Theosophical Siftings

Contentment

Vol 3, No 5

Contentment
by Grace Hawthorn
From The Theosophist, October, 1889. eprinte! in "Theosophical Siftings# Vol$me 3 The Theosophical %$blishing Societ&, 'nglan!

()*T a pleas$re it is to meet an&one possesse! of this rare an! lo+el& +irt$e, S$ch a restf$l an! &et, at the same time, bright an! in+igorating atmosphere s$rro$n!s them, blessing -ith refreshment an! strength all -ith -hom the& come in contact. (hat is the secret of its attainment an! maintenance . /s it onl& the fr$it of nat$ral !isposition an! temperament . There is, tr$l&, a species of contentment -hich seems to be the pro!$ct of the constit$tion0 the mere res$lt of a harmonio$s compo$n! of mental an! ph&sical elements, s$itabl& en+irone!. 1$t this sort of contentment -ill soon -ither in the r$!e, col! blasts of life. /t re2$ires s$nshine, fair -eather0 an! $n!er stress of sorro- is +er& apt to gi+e -a& $tterl&, an! to lea+e the s$fferer on a le+el -ith the born gr$mbler an! h&pochon!riac. /s it that the person possessing it has no ambition, no !esires, no stirrings after an $nattaine! goo!, an! so is content -ith an&thing . That is in!ifference, not contentment. Content implies satisfaction, -hich again implies f$lfille! !esire. /t is something other an! more an! greater than these. (hat is most commonl& $n!erstoo! b& it ma& perhaps be th$s !efine! 3 4the feeling -hich arises $pon the satisfaction of o$r or!inar& an! nat$ral -ishes an! !esires40 3 s$ch as the attainment of s$ccess in o$r -or5 in the -orl!, the creation of congenial s$rro$n!ings, the reali6ing of the lo+e for -hich -e sigh, an! the li5e. *&e . 1$t time after time e7periences r$!el& gi+e the lie to o$r fon! e7pectation of entering into rest b& these means. )o- sel!om to an&, an! to most ho- scarcel& e+er, are these 4or!inar&4 !esires e+en appro7imatel& satisfie! , *n! -hen the& are, is contentment the in+ariable res$lt . *n&thing b$t it. The longe!8for treas$re graspe!, -e a-a5e to fin! o$rsel+es $nsatisfie! still0 there is something -ithin $s -hich is restless an! still $nsatisfie!. (e imagine! that these !esires -ere the strongest -e ha!, that these longings arose from the secret !epths of o$r nat$re0 an! -e fin! it is not so. The /nner, )igher Self is tr$er to its innate !i+init& than the Common Self belie+e!0 it ref$ses to be 3 it cannot be 3 content -ith s$ch satisfaction. There is a thirst -ithin the so$l -hich the -aters of earth ma& not 2$ench0 -e rise from the feast, h$ngr& still0 the f$ller o$r han!s become, the emptier the& are. This is not mist& theori6ing0 e+er&!a& e7perience sho-s $s that there are !esires in the heart !eeper, stronger than the !esires of comfort, -ealth, 5no-le!ge, fame, po-er, lo+e. *n! it is felt, +ag$el&, sa!l& that the har!est tiling remains &et to be !one 3 namel&, to !isco+er 9%age :;< first -hat these !esires are, an! then hothe& ma& be satisfie!. Till this has been !one, contentment is to $s a -or! of ele+en letters, an! nothing more. This !esire of !esires, then, is 3 -hat . The &earning of the =i+ine spar5 -hich is the core of the so$l, as the so$l is the core of the bo!&, -hich ref$ses to be ignore! or smothere!, -hich e+er str$ggles to ret$rn to the Central Fire, -hence it emanate! that it might b& the acc$m$lation of ne- e7periences a!! %age 1

Theosophical Siftings

Contentment

Vol 3, No 5

to infinit& 3 if so -il!l& para!o7ical a phrase ma& be permitte!. 4Son of 'ternit&, fettere! in time, an! an e7ile, the Spirit T$gs at its chains e+ermore an! str$ggles li5e flame e+er $p-ar!s.4 Onl& -hen the !esire !ies a-a& into the fr$ition of cons$mmation, -hen " the =e-!rop slips into the Shining Sea4, -ill perfect contentment, the f$lness of the 4peace that passes $n!erstan!ing4, be 5no-n. 1$t e+en here an! no- foretastes of that cro-ning bliss ma& be reali6e!. /n proportion as the aspirations of the Spirit are enco$rage!, in strictl& ans-ering proportion -ill the man come to feel the blesse!ness -hich is his birthright. >es , '+en here an! no- it is possible for $s to attain to a state in -hich ?o& shall ha+e lost its po-er to into7icate, sorro- its po-er to prostrate0 an! this, -itho$t becoming insensible to either ?o& or sorro-. The s$rface of the sea ma& be r$ffle!, b$t !o-n $n!erneath, !eep, calm, $tter content -ill be the habit$al state. (e can so li+e that -e shall be satisfie! -itho$t the pleas$res of life, if the& fall not to o$r lot0 not that -e ha+e ossifie! o$rsel+es, ca$teri6e! the heart till all capacit& of feeling has gone o$t of it@ b$t beca$se, possessing the greater, the so$l can !o -itho$t the less. Content, too, mar5 -ell, -ith a bright, cheerf$l contentment, not -ith a mere passi+e calm0 the so$l so rich in its possessions that it is in+igorate! -ith a gla!someness that gi+es it strength to en!$re an! bear all things0 to !elight in all p$re ?o&s, to rise abo+e sorro-s, an! to she! an infl$ence on all aro$n!, to bring -ith it an atmosphere of happiness an! peace. This -as that of -hich %a$l -rote -hen he sai! he ha! learne!, in -hatsoe+er state he -as, there-ith to be CONT'NT. 4A'* N'= ,4 Bar5 -ell the -or!. Not in a !a&, not in a &ear, can this lessons of lessons be learne!. 1$t at an& time, so goo! is the So$l of Things, the first beginning can be ma!e. C$st -here an! as -e are -e can open o$r boo5 an! begin the st$!&. To str$ggle is to rest, to reno$nce is to en?o&, to aspire is to be content. (h& fret o$r hearts to !eath o+er trifles, -hen b& !e+otion to the One ealit& -e can attain all in one .

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