CHAPTER VIII - Some Practical Rules

 

“ Che va piano, va sano”

The physical vehicle is subject to constant renovation, old particles being replaced by materials contained, in the blood, which carries and distributes nourishment to all parts. It is, therefore, most important that the blood be pure, and that it contains the necessary substances.

New blood is formed from food and drink by the process called digestion, and therefore “ good blood” depends on the right sorts of food and on thorough chewing, which mixes it with the saliva (a chemical necessary for the process of digestion), and prepares it for the stomach.

In the stomach it is mixed with another chemical (the gastric juice) and partly digested, that is to say, some of it is converted and passes into the blood; further on another chemical (the bile) is provided and digestion, or the conversion of the nutritive portions, of the food largely into blood, is completed.

Since it is obvious that pure blood is essential to health, the practical man looks after the purity of his food and drink. He is careful about his teeth, bad teeth cannot chew; without chewing good digestion is not possible, and inferior blood results, which means inferior health. Therefore, if necessary, get false teeth, eat slowly and chew thoroughly.

Old materials of the body (worn-out cells) are removed by the blood through the veins, this impure blood is purified in the lungs by breathing fresh air. The practical man therefore pays attention to his breathing and to what he breathes. The correct way to breathe is through the nostrils, which are constructed for the purpose, keeping the mouth shut.

Practise deep breathing daily to exercise all parts of the lungs. Breathe fresh air. Live out of doors as much as possible.

To keep the air passages in nostrils clear, it is a good plan to practise (daily) drawing up cold water with a pinch of salt in it into the mouth through the nose, closing one side with a finger whilst doing so. This practice also tends to prevent catching colds.

Breathe fresh air at night. You cannot do this if the windows are tight shut, or, if open, are blocked with curtains and blinds.

Drink pure drink. The best is the juice of ripe fruits, the next best liquid is Nature's beverage - pure water.

Eat pure food in moderation. Remember that too much coal shovelled on a fire will put it out. It is a bad plan to eat many different kinds of food at the same meal; consider the difficulty of digesting such a mixture.

Manufactured food is often adulterated. Adulterated food is often poison. Impure food is not economical, and does damage to the system.

If your food and drink are right there will be no need for drugs. It is wiser to search the cause of ill health in impure blood, that is, in the materials introduced as food into the body, than to continue feeding on the cause of disease and hope by medicines and operations to bring things right.

Get as much sunshine as possible into yourself. Sunshine contains vitality. Admit lots of sunshine into your house.

Exercise all muscles daily, especially those that have little use during working hours, fifteen minutes every morning should be sufficient for this.

Do not permit your body to become the slave of any habit. Practise self­restraint and control of the body; make it obey your orders.

Practise control of actions; it is a good plan to determine on a routine in small matters, such as the time of getting up, for exercise, etc., and make the body carry out the routine, punctually.

Practise control of speech; think before speaking, and only say what is true, kind and helpful. Avoid gossiping, and learn to mind your own business.

Do unto others (human and sub-human) as you would they should do to you.

Cultivate a pleasant tone of voice, especially to your subordinates; there is little difficulty in speaking pleasantly to one's superiors, or to those from whom one expects advantage.

Perseverance and thoroughness are most neccessary. The whole life must be regulated by the highest ideal.

Under all circumstances keep good-tempered, and cultivate looking good-tempered and cheerful, this is half-way to being so.

A kindly joke is often more effective than the most reasonable arguments.

Learn all you can about the physical world, and practise doing things for yourself.

Prastice observing details and remembering them; it is easy to invent small exercises for this.

It is a good plan if you have an important decision to make, say a letter to reply to, to write your answer to the best of your ability and, if time permits, delay sending it till next morning, then examine your letter from the point of view of your correspondent, and see if you cannot improve your answer; in most cases you will find you can so improve it that you will re-write it.

When going to sleep it is important that the last thoughts be good ones.

The astral body is fed and nourished by the emotions; it is therefore necessary to cultivate only the very best - such as unselfishness, sympathy, adaptability, generosity, tact, spirituality, devotion, kindness, cheerfulness, affection, etc. Besides exercising these, which can be done every day, it is necessary to have them well under control and to apply them with strong common sense. Undesirable emotions such as selfishness, envy, uncharitableness, anger, depression, etc., and all that are not refined must by disuse be rendered inactive and dislodged from the astral body.

When anything happens tending to produce emotion, the Ego, the master of the vehicles, must decide whether the astral body is to vibrate with emotion or not; in this way control is gradually obtained, and under no circumstances should the astral vehicle be allowed to “ take charge” and make use of the other two vehicles as its slaves.

Learn to see God in all things. And look for the highest and best in others. Always attribute the best motives to others.

Refuse to be depressed (it is most infectious). Remember all misfortunes are transitory. Refuse to get angry. Refuse to be irritable.

Cultivate kindly emotions and actions, with no idea of personal gain or reward.

The nature and composition of that part of the astral world that interpenetrates the physical plane depends very largely on the emotions of human and sub-human beings. It is therefore clear that the emotional activity of each individual is either improving the astral atmosphere or making it worse. Be one of those who improve it.

When the astral plane is full of evil influences, so generated and attracted to the physical plane, we have wars, misfortunes, and catastrophes of all sorts. The practical man will therefore do all he can to fill his aura with good and kindly emotions, for as soon as sufficient numbers of people do this, war and injustice will become impossible, the brotherhood of nations and of individuals will become a reality, and both this earth and the astral plane will be far more pleasant places to live in.

The mental vehicle is nourished and grows by the thoughts it is fed on. Think, therefore, nothing but good of others.

Practise daily thinking kindly of your enemy (if you have one) and look at things from his point of view.

Think kindly thoughts daily of your friends, and for the good of all people.

Always give others credit for acting under the best motives.

Be very tolerant in all things, especially the religious opinions of others. Remember that the outer form of religion is unimportant.

In Christ's description of the last judgment of all nations (Matt. xxv. 32­46) those on trial were not asked: What religion did you profess? Were you orthodox? How often did you attend religious services? Did you believe so and so? Not one of these questions so generally held to be necessary for salvation was asked.

The questions on which each individual was tried and sentenced were: Did you feed the hungry? Did you give drink to the thirsty? Did you clothe the naked? Did you visit the imprisoned? Did you take care of the sick? Did you lodge the stranger? All practical questions in matters relating to the individual’s dealings with others during his life and quite independent of the creed he may have held.

Study the root of Religion. That is, the spiritual laws. Apply them to everyday life. In so doing you will find happiness, no matter what your surroundings may be.

Do not criticize others (unless it is your duty to do so). It was Cromwell who said to his Council: “ I beseech you, my brethren, in the sacred name of Christ to remember that you may sometimes be mistaken.”

Do not be in a hurry to form opinions, first obtain full information and look on all sides of the question.

Practise control of your thoughts. Consider frequently what you are thinking about, and why, and if you disapprove of the subject reject it, and substitute other thoughts.

Do not let the mind get rusty from disuse. The older you are the greater should be your mental power and store of useful knowledge.

Read and study some useful subject daily, and practise doing your own thinking.

Cultivate knowledge, seek lessons, and trace causes in everything that happens.

The mind is most efficient when it is calm, and when the physical and astral vehicles are so well under control as to cause no interference. It is therefore necessary to practise keeping cool and collected under all circumstances.

Look on irritating events as traps which may be fallen into, unless by control of the vehicles one is enabled to overcome the irritating condition and thus avoid the trap.

Apply the test of common sense to everything. Ask yourself: “ Is it reasonable?” “ Is it kind?” “ Is it just?” and think and judge for yourself. It is no use always using the thought of other people; that will not improve your mental body.

On waking in the morning it is a good plan to let the mind run over the events of the previous day and impersonally judge whether the thoughts, emotions and actions were unselfish, kindly and the best possible; giving oneself credit where due, but condemning freely where there was failure to take the right course; then consider what can now be done to improve matters, and also what should have been done at the time; so as not to be caught on a future occasion by a similar experience.

Remember that a large number of small successes in building character are as valuable as a great victory, and victory in something big is unlikely unless success in small matters has been attained.

Think health. That the physical body, fed on the right amount of pure food and drink, is making pure blood to nourish all parts. That its organs are doing their work correctly, being kept active by proper exercise, and therefore the body must become healthy.

That your emotional body, fed on pure, kindly and unselfish emotions, is becoming greatly improved, attracting to itself good influences under the spiritual law that “ Like attracts like” and is able to absorb more and more of the Divine life.

That your mental body, being fed on pure and suitable food in your various work, studies, and everyday life, is becoming a more powerful instrument owing to the Divine forces that are attracted and can now flow into it. That the whole body, instead of fossilizing, is becoming more active, more sensible and more full of life.

As a gymnast invents new exercises for the better exercising of his muscles, so it is easy for each to go on inventing rules to suit his or her particular condition for the improvement of the physical, emotional and mental vehicles.