THE ROLE OF PRAYER: Page 122

Lord purify us with water, purify us with solar rays,purify us with medicinal herbs and, above all, purifyus with Wisdom, i. e., endow us with POWERS OFMIND by enlightening our intellects.-Rig Veda-viii, 19-2. HOW exquisitely painful are the effects of Ignorance. Many are the victims, many the bond slaves of their lower selves. Many are the wrecks awaiting an early grave and looking forward to the time when Death shall come as a welcome relief. Many walk the earth with an uneasy Conscience, starting with sudden fright at their own shadows and conscious all the while as if the brand of Cain had burnt its mark on their brows. Many are even now undergoing the tortures of Hell in the fierce conflicts raging in their souls. Many close their eyes when the cold hands of Death have seized upon them with this suddening cry, "To what end have 1 lived ? Alas ! I die as ignorant as I was born. All my fond wishes have vanished into thin vapor, all my long cherished aims have been shattered into pieces.' Such are the woes of Mankind-God's children. WHY? "Ignorance is the only soil where Evils can grow and germinate"-so says Patanjili. The misdirection of