Introduction to Gnosis: Lesson Four

Lesson Four

In order to succeed in life, one has to become a fisher of men.  Jesus chose his disciples amongst poor fishermen.  They had to stop catching fish to become fishers of men.  Do you want to obtain success, power, glory?  Listen to this advice: “Put bait on the hook that will catch the fish.”

Do not talk with others about things of interest to you.  Your business is your business. Unfortunately, the human being is egotistical and only wants to know things of his interest.  If you talk to your fellowman about the things he desires and loves, you will influence him positively and obtain from him all that you need.

We need to learn to see the other person’s point of view and help to solve his conflicts; in this manner we solve our own problems.  Become an altruistic and generous person.  Help others with your advice; do your best to understand the point of view of others and you will fish in abundance.  When we begin comprehending our fellowmen, we also begin to take the first steps on the path of happiness and success.

It is necessary to study and understand the mind’s functions.  Whosoever knows the mental mechanism is in a position to control it.

Much has been said about mental power and many are the schools that teach how to concentrate the mind.  Nobody can intelligently deny the power of thought.  This force is made up of radioactive forms and waves that move from one brain to the next.  We need to develop this marvelous power but we must warn here that thought and action should wisely be combined if we want to succeed in life.  Mental concentration is miraculous when intelligently combined with actions.

Mental power achieves prodigies and marvels when based on sincerity and the truth.  Do not attempt to deceive your fellowmen.  Do not use mental concentration to deceive your fellowmen, because failure for you will be inevitable.  Mental power achieves prodigies when used to help others.  By helping others we ourselves benefit.  That is the Law.

Exercise

Do you need to succeed in something important?  Sit in a comfortable chair, relax your muscles, concentrate on the business you are interested in.  Imagine the business in full prosperity.  Identify yourself with your fellowman; try to understand your fellowman’s point of view; advise him mentally, making him see the advantages offered by that the business he is about to carry out with you.  Thus, the mental waves will penetrate deeply in the other persons mind and will do marvels.  One hour of perfect concentration is enough to determine success in a business.

Every merchant has the right to obtain money, but whatever you sell should be good, useful, and necessary to others.  Do not try to deceive others, because you deceive yourself.  Multitudes of peddlers travel the streets offering their merchandise uselessly.  No one is interested in their merchandise. People become annoyed when they meet these peddlers.  Their mistake is that they only think and talk about their wares.  If they learned to see the point of view of others, they would inevitably succeed.

It is necessary to comprehend that all human beings have an “I” that wants to stand out, wants to make itself felt, to climb to the top of the ladder, etc.; this is precisely the human being’s weakness.  You also have that weak side.  Do not fall into the same errors of others.  Never say “I.”  Always say “we.”  Whoever masters himself can also master others.

Intelligently insinuate what you want, but do not say, “I want.”  Remember that others are not interested in what you want.  Let others prepare your idea as if it was theirs.  Provide the elements for that preparation; provide them very intelligently.  Let others elaborate your ideas.  People like to feel important; that is the weakness of the “I.”  Exploit that weakness.  Never feel important and you will be important.  Try to dissolve the “I” and you will be truly happy.

All success in life depends on the ability you have to deal with other persons.  It is necessary to abandon egotism and to develop Christ-centrism.  It is urgent to work for the common good.  It is indispensable to dissolve the “I” and always think in terms of “we.”  The term “we” always has more power than the egotistical “I.”

All the great failures of life are due to the “I.”  When the “I” wants to make itself felt, stand out, climb to the top of the ladder, then the reactions of others follow and the result of such mental reactions is failure.  Remember that the “I” is energetic.  The “I” is desire.  The “I” is memory.  The “I” is fear, violence, hatred, wants, fanaticisms, jealousies, distrust, etc.  You need to profoundly explore all the depths of your mind, because you have within you that which is called “I, myself,” the ego, etc.

If you want to succeed in life, you should dissolve the “I.”  If you want to dissolve the “I,” you should disintegrate all your defects.  If you want to disintegrate your defects, do not condemn or justify them; comprehend them.  When we condemn a defect, we hide it in the profound recesses of the mind.  When we justify a defect, we strengthen it horribly.  But when we comprehend a certain defect, we disintegrate it completely.

When the “I” is dissolved, we are filled with plenitude and happiness.  When the “I” is dissolved, the Being, the Spirit, Love, expresses itself within and through us.  Remember that God, the Spirit, the Inner Self of each man, woman, and creature, is never the “I.”  The Being is divine, eternal, and perfect.  The “I” is Satan of Biblical legend.  The “I” is not the body.  The “I” is energetic and diabolic.  In the “I” is the root of misery, poverty, failures, disillusionments, unsatisfied desires, violent desires, hatred, envy, jealousy, etc.  CHANGE YOUR LIFE NOW!  It is urgent that you understand the need to do away with all your defects, to dissolve the “I,” Satan, the cause of all failures.  When the “I” is dissolved, only the Being, God, happiness, remain in us.  God is peace, abundance, happiness, and perfection.

Exercise

A man, after having studied himself, discovered that he had twelve defects that were bothering him.  This man said, “Just as the hunter who tries to catch ten hares at once will not catch any, so is it also impossible to do away with my twelve defects at the same time.”

This man arrived at the conclusion that it would be better to catch one hare and then another.  First do away with one defect and then another. This man decided to dedicate two months to each defect.  After twenty four months, this man no longer had the defects.  He had done away with the twelve defects that hindered him from success.  The result was marvelous.  This man became the foremost citizen of the United States. His name: Benjamin Franklin.

Imitate this personage.  Examine yourself and see how many defects you have.  Count them, number them.  Then dedicate two months to each defect, successively, until you eliminate all of them.

Sit in a comfortable chair.  Pray to your Internal God like this:

You who are my true Being,
You who are my Internal God,
Enlighten me.  Help me.  Make me see my own defects.
Amen.

Concentrate until deep sleep arrives.  Try to discover all your defects.  We advise you to read the Bible.  The word of the Divine Master is found in the four Gospels.  There you will discover the virtues that you lack.  Wherever a virtue is lacking, a defect exists.

May peace be with you!