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Manly P. Hall: Dynamics of Simplicity

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the more complicated world problems become

become

the more important it is for us to

do everything possible to simplify

our own relationships with life

a tremendous amount of energy

is lost in the mere

confusion of complication

even though we may gradually

solve whatever the confusion may be

we have used energy

and we have used time

and life as we know it is a problem in

time and energy

and to

achieve the maximum

of security

and happiness and

and usefulness

usefulness

we must try

to conserve our resources

we've noticed for the last 25 years how

the tempo of life has increased

and the individual has not really been

able to adjust to this increase successfully

successfully

we realize that

in the last

two and a half decades

we have become more and more dependent upon

upon

artificial means

of vitality support

we have become addicted to every type of

vitamin that there is known

we require continual use of stimulant or

sedational material

both these

indicating that we are not able

to cope successfully

with the pressure of

conditions the pressure of conditions

must also be regarded as

a compound of the prevailing confusion

the more confused we become

the more difficult our environment becomes

becomes

and the individual confusion finally

summarizes itself or masses itself into

vast patterns of collective confusion

while it is not possible for us to

create any code that we can require

others to follow

thus adding

to a general simplification

we must to the best of our ability

prevent ourselves from falling into the prevailing

prevailing dilemma

dilemma

simplification must never be interpreted

as compromise

we do not want to simplify things by

losing values

we do not want to follow lines of least resistance

resistance

at the expense of principles

but we do want to first of all get our

principles straight

the individual who really has

an internal organization whose beliefs

are well set

whose ideals are clear to himself

already has a strong defense against

the uncertainties of his times

so by simplification we mean

organization of values

that the person decides in his own mind

that which he shall do and what he shall

not do

what he can do and what he cannot do

and having come to certain clear

internal directives

he must learn to apply these directives

to the circumstances which arise around him

him

the simplification is

self-leadership over circumstances

it is the individual

charting a course and staying on that course

course

it takes much less energy to stay on a

course than it does to find it again

after it has been lost

so we try in every way possible to

to remove

remove useless

useless valueless

valueless

worthless kinds

of pressure

pressures that even if we succeeded in

all the things we want to do or that

these pressures invite us to attempt to do

we would probably be very little better

off than we are today

so we are not looking for simplification

in the giving up of value

but in the clarification of value

we are looking for a way of life in which

which

we recognize what is good

and stay with it

not allowing ourselves to be lured into some

some

confused state

which is going to require more energy

than we can afford to expend

if this is true of all persons it is

especially true of those who are growing older

older

whose energy supplies are therefore less adequate

adequate

and whose lives have become increasingly

more burdened

we find as we get older that time moves

more rapidly than ever before

that we have less and less time

time

to do the things that we really want to accomplish

accomplish

our interests have become richer and fuller

fuller

our responsibilities have increased in number

number

we are surrounded with more inducements

to activity

we are called upon more and more by

those who may respect our

wisdom or understanding or experience

therefore as we go along the road

simplification is the secret of

preserving health

and vitality for the longest possible

period of time

to do all these different things that

are necessary to

straighten out life

we have to begin

with all the

minor problems the autonetic common

problems of time of our time and living

one thing we also learned is that

we have a greater skill in handling

important critical situations

that we have in administering

nuisance situations

if we are faced with a major decision in

life it seems as though something comes

along and gives us guidance

the major decision calls for all our

resources we gather ourselves together

sit down

and use the best that we know to solve it

the result is that many times the

greatest decisions the greatest changes

the greatest

integrations that we achieve

take the least energy

we are more or less sure of what we are

doing or what is necessary and we

proceed accordingly

the greatest of all wasting factors

is that of minor problem

problems that are not very clear in themselves

themselves

that lead to ends that are not very certain

certain

things which come along as endless minor irritations

irritations

against these we must be ever watchful

because this endless wasting away of

small amounts of energy

will in the end deplete our major resources

resources

if we study the allotments of body

energy as we find these in the human personality

personality

we become aware of nature's intention

and it is of course the

wisdom of nature

that we shall use our energy as wisely

as possible

conserve it as much as we can

and never assume for a moment that the

resources that we have are unlimited

they are all limited by many problems in

many circumstances

the energy allotments of different

persons differ

some individuals seemingly can stand far

more burden and responsibility and

irritation than others

we have undoubtedly learned from

experience something of our own allotment

allotment

we find how quickly things tire us and

we gradually learn what kind of things

tire us most

and if we make such discoveries we

should put this information away and

keep it where we can get at it

because it is the secret of our ability

to conserve energy

ordinarily speaking we do have however

enough energy for the things

that most need doing

but very often our energy follows our

inclinations rather than our needs

thus we do have energy often

for projects that are not

actually very important

and at the same time we get a strange

sense of fatigue

when we are confronted with problems or

responsibilities that may be necessary

but which we do not particularly want to assume

assume

energy follows desire very closely

that is one of the reasons we must guard

our energy

because the fulfillment of our desires

can often be a very exhausting thing

often impossible in substance even

though we

struggle desperately to achieve it

to begin with then energy

energy

is most wasted perhaps in conflict

wherever it is possible to remove

conflict either internal or

environmental we are making a major gain

a conflict may arise from situations

outside of ourselves but it may also and

frequently does arise

from within us or from our own reaction

to conditions around us

i know more persons who have exhausted a

complete life of vitality

simply trying or laboring

laboring

with situations that they have created

for themselves

creations of their own

uh mental and emotional pressures which

should never have existed at all

one of the common experiences we have in

this field and of course at this season

of the year it is particularly obvious

and that is the amount of energy we can

waste over religious criticism

the amount of energy that we can deplete

ourselves of

in our worries and anxieties about

people whose religious beliefs are

different from ours

in families this can be a very trying

and exhausting thing

and a profitless waste of resources

if we could simplify our thinking to

this very basic philosophical principle

that a religion is finally a way of life

that an individual is religious who

keeps principles

and that above all sectarian considerations

considerations

must be elevated the fact of conduct if

the individual is keeping the rules of

life as wisely as lovingly and as

skillfully as he knows

we do not need to worry very much about

the church he goes to

if he is not keeping these rules it

makes very little difference which

church he goes to he is still in trouble

so we can get out of our minds worries

fears and anxieties about these abstract

things that we cannot do anything about

even at best

and yet many persons have ruined their

lives worrying about abstract values

which they cannot control and about

which they have no clear insight even themselves

themselves

another very desperate way of wasting energy

energy

is to try to control dominate other people

people

the desperate determination to rule the

life or activity of others

the resolution to take leadership where

this leadership is not required

requested or desired

can also lead to a very serious

depletion of resources

not only do we have the actual energy

loss as such

but we have the continual unhappiness

and all forms of unhappiness are debilitating

debilitating

the individual becomes weakened through

the use of energy in the simple process

of being miserable

so whatever in life we are doing if we

are miserable about it it is shortening

our lives and injuring our health

we must gradually recognize what nature was

was

and what nature is trying to tell us

from the cradle to the grave

that is that nature wants us to live at

peace with ourselves and others if we do

not achieve this peace we must pay for

it in revitalization in some way

for the absence of peace is discord and

discord uses up energy

all forms of

discord deplete and destroy

life resources

nature has never rewarded confusion

except with more confusion

nature has never allowed the individual

to be a dictator or a tyrant without

ultimately impoverishing him

and after all we must recognize that

above all codes that we are capable of

formulating ourselves

is the inevitable code of cause and effect

effect

we see around us

the inevitable consequences of action

therefore we must keep this basic code

for some reason man from the beginning

has rebelled against this

he has almost always determined in some

way to impose his own will upon the face

of nature

he wants to do things his way

he assumes that nature does not know

what it needs what it wants or what it

must have

it is up to man to decide these things

so man has gone valiantly and rather

arbitrarily along trying to

correct the common mistakes that the

infinite has made

this is a hard job

it can use up a great deal of time and

energy peace of mind

and in the long run

man cannot win

it is possible that if all those down

through the ages who have tried

to impose their own will upon infinite will

will

survived or could now communicate with

us from some other bond to which they

have gone

we might get some valuable testimony on

this problem

but the individual in his desperate

determination to live his own life finally

finally

comes to the end

and tips into the grave

and is silent and we never know what his

final thoughts are on any subject

we do not know to what degree he may

ultimately come into the possession of

the understanding of the mistake of his

own attitude

but because he perishes without

confessing we do not gain the

instruction from him we might otherwise receive

receive

in our daily thinking then we begin with

the communist problems of energy conservation

conservation

and one of these is the quick easy

natural acceptance

of situations that arise

acceptance where it is obvious that

there are no values more important than acceptance

acceptance

if we must compromise value in order to

accept that we may pause

but where the project itself is comparatively

comparatively meaningless

meaningless

then to accept it easily

and naturally and graciously is to save

time and energy

we know this in the innumerable small

interruptions that come along

these interruptions are not nearly so

dangerous or detrimental

as the

mental and emotional

stress of interruption within ourselves

it is very common today for our plans to miscarry

miscarry

we have something that we intend to do

conditions arise and it seems

unreasonable or difficult for us to do

uh according to our original program

if what we intended to do was of great moral

moral

ethical spiritual value

then we may accept confusion as the

price of achievement

we may realize that in this case we must

stand firm against compromise

but there are so few things that we do

in life that are that important

usually confusion is nothing more than

the common interferences

of an involved social social system

and where the problems are are of no

great meaning no real vital importance

then our basic solution for them

is a quiet acceptance of interruption

the ability for example for the

individual to experience interruption

without his own consciousness being interrupted

interrupted

the problem of not regretting the things

that happened

not gaining any unreasonable attitude

about pressures and circumstances

but quietly

accept them

and follow the ancient adage of the

ancient thought

suffer these things to be so now they

too shall pass away

things that we graciously and quietly

accept do pass away

if they are not important

they do not cause too much concern

but if we become constantly nervously

bound to these interruptions then the

things do not pass away

but we pass away out of the stress shock

and strain

of our struggle with inevitables

another very wonderful thing to help us

along the path of simplification is a

sense of humor

the individual who can laugh off minor problems

problems

who can suddenly recognize the

ridiculousness of the situations and of

his own involvement in them

who can suddenly realize that these

things are simply not important

that they're all a little ridiculous

ridiculous

will often find a great deal of release

if he can learn to laugh at himself

one of the great causes of debility in

this world is that we take ourselves too seriously

seriously

take the things that we do with such

tremendous sense of self-importance that

we wear out even contemplating this self-importance

self-importance

we just

are unable

uh to quietly go along the course of

years we have to fight things

we have to win battles

there's only one battle we all of us

have to win and that's the last one

and it is always this what we should

bear in mind

also it is important in

the contemplation of these problems to

think in the terms

of the reduction of nuisances

too many things that we have too many

projects that we try to carry too many

attitudes that we desperately cling to

have little more than nuisance value

they never will amount to anything

they become simply habitual reactions

and we develop many uh negative

attitudes simply by habit

we no longer really regard the values or

the factors we always have reacted in a

certain way so we always will

we have always wasted time and energy so

we keep right on doing it

we do not realize that there are many

nuisance situations that we never need

to be part of

these nuisance situations

may seemingly be important to other

people but if they are not important to

all concerned they are not basically valuable

valuable

so we can look for ways of reducing nuisance

nuisance

and one of the basic ways of achieving

this end is to simplify ways of life

to simplify the way we live

the individual who is living

outside of simplicity as far as his own

problems are concerned

is simply contributing to his own

premature end

the person for example who living alone

lives in a very large house

is simply asking for exhaustion

he is trying to maintain some kind of a

social front or something of that nature

or has become accustomed to the idea

that he has to live this way

but he is paying for it he is paying for

it with energy

whereas if he would simplify his

arrangements he would do a great deal

to save time and energy

in old days when it was possible to

maintain a serving class perhaps this

large house provided employment for many people

people

today it merely provides exhaustion for

the owner

there is simply no need for this type of thing

arrange your life so that there is

nothing wasted in the form of life resources

resources

in the old days many individuals became

vast accumulators of knickknacks

i have known cases where it required

several loads of a large moving van company

company

to take things from one place to another

that should never have been owned in the

first place

this is a great loss of time and now a

great loss of money and the individual

who pays for it has to worry about the

money or earn it and therefore

he should

use it more wisely

there are two there are too many memento

mori floating around things that we keep

simply because they belong to somebody

in the last generation we dust them

repair them take care of them move them

store them take them out of storage put

them back in again

and when we get through what happens

when our own day comes

and we leave all this behind to the

executor of the estate he takes it out

back and burns it

we might as well anticipate this

we might as well burn it while we still

have some energy with which to survive it

rather than to let it gradually

contribute to our own disintegration

though in the simplification of this

type of thing we can preserve what is

truly meaningful

no one wants to suggest that anyone

gives up things that they really want or

that they really regard as necessary or valuable

valuable

but we may hope that some people will

learn to re-educate their sense of values

values

that they will gradually learn

not to hold on to things not to want

things which are in themselves useless

it is much better to clear this entire

situation before it makes life

increasingly complicated for ourselves

another problem is that no matter how

much worldly goods we store up we are

apt to store up still more

emotional and mental baggage

this also can be totally useless

first of all it may relate to things

which are uniquely of this world

therefore we're not going to be able to

take them with us anyway

and any thoughts or emotions that we

cannot take with us are no more valuable

than physical goods that we cannot take

with us

we haven't spoken to a certain relative

for 20 years and every time we think of

them we become so depleted we have to

take a new vitamin pill

we might as well get over this now

we might as well realize that unless the

things we carry in our thoughts and

emotions are good enough to live with in

eternity they're not good enough enough

to live with here today

by gradually relaxing away from these

pressures we achieve a great deal of

good for ourselves people will say

however that we can't give up these

feelings we have them

we've had an antagonism for half a

lifetime how are we suddenly going to

get over it

we can get over it but we can only get

over it by outgrowing it

we can only get over it if somewhere

along the line a little flash of insight

occurs within ourselves by which our own

attitude is basically changed

we cannot uh get over despising someone

if we really continue to loathe them

there's no answer here

but if we gradually realize behind this

situation the uselessness of our own

attitude if it dawns on us that we are

only wasting energy

and that actually if the other person

doesn't like us

and really wishes us to have a bad time

in life

there's no better way that he that he

can accomplish this than to hope that we

will keep on hating him

because if we do this we will ruin our

lives but we may not ruin his in any way

so we have to give up these things

otherwise we give all authority to our adversary

adversary

we achieve the very ends which someone

who dislikes us might hope we will come to

and that is we will ruin our own happiness

happiness

so in order to

rescue ourselves from such dilemmas we

have to sit down and think and feel

beyond them

we have to get over them as forces in

our own consciousness

one way to

find a great new vitality

is suddenly to awaken and realize

that we have accepted life that we have

accepted people as they are we have not

demanded the impossible

we have not built from a wrong

philosophy which caused us to expect the impossible

impossible

we have not endowed them with virtues

which they never possessed

nor have we endowed them with vices

which are exaggerated beyond any

reasonable degree

we have finally adjusted to the

circumstances of life

we realize that other people will have

their own thoughts whether we like it or not

not

and we stop trying to

to react

react

violently to the thinking of any other person

person

another problem that arises with

simplification is that simplicity is

closely related to beauty

wherever true beauty exists we observe

law and order

and we notice that nature in the

presentation of beauty follows very

definite canons and laws

the beauty is something which is perhaps

most clearly revealed through simplicity

therefore that everywhere in life the

dignity of living the happiness of

living the beauty of living

these are related to into simplicity

to freeing the person

from all the complications which come from

from

lack of insight into what constitutes beauty

beauty

we've had a great deal of discussion and

debate about these things through the years

years

and as we

all watch us the old city of los angeles

disappearing in front of us

as we all observe the grand old houses

that were considered works of beauty and

a joy forever 50 years ago

disappearing with all their gingerbread

domes and cupolas and things of that nature

nature

we have a touch of nostalgia

we say that

certainly these new

orange crates that are being built in

their place

but can scarcely be regarded as things

of beauty

we are right in a sense both ways

uh to the individual with the highly

cluttered mind of the victorian era

clutter was beauty

to the extreme modernist who has lost

all sense of value

that which is completely devoid of any

proportion value or symmetry is now

regarded as beauty

in both instances there is no real

appreciation of value

we do not find in the simplicity that is

now being developed

uh an artistic simplicity we find a barrenness

barrenness

and that is what we have to watch also

in our own thinking that simplification

does not lead to barrenness that is not

the end

simplification leads to grace and

insight design and order

but all things in a very quiet simple way

way

one way for example to understand this point

point

is to realize that in a sense

where we live the way we live all these

types of things

are in some way frames upon

a good picture takes a proper frame and

is better for it

an interesting person is better in a

setting that is suitable to their nature

but when the setting completely

dominates the individual we are lost

and i know a good many cases where

persons are simply overwhelmed by what

they have

they are insignificant unimportant human

beings living in the midst of

significance and importance which is not

really their own

things they have bought things they have

accumulated the individual who has very

little actual quality in his own soul

trying to get a certain reflective glory

from the fact that he owns a half a

million dollar painting

he doesn't understand the painting

he develops a terrible inferiority

complex every time he looks at it

but at the same time he seems to believe

or feel that in some way this is status

that it makes him important

and in the desperate effort to have

things make us

important we go into debt we become

overwhelmed with possessions we gain too

many responsibilities we may even assume

too much debt in the desperate effort to

have things build us up

the fact of the matter is they do the

exact reverse

for when people see us

against this tremendous tapestry of

things our own insignificance becomes

only more apparent

we are not a success in this

we do not actually deceive anyone except

another person who is making the same

mistake that we are

so we search for

what the oriental calls the shabu equality

equality

we search for that kind of setting which

becomes a gracious background

background

for a human being

if the human being is unable to

maintain himself

against this background then the

challenge is to him

if he finds that he cannot

survive his wallpaper

then it is necessary for him to consider

the survival quality of his own nature

it is necessary for him to realize that

the only way in which he can come finely

to the management of his

domicile is through

the development of a strength of

character by which what he has

becomes merely a setting for what he is

this process of trying to constantly

redecorate a home every few months

this endless irritation in which the

person feels himself out of place among

his own possessions

is another form of exhaustion

it wears us out trying to compete

with things or possessions which are not

suited to us

so we find that the wise person the

thoughtful person the intelligent person

simplifies his environment but does so graciously

graciously

so that in the

end he will have that which best reveals him

him

best sustains him

not that which at any time or for any

reason overwhelms him if he is

overwhelmed he is lost

and too many people today are overwhelmed

overwhelmed

in fact the whole world is overwhelmed

by the physical situations that have arisen

arisen

man is getting lost

in the universe of his own achievements

man is no longer able

to use his background properly it has

moved into the foreground and destroyed him

him

this conflict does cause nervousness

tension unhappiness and i know many

people have been made very ill by it

so we take hold of these situations and

we try to the best of our ability to

handle them more intelligently and more

in the process of simplification we have

to realize

also that exactly

is a great labor saver

there are many ways of approximating something

something

but nearly all trial and error methods

result in exhaustion of resource

the individual who knows exactly what he

is doing

can do it quickly

the individual who knows exactly what he

means can say it simply

but the person who is not quite sure

must drown his uncertainties in a sea of words

words

so always

the individual

who gains a certitude of

realization within himself

can do things simply

when we know exactly what is necessary

we can achieve this end with a minimum

of effort on our own part

but when we are not sure

we must try

too hard we must work too long

we must correct too many mistakes that

we ourselves make as we go along

and all of this is energy wasting

resource destroying

as we become

more and more nervous and tense under

the pressure of circumstances

if we do not have resources within

ourselves we have to develop

excessive escape mechanisms

the individual who reaches a degree of

tension in which he must be at something

every minute gradually

gradually

destroys all of his energy resources

resources

it takes energy

to drive a freeway

it takes energy

to activate any social project of

importance it takes energy to entertain

friends it takes energy to go out and be

entertained by other friends

the energies required for the various

social activities of life today are so

excessive that it means that we must

think these things through very

carefully and decide what we really want

to do

to do those things which best express

and best reveal our own basic needs

so the person who finds it necessary to

constantly escape

or extrovert from some pressured

situation that has arisen within himself

must begin to study

the conservation of his own resources

to do this he must begin to eliminate

useless activities

now i know there's a great problem we

have here in california of where people live

live

they live great distances from their employment

employment

they do this in order to achieve certain ends

ends

let's consider for a moment just what

this means in terms of energy exhaustion

not long ago an experiment was made

scientifically which proved that it

required more nervous energy to drive

the freeway

than it did to put a man in orbit

it was less

mental emotional physical straight to be

shot into the stratosphere

than to go along a few miles of local traffic

traffic

this means that whether we realize it or

not we are using up precious resources

now it's very often necessary that we do

perhaps for the maintenance of our

economy make these trips but we

certainly should consider them reduce

their number as far as possible

and choose wherever we can

less frequented highways

it may take a little longer

but the individual may live a little

longer we cannot afford to carelessly

waste life

because this energy cannot be

continuously renewed

we are gradually wearing out whether we

know it or not

and it is desirable for most people that

they wear out as slowly as possible

so we have to keep this type of thinking

constantly in mind

realizing always that there are certain

basic confusions from which we can

constantly suffer

it is also important therefore that we

develop basic attitudes which will help

to simplify confusion

one of the most important of all basic

attitudes is to simplify our words

to bring them within a pattern of

graciousness and at the same time a

pratt a pattern of practicality

competitive warranting is one of the

dangers of our time

the individual wants too many things and

having them he has to live with them and

they gradually exhaust him

so it is in all these different problems

that we face

that we should regardless of prevailing

attitudes and prevailing tendencies and prevailing

prevailing policies

policies

we should always work for an economy of

energy an economy of the unnecessary

reducing things to their most gracious

and natural possibilities

possibilities

to do this we may have to stand a

certain amount of public criticism

we will not be understood if we do not conform

conform

so we have to decide somewhere along the

line whether we wish to conform and be exhausted

exhausted

or be misunderstood and have a little

more energy to do the things we want to do

in the last analysis there's probably

nothing more dangerous than being

understood socrates pointed that out

on one occasion after one of his

discourses there was a wild burst of

applause from the audience

socrates was greatly disturbed

he said what foolish thing have i said

that so many people should appreciate it

now this business of

trying to conform is just about that

we confirm with people whose taste is no

good in the first place we follow

policies that have never produced

anything for anybody

and because we have the applause of

others who are no

wiser than ourselves we consider that we

have achieved something

let us get away from all of this type of thinking

thinking

and get down to the kind of thinking

that really will will profit us will

give us true

true

energy release

one thing to do perhaps is to divide

our belongings and possessions into the

kind of things that help us and the kind

of things that hurt us let us get rid

first of all the things that hurt

because hurt pain

is an energy

destroying thing

not only do we lose energy from pain but

we lose energy from the fact that nature

has to throw more energy in to help us

to recover from the pain

so we lose both ways

so look around you

if you have things around you

that are associated with negative

attitudes negative thoughts negative reactions

reactions

get rid of them

get rid of things that cause you

a negative response by their very

existence even though you may cherish

them even more though you may regard

them as valuable

pass them on to other people who perhaps

can enjoy the things because they do not

have the personal association factors

which make these things dangerous to you

time and time again someone will take

the old family bible into a second-hand bookstore

bookstore

the book dealer will look it over and

say well what do you want for it

the person who says well that was

father's bible

and he got it from his father

that bible has been in our family for 75

years it's priceless

the book dealer looks it over again says

probably i'll give you 50 cents for it

now that is how priceless it is

and that just how priceless it really is

to the owner

the rest of it is all sentiment

we don't realize when we nurse these old

belongings that the bible perhaps

reminds us that grandfather was no good

on the front page are all our relatives

signatures who have died

also it reminds us of misfortunes and

situations that have arisen in the

family for three generations

but to a person who buys the book from

the book dealer this is not important

so another individual can enjoy the fine

old bible while that same book is

hurting us

so the book dealer should have it for 50 cents

cents

in fact we should pay him a couple of

because in so doing we have saved a part

now if we have gradually emancipated

ourselves from this family background so

that the book really stood there because

it was a fine old morocco bound volume

gave a certain sense of dignity there

are many people who feel a fine old

bible should be out somewhere visible in

every dignified home

if it has lost its power to hurt it

still has not lost its power

to perhaps clutter

when a very nice new simple book the

deeply bound that would go on the shelf

properly would carry the same importance

to us and be perhaps a great release

from this old odd-shaped

odd-shaped

massive family tome

so why do we have sentiment about these

things this sentiments can sometimes add

to our misfortune

the same is very true of old family

portraits and things of this nature

they are meaningless to anyone but

ourselves they're meaningless to the

but if they are in any way dragging down

our psychology of life if they're

becoming difficult for us to live with

if they are difficult for us to ship

from place to place and dust every day

then simplification says

that all of the things the symbols the

principles for which these old pictures

stand have their own life and their own

value we are not disrespectful

we are not in any way

endangering the values

if these portraits represented people we

knew and admired

their real portrait is in our own soul

and if there was nothing in there in

their lives that put them into our hearts

hearts

there is no keeping their pictures on

little by little we can get rid of these things

things

little by little we can weed out

elements that are of no particular value

knickknacks also calls for weeding every

once in a while

knickknacks like art are things that we outgrow

outgrow

anything that we outgrow and keep we

have to serve

it no longer serves us in any way it is

simply a dust catcher

so if we have outgrown it pass it on to

someone else who needs it

if a quality of art that we no longer

regard as great still remains in our

possession move it along

if we doesn't do anything for us the

blank place where it stood is more important

important

if it is still serving us if it makes us

better people keep it

if it doesn't make us better people move

it on

there's somebody who needs it

and if in the course of this procedure

we discover that we have new needs

then we sometimes have to make a very

definite decision in life

if something of beauty something of

fineness has developed in our lives if

so we suddenly sense a need for music if

we suddenly sense a need for paintings

or art or sculpturing

then we may have to add things

but we have to add them because we need them

them

we have to add them because they serve

our consciousness

or that we feel that we are elected to

protect them for a common good

we have to have motives and reasons

and values that are adequate

and where anything has ceased to be

valuable then we must let it go

if we hold onto it beyond the point of value

value

we are destroying something of our own

integration we are losing our own values

and most of all we move this away from

the things around us to the things

within us

and we try to simplify our way of life

in the development of private

philosophies we are apt to get into the

danger of complexity

we are liable to have two or three

different systems of belief that do not

agree but we like them all

therefore at one time or another we try

to apply them all

and because they do not work together we

frequently create confusion

which would not be true if we had

integrated our own concepts in the first place

place

one of the most important elements of

the simplification of life is therefore

the clarification of our religious

philosophical principles

we have to have them in a way that we

can understand them

if we do not understand them clearly we

will misunderstand them continuously

if they are not understood also they do

not have a dynamic for us

when we have a mass of beliefs which are

but poorly digested none of them really

serve us

we find our memories being used to

perpetuate these beliefs rather than to

gain courage from them

if we have to defend beliefs we are in trouble

trouble

because a belief which we have only

understood to the degree that we have to

defend it is not serving us

we are soldiering for it

actually the things that are true need

no defense they cannot be assailed

no individual has to ever defend the principle

principle

all he has to do is exemplify it and

this saves a tremendous amount of energy

also where we find that other people do

not agree with our principles do not see

things our way we frequently go on to

the energy defensive

we try to force their understanding we

do it with the best meeting of the world

we want them to be better people we know

they're in trouble we'd like to get them

out of trouble but it usually ends up by

our getting into the trouble

we cannot force enlightenment

we cannot press insight upon another person

person

and if we try at all

if if there is any hope of success or

any hope of contributing anything

it must be on the level of absolute simplicity

simplicity

the individual must

use only the simplest of his faculties

to understand this with

if we can get our thoughts so very

straight and so very simple

perhaps we might reach him in part but

the more complicated our ideas are the

more certainly he will never be able to

understand them

in the same particular problem we have

to decide in our own minds what we can

use out of wisdom there are many great

principles in life which we can learn

but we can never use them

it is far better for us to admit they

exist and not spend too much time on them

them

because if we spend too much time on

them we will never have any time to use

the principles that we do have need to

apply in our daily lives

so never allow abstractions

never allow vast cosmic problems to

become so important

that we have no time to do the things

that immediately need doing

though in study we have this problem

constantly in front of us

study is a fascinating thing especially

in religion and philosophy

and we are very much inclined to take a

philosophy that interests us

and carry it too far into abstraction

we study it day after day after day and

night after night i know people that

study six and eight hours a day they

have studied so industriously they

haven't had a moment in which to apply

they have stored up a lot of treasures

but i'm afraid not in heaven

they have stored them up in their own minds

minds

and they become tremendously excited

about it

but these same people become very

unhappy when they observe a scientist

becoming absorbed in some scientific

problem of his own that seems important

to him but not to other people

but you could do the same thing in

religion and philosophy

you can become so involved in the

situation that you never have a time or

opportunity to work with it

now it's very interesting to learn for

instance the mysteries of first cause

and of ultimates and to try to plumb the

infinite nature of deity and things of

this kind

they become fascinating problems

even these however are not the worst complications

complications

the worst complications lie generally in

the middle distances

uh we may come to the conclusion that uh

a certain kind of primordial principle

resides the source of life in other

words we may come to our definition of deity

deity

though this definition of deity can help us

because after all deity to the average

individual is an ideal statement

it is a statement of the best that he

knows the most that he is

and in some way it ties into his entire

ethical moral spiritual conviction

if he could get a truly clear concept of

his own idea about god

it tells him most of what he needs to

know about himself

it tells him most of what he needs to

know about how he should grow and how he

should think and how he should build

so this basic conviction is usually good

and most religious philosophies uh make

strong point of the importance of it

but then we pass into this great mystery

which no one has ever been able to

completely solve to universal satisfaction

satisfaction

and that is the outflowing of this deity

the infinite manifestation of it in the

infinite processes of life

these processes are too complicated for

us to understand

too remote for us to be able to grasp

and usually too abstract for us to use

even if we understood them

so we have to have a watchfulness we may

want a skeletal outline of how we

believe things happen

we may want a few brief definitions of

the processes of the cosmos

but we do not want to get so involved in this

this

that we gradually find ourselves falling

into a strange kind of orthodoxy

it may be a heterodox kind of orthodoxy

a private one but it is still infinitely

orthodox to us

and in the interesting mental

speculations that arise from these things

things

we gain a tremendous exhilaration when

we think we have solved something

we gain a tremendous sense of enthusiasm

almost a mystical a perception when we

believe that we have been able to take

some abstraction and fit it into another abstraction

abstraction

or that it seems as though we have

discovered some abstract principle of

yoga or something of that nature it all

seems perfectly fascinating and we can

go on and make a life out of this

we can make a life of simply putting

together the intricate parts of a

strange pattern

when we put it together it satisfies us

it may not satisfy anyone else

but it is our solution and we have a

series of mental experiences

but what we have forgotten entirely is

that we are simply doing a kind of

mental gymnastic

we are employing the mind

we are completely concerned with these

mental processes and yet uh the same persons

persons

are being imposed upon by their

relatives they are unable to take care

of their own common daily affairs any

better than they did before

and they and the advice which they give

to others from this vast structure of

their own thinking is an abomination in

the majority of cases

they simply do not

make the adjustments

using a tremendous amount of energy a

vast amount of time

trying to create a universe i know

people for example who have spent a

lifetime trying to decide what life was

like on the other side of the grave

they really didn't have to they'll find

out in due course

they would have been much wiser have

they tried to find out what life was on

this side of the grave

because here is where they have to live now

now

when the time comes they'll find those answers

answers

but they must not overlook the

importance of now

so i think it is quite true

uh what the mystic has found out and

what we find in zen and certain other philosophies

philosophies

that namely the experiences that we need

to have in the form of insight

come to us very simply and very

naturally if we will relax

it is true that we need a basic pattern

of law

it is true that perhaps every individual

in the course of a lifetime

should have a conviction that is based

upon we might say three or four hundred

hours of fairly careful thinking

during the course of a lifetime this is

not too much

it means that we have gradually come to

certain principles by which we are not

going to be deceived or overwhelmed by

the superstitions around us

but having gotten our principles straight

straight

i think we come very close to this

problem in following the concepts taught

by buddha

namely that we are not

to go off into this infinite

consideration of abstraction

but we are to take all knowledge that is

available to us

and apply it immediately to the problem

of our own existence

unless we solve something in ourselves

our knowledge is vain

therefore we need only that much abstract knowledge

abstract knowledge as it's necessary to create a practical

as it's necessary to create a practical concrete pattern

concrete pattern that is suitable to protect us from

that is suitable to protect us from common era

common era and to keep our minds and hearts

and to keep our minds and hearts and natures

and natures dedicated fairly closely

dedicated fairly closely to the essential principles of daily

to the essential principles of daily existence

existence so that

so that energy says that we can't afford too

energy says that we can't afford too much abstraction

much abstraction i have known several instances in which

i have known several instances in which persons who spent too much time in these

persons who spent too much time in these abstract situations

abstract situations actually came to an acute state of

actually came to an acute state of mental fatigue

mental fatigue i know one individual who finally passed

i know one individual who finally passed through what was almost equivalent to a

through what was almost equivalent to a mental stroke

mental stroke this person exhausted the energy of

this person exhausted the energy of think of the thinking process until he

think of the thinking process until he had a violent disability in this area

had a violent disability in this area did not be that he lost his mind he did

did not be that he lost his mind he did not

not but it meant that from that time on he

but it meant that from that time on he was simply unable to do any more of that

was simply unable to do any more of that kind of thinking

kind of thinking he ran into immediate fatigue

he ran into immediate fatigue nature was telling him he'd done too

nature was telling him he'd done too much the first place

much the first place but he wouldn't believe it until nature

but he wouldn't believe it until nature stepped in and forced him to stop

stepped in and forced him to stop something

something which in itself was no longer profitable

which in itself was no longer profitable or necessary to him

so we do realize the importance of keeping learning within the range or

keeping learning within the range or area of things that can be done with it

area of things that can be done with it and never permitted to simply exist

and never permitted to simply exist completely for its own sake

completely for its own sake if we could do the same thing with the

if we could do the same thing with the common daily knowledge that we have we

common daily knowledge that we have we could finally end by conserving

could finally end by conserving resources through using knowledge

resources through using knowledge when we use so much energy getting the

when we use so much energy getting the knowledge

knowledge we have practically no resource left

we have practically no resource left with which to apply it

with which to apply it so this is something that every student

so this is something that every student should bear in mind

should bear in mind namely that to get the principles clear

namely that to get the principles clear and then apply them simply

and then apply them simply to simple

to simple normal objectives of

normal objectives of and so we find that the simple ways to

and so we find that the simple ways to achieve ends is to discover for example

achieve ends is to discover for example that we are in a universe of law and

that we are in a universe of law and order in a few hours if our

order in a few hours if our consciousness is reasonably awakened

consciousness is reasonably awakened we can become aware of this universe we

we can become aware of this universe we can sense it around us

can sense it around us we can become addicted to the conviction

we can become addicted to the conviction that there is a universe of principles

that there is a universe of principles operating having come to this point we

operating having come to this point we have all that is necessary in the

have all that is necessary in the abstract

abstract now we have to begin to make these

now we have to begin to make these principles

principles uh work in operation

uh work in operation uh

uh learning how to live within

learning how to live within this grand pattern that we have sensed

this grand pattern that we have sensed to be true

to be true and this grand pattern is complete

and this grand pattern is complete comparatively simple

comparatively simple one of the common uh factors for

one of the common uh factors for instance

instance that we have

that we have out of the concept of buddhism

out of the concept of buddhism at the time when the

at the time when the same east government or the government

same east government or the government of thailand

of thailand issued its official bulletin for the

issued its official bulletin for the 2500th anniversary of the birth buddha

2500th anniversary of the birth buddha it contained within the booklet one very

it contained within the booklet one very simple statement

simple statement a statement that perhaps summarized

a statement that perhaps summarized buddhism as well as anyone could

buddhism as well as anyone could summarize it

summarize it just three words purify the mind

just three words purify the mind now that doesn't take a great deal of

now that doesn't take a great deal of wording to get that far you see you can

wording to get that far you see you can write that down or think that up or

write that down or think that up or remember that in a few minutes

remember that in a few minutes but that's only the beginning of the

but that's only the beginning of the problem

problem the problem then is do it

the problem then is do it and the

and the problem of doing it

problem of doing it is the great application of wisdom

is the great application of wisdom to purify the mind means to relieve the

to purify the mind means to relieve the mind

mind of all that of its own thinking which is

of all that of its own thinking which is destructive

to purify the mind means to reduce the waste of energy in the mind

waste of energy in the mind to the point that every part of mental

to the point that every part of mental energy is used to advance individual and

energy is used to advance individual and collective good

collective good this is a tremendous thing in itself

this is a tremendous thing in itself it is so simple as a term

it is so simple as a term very few persons who would think of the

very few persons who would think of the term would not be able to understand it

term would not be able to understand it well enough to to get a sensing of what

well enough to to get a sensing of what it means

it means so simplification can begin

so simplification can begin with this process of purifying the mind

with this process of purifying the mind by purifying the mind we say to

by purifying the mind we say to ourselves what is pure and what is

ourselves what is pure and what is impure

impure and we must come finally to the decision

and we must come finally to the decision that everything that is destructive

that everything that is destructive everything that is hurtful

everything that is hurtful everything that is negative everything

everything that is negative everything that is unfair everything that is unjust

that is unfair everything that is unjust everything that is unkind

everything that is unkind must in some way or another be impure

must in some way or another be impure if we could really take that simple

if we could really take that simple thought and apply it to our our lives

thought and apply it to our our lives we would gradually create a tremendous

we would gradually create a tremendous overtone of value

overtone of value and this overtone would make life much

and this overtone would make life much simpler

simpler it would make energy much more available

it would make energy much more available to us and would prevent most of the

to us and would prevent most of the wasting of energy which is now due to

wasting of energy which is now due to uh our mental attitudes

uh our mental attitudes to purify the mind implies also in

to purify the mind implies also in general

general to redeem the emotional content of the

to redeem the emotional content of the mind

mind so that thoughts and emotions

so that thoughts and emotions will be pure

will be pure if thought and emotion are pure action

if thought and emotion are pure action will be pure

will be pure if these things are clear and right and

if these things are clear and right and simple

simple then all values will be what they should

then all values will be what they should be

be and by this very process in itself we

and by this very process in itself we would come to the simple life

would come to the simple life not the simple life of the individual

not the simple life of the individual who goes out of the forest and tries to

who goes out of the forest and tries to live on acorns

live on acorns but the simple life of the civilized

but the simple life of the civilized being

being whose entire attention

whose entire attention is centered upon values

is centered upon values upon those things which by the doing of

upon those things which by the doing of them

them achieves the greatest wisest noblest and

achieves the greatest wisest noblest and most virtuous applications of energy

most virtuous applications of energy the simple way then for every individual

the simple way then for every individual is to gradually take destructiveness out

is to gradually take destructiveness out of his concepts out of his life

of his concepts out of his life out of his way of thinking

out of his way of thinking how will he be able to discover

how will he be able to discover destructiveness

destructiveness well one way i think you could do it but

well one way i think you could do it but i think it'd be a rather tedious one and

i think it'd be a rather tedious one and that is to use a tape recorder

that is to use a tape recorder if for example an individual would keep

if for example an individual would keep a tape running through the day of his

a tape running through the day of his life

life particularly

particularly if he could live just the same way not

if he could live just the same way not trying to accommodate to this tape

trying to accommodate to this tape but simply living as he normally does he

but simply living as he normally does he would learn in a few hours or a few days

would learn in a few hours or a few days certainly

certainly what is destructive in what he was doing

what is destructive in what he was doing the first place he would find out what

the first place he would find out what hurts his own voice

hurts his own voice he would hear sharpness bitterness

he would hear sharpness bitterness anger

anger he would hear impatience and sense the

he would hear impatience and sense the emotional uh destructiveness of it

emotional uh destructiveness of it nature will tell him very simply that

nature will tell him very simply that anything that he has to dis it has to

anything that he has to dis it has to express

express in an unpleasant way

in an unpleasant way must be in itself wrong

must be in itself wrong he will realize that when he is kind and

he will realize that when he is kind and sympathetic his voice is kind and

sympathetic his voice is kind and sympathetic and that in this kind and

sympathetic and that in this kind and sympathetic voice he wins friends he

sympathetic voice he wins friends he makes people respect him he is

makes people respect him he is recognized as a kindly benevolent person

recognized as a kindly benevolent person and then comes that tone of nagging he

and then comes that tone of nagging he hears it himself he won't like it

hears it himself he won't like it he will wonder how he gets along with it

he will wonder how he gets along with it then he suddenly realizes that he's

then he suddenly realizes that he's become so accustomed to himself that he

become so accustomed to himself that he no longer questions his own destructive

no longer questions his own destructive uses of energy

uses of energy but you can tell by the voice

but you can tell by the voice you could tell by your own voice in the

you could tell by your own voice in the course of days

course of days what is good and what is bad in what you

what is good and what is bad in what you are saying and the thoughts behind them

are saying and the thoughts behind them you can tell what is brittle what is

you can tell what is brittle what is harsh

harsh you can tell

you can tell not only from the words but from the way

not only from the words but from the way they are spoken

they are spoken you will make another interesting

you will make another interesting discovery namely that wrong words

discovery namely that wrong words really always have to be spoken

really always have to be spoken harshly or unpleasantly

harshly or unpleasantly the words form their own kind of

the words form their own kind of expression

expression when you're criticizing someone you're

when you're criticizing someone you're not only saying something but you are

not only saying something but you are vitalizing what you say

vitalizing what you say by a peculiar symbolic use of your own

by a peculiar symbolic use of your own voice

voice by uh

by uh they pressure upon your own

they pressure upon your own uh wording and thinking

uh wording and thinking so you will find pressured words

so you will find pressured words you will find words that are barked out

you will find words that are barked out rather than spoken

rather than spoken you will find words that obviously come

you will find words that obviously come too rapidly to be well thought

too rapidly to be well thought you come to all kinds of semantic

you come to all kinds of semantic peculiarities and in a very short time

peculiarities and in a very short time you can tell yourself what you are

you can tell yourself what you are saying that is good and what is not good

saying that is good and what is not good you can learn your own bad habits

you can learn your own bad habits you can also learn how you can say a

you can also learn how you can say a true thing so badly that it is worse

true thing so badly that it is worse than a lie

than a lie you can learn how you can take all the

you can learn how you can take all the beauty out of the ten commandments and

beauty out of the ten commandments and out of the sermon on the mount

out of the sermon on the mount if you use it bitterly to attain some

if you use it bitterly to attain some end of your own

end of your own you learn that behind words are

you learn that behind words are inflections tones that represent the

inflections tones that represent the degree of your own conscious

degree of your own conscious participation

participation in the understanding which you may claim

in the understanding which you may claim to possess

to possess you will also realize

you will also realize that as you gain understanding and

that as you gain understanding and insight and interior interior control

insight and interior interior control that you will speak quietly that you

that you will speak quietly that you will speak gently

will speak gently that you will not shout that you will

that you will not shout that you will not try to dominate conversation

not try to dominate conversation and from the way you very the very way

and from the way you very the very way you speak you can find out which of your

you speak you can find out which of your words are valuable and which are not

words are valuable and which are not you will gradually realize that as you

you will gradually realize that as you relax internally your words will be more

relax internally your words will be more beautiful

beautiful and because they are beautiful they will

and because they are beautiful they will be more valuable

be more valuable it is not necessary to increase a

it is not necessary to increase a vocabulary in order

vocabulary in order to

to say what you really believe

say what you really believe the very simplest of words become

the very simplest of words become garland with beauty

garland with beauty and with meaning and with overtones if

and with meaning and with overtones if they're used from a great source of

they're used from a great source of spiritual strength within yourself

spiritual strength within yourself so little by little through the

so little by little through the observation of your own ways you could

observation of your own ways you could find out how you were wasting energy

find out how you were wasting energy you can find out that every destructive

you can find out that every destructive thought and emotion is a waste

thought and emotion is a waste that every unkind word is a waste

that every unkind word is a waste because it is producing nothing

because it is producing nothing what tears down does no good

what tears down does no good we have to we like to think of course

we have to we like to think of course that we must be critics that we must

that we must be critics that we must constantly pass judgment on things this

constantly pass judgment on things this is not true

is not true we only have to state the truth of the

we only have to state the truth of the thing

thing say it without belligerence say it

say it without belligerence say it without

without any sense of personal

any sense of personal uh dysplasia

uh dysplasia in the presence of the truth

in the presence of the truth uh that which is real will reveal itself

uh that which is real will reveal itself we do not need to fight with error

we do not need to fight with error we do not need to argue with it

we do not need to argue with it all we have to do is have the simple

all we have to do is have the simple facts within our own consciousness they

facts within our own consciousness they will present themselves and defend

will present themselves and defend themselves with a minimum of energy and

themselves with a minimum of energy and a minimum of wasted effort

a minimum of wasted effort so we started by trying to save these

so we started by trying to save these things

things and we observe everything within

and we observe everything within ourselves which tires us out

ourselves which tires us out we realize that whenever we have a bad

we realize that whenever we have a bad mood we have a period of depletion

mood we have a period of depletion so if you wake up in the morning someday

so if you wake up in the morning someday you feel unusually tired a little bit

you feel unusually tired a little bit off kilter

off kilter and you have this idea that you got out

and you have this idea that you got out of bed on the wrong side

of bed on the wrong side begin to think back and see if you

begin to think back and see if you didn't go to bed on the wrong side

didn't go to bed on the wrong side make sure that somewhere within the last

make sure that somewhere within the last few days you haven't broken the pattern

few days you haven't broken the pattern of harmony

of harmony if you are having a bad time with energy

if you are having a bad time with energy see if you cannot relate it to the fact

see if you cannot relate it to the fact that the day before you lost your temper

that the day before you lost your temper or that you did an unpleasant thing of

or that you did an unpleasant thing of some kind or that you got stirred up

some kind or that you got stirred up emotionally or psychologically by some

emotionally or psychologically by some situation

situation i know people who watch the television

i know people who watch the television for two hours and are sick for a week

for two hours and are sick for a week not because they necessarily have even

not because they necessarily have even watched horror plays because there's

watched horror plays because there's nothing more horrible sometimes than a

nothing more horrible sometimes than a news release

news release but at the same time if you take on all

but at the same time if you take on all these things

these things if you get angry at everything

if you get angry at everything if you have no faith in anything if you

if you have no faith in anything if you believe everyone's a liar

believe everyone's a liar this type of attitude you'll carry it

this type of attitude you'll carry it for a while and all of a sudden you're

for a while and all of a sudden you're so tired

so tired you're not only tired but your digestion

you're not only tired but your digestion is ruined your elimination ties up

is ruined your elimination ties up every part of your nature begins to

every part of your nature begins to rebel

rebel very soon you are

very soon you are debilitated you're not happy anymore

debilitated you're not happy anymore you're not healthy

you're not healthy because you cannot be healthy on a life

because you cannot be healthy on a life of criticism no matter how hard you try

of criticism no matter how hard you try now you may believe this criticism is

now you may believe this criticism is justified and that somebody's got to

justified and that somebody's got to stand up and tell the truth

stand up and tell the truth everyone has to stand up and tell the

everyone has to stand up and tell the truth

truth but

but if you quietly rise and quietly tell it

if you quietly rise and quietly tell it you're all right

you're all right but when you get up with a great deal of

but when you get up with a great deal of excitement and instead of telling the

excitement and instead of telling the truth spend all your time trying to

truth spend all your time trying to point out that the other fellow is a

point out that the other fellow is a liar

liar then your energy goes down

then your energy goes down because it's not supposed to be done

because it's not supposed to be done this way

this way so wherever you find

so wherever you find loss of energy look back and see what

loss of energy look back and see what you're doing that is wrong if you're

you're doing that is wrong if you're tired out all the time there is

tired out all the time there is something wrong in your conduct pattern

something wrong in your conduct pattern there has to be

there has to be now perhaps you are trying to carry too

now perhaps you are trying to carry too heavy a

heavy a although research indicates that

although research indicates that responsibility well carried is seldom

responsibility well carried is seldom the cause of exhaustion

the cause of exhaustion the cause of exhaustion is

the cause of exhaustion is escaping of energy into areas where you

escaping of energy into areas where you cannot constructively control it

cannot constructively control it so again simplification helps to bring

so again simplification helps to bring these values into focus

these values into focus we can face any problem that we can

we can face any problem that we can understand

understand to individuals looking at a television

to individuals looking at a television program to one of them it is a very

program to one of them it is a very serious irritation

serious irritation another person looking at the same

another person looking at the same program with a different point of view

program with a different point of view may not be irritated

may not be irritated i know there are cases in which programs

i know there are cases in which programs come along that are very difficult for

come along that are very difficult for some people to watch

some people to watch other people

other people are grateful

are grateful for the ideas that these programs

for the ideas that these programs stimulate although the program itself

stimulate although the program itself might not be the direct cause of the

might not be the direct cause of the association

association but sometimes we learn things and helps

but sometimes we learn things and helps us to know

us to know if we can learn without tension

if we can learn without tension if we can accept without

if we can accept without over acceptance without accepting

over acceptance without accepting anything that is not true

anything that is not true but if we can take all things that come

but if we can take all things that come to us and use them for the enlargement

to us and use them for the enlargement of our own insight they can serve us

of our own insight they can serve us sometimes very indirectly but definitely

sometimes very indirectly but definitely if however we meet these things with

if however we meet these things with resistance we simply de-vitalize

resistance we simply de-vitalize ourselves

ourselves so when you ever we

so when you ever we begin to note that the energy supply is

begin to note that the energy supply is inadequate then comes the time to look

inadequate then comes the time to look back

back and see what we are doing that we no

and see what we are doing that we no longer have to do

longer have to do how we can get away from this complex

how we can get away from this complex situation by giving up a bad habit

situation by giving up a bad habit if we do not give up the bad habit it

if we do not give up the bad habit it will lead us to the grave there's no

will lead us to the grave there's no escaping

escaping we cannot bargain with a bad habit

we cannot bargain with a bad habit we cannot say we'll do what we please

we cannot say we'll do what we please and correct it later

and correct it later we have to face

we have to face the inevitable consequences of action

the inevitable consequences of action if people would just realize this

if people would just realize this they could say to themselves very

they could say to themselves very sharply very definitely when the need

sharply very definitely when the need arises it would be very nice at this

arises it would be very nice at this moment for me to get mad at someone

moment for me to get mad at someone but i can't afford it i simply cannot

but i can't afford it i simply cannot afford it

afford it or at some other occasion we say well

or at some other occasion we say well that person over there is talking making

that person over there is talking making a perfect fool out of himself i think

a perfect fool out of himself i think i'll go over and correct him

i'll go over and correct him i think i will talk louder than he does

i think i will talk louder than he does i will say all kinds of things more

i will say all kinds of things more rapidly than he can say them and i'll

rapidly than he can say them and i'll show our wrong ears

show our wrong ears then we have to pause

then we have to pause to decide which one of the biblical

to decide which one of the biblical admonitions we are going to follow

admonitions we are going to follow and the bible is so convenient to these

and the bible is so convenient to these matters

matters i remember two verses bearing on this

i remember two verses bearing on this subject one says answer a fool according

subject one says answer a fool according to his folly and not far away is another

to his folly and not far away is another verse answer not a fool according to his

verse answer not a fool according to his folly you can make your own choice

but i think either way you think of it is that the answer is as foolish as the

is that the answer is as foolish as the fool himself

fool himself so we can decide where our values lie

so we can decide where our values lie we can look at problems and we can say

we can look at problems and we can say the principles are

the principles are thus

thus the principle of this matter is that i

the principle of this matter is that i should have tolerance

should have tolerance at the moment i feel exactly as though

at the moment i feel exactly as though i'd like to be intolerant

i'd like to be intolerant but i can't afford it

but i can't afford it we cannot afford to break the rules

we cannot afford to break the rules we cannot afford the smallest thing to

we cannot afford the smallest thing to break them

break them the parent can't afford to break them in

the parent can't afford to break them in working with the child who wears it out

working with the child who wears it out and worries it to distraction

and worries it to distraction it isn't the child who causes the

it isn't the child who causes the distraction finally it's the fact that

distraction finally it's the fact that we become tired we are fatigued we can

we become tired we are fatigued we can no longer handle these things

no longer handle these things but if we can achieve a quietude within

but if we can achieve a quietude within ourselves we can handle them

ourselves we can handle them and whenever we have an outburst even

and whenever we have an outburst even though it is the most righteous form of

though it is the most righteous form of indignation we have heard something

indignation we have heard something nature does not want it that way

nature does not want it that way nature does not want negative vibrations

nature does not want negative vibrations to be released into space by anybody

to be released into space by anybody for any reason

for any reason everything must be cured by an insight

everything must be cured by an insight greater than the problem and if we grow

greater than the problem and if we grow bigger than the problem we can solve it

bigger than the problem we can solve it simply and directly

simply and directly if it is greater than we are it is

if it is greater than we are it is unsolvable no matter how loudly we shout

unsolvable no matter how loudly we shout so we say save energy conserve resources

so we say save energy conserve resources reduce tension and try

reduce tension and try to keep

to keep all of our vital resources

all of our vital resources for the long pull

for the long pull if we have to use energy we want to use

if we have to use energy we want to use it creatively

it creatively if we want to use it creatively it's far

if we want to use it creatively it's far better for this energy to be used in the

better for this energy to be used in the writing of a beautiful point

writing of a beautiful point or in the making of a wonderful painting

or in the making of a wonderful painting or the molding of a beautiful piece of

or the molding of a beautiful piece of ceramics whatever energy we have should

ceramics whatever energy we have should be used for good purpose

be used for good purpose if we use it for good purpose

if we use it for good purpose nature will not penalize

nature will not penalize us now it seems sometimes i know that

us now it seems sometimes i know that i know a case where a person

i know a case where a person really had a wonderful time being

really had a wonderful time being disagreeable

disagreeable they really did a splendid job of it

they really did a splendid job of it they enjoyed every moment of it

they enjoyed every moment of it they they got a feedish look in their

they they got a feedish look in their eye when they were saying something that

eye when they were saying something that hurt somebody it was a look of triumph

hurt somebody it was a look of triumph if they could get the other person

if they could get the other person discomforted

discomforted this individual couldn't reason

this individual couldn't reason they liked it that way they'd never had

they liked it that way they'd never had so much fun in their life as when they

so much fun in their life as when they were trying to embarrass somebody else

were trying to embarrass somebody else [Music]

[Music] after about 20 years of this they landed

after about 20 years of this they landed as most people do with this type of a

as most people do with this type of a problem in the psychiatrist's office

problem in the psychiatrist's office and from that point on they didn't have

and from that point on they didn't have any fun at all

from that time on they were miserable they discovered gradually at great

they discovered gradually at great expense that this attitude had led the

expense that this attitude had led the way to another

way to another vast span of time 10 or 15 years it took

vast span of time 10 or 15 years it took getting over having fun doing the wrong

getting over having fun doing the wrong thing

thing this person finally

this person finally reached the point where their

reached the point where their temperament

temperament was completely out of control

was completely out of control they had

they had destroyed

destroyed the integrity of their lives doing what

the integrity of their lives doing what they wanted to do

they wanted to do then came that great period of

then came that great period of repentance

repentance but repentance is expensive it is not

but repentance is expensive it is not easy to repent your problems over a

easy to repent your problems over a period of years at 25 an hour

period of years at 25 an hour you begin to wish you thought

you begin to wish you thought differently

differently so wherever there seems to be any reward

so wherever there seems to be any reward for the wrong thing

for the wrong thing let us always bear in mind that it is

let us always bear in mind that it is accumulative and that it will ultimately

accumulative and that it will ultimately get us if we do not change our ways

so simplicity also points out to us the importance of the fact that simple

importance of the fact that simple direct things are easier to get over

direct things are easier to get over if we make a small quiet mistake we may

if we make a small quiet mistake we may survive it if we make a loud enough one

survive it if we make a loud enough one we're in a very bad way

we're in a very bad way if we make minor errors due to poor

if we make minor errors due to poor judgment but our hearts are in the right

judgment but our hearts are in the right place

place and we have not become

and we have not become unpleasant if we have not forced a

unpleasant if we have not forced a negative situation

negative situation uh unduly we can correct small mistakes

uh unduly we can correct small mistakes the individual making a hesitant brush

the individual making a hesitant brush stroke or a pencil line can erase it if

stroke or a pencil line can erase it if need

need but if he covers the whole paper with

but if he covers the whole paper with the wrong design then he has to throw it

the wrong design then he has to throw it away and start over again

away and start over again in psychology we see so much of this

in psychology we see so much of this tremendous impulse art

tremendous impulse art where the individual is simply fighting

where the individual is simply fighting constantly with this desperate

constantly with this desperate determination to achieve certain

determination to achieve certain purposes

purposes these purposes are wrong the individual

these purposes are wrong the individual is in trouble all the time

we can imagine the ideal situation if it could be possible for man to attain it

could be possible for man to attain it an ideal situation of gracious living

an ideal situation of gracious living of gracious simple relationship with

of gracious simple relationship with life

life of the individual who finds

of the individual who finds that the simplest and most gracious

that the simplest and most gracious types of environment

types of environment simplicity in clothing

simplicity in clothing simplicity in attitude

simplicity in attitude to live simply to eat simply to think

to live simply to eat simply to think simply but deeply

simply but deeply to fill all available part of life that

to fill all available part of life that is ours to fill when the

is ours to fill when the responsibilities are finished

responsibilities are finished with gracious simple quiet gentle

with gracious simple quiet gentle activities

activities we think probably we'd be bored to death

we think probably we'd be bored to death but we wouldn't after once we become

but we wouldn't after once we become accustomed

accustomed to the joys of reflection and peace

to the joys of reflection and peace and harmony

and harmony western man has so little experience of

western man has so little experience of the beauty

the beauty and and desirability of peace

and and desirability of peace to us everything has to be shattering it

to us everything has to be shattering it has to be colossal it has to be dramatic

has to be colossal it has to be dramatic therefore we are the most tired people

therefore we are the most tired people on earth

on earth we take more stimulants and more

we take more stimulants and more sedations in this country

sedations in this country than all the rest of the world put

than all the rest of the world put together simply because we are

together simply because we are under a constant pressure

under a constant pressure if we reduce life

if we reduce life to a livable state

to a livable state if we have the quiet dude to sit down

if we have the quiet dude to sit down read a little while take a little while

read a little while take a little while maybe have a small god do a few things

maybe have a small god do a few things in it

in it write a poem

write a poem quietly and gently

quietly and gently contemplate the tremendous values of

contemplate the tremendous values of life

life have one or two sincere friends and

have one or two sincere friends and share with them without trying to

share with them without trying to overwhelm them

overwhelm them and little by little reduce life to a

and little by little reduce life to a livable state

livable state the individual will then have

the individual will then have a great deal more energy for valuable

a great deal more energy for valuable things

things he would also find that instead of being

he would also find that instead of being bored by this simplicity that for the

bored by this simplicity that for the first time he is able to enter into a

first time he is able to enter into a deeper relationship with value

deeper relationship with value life becomes more interesting every day

life becomes more interesting every day when we simplify it

when we simplify it you would also find that his mind will

you would also find that his mind will turn from matters of little importance

turn from matters of little importance to things which are of greater

to things which are of greater substantial value

substantial value things which have lasting meaning

things which have lasting meaning that instead of worrying he will use

that instead of worrying he will use this same time to understand which is

this same time to understand which is the important thing

the important thing not so much that we learn all the time

not so much that we learn all the time but that every day every opportunity

but that every day every opportunity broadens the foundations of

broadens the foundations of understanding

understanding understanding is meaning it is the

understanding is meaning it is the putting of meaning into things or the

putting of meaning into things or the discovery of the true meaning that is in

discovery of the true meaning that is in them

them the life lived in meaning is terribly

the life lived in meaning is terribly important

important and this meeting can only come when we

and this meeting can only come when we are quiet enough

are quiet enough uh to accept it to investigate it to

uh to accept it to investigate it to consider it to seek for it

consider it to seek for it if you are looking at a picture maybe

if you are looking at a picture maybe you go to a great gallery you see a fine

you go to a great gallery you see a fine painting

painting the first time you look at it you don't

the first time you look at it you don't understand it you can't

understand it you can't you gain a certain

you gain a certain tremendous overall sense of that picture

tremendous overall sense of that picture but it is only after a long time that

but it is only after a long time that this picture really begins to mean

this picture really begins to mean something to you

something to you i had a friend many years ago was a

i had a friend many years ago was a great authority on wagnerian music

great authority on wagnerian music which is a difficult music wagner has

which is a difficult music wagner has many friends and enemies and music

many friends and enemies and music but this individual particularly like

but this individual particularly like that which has later been demonstrated

that which has later been demonstrated or gradually came to be recognized as

or gradually came to be recognized as wagner's greatest achievement and that

wagner's greatest achievement and that is the tristan of his only music

is the tristan of his only music this person said that they really began

this person said that they really began to understand tristan

to understand tristan after the 50th listening to the opera

after the 50th listening to the opera after listening 50 times with the score

after listening 50 times with the score they began to know what it meant

they began to know what it meant though it's the same thing in travel

though it's the same thing in travel if you go to a country and stay two

if you go to a country and stay two weeks you're an authority on it

weeks you're an authority on it if you live there for a year you know

if you live there for a year you know nothing about it

nothing about it if you live there for 20 years you begin

if you live there for 20 years you begin to understand it

to understand it so whatever you're doing you cannot

so whatever you're doing you cannot instantly command it

instantly command it you cannot take any subject that is of

you cannot take any subject that is of any value

any value and simply eat it

and simply eat it whole

whole devour it

devour it you have to live with it you have to

you have to live with it you have to relax to it you have to allow its

relax to it you have to allow its meaning to grow and unfold within

meaning to grow and unfold within yourself

yourself the only way this could happen

the only way this could happen whether it's philosophy or religion or

whether it's philosophy or religion or science or psychology or art or music or

science or psychology or art or music or literature

literature whatever it may be

whatever it may be you have to

you have to you have to become a friend of what you

you have to become a friend of what you want to understand

want to understand you have to gain a quiet

you have to gain a quiet honorable relationship

honorable relationship you have to give time to it and thought

you have to give time to it and thought to it and a certain amount of basic

to it and a certain amount of basic energy to it

energy to it if you're hurried all the time if you're

if you're hurried all the time if you're constantly changing from one subject to

constantly changing from one subject to another if you're meeting every

another if you're meeting every emergency with every available ounce of

emergency with every available ounce of energy

energy you can never get under the surface of

you can never get under the surface of anything

anything your energy is all gone your time is all

your energy is all gone your time is all gone

gone wasted used up

wasted used up uh dissipated without any production

uh dissipated without any production whatever

whatever if however you can simplify life to the

if however you can simplify life to the point that you have a few hours now and

point that you have a few hours now and then

then hours that have been rescued from trivia

hours that have been rescued from trivia hours that you once used to worry with

hours that you once used to worry with hours that you once used uh for argument

hours that you once used uh for argument or dissertation on useless subjects

or dissertation on useless subjects hours that were once

hours that were once spent trying to

spent trying to take care of great an establishment

take care of great an establishment uh trying to work too hard for an

uh trying to work too hard for an extravagant code of life that you could

extravagant code of life that you could do nothing with anyway

do nothing with anyway if you could rescue this time you could

if you could rescue this time you could then sit down quietly with it

then sit down quietly with it and with this quietude you can begin to

and with this quietude you can begin to understand things

understand things you can begin to penetrate into the

you can begin to penetrate into the source of things

source of things and every amount of energy that you

and every amount of energy that you conserve by the simplification of life

conserve by the simplification of life gives you penetrating power in areas

gives you penetrating power in areas where you really want to know something

you can quietly understand friendship but it will take years

but it will take years you can quietly understand the needs of

you can quietly understand the needs of children but it will take time

children but it will take time it takes time and relaxed energy

it takes time and relaxed energy but quietly understanding thinking

but quietly understanding thinking bringing together all the insight that

bringing together all the insight that you have you can do these things

you have you can do these things peacefully in an orderly way without

peacefully in an orderly way without destruction

destruction and a half hour of very quiet

and a half hour of very quiet recognition of the values of a situation

recognition of the values of a situation may save you a half hour

may save you a half hour mental or emotional outburst the next

mental or emotional outburst the next day

day the quiet

the quiet energizing the quiet visualization of

energizing the quiet visualization of the situation took a few units of energy

the situation took a few units of energy the anger arising from not understanding

the anger arising from not understanding takes hundreds of units of energy

takes hundreds of units of energy so by solving these problems quietly you

so by solving these problems quietly you lengthen your own life expectancy and

lengthen your own life expectancy and increase your usefulness

increase your usefulness most of all also however you come nearer

most of all also however you come nearer to the true solution

to the true solution in as much as the true solution must

in as much as the true solution must come from quiet thoughtfulness

come from quiet thoughtfulness so simplicity simply takes away all of

so simplicity simply takes away all of these factors that are not very valuable

these factors that are not very valuable and by reducing the waste

and by reducing the waste you rescue time and energy for yourself

you rescue time and energy for yourself by ordering confusion you rescue your

by ordering confusion you rescue your own peace of mind

own peace of mind so when you gradually eliminate

so when you gradually eliminate confusion you can think the person who

confusion you can think the person who is mad one minute and happy the next is

is mad one minute and happy the next is unable to think

unable to think it is only when we are quiet

it is only when we are quiet when we have a deep well-organized

when we have a deep well-organized rhythm of life that we can ever get at

rhythm of life that we can ever get at the values of things

the values of things so by simplifying away the confusion

so by simplifying away the confusion simplifying away the things that have no

simplifying away the things that have no real meaning

real meaning we come at the end to a very simple

we come at the end to a very simple approach to the things that have real

approach to the things that have real meaning

meaning and out of this comes solution and out

and out of this comes solution and out of solution comes regeneration of

of solution comes regeneration of character and code conduct

character and code conduct and we really find that it is possible

and we really find that it is possible for us to be enlightened human beings

for us to be enlightened human beings man has so many wonderful values in him

man has so many wonderful values in him that he never permits himself to express

that he never permits himself to express and he keeps the surface of his nature

and he keeps the surface of his nature so agitated by the winds of circumstance

so agitated by the winds of circumstance that we never know the deep ocean of

that we never know the deep ocean of value that lies underneath

value that lies underneath but when we simplify

but when we simplify then we become aware of the of the depth

then we become aware of the of the depth of the human being

of the human being by simplifying our attitudes we

by simplifying our attitudes we understand better these days

understand better these days by approaching the other person with

by approaching the other person with these simplified attitudes we understand

these simplified attitudes we understand his depths we get beneath this tendency

his depths we get beneath this tendency to critic criticize or condemn or to

to critic criticize or condemn or to pass quick judgment

pass quick judgment and we begin to sense the human being

and we begin to sense the human being was there and out of this comes

was there and out of this comes experience and insight and understanding

experience and insight and understanding so make life as smooth as you can

so make life as smooth as you can quiet it down

quiet it down put it in order get rid of the things

put it in order get rid of the things that will never pay off

that will never pay off get rid of the attitudes that will never

get rid of the attitudes that will never permit you to think

permit you to think get rid of the emotional pressures that

get rid of the emotional pressures that will never permit you to love or be a

will never permit you to love or be a friend to anything

friend to anything reduce these bring them down to their

reduce these bring them down to their quietudes to their simple honesties to

quietudes to their simple honesties to their natural directness

their natural directness and you will not only

and you will not only live longer but the years of life will

live longer but the years of life will be richer and you will have better

be richer and you will have better health and those critical periods

health and those critical periods when the person who has wasted energy no

when the person who has wasted energy no longer has any available at all

longer has any available at all so if you want to have happiness ahead

so if you want to have happiness ahead relax now if you want to have more

relax now if you want to have more energy later save it now

energy later save it now if you were to have greater insight

if you were to have greater insight tomorrow than you have today

tomorrow than you have today relax

relax simplify life and bring to tomorrow a

simplify life and bring to tomorrow a personality as far as possible free from

personality as far as possible free from ulterior motives and ulterior pressures

ulterior motives and ulterior pressures if you could do that

if you could do that you would have nearly as many health

you would have nearly as many health problems

problems to face as those who are thoughtless

to face as those who are thoughtless simplicity pays off

simplicity pays off it pays off every day

it pays off every day world time is up so i think we'll have

world time is up so i think we'll have to

well now we have a few announcements that i think we'll want to make first of

that i think we'll want to make first of all

all uh we have a little booklet called 10

uh we have a little booklet called 10 rules basic rules for better living

rules basic rules for better living which we think will help

which we think will help don't forget to let us have your names

don't forget to let us have your names for the mailing list if we

for the mailing list if we are not sending you a program regularly

are not sending you a program regularly we would be very happy to do so

we would be very happy to do so our most recent publication is words to

our most recent publication is words to the wise which is available on the table

the wise which is available on the table and as it has been out of print for very

and as it has been out of print for very many years

many years the chances are it'd be a useful

the chances are it'd be a useful christmas present to friends who you

christmas present to friends who you know uh have many of our other writings

know uh have many of our other writings the chances are they do not have that

the chances are they do not have that one

one i might also announce that in our gift

i might also announce that in our gift shop we have several things now i've

shop we have several things now i've been away in san francisco

been away in san francisco uh

uh ever since uh thursday morning so i

ever since uh thursday morning so i don't know what this is all about but it

don't know what this is all about but it says here that there are some christmas

says here that there are some christmas fruit cakes in the gift shop

fruit cakes in the gift shop and as i should not have them you can

and as i should not have them you can really understand that it's not at all

really understand that it's not at all desirable for me to have fruitcakes

desirable for me to have fruitcakes i hope you will buy them so that there

i hope you will buy them so that there won't be any left attempt me so anyway i

won't be any left attempt me so anyway i think you'll have an interesting time

think you'll have an interesting time looking them over

looking them over don't forget the gift shop you also will

don't forget the gift shop you also will find some last minute things such as

find some last minute things such as cards and small presents for your

cards and small presents for your friends or gift certificate which will

friends or gift certificate which will enable them to come in and select

enable them to come in and select something they might like after

something they might like after christmas if you're not sure what they

christmas if you're not sure what they would like

would like also let me remind you of the library we

also let me remind you of the library we are still exhibiting this story of the

are still exhibiting this story of the word which has had very wide recognition

word which has had very wide recognition as being an important educational

as being an important educational exhibit so we hope you will see or go

exhibit so we hope you will see or go there and visit this record of nearly 5

there and visit this record of nearly 5 000 years of man's effort

000 years of man's effort to express his own convictions

to express his own convictions speaking about this expression there is

speaking about this expression there is some very wonderful simplicity

some very wonderful simplicity one of the great things about the

one of the great things about the scriptural writings of most people

scriptural writings of most people is that of all literature they are the

is that of all literature they are the most simple

most simple there are more

there are more uh

uh ideas contained in one and two syllable

ideas contained in one and two syllable words

words in the new testament that you will find

in the new testament that you will find almost anywhere else in the literature

almost anywhere else in the literature of the world

of the world the parables the simple statements of

the parables the simple statements of things

things these are the things that live

these are the things that live and when we can begin to think simply uh

and when we can begin to think simply uh we begin to think with the ages we begin

we begin to think with the ages we begin to think of those things that endure we

to think of those things that endure we think you will enjoy this exhibition in

think you will enjoy this exhibition in the library and we hope you will visit

the library and we hope you will visit there you will also find a number of

there you will also find a number of prints and interesting objects which

prints and interesting objects which might perhaps also serve your christmas

might perhaps also serve your christmas shopping

shopping on wednesday evening of this week there

on wednesday evening of this week there will be no lecture here

will be no lecture here but the gift shop will be open wednesday

but the gift shop will be open wednesday evening

evening for those who might have a little time

for those who might have a little time at that time and i i'm not sure but uh i

at that time and i i'm not sure but uh i i suspect that

i suspect that if they friends on wednesday evening

if they friends on wednesday evening should want to see the library that that

should want to see the library that that would also be possible

would also be possible so we hope that you will be interested

so we hope that you will be interested in the uh various books and publications

in the uh various books and publications that we have to use them as christmas

that we have to use them as christmas gifts or magazine subscriptions which

gifts or magazine subscriptions which you may find helpful

you may find helpful give ideas if you can that's much better

give ideas if you can that's much better than another necktie the fellow already

than another necktie the fellow already probably has one

probably has one the uh it's too late now really perhaps

the uh it's too late now really perhaps to buy our books and read them first and

to buy our books and read them first and then give them to your friends which we

then give them to your friends which we recommend for the thrifty minded but you

recommend for the thrifty minded but you have another out also

have another out also buy them now give them to your friends

buy them now give them to your friends borrow them afterwards and read them

borrow them afterwards and read them anyway do as much of our of your

anyway do as much of our of your shopping as you can with us thank you

shopping as you can with us thank you very much

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YouTube Transcript:Manly P. Hall: Dynamics of Simplicity

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Manly P. Hall: Dynamics of Simplicity