Democracy Is Self-Government - Softcover

Harold W. Percival

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0911650105 ISBN 13: 9780911650105

Publisher: Word Foundation, 2012

Synopsis

Mr. Percival provides an original concept of True Democracy, where personal and national affairs are brought under the spotlight of eternal truths. This is not a political book. It sheds light on the direct connection between the conscious self in every human body and the affairs of the world in which we live. Percival tells us that we each have an opportunity, as well as a duty, to bring eternal Law, Justice, and Harmony to the world. This begins with learning to govern ourselves - our passions, vices, appetites, and behavior. The purpose of this book is to point the way. -
H. W. Percival.

About this title

About the Author:

Regarding this unusual gentleman, Harold Waldwin Percival, we are not so concerned with his personality. Our interest lies in what he did and how he accomplished it. Percival himself preferred to remain inconspicuous, as he pointed out in the Author's Foreword to Thinking and Destiny. It was because of this that he did not wish to write an autobiography or have a biography written. He wanted his writings to stand on their own merit. His intention was that the validity of his statements be tested according to the degree of Self-knowledge within the reader and not be influenced by Percival's own personality.
Nevertheless, people do want to know something about an author of note, especially if they are greatly affected by his ideas. As Percival passed away in 1953, at the age of eighty-four, there is no one now living who knew him in his early life and only a few who know details of his later life. We have assembled those few facts that are known; however, this must not be considered a complete biography, but rather a brief sketch.
Harold Waldwin Percival was born in Bridgetown, Barbados, British West Indies, on April 15, 1868, on a plantation owned by his parents. He was the third of four children, none of whom survived him. His English parents, Elizabeth Ann Taylor and James Percival, were devout Christians. Yet much of what he heard as a very young child did not seem reasonable, and there were no satisfactory answers to his many questions. He felt that there must be those who knew, and at a very early age determined that he would find the Wise Ones and learn from them. As years passed, his concept of the Wise Ones changed, but his purpose to gain Self-knowledge remained.
In 1893, and twice during the next fourteen years, Percival had the unique experience of being conscious of Consciousness, a potent spiritual and noetic enlightenment. He stated, Being conscious of Consciousness reveals the 'unknown' to the one who has been so conscious. Then it will be the duty of that one to make known what he can of being conscious of Consciousness. He stated that the value of that experience was that it enabled him to know about any subject by a mental process he called real thinking. Because these experiences revealed more than was contained in Theosophy, he wanted to write about them and share this knowledge with humanity.
From 1904 to 1917, Percival published a monthly magazine, The Word, which was dedicated to the brotherhood of humanity and had a worldwide circulation. Many eminent writers of the day contributed to the magazine and all of the issues contained an article by Percival as well. These early writings earned him a place in Who's Who in America.
In 1908, and for a number of years, Percival and several friends owned and operated about five hundred acres of orchards, farmland, and a cannery in upstate New York. When the property was sold Percival kept about eighty acres on which there was a small house. This is where he resided during the summer months and devoted his time to the continual work on his manuscripts.
In 1912 he began to outline material for a book which would contain his complete system of thinking. Because his body had to be still while he thought, he dictated whenever assistance was available. In 1932 the first draft was completed. The first edition of Thinking and Destiny was finally printed in 1946. Subsequently, in 1951, he published Man and Woman and Child and in 1952, Masonry and Its Symbols and Democracy Is Self-Government.
The Word Foundation, Inc. was formed in 1950 to make known to the people of the world all books written by Harold W. Percival and to insure that his legacy to humanity would be perpetuated. Percival assigned the copyrights for all of his books to The Word Foundation.
On March 6, 1953, Percival passed away of natural causes in New York City.

About this edition

• Publisher: Word Foundation
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0911650105
• ISBN 13: 9780911650105
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 240
• Editor: The Word Foundation