An Elevated Goal, a Steady
Will, a Sense of Inner Balance
Carlos Cardoso Aveline
* Many want to educate others. Few try to consistently educate themselves.
* There is a large number of clever individuals who seek to impose their opinions on the world. What a society needs is persons who seek the truth, who candidly share their views, and respect the way others think. A sincere attitude, however, must be combined with two decisive factors: on one hand, a feeling of respect; on the other hand, an enduring goodwill.
* When profound and solemn moments approach and there is a commotion in the air, it is time to listen to the silence.
* Any especially important day must to be lived with a respectful calm. Think of Christmas for instance, or the birthday of the woman you love. It is the deep presence of the soul that makes a celebration true. An intelligent manifestation of Spirit requires equilibrium and lucidity. The right thing to do is to produce and transmit peace. Sweets and alcoholic beverages do not help. False euphoria is but a precarious way of (partially) escaping anguish.
* An enduring peace belongs to those who serenely see both the pleasant and the unpleasant aspects of life, and renew their decision to gather a treasure of learning in the heavens, that is, in the territory of the spiritual soul. A good celebration consists of saying Thanks to Life, and it includes a promise to oneself to do one’s best, starting today.
* The daily discipline of those who seek wisdom needs to be flexible in order to creatively adapt itself to the changing circumstances of life. The daily rhythm of one’s actions must be internally firm, while having no external rigidity. Once the pilgrim has established a creative firmness in his daily discipline, he can seek for goals which have four characteristics. First, they are valuable. Second, they are durable. And they are also stimulating and challenging.
Victories and Defeats
* Unpleasant facts are sometimes unavoidable, but you don’t need to be mentally paralysed by them. The important thing is your ability to react in correct ways to troublesome circumstances. The same applies to good news. If the pilgrim cannot receive pleasant events with humility and detachment, such circumstances will easily deprive him of his common sense, and a sad defeat will soon take place.
* Every journey has its easy and difficult moments. What a pilgrim needs is an elevated goal, a steady will, and a sense of inner balance. We can take advantage of defeats to strengthen ourselves internally. We may use victories to grow in voluntary simplicity, and to expand in ourselves the absence of personal ambition.
Trump’s Philosophy of Life
* All aspects of human activity are innerly connected. Our own ignorance is the main adversary, and attachment to comfort is among the most dangerous forms of ignorance. Thinking of success in one’s social and material existence, Donald Trump wrote something of importance in theosophical life:
* “I’ve already spoken about complacency and how it can ruin your chances for success. It’s the same as being in a rut and deciding to stay there. That’s why I like to advise people to live on the edge – it’s the opposite of complacency, and the same as thinking on your feet.”
* Excessive inertia or blind routine prevent the natural process of theosophical learning. The path to wisdom is always probationary and largely surrounded by hidden pitfalls which present themselves as wise decisions and excellent options.
* Trump proceeds:
* “Ever notice how your senses are heightened when you are in challenging situations? It’s like having an adrenalin rush that gives you extra energy. If you see every day as a challenge, you’d be surprised how efficient you can become and how much can be accomplished.” [1]
* However, preemptive action is among the best choices. Trump writes:
* “Don’t wait for dire circumstances to test your quick-thinking ability. Test yourself daily. Be on alert at all times. As Napoleon said, ‘A leader has the right to be beaten, but never the right to be surprised’. See yourself as a leader – starting right now. It will mean you are self-reliant, responsible, and not apt to being unnecessarily surprised by the vicissitudes of life, whether you are in business or not. Being prepared cannot be overestimated, and if you want to hit the big time running, you’d better be able to think on those feet of yours.” [2]
* To start with, a Truth-Seeker must be sure he is self-responsible, persistent, and capable of making decisions by himself.
NOTES:
[1] “Think Like a Champion”, by Donald J. Trump and Meredith McIver, Da Capo Press, USA, Copyright 2009, 204 pp., see p. 19.
[2] “Think Like a Champion”, Donald J. Trump and Meredith McIver, Da Capo Press, USA, 2009, p. 21.
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“Thoughts Along the Road – 78” was published on the websites of the Independent Lodge of Theosophists on 21 October 2024. An initial and smaller version of it is part of the January 2022 edition of “The Aquarian Theosophist”, pp. 16-17.
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Read more:
* Give Your Higher Self a Chance (by Donald J. Trump).
* Other writings of Carlos Cardoso Aveline.
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Print the texts you study from the websites of the Independent Lodge. Reading on paper helps us attain a deeper view of philosophical texts. When studying a printed text, the reader can underline sentences and make handwritten comments in the margins that link the ideas to his personal reality.
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Helena Blavatsky (photo) wrote these words: “Deserve, then desire”.
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