Manly P. Hall was an amazing scholar on occultism and Divine matters regarding religion and spirituality, and it is no surprise that his perspective on wisdom would be so clear and accurate. As Plato once observed and stated, “Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture will never be understood, let alone believed, by the masses.” This unfortunate truth is due to the fact that “the masses”, as Plato describes the general, average population, seldom seek truth. After all, the truth can be very painful in many instances.
Truth often hurts because it tears apart the preconceived notions in our minds; notions which have been fabricated subconsciously through years of conditioning and propaganda. We have proof that this is true when we observe and accept the sad reality that most people are fully aware of the destructive nature of their nutritional habits, yet they continue eating just the same. Much the same way, the addict is fully aware of the utterly devastating nature of the drug he consumes, but he chooses to indulge time and time again. Why do human beings act in such a way? We engage in such behaviors because they keep us in our comfort zone; they do not interfere with our sense gratifications, or the desires of our body and mind, but the real fault in us which is the root of the problem lies in a complete lack of self-control. Self-control is essential to living a balanced, positive and healthy life, yet most people choose to exert a very limited amount of it during daily life, as well as exercising a very limited amount of willpower to go along with it, if any at all.
So what exactly is this life-changing practice of self-control really all about? Self-control is described by 19th-century philosopher and writer James Allen as being “of greater importance than all the other sciences combined, and without which, all science would but subserve the ends of selfishness, and aid in man’s destruction”. This is a universal truth which cannot be ignored. Can we imagine the events that would take place in our planet if human beings were not born with at least some ability to exercise self-control? All we need to do to answer this question is pay close attention to the lives of people who cannot control themselves, in whichever aspect it may be, in order to come to the conclusion that a constant lack of self-control can wreak havoc on a person’s life, as well as the lives of those around such a person. Let us be thankful that self-control is still among us to some degree, in some more than in others; for it is a Divine blessing and is something which can truly be called wisdom.
“For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” ~ 2 Timothy 1:7
Some versions of the above quote mention that God gave us a spirit of self-control, while other versions of the Bible mention a sound mind, rather than self-control. It is evident however, that both are equivalent to each other, for one who exercises intense self-control is blessed with a sound mind, guided by wisdom to do what is right. Attaining wisdom means having an inner guide so to speak, a Divine light continually guiding your way through the darkness of shallow material existence. Wisdom means sacrifice, doing the right thing even when we desire otherwise. In wisdom are contained such Divine attributes as love, kindness, compassion, mercy, truth, joy, peace, honesty, forgiveness and generosity. Wisdom, which we now see includes truth, can only be attained by those in a constant and honest search for the eternal truth, the truth which has inspired all religions, as well as all systems of philosophy and psychology, all forms of art, design and literature, and all forms of creativity of all that is good and pure. One who despises the truth despises wisdom altogether.
We must seek truth and we can be sure we will attain wisdom, but it cannot be stressed enough how much we must seek. Truth requires us to make a complete commitment to ascending the path of liberation from all that is not true and wise. A commitment to the truth means making a radical decision to really become indifferent to our preferences, and really evaluate our ideas of comfort, ideal living, leisure, and success, among other very important things. Seeking does not have to necessarily be external nor internal. In fact, seeking does not even have to involve learning at all. Actually, one of the most liberating processes which inspire Divine wisdom, is the process of emptying your mind of all thoughts which are not truly your own, as well as of all fears, regrets, pains, grudges and insecurities. Go ahead and get in touch with your sense of adventure, of Divine wonder, and seek, anywhere and everywhere you go, alone and together with anyone and everyone you encounter on your path. Be a light that emanates through the wisdom you have acquired thus far on your journey. Seek within and without, high and low, in silence and in music, in the sadness and the happiness of life, through the pain and the pleasure, through the mundane and the mad. Search in all these places, as well as in any others which occur to you. Look above and look below, for both are indeed an upper and lower reflection of the same Divine energy, the energy of pure Wisdom.
Stay real, stay positive, stay balanced, stay healthy! God bless!
~ REBEL SPIRIT ~
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