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New Era Community (1926) - 46:
46. Never did I speak about any ease in bringing the new consciousness into life. Not the destroyers, but the moldy, conventional virtue is the enemy. The destroyers know the instability of that which they destroy, and the principle of remittal is easier for them. But rosy-cheeked virtue loves its chest of savings and will always defend it with eloquence. Such people recite the sacred words of the Scriptures, and will find subtle arguments why they are indeed ready to surrender it not to this but to that man who does not yet exist. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 563:
563. Today is a difficult day, therefore, I shall narrate a tale. "A certain demon decided to tempt a pious woman. Dressing himself as a sadhu, the demon entered the hut of the woman, counting his beads. He asked for shelter, and the woman not only invited him in and set food before him but asked him to join her in prayer. The demon, the better to succeed, decided to accede to all her requests. They began to pray. Then the woman asked him to tell her about the lives of the saints, and the demon began to recite like the best of sadhus. The woman rose to such ecstasy that she sprinkled the entire hut with holy water, and naturally sprinkled some over the demon himself. Then she proposed to the demon that they perform the pranayama together, and gradually she developed such a power that finally the demon was unable to leave the hut and remained to serve the pious woman and to learn the best prayers. A Rishi, passing by the hut, looked in, and seeing the demon in prayer joined him in praise to Brahma. Thus all three sat around the hearth, chanting the best prayers. Thus a simple woman, through her devotion, impelled a demon and a Rishi to sing in praise together. But in the Highest Dwelling Places this cooperation occasioned no horror, only smiles. Thus even a demon can be compelled to join in prayer." AUM (1936) - 36:
36. You have heard the prayer of the birds - the little brothers know how to welcome the light. They summon their most rapturous expression before the grandeur of light. Plants reach out toward the light. Only people dream about their stomachs when their spirits should be filled with the grandeur of the Highest. Thus they commit a sacrilege similar to suicide. Noblest hymns have been written, but people recite them without heart tremor, like the clatter of broken crockery. Brotherhood (1937) - 364:
364. It is impossible to progress without realization of the three worlds. In this they must be accepted just as naturally as is the light of the sun. Many recite memorized words about the worlds, but do not admit them into their consciousness. One can imagine what a drama goes on when the blocked off particles of the worlds are not admitted to cooperation with congenial spheres! Rightly has it been said that man is his own jailer.
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