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Advanced Course in Yogi Philosophy and Oriental Occultism382
represent the average of its best conceptions of ethics, still the conceptions
change more rapidly than the law, and the latter is always a little “behind
the times” as compared with public opinion and conception of right and
wrong. And many are the loop-holes of man-made law, and the shrewd
lawbreaker may safely commit almost any of the great offenses against
the current conceptions of morality, providing he does it cleverly enough.
Some men have a code of ethics of their own, which holds that no “wrong”
is committed providing no law is technically broken, and so they scheme
and plan, aided by “able counsel,” to attain their ends without violating the
letter of the law. This danger being avoided, their consciences are easy. This
is a very easy and simple theory of conduct, for those who can live under it.
Justinian, the great Roman law-giver, reduced the whole doctrine of human
law to three general precepts, as follows: “Live honestly; Hurt nobody; and
Render to every one his due.” This is a simple and beautiful code, and its
honest adoption by mankind would make the world over in a day, but nearly
every man is inclined to place his own interpretation upon each of the three
precepts, and, consciously or unconsciously, stretches them in his own favor
and against his fellows. It is very difficult for one, in the present state of
the world to tell just what it is to “be honest”; to live so that he will “hurt
nobody”; or to “render unto everyone his due”—or even to tell just what
everyone’s due really is. However, as an example of the reason’s conception
of proper conduct, Justinian’s precept is well worth remembering, with the
purpose of following it as closely as may be. It will appeal to those who
instinctively wish to give all “a square deal,” so far as may be, but who are
unable to grasp the still higher teachings. But even those who can manage to
live up to Justinian’s precepts, will fall far short of satisfying their neighbors,
who will insist upon the observance of certain other things—many of them
most ridiculous things—that have grown to be the custom, or which are
insisted upon by certain so-called religious “authorities,” not to speak of the
civil ones.