Self control and happiness. When mental energy is allowed to flow in the line
of least resistance and to fall into easy channels, it is called weakness.
When it is gathered, focused, and forced into upward in different directions,
it becomes power. And this concentration of energy, an acquisition of power,
is brought about by means of self control. In speaking of self control,
one is easily misunderstood. It should not be associated with the destructive repression,
but with a constructive expression. This process is not one of death, but
of life. It is a divine and marsterly transmutation in which the weak is
converted into the strong, the course into the fine, and the base into
the noble, in which virtue takes the place of vice, and dark passion
is lost in bright intellectuality. The man who merely smothers up and hides away
his real nature, without any higher object in view than to create a good
impression upon others concerning his character is practicing hypocrisy and not self control. As
the mechanic transmutes call into gas and water into steam, and then concentrates and
utilizes the finer forces for the comfort and convenience of others, so the man
who intellectually practices self control, transmutes his lower inclinations into the finer qualities of
intelligence and morality, to the increase of his own and the world's happiness.
A man is happy, wise, and great in the measure that he controls
himself. He is wretched, foolish, and mean in the measure that he
allows his animal nature to dominate his thoughts and actions. He who controls himself
controls his life, his circumstances, his destiny, and wherever he goes he
carries his happiness with him as an abiding possession. He who does not control
himself is controlled by passions, by his circumstances, and his fate. And
if he cannot gratify the desire of the moment, he is disappointed and miserable.
He depends for his fitful happiness on external things. There is no force
in the universe which can be annihilated or lost. Energy is transformed, but
not destroyed. To shut the door on old and bad habits is to open
it to new and better ones. Renunciation precedes regeneration. Every self indulgence,
every forbidden pleasure, every hateful thought. Renounced is transformed into something more purely
and permanently beautiful. Where debilitating excitements are cut off, their spring up rejuvenating
joys. The sea dies, that the flower may appear, The grub perishes,
but the dragonfly comes forth. Truly, the transformation is not instantaneous,
nor is the transition a pleasant and painless process. Nature demands effort and patience
as the price of growth. In the march of progress. Every victory is
contested with struggle and pain. But the victory is achieved and it abides.
The struggle passes. The pain is temporary only to demolish a firmly figure habit,
to break up a mental tendency that has become automatic with long use,
and to force into birth and growth, a fine characteristic of lofty virtue.
To accomplish this necessitates a painful metamorphosis, a transitional period of darkness to pass
through which patience and endurance are required. This is where men fail. This
is where they slip back into their old, easy animal ruts and abandon self
control as too strenous and severe. They thus fall short of permanent happiness,
and the life of triumph over evil is hidden from their eyes. The permanent
happiness which men seek in dissipation excitement and abandonment to unworthy pleasure is found only
in the life which reverses all this, the life of self control. So
far as a man deviates from perfect self command, just so far dos he
falls short of perfect happiness, he sinks into misery and weakness, the lowest
limit of which is madness, entire lack of mental control, the condition of
irresponsibility. In so far as a man approximates to perfect self command, just
so near does he approach to perfect happiness and rise into joy and strength.
So glorious are the possibilities of such divine manhood that no limit can be said
to its grandeur and bliss. If a man will understand how intimately yea,
how inseparably self control and happiness are associated, he has but to look into
his own heart and upon the world around, to find that there are joy
destroying effects of uncontrolled tendencies. Looking upon the lives of men and women,
he will perceive how the hasty word, the bittery taught, the act of
deception, the blind prejudice, and foolish resentment bring wretchedness and even ruin in
their train. Looking into his own life, what days of consuming remorse of
restless anxiety and of crushing sorrow arise up before his mind periods of intense suffering
through which he has passed through lack of self control. But in the right
life, though while governed life, the victorious life life, all these things
pass away, New conditions obtain, and purer more is Spiritual instruments are employed
for the achievements of happy ends. There is no more remorse because there is
no more wrongdoing. There is no more anxiety, because there is no more
selfishness. There is no more sorrow because truth is the source of action.
The much desired thing which self pursues with breathless and uncontrolled eagerness, yet fails
to overtake, comes unbidden and begs to be admitted to him who works and
waits in perfect self command. Hatred, impatience, greed, self indulgence,
vain ambitions, and blind desires, the instruments by which self shapes its ill
finished existence. What clumsy tools they are, and how ignorant and unskillful are
they who employ them. Love, patience, kindness, self discipline, transmuted
ambitions, and chastened desires, instruments of truth by which is shaped the well
finished existence. What perfect tools they are, and how wise and skillful are
they who use them. Whatsoever is gained by feverish haste and selfish desire is
attained in fuller measure by quietness and renunciation. Nature will not be hastened.
She brings all perfection in due season. Truth will not be commanded. He
has his conditions and must be obeyed. Nothing is more superfluous than haste and
anger. A man has to learn that he cannot command things, but that
he can command himself, That he cannot coerce the wilds of others, but
that he can mold and master his own will. And things serve him.
Who serve truth, people seek guidance of him who is master of himself.
It is a little understood, yet simple and profound truth that the man who
cannot command himself under the severest external stress is unfit to guide others or to
control affairs. It is the fundamental principles in the moral and political teachings of
Confucius that before attempting to govern affairs, a man should learn to govern himself.
Men who habitually give way under pressure to hysterious suspicions, outbursts of resentments,
and explosions of anger are unfit for way to responsibility and lofty duties,
and usually fail sooner or later, even in the ordinary duties of life,
such as the management of their own family or business. Lack of self control
is foolishness, and folly cannot take precedence of a wisdom. He who is
learning how to subdue and control his turbulent wandering thoughts is becoming wiser every day.
Though for a time the Temple of Joy will not be completed, he
will gather strength in laying its foundations, in building its walls, and the
day will come when, like a wise master builder, he will rest at
peace in the beautiful habitation which he has built. Wisdom in years, in
self control, and in wisdom is pleasantness and peace. The life of self
control is no barren deprivation, no wilderness of monotony. Renunciation there is,
but it is a renunciation of their ephemeral and false in order that the abiding
and true may be ready. Enjoyment is not cut off, It is intensified.
Enjoyment is life. It is the slavish desire for it that kills.
Is there anyway a more miserable man than he who's all his longing for some
new sensation. Is there anyway a more blessed being than he who, by
self control is satisfied, calm, and enlightened, who has most of physical
life enjoy the glutton, the drunkard, and the sensualist who lives for pleasure
only, or the temperate man who holds his body in subjection, considering its
needs and obeying its uses. I was once eating a ripe, juicy apple
as it came from the tree, and a man near me said, quote,
I would give anything if I could enjoy an apple like that unquote.
I asked, why can't you? His answer was, quote, I have
drunk whiskey and smoked tobacco until I have lost all enjoyment in such things unquote.
In pursuit of elusive enjoyments, men lose the abiding joys of life.
And as he who control he senses as most of physical life joy and strength,
so he who controls his thoughts has most of spiritual life. Bliss and
power. For not only happiness, but knowledge and wisdom also are revealed by
self control. As the avenues of ignorance and selfishness are closed, the open
gates of knowledge and enlightenment appear. Virtue attained is knowledge gained. The pure
mind is an enlightened mind. He has well being who controls himself well.
I hear men speak of quote, the monotony of goodness unquote. If looking
for things in the spirit which one has given up in the letter were goodness,
then indeed would it be monotonous. The man of self control does not
merely give up his base pleasures. He abandons all longing for them. He
presses forward and does not look back, and fresh beauties, new glories,
sublime of vistas await him at every step. I am astonished at the revelations
which lie hidden in self control. I am captivated by the infinite variety of
truth. I am filled with joy at the grandeur of the prospect. I
am gladdened by its splendor and its peace. Along the way of self control
there is the joy of victory, the consciousness of expanding an increasing power,
the acquisition of the imperishable riches of divine knowledge, and the abiding bliss of
service to humankind. Even he who travels only a portion of the way will
develop a strength, achieve a success, and experience a joy which the idol
and the thoughtless cannot know, and he who goes all the way will become
a spiritual conqueror. He will triumph of all evil and will blot it out.
He will gaze with in rapid vision upon the majesty of the cosmic order,
and will enjoy the immortality of truth.