To be a thinking man — this is the greatest attainment possible. To think is a science. In the Scriptures it is written: “And I shall teach you.” Now some understand this to mean that the Lord will teach us while we remain idle. Not so — we shall learn by our own effort. In learning, there is a process of thought. Without thought, no learning is possible. If there is one who shall teach you, then you must learn.

And in general, all men place a boundary upon learning: four years in the lower grades, seven or eight in the gymnasium, and four in the university. After this, they say, all learning is finished — all that could be gained, has been.

What, then, is the meaning of present life? When we speak of life, we imply consciousness — for only the thinking man possesses consciousness. When we speak of thought, we imply at least four directions, four conditions, four elements. From your point of view, or from the view of others, you may ask: What is meant by the word “conditions”? The earth, for example, is a condition; water is a condition, the air is a condition, and fire is a condition. In each condition lie hidden certain possibilities. Possibilities for what? — For human thought.

By the word “thought” we understand that inner impulse, that intelligent inner link which exists between the First Cause and man. I have spoken to you before on this matter. Christ says: “This is eternal life — to know Thee, the One True God.” By “eternal life,” Christ meant the awakening of the thinking man.

And if you read the Old or the New Testament, you will see that what distinguishes man from the animals is learning. Learning proceeds from Divine Wisdom.

Now you must eliminate all that you have acquired from books. That is secondhand. You must also eliminate what another person or others might say to you. That, too, is secondary. Finally, you may even eliminate what you feel. Feeling is not yet knowledge. It is a guide toward knowledge. You may feel that you have a certain ideal — but that is a distant striving, not yet science, not yet learning.

For man to develop fully, he must grasp ideas — or the primary forms with which thought begins. It is not enough to have a notion of ideas. He must be in inner, continuous connection with the Primary Source in the world — with God. This you must all understand: when that connection is broken, darkness ensues. And when darkness comes, every process halts.

You must know that even in nature, processes are interrupted. Even the highest beings experience such interruption. This is what is called “falling.” A fall is nothing but the interruption of a given process. And once the process is broken, darkness enters the soul of man. Then his sky grows dim — no moon is seen, no sun, no stars.

I ask you: How then shall one determine direction? This state is a real experience — a real philosophy in life. And for many of you, the sky often darkens. Such darkening occurs in the literal sky as well. Even the most elevated souls — the saints, the sages — have had such experiences. In all thinking beings, the interruption of thought sometimes occurs.

I shall not now explain why this interruption happens. It is a fact — and facts occur everywhere in nature. I ask: When thought is broken, what must be done?

Ask an electrician — what does he do when the current in a house is broken and the light goes out? He repairs the fault. But in order to do so, he must have a small light, a little lamp, to guide him to the place where the break occurred. He who does not understand may say the homeowner was careless. But we do not know this. Perhaps the homeowner arranged all things wisely — yet the fault lay in the installation itself.

First of all, you must observe and determine where the fault occurred. Perhaps an element of the installation was missing. Perhaps a condition necessary to the functioning of the system was absent. Therefore, you must make up for what is lacking. You must find where the cause of the fault lies.

There are many kinds of interruptions, and not all causes rest with us. Whether young or old, you must first come to terms with the inner and outer conditions of human thought.

Some of you seek only joy in life. Some seek only the easy path. But you must know: in the world, there are many blessings. To each is given blessing — yet man must be worthy of it. Blessings are given only to the wise — and they are given freely. Take this well to heart. To the unwise, the sinful, the criminal, God gives absolutely nothing. They are sentenced to death. Such is the law. They condemn themselves. We speak in human terms, saying that God condemns them — but it is not so. They judge themselves.

You will ask: Why is it so? Let us take a simple fact from daily life. Suppose you have a loving, generous father who provides you with everything, who watches over you tenderly. He brings you the best food. Your mother has prepared it perfectly. But your stomach is ruined. As soon as you eat, within you there is an upheaval. Who is to blame? Is it the father who brought good food? Is it the mother who cooked it well? No — it is your stomach that is to blame.

Yet you say the cause lies with the mother or with the father. No. The fault is neither in the one who cooked, nor in the one who gave — it is in the stomach, whose inner installation is damaged. Some will say: I ruined my stomach. But you cannot ruin your stomach so easily. The danger lies here — that when within man an inner disruption occurs, he does not know how to repair the fault. And from this ignorance is born an inner disturbance.

The first thing: Man must learn to think. Thought is communion with the First Cause. God thinks — and we must begin to think also. How? — As He thinks. God says: “My thoughts are not your thoughts.” Someone says: I think. Then I ask: Do you think as God thinks? — I do not know. That shows you lack a measuring unit by which to determine things.

Ask any engineer: what is the unit upon which he builds his science? And he will answer you. Ask one who studies grammar, and he will tell you there are fixed rules and a structure by which he works. Ask the one who speaks, and he will tell you he knows the conditions by which speech becomes possible.

Now let us return to the Gospel. In the passage read, it is written that at the pool there were five porches through which people entered. Between these five porches and man’s feelings there is a correspondence. Man also has five porches through which all interruptions may come: an interruption of thought may come through sight, through hearing, through speech, through smell, and finally, through feeling itself.

I speak here of the inner process of human consciousness — that link which connects all thinking beings. In order to be present in the world, in order to think rightly, our thought must be in full connection with God and with all intelligent beings who have completed their development — that is, those beings who have begun to think aright.

I call “a man of right thought” one who is hindered by no obstacle in life. Obstacles may be physical, spiritual, intellectual, or causal. Four kinds of obstacles may hinder the thought of man. At times, we place the cause of this hindrance in the physical world — and this may be so. At other times, we place the cause in the spiritual world — this too is possible. Sometimes we place it in the mental world; and finally, we search for it in the causal world.

Every interruption of thought implies a new installation, a new direction. And if a man does not know where this new direction leads, he may stumble. That is why, when man passes from one state of consciousness into another, an inner obscuring takes place. Those who are unfamiliar with the depths of life, and those who do not understand the processes of thought, consider such interruptions a misfortune. Why? Because in that break, outer light is lost — and man is left with only his inner light.

By this shall he know how great his inner light truly is. The wise, when they lose the conditions of outer light, at once light their inner lamp. And when electricity fails in your home — do you not do the same? You take from your cupboards the old oil lamp, or a candle, and you light it. These you once said were useless, out of date. But as soon as the power is cut, you begin to look for them. You light them and use them — until a new installation comes.

So always, when one installation is broken, a darkening follows. I speak here of the physical conditions of present life as they are. Do not think such interruptions happen in a perfect life. No — such interruptions belong only to the present conditions of life.

And thus, man begins first with the earth — with solid ground. The study of the firm soil gives stability and steadfastness to human character. To what may we liken the firm ground? — To thought. It is thought that gives steadiness to character. It builds the conditions of life. Thought is the foundation upon which you, as a builder, shall construct your house. Therefore, you must have a strong foundation, a right thought — that is, solid ground. The earth, then, is one of the conditions of life.

And if you enter the Divine world, what corresponds to the earth? Make the comparison. If earth is a condition of life, then it represents the firm base. Can you lay the foundations of your building on anything other than rock? And in the spiritual world — what is the rock? Think upon this idea without interruption.

It is not my task to solve these questions for you. To answer the questions of life on behalf of others is as easy as eating what has already been prepared. But even the innkeeper does not allow anyone into his tavern until the food is ready. Until then, he keeps the doors closed: he begins to chop onions, pours oil into many pots — ten, fifteen, twenty — and all sizzle.

The innkeeper is cooking. And if anyone knocks on the door during that time, he says: “You cannot enter the inn now.” Why? Because the pots are still simmering. But when the meal is ready, he opens the door and says, “Welcome!”

Yet to enter the inn, there is another condition — you must have something in your pocket. The innkeeper favors only those whose pockets are full. Those whose pockets are empty, he sends away, saying: “You shall come last. If anything remains, it is for you.”

So the first ones to come must have full pockets. Full with what? — With coin. The innkeeper takes nothing from the others, but from the first, he accepts gold. Their pockets must be filled with gold!

This law holds true also in nature. When you enter the inn of nature, you cannot enter empty. You may say: “Can it not be by grace?” But do you understand what grace means? Grace means your pocket is already full. Grace is for the wise. When nature sees such a man, she says: “Come in.” And then she seats him at the finest table.

Why so? Because the coin you bring into the inn is minted by nature herself. If you enter any establishment and present the coin the state has issued, you will be honored. But if you try to forge that coin yourself — you shall find the prison.

We must design things rightly. That which God has created — that is what you carry in your pocket. Understand this rightly: these are only forms, symbols. In nature, such “pockets” do not exist. They are metaphors — ways of expressing a thought.

Knowledge is what you always and everywhere carry with you — but you must know how to carry it. When you enter the world, you carry with you your mind — the first great wealth that God has given you. With mind, with thought, you are welcomed everywhere. Without mind, without thought, you cannot go anywhere. You may be received, but you shall be the last. If you enter a place without mind and without thought, it will be a hospital — or an institution.

So I say to the young: you begin a work, you gather for an assembly. I do not wish to determine your program, nor what you should think, nor how your assembly shall unfold. But I say this: your gathering is conditioned by four things — the earth, the water, the air, and the fire.

Thought is only that which can produce growth. And what do you understand by the word “growth”?

Have you ever sat before a great sculptor as he carves in stone? Do you believe each strike of the hammer is not a concentrated thought? Do you think he strikes without knowing where? When he sculpts, his thought is so focused that every mark is determined in advance. Each strike is accompanied by a specific thought. The sculptor knows where to strike.

Take the violinist who performs a classical piece. Do you think he plays however he wishes? No — he plays note by note. He watches every sign, every motion of the bow with the eye. Every variation in his playing depends upon the markings given by the great master who composed the music.

I say: a great performer is he who can faithfully follow all notes and signs.

Therefore, if you wish to think, you must think in time — and by all the rules. Before you lies a composition which God has given, perhaps millions of years ago. I do not say you are the first to play it. This piece has been played by many — it was given long ago to others when they completed their growth. And now, it may be given to you.

How will you perform it? This piece may be played in many ways. That is thought. This is the most beautiful music in the world. There is no music more beautiful than thought.

One may say, “Dry thought!” But thought cannot be dry. Why? Because thought is growth — and growth is never dry. Growth cannot be hard, nor can it be vaporous, nor purely fiery. Yet growth is made possible through the conditions of earth, water, air, and warmth.

Without firm ground, nothing can grow. Growth itself has no hardness within it. Thought is not like water, yet it cannot manifest without water. Water is a necessary condition for it.

The thought hidden in these words is this: that man must first have firm ground beneath his feet. This constitutes a point of support in the physical world; from this point begins a new turning, a new direction. Therefore, man must first determine this center and observe what possibilities lie concealed within it.

And what is the first of these possibilities? — Expansion. Expansion is the symbol of the human heart. It is the heart alone that gives breadth to things. Once you expand, you have but one plane upon which to move — your life upon the Earth. And what shall you gain if your ideas expand so far that they encompass the whole cosmos? In any particular case, it is expansion that defines the direction of your movement. But if you expand beyond what is needful, you will no longer be able to move at all.

Thus, understand this: the first condition for human thought is the earth — solid ground. The second condition, the second element for human thought, is water, which gives expansion. It is the bearer of life. You must understand what water is able to accomplish on your behalf. If you have no expansion in your life, then you must seek the second condition — water.

The third condition for thought is air. Air gives movement. The fourth condition for thought is fire — heat. Fire brings forth light, and light gives direction to movement. Therefore, in order to have thought, you must first possess a center from which thought may begin. That center is firm ground. Then your thought must have expansion; thereafter, movement; and finally, a determined direction.

When we speak of earth, water, air, and fire, we must return these words to their primary meaning. By “primary meaning,” I do not mean the use they are given today. For example, today we use water to quench our thirst — but it is not enough merely to quench it temporarily. We must find that living water, from which if we drink but once, we shall thirst no more.

To quench thirst temporarily is not a solution. Man must think. And within every thought there must be: a definite center, then expansion, then movement, and finally — meaning, or direction.

First you will feel things; then will come their realization. The desire to realize them shows that in your thought there is movement. Once you know the direction, this is thinking.

Only in the presence of these four elements will the first Divine element be born. What must be realized? What is meant by "giving meaning"?

— It is the birth of the conditions necessary for right thought. Why is thought given to us?

— That the first connection might be formed between man and the First Cause. This we call the "dawning," the giving of meaning to life.

There is no thing more beautiful, more noble, more sublime in the world than that first connection which may form within you an inner light. Only in this way shall your life find meaning, and only then will you be able to accomplish all things.

Therefore, through thought we shall begin to study the Divine language — or, as I call it, “the language of nature.” Once we have learned this language, we shall know how to complete every task we begin on Earth. I do not say that we know nothing of how to work — but we work wrongly.

The Turks say, “The evening’s work is the day’s ridicule.” That is to say: work done in darkness, work done without thought. Some say they can work without thinking. I do not know how such work can be done. A task done without thought is evening work. But when the day comes — that is, true thought — the evening work becomes the laughter of the day.

You must know: the beautiful in life is thought.

Interruptions in thought shall come often — yet fear them not. This is but an inner shift.

When do these interruptions occur? — When you cross the orbit of another being.

What causes these interruptions? — Interruptions in life do not come only from sin or poor inner disposition. An interruption may also come when a rational being crosses your orbit. He who does not understand this law will be greatly troubled.

Let me give you an example. Suppose you are traveling across Europe, and with you, you carry two very valuable suitcases. Your luggage is well packed, securely sealed, everything is in good order. But when you arrive at the border, you are stopped at customs. They take your suitcases and carry them inside for inspection. And within you, there arises a disturbance. Why? — Because you do not know the laws of customs inspection. You say, “My luggage is gone!” No — this is but a small interruption in your thought. The customs officers will examine your suitcases, and if they find nothing dangerous or unlawful, they will close them again and return them to you, and nothing shall be lost.

A young Bulgarian once told me the following: He was returning from abroad, where he had spent four full years. From there he bought two fine silk blouses — gifts for his mother and sister. But along the way, an acquaintance said to him, “Listen, to avoid paying duty, put on the blouses yourself and cross the border that way. You’ll pass without paying a cent.” And so, said the young man, against better judgment, I wore the blouses.

Upon entering Bulgaria, the customs officers checked my luggage and then began to pat me down to see if I was hiding anything on my person. They opened my coat — and the blouses were revealed. “What are these blouses doing on you?” they asked. They confiscated the blouses, and in addition, fined me two thousand leva. Thus I paid the first fine of my life — the price of a lie.

I asked him: “And how much would the customs duty have been?” “At most,” he said, “seven hundred leva.” Then I said to him: “Pay what nature has determined. If you put the blouses on yourself, you will pay two thousand leva and lose the blouses as well.”

And now I see many — both young and old — who act in the same way. But in the end, the result is the same: the blouses go, and the two thousand leva are paid. That is the easy path. The young man said to me, “That was the first fine I paid in my life. Never again will I wear blouses.” This example is a good one.

I say: we have entered this great Divine world in order to learn how to think rightly. How beautiful it is when you meet a man who thinks! I take the word “thought” in its ideal sense. Some will say, “But one must not have dry thought.” Dry thought is not thought — it is a caricature. By “thought,” I mean that thought whose foundation and center is Love. Such a thought, by its nature, carries expansion, application, and justice. It contains within it a fragment of Truth. Not the whole Truth, but a small portion. It carries within it a particle of Wisdom, and, lastly, a portion of the great Goodness of God.

Someone may say, “Is that all?” — It is enough. If you can understand even a little of Love, a little of Wisdom, and a little of Truth, it is enough. I do not speak of absolute Truth. If you understand a small part of Truth, you will come to understand the greater. Truth itself is neither in the small nor in the large — it is beyond all things, beyond all physical forces. These are but conditions, symbols, through which we attempt to grasp certain ideas. What then is Truth itself?

Let me present the following thought: When you enter heaven, the Divine world, you shall meet an angel — one who is a representative of Love. How shall you recognize him? Then you shall meet another — a representative of Wisdom. A third — of Truth. A fourth — of Justice. A fifth — of Virtue. All these angels are bright, beautiful, and majestic. How then will you distinguish between them?

Each performs a different service. One may say, “The angel of Justice must be very strict.” Not at all. He is just. His face is so beautiful that the moment you look upon it, you will love him. The angels of Love, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, and Virtue do not differ in beauty or majesty. None stands above another. How then shall you know who is who?

Do not solve the question by the old way. You say, “Let them love us!” This is an old formula. Then you say, “They don’t love us.” Perhaps — according to your understanding. If you think that not being given money means not being loved, then yes, you are right. But that is your interpretation.

I may work for an unjust employer who does not pay me, and I may say he is wicked and does not love me. Yet money is merely the expression of human reason and intelligence — it is not intelligence itself. With money, all things are possible — but only the wise man knows how to use money rightly. Place money in the hands of a foolish man and observe what he will do.

So when you say, “They do not love me,” you are not expressing yourself rightly. If you exist in the world, God loves you. God does love you — but He will manifest that love in the way He chooses. You have no place to set boundaries on His Love, nor to doubt God.

If people act in this way or that, it is they who define the relationship. Every person in the world has a great task.

And so, if we are to be just, we must take into account the life of all beings, great and small, and grant them all the right to live. When I see an ant walking along, I make way for it. You may say, “The teacher comes to speak to us about ants.” No, I see that this ant has a task to fulfill. And she says, “Sir, you are a rational man—do not hinder my path. I too have a problem to resolve.” I could place a thousand obstacles before her and ruin her purpose—but what would I gain from it? She is on her way to do her work. Therefore, I clear the way for her to pass.

The Divine in me says: God, who directs the path of my life, also directs the way of this ant. I take the ant in its proper sense—not the ant that enters our granary to steal, but the one that goes to labor. The ant, with her energy, is praiseworthy. She is bold and intelligent.

Do you know how the ants think? Among them there is order and discipline such as even men do not possess. They obey one another. When a command is given by their commander, they go at once and carry it out. All ants think in harmony with the thought of their leader. They think independently and rationally—they have large heads. We say, “These ants!” Yet in this regard, I would that men were more like ants.

Even the Scriptures say, “O sluggard, go to the ant and learn!” Learn what?—Industriousness. And what is industriousness? It is thought. Therefore, learn to think. The ant thinks all day long.

You have not paused to observe what makes them intelligent. When ants build their anthill, they construct it so that no water can enter and flood their chambers. They have an entire system for diverting the water, and yet their homes remain dry. We, the modern learned men, have not yet created such designs. We do not yet understand the properties of water as the ants do. Our cellars grow damp, moldy, and rotten—yet the dwellings of ants remain ever dry. And their rooms are dry without any cement at all.

Now translate this thought inwardly, and reflect: what is the relationship between yourselves and the ants?

Now I speak to the young. My desire is that you examine whether there is moisture in the storeroom of your mind. If you lack thought, go to the ants and the bees. From the ants you will learn one thing; from the bees, another.

They say of someone: “This man is not sweet, he has no gentleness, no sweetness in his life.” If we wish to learn how to be gentle, we must go to the bees—for they are full of sweetness. Yet do not suppose that even the gentle bee, who knows how to gather pollen and turn it into honey, is not also dangerous. She has a sting. And here lies the beauty: where there is sweetness, there is also a sting.

Now you may wish to draw a final conclusion. But we must understand what the sting of the bee means. There is meaning even in the sting. When God placed the sting within the bee, it had a specific purpose. She may not always use it rightly—that is another question. We shall not dwell now on how it should be used. That is a secondary matter. The sting once had a very different purpose. Today the bee uses it as she sees fit.

When the Lord gave the pen to the hand of the writer, or the poet, and he cast it aside in dissatisfaction, or used it for other ends, I ask: is the pen to blame? — No, he alone is responsible.

You, the young, must study the four conditions of life and thought: earth, water, air, and fire.

What can the earth give you? Firmness for your character. If you lack firmness, if you are not constant, you must study the solid matter.

If you lack expansiveness, you must study water.

If you lack motion, if you do not know how to move, you must study air.

And lastly, if your warmth is small, you must study fire.

You study combustion and say it is a form of energy. That may be true, but we consider combustion as a form—as a condition. Under “combustion” we understand a very special process in nature that relates to human thought.

So long as thought lacks the conditions of earth, of water, of air, and lastly of fire, it cannot yet be true thought.

Or, said in spiritual terms: if thought has not Love, it cannot unfold. Love is the first impulse—the solid ground of human thought.

And if thought lacks that inner Light of Wisdom and Truth, along with the other two elements—Justice and Virtue—it cannot manifest.

I desire that the young would draw forth the treasures hidden within their souls and cultivate them in the most proper manner. You must lay right thought as the foundation for the building of your character. You must not waver — to think one way today and another tomorrow. In right thought, there can be no hesitation. It is a construction — a layering. Man builds with his thought, stone by stone. And each stone must be set in its place.

When we have raised our building to the point allowed, then your Teacher shall appear, shall look upon your work, and shall appoint your further task. Each evening, such a review takes place.

Now to you, the young, I say: observe the following law — for every seven minutes, six belong to you, and the seventh belongs to the Divine. For every seven hours, six are yours, and the seventh is God’s. For every seven days, six are given to you, and the seventh is to be returned to God. For every seven weeks, the same. For every seven years, six are given to man, and the seventh is sacred to God. Such is the order in life as it now stands.

All the misfortunes that befall us today arise from this: when the seventh minute arrives, you do not give it to God — you use it for yourselves. You dwell constantly upon your troubles, your failures, your illnesses, and a thousand other concerns, without stopping to ask: what is the cause of all this? If you would seek the cause, you would see whence your misfortunes have begun — whether from minutes, or from hours, or from days, or weeks, or months, or years. We shall not speak of centuries — let those rest, for few live beyond 120 years.

You must first look for the causes of your sorrow in the years. I too now turn to time. At what hour did I begin speaking to you? (— At twenty minutes to six.) Then how long have I been speaking? (— Fifty minutes in total.) How many Divine minutes have there been in this time? (— Seven minutes.) For what will you use them?

When a Divine minute comes, I say: I must be in harmony with God and with all intelligent beings. And inwardly, I shall think: my thought shall be as God's thought. If I reason, I shall say: I think as God thinks.

You may ask: and what, then, shall your relation to me be? But you do not yet understand the law. The relationships of all must be as the relationship of God. If I do not think as God thinks, then my thought is not right. And then, my relations to anyone shall be unnatural, shall be out of harmony. But if I think as the Lord thinks, I shall have within me such a disposition, as though God Himself is acting within me.

It is not I who think — but in me shall be revealed that beautiful, joyful feeling which belongs to God. It is not that I have manifested my love, but that I rejoice in manifesting God's Love. In this way, God works within me — and I learn from Him. I rejoice, I listen to Him. He speaks — I think. He speaks — I sit, I write, and I attend. I make a distinction between the speech of the Lord and the speech of the various intelligent beings. There is no speech more beautiful than that of God!

By His speaking, all the questions in the world find easy solution. When the Lord speaks, you shall forget yourself and all else — you shall cleanse your heart of all that is negative. You shall become as a clear and loving spring, and all who drink from you shall rejoice in that which flows.

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On Loving Another

A remarkable talk by Beinsa Douno • 7 min read ☾