The foundations of any house are the most important part of the structure. Strength and durability depend upon those foundations. Also, the size—length and breadth and height—are determined by the foundations; even the inner walls which go to make rooms and chambers are dependent on the original foundations.
The analogy between the foundations of a house and those of life is perfect. But what are the foundations of life? On what actually does our life rest? What are the basic elements of which the life-foundations are composed? It is outside the scope of modern science to answer those questions. Science observes natural phenomena and tells us how things happen, but it does not trouble itself with why they happen. That is supposed to be the sphere of religion and philosophy. But religious knowledge has degenerated into theological argumentation, and philosophy has become speculations in logic and abstractions unrelated to our lives. In our modern world, Theosophy is perhaps the only philosophy which adequately answers not only the how but also the why of life.
The foundations of anyone's life are composed of the principles of thought and action of that individual. Our understanding and our character produce our behaviour and conduct in outer life. If we ask a person, "What are the principles of your life?" most often we get for answer a surprised expression. Very many people do not live according to principles, but live, from day to day, according to the customs and traditions of their family and community. Their own personal habits distinguish them from other members of the family, and but for those personal habits most men and women would be undistinguishable—just as we are unable to distinguish between individual sheep in a flock! These personal habits form part of our character and spring from our inclinations, i.e., our likes and dislikes.
So the foundations of most people's lives are habits and inclinations. No wonder their lives are chaotic drifting, now here, now there, full of petty happenings, some pleasant, others unpleasant, and interspersed with a few excitements and thrills which teach nothing and lead nowhere! And because most people live by desires and inclinations and habits, without a proper understanding of these very inclinations and habits, most of the time there are mistakes and puzzlement. Pain and suffering overtake and permeate most lives. These continue till the life of the person becomes veiled in the mystery of death.
The first duty of a human being to himself and to all others is to inquire into his own motives and methods. Why do we desire this thing? Why are we inclined to run away from that other thing? Is this habit of ours right and just? And so on. Such questions make us inquire into the meaning of our very existence, compel us to examine our own thoughts and ideas, our own feelings and emotions. Such inquiry and examination are the first steps in the right direction of living. If we insist on understanding the meaning of our own actions, we shall very soon be ready to appreciate the explanations and teachings that Theosophy offers.
This great and immemorial philosophy provides principles of thought and action. How and what should we think? What actions should we perform and how? In short, the purpose of life will reveal itself to our minds and enable us to introduce order and harmony, justice and happiness in our daily existence.
The first great principle that should become an ingredient in the foundation of our life is the truth that each one of us is a Spirit-being. We are neither our ever-changing bodies, nor our ever-moving and ever-wandering minds. Our desires change, and with them our moods. But the Soul in us, the Eternal Observer and Witness of all changes of mind, moods and body, is ever there. This Soul or Spirit-being uses mind and body, presides over all our actions, is the enjoyer of good actions done by mind or body, and is also the admonisher and adviser. When we indulge in bad thoughts, selfish feelings and evil actions, it does not and cannot approve. And because it is the Silent Spectator and Witness of all processes, it is called Upadrashta. Higher than that Spirit-being in us there is nothing; therefore it is also called the Great Lord, Maheshwara, the Supreme Person. That is the Gita teaching and it is reiterated by Theosophy.
The spirit in the body is called Maheshwara, the Great Lord, the spectator, the admonisher, the sustainer, the enjoyer, and also the Paramatma, the highest soul. (Bhagavad-Gita, XIII, 22)
We are the Great Lord—not our body, not the mass of feelings, not even the mind, but that which is behind and within and beyond body, feeling and mind. Let us think of that as a principle of life and conduct. We, the Spirit in us, is the real, the immortal, pre-existent and everlasting. Theosophy repeats the teaching of the Upanishads—"Thou art That." But we human beings are so immersed in our pettiness, in our wants and desires, that we have forgotten the great basic truth of life and of the universe. We need to make an attempt to seek the Spirit-being that we are. Says The Voice of the Silence: "Within thy body—the shrine of thy sensations—seek in the Impersonal for the 'Eternal Man'; and having sought him out, look inward: thou art Buddha." We must make an attempt to look for that "Eternal Man," that Spirit-being.
The first step is to distinguish between that which is the Spirit-being, the Real Soul in us, and the mere assemblage of personal thoughts and desires, personal inclinations and habits. This is not the work of a day or a week, but if we persist and are steadfast, we shall notice that the Spirit-being that we truly are is imprisoned by thoughts and feelings, by inclinations and habits. Let us try to recognize the fact that we are the ever-existent and immortal Spirit. We have always existed in the past and will ever remain immortal in the future.
The second step: This Spirit in the body is of a triple nature—creator, preserver, destroyer-regenerator. We in our own nature are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. We create, we sustain and preserve, and finally we destroy to regenerate and re-create. We ourselves are the creators of our environment and circumstances; none else put us where we are. We brought ourselves here and we alone maintain ourselves in our situation. It follows logically that we alone can change ourselves if we wish to and know how to. It is not necessary to know all the details of how we are possessors of this triple power, or how it all happens. In the progress of time we will learn that. But what is most important is that we recognize that we are the real Soul, the Spirit-being, controller of mind and body, creator of circumstances and environment.
The third step: The method or process of refashioning our present environment consists in "working with the Law." The universe of which we are a part is governed by Law. Between our body and the whole universe of matter there is an intimate connection. Between our mind and the universe of mind there is an indissoluble link. Our Spirit and the Spirit of the Universe are identical. We have to find out the Law of the Universe which applies to our mind, for it is the mind that can control and guide our body and can also know the nature of Spirit. Theosophy teaches that by right thinking, by correct ideation, we can learn to use the Law that is as infallible as it is just, as strict as it is merciful. To work with the Law we must go to our own mind and impress on that mind the truth of Duty and Sacrifice—Dharma and Yagna. The Spirit-being that we are is creator-preserver-regenerator and its chief and primary instrument of action is the human mind. This mind must be presented with two fundamental concepts. It must think about Duty and Sacrifice. Through the joint action of these two we can fulfil our life-mission, realize in experience the purpose of life.
So there are these three steps: inner recognition that we are Spirit-beings; that we create and re-create our own outer environment; that the primary and the most important instrument of our real Soul is the mind, and the mind must act according to Dharma and Yagna, Duty and Sacrifice. People often fail in the performance of their duties, or are confused by the conflict of duties because they look upon them only from the viewpoint of actions or deeds. The mental aspect of duties is not taken into account. That is the starting point of visible actions. Thoughts are causes, and deeds are effects; so the causal aspect of Duty is much more important than the visible, effectual aspect. Similarly, we always relate the word "sacrifice" to deeds, to what is visible. A person gives money in charity and it is called sacrifice; but by what ideation, with what motive has he made that charity? If it is to get praise and win accolades, then it is no sacrifice. So, we have to learn to do our duty and to perform our sacrifices in the mind first, and then in a natural fashion acts of duty and sacrifice will manifest.
It is by the mind, generating right ideas of duty and of sacrifice, under the guidance of the Spirit in us, the Higher Self, that we are able to overcome our weaknesses, to elevate our character, to increase our knowledge, to spread purity and transform our surroundings, making them radiant with peace and prosperity. If we are weak and suffer poverty, moral or mental, which is far worse than the physical, we do so because our thoughts in the past have been wrong; right thinking, correct ideation, brooding over the spiritual aspects of Duty and Sacrifice, will bring us inner peace and contentment born of understanding, and make us friends and helpers of all humanity.
All of us, now and here, as we are, immersed in the affairs of ordinary life, are bound by a silver thread to the Great Master. Who is He? Krishna or Christ, Avalokiteswara or Ahura Mazda. All Lanoos and Chelas recognize this truth of truths and call their own Higher Self the Great Master. Let us seek that Great Master, the Mighty Lord, in the cave of the Mind, in the sanctuary of the Heart, and our lives will become noble, full of the strength of Wisdom.
What profit is there in crossing the sea and in going from one city to another? If you would escape your troubles, you need not another place but another personality. Perhaps you have reached Athens, or perhaps Rhodes; choose any state you fancy, how does it matter what its character may be? You will be bringing to it your own.
—Seneca