Within You is the Power | Page 8

it is impossible for him to
escape, it is obvious that his future lives depend entirely upon how he lives the present
one. It will be seen that if man can learn the lessons of the present life, and live in such a
way as to cease creating trouble for the future, he is beginning to climb the Path of
Liberation, which is the road all advanced souls have to follow, or, rather, have the
privilege of following. By following this path, man ceases to be bound to the wheel of
fate.
This little work does not teach reincarnation, but its teaching is based on a belief that man,
in reality, is a spiritual being, a Divine Spark from the Sacred Fire. Spirit being immortal
has no beginning or end therefore always lives. This present life is one of countless
experiences, each one of which helps to build up character. There is no death, but only
changes from one vehicle to another. There is no beginning, or end, or time in reality,
these are mere limitations of the human mind. It is impossible for man to die: he can only
leave his body. He cannot kill himself, try how he will: he can only force himself out of
his body. Man must always go on, whether he likes it or not: he proceeds through the
ages, reaping exactly as he sows.
We have already seen that man cannot avoid or fight successfully against fate, but that he
can become free from the wheel of fate by living a life in harmony with Divine Law. [5]
At this point it is necessary to point out that most of man's troubles are not caused by fate
at all, but are due to his fighting against or trying to resist the great plan. If the
experiences of life are resisted, or an attempt is made to evade its discipline, troubles and
difficulties will repeat, becoming more painful and insistent until their lesson is learnt and
the life changed accordingly. Therefore man has it in his power greatly to improve his
present life, as well as to create a far better future, simply by living his life to-day in
harmony with Divine Law. Further, it is necessary to point out that all thought and action
have an immediate as well as a far reaching effect. It is true that the full effect of life here
is not reaped until after our little course on this plane has been run, but great differences
are effected in the present life nevertheless. The way a youth makes use of, or throws
away his opportunities, either makes or mars, to a very large extent, his adult career.
Opportunities, once allowed to pass, can never be recalled. Sins committed and wrongs
done to our fellow men have an unpleasant habit of repeating themselves in a reversed
way later in life. For instance, a man may get on in life, and, in his selfish climb, may
trample on one weaker than himself, ruining him and driving him to despair. Years

afterwards, he will probably be treated in exactly the same way by someone stronger and
more favourably situated than himself. Therefore, there is an immediate sowing and
reaping that finds fruition in this life. By "immediate" is meant, within the compass of
this life. The reaping may be delayed ten or twenty years, but in the writer's experience, it
not infrequently comes. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Those,
therefore, who think that life is not just, and who whine and complain about the way they
are treated, are simply increasing their own troubles. Until man realizes that the cause of
all his troubles is within himself he can never do anything to remedy matters, because,
obviously, the only thing that is required is for him to change within. Man has to become
changed within before his life can be altered. His thoughts, his ideals, his attitude towards
life must all become transformed. When this change has been effected, he not only begins
to repair his present life, but he creates a fairer and nobler life for the future.
[5] This is the inner secret of all esoteric teaching. The new birth, or regeneration, means
the awakening of the soul to conscious immortality. The old self, that was bound to the
wheel of fate and the plane of cause and effect from which it could never free itself,
owing to the fact that it was continually binding itself to the wheel afresh, through
following selfish desires, dies, and a new self is born. In other words, the consciousness
is raised from the plane of sin and death, of sensuality and desire, of restriction and
captivity, to the higher plane of Spirit, where man realizes that he is a