the higher life into the lower. This law has its incarnate manifestation in all forms of ferocious beasts who would feed upon the flesh of those higher than themselves in the scale of life. The utility in the economy of the creative mind is even more apparent in the pestilential fly and mosquito, who fill themselves with the blood of a man or a higher order of animal, and, becoming heavy and logy, they fall prey to the birds and reptiles who feed upon them, thus incorporating into the lower organism the life of the higher order of existence, for the life is in the blood. The higher life implanted in the lower creates in that lower form of existence a struggle, caused by the effort to act out its acquired nature, an unrest that causes it to strive for it knows not what. This struggle of body and mind brings experience, and consequent knowledge and physical power, thus contributing to the work of evolution. But we who have passed beyond the evolutionary activities of the mundane existence should not render ourselves subject to them; consequently, our covenant of peace is binding only where peace reigns, and, as the opposite of peace reigns amid the evolutionary laws and conditions that we are now considering, we should not be subject to nor partakers of anything belonging to them. At the same time realizing that we stand as master and king over the inferior orders of life, we should strive to bring to them an atmosphere of peace and kindness. Jesus announced the law by which we should be governed when he said, "With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" (Matt. vII. 2). Under the creative law all flesh, as said the prophet, is grass, that is to say, all flesh is under the same law and in reciprocal relation with the forces governing all animate existence; therefore, if we establish within ourselves the settled rule of action, never to cause suffering and to bring in its place happiness and peace, we must grant to all flesh that which we desire for ourselves. Now the question arises, What should we desire for ourselves? Jesus said, "He that loveth his life shall lose it," implying that we should not love life in the physical body. The true spirit of the higher order expressed itself through Paul when he said, "For me to live is Christ,"-that is, to live is to suffer and serve in order that the sufferings of others may be alleviated, "but to die is gain;" in other words, death would be gain, but we are willing to remain in the body and serve as long as we are useful, profitable servants to the world and to the God of the universe; but when our service ceases and we no longer have use for the physical body, then we would prefer leaving the body and going to our spiritual rest. Observe the attitude of mind of such an individual, and imagine that he takes as the motto of his life, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them" (Matt. vII. 12). Such a one would not be violating any law, nor would he bring upon himself any evil, by destroying animate existence that ceases to be of use or whose use results in the retardation of a higher order of development; which is the case with insects and animals that destroy the vegetable life upon which man is dependent for sustenance, or the insect that annoys and distracts the mind from higher thought. Such a one would feel no animosity, would have no feeling of vindictiveness, in killing a parasite, or a deer that is eating up his trees or his garden. He would truly love all creative nature, and, at the same time, he would have a right to demand that all things keep their place. The place and sphere of use of all wild animals is to occupy the wild and uncultivated soil; but when that soil comes to be needed by and necessary to civilization, a higher order of life, then the higher must necessarily supplant the lower, the beast must retire into the forest, or its occupancy becomes evil and necessitates its destruction. Bear in mind that the object of man's creation was that he might have the dominion, the announcement was "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion;” therefore keep the mind's eye fixed upon the highest use in view of that purpose. With such a thought active, one would look out upon all nature with the feeling of a loving father and tender vicar, carefully watching that all things under his control be kept and protected in their own place, in their normal, and therefore happy and harmonious sphere of use. Man can never have the dominion over the earth, according to the declared purpose, as long as there is any antagonism in his thought or feeling toward anything in nature. His dominion is over the realm of the spiritus mundi, whose ruling intelligence was personified in a vision-published in this Magazine some time ago-of the god of generation seated upon a throne actually made of serpents of every description, which was symbolic, and, in fact, the incarnate embodiment of, the psy chic principle of nature by which creation is carried on. When this god of generation passes away, it will be because some one or ones have obtained strength and mental ability requisite to take control of all the psychic forces in nature. Such a one will be enthroned as the god of preservation (immortality). We must bear in mind that this dominion can never be obtained by us as long as we sin against nature. The laws or psychic forces that cause the grass to grow, have also caused insect and animal life to spring into existence. Psychic power has thought into being our own organism, our physical structure, and the peace on earth must begin in this structure. We must make peace with all flesh by the utmost kindness and paternal sympathy, never inflicting punishment when it can be avoided, at the same time holding our position as master of and superior to it. If it becomes our duty to kill an animal, as it sometimes does, great care should be used to produce as little suffering as possible; for it should not be forgotten that the laws of creation are just, that they have no respect for persons or creatures, and that the words of Jesus, "With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again," are a perfect expression of that justice. Therefore no one unnecessarily injures anything that lives without injuring his own body; to the degree that he produces suffering in any living organism, to that extent he is treasuring up suffering for his own physical structure. Consequently, we should love all flesh as if it were our own flesh, and we should love our bodies in so far as they serve the use intended in the economy of nature and in the purpose of God in creation. A word harshly spoken or the thoughtless wounding of another's feelings is just as great a sin against this law as is cruelty to an animal, and sometimes a more heinous crime. There are many fine, sensitive organisms in whom we may cause great suffering unless we make a study of human nature and use great care. This was understood by the Oriental mysties who caused to be engraved over the doors of their temples, in connection with many other important maxims, "Before the voice can speak in the presence of the masters, it must have lost its power to wound." Many of those who are making strenuous offorts to prevent cruelty to animal life, are daily producing greater suffering by harsh word, scornful looks, and, in many cases, by the oppression of the poor and needy. The mental state thus far defined may be briefly described as the attitude of one who is master of inferior orders of life; who realizes the responsibility of the proper care and preser vation of all things, and of carrying forward and ultimating the purpose of God in creation; and who recognizes the fact that there is a place for everything and that everything has a consciousness within itself that it should keep in its own place, having been imbued with this thought by the mind of the Creator. Such an attitude is in perfect harmony with the divine purpose; therefore, when the Esoterist finds himself infested by low, sensuous, or animalized thought conditions, he will find them obedient to his will, if, without malice or angry feeling, but with a consciousness of his right to do so, he commands them to return to their place, and informs them that they have no right to touch his life or mind currents If he (or she) is keeping in his own proper sphere, he will find that the elementary currents obey him instantly, because the command is simply voicing the word and purpose of God the Crea tor, and of God the Holy Spirit. This command means to the thing commanded, and to the world at large, not malice, not struggle, but "peace on earth, good will toward men." FOR ALL BELIEVERS. BY ELOISE O. RICHBERG. I am strong with Omnipotent Strength, He has given me wisdom and peace: With the joys of a heaven in this life, THE SPIRITUAL BASIS OF HEALTH. We give a chapter from a new book entitled "Spiritual Consciousness," by Frank H. Sprague. We do not attempt a formal review of the work, as any comment that we could make would but detract from the clearness and value of the following extract from its pages, which is a fair example of the character of the contents. The chapter selected presents the best idea that we have ever seen of the mental methods for protecting oneself from the approach of disease; and not only so, but such methods are necessary to those reaching high attainments. Upon the whole, the book is one that we can sincerely recommend to the attention of the Esoteric student. Sold by the Esoteric Publishing Co.; price $1.50.—[Ed. Viewed from its absolute center, life appears to be a perfect unit: while from any eccentric point, its proportions seem more or less distorted, and an infinite number of independent centers are seen. Each eccentric observer, on discovering what he imagines to be an unbalanced whole, tries to rectify matters, as far as possible, by forcing an adjustment of the world around his finite standpoint. But every effort of this description serves to aggravate the difficulty by conflicting with a Universal purpose. No man can comprehend his relation to the world, or find abiding peace and satisfaction, until he discovers that a common center exists for all lives, and then comes into a sympathetic relation with its attracting influence. "Except a man be born anew, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." The highest ideal of healing is self-revelation-the discovery of one's correct relation to the absolute center of Being. Only by apprehending the significance of life in its totality, by appreciating not alone its individual phases, but its universal phase as well, can complete, permanent harmony be established in one's life. Effort is not necessary; but, rather, renunciation of effort, and recognition of the fact that all expressive power proceeds from an absolute center. True efficiency, and personally directed effort, are contrary to one another; they increase and diminish in an inverse ratio. Great truths are marvelously simple; only error is mystifying. Even the most perplexing |