Introduction to Gnosis
LESSON ONE
It is necessary to be successful in life. If you truly want to be successful, you should begin by being sincere with yourself, recognizing your own errors. When we recognize our errors we are on the path to correcting them. Everyone who corrects his own errors is inevitably successful.
The businessman who daily blames others for his failures and never recognizes his own errors will not be successful. Remember that the greatest criminals consider themselves to be saints. If we visit a penitentiary we will prove to ourselves that no thief or criminal considers himself guilty. Almost all of them say to themselves, “I am innocent.” Don’t make the same mistake; have the courage to recognize your own errors. Thus you will escape greater evils.
Whoever recognizes his own errors can make a happy home. The politician, scientist, philosopher, religious person, etc. who comes to recognize his own mistakes can correct them and be successful in life.
If you want to triumph in life, don’t criticize anyone. Whoever criticizes others is weak, while the one who is critical of himself from moment to moment is a giant. Criticism is useless because it hurts the pride of others and provokes the resistance of the victim who then seeks to justify himself. Criticism provokes an inevitable reaction against its own author. If you truly want to succeed, listen to this advice: do not criticize anyone. The man or woman who knows how to live without criticizing anyone does not provoke resistance or reactions on the part of his fellowman and, consequently, creates an atmosphere of success and progress. On the other hand, he who criticizes others has many enemies. We have to remember that human beings are full of pride and vanity and this pride and vanity, which is inherent in them, produces a reaction (resentment, hate, etc.) that is directed towards the one who criticizes. We can conclude, then, that the one who criticizes others inevitably fails. The one who wants to correct others should best begin by correcting himself. This gives better results and is less dangerous.
The world is full of neurasthenic people. The neurasthenic type is a faultfinder, irritable and also intolerable. There are many causes of neurasthenia: impatience, anger, egotism, arrogance, pride, etc.
A mediator exists between the spirit and the body: the nervous system. Take care of your nervous system. When your nervous system is irritated by something that exhausts you, it is better to flee from it. Work intensely but with moderation; remember that excessive work produces fatigue. If you do not pay attention to fatigue, if you continue with excessive work, then fatigue is substituted with excitement. When excitement turns morbid, it becomes neurasthenia. It is necessary to alternate work with pleasant rest; in this way we avoid the danger of falling into neurasthenia.
Every employer who wants to succeed should be careful of falling into the danger of neurasthenia. The neurasthenic employer criticizes everything and becomes unbearable.
The neurasthenic despises patience and as an employer he becomes the executioner of his employees. Workers who must work under the orders of a neurasthenic and faultfinding employer end up hating the job and the employer. No discontented worker works with pleasure. Many times enterprises fail because the workers are discontented, dissatisfied and do not work efficiently in such circumstances.
The neurasthenic, as a worker or office employee, becomes rebellious and ends up being fired from his job. Every neurasthenic worker seeks any occasion to criticize his employer. Every employer has pride and vanity, and it is obvious that he feels offended when his employees criticize him. The worker who lives criticizing his employer ends up losing his job.
Take care of your nervous system. Work moderately. Enjoy yourself wholesomely. Do not criticize anyone. Try to see the best in all human beings.
An Exercise To Control Anger
Do you feel irritated or full of anger? Are you nervous? Reflect a little; remember that anger can provoke gastric ulcers. Control anger through breathing. Inhale the vital air very slowly (do not inhale through your mouth; inhale through your nose, keeping your mouth properly closed) mentally counting 1-2-3- 4-5-6. Hold your breath, mentally counting 1-2-3-4-5-6. Now, exhale very slowly through your mouth, mentally counting 1-2- 3-4-5-6. Repeat the exercise until your anger subsides.
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