The spiritual life

(Martin Jones) #1

The Use ofEvil. 215


sacrifice; heoffersallhisactions assacrificesto


God andremains indifferenttothefruitsofthe


sacrifice,fortheylieatthefeet ofGodand not


mtheheartofthedevotee. Suchamanmakes


noKarma,forsuchamanhasnodesire; such


a mancreatesnolinkswhichbindhimtoearth,


such a man isspirituallyfree, although around


himactionsmayspringuponeveryside. Thus


is it when a man is born into the sphere of


knowledge; thus is itwhenamanisborninto


the sphere of devotion; and the life of such


a man is as an altar, and burning upon that


altaristheflameofdevotionandofknowledge.


Every action is cast into the fire and is con-


sumed therein, rising up as the smoke of a


sacrificeandleavingbehindonthealtarnothing


save the fuel of knowledge and the fire of


love.


Such then imperfectly sketched-for the


subject is too vast-are the lines alongwhich


you maystudythe ancientproblem,and which


maymake more clear to you the reason why


painand imperfectionexist; wehaveseenthat


evil originatesin limitation,we have seen that


evil is a but relative thing,and how what we


callevilisoftenonlyaveilofevil and beneath


it a future good. Wehave seenhow actions


ofmen, whentheydxe developed becomeevil,

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