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. OFFICIAL
. EMBLEM OF • I
.

~ UIJ'if~ffj~ ~00:6~ . ~ .

All material, discourses, lectures, illustrations, lessons, scientific dissertations and letters of
transmittal appearing under this Official Emblem are protected by copyright. They may not
be quoted except by official and written permission of The Mayans. They are not for sale
but are prepared for the private u~e of Members of our Order. The recipient of this manu-
script agrees by acceptance to hold it Private as the property of The Mayans to be delivered
up to !he Order upon demand. All rights in the material appearing beneath this cover are
reserved by The Mayans, including the privilege of tranSlation into other languages.

VADE MECUM, VOLVENTIBUS ANNIS

THE MAYANS
10 SAN ANTONIO. Number 302
TEXAS
Copyright 1964 by The Mayans
LIFE'S

ENDURING

SATISFACTIONS

MAYAN REVELATION NUMBER 302 Health of Body and Mind

The Possession of Security
New Vistas Through Travel
Home, Family and Friends
Knowledge
Solitude
The Joy of a Completed Task
Divine Awareness
Unselfish Service
Conclusion
Affirmation
 Rev. 302: P2:

:BELOVED PERFECTOR:

Life now and hereafter is measured by those qualities that are enduring.
Whatever else our experience may bring us, if it does not include satisfactions that
stand the test of time, we look upon it as a failure.

It is said by visitors to Africa that people of primitive tribes often

seem more contented than those in the so-called civilized societies. One traveler
tells of a visit with an African chieftain. He pictured for him the luxuries and
opulence of Western life. At the end of the interview the old chief solemnly ask-
ed, "But are the people happy?"

Which period in life brings the greatest satisfactions? Is it life 1 s morn-

ing, noon, or €Vening? I presume that we would conclude happiness can be found in
each segment of life 1 s little day - its dawn, its noonday, and its time of sunset.
Childhood and youth are times when great hopes are built, when fine dreams are
born, and the future opens before us like an unexplored treasure land.
But the unknown sometimes arouses fear, and frequently brings cruel test-
ing. In youth we often suffer from feelings of insecurity and anxiety concerning
what may lie ahead. There is concern about the work of life to be chosen, and the
ties of friendship and love which will develop. The morning of life is a time of
hope and anticipation, of planning and growing, but it may have its disappoint-
ments and tensions.

The noonday of life may be thE3period of greatest triumph. It is then

that dreams come true and great hopes are realized. The petty jealousies of youth
are forgotten in the ·achievement·\Jf enduring satisfactions. But it is also a time
of great struggle. The sun of life's day beats down upon us, and its competitions
often end in disillusionment.
The evening of life should be the time of golden moments •. It is the har-
~est period. It is then that .:the_ fruits of -the -application. and toil of the morning
.$.nd noonCW.y sre.-gathered. It should be the time when values have been sorted out,
and we have kept intact the enduring satisfactions. But the evening may bring
floods of remorse,·-and inward .storms, especially if we are aware of opportunities
lust- in the_btl.S.Y rush .of. the years.

Enduring satisfactions can be glimpsed in youth, achieved in middle age,

and preserved and enriched in the twilight hours. In this Lesson we shall examine
certain of the qualities that contribute to lasting satisfactions. You will rec-
ognize that some of these qualities are dependent upon forces beyond your control.
In such cases you will need to utilize the handicap that is yours as you strive to
reach other goals.·

Many of the attitudes that make for life 1 s satisfactions depend upon the
use you make of your opportunities, and of the gifts God has entrusted to you.
God has made it possible for you to possess enduring joy for daily living. The
discovery of, and achievement of, enduring satisfactions depends upon you.
 PRAYER

Gracious God, we give Thee thanks for the gift of

life. Give us strength that we may face the challenge
each day brings. Save us from the temptation to be-
come lost in the struggle for the temporal and the
tawdry. Help us to walk the pathways of thought and
action that will bring us life's enduring satisfac-
tions. In Jesus• name. Amen.

HEALTH OF BODY AND MIND

Q"MONG the factors that contribute to enduring satisfactions, health of

~body and mind are high on the list. Physical weaknesses have to be
accepted and dealt with, but the important fact to keep in mind is
that many of our bodily weaknesses are of our own making. Dr. Montague once said:
"Ulcers are not caused by what you eat; ulcers are caused by what is eating you."
Many of our bodily ills have their source in our mental attitudes.
We should consider, however, that not all our physical weaknesses can be
controlled by our minds. Many stem from hereditary tendencies or from infections
or accidents that are beyond our control. Such handicaps have to be accepted with
grace, and faced with courage.

Yet, many bodily weaknesses can be controlled and cured. If left to run
their course, they rob us of the enduring satisfactions that are the rightful
heritage of the faith we profess. What we regard as the minor ills of the flesh
are responsible for much of the misery in our daily lives. Unhappiness for our-
selves and others is often produced bY:~ frazzled, nez-y~s, W"eak stomachs, and aching
head~ It is interesting to note that the word "nerve" or "nerves" does -not appear
eitlier in the Bible or in the works of Shakespeare. This generation has seen the
alarming increase of illnesses that have their source in mental attitudes. Your
health may depend upon whether you accept the truth and the method of living that
will make for a calm and peaceful mind.

If you have a physical handicap do not assume that you can never
claim life's lasting satisfactions. There are other factors be-
sides health that make for happiness. There is no reason for you
to say with Euripides, 1 ~aving lost the charm of a healthy body I
now desire to die." A patient in New York state was bedridden for
fifty-two years. Her home became a mecca for the distressed of
mind and body who came in search of the happiness she radiated
day by day. She triumphed in spirit over the ills of the flesh.

You can claim this satisfaction for yourself, however great may be the
burden of your physical and mental weakness. Observe the habits that make for
good health. Avoid the dissipations that drain YQ'Llr_ strengtlJ.:-- Learn-What -it

Rev. 302: P3: ~"'~p;~~

 Rev. 302: P4:

means to control your body by controlling your mind. You need not undertake this
struggle alone. It is part of God's plan that you should receive strength for all
your needs.

THE POSSESSION OF SECURITY

~CONOMIC security often appears to be a necessary factor in possessing

'-1life 1 s enduring satisfactions. It is hard to feel contentment with
unpaid bills and no money to meet them, or with calls for help and no means to
answer them. It is not out of keeping with our most noble desires that we should
want economic security.
But economic freedom alone is not enough to insure happiness. A majority
of the more than twenty thousand suicides that occur every year in America are
people who live in luxurious homes and have no financial worries. Few people on
relief take their own lives. Eastman, the Kodak king, ended his life by his own
hands. He had experienced a severe illness, but that was not the reason he gave
for the act. He wrote, 11 I feel I have nothing to live for." He had never married,
and had no one whom he felt loved him. His money could not buy him inner peace.

Tb.e_.gr~~e_s-t___o:f l~fe~s_y~l11!3~Ca_@ot be_bQl,!ght _Yii~}lgold. Love of family

and friends, the confidence of the public, and the appreciation of all that is
true and beautiful and good cannot be purchased in the markets of the world.
Emerson, while once out walking, was asked if he owned any of the property around
him. He answered, 11 I have an interest in the best things here. Do you hear that
bird's song? I own an interest in that. Do you see the beautiful sunset? I am
a shareholder in that. Do you feel the cooling breeze? Part of it is mine. I
am a partner in all the good things of life about me. 11

There is nothing evil in your desire to possess economic .security. But

keep alive an awareness of the wealth that cannot be bought with money. Center
your attention upon this treasure. The assets that are lasting do not depend upon
bank books and checking accounts. They depend upon whether you are willing to use
the enduring values that are free for the taking.

NEW VISTAS THIDUGH TRAVEL

~ANY of.us have found travel to be a source of enduring satisfaction.

JY~To look upon scenes of national interest, about which we have read or
studied, makes the heart leap for joy. Our horizons are lifted when we look upon
life in foreign lands, or when we gaze at scenes of natural beauty. Travel broad-
ens our horizons. It gives us new interests and satisfactions.

Our generation is fortunate in possessing means by which we can easily

share the wonders of travel. The books of Richard Halliburton and Lowell Thomas
become magic carpets to transport us to far places of the earth. Travelogues
often serve as an opportunity to share strange and exotic parts of the world. I
visited an invalid who asked questions concerning some of the countries I had
visited. Then she said proudly, "I have been to South America, Africa, and Asia.
I have seen Yellowstone and Yosemite." With a twinkle in her eye, she added, 11 I
have seen many, many travelogues. I have seen every part of the world during the
past eight years." Her animation revealed that she had found lasting pleasure in
the journeys she had shared.

Push back the horizons of your mind by the uplifting power of travel.
If you cannot go in person to the places of which you have dreamed, then go in
imagination, with the author or the photographer as your guide. You will discover
that travel is a source of inspiration and endless delight.

HOME, FAMILY AND FRIENDS

~HERE is no substitute for the joy that comes from our personal assoc-
~ iations. Family and friends are an everlasting source of lasting
satisfaction. The poet has rightly said:
11 A little shelter from life 1 s stress
Where I may lay me prone.
And bear my soul in loneliness
And know as I am known."

Fortunate is that person who experiences the joy of home and family. Minds anx-
ious and disturbed are quieted and made peaceful by the understanding and encour-
agement found in a home where love rules. A world that seems complex and dis-
turbing becomes a heaven of tranquility when you seek the companionship of those
who care.

Beyond the walls of the house in which we live we are supported by the
circle of friends who have become a part of life every day. Our real friends may
be divided into four groups:

The first in the scale upward includes those whom we meet casually
on social occasions or at public events. We enjoy them, but usual-
ly they are out of mind when out of sight.

The second group includes our business or professional associates.

Some may become close friends, but for many we have no further con-
cern than the interests which brought us together.

The third group includes our intellectual companions who enjoy the
same music, art, and books which we enjoy. They are congenial ac-
quaintances whose common interests may lead to deep and abiding
friendship.

The last group includes our spiritual companions - those who, in

holy bonds of friendship, share our joys and triumphs. Fellowship
with them contributes to our lasting satisfactions.

Rev. 302: P 5 :
 Rev. 302: P6:

KNOWLEOOE

I T is often said that ignorance is bliss. If that were so it would be

foolish to seek Wisdom. Yet it is never bliss to be ignorant of the
great currents that sweep across the world to advance the thought of man. We are
enriched by knowledge of literature and the arts. Our horizons are lifted by the
insights we gain into the quest of men to know God and to understand His will.
There is a quiet and genuine joy that comes from discovering new facts,
exploring new continents of knowledge, and becoming a person of learning. It was
Lessing who said, 11 The pursuit of knowledge is more precious than its possession."
Many times you will discover that he was right.

The individual who rises to eminence among the well-read and cultured of
the community has a right to be happy. There is lasting joy in the plain living
and high thinking that enables one to fill the mind with "thoughts that pierce the
night like stars, and with their mild persistence lead man 1 s search to vaster
issues."
Dr. Timothy Dwight of Yale defined the _happiest lll8n as the one who thinks
the most beautiful thoughts. The individual whose mind is filled with thoughts of
God and of beauty has found the secret of genuine contentment. That mind is in
torment where hate and falsehood and ugliness have become master.
You are never too old to feed your mind with new insights. Age is
no barrier to the youthful qualities of seeking and finding. In
the quest you will unearth the treasure of lasting satisfactions.

SOLITUDE
TI QR ~a quiet soul, solitude _is a source of enduring joy. rhe good and
J[4the great of every generation have sought out the quiet places of the
earth in their search for happiness. There are times when all of us feel like
crying out with Wordsworth, "The world. is Loo_much with us." At such times it is
a· joy to flee_, __ like a pird, to the mountains. It is a source of satisfaction to
-vralk in a quiet garden.
You need a place of refuge to which you can go to be _py _yourself, there
to recover life's meaning in solitude. ~t~may be a room in your home which has
special meaning becaus~ gff_ormerassociatio-ris: -It may be the corner of a library,
or a secluded spot in your office at
lunch hour.
Cherish the_.Oppor-tunities when you can be alone. _lJse .such occasions to
tune your __wave_l~Q_~c;>___tl:l~-~ _of the _Eternal. You will return to the world with
fresh strength to fa.g_e_ YOur __PX:S>bJems. You will gain a quiet calm which is far
m6re effective than the hectic pressure one is tempted to use to gain his desired
ends.

The great treasures that are available to you in moments of solitude are
among life's most enduring satisfactions. Don't miss them by the plea that you are
too busy.

TRE JOY OF A COMPLErED TASK

'UANY of the moments of deepest satisfaction in daily living are reserv-

jY~ed for occasions when we have completed a task undertaken hesitantly,
but with diligence pursued to completion. There is joy in plowing the last row of
corn, or in harvesting the last load of hay. The physician who dismisses a
patient as cured, or the lawyer who wins a successful jury case, knows real satis-
faction. We have watched the pride in the face of the architect who sees his
dream brought to completion in a building. The author finds a joy when he holds
in his hand the first copy of a volume into which he has poured his very life.

Such satisfactions are not reserved for those who complete a task that
gains wide recognition. They are available to all of us. The mother feels it
when she sends her child off to school bright and shining. The housewife feels it
when pies fresh from the oven are ready to eat. The man feels it who looks on
a lawn well groomed after cutting and trimming it.

It should be remembered that not all our undertakings can be brought to a

successful completion. We must face the fact that there will be defeats, and
strive not to be broken by them. Theodore Roosevelt once said that a man is a
success who succeeds in doing fifty-one percent of the things he wished to dol

Enjoy to the full the enduring satisfaction that comes from a task well
done. Don't hesitate to begin because of a fear that you might fail. Start with
a simple task that gives hope of completion. Even a minor victory can become the
source of lasting happiness.

DIVINE AWARENESS

~HE consciousness of our Divine origin, and of our relationship to the

~highest forces in the universe, awakens within us feelings of lasting
joy. From such a vantage point life is looked upon as something more than a
walking shadow, or a tale told by an idiot. There is no reason to cry, 11 0utl
Out! brief candle!" When we endeavor to live out our lives, conscious of a Di-
vine Plan and Purpose, we become one with heaven and the stars. For all of us
who are sensitive there is an inner voice that speaks to us, and directs us to
leave the lower levels of human instincts and desires, and seek higher ground.
When we respond to that voice, we feel a joy that is enduring.

In every age awareness that man is more than an animal, that he has a
Divine origin and destiny, has lifted him to higher levels. Moreover, it has
contributed to lasting satisfactions. You are made to experience that assurance.
You can be blind to it, held down by bodily weaknesses or mental despair, but you

Rev. 302: P7:

 Rev. 302: P8:

need not endure in that state.

The consciousness of your importance in the eyes of God, and of His

need for what you can be and do, will transform your daily exist-
ence until it becomes a thrilling adventure. As you gain this in-
sight you will find a key that unlocks the treasure of happiness.

UNSELFISH SERVICE
~NSELFISH service is another source of enduring satisfaction. To
~share a project that gives help to others is to see the heavens open
and the face of God shine through. For many years Frank S. Ondernonk labored among
the desperately poor people of old Mexico. On one occasion a group of touring
Americans visited his remote place of service. They were amazed at the work he
was doing and expressed sympathy for him in his primitive surroundings. Aroused
by their pitying attitude, Doctor Ondernonk said to them: 11 Do not sympathize with
me, you who travel widely and enjoy your wealth. You will know nothing of real
happiness until you lose yourself in a great cause and give your lives to a people
from whom you expect nothing." He rbceived satisfactions in service that many of
us miss.

Individuals who take part in great social enterprises return to their

labor refreshed in soul even though they be weary in body. The greater the sacri-
fice is, the greater the happiness will be. The selfish soul knows nothing of the
satisfaction that comes to one who loses himself in a great cause. With one hand
he reaches up and touches the stars for inspiration, and with the other he reach-
es down to help those who are in need.

Louis Pasteur offered a supreme example of the lasting joy that comes
through service. Every farmer in the world is his debtor. ·It was he who f~und
the cure for cholera among hogs, and anthrax among cattle. His work in exploring
the germ theory of disease, and the part bacteria plays in it, was the greatest
work of its kind ever performed. Though honors came to him from many nations, he
found his greatest satisfaction in feeling that he had helped to lift the burdens
of humanity.

Statuary Hall in the National Capitol in Washington contains memorials to

outstanding servants of the nation. Each state was privileged to honor two of
its citizens. It is interesting to note that, while some statesmen are honored,
there are many statues raised to those who served their country by helping to
lift the burdens of the poor. One cannot walk among those memorials without be-
ing reminded that service to others is the most lasting testimonial to a good life.

There is enduring satisfaction available to you as

you give yourself to unselfish service. It will be-
come the source of your deepest joy, and will consti-
tute the finest memorial you can leave to others who
follow you.
 CONCLUSION

You may be tempted to conclude that there is no complete happiness to be

attained in a troubled world like that in which you live. Yet, such happiness can
be yours. There is a certain satisfaction that comes from knowing you have ac~iev­
ed some degree of wealth and wisdom. But these treasures may be lost. The human
ties represented by love and friendship are often broken. In such hours even the
memory of friendship can be an enduring delight.

We are wise to remember that deeds well done, and service rendered un-
selfishly, create an enduring residue of satisfaction that no passing events can
erase. The most abiding sources of enduring satisfaction are those in which we
have recognized our place as God's children, and have used our gifts wisely and well.

Make a beginning today in the search for enduring satisfactions. As you

lose yourself in right thinking, noble living, and high endeavor, you will reap a
harvest of happiness that nothing can destroy.

AFFIRMATION

In a changing and disturbing world I will seek and find life's

enduring satisfactions.

Blessings,

Your Instructor.

Your next Lessons are the first of a new Series, devoted to "Spiritual Progress
Through Prayer". Since the possibilities of prayer are so vast, and so promising
for the improvement of your life, the first Lessons in the Series will take up the
subjects "Making an Intelligent Approach to Prayer" and "Overcoming Hindrances to
Effective Prayer". Preceeding Lessons have done much to prepare you for this most
helpful Series, and your Instructor hopes that you will review Lessons 293 through
300 as you await the first lessons of the new Series.

Rev. 302: P9: ,~