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stood fora something to please and content your SPIRIT。 When
it failed of that； the whole of its value was gone。 There are no
MATERIAL values； there are only spiritual ones。 You will hunt in
vain for a material value that is ACTUAL； REALthere is no such
thing。 The only value it possesses； for even a moment； is the
spiritual value back of it： remove that end and it is at once
worthlesslike the hat。
Y。M。 Can you extend that to money？
O。M。 Yes。 It is merely a symbol； it has no MATERIAL value；
you think you desire it for its own sake； but it is not so。 You
desire it for the spiritual content it will bring； if it fail of
that； you discover that its value is gone。 There is that
pathetic tale of the man who labored like a slave； unresting；
unsatisfied； until he had accumulated a fortune； and was happy
over it； jubilant about it； then in a single week a pestilence
swept away all whom he held dear and left him desolate。 His
money's value was gone。 He realized that his joy in it came not
from the money itself； but from the spiritual contentment he got
out of his family's enjoyment of the pleasures and delights it
lavished upon them。 Money has no MATERIAL value； if you remove
its spiritual value nothing is left but dross。 It is so with all
things； little or big； majestic or trivialthere are no
exceptions。 Crowns； scepters； pennies； paste jewels； village
notoriety； world…wide famethey are all the same； they have no
MATERIAL value： while they content the SPIRIT they are precious；
when this fails they are worthless。
A Difficult Question
Y。M。 You keep me confused and perplexed all the time by
your elusive terminology。 Sometimes you divide a man up into two
or three separate personalities； each with authorities；
jurisdictions； and responsibilities of its own； and when he is in
that condition I can't grasp it。 Now when _I_ speak of a man； he
is THE WHOLE THING IN ONE； and easy to hold and contemplate。
O。M。 That is pleasant and convenient； if true。 When you
speak of 〃my body〃 who is the 〃my〃？
Y。M。 It is the 〃me。〃
O。M。 The body is a property then； and the Me owns it。
Who is the Me？
Y。M。 The Me is THE WHOLE THING； it is a common property； an
undivided ownership； vested in the whole entity。
O。M。 If the Me admires a rainbow； is it the whole Me that
admires it； including the hair； hands； heels； and all？
Y。M。 Certainly not。 It is my MIND that admires it。
O。M。 So YOU divide the Me yourself。 Everybody does；
everybody must。 What； then； definitely； is the Me？
Y。M。 I think it must consist of just those two parts
the body and the mind。
O。M。 You think so？ If you say 〃I believe the world is round；〃
who is the 〃I〃 that is speaking？
Y。M。 The mind。
O。M。 If you say 〃I grieve for the loss of my father；〃
who is the 〃I〃？
Y。M。 The mind。
O。M。 Is the mind exercising an intellectual function when
it examines and accepts the evidence that the world is round？
Y。M。 Yes。
O。M。 Is it exercising an intellectual function when it
grieves for the loss of your father？
Y。M。 That is not cerebration； brain…work； it is a matter of FEELING。
O。M。 Then its source is not in your mind； but in your MORAL territory？
Y。M。 I have to grant it。
O。M。 Is your mind a part of your PHYSICAL equipment？
Y。M。 No。 It is independent of it； it is spiritual。
O。M。 Being spiritual； it cannot be affected by physical influences？
Y。M。 No。
O。M。 Does the mind remain sober with the body is drunk？
Y。M。 Wellno。
O。M。 There IS a physical effect present； then？
Y。M。 It looks like it。
O。M。 A cracked skull has resulted in a crazy mind。 Why
should it happen if the mind is spiritual； and INDEPENDENT of
physical influences？
Y。M。 WellI don't know。
O。M。 When you have a pain in your foot； how do you know it？
Y。M。 I feel it。
O。M。 But you do not feel it until a nerve reports the hurt
to the brain。 Yet the brain is the seat of the mind； is it not？
Y。M。 I think so。
O。M。 But isn't spiritual enough to learn what is happening
in the outskirts without the help of the PHYSICAL messenger？ You
perceive that the question of who or what the Me is； is not a
simple one at all。 You say 〃I admire the rainbow；〃 and 〃I
believe the world is round；〃 and in these cases we find that the
Me is not speaking； but only the MENTAL part。 You say； 〃I
grieve；〃 and again the Me is not all speaking； but only the MORAL
part。 You say the mind is wholly spiritual； then you say 〃I have
a pain〃 and find that this time the Me is mental AND spiritual
combined。 We all use the 〃I〃 in this indeterminate fashion；
there is no help for it。 We imagine a Master and King over what
you call The Whole Thing； and we speak of him as 〃I；〃 but when we
try to define him we find we cannot do it。 The intellect and the
feelings can act quite INDEPENDENTLY of each other； we recognize
that； and we look around for a Ruler who is master over both； and
can serve as a DEFINITE AND INDISPUTABLE 〃I；〃 and enable us to
know what we mean and who or what we are talking about when we
use that pronoun； but we have to give it up and confess that we
cannot find him。 To me； Man is a machine； made up of many
mechanisms； the moral and mental ones acting automatically in
accordance with the impulses of an interior Master who is built
out of born…temperament and an accumulation of multitudinous
outside influences and trainings； a machine whose ONE function is
to secure the spiritual contentment of the Master； be his desires
good or be they evil； a machine whose Will is absolute and must
be obeyed； and always IS obeyed。
Y。M。 Maybe the Me is the Soul？
O。M。 Maybe it is。 What is the Soul？
Y。M。 I don't know。
O。M。 Neither does any one else。
The Master Passion
Y。M。 What is the Master？or； in common speech； the
Conscience？ Explain it。
O。M。 It is that mysterious autocrat； lodged in a man； which
compels the man to content its desires。 It may be called the
Master Passionthe hunger for Self…Approval。
Y。M。 Where is its seat？
O。M。 In man's moral constitution。
Y。M。 Are its commands for the man's good？
O。M。 It is indifferent to the man's good； it never concerns
itself about anything but the satisfying of its own desires。 It
can be TRAINED to prefer things which will be for the man's good；
but it will prefer them only because they will content IT better
than other things would。
Y。M。 Then even when it is trained to high ideals it is still
looking out for its own contentment； and not for the man's good。
O。M。 True。 Trained or untrained； it cares nothing for the man's good；
and never concerns itself about it。
Y。M。 It seems to be an IMMORAL force seated in the man's
moral constitution。
O。M。 It is a COLORLESS force seated in the man's moral const