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==160:4. THE BALANCE OF MATURITY==

==160:4. THE BALANCE OF MATURITY==

160:4.1 While you have an eye single to the attainment of eternal realities, you must also make provision for the necessities of temporal living. While the spirit is our goal, the flesh is a fact. Occasionally the necessities of living may fall into our hands by accident, but in general, we must intelligently work for them. The two major problems of life are: making a temporal living and the achievement of eternal survival. And even the problem of making a living requires religion for its ideal solution. These are both highly personal problems. True religion, in fact, does not function apart from the individual.

160:4.1 While you have an eye single to the [[attainment]] of [[eternal]] [[realities]], you must also make [[provision]] for the [[necessities]] of [[temporal]] living. While the [[spirit]] is our [[goal]], the [[flesh]] is a [[fact]]. Occasionally the [[necessities]] of living may fall into our hands by [[accident]], but in general, we must [[intelligently]] [[work]] for them. The two major [[problems]] of life are: making a [[temporal]] living and the achievement of eternal [[survival]]. And even the [[problem]] of making a living requires [[religion]] for its [[ideal]] solution. These are both highly [[personal]] [[problems]]. True [[religion]], in [[fact]], does not [[function]] apart from the [[individual]].

160:4.2 The essentials of the temporal life, as I see them, are:

160:4.2 The [[essentials]] of the [[temporal]] life, as I see them, are:

*1. Good physical health.

*1. [[Good]] [[physical]] [[health]].

*2. Clear and clean thinking.

*2. Clear and clean [[thinking]].

*3. Ability and skill.

*3. [[Ability]] and [[skill]].

*4. Wealth—the goods of life.

*4. [[Wealth]]—the goods of life.

*5. Ability to withstand defeat.

*5. [[Ability]] to withstand [[defeat]].

*6. Culture—education and wisdom.

*6. [[Culture]]—[[education]] and [[wisdom]].

160:4.3 Even the physical problems of bodily health and efficiency are best solved when they are viewed from the religious standpoint of our Master's teaching: That the body and mind of man are the dwelling place of the gift of the Gods, the spirit of God becoming the spirit of man. The mind of man thus becomes the mediator between material things and spiritual realities.

160:4.3 Even the [[physical]] [[problems]] of bodily [[health]] and [[efficiency]] are best solved when they are viewed from the religious [[standpoint]] of our [[the Master|Master]]'s teaching: That the [[body]] and [[mind]] of man are the dwelling place of the gift of [[the Gods]], the spirit of God becoming the [[spirit]] of man. The [[mind]] of man thus becomes the mediator between [[material]] [[things]] and spiritual [[realities]].

160:4.4 It requires intelligence to secure one's share of the desirable things of life. It is wholly erroneous to suppose that faithfulness in doing one's daily work will insure the rewards of wealth. Barring the occasional and accidental acquirement of wealth, the material rewards of the temporal life are found to flow in certain well-organized channels, and only those who have access to these channels may expect to be well rewarded for their temporal efforts. Poverty must ever be the lot of all men who seek for wealth in isolated and individual channels. Wise planning, therefore, becomes the one thing essential to worldly prosperity. Success requires not only devotion to one's work but also that one should function as a part of some one of the channels of material wealth. If you are unwise, you can bestow a devoted life upon your generation without material reward; if you are an accidental beneficiary of the flow of wealth, you may roll in luxury even though you have done nothing worth while for your fellow men.

160:4.4 It requires [[intelligence]] to secure one's [[share]] of the desirable [[things]] of life. It is wholly erroneous to suppose that [[faithfulness]] in doing one's daily [[work]] will insure the rewards of [[wealth]]. Barring the occasional and [[accidental]] acquirement of [[wealth]], the material rewards of the [[temporal]] life are found to flow in certain well-[[organized]] [[channels]], and only those who have [[access]] to these channels may [[expect]] to be well rewarded for their [[temporal]] [[efforts]]. [[Poverty]] must ever be the lot of all men who seek for [[wealth]] in isolated and [[individual]] channels. [[Wise]] planning, therefore, becomes the one [[thing]] [[essential]] to worldly [[prosperity]]. Success requires not only [[devotion]] to one's [[work]] but also that one should [[function]] as a part of some one of the [[channels]] of material [[wealth]]. If you are unwise, you can bestow a [[devoted]] life upon your [[generation]] without [[material]] reward; if you are an [[accidental]] beneficiary of the [[flow]] of wealth, you may roll in [[luxury]] even though you have done nothing worth while for your fellow men.

160:4.5 Ability is that which you inherit, while skill is what you acquire. Life is not real to one who cannot do some one thing well, expertly. Skill is one of the real sources of the satisfaction of living. Ability implies the gift of foresight, farseeing vision. Be not deceived by the tempting rewards of dishonest achievement; be willing to toil for the later returns inherent in honest endeavor. The wise man is able to distinguish between means and ends; otherwise, sometimes overplanning for the future defeats its own high purpose. As a pleasure seeker you should aim always to be a producer as well as a consumer.

160:4.5 [[Ability]] is that which you [[inherit]], while [[skill]] is what you acquire. Life is not real to one who cannot do some one thing well, expertly. Skill is one of the real sources of the [[satisfaction]] of living. [[Ability]] implies the gift of [[foresight]], farseeing [[vision]]. Be not [[deceived]] by the [[tempting]] rewards of dishonest [[achievement]]; be willing to toil for the later returns [[inherent]] in [[honest]] endeavor. The [[wise]] man is able to distinguish between means and ends; otherwise, sometimes overplanning for the [[future]] [[defeats]] its own high [[purpose]]. As a [[pleasure]] seeker you should aim always to be a producer as well as a [[consumer]].

160:4.6 Train your memory to hold in sacred trust the strength-giving and worth-while episodes of life, which you can recall at will for your pleasure and edification. Thus build up for yourself and in yourself reserve galleries of beauty, goodness, and artistic grandeur. But the noblest of all memories are the treasured recollections of the great moments of a superb friendship. And all of these memory treasures radiate their most precious and exalting influences under the releasing touch of spiritual worship.

160:4.6 [[Train]] your [[memory]] to hold in [[sacred]] [[trust]] the [[strength]]-giving and worth-while [[episodes]] of life, which you can recall at will for your [[pleasure]] and edification. Thus build up for yourself and in yourself reserve galleries of [[beauty]], [[goodness]], and artistic grandeur. But the noblest of all [[memories]] are the treasured recollections of the great [[moments]] of a superb [[friendship]]. And all of these [[memory]] treasures radiate their most precious and exalting [[influences]] under the releasing [[touch]] of [[spiritual]] [[worship]].

160:4.7 But life will become a burden of existence unless you learn how to fail gracefully. There is an art in defeat which noble souls always acquire; you must know how to lose cheerfully; you must be fearless of disappointment. Never hesitate to admit failure. Make no attempt to hide failure under deceptive smiles and beaming optimism. It sounds well always to claim success, but the end results are appalling. Such a technique leads directly to the creation of a world of unreality and to the inevitable crash of ultimate disillusionment.

160:4.7 But life will become a burden of [[existence]] unless you learn how to fail [[gracefully]]. There is an [[art]] in [[defeat]] which [[noble]] [[souls]] always acquire; you must know how to lose cheerfully; you must be fearless of [[disappointment]]. Never [[hesitate]] to admit [[failure]]. Make no attempt to hide failure under [[deceptive]] smiles and beaming [[optimism]]. It sounds well always to claim success, but the end results are appalling. Such a [[technique]] leads directly to the [[creation]] of a world of unreality and to the [[inevitable]] crash of [[ultimate]] [[disillusionment]].

160:4.8 Success may generate courage and promote confidence, but wisdom comes only from the experiences of adjustment to the results of one's failures. Men who prefer optimistic illusions to reality can never become wise. Only those who face facts and adjust them to ideals can achieve wisdom. Wisdom embraces both the fact and the ideal and therefore saves its devotees from both of those barren extremes of philosophy—the man whose idealism excludes facts and the materialist who is devoid of spiritual outlook. Those timid souls who can only keep up the struggle of life by the aid of continuous false illusions of success are doomed to suffer failure and experience defeat as they ultimately awaken from the dream world of their own imaginations.

160:4.8 Success may generate [[courage]] and promote [[confidence]], but [[wisdom]] comes only from the [[experiences]] of [[adjustment]] to the results of one's [[failures]]. Men who prefer [[optimistic]] [[illusions]] to [[reality]] can never become [[wise]]. Only those who face [[facts]] and [[adjust]] them to [[ideals]] can achieve [[wisdom]]. Wisdom [[embraces]] both the [[fact]] and the [[ideal]] and therefore saves its devotees from both of those barren [[extremes]] of [[philosophy]]—the man whose [[idealism]] excludes [[facts]] and the [[Materialism|materialist]] who is devoid of spiritual outlook. Those timid [[souls]] who can only keep up the [[struggle]] of life by the aid of continuous [[false]] [[illusions]] of success are [[doomed]] to suffer [[failure]] and [[experience]] [[defeat]] as they ultimately [[awaken]] from the [[dream]] world of their own [[imaginations]].

160:4.9 And it is in this business of facing failure and adjusting to defeat that the far-reaching vision of religion exerts its supreme influence. Failure is simply an educational episode—a cultural experiment in the acquirement of wisdom—in the experience of the God-seeking man who has embarked on the eternal adventure of the exploration of a universe. To such men defeat is but a new tool for the achievement of higher levels of universe reality.

160:4.9 And it is in this [[business]] of facing [[failure]] and [[adjusting]] to [[defeat]] that the far-reaching [[vision]] of [[religion]] exerts its [[supreme]] [[influence]]. Failure is simply an [[educational]] [[episode]]—a cultural [[experiment]] in the acquirement of [[wisdom]]—in the [[experience]] of the [[God]]-seeking man who has embarked on the [[eternal]] [[adventure]] of the exploration of a [[universe]]. To such men [[defeat]] is but a new [[tool]] for the [[achievement]] of higher levels of [[universe]] [[reality]].

160:4.10 The career of a God-seeking man may prove to be a great success in the light of eternity, even though the whole temporal-life enterprise may appear as an overwhelming failure, provided each life failure yielded the culture of wisdom and spirit achievement. Do not make the mistake of confusing knowledge, culture, and wisdom. They are related in life, but they represent vastly differing spirit values; wisdom ever dominates knowledge and always glorifies culture.

160:4.10 The [[career]] of a [[God]]-[[Seekers|seeking]] man may [[prove]] to be a great success in the light of [[eternity]], even though the whole [[temporal]]-life [[enterprise]] may appear as an overwhelming [[failure]], provided each life failure yielded the [[culture]] of [[wisdom]] and spirit achievement. Do not make the mistake of [[confusing]] [[knowledge]], [[culture]], and [[wisdom]]. They are related in life, but they [[represent]] vastly differing spirit [[values]]; wisdom ever [[dominates]] [[knowledge]] and always [[glorifies]] [[culture]].

==160:5. THE RELIGION OF THE IDEAL==

==160:5. THE RELIGION OF THE IDEAL==