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His first effort is to find the obstacles which retard the enlightenment; his second, to remove them. This constitutes the Long Path.
3.2.1.1Listen The mind is prevented from knowing the truth by its own defects limitations or deficiencies, by its own passions self-centeredness and possessiveness. The philosophic discipline sets up as an objective the elimination of these hindrances…
3.2.1.3,Listen ... Meditation should be opened by silent prayer, formulated to express spiritual yearnings for the higher way of life. This may be followed by concentrating on a chosen spiritual theme. Every endeavour should be made to keep thoughts from wandering and to bring them back whenever they do.
3.2.1.4,Listen If he can do little to bring on the advent of Grace, he can do much to remove the obstructions to it.
3.2.1.35Listen The rays of light would enter every man's conscious mind even now, were they not prevented by the extroversion of his attention, the upheavals of his emotion and passion, the narrow rigidities of his logical intellect, and the attachments of his ego. This is why the removal of these obstructions--which is the Long Path's special work--is indispensable to his progress.
3.2.1.43Listen When he becomes dissatisfied with himself, when he feels that what he is doing, thinking, achieving is either not enough or too inferior or even too misguided, he may be ready for the Long Path of self-improvement.
3.2.1.48Listen There are no practices that will reveal the meaning of life. The latter can come only from experience and reflection. But practices have secondary uses, such as helping to develop concentration, which is needed for right reflection.
3.2.1.51Listen The quest of truth by a mind deformed by hate, anger, bias, bitterness, or greed, or deficient in concentration, calmness, or aspiration must end in a failure … This is why the Long Path is needed.
3.2.1.59,Listen Certainly he must be eager to seek the truth, willing to give time for the search since it requires study and meditation, but equally he must be prepared to practise some self-discipline. This is partly because the quest of truth succeeds to the extent that he disengages himself from the ego and from the thoughts, the passions, and the moods it produces.
3.2.1.75Listen … The quest of the Overself must begin with a discipline of the underself.
3.2.1.81,Listen He must put down the lower emotions every time they rear their heads. The ordinary unquesting man may allow resentment, jealousy, anger, lust, hate, and greed to appear and act without restraint on the scene of his life, but the disciple cannot. Self-purification is both his need and his duty.
3.2.1.107Listen ... The Long Path merely takes him to another part of the ego, even though it is the higher part.
3.2.1.136,Listen Those who recur often to thoughts of their past get trapped by it and kept prisoner of the ego. Remorse for sins committed and self-pity for being the victim of other people's sinning--both are soon overdone and create more obstacles to be overcome on the quest.
3.2.1.154Listen Some things inside his own being are blocking his way to the Overself. An effort--determined, continuous, and daring--is needed to clear them. They are emotional and passional in appearance, egoistic in essence.
3.2.1.181Listen The seeker on the Long Path tries to eliminate his baser feelings and to cultivate his nobler ones. But in all this effort he is looking at himself alone, purifying and improving his ego but still his own ego.
3.2.1.191Listen If a scheme for progress, such as the Quest, remains intellectual alone and does not come down to the heart, and move it, the aspirant will continue to remain outside the precinct of the Overself.
3.2.1.195Listen ... The basis of the Short Path is that we are always divine. It is with us already, it is no new thing, and we only have to try to recognize what is already there.
3.2.1.209,Listen ... On the Long Path many students want experiences--mystical, occult, psychical ones. It is the ego wanting them and the satisfaction of progressing. The ego feels important. In the Short Path there is no desire for inner experiences of any kind. When you are already in the Real, there is no desire any more…
3.2.1.209,Listen ... There is not one fixed rule for everyone. One person is suited for a little of the Short Path and more or longer of the Long Path; with the other person it is vice versa. With most people the combination is the best way…
3.2.1.209,Listen ... It is quite important to have living faith in the Overself and to become like a child and to have as much dependence on the Overself as a little child has on its parents...
3.2.1.209,Listen ... During the active part of the day, meditation takes the form of remembrance, always to try to remember the Overself: IT IS (that is enough)…
3.2.1.209,Listen ... On the Long Path the aspirant tries to improve himself. He experiences successes and failures, ups and downs. When he is disappointed, he gets melancholy. On the Short Path such a situation cannot arise, because he has faith like a little child. He has given up all his future to Overself-God and he has enough faith to trust to it. He knows he has made the right decision and therefore is always happy. He depends on this GRACE, he knows It, that It comes from the wisest being behind the world. Whatever will come, it will be the best…
3.2.1.209,Listen ... Ordinarily we live in our thoughts, in our little selves, even if the thoughts are spiritual. Therefore we have to keep away from all thoughts. If you want to think of the Overself, which is without any form, it is not possible. We try, but any idea, form, or shape is wrong. You cannot imagine it. So better not to try but to be still...
3.2.1.209,Listen Long Path--here is working through the ego. The student thinks he is the ego and develops concentration, aspiring to improve himself, getting more and more pure. He says: I am doing this work…”
3.2.1.209,Listen … Short Path — it is different because the idea ”ego” does not come in, only the Overself, not the longing (which belongs to the Long Path), but the identification…
3.2.1.209,Listen … why does not every teacher teach the Short Path? The answer is: Because people have not got enough strength of character to give up the ego and are not willing to turn at once to the light …
3.2.1.209,Listen … Wu-Wei, meaning inaction, not trying, is the highest teaching of Taoism and Zen … The Overself is already there. You as ego must get out of the way…
3.2.1.209,Listen … As regards Enlightenment, this is not coming from self-willed effort; it is coming only by what the Overself does to him. It is a matter of Grace—unpredictable …
3.2.1.209,Listen
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