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THE TWELVE GREAT VIRTUES Steppingstones to Human Perfection Practice of the 12 Great Virtues is the
very core of the Brotherhoods’ Philosophy; they are
the steps up the ladder to Egoic perfection. The following thumbnail sketches
of the Great Virtues are taken from a former “Observations” column by Richard
Kieninger, and are repeated here to illustrate to the readers of The Stelle
Letter the scope of the personal task which lies
ahead of each individual who aspires to human perfection. There is much more to be
said about each virtue, but these sketches serve to present an idea of
what a sincere student will confront. Consciously acquiring these virtues may
be slow and sometimes exasperating, often requiring an individual to remake
himself. The goal of The Stelle Group is to build a city
which provides an environment conducive to the practice of these
virtues. Patience PATIENCE is the
willingness to await the outworking of natural
processes. Patience stresses calmness or composure under suffering or
provocation or in performing a demanding task. Impatience with another person
arises from lack of tolerance and a selfish peevishness to have one’s own
way. To fail to take the time to explain to a child or an employee what is to
be done and then jump down his throat because the
task was not performed as desired is a typical example of impatience.
Impatience is a major source of irritability in our world, and much of this
is due to desires which cannot be realized
realistically. Kindliness KINDLINESS is the
sincere desire never to bring hurt to another. It is consideration of the
feelings of others as well as gentleness, sensitive benevolence and sympathy
expressed in word and deed. Efficiency EFFICIENCY is the
ability to deal effectively with one’s environment with a minimum expenditure
of energy, time and materials. To become more efficient requires an alert
interest in methods and techniques and the acquisition of skills through
practice. Attention to organization of details and planning
ahead are the mark of the efficient person. Precision is inseparable
from efficiency. Precision PRECISION involves
exactness, accuracy and definiteness as opposed to purposeless activity,
careless work and hazy thinking. Forethought, dependability, punctuality and
thoroughness are hallmarks of the precise person. To remain a virtue,
however, precision must not become piddling fussiness, or a display of meticulousness which intolerantly compares those of lesser
preciseness and strips away all beauty from every situation in order to
exhibit precision. Charity CHARITY stresses
brotherly love, clemency, leniency and an interest in the welfare of others
to the extent of giving of oneself. It is whole-hearted
sympathy toward the suffering which man must endure until he begins conscious
advancement. Charity precludes criticism of others. Devotion DEVOTION is the
consecration of oneself to an ideal or a cause such as to the service of God.
Devotion implies singleness of purpose which supplies
an interest so great that serving the object of one’s devotion is a joyful,
untiring experience. The finer emotions of allegiance, faithfulness, loyalty,
steadfastness and reverence are involved in devotion, but to this is added
zeal in service due to love of and personal attachment to the object of
devotion. Sincerity SINCERITY conveys the
absence of hypocrisy, affectatiousness, sham or deceit. The sincere person is
genuine and straightforward in his desire to learn and practice what is
right. Conscientiousness and honorable conduct are closely associated with
sincerity; but sincerity should be practiced with
knowledge of right thoughts and actions because most of the evil and
wrongheaded errors brought upon the Earth have been the result of sincere though
misinformed persons. The acquisition of the other Virtues is impossible
without sincerity and the depth of application it affords. Courage COURAGE is quite
distinct from bravery which is usually an
instinctual response to a perilous situation and implies lack of fear and
bold recklessness. Courage, on the other hand, carefully takes into account
the dangers of a situation in advance of action and is the product of reason
sustained by marshalling one’s powers of moral determination in the face of personal
fear. Resolution, tenacity and determined morale are associated with courage;
and it is the noble quality of character which
enables one to stand firmly for his convictions in spite of persecution. Forbearance FORBEARANCE is self-possession
and serenity of mind under any provocation and conveys the patient lack of a
desire for retaliation. It is the overcoming of revengeful reaction to
personal affronts and injuries. The nursing of grudges only breeds bitterness
and psychosomatic illness. Forbearance is an attitude of nonresistance and a
bending with the situation. Knowledge of karmic law provides the comfort that
one’s desire for retaliation against an offender is pointless in light of the
natural law of action and reaction. The offender will suffer karmically
without us engaging in destructive thoughts; thus
forbearance breaks the circle of repercussions typical of feuds. Forbearance
becomes an exercise in humility; for personal pride and the need to uphold
self are common causes of retaliatory instincts. Tolerance TOLERANCE is the
wisdom of not making judgments on fellow men since we can never be sure of
their true motivations, trials and personal problems. Criticism of others’
beliefs, habits and personalities is unwarranted, self-righteous and
inexcusable. The tolerant man does not measure others only by their errors,
but rather he asks himself how he would have reacted under identical
circumstances. In place of a critical, irritable attitude toward another,
which can only add to the cross he must bear, the tolerant man is slow to
speak and act lest he detract from his opportunity to spread happiness and
peace into the lives of those with whom he comes in contact. To detract from
the reputation of another by gossip and hearsay is karmically disastrous. Discrimination DISCRIMINATION implies
the power of discerning the motives of people and their character, and the
ability to see the real truths below the apparent
surface of situations. To discriminate emphasizes the power to distinguish
the excellent and the appropriate; to judge between what is good and what is
better; to weigh alternative courses of action in the light of karmic law;
and to perceive the fallaciousness of teachings disseminated under the guise
of all that is good and beautiful. Intuition is a natural extension of the
power of discrimination. Humility HUMILITY connotes
absence of arrogance, snobbishness, selfishness, pride, boastfulness and self-satisfaction.
Humility does not imply weakness; rather it is the result of strength, power
and true personal completeness so that one need not feel he must contend for
a place in the sun. Similarly, meekness is the absence of wrath, and it stems
from a sense of complete control over one’s environment. Humility is the
awareness of one’s own shortcomings in view of the knowledge that Virtue
always recedes from one’s present standing and that one has far to go to
achieve even the First Degree of Brotherhood. |
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