EIGHTH TALK l53

reason and common sense ". That is a most import-
ant point to be borne in mind.

For reason and common sense are things, the
lack of which we have often lamentably felt in our
Theosophical Society. People have become so
enthusiastic, and so rightly enthusiastic, that they
have sometimes forgotten that reason and common
sense must rule everything. You have something
you want to do because you know it is a good thing
to do. Very well, but do not charge at it like a bull
at a gate, that is not the way to get good results; the
bull possibly gets through at the cost of considerable
damage to himself and to the gate. It is not the
wisest way or the best way to do anything. You
should always show sweet reasonableness in all that
you do.

Remember that the Occultist never allows himself
to be forced to do a wrong thing for fear of hurting
other people's prejudices; but he will never offend
those prejudices unnecessarily. If you have some
piece of work to do, see what in that piece of work
is the really important thing and attend to that;

confine your attention largely to that. Remember,
it is much harder to insist gently and tactfully than
to insist angrily. If you let yourself get angry and
stirred up about a thing, then you get a wave of
emotion that carries you through; but to do the
thing gently and quietly, without any emotion of
hatred or any feeling against those who oppose, is a