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There have been innumerable Temporary Seekers of Truthhave you
ever heard of a permanent one？ In the very nature of man such a
person is impossible。 However； to drop back to the text
training： all training is one from or another of OUTSIDE
INFLUENCE； and ASSOCIATION is the largest part of it。 A man is
never anything but what his outside influences have made him。
They train him downward or they train him upwardbut they TRAIN
him； they are at work upon him all the time。
Y。M。 Then if he happen by the accidents of life to be
evilly placed there is no help for him； according to your
notionshe must train downward。
O。M。 No help for him？ No help for this chameleon？ It is a
mistake。 It is in his chameleonship that his greatest good
fortune lies。 He has only to change his habitathis
ASSOCIATIONS。 But the impulse to do it must come from the
OUTSIDEhe cannot originate it himself； with that purpose in
view。 Sometimes a very small and accidental thing can furnish
him the initiatory impulse and start him on a new road； with a
new idea。 The chance remark of a sweetheart； 〃I hear that you
are a coward；〃 may water a seed that shall sprout and bloom and
flourish； and ended in producing a surprising fruitagein the
fields of war。 The history of man is full of such accidents。
The accident of a broken leg brought a profane and ribald soldier
under religious influences and furnished him a new ideal。 From
that accident sprang the Order of the Jesuits； and it has been
shaking thrones； changing policies； and doing other tremendous
work for two hundred yearsand will go on。 The chance reading
of a book or of a paragraph in a newspaper can start a man on a
new track and make him renounce his old associations and seek new
ones that are IN SYMPATHY WITH HIS NEW IDEAL： and the result；
for that man； can be an entire change of his way of life。
Y。M。 Are you hinting at a scheme of procedure？
O。M。 Not a new onean old one。 One as mankind。
Y。M。 What is it？
O。M。 Merely the laying of traps for people。 Traps baited
with INITIATORY IMPULSES TOWARD HIGH IDEALS。 It is what the
tract…distributor does。 It is what the missionary does。 It is
what governments ought to do。
Y。M。 Don't they？
O。M。 In one way they do； in another they don't。 They
separate the smallpox patients from the healthy people； but in
dealing with crime they put the healthy into the pest…house along
with the sick。 That is to say； they put the beginners in with
the confirmed criminals。 This would be well if man were
naturally inclined to good； but he isn't； and so ASSOCIATION
makes the beginners worse than they were when they went into
captivity。 It is putting a very severe punishment upon the
comparatively innocent at times。 They hang a manwhich is a
trifling punishment； this breaks the hearts of his familywhich
is a heavy one。 They comfortably jail and feed a wife…beater；
and leave his innocent wife and family to starve。
Y。M。 Do you believe in the doctrine that man is equipped
with an intuitive perception of good and evil？
O。M。 Adam hadn't it。
Y。M。 But has man acquired it since？
O。M。 No。 I think he has no intuitions of any kind。 He
gets ALL his ideas； all his impressions； from the outside。 I
keep repeating this； in the hope that I may impress it upon you
that you will be interested to observe and examine for yourself
and see whether it is true or false。
Y。M。 Where did you get your own aggravating notions？
O。M。 From the OUTSIDE。 I did not invent them。 They are
gathered from a thousand unknown sources。 Mainly UNCONSCIOUSLY
gathered。
Y。M。 Don't you believe that God could make an inherently
honest man？
O。M。 Yes； I know He could。 I also know that He never did
make one。
Y。M。 A wiser observer than you has recorded the fact that
〃an honest man's the noblest work of God。〃
O。M。 He didn't record a fact； he recorded a falsity。 It is windy；
and sounds well； but it is not true。 God makes a man with honest
and dishonest POSSIBILITIES in him and stops there。 The man's
ASSOCIATIONS develop the possibilitiesthe one set or the other。
The result is accordingly an honest man or a dishonest one。
Y。M。 And the honest one is not entitled to
O。M。 Praise？ No。 How often must I tell you that？ HE is
not the architect of his honesty。
Y。M。 Now then； I will ask you where there is any sense in
training people to lead virtuous lives。 What is gained by it？
O。M。 The man himself gets large advantages out of it； and
that is the main thingto HIM。 He is not a peril to his
neighbors； he is not a damage to themand so THEY get an
advantage out of his virtues。 That is the main thing to THEM。
It can make this life comparatively comfortable to the parties
concerned； the NEGLECT of this training can make this life a
constant peril and distress to the parties concerned。
Y。M。 You have said that training is everything； that
training is the man HIMSELF； for it makes him what he is。
O。M。 I said training and ANOTHER thing。 Let that other
thing pass； for the moment。 What were you going to say？
Y。M。 We have an old servant。 She has been with us twenty…
two years。 Her service used to be faultless； but now she has
become very forgetful。 We are all fond of her； we all recognize
that she cannot help the infirmity which age has brought her； the
rest of the family do not scold her for her remissnesses； but at
times I doI can't seem to control myself。 Don't I try？ I do
try。 Now； then； when I was ready to dress； this morning； no
clean clothes had been put out。 I lost my temper； I lose it
easiest and quickest in the early morning。 I rang； and
immediately began to warn myself not to show temper； and to be
careful and speak gently。 I safe…guarded myself most carefully。
I even chose the very word I would use： 〃You've forgotten the
clean clothes； Jane。〃 When she appeared in the door I opened my
mouth to say that phraseand out of it； moved by an instant
surge of passion which I was not expecting and hadn't time to put
under control； came the hot rebuke； 〃You've forgotten them
again！〃 You say a man always does the thing which will best
please his Interior Master。 Whence came the impulse to make
careful preparation to save the girl the humiliation of a rebuke？
Did that come from the Master； who is always primarily concerned
about HIMSELF？
O。M。 Unquestionably。 There is no other source for any
impulse。 SECONDARILY you made preparation to save the girl； but
PRIMARILY its object was to save yourself； by contenting the
Master。
Y。M。 How do you mean？
O。M。 Has any member of the family ever implored you to
watch your temper and not fly out at the girl？
Y。M。 Yes。 My mother。
O。M。 You love her？
Y。M。 Oh； more than that！
O。M。 You would always do anything in your power to please her？
Y。M。 It is a delight to me to do anything to please her！
O。M。 Why？ YOU WOULD DO IT FOR PAY； SOLELYfor PROFIT。
What profit would you expect and certainly receive from
the investment？
Y。M。 Personally？ None。 To please HER is enough。
O。M。 It appears； then； that your object； primarily； WASN'T
to save the girl a humiliation； but to PLEASE YOUR MOTHER。 It
also appears that to please your mother gives YOU a strong
pleasure。 Is not that the profit which you get out of the
investment？ Isn't that the REAL profits and FIRST profit？
Y。M。 Oh； well？ Go on。
O。M。 In ALL transactions； the Interior Master looks to it
that YOU GET THE FIRST PROFIT。 Otherwise there is no
transaction。
Y。M。 Well； then； if I was so anxious to get that profit and
so intent upon it； why did I threw it away by losing my temper？
O。M。 In order to get ANOTHER profit which suddenly
superseded it in value。
Y。M。 Where was it？
O。M。 Ambushed behind your born temperament； and waiting for
a chance。 Your native warm temper suddenly jumped to the front；
and FOR THE MOMENT its influence was more powerful than your
mother's； and abolished it。 In that instance you were eager to
flash out a hot rebuke and enjoy it。 You did enjoy it； didn't you？
Y。M。 Forfor a quarter of a second。 YesI did。
O。M。 Very well； it is as I have said： the thing which will
give you the MOST pleasure； the most satisfaction； in any moment
or FRACTION of a moment； is the thing you will always do。 You
must content the Master's LATEST whim； whatever it may be。
Y。M。 But when the tears came into the old servant's eyes I
could have cut my hand off for what I had done。
O。M。 Right。 You had humiliated YOURSELF； you see； you had
given yourself PAIN。 Nothing is of FIRST importance to a man
except results which damage HIM or profit himall the rest is
SECONDARY。 Your Master was displeased with you； although you had
obeyed him。 He required a prompt REPENTANCE