ThoughtandCharacter
詹姆斯·艾倫/JamesAllen
Theaphorism,「Asamanthinkethinhisheartsoishe」,notonlyembracesthewholeofaman』sbeing,butissocomprehensiveastoreachouttoeveryconditionandcircumstanceofhislife.Amanisliterallywhathethinks,hischaracterbeingthecompletesumofallhisthoughts.
Astheplantspringsfrom,andcouldnotbewithouttheseed,soeveryactofamanspringsfromthehiddenseedsofthought,andcouldnothaveappearedwithoutthem.Thisappliesequallytothoseactscalled「spontaneous」and「unpremeditated」astothose,whicharedeliberatelyexecuted.
Actistheblossomofthought,andjoyandsufferingareitsfruits;thusdoesamangarnerinthesweetandbitterfruitageofhisownhusbandry.
「Thoughtinthemindhasmadeus,whatwearebythoughtwaswroughtandbuilt.Ifaman』smindhathevilthoughts,paincomesonhimascomesthewheeltheoxbehindIfoneenduresinpurityofthought,joyfollowshimashisownshadow—sure.」
Manisagrowthbylaw,andnotacreationbyartifice,andcauseandeffectisasabsoluteandundeviatinginthehiddenrealmofthoughtasintheworldofvisibleandmaterialthings.AnobleandGodlikecharacterisnotathingoffavourorchance,butisthenaturalresultofcontinuedeffortinrightthinking,theeffectoflong-cherishedassociationwithGodlikethoughts.Anignobleandbestialcharacter,bythesameprocess,istheresultofthecontinuedharboringofgrovelingthoughts.
Manismadeorunmadebyhimself;inthearmoryofthoughtheforgestheweaponsbywhichhedestroyshimself;healsofashionsthetoolswithwhichhebuildsforhimselfheavenlymansionsofjoyandstrengthandpeace.Bytherightchoiceandtrueapplicationofthought,manascendstotheDivinePerfection;bytheabuseandwrongapplicationofthought,hedescendsbelowthelevelofthebeast.Betweenthesetwoextremesareallthegradesofcharacter,andmanistheirmakerandmaster.
Ofallthebeautifultruthspertainingtothesoulwhichhavebeenrestoredandbroughttolightinthisage,noneismoregladdeningorfruitfulofdivinepromiseandconfidencethanthis—thatmanisthemasterofthought,themolderofcharacter,andthemakerandshaperofcondition,environment,anddestiny.
Asabeingofpower,intelligence,andlove,andthelordofhisownthoughts,manholdsthekeytoeverysituation,andcontainswithinhimselfthattransformingandregenerativeagencybywhichhemaymakehimselfwhathewills.