The Guardian urges you not to be discouraged by any setbacks you may have. Life is a process of trials and testings, and these are—contrary to what we are prone to thinking—good for us, and give us stamina, and teach us to rely on God. Knowing He will help us, we can help ourselves more.
He does not know how, in the present very chaotic state of the world, you could find just the kind of job you want of driving abroad. Positions are difficult to obtain and travel so complicated. Unless you can migrate out to Africa or Australia, in some regular government scheme, he would urge you to persevere in Great Britain and do the best you can. He urges you, in the next job you have, to pray whenever you feel the conditions at work are too much for you. You will find you are helped and strengthened and once you get established in some position you may work yourself up, or go on with good references to a better employment later on....
Letter of 8 January 1949
8 January 1949
The only people who are truly free of the “dross of self” are the Prophets, for to be free of one’s ego is a hall-mark of perfection. We humans are never going to become perfect, for perfection belongs to a realm we are not destined to enter. However, we must constantly mount higher, seek to be more perfect.
The ego is the animal in us, the heritage of the flesh which is full of selfish desires. By obeying the laws of God, seeking to live the life laid down in our teachings, and prayer and struggle, we can subdue our egos. We call people “saints” who have achieved the highest degree of mastery over their egos.
There is no contradiction between Gleanings p. 66 and p. 262. In one place He says the mirror will never be free from dross, in the other place He says it will be “so cleared as to be able” etc. It is a relative thing; perfection will never be reached, but great and ever greater, progress can be made.
The word “Guardian” in the Seven Valleys has no connection with the Bahá’í Guardianship.