"For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
I. Corinth., 3:11
I am the way, and the truth, and the life".
John 14:6
These two verses have a certain correspondence between them. What should we interpret of the words: "No one can place a new foundation"? I will discuss this verse in its broad meaning. Basis, or foundation this is a prosaic word. Who doesn't speak of foundations? You build a house and you say: I placed the foundation. I bring about a chemical reaction and you search for the base. In geometry, by basis we understand a point of support for something. Therefore, for the existence of life itself, there must be such a basis, such a point of support. What maintains such a basis, such a point of support? What is the meaning of this basis? It has been said that no one can place another foundation or we cannot change the human thoughts, the human desires, the human actions. This means that we cannot change them in their essence. You cannot change the nature of thought, so that it is no longer thought. You can make it good, bad or indifferent, but nothing more. In other words you can change its external form, but never its essence.
I now speak about a basic law, and that is: "No one can change the foundation which Christ has laid." This foundation is in the fact that we find ourselves under a great law, under the influence of the Good and the Evil. We stay on a basis which simultaneously produces joy and sorrow, rising and falling, enrichment and impoverishment, health and sickness. This is the foundation which Christ has laid. He has come to earth for this purpose; to lay these two points of support as foundation of life. This is a principle. When you build a bridge over a river, you can only build it on two points of support, on two opposite sides and the weight will fall mainly on one of the two points of support. In this sense heaven and earth are two points of support upon which human life is built. The thoughts to which we attain represent the first point of support in life; the desires - the second; and the deeds, which we call a manifestation of the will, represent the process of building. When someone speaks of the human will, we understand that for its manifestation there are necessarily two points of support. As soon as we start to build upon them, our will begins to manifest itself. Therefore, according to this principle, the human will can reveal itself only on a basis of two points of support. Where there is a building, there is will also.
And thus, you must understand well the deep meaning of Christ's teaching. It is not enough that man only believes that he understands it, and in reality does not. I was told the following story about a young woman from Sofia who studied everything but cooking, and when she got married, she wanted to cook beans for her husband but didn't know how. She then went to a neighbour and asked her: "How do you cook beans?" Of course she didn't tell her neighbour that she does not know to cook at all. The neighbour answered: "First I put the beans on to cook, then I chop onions and fry them in oil." The first woman answered: "We too, cook beans in this way." After a week she asked her neighbour how she cooks meat. The last one explained it to her. "We too, cook meat in this way", answered the young woman. One day her husband wanted to have snails. The suspicious neighbour wanted to try the young woman, to see if she really knows how to cook. When the young woman came to ask about the snails, she told her that she crushes the snails into a mortar, then mixes them with rice and water and cooks them. - "We do the same", then the young woman went home and cooked the snails exactly as she was advised by her neighbour. When her husband came home for dinner, he was surprised to find out hid wife doesn't know how to cook. Among modern religious concepts one can find snails cooked in this manner. No, the world doesn't needs snails cooked in this way. A basic understanding of things is needed. What is human thought? Thought is one of the basic laws, that creates. We are first of all thinking beings; secondly, beings which feel; and in the third place, beings that act and build. I say that besides this, you cannot lay another foundation, neither can you act in a different way. If you do so, you may degrade yourselves. You can only move in two directions: up or down, there is no middle way in this world. Since everything moves, you cannot stay on one point of support only. Both points of support create stability for all bodies and everything around these two points of support is mobile.
Now, to show you what your illusions are, I will give you an example from modern science. If we turn on an electric current to flow through a pile of iron filings, the filing which is the closest to the current will be the first to become magnetic and will attract all the other fillings to itself. This filling addresses the other filings with the words: "Do you see how powerful I am, I attracted you all with my power? If I was not here, you would not have piled up around me." If we move the current, another filling will become magnetic as first, and will become the centre around which all the other fillings will gather; therefore, if you say, "I can do everything"; or "All people gather around me because I am influential", this indicates that the current works close to you. The minute in which the current changes its direction of flow, you will move toward its periphery, therefore, you must realize that the basis is not within you, in that which you think and feel in a given moment. In order to know if you have a basis, if you have found it; in the moment when you have found your points of support you must feel within yourselves a deep peace. A number of philosophers teach the world, but they themselves have not yet found their points of support; they are not restful, they lack inner peace.
When Christ said: "I am the way and the truth", He indicated the two points of support. The "Life" on the other hand is a process which starts from the way and the truth. Without this basis we cannot build. I ask what is an urge, an impulse? - The urge of a spirit in space is to become embodied. The urge of a child, that has become embodied is to grow. By growing the child starts out from one point of support, reaches a certain height from where it starts to come down, forming a curved line which ends at the other point of support. Youth and old age are the two points of support in man's life. Passing the way from childhood to old age you will find the two points of support in your life. After that, when you come a second time you will build upon these two points, unless you have not forgotten them. If you have forgotten them you will have to start all over again. There exists people who only cross and never build. Upon the two points must be placed a curve. This is the law of movement. This movement is expressed through human thought. What is the essence of human thought? Human thought is the law of applying, of piling up material on the two bases of life. We must build according to a certain plan.
Let's go now to the building of the human body. When the child is conceived in the womb of the mother, first is built the extremities of the body and after that, the other organs. Of all organs the lungs are formed last. As soon as the respiratory system is finished, the child must be born immediately. The hands are a product of the human will. The nose, the mouth, the lungs, the stomach - these are the human desires; through these organs we try the taste of things. The brain is the organ of human thought; with it we develop thought. Therefore, when we speak of thought, we imply the brain. When we come to the human brain, we can see that upon the density and quality of the gray substance, depends the productivity of the human thought. The more numerous and deeper the furrows, the stronger the thought. Some people say that the brain itself creates the thought. This is incorrect. The human brain is like the soil, which in itself does not bear. The creative power of the earth comes from space, from the sun which acts upon its surface. Because the earth has a basis, upon this basis the sun builds, produces, creates. The human spirit is the human sun, which when it shines upon the brain, instigates the thoughts. Every being thinks. You may think for example that the oxen does not think. The oxen thinks, but in its own way, limited; the snake, the lizard, the fly; every being thinks and according to its thought it creates its own form, its home, its body in which it lives. Our present body is a fruit of our thought. A man builds according to his thought. Through his thought he can broaden his lungs as much as he wants. If man's spirit makes an effort, he make man's head very large, but it is not enough to only have a large brain; it is important for him to be able to cultivate it.
The earth is big but when God sent man to earth He said to him: "Go and conquer the earth, conquer the elements!" But because man could not conquer the earth God gave him a small earth which is within his head - his brain. If you know how to conquer your brain you will find the laws through which to conquer the earth, too. If you cannot govern the centres in your brain, your feeling, if you cannot direct your will in the right direction, how can you direct things from without you? Therefore we cannot lay another foundation than that which Christ has laid. There exist a law which limits our activity; only in a certain direction and in its limits can we do everything and be all powerful. And our happiness is based upon this great thought - "how correctly" we walk on the path.
In this lecture I want to introduce to you the idea of starting to build your life. Here I give you an example to explain. In the path of a traveller, who was on research in the East, ran a wild bull which started to chase him. In order to save himself the traveller found a dry well, he stepped in it and held himself to a small tree which was growing on the wall of the well. The bull stood over the well and looked at the traveller from above. At the same time the traveller saw that on the bottom of the well there was a snake. He was puzzled as to what he could do: he could not climb out; he could not go down either, he could only hold firmly to the branch of the tree. At one point he saw that on the tree there was a little honey and forgetting about the bull outside the well he started to relax and lick the honey. After a while he noticed that from the wall of the well a mouse came out and started to gnaw at the little tree. At this point the traveller thought to himself; this honey cannot save me. One day this tree will be gnawed through and I will fall down to the snake. I say: the bull this is fate that pushes man down and up; the snake this is death which is on the watch for man. In reality the bull is man's birth, his youth. The snake - this is death, old age. They are not dangerous. Why does the bull chases you? - So that you may work. You are lazy and the bull wants you to run. What are the sufferings in the world? - They are the bulls who chase the people: kings and generals, governors and judges they all run and at the same time preach for freedom. All these people are prominent philosophers. They say that the world is badly organized but they themselves lack a basis. How can they liberate if they lack a foundation? Can a man who is running, ponder and reason? It is not bad that the bull chases you. Why? He chases you so that you mat become strong. If you are strong you can turn around and catch him by his horns and he will stop. In Hebrew history there is a hero - Samson, against whom stood a lion, but he caught him by the mouth and tore it apart. The fear from the bull is due to the fact that you have not found the two points of support in life.
"For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." What foundation did Christ lay? How did He live on earth? In the nine beatitudes Christ has given nine rules in which man must live. He has also given two great laws: Love for God and love for one's neighbour. These are the nine points of support upon which your life must be built; upon these must be built modern social life, as well as the family, too. A woman who does not love God, who does not love her husband; does not run her home properly; a man who does not love his neighbour, his wife; does not run a home properly either. Naturally, when I speak of man and woman, I am not implying your homes, i.e. your bodies, because as I see they are quite modest. i am implying the human soul in its higher manifestation. In the future this soul can build for itself a much prettier home than the present one. And this soul, which now appears ignorant will one day have much more knowledge, will be much more learned.
Now in order to find the two points of support, upon which to build your life, you must construct the arch and start to build. Do not waste time like the modern philosophers. Some of the scientists who study the sun say that its temperature is five million degrees, others - two millions; still others - one hundred thousand. One scientist had the courage to say that the sun has only 32 degrees, another - that its temperature is below zero, still a third one - that the sun is melting and for this reason sends out heat. And now come new scientists who argue saying: "If all this is true, then the whole space must be heated." The fact is that the higher a man climbs the colder it becomes and he can freeze. For this reason these scientists say that the sun sends only energy which on earth is transformed into heath and light. It is true that when you climb up high you will see that there it is dark and cold. The scientists argue among themselves, but the facts show that the ones, as well as the others are right; but for the ones, as well as for the others, there is something that they cannot understand. I say that if you are sensitive to heat, then for you the sun has heat; if you are not, then the sun has no heat for you. The heat is something relative. Some people put five pieces of sugar into their tea, others only one and their tea is still sweet enough for them. Therefore you must free yourselves of the illusion that you know everything. Try not to be like the young woman, who thought that she has learned how to cook snails, and crushed them with the shells. Truly this way one cannot cook. In the same manner Europe cooks snails, but a second time the European nations will cook in a different way.
Now let us turn back to the basic idea. We must create! Some of you, as you listen to me this morning, are unhappy, others are discontented with life; others have great ambitions, high opinions of themselves. A few days ago a friend was telling me that before he had started to study palmistry, he had a very high opinion of himself, but since he started to study the lines on his own hands, he found out that he was proud, arrogant, and he began to feel ashamed of himself. You, too, in the same way think that you know much, but when you enter into life you cannot cope with it. Often young girls before they get married dream of how they will furnish their homes, how they will dress, how they will live with their husbands, they work out a great proposition as are the propositions for some new laws. After only two months of marriages one can see the newly weds both walk around uncombed. This indicates that the project did not work as was originally planed. In the same way, laws accepted by the chamber often remain inapplicable because they were not adjusted to the conditions of our real life. When some idea of yours does not come to fulfilment, you say: "We are unhappy, fate is cruel to us!" It is not fate that chases you, but it is your ignorance which is after you with every step that you take. We must learn to think correctly. When you meet a man, you must make yourselves a precise opinion of him, and act in such a way as you would want to be treated yourselves. We must relate to people properly, because as we do to others, the same will be done to us.
Some forty five years ago, a gentleman from Varna studied music in Europe. When he returned to his hometown, he was appointed to teach the children of the wealthy families of Varna, how to play instruments, to sing and to dance. It so happened that this gentleman became involved in an argument with these families and was discharged. He was extremely proud and ambitious, and after he had spent all his money, he had to go hungry in the streets of Varna. One day, a priest of his acquaintance, met him and invited him to his house for dinner. As they were dinning, this man was telling his story to the priest. The last one took out of his pocket two silver coins, handed them to the former teacher with the words: "Help yourself! When you have spent the money, if you are again in need, come again. Until you find a job, I am willing to help you." Two months later this gentleman was appointed secretary to the Turkish governor because he was fluent in the Turkish language. A year later, the priest was accused of antigovernmental activities, and that in his house were to be found incriminating letters and literature. The letters were handed to the secretary, this learned Bulgarian, to evaluate them. He read them, took aside the ones that were truly suspicious and because of this, the priest's life was saved. The priest was puzzled by the behaviour of the secretary. When he met the priest again he said to him: "The two silver coins, which you gave me when I was three days hungry, saved your life!" If this gentleman knew how to behave with his students, he would not have been discharged from the school; if the priest did not invite him to his home, give him a good dinner, and if he had not given him the silver coins, the last one, as secretary to the governor, would have brought him to the gallows. In the same way, you, too must cope with every thought, every feeling and action in your life, and ask yourselves the reason of your misfortunes. If you are unhappy, if you are proud, cruel, greedy for wealth, you must seek the cause.
Therefore you must learn to think right! You are cruel - this is not one of your possessions; it is a false capital which you have inherited form your ancestors. To explain this idea I will give you the following example. Years ago an Armenian appeared at the store of a Jew in Sofia, and demonstrated to him samples of a whole bag of diamonds. He wanted to sell them to a very low price, for only twenty thousand leva, because he had managed to import them into the country without patting duty. The Jew was very pleased, and they agreed that the Armenian will bring the diamonds on a certain day and place, and receive the money. The Jew received the bag, satisfied that he had made a good deal, and was in possession of a great wealth. When he arrived at his home he opened the bag right away, and what did he see? Only one diamond was real, and all the others were ordinary glass. In the same way, you too, carry around this bag and think that you are rich, but when you look in it, you see that it is full of ordinary glass. According to the law of inheritance, your ancestors leave you some wealth, but only part of it is real virtue, all the rest is common glass - the human evil.
We have the wrong attitude towards life. We think that we are good, but in reality this is not true. We think that we have certain capital, and in reality we do not. It means that we have a false foundations for life. St. Paul, speaking to the Christians of his days, said to them: "No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." And Christ said: "I have not come to do my will but the will of God", which is the first point of support. Then He said: "I have not come to deprive people of their life but to give to them my life" - the second point of support. Truly this is why Christ came - to give us life. He preached and demonstrated love for one's neighbour, because this is what Christianity is - love for one's neighbour; it is a science of love. He who acquires this knowledge can build. This science does not consist of sweet words, of kisses and embraces, or the giving of presents. I am always suspicious when someone gives presents, that he truly means well with the person. A fly stopped for a chat with the spider and he immediately started to flatter her: "How pretty you are, what pretty eyes you have, and your wings are so colourful! Never before have I seen such a beauty! - "Is this so?" - asked the fly. - "Truly, there are no other creatures as pretty as you are. I have a mirror, come and visit me, I will give it to you as a present, so that you may see yourself in it." The fly went to the home of the spider, she looked into the mirror, but she never left his home.
Therefore, when somebody tells you how beautiful you are, that he will do this and that for you, do not believe it, because once you go to his house, you will never go out. This indicates presents, promises. I do not wish to say, never give or receive presents, but in the giving of a present besides the mouth, the thought and the heart must also be included; in side the present must be placed human wisdom, knowledge and love. Many men and women have become defiled through presents. A woman can receive a wrist watch, a ring, or a pretty hat just once, and forever loses her honour, her purity; she is disgraced already. Many people have come to power, but have come down dishonoured, defiled, have lost their purity. Society praises them: "This is a great man!" It is true, he is famous, but once he was a diamond and now he is an ordinary piece of glass. For this reason we cannot put another foundation but Christ's. If we can fulfil our obligations in the world according to the great laws in which we move about, then we advance and develop, but if we cannot, then it is better if we stay aside. Do not rise to power to rule over people if in this way you should sell yourselves, if you should be dishonoured. Every action fulfil unselfishly, as taught Christ. Someone says: "I cannot be unselfish." Why can you not? Can you criticize people? - You can. Can you hate? - You can. He who can flatter people can also love. As one is possible, so also is the other. He who cannot hate, cannot love, either. The law is the same. If you have only one point of support, find the second one. When love and hatred are connected, they will supply that which you need. They will give you the right direction for life.
I do not recommend that you become saints in the common sense of the word. To be a true saint is to say to be able to manage the two principles of life in such a way as to use them for one's advancement. As you can tame a lion, a snake, in the same way you can tame the devil. You cannot make the devil become good, but at least you can rend him harmless. Start with your thoughts. A thought that tortures you is like a lion, or a snake. Do not try to chase or to kill them, but tame and defeat them. Have the boldness of the black natives who have understood the psychology of the lions, and when a black man meets a lion, he never deviates from his way, because with the slightest hesitation or reversal, the lion will jump on him and tear him to pieces. In opposition the black man continues forward and begins speaking to the lion "Because I am the master and you the servant, you will yield way to me." When the lion comes three - four steps close to the black man, he stops and gives way to him. You, too, must act this way. If you meet a lion on your way, do not turn back or sideways but look straight into his eyes saying: "Give way for me to pass. You know well that I am the master and you - the servant." You ask: "Is this possible?" He who is skilled can do it, and who is afraid, will be the victim of the lion. When a house starts to fall, even if we start running away, we may be crushed. One day, if the earth is demolished, yet we are people who have faith, we will rise, will go to, heaven, to the second point of support, to the other side of the bridge. If there is a hazard on one side of the bridge, we will pass to the other, and from there will defend our positions. Therefore, as long as you have this bridge, your enemy can never defeat you, because you will be strong enough to lift the bridge. Then between you and your enemy will remain a ditch, which he will not be able to cross. Your enemy must know well the laws, in order to be able to attack you in this position. This is why the good people can never be defeated. They have two points of support, and defend their positions from there.
This is the foundation which we must lay. The two words: "Jesus Christ", mean the two points of support. "Jesus", this is the suffering man on earth, the human soul who labours for its salvation. "Christ", this is the man who has overcome, who serves God, who is ready to sacrifice himself. He who suffers and like a hero and bears his suffering, can be like Jesus. If you put a cross on his shoulders, he will not complain. He will be like Socrates who married the worst woman in Greece. When people asked him why he married such a woman he answered: "If I can defeat this woman, if I can cope with her, all other difficulties will be like nothing for me." Therefore, if the man and the woman can cope with each other, then they will have solved one of the greatest tasks. If they cannot cope with each other, they will not be able to solve any other tasks. Someone asks: "Why do people marry?" - People marry in order to be able to cope with each other. Man and woman are the two points of support upon which life is built. You may say: "Why did Adam need a woman to put him into trouble?" - No, God did not create trouble for Adam, but put him to work. Eve had initiative and intellect. She was a prudent woman, more so than many women who think they are prudent. Modern culture and knowledge are due to her. She sinned, but after that she realized her sin and said to Adam: "I have struck you down, I will uplift you, too. Now I will save you. You had to go down to learn a lesson because you lacked enough mind; if you were prudent, you would not have asked God to have me come to earth."
I say: "If women understood this law as their ancient mother, they would have been smarter; but they do not understand it, and for this reason they are angry. Modern women are bad daughters, their mother is more prudent then they are. Eight thousand years already, she works in this world, and works very skilfully. Do not think that Eve does not work. Our present civilization is due to her. Adam only listens to her orders. He can fight, he can pull the knife but when he returns home to his wife she asks him: "Have you fulfilled well your job?" - "I did". Here must we place the foundation. Give up the illusion that when you go to heaven, you will be taught there. In order to be taught in heaven, you must bring the raw materials with you. What do you bring now? I would like to rent a train to take you to heaven. How many days could you stay there? Some of you would have enough money to stay there one or two days; others will spent their money on about ten days and say: "Let's go back to the earth to earn some more!" Therefore, when we understand what the meaning of Christian life is, we must place a new foundation. I am not going to speak about salvation as you have been taught until now; these are elementary questions. Rational building is needed upon the present social order. You must ask yourselves: "How can we bring up our young generation, who should be our judges, our teachers, fathers, mothers, sisters, friends, merchants, engineers?" Some people say that the time creates the new people. Yes but time does not ask you what you want me to create for you. Just as did the serpent appeared in the presence of Eve and asked her why she is not eating from the fruit of the tree of knowledge, so will Christ appear and will ask her: "Why haven't you eaten for so many thousand years, from the fruit of the Tree of life?" - "Because we are not permitted" - Eve will say. "Why are you forbidden?" At first Eve will have the urge to lie again, but then she will decide to speak the truth: "We have sinned and for this reason we cannot eat from the tree of life." Christ will say to her "When you correct your sin, when you rid yourself of it, then you will be permitted to eat from the fruit of the Tree of life. As you did try out the infection by eating from the forbidden fruit of the Tree of knowledge so now when you taste the fruit of the Tree of life you will acquire a new knowledge, a new social order which will be diametrically opposite to the modern one. To you these things mat be allegorical but to me they are real. These two trees exist in your brain. The Tree of knowledge is in the back of the head, and the other, the Tree of life, is in the front of the head. The Russians say: "The Russian lives with his rear mind." Presently the Russians are beginning to life with the front of their mind. They give up drinking. No one in Russia thought that those who loved to drink could live in temperance. With a royal degree drunkenness is forbidden. This shows that the same law that has created evil until now, shall now bring on the good.
Christ asks: "Are you ready to begin to think correctly, and to cease living in your back mind? Are you ready to start to build as I will instruct you?" You say, like the contemporary neutral countries: "What assurance can you give us that we will succeed?" Everyone seeks a guarantee: Italy, Serbia, Greece, Rumania, Bulgaria. Without a guarantee we cannot leave the neutrality. In the same way, you too, say to Christ: "We have tried the fruit of the Tree of knowledge, and we have seen that evil came upon us." Let's deliberate if the same evil will come to us if we try the fruit of the Tree of life. "We remain neutral", says the prime minister Radoslavov. With neutrality one cannot go anywhere. Neutrality is only one point of support. Now we need to find the second point of support in order to be able to start to weave. It is the same with Christianity. One keeps neutral to a certain point, and after that we must begin to fight. You have an evil thought, this is was; you are born, then you die, this is war; you become rich, them impoverish, this is war. From one end to the other, life is a constant war, fighting, but this war must be based on the principle to win and not to be losers. The triple agreement or union is giving a guarantee to Italy, but are they in reality able to keep to the end those promises? How can we know that after a while they will not reject their promises?
A wolf had eaten a sheep, but had a bone struck in his throat. He started to howl. A stork came to help hum, he reached with his beak into the wolf's throat and took out the bone. After that the stork asked the wolf to repay him for the service. - "Be glad that I did not bite trough your troth while your head was in my mouth", was the answer of the wolf. This is a guarantee. Now when we build according to the same law we solve a very important question of life. Not only Bulgaria has to decide to fight or not, but we too, must solve an important question with which Christ addresses us: With us or against us? We must decide also: With Christ, or against Christ? There exist no neutrality. There is a great competition in the world. All people fight and every one must go either on one or the other side, so that this great question may be solved. That which happens in the world happens within us also.
Now I want to free you of an illusion that without suffering you can gain something. No, gain is always conditioned by loss; joy is always stipulated by suffering. If the mother does not lose her beauty she could never have children. If the young maid does not give up her virginity she could never become a mother. This is the great law of nature. You must know how to digest your thoughts, how to process them. An evil thought comes to your mind and suggests that you commit some crime, steel something. In order to free yourself of this thought you must direct your mind in a different direction. Turn your mind to the soul of the man you want to rob, come to love him and tell yourself: "If I was in the situation of this man would I have wanted to be robed?" If you have the urge to harm someone, place yourself immediately into his situation and ask yourself: "If I was in the position of this man, would I have wanted to be treated this way, also?" You men and women, how do you answer this question? Sometimes you are angry at your husband, an evil thought comes trough your mind and you say: "Let him go, I will find another one with whom I will live better." Some man says: "I do not want this woman in front of my eyes any more! I will find another one, a better one." I say: whatever woman you may find she will still be woman, she will be made of the same clay. For this reason neither the women or the men should be tempted by the external forms. When the wife or the husband are angry let them ask themselves: "If I was in the position of my wife for example, how would I have wanted my husband to treat me?" Whatever the answer will be, such should be the solution to the problem. If the wife says that her husband is mean, that she cannot stand him, she is not a woman, she does not think right. There exist cases where a daughter or a son wants to kill their father because he is evil. How do they know that he is evil? What is it to be evil? He who is evil today can become good tomorrow. Today the wife hates her husband but just two or three days pass, and then she says: "I love my husband." Why? Is it possible to love someone who is not good? - No. This indicates that there is an imaginary nature to our life, which impedes people to think correctly.
And thus Christ's foundation must be laid in life! This is not difficult. If the thought to do something bad comes to your mind, say to yourself: "I am a servant, or a son of God, who has sent me to this world and in this moment my Father observes me." If you say this your thought will change immediately. Your father cannot praise you for your bad thoughts and feelings. What would the father say if he sees that his daughter is torturing her husband? One story tells that in this world there exists three kinds of men and there kinds of women. I will speak only about the women because such as they are, so are the men. According to this story Noah had three sons and only one daughter, who was very pretty. One day there appeared three candidates for the daughter of Noah. All tree loved her very much and neither one wanted to grant her to the others. Noah was in trouble. In order to satisfy all three of them, he turned his donkey and his cat into pretty maidens, as was his daughter, and gave them to the three candidates. After one year he went to visit them to see how they lived. He asked the first son in law: "How do you like my daughter?" - "She is pretty but from time to time she scratches." - "Such is her nature." After that he went to the second son in law: "How do you like my daughter?" - "She is pretty but from time to time she kicks." - "Such is her nature." Then he went to the third son in law: "How do you like my daughter?" - "She is an angel." Noah said to himself: "This is my true daughter." Therefore, in order to be true daughters of God you must not scratch nor kick. The basic teaching of Christ is neither to kick, nor to bite; to think like a human and to fulfill all your obligations on earth. Wherever you go, to bring joy and gladness, when you see a sad and suffering man to comfort him, to enlighten his mind. For all this we need knowledge, to study your heads and your hands, this is true science. When you start to study them, you will be able to gain a positive knowledge of yourselves, of your development, you will see how a number of generations have lived before you, in what degree of development you yourselves are in, and upon this knowledge you will be able to continue to work. The hand never lies. Merely by touching it, you can measure a man; when you shake hands with him, you can weigh his heart, his character and disposition. Someone, people speak of as stupid. He is stupid because on his hand he lacks enough nodes of sensitivity, receptivity of impressions. It has been noticed that on the hands of ignorant, of bad people they are few such knots. Why? - Because they say that they do not need this or that, they think only on eating and drinking.
Man needs true culture in which Christ has implanted as basis the thoughts: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." - "Love for God, love for one's neighbour." If you can apply these two laws - love for God and love for one's neighbours, as the foundation of your lives, there would be no power in the world which could oppose you, nor a thought that would not submit to you and would not serve for the fulfilment of your ideal. The law of love stands in the back. If you apply it, you will love people. If you do not guide yourselves according to this law the second law - love for your neighbour, may lead you into the wrong path. Only the divine law can regulate and ennoble the human love, because out of too great a love, one can kill the object of his love. How? By sucking out the saps of his feelings, by steeling his heart. This is not love, this is parasitism. This is the love of the octopuses; when they catch their pray, because of great love, they suck all its blood with their tentacles and it becomes weakened and tame. This way many husbands tame their wives. To suck the power of your wife and then to say that she become meek and wise, this I do not call knowledge, this is not taming. Today you will kill a woman; tomorrow; another woman will kill you. Christ says: "I have come to give life to people and not to rob them of their life." Can you give life to your husband, which means to make him think properly and freely? You can manage to make your husband exactly as you wish, but not when you put him between the beetle and the block. Put him between these two great laws which will warm him up, which will change him. The beauty of a man depends upon this heating. The farther you are from the centre of these two laws the uglier you will be. The iron is black, but when you heat it, it becomes red, it passes through the red rays. After that it becomes yellow, and at least it becomes luminous. You say: the iron becomes beautiful. Yes, as long as it is close to the fire it stays beautiful. take it away from heat, from the fire, and again it becomes ugly. Therefore you can be beautiful, prudent, luminous as long as these two laws work upon you. This is not only a hypothesis, it is a theory which is checked and proven. Let your rear and front - minds work in harmony with each other, to have a common point of support, and you will immediately attain that which you want. You will have good children, good and faithful friends. For this purpose you must work consciously upon yourselves by applying the two laws which Christ was preaching - Love fro God and Love for one's neighbour. Someone may say that he cannot apply these two laws. No. If it is for the good, these words, "I cannot" must be erased in you, and must be replaced by the words: "I can". When you come to the question of sin, then say: "I cannot sin." When a good thought comes to your mind say: "I can." When an evil thought comes say: "I cannot." As the woman weaves her cloth by moving the shuttle from one hand to the other, in the same sense must she weave her thoughts, feelings, desire, her character by moving to the negative pole when an evil thought comes, and to the positive, when a good thought comes into her mind. When she finishes with her weaving, when she masters her character, then Christ will send a special tailor to prepare for her a suit in which everything will fit perfectly. Then everybody will love her. The same applies for the man.
This is the new foundation which Christ wants to lay in the world, so that we may know how to work. Have no doubt in God! Someone says: "Is there a God?" Leave this thought aside. The only proof that God exists is the following: I exist therefore God exists also. There is no stronger prove than this. I think therefore God, too thinks. My thought implies God's thought, my action implies God's action. He who thinks in a different way lacks logic, he does not understand the basic rules of logic. I live, therefore God loves. God is a perfect great being that moves and directs all people in their way. When someone begins to doubt in God he already has started to have doubts about himself and his neighbour. Do not think that this can upset God. God is glad when we are disobedient. Why? - because we create for ourselves more work. When the devil sinned God put him in the fire so that he may understand and agree who the master is. The same applies for he who likes to philosophize. God says: "Bring this man here and put him in the fire!" When he starts to heat up God asks him: "What power acts upon you?" - "I suffer." - "Think about the reason for your suffering." - "But this is hell!" - Why should it be hell? Which are the reasons for your suffering? I say, hell is the place where God teaches men to begin to reason. Someone asks where hell is? - Hell is on earth, which is considered the thirteenth sphere. God will put us on the fire and if we are good we will come out of it without a burn, which happened with the three young men that were cast in the furnace. They walked around, sang and praised God in the midst of the flames. Some people are afraid of hell. No, hell is not a bad place. It is relative what is good and what is bad. If God is with you there exists no difficulties in your life, there is no bad place, everything is good. If God is not with you, if you do not understand His laws, it will be bad everywhere. Therefore, the first point of support is you, the second, Christ. Unite with Christ as the man unites with his wife, as the brother with the sister, because in unity there is power; in unity work can be accomplished: building, thoughts, emotions, aspirations, culture.
This is the thought which I want to leave with you: "No one can lay another foundation." The foundation is in the fact that the life which you now live is the best one which God has given you. A better life than the present one cannot be given to us under any circumstances. It is excellent, it is full of the blessings with which we could make miracles. You cannot even imagine what great wealth is implanted in your lives. You have no idea what great powers it will bring to you in the future so that you may have accomplishments. As long as the child is in its mother's womb, it is microscopic, but in the ninth month, it is already an independent organism. Then his mother delivers him and creates all the needed conditions for him, so that it may grow and develop. After twenty years he becomes a man and starts to think. According to the same law in respect to God, man is a microscopic being, but one day it will be developed and be born anew, it will rise and understand the great things in life. In order to advance man must change his head, his mind, his heart, his character, so that he may come to feel the great harmony in life. Only this way may he pass into the order of the angels and approach God. This is the new foundation for man.
2nd ser. 2nd lecture of the Master, May, 10, 1915, Sofia
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