From The Science of Becoming Oneself
Articles By H. Saraydarian
"To give is a divine attribute. The inexhaustibility of giving is found in varying degrees in all nature. But fire is the element in which giving is most apparent. The very principle of fire is transmutation and a constant giving. Fire cannot exist without the sacrifice of giving, likewise the fiery seed of the spirit exists through giving. But the sacrifice is a true one only when it has become the very nature of man."
The word "benevolence" is composed of two words: bene and volence. Bene means well, or good; volence means to will, to do. It is an act of benefaction or an act of goodwill. Benevolence, or benefaction, or goodwill, is the act or activity by which you express your inner goodness through your thoughts, feelings, words and actions.
Man is his essence is a drop of goodness. It does not matter where he is or what he is; he is still a drop of goodness in his essential being. Man may act wrongly from the viewpoint of other people. He may have wrong feelings and distorted thoughts, but behind these distortions and aberrations there is the essential goodness in the depth of the human soul.
Sometimes man is like an enslaved king. His enemies have chained him at his feet and hands, and he is unable to act as a king, to use his authority and his royal will. He is chained and like a puppet in the hands of his enemies. Psychologically, it is the same with many people. They are slaves of their habits, vices, subconscious urges; slaves of their bodies, emotions, even of their minds; slaves of religious or political doctrines and dogmas. They are slaves.
But if you release them, you will see that there is a splendid beauty in them, a radiant goodness.
That is why Christ said to love our enemies, for behind factors, behind masks, there is goodness in them. There is the Spark of God in them, and we love men for the sake of the good in them and because "they don't know what they are doing."
If a man is doing anything against the good, even intentionally, it still does not mean that he is evil in his inner essence. It does mean that he is chained, aberrated, and distorted somewhere in his mechanism.
The sun shines behind clouds, smoke and dust storms. It is there in its beauty, but if sought through these obstacles is lost and does not even exist. Take away the dust, take away the smoke, the clouds, and you will find the sun unchanged, beautiful and glorious. The same is true of man. We may say that evil people are sick people. Some times their sickness is incurable for a long time and is contagious.
In our world, we know that ill will is widespread; evil works are everywhere. Gossip, hatred, jealousy, and various kinds of crimes are common, and people are trying to find solutions to these individual and social problems.
Psychosomatic medicine, psychiatry, and other psychological and medical methods, even the religions, and trying to find the means to heal individuals, groups, and even masses of people. But most of them are trying to find the key where it is not kept. The key is in man himself. The panacea is the inner man, the real essence of man, the Real Self. Try to release the essence, and you can gradually solve all problems.
This inner essence is goodness itself. It is fire; it is light; it is love; it is power; it is beauty and bliss; it is life itself! It is the source of all our highest inspirations.
We now know now about the stupendous energy of the atom. We released the atom. Now it is time to release the fire in man. Imagine how far humanity could be expanded if the fire were released. It will be the new age of spirit, the "Spiritual Age" about which all-true seers of the ages dreamed and spoke.
"The Fire of Benevolence creates the most beautiful transmutation."
"If each one filled with goodness would sow it with every touch, what a myriad of benevolent sparks would be sent out into space one must sow good with each glance of the eye and each touch."
How can one release this Fire? How is one to release the good in man which is his true essence? The answer is this: Teach children and men everywhere the science of doing good. Teach them how to think about the good, how to feel the good, how to speak about the good, how to express and live the good.
One they start to release the inner-fire, their life and environment will gradually change. This current of fiery energy will heal all psychological cleavages in man, in the family, and in the nations.
The mind of man will gradually receive increased light. The heart of man will gradually change into a powerhouse of love and radiance, and the body of man will be healthy, shining, and strong.
It will wash away all those thought forms, illusions, and glamour's which are poisonous and which cause disorders in the nervous system, in the glandular system, and in the life of man.
A small act of benevolence, a small act of goodwill releases a beam of light from the inner core, from the fiery goodness in man. This light works miracles in man and in his social relationships. It starts an inner clearing, and produces a healing energy which washes all causes of suffering, pain and misery.
"Striving towards good avails itself of all higher paths . . . Thus, the streams of light conquer in limitless cosmic action."
There are two very important injunctions given by two wise people. The first one says:" Man know thyself." The second says:" Man be thyself."
We can know ourselves by being ourselves. The shortest, wisest way to be ourself is by expressing, radiating our Real Self, our inner essence.
This true expression of the essence is called by many names but fundamentally they are all the same. It is called goodwill, benevolence, sacrifice, or service.
One of the master minds said:
"Service is the scientific mode, par excellence, to evoke spiritual integration and to call forth the resources of a divine Son of God."
Every good thought, every act of goodwill, every word expressed from our heart shortens the distance between our two selves; the small self lost in the illusions and glamour's of the world; the other Self, found in the blue sky of joy and bliss.
Our destiny is to release ourselves, and to be ourselves. Only by this path is created all beauty, joy, progress, and health of humanity.