PENLOE'S ORIGINAL ADDRESS.
The Roseland _Gazette_ was very pleased to get something of a
sensational character in its columns, like the different stories which
had been brought to that city concerning Penloe's sermon delivered in
Orangeville. The State Legislature not being in session (to see how much
money they could get out of the pockets of the people for the benefit of
its members and their friends), there were no sensational charges of
bribery or boodle to report; and as Congress had closed there was no
news concerning laws passed in the interests of bankers, railroad
corporations, sugar trusts, whiskey and other trusts which are able to
furnish members of Congress with funds to carry their schemes through.
It happened to be at a time when news was scarce and dull, and therefore
the press made the most of the matter by writing an editorial on the
subject of sex relationship, which appeared in the paper the following
week, and was as follows:
"In our last issue we gave as correct a report of the remarkable sermon
preached by Penloe in the church at Orangeville, as our reporter could
get. Since then most all other subjects of conversation have subsided in
this county and the main topic of conversation has been Penloe and the
sex question. As to Penloe, it is not our purpose in this article to
discuss the man, but some of his ideas. The sex question is a very
peculiar one to the minds of many. Penloe's ideas are so radical that it
gives us a shock all over even to think of attempting to bring the
people to that mode of living. The thought we have concerning our sex is
instilled into us by custom, precept and example, so that from earliest
infancy to introduce such an innovation as Penloe proposes would
apparently, to our minds, seem like undermining our social structure and
its very foundations. While we admit the state of society is morally
low, yet what can be done to improve it? Can we ever reconcile ourselves
to persons of both sexes and all ages undressing in the presence of each
other and all bathing together naked? We question whether society is
ready for such a change? Penloe's theories are like many other theories,
very fine on paper but when you put them in practice they won't work.
What say you, readers? We would like to hear also from our brothers of
the press."
And they did hear from their brethren of the press. For other county
papers took the matter up, being very glad to get something sensational
for their columns; and from county papers the subject got into the big
city dailies throughout California, and they printed very sensational
articles concerning Penloe and his sermon, discussing the sex question
at great length. It was not very long before the Eastern papers had long
articles about Penloe and his sermon, and they wrote much on the
subject. Then the matter reached the magnitude of what is known as a
wave; which swept through the press all over the continent, causing as
much comment and talk as Markham's poem, "The Man with the Hoe."
Penloe's mail increased in size rapidly, and he was now receiving twenty
times more letters than all the other mail in Orangeville combined. It
was amusing to see how the letters were addressed. They read, "Dr.
Penloe, Rev. Dr. Penloe, Rev. Penloe, Penloe, Esq., Prof. Penloe, D.D.,
and LL.D." Letters came to him from every state in the Union. Here is
one:
"MR. PENLOE:
"DEAR SIR:--I am shocked and disgusted with you. You
never ought to be allowed to talk from the pulpit in
such a way. The people of Orangeville ought to tar and
feather you and ride you on a rail out of the county."
Another letter was as follows:
"CRANK PENLOE:
"Of all the cranks I ever did read about or hear tell
on, you are the darndest. The women folks in my house
are as hot as hell, ever since they read in the paper
what you talked in church. My wife said, 'What a crank
you must be,' and my mother-in-law said hell is too
good for such as you. What a rumpus you have made all
over the country; it seems as if hell is to pay for all
this."
Penloe also received some powerful scorching letters from orthodox
ministers, while on the other hand the liberal and radical elements of
society poured forth eulogies and commendations for his bold original
utterances, for his fearlessness in treating the subject in the
courageous way he did; calling him a brave pioneer and they themselves
would start Penloe Clubs for putting his ideas in practice. He received
many letters from churches in some of the large cities, like the
following:
"REV. DR. PENLOE:
"DEAR SIR:--Our church in this city is an elegant
structure and will seat twelve hundred persons. For
some months we have been looking for a popular young
man to fill our pulpit. It has been very difficult to
find an up-to-date man, one that will draw a
congregation to fill our church, for the audience keeps
growing less every Sunday, because we have not got a
real, live smart man to preach to us. We think if we
could secure your services you would draw the largest
congregation in this city, for your popularity has
swept the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and
we feel sure you are the right man. Our people are very
sociable and well to do, many of our members being
rich. We are willing to pay you a salary of seven
thousand dollars a year, and the use of a handsome
house elegantly furnished, and will allow you two
months' vacation, besides paying your expenses to come
here. We will say that, should you accept our offer,
our people will be glad to receive you into their
hearts and homes."
Penloe always answered all such communications, but as for accepting one
of them it was out of the question; for he knew it was not his field of
labor, and if the salary had been a hundred thousand dollars a year, it
would have been no temptation or an inducement to him to accept the
offer. For money, name and fame touched him not; and nothing could
induce him to leave his path of labor for the sake of going into some
new field of work which only held out large material rewards. He also
received many offers from the owners of papers and magazines, asking him
to write his views. The New York _Monthly Magazine_ offered him one
thousand dollars for an eight-page article on the sex question; provided
he would not write on the subject for any other magazine or paper.
Penloe accepted the offer because he considered that was the best
channel to communicate to the world his views on the sex question. Its
readers were of a class that could comprehend the subject in the spirit
in which it was offered. And as for the thousand dollars Penloe had a
sacred purpose he wished to use that money for. A man wrote to Penloe
offering him forty thousand dollars if he would consent to lecture for
one year in all the large cities in the United States. The man told a
friend of his, he was sure after paying Penloe his forty thousand
dollars and all other expenses, he would clear about sixty thousand
dollars himself.
How true it is that a prophet is not without honor, save in his own
country. For Orangeville was the last place to feel the Penloe wave
which swept over all the country. At last the people of Orangeville
reading so much about him in their papers and magazines, began to think
he was something more than a crank, that they must have a great man
amongst them, or else he would never have received such big offers of
money for his services as the papers stated he had, and there would not
have been so much written about him if he was of no account.
Quite a change had come over the people in Roseland concerning Penloe,
and they began to feel differently towards him since his wave of
popularity had swept over the country. Even Stella's aunt had
experienced a change of heart towards him, for she was heard to say,
"People's ideas are changing now in regard to the sex question. They
look at the subject so differently now from what they did when I was a
girl. I did not think Penloe was such a smart man as the papers say he
is. He must be, or else he never would have received an offer of forty
thousand dollars to lecture for one year."
A man may possess all the characteristics of a saint and a martyr
combined, and yet the average person is not attracted to him; but as
soon as money and popularity flow towards him, then in his eyes he
becomes next to a God; for people love to be touched on the material
side of their nature rather than on the spiritual. They consider the
spiritual well enough to talk about, and when a friend of theirs dies
they may love to sing "Nearer, My God, to Thee" and "Safe in the Arms of
Jesus," but what they really desire for themselves and families, above
everything else, is a rich blessing of material things; that which makes
well for the body and which puts them in a position to have full play of
the emotional and sensational part of their natures.
So great was the desire among the people of Orangeville and Roseland,
and in fact the whole county, to hear Penloe speak, and to see the man
that so much had been said and written about, that a committee was sent
to him with a request signed by the leading citizens, asking him to
deliver an address to them in Roseland. Penloe accepted the invitation
to speak. The committee secured the use of a large packing house for the
meeting, and fixed it up so that it seated a very large audience, for
they knew that the Penloe wave was at its height, and about every team
from every ranch in the county would be out on that occasion. As the
committee had well advertised more than a week ahead, that Penloe would
deliver a public address, the news reached to many parts outside the
county, so that when the day came for the meeting to be held a number
of strangers from different parts of the state were seen in Roseland.
We will copy from a San Francisco paper a report of the meeting, as that
paper had a special reporter there who gave a full report of the
address.
-----------
AN IMMENSE CROWD
LISTENS
TO PENLOE'S ORIGINAL ADDRESS.
Meeting Opened by the Mayor of Roseland.
-----------
If a stranger had been in Roseland to-day he certainly would have
thought from seeing the livery stables crowded with teams from the
country, and every vacant lot and square also filled with teams, and the
crowds of people on the streets all going in one direction, that some
great attraction was going on, and he would be under the impression that
if he went out into the country he would not expect to see a person or a
team, for there never was any occasion before that brought such a large
gathering of people to Roseland. Long before the time of commencement,
the seating capacity of the building was taxed to its utmost. Promptly
at 2 P.M. the Mayor of Roseland and Penloe appeared on the platform. The
Mayor opened the meeting by introducing Penloe in the following words:
"Ladies and gentlemen:--It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you
this afternoon a gentleman whom you all have heard and read so much
about. Whatever your views may be about his teaching, I can positively
assert the lecturer is a scholar and a gentleman, every inch of him.
Very often a speaker's remarks fail to have the full weight they are
entitled to because persons say he has an axe to grind, or, he is paid
to talk that way. Now I have not the least idea of the subject the
speaker is going to talk to you upon, but this I can say, he is here
this afternoon only because he was invited to come and speak. He refused
all offers of money for his services, saying, he wished his labors to be
a free will offering to you. Therefore I hope you will give him your
closest attention, remembering he gives you the best product of his mind
acquired through years of study, thought and observation; and that is
the richest gift one can give another.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I now have the honor of introducing to you the
speaker, known as Penloe."
Penloe rose and came forward to the front of the platform; first bowing
to the Mayor and then to the audience; and as he did so he faced a sea
of upturned faces, who gazed upon one of the most remarkable men this
country has produced. Not very many of the audience had seen Penloe
before, and they were agreeably surprised to see on the platform before
them, so distinguished a personality. It seemed a delight to look upon
him. But few present could begin to size up such a man as he was. Some
of the remarks which one could hear whispered were like the following:
A young lady said: "What beautiful clear eyes he has. It seems as if you
could see his soul in them."
A gentleman was heard to say: "He has the most striking personality of
any one I have ever seen."
A lady remarked: "Is he not handsome?"
A man said: "What a fine head and noble countenance he has. It seems as
if the Almighty had stamped himself on him."
"Yes," said his wife who was sitting at his side. "And did you ever see
a more perfect specimen of physical manhood than he is, so symmetrical
in his build?"
Such was the man who faced the large audience and opened his address by
saying:
* * * * *
"DEAR FRIENDS:
"The Mayor was correct in calling what I am about to say to you 'a
talk,' for if any one has come here expecting a grand oration, with
flowery language, rounded periods, and finished diction, he will be
disappointed.
"Now, dear friends, I love you all, and that is why I call you dear
friends, and that is why I am here this afternoon to talk to you,
because I love you all. Yes, every one of you. I don't care what you
apparently are. Some of you may be greedy and grasping, and some may be
tyrannical and overbearing, or weak and negative; with no backbone or
grit or will; or you may be vain, selfish, ambitious, self-conceited,
carrying your head too high; or you may be one who lives to dance; loves
the whirl and excitement of pleasure; or you may be one who loves to
enjoy eating and drinking and sensual delights. I say, and I repeat it
again, I don't care what you apparently are, I love you all just the
same. I look at you from an entirely different standpoint from which you
look at yourselves. Now you all look at yourselves and at others
according to sex and your environments. Before me I see men who say of
themselves, I am a lawyer; I am a preacher; I am a banker; I am a
doctor; I am a merchant; I am a mechanic; I am an artist; I am a
musician; I am a farmer; I am a common laborer. Before me I see women
who say, I am a dressmaker; I am a milliner; I am a teacher; I am a
clerk; I am a bookkeeper; I am a typewriter; or I am a lawyer's wife, or
banker's wife, or doctor's wife, or merchant's wife, or preacher's wife,
or mechanic's wife, or farmer's wife. You think of yourselves according
to that position you occupy to make your living, or according to the
relationship you hold as wife, mother, daughter, or according to the
family you are a member of. Then again you all esteem yourselves
according to the degree of comfort, luxuries, health, money or property
which each of you may or may not possess. Also whether you are young,
middle aged or old.
"Dear brothers and sisters, I do not rate you nor judge you nor look at
you in any way according to your conditions, age, sex or environments. I
look at you to-day not as you look at yourselves, but I look at you all
as spiritual beings, pure and perfect; nay, I look upon you all as
being still more than that, for I look upon you all as being the
manifestation of the One great Infinite Spirit.
"Let me make it clearer to you by an illustration: In a certain province
of an Oriental country it was customary at one time for any young lady
who was distinguished in any way for her beauty or her riches or her
titles or her accomplishments, to set a day for receiving her suitors,
and grant each an opportunity to tell what he had to offer her as an
inducement to her to become his bride. In this province there was a
young lady whose beauty of countenance and lovely form, language is
inadequate to describe. In addition to that, her sweet souled character
exceeded her beautiful form and her many accomplishments. So superior
had that character become in its spiritual manifestation, that many
stories were told of her healing the sick, of her spiritual words and
presence reforming the lives of many; and of her having knowledge of
things, persons and subjects that she had neither heard nor read about.
Her youth, her beauty, her spiritual gifts and her many accomplishments
became known throughout the length and breadth of the province, and she
had many suitors for her heart and hand. So a day was set for her to
receive them all, to hear what each one had to offer, and select the one
of her choice. A suitable room was prepared for receiving them. At the
farther end the floor was raised two feet and on this raised part she
took a seat in the centre and near the front, with all her suitors on
her right seated on the lower floor and facing her.
"The first suitor that had a hearing was a rich merchant. He said to
her, 'Dearest lady, I have heard much of thee and it now does my eyes
good to behold thee in all thy beauty. I am glad you have consented to
give me the opportunity of telling you what I have to offer you to
become my bride. I am a rich merchant and have a palatial home on the
borders of a beautiful lake. Inside my home is a collection of the
riches and products of skill from all lands that I have traded in. I
have gold and ivory, laces, shawls, silks, fancy wares, rugs, mattings,
spices and perfumes; and I have brought with me some as an offering to
you' (and here he ordered his servants to bring the presents in and
display them before her). 'Be my bride, most gracious lady, and the
wealth from all lands shall be thine.'
"The lady smiled on him and told him to take a seat on her left and have
his servants remove the presents.
"The next that appeared before the lady was a great warrior.
"He said, 'Lovely lady, I am a great warrior. I have led to battle large
armies, and have always been victorious. I have met hand to hand
captains and generals, and have slain them with one blow from my sword'
(and here he drew it out of its sheath and showed it to her. It was a
fine piece of skilled workmanship). 'Should you become my bride no harm
shall ever befall you, no enemy shall come nigh you, and no serpent or
wild beast shall hurt you; for I have killed all kinds of animals and
reptiles. Most lovely one, if thou wilt become my bride, all my soldiers
shall obey thy word, and I will be thy true protector.'
"With a smile she motioned him to a place on her left.
"The next that appeared as her suitor, said, 'Dear lady, I have a
beautiful home and all it needs is thee, and shouldst thou see fit to
become my bride, you will be a happy and a joyous mother, and in the
love of each other, and in our home, and in our children, will our
happiness be found. Dearest lady, become my bride and thou shalt be the
head of the happiest home in the land.'
"She smiled and motioned him to a seat on her left.
"The next suitor that came forward was attired in rich cloth trimmed
with lace and gold.
"He said, 'Most charming lady, I am a Prince, and if thou wilt become my
bride, I will make thee a Princess. Thou shall have a lovely court, many
servants, costly robes to wear, and millions of people to worship thee,
and do thee homage.'
"She smiled and motioned him to a seat on her left.
"Other suitors made offers to her. The last suitor that appeared before
the sweet lady was different from all the rest. He was dressed plainly;
he needed nothing to improve his natural appearance, for his majestic
form, his noble countenance and lustrous eyes, surpassed in
attractiveness all the other suitors. When you once saw him you felt as
if you wished to take another look at him, for it seemed to do one's
eyes good to feast them on so grand a man.
"He said, 'Thou pure, sweet one. When a youth I was wandering through a
forest and saw a man sitting under a tree. He had a sweeter countenance
than I had ever seen before. He said, "My youthful friend, if thou wilt
learn from me thou shalt become good, wise and very happy."
"'I thought of my companions and myself in regard to what he said, and
the more I thought about us all, I could not think of one that was
becoming good and wise, or was truly happy. For we were all restless,
going here, and going there, trying this and doing the other to find
happiness. So I thanked him and said, I will be thy pupil, for I wish to
become good, wise and truly happy. He said, "Commence to-morrow morning,
and as soon as you awake rise immediately; never lay after you are
awake, for it is not good for one of your age. Then when you rise bathe
in cold water. After you have dressed," he said, "read out of this book
which I give you; read every morning for fifteen minutes or half an
hour; then spend a little time in prayer and meditation." And he gave me
instructions in such and said, "Live on plain food, eat no meat, avoid
bad companions as you would a Bengal tiger, and before going to rest at
night spend half an hour in prayer and meditation. Continue faithfully
in the performance of these practices for three months, and then come
here to me." I did so, carrying them out to the letter, and at the end
of three months I returned to him. He looked at me and said, "I see by
your countenance you have changed." I replied, "Yes, I feel changed
altogether." "Tell me," he said, "in what way do you feel different?"
"'I said, "When you saw me three months ago my mind was confused more or
less, my imagination ran too much after vain and sensuous objects. I
had too much personal sensitiveness, being attached to myself so much. I
was easily irritated, and always restless, wanting something I did not
have. But now my mind is calm and peaceful, my imagination dwells on the
pure, the good and the beautiful. I no longer feel envious or jealous or
greedy; for love seems to be taking the place of those feelings."
"'Continuing, my teacher said, "Let your prayer be for light and
knowledge, and ask the Blessed Infinite One to help you to love all; let
love rule; never mind what others may say about you, or how meanly they
may treat you. Be in earnest to love all. Rise every morning with this
thought: 'How beautiful my brother is; how precious is my sister.' You
may not love a person's ways, but you should always love the person.
Separate the two in your mind and it will help you much. Start the day
with this thought, 'I will live this day without discontent, without
self-seeking, and without anxiety.' Say, 'Lord, deliver me from all
selfish ambitions, and from pride and vanity, and may I become teachable
as a little child.'"
"'I did so, for I was very desirous of advancing in the Divine life.
"'In six months' time I returned to him. He said, "Why, brother, how
happy you look; how clear and bright your eyes are; how sweet your
expression has become."
"'"Yes," I said, "I am becoming like you." He said, "God bless your
efforts in living the Divine life. Let your prayer be: Do thou manifest
thyself in me, thou Blessed Infinite One. See that I want Thee and
nothing else."
"'I did so, for the more I followed his instructions the more of the
Divine life did I realize, and I knew that the angel was ruling the
animal within me. After being his disciple for several years, he said,
"Thou art ready now to become a teacher like myself."
"'I replied, "Dear Guru, my prayer is that in becoming a teacher like
thee, I may be able to lead others in the Divine life as thou hast led
me." I kissed the holy man and he gave me his blessing which has
followed me ever since, and it is with pleasure that I can say in the
spirit of thankfulness and humility, there have been those whose lives
are all the sweeter and brighter through my life and instructions. Sweet
lady, you know what I mean when I say, having obtained freedom through
renunciation I realized illumination, and through the light which I have
received I am in the possession of knowledge which the many know little
about, and through the light and knowledge which I have received I came
to know you long before seeing you to-day. I have seen you many, many
times though you were hundreds of miles away from me, and I seem to have
been in communication with you, though I never have spoken or written a
word to you. Not only so, sweet lady, but it has been my happiness to
receive from you many uplifting thoughts and I felt as if I was led by
the Divine Spirit which is in us all to come here to-day and say to you:
Thou sweet spirit, I have no houses nor lands, no money nor wealth, no
name nor fame, but I have attained realization, and through that
attainment I see the Divine in you; and its manifestation to such an
eminent degree in you has attracted me towards you, and I say to you
now, sweet one, that in your becoming my bride our lives will be
expanded, and we will attain unfoldment that we could obtain in no other
way. Thou bright one, what sweet communings of soul with soul, we will
have; for having consecrated our bodies to the Eternal One, we will each
day manifest a brighter light, and both of us shine as one in our love
for each other, and for all. And, dear one, in that beautiful light and
life will our cup of bliss be filled, and many besides ourselves will
drink therefrom.'
"The lady smiled very sweetly on him and bade him take a seat on her
right. Then rising and facing her other suitors she said, 'Friends, I
thank you for the interest and kindness you have shown towards me, but
you all made one mistake, and that is in thinking I am merely just what
this material form stands for, in thinking I am a woman and only a
woman, and nothing but a woman. And in thinking so you come, one with
gifts of silks, laces, gold, ivory, spices and many other things, as if
that was all I needed. Another offers bravery and protection for me,
thinking I was a weak woman and could not take care of myself; another
wants to make me a Princess, so as to excite my pride and vanity, by
causing so many to bow down to me, as if my joy consisted in having my
pride and vanity fed, and in looking upon my fellow beings as my slaves,
whose whole life is to contribute to my enjoyment. Then another offers
me a home and to make me the mother of many children; as if that was the
highest attainment for a spiritual being; while still another offers me
money, good things to eat and drink and wear, only what this body of
mine seems in his eyes. No, I will have to decline all your offers,
because you are under the illusion that I am only a woman.'
"Turning to the one on her right she said, 'By a life of self-denial and
discipline through prayer and meditation, and in cultivating the spirit
of love for all, and in making your life a free will offering to
humanity, you attained illumination. The angel now rules the animal and
you have arrived now to the state of realization of the Divine within
you. Not being in bondage to either the man or the woman, for you see
that each is a spiritual being like the other, therefore you look upon
me as a spiritual being manifested in the form of a woman. You have seen
that my wants and desires are spiritual, not material. All that I need
in the material world is very little and comes to me; for as Jesus has
said, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven, and all these things
(material) shall be added unto you."
"'Dear friend, you have appealed to my self, my spiritual nature. I now
respond, and, dear one, what I possess in the way of love shall be
yours, for I love you so dearly it will be a joy for me to give you my
love and live in your love, and we will both consecrate ourselves to
each other and to the Lord, in His humanity.'"
Penloe, looking earnestly at his audience, said: "That is the way, dear
friends, I look on you all this day; not for what your material forms
stand for, not for the environments each of you is placed in, but I look
upon you all as spiritual beings. I look upon you as Divine, and it is
this great, grand and glorious thought that each one of you is Divine. I
want you to take it home with you; I want you to repeat it over and over
again, '_I am Divine_'; I want you to think about it till it becomes
part of your own mentality, till it becomes part of the cells of your
brain, till it becomes a part of the life blood of your body, flowing
through your arteries and veins; and all your actions shall have their
source in the grand thought that you are Divine. When you reach to that
plane, your whole course in life will change, and each one of you before
me here will become so changed that you or your neighbors will hardly
know yourselves. For you have been going about with this thought, 'I am
a poor, weak human being.' That man over there says, 'All there is to me
is this body with its appetites and desires. I drink, I swear, I live a
life of lust and that is what I am.' I say no! a thousand times no! All
the qualities of the Divine are within you; but you have not realized
them. Don't look upon yourself any longer as being that drinking,
swearing, lustful man. But look upon yourself as being Divine; that all
the qualities of the universe are within you, and in you are all the
powers of the universe. That poor woman over there whose life is one of
hard, monotonous toil in the house; you are the mother of too many
children. Your life is one round of work, care and anxiety, and when you
look in the glass you see that work, worry and passion have taken the
bloom off your cheeks, the brightness out of your eyes; you are faded;
and it seems as if the light and life of the world had left you, and you
see no bright future. Hardly anything in it for you worth the having.
"It is to you I bring this grand message, my discouraged sister, wake up
and get out of the illusion that you are what that poor worn-out body of
yours stands for. No, dear sister, a thousand times no; for you are
'Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, and Bliss Absolute.'
"The reason that you and your sex are where you are to-day, is because
you are in bondage to your material forms, looking upon yourselves and
wishing men to look upon you also for what you are in body, instead of
women looking upon themselves as spiritual beings and having men do the
same. The reason that men are where they are to-day is because they are
in bondage to their material forms, looking upon themselves as being
men, and also expecting women to look upon them as such, instead of men
looking upon themselves as pure spiritual beings possessing the
qualities of the Divine, and looking upon women as being exactly the
same spiritually as themselves.
"You have all drawn veils over your Divine nature through this illusion,
and from this illusion springs all the acts which keep you from
realizing your Divine nature. Your greed, your vanity, your
self-conceit, your love of praise, your love of self, your attachment to
yourself, and all that is yours, your appetites all act as shades over
the windows of the soul. When will you break these various bonds and be
free?
[2]"There is a story that the king of gods, 'Indra,' once became a pig,
wallowing in mire. He had a she pig and a lot of baby pigs and was very
happy. Then some other angels saw his plight, came to him and told him,
'You are the king of the gods, you have all the gods to command. Why are
you here?' But Indra said, 'Let me be. I am all right here, I don't care
for the heavens while I have the sow and little pigs.' The poor gods
were at their wits' end what to do. After a time they decided to come
now and again and slay one of the little pigs and then another, until
they had slain all the pigs and the sow, too. When all were dead Indra
began to weep and mourn. Then the gods ripped his pig body open and he
come out of it, and began to laugh. What a hideous dream he had had. He,
the king of gods, to have become a pig and to think that pig life was
the only life. Not only so but to have wanted the whole universe to come
into the pig life.
[Footnote 2: Vivekananda in Raja Voga.]
"The soul when it identifies itself with nature forgets that it is pure
and Infinite. The soul does not live, it is life itself. It does not
exist, it is existence itself. The soul does not know, it is knowledge
itself. It is an entire mistake to say the soul lives, or knows, or
loves. Love and existence are not the qualities of the soul, but its
essence. When they get reflected on that something you may call them the
qualities of that something. Remember what you read in Hindu philosophy,
that the finer body, and what is called in Christian theology the
spiritual body, is not the soul. The soul is beyond them all. It is this
soul which is Divine.
"Now let us follow out this thought that all of you are Divine and that
each one of you looks upon himself as being Divine, and that you look
upon all others as being Divine also. What is the result? Let's see. The
Divine nature is one of love, one of purity, one of justice, one of
harmony, one of peace. As a Divine being you are looking within for all
your happiness and are not dependent on things outside of yourself to
make you happy. As a Divine being you are not grasping and wanting
things that don't belong to you, and making yourself and others
miserable by wishing you were where you cannot go, or you want things
you cannot have. As a Divine being your conduct towards others under all
circumstances is one of love. Therefore you are not stirring up
contentions and strifes and you are trying, as far as possible, to make
those around you happy, and are yourself striving to be the same under
all circumstances. All things which disturb you keep you from realizing
the Divine. Therefore you have control over your temper and are
manifesting peace and harmony. As you are Divine, you should do your
work in the world without attachment to things of the world. You should
not be owned by the external world, for all forms and things perish, but
the life of the spirit is eternal.
"As a Divine being you will be honest and truthful to yourself and
others; you will practise no deception; you will not want what belongs
to others; and try in trade or barter to cheat another, for you look
upon all as Divine like yourself. As a Divine being you will want to
earn your living by the sweat of your own brow, instead of by the sweat
of others as many do to-day.
"Let that thought enter the life of the family and instead of the
husband and father being cross and cranky at times, he will always be
the same; trying each day in some new way to make his wife and children
better and happier, and they in return will be a joy to themselves and a
comfort to him. What a happy home where that thought reigns.
"Let that thought be carried into the affairs of the County, State and
Nation, and see what a revolution of peace and happiness it would bring.
The first change would be that all women would have the same right to
vote as men have; not because they are women, but because they are
Divine, like man. In short because they are spiritual beings like men.
"The aphorism, 'Equal rights to all and special privileges to none,'
will be lived out, because no one who is living the thought that all are
Divine, will wish to have opportunities that they deny to others.
"'An injury to one is the concern of all,' is a maxim that would be put
into practise. 'All for one and one for all' would be acted out in all
the business of life, for all are Divine. All persons in office would
see how best they can serve the public, instead of seeing, as is done
now, how best they can feather their own nests, at the expense of the
public.
"State legislators would meet, not to see how much there is in it for
themselves, in passing laws, but would pass laws in the interest of the
masses. All forms of corruption would cease, and bribery would
disappear, because all are looked upon as one, and that one is Divine;
and _Greed_ cannot live where that thought predominates. Congress,
instead of passing laws in the interest of bankers, railroad
corporations, manufacturers, and trust companies, would be there for
one purpose, that of making laws in the interest of the whole nation,
and what is known as class legislation would disappear.
"All persons engaged in adulterating merchandise would cease their
disgraceful and dishonest business. For, realizing their Divine nature,
they would only make pure articles, and everything would be what it is
marked. All business would be done with honesty of purpose and love of
justice; in fact the character of the Divine would be seen in all
dealings. No longer would the great dailies be owned by the money power,
and intellectual prostitutes write the editorials of their columns,
blinding and deceiving the minds of the people that the classes may
fleece them. In short the ethics of Christ would enter into the
industrial and social systems. Usury would be abolished. Instead of
having Christ so much in prayer and song, in poetry and prose, in marble
and on canvas, we would have him in the halls of legislation, in
railroad operations, in manufactories, in stores, on farms and in the
home. In short he would enter into all the walks of life, and men's
actions would be governed by his teachings, viz.: 'Whatsoever ye would
that men should do unto you do ye also unto them; and as we all wish to
have love and justice shown us, realizing our Divine nature, we would
show it unto others.
"Now, I beseech each one of you, I beseech you because I love you, start
to-day with the soul elevating thought, with this grand truth, that 'You
are the Divine,' and live according to your Divine nature and not be
ruled by your animal instincts. If ever you are in doubt about what you
should do and what you should not do, I would say, do whatever would
make you strong physically, whatever would make you strong
intellectually, whatever would make you strong spiritually, and do not
do what would make you weak physically, intellectually, or spiritually.
In living the pure Christ life you always will be well. Remember the
body is the instrument through which the Divine manifests itself;
therefore take care of the body and don't abuse it by too much work or
too much social excitement, or too much of anything. Be moderate and
temperate in all your actions, bathe every morning and have times for
meditation and prayer, and it will not be long before you will make the
whole State of California what it ought to be, a heaven on earth. For
having heaven within, you will make all about you heaven; and let me
tell you that when you leave your material bodies, the only heaven you
will find is that which you will take with you."