ACQUIRINGFIRST-HANDKNOWLEDGE 463
benefits received, or bestowed. We remember that the record
of the life is taken from those pictures immediately after
leaving the dense body at death, and that all the sufferings of
postmortem existence are the results of the events thes e
pictures portray.
If, by continual prayer, we obtain forgiveness for the
injuries we have inflicted upon others and if we make all the
restitution possible, purify our vital bodies by forgiving
those who have wronged us, and eliminate all ill feeling, we
save ourselves muchpostmortem misery, besides preparing
the way for Universal Brotherhood, which is particularly
dependent upon the victory of the vital body over the desire
body. In the form of memory, the desire body impresses
upon the vital body the idea of revenge. An even temper
amid the various annoyances of daily life indicates such a
victory, therefore the aspirant should cultivate control of the
temper, as it includes work on both bodies. The Lord's
Prayer includes this also, for when we see that we are
injuring others, we look about and try to find the cause. Loss
of temper is one of the causes and it originates in the desire
body.
Most people leave physical life with the same
temperament they bring into it, but the aspirant must
systematically conquer all attempts of the desire body to
assume mastery. That can be done by concentration upon
high ideals, which strengthens the vital body and is much
more efficacious than the common prayers of the Church.
Theoccult scientist uses concentration in preference to
prayer, because the former is accomplished by the aid of the
mind, which is cold and unfeeling, whereas prayer is usually
dictated by emotion. Where it is dictated by a pure unselfish
devotion to high ideals prayer is much higher than cold