Mastery of Fate
	How To Develop Internal Insight <  Previous Contents Next  >

THE creative forces that are generated in man, and the cosmic forces that work through man are fundamental causes of fate; therefore, if man would master his fate, he must consciously direct these so that the creations may be what he desires. When he fails to do this, the creative forces will be directed or influenced by suggestions from external conditions and environments; and this is what takes place in the life of the average person; therefore, his fate is so uncertain, so mixed and so unlike his secret ideal.

The methods presented in the previous chapter will enable any one to get into that state of consciousness where the forces of the system can be turned in any direction; but after a power is under our control, we want to use it wisely, and to the very best advantage.

Good judgment, reason, understanding, and a brilliant intellect will serve this purpose to a degree; but to make the very best use of every power, under every circumstance, another faculty is required. The necessary faculty is interior insight; or the power to discern the causes, principles and laws that lie beneath the surface. It is that sense that all possess to a degree, that feels and knows how things are going, and how they ought to go; and may therefore be called the inside secret of all success, of all great attainments and achievements.

It is through this faculty that man does the right thing at the right time, with or without the aid of external evidence.

The great minds who have taken advantage of exceptional opportunities at the psychological moment, have been prompted to do so by this very faculty; and what is usually termed extraordinary good fortune is but the result of actions that interior insight was instrumental in producing.

No one has ever reached the pinnacle of attainment and achievement without this faculty, and no one ever will. In the absence of interior insight, the greater part of the best ability would be misdirected, and most of the powers of the system would be lost.

Interior insight is not a faculty that has to be acquired; everybody has it to a considerable degree; it is only necessary that it be further developed and consciously employed. And as it deals directly with the finer forces of life, discerning the nature, the present movements and the latent possibilities of those forces, it is in connection with the world of those forces that the faculty must be exercised for greater efficiency.

To bring this faculty into full expression so it may be employed with accuracy in any field desired, the first essential is to exercise interior insight at every possible opportunity. Not that its verdict should be invariably accepted; but its verdict should always be sought. It will be profitable to do this even in minute and unimportant daily affairs, because it is by discerning the law of action in small things, that we gain the power to discern the same law in greater things.

When this faculty is developed, we shall no longer judge according to appearances, and be misled; but we shall judge according to the real facts that are at the foundation of things; and since it is the underlying causes that must be dealt with in the mastery of fate, interior insight becomes indispensable.

Whenever you are in the midst of changes, or have anything to decide, expect to discern the proper course, and decide correctly through the action of interior insight. And have perfect faith in the power of this faculty at all times. This will not only strengthen the faculty, but will in most instances produce the decision desired.

When conflicting ideas come at such times, enter into a deep, serene state of mind, forgetting the various ideas received, and desiring with the whole of life to discern what you wish to know. Remain in this attitude for days if necessary, or until you receive only one leading decision on the subject. You will get it, and the strong, prolonged effort will have developed your interior insight to a remarkable degree.

To determine the reliability of an idea received through insight, test it with reason, from every point of view; and if it continues to remain a predominant conviction, it is the truth of which you are in search. While expecting information through this faculty, mind should be kept as quiet and as elevated in thought as possible. All sentimental or emotional feelings should be avoided, and the imagination must be perfectly still.

The upward look of mind, devoid of restless yearning, but fully serene and responsive, is the true attitude.

Expect to receive the desired information from the superior wisdom of your higher mentality, and know that there positively is such a wisdom.

While expecting this superior wisdom to unfold what you desire to know, be positive to your environment and to everything in the without. Do not permit the senses to suggest anything on the subject. But be responsive to your interior life; that is, feel in the within that your mind is open to the -real wisdom from the within.

Never doubt the existence of the superior wisdom within. This will close the mind to that wisdom. You know that there is such a wisdom; you have evidence to prove it every day; and the more faith you have in its reality, the more perfectly will your mind respond to its unfoldment.

Another essential to the full expression of interior insight is to refine the physical brain so that the finer mental actions may produce perceptible impressions. This is accomplished by awakening the finer forces of the system, and directing those forces through a deep, serene concentration, upon every part of the brain. This exercise should be taken for a few minutes, several times a day; and the more highly refined you feel throughout the system at the time, the greater the results.

In the use of interior insight, reason and objective understanding should not be ignored, because the best results are secured when the exterior and interior aspects of judgment are developed simultaneously and used together at all times. In this way the mind acquires the power to discern the internal causes on the one hand, and on the other, understands how to adapt the present movements of those causes to present exterior conditions. This brings the ideal and the practical into united action at every turn, which is absolutely necessary.

While exercising the faculty of interior insight, the predominant effort should be to see through things; because the predominant desire, if continued, is always realized.