Study Everything, Join Nothing.

It Is A Grave Misconception To Regard The Mystical Progress As Passing Mostly Through Ecstasies And Raptures. On The Contrary, It Passes Just As Much Through Broken Hearts And Bruised Emotions, Through Painful Sacrifices And Melancholy Renunciations.

If Outer Events Bring Him To A Position Where He Can Bear Them No Longer And Force Him To Cry Out To The Higher Power In Helplessness For Relief, Or If Inner Feelings Bring Humiliation And Recognition Of His Dependence On That Power, This Crushing Of The Ego May Open The Door To Grace.

Whoever Wants The "i" To Yield Up Its Mysterious And Tremendous Secret Must Stop It From Looking Perpetually In The Mirror, Must Stop The Little Ego's Fascination With Its Own Image.

This Withdrawal From The Day's Turmoil Into Creative Silence Is Not A Luxury, A Fad, Or A Futility. It Dissolves Mental Tensions And Heals Negative Emotions.

Living In The Present Moment Means Living According To Truth And Principle (but Not According To Hard Rigid Dogma) Flexibly Applied In The Particular Way Required By The Immediate Situation In Which You Are. Such A Way Of Living Leaves You Free, Not Ruled Tyrannically By Imposed Regulations Which May Not At All Suit The Particular Case.