The First Chapter

     "HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness," says the Lord. John 8:12. By these words of Christ

we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all

blindness of heart. Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ.

     The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has His

spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care little

for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words

of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ.

     What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease

the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him

pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit

us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without

grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him

alone.

     This is the greatest wisdom - to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world. It

is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to court honor and to be

puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe

punishment later must come. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent

life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come.

It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.

     Often recall the proverb: "The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing." (1)

Try, moreover, to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible.

For they who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God.

     Prabuddha Bharata>>>

     Vedanta Kesari>>>