From Poverty to Power

1. Your World is a Reflection of Your Mental State.

What you are, so is your world.

Inward shapes outward. Your external life and circumstances are a direct mirror of your internal thoughts, desires, and aspirations. Everything you experience is filtered and colored by your state of consciousness.
Mind creates reality. By the power of thought, you construct your personal world. What you harbor in your heart inevitably manifests in your outward life through the law of reaction.
Attract your own. Every soul attracts conditions and people that align with its inner thought-life. Pure thoughts draw happiness and prosperity, while impure thoughts lead to misfortune and catastrophe.

2. Suffering is a Corrective Teacher, Born of Ignorance.

Evil is not an abstract some thing outside yourself; it is an experience in your own heart...

Suffering's purpose. Pain, sorrow, and misfortune are not arbitrary punishments but corrective lessons. They arise from ignorance of the true nature and relation of things.
Learn the lesson. Instead of denying or complaining about evil, understand why it exists for you. It is a teacher guiding you toward higher wisdom and ultimate perfection.
Self-created shadow. Evil is a passing phase, a shadow cast by the self that intercepts the light of good. By examining and rectifying your heart, you eradicate evil from within.

3. Overcome Undesirable Conditions by Changing Within.

You may bring about that improved condition in your outward life which you desire, if you will unswervingly resolve to improve your inner life.

Inner change first. External circumstances improve only when you commit to improving your inner life. This path requires discipline, eradicating weaknesses, and unfolding soul-forces.
Opportunities follow. As you build inner strength, opportunities appear, and you gain the judgment to use them. Friends and resources are drawn to you naturally.
Master your present. Make the best of your current situation, no matter how difficult. Ennobling your present surroundings and duties prepares you for better ones, demonstrating worthiness.

4. Thought is a Silent, Powerful, and Reactive Force.

Every thought you think is a force sent out...

Silent power. Thought is the most powerful force, capable of salvation or destruction depending on its direction. It shapes the universe and all human accomplishments.
Co-operate with good. Aligning thoughts with faith in the supremacy of Good dissolves evil. Fear, worry, and doubt are products of selfishness and lack of faith, disintegrating positive forces.
Reciprocity of mind. Thoughts seek receptive minds and react upon the sender. Selfish thoughts are destructive forces, while calm, pure thoughts are healing messengers.

5. True Health, Success, and Power Stem from Within.

Where there is sterling faith and uncompromising purity there is health, there is success, there is power.

Mind over body. Physical health is largely determined by mental states. Disease originates in the mind; harmonious thoughts generate healing currents.
Work without friction. True success accompanies health, rooted in mental harmony. Work calmly, free from anxiety, to achieve more and preserve well-being.
Faith is the rock. Build upon unwavering faith in the Supreme Good, the Law, your work, and your ability. This faith overcomes difficulties and ensures enduring success beyond material gain.

6. Abiding Happiness is Found in Selflessness.

Happiness is that inward state of perfect satisfaction which is joy and peace, and from which all desire is eliminated.

Desire causes misery. Seeking happiness through gratifying desire leads to brief, illusionary satisfaction and increased craving. Desire is insatiable and the source of torment.
Heaven is within. Heaven and hell are inward states. Clinging to self leads to suffering; rising above self into unselfish service brings happiness and bliss.
Give to receive. True happiness comes from losing yourself in the service of others. Sacrifice personal interests, and divine happiness will emancipate you from sorrow.

7. Real Prosperity is Inward Virtue and Generosity.

It is granted only to the heart that abounds with integrity, trust, generosity and love to realize true prosperity.

Virtue is wealth. True prosperity is an inward realization, not outward possession. A virtuous heart is truly rich, while a greedy heart remains poor, regardless of wealth.
Trust the law. Do right under all circumstances and trust the Divine Law. Integrity, generosity, and love, combined with energy, lead to a truly prosperous state.
Self-seeking loses. Prioritizing self cramps noble impulses and leads to isolation. Expanding your heart to others brings lasting joy and attracts prosperity.

8. Meditation is the Pathway to Divine Truth.

Spiritual meditation is the pathway to Divinity.

Intense dwelling. Meditation is focused thought on an idea to comprehend it fully. You become like what you constantly meditate upon.
Secret of growth. All spiritual growth and knowledge come through meditation. Prophets and saviors attained their state by meditating on divine realities.
Prayer with soul. Meditation is the soul of prayer, reaching toward the Eternal. Mere petition without meditation is powerless; align thoughts and actions with truth.

9. Choose Truth Over the Delusion of Self.

There is self and there is Truth; where self is, Truth is not, where Truth is, self is not.

Two masters. Self (passion, pride, avarice) and Truth (gentleness, purity, love) contend for the heart. You serve one, not both.
Sacrifice self. Realizing Truth requires sacrificing self entirely. As self dies, you are reborn in Truth, finding peace hidden from the world.
Humility reveals. Self is blind and deluded; Truth is transparent but hidden by self. Humility, freedom from ego and opinions, distinguishes the man of Truth.

10. Spiritual Power is Acquired Through Self-Mastery.

The realization of unchanging principles in consciousness is at once the source and secret of the highest power.

Control inner forces. Power comes from controlling thoughts and impulses, not being swayed by them. This requires awakening to higher intelligence and consciousness.
Stand on principle. Develop power by checking impulses and steadying yourself on unchanging principles like Divine Love, Purity, and Compassion.
Practice dispassion. Growth in self-control, patience, and equanimity manifests spiritual power. Stand alone, rely on inner judgment, and defy external pressures.

11. Selfless Love is the Realization of the Divine.

Hidden deep in every human heart... is the spirit of Divine Love, whose holy and spotless essence is undying and eternal.

Divine image within. The spirit of Divine Love resides in every heart, awaiting realization through faith and patience. It is the immortal, real part of man.
Purify human loves. Divine Love is selfless and impartial, unlike human loves which cling and cause suffering. Human loves are steps toward the Divine, purified by suffering.
Empty the self. Divine Love is realized when the heart is emptied of self. Self is the denial of Love; only when self is dead can the pure spirit of Love emerge.

12. Enter the Infinite by Surrendering the Personal.

To re-become one with the Infinite is the goal of man.

Beyond the finite. Man is intuitively aware of the transient nature of material existence and yearns for the Infinite. Only in the eternal can he find peace.
Surrender personality. The personal, separate self is the antithesis of the Infinite. Unqualified surrender of personality leads to divine immortality and infinity.
Practice divinity. Overcome senses and selfishness by practicing virtue, humility, meekness, forgiveness, compassion, and love. This practice constitutes Divinity and leads to insight.

Last updated: May 15, 2025