Volume
Vol. 6, The Alchemy of Happiness
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The Five Inclinations
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3. Gaining Power
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Vol. 6, The Alchemy of Happiness
The Five Inclinations
3. Gaining Power
The third inclination man shows is to gain power in any way whatever. Every person strives throughout life to gain power. The reason is that the soul strives to exist against the invasion of life, because life's conditions seem to sweep away everything that has no strength. When the leaf has lost its strength it falls from the tree; when the flower has lost its strength it is thrown away. Naturally the soul wishes to keep its strength; therefore every individual seeks for power. But the mistake lies in the fact that however much power a man may have, it is limited. With the increase of power there comes a time when the man sees that another power can be greater than the one he possesses. This limitation makes man suffer; he becomes disappointed. Besides when one looks at the power that man possesses, the power of the world, what is it? Powerful nations which were built thousands of years ago can be crushed in a very short time; then what is their power? If there is any power it is the hidden power, the almighty power. And by getting in touch with that power one begins to draw from it all the power that is needed.
The secret of all the miracles and phenomena of the sages and masters is to be seen in the power that they are able to draw from within. There are faqirs and dervishes who practice jumping into the fire or cutting their body and healing it instantly. But there exists a power even greater than that. Those who can really do such things do not do them openly; but at the same time there is this power which gives proof that spirit has power over matter, though spirit may be buried under matter for some time -- which makes one powerless.
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