Story 114 - The Self is AH in All

Dr. Johnson, the Prince of talkers, with whom it is said there was no reasoning, because "If his pistol misses fire he knocks you down with the butt end of it." Johnson who would always have the last word to himself in an argument, in a dream found himself beaten by Burke. To a man of Johnson's character this dream was as bad as a nightmare. He started up and lost his ease of mind; he could not fall asleep; but mind cannot by its own nature - Divine nature - live long in unrest. He had to control himself, he had to console himself somehow or other. He reflected and came to the understanding that the arguments advanced by Burke were also furnished by his own mind* the real Burke knew nothing about them; thus it was he himself who appeared unto himself as Burke and got the better of himself. So it is yourself that appears to yourself as ghosts, spirits, enemies, friends, neighbours, lakes, rivers, mountains. The swelling rivers and giant mountains are all within you. You split yourself into the outside phenomena, the object on the one hand, and into the little thinking agent, the subject on the other hand. In reality you are the object as well as the subject. You are the Self, as well as the so-called not-self. You are the lovely rose and the lover nightingale. You are the flower as well as the bee. Everything you are. The ghosts and spirits, and angels, the sinners, and saints, all ye are. Know that, feel that, realise that and ye are free. Do not place your centre outside yourself; this will make you fall. Place all your confidence in yourself, remain in your centre, and nothing will shake you.

MORAL: Outside things trouble you only so long as you do not feel them to be your own Self; the moment you realize your Self in them, as the Self is all in all, they begin to give peace and happiness.

Vol. 2 (45-46)