moral paralysis1 and to seek to     
dominate the will of another is a crime4
         99       99       99       99  
99     ,,iii  ,,utility   ,to those     
whose intelligence and conscience had   
revolted against the crude and immoral  
maxims mixed up with noble precepts in  
,revelation2 to those who recognised the
 impossibility of accepting the varying 
voices of ,intuition as a moral guide2  

to all those the theory that ,morality  
was based on ,utility1 came as a welcome
 and rational relief4 ,it promised a    
scientific certitude to moral precepts2 
it left the intellect free to inquire   
and to challenge2 it threw man back on  
grounds which were found in this world  
alone1 and could be tested by reason and
 experience2 it derived no authority    
from antiquity1 no sanction from        
religion2 it stood entirely on its own  
feet1 independently of the many         
conflicting elements which were found in
 the religions of the past and present4 
,the basis for morality1 according to   
,utility1 is the greatest happiness of  
the greatest number2 that which conduces
 to the greatest happiness of the       
greatest number is ,right2 that which   
does not is ,wrong4  ,this general maxim
 being laid down1 it remains for the    
student to study history1 to analyse    
experience1 and by a close and careful  
investigation into human nature and     
human relations to elaborate a moral    

code which would bring about general    
happiness and well-being4 ,this1 so far1
 has not been done4 ,utility has been a 
hand-to-mouth moral basis1 and certain  
rough rules of conduct have grown up by 
experience and the necessities of life1 
without any definite investigation into1
 or codifying of1 experience4 ,man's    
moral basis as a rule is a compound of  
partially accepted revelations and      
partially admitted consciences1 with a  
practical application of the principle  
of that which works best4 ,the majority 
are not philosophers1 and care little   
for a logical basis4 ,they are          
unconscious empirics1 and their morality
 is empirical4  ,mr4 ,charles           
,bradlaugh1 considering that the maxim  
did not sufficiently guard the interests
 of the minority1 and that1 so far as   
was possible1 these also should be      
considered and guarded1 added another   
phrase2 his basis ran3 ,the greatest    
happiness of the greatest number1 with  
the least injury to any4 ,the rule was  

certainly improved by the addition1 but 
it did not remove many of the objections
 raised4  ,it was urged by the          
,utilitarian that morality had developed
 out of the social side of human beings2
 that men1 as social animals1 desired to
 live in permanent relations with each  
other1 and that this resulted in the    
formation of families2 men could not be 
happy in solitude2 the persistence of   
these groups1 amid the conflicting      
interests of the individuals who        
composed them1 could only be secured by 
recognising that the interests of the   
majority must prevail1 and form the rule
 of conduct for the whole family4       
,morality1 it was pointed out1 thus     
began in family relations1 and conduct  
which disrupted the family was wrong1   
while that which strengthened and       
consolidated it was right4 ,thus family 
morality was established4 ,as families  
congregated together for mutual         
protection and support1 their separate  
interests as families were found to be  

conflicting1 and so a modus vivendi was 
sought in the same principle which      
governed relations within the family3   
the common interests of the grouped     
families1 the tribe1 must prevail over  
the separate and conflicting interests  
of the separate families2 that which    
disrupted the tribe was wrong1 while    
that which strengthened and consolidated
 it was right4 ,thus tribal morality was
 established4 ,the next step was taken  
as tribes grouped themselves together   
and became a nation1 and morality       
extended so as to include all who were  
within the nation2 that which disrupted 
the nation was wrong1 and that which    
consolidated and strengthened it was    
right4 ,thus national morality was      
established4 ,further than that1        
utilitarian morality has not progressed1
 and international relations have not   
yet been moralised2 they remain in the  
savage state1 and recognise no moral    
law4 ,germany has boldly accepted this  
position1 and declares formally that1   

for the ,state1 ,might is ,right1 and   
that all which the ,state can do for its
 own aggrandisement1 for the increase of
 its power1 it may and ought to do1 for 
there is no rule of conduct to which it 
owes obedience2 it is a law unto itself4
 ,other nations have not formularised   
the statement in their literature as    
,germany has done1 but the strong       
nations have acted upon it in their     
dealings with the weaker nations1       
although the dawning sense of an        
international morality in the better of 
them has led to the defence of          
international wrong by the tyrant's     
plea1 necessity4 ,the most flagrant     
instance of the utter disregard of right
 and wrong as between nations1 is1      
perhaps1 the action of the allied       
,european nations against ,china--in    
which the ,hun theory of frightfulness  
was enunciated by the ,german           
,kaiser--but the history of nations so  
far is a history of continual tramplings
 on the weak by the strong1 and with the

 coming to the front of the ,christian  
white nations1 and their growth in      
scientific knowledge and thereby in     
power1 the coloured nations and tribes1 
whether civilised or savage1 have been  
continually exploited and oppressed4    
,international morality1 at present1    
does not exist4 ,murder within the      
family1 the tribe1 and the nation is    
marked as a crime1 save that judicial   
murder1 capital punishment1 is          
permitted--on the principle of          
7supposed7 ,utility4 ,but multiple      
murder outside the nation--,war--is not 
regarded as criminal1 nor is theft      
wrong1 when committed by a strong nation
 on a weak one4 ,it may be that out of  
the widespread misery caused by the     
present ,war1 some international        
morality may be developed4  ,we may     
admit that1 as a matter of historical   
and present fact1 ,utility has been     
everywhere tacitly accepted as the basis
 of morality1 defective as it is as a   
theory4 ,utility is used as the test of 

,revelation1 as the test of ,intuition1 
and precepts of ,manu1 ,zarathushtra1   
,moses1 ,christ1 ,muhammad1 are acted   
on1 or disregarded1 according as they   
are considered to be useful1 or harmful1
 or impracticable1 to be suitable or    
unsuitable to the times4                
,inconsistencies in these matters do not
 trouble the practical ordinary man4    
,the chief attack on the theory of      
,utility as a basis for morality has    
come from ,christians1 and has been     
effected by challenging the word        
happiness as the equivalent of pleasure1
 the greatest number as equivalent to   
individual1 and then denouncing the     
maxim as a morality for swine4 ,virtue  
is placed in antagonism to happiness1   
and virtue1 not happiness1 is said to be
 the right aim for man4 ,this really    
begs the question1 for what is virtue8  
,the crux of the whole matter lies      
there4 ,is virtue opposed to happiness1 
or is it a means to happiness8 ,why is  
the word pleasure substituted for       

happiness when utility is attacked8 ,we 
may take the second question first4     
,pleasure1 in ordinary parlance1 means  
an immediate and transitory form of     
happiness and usually a happiness of the
 body rather than of the emotions and   
the mind4 ,hence the swine4 ,a sensual  
enjoyment is a pleasure2 union with ,god
 would not be called a pleasure1 but    
happiness4 ,an old definition of man's  
true object is3 ,to know ,god1 and to   
enjoy ,him for ever4 ,there happiness is
 clearly made the true end of man4 ,the 
assailant changes the greatest happiness
 of the greatest number into the        
pleasure of the individual1 and having  
created this man of straw1 he           
triumphantly knocks it down4  ,does not 
virtue lead to happiness8 ,is it not a  
condition of happiness8 ,how does the   
,christian define virtue8 ,it is        
obedience to the ,will of ,god4 ,but he 
only obeys that ,will as revealed so far
 as it agrees with ,utility4 ,he no     
longer slays the heretic1 and he suffers

 the witch to live4 ,he does not give   
his cloak to the thief who has stolen   
his coat1 but he hands over the thief to
 the policeman4 ,moreover1 as ,herbert  
,spencer pointed out1 he follows virtue 
as leading to heaven2 if right conduct  
led him to everlasting torture1 would he
 still pursue it8 ,or would he revise   
his idea of right conduct8 ,the martyr  
dies for the truth he sees1 because it  
is easier to him to die than to betray  
truth4 ,he could not live on happily as 
a conscious liar4 ,the nobility of a    
man's character is tested by the things 
which give him pleasure4 ,the joy in    
following truth1 in striving after the  
noblest he can see--that is the greatest
 happiness2 to sacrifice present        
enjoyment for the service of others is  
not self-denial1 but self-expression1 to
 the ,spirit who is man4  ,where        
,utility fails is that it does not      
inspire1 save where the spiritual life  
is already seen to be the highest       
happiness of the individual1 because it 

conduces to the good of all1 not only of
 the greatest number4 ,men who thus feel
 have inspiration from within themselves
 and need no outside moral code1 no     
compelling external law4 ,ordinary men1 
the huge majority at the present stage  
of evolution1 need either compulsion or 
inspiration1 otherwise they will not    
control their animal nature1 they will  
not sacrifice an immediate pleasure to a
 permanent increase of happiness1 they  
will not sacrifice personal gain to the 
common good4 ,the least developed of    
these are almost entirely influenced by 
fear of personal pain and wish for      
personal pleasure2 they will not put    
their hand into the fire1 because they  
know that fire burns1 and no one accuses
 them of a low motive because they do   
not burn themselves2 religion shows them
 that the results of the disregard of   
moral and mental law work out in        
suffering after death as well as before 
it1 and that the results of obedience to
 such laws similarly work out in        

post-mortem pleasure4 ,it thus supplies 
a useful element in the early stages of 
moral development4  ,at a higher stage1 
love of ,god and the wish to please ,him
 by leading an exemplary life is a      
motive offered by religion1 and this    
inspires to purity and to               
self-sacrifice2 again1 this is no more  
ignoble than the wish to please the     
father1 the mother1 the friend4 ,many a 
lad keeps pure to please his mother1    
because he loves her4 ,so religious men 
try to live nobly to please ,god1       
because they love ,him4 ,at a higher    
stage yet1 the good of the people1 the  
good of the race1 of humanity in the    
future1 acts as a potent inspiration4   
,but this does not touch the selfish    
lower types4 ,hence ,utility fails as a 
compelling power with the majority1 and 
is insufficient as motive4 ,add to this 
the radical fault that it does not place
 morality on a universal basis1 the     
happiness of all1 that it disregards the
 happiness of the minority1 and its     

unsatisfactory nature is seen4 ,it has  
much of truth in it2 it enters as a     
determining factor into all systems of  
ethics1 even where nominally ignored or 
directly rejected2 it is a better basis 
in theory1 though a worse one in        
practice1 than either ,revelation or    
,intuition1 but it is incomplete4 ,we   
must seek further for a solid basis of  
morality4         99       99       99  
99       99     ,,iv  ,,evolution   ,we 
come now to the sure basis of morality1 
the bedrock of ,nature1 whereon         
,morality may be built beyond all       
shaking and change1 built as a ,science 
with recognised laws1 and in a form     
intelligible and capable of indefinite  
expansion4 ,evolution is recognised as  
the method of ,nature1 her method in all
 her realms1 and according to the       
ascertained laws of ,nature1 so far as  
they are known1 all wise and thoughtful 
people endeavour to guide themselves4   
,in making ,morality a ,science1 we give
 it a binding force1 and render it of   

universal application2 moreover1 we     
incorporate into it all the fragments of
 truth which exist in other systems1 and
 which have lent to them their          
authority1 their appeal to the intellect
 and the heart4  ,let us first define   
,morality4 ,it is the science of human  
relations1 the ,science of ,conduct1 and
 its laws1 as inviolable1 as sure1 as   
changeless1 as all other laws of        
,nature1 can be discovered and          
formulated4 ,harmony with these laws1   
like harmony with all other natural     
laws1 is the condition of happiness1 for
 in a realm of law none can move without
 pain while disregarding law4 ,a law of 
,nature is the statement of an          
inviolable and constant sequence        
external to ourselves and unchangeable  
by our will1 and amid the conditions of 
these inviolable sequences we live1 from
 these we cannot escape4 ,one choice    
alone is ours3 to live in harmony with  
them or to disregard them2 violate them 
we cannot1 but we can dash ourselves    

against them2 then the law asserts      
itself in the suffering that results    
from our flinging ourselves against it1 
or from our disregarding its existence2 
its existence is proved as well by the  
pain that results from our disregard of 
it1 as by the pleasure that results from
 our harmony with it4 ,only a fool      
deliberately and gratuitously disregards
 a natural law when he knows of its     
existence2 a man shapes his conduct so  
as to avoid the pain which results from 
clashing with it1 unless he deliberately
 disregards the pain in view of a result
 to be brought about1 which he considers
 to be worth more than the purchase     
price of pain4 ,the ,science of         
,morality1 of ,right ,conduct1 lays down
 the conditions of harmonious relations 
between individuals1 and their several  
environments small or large1 families1  
societies1 nations1 humanity as a whole4
 ,only by the knowledge and observance  
of these laws can men be either         
permanently healthy or permanently      

happy1 can they live in peace and       
prosperity4 ,where morality is unknown  
or disregarded1 friction inevitably     
arises1 disharmony and pain result2 for 
,nature is a settled ,order in the      
mental and moral worlds as much as in   
the physical1 and only by knowledge of  
that ,order and by obedience to it can  
harmony1 health and happiness be        
secured4  ,the religious man sees in the
 laws of ,nature the manifestation of   
the ,divine ,nature1 and in obedience to
 and co-operation with them1 he sees    
obedience to and co-operation with the  
,will of ,god4 ,the non-religious man   
sees them as sequences he cannot alter1 
on harmony with which his happiness1 his
 comfort1 depends4 ,in either case they 
have a binding force4 ,the man belonging
 to any exoteric religion will modify by
 them the precepts of his ,scriptures1  
realising that morality rises as        
,evolution proceeds4 ,he does thus      
modify scriptural precepts by practical 
obedience or disregard1 whether he do it

 by theory or not4 ,but it is better    
that theory and practice should         
correspond4 ,the intuitionist will      
understand that conscience1 accumulated 
experience1 has developed by experience 
within these laws4 ,the utilitarian will
 see that the happiness of all1 not only
 of the greatest number1 must be ensured
 by a true morality1 and will understand
 why ,happiness is the result thereof4  
,manu indicates the various bases very  
significantly3 ,the whole ,ved4a is the 
source of the ,sacred ,law ,revelation1 
next the tradition ,conscience and the  
virtuous conduct of those who know      
,utility1 also the customs of holy men  
,evolution and self-satisfaction        
,mysticism 7ii1 #f474 ,it is true that  
happiness can result only by harmony    
with law1 harmony with the ,divine ,will
 which is embodied in law--we need not  
quarrel over names--and the ,science of 
,right ,conduct1 by establishing        
righteousness brings about ,happiness4  
,it may therefore be truly said that the

 object of ,morality is ,universal      
,happiness4 ,why the doing of a right   
action causes a flow of happiness in the
 doer1 even in the midst of a keen      
temporary pain entailed by it1 we shall 
see under ,mysticism4  ,the moment we   
base ,morality on ,evolution1 we see    
that it must change with the stage of   
evolution reached1 and that the         
duty--that which ought to be done--of   
the civilised and highly advanced man is
 not the same as the duty of the savage4
 ,one set of duties for men in the      
,kr4t4a age1 different ones in the      
,tret4a and in the ,dvapara1 and another
 in the ,kali4 7,manusmr4t4i1 i1 #he47  
,different ages bring new duties4 ,but  
if ,morality be based on ,evolution we  
can at once define what is ,right and   
what is ,wrong4 ,that is ,right which   
subserves ,evolution2 that is ,wrong    
which antagonises it4 ,or in other      
words1 for those of us who believe that 
,god's method for this world is the     
evolutionary3 that is ,right which      

co-operates with ,his ,will2 that is    
wrong which works against it4           
,revelation is an attempt to state this 
at any given time2 ,intuition is the    
result of successful attempts to do     
this2 ,utility is the application of    
observed results of happiness and misery
 which flow from obedience to this1 or  
disregard thereof4  ,evolution is the   
unfolding and manifestation of          
life-energies1 the unfolding of the     
capacities of consciousness1 the        
manifestation of these ever-increasing  
capacities in ever-improving and more   
plastic forms4 ,the primary truth of    
,morality1 as of ,religion and of       
,science1 is the ,unity of ,life4 ,one  
,life ever unfolding in endless         
varieties of forms2 the essence of all  
beings is the same1 the inequalities are
 the marks of the stage of its          
unfoldment4  ,when we base ,morality on 
,evolution1 we cannot have1 it is       
obvious1 one cut and dry rule for all4  
,those who want cut and dry rules must  

go to their ,scriptures for them1 and   
even then1 as the rules in the          
,scriptures are contradictory--both as  
between ,scriptures and within any given
 ,scripture--they must call in the help 
of ,intuition and ,utility in the making
 of their code1 in their selective      
process4 ,this selective process will be
 largely moulded by the public opinion  
of their country and age1 emphasising   
some precepts and ignoring others1 and  
the code will be the expression of the  
average morality of the time4 ,if this  
clumsy and uncertain fashion of finding 
a rule of conduct does not suit us1 we  
must be willing to exert our            
intelligence1 to take a large view of   
the evolutionary process1 and to deduce 
our moral precepts at any given stage by
 applying our reason to the scrutiny of 
this process at that stage4 ,this       
scrutiny is a laborious one2 but ,truth 
is the prize of effort in the search    
therefor1 it is not an unearned gift to 
the slothful and the careless4  ,this   

large view of the evolutionary process  
shows us that it is best studied in two 
great divisions3 the first from the     
savage to the highly civilised man who  
is still working primarily for himself  
and his family1 still working for       
private ends predominantly2 and the     
second1 at present but sparsely         
followed1 in which the man1 realising   
the supreme claim of the whole upon its 
part1 seeks the public good             
predominantly1 renounces individual     
advantages and private gains1 and       
consecrates himself to the service of   
,god and of man4 ,the ,hindu calls the  
first section of evolution the          
,pravr4t4t4i ,marga1 the ,path of       
,forthgoing2 the second the ,nivr4t4t4i 
,marga1 the ,path of ,return4 ,in the   
first1 the man evolves by taking2 in the
 second1 by giving4 ,in the first1 he   
incurs debts2 in the second1 he pays    
them4 ,in the first1 he acquires2 in the
 second1 he renounces4 ,in the first1 he
 lives for the profit of the smaller    

self2 in the second1 for the service of 
the ,one ,self4 ,in the first1 he claims
 ,rights2 in the second1 he discharges  
,duties4  ,thus ,morality is seen from  
two view-points1 and the virtues it     
comprises fall into two groups4 ,men are
 surrounded on every side by objects of 
desire1 and the use of these is to evoke
 the desire to possess them1 to         
stimulate exertion1 to inspire efforts1 
and thus to make faculty1               
capacity--strength1 intelligence1       
alertness1 judgment1 perseverance1      
patience1 fortitude4 ,those who regard  
the world as ,god-emanated and          
,god-guided1 must inevitably realise    
that the relation of man--susceptible to
 pleasure and pain by contact with his  
environment--to his environment--filled 
with pleasure and pain-giving           
objects--must be intended to provoke in 
man the desire to possess the           
pleasure-giving1 to avoid the           
pain-giving4 ,in fact1 ,god's lures to  
exertion are pleasures2 ,his warnings   

are pains and the interplay between man 
and environment causes evolution4 ,the  
man who does not believe in ,god has    
only to substitute the word ,nature for 
,god and to leave out the idea of       
design1 and the argument remains the    
same3 man's relation to his environment 
provokes exertion1 and thus evolution4  
,a man on the ,path of ,forthgoing will1
 at first1 seize everything he desires1 
careless of others1 and will gradually  
learn1 from the attacks of the          
despoiled1 some respect for the rights  
of others2 the lesson will be learnt    
more quickly by the teaching of more    
advanced men--,r4s4his1 ,founders of    
,religions1 ,sages1 and the like--who   
tell him that if he kills1 robs1        
tramples on others1 he will suffer4 ,he 
does all these things2 he suffers2 he   
learns--his post-mortem lives helping   
him much in the learning4 ,later on1 he 
lives a more controlled and regulated   
life1 and he may blamelessly enjoy the  
objects of desire1 provided he injure   

none in the taking4 ,hind4uism lays     
down1 as the proper pursuits for the    
household life1 the gaining of wealth1  
the performance of the duties of the    
position held1 the gratification of     
desire4 ,the desires will become subtler
 and more refined as intelligence       
fashions them and as emotions replace   
passions2 but throughout the treading of
 the ,path of ,forthgoing1 the desire   
for fruit is the necessary and blameless
 motive for exertion4 ,without this1 the
 man at this stage of evolution becomes 
lethargic and does not evolve4 ,desire  
subserves ,evolution1 and it is ,right4 
,the gratification of ,desire may lead a
 man to do injury to others1 and as soon
 as he has developed enough to          
understand this1 then the gratification 
becomes wrong1 because1 forgetting the  
,unity1 he has inflicted harm on one who
 shares life with him1 and has thus     
hampered evolution4 ,the sense of ,unity
 is the root-,love1 the ,uniter1 and    
,love is the expression of the          

attraction of the separated towards     
union2 out of ,love1 controlled by      
reason and by the desire for the        
happiness of all1 grow all ,virtues1    
which are but permanent1 universal1     
specialised forms of love4 ,so also is  
the sense of ,separateness the          
root-,hate1 the ,divider1 the expression
 of the repulsion of the separated from 
each other4 ,out of this grow all       
,vices1 the permanent1 universal1       
specialised forms of ,hate4 ,that which 
,love does for the ,beloved1 that       
,virtue does for all who need its aid1  
so far as its power extends4 ,that which
 ,hate wreaks on the ,abhorred1 that    
,vice does to all who obstruct its path1
 so far as its power extends4  ,virtues 
and ,vices are fixed emotional states4  
,the ,virtues are fixed ,love-emotions1 
regulated and controlled by enlightened 
intelligence seeing the ,unity2 the     
,vices are fixed ,hate-emotions1        
strengthened and intensified by the     
unenlightened intelligence1 seeing the  

separateness4 7,universal ,text ,book1  
ii1 #cb47 ,it is obvious that virtues   
are constructive and vices destructive1 
for ,love holds together1 while ,hate   
disintegrates4 ,yet the modified form of
 ,hate--antagonism1 competition--had its
 part to play in the earlier stages of  
human evolution1 developing strength1   
courage1 and endurance1 and while ,love 
built up ,nations within themselves1    
,hate made each strong against its      
competitor4 ,and within ,nations1 there 
has been conflict of classes1 class and 
caste war1 and all this modified and    
softened by a growing sense of a common 
good1 until ,competition1 the           
characteristic of the ,path of          
,forthgoing tends to change into        
,co-operation1 the characteristic of the
 ,path of ,return4 ,the ,path of        
,forthgoing must still be trodden by    
many1 but the number is decreasing2 more
 and more are turning towards the ,path 
of ,return4 ,ideals are formulated by   
the leaders of ,humanity1 and the       

,ideals held up to-day are increasingly 
those of ,love and of ,service4 ,during 
the first stage1 man grasps at          
everything he desires and develops a    
strong individuality by conflict2 in the
 second1 he shares all he has1 and yokes
 that individuality to service2         
ever-increasing separation is the       
key-note of the one2 ever-increasing    
unity is the key-note of the other4     
,hence we need not brand as evil the    
rough aggression and the fierce         
struggles of barbarous times2 they were 
a necessary stage of growth and were at 
that stage ,right1 and in the divine    
plan4 ,but now those days are over1     
strength has been won2 the time has come
 when the separated selves must         
gradually draw together1 and to         
co-operate with the divine ,will which  
is working for union is the ,right4 ,the
 ,right which is the outcome of ,love1  
directed by reason1 at the present stage
 of evolution1 then1 seeks an           
ever-increasing realisation of ,unity1 a

 drawing together of the separated      
selves4 ,that which by establishing     
harmonious relations makes for ,unity is
 ,right2 that which divides and         
disintegrates1 which makes for          
separation1 is ,wrong4 7ibid41 #aj1     
#aa47  ,hind4uism1 on which the whole of
 this is based1 has added to this broad 
criterion the division of a life into   
four stages1 to each of which           
appropriate virtues are assigned3 the   
,student ,period1 with its virtues of   
perfect continence1 industry1 frugality1
 exertion2 the ,household ,period1 with 
its virtue of duties appropriate to the 
position1 the earning and enjoying of   
wealth1 the gratification of desires2   
the ,retirement ,period1 with the       
virtues of the renouncing of worldly    
gain and of sacrifice2 the ,ascetic     
,period1 of complete renunciation1      
meditation and preparation for          
post-mortem life4 ,these indications    
make more easy the decisions as to      
,right and ,wrong4  ,the more we think  

upon and work out into detail this view 
of ,morality as based on ,evolution1 the
 more we realise its soundness1 and the 
more we find that the moral law is as   
discoverable by observation1 by reason1 
and by experiment1 as any other law of  
,nature4 ,if a man disregards it1 either
 ignorantly or wilfully1 he suffers4 ,a 
man may disregard physical hygienic and 
sanitary laws because of his ignorance2 
none the less will he suffer from       
physical disease4 ,a man may disregard  
moral laws because of ignorance2 none   
the less will he suffer from moral      
disease4 ,the sign of disease in both   
cases is pain and unhappiness2 experts  
in both cases warn us1 and if we        
disregard the warning1 we learn its     
truth later by experience4 ,there is no 
hurry2 but the law is sure4 ,working    
with the law1 man evolves swiftly with  
happiness2 working against it1 he       
evolves slowly with pain4 ,in either    
case1 he evolves1 advancing joyously as 
a free man1 or scourged onwards as a    

slave4 ,the most obstinate fool in      
life's class1 refusing to learn1        
fortunately dies and cannot quite escape
 after death the knowledge of his folly4
  ,let the reader try for himself the   
solution of moral problems1 accepting1  
as a hypothesis1 the facts of evolution 
and of the two halves of its huge       
spiral1 and see for himself if this view
 does not offer a rational1             
intelligible1 practical meaning to the  
much-vexed words1 ,right and ,wrong4    
,let him see how it embraces all that is
 true in the other bases suggested1 is  
their summation1 and rationalises their 
precepts4 ,he will find that ,morality  
is no longer dependent on the maxims of 
great ,teachers--though indeed they     
proclaimed its changeless laws--nor on  
the imperfect resultant of individual   
experiences1 nor on the happiness of    
some only of the great human family1 but
 that it inheres in the very nature of  
things1 an essential law of happy life  
and ordered progress4 ,then indeed is   

,morality founded on a basis that cannot
 be moved2 then indeed can it speak with
 an imperial authority the ought that   
must be obeyed2 then it unfolds its     
beauty as humanity evolves to its       
perfecting1 and leads to ,bliss         
,eternal1 the ,brahman ,bliss1 where the
 human will1 in fullest freedom1 accords
 itself in harmony with the divine4     
99       99       99       99       99  
,v  ,,mysticism   ,mysticism cannot be  
spoken of as a basis of morality in the 
sense in which ,revelation1 ,intuition1 
,utility and ,evolution are bases1 for  
it is valid only for the individual1 not
 for everybody1 for the true ,mystic1   
the dictates of the ,outer or ,inner    
,god are imperial1 compelling1 but to   
any one else they are entirely          
unauthoritative4 ,none the less1 as the 
influence of the ,mystic is             
wide-reaching1 and his dicta are        
accepted by many as a trustworthy       
revelation--are not all revelations     
communicated by ,mystics8--or as the    

intuition of an illuminated conscience1 
or as showing the highest utility1 or as
 the result of an evolution higher than 
the normal1 it is worth while to        
consider their value4  ,mysticism is the
 realisation of ,god1 of the ,universal 
,self4 ,it is attained either as a      
realisation of ,god outside the ,mystic1
 or within himself4 ,in the first case1 
it is usually reached from within a     
religion1 by exceptionally intense love 
and devotion1 accompanied by purity of  
life1 for only the pure in heart shall  
see ,god4 ,the external means are prayer
 to and meditation on the ,object of    
devotion--,shri ,rama1 ,shri ,kr4s4hn4a1
 the ,lord ,jesus--long continued and   
persevering1 and the devotee realises   
his ,divinity by ecstacy attaining      
,union thereby4 ,such ,mystics are1 for 
the most part1 valuable to the world as 
creating an atmosphere of spirituality1 
which raises the general level of       
religious feeling in those who come     
within its area2 ,india has especially  

profited by the considerable number of  
such ,mystics found within its borders  
in past times1 and to a lesser extent   
to-day2 every one who practises1 for    
instance1 meditation1 knows that it is  
easier here than elsewhere1 and all     
sensitive persons feel the ,indian      
atmosphere4 ,outside this1 such ,mystics
 occasionally write valuable books1     
containing high ideals of the spiritual 
life4 ,as a rule1 they do not concern   
themselves with the affairs of the outer
 world1 which they regard as            
unimportant4 ,their cry continually is  
that the world is evil1 and they call on
 men to leave it1 not to improve it4 ,to
 them ,god and the world are in         
opposition1 the world1 the flesh1 and   
the devil are the three great enemies of
 the spiritual life4 ,in the ,west1 this
 is almost universal1 for in the ,roman 
,catholic ,church seclusion is the mark 
of the religious life1 and the religious
 are the monk and the nun1 the religious
 and the secular being in opposition4   

,in truth1 where the realisation of ,god
 outside himself is sought by the       
devotee1 seclusion is a necessity for   
success1 if only for the time which is  
required for meditation1 the essential  
preliminary of ecstacy4 ,in the very    
rare ,mystics of non-,catholic          
communions1 full ecstacy is scarcely1 if
 at all1 known or even recognised2 an   
overpowering sense of the divine        
,presence is experienced1 but it is a   
,presence outside the worshipper2 it is 
accompanied with a deliberate surrender 
of the will to ,god1 and a feeling on   
the part of the man that he becomes an  
instrument of the divine ,will2 this he 
carries with him into outer life1 and1  
undirected by love and the illuminated  
reason1 it often lands the              
half-developed ,mystic into fanaticism  
and cruelty2 no one who has read ,oliver
 ,cromwell's letters can deny that he   
was a ,mystic1 half-developed1 and it is
 on him that ,lord ,rosebery founded his
 dictum of the formidable nature of the 

practical ,mystic2 the ever present     
sense of a divine ,power behind himself 
gives such a man a power that ordinary  
men cannot successfully oppose2 but this
 sense affords no moral basis1 as1      
witness the massacre of ,drogheda4 ,such
 a ,mystic1 belonging to a particular   
religion1 as he always does1 takes the  
revelation of his religion as his moral 
code1 and ,cromwell felt himself as the 
avenging sword of his ,god1 as did the  
,hebrews fighting with the ,amalekites4 
,no man who accepts a revelation as his 
guide can be regarded as more than      
partially a ,mystic4 ,he has the ,mystic
 temperament only1 and that undoubtedly 
gives him a strength far beyond the     
strength of those who have it not4  ,the
 true ,mystic1 realising ,god1 has no   
need of any ,scriptures1 for he has     
touched the source whence all           
,scriptures flow4 ,an enlightened       
,brahman4a1 says ,shri ,kr4s4hn4a1 has  
no more need of the ,ved4as1 than a man 
needs a tank in a place which is        

overflowing with water4 ,the value of   
cisterns1 of reservoirs1 is past1 when a
 man is seated beside an ever-flowing   
spring4 ,as ,dean ,inge has pointed out1
 ,mysticism is the most scientific form 
of religion1 for it bases itself1 as    
does all science1 on experience and     
experiment--experiment being only a     
specialised form of experience1 devised 
either to discover or to verify4  ,we   
have seen the ,mystic who realises ,god 
outside himself and seeks ,union with   
,him4 ,there remains the most           
interesting1 the most effective form of 
,mysticism1 the realisation by a man of 
,god within himself4 ,here meditation is
 also a necessity1 and the man who is   
born with a high capacity for           
concentration is merely a man who has   
practised it in previous lives4 ,a life 
or lives of study and seclusion often   
precede a life of tremendous and        
sustained activity in the physical      
world4 ,the realisation is preceded by  
control of the body1 control of the     

emotions and control of the mind1 for   
the power to hold these in complete     
stillness is necessary1 if a man is to  
penetrate into those depths of his own  
nature in which alone is to be found the
 shrine of the inner ,god4 ,the subtle  
music of that sphere is drowned by the  
clatter of the lower bodies as the most 
exquisite notes of the ,vin4a are lost  
in the crude harsh sound of the         
harmonium4 ,the ,voice of the ,silence  
can only be heard in the silence1 and   
all the desires of the heart must be    
paralysed ere can arise in the          
tranquillity of senses and mind1 the    
glorious majesty of the ,self4 ,only in 
the desert of loneliness rises that ,sun
 in all ,his glory1 for all objects that
 might cloud ,his dawning must vanish2  
only when half-,gods go1 does ,god      
arise4 ,even the outer ,god must hide1  
ere the ,inner ,god can manifest2 the   
cry of agony of the ,crucified must be  
wrung from the tortured lips2 ,my ,god1 
my ,god1 why hast ,thou forsaken me8    

precedes the realisation of the ,god    
within4  ,through this all ,mystics pass
 who are needed for great service in the
 world1 those whom ,mr4 ,bagshot so     
acutely calls materialised ,mystics4    
,the ,mystics who find ,god outside     
themselves are the unmaterialised       
,mystics1 and they serve the world in   
the ways above mentioned2 but the other1
 as ,mr4 ,bagshot points out1 transmute 
their mystic thought into practical     
energy1 and these become the most       
formidable powers known in the physical 
world4 ,all that is based on injustice1 
fraud and wrong may well tremble when   
one of these arises1 for the ,hidden    
,god has become manifest1 and who may   
bar ,his way8  ,such ,mystics wear none 
of the outer signs of the               
religious--their renunciation is within1
 not without1 there is no parade of     
outer holiness1 no outer separation from
 the world2 ,janaka the ,king1          
,kr4s4hn4a the ,warrior-,statesman1 are 
of these2 clothed in cotton cloth or    

cloth of gold1 it matters not2 poor or  
rich1 it boots not2 failing or          
succeeding1 it is naught1 for each      
apparent failure is the road to fuller  
success1 and both are their servants1   
not their masters2 victory ever attends 
them1 to-day or a century hence is      
equal1 for they live in ,eternity1 and  
with them it is ever ,to-day4           
,possessing nothing1 all is theirs2     
holding everything1 nothing belongs to  
them4 ,misconception1 misrepresentation1
 they meet with a smile1 half-amused1   
all-forgiving2 the frowns1 the taunts1  
the slanders of the men they live to    
serve are only the proofs of how much   
these foolish ones need their help1 and 
how should these foolish ones hurt those
 on whom the ,peace of the ,eternal     
abides8  ,these ,mystics are a law unto 
themselves1 for the inner law has       
replaced the external compulsion4 ,more 
rigid1 for it is the law of their own   
nature2 more compelling1 for it is the  
,voice of the divine ,will2 more        

exacting1 for no pity1 no pardon1 is    
known to it2 more all-embracing1 for it 
sees the part only in the whole4  ,but  
it has1 it ought to have1 no authority  
outside the ,mystic himself4 ,it may    
persuade1 it may win1 it may inspire1   
but it may not claim obedience as of    
right4 ,for the ,voice of the ,god      
within only becomes authoritative for   
another when the ,god within that other 
self answers the ,mystic's appeal1 and  
he recognises an ideal that he could not
 have formulated1 unaided1 for himself4 
,the ,mystic may shine as a ,light1 but 
a man must see with his own eyes1 and   
there lies the world's safety2 the      
materialised ,mystic1 strong as he is1  
cannot1 by virtue of the ,god within    
him1 enslave his fellow-men4         99 
99       99       99       99  ,,the    
,,vasanta ,,press1 ,,adyar1 ,,madras