EIGHTEENTH TALK           36l
dreadful persecutions have been justified on this
theory of saving somebody else's soul. We, at
least, in Theosophy must free ourselves from that
idea. We must Slways be ready to help, but at the
same time we must not force our help upon people
with the idea that we are thereby doing them great
good. We may know better than they, but to force
our ideas upon another man is always a great
mistake, it is always a dangerous thing to do. We
can see it surely in the way in which we ourselves are
often treated. You know that outside in the world
there are people who are constantly pouring out evil
thought against Theosophy. They want to convert us.
Their desire is to save our souls by converting us to
some particu^rly narrow form of Christianity. We
must not allow ourselves to be disturbed, we must
keep quite steady and quite calm, and we must
recognise that there are different ways for different
people, and that all ways in the end lead to God.
Then we come again to another point of great
importance:
Becau&e you try to take up higher work, you must not
forget your ordinary duties, for until they are done you are
not free for other service. You should undertake no new
worldly duties ; but those which you have already taken
upon you, you must perfectly fulfil—all clear and reasonable
duties which you yourself recognise, that is, not imaginary
duties which others try to impose upon you.
If you are to be His, you must do ordinary work better
than others, not worse ; because you must do that also for
His sake.