OnSome Difficultiesofthe Inner Life.^55
life; what mailersllihenwhclheronestageof
thepath betroddenor not duringa particular
partof aphysicallife? If AandBareboth
goingtocatch theirfirst glimpseof the Reality
two years hence, what matters it that A will
thenbeseventyyearsof agewhile Bwillbea
ladoftwenty? Awillreturnandbeginanew
hisworkon earthwhen B isageing, andeach
will pass many times through the childhood,
youthandoldageof thebody,whiletravelling
alongthehigherstagesofthepathoflife. The
old manwho "late in life,"as wesay,begins
to learn the truths of the Ancient Wisdom,
instead of lamenting overhis age and saying:
*'How little can 1 do in the short time that
remains to me," should say: "How good a
foundation I canlay formy next incarnation,
thanksto thislearningof thetruth." Weare
notslavesof Time,save aswe bowto hisim-
perioustyranny,andlethimbindoveroureyes
his bandages of birth and death. We are
alwaysourselves,and canpace steadfastly on-
wardsthroughthechanging lightsandshadows
castbyhismagic lanternonthe lifehecannot
age. WhyaretheGodsfiguredasever-young,
save to remind us thatthe truelife lives un-
touched byTime? We borrow some of the
strengthandcalm of Eternitywhenwetry to
