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Ariadne/Chapter Five: On Positive and Negative Emotional States

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Chapter Five:
On Positive and Negative
Emotional States

Ariadne and Diantha did not miss a single public appearance of Pythagoras from then on.

Moreover, they were allowed to attend the talks of Pythagoras with the selected most promising students.

… On that day, Ariadne, Diantha, Leonardos, and some other students gathered on the shore of a small bay at the foot of the hill upon which the School’s buildings were being built.

They were sitting on flat comfortable stones. This part of the coast was sheltered by rocks from side winds and winds from the land. It was like a cozy terrace for overlooking the sea. The stones were brought and laid here by disciples. This small secluded amphitheater now served — in good weather — for Pythagoras’ conversations with them.

… They sat for a while in silence, listening only to the soft splashing of small waves and the voice of seagulls.

Then, Pythagoras began to speak:

“Today, I told the people of Crotone about the role of positive emotional states, accompanying the right intentions.

“I said, among other things, that, by creating the intention and desire in ourselves — as souls — to do good deeds, we thereby call the Divine Assistance into our plans and thus multiply the success of our actions many times over. At the same time, it becomes possible to do joyfully any good deed, great or small.

“It is also important to understand that it is not truthful to do things that should serve good, while also being sad or annoyed. This is because our wrong emotions significantly reduce the effectiveness of any action!

“Now we, my friends, can talk about this in greater depth.

“Any exercise for the body and soul, any work that we do — we should do while being attuned to positive emotional states! This can be either the performance of gymnastic exercises, the study of new texts, or construction work. Meditations, too, should be performed in this way.

“It is necessary to perform even any the simplest action — with the understanding that the energy fields from our mental states are spreading from us outwards and filling the surrounding space.

“Take, for example, cooking. If it is performed in the right emotional state, it will bring much more benefit than the same action performed ‘going through the motions’ the motions or in a negative emotional state.

“In addition, food, when cooked by someone in an irritated state, becomes filled with the disharmonious energy of the one who cooked it.

“And the best, which the product can bring, will not be assimilated if a person eats in greed or is in a rush, hastily swallowing bite after bite.

“These simple examples show how, as with any other action, the right emotional state ensures success, and the wrong one prevents the proper execution of deeds.

“I’ll draw your attention to the fact that people in many ways predetermine the events around them. By acting, they create each time a kind of fragmented space in the universe surrounding them — by filling the space with their own different energies. But they usually do not know about this.

“And every thought, every emotion, every action, and even just spoken words — are parts of such a construction, made in the environment by a person for himself or herself, both for now and for the future.

“Our emotional states also significantly affect the lives of other beings.

“For this reason, everything that we do is better done fully conscious: watching our own states at every moment and regulating them.”

… Pythagoras was silent for a while, allowing the students to comprehend what had already been said. Then, he continued:

“Intentions can vary according to the quality and timing of their implementation.

“If someone creates an intention to buy butter or fruits at the market, then, most likely, it will not be a difficult intention to fulfill. However, the way in which this person performs this task — whether with joy and pleasure, or as an onerous duty — is much more important.

“It is from a variety of such situations that our everyday life is formed — and this predetermines the existence (good or bad) of our bodies and us as souls.

“In such activity of ours, there should not be excessive and unnecessary actions. Otherwise, everyday vanity will eclipse the main things that we really need to do.

“After all, a person has more significant goals!

“For example, we set for ourselves the goal of making ourselves-souls like the Gods.

“A person should not lose the main Purpose of his or her life among minor tasks. If he or she doesn’t, then his or her life plans — for this day, the next month, or for years to come — will be naturally and consistently built up as steps leading to the main Purpose. In this way, gradually, the habit of improving oneself — leads to a more successful spiritual life for both the devotee himself or herself and many people around, who observe his or her perfecting.

“In creating a beautiful sculpture from a block of marble, a sculptor gradually removes all the superfluous material and then grinds the resulting shape. In a similar way, we can ‘sculpt’ our lives, gradually approaching the Ideals that we have set for ourselves as our Main Purpose!

“And if we forget about the really important Goal because of the small-time matters, then we will not be able to achieve this Goal.

“One can begin every day in such a way that one’s intentions are easily fulfilled. A soul can tune itself — much like a perfectly tuned musical instrument!

“And, in the same way as a lyre can be tuned to sound in accordance with musical harmony, so, too, can a soul tune itself to the states of the Divine Light and the Creating Fire!

“If we do this, the inspiration received from the Gods will fill every hour of our lives!”

… Pythagoras paused again. A transparent silence enveloped Pythagoras and his disciples sitting on the bank.

Ariadne even thought that in the soft non-material Light she began to perceive beautiful Faces and Hands. Then she realized: the Divine Souls had approached…

Pythagoras again began to speak:

“A soul should either remain in silence, or sound in tune with the Divine Souls!

“Silence is very important! It allows one to harmonize the whole space which, at every moment, is covered by this soul.

“Silence also makes it possible for a soul to unite with the Divine.

“Here is the lyre. When it does not sound, it is as if it holds within itself all the sounds of the world in a beautiful silence.

“A skilled performer, by touching the strings, produces amazing melodies of great beauty.

“In the same way we, too, can — from silence —bring harmony and beauty to the universe, through any of our actions.

“When the intentions of the soul are illuminated by inspiration, they are realized easily!

“But if, in the days ahead, we see hard and undesirable work or insurmountable obstacles, then we will not be lucky!

“And sometimes, a person can even think that a deed is impossible altogether…

“Such thoughts and emotions impede and reduce the force that could have otherwise flowed into the implementation of the conceived task.

“But if we ‘tune’ ourselves to the joy of labor, to the power of the soul that overcomes barriers, and also to love and inspiration in the work on both ourselves-souls and earthly affairs — then, in this way, we put good fortune into our lives.

“And if our intentions do not contradict the Divine Plans they will then, necessarily, be realized!

“If we somewhere made a mistake in our plans and failed, then it should also be accepted with joy: as a lesson offered by the Gods.

“… Let joy fill the body and soul with vitality!

“But joy is not the only emotional mood that can be used. Love, peace, goodwill towards others — all this multiplies and intensifies the harmony that we bring to the world! Such thoughts and emotions of ours activate the power of the soul and give energy to achieve results!

“But we must also remember that it makes no sense to invest strength and inspiration in poorly conceived plans.

“Our intentions must be properly nurtured in silence and in coordination with the Divine Plans. Each of us should learn this!

“The perfection of this is when the human body becomes an instrument for the Divine Omnipotence, Love, and Wisdom!

“… There are two streams in the dynamics of the Creation: one flows to the Perfection, the other flows down towards degradation, decay, and death. And it is important for man to be included in the ascending flow of developing souls, and to feel that the Gods are ready to support and help.

“It is easy to feel this, for example, in one of the simplest exercises that we can perform every morning:

“Let us get up and feel that we are surrounded from every side by the wonderful universe — the Divine Creation! And let us send love to everyone and everything in It!

“Let each of us feel in ourselves the space in the spiritual heart where love is born, and let us then send this emotional state forwards.

“Let us feel that the more we pour out our love, the more we are filled with the Divine Love, Which comes as a Force that flows into our spiritual hearts from behind, from the Depths.

“Through this, our giving of love, we disappear in the River of Divine Light, Which flows through our bodies, healing and transforming them.

“In this way, we enter the world of the Divine! In It, we can live together with Divine Souls! And, From Them, we can further learn how to give Love!

“… Let’s repeat this exercise in all directions: to the right, backwards, to the left, downwards, and upwards.

“In fulfilling this, we can really cognize how the soul, by giving pure and unselfish love, enters the space where Divine Souls dwell.

“And we can learn — through our efforts of giving love — to merge with the Streams of Joy of the Creator’s Tenderness, Which gently carry the Divine Love into the Creation.

“And then, we can learn to enter the Mergence with the Great Power of the Divine Light, and later — with the Creative Divine Fire!

“Then, any intention of the soul will be realized by the Power of the Creator’s Love!”