Text of the meditation
The greatness that is flawless, rounded and complete is above and beyond all art. Would you preach the living Word? You must forgo yourself, and become that Word. You must know one thing: that the human heart is good, is divine; you must live one thing: Love. You must love all, seeing no evil, believing no evil; then, though you speak but little, your every act will be a power, your every word a precept.
By your pure thought, your selfless deed, though it appear hidden, you will preach, down the ages, to untold multitudes of aspiring souls. To the one who chooses Goodness, sacrificing all, is given that which includes all. They become the possessor of the Best, commune with the Highest, and enter the company of the Great.
The greatness that is flawless, rounded and complete is above and beyond all art. It is Perfect Goodness in manifestation; therefore the greatest souls are always Teachers.
James Allen (1864–1912), Book of Meditations for Every Day in the Year (1913) – public-domain text, gently modernised.
The original 1913 text is in the public domain.
