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Light on individual liberty. Within the
sphere of his own mind, man has

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all power, But in the sphere
of other minds and outside things, his

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power is limited. He can command
his own mind, but he cannot command

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the minds of others. He can't
choose what he shall think, but he

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cannot choose what others shall think.
He cannot control the weather as he wills,

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but he can control his mind and
decide what his mental attitude toward the

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weather shall be. A man can
reform the dominion of his own mind,

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but he cannot reform the outer world, because the outer world is composed of

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other minds having the same freedom of
choice as himself. A pure being cannot

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cleanse the heart of one less pure, But by his life of purity,

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and by elucidating his experience in the
attainment of purity, he can, as

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a teacher, act as a guide
to others and so enable them more readily

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and rapidly to purify themselves. But
even then those others have the power to

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decide whether they shall accept or reject
such guidance. So complete is man's choice.

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It is because of this dual truth
that man has no power in the

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realm of others minds, and yet
has all power over his own mind,

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that he cannot avoid the consequences of
his own thoughts and acts. Man is

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altogether powerless to alter or avert consequences, but he is altogether powerful in his

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choice of causative thought. Having chosen
his thoughts, he must accept their full

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consequences. Having acted, he cannot
escape the full results of his act.

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Law reigns universally, and there is
perfect individual liberty. A man can do

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as he likes, but all other
men can also do as they like.

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A man has power to steal,
but others have the power to protect themselves

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against the thief. Having sent out
his thought, having acted his purpose,

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a man's power over that thought and
purpose is at an end. The consequences

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are certain and cannot be escaped,
and they will be of the nature of

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the thought an act which produces them
painful or blessed. Seeing that a man

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can think and do as he chooses, and that all others have the like

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liberty, a man has to learn
sooner or later to reckon with other minds,

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and until he does this he will
be ceaselessly involved in suffering to think

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an act apart from the consideration of
others is both an abuse and an infringement

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of liberty. Such thoughts and acts
are annulled and brought to nought by the

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harmonizing principle of liberty itself, and
such annulling in bringing to nought is felt

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by the individual as suffering. When
the mind, rising above it ignorance,

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recognizes the magnitude of its power within
its own sphere and ceases to antagonize itself

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against others, it harmonizes itself to
those other minds. Having acknowledged their freedom

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of choice, It has then realized
spiritual plenitude and the cessation of suffering.

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Selfishness, egotism, and despotism are, from the spiritual standpoint transferable terms.

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They are one and the same thing. Every selfish thought or act, as

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a manifestation of egotism, is an
effort of despotism and is met with suffering

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and defeat. It is annulled because
the law of liberty cannot, even in

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the smallest particular, be annulled.
If selfishness could conquer, liberty would be

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nonexistent. But selfishness fails of all
results but pain, because liberty is supreme.

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An act of selfishness contains two elements
of ease egotism, namely the denial

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of liberty of others and the assertion
of one's own liberty beyond its legitimate sphere.

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It thereby destroys itself. Despotism is
death. Man is not the creature

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of selfishness. He is the maker
of it. It is an indication of

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his power, his power to disobey
even the laws of his own being.

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Selfishness is power without wisdom. It
is energy wrongly directed. A man is

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selfish because he is ignorant of his
nature and power as a mental being.

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Such ignorance and selfishness entails suffering,
and by repeated suffering an age long experience,

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he at last arrives at knowledge and
the legitimate exercise of his power.

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The truly enlightened man cannot be selfish. He cannot accuse others of selfishness or

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try to coerce them into being unselfish. The selfish mans man is eager to

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bend others to his own way and
will, believing it to be the only

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right way for all. He thereby
ignorantly wastes himself in trying to check in

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others the power which he freely exercises
himself, namely, the power to choose

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their own way and exercise their own
will. By so doing, he places

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himself in direct antagonism with the like
tendencies and the freedom of other minds,

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and brings into operation the instruments of
his own suffering. Hence the ceaseless interplay

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of conflicting forces, the unending fires
of passion, the turmoil, strife,

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and woe. Selfishness is misapplied power. The unselfish man is he who,

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ceasing from all personal interference, abandons
the eye as the source of judgment.

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Having recognized his unlimited freedom through the
abandonment of all egotism, even in thought,

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he refrains from encroachment upon the boundless
freedom of others. He realizes the

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legitimacy of their choice and their right
to be the free employment of their power.

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However others may choose to act towards
such a man, it can never

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cause him any trouble or suffering,
because he is perfectly willing that they should

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so choose to act, and he
harbors no wish that they should act in

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any other way. He realizes that
his sole duty, as well as his

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entire power, lies in acting rightly
toward them, and that he is in

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no way concerned with their actions toward
him. That is both their choice and

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their business to the unselfish man.
Therefore malice, envy, backbiting, jealousy,

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accusation, condemnation, and persecution have
passed away. Having ceased to practice

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these things, he is not disturbed
when they are hurled at him. Thus,

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liberation from sin is liberation from suffering. The selfless man is free.

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He has made the servitude of sin
impossible. He has broken every bond