Nothing Is Lost in Life

“A little boy went to school. He was very little. All that he knew he had drawn in with his mother’s milk. His teacher (who was the Absolute) placed him in the lowest class, and gave him these lessons to learn: Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt do no hurt to any living thing. Thou shalt not steal. So the man did not kill; but he was cruel, and he stole.

At the end of the day (when his beard was gray—when the night was come) his teacher (who was the Absolute) said: Thou hast learned not to kill, but the other lessons thou hast not learned. Come back tomorrow.

On the morrow he came back a little boy. And his teacher (who was the Absolute) put him in a class a little higher, and gave him these lessons to learn: Thou shalt do no hurt to any living thing. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not cheat. So the man did no hurt to any living thing; but he stole and he cheated.

And at the end of the day (when his beard was gray—when the night was come) his teacher (who was the Absolute) said: Thou hast learned to be merciful. But the other lessons thou hast not learned. Come back tomorrow.

Again, on the morrow, he came back, a little boy. And his teacher (who was the Absolute) put him in a class yet a little higher, and gave him these lessons to learn: Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not cheat. Thou shalt not covet. So the man did not steal; but he cheated and he coveted.

And at the end of the day (when his beard was gray—when the night was come) his teacher (who was the Absolute) said: Thou hast learned not to steal. But the other lessons thou hast not learned. Come back, my child, tomorrow.”

This beautiful story written by Mr. Berry Benson, a late 1800’s American writer, accurately describes how life and the Yogi theory of Spiritual Evolution work.

Nothing is lost in life. Everything you go through, all the good and bad experiences, help you grow. Even if you don't succeed the first time, you keep trying until you get it right. Every effort you make, even if it seems small, counts.

So, don't give up when things get tough. Don’t get discouraged if it seems like you are not moving forward. You are. Slowly, but surely. You are continuously learning. Every experience helps you become stronger and better and wiser and kinder. Keep going.