Page:The astral world, higher occult powers; (IA astralworldhighe00tiff).pdf/188

 could not be immortal. He has that which is essentially being and life, and which can not be destroyed. Hence his divine energies will act with omnipotent power to him, and he will be constrained to submit.

Here, then, is to be found the fundamental distinction between true and false impulse—true and false action. That impulse which arises within, indicating a need of some department of our being, is true and legitimate; and all proper action which tends to supply that demand, without conflicting with any other need, is true action. All other action and impulse are illegitimate. The distinction between the two classes of impulse and action is easily made, by an appeal to our own consciousness. By a careful examination, we can tell at once whether the impulse to perform any act for ourselves arises from a sense of need or from a desire of self-gratification; and whether the impulse to perform any act for others arises from a near or remote prospect of self-gain, or from a sense of fitness, justice, or goodness of the act, in forgetfulness of separate self.

In the very outset I postulate the following as undeniable truth: All true desire in man has respect to a need of some department of his being, which, when truly supplied, will harmoniously develop him in respect to every other department of his being, and also in respect to all other beings necessarily connected with him. That all true happiness or enjoyment which he is capable of possessing must flow as a consequence of truly supplying these needs; and that while every need of his being is fully supplied, he will be in the enjoyment of all the happiness he is