The Symphony of Life
Human life appears to me as a great orchestra in which we are the
players. The great composition to be performed is the "Symphony of
Life," its infinitude of dissonances and melodies blending into one
colossal tone picture of harmony and grandeur. We players must study
the laws of music and the score of the Great Symphony and we must
practice diligently and persistently, until we can play our part
unerringly in harmony with the concepts of the Great Composer. At
the same time we must learn to keep our instrument, the body, in the
best possible condition; for the greatest artist, endowed with a
profound knowledge of the laws of music and possessed of the most
perfect technique, cannot produce musical and harmonious sounds from
an instrument with strings relaxed or overtense, or with its body
filled with rubbish.
The artist must learn that the instrument, its material, its
construction and its care are just as subject to law as the
harmonics of the score.
In the final analysis, everything is vibration acting in and on the
universal ethers, which are held to be the primordial substance.
Possibly the ethers themselves are modes of vibration.
That which is constructive is harmonious vibration. That which is
destructive is inharmonious or discordant vibration.
Against this it may be urged that devolution has its harmonics as
well as evolution, that every symphony is made up of dissonances as
well as of harmonies. To this I answer: "Unadulterated harmony may,
solely for lack of change, become monotonous; but discords alone
never create melody, harmony, health or happiness."
As the artist seeks vibratory harmony between his instrument and the
harmonics of the universe of sound, so the health-seeker must
endeavor to establish vibratory unison between the material elements
of his body and Nature's harmonics of health in the physical
universe.
The atoms and molecules in the wood and strings of the violin, as
well as the sounds produced from them, are modes of motion or
vibration. In order to bring forth musical and harmonious notes, the
vibratory conditions of the physical elements of the violin must be
in harmonious vibratory relationship with Nature's harmonics in the
universe of sound.
The elements and forces composing the human body are also vibratory
in their nature, the same as the material elements of the violin.
They also must be kept in a certain well-balanced chemical
combination, mechanical adjustment and physical refinement before
they can vibrate in unison with Nature's harmonics in the physical
universe and thus produce the harmonies of health and strength and
beauty.
If our instrument is out of tune, or if we ignorantly or willfully
insist on playing in our own way, regardless of the score, we create
discords not only for ourselves, but also for our fellow artists in
the great orchestra of life.
Sin, disease, suffering and evil are nothing but discords, produced
by the ignorance, indifference or malice of the players. Therefore we
cannot attribute the discords of life to the Great Composer. They
are of our own making and will last as long as we refuse to learn
our parts and to play them in tune with the Great Score. For in this
way only can we ever hope to master the art and science of right
living and to enjoy the harmonies of peace, self-content and
happiness.