The Bowl of Saki Commentary

The Hebrew people have an article of faith that reads: "I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah, and though he may tarry, yet I will await his coming." Now the law of the Universe is that patience itself enables one to receive the blessing of God, for by that one escapes all the emotions which hamper one at every turn.

If human beings are wiser than the vegetable we must lead a wiser life, and we cannot do that until we learn all the wisdom from the lower creation. Every virtue of every rock, plant, or animal can be cultivated and perfected in us. In the inner life, one often has to develop the qualities one finds in nature, and it is the development of these qualities which bring perfection. Self-surrender is not an annihilation—nothing is destroyed, but the shadow-thought of self is turned into light, and all the qualities accumulated by the soul are brought to perfection.