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James Allen
(1864–1912) |
Arise ye ! Awake !
Open your eyes, and see !
Why will ye sleep the sleep that is painful ?
Come out of the night of unrest,
Out of the dark nightmare of sin and affliction !
For there is a Way out of the place of darkness,
And out of the dwelling-place of deep darkness a Pathway that is sure.
There shall be light and safety,
There shall be rest and healing,
There shall be joy and satisfaction.
There shall be no more dreaming for him who is awake,
Who says, with deep resolve, "I will abandon self, and Truth shall be my Lord".
And thus resolving, there shall appear upon his right hand a Gateway that is dark,
And upon his left hand a portal pleasant to behold ;
And he shall stoop and enter the Gateway that is dark,
And there shall come behind him mockeries and revilings, and laughter that stingeth:
And, entering, he shall take up two swords.
The first is called the Sword of Searching,
And the second is called the Sword of Dividing;
And with the Sword of Searching he shall destroy the enemies of Wisdom,
And with the Sword of Dividing he shall sever Good from evil.
He shall encounter all the enemies of Light;
Them that cast the Great Shadow he shall disperse,
And the strong keepers of the keys of hell he shall put to rout.
He shall pass through the Fire called Suffering and it shall not devour him;
He shall cross the dark Ocean called Sorrow, and it shall not swallow him up;
And when he cometh to the Great Desert called Desertion, he shall not turn back.
And he shall come out of all his darkness,
He shall find the Shadowless Light.
Upon the outermost edge of the Great Darkness he shall hear a Voice,
The Voice of the Holy One,
Then shall he know that the King of Truth is near,
And that there cometh the anointed Prince of Peace.
And he shall follow the Voice because it is gentle and true,
And it shall lead him to the eternal abode of Light,
Where every veil shall be lifted, and every mystery solved.
And he shall perceive the majesty of the Master of Truth ;
He shall behold the beauty of the Law of Righteousness ;
He shall gaze upon the glory of the Great Reality;
He shall hear the song of the redeemed,
Even this the sweet song of salvation :–
Sin is destroyed,
How perfect is the Law !
Sorrow is slain,
How mighty is Love !
The clouds of affliction are dispersed,
How glorious is the Light !
Error is fallen,
How immaculate is the Truth !
Awake ! ye sleepers,
Rejoice in the Truth !
Look up I ye fallen,
And rejoice in the Light !
Let the thirsty come and drink,
Let the hungry come and eat,
Let the dying come and live,
Salvation abounds, and redemption is sure.
And entering the Gate of Peace, the empires of this world shall be to him as dust,
Its glories as clouds that are dispersed,
Its pleasures as chaff that is carried away,
And its pursuits as houses having no-foundation;
And the Voice of the Holy One shall say unto him,–
"Conqueror of self, Slayer of sin and sorrow,
Disperser of shadows and illusions,
Put away the Sword of Searching,
And let the Sword of Dividing be sheathed;
Here are no sorrows,
Here is no darkness and affliction,
And strife and division cannot enter here.
Lowly doer of righteousness, thou hast found my Law,
Silent seeker of Truth, thou hast found my Peace,
Lover of meekness and Good, thou hast found Me;
Take up thy abode in my eternal Habitation,
Thy warfare is ended, and thy rest is achieved."
The Divine Companion by James Allen (1919)
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