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SECTION THREE - FORCES BEHIND THE EVOLUTIONARY PROGRESS OF THE RACE - Part 4

a. The Axis nations need to grasp the teaching of the Buddha as He enunciated it in the Four Noble Truths; they need to realise that the cause of all sorrow and woe is desire—desire for that which is material.

b. The United Nations need to learn to apply the Law of Love as enunciated in the life of Christ and to express the truth that "no man liveth unto himself" and no [359] nation either, and that the goal of all human effort is loving understanding, prompted by a programme of love for the whole.

If the lives and teachings of these two great Avatars can be comprehended and wrought out anew in the lives of men today, in the world of human affairs, in the realm of human thinking and in the arena of daily living, the present world order (which is today largely disorder) can be so modified and changed that a new world and a new race of men can gradually come into being. Renunciation and the use of the sacrificial will should be the keynote for the interim period after the war, prior to the inauguration of the New Age.

Students need to remember that all manifestations and every point of crisis are symbolised by the ancient symbol of the point within the circle, the focus of power within a sphere of influence or aura. So it is today with the entire problem of ending the world glamour and illusion which fundamentally lie behind the present acute situation and world catastrophe. The possibility of such a dispelling and dissipation is definitely centred in the two Avatars, the Buddha and the Christ.

Within the world of glamour—the world of the astral plane and of emotions—appeared a point of light. The Lord of Light, the Buddha, undertook to focus in Himself the illumination which would eventually make possible the dissipation of glamour. Within the world of illusion—the world of the mental plane—appeared the Christ, the Lord of Love Himself, Who embodied in Himself the power of the attractive will of God. He undertook to dispel illusion by drawing to Himself (by the potency of love) the hearts of all men, and stated this determination in the words, "And I, if I be lifted from the earth, will draw all men unto me." (John 12:32). From the point they then will have reached, the world of spiritual perception, of truth and of divine ideas will stand revealed. The result will be the disappearing of illusion.

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The combined work of these two great Sons of God, concentrated through the world disciples and through Their initiates must and will inevitably shatter illusion and dispel glamour—the one by the intuitive recognition of reality by minds attuned to it, and the other by the pouring in of the light of reason. The Buddha made the first planetary effort to dissipate world glamour; the Christ made the first planetary effort towards the dispelling of illusion. Their work must now be intelligently carried forward by a humanity wise enough to recognise its dharma. Men are being rapidly disillusioned and will consequently see more clearly. The world glamour is being steadily removed from the ways of men. These two developments have been brought about by the incoming new ideas, focussed through the world intuitives and released to the general public by the world thinkers. It has been also largely aided by the well-nigh unconscious, but none the less real, recognition of the true meaning of these Four Noble Truths by the masses. Disillusioned and de-glamoured (if I may use such a term), humanity awaits the coming revelation. This revelation will be brought about by the combined efforts of the Buddha and the Christ. All that we can foresee or foretell anent that revelation is that some potent and far-reaching results will be achieved by the merging of light and love, and by the reaction of "lighted substance to the attractive power of love." In this sentence I have given those who can understand a profound and useful hint as to the method and purpose of the undertaking staged for the June Full Moon, 1942. I have also given a clue to the true understanding of the work of these Avatars—a thing hitherto quite unrealised. It might be added that when an appreciation of the meaning of the words "transfiguration of a human being" is gained, the realisation will come that when "the body is full of light" then "in that light shall we see Light." This means that when the personality has reached a point of purification, of dedication and of illumination, then the attractive power of the soul (whose nature is love and understanding) can function, [361] and fusion of these two will take place. This is what the Christ proved and demonstrated.

When the work of the Buddha (or of the embodied buddhic principle) is consummated in the aspiring disciple and in his integrated personality, then the full expression of the work of the Christ (the embodied principle of love) can also be consummated and both these potencies—light and love—will find radiant expression in the transfigured disciple. What is true, therefore, of the individual is true also of humanity as a whole, and today humanity (having reached maturity) can "enter into realisation" and consciously take part in the work of enlightenment and of spiritual, loving activity. The practical effects of this process will be the dissipation of glamour and the release of the human spirit from the thraldom of matter; it will produce, also, the dispelling of illusion and the recognition of truth as it exists in the consciousness of those who are polarised in the "awareness of the Christ."

This is necessarily no rapid process but is an ordered and regulated procedure, sure in its eventual success but relatively slow also in its establishment and sequential process. This process was initiated upon the astral plane by the Buddha, and on the mental plane when Christ manifested on Earth. It indicated the approaching maturity of humanity. The process has been slowly gathering momentum as these two great Beings have gathered around Them Their disciples and initiates during the past two thousand years. It has reached a point of intensive usefulness as the channel of communication between Shamballa and the Hierarchy has been opened and enlarged, and as the contact between these two great Centres and Humanity has been more firmly established.

At the June Full Moon, 1942, will come the first test as to the directness of the communication between the Centre where the Will of God holds sway, the Centre where the Love of God rules and the Centre where there is intelligent expectancy. The medium of the test will be the united effort of the Christ, of the Buddha and of those who respond to [362] Their blended influence. This test has to be carried out in the midst of the terrific onslaught of the powers of evil and will be extended over the two weeks beginning on the day of the Full Moon (May 30th, 1942) and ending on June 15th, 1942. There is a great concentration of the Spiritual Forces at this time and the use of a special Invocation (one which humanity itself may not use), but the success or failure of the test, in the last analysis, will be determined by mankind itself.

You may feel, though wrongly, that not enough people know about or understand the nature of the opportunity or what is transpiring. But the success of such a test is not dependent upon the esoteric knowledge of the few, the relatively very few, to whom the facts and the information have been partially imparted. It is dependent also upon the tendency of the many who unconsciously aspire towards the spiritual realities, who seek for a new and better way of life for all, who desire the good of the whole and whose longing and desire is for a true experience of goodness, of right human relations and of spiritual enterprise among men. Their name is legion and they are to be found in every nation.

When the Will of God, expressed in Shamballa and focussed in the Buddha, the Love of God, expressed in the Hierarchy and focussed through the Christ, and the intelligent desire of humanity, focussed through the world disciples, the world aspirants and the men of goodwill are all brought into line—either consciously or unconsciously—then a great reorientation can and will take place. This event is something that can happen.

The first result will be the illumination of the astral plane and the beginning of the process which will dissipate glamour; the second result will be the irradiation of the mental plane and the dispelling of all past illusions and the gradual revelation of the new truths of which all past ideals and so-called formulations of truth have only been the sign-posts. Ponder on that statement. The sign-post indicates [363] the way to go; it does not reveal the goal. It is indicative but not conclusive. So with all truth up to the present time.

The demand is, therefore, for knowers and for those whose minds and hearts are open; who are free from preconceived ideas fanatically held, and from ancient idealisms which must be recognised as only partial indications of great unrealised truths—truths which can be realised in great measure and for the first time if the lessons of the present world situation and the catastrophe of the war are duly learned and the sacrificial will is called into play.

I have made this practical application and this immediate illustration of teaching anent glamour, illusion and maya because the whole world problem has reached a crisis today and because its clarification will be the outstanding theme of all progress—educational, religious and economic—until 2025 A.D.

Today, as humanity awaits the revelation which will embody the thoughts and dreams and constructive goal of the New Age, the demand comes for the first time from a large group of intuitively inclined people. I said not intuitives, my brothers. This group is now so large and its focus is now so real and its demand so loud that it is succeeding in focussing the massed intent of the people. Therefore, whatever revelation may emerge in the immediate future will be better "protected by the spirit of understanding" than any previous one. This is the significance of the words in the New Testament, "Every eye shall see him"; humanity as a whole will recognise the Revealing One. In past ages the Messenger from on High was only recognised by and known to a mere handful of men, and it took decades and sometimes centuries for His message to penetrate into the hearts of humanity.

The stress of the times also and the development of the sense of proportion, plus an enforced return to simplicity of living and requirements may save the coming revelation from too swift and quick a submergence in the fire of the Great Illusion.

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THE INTERLUDE BETWEEN WAR AND PEACE

August 1942

There is an insistent demand from the many thousands who in the past have read the pamphlets and articles which I have written, that I say something about the coming period of rehabilitation, and of what can be done (whilst the war is still in progress) to prepare for usefulness at that time. When the war broke out, I published an article entitled The Present World Crisis, and in it tried to trace the origins of the conflict and the factors which made this catastrophe possible. Later, another article appeared, called The Coming World Order, which sought to hold out to a suffering world a vision of a material and spiritual future which the hearts of men have long demanded. Thus an attempt was made to deal with both the past and the future.

More at that time was not possible, owing to the disunity existing among those nations which today form the United Nations. There was also a lack of understanding and a selfish perspective among those nations at that time neutral. Above everything else was the fact that the issues involved had to be settled by humanity itself and it was not then possible to foretell with any accuracy what humanity would do. Even the most enlightened of men and the spiritual leaders of the race could not judge what line mankind would take or whether there were enough clear-sighted people in the world who could and would sweep the mass of men into effective opposition to the Axis Powers. The question was: Would world fear and universal selfishness dominate, or would the spirit of freedom and the love of liberty be strong enough to weld the free nations into one united and steadfast whole?

Today the issue is clear and the end inevitable. The free nations and the defeated and enslaved little nations are subjectively and practically unified into one intense spiritual determination to win the war; the fate of the Axis Nations is therefore unalterably settled, even though, at this time of writing, they seem to be victorious all along [365] the line. It is only the time of the final victory of right against might which remains as yet the factor of uncertainty, and this is owing to the enormous prepared strength of the aggressor nations and the unpreparedness of the democracies. This unpreparedness is being rapidly remedied.

This article is an attempt to indicate the problems, and perhaps some of the solutions, which must inevitably fill the interlude between the ending of the war and the coming world order. It will be necessary to deal with this subject in a broad and general way, for the subject is too vast for us to be intelligently specific. We can, however, consider the immediate work to be done in preparation for the cessation of war and indicate the first steps which can and should be taken to initiate sound reconstruction processes. The period of rehabilitation and of reconstruction should be the deep concern today of all who love their fellowmen.

There are those who will consider the study of the coming reconstruction period as premature. They believe (and rightly) that our first immediate concern is to win the war, and with this I am fully in agreement. The will-to-victory is the first and basic essential, for there will be no true reconstruction activity if the Axis nations triumph. But there are many today whose task is not that of fighting and whose place and function is perforce in the civilian aspects of the life of the nations. These can think, and talk, and work in preparation for the future. There are others who feel that only the trained expert in the fields of economic and political readjustment can approach this difficult problem with any hope of making a useful contribution. Still others feel that peace is the only thing that matters and that it should be followed by a long period of mental quiet in every country; they believe that people everywhere are too exhausted and unhappy to be ready as yet to undertake any work of rebuilding. Others again are so completely pessimistic that they despair of ever reclaiming the world, and they look sadly for a breakdown of all the civilised processes of living. There is some truth in all these points of view. The work of the experts will be sorely needed, but [366] the understanding interest and the sustaining power of those whose hearts are aflame with love can alone make their work possible. It will not be the institutionalised activities and the financial enterprise of economic and social workers and government agents which will alone be needed, but above all else, the solution must be found in the uprising of goodwill in the hearts of men. This will provide the right compassionate incentive. Most certainly the world could be rehabilitated for purely commercial and selfish reasons, and because trade interchange, buying and selling capacity and the restoration of financial stability are important factors in world restoration. But these are not the basic motives which would restore humanity to self-respecting and secure living. They will provide the motive power for many men and groups, but not the motive which can produce true constructive rebuilding of the fabric of human life.

The work of reconstruction will be the work of the intelligent men and women of goodwill, and theirs will be the task to restore new life and happiness to humanity, and it is for them I write. Please bear this in mind. I am not writing for technical experts and trained advisors to the government, but to those who have goodwill in their hearts to all men, and who, because of it, want to do their share in bringing tranquillity and peace to the world—a peace based on surer values than in the past and upon sounder planning. In the last analysis, it is not peace for which the men of goodwill are working, but for the growth of the spirit of understanding and cooperation; this alone will be strong enough to break down racial barriers, heal the wounds of war, and build a new world structure adequate to the intelligent demands of the masses.

In the earlier pamphlets, I sought (along with many other thinking people) to indicate the steps which might be taken to avert the impending cataclysm. Among the most important upon which emphasis was laid was the growth of world goodwill, for goodwill is the active principle of peace. I sought also to stress international understanding, a future of shared planetary resources, and a recognition of [367] a general historically-proved guilt in relation to the war, plus those ideas which could—if developed—end the era of separativeness.

In spite of all the efforts of the men of goodwill, of all the peace organisations, and the enlightened work of the world thinkers, educators and leaders, two things happened which it had been hoped might be averted. The first was a definite and focussed precipitation of the spirit of evil and of materialism through the medium of the Axis nations, using the aggression of Japan as the initial focal point and expressing itself later in full force through Germany. The second was the failure of the neutral nations, in the early stages of the war, to take the needed steps to ally themselves actively with the nations fighting totalitarianism, and their inability to realise the full horror of what lay ahead for mankind. The selfishness of humanity was even more deep-seated than was grasped, and the United Nations came into cooperative activity only after two years of war and the planned rape of many of the neutral nations. The blindness of the neutral nations definitely upset the calculations of far-sighted workers for world good and seriously delayed the ending of the war.

The critical point is now passed, and the humanitarian grasp of the issues involved, and the unity existing among the Allied Nations, guarantee the inevitable defeat of the Axis Powers. Other factors also ensure the ultimate victory of the forces of right and the freedom of the world. There is not time to enlarge upon them, but they can be listed and people can then see how assuredly they guarantee the triumph of the free peoples of the world. These factors are:

1. The will-to-victory is steadily growing. Appeasement, pacifism and uncertainty are as steadily dying out.

2. The plight of humanity everywhere, as the result of Axis aggression, is definitely steadying public opinion and evoking an unalterable determination to end the evil initiated and carried forward by Germany and Japan, aided somewhat unwillingly by Italy.

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3. The resources of the United Nations are vast and are now in process of mobilisation. Their massed use and their manufacturing potential are practically inexhaustible and are rapidly being organised. The man power and the resources of Germany and of her allies have reached their peak, bringing enormous present potency, but a steady decline is indicated for the future.

4. The issues in this war are being increasingly clearly realised; even the ignorant and the prejudiced recognise today that these issues can be grouped under three major positions, and this enables them to make a personal choice as to loyalties.

a. The democratic position, with its emphasis upon the Four Freedoms and the Atlantic Charter, ensuring right human relations and the ending of aggression.

b. The totalitarian position, with its emphasis upon world dictatorship, the slavery of the many conquered nations, its anti-racial bias and its blatant cruelty and terrorism.

c. The appeasement and the pacifist attitudes—idealistic and impractical and finding their focus today in the attitude of Gandhi. He brings into clear perspective the uncompromising, fanatical attitude which is non-realistic and which will willingly sacrifice lives, nations and the future of humanity in order to attain its object. If Gandhi were to succeed in his objective now, it would precipitate civil war in India, sacrifice all immediate hope of freedom for that country, permit the Japanese to realise an easy conquest of India, bring about a slaughtering of countless thousands, and permit Germany to join hands with Japan across Asia, with the appalling probability of a totalitarian victory.

These three points of view are today being clearly realised by men everywhere, and their decisions as to loyalties and adherences are clarified.

5. The spirit of freedom is triumphing in every land (even in the conquered countries, much to the bewilderment of [369] Germany), and the beauty of the human spirit is emerging everywhere, both in the conquered lands and in the nations fighting, with their backs to the wall, for human liberty.

6. An intense interest in after-war conditions is evidenced by the utterances of leaders, politicians, lecturers and the spiritually minded men everywhere; this is testified to by the articles, pamphlets, books, speeches and plans dealing with the new world order. The forces of rehabilitation and of goodwill are rapidly mobilising; they constitute a great army within all nations, and they are an invisible army, but one which is as yet inchoate, uncertain as to method and process, though clear as to goals and principles.

The above six factors ensure the defeat of the Forces of Evil and the triumph of the Forces of Light, and with these as the basis of optimism we can look ahead with sure hope to the ending of the war, to the demobilisation of the armies, to the tranquil passage of the seven seas and to the time when fear begins to die out.

What then will be the dangers to be offset? For what must we be prepared when the task of reconstruction confronts us? It might be useful to enumerate some of the dangers for which we must be prepared. Let us consider them in the order of their importance:

1. The danger of too prompt a peace settlement. Let us work hard for a prolonged armistice, during which the heat of battle and the fires of revenge can have time to die down, the agony of mankind can be assuaged, and time be gained for calm, unhurried planning.

2. The danger of a return to so-called normality. The outstanding disaster which faces humanity at this time is a return to the state of affairs prior to the outbreak of war, and the rehabilitation of the old familiar world, with its imperialism (whether of empire or finance), its nationalisms and its distressed, exploited minorities, its vile distinctions and separative barriers between rich and poor, between [370] the oriental and the occidental, and between the castes and classes which are found in every land—without any exception.

3. The dangers incident to the necessary adjustments between the nations. Any adjustment made upon the basis of historical tradition or ancient boundaries will only serve to plunge the world again into war. These adjustments must be carried out on the basis of humanity itself; the will of free peoples must be the determining factor and not the will of technical, political experts, or of some ruling class or group. In the world which is coming, the human equation will take a predominant position; human beings will determine, as far as in them lies, their own destiny and men will exercise their free will in establishing the kind of world in which they choose to live. They will decide in which country they prefer to claim citizenship and the type of government to which they choose to give allegiance. This will necessarily all take time and must be an unhurried process. It will call for a planned education of the masses in every country; and the principles of freedom, and the distinction between freedom and license, will have to be carefully taught. A new world based upon the restoration of territorial limits, historically determined, will fail to end strife, aggression and fear. A new world based on human values and right human relations can institute (slowly to be sure, but inevitably) that new civilisation which men of goodwill demand for humanity as a whole.

4. The dangers growing out of hate, revenge and pain. These dangers will be the most difficult to avoid. A deep-seated hatred of the Nazi regime (and of the German nation as endorsing that regime) is steadily rising. This is almost inevitable, being based on the facts of Nazi activity. The task of the United Nations after the war will of necessity be—among other things—to protect the German people from the hate of those whom they have so appallingly abused. This will be no easy thing to do. Retribution and revenge must not be permitted, and yet at the same time a just payment for evil action cannot, and should not, be [371] avoided. The law ever works, and that law states that whatsoever a man or nation sows, that shall it also reap. Germany has sown evil broadcast throughout the civilised world, and for some time to come her lot must be hard and she will have to pay in sweat and toil and tears for her evil deeds. But this payment should be part of the great work of rehabilitation and not a vengeful exaction, and if this is borne in mind, no serious mistakes will be made. The German people must work strenuously to put right the evil they have done, as far as in them lies, but the next generation—at present in the cradle or at school—must not be penalised. The little children and the babies of the German race—innocent of the wrong actions of their fathers and brothers—should not be implicated in the penalties exacted. The young men of today in Germany must, by the labour of their hands and the sweat of their brows, rebuild that which they have so ruthlessly destroyed, but the unoffending, though weak, elderly people, the little children and the adolescent boys and girls must be exempt and must be trained to be citizens of a better and a finer Germany than has ever yet existed—a Germany that is a constructive part of the whole and not a menace and a terror to all right-thinking men. The arousing of the men of goodwill in every nation—men who see humanity as a whole and all men as brothers—is the only way in which this rising tide of hate can be stemmed. It will not be stemmed by telling those who have suffered at the hands of the Axis nations that they must not hate, or by exhorting people who have been the victims of traitors that they must not bear ill-will to such men as Quisling and Laval. It will be offset by a great demonstration of practical love and understanding on the part of the United Nations—a love which will work out in the form of food for the hungry, nursing for the sick, the rebuilding of the ruined cities, and the restoration of the "scorched earth." The problems of hate and revenge will require the utmost skill in handling and will necessitate exceedingly wise action on the part of the free nations.

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5. The danger to humanity of the effects of war upon the children and the adolescents of the nations. The children of today are the parents of the coming generations, and they have been through a shattering psychological experience. They can scarcely ever be truly normal again. They have seen the very depths of cruelty, wickedness, pain, horror, terror and uncertainty. They have been bombed, shell-shocked and machine-gunned. They have known no security and look forward today to no sure future. Millions have known no parental control; they have been separated by war from their families and frequently do not even know their own names. Even when the family unit has been preserved intact, their fathers are usually engaged in war work, either at home or abroad, and their mothers are working in factories or on the land; the children have therefore no home life or control. Malnutrition has weakened their stamina and rampant evil has undermined their morale and their standards of value. From the humanitarian and spiritual standpoint, the vital problem after the war will be the restoration of the children of the world to happiness, security, proper standards of life and conduct and some measure of understanding control. This is essentially a problem of education. Educators and psychologists of vision in every country must be mobilised and the "pattern of things to come" for the children must be intelligently determined. This will have to be done on an international scale and with the wisdom which comes from a grasp of immediate need and a far-sighted vision.

6. The dangers of re-emergence of the nationalist spirit. Intense nationalism was one of the prime movers in bringing about this war and no nation has been exempt from this spirit of national pride and from a nationalistic, separative outlook. Selfish interests have controlled the reasons for which every nation has entered this war; individual security has prompted the entry of even the most enlightened democratic nations. That to these selfish incentives they have added world need and the love of freedom is true and serves [373] to balance, though not offset, the selfish motives; that the instinct of self-preservation gave them no alternative is likewise true, but the fact remains that there would have been no war if the democratic nations had been the determining factor. That in itself gives rise to questions. Why did the powerful democracies, in the last analysis, permit this war when, united and banded together from the start, they might have arrested it in the initial stages? Also, given the existent aggressor nations, collective self-interest forced the democracies into combat, and yet this same self-interest should have made them take the steps which would have guaranteed the peace. National types, individual national interests, national cultures and national civilisations exist side by side, but instead of being regarded as contributory to one integrated whole, they have been zealously competitive and have been regarded as the peculiar and distinctive prerogatives of some one nation and as existing for the sole good of that nation. In the future, the contributory factor in life must be emphasised and developed, and the good of the entire family of nations must be substituted for the good of one nation or a group of nations. The education of the public in this ideal necessitates no loss of national identity or individual culture. That must remain and be developed to its highest spiritual goal for the enriching and the collective good of all. It is only the motive for the emphasis of any specific racial and national culture which must be changed.

The family of nations, viewed as a unit, its correct and proper interrelation, and the shouldering of responsibility for the one, or for the weak, must be the realised goal of all national enterprise; the resources of the entire planet must be shared collectively and it must be increasingly realised that the products of the earth, the gifts of the soil, the intellectual heritage of the nations, belong to the whole of mankind and to no one nation exclusively. No nation liveth unto itself, any more than any individual can happily so live; the nation or individual who attempts so to do must [374] inevitably perish off the face of the earth. All nations have made this selfish attempt, as history, ancient and modern, goes to prove. Their tradition, their resources, their national genius, their past history, their mineral and agricultural products, their strategic position on the planet, have been used in past centuries for the benefit of the nation claiming them; they have been exploited for the increase of the power of that nation at the expense of the suffering of others. This is the sin which Germany is today committing, aided by Japan and feebly followed by Italy. Power politics, the exploitation of the weak, aggression, economic selfishness, ideals based on pure commercialism and materialistic and territorial goals colour all the past history of mankind in both hemispheres, and have laid the foundation for the present war.

Some nations, particularly the great democracies, like the British Commonwealth of Nations and the United States of America, now realise that these attitudes and activities must end and that the hope of the world lies in the spread of right human relations, in economic interchange, broad unselfish international politics and the growth of the spirit of cooperation. They believe unalterably, and as a basic national policy, in the rights of the individual and that the State exists for the benefit of that individual; to that they add the belief that the State also exists for the benefit of all other states and for humanity as a whole. Other nations, such as the Axis Powers, are violently crystallising the ancient viewpoints, emphasising the worst aspects of the old and evil order, and are aggressively grasping all that they can for themselves. They regard the individual as of no value and hold that he exists only for the benefit of the State; they believe that the State is the sole unit of importance, and that only their particular state counts. They divide the family of nations into a superstate for the control of Europe and another for Asia, and regard all other states as slave states; they would perpetuate the ancient evil of force and war and would and do resort to unheard-of cruelties in the effort to raise their state to supreme eminence.

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This is the old order which must pass, but its dangers must be recognised. For its abolishing, the United Nations are fighting, but the difficulties are many, even though the spiritual strength of all good men is on their side and the Forces of Light are fighting to aid them. The nationalistic spirit is not dead as yet in any country. It must be helped to die. Minorities with historical backgrounds but no territorial rights are clamouring for a place to call their own and in which to build up a nation. The small nations are full of fear, wondering what place in the family of nations they will be permitted to hold, and whether the evil plans of the Germans will spare any of their citizens eventually to form a nation. The demand for national recognition is widespread; the emphasis upon humanity as the important unit is little heard.

Those nations impede the path of progress who live in the memory of their past history and boundaries and who look back upon what they call "a glorious past," resting upon the recollection of national or empire rule over the weak. This is a hard saying, but the nationalistic spirit constitutes a grave peril to the world; if perpetuated in any form, except as contributory to the good of humanity as a whole, it will throw the world (after the war) back into the dark ages and leave men no better off than they were, even though there have been twenty years of travail and agony.

We could take the nations, one by one, and observe how this nationalistic, separative or isolationist spirit, emerging out of an historical past, out of racial complexes, out of territorial position, out of revolt and out of possession of material resources, has brought about the present world crisis and cleavage and this global clash of interests and ideals. But it would profit not. The intelligent student of history (who has no nationalistic bias) knows well the facts and is deeply concerned today with the processes which must be brought to bear to end the world strife. He knows that the efforts to attain national aggrandisement, a place in the sun, Lebensraum, financial supremacy, economic control [376] and power must end. At the same time he realises that if humanity is to get rid of these evil products of selfishness, certain basic values must be preserved. Past and present cultures and civilisations are of great value; the peculiar genius of each nation must be evoked for the enriching of the entire human family; the new civilisation must have its roots in and emerge out of the past; new ideals must come forth and be recognised, and for that the events and education of the past will have prepared the people. Humanity itself must be the goal of interest and effort, and not any particular nation or empire. All this has to be wrought out in a practical, realistic manner, divorced from visionary, mystical and impractical dreams, and all that is done must be founded on one basic recognition—human brotherhood, expressing itself in right human relations.

The revolt so widely prevalent against the "vague visionings" of humanitarian dreamers is based upon the fact that out of the welter of words and the plethora of plans, little of practical value has emerged and nothing sufficiently potent to end the old and horrid ways of life. Nothing really effective had been done, prior to the war, to offset the visible and shrieking evils. Palliative measures have been tried and compromises made for the sake of peace, but the basic evils of national ambition, economic disparity, and virulent class distinctions (hereditary or financial) still remained. Religious differences were rampant, racial hatreds widespread, and the economic and political orders remained corrupt, fostering party, social and national strife.

Today the war has cleared the air. The issues are clear and at least we know what has been wrong. In their demonstration of supreme selfishness, national ambition, racial hatred and utter barbarity and cruelty, plus their complete lack of all humanitarian feeling, the Axis Powers have served the race by showing us what must not, and shall not, be permitted. The democracies have awakened also to their weaknesses and to the realisation that true democracy does not as yet exist, owing to widespread political corruption, and to the ignorance and unpreparedness of the masses for [377] true self-government. Imperialistic powers, such as Great Britain, are publicly repudiating the old points of view and are forging ahead in the task of world reconstruction. The conservative reactionary is no longer popular. The small nations are realising their helplessness and their complete dependence upon their larger neighbours, and these in their turn, are recognising their responsibilities to the weak and small. People everywhere are waking up and beginning to think, and never again can they sink back into the negative condition of the past. There is faith on every hand that a new and better world order is possible and that it is even probable.

How can we simply and clearly express the goal of this hoped-for new world order and word briefly the objective which each person and nation should hold before itself when the war ends and opportunity faces each and all? It is surely that every nation, great and small (with the minorities given equal and proportionate rights) should pursue its own individual culture and work out its own salvation as seems best to it, but that each and all should develop the realisation that they are organic parts of one corporate whole and that they must contribute to that whole all they have and are. This concept is already present in the hearts of countless thousands and carries with it great responsibility. These realisations, when intelligently developed and wisely handled, will lead to right human relations, economic stability (based on the spirit of sharing) and to a fresh orientation of man to man, of nation to nation, and of all to that supreme power to which we give the name "God."

This is the vision and it is holding countless thousands steady in the path of duty, and for it many in every nation are prepared to work. In spite of the background of an evil past, in spite of the present world carnage, in spite of the almost overwhelming psychological problems confronting humanity, in spite of political machinations and old-time diplomacy, in spite of the improbability of any quick successes, there are thousands ready to start with the preparatory work. The number of men and women of vision [378] and of goodwill is now so large (especially among the United Nations) that there is a chance of eventual success and it is possible today to make a start. The outline of the future world structure can already be dimly seen; the failure—complete, obvious and irremediable—of the old order and the old world is everywhere recognised. The will-to-good is growing. One of the interesting things which it is helpful to recognise is that this vision is more clearly seen by the man in the street and by the intelligentsia than it is by the exclusive classes. Through the material difficulties of life, and by resultant processes of thought, men know changed conditions are necessary and that there is no alternative.

The task ahead falls into two categories: First, directing mass thought and energy into right lines so that good motive and wise action can bring in the desired era of right human relations and eventual peace; secondly, educating those whose apathy and lack of vision impede progress. This latter phase of the work is well under way and a powerful, though small, group among the world leaders is voicing certain general propositions which must be regarded as imperative when world readjustment starts. Their demand is for a new governing principle in politics and in education, founded on universally recognised human rights, on the need for spiritual unity and the need to throw overboard all separative theological attitudes and dogmas in every field of thought. There is a mounting appeal not only for international understanding and cooperation, but also for class understanding. These demands are being expressed from every platform and pulpit and through the pen in every land, except in those sad lands where freedom of speech is not permitted.

The average man looks on at all of this and is frequently overwhelmed by the magnitude of the unfolding task, by the diversity of opinions expressed, by the many suggestions, plans and schemes for world betterment, and by a sense of his own utter unimportance and futility in the face of this gigantic human undertaking. He asks himself many questions. Of what use am I? What can I do? How can my little voice be heard, and of what use is it when heard? What [379] part can I play in the vast arena of world affairs? How can I prove myself useful and constructive? How can I offset my ignorance of history, of society, of political and economic conditions in my own country, not to speak of other lands? Humanity is so immense, its numbers so vast and its races so many that he feels himself a helpless, insignificant unit. He has no academic or general training which would enable him really to grasp the problems or contribute to their solution. What, therefore, can the man in the street, the business man in his office, the woman in her home, and the average citizen everywhere contribute at this time and in the future to the helping of the world? It is for this type of person I write.

I would start by reminding the general public of one important fact. This is that focussed, determined, enlightened public opinion is the most potent force in the world. It has no equal but has been little used. The gullibility of the average citizen, his willingness to accept what is told him if it is said loudly enough and with sufficient plausible force, is well known. The well-turned phrases of the trained politician, intent on his selfish purposes, the arguments of the silver-tongued demagogue as he exploits some pet theory at the expense of the public, and the rantings of the man with a cause, a theory or an axe to grind, all find an easy audience. Mass psychology and mob determinations have been exploited down the ages, for the unthinking and the emotional are easily swayed in any direction, and hitherto this has been turned to their own advantage by those who do not have the best interests of humanity at heart. It has been used for selfish and evil ends far more often than for good. Of this tendency the negative and helpless attitude of the German people under the Nazi rulers is the outstanding example.

But this negative receptivity (which does not deserve the name of public opinion) can be as easily turned to good ends as bad, and to constructive measures as to destructive. A little planned direction and a wisely outlined programme with this in view can and will bring about [380] the needed change and make a sound and intelligent public opinion one of the major factors in world reconstruction. One of the most interesting features of this war period has been the direct contact which has been set up by some of the world leaders with the man in the street and the woman in the home, as witness the talks given by Roosevelt and Churchill. Those given by the Axis leaders are in a totally different category, for they have been directed to the male youth of their countries and to the man in uniform. Only the lesser leaders in Germany, for instance, talk to the people in their homes, and then only to give them orders, to foster hate and to misrepresent the truth. In all these cases, however, the value of mass opinion is recognised and the need to sway the mass mind, either bending it to the will of some leader, such as Hitler, or educating it in those principles which are of benefit to the whole.

The second point which needs to be grasped by the average citizen is that the mass is made up of individuals; that each of us, as an individual, is a definite and integral part of the whole. This is a basic and important fact and has a bearing on our subject. The first step in the rebuilding process which lies ahead of us is to reach the individual, show him his importance, indicate to him his very real sphere of influence, and then set him to work in that sphere and with what he has. In this way, his normal and natural sense of futility will disappear, and he will gradually realise that he is needed and can do much. Having grasped this for himself, he can then try to bring the same constructive attitude to those around him, and they will then do likewise.

May I point out here that the value of the individual is surely based on the inherent divinity of the human spirit and on the integrity of the whole. It is founded also on the knowledge, which must underlie all future reconstruction work, that at the very heart of the universe is a divine Power, call it what you will, and on the faith that love is the very law of life itself, in spite of all appearances and the record of the past.

It is essential that we be practical in our approach to [381] the subject and that the reconstruction plans involve steps which are possible and which the average man can take. The first practical attitude to be taken is to crush out hate because it is non-constructive and hindering. It blinds the vision and warps the judgment, and simply feeds the growth of fear and horror. But the love demanded of us is neither emotional nor sentimental. It is intensely practical, and expresses itself in service and cooperative activity. It seeks to aid all movements that benefit humanity and are in line with the new incoming era. Many people think that an emotional reaction and clamouring outcry of horror at what has overtaken the world indicates love and spiritual sensitivity. It is far more likely to indicate self-centredness and personal discomfort. True love has no time for these reactions, because the work of alleviation is entirely engrossing. The man who loves his fellowmen is mentally poised and intelligently working; he is mobilising all his forces for the service of the hour. A truly compassionate heart is not emotional.

Our second step, therefore, after the recognition of individual responsibility, is to replace emotion by practical love, expressed in selfless service. The third step is to reorganise our lives so that we have time for this needed service. Most people are not getting the maximum of results out of their daily lives, and this for several reasons. Frequently they do not really desire to make the sacrifices which such service demands; often they are under the delusion that their present output of service represents their utmost possibility; again, they fancy that their health could stand no more active work, or that they require time for themselves, or they waste many valuable hours doing those things which yield no real results. If, however, the need today is as great as we are led to believe, if this is the hour of man's extremity, if the issues are so great that the entire future of the race depends upon the outcome of the war, then the one thing that really matters is for man to play his part, to mobilise his time and all that he has and make that supreme effort which will release life and energy and make the winning of the war something immediately possible and the rebuilding [382] era a success. This he must do at any cost, even that of life itself. A spiritual paradox becomes apparent. The individual is of supreme importance, and yet at the same time what happens to him as he serves and fights for human freedom is of no individual importance at all. A brief period of organised effort and, at the end, death, is of more vital usefulness today than a futile doing of the things a man feels like doing in a leisurely way, and then meandering feebly down the years.

Therefore, the development of a sense of individual responsibility, the expression of real love in service and the reorganising the life so as to get the utmost out of each day constitutes the preparatory stage for the man who seeks to participate in the reconstruction period.

Having then done this to the best of his ability (and many have already made a good beginning) he must develop in himself and evoke in others the spirit of goodwill. This will-to-good is of immediate effectiveness, because it governs a man's relation to his family and his household, his business or social associates, his casual acquaintances and all with whom he may come in contact. It enables him to begin the work of reconstruction right where he is and trains him in a familiar environment to practise right human relations. It is the major and potent factor which can enable the otherwise futile individual to become a focal point of constructive influence. He will then discover that, as a result of this, his sphere of constructive influence is continually enlarging.

These are the first four steps, and they are perhaps the most difficult, for they are non-spectacular and almost constitute spiritual platitudes. But they are the essential and unavoidable preliminaries for the man who wants to work wisely, usefully and intuitively in the future.

To the above he can then add the following efforts and attempt to impose upon himself this suggested programme:

1. Study and reflect upon the many proposals which are being made by world leaders and thinkers as to the coming world rehabilitation. It will be necessary to plan your reading [383] and to know what is being discussed. Cultivate an intelligent opinion, based on goodwill and on what you, as a result of study, feel should be done. Then discuss the ideas in your home, among your friends and in your environment without fear or favour. It will help you to do so if you regard such discussions as a service and believe that your interests and enthusiasm cannot fail to have an effect.

2. If possible, gather people together to discuss and study the coming world order, or cooperate with those who are already doing so. Look upon this meeting together as a definite contribution to the moulding of public opinion and as a method of building up that reservoir of thought power which can be of use to those whose task it is to rebuild. If only two people cooperate with you in this matter, the effort will not be lost or futile, for you will be helping to change the content of world thought and impressing other minds, even if you do not know it.