To you, standing on the threshold of manhood activities, I would give somewhat of my more extended observations of men and things: the more matured deductions of a mind and soul made keen, awake and justly compassionate through suffering from deception, hypocrisy, and lack of discrimination; this, due to my weakly sentimental view-point or position of moral cowardice, which I did blindly mistake for kindness.
My endeavor in the series of letters I hope to pen, will be to save you from similar sufferings and from inflicting them on others through ignorance or intent: to the end that you may at all times manfully perform your highest duty in educating the ignorant, in helping to render hypocrisy, ingratitude, deception and willful wrong impossible, by arousing in men the divine qualities of discernment, fearlessness and love.
In doing this Godly work among your fellows, you will more quickly evolve out of yourself the Perfect Man, through the self-mastery you will acquire, and so become a noble man and true helper. Nor will these letters necessarily be dry and smileless reading, nor alone for your young friends.
To me, an ancient man, who have grown old and young in diverse lands and climes so many times that I am neither old nor young, but always in my prime, in thought, for all life is one: I therefore seek to look on youth, and prime and age: the past, and now, and all eternity with Equal Vision, see the good, the foolish, humorous, ludicrous, pathetic, despairing; the ignorant and wise, the knave, the hypocrite and human fiend; the weakly good, the earnest trying soul, the hopeful climber and those grown strong; the joyous Victor, winner of the White Stone; the great Compassionates who have laid aside the blood-won prize, to turn again and gladly suffer untold woes from those they work to save from misery and death of soul.
You, and each of us partake somewhat of all humanity, with its birthing, teething, growing, acting, decaying, dying and recovering, its pains and joys, as it evolves eternally.
Thus sketched, the unfolding picture can be accounted both interesting and instructive, and the time will not be ill spent, if my words arouse you to righteousness of all things as the basis, constitution and life of full fledged godliness.
First; to prepare your mind to realize the truth, empty it of that which you think you know and endeavor to eliminate from it all thoughts that serve as limitations, all thoughts that make you boast yourself superior to others, and hold it unruffled by the lower mental qualities of anger, spite, jealousy, fear and controversy; unclouded by doubt, suspicion, selfish ambition and egotism — all phases of ignorance — and like a child, keep it an open window, that in all things the broadly spiritual pictures of right action or equity may be plainly reflected on its placid surface, so that the soul — yourself, the Knower — may clearly see and act with rare discrimination.
Through this habitual practice you will escape the snares of deception, hypocrisy and the devil within and outside yourself, and stand well-balanced in the Light of Wisdom. For how can you see the mud, and golden sands, and jewels at the bottom of your water-pail if you ruffle the water's surface with the fingers of disturbance and discord? Be like the flowering shrub and sturdy oak, ambitiously content to grow heavenward, and put forth leaves and flowers while rooted in earth. Aspire to be a broad and constant lengthening ladder to higher heavens, for men and angels traffic 'twixt the terminals. Seek truth in the simple, common-place and near-by: for in the far remote and complex it is lost to you; make home on your life's wheel hub or self-centering point of perfect rest and motion. From this harmonious depth move outward along the spokes of opportunity, and onto its ever broadening rim of consciousness, to aid your careless, blind and frightened fellows, who, having lost their centre and spiritual compass are wandering in the night of soul eclipse, and peering into outer nothingness in search for home and God.
The truth alone is simple, and is captured by the simple, pure and robust mind. There is no finality, nor permanent stopping place, as you will learn by studying nature; we all are subject to the one law of eternal growth! This thought if granted hospitality will lead you on to nobler life and more courageous effort.
Remember this my boy! the central magnet of yourself — your soul — and character, its offspring, have, with all things else, no death, but ceaseless life eternal. So nourish both with milk of human kindness, gentleness of heart and fearless love compassionate for all that lives and is. This done each day, naught else in hell of earth, or heaven can stay, and all will aid your rapid growth to equal stature of the Perfect Man, Nature's flower of evolution.
So, plain and straight and withal easy is the path of life and truth, with kindly God-voiced nature for your heavenward guide. The basic heaven resounding thunder tones, its orchestral lightning comrade; the ocean's roar of fierce attack on giant headland, and soothing murmur on the pebbly beach: the raging storm on mountain God-seats, the soft caress of Nature-perfumed breeze on modest maiden's-cheek; the sweeping commerce-laden river gladdened by boatman's songs, the flow of tiniest brook through shady glen and lurking in the meadow grass; the torrent's pour, and gentlest heaven-wept dew; these are the scattered and forgotten notes in God's great universal Nature-song of praise and joy unspeakable.
Search not for these in books, nor institutes, nor pate-crammed auto-speaking oracles of egotistic lore! The best of holy books are only fingers on Time's way-posts pointing towards the truth! An understanding practice of the teachings in God's Nature book alone wins his sign manual on your record book of life, and heavenward passport.
God is your utmost consciousness, or upward luring soul, concealed by mental veil! Aspire to God — the Good — the Universal Law, and in yourself will you find the Light — your soul — engaged in acting right in business, farming, doctoring, literature, art, government, peace and war, ever for the right; the same in pain and joy, ne'er doing ill, and greater far than any thought-out God,
With mind athletic and unfixed, except on Truth, I counsel you to well revolve and exercise these thoughts, which are the outpouring of my heart for you, till I may write again some day or year if these do interest enough for you to importune me. Meanwhile, an all pervading love is thine and mine for us to converse through.