e doubtless said was:

"_Blessed in spirit_ are the poor, for theirs shall be the kingdom of
heaven."

And in his vision, which extended beyond the times in which he lived, and
foresaw that the attainment of cosmic consciousness must involve a degree
of physical hardship, he said:

"Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

A survey of the world's progress will readily prove the fact that those who
have bent their talents and their energies toward the uplift of the race,
have done so under great stress, and in the face of persistent opposition.

This opposition is an accompaniment to altruistic effort, for the very
obvious reason that the race-thought of the world is still materialistic.

The thoughts that predominate are commercial. This is due to the fact that
those who are wealthy have large financial interests to maintain; business
problems to solve; that take about all their time. The poor find the
maintenance of physical existence a task that absorbs the greater part of
their mortal mind, and therefore, those who are devoting their time and
talents to the work of regeneration (the coming of the cosmic sense), are
necessarily in the minority, and the majority rules in thought, as in act.

The present metaphysical movement lays great stress upon worldly success
and "attraction" of wealth, as an evidence of possession of power and
truth, but the law of equation proves that we obtain _that which we most
desire_. A religious system which amasses great wealth in a short time does
so, only because its _dominant_ teaching inspires the desire for worldly
advancement, as the _prime requisite_.

The same is true of an individual, as of a system.

Not that the attainment of cosmic consciousness is absolutely impossible to
a rich man, because a man may inherit riches and position and power, as in
the case of Prince Siddhartha, the Lord Buddha; or he may have set in
motion certain currents of desire for wealth, and later in life may change
that desire, when naturally, the "business" he has created will follow the
law which instigated it, and increasing wealth will result.

But, let it be known, that Buddha renounced all his possessions, and there
are many instances to-day of renunciation of worldly life and wealth, in
order to attain to that supreme consciousness in which the illumined one
possesses all that he desires, even though he have but one coat to