that part of it — his mind is fixed upon the idea that he is “on his job,” and is not going to be satisfied with anything less than his Best. And when one really is able to answer the great question with an honest, “Yes, I did my Best,” then verily, he will be able to answer the “What’s the Use” question properly — it is “of use” to have brought out the Best work in oneself, if for no other reason than because it is a Man Making process — a developer of the Self.
This infernal “What’s the Use” question seems to have been invented by some pessimistic imp of darkness to use in discouraging people making desperate struggles or leading forlorn hopes. It has brought down many a man into the Mire of Despondency and Failure. Chase it out of you mind whenever it appears, and replace it with the question, “Am I doing my Best,” knowing that an affirmative answer settles the other question also. Anything is “Of Use” if it is in the right spirit, in a worthy cause, and because one’s own manhood demands it. Yes, even if one goes down to death in the doing of it — still it is a Success. Listen to this story, told in a recent magazine article:
It is a story of a sailor on the wreck of a German kerosene steamer, which dashed against the rocks of the Newfoundland coast in the early part of 1901. She had taken fire, and had been run ashore on a submerged reef about an eighth of a mile from the coast. The coastline itself was a wall, some four hundred feet high. When morning dawned, the fishermen on shore saw that her boats were all gone, and all the crew and officers had apparently been lost — all except three men. Two of these three men were standing on the bridge — the third was aloft, lashed to the rigging. Later, the watchers saw a tremendous wave strike the vessel, sweeping away the bridge and the two men who had been standing on it. Several hours later they saw the man in the rigging unlash him and beat his arms against his body vigorously, evidently to restore the circulation, which had been almost stopped by the lashing and the extreme cold. The man then took off his coat, waved it to the fishermen on top of the cliff and then plunged into the sea. The first thought was that he had given up the fight and committed suicide — but he was not that kind of a man. He struck out for shore, and reaching it made three separate attempts to secure a foothold on the rocks at the bottom of the cliff. But, he failed — three times was he swept away by the surf, and finally, seeing the futility of his efforts, he swam away again, toward the ship. As the narrator well says: “At that crisis in the struggle ninety-nine men out of a hundred would have given up and allowed themselves to drown; but this man was not a quitter.”
After a fierce battle with the waves the man gained the ship, and after a desperate struggle managed to board her. He climbed again into the rigging and waved his hand to the fishermen high up on the cliff, who were unable to help him. He lashed himself fast, and until dark could be seen signaling the fishermen above, to show them that he was still alive and game. When the following morning broke the fishermen saw that his head had fallen to his breast — he was motionless — frozen during the night. He was dead — his brave soul had gone forth to meet its maker, and who can doubt that when that man confronted his Maker his eyes were looking firmly and bravely toward the Presence, and not bowed down in shame or fear. Such a man was indeed worthy to face his Maker, unabashed and unashamed. As the writer, George Kennan, has said in words that make one thrill: “That man died as a man in adverse circumstances ought to die, fighting to the last. You may call it foolish, and say that he might better have ended his sufferings by allowing himself to drown when he found that he could not make a landing at the base of the cliff; but deep down in your hearts you pay secret homage to his courage, his endurance, and his indomitable will. He was defeated at last, but so long as he had consciousness neither fire nor cold not tempest could break down his manhood.”
The Caucasians have a favorite proverb that says: “Heroism is endurance for one moment more.” And that one moment more tells the difference between the “quitter” and the man who has “done his Best.” No one is dead until his heart has ceased beating — and no one has failed so long as there is one more bit of fight in him. And that “one moment more” often is the moment in which the tide turns — the moment when the enemy relaxes his hold and drops back beaten.
Lesson 6 — The Power of Desire
What is Desire? Let us see! Webster tells us that it is: “The natural longing to possess any seeming good; eager wish to obtain or enjoy,” or in its abnormal or degenerate sense: “excessive or morbid longing; lust; appetite.” “Desire” is a much-abused term — the public mind has largely identified it with its abnormal or degenerate phase, just mentioned, ignoring its original and true sense. Many use the word in the sense of an unworthy longing or craving, instead of in the true sense of “aspiration,” “worthy craving and longing,” etc. To call Desire “aspiration” renders it none the less Desire. To apply to it the term “laudable aim and ambition” does not take away from it is character of Desire. There is no sense in endeavoring to escape the fact that Desire is the natural and universal impulse toward action, be the action good or bad. Without Desire the Will does not spring into action, and nothing is accomplished. Even the highest attainments and aims of the race are possible only when the steam of Will is aroused by the flame and heat of Desire.
Some of the occult teachings are filled with instructions to “kill out desire,” and the student is warned to beware of it even in its most insidious and subtle forms, even to the extent of “avoiding even the desire to be desireless — even desire not to desire.” Now this is all nonsense, for if one “wishes,” or “wants,” or “is inclined,” or “thinks best to,” or “is pleased to” Kill Out Desire — in any of these cases he is but manifesting a Desire “not to desire,” in spite of his use of other names. What is this “wishing to; wanting to; feeling like; inclination; being pleased to;” and all the rest, but just plain, clear, unadulterated Desire masquerading under some of these names. To proceed to “kill out desire” without “desiring” to do so is like trying to lift oneself by pulling on his own bootstraps. Folly. What is really meant is that the occultist should proceed to kill out the lower desires that he finds within his nature, and also to kill out the “attachment” for things. Regarding this last we would say that all true occultists know that even the best “things” are not good enough to rule and master one — nothing is good enough for the soul to allow itself to be unduly attached to it so that the thing rules the soul instead of the soul mastering the thing. That is what the teachings mean — avoidance of “attachment.” And in this the occult teachers are clearly right. Desire is a frightful master — like fire it sweeps away the supports of the soul, leaving nothing but smoldering ashes. But, also like Fire Desire is a splendid servant and by its harnessed power we are able to generate the steam of the Will and Activity, and to accomplish much in the world. Without proper Desire the world would be without activity. So do not make the mistake of using Desire any more than you would refuse to use fire — but in both cases keep the mastery in your own hands, and avoid allowing the control to pass from you to Desire.
Desire is the motivating force that runs the world; as little as we care to admit it in many cases. Look around you and see the effects of Desire in every human act, good or bad. As a writer has said: “Every deed that we do, good or bad, is prompted by Desire. We are charitable because we Desire to relieve our inner distress at the sight of suffering; or from the Desire of sympathy; or from the Desire to be respected in this world, or to secure a comfortable place in the next. One man is kind because he Desires to be kind — because it gives him satisfaction to be kind; while another man is cruel from precisely the same kind of motive. One man does his duty because he Desires to do it — he obtains a higher satisfaction from duty well done than he would from the neglecting of it in accordance with some weaker desires. The religious man is religious because his religious desires are stronger than his irreligious ones — because he finds a higher satisfaction in religion than in the pursuits of the worldly-minded. The moral man is moral because his moral desires are stronger than his immoral ones — he obtains a greater satisfaction in being moral than in being the contrary. Everything we do is prompted by Desire in some shape or form — high or low. Man cannot be Desireless and act in any way. Desire is
