The spiritual life

Devotion and theSpiritual Life. 73

weconsidered inourstudy-the sheathof the

mind in which the Self worksin the internal

world of concepts and of ideas; that also is

recognisedasexternaltotheSoul,andtheSoul

caststhatasideas itcastsoff the sheathof the

senses. And thenrealising that thesesheaths

are not itself, realising that the Self is behind

and within these, this knowledge of non-

separatenessbecomesa practical realisation,not

only intellectually admitted, but practically

realised in life. And thismustinevitablylead

to renunciation. But, mark you,it is the re-

nunciation essentially of the reason, it is the

renunciationwhichdraws itself awayfrom the

objectsofthesensesandtheobjectsofthemind

byadeliberateretiringwithintheSelf, andthis

exclusionof theouterandof theinnerworldis

mosteasilyfollowedbyretiringfromthehaunts

of men, most easily accomplished by isolation

fromthegreatBrotherhoodof Humanity, most

easilywonif theSelf,thatthusseeks,separates

itself from all others that are illusory, and in

that quietudeof anexternalworld realisesthe

innerisolation.

Then,supposingthat thatabsolute exclusion

benotaccepted,theremaystillberenunciation-

renunciation byknowledge,renunciation bythe

deliberatewillthatno Karmashallbegenerated.