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THE ASPIRANT AND THE TEACHER.
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The second condition necessary in the teacher is—sinlessness. The question is often asked: "Why should we look into the character and personality of a teacher ? We have only to judge of what he says, and take that up." This is not right. If a man wants to teach me something of dynamics or chemistry, or any other physical science, he may be anything he likes, because what the physical sciences require, is merely an intellectual equipment ; but as regards the spiritual sciences, it is impossible from first to last, that there can be any spiritual light in the soul that is impure. What religion can an impure man teach ? The sine qua non of acquiring spiritual truth for one's self or for imparting it to others, is the purity of heart and soul. A vision of God or a glimpse of the beyond, never comes until the soul is pure. Hence with the teacher of religion we must see first what he is, and then what he says. He must be perfectly pure, and then
