Prince Dirghayu, Joseph in Egypt and Ammon

So, you may have noticed my posts have been infrequent.  This is due, in part, to life being so busy; but it is also due to the fact that I'm reading one of James Allen's books and taking notes on it.  I've got all my notes in a post and when I finish it, I'll publish the post.  But as I've been reading this book (Byways of Blessedness), I've come across stories he tells in the book ... such as the Convict and the Mouse, which is the previous post.  Today I came across another story: Prince Dirghayu.

Let me copy the story first and then let me note the similarities between Prince Dirghayu, Joseph in Egypt and Ammon.

There is a beautiful story of Prince Dirghayu which was told by an ancient Indian teacher to his disciples in order to impress them with the truth of the sublime precept that “hatred ceases not by hatred at any time; hatred ceases by not-hatred.” The story is as follows:- Brahmadatta, a powerful king of Benares, made war upon Dirgheti, the king of Kosala, in order to annex his kingdom, which was much smaller than his own. Dirgheti, seeing that it was impossible for him to resist the greater power of Bramhadatta, fled, and left his kingdom in his enemy’s hands. For some time he wandered from place to place in disguise, and at last settled down with his queen in an artisan’s cottage; and the queen gave birth to a son, whom they called Dirghayu.

Now, King Brahmadatta was anxious to discover the hiding-place of Dirgheti, in order to put to death the conquered king, for he thought, “Seeing that I have deprived him of his kingdom he may someday treacherously kill me If I do not kill him.”

But many years passed away, and Dirgheti devoted himself to the education of his son,. who by dilligent application, became learned and skillful and wise.

And after a time Dirgheti’s secret became known, and he, fearing that brahmadatta would discover him and slay all three, and thinking more of the life of his son than his own, sent away the prince. Soon after the exile king fell into the hands of Brahmadatta, and was, along with his queen, executed.
Now Brahmadatta thought: I have got rid of Dirgheti and his queen, but their son , Prince Dirghayu, lives, and he will be sure to contrive some means of effecting my assassination; yet he is unknown to any, and I have no means of discovering him.” So the king lived in great fear and continual distress of mind.

Soon after the execution of his parents, Dirghayu, under an assumed name, sought employment in the king’s stables, and was engaged by the master of elephants.

Dirghayu quickly endeared himself to all, and his superior abilities came at last under the notice of the king, who had the young man brought before him, and was so charmed with him that he employed him in his own castle, and he proved to be so able and diligent that the king shortly placed him in a position of great trust under himself.

One day the king went on a long hunting expedtion, and became seperated from his retinue, Dirghayu alone remaining with him. And the king, being fatigued with his exertions, lay down, and slept with his head in Dirghayu’s lap. Then Dirghayu thought: This king has greatly wronged me. He robbed my father of his kingdom, and slew my parents, and he is now entirely in my power.” And he drew his sword, thinking to slay Brahmadatta. But, remembering how his father had taught him never to seek revenge but to forgive to the uttermost, he sheathed his sword.

At last the king awoke out of a disturbed sleep, and the youth inquired of him why he looked so frightened. “My sleep”, said the king “is always restless, for I frequently dream that I am in the power of young Dirghayu and that he is alone to slay me. While lying here I again dreamed that with greater vividness than ever before and it has filled me with dread and terror.

Then the youth, drawing his sword, said: “I am Prince Dirghayu, and you are in my power: the time of vengeance has arrived.”

Then the king fell upon his knees and begged Dirghayu to spare his life. And Dirghayu said: “It is you, O King! who must spare my life. For many years you have wished to find me in order that you might kill me; and , now that you have found me, let me beg of you to grant me my life.”

And there and then did Brahmadatta and Dirghayu grant each other life, took hands, and solemnly vowed never to harm each other. And so overcome was the king by the noble and forgiving spirit of Dirghayu that he gave him his daughter in marriage, and restored to him his father’s kingdom.

Just as Dirghayu was wronged, so was Joseph.  Dirghayu had the king in his hands, ready to kill him, but he did not.  Joseph had his brothers in his hands and could do anything he wanted with them.  But neither did ill - both forgave.

The King Brahmadatta did evil by killing Dirghayu's parents, but he was later forgiven and changed for the better.  Ammon did horrible things, but was later forgiven and changed for the better.  The father of King Lamoni tried to kill Ammon and King Lamoni, but he too was forgiven and changed for the better.

Both Dirghayu and Ammon served a king who at one point tried to kill them.

King Brahmadatta begged for his life and lived.  The father of King Lamoni begged for his life and lived.  Both changed for the better.

Dirghayu leveraged the king's life to gain his own.  Ammon leveraged the king's life to gain his own as well as King Lamoni's.

The Convict and the Mouse: a story of sympathy

By bestowing sympathy on others we increase our own. Sympathy given can never be wasted. Even the meanest creature will respond to its heavenly touch, for it is the universal language which all creatures understand. I have recently heard a true story of a Dartmoor convict whose terms of incarceration in various convict stations extended to over forty years. As a criminal he was considered one of the most callous and hopelessly abandoned, and the warders found him almost intractable. But one day he caught a mouse - a weak, terrified, hunted thing like himself - and its helpless frailty, and the similarity of its condition with his own, appealed to him, and started into flame the divine spark of sympathy which smoldered in his crime-hardened heart, and which no human touch had ever wakened into life.

He kept the mouse in an old boot in his cell, fed, tended, and loved it, and in his love for the weak and helpless he forgot and lost his hatred for the strong. His heart and his hand were no longer against his fellows. He became tractable and obedient to the uttermost. The warders could not understand his change; it seemed to them little short of miraculous that this most hardened of all criminals should suddenly be transformed into the likeness of a gentle, obedient child. Even the expression of his features altered remarkably: a pleasing smile began to play around the mouth which had formerly been moved to nothing better than a cruel grin, and the implacable hardness of his eyes disappeared and gave place to a soft, deep, mellow light. The criminal was a criminal no longer; he was saved, converted; clothed, and in his right mind; restored to humaneness and to humanity, and set firmly on the pathway to divinity by pitying and caring for a defenceless creature. All this was made known to the warders shortly afterwards, when, on his discharge, he took the mouse away with him.

From Byways of Blessedness by James Allen

Quotes, Thoughts and Gems (QTG) Oct 1 to 7 2012

As I read and learn and do more to become a true disciple of Jesus Christ, I find snippets and quotes that spur me to action or help me in time of need.  As I find these gems, I'll consolidate them into one post and then publish the post at the end of the week.  I think this method will be better than calling out specific quotes from Maxwell or Allen or others.  I can simply encapsulate all these quotes under one banner.  Then in the label section, I can tab quotes from individuals.

We bind the adversary and his mortal minions only as we bind our appetites. - Maxwell; Ensign May 1975.

The act of becoming a man or woman of Christ is an act of will and sustained desire. - Maxwell; Ensign January 1992

Actually, everything depends—initially and finally—on our desires. These shape our thought patterns. Our desires thus precede our deeds and lie at the very cores of our souls, tilting us toward or away from God (see D&C 4:3). God can “educate our desires” (see Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed., Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939, p. 297). Others seek to manipulate our desires. But it is we who form the desires, the “thoughts and intents of [our] hearts” (Mosiah 5:13). - Maxwell; Ensign November 1995

In reading much more James Allen material this week, I've concluded that he emphasizes over and over again this key concept: watch your thoughts as they will become your actions.

Consider this passage: The whole journey from the Kingdom of Strife to the Kingdom of Love resolves itself into a process which may be summed up in the following words: The regulation and purification of conduct. Such a process must, if assiduously pursued, necessarily lead to perfection. It will also be seen that as the man obtains the mastery over certain forces within himself, he arrives at a knowledge of all the laws which operate in the realm of those forces, and by watching the ceaseless working of cause and effect within himself, until he understands it, he then understands it in its universal adjustments in the body of humanity. (from All These Things Added)

This quote above reminded me of King Benjamin's address:  But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not. (Mosiah 4:30)

While reading some articles on the Internet this week, I came across a picture (see picture to the left) - obviously it was staged - but it does a great job of showing the beginnings of a broken heart and a contrite spirit ... or at least it shows a person with the option of choosing to have a broken heart and contrite spirit.

When I saw this picture, I remembered another quote from All These Things Added.

This feeling of "helplessness" is the prelude to one of two conditions—the man will either give up in despair, and again sink himself in the selfishness of the world, or he will search and meditate until he finds another way out of the difficulty. And that way he will find. Looking deeper and ever deeper into the things of life; reflecting, brooding, examining, and analysing; grappling with every difficulty and problem with intensity of thought, and developing day by day a profounder love of Truth—by these means his heart will grow and his comprehension expand, and at last he will realize that the way to destroy selfishness is not to try to destroy one form of it in other people, but to destroy it utterly, root and branch, in himself.

Salt of the Earth; Light of the World

Matthew 5:13-16 reads, "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?  it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."

"Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid."

"Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house."

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

3 Nephi 12:13-16 reads, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the salt of the earth; but if the salt shall lose its savor wherewith shall the earth be salted?  The salt shall be thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men."

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the light of this people.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid."

"Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel?  Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house."

"Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

This is the clarion call to all true Christians: to believe in, think about, ponder and then live and become the teachings of Christ.  By so doing, we become the salt of the earth - the saving, redeeming substance that saves and preserves.  By so doing, we become an example of Goodness and right living; an example of contentedness and peace.

As the James Allen meditation thought from today, states, "THERE is nothing hidden that shall not be revealed," and every thought that is harboured in the mind must, by virtue of the impelling force which is inherent in the universe, at last blossom into act good or bad, according to its nature."

If you light a candle (have right thoughts and desires), you cannot hide the actions those right thoughts and desires produce ... it can only be put on a candle stick.  If you build a city on a hill (think right thoughts, have right desires), then it cannot be hid - the city is there to be seen by all - everyone will see the corresponding actions to your thoughts and desires.

A Good Man

I came across James Allen many years ago ... first in reading a few of his quotes and then later in reading his book As a Man Thinketh.

A few years ago, I found a website with all this writings.  I read a few of his essays at that time, but then haven't returned to it.  Lately, I've revisted the site and have been reading quite a lot of his essays.  Once you start to read an essay, you can't stop.

The site even has a daily meditations page, where thoughts from his book of meditations are updated daily.

However, as I continue to read all his works, there are some passages that really hit home with me and I want to draw particular attention to them on this blog.

Today, I read Through the Gates of Goodness and found this passage to be very important:

"A good man is the flower of humanity, and to daily grow purer, nobler, more Godlike, by overcoming some selfish tendency, is to be continually drawing nearer to the Divine Heart. "He that would be my disciple let him deny himself daily," is a statement which none can misunderstand or misapply, howsoever he may ignore it. Nowhere in the universe is there any substitute for Goodness, and until a man has this, he has nothing worthy or enduring. To the possession of Goodness there is only one way, and that is, to give up all and everything that is opposed to Goodness. Every selfish desire must be eradicated; every impure thought must be yielded up; every clinging to opinion must be sacrificed; and it is in the doing of this that constitutes the following of Christ. That which is above all creeds, beliefs and opinions is a loving and self-sacrificing heart. The life of Jesus is a demonstration of this truth, and all His teaching is designed to bring about this holy and supreme consummation."

As I come across other passages that I find personally important, I will post them on this blog.

Sacrifice, Desire and What's Most Important in Life

Sacrifice & Desire

A few years ago, I came accross an article while searching LDS.org and found a reference to a book by James Allen.  The book was entitled after the Proverb: As a Man Thinketh.

You can read that entire book and many other books by James Allen by referencing the link to the James Allen Library.

Much of the book As a Man Thinketh is very quotable.  But there is one quote that I read and recite almost every day.

It goes: "The man who shrinks from self-crucifixion can never accomplish the object upon which his heart is set ... the sole and supreme use of suffering is to purify; to burn out all that is useless and impure."

The world is full of distractions and attractions.  If we are not careful, we can be easily led astray from our real goals - our deepest desires - what's most important to us in life.  If we are not careful, useless and impure things can creep into our lives.  If they already have, then we must shift our focus and then maintain our focus on our desires.  It takes commitment and sacrifice.  To shed our lives of useless and impure things will take sacrifice, but we will be the happier for it as we purify ourselves and maintain focus on what's most important.

What's Most Important

The author of a blog I read recently wrote a post entitled On Remembering What's Most Important.  His post was spot on.

Last year, I spent several months thinking about what is most important to me in my life.  I wanted to think about and document what I want my life to be.  I used a mind map (Mind Manager) to brain storm and then refine my thoughts.  Next, I created a scorecard in Excel to track my daily, weekly and monthly performance.  With these two tools, along with my weekly journal, I keep a sufficient focus on the things that are most imporant to me.

As is often the case, when I see myself beginning to drift from the path, I simply review my mind map and scorecard more regularly and my course is corrected.

The mind map has since morphed into my "to do" list, but it still has retained the core of my desires in life.  But now, all the big, medium and daily goals are tracked.  I read another blogger's post about this "to do" list (link here) which is based on Personal Kanban.

In the spirit of sharing, I wanted to pass along these nuggets and lessons I've learned over the past year.  They have been extremely helpful for me and I've seen a large improvment in my life and search for happiness.