TheCeasing ofSorrow. 91
thatbringwith themaserener atmosphereand
radiate peace as others radiate unrest. A
troublesogeneral must have its roots deep m
humannature,and somefundamentalprmciple
deep-lyingasthetrouble,mustexistasremedy.
There must be some mistake into whichas a
race we fall that stamps on us this mark of
sorrow. But if this be so, ignorance brings
about our sadness, and the knowledgeof the
mistakeputstheremedywithinourgrasp.
Ages ago the knowledge was given in the
Upanishads; somewhatlessthanfivethousand
years ago it was expounded in the original
BhagavadGita; twenty-fourcenturies agothe
Lord Buddhaenforcedinplainestlanguagethe
immemorial teaching; nineteen hundred years
ago the Christ offered the same gift to the
westernworld. Some,learningit,haveentered
thesupreme Peace; some,earnestlystrivingto
Itarnit,are feelingitsdistant touchasanever-
growingreality; some,seeingitsfar-offradiance
through a momentary rift in the storm-clouds,
yearninglyaspiretoreachit. Alas! themyriads
ofdrivensouls knownotof it,dreamnotof it,
andyetitisnotfarfromanyoneof us. Per-
hapsarecitalof the ancient teachingmayhelp
onehereand theretoescapefromsorrow'snet,
tobreaktheconnectionwithpain.
H 2
