Thought intention and ambition are of the same importance in the development of a man’s potentialities as the earth air rain and sun are in germination and growth of seeds under the soil. Intention and thought have a primary influence upon the formation of a man’s morals and character. Sound minds and character develop from pure thoughts and intentions.
Thought is a seed from which the tree of personality grows. Manners are flowers of this tree and joys and sorrows its fruits. The one who looks upon the bright side of the world thinks of good things and the one who thinks of good things germinates in his soul the seeds of virtues and beauties and thereby lives in the gardens he has formed in his bosom. Contrary to this the pessimistic souls who are critical of everything and look upon their environment through the holes of their dark world can never discern what is good and beautiful in it nor can they truly enjoy their lives. Even if they were admitted in Paradise they would again sing the praises of Hell and pour out their grievances to the angels of Hell and therefore they always live in the pit of regrets and complaints.
Man being the Creator’s vicegerent on earth has been created so that he should rule over the whole creation. In order to be able to carry out this significant mission he has been endowed with great potentialities. Through systematic thinking and deepening in spiritual life he will develop those potentialities and acquire a sublime character and personality. Pessimism and evil thoughts will by contrast cause him to develop an evil character or if as a third alternative he does not build his personality by developing his potentialities in accordance with the Commandments of his Creator he will rot away with nothing positive to give his community.
The gardens which a man builds in his soul through pure thoughts and intentions will in the course of time flourish so as to surround the whole world and spread the perfumes of happiness to everybody. Evil thoughts and intentions by contrast offer everyone ‘blood pus and filth’. In fact man carries in his being the potentialities of being either a ‘monster’ or an ‘angel’. In this realm of trial he may rise to the ‘highest of the high’ as he may fall to the ‘lowest of the low’. So the one who uses his will-power by reliance on God in accordance with the demands of the Divine Will will attain to the highest of the ranks by God’s leave and help while those who make themselves devoid of this support will regret and wail over their pitiful ends.
Although it is always questionable what part man’s free will has in his accomplishments all his duties and responsibilities are nevertheless based on this ‘fine thread’. By seeing his strength and richness as innate impotence and poverty by relying therefore upon God’s Power and Riches and submitting his will to the Divine Will a man can discipline himself and direct his thoughts and feelings to lofty ideals to gain eternity for them and so build his character and personality. Without being discouraged in the face of any set-backs and without neglecting to consider again and again the prevailing circumstances he uses his free-will as a key to discover the traps laid for him by his material carnal self and eliminates them from his way to eternity. He also analyses his inner world continuously without being tired and finally succeeds in realizing the mysteries of selfhood. This enables him to develop all his potentialities to virtues and beauties and at last as gold is obtained after tons of earth have been sifted in large cauldrons and many other processes he may become an ideal of humanity.
Whoever sincerely intends to become a true ‘human being’ and strives in this way for a whole lifetime will one day attain his ideal and discover his real essence. The one who pursues something usually attains it; a ‘door’ is opened to the one who knocks at it persistently. This is a Divine law according to which one can be elevated to the rank of humanity through pure intentions systematic thinking unshakeable resolution and uninterrupted strife. Man is sent to the world equipped with the potentialities to obtain these means and is promised help and support in his efforts to rise ‘upwards’. Therefore what is left to him to do is to use his free-will in accordance with his Creator’s Commandments and attain that rank through upward movements.
