At the very outset
we must refuse absolutely to think of the shadow as real.
A shadow holds nothing, is nothing, means nothing.
The cause of the shadow is found in confused thinking -
thinking partly in the light and partly in the dark.
We think in the dark much of the time
because we believe the shadow to be real.
because we believe the shadow to be real.
By thinking of the shadow,
believing it to be real,
the mind is prevented from doing all its thinking in the light.
If there were no shadow,
all the thinking of man would be in the light.
The shadow has come into the mind of man
due to the fact he has considered the shadow,
believed in it, thought of it as real
because it was always with him.
due to the fact he has considered the shadow,
believed in it, thought of it as real
because it was always with him.
No mind can think clearly
as long as there are shadows in that mind.
The life of man does cast a shadow;
some lives cast a darker and heavier shadow than others.
The windows of such a mind will not be clear;
they will not transmit the light.
And the atmosphere of such a mind will be shadowy and dense,
so that the mental sky will be overcast, more or less,
with dark and heavy clouds.
The light therefore cannot pass through,
and the life of that mind will case a shadow.
The mind, by believing in the shadow,
and by making the shadow a part of itself,
becomes instrumental in producing that very condition
in the life of man that casts a shadow,
or that prevents the divine light from passing through.
and by making the shadow a part of itself,
becomes instrumental in producing that very condition
in the life of man that casts a shadow,
or that prevents the divine light from passing through.
Man, through his recognition of the shadow,
making it more or less a part of his mind,
actually perpetuates in himself those very conditions
that caused his life to cast a shadow in the first place.
making it more or less a part of his mind,
actually perpetuates in himself those very conditions
that caused his life to cast a shadow in the first place.
The life of man casts a shadow
because the light does not pass through his life -
his life is not transparent.
because the light does not pass through his life -
his life is not transparent.
The life of man cannot become transparent
so long as he thinks in the shadow;
and he will think more or less in the shadow
so long as he believes the shadow to be real.
so long as he thinks in the shadow;
and he will think more or less in the shadow
so long as he believes the shadow to be real.
If we are casting a shadow,
be it very dark or very faint,
we are obstructing the light to that extent,
and thereby interfering with the best welfare of the world.
Besides, we are not fulfilling our purpose;
for we are not here simply to see the light;
we must also transmit light;
therefore to eliminate the shadow must become
one of our leading aims in life;
and to begin we must consider the cause of the shadow first,
and then the means by which through may be removed.
be it very dark or very faint,
we are obstructing the light to that extent,
and thereby interfering with the best welfare of the world.
Besides, we are not fulfilling our purpose;
for we are not here simply to see the light;
we must also transmit light;
therefore to eliminate the shadow must become
one of our leading aims in life;
and to begin we must consider the cause of the shadow first,
and then the means by which through may be removed.
If we wish to eliminate the shadows
we must turn all the actions of the mind
upon that state in which we shall find ourselves
when we no longer cast a shadow.
And that state of spiritual transparence.
We must know that it is nothing but a shadow,
and that it will disappear the very moment
we begin to think wholly in the light.
and that it will disappear the very moment
we begin to think wholly in the light.
We must take consciousness above and back
of our usual mode of confused thinking,
and begin to think only in terms of light -
knowing that the shadow with all its train of shadows,
are all one and all mere shadows,
not to be considered or recognized in the least.
When we begin to think wholly in the light,
that entire train of shadows will disappear
as completely as if there had never been such things in the world.
In consequence these conditions which obstruct the light
will gradually disappear, not being produced any more;
the mental atmosphere will be cleared;
and our thinking will become so clarified
that every part of the mind will transmit all the light
that may come upon us from higher realms.
will gradually disappear, not being produced any more;
the mental atmosphere will be cleared;
and our thinking will become so clarified
that every part of the mind will transmit all the light
that may come upon us from higher realms.
Since man is now in the light
he must live wholly for the light,
giving no thought whatever to darkness or to the shadow
that may follow his life for a time.
he must live wholly for the light,
giving no thought whatever to darkness or to the shadow
that may follow his life for a time.
He must now begin to think wholly in the light;
and by doing this his mind will soon become so harmonious and clear
that the divine light will pass through;
in brief, he becomes spiritual transparent
and his life will not cast any shadow any more.
and by doing this his mind will soon become so harmonious and clear
that the divine light will pass through;
in brief, he becomes spiritual transparent
and his life will not cast any shadow any more.
If the light of truth and goodness and perfection -
in brief, the divine light of being, could pass through his life,
there would be no shadow.
in brief, the divine light of being, could pass through his life,
there would be no shadow.
If the life of man is to cease to cast a shadow,
his spiritual nature must become transparent;
his life must attain unto spiritual transparence;
and the way to spiritual transparence can be found and followed
by any earnest, awakened soul.
The result will be that more and more of the divine light
will shine through our lives and natures;
the shadows will therefore become less and less evident
until they do not appear again.
will shine through our lives and natures;
the shadows will therefore become less and less evident
until they do not appear again.
Then we shall be surrounded entirely by light;
we shall live in the full light;
all our thinking will be in the light.
we shall live in the full light;
all our thinking will be in the light.
