羊皮卷en- 第1部分

by　AUGER　MANDENO


The　Scroll　Marked　One　

Today　I　begin　a　new　life。

Today　I　shed　my　old　skin　which　hath；　too　long；　suffered　the　bruises　of　failure　and　the　wounds　of　mediority。

Today　I　am　born　anew　and　my　birthplace　is　a　vineyard　where　there　is　fruit　for　all。

Today　I　will　pluck　grapes　of　wisdom　from　the　tallest　and　fullest　vines　in　the　vineyard；for　these　were　planted　by　the　wisest　of　my　profession　who　have　e　before　me；generation　upon　generation。

Today　I　will　savor　the　taste　of　grapes　from　these　vines　and　verily　I　will　swallow　the　seed　of　success　buried　in　each　and　new　life　will　sprout　within　me。

The　career　I　have　chosen　is　laden　with　opportunity　yet　it　is　fraught　with　heartbreak　and　despair　and　the　bodies　of　those　who　have　failed；　were　they　piled　one　atop　another；　would　cast　a　shadow　down　upon　all　the　pyramids　of　the　earth。

Yet　I　will　not　fail；　as　the　others；　for　in　my　hands　I　now　hold　the　charts　which　will　guide　through　perilous　waters　to　shores　which　only　yesterday　seemed　but　a　dream。

Failure　no　longer　will　be　my　payment　for　struggle。　Just　as　nature　made　no　provision　for　my　body　to　tolerate　pain　neither　has　it　made　any　provision　for　my　life　to　suffer　failure。　Failure；　like　pain；　is　alien　to　my　life。　In　the　past　I　accepted　it　as　I　accepted　pain。　Now　I　reject　it　and　I　am　prepared　for　wisdom　and　principles　which　will　guide　me　out　of　the　shadows　into　the　sunlight　of　wealth；　position；　and　happiness　far　beyond　my　most　extravagant　dreams　until　even　the　golden　apples　in　the　Garden　of　Hesperides　will　seem　no　more　than　my　just　reward。

Time　teaches　all　things　to　him　who　lives　forever　but　I　have　not　the　luxury　of　eternity。　Yet　within　my　allotted　time　I　must　practice　the　art　of　patience　for　nature　acts　never　in　haste。　To　create　the　olive；　king　of　all　trees；　a　hundred　years　is　required。　An　onion　plant　is　old　in　nine　weeks。　I　have　lived　as　an　onion　plant。　It　has　not　pleased　me。　Now　I　wouldst　bee　the　greatest　of　olive　trees　and；　in　truth；　the　greatest　of　salesman。

And　how　will　this　be　acplished？　For　I　have　neither　the　knowledge　nor　the　experience　to　achieve　the　greatness　and　already　I　have　stumbled　in　ignorance　and　fallen　into　pools　of　self…pity。　The　answer　is　simple。　I　will　mence　my　journey　unencumbered　with　either　the　weight　of　unnecessary　knowledge　or　the　handicap　of　meaningless　experience。　Nature　already　has　supplied　me　with　knowledge　and　instinct　far　greater　than　any　beast　in　the　forest　and　the　value　of　experience　is　overrated；　usually　by　old　men　who　nod　wisely　and　speak　stupidly。

In　truth；　experience　teaches　thoroughly　yet　her　course　of　instruction　devours　men's　years　so　the　value　of　her　lessons　diminishes　with　the　time　necessary　to　acquire　her　special　wisdom。　The　end　finds　it　wasted　on　dead　men。　Furthermore；　experience　is　parable　to　fashion；　an　action　that　proved　successful　today　will　be　unworkable　and　impractical　tomorrow。

Only　principles　endure　and　these　I　now　possess；　for　the　laws　that　will　lead　me　to　greatness　are　contained　in　the　words　of　these　scrolls。　What　they　will　teach　me　is　more　to　prevent　failure　than　to　gain　success；　for　what　is　success　other　than　a　state　of　mind？　Which　two；　among　a　thouand　wise　men；　will　define　success　in　the　same　words；　yet　failure　is　always　described　but　one　way。　Failure　is　man's　inability　to　reach　his　goals　in　life；　whatever　they　may　be。

In　truth；　the　only　difference　between　those　who　have　failed　and　those　who　have　successed　lies　in　the　difference　of　their　habits。　Good　habits　are　the　key　to　all　success。　Bad　habits　are　the　unlocked　door　to　failure。　Thus；　the　first　law　I　will　obey；　which　precedeth　all　others　is　I　will　form　good　habits　and　bee　their　slave。

As　a　child　I　was　slave　to　my　impulses；　now　I　am　slave　to　my　habits；　as　are　all　grown　men。　I　have　surrendered　my　free　will　to　the　years　of　accumulated　habits　and　the　past　deeds　of　my　life　have　already　marked　out　a　path　which　threatens　to　imprison　my　future。　My　actions　are　ruled　by　appetite；　passion；　prejudice；　greed；　love；　fear；　environment；　habit；　and　the　worst　of　these　tyrants　is　habit。　Therefore；　if　I　must　be　a　slave　to　habit　let　me　be　a　slave　to　good　habits。　My　bad　habits　must　be　destroyed　and　new　furrows　prepared　for　good　seed。

I　will　form　good　habits　and　bee　their　slave。　

And　how　will　I　acplish　this　difficult　feat？　Through　these　scrolls；　it　will　be　done；　for　each　scroll　contains　a　principle　which　will　drive　a　bad　habit　from　my　life　and　replace　it　with　one　which　will　bring　me　closer　to　success。　For　it　is　another　of　nature's　laws　that　only　a　habit　can　subdue　another　habit。　So；　in　order　for　these　written　words　to　perform　their　chosen　task；　I　must　discipline　myself　with　the　first　of　my　new　habits　which　is　as　follows：

I　will　read　each　scroll　for　thirty　days　in　this　prescribed　manner；　before　I　proceed　to　the　next　scroll。

First；　I　will　read　the　words　in　silence　when　I　arise。　Then；　I　will　read　the　words　in　silence　after　I　have　partaken　of　my　midday　meal。　Last；　I　will　read　the　words　again　just　before　I　retire　at　day's　end；　and　most　important；　on　this　occasion　I　will　read　the　words　aloud。

On　the　next　day　I　will　repeat　this　procedure；　and　I　will　continue　in　like　manner　for　thirty　days。　Then；　I　will　turn　to　the　next　scroll　and　repeat　this　procedure　for　another　thirty　days。　I　will　continue　in　this　manner　until　I　have　lived　with　each　scroll　for　thirty　days　and　my　reading　has　bee　habit。

And　what　will　be　acplished　with　this　habit？　Herein　lies　the　hidden　secret　of　all　man's　acplishments。　As　I　repeat　the　words　daily　they　will　soon　bee　a　part　of　my　active　mind；　but　more　important；　they　will　also　seep　into　my　other　mind；　that　mysterious　source　which　never　sleeps；　which　creates　my　dreams；　and　often　makes　me　act　in　ways　I　do　not　prehend。

As　the　words　of　these　scrolls　are　consumed　by　my　mysterious　mind　I　will　begin　to　awake；　each　morning；　with　a　vitality　I　have　never　known　before。　My　vigor　will　increase；　my　enthusiasm　will　rise；　my　desire　to　meet　the　world　will　overe　every　fear　I　once　knew　at　sunrise；　and　I　will　be　happier　than　I　ever　believed　it　possible　to　be　in　this　world　of　strife　and　sorrow。

Eventually　I　will　find　myself　reacting　to　all　situations　which　confront　me　as　I　was　manded　in　the　scrolls　to　react；　and　soon　these　actions　and　reactions　will　bee　easy　to　perform；　for　any　act　with　practice　bees　easy。

Thus　a　new　and　good　habit　is　born；　for　when　an　act　bees　easy　through　constant　repetiton　it　bees　a　pleasure　to　perform　and　if　it　is　a　pleasure　to　perform　it　is　man's　nature　to　perform　it　often。　When　I　perform　it　often　it　bees　a　habit　and　I　bee　its　slave　and　since　it　is　a　good　habit　this　is　my　will。

Today　I　begin　a　new　life。

And　I　make　a　solemn　oath　to　myself　that　nothing　will　retard　my　new　life's　growth。　I　will　lose　not　a　day　from　these　readings　for　that　day　cannot　be　retrieved　nor　can　I　substitute　another　for　it。　I　must　not　；　I　will　not；　break　this　habit　of　daily　reading　from　these　scrolls　and；　in　truth；　the　few　moments　spent　each　day　on　this　new　habit　are　but　a　small　price　to　pay　for　the　happiness　and　success　that　will　be　mine。

As　I　read　and　re…read　the　words　in　the　scrolls　to　follow；　never　will　I　allow　the　brevity　of　each　scroll　nor　the　simplicity　of　its　words　to　cause　me　to　treat　the　scroll's　message　lightly。　Thousands　of　grapes　are　pressed　to　fill　one　jar　with　wine；　and　the　grapeskin　and　pulp　are　tossed　to　the　birds。　So　it　is　with　these　grapes　of　wisdom　from　the　ages。　Much　has　been　filtered　and　tossed　to　the　wind。Only　the　pure　truth　lies　distilled　in　the　words　to　e。　I　will　drink　as　instructed　and　spill　not　a　drop。　And　the　seed　of　success　I　will　swallow。

Today　my　old　skin　has　bee　as　dust。　I　will　walk　tall　among　men　and　they　will　know　me　not　；　for　today　I　am　a　new　man；　with　a　new　life。

The　Scroll　Marked　Two　
I　will　greet　this　day　with　love　in　my　heart。

For　this　is　the　greatest　secret　of　success　in　all　ventures。　Muscle　can　split　a　shield　and　even　destroy　life　but　only　the　unseen　power　of　love　can　open　the　hearts　of　men　and　until　I　master　this　art　I　will　remain　no　more　than　a　peddler　in　the　market　place。　I　will　make　love　my　greatest　weapon　and　none　on　whom　I　call　can　defend　against　its　force。

My　reasoning　they　may　counter；　my　speech　they　may　distrust；　my　apparel　they　may　disapprove；　my　face　they　may　reject；　and　even　my　bargains　may　cause　them　suspicion；　yet　my　love　will　melt　all　hearts　liken　to　the　sun　whose　rays　soften　the　coldest　clay。

I　will　greet　this　day　with　love　in　my　heart。

And　how　will　I　do　this？　Henceforth　will　I　look　on　all　things　with　love　and　I　will　be　born　again。　I　will　love　the　sun　for　it　warms　my　bones；　yet　I　will　love　the　rain　for　it　cleanses　my　spirit。　I　will　love　the　light　for　it　shows　me　the　way；　yet　I　will　love　the　darkness　for　it　shows　me　the　stars。　I　will　wele　happiness　for　it　enlarges　my　heart；　yet　I　will　endure　sadness　for　it　opens　my　soul。　I　will　acknowledge　rewards　for　they　are　my　due；　yet　I　will　wele　obstacles　for　they　are　my　challenge。

I　will　greet　this　day　with　love　in　my　heart。

And　how　will　I　speak？　I　will　laud　mine　enemies　and　they　will　bee　friends；　I　will　encourage　my　friends　and　they　will　bee　brothers。　Always　will　I　dig　for　reasons　to　applaud；　never　will　I　scratch　for　excuses　to　gossip。　When　I　am　tempted　to　criticize　I　will　bite　on　my　ton