Theosophical Study Paper No 03

Author(s): Theosophical Society in Australia
Publisher: Theosophical Society in Australia

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perhaps, but right for him. The lessons that that Self wills in his present body to learn, who can judge? Do we know every incident of his past experience, his past trials, failures, victories, so that we can say what now he wants for the next step in his unfolding life? That experience that seems to you so terrible may be the very experience he needs; the failure that you think so sad may be the very failure that will make success inevitable. We cannot judge our own lives, blinded by the body; how then shall we judge the life of another? There is no lesson more vital than not to try to control and shape others according to our own ideas. Has it never struck us that in this world—which is God's—there are infinite varieties of forms, infinite differences of experience? Why? Because only in that infinite diversity can the infinite powers of the Self be made manifest. What is a fault to us, blinded and ignorant, is just what is wanted when it is looked at from the other side.
We need to choose our path according to our knowledge and our conscience, and leave others to choose theirs. "But," you may say, “do you mean we should never advise, never counsel?” No. That is the fair help you may give; but you should not try to coerce, should not say: "You must now do this.” The Self is in every man, and as the great saying I have so often quoted from Egypt says: "He makes his own path according to the Word.” “The Word” means that which is sounded out by the nature when perfect, made up of endless vibrations, each set of vibrations making a note, and the whole of the notes making the chord of that particular life. That is "The Word.” According to “The Word" of that individualised Self he makes his path. Sometimes in a chord of music a discord is necessary for the perfection of the harmony. It sounds very bad, standing alone, but as part of the harmony of a great chord, that note that was so discordant enriches and renders perfect the chord. Half the secret of the wonderful chords of Beethoven lies in the power with which he uses discords. Without them how different his music would be, how much less rich, less melodious, and less splendid. And there are such apparent discords in
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