ave　the　key　to　every　person　that　you　meet；　because　indeed　you　are　conscious　that　the　real　essence　of　that　person　is　the　same　as　your　own。　You　will　have　the　solution　of　every　event　which　happens。　For　every　event　is　（and　is　felt　to　be）　the　touch　of　the　great　Spirit　on　yours。　Can　any　description　of　Rest　be　more　perfect　than　that？　Pure　water　poured　into　pure　water。　。　。　。　There　is　no　need　to　hurry；　for　everything　will　come　in　its　good　time。　There　is　no　need　to　leave　your　place；　for　all　you　desire　is　close　at　hand。
  Here　is　another　verse　（from　the　Vagasaneyi…Samhita　Upanishad）　embodying　the　same　idea：　〃And　he　who　beholds　all　beings　in　the　Self；　and　the　Self　in　all　beings；　he　never　turns　away　from　It。　When；　to　a　man　who　understands；　the　Self　has　become　all　things；　what　sorrow；　what　trouble；　can　there　be　to　himhaving　once　beheld　that　Unity？〃What　trouble；　what　sorrow；　indeed；　when　the　universe　has　become　transparent　with　the　presences　of　all　we　love；　held　firm　in　the　One　enfolding　Presence？
  But　it　will　be　said：　〃Our　minds　are　NOT　pure　and　transparent。　More　often　they　are　muddy　and　soiledsoiled；　if　not　in　their　real　essence；　yet　by　reason　of　the　mortal　phial　in　which　they　are　contained。〃　And　that　alas！　is　true。　If　you　pour　a　phial　of　muddy　water　into　that　reservoir　which　we　described　what　will　you　see？　You　will　see　a　queer　and　ugly　cloud　formed。　And　to　how　many　of　us；　in　our　dealings　with　the　world；　does　life　take　on　just　such　a　formof　a　queer　and　ugly　cloud？
  Now　not　so　very　long　after　those　Upanishads　were　written　there　lived　in　China　that　great　Teacher；　Lao…tze；　and　he　too　had　considered　these　things。　And　he　wrotein　the　Tao…Teh…　King〃Who　is　there　who　can　make　muddy　water　clear？〃　The　question　sounds　like　a　conundrum。　For　a　moment　one　hesitates　to　answer　it。　Lao…tze；　however；　has　an　answer　ready。　He　says：　〃But　if　you　LEAVE　IT　ALONE　it　will　become　clear　of　itself。〃　That　muddy　water　of　the　mind；　muddied　by　all　the　foolish　little　thoughts　which　like　a　sediment　infest　itbut　if　you　leave　it　alone　it　will　become　clear　of　itself。　Sometimes　walking　along　the　common　road　after　a　shower　you　have　seen　pools　of　water　lying　here　and　there；　dirty　and　unsightly　with　the　mud　stirred　up　by　the　hoofs　of　men　and　animals。　And　then　returning　some　hours　afterwards　along　the　same　roadin　the　evening　and　after　the　cessation　of　trafficyou　have　looked　again；　and　lo！　each　pool　has　cleared　itself　to　a　perfect　calm；　and　has　become　a　lovely　mirror　reflecting　the　trees　and　the　clouds　and　the　sunset　and　the　stars。
  So　this　mirror　of　the　mind。　Leave　it　alone。　Let　the　ugly　sediment　of　tiresome　thoughts　and　anxieties；　and　of　fussing　over　one's　self…importances　and　duties；　settle　downand　presently　you　will　look　on　it；　and　see　something　there　which　you　never　knew　or　imagined　beforesomething　more　beautiful　than　you　ever　yet　behelda　reflection　of　the　real　and　eternal　world　such　is　only　given　to　the　mind　that　rests。
  Do　not　recklessly　spill　the　waters　of　your　mind　in　this　direction　and　in　that；　lest　you　become　like　a　spring　lost　and　dissipated　in　the　desert。
  But　draw　them　together　into　a　little　compass；　and　hold　them　still；　so　still；
  And　let　them　become　clear；　so　clearso　limpid；　so　mirror…like；
  At　last　the　mountains　and　the　sky　shall　glass　themselves　in　peaceful　beauty；
  And　the　antelope　shall　descend　to　drink；　and　the　lion　to　quench　his　thirst；
  And　Love　himself　shall　come　and　bend　over；　and　catch　his　own　likeness　in　you。＇1＇
  ＇1＇　Towards　Democracy；　p。　373。
  Yes；　there　is　this　priceless　thing　within　us；　but　hoofing　along　the　roads　in　the　mud　we　fail　to　find　it；　there　is　this　region　of　calm；　but　the　cyclone　of　the　world　raging　around　guards　us　from　entering　it。　Perhaps　it　is　best　sobest　that　the　access　to　it　should　not　be　made　too　easy。　One　day；　some　time　ago；　in　the　course　of　conversation　with　Rabindranath　Tagore　in　London；　I　asked　him　what　impressed　him　most　in　visiting　the　great　city。　He　said；　〃The　restless　incessant　movement　of　everybody。〃　I　said；　〃Yes；　they　seem　as　if　they　were　all　rushing　about　looking　for　something。〃　He　replied；　〃It　is　because　each　person　does　not　know　of　the　great　treasure　he　has　within　himself。〃
  How　then　are　we　to　reach　this　treasure　and　make　it　our　own？　How　are　we　to　attain　to　this　Stilling　of　the　Mind；　which　is　the　secret　of　all　power　and　possession？　The　thing　is　difficult；　no　doubt；　yet　as　I　tried　to　show　at　the　outset　of　this　discourse；　we　Moderns　MUST　reach　it；　we　have　got　to　attain　to　itfor　the　penalty　of　failure　is　and　must　be　widespread　Madness。
  The　power　to　still　the　mindto　be　ABLE；　mark　you；　when　you　want；　to　enter　into　the　region　of　Rest；　and　to　dismiss　or　command　your　Thoughtsis　a　condition　of　Health；　it　is　a　condition　of　all　Power　and　Energy。　For　all　health；　whether　of　mind　or　body；　resides　in　one's　relation　to　the　central　Life　within。　If　one　cannot　get　into　touch　with　THAT；　then　the　life…　forces　cannot　flow　down　into　the　organism。　Most；　perhaps　all；　disease　arises　from　the　disturbance　of　this　connection。　All　mere　hurry；　all　mere　running　after　external　things　（as　of　the　man　after　the　water…streams　on　the　mountain…top）；　inevitably　breaks　it。　Let　a　pond　be　allowed　calmly　under　the　influence　of　frost　to　crystallize；　and　most　beautiful　flowers　and　spears　of　ice　will　be　formed；　but　keep　stirring　the　water　all　the　time　with　a　stick　or　a　pole　and　nothing　will　result　but　an　ugly　brash　of　half…frozen　stuff。　The　condition　of　the　exercise　of　power　and　energy　is　that　it　should　proceed　from　a　center　of　Rest　within　one。　So　convinced　am　I　of　this；　that　whenever　I　find　myself　hurrying　over　my　work；　I　pause　and　say；　〃Now　you　are　not　producing　anything　good！〃　and　I　generally　find　that　that　is　true。　It　is　curious；　but　I　think　very　noticeable；　that　the　places　where　people　hurry　mostas　for　instance　the　City　of　London　or　Wall　Street；　New　Yorkare　just　the　places　where　the　work　being　done　is　of　LEAST　importance　（being　mostly　money…gambling）；　whereas　if　you　go　and　look　at　a　ploughman　ploughingdoing　perhaps　the　most　important　of　human　workyou　find　all　his　movements　most　deliberate　and　leisurely；　as　if　indeed　he　had　infinite　time　at　command；　the　truth　being　that　in　dealing　（like　a　ploughman）　with　the　earth　and　the　horses　and　the　weather　and　the　things　of　Nature　generally　you　can　no　more　hurry　than　Nature　herself　hurries。
  Following　this　line　of　thought　it　might　seem　that　one　would　arrive　at　a　hopeless　paradox。　If　it　be　true　that　the　less　one　hurries　the　better　the　work　resulting；　then　it　might　seem　that　by　sitting　still　and　merely　twirling　one's　thumbs　one　would　arrive　at　the　very　greatest　activity　and　efficiency！　And　indeed　（if　understood　aright）　there　is　a　truth　even　in　this；　whichlike　the　other　points　I　have　mentionedhas　been　known　and　taught　long　ages　ago。　Says　that　humorous　old　sage；　Lao…tze；　whom　I　have　already　quoted：　〃By　non…action　there　is　nothing　that　cannot　be　done。〃　At　first　this　sounds　like　mere　foolery　or　worse；　but　afterwards　thinking　on　it　one　sees　there　is　a　meaning　hidden。　There　is　a　secret　by　which　Nature　and　the　powers　of　the　universal　life　will　do　all　for　you。　The　Bhagavat　Gita　also　says；　〃He　who　discovers　inaction　in　action　and　action　in　inaction　is　wise　among　mortals。〃
  It　is　worth　while　dwelling　for　a　moment　on　these　texts。　We　are　allas　I　said　earlier　oninvolved　in　work　belonging　to　our　place　and　station；　we　are　tied　to　some　degree　in　the　bonds　of　action。　But　that　fact　need　not　imprison　our　inner　minds。　While　acting　even　with　keenness　and　energy　along　the　external　and　necessary　path　before　us；　it　is　perfectly　possible　to　hold　the　mind　free　and　untiedso　that　the　RESULT　of　our　action　（which　of　course　is　not　ours　to　command）　shall　remain　indifferent　and　incapable　of　unduly　affecting　us。　Similarly；　when　it　is　our　part　to　remain　externally　INACTIVE；　we　may　discover　that　underneath　this　apparent　inaction　we　may　be　taking　part　in　the　currents　of　a　deeper　life　which　are　moving　on　to　a　definite　end；　to　an　end　or　object　which　in　a　sense　is　ours　and　in　a　sense　is　NOT　ours。
  The　lighthouse　beam　flies　over　land　and　sea　with　incredible　velocity；　and　you　think　the　light　itself　must　be　in　swiftest　movement；　but　when　you　climb　up　thither　you　find　the　lamp　absolutely　stationary。　It　is　only　the　reflection　that　is　moving。　The　rider　on　horseback　may　gallop　to　and　fro　wherever　he　will；　but　it　is　hard　to　say　that　HE　is　acting。　The　horse　guided　by　the　slightest　indication　of　the　man's　will　performs　an　the　action　that　is　needed。　If　we　can　get　into　right　touch　with　the　immense；　the　incalculable　powers　of　Nature；　is　there　anything　which　we　may　not　be　able　to　do？〃　If　a　man　worship　the　Self　only　as　his　true　state；〃　says　the　Brihad…aranyaka　Upanishad；　〃his　work　cannot　fail；　for　whatever　he　desires；　that　he　obtains　from　the　Self。〃　What　a　wonderful　saying；　and　how　infallibly　true！　For　obviously　if　you　succeed　in　identifying　your　true　being　with　the　great　Self　of　the　universe；　then　whatever　you　desire　the　great　Self　will　also　desire；　and　therefore　every　power　of　Nature　will　be　at　your　service　and　will　conspire　to　fulfil　your　need。
  There　are　marvelous　things　here　〃well　wrapped　up〃　difficult　to　describe；　yet　not　impossible　to　experience。　And　they　all　depend　upon　that　power　of　stilling　Thought；　that　ability　to　pass　unharmed　and　undismay