“No doubt, striving for the improvement of the world is a most
praiseworthy occupation. Done selflessly, it clarifies the mind and
purifies the heart. But soon man will realize that he pursues a mirage.
Local and temporary improvement is always possible and was achieved
again and again under the influence of a great king or teacher; but it
would soon come to an end, leaving humanity in a new cycle of misery. It
is in the nature of all manifestation that the good and the bad follow
each other and in equal measure. The true refuge is only in the
unmanifested.
Once you realize that the world is your own projection, you are
free of it. You need not free yourself of a world that does not exist,
except in your own imagination! However the picture is — beautiful or
ugly — you are painting it and you are not bound by it. Realize that
there is nobody to force it on you, that it is due to the habit of
taking the imaginary to be real. See the imaginary as imaginary and be
free of fear.
When you realize that you are the light of the world, you will
also realize that you are the love of it; that to know is to love and to
love is to know. Of all the affections the love of oneself comes first.
Your love of the world is the reflection of your love of yourself, for
your world is of your own creation. Light and love are impersonal, but
they are reflected in your mind as knowing and wishing oneself well. We
are always friendly towards ourselves, but not always wise. A Yogi is a
man whose goodwill is allied to wisdom.”
