Mystics

"Thirdly, we will give two practical Courses of self-training, mental and physical, with which we can fit ourselves to become successful pioneers for the new age."

"The purpose of this book is, firstly, to make a rapid survey, the barest outline, of the knowledge which has existed, all through the history of man, and guided his development from behind the scenes; and, secondly, to study how, upon the foundations of that knowledge there can be built an entirely new way of life, which would produce the final pattern of a sane and successful world civilization."

"Let us lay down as the first foundation stone of our work the determination to seek for a World Design which is strictly in accordance with the highest spiritual principles which have been given to man down the ages, irrespective of whether we think the result possible or not."

"The second element in the framework of our design must be the realization of universal unity. This fact is only just beginning to permeate into men’s consciousness."

"Who are we—the people? What is our significance, our purpose upon this earth? Can we know this? Have we ever known it? How comes it that we struggle so often like a helpless giant caught in the toils of those who wish to use us? Arc we only half alive, half aware of our power—and not aware of our own destiny at all? What is the significance and what the future of our individualities?"

"By this time... the living through and the acting out of spiritual or ethical principles would have begun to be an intrinsic part of people’s lives, and orthodoxy as we now know it would have ceased to exist. Religion would no longer be an ‘aspect’ of human living but the almost unconscious foundation of every activity."

"This century has seen...a world civilization threatened with self-destruction, not only through war but through the exploitation of all the kingdoms in nature..."

"It has seen the people themselves taking increasing individual and collective action in order to obtain a world organization or government, a universal religion, or a universal language."

"Surely the human race is at last reaching the stage of adulthood — that adulthood of character which does not depend upon physical age at all — so that it is deliberately embracing responsibility for its own development and government, and trying to face up to the causes of its failures?"

"The old ways of life are steadily losing their hold. Labour revolts. Culture revolts too. They are all subconsciously reaching for something different and better. They realize that science and culture, education such as it is, orthodox religion such as it is, have not saved men from a process of self impoverization and mutual extermination in a variety of forms."

"Eventually this will come about. But the amount of delay, the number of false starts and mistakes which will have to be lived through first will depend upon how much clear and active thinking we will do."

"A World Government is a headpiece. That headpiece must have a body, integrated and responsive to its head! Such a body can only be built up by Federation. Federation is an ingredient of World Government, and will make possible a new economic world organization. This has now been grasped by those who have worked for World Government and those who have worked for Federation, and upon the basis of their amalgamation rapid progress can now be made."

"These councils will eventually work in collaboration with each other so that their plans dovetail and cohere from the start, and no aspects of living are forgotten... in time a scientific formula for their organization will be discovered, and a pattern into which everything will fall in its natural place."

"Can we grasp that the only requirement in order that this may be so is organization, a combined world organization founded upon the spiritual principle of sharing and cooperation; and that this would change the world from the state it is now in to a comparative Heaven?"

"Can we grasp also that not only have inventions up to date, which would have contrived this, been neglected or misused, but that just around the corner new inventions, such as the application of atomic energy, will, if they arc allowed, change and improve our lives out of all recognition?"

"There will be tremendous difficulties to surmount whilst trying to arrive at the coming stages..."

"Eventually the government of each nation will send representatives to the World Government... Each national government will contain its own subsidiary international council within its ranks, whose duty it will be to keep closely in touch with its counterpart in every nation, so that constructive planning, agreements on various problems, exchange of news of experiments and of progress, may be carried on all the time."

"We are living in a time of transition, when everything is going to be so different that the experts are possibly more handicapped by their traditional time-worn knowledge than are we, untrained and with minds empty of red tape and orthodoxy."

"Can we grasp, for instance, that in spite of weather vagaries, even in spite of present soil erosion, there is and could be more than enough produced to-day to allow everyone everywhere a fair standard of living, without entailing drudgery for anybody?"

"All this will happen more easily and quickly than seems possible today, firstly because it is an inescapable step in the natural process of human evolution; secondly because humanity itself by its earnest aspiration and patient blind endeavour and endurance, has struggled out of the ancient egotistic separatist attitude, and cast aside the fetters of conventional thought, and is beginning to offer an open mind and heart for the impress of new values and inspirations; thirdly, because the initial steps in world organization which arc about to be achieved by such bodies as the World Health Organization, the U.N. Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Economic and Social Council etc., will soon show up the stupendous possibilities lying ahead."

"Can we grasp that there is more than enough land surface, capable of restoration, to support and feed in comfort a larger population than now exists on this globe?"

"At the future period of which we are writing it will be acknowledged that the foundation of Government and of life in all its aspects must be firmly based upon spiritual principles. Thus the whole of World Government would rest upon the ultimate guidance and influence of the Spiritual Cabinet. The utter necessity of putting the spiritual side of life first and of using it as the criterion of living will have been for generations accepted by the people. They will have come to look first for this qualification in any man whom they wish to nominate to a place of responsibility."

"It may be said that the actual birth of World Government coincided with the formation of the United Nations Organization, and with the desperate wish to invest it with real authority. So the embryonic World Government is potentially already there... What shape it eventually takes, whether it becomes an enlargement of former tyrannies, or whether in fact it will prove to be the instrument by means of which we shall produce our promised Golden Age, depends upon ourselves, the people."

"Nations will for a long time insist upon a large measure of self-government, but when they begin to see the benefits which accrue from each successive international co-operative development, they will finally grasp the new principle of synthesis, and the age of separation will be over for ever."

"Little by little...the embryonic World Government... will set up a series of Councils of experts to study the best means of working out the fundamental problems of human existence — those of economics, agriculture, industry, distribution of populations, application of scientific discoveries, water power, production and distribution of necessities, and the organization of an International Force for the maintenance of peace and order...."

"The Spiritual Cabinet would be composed of ... [people] who stand highest in spiritual training and quality amongst a considerable rank of such. Some of these... would be drawn from the leaders of the great religions, but not all... the Spiritual Cabinet should not govern. Rather, by a life of aspiration and meditation should they offer themselves as a channel through which the Will and Love of God can be interpreted. They should consciously act as a link between the Divine Mind and mankind, between the Hierarchy of God’s unseen helpers and planners, and those who wish to serve them in the administration of human affairs. Their problem would be to translate the sensed Plan for mankind into terms applicable to the particular situation which is being dealt with."

"What then is missing? An ideology which would produce full harmony, co-operation and growth in alignment with the laws and economy of nature!"

"The World Government... should be set up in order to deal with all those aspects of life which affect international relationships. It will in no way restrict but rather enhance national characteristics, individuality and genius. This is a point which should clearly be understood and which will be amplified as we go along."

"Ward: A brother asked Abba Poemen, "How should I behave in the place where I live?" The old man said, "Have the mentality of an exile in the place where you live, do not desire to be listened to and you will have peace.""

"Ward: Abba Isaac came to see Abba Poemen and found him washing his feet. As he enjoyed freedom of speech with him he said, "How is it that others practice austerity and treat their bodies hardly?" Abba Poemen said to him, "We have not been taught to kill our bodies, but to kill our passions.""

"Ward: Abba Poemen said, "If I am in a place where there are enemies, I become a soldier.""

"Ward: A brother going to market asked Abba Poemen, "How do you advise me to behave?" The old man said to him, "Make friends with anyone who tries to bully you and sell your produce in peace.""

"Ward: Abba Poemen said, "Teach your mouth to say what is in your heart.""

"'How much joy, how much peace of soul would a man not have wherever he went, as Abba Poemen says, if he was one who habitually accused himself?'"

"Ward: Abba Poemen said to Abba Isaac, "Let go of a small part of your righteousness and in a few days you will be at peace.""

"Ward: [Abba Poemen] also said, "The first time flee; the second time, flee; and the third, become like a sword.""

"Ward: A brother asked Abba Poemen, "Can a man keep all his thoughts in control, and not surrender one to the enemy?" And the old man said to him, "There are some who receive ten and give one.""

"Ward: He also said concerning Abba Pior that every day he made a new beginning."

"Ward: "Even if a man were to make a new heaven and earth, he could not live free of care.""

"Ward: A brother asked Abba Poemen, "How should a man behave?" The old man said to him, "Look at Daniel: no-one found anything in him to complain about except for his prayers to the Lord his God.""

"Ward: Abba Poemen said, "Do not judge yourself, but live with someone who knows how to behave himself properly.""

"Ward: Abba Poemen said, "If a man has sinned and denies it, saying: 'I have not sinned,' do not reprimand him; for that will discourage him. But say to him, 'Do not lose heart, brother, but be on guard in future,' and you will stir his soul to repentance.""

"Ward: Abba Poemen said that a brother who lived with some other brothers asked Abba Bessarion, "What ought I to do?" The old man said to him, "Keep silence and do not always be comparing yourself with others.""

"Ward: "Do not give your heart to that which does not satisfy your heart.""

"Ward: "The victory over all the afflictions that befall you, is, to keep silence.""

"Ward: "If you take little account of yourself, you will have peace, wherever you live.""

"Ward: "If you are silent, you will have peace wherever you live.""

"[Holy Cross,] you resolve every bitterness."

"One must always infuse comfort and hope."

"[Edvige] lived an ordinary life, from the outside the same as that of so many laypeople, but extraordinary in terms of her intimacy with God, her union with Him, to the point of identifying with Jesus in a perfect and transforming union with Him, the spouse of souls. Friend of the poor and the marginalized, she had words of consolation for everyone … If we ask what are the strong points of the Christian life of this sister of ours, and which lead her to be an example of welcoming prayerfulness and humble and joyful abnegation, we would say that there are essentially two: constant contemplation of the Crucified Lord and the adoration of the Eucharist."