THE PERFECT MORAL CODE
The first habit for the spiritual person to adopt is to make all of your thoughts, feelings and actions conform to the perfect moral code: contribute your utmost to universal welfare.
DAILY REFLECTION
Habitually "reflect upon your various thoughts, feelings and actions, day by day, with a view of determining whether or not they may be changed in some way that will increase your power to benefit society. That is, they are scanned to determine if you are living up to the perfect moral code, if you are Contributing Your Utmost, under the conditions and circumstances that obtain, toward the welfare and progress of society."
from PERSONAL ALCHEMY by C C Zain, copyright 1996 by The Church of Light, 2nd chapter.
THE BEST GENERAL RULE
"About the best general rule that can be laid down is for the neophyte (beginner) to be constantly alert and observing, and to note carefully the effect of his practices and his habits as affecting his life and usefulness. The thing that is best for him is the thing that works best in practice, whether or not it follows the rules laid down in someone's book. After trying something out conscientiously for a time, usually some result, either positive or negative, can be discerned; and this can be used as a gauge of the value of the exercise or habit which has been adopted."
from PERSONAL ALCHEMY by C C Zain, copyright 1996 by The Church of Light, 2nd chapter.
LEARN FROM FAILURE, AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD
Don't focus on unhappiness, sorrow or negative emotions which build discord into your mind and soul. "We often learn as much by our failures as by our successes. Every failure should leave us in possession of greater ability for the next attempt." If your undertaking is not successful, your thoughts and "energies should be centered on the next attempt, and a confidence built up that the next attempt will be more successful. Instead of dwelling on failure, it is far better to picture the success of the next attempt, and to picture with this success a glow of happiness, and as many other pleasant feelings and emotions in connection with it as possible." The attitude to develop is that "regardless of temporary results, one is doing the very best he can."
from PERSONAL ALCHEMY by C C Zain, copyright 1996 by The Church of Light, 2nd chapter.
ADOPT AN INVINCIBLE WILL
"It goes without saying that to accomplish anything really worth while requires the exercise of considerable will-power. And because, in his endeavor to become a (spiritual) adept, the neophyte (beginner) must master his own mental processes and a number of studies, as well as develop his character so that it is superior in nature to the characters of the mass of mankind by whom he is surrounded, it is essential, to be able to carry out such an ambitious program, that he should possess a strong and vigorous will.
An invincible will, when reduced to its simplest terms, is merely the habit of carrying out to its completion whatever one sets out to do. And a vigorous will, when thus reduced to simple terms, is the ability to direct a strong volume of energy steadily into the accomplishment of predetermined purposes.
The essential thing in the culture of will is to make up your mind what you are going to do, then do it energetically, and let no difficulty nor obstacle deter you until it has been finished. Each and every time you do this you have increased your will-power.
To develop the will from a none too vigorous state, the very first thing is to form a habit of not making a definite decision to do a thing until all its possibilities and probable obstacles have been fully weighed. It is much better to decide to do less than later is actually accomplished than to decide to do much in a given space of time and then fall far below the mark.
Start in with little things. But whatever little thing you decide to do, place the decision in writing, state it publicly, or in some way set it apart from the various desires and wishes that are half decisions but have not yet reached a state in which you have decided irrevocably that you will do them. The thing of importance in this respect is always to have it clear in your own mind, and not subject to hedging, that you actually have decided to do the thing. And having decided, always keep faith with yourself and do it." Avoid procrastination. "A powerful and energetic will is an essential to great accomplishment."
from PERSONAL ALCHEMY by C C Zain, copyright 1996 by The Church of Light, 2nd chapter.
OVERCOME BAD HABITS ONE AT A TIME
"Any new habit adopted really means vanquishing some habit that has already been established, even if that habit is only the habit of inertia regarding the thing at hand. And you will do well to route the old habit by displacing it with the new one, if you take them on one at a time. The thinking about or paying attention to any old habit gives it additional energy and makes it that much harder to overcome.
When lapses occur, feelings of remorse, discouragement, sorrow or other disagreeable emotions lend their energy to the very thing which is to be dispossessed. Therefore it is essential, no matter how much difficulty is caused by the lapse, that as little attention be paid to it as possible. It should be ignored, and the energies be mustered for, and the attention given to, the habit which it is desired should shoulder the old one out.
And right in line with this policy, be sure to give the new habit plenty of attention. When it is successful in manifesting in place of the old one be sure that you give as much play as possible to pleasant emotions. The habit feeds upon attention, and upon pleasant feelings. Strengthen it through the pleasure technique."
from PERSONAL ALCHEMY by C C Zain, copyright 1996 by The Church of Light, 2nd chapter.
AVOID PROBLEMS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS
"The easiest way, in so far as it is feasible, to overcome the hindrance of family and friends to one's spiritual progress is not to draw their attention particularly to what one is trying to do, if there is likely to be antagonism.
I am not here suggesting even the slightest hypocrisy. Hypocrisy, and any form of untruth, are to be sedulously avoided by the neophyte (beginner); as deceit tends to attract to one entities which favor deceit. Candor and truth should mark all the neophyte's utterances. But all of us think many things we do not say. We may, for instance, think that our neighbor is a liar; but we do not take pains needlessly to tell him so. Even should someone ask our opinion of our neighbor, we are quite justified, in the interest of neighborly harmony, in saying that we prefer not to talk about that particular person, (or think of something complimentary to say.) Just because we think someone is the meanest person we have ever known does not signify that we mush publish such an opinion, or even express it if asked. We have many thoughts which we do not talk about, because to mention them would stir up strife that would be harmful, and would accomplish no good purpose whatsoever.
Kindness and consideration of others, including those within the domestic circle, are requisites to true spiritual progress. Cheerfulness and harmony in the face of such contending factions as often develop where a number of persons must live together in close association, indicate that the neophyte (beginner) has made marked advance on the spiritual path and, due to this acquired spirituality and ability, is ready for larger undertakings."
from PERSONAL ALCHEMY by C C Zain, copyright 1996 by The Church of Light, 4th chapter.
AVOID GOSSIP AND VULGAR TALK
Don't listen "to gossip in which the character of someone is blackened, to stories of a decidedly spicy content, and to lewd and vulgar jokes. Smutty stories, salacious gossip, and other mental filth should be shut resolutely from our minds." None of this increases one's spirituality.
from PERSONAL ALCHEMY by C C Zain, copyright 1996 by The Church of Light, 4th chapter.
DON'T HELP TO CREATE SELFISHNESS IN OTHERS
"To permit one's family always to have their own way about everything is ruinous to their character. It is not in the direction of helpfulness. To permit a child, or other associate, always to take, without giving something adequate in return, is to foster and develop selfishness. In our effort to be unselfish, we must be careful that we do not cultivate ungenerous habits in others, or an attitude of dependence.
from PERSONAL ALCHEMY by C C Zain, copyright 1996 by The Church of Light, 4th chapter.
TOLERANCE OF OTHER'S BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
"One of the surest indexes to smallness of character is the inability to be friendly with someone with whom you disagree on some matter of politics or religion."
from PERSONAL ALCHEMY by C C Zain, copyright 1996 by The Church of Light, 5th chapter.
THINK KINDLY
One "should commence to establish the feeling of kindness towards all persons and all other creatures as a permanent habit-system. Whenever he begins to feel irritated or antagonistic he should commence to think about some phase of the other person's life, or about something which is admirable which can, directly or indirectly, be associated with the person causing irritation.
The habit of thinking kindly toward every other person and creature you contact will not be developed in a moment, nor even in a year. There are almost sure to be lapses in which the old feeling or irritation comes to the surface. But, with persistent effort and proper determination, you can arrive at this very definite state of spiritual development."
from PERSONAL ALCHEMY by C C Zain, copyright 1996 by The Church of Light, 5th chapter.
BE EAGER TO LEARN
Acquire the habit of "eternal eagerness to learn something more. The man who thinks he knows it all invariably is an ignoramus. Alertness to acquire new perspectives, a keenness for facts that have a bearing on the problems of existence, and some time regularly spent in study are not merely the marks of a neophyte (beginner), they likewise are traits which distinguish the most advanced men."
from PERSONAL ALCHEMY by C C Zain, copyright 1996 by The Church of Light, 5th chapter.
BE ENERGETIC
A (spiritual) "Master does not lead a life of ease, but a life in which work of importance and magnitude is done for the benefit of his fellow man. No one who is lazy can become an adept. To scale the spiritual height requires ceaseless effort.
To be able to work with speed and accuracy, and without unnecessary fatigue, the individual should learn to relax completely at intervals and to call upon his muscles for action only as such action is needed. People can even wear themselves out sitting in a chair if they keep tense, and if the tension continues after they go to bed they may be unable to sleep. When the body is completely relaxed there is no difficulty in going to sleep."
from PERSONAL ALCHEMY by C C Zain, copyright 1996 by The Church of Light, 5th chapter.
UTILIZING THE OCCUPATION
"Even in routine work, which appears to be but drudgery, one can exercise ingenuity to perform it in ways which, more and more completely, will give expression to the soul's desire to accomplish what it does in the best possible manner. A little more skill can be developed, lost motion can be avoided, just the proper amount of energy applied to get the best results. Almost nothing is done in the best possible manner, and the effort to improve the methods and manner of work builds factors into the character which, even in the after life, will prove advantageous; for our attitude towards conditions in the future is determined by our attitude towards the circumstances we meet before we reach the future. Leave no stone unturned to discover the advantages and pleasures which can be associated with the occupation.
Almost anything can be handled in not merely a way which gives better practical results, but also in a way that in some manner calls forth the finer emotional nature. A flower on an office desk adds an element of taste. An extra polish on a machine appeals to the sense of sight and touch pleasantly. Clean cut work, just the proper amount of embellishment, the development of harmony among those with whom one must work, all lend themselves to a richer type of existence. Anything that removes the sordid and replaces monotony with constructive pleasure is in the direction of the spiritual.
from PERSONAL ALCHEMY by C C Zain, copyright 1996 by The Church of Light, 5th chapter.
THINK ONLY THE TRUTH
"Any falsehood accepted by the unconscious mind impedes progress; because before the soul can make proper adjustments it must have a clear conception of the real conditions. And the real truth, when the neophyte (beginner) digs down beneath the rubbish of appearances, will be found amply satisfying. He will find also that it is a bad thing to lie to anyone; but quite disastrous to lie to himself.
At all times, and under all circumstances, let him seek the raw truth. His desires, his previous learnings, his emotional reactions, all will from time to time try to varnish and sugar-coat the real facts. But as he can act to best advantage only when guided by the unembellished truth, he should ever seek to discern it as it actually is."
from PERSONAL ALCHEMY by C C Zain, copyright 1996 by The Church of Light, 5th chapter.
UNITING WITH GOD
"God has a Great Plan which is in the process of development, and the soul of man has the power of uniting itself with the intelligence directing this Great Plan. To the extent that the soul can thus enter into the consciousness of the cosmic intelligence it can unite itself in consciousness, and in effort, with God. It does not thus become God, but it unites itself with God through tuning in on the highest level of spiritual intelligence it can reach. And it does participate in divine powers and attributes through tapping such an exalted reservoir. This truth is good enough."
from PERSONAL ALCHEMY by C C Zain, copyright 1996 by The Church of Light, 5th chapter.
TAKE A BREAK
"An individual who has been applying himself to some task requiring great dexterity or unusual mental ability, and seems to have reached his best performance, often finds that additional practice leads to no greater perfection. When the individual has reached such a stage, for instance, in playing golf, in rendering musical compositions, in literary production, or any other art, those having his training in charge, if wise, advise him to take a vacation from it. It is better for a time that he does not even think about it, but that he should become interested in something entirely different. Then, at the end of his vacation, he is usually amazed to find that he not merely commences to improve where he left off, but that somehow, during the vacation, he has moved forward a marked step, and that he takes up his practice again at a point far in advance of anything he had attained during the previous period.
This well known psychological law, which is applied practically in many fields of endeavor, is based upon the principle that, unhindered for a time by other physical experiences of a like nature, experiences already acquired, under the urge already given them for greater perfection of performance, undergo assimilation and reorganization within the astral (soul) form. And as a result of this assimilation and reorganization, abilities of far greater perfection come into existence than any which had ever previously found physical expression. There is a decided gap between what the individual could do when last he tried, and what he now finds he can do. It has not been just a gradual progress, but he has moved forward by a clear-cut step."
from ORGANIC ALCHEMY by C C Zain, copyright 1998 by The Church of Light, 1st chapter.