TEACHINGS

OF THE
TEMPLE
—
VOLUME III
Dedicated to Humanity
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY
THE PLANES OF FORM
SOUL CREATION
MENTAL ITALICIZING
THE AWAKENING OF LOVE
DESIGNS OUTLINED BY CELESTIAL FORCES
THE DIVINE STATUS OF AN AVATAR
THE USE AND MISUSE OF BREATH
A VISION
THE GREAT BIRD
THE CITY
EXCERPT FROM THE CITY THAT IS TO BE
THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE
CENTRALIZATION AND DEMOCRACY
DISPLACEMENT OF THE SOUL
THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS
THE LAW OF THE AVATAR
TEMPLE THERAPEUTICS — Lesson I
TEMPLE THERAPEUTICS — Lesson II
TEMPLE THERAPEUTICS — Lesson III
THE BOUND AND THE LOOSED
CARE OF MOTIVES
LAWS OF DISCIPLESHIP
UNIVERSAL FORCES
THE RATIONALE OF SELF-EXAMINATION
EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH
ATTAINMENT
ONE POINTER
LOWER SUB-PLANES
NATURAL LAW
THE NEW STAR – EROS
OM OR AUM
HARMONY AND RESPONSIBILITY
POWERS AND PRINCIPALITIES
A NATURAL LIFE
THE LAW OF INFINITY
THE CENTER OF BEING
A BROTHERHOOD OF SOULS
THE CITY FOR THE PEOPLE
THE LETTER BOX
THE MYSTERY OF FIRE
NATURALNESS
NO LITTLE THINGS
HUMANITY
"O MY GOD"
ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTE
PSYCHIC FORCES
THE SPIRITUAL MEDIUM
EGOTISM
PSYCHIC VISION
POWER OF YOGA
THE TEN RULES OF DISCIPLESHIP OF THE 4TH DEGREE OF THE GREAT
WHITE
LODGE
SELF EXAMINATION BY THE TEN RULES OF THE 4TH DEGREE OF THE
GREAT WHITE
LODGE
SILENCE
NAMES
ROOTS
RESURRECTION
IS IT REASONABLE ?
MOTHERHOOD
IN ANSWER TO ADDICTION
GOLDEN PRECEPTS
THE SOLUTION
ADEPTSHIP
WHAT IS A "LODGE AGENT" ?
THE SPOKEN PRAYER
LIGHT OF THE SUN
HEREDITY
TRUE LIBERTY
SOULS
NIRVANA
THE FEMININE CYCLE
THE LAW OF LOVE
CONCERNING GROUP SOULS
THE LODGE OF MASTERS
DEVOTION AND RHYTHM
THE RIGHTEOUS AND SELF-RIGHTEOUS
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE ?
SCIENCE AND RELIGION
DEITY
THE MANY AND THE ONE
SECRECY
THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS
CHAKRAS
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
THE CENTRAL POINT
THE WAY IS HARD
RHYTHM MOTIVE
WHAT IS RELIGION ?
WELL MAY THEY WEEP
TESTS
TO TEMPLARS
THE TEST OF FAITH
FOR THOSE WHO WOULD CLIMB
RAPID MOTION
SEEK THE RIGHT PATH
THE PREDOMINATING
THE NEW IMPULSE
LAW AND PRAYER
A LETTER FROM THE MASTER
INTOXICANTS AND NARCOTICS
HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER
GROUP SOULS
MYSTERY OF LIFE AND DEATH
GOD SPAKE
RECORD OF LIFE
EXISTING CONDITIONS
SECRETS OF NATURE
FEARFUL AND UNBELIEVING
DRAW CLOSER
REAL OCCULT NEEDS
SONS OF LIGHT
THE TETRAD
THE LETTER BOX
GOD'S GUESTS
THE LETTER BOX
A CITY
THE LETTER BOX
LIFES EFFLORESCENCE
CENTER OF BEING
ONE VOICE
EVOLVING UNIVERSE
A SINGLE SUN
MISSING LINKS
POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITY
SOLAR FAMILY
PILLAR OF THE SOUL
THE FRUIT OF LIFE
THE CHEERING SPIRIT
WE ARE ONE
LIFE'S DOORWAY
THE ONE THING NEEDFUL
CENTER OF LIGHT
THE GREAT FLAME
THE ROBE
THE NUCLEUS
ASTRAL DECEPTION
YOUR OFFER
RENUNCIATION
THE CAMEL'S BACK
GEOMETRY OF THE UNIVERSE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
GLOSSARY
BOOK
[TT 1]
THE PLANES OF FORM
Every form in Nature is the outer symbol of an inner truth – a
quality
and force. A condition is likewise a form. Some ignorantly deny
the
necessity for forms of any kind, relegating all religious forms and
ceremonies to the domain of "superstition". All such fail to realize
that
they themselves are but forms projected on the screen of time,
through
which inner qualities and forces seek expression. However much
they
deny, they are compelled to bow to conditions of life about them,
and so
worship form, whether they will or not. Forms, including our own,
are the
symbols through which truths are messaged in and out of the soul.
In the Bhagavad Gita, may be found the account of the vision
shown
to Arjuna by Krishna, of the Divine Form, as including all forms.
Arjuna is
moved to exclaim : "I see thee on all sides, of infinite forms,
having many
arms, stomachs, mouths and eyes. But I can discover neither thy
beginning,
thy middle, nor thy end, O universal Lord, form of the universe. I
see thee
of infinite power, with arms innumerable, the sun and moon thine
eyes,
they mouth a flaming fire, overmastering the whole universe with
thy
majesty. Space and heaven and earth, and every point around the
three
regions of the universe are filled with thee alone. For seeing thee
thus,
touching the heavens, shining with such glory, my inmost soul is
troubled,
and I lose both tranquility and firmness. Beholding thy face like
the
burning of death, I can see neither heaven nor earth. I find no
peace ; have
mercy, O Lord of gods, thou Spirit of the Universe."
Nature is essentially religious, and the shifting panorama of
ceaseless
changes going on around us is a ceremonial which is constantly
relating
the souls of all things back to their Divine Source. In this
ceremonial of
life, men, molecules and worlds are carried onward by a resistless
[TT 2]
tide. All things bow to the inexorable law of gravitation or its
correspondences. In stellar spaces, countless worlds play their parts
in
celestial ceremonies – planets interacting with planets, and systems
of
worlds with other systems. Suns and planets are but life – cells,
corpuscles,
carried along in the circulation of the great universal life-stream,
flowing
out of, and returning to, the Heart of Being. The outer universe, the
symbol
and body of God, is thus kept nourished, and universal
equilibrium, health
and harmony, maintained. In this cosmical ceremony we may read
the
message of spirit translating itself into term of matter, and of
matter
redeeming itself back to spirit.
This same ceremonial of life is going on in our physical bodies.
The
blood is a symbol of a force circulating in the aura. It is sent out
from and
returns purified back to the heart, to be again sent out on its
mission of
regenerating the multitude of lesser lives composing the body.
Corresponding life currents act in the same way on all the planes of
our
Being – in our astral, psychic, mental and spiritual bodies or
principles.
Perfect interaction between all the corresponding forces of all the
planes,
would mean Mastery.
The heart is the symbol of a synthetic center of truth. The auric
heart
of man is placed exactly in the median line of the body, between
the
breasts. Symbolically, it is sometimes represented there as a star.
The
physical heart of man is now found on the loft side – though there
are
some exceptions – considered abnormal by physicians.
As the inner and outer forces of humanity become coordinated, the
physical heart will be brought, by a process of evolution, into the
middle
point in exact correspondence with the inner heart-center of the
auric body.
The middle line is the line of balance.
The true binding force of life is the Christos. He is the Great
Master –
the Unifier and Synthesizer – because He or It is the Crest of all
forces. He
is neither on one side of the [TT 3] wave, nor on the other. On the
crest,
the two sides of poles, positive and negative, merge into the middle
pole or
Center, where the Three become One. Here all polarities, as
understood by
human minds, are unified, and disappear. Heat and cold, light and
darkness,
active and passive, mate and female, positive and negative, right
and loft,
hate and love, are lost in this middle point, where all extremes
must meet
and where a third force is born – which is true Unity, true Love –
true,
because It can love – draw – equally the good and the evil of lower
planes
or conditions, into Itself, and so create a new thing, element or
world.
Good and evil on this plane are relative conditions, or symbols.
Attachment to one will bind and impede progress as much as
attachment to
the other. So hate binds us to conditions and people as much as
love, until
we can strike the higher balance. If all evil could be destroyed at
once in
the world, the good would go ton. The shadows are as necessary as
the
light to throw into relief and right proportion the conditions imaged
on the
great canvas of life. The middle point is the Place of Peace and
Harmony.
SOUL CREATION
Matter, Force, and Consciousness are one. I am unable to give you
much information concerning the subject of Numbers at present.
You are
at Liberty, of course, to try to solve them if you can. I neither can
nor
would prevent you from finding out any of the secrets of Nature,
but that
would not relieve me from my responsibility. As I have told you,
numbers
are very sacred and are not given out except under very
extraordinary
circumstances. I might, as so many have dune, give you a series of
numbers for every thing and cover them up with a series of blinds
so that
you [TT 4] could not possibly work them out ; but I do not
consider it
right to do so, and for the present I must say that I cannot enlighten
you on
that subject now. You will have to wait.
On the Dais of the Great Temple all color is represented. Some one
color is a little more prominent than another, and that plainly
indicates a
development along that special line more complete than along
other lines.
In some cases the correspondences as given in the instructions give
the
true idea of the lines of development. In others they are wrong.
This is one
of the subjects that will come up when the instructions are
elaborated.
There is one item in one of the late lessons that will help you in the
consideration of many things that may come up, i.e., that in the
vision of
the Creation of a Universe, the first Son of Light, the first Sacrifice
swept
out from the point of Manifestation as far as the impulse or rate of
vibration would carry him, thon returned along the same lines to
the
Center. He had only sacrificed his body to make those points of
light. His
soul and spirit were where they always were. When he came back
to that
point of Manifestation there followed a pralaya. And then there
were Three
that were shot out from another Manifestation. But those Three
were that
One, and so it was when the Seven swept out. He returned for a
pralaya
and then went out again under another rate of vibration. The One
was
Seven at the time. This also applies to the evolution of the whole
Universe.
There are wheels within wheels. The evolution of a planet was
developed
under the same laws that evolved the whole universe. There is an
almost
perfect correspondence in the life of every atom in manifestation.
Every
atom has to retrace along the same lines.
The whole action of the Cosmic Forces is not to emphasize any
one
color but to grow so that all may manifest equally, so that each and
every
individual entity may grow as the tree grows when perfectly
rounded out
in every direction, with no one color prominent but all in equal
[TT 5]
proportion. What is true of each ray is as true of the Cosmos and
applies
equally.
The personalities are all on lower planes of manifestation when
there
are many. They are only a higher aggregation of astral bodies – to
put it as
plainly as possible – on the same principle that aggregations of
atoms
make a body. When there are so many personalities, it is simply
because
the individualities are not powerful enough to assimilate all the
force of
that entity and it has to be distributed over a large area. By "lower
planes"
I mean astral as well as physical planes.
When the soul on its return leaves the lower astral it begins to unite
with its own special ray as the atoms of each plane go hack into
universal
matter for a lime, until they are called forth for another
manifestation.
Where the soul remains when it leaves the body depends upon how
far the
personality has become developed. If it has gained much
experience and
assimilated all it has gained and is ready for a higher stop, it will
remain in
the Upper Astral. The soul that was manifested in two bodies on
the lower
plane would have but one on its return.
A Group Soul may be represented by a seven-pointed star, seven
limes
seven, or forty-nine. There are other figures that would represent it
on its
return better than those I have mentioned that I cannot give now.
There is
one on the Temple Pavement that represents it perfectly, and that
you will
see some day. The whole is represented in the pyramids of Egypt,
particularly in the one called "Great".
The development of all lives is like the progression of geometrical
figures, as they are called, though of course such illustrations
convey no
adequate conception of the truth, for those lines are in reality living
entities.
Those geometrical figures, so called, are really composed of
substance in a
state of unfoldment, as is all Matter, Force, and Consciousness.
Every
spiritual being is a line. There is a certain individuality in every
atom in
manifestation. [TT 6]
MENTAL ITALICIZING
But few people ever think of the great changes that are constantly
being made in the body and in its environment by emphasizing
certain
words in common conversation. You have only to watch the play
of
certain emotions in your own mind and their effect on the different
organs
of the body at the time of speaking to gain some idea of the
inevitable
change which constant emphatic repetition of a word must produce
in
sound substance in the course of time. The effect of habit is too
well
known to require elaboration, so it can be easily understood that, in
combination with the repetition, the emphasizing of a given word
not only
brings into action a powerful form of energy – sound – but
increases and
compounds the intensity of that power every time the tendency to
repeat
this word is indulged in. For instance, watch the expression on the
face of
a person who is given to repetitive and emphatic utterance of the
pronoun
"I" in common conversation. If you are a judge of character you
will soon
perceive an increase in the quality of egotism in that person. The
same
effect in a lesser degree follows the excessive use of the same
pronoun in
writing. While it may not be italicized, its capitalization and the
mental
force attendant upon such capitalization produce a similar result.
If you could strike the healing chord and retain the consciousness
of
the sound which evokes the healing power for the use of a stricken
body,
and at the same time hear the chord that is aroused by an emphatic
oath,
you could not tell any difference between the two, for the same
form of
energy is aroused in both instances. For instance ; there are seven
degrees
of every form of energy in action, and every note or tone arouses
some one
form of energy, which generates one degree of intensity and
volume of
sound. So the intensity and volume of one tone produces one
effect. If in
anger you use a profane word with great intensity, you arouse the
same
form of [TT 7] energy you might arouse in speaking the word of
healing
with equal power. But the difference in the degree of that energy
would
produce a different effect, one for good and the other for evil, just
as the
energy of electricity could be used for good or evil purposes
according to
the voltage or degree of the power used.
"The Spirit moved upon the face of the waters." These words, to be
found in Genesis, contain the Key to all phenomena, for Spirit is
Will, Fire,
Akasha, and the Waters are Chaos, Ether, the Mirror on which the
Akashic
reflections of Divine Will are cast. When the Neophyte awakens to
the
consciousness that Impersonal Will is the dynamic force which
moves the
etheric base of every atom of manifested matter, whether it by the
organ of
a physical body or of a world, its motions, its changes of
vibrations, are
subject to Individual Will. It depends entirely upon the
impersonality and
unselfishness of the individual, as well as upon the power of
concentrating
that Will on a given point, as to whether it will be effective or not,
and also
what the results will be to the operator. A selfish motive, however
it be
disguised by the mind, if it be the dominant force of the operator,
will
inevitably bring woe and suffering to the latter, as well as to the
individual
acted upon ; so "Wash you and make you clean" in the strictest
sense of
the word before you dare to attempt to use Nature's powers.
Disease is more often born of the stagnation of the life currents by
some condition of the organ attacked than of anything else, and
many
times concentrating upon the basic, or etheric, substance of the
organ will
send the blood bounding through the interstices between cells,
changing
the vibrations of the atoms and carrying off through natural
channels the
disease germs formerly congregated in the organ, thus relieving
pressure,
decreasing heat vibrations, and permitting the pure Life Force to
flow
unrestrained through every atomic center of the attacked organ.
[TT 8]
This is the rationale of all mental and psychic healing, whatever
term
may be applied to it. it is indeed and in truth the Christos, the Love
force,
the Force of Attraction. It is pure Life, Prana, but it is the Absolute,
God,
Divine Will, the Father-Mother, that sets that Force of the Christos
in
action by increasing or decreasing the vibrations of the atomic
substance
of the affected organ.
Occultism is the art of living. For many thousand years the great
religions and great religious teachers and philosophers have given
to
humanity the fundamentals on which a great civilization can be
based
without bringing in the factors of selfishness and unbrotherliness.
But strange to say, while these great truths have been given to
humanity, they have never been applied practically, and so we have
had
for thousands of years war, selfishness and unbrotherliness. In
other words,
humanity did not understand the art of spiritual living.
Iit is now agreed that we are in a Messianic or Avataric Cycle. A
divine incarnation is working on this planet with humanity to bring
about
right conditions which will make science religious and religion
scientific.
This will permit the application of grand spiritual truths to human
life and
bring about the New Order of the Ages. A new consciousness will
dawn
on humanity, and the order that obtains in heaven will by this
process
obtain also on earth.
We all have a great opportunity to help on this desired end by
transmuting selfishness into unselfishness, weakness into strength,
and
unbrotherliness into a Universal Brotherhood which will bring
peace on
earth and good will to men.
The world-wide depression that has affected the whole planet is the
result of this Divine Incarnation or [TT 9] Avataric Force working
to get
rid of destructive elements. Therefore let us develop our whole
nature of
kindness, Joyousness and all that makes for constructive efforts.
This will
neutralize the negative side of the nature that would plunge us into
chaos.
it is our golden opportunity to work with the Divine Ones in
helping on
this Great Plan.
The evident attraction between people of totally different character
and station is a puzzle to those who do not accept the ancient
teachings
regarding the action of the law of opposites.
To the great surprise of acquaintances some pure and innocent girl
will find a point of attraction in some notorious libertine, or a clean
minded, intelligent young man will be caught in the mare set by a
vicious,
depraved woman, and his whole life be jeopardized or ruined. The
world at
large looks on and wonders, oblivious of the fact that there is a
direct
current of force operating between the qualifies we term virtue and
vice
which if left unbroken in the case of the individuals caught in that
current
must inevitably draw the psychic desires of the latter to a common
center,
and a bond be there created which it is well nigh impossible to
break until
satiation has driven them apart.
When that current is consciously broken by an individual it is done
by
virtue of an awakened conscience, and such awakening comes at
definite
tunes in a life cycle. It is always at the lowest point of the
particular spiral
round of evolution which is typified in biblical lore by the return of
the
Prodigal son to a normal state of mind. This is the point of
satiation, of self
analysis – when the victim of the aforementioned current
determines to
arise and go to his [TT 10] Father, and ask to be made a servant,
instead of
demanding his forfeited right of a sonship. In other words, the
personal
will becomes subservient to the Divine Will.
But there is in fact a prodigal at the pole of virtue as well as a
prodigal
at the pole of vice, prodigals of natural law. Prodigality of virtue
may
result in as many complications as prodigality in vice. The results
of all
these complications create the environment in which the prodigal
man and
woman of the human species find their mental and psychic habitat
during
the days or years of their penitence. This habitat is created by the
judges
and executioners of the moral and physical law which has been
broken.
One of these poles is typified by the elder son, of the parable of the
prodigal son, the other by the younger son. In either case, the point
of
satiation, the point of self analysis is reached. A new departure
must be
made, a new step taken, and that step must be in the direction of
renunciation, submission to the Divine Will, regardless of the
effects on
the personality if the power of attraction is to be broken. The
pilgrim will
be freed from the oscillations between the two poles, to which he
has been
subjected. There will merely be a change in position and
circumstances in
a succeeding incarnation, instead of the rise in the cosmic scale of
life, as
there' well might be if both elder and younger sons-prodigals both-
seized
their opportunities at the appointed time. The law of evolution had
made
such action possible, and so broken the current first set up by
unfulfilled
desire.
The recognized action of the force of attraction between virtue and
vice has been attributed to the curiosity of those involved, to
abnormality,
to fear, to almost everything but that which it truly is in essence.
This is
one of nature's means of testing the calibre, the soul development,
the
possibilities of the evolving soul, whether human or universal soul,
in
order that it may be rightly [TT 11] placed in the grade scale of
life. The
force used by nature is as material as is any other existing force of
magnetism, and its operations are fulfilled by the divine law of
opposites.
Its poles are positive and negative, masculine and feminine. This is
the
point where the before mentioned current is broken. This is the
neutral
center of the force which manifests, just as it does when the
positive and
negative aspects of electricity reach a point of equilibrium by
means of
increased vibration.
This force of human magnetism is set up between two people of
opposite tendencies and characteristics as soon as they come
together in
any relation on the physical plane. It depends altogether upon
whether one
or the other or both has reached the point of equilibrium which
corresponds to a neutral center, as to whether the force of magnetic
attraction can be broken and one escape from the power of the
other. If
both are equally well developed when they meet they will establish
a
higher form of the force of magnetism, which operates on a higher
plane of
life. They will transfer their efforts to other fields of endeavor. It
might be
done by transferring effort from the physical to the mental, or from
the
mental to the higher astral planes. An increase of effort would
naturally
follow such transfer but the nature of the difficulties to be
overcome, the
limitations to be conquered would be changed, an increase in
power and
vitality be won, and final victory be proportionally greater.
THE AWAKENING OF LOVE
The proof of the awakening of love in the human Soul is the
awakening of an overwhelming desire to give itself and all it
possesses for
the best good of all. It is only as we are enabled to give ourselves
to Love
that we can find life in abundance. [TT 12]
But, alas ! the self-deceived but seek amiss.
They start out on their search for the fountain of wisdom, the
waters of
which are the sprayings of Love with man – made ideas, not only
of what
Love consists, but where it is to be found. They find naught but the
vaporings of lust, which soon pall on their senses and finally leave
them,
ten-fold more heart hungry than they were in the beginning of their
search.
Often, oh so often, have you heard the words, "Except ye become
as little
children ye cannot enter the kindgom of God." I herewith plead
with you
to strive with all your might to form some right concept of all that
is
involved in that sentence, all that it means to you individually. First
you
must have perfect faith, unselfish love and trust.
It is only when a child has been influenced by its elders to do so,
that
it chooses the opposite pavement to that upon which the so-styled
sinner is
walking.
Love reduces all men to a level. It takes nothing ; it gives all. With
the
dawn of that mighty force in our hearts, it begins to speak through
our eyes
in no uncertain tones ; it draws to us by the might of intuition the
wisdom
and power we could attain in no other way. It casts the filthy rags
of selfrighteousness
in which we have clothed ourselves into the flames that
ascend from the heart of the great Temple of Life. It reclothes us in
a
spotless robe, woven from the threads which lie curled in the drops
of
sweat wrung from our tortures. We stand in the midst of the central
flame,
where sooner or later every disciple of the Great White Lodge must
stand
until purified.
Ah ! my children, nothing else counts in the sum of our existence
save
Love. "If ye love not your brother whom ye have seen," – the
brother who
has cheated you in business as well as the brother who has
succored you,
the sister that has betrayed your trust as well as the sister who has
been
your inspiration. Then there are your brethren who now walk on
the shady
side of the path of life, [TT 13] not always by choice, but
frequently
because they have been pushed from the sunny side by you and
others like
you. Now if ye cannot love these who need your love above all
others,
"how can you love God whom ye have not seen," the God in whom
these
now despised ones "live and move and have their being" ?
So long as you can turn your faces in anger or disgust from the
meanest thing that lives, so long as you can persuade or tempt
another
human being to do likewise, so long will the bars of that gate,
remain in
place and you still continue to grope around in the outer darkness.
This
shuts you from your inheritance.
The words, "Judge not, that ye be not judged," were spoken to you
just
as surely as they were spoken to those other fragments of divinity,
who,
standing in the light of the Spiritual Sun, were striving to disperse
the
dense clouds which yet surrounded them. That light had been
focused so
strongly upon the screen of their lives, that their power of righteous
judgment was held in abeyance by the fires they kindled. It is not
so with
you, while you have long stood in the rays of that Sun its light has
entered
your consciousness, and given you the power of self-restraint. The
power
to withhold judgment and give love is necessary where a weak or
erring
brother stands in need of it.
Come back to me, my children, who have wandered far away into
the
by-paths made by faithlessness, by false judgment, by
lovelessness, until
you can no longer hear my voice, no longer see my outstretched
hand.
Open your hearts to that divine love which as a mirror reflects our
unity.
Remember that your brother's sin is your sin, your sister's
weaknesses
are your weaknesses. As the great Master cannot enter into His rest
until
He has gathered into one fold the sheep that belong to Him, neither
can
you enter into your inheritance until you have led into your love
the hearts
that are a part of your heart. [TT 14]
Take my hand, and with me seek your straying brothers and enfold
them in the love that is the apotheosis of all things, the love that
can
conquer all things, even death itself.
As the sound of the words you have spoken passes into the
invisible
realms ; as the light of the fires you have kindled pass inward
beyond your
earthly vision ; both sound and light return to that form of energy
of which
they are integral parts, subject to recall by those who have won the
power
to manipulate those forms of energy, not necessarily as repetitions
of the
spoken words, or similar flashes of light, but as elementary
embodiments
subject to control.
In like manner, the thoughts of love, compassion, and devotion
which
well up in the human heart, pass beyond the ken of their creators,
to
mingle with like forces in the realms of spirit. These, too, are
subject to
recall, and come as angel visitants to those who have prepared a
dwelling
place for them.
To those who look upon all spoken or written efforts to awaken
man
to a consciousness of the power of love, as a string of platitudes – a
useless
waste of time – that might better be devoted to some material
purpose, I
would say : Even from the most material standpoint, the cultivation
of the
power of Love will bring about the manifestation of all they praise
most
highly. Beyond all controversy, Love is the most potent form of
energy in
the Universe. He who has won the power to control it, has at his
command
all lesser forms of force ; but it is that form of love that gives all
instead of
that which takes all. Paradoxical as it seems, and difficult to
comprehend,
renunciation is equivalent to possession. [TT 15]
DESIGNS OUTLINED BY CELESTIAL FORCES
Has it ever occurred to you that the position of each star in a
constellation is an exoteric point in a definite design or plan which
has
been or is being worked out by elementary forces within its own
confines ?
Subsequently it has been or will be reflected in four different states
of
matter or planes of consciousness. This is more easily done in
fluidic states
of matter, but it requires more energy and more time for grosser
forms of
matter to fall into the design.
Man takes all credit to himself when he designs a form or plan of
any
nature, but if his inner eyes were opened to the mysteries of etheric
space
he would learn that he had, even though unconsciously, actually
copied the
design outlined in some constellation in the heavens. If the design
calls for
color, it is because the original design is in color and his inner eye
caught
the color scheme, and his subconscious mind has transferred a
facsimile of
that color scheme to the brain consciousness. He all but
automatically uses
the colors at hand which would most perfectly follow the color
scheme of
the original design. He cannot do so perfectly in all instances, for
the scale
of color manifesting in the etheric universe reaches higher and
lower tones
of color than can possibly manifest in gross substance. Therefore
he is
confined to the colors manifesting in the fourth spectrum, while in
fact
there are three higher and three lower spectrums in the whole scale
of
colors.
THE DIVINE STATUS OF AN AVATAR
The student of occultism who has accepted the teachings of the
Masters of Wisdom anent the illusory character and the
impermanence of
all matter on the physical plane [TT 16] and the reality and
endurance of
the three higher of the seven states of manifested life, namely,
Atma,
Buddhi, and Manas, is prepared to accept the statement that the
Christos,
or Buddhi, "the first born son of God," is in fact a state of energy.
Although this is far beyond the investigation or even the
imagination of
man in his present state of existence. It is taught that this state of
energy is
actually Spiritual Light, the original Source of all Light. It is
reflected
within the mentality of man and also in that of every living
creature in
varying degrees. Therefore every man is a potential Christ.
The brighter the illumination of mind resulting from the reflected
light
of the Christos, the more rapidly does the mentality of the normal
human
being absorb or assimilate and generate that energy and approach
the state
of evolution which makes possible his admission to one of the
highest
orders of manifested life, the Avataral Order, in which he is
prepared for
open avowal of his mission in the world. A fully prepared Avatar
has
gained full power over physical life and death and over all matter
which
constitutes form in the lower orders of life. He has passed through
myriads
of lives in these lower orders, as well as through many of the
higher orders
of Adeptship ere he reaches the Buddhistic state, from which he
enters
perfection. He becomes an individual Christ, a Saviour of the race
to
which he belongs by evolutionary right.
At the beginning of every great age in the earlier stages of a
Manvantara the Avatar karmically connected with the units of a
previously
great race reincarnates in the body of a child, grows to maturity. He
eventually proclaims his mission as teacher, therefore Saviour, of
all those
who may accept him.
When the Ego of an Avatar has reached and possibly passed into
the
Buddhistic order of life, it may not be necessary for it to
reincarnate in the
body of a child on earth or on any other planet of this solar system.
It has
evolved a [TT 17] form similar to that which the disciples of Jesus
saw at
the tune of his transfiguration, a glorified body, sometimes termed
a
Nirmanakaya Robe. This is visible only through the interior sense
of sight
in the case of a physical man. The Nirmanakaya Body of a great
Buddha
would be like unto a sun in brightness to the psychic sense of the
observer.
If in the course of the evolution of the race, a change in vibration
had
occurred which had unsealed the interior vision of the units of that
race,
they might envision the Buddha or Christ, as clearly as they might
now
behold an Avatar in a physical body were one upon the earth.
THE USE AND MISUSE OF BREATH
It is necessary to understand the importance of correct breathing.
The
inspiration and expiration of the breath should be equal where they
are
now decidedly unequal. In most instances they are what you might
term
catchy. There is but little hope of making a definite change in the
use of
breath by the adult humanity of this generation, the hope is in the
children
who are now and will be later born into the world. A child can be
taught to
breathe correctly as well as it can be taught to talk correctly. If
people
realized the importance they would certainly take more pains to
teach
correct breathing.
If by opening his eyes the physical man could obtain a correct view
of
the Christos, the Son, he would see a dazzling white luminiferous
opalescent sphere of great size. Within that sphere which
corresponds to
the aura of man, there are numberless centers of force which
correspond
perfectly with the plexuses, organs, ganglia, etc. – of mankind.
Each of
these centers of force would appear to physical man as beautiful
color ; as
dazzlingly bright as the outer sphere. It is far more than color as
you
understand the [TT 18] words, for each center is composed of
millions of
conscious lives. These lives are swayed and ruled by the will of the
Christos the Heavenly Man. In the human being the organs which
correspond to these centers of which I speak, are composed of
millions of
lesser lives which are termed cells. In each organ of man, as for
instance
the liver, there is a corresponding color in the liver – area of the
Christos.
The lesser lives of the organs of man are controlled by the will of
man if
the man be approaching the line of perfection ; if not they are ruled
by the
same rates of vibration as all of nature, in the world in which they
are
living.
With every thought and every effort of will there is a change in the
lives of some one or more organs of the physical body, and by an
effort of
will the breath may determine the life or death of millions of those
lesser
lives. The breath may carry the poison which is generated by will
and
thought to the uttermost verge of any one or more of the organs
and may
destroy the organ. This is the cause of many of the obscure
diseases that
have puzzled medical science since the beginning of time. As soon
as the
breath of a person becomes accelerated by anger, for instance, it
creates a
vibration that is akin to deadly poision. The organ that is the
weakest will
take up that poison and cancer and many other diseases are the
result. This
is why it is so necessary to control not only the breath, but the
passions
themselves. This explains how hate may kill a person.
If an operator, such as are some of these teachers of whom I speak,
who are attempting to educate ignorant people in the science of
breath,
could imagine what they are doing in many instances, they would
hardly
dare to go as far as they do.
There is much more in Occult Science concerning this subject
which I
hope to be able to give you at a future day when I can be sure that
the
lessons I impart will not [TT 19] work you harm instead of good.
There is
no question about it, some of the deepest truths known to us are
connected
with this subject ; but I warn you most solemnly be careful how
you
expose yourselves to any person who will promise to teach you the
science
of breath for money, for it would be a repetition of the old story of
trafficking in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Ques : What is the cause of the increasing deep breathing during
meditation, or rather concentration ?
Ans : Such deep breathing is using the energy which in reality
loosens
the astral from the physical body and permits it to escape.
Ques : Is there any danger in this deep breathing at such times ?
Ans : It would be most harmful if one were concentrating upon any
subject that would awaken the poisonous forces of which I will tell
you ;
otherwise no. If one were meditating upon higher things he would
draw
from the higher forces and would tend to loosen the higher astral or
soul
that it might partake of higher things, of heavenly "manna".
Ques : Would the poisonous effect be produced by the outer
breath ?
Ans : The outer breath, the breath of all living things, and motion
perse
are two poles of one and the same great power. The striking of the
negative pole will produce action all along the line, to the plane
where soul
is preeminent, and the outer breath in conjunction with the astral
breath
produces this change of which I have spoken for there are
poisonous
centers of the astral plane. They do not become active or visible
within the
physical centers until after they have been awakened by the
vibrations of
breath.
Ques : Are they awakened by "Hatha Yoga" practices, which are
the
very opposite of the true process ?
Ans : Yes ! Until the physical man has been brought to a [TT 20]
point where there is harmony between him and the Christos there
is no
safety in Occult practices. In the midst of an effort to perform some
phenomenon he might lose control of his own thoughts and his
mind be
filled with vicious thoughts from outside sources, and these would
affect
the whole phenomenon. If it were possible for you to behold the
awakening of these poisonous centers into active life the very
horror of
them would make you faint and sick. Their effect is seen in the
postulant,
fetid matter which in many cases results. In other cases they are
like a pack
of ravenous wolves and tear the tissues upon which they center
with
malicious energy.
By these poisonous centers I mean the centers on the astral plane
which only manifest as dirty, dull and dead colors until they are
awakened
by will and thought. They then become active entities.
Ques : Does the danger lie in their premature awakening ?
Ans : They are poison, they are deadly poison in every atom of
their
bodies and should never be awakened. They sometimes lie
dormant on the
astral plane for ages, and they are primarily the result of vile
lascivious
thoughts of an age when man was even worse then he is now.
A VISION
If there is any one experience of life calculated to blot out
temporarily
all self-conceit and egotism and reduce one to a state of humility
and selfdepreciation,
it is a vision of some deep spiritual reality. It was vouchsafed
to the undersigned on the evening of the nineteenth of January of
the
current year, 1916. A bare outline of this will be given at the
conclusion of
a few introductory paragraphs.
Students of Occultism often find themselves in a maze of
contradictions when seeking for some satisfactory explanation [TT
21] of
the first cause of manifested life. This is due the trend of their
studies
which take them into fields of Science. Here strong arguments
along
certain lines tend to reduce all phenomena to a materialistic basis.
Still
more confusing are arguments which seem to prove that there is a
vast area
of the Unknowable beyond the fourth dimension of Space. This
area is
impossible of finite comprehension. Within this area the orthodox
mind
postulates the existence of a Supreme God and a devil, a heaven
and a hell.
While the Occultist postulates the existence of many degrees and
orders of
Spiritual Beings possible of contact and understanding by man in
direct
ratio to his rise in consciousness.
As a result of all these mixed arguments, the student sometimes
finds
himself in such a state of doubt and confusion that he is sorely
tempted to
discard all belief in a supreme Being and in those Gods – or Spirits
who
are the first vehicles of the fundamental essence – the basic
energies, of all
manifested life.
There is something in every normal human being which compels
him
to refuse to accept as final the testimony of another relative to any
deep
spiritual experience. Something which compels him to say, as it
compelled
Thomas to say of the risen Christ : "Except I shall see in his hand
the print
of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust
my
hand into this side. I will not believe," if belief in the appearance of
a
super-physical being is demanded of him. This is probably due to
an
intuitive perception of the fundamental unity of all lives and of the
God in
each life. A God by whose means any phase of Itself, should be
equally
visible and recognizable by all its units if perceived by one.
The average. person does not sufficiently take into consideration
the
laws of growth and the infinite differentiations of matter through
which
spirit expresses itself.
Until all mankind are physically, mentally, and spiritually
developed
to exactly the same degree in the same [TT 22] cycle of time, there
must
always be those whose spiritual senses are over or under developed
just as
there are those whose physical senses are over or under developed
and as
such differences are the results of past Karma and there is no
necessity for
pride or self-congratulation in one instance, or of jealousy or
selfdepreciation
in another, during any one life cycle. Consequently we should
be able to accept the statement of others and strive to understand
the
rationale of any superhuman appearance, especially when the
statements
are made by those whose word we should take regarding material
things.
Yet many, even among the law-makers and administrators of this
supposedly enlightened nation, will accept the statements of one
man
when another man is on trial for his life if the evidence is of a
material
nature. They would relegate the same man to the insane asylum the
next
day if lie dared to narrate the account of some superhuman
occurrence
beyond their power of investigation. "Consistency, thou art a
jewel."
To keep my promise made in the first paragraph of this
communication, I will now briefly relate the occurrence therein
referred to.
I was sitting on the side of a couch resting after some rather tiring
work, not thinking of anything in particular, when I was startled by
the
sound of a strong, sweet female voice, apparently coming from a
distance,
and saying in clearly enunciated tones : "Look on this scene." All
sense of
being confined in a room left me. I was looking out into space
where rank
upon rank, one above another, there were rising the forms of a
multitude of
young boys, apparently between the ages of three and twelve years.
Out
from bright, happy faces, clear eyes were gazing upward as though
at some
wonderful scene. While I was looking at them in surprise, I heard
the same
sweet voice I had previously heard, saying : "Give them life."
Gradually
the faces faded away and a great light flooded the space where the
[TT 23]
boys had been as though another sun was suddenly shedding its
light upon
the scene.
Then the form of a Godlike Being appeared in the same location.
Godlike indeed in form and feature, but there was a look of deep
distress
upon the face, which was exceedingly white. It was lying upon its
side, its
face resting on one arm as though it might have been overthrown
in a
struggle. It gradually faded out of sight and right above where it
had lain
came into sight another form and face the very thought of which
awes me
now even as I think of it. It appeared to be over fifty feet in height
and
stood upright with arms folded on its breast and looking out into
the
distance from eyes that were indescribably bright and piercing. The
face,
square-cut and clean, was stern with indomitable Will and Purpose
depicted in every line. The finely chiseled, close-shut lips gave the
impression of such silent, concentrated power as is rot known of
earth. As
I was gazing at it in wonder and amazement, the face turned
toward me,
the lips opened and the one word, "Write", issued from them. I
caught up a
pencil and swiftly jotted down the words which followed. They
will be
found on the first page of this number of THE ARTISAN – the
Master's
page – as we call it. That the message applies to the present time is
beyond
question ; that the two Great Beings I saw were two of the great
Group
Souls of this Solar System I have no doubt. The message is to the
world
and concerns every human being in it I have still less doubt. The
message
follows :
THE GREAT BIRD
"Ye who lie now sleeping beneath the shadow of the great volcano
of
war – awake ! Ye who are now engulfed in the fiery furnace which
has
been opened in the pit of hell by war – listen ! Listen for the flutter
of the
wings of the [TT 24] Bird Garuda as they shake the heavens in
their
passage from the heights of the mountains in the East to those of
the West ;
from the towering icebergs of the North to those of the South ; the
Bird
which is bearing in its shining beak the seed of new life – the new
revelation to the sons of men.
"Open your eyes, bend love your ears, lest you miss the messenger,
and fail to hear the message."
THE CITY
The fearful and unbelieving, as well as all sycophantic devotees of
the
Beast of Mammon, have invariably attempted to stop the progress
of
evolutionary development by building mental images of disaster
and
failure, or spreading nets of discouragement to entangle the
directed
energies, by true lovers of the human race toward a common goal
and a
common good.
Nature furnishes to each of her kingdoms a perfect form and
correspondingly perfect principles of government. only so far as
man has
observed and followed that form and embodied those principles in
a
constitution, has been his measure of success in the creating of a
righteous
government, whether of Church or State. The outline of the
government of
the United States was taken from the Aborigines, the "six nations"
of
Indians. Those laws were given to the Indians by Hiawatha, an
Agent of
The White Lodge. The ancient Peruvians, the Atlanteans, and
many other
races and nations, were taught and governed by the same laws.
They are in
part the laves which govern the groups of the bees, the ants and
every
other division of insect and animal life that has not deteriorated
through
contact and association with mankind.
Selfishess and the heartlessness of those in authority, whether they
be
self-constituted teachers, leaders, presidents [TT 25] or longs, is
the rock
of offence hurled against individuals, organizations and nations.
Consequently, the above mentioned are crippled or broken to
pieces. In
religion some one or more portions of a world embracing
philosophy is
separated from the whole, or is misinterpreted by some seeker for
power.
A certain coterie gathers about its expounder, or teacher, who
isolates
them and ignores all philosophy that does not corroborate his
exposition.
This renders impossible for others to associate with them because
of their
evident narrowness. They themselves become incapable of effort in
a
larger field, owing to the action of the laves of constriction which
immediately come into effect when one or more separate
themselves from
the mass of humanity in thought and feeling. These laves act by
means of a
powerful force which bars one's progress, as might a rod of iron on
the
physical plane. We as a race must stand or fall together, for WE
ARE ONE.
When one individual rises above another in any phase of
development, he
does so by reason of the inherent good which is manifesting in him
; for
evil is negative and leaves no lasting effect.
EXCERPT FROM THE CITY THAT IS TO BE
The one immutable decree, the supreme edict of the ruling power
of
Life, is Harmony. The Lords of Karma unerringly, unceasingly,
perceive,
calculate, and adjust, the minutest atomic center that has become
unbalanced, and consequently discordant. When each Manvantaric,
Racial,
National, or individual serpent swallows its tail, i.e., competes its
cycle,
the tri-form fates, the avenging Nemesis, the compelling, adjusting
principles of Harmony, seize upon and restrain that Atom, Man,
Race, or
Nation in its grasp. Every discordant element in it regains its
equilibrium,
and is again in unison with the key-note of the whole Harmonic
[TT 26]
Chord. It is by reason of the seizure and extreme pressure brought
to bear
on it, that it experiences pain and suffering, whether mental or
physical.
The wrong impulse given to the atom by discord impels it to move
in a
contrary direction to that of the mass. Restraint causes struggle,
congestion,
explosion, and finally reorganization.
Each atom or man is given an opportunity to regain balance, when
a
corresponding point of the cycle recurs. Instead of lying passively
in the
hands of the Law, looking deep into his own vital center for the
cause of
discord, and accepting the consequences of a broken law, the
selfish man
almost invariably draws a long breath. He tightens the girdle about
his
waist another link, and increases his speed along the "royal" high
road of
ambition, avarice, or worldly respectability, regardless of the dark
places
and foul cess-pools he knows are there, and before which he must
sometime be brought to bay. This fact, has been most graphically
expressed in the following words : "We stand bewildered before
the
mystery of our own making and the riddles we will not solve and
then
accuse the Great Sphinx of devouring us." This is peculiarly true of
the
present race of humanity, and distressingly so in the cases of many
students of Life and its mysteries, to whom much has been given
and of
whom much will be required.
... It is essential for the development of the inhabitants of any large
center, that it should be built on harmonious geometrical lines. The
unfoldment of the inner senses is invariably retarded by
inharmonious
surroundings, whether these be of form and proportion, color or
sound. All
lines of development reach from center to circumference and the
closer all
physical lines of environment can be brought into alignment with
more
rapidly evolving mental and spiritual forces of the same nature, the
more
rapidly can the physical be raised to higher vibrations. The nearer
you
approach knowledge of the finer grades of matter, the more this
truth will
become apparent. [TT 27]
THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE
In that vision of the creation of a universe, the first Son of Light,
the
first sacrifice swept out from the point of manifestation as far as
the
impulse or rate of vibration could carry Him. He then returned
along the
same lines to the center. He had only sacrificed His body to make
these
points of Light ; His soul and spirit were where they always were.
When He went back to that point of manifestation there followed a
Pralaya. Then there were Three that were shot out for another
manifestation. Those Three were that same one, and so it was when
the
Seven swept out. He returned for a Pralaya and then went out
under
another rate of vibration. The one was seven at the time, and so it
has
continued. They must return along the same lines. This also applies
to the
evolution of the whole universe, there are the wheels within
wheels. The
evolution of a planet was performed under the same law that
evolved the
whole universe. There is an almost perfect correspondence in the
life of
every atom that is in manifestation. Every atom has to retrace
along the
same lines.
The whole action of the cosmic force is not to emphasize any one
color but to grow so that all may manifest equally, so that each and
every
individual entity may grow as a tree grows, when perfect, rounded
out in
every direction, with no one color prominent but all in equal
proportion.
That is as true of each ray as it is of the cosmos, and applies
equally. The
personalities are all on the lower planes of manifestation when
there are
many. It is only by higher aggregation of astral bodies – to put it as
plainly
as possible – on the same principles that aggregation of atoms
make a
body. When there are so many personalities it is simply because
the
individualities are not powerful enough to assimilate all the force
of that
entity and it has to be distributed over a large area. By lower planes
I mean
astral as well as physical planes. [TT 28]
When the soul on its return leaves the lower astral, it begins to
unite
with its own special ray and the atoms of each plane go back into
universal
matter for a time, until they are called forth for another
manifestation.
Where the soul remains when it leaves the body depends upon how
far
the personality has become developed. If it has gained much
experience
and assimilated all it has gained, and is ready for a high step, it will
remain
in the upper astral. The soul that was manifested in two bodies on
the
lower plane would have but one on its return.
A group soul may be represented by a seven pointed star, seven
times
seven, or forty-nine. There are other figures that would represent it
on its
return better than these I have mentioned, that I cannot give you
now.
There is one on the Temple pavement that represents it perfectly,
and that
you will see one day. The whole is represented in the Pyramids at
Egypt,
particularly in the one called The Great.
The development of all lives is like the progression of geometrical
figures, as they are called although of course such illustrations
convey no
adequate conception of the truth, for those lines are in reality living
entities,
those geometrical figures, so-called, are really composed of
substance in a
state of evolution, as is all matter, force and consciousness.
Every spiritual being is a line. There is a certain individuality in
every
atom in manifestation.
CENTRALIZATION AND DEMOCRACY
I have said that true centralization and true democracy are one and
the
same thing. Vox populi, ignorantly cry the masses. I say ignorantly,
for the
people only rule when they reach the point when as one man they
demand
the service of the best man available ; and in a true democracy [TT
29]
that best man is the natural leader, the man in whom power is
centralized –
and that leader is king by divine right – whether that point is
conceded or
not. He is the people's choice because he is the choice of the
Karmic
Lords-and the Karmic Lords are the people glorified. He is the
divine
choice. No other man could possibly fill the place.
DISPLACEMENT OF THE SOUL
If you would always remember that there is no death, only
displacement of soul, you could more easily understand that nature
forces
must furnish forms for disembodied souls, whether of man or
elemental ;
and those lesser souls which man frees from form, man must also
help to
reform again, or he is a thief and a robber. He can only give such
help by
means of thought.
The destruction of large areas of forests, uncontrollable fires in
thickly
settled districts, volcanic fires, etc., are all due to the elementals
which
have been deprived of their natural habitats by man's selfish misuse
of the
material which embodied them, and in their uncontrolled rage they
seize
upon anything available and destroy it by setting free others of
their kind,
and all together will ravage and destroy all they can reach. Like
man,
though so much less intelligent, they are souls and in prison, and
also like
man they object to being freed from their prisons-their
embodiments-by
force ; but unlike man they are lacking in the higher attributes, two
features of which are patience and endurance. Therefore, when
ignorantly
or viciously freed from bondage to form, they run riot. But even
they are
not free from corresponding results, and the result of such riot
restrains
them from embodiment in matter. [TT 30]
Therefore an opportunity for development for a much longer
period
than would otherwise be the case – and the demoniacal work done
by the
Black magician, when of the nature of fire, is done by these
disembodied
elementals.
"I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of
them that
hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me
and keep
my commandments," said Jehovah.
To one who possesses no knowledge of the eternal laws of life this
decree would seem arbitrarily unjust and cruel ; but even modern
science
is proving the wisdom, righteousness, and infallibility of the laws
on
which this commandment was based.
No other race of people on the earth has kept its blood so free from
the
class of contagious diseases that is most destructive to the
generative
powers of life ; no other race has kept its distinctive features so
unaltered
or has preserved its fecundity to such a marked degree as has the
Jewish
race. And the primal cause of all this lies in its obedience to the
laws of
life embodied in the commandments of Moses. The chastity of its
daughters is a commonly recognized fact. And the primal reason
for this
does not lie in the fact that its daughters are purer in thought or less
subject
to the power of desire, but it is because it has been known by the
lawgivers
of Israel for ages that upon the chastity of its daughters depended
the life of the race as a race.
It is through the female that the racial impuse flows. Intermarriage
between near relatives was forbidden the Jews because those same
lawgivers
knew that the strong, [TT 31] virile qualities of a race were not
transmitted directly to the immediate family of a man and woman
to any
such degree as they were transmitted to the third, fifth, and seventh
families of their descendents. Through the daughters of a family
were
transmitted the racial characteristics. Through the men was
transmitted the
principle of fecundity. To preserve the racial characteristics and the
generative power and best qualities of a man and woman, it was
believed
that marriage between a normal son of one family with the normal
daughter of another family, removed at least three generations in
relationship from each other, would show the best results.
Scientific research is establishing the wisdom of those
commandments
more perfectly every day. Whether or not one believes in their
divine
origin, failure to adhere to them has filled the so-called Christian
nations
with countless numbers of degenerates and incompetents,
incapacitated by
heredity disease and morally unclean.
Humanity as a whole as well as each unit is in a gulf of seething
discontent, disappointed ambition, deep heart sorrow or hopeless
despair.
The problems of life are too deep, the unrest is bewildering, the
sorrow too
hopeless. However closely we try to cling to the later theories of
science
and religion for comfort and help in our hours of deepest sorrow or
trouble,
our minds invariably fly back to some phase of our older belief in a
personal God or Father, first because of our awful need of a
guiding hand
through the labyrinths we find ourselves in and our recognition of
our
weakness and fallibility, and therefore our seeming need of
personal
guidance. The conflict between our earlier and later beliefs, too,
often
drives man into total unbelief or into the acceptance of some
presumably
[TT 32] scientific elucidation of the mystery of life. He sees no
other way
out, no way of reconciling evident contradictions. But in all
humility we
tell you THERE IS A WAY OUT. Infinity has never left itself
without
witnesses. It is we who have blindly, ignorantly, willfully or
FEARFULLY failed to find the way. And to you, Brother, Sister,
Comrade
or Stranger, who are heartsick, weary with seeking and
discouraged, or
you who with open minds are seeking the great realities, we have
at the
same time a message to give and an earnest request to make.
There never was a need created or a demand made by a man but
that
somehow, somewhere, that need could be met, that demand could
be
supplied. It is for us to find the way. If we need a Christ, be sure
there is a
Christ ; if we need a God, a heaven or a hell, we may be sure they
exist in
some form, in some place. If we need another life or other lives on
earth,
or in some other sphere, we shah surely live those lives. If we have
need of
human love and human sympathy, it is ours for the seeking rightly.
If we
know where or how some of these needs may be supplied, and tell
you so,
would it not be very foolish in you to turn face about and go in
some other
direction. Believing we do know where the great gifts are to be
found, we
ask you to open your heart and mind to what we may be able to tell
you,
and if you are satisfied that we tell you truly, perhaps you will join
with us
in a still further search.
There are three universal, fundamental laws, by right consideration
of
which we may solve every deep problem of life. it has been
because of our
ignorance or wrong interpretation of those laws that we have been
deceived and led into by-paths, and forced at length to accept the
interpretations of those as ignorant as ourselves, or have repudiated
everything religious and have drifted into some materialistic trend
of
thought. These laws are :
FIRST – The essential unity of the universe, all things material and
spiritual. [TT 33]
SECOND – The law of cause and effect, sometimes termed karma.
THIRD – The repeated embodiments of the soul of man in all
states
and phases of life, commonly called reincarnation.
These laws are as irrevocable in the states of spiritual and soul life
as
they are in the physical state, for these three states penetrate and
interpenetrate each other. When we have perfectly understood and
have
assimilated these deep truths and won the power to use them
rightly, we
can answer every question which pertains to our evolution.
THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS
I have been asked to give an expression of the attitude of the
Masters
of Wisdom on the proposed League of Nations. In order to do so I
must
first call your attention to the fact that every movement made for
the
unifying of the differentiated races of this planet has originally
sprung
from some spiritual impulse set in action by the Initiates of the
Great
White Lodge, but the final success of any such movement must
depend
upon the loyalty and devotion to purpose of the races most vitally
concerned.
In order to utilize the power of that spiritual impulse while such a
movement or plan is in a formative state, the Masters of Wisdom
must
have an organic body on the physical plane under their direction
wherein
they can create and establish necessary lines of influence. They
must have
a body of Neophytes which will act as a fulcrum within which they
can
place the lever of their power in order to break down the barriers
which the
Black Lodge is continually building between peoples and races.
The ideal form for the establishing of a Brotherhood of Nations has
hung in the Etheric Universe for ages and [TT 34] has even been
objectified on other planets. It is the intuitive perception of some
aspect of
this form by one or more strong characters which has led to every
organized attempt to unite mankind for the establishment of a
spiritual,
social or political purpose. It has been the abortion of many such
efforts by
the Initiates of the Black Lodge that has served to make this planet
the hell
it has become for countless numbers of human beings.
The deplorable conditions existent here today are primarily due to
the
apostasy, the betrayal, the criminal neglect of the foresworn
disciples of
religious organizations and recreant neophytes of the Lodge who
have
consciously or unconsciously become, as it were, points of contact
for the
use of more powerful entities in destroying or crippling the efforts
of those
who are striving to build true to form every organized center for
the
breaking down of barriers which have arisen between man and
man, nation
and nation ; and again today as of yore it will depend largely upon
our
success in building and sustaining the before-said organic center or
fulcrum and so establishing the necessary lines of influence within
that
center as to how far we can help the Masters in objectifying the
etherial
form previously mentioned, in the present effort of mankind to
create a
brotherhood of nations.
No form of organization can have a permanent existence without a
spiritual base. We cannot leave God out of a form we are striving
to build
and make that form live, and it will be your fault, my fault and the
fault of
all men who recognize their responsibility if the center, the
fulcrum, is not
established and maintained for the use of the Masters of Wisdom in
the
present great emergency.
Whether you are a neophyte of the Temple, a member of the
Catholic
church, the Masonic fraternity, a Buddhist or a member of any
other
organization whose basic tenet is a belief in God, your first duty is
to
combine as effectively as possible with others of the same mind
within the
[TT 35] body of which you are an integral part in order to
strengthen the
lines which unite you and whereby you in company with the
Masters can
help to bring into objective form the before-mentioned divine plan
of a
brotherhood of nations and make of it a body, a center wherein the
White
Lodge can generate sufficient power to tear out every antagonistic
element
that manifests within it, and that can build strong and true all lines
leading
to and from that objective form as tune passes and the cyclic law
affords
opportunity for so doing.
If the representatives of the nations now engaged in building a
form
can catch and hold the spiritual forces we set free for that purpose,
much
advance will be made. If they are not able to do so that form will
be
gradually dismembered and will be built anew within a
comparatively
short lime.
From this it may be seen that the League of Nations which will
lead
naturally to a Brotherhood of Nations has been a plan of the
Masters of
Wisdom from lime immemorial. All their work in and for humanity
eventuates in the practical realization of this great Ideal...
"The fulfillment of these prophecies will bring about
inevitably a condition of Universal Peace through a
League of Nations to enforce such Peace, and thus
establish the first concrete step in the formation of a
practical Brotherhood of Man on earth. For it should be
self evident that before we can have a condition of
Universal Brotherhood we must first have a condition of
permanent Universal Peace ;... all would come to pass as
"it was written on the inner Light."'...
Observe the decentralizing forces now rampant on the earth. This
results from the breaking of old forms but this decentralization is
in itself
contrary to natural law and the evidence of a reaction from the
other
extreme. Therefore The Temple, which is based on the Hierarchical
lines
of the Great Lodge and holds the central point of Lodge [TT 36]
work for
this cycle, calls attention to this Law of Centralization. If the world
is to be
brought out of chaos this Law of Centralization must be upheld
whether in
the national, international, economic, or social field of life. The
Centralization must of course be fundamentally based on TRUTH
and
MORAL RIGHT. From the Central Sun – the Master of all Masters
– the
White Light, which includes ail light, to the sun of a solar system,
the
nucleus of a cell, the heart or brain of a body, there must always be
the
Central Point of radiation of substance, force of consciousness.
This is
immutable eternal law manifesting in ail realms of consciousness
and life.
it must be remembered that the Universal Temple includes ail
humanity, so there are many Temple members who are not
affiliated on
the outer plane. Through ail who are attuned the Great Lodge
forces pass
for helping humanity to a higher level whether one be conscious of
the
force passing or not.
THE LAW OF THE AVATAR
All proceeds from the One. And in the One is the Essence of All. In
the above truth is the basis of the Law of Heredity. The creative
cell of the
parent becomes the child, but the child is merely an extension of
the parent
life with ail the stored up character and potencies of the parent and
the
parents ancestry back to the primal racial root.
Our heredity even goes back further than the racial root. As ail life
has
come from the One Divine life – the one Divine Creative Cell –
God – we
have inherited divine characteristics, tendencies and powers, latent
as yet,
but ever seeking expression as outer development permits.
In heredity we have involved the law of Atavism which is the
sudden
expression in offspring of tendencies, traits [TT 37] and
characteristics,
mental or physical, that belonged to the ancestral fine of far back
generations. The traits have skipped several generations or many
generations but suddenly manifest. This is the law of Atavism.
This pertains to races as well as individuals. Good, bad and
indifferent
traits and powers thus manifest. The race and the ancestral line
thus
become a storehouse of character, with now and then a burst of
expression
of qualities that pertained to ages before. Logically, then, the
Divine
potency of our primal origin from Deity may burst out at any tune
either in
a race or an individual. Here, then, must be the Law of the Avatar.
That
which makes an Avatar possible being an atavistic manifestation by
heredity of a period when, in the life of the race, divine attributes
were in
outer manifestation. Such attributes may have disappeared, been
sunk far
beneath the surface auric soil of the race or the individual, but the
seeds
are there and will germinate when the tune and conditions are ripe.
In this fact and law we undoubtedly find the reason for the saying,
"My redeemer liveth," for no matter how far a race or individual
may sink
in the scale of being, the atavistic or redeeming trait, based on the
essential
divinity of ancestry, far back in the morning tune of the world, will
assert
itself and restore the status lost, that is, bring back the
consciousness of
kinship with the Gods – our spiritual birthright.
In ail this we see the Infinite Wisdom of the Creator, for, in every
atom of matter, He has implanted by virtue of our basic heredity
with the
Divine Ancestral Cell, the redeeming quality which, like the
Christos or
Avatar, will suddenly manifest in individual, race or world, in the
hour of
direct need. [TT 38]
TEMPLE THERAPEUTICS
—
Lesson I
It is conceded by the majority of psychics, and has been
demonstrated
by a few modern delvers in the fields of science, that there is
continually
escaping from the human body a peculiar form of force or energy,
to
which has been given the term, human magnetism. The Initiate of
the
Secret Sciences knows that this force is evolved within and
expelled from
the body as a result of the interaction which continuously takes
place
between the life essence stored in the nucleus of every blood
corpuscle and
an extraneous form of energy which uses Color as a vehicle of
manifestation – Mental energy – which is condensed and finally
concentrated within the aura – an egg-shaped, elastic, tenuous
substance
which surrounds the physical body, and is acted upon by the Desire
and
Will of the individual thinker. The colors of the aura are constantly
changing, according to the character of the thought forces
emanating from
the individual.
As a result of this interaction of forces there is thrown into outer
manifestation a third form of force – Magnetism, the basis of heat.
The
concealed fire, of the nucleus – life principle or pranic energy, and
cold
flame – electrical discharge of mental energy, are married, and heat
–
human magnetism – is born, and this magnetic energy is the
vehicle which
attracts and expells what is commonly called the healing force, or
power,
which is an interetheric force pertaining to the Christos, and the
ability to
use that force for the healing of disease in any given case depends
entirely
upon the degree and character of the colors which are operating in
the aura
of the so-called healer at the moment, and the synchronous
vibration of
thought forces in the minds of healer and patient, though that
vibration
may be aroused and may operate subconsciously in the case of the
patient
in some instances. [TT 39]
To put all this in simple language, the Infinite – God – imparts
more
life force to the patient through the medium of the magnetic energy
set in
action by the healer by means of his power of thought and will
combined.
If the faith of both parties is perfect, that is, if a synchronous
vibration is
established between them, the life force can act with more
certainty and
give better results.
The following is an extract from some private advises on Spiritual
and
Mental Healing given by one of the Masters in 1899 :
"Remember, all forms of force are impersonal and each force must
be
given the right impulse (vibration) in healing, or it may negate
some other
acting force and so produce disease of other character than that for
which
the patient is treated.
Remember, the spirit of all life – God – is the Director of all forms
of
force, and it is only as a human being identifies itself with that
directing
power, and thus works in harmony with it, that it can attain to any
domination over any antagonistic form of force."
While not absolutely necessary, it is better far that the patient be
brought into personal contact with the healer, and for the latter to
direct the
healing stream of force by means of the eye and band, always
directing it
toward the heart and from that through the natural passages of
outlet, by
way of the blond stream.
The healing force is thus directed by means of the energy of
Breath,
but before such distribution of force is attempted the diseased
organs or
parts of body should be mentally cleansed by means of a purifying
cleansing thought.
The expulsive breath is the carrying power by which the disease –
laden cleansing forces should be expelled after use. The indrawing
breath
brings the dynamic energy of healing into the body and also
applies it to
the diseased centers alter its distribution. its action is both
attractive and
cohesive. [TT 40]
God cannot break His own laws, therefore diseased conditions
existing in the nervous centers or fluid, (the latter being of a higher
grade
of substance than those grades of substance which manifest in
other
organic centers or other parts of the body), are more subject to the
action
of the spiritual or mental healing forces than are diseases which
attack the
last mentioned centers. Such diseases are more easily controlled by
material means, such as chemicals, herbs, applications of heat,
cold, etc,.
as the latter in some of their operations have been instrumental in
producing the abnormal conditions which are responsible for the
pain and
suffering."
Each grade of matter, substance and force responds more quickly
to
the positive or negative aspects, respectively, of other forms of
matter,
substance or force, which belongs to its particular grade, than to
the
opposite pole of its own form. The life force – pranic energy –
which
controls and is embodied in the nervous fluid, is influenced more
directly
from the plane of Manas ; therefore, the thought forces in action on
that
plane or grade act more directly upon that fluid. This is the reason
that
many mental healers will not agree to the treatment of any organic
disease,
but confine themselves to nervous diseases or diseases of the mind,
as they
are well aware that their efforts would be fruitless in other forms of
disease.
In the great majority of cases where it has been claimed that
organic
diseases have been healed by mental treatment the diagnoses has
been
imperfect, or the disease has been contracted primarily through
some
derangement of the nervous fluid, which, if counteracted, will, by
removing the cause, permit the diseased organ to begin to function
properly, and therefore, to recover its lost tone. But when the
disease is
contracted through some purely exterior means, as for instance, in
the case
of most contagious germ diseases, mental energy alone cannot
heal. it
requires [TT 41] treatment of a corresponding nature or grade of
matter.
Every grade of substance or force, as a distinct body, has its
individual
rate of mass motion, and the operations of any one grade on lesser
grades
of bodies which have their own individual rates of vibration must
be in
synchronous vibration with the rate of mass motion which
constitutes, or
rather creates, that grade of substance to be effective in any field of
operation. Any other rate of vibration applied to any body or organ
of that
grade of substance would create antipathetic and disintegrating
vibrations.
Therefore, when the grosser organs or parts of the body are
afflicted, the
mental or thought vibrations applied to the latter cannot perform
the same
action of healing that can be performed through the nerve plexi and
the
nervous fluid by those thought vibrations ; they require
correspondingly
gross forms of treatment, namely, the application or use of gross
forms of
matter ; matter in synchronous vibration with the matter of the
afflicted
organ or part.
Merely thinking of a diseased organ will not heal the same. The
right
degree and character of thought force to be applied must be
determined. In
other words, a correct diagnoses must be made, and method of
treatment
decided. If a form of vibration corresponding to intense heat were
applied
to an inflamed surface or organ instead of a much lower rate of
vibration,
that is, cold, and increase in temperature would result, and vice
versa.
Healing by spiritual means is a much more exact science than
medicine, and the evil results of quackery are much more far
reaching and
lasting than similar results of medical quackery. [TT 42]
TEMPLE THERAPEUTICS
—
Lesson II
If it were decided by all the different schools of medicine that there
was one infallible remedy for any disease, for instance typhus
fever, and
the administration of quinine under certain conditions and
quantities was a
sure remedy, how idiotic it would be for us, if we were suffering
from that
disease, to refuse to take quinine, or if prevailed upon to take it, we
should
insist upon fixing our own dose or in taking it under altogether
different
conditions than those determined upon ; or if we should stand on
some
street corner declaiming against its use and frightening away
others, and
yet it would be no more idiotic than the attitude assumed by the
great
majority of mankind in regard to spiritual, mental, and psychic
healing.
No really intelligent student or thinker of the present day would
presume to deny the healing of countless numbers of people by
some
unknown and unknowable power. Whether we call it God, science,
spirit
or anything else, the fact remains that this power does exist and
that it is
used by all the different exponents of Divine Healing with the
same results.
Having once recognized it as a spiritual power beyond our ability
to
understand, yet possible of manipulation by us under right
conditions, why
should we feel called upon to separate ourselves from any religious
group
with which we are affiliated because we have been brought to
some
appreciation of the truth regarding it. Why not bring all that we can
control
of that power into that group ? The very simplicity of its
administration
makes it unnecessary to do otherwise.
Why should we feel compelled to jump from one religious body to
another in search of the help we are taught lies within ourselves,
especially
when all of the bodies concede that fact ? The evidence that some
one
group of [TT 43] more recent associates were trying to draw us
away from
old friends and affiliations for the avowed purpose of putting us
more
closely in contact with that (whatever designation given it) healing
power,
ought to show us there is something wrong and selfish behind the
effort.
Our first duty is "to our own household." If it is a universal
spiritual
power no one group or no one person has the ability to grasp and
use it to
the exclusion of others, or teach others to do so. The healing force
can be
directed and applied to any diseased cell, thereby arousing the
opposite
pole to that which has created the disease in cellular tissue, thus
changing
the diseased cell to a normal cell by decreased or accelerated
vibrations, as
the case may be. Hence the part that breath plays in the cleansing
and
healing of any diseased cell or organ is obvious.
The natural tendency to retain the breath in concentration of any
nature indicates Natures method of preparing conditions by and
through
which the higher forms of energy, Natures finer forces, can act to
produce
requisite results, whether it be for the purpose of applying the
healing
force to a disease – stricken body or the purpose of using mental
energy in
the formulating of a plan or idea which is to be subsequently
worked out
on the material plane : and the human soul, the lower self, may be
perfectly unconscious of the part it is playing in the production of
the
phenomena.
The following is the answer to a question put to the Master by one
of
His disciples, and as it is of such general interest to all Templars,
we give
it almost in its entirety.
"The question asked will come up in the mind of each
Temple child at a critical hour in the life cycle, and the
answer, if correct, must inevitably be the same."
"Indifference to life and death is always an essential
qualification for chelaship. Attachment to either, binds
the soul and prevents the realization of the desire."
"An overwhelming desire to witness the fulfillment of
[TT 44] an ideal or a divine promise, on the physical
plane, but too often blinds the soul to the fact that in
passing from the lower – material – to the higher –
Spiritual – plane, the soul passes at once into the
realization of the desired ideal. It has no occasion to wait
for that realization as it would necessarily have to wait
for the slower process of nature to bring any ideal into
concrete form upon the physical plane ; for every detail
is perfectly worked out on the plane of soul long ere the
first vibration of its material representation is set in
action.
"Banish all fear of death and life will continue
indefinitely. Fear death and you will be continually dying.
"Never ask another, Master or neophyte, to set a limit to
your life, for by so doing you fix in your mind the
suggestion of death and unwittingly make that other your
murderer to whatever extent you have been influenced
by his prognostication.
"Strive always for submission to the Law, whatever its
decrees may be, and you encompass yourself with a host
of Angels – the emissaries and executioners of that Law
– and of whom you yourself will be one. True
indifference will result and with it power over life and
death.
"If you can bear the karmic action of your own
disobedience to the laws of health with equanimity you
throw open the auric centers to the life current. If you
rebel or despair, you close those centers for rebellion and
despair are constrictive forces."
TEMPLE THERAPEUTICS
—
Lesson III
The effect on the whole human body of the inhalation and retention
of
the breath as exemplified. in cases of imperviousness to
concussion, in
levitation, etc., as has been repeatedly demonstrated, should supply
needed
impetus [TT 45] to effort in that direction, as well as to
understanding and
appreciation of the possibility of similar use of the breath centers
in
controlling phenomena of other nature, as in the case of the
exercise of the
power of healing.
When it is understood that the interstices – intercellular spaces –
between physical cells is as great in proportion to their size as the
spaces
between the heavenly bodies (which are the cells of the material
body of
the Heavenly Man) and also the fact that there is not an empty spot
in all
the universe, it will be evident that there must be constant action of
one or
more forms of energy, throughout those intercellular spaces in a
physical
body which the controlling power of the body, the Ego, might use
at will if
the human soul, the intelligence of the lower self, of man, is
capable of
forming a conscious coalition with the Ego or Spiritual Soul and
thus
intelligently direct and apply these different forms of energy.
Divine Breath is motion per se. By control of the breath centers,
the
physical engine – the lungs – in man, the forces in action through
the
intercellular spaces in a body can be controlled to a greater or
lesser degree,
according to the strength of the coalition between the human and
spiritual
souls. In other words, the positive and negative aspects of human
electricity can be perfectly controlled from the neutral zone – the
auric
center. The union of these two aspects under right conditions
results in the
manifestation of that energy by which the Ego can control the
lesser
centers of the Auric Sphere, whether the forces in action therein be
of a
material or spiritual nature.
The spiritual energy commonly called the Christos has absolute
power
over that form of force known as the force of healing ; is in fact
one
manifestation of that energy. By faith, consecration and
concentration and
intelligent use of the lungs, man may raise or lower the vibrations
of the
forces in action in the intercellular spaces, which forces are the
vehicles
through which the spiritual energy of the [TT 46] Christos can best
manifest in any of its phases or powers of expression.
The philosophy of healing rests upon the ability to of a diseased
organ,
in order that the inharmonious, paralyzed or constricted atomic
substance
restrained therein may be expelled, or changed in character by the
power
of the Christos, directed by the individual Ego in concentration.
In other words, by expanding the diseased cell it is possible to
drive
off diseased atomic substance by the reestablishment of previous
synchronous vibrations between the pranic force in the diseased
cell and
the same force in operation throughout the fields of space. The
power of
the combination thus effected acting within the blood stream is too
great to
permit of the retention of any such sluggish substance as that
which
obstructs the flow of pranic force in the diseased cell and is
therefore
thrown off through the various channels of excretion.
All cases of healing, spiritual, mental and physical are
accomplished
by the same method, whether the first impulse is given by
concentrated
effort of will, simple faith in God or by means of some drug which
excites
the action of the pranic force and thus expands the diseased cell.
Hence the
absurdity of individual claims to possession of the healing power,
and
hence the enormity of the sin of refusing mental or physical
treatment to
the sick who are not able to pat' for it, for it is the very life of the
Christos
that in reality bas done the healing.
"A good physician" in the highest – the spiritual – sense of the
word,
is also a good nurse, and in the character of such a nurse bas a right
to earn
his living by ordinary methods (remuneration for treatment), by
means of
his profession as physician, but as a "Physician" imparting the life
impulse
of the Christos he bas no such right, from the spiritual standpoint.
[TT 47]
THE BOUND AND THE LOOSED
The Initiates have said to neophytes at appointed rimes since the
appearance of the Third Root Race upon this planer, "What you
loosen,
that I bind ; what I bind, the Kumaras broadcast."
Many are the human souls that have been unloosed by that often
unappreciated Messenger of the Gods – loosed from their bondage
to
Maya, loosed from their attachment to things of sense, and their
feet well
set on the Narrow Path.
Few there are that have been bound by the climber's rope, one end
of
which I hold. Not that I would not, but because ere the many had
taken the
first step toward that rope the three demons, Greed, Ambition, and
Lust,
had seized them and borne them far away ; borne them where I
could not
follow, into illusions pastures where light is as darkness and
darkness is as
light, where the Jinns gleefully spread nets to catch their feet and
glamour
their eyes, where the envoys of the Dark Forces plat' upon the
human harps
thus given to their bands with all the skip of mastery.
For those who love knowledge for its own sake, for those whose
love
for the Self of All is greater than their love for the self of one,
freedom
from bondage to sense and rime comes sure and swift with the
unravelling
of the last strand of the climber's rope at the touch of the band of
the
Kumaras.
Long and tedious the way, full of unrest and weariness, hungering
and
thirsting in the midst of plenty is he who (ails to see the Light of
the Gods
shining from the eyes of the wise man, the fool, and the criminal,
the
eternal radiance of the Divine Motherhood streaming from the
hearts of
saints and harlots alike.
Take and bear the double cross – the cross of self-satisfaction – tilt
life
shah end, if so you will. The choke is thine. But that you mat' enter
upon
your rest at last, the [TT 48] rest which is the reward you will have
won,
take heed lest you lose that also by failing to recognize the justice
which
has decreed your loss.
Note : The climber's rope is the system of philosophy which a
religious teacher uses in establishing the same.
The single cross is the symbol of sacrifice ; the double cross is the
symbol of material gain.
CARE OF MOTIVES
Be careful of your motives whatever you do. Do all things with a
single eye to the glory of God, which means the glory of your own
selves
as well. Be careful of your dealings with others, for what you do to
others
that you surely will receive for yourselves in return. I want to warn
you
especially of your treatment and dealings with those of your
brethren who
may be weaker than you. It matters not what your opinion is, and I
do not
ask you to close your eyes to what would seem wrong, for that
would not
be right ; but wait and watch for an opportunity to draw that
brother or
sister back to the fold if he or she has gone astray. They are part of
your
own vital essence, and the degradation of any one of them means a
much
longer wait for them and for you. Again I say, watch ever within
and
without yourselves and be careful of your motives in everything
that you
do.
LAWS OF DISCIPLESHIP
No disciple has any more right than had H.P.B. to ignore the
stringent
laws of chelaship by over leniency ; and by so doing you have
brought on
yourself like avalanches of retributive force to those which
overwhelmed
the latter at times. [TT 49]
It takes a long period of unremitting effort for any disciple to reach
the
necessary stage of indifference where praise and blame, joy and
pain are
all alike – the stage of the power to deny the urgent request of
unprepared
disciples for more secret directions for gaining power. It is the
stage where
the joys or sorrows of one have no more effect on the disciple than
the joys
or sorrows of another, and therefore cannot draw greater
sympathetic
response and correspondingly lesser power of unbiased judgment.
Sympathy, which is one of the requisites for chelaship in the first
degrees of occultism, must be raised to a higher degree of the same
basic
principles, Justice and Compassion.
A recognition of the justice of any punishment meted out to him by
unerring law will enable the advanced chela to render great
assistance to
others by proving the power of silent endurance.
Sympathy often weakens the personality and leaves it still farther
subject to the same line of requirement, while silent endurance
enables the
soul to work toward final renunciation, the highest quality of all.
If you pour out your heart upon and give lavishly of the knowledge
entrusted to you to those who have not reached a consciousness of
the
importance of that which they have undertaken (as has been proven
to you
repeatedly throught repudiation of the first principle of occultism,
Loyalty,
by former disciples), you only add to the sum of the offenses of
such an
offender by drawing upon yourself the effects of their ingratitude –
the
unforgivable offense – for remember, the guilty one in such an
instance
can never return to the same status from which he has fallen in any
other
way or by any other means or person than by and through the
person
wronged – by and through you, in the above mentioned instance.
The
karma of victim and offender is thus inextricably entwined.
When any pledged chela takes upon himself the responsibility [TT
50]
of placing his Master or teacher in the criminal dock of his mind,
knowing
that he himself is far from having reached a point in development
which
would enable him to judge such a one righteously, he places
himself by
that act outside the pale of the Lodge Degree which he has entered.
He
responds to a lower vibratory key, and he is therefore all the more
subject
to the guidance of a lower degree of elementals the offices of
which make
it impossible for him to perceive the key to what was apparently ill
advised
or even wrong action, such action as he considers has justified his
recreancy.
To his own Master alone the Initiate or representative appointed by
the Lodge is amenable. If the latter has broken any one of the
higher laws
of discipleship, and so failed in his own tests, there is no escape for
him.
He will have to suffer as severely as the hardest heart could
require. But
the chela, the student, because of his sacred obligations, cannot
judge his
Master or teacher without bringing condemnation on his own head.
I am expressing one of the fundamental laws of life. It is the basic
principle underlying the commandment given by Jehovah to Moses
:
"Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long." Note
that
the commandment is not qualified. It does not contain a single "if".
"Thus far shalt thou go and no farther" is spoken by Infinite Law to
every center of infinite life in manifestation – whether it be atom,
object,
or man – at the central point of the line of evolution it has reached,
and
always spoken to the degree or object or force, energy, or
substance that
has preceded it in time, space, and point of development.
It was the breaking of this divine command by the black magicians
and their disciples that plunged the continents of Lemuria and
Atlantis
with their countless inhabitants to the bottom of the ocean.
Think you the action of that law can be defied with impunity by a
handful of nineteenth century disciples of [TT 51] one of the lower
degrees of the Lodge ? If you individually had held each incoming
disciple
to as strict account for the breaking of the rides of discipleship as
you are
sometimes held by those who imagine that you have broken your
obligations in some respect, you might not have had more than a
dozen
loyal disciples left today, but that dozen would be so fitted by
interior and
exterior development as to have been able to hold any position in
the
Temple work satisfactorily to us.
When all is told you can see it is the World Soul that is on trial
today.
Ifs integrity, ifs right to continued expression as a distinct entity
must be
proven ; and every human being hinders or helps according to his
individual integrity, his power of holding his own base, once
having
accepted the responsibility and committed himself to the given
purpose.
This great truth is ignored by all too many of those who are
satisfied with
the fallacy that the temporary fluctuations of matter now in form,
the
personal idiosyncrasies of those who are involved in the mere
scattering of
the seeds, will give more immediate and better results than are
attainable
by steady, silent consideration of the divine life principle active in
the seed,
which will bring forth a rich harvest if planted and tended aright,
which
will be driven back into ifs original base if ifs vehicles, the seed,
are
neglected, leaving the material, typifying the lower self, to
disintegration,
it having failed to bring ifs gifts to fruition.
It seems a very difficult task for the average disciple to fully accept
the truth that the one all-important tank that has been set the
initiate or his
representative is the development of the power of endurance and
stability
in his disciples. If he individually had not already won that power,
he
could not have attained to his position. So it is not for his own
benefit, not
to serve some personal purpose that he is constantly inciting his
disciple to
meet his tests perfectly and to cultivate by all possible means those
qualifies in his nature. [TT 52]
If the disciple could break his attachment to the fallacies of time
and
of his responsibility for the punishment of others whom he believes
to be
recreant and fully realize that it was he himself that was being
tested, as to
his own power of self-control, his own power of endurance, his
own power
of fidelity and of guardianship, and not that of another, when once
he had
demanded for himself the opportunity for advancement, and that
just
exactly as he was observing the failure of someone in a more
advanced
position to meet his individual tests, or criticizing that one in his
own mind,
the Initiate or teacher was observing his failure in those essentials
without
which true discipleship is an impossibility, he would be more
willing to
leave the power to the action of the higher Law, knowing that as
true as is
the needle to the pole, that Initiate or representative would
inevitably rush
on to his own fall and punishment if he or she had failed in a
supreme test,
and that someone was being prepared by the cultivation of the very
powers
I mention to take his place.
Remember, I am not now referring to the duties and
responsibilities of
the world at large toward any offender against the laws of
occultism,
although the same would apply in a lesser measure. I am referring
to the
pledged disciples of the Great White Lodge, to those who have
demanded
opportunity to try for the greatest prize human life can offer. To
such a one
there is one straight path. Deviation from that path means the
displacing of
that one from his position on the narrow line and the moving up of
the one
formerly in his rear. It means that the one who has held that
position was
not strong enough, had not gained a sufficient amount of that
power of
endurance, stability, self control, fidelity, and guardianship to hold
his own
indefinitely, even though he had won it.
The one all important thing a disciple has to personally decide, and
upon which the result of all his effort will depend, is what mark he
shah set
for his goal. What is [TT 53] his ultimate aim ? Is that goal, that
aim, high,
mediocre, or low ? For upon his decision the individual tests he
will have
to meet have been set, and as surely as the law of cause and effect
is
unalterable, just so surely will his triumph or defeat rest upon his
passing
those individual tests.
UNIVERSAL FORCES
You can understand that even the use of the wireless telephone is
dependent action of universal forces, embodied or disembodied,
upon
material substance. The same forces in action in wireless
telegraphy and
telephony are likewise brought into action on the subjective planes
to
produce the phenomena visible and audible to interior organs of
sight and
hearing, and if you cannot develop the interior senses it is
impossible for
you to make any material advance in that line.
By focusing certain light waves on a non-conductive medium, it
will
generate heat waves, the radiations of which, when properly
concentrated,
can be made to give out sound of varying degrees of intensity
corresponding to the degrees of intensity or energy, generated by
the heat
rays. The introduction of some other medium (selenium for
instance)
between a current of electric light and the listener, will facilitate
the
condensation and radiation of heat, and consequently, of sound
waves, and
materially assist in determining the different vibrations of tone.
You will find that the interior correspondences to the materials
used in
electrical phenomena of which I have spoken, and which exist on
the plane
of energies, are as necessary for soul and astral communion as are
the
material elements to the former ; and this brings me to the point I
wish to
make.
As the phenomena of the wireless telephone are entirely dependent
upon heat-rays, so the interior phenomena [TT 54] of soul-voice
and
hearing are dependent upon the energy of attraction, which is
another
name for love. Without the exercise of that energy there can be no
soul
communication. If, instead of giving to those who have earned it
from you,
and who therefore deserve it, the love, obedience, and trust and
assistance
necessary for their own, as well as your, development, you give to
them
the opposite. In any degree you cut off the current between you and
them,
and consequently between you and any one degree of the Lodge,
just as
surely as any non-conducting material will cut off an electrical
current, for
the energy is caught and retained by the antagonistic element.
Unless you are able, despite all appearances, to find the same
entity
back of The Temple work, that was back of H.P.B. and to give to
this
entity the love, obedience and trust absolutely essential to the
development
of the energies of attraction, expansion and radiation, it is
impossible for
that entity, to communicate with you personally.
The acquisition of the requisite power is not a question of can or
cannot, it is and must be a matter of WILL. Without the exercise of
WILL,
you cannot reach the plane of speech and understanding that it is
necessary
for you to reach in order to contact the Entity mentioned.
It is very natural and not at all surprising that many people in the
world turn away from such expositions of the truth when given to
them,
for these truths have been so woefully abused that the mind is apt
to revolt
unless it can be silenced long enough to catch the voice of the soul,
and
silence is of all things most necessary for the development of the
faculties
of the soul-sight and hearing, and you are nearly all deficient in
that power
of silence. To reach that plane of silence does not mean that you
are
necessarily to betake yourselves away from all your friends, or to
shut
yourselves up and concentrate, as some of you imagine. It is an
attribute of
the soul. The fluctuations of the mind must be silenced, or the soul
can
[TT 55] neither make itself visible or audible. The body must be
controlled but not necessarily be made inactive. It must gain the
power of
that silence which cannot be ruffled by the speech or action of
yourself or
others, and the acquisition of this power of silence will be most
difficult
for all of you. In all the Order of the 28 I know of but seven
persons today
who have acquired that power to any degree, and this failure to
d<> so in
all cases is due to a lack of application. You cannot acquire it in a
moment
or a year. It will be a matter of growth with you – a growth that
must be
given its initial impulse by a deliberate effort of will, and the
power will be
increased by practice. You must be able to command your brain as
well as
your tongue, to compel it to keep silence at your will.
There is just an instant between the sleeping and the waking state,
when you are in exactly the condition you must be able to arouse at
will
before it will be possible for you to communicate intelligently by
sight and
hearing with those on another – a higher – plane.
Ques : If we desire to come into communication with the Masters
can
it only be done through Love ?
Ans : It can only be done through the energy of attraction, which is
the
same form of energy that you now understand to be spiritual love.
It has
nothing to do with passion or with sex, or with anything pertaining
to the
physical plane. It is a part of a form of energy which you now
recognize as
heat, and it is the expansive function or aspect of heat.
Ques : That expansive power would be a vibration would it not ?
That
would connect one with the Master ?
Ans : One of its qualities is to open the way – to clear away
obstacles.
Spiritual love can only be understood by a perfect knowledge of
what love
is supposed to be, even on the physical plane. You have only to
read the
definition of "Charity" as given by the Initiate Paul, to comprehend
what
spiritual love is in manifestation. [TT 56]
Ques : A real love for humanity is an evidence of this kind of love,
is it
not ? A proof that the same power is behind it ?
Ans : It is.
Ques : The reverse of that would be repulsion ?
Ans : It would, and it is always caused by the critical aspect of the
mind which always at once attempts to find some reason why it
should not
yield itself. Love is perfect self-sacrifice. The human organism
rebels at
that – the giving up to itself in sacrifice – and it will not yield
easily.
Hatred, revenge, all the evils awakened by the lower pole of life
shut the
door, as it were, to the spiritual realms. You can in reality
determine the
position of an individual in the scale of life by the exhibition of his
feelings toward the rest of humanity.
THE RATIONALE OF SELF-EXAMINATION
You who hunger for power, influence, possessions, you who
believe
that hunger comes from the unselfish motive of the greatest good
for the
greatest number, you believe that your own particular scheme of
life is the
only one that could bring order out of the chaos the world seems to
your
mind to be in, but you have not attained to the first requisite for the
attainment of power or the constructing of a scheme by which you
could
govern your own personality, i.e., the ability to make an honest
selfexamination
and thereby to learn what are the hindrances to be overcome,
not only in yourselves but in others, for a rigid self-examination
will reveal
the very qualities in yourself that you are so anxious to set right in
others.
They may not be so obvious in your own case, but they are there
and only
waiting the pull of strong desire, the necessary environment, to
bring them
out with equal power. [TT 57] Until you are willing and able to
make this
rigid self-examination, recognize your own limitations, and
acknowledge
your own liability to error, you will make no sufficiently strong
effort to
overcome, nor will you recognize the causes of your neighbor's
limitations
and help him to adjust himself.
One of the first discoveries you would make in such self-effort
would
be the difficulty encountered in convincing others of your clarity of
purpose and motive and the possibility of executing righteous
judgment as
to any given purpose. You would see that, because of the
unwillingness of
others to face themselves as they really are, their viewpoints would
be
altogether different from yours, therefore they were utterly
incapable of
working in perfect harmony with you. They could not see the
causes or
necessities for action as they were presented to you, therefore your
premises would be all wrong to them. As an example, you imagine
that
you love some cause or some individual. By refusing to dig deep
enough
in your own nature to find the incentive to such love you permit a
biased
view of your duties and obligations to that cause or person, as well
as
theirs to you, to change that love into tolerance, indifference, or
even
hatred. You would walk over burning coals to fulfill some
imagined or real
duty or selfish desire which seemed of sufficient importance, while
you
would plunge a metaphorical dagger into the heart of the beloved
by
demands incapable of fulfillment, unreasoning protests, exhibitions
of your
own littlenesses, entirely ignorant of the viewpoint from which the
other
individuals interested were compelled to view their actions.
Self-examination would have shown you this, as well as the
necessary
viewpoint of the others, and supplied incentive for change. You
have to
reach down to fundamentals of human character, select from them
those
you would cultivate and those you would suppress, and then [TT
58]
consciously set about doing so before you can rise above your
present
environments. You may say you have no power to do so, but I say
you
have that power. The trouble is you try to seize upon the effects of
action
already committed instead of the original causes. You ignore the
tremendous power of auto-suggestion. Once you have recognized
that your
motives are questionable in most cases, reach into the desire back
of the
motive, and if that desire be selfish, crude, or half-formed, speak to
it with
all the concentrated, will – power at your command : "I do not
desire this
thing, though my mind or body may desire it. It is not in accord
with
universal law, therefore it is not my real desire." If you do this with
sufficient intensity you will find that particular desire shriveling
up, going
out, and know yourself free from it with a higher desire in its
place.
In self-examination your discovered motive for doing or not doing
any
definite act will act as indicator and expose the desire behind it. If
the
mental deposits left in your mind by dwelling upon any desire
become so
active and persistent that you find it difficult to rid yourselves of
them,
stop resisting them. Fill your mind so full of other things that there
is no
room for them, and they must disappear.
EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH
The earth is not alone on the scale of evolution. Every atom of the
Universe must go through the same process, must win its crown.
The earth
has been as high as are some of the other planets in past ages, but it
is not
now. The Secret Doctrine gives you all the necessary information
concerning its fall. These Books were written by us for you.
Mars and Venus have more to do with the evolution of the earth
than
all the other planets. They are in one sense Father and Mother of
the earth.
Whether this country will [TT 59] be involved in the wars of the
future is
a question that cannot be answered. it hangs in the balance, one tip
of the
scale in either direction just now, will settle the whole thing. Even
we are
not permitted to know ; that is, not permitted to tell.
You do not yet realize the importance of thought. We do not permit
ourselves to think of those things where there is danger to others
from our
thoughts. It is our province, and yours, to warn the world, and we
must do
all we can to help the prophets who are now "warning the people,
to flee
from the wrath to come." This is a John the Baptist movement. It
will warn
and may save the people if they will permit. If we can carry out the
plans
we have made, if the people will be faithful to us, we can tide this
world
over this dark era, and then it will be safe, for it will have passed
the
critical hour, and be in a condition to help itself, where now it is
not.
Throw these ideas out broadcast, as widely as possible. Waken the
people
in every direction, to the great need of political and social reform.
The weight of the Nations sins against the common people is great
enough to drive the star from its orbit.
ATTAINMENT
Crystalize around nothing except to vanquish it. Concentrate rather
than crystalize, translate rather than transmute, strengthen rather
than heal.
Encourage rather than treat. The Ego will do the rest ; it has had
poor
welcome, bad psychology. it knows that, and is generous enough to
deal
kindly with its antagonist. The Ego will beat its own Path through
its own
course of Time on the Ground of Love and justice. The outer frailty
is
reaction from overdue psychic development and which the general
psychologist cannot understand. [TT 60]
The Ego also brings confusion on the physical until thoroughly
adjusted. This does not come as quickly as the average adjustment
of the
average child. It is not psychism. It is not genius of youth, but is of
the
Soul – the Ego – which is rare. The present moment is critical and
important. It is a moment of opportunity. You will not regret the
sacrifices
great or small, made in the direction of clearing the Path for
Fulfilled
Attainment.
It remains to be seen if you can recognize your own opportunities.
This is called out by the conditions and forces always obtaining-
and at
your service if you are wise enough to claim them.
With the Ego there is no heroism, no positive gain made in
performing
an action which fits the desire. Water runs down hill easily and
naturally.
It is when water is to be forced up hill for a definite purpose and a
higher
natural law applied to it that there is given opportunity for heroic
effort
and the accomplishment of such a task adds very materially to the
physical
and spiritual stature of the man. It is through an act of obedience to
law or
authority against one's natural inclinations and desire, that a higher
purpose may be served which successfully opens a new chapter of
life.
ONE POINTER
One pointedness is the Key to all success, whether it be on interior
or
exterior lines of effort ; and the one point under consideration now,
is the
Key-note of the Scale of human endeavor, upon which your
attention
should be fixed, and which should be emphasized at all times and
in all
ways is, indifference, non-attachment of results. You will never
attain to
power until you "let go" of possible results. [TT 61]
Fix that one point in your mind. Create your ideal, the higher the
better. Concentrate your energies upon the working out of that
ideal ; then
work as though every hour held all your hope, your only
opportunity.
When that hour has passed, do not revert to it again. Never look
back.
Take the words – Let go – for your watch-word ; throw out
broadcast
the energy of the idea embodied in those two little words. Put it
over your
doors, over your hearts, on your banners.
The curse of the world now is Constriction. The form of energy
symbolized in the words Let go, or Release, is the positive aspect
of the
neutral center of any force or thing. But remember – the moment
you
permit this energy of true indifference to cause you to relax your
effort
toward any given end, that moment you are sucked into the vortex
created
by the positive aspect of the energy of Repulsion, and your end is
in sight.
The secret of perpetual motion will not be solved until the devotee
of
that search finds the Key which is hidden in the energy of
Indifference,
and there can be no relaxation of effort in the case of the occultist
who is
seeking the Source of Power. He must attain to the power of
perpetual
motion – unceasing effort – during his cycle of activity, whether
that be
long or short, if he would win and hold the Divine Fire –
Omnipotent
Power.
Let go – of your Gods
Let go – of your life
Let go – of your friend
Let go – of your possessions
Hold no man, no thing, in subjection to you, yet be all things to all
men. He who would save his all must part with his all.
In some moment or moments of exaltation you will offer to the
Lodge,
to God, to the highest you are capable of reaching, all you have, all
you are,
all you expect to be. You do not realize when you make that offer
that it is
[TT 62] recorded in the Book of Life. Your offer is accepted.
When the
results begin to be apparent you shrink back into yourselves and
fail to see
what it is that has brought suffering, testing, trial, upon you. You
fail to
realize that what you have offered has been accepted, and the
results are
upon you. I speak most strongly, for I would have you all realize if
possible the power sent forth from you in such moments of
consecration
and concentration. You cannot recall that power, having once sent
it out,
therefore I say Be careful, be sure you are willing and able to bear
what
you call down upon yourselves by such acts. In general, you are
enthusiastic, are carried entirely away, so to speak, by the power of
the
Holy Ghost which is upon you at such times, and cannot sense the
possibilities that the future is bound to bring forth for your
acceptance or
rejection. As you bear those trials and testing, so comes your
strength. Not
only the one who has made that offer has to bear those results ; all
those
associated with him or her must bear them to some extent, and
must also
be partakers in the good that may result.
That which in the nomenclature of the Secret Sciences is termed
the
8th sphere, is, in reality, the 7th sub-plane of the 7th or physical
plane (the
fiery furnace of transmutation), though it has also 7 states or
degrees. The
envelope or aura immediately below the physical plane, as you
understand
the term, is the effluvia which arises from all physical matter in a
state of
putrefaction or suppuration ; and, from the excreta of all animal
life. And
such effluvia rising from the animal to the human aura creates a
veil
between the mental and physical organs of vision and hearing.
LOWER SUB-PLANES
Hence, one of the best of reasons why perfect cleanliness, both
inside
and outside of the physical body must be observed by a Chela, as
well as
an explanation of the truth that a diseased body is detrimental to
the
attainment of yoga powers : and, as mental energy directed to any
phase of
life increases the action of the elementals which comprise that
form of life,
it becomes evident that the Initiates have acted wisely in refraining
from
attracting to the 8th plane any more than is actually necessary.
While the Christ must descend to this lower plane in matter, to
complete the Cycle of necessity, and ascend in resurrection to
commence
another or higher cycle, the ordinary human mind cannot dwell
upon it
safely.
One of the lower sub-states of the sub-plane under consideration, is
a
condition which is created by the lascivious thoughts of mankind,
as well
as by the mental effluvia which arises from all hatred, malice and
envy ;
and this condition is far more deadly and dangerous – and so
detrimental
to the evolution of the aspiring soul – than the preceding state or
condition
can be to the physical and mental development of man ; and the
veil
created by it between the spiritual and human organs of
observation is far
more difficult to pierce.
You must keep both body and mind pure if you are to gain
anything
worth mentioning from obedience to the directions I give to you.
The exercise of the secret or occult powers of nature, possible to
the
Initiate and to the Masters, is theirs because of their Unity. Each
individual
Initiate is able to exercise those powers because tee is absolutely at
one
with every other Initiate of his particular degree, on all the vital
questions
that concern his life and evolution. When it is possible for
dissention to
creep into any of the higher degrees of the Lodge, the whole
degree suffer
loss of power because of it, and final expulsion from the degree.
When any one or more belonging to any individual [TT 64] degree
refuses or neglects to counteract and annihilate the disharmony
existing
there, the higher law operates, as do the laws governing the
physical plane,
in the case of the introduction of a foreign element into the
physical body.
All the forces of the body are gathered together to expel that
foreign
element. Inflammation, suppuration and final ejection result.
Inharmony between those belonging to any degree of the Lodge
creates conditions which result in the final expulsion of the
creators of
such inharmony. They eventually find themselves, almost
unconsciously,
set apart from their former co-disciples, the brethren of that degree.
It is necessary that you recognize this fact in considering what I
have
to say to you.
Any power you may attain to, through attention to directions given
by
me, will be yours because you are a part of this degree ; and such
power is
attained to and comes in direct line through the Master at the head
of this
degree.
In saying what I have said in reference to the 8th sphere, so called,
I
also desire to call to your attention to the dangers arising form
uncleanliness of mind or body ; for, in either case if uncleanliness
obtains,
it will be impossible for you to gain any advantage from the
instructions I
give you, because uncleanliness renders your interior and exterior
organs
of perception impervious to the action of the finer forces. It is for
this
reason that even Dugpas or Black Magicians are so careful in
giving
directions to their chelas relative to freeing the intestinal tract and
colon
from all fecal matter. Constipation is peculiarly prevalent in this
age and
among the present masses of humanity.
It is far more necessary that freedom from congestion, and
cleanliness
of mind, be attained, than even cleanliness of body, for, if a
condition
analogous to constipation exists in the mind, it is simply
impossible for the
disciple to reach the plane that it is necessary for him to contact in
order to
evolve the power of which I shall speak hereafter. [TT 65] If any
one or
more of you prefer your own will and own way, that gratification
of your
own personal desires, to making yourselves fit instruments for the
operation of the higher will-forces, I cannot gainsay your right to
make
such choke. I can only say to you, that, if you do so choose, you
must
renounce the hope I have given you, for the law is rigid in exacting
right
conditions.
NATURAL LAW
There are many among your number who are intellectually
incapable
of grasping intricate problems or technical terms of expression, but
who
may be far and away above you in true Spiritual progress. Such
through
their inability to correlate those lines of thought which eventually
lead to
understanding fundamental laws of life and its phenomena, or of
grasping
such simple natural illustrations as lie all around them without
help, would
sincerely appreciate any effort toward their enlightment. You
cannot give a
casual glance around any field of Nature without resting your eyes
upon
hundreds of objects which furnish perfect similies for illustrating
any
phase of natural law. The fields of motion and vibration seem the
most
obscure and are difficult of exploration to many of our otherwise
well
advanced students, but who are just entering upon the study of
universal,
(that is natural) phenomena from the occultists point of view. In
giving
you this simple illustration I am doing what anyone of the older
students is
quite competent to undertake if willing to turn his attention to the
needs of
his younger Brothers.
You have all observed the motion of a perfectly balanced plank
with a
person standing upon the middle, with a foot on either side of the
balancing point while imparting an equal force alternately with
each foot.
The longer [TT 66] the board is, the more time is required to lift
each end
to the highest point it can reach ; each of the ends would be
negative to the
positive center of balance when horizontally at rest, but each end
would
manifest both positive and negative aspects when in motion,
according to
its ascent or descent. The entire board would have a certain mode
of
motion imparted to it by the person representing the generating
force ; but
it would also have its own peculiar mass motion of its whole
interior mass,
and each molecule of that is the motion of its whole interior mass,
the
board would have its own particular vibration entirely independent
of
every other molecule. The board would be in one sense dead, that
is, its
power of growth would be cut off, but its molecules would be
alive. Now
imagine that the board is able to continue in that position,
constantly
generating force for an indefinite length of time, and that you can
see the
inner forces that sustain and keep intact the molecules of the board.
You
would then see the molecules contracting and their vibrations
rapidly
increasing, each drawing into its own center all the living forces
which
make it a separate molecule, while its sheaths, its physical forms,
would
disintegrate gradually, leaving nothing to be seen by even the mort
powerful microscope ; but if your vision could reach to a still
higher plane
you would see that all of the individual centers of the various
molecules
had become one substance of a finer grade, for they would have
reached
the plane of atom, which is the plane of the indivisible.
Space is the result of Expansion. Time is the result of the action of
the
laws of attraction and of repulsion, motion per se, and must be
taken into
account in this illustration.
During this hypothetical cycle, say one thousand years, the process
of
disintegration in the person standing on the board would be
gradually
consummated. The board would be continually growing lighter in
weight
and would [TT 67] disintegrate much more rapidly and easily than
the
person. Finally while the board might retain a semblance of form,
there
would come a tune when its motion would become so rapid as to
render
the board indistinguishable from the person or generation of the
force. The
person and the board would seem as one object. If it were possible
to
increase the motion still more, they would disappear from sight
altogether
and only be visible on an inner plane.
In more than one sense this illustration is a correct correspondence
of
this age ; its creative powers, and of motion and vibration in whole
and in
part.
As one end of the board requires an appreciable length of tune to
fall,
and to receive an impulse from the earth with which it contacts,
thus
enabling it to rise again, so every age or cycle requires a
corresponding
tune and must receive an upward impulse from the negative force.
While
its matter, its humanity and all its forces are at or near this negative
point –
all partake of the negative or dark ride of life and can only give the
impulse to rise again by united endeavor.
With every succeeding age the key note of motion and vibration is
raised while on the upward sweep of a cycle. The law of
correspondences
holds good throughout the Universe and on all planes of Being.
The fact of the Group Soul is widely contradicted by those not yet
able to understand that all life is a series of groupings. From the
animalculae to the man, each organism, each individual organ, is a
group
of a distinct grade in the Universal scale of living substance,
subject to,
and brought into form by, its peculiar rate of vibration. For
instance, that
which is now or has been, the heart of every animal form in
manifestation
was composed primarily of one form of energy which by the laws
of
chemical affinity with another or higher form of energy, combines
to
produce or evolves from a third form which may be termed [TT
68] the
universal heart. This form of energy lies latent in every molecule
of
physical substance. As each molecule of matter is combined with
another
and still another – this sometime latent energy awakens and is also
combined with the same or another form of the same energy, and
eventually manifests as the physical heart of some low form of life.
When
this lower form of a heart has been cast off, the energy remains on
the
astral plane awaiting its next manifestation in a higher form. The
evolutionary impulse first manifests as the law of attraction,
expansion and
cohesion.
Every organic center is a God in embryo, a dual manifestation.
From a
nucleolus to a God one feminine cell must be impregnated by a
masculine
cell in order to manifest on any of the lower planes, though the
process of
impregnation differs in nearly all orders of life.
THE NEW STAR – EROS
I desire to call your attention to a prophecy concerning the coming
of
the Christ Child. I told you that soon a new star would be
discovered by
the astronomers of the world, and that this star was the Christ Star.
We are
told that it is the intermercurial star, a sacred star. Those of you
who have
seen the article in print know something of the discovery of this
Star.
Among those astronomers who saw this Star and had it under
discussion
was one who is a Chela of one of the Masters who now have the
direction
of the forces of evolution of this planet in their hands, and he it
was who
gave it the name of "Eros", which is Love, the only appropriate
name for
the Star. This Star is now 6000 years old as you count time. It is
the same
Star that the Wise Men of old saw before they came to offer gifts
and
incense to Jesus of Nazareth. The same Star will hail the advent of
every
Messiah in this Manvantara. There is much [TT 69] of interest
about it,
not only this special Star, but of all other heavenly bodies which
may be of
interest to You, and which is entirely unknown to the astronomers
of this
age. Every star in the heavens is in reality the developed form of
one who
has at sometime been perfected on some world of some solar
system.
There is as you know a belt of asteroids in space. This belt is far
more of
interest to man than the scientists of this age have any conception,
for each
of those small stars which compose it is a center of Force – a
Cosmic
Center – of those who have at sometime, been a man. Each form as
you
know man, in the beginning is a sphere of energy around which
gather
Cosmic dust and matter. These small stars remain in the belt of
asteroids
until they are developed to that point where – their separate
manifestation
on the field of space is necessary for their own evolution, and that
of
others. Then they are drawn either by some sun or some other large
planet,
one by one, into the orbit of some larger planet, or drawn by the
sun much
nearer to itself. This depends entirely upon the development of the
incarnating ego. There is a time of preparation for the appearance
of this
special Star Eros as there is for the appearance of a child. The
informing
spirit of a child does not incarnate in it until it is between six and
seven
years old. There is a corresponding length of time that elapses in
the case
of a star before the incarnating spirit ensouls the star. With the
Christ Star
of any one Manvantara, there is some difference. It must be the
first Star
and the last Star of the Manvantara. The first to manifest, the last to
be
withdrawn.
There are some differences in the case of a Christ Star, from the
conditions governing all other stars. In the first place there has
been a
manifestation, as I told you at every Christ's coming. In the case of
those
incarnations of the Christ's that came before Jesus, was an
apparition of the
Star. The true Star was not yet in manifestation, for it was not
necessary.
The Christ entity itself was not ready for [TT 70] full incarnation
in that
Star, nor will it be until the last Manifestation in this Manvantara.
There
are other entities closely associated with the Christs of any period
who will
be as it were, the rulers of that Star until the time of the full
incarnation,
when the lesser rays will be, as it were, united to all the minor rays
of the
one Great Christ Ray. The Christ entity only over-shadows the Star
which
will be His vehicle until such time as I speak of. It is not in
incarnation.
The sphere of energy which only manifests on the astral plane is
capable
of showing its light through to a physical plane as an apparition,
i.e. before
the sphere of energy reaches the point where Cosmic dust can
settle upon
it, and the physical body begin to form.
Quest : Are all small at first from the stand-point of the physical ?
Ans : Yes, but from the Cosmic stand-point they are far different,
they
are immense in area, but as the time approaches for the physical
manifestation of this Star, they are condensed. At tunes there is
more than
one center of force in the greater center that goes to make up the
androgynous entity. In some instances there are four such centers
which
manifest at once, and these develop more rapidly than those which
are
ensouled by the androgynous entity. The planet ensouled by a
Group-Soul
makes a most powerful entity.
OM OR AUM
This word is connected with the Creative power of the Son, and is
most Holy, most Sacred. Its right pronunciation, or rather tone, is
never
given save by the Master to the pupil direct. When the sounds that
represent the three letters and are given rightly and intelligently
they at
once awaken their correspondence on the higher planes. [TT 71]
The one
able to do this puts himself in close connection with the Creative
power of
the Universe. It is then a matter of will with him as to what for and
how he
will use the power he has gained. It is seldom used by those who
have it,
for they will know they have, or may awaken forces which they
cannot
control and which may rend them to pieces, as far as any form is
concerned, because of its action on other planes. The mere
pronunciation
of the word as it has been given to you, does no particular harm,
and in
some instances may do good, as far as the motive with which it is
used is
concerned. If you have a sincere love for what you believe to be
God, and
honestly endeavor to express that love, it can be done through one
word, or
without any word. When the one word is used in such connection it
is well.
It is in reality a prayer, and is meant even by those who will not
openly
recognize the necessity for prayer. Because prayer is aspiration,
anything
else is not prayer, but only selfish desire.
Ques : Can you tell anything about the development of the physical
body of which you spoke in connection with the use of the word ?
Ans : It would be utterly useless to train the body unless it was
meant
for use in a prize ring, or for some athletic purpose, unless the
heart and
mind were equally trained. The training must commence in the
heart and
mind, and then the physical will soon adapt itself to the higher
vibrations.
There is some little physical training, but it is of little importance
as far as
the whole is concerned, because of the great importance of the
other, of
which I speak. There is a certain amount of abstinence to be used,
both in
food and in purity of body, and in some other ways of which it is
needless
to speak now. In a sense it is a purely natural body that is able to
bear these
vibrations of which I speak, and there are but few natural bodies in
the
world at the present time. They have been unnaturally used. When
mind
and heart have become subject to higher [TT 72] laws, it is a very
easy
matter for the physical body to fall into line.
There is another matter connected with the use of the sacred word,
and
it might be well to think of it. There is in the Cosmos a form,
which is
known as the Heavenly Man. This is in reality the Son, the Christ.
It is no
form of which you are now able to conceive. It is divided into
sections as
are all forms on the physical plane. There are the points
corresponding to
the hands, feet, head and in fact every organ in man. There are
Cosmos
forces which belong to each part of that Heavenly Man, and the
physical
universe, as you know it is at one time or another under the
combination of
each part of that Heavenly Man. The forces with which the
universe is now
most nearly concerned, are those of the generative organs of the
Heavenly
Man. Until the material universe has passed out of that section or
part
which it is now in, there will be the same state of things as those
now
prevalent, controlled by the physical plane as you know it. The
time of the
passing out for this section into another and higher, is frit
approaching, and
it is for that reason that many great changes on the earth and on
other
planets are imminent.
Whether or not you believe in the literal crucifixion of the Christ
on
earth, dwell on this subject in your meditation as often as you find
that you
can. You will find much light coming to you on that point which is
so little
understood by the mankind generally. You must try and remember
that the
crucifixion of the Son of God, however you mat' think of this Son
of God,
is a literal, incontrovertible fact in nature and in life. It does not
mean plat'
it means and such suffering as is now inconceivable to you. It is
only
through pain, through renunciation, that a Christ life can be lived,
and
paradoxical as it seems life must be lost before it can be found. The
life of
the physical man, i.e., all that constitutes his life on earth, must be
lost, or,
in other words given up, annihilated to some extent, [TT 73]
before the
true Christ life can be lived. It is useless to cry peace, peace, when
there is
no peace. You are in the midst of a great war, there is battle after
battle to
be fought, and lost or won. You have entered upon this war with
wide
opened eyes. There is no going back. You must go forward. It
remains
with you however, whether or not you will win the Holy Grail,
which is
immortal life, or go back for ages. There is no standing still, no
peace, it is
battle, battle, battle, with first one enemy and then another. The
powers
with whom you are fighting are greater than you can conceive. Be
on the
alert. Have your armor on. Be ready for the foe at any time either
day or
night, or you will be taken unawares and swept off your feet. Alter
all is
said, it is the simplest thing that is asked, simple Faith and trust
and love
and work. You are asked to perform no great deed, nothing but
your
simple daily duty ; one hour, one minute at a time ; nothing more,
nothing
less.
HARMONY AND RESPONSIBILITY
The one immutable decree – the supreme edict of the ruling power
of
Life is Harmony ; and the Lords of Karma unerringly, unceasingly
perceive, calculate and adjust the minutest atomic centre that has
become
unbalanced, and consequently discordant. When each Manvantaric,
Racial,
National, or individual serpent swallows its tail, i.e., completes its
cycle,
the tri-form fates, the avenging Nemesis, the compelling, adjusting
principles of Harmony, seize upon and restrain that atom, Man,
Race, or
Nation in its grasp until every discordant element in it regains its
equilibrium, and is again in unison with the key note of the whole
Harmony Chord. It is by reason of the seizure, and extreme
pressure
brought to bear on it that it experiences pain and suffering, whether
mental
or physical. The wrong [TT 74] impulse given to an atom by
discord
impels it to move in a contrary direction to that of the Mass :
restraint
causes struggle, congestion, explosion, and finally reorganization.
Each atom or man is given an opportunity to regain balance when a
corresponding point of the cycle recurs ; but, instead of lying
passively in
the hands of the Law, looking deep into his own vital centre for the
cause
of discord, and accepting the consequences of a broken law, the
selfish
man almost invariably draws a long breath, tightens the girdle
about his
waist another link, and increases his speed along the "royal" high
road of
ambition, avarice, or worldly respectability, regardless of the dark
places
and foul cess-pools he knows are there, and before which he must
sometime be brought to bay. This fact has been most graphically
expressed
in the following words : "We stand bewildered before the mystery
of our
own making and the riddles we will not solve and then accuse the
Great
Sphinx of devouring us." This is peculiarly true of the present races
of
humanity, and distressingly so in the cases of many students of
Life and its
mysteries, to whom much has been given and of whom much will
be
required... I have told some of you of the former existence and
violent
destruction of a once great city, with its myriads of inhabitants,
who were
far in advance of the present civilization in the Arts and Sciences,
as well
as Sociologically and Ethically. I have told you that its cycle of
reconstruction and reorganization has now returned, with
opportunities for
the advancement of its people far beyond the wildest imagination
of the
masses. I am asked in what way this plan of reconstruction differs
from
hundreds of others ? I answer : it is nothing in common with
individuals
schemes of co-operative communities ; it is a part of the natural
evolutionary plan, and the fact that certain psychics have caught
occasional glimpses of it, in whole or in part, as it rests in privation
of
form in the astral light, only helps to corroborate my statement.
[TT 75]
Understand me : no single individual can organize and carry out
the
details of that great work. None save those who inhabited its
prototypic
city, could by Karmic right complete and occupy the New City.
Collectively these must assume the responsibility, even should they
refuse
to accept this opportunity, and allow another long cycle to roll back
into
the Eternities before its final accomplishment. If the building and
occupancy of this city be deterred, so also will be the evolution of
the
people themselves and mankind as a whole ; for nowhere else on
the
surface of the Earth can be verified the predictions of the discovery
and
use of the new Dynaspheric force which will revolutionize all
Industry. In
no other city can the next Avatar make his first appearance among
men on
the physical plane. The reappearance of the last great Avatar is
already an
established fact on the astral plane. It will become one on the
physical
plane when a place and a people are prepared for him. Jesus could
not
have entered the physical plane in any other place, at any other
time or
under other conditions than those that were obtained at his birth.
He can
only re-enter it at a time, place and under conditions that are in
perfect
alignment, in exact correspondence with those of the last
incarnation. This
necessity is one of the surest warrants of the final sucess of the
plan
outlined by me ; for as yet neither place nor people have been
prepared.
No one book of the Bible is less understood than the "Revelation,"
and
no portion of it has been more travestied than that which refers to
the
coming down of the New Jerusalem from Heaven.
Notwithstanding the
fact that Jesus and his disciples distinctly stated that the kingdom
of
Heaven was within us, countless numbers are now looking for the
appearance of such a city in the canopy above our heads, believing
the
fulfillment of the prophesy is at hand. It must be built first in the
hearts of
mankind before it can be objectified on the physical plane. Is it
likely that
this [TT 76] can occur in an age when the land, which should be as
free as
the air, has been seized and held as personal property by those who
have
gained a certain amount of money, whether or not they desire to
utilize it
for the benefit of all ? Does it seem possible that it can be built in a
land,
for instance, where ten men control all the finances of the country,
and can
at will throw out of employment and into direst poverty millions of
human
beings ? In a land where thousands of women are driven to
prostitution
every year by the men who control the present financial system,
because
they cannot support themselves in any other way : in a land where
little
children are forced to labor worse than slaves for a bare pittance
and
strong men must stand idle by thousands, and starve or steal
whenever
these financial leaders affright the people with a warning of
"overproduction ?"
The time is close at hand when these overburdened men will turn
on
their oppressors, not by tens and twenties but by millions, and you
who are
now urged to prepare for this condition – to build an "ark of safety"
into
which you can enter ere the storm bursts, will have a similar cause
for
regret as had those who scoffed at Noah in the age of the last great
Deluge,
if you refuse to hear and obey our warning and directions.
I am not urging you to attempt some strange impracticable scheme.
I
shall try to show you that the idea advanced by us is just as
practical, just
as sensible, as would be any business enterprise where personal
gain was
the only factor worth consideration. I am but asking you to form an
association on a larger scale than is usual for the purpose of
soliciting
means and interesting the right people in building and occupying a
place
where self-protection, Peace, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity and all
that
advanced evolution can bring to you and your loved ones, can be
made
possible.
With the colossal effrontery that characterizes the self-constituted
[TT 77] expounder of occult or secret wisdom, we are frequently
informed
that duty and inclination ought to lead us along paths, which a
careful
observer could see were diametrically opposed to the teachings
which we
have given to students. Some of these would-be-executors of the
divine
decrees of the Laws of Truth, Justice and righteousness, while
admitting
the inseparableness of humanity, travesty those Laws by insisting
that the
purity of a perfected man, a Matter, would be endangered by
contact or
association with national affairs. However putrid and filthy the
mess now
seething in the political kettle may be, it certainly cannot be
purified by
ignoring, or abandoning it. The forces of Justice and Righteousness
must
be poured upon this pollution until by their intrinsic power, the
needful
alchemical changes have been wrought, and connection with the
politics of
this country have become an honor instead of the disgrace it has
been
during the past years. If this is to be brought about, it can only be
done
through the efforts of the Masters of the White Lodge, and surely
cannot
be consummated if they should remain in, or betake themselves to
the
fastnesses of the Himalayas, or other spots remote from the scene
of action.
In limes of peace the Warrior may rest on his sword ; in war he
must fight
with it.
The Masters are to humanity as a whole what the hub is to the
wheel,
and it would be as reasonable to expect the wheel to render the
saure
service without a hub as to expect that humanity could realize the
divine
ideal, in life or in government, without the practical as well as the
spiritual
aid of the Masters. [TT 78]
POWERS AND PRINCIPALITIES
Always remember that a true occultist has no quarrel with capital
as
capital, nor with a capitalist as a man and a brother.
The abuse of power and privilege, whether it be by nation, state,
society or individual, is the rock of offence against which you as
pledged
members of the Temple are bound to take issue, for right principles
are
involved, which you have no right to ignore.
The great merchant princes of the world, and other "Lords of
finance",
are in many instances fully aware of the muttering, seething fires
underneath the calm exterior of working masses, which may be
likened to
volcanoes on the crust of which the former stand. They know that
at any
time these fires may break forth, engulfing them, together with all
they
have so laboriously won ; and are combining for their own
protection, as
well as for the protection of their wealth. They in one sense, are
creatures
of conditions and circumstances. Among them are many who
would be
glad to see an equal distribution of the wealth of the nation, if they
could
learn how this could be accomplished, without bringing disaster
and ruin
on all classes alike ; for as a rule the laboring classes of the people
are not
competent to solve the intricate problems which daily confront the
skilled
financiers of the age ; nor are they aware of their own ignorance, or
what
the result would be of their misguided action. Of course you will
understand that I am not now considering that class which is
rightly termed
the criminal trusts, many of which are being banded together, and
concentrating all their power and energy in order to devour the
weak, and
to bring under their control all the wealth of the world regardless of
the
rights of others. The class which I first mentioned has been largely
governed by one idea, "either eat or be eaten", and they have
chosen to eat.
They are however worthy of consideration [TT 79] in many cases,
for in
one sense they too are victims. I mention them particularly here, to
impress
this upon your minds, for there is a tendency among those
commonly
termed "Reformers", to place all wealth producers in one class.
Among you as among all classes of humanity, there are many who
hold a desire to know, a desire to seek out by any path, to which
they can
gain admission, the secrets of individual occult power. They are
willing to
sacrifice even heaven itself for those puny powers that are but one
degree
removed from ordinary physical science. It seems almost
impossible to
make such comprehend that right ethics are in any sense a
necessity, or
that spiritual knowledge cannot be bought or sold.
You can depend upon what I say both now and forever, no person,
I
care not who he or she may be, who will accept pecuniary
consideration
for imparting secrets of occultism, is able to give you anything that
you
may not gain for yourselves by a little study and scientific
investigation.
it is of all things necessary that every step "of the Path to the Gods"
should be taken ; just as surely as a single one is ignored, or leaped
over,
the ladder will give way, throwing the aspirant to the bottom, no
matter
how high he may have climbed.
Therefore I say unto you again, that which I have laid to you
before,
that which those greater than I have said : "Unless ye become as
little
children ye shah not enter the kingdom of heaven." A little Child ;
think
what it means to become such in purity, intuitiveness, faith, and
above all,
in trusting love ; you do not require information from me on that
point.
[TT 80]
A NATURAL LIFE
Those familiar with the Esoteric Instructions given out by H.P.B.
will
find much that is not new to them, but they will also find a new
power of
comprehension, an awakening of intuition, that has never before
come to
them, and many obscure points in the old series will be cleared up.
This
awakening of intuition is due to the great influx of spiritual power
that has
been poured out by the Lodge through the Master H-which has
been made
possible by the closing of three cycles at approximately the same
time, and
the inauguration on the physical plane of the Temple work of the
new
cycle, the preliminary work of which was done by W.Q.J. and
H.P.B. in
the closing quarter of the 19th century.
Students have been emphatically warned over and over again,
against
dragging the Truths of spiritual life in the dust of materiality ; it is
almost
impossible to even suggest those material correspondences without
either
shocking the nature, or awakening the lower impulses. Still if we
would
only remember that these instructions refer largely to the spiritual
and
astral life, and that no one of them is complete in itself, there
would be less
difficulty ; they must be comprehended in their entirety after they
have all
been outlined, and must stand as a completed whole not as
separated parts.
There has already arisen some misunderstanding of the instruction
on
Sensation and Contact : The Master always pleads for a natural
life. We
should remember that. A rule, we are an unnatural race, with
perverted
organs of sense perception, and until by sacrifice and evolution we
have
again attained to a natural state, we cannot lead that natural life.
We have
been disassociated from the other halves of ourselves and must by
pure,
unselfish lives raise the rate of [TT 81] being again incarnated in
an age
and race that will allow of that reassociation.
Marriage is so much a failure because of so many mismated souls.
Unless true affinity exists between two souls, marriage must
always be a
mistake. When astrology again becomes an exact science much
help can
be given through it. When by evolution two soul have attained to
the
natural state, the generative organs in man and woman will be used
for
other than mere sensual gratification.
Our utter selfishness is the great obstacle in the way of
development.
In our great greed for all and everything that can be of service to us
individually, we pass by Love, Mercy and justice, and grasp at
every hope
as a drowning man at a straw, regardless of what it may have cost
others,
to extend a helping hand to us. If we perfectly realize the action of
Karma
in this respect, we would be more careful. The Law of supply and
demand
is exact in its action. If one gives you something that is of great use
and
benefit to you, by that giving he has created a demand on you,
which, if
you do not supply to the best of your ability, nullifies the gift as far
as you
are concerned. Spiritual Truth cannot be sold, but if you are given a
great
Truth, you should immediately set about seeing in what way you
can
return to the givers an equivalent, or at any rate supply a need of
theirs
which is perhaps equal to yours. This interaction produces
harmonious
conditions which permit of mutual help.
Buddha renounced his wealth and kingdom in obedience to this
Law ;
he became a beggar that he might both give and receive, and many
of his
followers have done the same. Jesus had not where to lay His head
because
of obedience to this Law. "The cup of cold water given in His
name" to
His disciples was an implication of the working of this same Law.
Consequently those who grasp at all with outstretched hands
without
offering help in return, bring into their aura a force that can only
repel the
longed-for-assistance. [TT 82] This is the fundamental cause of the
constant attempt of Occultists to incite pupils to unselfishness.
We are one and inseparable in essence. No one part can live at the
expense of another without creating an unbalanced condition,
which
always results in pain and suffering. This is the primary cause of
the
present unsatisfactory state of modern life, social, ethical, political
and
philosophical, and unless remedied, the disease will grow worse
and worse
until finally, like a huge cancer, the whole will become a mass of
putrifying matter. This will end in great cataclysms, upheavels of
government, nations, and the very earth itself.
The antagonism felt by some occultists, and outwardly emphasized
enormously by others, to all forms of esoteric worship, was
originally
based on their opposition to anthropomorphizing the inner secret
spiritual
Truth. This could only be taught by symbols or myths and the
introduction
prematurely of symbolism resulted in phallicism with all its evil
forms of
sexual worship, to the ignorant masses of the people. The masses
of today
are just as ignorant as they then were, of the true meaning of even
the outer
forms of their Churches, and their inner divisions, and instead of
antagonizing them and compelling them to despise the Truths we
have to
offer of the underlying principles of all life, the relation of the
microcosmic man to the macrocosm, our plain duty lies in trying to
show
the many points of similarity in all Scriptures, and teaching by our
lives
and action our firm conviction of the reality of the Unity of all
Life.
We have driven from our circle numberless earnest students of
other
religions. They came seeking for light, through our unconcealed
contempt
for all that they had been taught to believe holy, while we were in
reality
teaching the same Truths in a little different manner. Some made a
practice
of metaphorically throwing mud at the Christian's concept of
Christ as
expressed in Jesus, and [TT 83] exalting Buddha, while in reality
Buddha
was a lesser incarnation of the same Ego, as were many other so-
called
Saviors of the world. All these misunderstandings and many
concepts,
have clone much to hinder our growth as well as that of others
whom we
might easily have drawn to us.
It is to create a Brotherhood, indeed and in fact, of all the scattered
lambs of the great flock of incarnated soul now on earth, to merge
all the
differences of opinion, to stop the great war of mere words, and
unite all
factions in a common cause, i.e. true evolution.
THE LAW OF INFINITY
To those who have studied along the lines laid clown by H.P.B. in
the
Esoteric Instructions all that I have now to say may seem like
reiteration as
will much that I shah refer to as we advance. This is unavoidable
as I have
only undertaken to elaborate those Instructions, and remove if
possible
some wrong conceptions, while permitting the light to pass through
the
prism therein indicated a little more powerfully. The immutable
Law
mentioned in the first of the Esoteric Instructions, is the Law which
governs and controls the action of the Creative Fire. The Law of
Affinity.
If there are those among our numbers who have not yet learned
that every
organ of the human body has its perfect correspondence on six
other
planes of Being, and that in esoteric instruction certain parts of the
body
that the world has been taught to look upon with contempt are
considered
mort holy, because they are the media through which the Creative
Fire
must manifest, we must warn them to drop this study at once if
they are
incapable of continuing it with pure motives and unbiased
judgment. For
even its superficial study will of necessity awaken the [TT 84]
lower
impulses of the nature and call into action every hidden fault or
trait of
character opposed to the opposite pole – Righteousness. At the
same time
it will awaken the hidden leaven of Good ; and traits of the latter
character
which may have lain latent for centuries, will also be touched by
this
Creative Fire, and spring into activity.
By those students of Occultism unfamiliar with what is ordinarily
termed "Conversion" by the orthodox churches, the action of that
great
energy is supposed to be confined to Occultism as that term is
understood
by them. But this is simply because they have not fully understood
the
term, and have confined it to a certain aspect of the energy taught
by the
ancients in the Eastern Hemisphere. Occultism is in fact a generic
term,
and includes all study of the secret sciences of life wherever
taught, or by
whomsoever. By using the word Conversion in connection with an
individual, I do not refer to those self-deceived ones who have
been
hypnotized by the force of some teacher until the lower emotional
nature
has been set into momentary vibration which passes away as soon
as the
individual has left the sphere of the hypnotist, but of those who
have in
reality been touched by the Divine Power, and whose whole heart
and
nature have been turned out of their accustomed channels of
experience
into those of a higher stream of life.
Such are in a similar condition to that of the conscious Chela who
has
pledged himself, and been placed in an attitude of pupil or
Neophyte to a
Master of the Great Lodge, but that is only so as far as the action of
these
forces affect them individually and such action is controlled by the
Law I
have mentioned. The Planes before mentioned are frequently
alluded to in
Esoteric literature as a chain of worlds, consisting of The Absolute,
Archetypical, Spiritual, Manasic, Psychic, Astral, and Elemental.
The
description of these chains of worlds have been greatly
misunderstood, and
misinterpreted. Many have believed it to be Seven [TT 85]
separate
Globes joined together by an imaginary drain. As this subject is a
large one
and one closely connected with another branch of study we will
relegate it
to the background for the present, simply stating "en passant" such
a
concept is erroneous.
In considering the Law of Affinity, the Law of the action of
Affinity
on the physical organs of man as he is now constituted and the
danger to
which he exposes himself by placing himself as a focusing point to
which
the forces under control of this Law may be drawn, he caps up the
Warrior
in himself and the old battle between the opposing forces of his
own nature
commences. One or the other must win. He must kilt out his own
weakness, or rather, gain the power to control the elemental forces
that
stand ready to pull him down from any height to which he may
have
attained. This he can only do by fearlessly meeting every foe, and
vanquishing it before it has tune and opportunity to vanquish him.
Ques : In referring to the action of the Law of Affinity do you
mean
Pledge Fever ?
Ans : I mean that the action of that Law brings on what has been
termed "Pledge Fever". But it is not concerned atone with the
taking of any
Pledge. The true convert to Christianity in many of the Churches of
today
is brought under the action of that Law just as surely as is the tyro
in
Occultism.
Ques : Why use the word Conversion ? What does it mean ?
Ans : It is not just the term to use. It means with the Christians the
turning from one religion to another, or, from a worldly life to a
religious
life. It is not the outer effects of such action that brings on the
desired
results of the action of this Law, but the deep sorrow of the
penitent who
has seen his part in the light of the great sin against God. This
brings on so
deep a sorrow in those who are termed true converts that the heart
is
greatly touched, or [TT 86] rather it is thrown open to the touch of
the
Divine Fire, and it is that Fire which raises the rate of vibration of
the
whole man, and consequently this Law of Affinity reestablishes a
lost
connection, and is brought into action.
Ques : Is that throwing open of the heart a momentary condition,
or
should the repentance be held and increased ?
Ans : No, that does no good. When one is brought to a point where
he
faces his higher self for an instant and beholds the great disparity
between
that higher self, and the lower self, a great wave of sorrow passes
through
him and he sees how poorly he has accomplished the great task for
which
he was sent into the world, then a great desire comes over him to
do better,
and if his conversion has been sincere, from that moment his whole
life
will be changed. It does no good to dwell upon the wrong once
committed.
One should simply strive to put away from himself all desire to
continue in
the wrong.
THE CENTER OF BEING
To the mind of the average man of the 19th century the term Center
of
Being conveys no idea other than that of a vague abstraction, an
indescribable, non-existent metaphysical point. Analytical research
has
postulated this point as a necessary fulcrum or lever to sustain the
many
theories advanced indicative of evolutionary life. Students of
mysticism
have built around this point many great edifices, which have
inevitably
tumbled like card houses at the first touch of a capable hand. The
true
center of Being is neither sensation, thought, will, nor
consciousness ; but
behind, within all these, in the I or the Ego, the " I and my Father
are one"
of the Master Jesus, the God within all men, all things. From every
point in
the Universe we are
equally near that Center which the Eastern mystics designate "Be-
ness." It is a difficult thing for the untrained mind to grasp this
great truth.
Some one attribute is defied at the expense of the others, when in
reality in
the last analysis all are equal, and it is only the use to which any
one
attribute is put which determines its position as high or low. Until a
soul
has arrived at a certain evolutionary point and the brain mind has
made a
correlation with the same or a corresponding state of soul-
evolution (for
remember what I have told you before, you cannot rightly consider
these
metaphysical truths without using the Triple Key), it is impossible
to grasp
the one great reality, the source of all true peace and happiness.
To the careless student it would seem that each being has in
himself a
separate center. But such students have either forgotten or never
knew, that
as the moon has as many reflections as there are reflectors so the
one great
Reality has its reflection in every created thing or person, and the
cause of
all difference of opinion lies in the fact that the I or Ego of each
has
identified itself with some one of the reflections instead of with the
Central
Spiritual Sun, the Real I or Ego of all, and is exerting itself to
further the
power of separation instead of the power of aggregation of souls.
The immense power of the evolutionary forces now at work in the
evolving of a new race, a new humanity, is so little understood, and
when
understood so often used for unworthy ends either through
mistaken ideas
or corrupt motives, that it behooves all who have reached to even a
superficial knowledge of the same not only to hold the vital center
of their
own being well in hand, but to do all they possibly can to teach
others to
do the same.
Among a certain class of people who have permitted the brain-
mind to
stultify and almost atrophy the real center of the heart it has
become
almost a subject of common belief that the conscience in man
belongs
entirely to [TT 88] the plane of mind. Many such as well as others
who
have never made a practice of listening to or obeying that inner
voice
frequently exclaim : "I would do right if I only knew how ; I
cannot
develop myself without assistance." Within the heart of every
normal
human being lies hidden the Door that leads to the Temple Gates.
He who
will knock at that Door by earnest desire and walk into the silence
and
listen will hear the answer to his every question, so far as that
question
relates to the soul's immediate need. Many have belittled this "still
small
voice" or become discouraged, because the whole scheme of their
individual evolution was not laid open before the eye of the mind
in one
glance, forgetting that no man can today eat the food that will
sustain his
body tomorrow. "Give us this day our daily bread," cries out the
Great
Master. When we reach the point where we are perfectly willing to
grow
one leaf at a time we have made a great advance. Intense hunger
for
growth has blasted more human vines than any one act of
perverted Law ;
for by it is generated a fire that throws back on the Path a blast of
heat that
withers the tender blade striving to raise its head from the soil in
which it
is implanted. The Great Master Force, the Christ, the Power of
Sacrifice,
the Center of Love, the Center of Life, through the incessant
generation
and direction of the power of attraction, is continually drawing to
Itself,
transmuting, weighing, placing each atom in manifestation that
belongs to
the Great Temple of Humanity in a position where the Pure, White
Light
may shine directly instead of obliquely into the heart of man, and
in place
of a distorted reflection the One Great Reality, the Center of Being,
may
dawn upon reason as well as intuition. So long as man exercises
his power
of repulsion this great marriage of the soul cannot take place. And
that
power is exercised in every act whereby man injures his brother
man in
thought, word, or deed, or refuses to hear the voice of his inner
God, which
must always speak to him first through his conscience, and [TT
89] when
he has learned to obey and endure, in many other ways.
My heart goes out to you, dear children, in ever increasing waves
of
love and compassion. Draw near to each other, draw near to me,
never
forgetting that I am in the Great Master and He in me ; and that we
may all
become one in it as It is one with God. Never be afraid of true
prayer, for
true prayer is communion with the Infinite. It is well for you to
recognize
the fact that true meditation is prayer ; not vain repetition, not
empty words,
but one great outpouring of love to the Center of all Being that will
bring
back to you on the crest of its wave the first echoes of the Song of
Life.
A BROTHERHOOD OF SOULS
There is a fixed limit to the number of individual souls in
manifestation throughout each kalpa, or great age, but that limit is
far
beyond the possible computation of man. One phase of eternal life
becomes manifest as Ideation. Whenever or wherever an idea is
formulated, by its inherent force, or energy, its subtle potency, it
becomes
a centre around which gather a certain limited number of
individualized
souls which constitutes a definite brotherhood.
The fundamental law of all manifested life is brotherhood. All
great
systems of religion or philosophy have two aspects, the concealed
or
infinite potency, and the revealed or finite expression. The
concealed or
Infinite Potency, lies hidden in the Father-Mother, or the first two
of the
Trinity, which is the basic principle of each particular system. The
Son, the
third principle of the Trinity, is the finite expression, and this first
manifesting Trinity constitutes the first great cosmic brotherhood.
It may
also be formulated in terms of Matter, Force, and Consciousness,
[TT 90]
but it still remains the first brotherhood, and from it spring into
existence
all lesser brotherhoods.
Each physical body is a brotherhood in itself Cellular life obtains
throughout the manifested Cosmos, and even such a minute
organism as a
cell is a brotherhood of still lesser lives, subject to the laws of
change and
growth, and containing infinite potency.
With what measure can a man search out the individuality or
identity
of a soul ? its sheaths like fleeting shadows, come and go. Cycles
upon
cycles of time stretch backward into long-lost ages, and forward
into the
trackless future. Suns, moons and stars appear and disappear into
the
silence of the Great Abyss. Passions consume themselves in the
fire of
their own longing. The trio of heavenly sisters, Faith, Hope, and
Charity,
rise to indescribable heights of devotion, and sink back into
meaningless
words. But a soul ! the divine spark of identity, journeys on and on
eternally, through vast universes incomprehensible to man, as man
is now
constituted. The soul seeking, ever seeking that divine fire, from
which it
was first wafted into space, and away from which its separate life
is
incomplete. Only through the divine idea of brotherhood, can the
individualized soul regain its lost paradise of unity. For unity is the
goal on
which the eyes of the soul are fixed, and the more rapidly the
diversified
atoms, molecules, and man coalesce, become one in mind, and in
action on
the lower planes, as they are in reality on the spiritual plane, the
quicker
will the desired goal be reached.
Nature furnishes many examples of unity in adversity. Brotherhood
as
a scientific fact is not confined to any one phase of life. All
Science, Art
and Philosophy, embody and teach the same great ideal. Every
Artist,
Musician, or teacher, is one of a peculiar brotherhood. The genius,
the
ideal perfection for which each strives, or has attained, becomes
his, or is
his, by virtue of his fellowship with [TT 91] still greater souls who
have
attained perfection. The recognition of this fellowship is not
always mutual.
Genius has been allied to madness in the minds of many whose
inner
senses still remain sealed. The Genius that only too often
incapacitates the
Artist or Musician for what is commonly termed practical life, is
an
efflorescence of life, a higher vibration of Spiritual substance. The
effect
of these higher vibrations on the atoms of the physical body, tend
to their
refining to such an extent as to render contact with lower or coarser
forms
of life a constant torture.
It has been said, "the Soul goeth atone to the Supreme." This
statement refers to the Universal or Synthetic Soul. Each individual
Soul is
a microcosm of a macrocosm and ere it findeth rest in the supreme,
it has
no less a work to perform than that of raising to its own stature the
embryonic lives that lie hidden in the nucleoli of every cell of all
the
bodies it has ever formed and used. They are part of it, and
constitute what
we term a group soul, belonging to a still higher Group Soul.
Above us who are now on the physical plane, rises rank alter rank,
degree upon degree, of those who once entered the same path that
we are
all seeking or have found. While at one end there is the
incognizable,
incomprehensible loneliness of the last initiation chamber, at the
door of
which the soul stands knocking for admittance – that door which
opens
from the heart of the Son, or differentiated life, into the heart of the
Father
or unified life. On all the descending steps to the very last, rises the
great
anthem of the Sternal Brotherhood. You see it shining from the
faces of
the souls you pals. You trace it in the atom, the plant, the animal.
The
glittering constellations of the stars in space proclaim it. The sun
darts
forth innumerable rays of splendor, that softly whisper, "we are
children of
one Father." Man, man made in the image of God, that is, in the
imagination or mind of [TT 92] God, endowed potentially with the
attributes of a god, betrays, murders, and sacrifices his brother to
his own
selfish desires. He carries the coat of many colors dripping with the
warm
life-blood of his brother, back to the door of the Father's house,
saying, "A
Lion hath slain my brother, I am innocent."
There is more truth in the biblical text, "seek and ye shall find,"
than
appears on the surface. While its truth is apparent in the world of
matter, it
is of infinitely more importance as regards the soul, for that which
we seek
we will find in its fullness in the soul sphere. This is governed by
different
laws than those in operation on the material planes.
We are exactly what we think, not what we appear. If we think
truth
we consciousness rises to and becomes infinite truth. If we
recognize,
believe, and act with the law of the eternal brotherhood of souls,
Love –
the underlying law of all creation, will identify us forever with that
great
Brotherhood of souls and with the Masters of all wisdom, power
and might.
We will go in and out of our Father's house, members of one great
family,
reunited by blessed ties, the grandeur of which we are not yet
capable of
which reaches us in hours of perfect self surrender, and fills us
with
longing unutterable for the completion of that holy function, "the
marriage
of the soul."
THE CITY FOR THE PEOPLE
In considering any phase of life, we find that the perfect type
exists.
The sensing of this is what fills man with hope and aspiration. The
ideal
which always existed in the divine mind is realized out of
confusion and
strife. [TT 93] As Paul puts it : "The whole creation groaneth and
travaileth in pain together until now, not that it would be unclothed
but that
it might be clothed upon with its house which is from on high."
Again he
says : "The earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the
manifestation of the sons of God." This belief and trust in the
sanity of the
mind of God-the knowledge that individually and collectively man
must
yet realize righteousness-that right philosophy, right ethics, right
religion
and right politics are one and interdependent has been the spiritual
dynamic which has furnished power for the greatest benefactors
the world
has known.
Looking at the affairs of cities, states or nations, we find one of the
chief causes of so much confusion and mismanagement to be-party
politics.
In this country we have an elective aristocracy. We see plainly the
encroachment of industrial despotism and imminent danger of
political
despotism growing out of this. Shall the people rule or be ruled ?
Thomas
Jefferson said : "Governments are republican only in proportion as
they
embody the will of the people and execute it." Again he says :
"Government is more or less republican in proportion as it has in
its
composition more or less of this ingredient of direct action of the
citizens."
The remarkable growth of the idea of direct legislation, the
initiative and
referendum, is one of the most hopeful signs that the people are
beginning
to work intelligently for true reform.
THE LETTER BOX
(Ques.) What did Jesus mean when he said "My Father's house is
a
house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves" ?
We are told that by "the Father's house" he meant the human heart,
the
human mind. These have been [TT 94] made a "den of thieves"
indeed.
Instead of "a Temple" filled with "aspiration, with inspiration" the
majority
have used this Father's house as a place in which to worship
Mammon, and
all sensuality. "Money changers are there, buying and selling each
other's
interests, quid on the altars are human sacrifices." The Christ in
each must
now drive out these money changers, and overthrow their tables,
even
though it be with great suffering, before it can become the place of
peace
which it is destined to be.
(Ques.) What is `Trite Indifference" ?
According to the Bhagavad Gita "It is non-attachment to results." It
is
doing to-day's duties faithfully, patiently, and according to the best
of one's
ability, accepting with true resignation what results tomorrow may
bring. It
is not as many seem to suppose the attainment of stoicism, feeling
and
showing no sympathy, human affection and tenderness. It is loving
and
serving all with no expectation of return or reward. In other words,
"it is
loss of expectation." It is a state unconditioned by environment. A
state
called in Hindu philosophy `Nirvana".
(Ques.) Is the New Testament of Use in Occultism ?
We are told that "it holds in its` pages all the knowledge of the
Universe". "It synthesizes all, but has been greatly misunderstood,
and
misrepresented. It contains copies of the most occult manuscripts
in the
world. It is full of the treasures of the hidden chambers of the East.
It
should be faithfully and carefully studied for it will explain the
teachings
of Occultism as nothing else can. The present cycle is bringing
about the
fulfillment of the prophesies therein contained. This is the "end of
the
Age" of which Jesus speaks in the 24th chapter of Matthew. The
words are
wrongly translated "the end of the world." We are now at the end
of that
great Messianic Age. [TT 95]
THE MYSTERY OF FIRE
The mystery of fire has never been solved by modern science. We
say
that coal and wood burn – but why do they burn, and why is the
phenomenon attended by light ? We may know that the burning is
a
chemical process with the consequent liberation of certain
elements and
union of others – but this does not explain why this liberation and
union of
elements should occur simply because heat has been engendered
by
friction or otherwise applied. This raises another interesting
question –
why should friction generate heat ? Why does it not generate cold ?
There are invisible fires that consume as well as visible ones. Any
substance, for instance, in a state of decomposition is simply
burning up a
slower process than by the ordinary fire with which we are
familiar. A
pure hydrogen flame is almost colorless and gives forth but very
little light
so far as our range of vision is concerned. If we mix impurities
with the
hydrogen flame, it gives forth a brighter light. It is for this reason
that our
common illuminating gas gives forth the bright light it does –
because it is
mixed with carbon and other substances-impurities relative to the
pure
hydrogen flame. The rays of the sun do not generate heat and light
until
they strike the terrene atmosphere which is an alien element (an
"impurity",
so to speak.) As a result of the resistance, and the electrical action
and
interaction of forces generated by this contact of the sun's rays with
the
earth sphere, what we call light and heat are produced as an effect.
The
light within us – consciousness – meets this outer light through the
media
of the senses and relates the soul to nature. Life and light are one.
The
inner light or life is arrested, retarded, in its struggle outward by
the
various sheaths of the body (planetary or human), and the various
qualities
and forces of nature spring forth in [TT 96] consequence. When
the forces
of life, love and law flow unobstructed, we become suns of
righteousness,
Masters of Life – Watchers of the Central Flame, the Mystery of
Mysteries.
The universe is in a state of combustion. Worlds are ablaze with
the
inner fires causing the incessant changes around and in us
eternally. Our
outer eyes may not see these inner fires, but we see and realize the
effects.
Our very bodies are burning continually and the pranic flames feed
upon
the elements composing us. As a result of this burning process,
ashes
collect in the tissues of the body, which if not eliminated bring on
old age.
Find a means of preventing calcarious (limy) deposits in the
arterial
system, and old age may be put off indefinitely, for it is the un-
eliminated
matter (ashes) of the burnt up elements that bring on senile
conditions by
choking up the vital centers, and thus preventing the needful drafts
of
oxygen, that even a furnace must have, in order to generate heat or
force.
Zeus (Jupiter) denied the gift of fire to mortals because of a
deceitful
trick played on him. But Prometheus, son of Iapetus, the Titan,
stole some
fire from heaven and conveyed it to mortals through a hollow tube.
For
this crime Prometheus was chained to a rock for thirty years, and
an eagle
was sent each day to gnaw away his liver, which grew again during
the
night ready for fresh torments. This allegory is instinct with vital
truth.
Prometheus is a creator, and endows mankind with a vital fire or
force –
evidently a force of a creative character. The rock is the stone of
sacrifice
to which he is bound as a consequence of his act, while the eagle, a
symbol
of aspiration and freedom, feeds upon and, presumably, transmutes
a
kamic (passional) center to higher forms. In reality, this is a
reward-though
only gained by sacrificial service endured for thirty years.
It is worth noting, that physiology teaches that one of [TT 97] the
important functions of the liver is to warm the blood of the body. It
is a
heat center ; and the blood, as it passes from the liver, is warmer
than at
any other part. It is also interesting to know that surgery has proved
that
large sections of the liver may be removed, and that the tissue is
replaced
by nature in a short time.
NATURALNESS
"It is much easier to be a good critic than a passable performer."
The critical faculty is never constructive. Being analytical, it is
separative, destructive ; it tears apart in its operations what has
been built
up or created by the constructive forces. The higher criticism is an
aspect
of discrimination and illumines any subject on which its rays are
focused,
but the lower phase is known by its quality of corrosiveness and
lower
mentality, which invariably leads it into personalities with animus
of a low
order.
Until the personality is killed out-that is, conquered, and under the
perfect control of the soul, true spiritual progress is impossible.
One must
lose his (personal) life in the finite to find his individual (soul) life
in the
infinite. To possess the high consciousness that can ignore
personalities
and to go on working silently and effectively in spite of the forces
of
gossip, slander and personal criticism, doing the duties that lie at
hand,
without retaliation or ill feeling even-is to have gained a vantage
ground of
incalculable value in true living.
The forces of evil are powerless when thrown against a pure,
unselfish
heart, and the blackness of the great abyss yawns for the evil forces
assailing the warrior of Light. [TT 98]
The world is drunken with selfishness. Great souls plead for a
natural
life, but woe betide him who dares to be natural. He is set apart and
marked. it is a wonder that one turns to the animal creation and to
lisping
children for their true friends – for who can penetrate or endure the
rotting
garb of deceit and hypocrisy that the world compels its peoples to
wear.
One scarcely dares utter a natural thought for fear of being
misunderstood.
A brother recently said to us ; "No matter where I am, whether in
the
mountains or in the desert, I never feel alone or lonesome so long
as my
dog is with me ; and yet I do not know of any human being that I
could be
with and not feel lonely ; why is it ?" Simple enough : Naturalness.
The
dog neither asked, questioned nor criticized. it simply loved, and
the man
loved the dog in return. And the current of love so generated,
created a
sphere of love into which the divine itself could flow.
We have surely crossed the boundary line between earth and
heaven,
when we begin to love something better than ourselves, if it is
nothing
more than a rag doll – or a little black and tan dog.
Man Perfected is the pronunciation of the Sacred Word. He is then
the
Cube of Light, the Cross of Sacrifice folded in the balance of
Infinite Love.
If that Word is "lost" it is because Man is what he is. When he once
again
can claim his divine birthright, and is that birthright of oneness
with the
Light he will be capable of uttering the Holy Syllable, because he
then can
say, I AM THAT.
Meditate on the sun and connect that sun with the sun within
yourself.
The sun is the radiant point, the ruler, the Ego of the Solar System.
Each of
the seven principles of man has its sun-center ; and as suns as yet
unlit roll
in space, so sleeping orbs of force circulate in the spaces of the
auric self,
awaiting the touch that shall awaken and flame them into life,
arousing
brighter light in the soul and flooding the mind with new forms of
thought.
[TT 99]
Man on earth is the Message of a god in heaven. Mated to Eternity,
his
light and shade sweep through the seven worlds. Immeshed in
robes of
sense, the strident, red-hued passion-tones sound forth – until –
distilled in
fire of heart-longing, fed by fuel of pain, by tears of sacrifice, the
chrysalis
of sense is rent, and winged melodies of Light emerge. Then on the
brow
of soul is set a coronet of Life gemmed with loves lustrous pearls.
NO LITTLE THINGS
There are no little things. The small is great ; the great is small.
"Every
bird which flies has the thread of the infinite in its claves.
Germination
includes the hatching of a meteor, and the tap of a swallow's bill,
breaking
the egg ; and it leads forward the birth of an earthworm and the
advent of a
Socrates. Where the telescope ends, the microscope begins. Which
of them
the grander view ? A bit of mould is a Pleiad of flowers – a nebula
is an
ant hill of stars."
There is no height which purity may not scale ; and for every
height is
a corresponding depth into which purity may be lost. Life is one.
The same
life is in those we hate as in those we love. Why hate ourselves ?
"The
electricity of universal sympathy, of action and reaction, pervades
everything, the planets and the motes in the sunbeam." A minute
seed
becomes a mighty tree. A single thought has overturned a dynasty.
An
invisible point of light may become a soul, a race, or a world of
lives.
From a political point of view, there is but a single principle, the
sovereignty of man over himself. This sovereignty of one's Self
over one's
self is called Liberty. No one is fit to ride over others until he has
ruled
himself, his speech, his thought, his actions. When two or more
[TT 100]
sovereignties associate, the State begins, which if based on
eternals, has
Equality as its base, Liberty as its summit. Equality does not mean
stunting
the trees to the level of shrubs ; nor does it mean a society of big
spears of
grass demanding recognition as trees ; this would be but a
neighborhood of
jealousies, each devitalizing the other. The cosmos is built on a
graded
scale. Though there is no high, no love, yet the planet cannot
function as a
sun until it is a sun. The man with the hoe has in his soul, the
possibility of
the artist, the poet, the statesman, but he cannot function such
qualities
until the ages have evolved the machinery of his mental and outer
nature to
that degree of expression. True Equality means : that all aptitudes
should
have equal opportunity civilly ; all votes equal weight politically ;
all
consciences equal rights religiously.
The Cube is the symbol of perfection. It has six equal sides, and is
an
appropriate symbol of the force of the People expressed as the
constitution
and lave of the State. Draw a cube on a plane surface. The three
visible
faces represent the three outer departments of a State, the
Executive, the
Legislative, and the judiciary. The three invisible sides stand for
the forces
of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity – the threefold soul of the State,
its
spiritual, vital and mental life.
Who is not blind must see that the people are waking up to the fact
that they are the State. Labor is now as well organized as Capital.
The Ox,
Labor, and the Lion, Capital, are fighting to the death. Mammon is
powerless to save his own. The great lords of finance, exposed and
disgraced, are caught in their own traps. Diana is still hunting them
to their
lairs ! The handwriting on the wall is plain : that the day is near at
hand
when the National and Municipal ownership of all public utilities,
used by
the people in common, will be a fact, instead of being as now in
the hands
of a favored few. Socialism ! do you say. [TT 101]
Well, what of it, so long as the principle involved is as basic as the
eternal laves on which the universe, as well as soul and body, is
built ? The
fact of the co-operative commonwealth looms up before you, and
your
soul will not dent' its justice.
HUMANITY
History repeats itself no less in all spiritual and psychic movements
than in the material. Whenever some great work of engineering,
production or development reaches a critical intermediary stage,
when
every ounce of energy, intelligence and activity is requisite and all
important, invariably there then creeps into it some slimy self-
seeking tool
of the great disintegrator. He has been either incapable of
organizing or
directing a work of equal importance, or is unwilling to help in any
subordinate position to further the great plan. Either soured and
misanthropical because of incompetency, or jealous and vindictive
because
of thwarted ambition, or greedy love of gain, such a one sets about
calling
attention to real or fancied points of weakness in the great body.
He
carefully collects all real or manufactured evidence to be obtained
to prove
his point. He utterly ignores tenfold more and truer evidence of the
practicability, possibility and probability of the plan in toto and the
sincerity and ability of those who are its guiding geniuses. Like the
mouse
which gnaws at a great ship's cable, or the insect that destroys the
foundation of a great structure, such creatures perhaps have their
uses, but
it is sometimes difficult for the hard working, mind-occupied
builder to see
what those uses are.
Can even shortsighted human nature, with countless examples all
about it of the results of sticking even to a forlorn pope, fail to see
it is
those who stick to a cause [TT 102] through all storms, those who
realize
there is even more need of their service if others have failed, those
who
wring victory from defeat, over and over again, who are the giants
of
spiritual, psychic and material endeavor. If some smaller strand in
their
own line of endeavor is weak, they pick it up, put it in some places
in the
greater cable so that the latter can absorb and protect it and so go
on
growing by accretion until it is strong enough to hold a great life
boat, that
all may be benefited.
It is not difficult to see how any great religion or philosophy could
have been made to dominate the lower, and develop the higher,
aspects of
its believers, and gain full power over the world if the latter could
have
remained true to their first impulses and strong enough to help to
purify
when impurities crept into the fold, instead of getting out and
leaving the
whole effort to decay. We never can advance ourselves save as we
advance the race to which we belong, and no amount of cowardly
flight or
selfish underhanded desertion can do anything but put us out of the
plane
of advancement until we have learned not only that unity is
strength but
that treachery is death, and flight is weakness.
Once we are convinced of the truth of a great ideal, let us bend
every
energy to its fulfillment – step into the gaps made by the failures,
uphold
the hands of the true, and if we cannot persuade or compel the
weak to
grow stronger set them quietly aside and pay no attention to their
irritation.
We will not only see our ideal materialized, but that ideal will grow
to
such enormous proportions, such wonderful beauty, power and
greatness –
we will lose our lower selves in it. We will become so identified
with it,
that there will be no separation between it and our real selves.
otherwise
we will continue to drift farther and farther away, to fail over and
over
again, to lose all faith, ability and power, to grow less and less in
the eyes
of others and finally to lose even our [TT 103] right to live. Even
the
greatest sycophant has a concealed contempt for a coward, a
deserter and a
traitor. He may put up with and use one to further some selfish
purpose,
but he despises him while doing it and will turn on him at the first
chance.
Our impatience is one of our greatest hinderances. If we cannot see
our way to prevent or change any given condition, we fly all to
pieces and
run away. When, if we were actuated by an unselfish, true motive,
if we
have a little patience and endurance, we will find the way opening
wide for
us to do our work of purification or building as the case may be,
and so
become pillars of Strength and Beauty in the Temple of the Great
Work
for Humanity.
"O MY GOD"
"O my God !" it was no conscious appeal to a divine being ; no
involuntary burst of reverence ; no burst of surprise, that wrung
such an
expression of pain from the drawn lips of a human being in the
hour of its
utter despair. Without some appeal to the court of last appeal, heard
or
unheard ; without some outlet for the dammed up stream of
emotion, either
madness or unspeakable crime, or both, were imminent. In such
moments,
unrecognized though it be, the human soul sees and opens some
one of the
gates which lead into the "Heart of things," and in reponse to the
cry there
comes some measure of relief to the sufferer.
At some supreme moment in every life, the same cry, aye, even the
came words are wrung from the depths of the soul's experience,
and in fact
furnish the most perfect proof of the reality of God, for the soul of
man
never demands recognition or help from a nonexistent power.
When that despairing appeal issues from the heart and life of a
human
being, its hour of test is upon it, and [TT 104] it either relinquishes
forever
ail that has hitherto stood for righteousness, and starts off on a run
down
the ever broadening path of evil, or stops stark still and allows
itself to be
folded into the silence, when it begins to take an inventory of what
is left
to it of life.
The renunciation of faith, the loss of hope in ail that has stood for
divinity, leaves the soul in a similar condition to that of the body
which
has passed through a siege of fever that has left it stripped of ail
strength, a
half-dead thing, without even a desire for life left in it. To either
such a
soul or body, and ail unknowing to its outer consciousness, the
Garden of
Gethsemene has opened its gates, and it must pass through that
garden
before the next step becomes visible.
If the soul can unclasp the desparate clutch which holds it to its
self-made, personal God, and come to a realization that ail the
beautiful,
powerful, helpful attributes with which it has fomerly clothed that
personal
God are in deed and in truth realities – rays of the Spiritual Sun –
God,
shining out through every living thing and creature. That it has
only been
the veil which self has woven and tied closely over its eyes that has
kept it
in ignorance of the truth what comfort might be ours.
Who can picture the exquisite rapture of the newly unveiled soul
when
it catches its first real glimpse of God outside of itself ? it may be,
behind
some ragged, vilely clad, bloated, swollen form that mayhap some
minion
of the law is hunting from one wretched den of refuge to another,
and who
in utter despair and hopelessness, in the last extremity cries out, "O
God !"
It may be he has never uttered those words before save in
blasphemy, but
the listener, the newly awakened soul, recognizes the cry of the
other soul,
and catches a glimpse of the radiant light that is piercing its way
through
the layers of filth and ail uncleanness that years of outraged,
broken law
have built up, and having caught that glimpse, starts out on its [TT
105]
life quest for the Cup of the Holy Grail. There is no more peace, no
rest or
satisfaction to be found save where the rays of light from that
glorious
Sun-God are piercing the darkness which engulfs humanity, and
nothing
else matters.
ruling aspect of a hierarchy, every individual who is in any sense a
part of that ruling aspect, meets with, those who are lineally
beneath it, its
opposite pole – revolt which is in the hearts of the latter. I mean by
this
that every individual who is in any sense in a ruling position (no
matter
how tender hearted he may be in reality, no matter how deeply he
may
crave the love and appreciation of those brothers and sinters, no
matter
how kindly he may feel toward ail the world), he awakens in every
individual who is in any sense beneath him in the Cosmic scale, a
vibration
of fear, hatred or rebellion. For this reason he is of ail people to be
pitied,
for he is seldom understood. If you trace back the history of every
great
long, rider, president, or ail officials in high authority, you will
almost
invariably find that though they may be feared and obeyed, they
are
seldom loved by those who are subject to them. This ride holds
good up
through higher ranks of life, as well as through lower.
"In many cases you will find that one, or at most two, sincere,
earnest
friends or lovers, are ail that these could claim for their own,
amidst the
myriads by which they are surrounded. This is due partially to a
cause not
known to many. The cause is set up with the beginning of the
evolution of
matter. A single cell is the beginning of ail organic forms of matter.
That
cell separates and forms others, either by budding, extension or
division,
and final [TT 106] aggregation of atoms. In every instance there is
first
manifested within the single cell, the action of the expulsive force,
and this
action of the force of expulsion is by its very nature positive and
arbitrary
in action, and must inevitably arouse in other cells, even if hitherto
latent,
a negative force of opposition to the ruling cell.
ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTE
Question : What fits a disciple for exoteric work for the Lodge ?
Answer : indifference, and again I say indifference. As long as a
disciple can be spiritually hurt or can be incapacitated for doing his
best
work by the attacks, the opinions, the criticisms of others, so long
can he
be turned aside from this mission.
Question : Is what the world calls `good character" an essential to
the
highest service in a disciple ?
Answer : All that may be summed up in the words, virtue,
discretion,
tact, honesty, etc., may be, and often is, requisite for service in
many fields
of life. But for the service which leads to attainment of the highest
gifts in
the power of the Lodge to bestow, the possession of one of these
characteristics alone, or all together, as the world interprets them,
are not
sufficient for admission to the ranks of accepted disciples. These
characteristics are all embodied in, combined, and overruled by
another all
important attribute which will live and endure when all
differentiations in
the line of characteristics are in abeyance. What the world calls
good
character in an individual is as a rule the combined result of some
years of
ambition, emulation and adaptation to certain ideals fixed in the
mentality
of the race. The essential attribute for the accepted chela is the
result of
ages of effort by countless [TT 107] races. The former is
something which
may be lost by a single unpremeditated act or as a result of
yielding to an
overwhelming temptation. But the attribute which the examining
Master
first seeks, in the hour of a disciple's examination, is Charity – the
love of
the infinite life in which all things are engulfed. Where charity
exists all
truly desirable characteristics must inevitably evolve in time. Only
long
struggle, suffering, sacrifice and unspeakable longing can arouse
the long
atrophied center of the human brain which will respond to the
vibrations of
divine love. Such response is necessary before the disciple can
answer
aright the demand of the Master. When that center is aroused and
in action
it will be found that all other requisites for service are at the
command of
the disciple. Yielding to temptation may plunge a disciple for the
time
being back into some gulf from which he has escaped, but the
power of the
attribute which he has gained through his personal struggle will
bring him
back in safety ; where the one possessed of the before-mentioned
"good
character" alone, might fall into a similar gulf never to rise again in
one
life. The former disciple may suffer worse than he ever had
suffered before
in order to win out, but he will win, and that is the important thing.
Question : Having been warned that the disciple who goes into the
world to preach the truths of our philosophe, or another good
tidings, must
meet attacks upon the foundation of his belief, the character of his
Master
or Guru, the nature or means of his material existence, what
course should
such disciple take to combat the same ?
Answer : He should never combat any such criticism. He should
refuse absolutely and persistently to discuss a single outer feature
of an
attack. He is not sent into the world to prove to others the nature,
circumstances, character or works of any person or group of
persons with
whom he is associated. If he is an accredited disciple of the White
Lodge
he goes with a message to the sick, the [TT 108] weary, the
heart-atrophied human race, who, as it were, stand by their own
open
graves and know not that they are graves, or that they themselves
are dead.
His mission is to help to resurrect them or keep them from entering
these
graves. No matter what intervenes, nor how hard the brothers of
the
shadow strive to keep their hold on the "dead in life," the disciple
should
cling to his message alone. He should throw up that message as a
shield
against every weapon raised to injure him or his work. He should
try to
show his hearers the nature of the methods used by the Black
Brothers to
mix the issues and cripple his work by diverting the mind from the
one
all-important subject of that message. He must become one with
his
message. It must dominate his nature and his hearers. It must sink
so
deeply into his soul that it carries the soul by its very weight and
importance to the heart of Infinity and back again with every
expression of
it.
When the people of the world come to recognize the fact of the
disciples impersonality, compassion, and desire to serve them
unselfishly
they will do as they have always done – "follow like sheep" that
disciple
who has been made their leader by the very force of his devotion to
them
individually and collectively.
Never should the disciple forget this. Never should he allow
himself to
be turned aside for a moment ; for in that moment all the baffled,
malignant forces of the negative side of life may drag him down,
and make
him commence the hard climb over again. The imminence of the
danger,
the importance of the issues, should be the "hurry call" to action
for every
Templar. [TT 109]
PSYCHIC FORCES
The word Psyche, the soul, represented by the Greeks as a winged
female figure, is the root of many words used by Occultists,
descriptive of
the functions of the soul and mind. That there is a close
relationship
between soul and mind, if they are not identical, no one can deny.
The driving force of all power is most emphatically spirit. To my
mind there is no such thing as abstract force, mind or power, or
motion ;
all are synonymous with space, and quite thinkable entities.
Occultists teach that the sons of universal mind are entities of a
higher
order than finite minds can conceive. In the far off periods of time
now
beyond any possibility of computing, such entities incarnated in,
and
raised a lower order of humanity to its present status.
All force and energy being spiritual in the last analysis, the terms
Psychic and Physical can only be used to distinguish the separate
planes on
which the spiritual force energizes. As centers of that force, we
have the
power to attract or repel different modifications of the same and,
through
the law of conservation of energy, we can retain, conserve, and
crystalize
into matter those various modifications, thus creating forms,
bodies, etc.,
through which higher entities can work by radiation and
emanation.
Form after form is built and destroyed by the Ego in its long quest
for
knowledge and experience and, as these forms become finer in
their
essence, the principle of radiation becomes more active in them.
The terms psychism, psychic power, etc., have been so long used
in
connection with the inner or astral planes of being that the vital
action of
the power so indicted upon the physical plane is often lost sight of.
There is being a constant action and reaction between the several
planes, a form of force set in action on [TT 110] the spiritual plane
eventually manifests matter and form on the physical plane. As the
operation of every force is cyclic in manifestation, matter of
substance
becomes finer, more elastic and tenuous as it recedes from the
physical
plane.
As man is divine in essence, the nearer evolution brings him to
perfection the greater power he has to control and use these forces.
An adept can create or disintegrate forms of matter because of his
knowledge of the law under which nature produces the same
phenomena.
The process is much easier on the astral planes than on the
physical, for
matter is not so crystallized upon the interior planes and, being
tenuous
and elastic, it may be changed by every thought or act of will of
man or
elemental, of which fact we are often conscious in dreams or
visions.
The one dominant note in human nature is desire for power,
however
successfully that desire may be disguised, and even hidden from
our own
consciousness. Whether that desire ends in good or evil depends
largely
upon the motive and the use to which the acquired power is put. If
the
desire is unselfish, and for the good of humanity as a whole, it is
pure and
can only lead to good in the end ; if, on the contrary, the desire is
selfish
the discord termed evil is the sure result.
The moods of our minds generate forces in the kingdom of nature,
as
surely as do the currents of air or electricity, and those mind forces
are
going from us constantly to other minds, as blessings or curses,
and are as
real, though unseen as a blow or a caress.
The physical force we put into the action in the exercise of our
muscles does not stop with ourselves ; that, too, goes much farther.
We
know that there is intelligence behind all force and power, and the
forces
that have made us what we are, will not stop here and now but will
take us
to immeasurable heights beyond. [TT 111]
There were just as much magnetism, electricity and other forms of
force in the universe before man discovered them as there are
today, but
they were useless for human purposes, because of our Jack of
knowledge
to perceive and master them. The greater force of the human mind
is ours
to use, but we are limited as to its use by our ignorance. It is
wasted
because, through ignorance and habit, we work our mental
batteries in the
wrong direction and rend from us into the auras of others bolt alter
bolt of
ill-will, charitableness or unbrotherliness, all of which not only
harm those
others, but rebound as does a rubber ball and injure us far more
deeply.
When we say "I can't do this or that," we call into action a force
that
will most surely prevent our so doing. Our "I can'ts" are the iron
bolts that
lock the door of opportunity against us. "I can and will" is the
power
driving back the bolt. Every protest against a personal fault, every
aspiration toward the good, the true, the beautiful, is a push of the
soul
upwards ; every demand upon the Sternal for force is honored, and
once
attracted to us remains with us always and is ours to use on all
planes of
our being. These drafts upon the Sternal constitute whatever real
power we
may possess, and that power is brought into service by steady,
persistent,
concentrated effort of the will.
To call for, pray for, or demand any force is to connect ourselves
with
the desired force. The answer may come through some
individualized
entity. The demand and supply is according to nature's law, for we
are
indeed brothers, helping and sharing with each other. With every
demand
for force should arise an equal demand for wisdom, for power
without
wisdom would be far more dangerous than unguarded dynamite. In
the
past, we all have been more or less interested in what is known as
psychic
phenomena. There is a strange, weird fascination about such
phenomena
that appeals to the majority very [TT 112] strongly, but I believe
that most,
if not all of us have come to see that it is of very little importance
to us in
the present age. We have more strenuous work to do before we are
justified in yielding to such fascination.
In our physical bodies we have iron, copper, magnesia, phosphorus
and many other minerals, combinations and recombinations, of
various
substances that have never been dreamed of by modern scientists.
We have
in our thought sphere the finer, more subtle spiritual
correspondences of
those minerals, but the proportions and combinations of these
spiritual
forces in each person are different, therefore we cannot all get
exactly the
same grasp of spiritual, mental or physical things.
You can try my experiments and I yours, but the result will be
different in each case, though collectively the greatest harmony
may obtain
between us and a similar degree of power may be gained, but not
until we
have learned to work in harmony with all others in one order of life
can we
rise to the height of our great ideals.
Much has been said and written of co-operation, but few have been
able to catch a glimpse of the inner light that can show us just why
cooperation
is such a great necessity. Our common electric arc lights are very
suggestive of brotherhood and the universe. The sun is of course
still more
so, but one can realize the synthesis of all, through the arc light
because
the rays are perceptible to the naked eye. Each of the rays
symbolizes an
hierarchy of beings composed of innumerable smaller lights, each
in turn
shooting out its rays in every direction, twining and inter-twining
with rays
from sister lights. We cannot see the forces these lights are setting
free any
more than we can see the forces set free by each one of us, but we
are
often able to see the results of their action in both cases. Imagine a
central
sun turning with inconceivable rapidity around on its axis, sending
its rays
of [TT 113] eternal light into the farther mort limits of space,
touching and
lighting all other stars, suns and planets, mingling and
intermingling the
force set free with the spiritual forces of Love, Compassion,
Wisdom and
justice as they sweep out through the universe, touching and
gilding the
clouds of heaven as well the clouds of unbelief, suffering, misery
and
finally making of even them, avenues of the force of compassion.
We cannot yet hear the beautiful symphony the Master hand is
playing
on all the instruments of light. As yet no tone can reach our finite
ears,
because of the imperfection of these instruments of hearing, but
even those
instruments are being completed by the tones now in vibration.
Only a little match of the harmony reaches us from rime to rime,
but
some day, when our hearts will have grown more compassionate,
our inner
ears more perfect, we shah hear the whole great symphony.
THE SPIRITUAL MEDIUM
No greater mistake can be made by a disciple of the White Lodge
than
to foster the belief that the connecting link between any two
divisions of
that great body is what is generally understood as a spiritualist
medium.
The acceptance of a statement to that effect made by some other
person
who is absolutely incapable of seeing the wide difference between
the two
has thrown many persons into conditions of doubt and distress. It
would be
fully as reasonable to class the operators of the wireless telegraph
or
telephone as spiritualist mediums, as well as many of the higher
classes of
photographers who in connection with wireless telephone can
bring the
pictures of absent people within the focus of observation. Under
[TT 114]
exactly the same laws and with corresponding organs or
instruments of
communication, similar results are attainable in both instances, i.e.,
Sight
and Hearing.
The laws governing obsession and so called spiritual
materialization,
when such phenomena are true to nature, are exactly the reverse of
the
laws governing communication between any two divisions of true
Initiates.
The one great pity is that students of the Mysteries will not as a
rule
prove these facts to themselves, as they well might do with half the
effort
and application they devote to other pursuits ; for exactly as a
wireless
message, either by telegraph or telephone, may be intercepted and
interpreted by the operators at other stations, so may messages or
communications between any two Initiates or between an Initiate
and bis
agent be intercepted and deciphered and proof gained in that way.
Hence
the injustice of characterizing instructions issued by the Great
Lodge, as
mediumistic communications, and the operators at one end of the
line or
wave, as mediums.
If antagonists and self-deceived students would even take the
trouble
to acquaint themselves fully with the modus operandi of the laws
governing such phenomena much injustice would be saved.
There is another class of people who do fully as much injury to the
investigators of our philosophy – those who willfully deceive the
people
by false representation for the reason that they are absolutely
incapable of
receiving, recording and interpreting the Symbolic Alphabet of the
Lodge.
Owing to lack of development of certain brain centers and
therefore
inability to perceive interior phenomena, they are led to resort to
all kinds
of deception, and merely work on the fears, hopes and desires of
poor
soul-starved human beings. As far as any psychic power is
concerned they
are confined to the use of the deadliest force in materialization,
though
ignorant of the [TT 115] final results of abuse of the power in
many
instances, being mere tools in the bands of black magicians.
The wars of the future are going to give many illustrations in
concrete
form of the use of the same forces. The study of chemistry is
teaching
some of its closest students the terrible powers stored up in certain
chemicals and gasses, and is also teaching the methods by which
the latter
may be segregated, concentrated and confined, and then exploded
by the
electric spark. This knowledge is in the bands of one or more
governments
and as a result inconceivable slaughter and devastation will be
accomplished in tune to come.
In these methods again there are exact correspondences to the
methods
by which the same explosive and poisonous gases in an attenuated
form
are gathered and confined, and then sent on their deadly mission by
a
higher – a finer – form of the same electric energy.
Among the votaries of Black Magic the intermediate instruments
used
in the explosion of the last named gases take many forms. They
may be
certain geometrical figures, or chemicals, or objects belonging to
the
person to be attacked, even a lock of hair or a picture, in Tact
anything that
will focus the force in action while it is being exploded by the
power of a
depraved will ; but whatever they are they make a connection
between the
operator and the thing or person operated upon, exactly as does the
instrument used for the electric spark which sends forth and guides
the
power to its terminus.
To a greater or lesser extent every thought of hatred, malice or
envy,
directed to another human being, carries some one or more forms
of the
same attenuated poisonous gases, but not being confined and
concentrated,
as in the before mentioned instances. The operator not knowing the
right
point or organ in the human body where the greatest injury can be
inflicted,
the victim escapes much of the intended injury. The final effects on
the
[TT 116] character and life of the operator in all such instances
will be the
same, that is, a rapid descent in the scale of life.
In exactly the same way, under the same laws and by somewhat
similar methods as those used by the Black Brotherhood, for
selfish ends,
the Brothers of the White Lodge operate for the help and salvation
of a
person or a race.
The laws, the methods of procedure and the substance in use may
be
the same, but the governing motive, the object and the nature of the
elementary forces are as far apart as the poles.
EGOTISM
The victim of exaggerated egotism, inordinate Desire, jealousy,
Hatred, Envy, or violent temper, is truly an object of pity. The
activity of
these lower elemental forces produce great changes in the normal
blood
stream of a nineteenth century man or woman. The latter has
outgrown the
conditions which existed in primitive man ; conditions which
furnished a
natural habitat for the said elemental life forces. With the birth of
the soul
these conditions were changed, and that which was natural to the
primitive
man became unnatural to the more highly developed man. An
increase of
activity arouses the hitherto dormant elemental lives into action
and the
result is a drying up of the watery element of the blood stream, the
serum
which largely predominates in the blood, and which is essential to
life.
These classes of the fiery lives prey on the white corpuscles also,
and
as they are the natural scavengers of the blood as well as the
protectors of
the red corpuscles, their loss leaves the latter to the mercy of the
destroyers,
[TT 117] the germs of disease. These have been lying latent in the
stagnant or coagulated blood which condition has resulted from the
drying
up of the watery element, the serum ; or other germs which are
introduced
into the body from some extraneous source. The evaporation or
absorption
of the serum by the action of the revitalized elemental lives, robs
every
organ of the body of its normal supply of blood, or thickens the
blood so
that the flow is interrupted, and little by little the whole body
yields to
various forms of disease. No amount of medical treatment can
overcome a
condition so created. If that condition is to be overcome at all it can
only
be done in one way.
The source of the disease, the above-mentioned fiery lives must be
attacked in their stronghold, they must he crowded out, overcome,
by their
natural antagonists, the opposite forces to those which produced
the wrong
conditions. The one so afflicted must become so interested in
something
entirely outside of himself as to have no tune or thought for the
exercise of
functions or forces which have produced the condition. At the
same time
the will must be exercised to shut the door in the face, as it were,
of every
new born impulse to yield to the power of the forces which have
been
using him to feed themselves. They must be starved out, driven out
and
overcome by the pressure of finer forces, or there remains nothing
but a
long semi-invalidism for him, and a heavy weight for some other
back to
carry, until one or the other is released by death.
As long as medical practitioners continue to disassociate mental
and
psychic activities from nerve and blood diseases they will fail to
reach to
the secret cause of the trouble or to make permanent cures.
Especially is
this true, when those activites are instigated and increased by
abnormal
negative impulses as in the case of neurotics, for the very root and
foundation of those diseases lie in the indulgence of those qualities
or
forces first mentioned. [TT 118] They are largely karmic or
hereditary in
the beginning, but the tendency is constantly increased by
indulgence until
all self-control is lost.
PSYCHIC VISION
"Before the Soul can see, the Harmony within must be attained,
and
fleshly eyes be rendered blind to all illusion." – The Voice of the
Silence.
Every psychic meets with an insuperable difficulty at the very
outset
of his realization of the possession of psychic sight and hearing. He
is
unable to understand his inability to transmit all the words he has
heard or
scenes he has witnessed, from his psychic to his physical
consciousness.
Some parts of a sentence of some scene of a vision may be
perfectly
transmitted while others are illusive. If he chances to be suddenly
aroused,
or if by a strong act of will he has determined to hold fast to what
he sees
or hears he thwarts his own desire ; he finds that either in whole or
in part
his vision or words have escaped him. It is more apt to be the
introductory
words of a sentence or a scene that escape him than all of it. The
primal
cause of his difficulty lies in his unconscious use of the opposing,
the
negative pole of the forces in operation at the time being.
For instance, the vision or speech has been the result of an
explosion
of positive energy – affirmative power as is always the case when
any
direct statement is made or act committed on any plane of
existence. The
instant the negative pole of that energy, the questioning and
therefore the
denying power, is manifested, as it always is the moment the lower
mind
seizes a problem or fact and attempts to work it out, or a positive
effort is
put forth, in any direction, the door between the higher and lower
[TT 119]
mind is temporarily closed. So far as the questioning or examining
of the
phrase or vision extends, when one is trying to recall the same, just
so far
the negative force of the lower mind cuts off the possibility of
bridging the
gulf between the two planes and bringing out the lost phrase or
vision.
There is a perfect inversion of all planes, all forms of energy, all
things, at what for convenience we might term the circumference
of the
same, due to the continual exercise of the cosmic power of
Reflection.
Psychic sound or vision is only possible of transmission from one
plane to another because the positive energy of one is brought so to
speak,
face to face with the positive energy of another and an
uninterrupted
current so established. If the negative current of one plane is
applied to that
current or it is cut off, fell confusion results ; and this is exactly
what
occurs in the case of the psychic who is trying to recall some
speech or
vision and put it into expression on the physical plane. If there
were no
occasion for the entrance of the question, there need be no such
broken
reflections in the case of the psychic who had once made a perfect
connection between his astral and physical brain centers, thus
permitting
that aforementioned uninterrupted current to flow between his
higher and
lower mind. It is at this point where the tenets of Christian Science
fail
most egregiously in being scientific.
A positive form of energy is positive whether it is acting on a
spiritual,
mental or physical plane, and if a negative current is applied to the
current
of a positive force, the former is interrupted as said above. When
the
positive current between God, the Creator, and his Universe or
Creature, is
interrupted at the point of contact, by the denial of any part of that
Universe, the lower or negative pole of the current is supreme at
such time.
When the positive and negative currents meet and [TT 120]
equilibrate and the neutral current is set up, there is the Place of
Peace –
the Home of Faith and Non-resistance, the operating center for the
White
Force of Healing, the Christ.
POWER OF YOGA
"Yoga is the power to keep the Mind unmodified by external
impressions."
Once the power of Yoga is obtained, the Mind has the power to
identify itself with any plane of consciousness desired, or with the
inner or
outer essence of any grade of substance, force, and consciousness ;
likewise the power to withdraw itself from any plane or grade of
substance,
force or consciousness.
It is this power that marks the difference between the ordinary
mortal
and the true Yoga. The mentality of the ordinary man or woman is
bound
by iron, brass, and steel bonds to various conditions, attachments
and
illusions of the material world. Such has no power to withdraw the
Mind
from these, or if it has the power to break away for an instant,
almost at
once, the Mind is modified and falls into another set of impressions
by
some more or less powerful external vibration received through the
avenue
of one or more of the senses.
The Mind is more sensitive to external forces than water is to the
action of the winds. Tenuous, fluidic and mobil, it responds to the
least
breath of impulse from within or without, unless controlled by the
Higher
Manas conjoined with the Sixth Principle, Buddha, the very Light
of the
Mind itself. In this delicate responsiveness of the lower mind, it
tends to
fall into the image of whatever modified it – becomes it for the
time being.
Thus when the mind perceives a beautiful image of any character
whether in terms of sight, sound, or feeling, [TT 121] it tends to
fall into
the same state of consciousness according to the depth of the
impression
made. Correspondingly when the mind perceives distorted, ugly
and evil
images of sight, hearing or feeling, it likewise tends to become
identified
with the same.
In the case of the beautiful images, only good may come to the
nature,
for Truth and Beauty belong to the Higher Mentality and if the
Lower
Mind fans into those images, it tends to closer unity with the
Higher.
When the images are evil it tends to a greater separation between
the
Higher and the Lower natures.
If the mind does not fall into these evil images it is because the
inherent light is too strong and will not permit the mind to be
modified into
that image. Unless some degree of Yoga power has been developed
however, constant association or contact with the negative or
destructive
side of life will do its work on the law of action put into words by
the poet :
"Vice is a monster of such hideous mien,
That to be hated, is but to be seen,
But seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace."
Thus the importance to the student who would scale the heights of
life
to ever keep his mind negative (receptive) to the soul and positive
to
(against) the world – that the world may not modify his mentality
into its
misshapen forms. Knowingly one would not take a rotting thing
into one's
bosom, nor a rotting force or thought into one's mind. Yet that is
exactly
what is done when one listens to evil spoken of another, or to low
personal
gossip or slander of anybody whatsoever. Constant association
with such
forces must do one of two things – either you refuse to permit your
mind
to be modified into that image of low personality which instantly
cuts off
the contact with elimination of the vehicle, or you fall into [TT
122] the
image and vibrate with it and soon find yourself swept away in a
maelstrom of low personal forces which can have no place in the
auric
consciousness of one who knows and has the power to stand face
to face
with the Masters of Love and Wisdom.
THE TEN RULES OF DISCIPLESHIP
OF
THE 4TH DEGREE OF THE GREAT WHITE LODGE
God is Love, and Love is the fundamental source of Being.
Therefore, if thou sin against Love, that sin is against God.
1. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and mind,
and thy neighbor as thyself." This is the highest law.
2. Thou shalt obey the laws of life. The Higher Law will hold thee
accountable for the breaking of every lesser law.
3. Thou shalt not sin against thine own body nor against the body
of
thy neighbor, by concupiscence ; for the Lord thy God will
demand an accounting of thee for all of the Creative fire
enthroned within thee.
4. Thou shalt not needlessly take the life of any thing or creature.
5. Thou shalt not speak falsely, unnecessarily or critically against
thy neighbor, and so put in action the converse force of creative
sound and word ; for the Higher Law will reverse the action of the
force thus directed and bring back upon thee, with intensified
strength, the results of the broken law.
6. Thou shalt bear constantly in mind the unity of the human race,
and treat every member of the Great White [TT 123] Lodge as
though he were of blood kin ; for unity is the law of discipleship
and, if thou sin against this law, thou shalt be greatly hindered in
thy progress toward the goal of thy desires.
7. Morning and evening thou shalt lift the eyes of thy soul toward
the Throne of thy God, with strong aspiration, gratitude and
devotion ; for according to thy desires – thy demands – upon the
Center of all Being, desires expressed in purity, thanksgiving and
unselfishness, shall the supply be vouchsafed thee.
8. Thou shalt give of thine abundance to all the poor, but of thy
poverty, the price of thine own pleasures, and that which would
minister to thine own desires shalt thou give to the Great Mother
and to the Guardian of the Shrine, through which the Great
Mother love of the universe radiates for thine own eternal good.
9. Thou shalt not despise nor ill – treat any thing or creature.
Matter,
Force and Consciousness are but different degrees of the one
eternal, all-pervading principle of Love-which is God ; and he
who despises and reviles his body, because it does not radiate the
light of his soul, despises God as certainly as does the man who
despises and reviles the soul and spirit of God.
10. When the law of Love – of karma – has brought thee out of the
morass of spiritual darkness to the beginning of the path which
leads to spiritual illumination, woe be unto thee if thou obstruct
that path for thyself or others, by refusing to obey the Master to
whose feet that law has brought thee.
Only by implicit obedience to the commands of the Master-
Teacher
shalt thou be able to lift one foot after another while treading that
path of
discipleship.
Commune long and earnestly with the God within thyself ere thou
darest to make demand to tread that path, for once thou hast
entered it,
thou canst re-enter thy mother's womb. [TT 124]
Behold the Path before thee ; a clean life, pure aspiration and
unselfish
service. Art thou prepared to tread that Path ?
SELF EXAMINATION BY THE TEN RULES
OF
THE 4TH DEGREE OF THE GREAT WHITE LODGE
1. Have I kept the pledge I have given, to work in harmony with
the
law of Love ? Do I keep constantly in mind the truth that Love is
God, and that only according to my faith in and love for that God,
as It is materialized in all Its creations, is it possible for me to
know aught of God ?
2. Am I obeying the laws of life, so far as lies in my power, the
laws
of health, the spiritual, mental, moral and national laves, the laves
of discipleship ? To what extent am I breaking any one or more of
those laves ? Can I bring myself under subjection to the lave I
have broken ?
3. Am I leading a morally clean and upright life ?
Am I sinning against my body, or the body of my neighbor ?
4. Do I strive to conquer the unclean, impure elemental forces
evoked by conscious or unconscious desire, by the only method
by which they can be effectually conquered ; that is, by
overwhelming them with pure, true and beautiful concepts ; by
striving to learn if there is any physical cause of the incitement of
such forces, and removing the same if possible ? Do I always bear
in mind that by promiscuous scattering of the life essence in my
body, I am calling down much suffering on myself ; for I am
degrading and wasting the very substance of the God-head –
Creative Fire ? [TT 125]
5. Do I speak falsely, unnecessarily or uncharitably against my
neighbor, and so abuse the power I possess for using the high
Creative forces of round and word ?
Do I take the name of God or the Masters in vain by needless
reference in common conversation or profanity ?
Do I try to speak kindly to and of others ; try to give all the help
and comfort I can give to those in trouble or affliction, and use
any grains of knowledge and wisdom I have gained for the benefit
of others ?
Do I always protest when others speak unkindly, uncharitably or
falsely of my co-disciples ?
6. Do I try to bear always in mind that the human race is one great
family, and that the different divisions, groups, associations each
represent one member of that family ; and therefore endeavor to
treat all men, and especially my co-disciples, as though they were
of blond kin ?
Are my actions toward them instigated by love and brotherhood,
or by what I mat' selfishly gain from them ?
Do I permit envy, jealousy or ambition to lead me into wronging
others ?
7. Do I devote some portion of the morning, or evening, to
meditation and aspiration, and to cultivating the attitude of Faith,
Gratitude, Humility and Devotion ?
8. Am I keeping my vows to give all my available tune, means and
thought to the upbuilding of the Temple work ?
Am I giving all the service, the means, the encouragement and
protection I have promised to give in sustaining the Agents of the
Lodge, or am I carelessly or willfully neglecting to do so, and so
robbing myself and others of the advantages, the help and
direction I might secure, and at the same rime permitting great
breaches to be made in the Guardian Wall, through which the
enemies of the Lodge mat' creep to bring death and destruction
within the Temple ranks ? [TT 126]
9. Do I realize and act upon the truth that Matter, Form and
Substance are as much a part of God as is spirit and soul, and that
by despising or neglecting to care for my body, or continually
longing to be released from its bonds, I am despising and
neglecting God ?
10. Am I honoring and obeying the directions of the Masters in all
respects ?
Am I striving to learn who among the great historical characters
may,
or must, have belonged to the Lodge of Masters, and try to profit
from
their advice and experience, and help others to do the same ?
Am I diligent in making self-examination, at stated periods as I am
directed, and do all that I can to undo any wrong I have done, and
increase
my efforts to fulfill any law I have disobeyed, before daring to
present
myself at the table of the Feast of Expectation ?
Finally, am I striving to make my body, soul and spirit an
acceptable
offering, in the eyes of God and the Masters of all wisdom ?
SILENCE
To those who have ever known the power of Silence – those who
have
sensed the operation of the tremendous life forces, as they thrill
through
space, and have sunk into that perfect stillness where the soul
enters the
thought currents of the infinite, and loses all sense of time and
space, as it
drifts out into unfathomable depths, or rises to unspeakable heights
– to
such as these many great secrets of life become clear.
The statements relating to the re-creating, purifying processes of
nature and of the soul, made by those who know, are no longer
mere words,
for all such labor is accomplished in Silence, and in darkness. [TT
127]
The vision of a single soul confined in some limited area of space
to
work out its salvation in Silence and darkness is no longer a
fearsome
tragedy to the mind of the occultist – or a merciless act of an over
just
Creator. It is the merciful, loving act of a Father who knows that
within
that soul is the seed of its purification – a spark from the Living
Fire of
God, that can only accomplish its divine mission if it be shut up in
the
fastnesses of the soul, and allowed to do its work in such Silence
and
darkness, as God must always work to bring His own to birth.
When we realize that the filthiest matter of which we are
cognizant,
the refuse matter of animal or of human creatures, can be brought
back to a
state of as perfect purity as the purest water of the mountain
stream, by
means of the life force working in and through it, if it be closely
confined,
shut off from light, and air, and sound. We can also understand that
that
life force is pure Prana – the very substance of God. It is not
difficult to
understand how even the vilest creature bas within him the germ of
a
Higher Self, which only requires the right conditions, the Silence
and
darkness of the tomb of soul, to bring to birth an ever living entity,
pure
and undefiled.
If there be a purgatory for sinning souls, what is it but a reflection
of
that greater, holier Silence and darkness of spiritual creation. It
would be a
state wherein those souls may be confined until the God Spark
within them
may have tune and opportunity, through spiritual suffering, to
churn, crush,
mingle and intermingle the essence of their lower natures until they
are
freed from all impurities. Those souls, reclothed, are made meet to
once
more come forth and take their place among the Sons of God.
Verify you should love the Silence and the darkness – even as the
light, and strive with all your hearts to fathom their mysteries. You
should
always enter [TT 128] their portals with humble, patient hearts,
and
remaining there until there is brought to birth the germ of Wisdom
now
lying dormant within you.
Only then can you bear the Light of Spirit without being
irretrievably
blinded by Its rays.
NAMES
Until individual man reaches the last Order of the Fourth Degree of
the Lodge (Humanity), he is given a name according to the
pleasure of
parents or friends. That name invests him, becomes a part of him,
and does
its particular office in his evolution. When self-effort has brought
him to
the close of the Fourth Degree and he becomes conscious of the
great
Unity and his individual relation thereto, he comes into the new
birth
(Initiation). He receives the new name, the name by which he will
be
thereafter known by ail of the other component parts of the Order
he is
entering, but not by the associates he has passed in lower degrees.
That
name is his most sacred possession and must never be "taken in
vain," i.e.,
uselessly. It is first pronounced by the Hierophant of the Order
which he is
entering, and has been in process of formation since the Ego's first
incarnation in human form, and is indicative of the qualities –
talents – that
have reached their apogee, the greatest height attainable while the
Ego is
enmeshed in physical substance.
The number, color and sound the basic principles of each one of
those
qualities, spiritual forces, have been slowly changing their rates of
vibration as form after form has evolved during the preceding
cycles.
Having reached their highest possible rate, they have created by
means of
such action, the only name that could rightly interpret and indicate
the
personality to which it belongs. [TT 129]
If parents fully understood the power of the influence which will
be
brought to bear, both on character and tissue – building, by the
constant
repetition and association of any single word or name with a
physical body,
they would exercise more care in the selection of names for their
children.
While said parents would not be able to select the correct name for
a
highly evolved child, according to the method of the Initiates, they
could
select names that would be indicative of high and noble attributes
of other
expressions of life. Thereby they could bring the corresponding
influence
to bear on the evolution of their children, instead of, as is so
frequently the
case, loading them up with the weight of meaningless,
characterless or
inappropriate bunches of letters, which will be detrimental instead
of
helpful.
The importance of names is indicated in many passages of the
Bible.
Jehovah forbade the taking of His name in vain. The disciples of
Jesus
were adjured to do their good works in the name of Christ. You
have been
taught that the misuse of any spiritual force is the worst of crimes.
I have
herein shown you that true names are aggregations of spiritual
forces,
therefore, it will not be difficult for you to perceive the primal
cause for
the issuance of such a class of commands as I have referred to.
Each letter
stands for an esoteric number, and numbers are sacred and secret,
not only
because they indicate rates of vibration, but are those rates of
vibration.
With the first thrill of the Cosmic Egg the number One came into
being as
a manifested entity.
Man has exhausted every method, every plan known to him save
one,
of making the world a fit habitation for an immortal soul, and that
is the
plan of non-resistance. Will the necessity for self-preservation
drive him to
the acceptance of the plan, and consequent perfection, or will he
continue
to fritter away his opportunities until the great Hammer fans and
the nail is
driven home ? Will [TT 130] torture of mind and body, loss and
despair,
eventually turn him to a full investigation of that plan, that he may
thereby
learn that nonresistance is the positive aspect of resistance, and
being the
positive must be the good, the primal cause of all that follows of
good.
ROOTS
The idea of correspondences between all bodies belonging to the
vegetable kingdom, whose roots are embedded in the earth, and
mankind,
is so generally accepted, and has been so widely discussed, it
would seem
that the last word had been said. An occasional backward glimpse
over
some of the older arguments may throw some light on the
perplexing
problems which confront recent converts to our philosophy.
The rosebush, covered with exquisite blossoms which almost
intoxicates the senses with its beauty and fragrance, is utterly
dependent
for existence on the roots buried beneath the earth upon which it
stands. If
those roots could be perfectly observed in their natural positions,
without
disturbing even the least of the hairy rootlets which wander in all
directions from the main roots, the eye would be caught at once by
their
resemblance to the branches of the rosebush above ground.
Each branch has some interior connection with its corresponding
root
or rootlet. The combining, holding, and sustaining force resides in
the
trunk of the bush, partially underneath and partially over the
surface of the
earth.
That force flows through, animates, and preserves intact in form
the
bush as a whole, and every rootlet, branch, leaf, and flower which
now
comprises the bush, or will ever comprise it in the future. [TT 131]
While the bush and its roots are interdependent and united by the
trunk, the existence of one is entirely different from that of the
other. It is
governed by different laws, subject to different life currents ; its
life is
utterly dependent upon a different environment from that of the
other.
To other inhabitants of the earthy environment the roots of the
bush
are functioning in common with them. Their desire and necessity
are the
same. They are all subject to the magnetic currents of the earth.
The stored up sunlight in the earth matter has been changed back
into
the creative energy, the positive currents of life, the heat and
resultant
moisture from the interior fires are the negative, the mother
currents.
The whirling of the molecular substance of the earth around the
earth's
axis evokes a form of energy which frees the constantly forming
interior
gases, and combines them with the exterior gases of hydrogen and
oxygen.
This creates the moisture which every circumfluent motion of the
earth's
mass, induced by centrifugal and centripetal energy, serves to
gather into
what are commonly termed clouds.
When the action of the centrifugal and centripetal forces reach a
certain high degree of power, which occurs cyclically, they release
a finer
form of energy which imparts a circuitous motion to the moisture
held in
suspension. This energy gradually rolls up and masses the moisture
into
clouds, and increases the speed with which they move, with every
circular
movement, that is, with every exclusive movement.
It is this peculiar form of energy that is the propelling power of the
winds, or to be more explicit, it is the cyclic expulsions of this
particular
form of energy that are the winds.
When the same energy is at its lowest point of power, through the
cyclic lowering of the action of the [TT 132] centrifugal and
centripetal
forces, the massed moisture or clouds are compelled to discharge
their
heaviest drops, and rain, snow or hail falls upon the earth, at
whatever
point on the earth's surface that attraction is greatest.
When there is an abnormal generation and expulsion of the energy
before mentioned, there is an increase in the speed and strength of
the
circuitous mode of motion. The result is the high winds, cyclonic
storms,
tornadoes, etc., which play such havoc upon the earth. Back of all
this
action of forces is another great mystery the law of gravitation. it is
this
law which arouses and controls the action of the centrifugal and
centripetal
forces, and therefore which generates the energy of the winds.
By intelligent study of the operations of the Great Breath in all its
differentiations, applying the knowledge imparted to you in
instructions
and correspondences, you should be able to throw open many now
closed
doors. Let us never forget that back of all the most wonderful
phenomena,
back of all forms of energy, there is always the one eternal, all –
inclusive
Energy – Divine Love.
RESURRECTION
It is only now in this present age that the great mystery of the
Resurrection is being rightly interpreted and given publicity.
Such mysterious religious rites as, for instance, those of the later
dynasties of the Egyptians in the care of their dead, are the result of
imperfect interpretation of earlier revelations.
The Theosophical interpretation of the doctrine of Resurrection is
the
only one that does not conflict with science and reason. All life is
change,
and all life is deathless. The basis of manifested life is mind-soul,
and
[TT 133] the Universal Soul, of which all souls are emanations,
being
substance in a high state of vibration, is never still. Like the
"waters
breathed upon by the spirit" it is in a constant state of change.
It is only when an individual soul is confined by the principle of
form
that it can be even temporarily at rest. In order to confine it,
Nature's God
has built four sheaths, instruments, bodies, in which each division,
each
cell, as it were, of that mind stuff may be temporarily confined,
within it,
can operate as guided by the spirit of God, the basic source of
Universal
Mind.
Even when the physical sheaths grow old, or are otherwise
disrupted
or disintegrated, the remaining sheaths* remain intact on their
various
planes of expression-astral, higher astral, and spiritual. Whenever
the
consciousness, the spirit, of man on the physical plane is raised, as
is done
in vision, trance or deep, he is conscious on that plane where his
own astral
sheath, as well as that of the dead, is then acting. He may come
into
contact with the latter exactly as he would contact the physical
sheath
while the consciousness was piped on the physical plane.
If the consciousness of the one who has passed out is drawn
strongly
to his own discarded body, and to the physical conditions
surrounding it,
and if his friends on the physical plane happen to be in a state of
vision,
trance or deep, it is all the easier for mutual recognition of each
other. And
this is evidently what happened with Jesus and his friends after his
crucifixion. If you think over the condition of mind of Mary
Magdalene,
John, and Peter, as well as that of the Disciples gathered in the
upper room
when Jesus appeared, it is easy to supply the missing links in the
drain of
evidence.
In the first place they were in a state of high expectation. Jesus had
taught them the value of silence, concentration, and the invoking of
the
Spirit, the Higher Self. [TT 134]
They naturally would be using that power in expectation of His
appearing again, which would have made exactly the right
conditions for
His manifestation.
As He was a fully developed Master, and had absolute control of
all
the matter which constituted three of His four sheaths, He could
build up
or disintegrate at will any one of those sheaths for any requisite
temporary
purpose. He could appear in what would have all the earmarks of a
body
such as ours, and live in it as long as he wished. He was first of all
obedient to His Father, to the laws of Nature and God. When He
could
appear to them under the natural laws referred to, he would not
infringe
upon those laws, and perform a miracle by building a bona fide
physical
body, when there was no occasion for doing so.
His words to Mary : "Touch Me not for I have not yet ascended to
My
Father" prove that Mary might have injured herself by direct
contact with
that sheath of pure energy.
He had not yet assumed the still higher sheath of the Nirmanakaya
Robe, the spiritual body. He was to assume at His ascension,
therefore
could make Himself visible to those who had the clear vision of
clairvoyance.
To all believers in the orthodox version of the Resurrection the fact
that Jesus was seen and recognized by His disciples has furnished
the one
undeniable evidence of the existence of the soul after death, and
therefore
justifies their faith. The laws governing that Resurrection, the
interpenetration of the four sheaths or bodies, and their separation
and
reorganization under right conditions, as well as the nature of the
substance of which three of the four sheaths consist, all are
unknown to the
average man. The utterly unexplainable mysteries confronting the
doubter
who endeavors to unravel those mysteries of resurrection is very
discouraging.
The difference between self conscious, psychic vision [TT 135]
and
the dream state of the physically unconscious person except in the
case of
the Initiates of high degree is, that in the first instance the astral
bodies
seen in such visions are not conscious of the astral bodies of the
seer.
While in sleep the astral body of the dreamer is realesed from the
physical
and is in conscious contact or communication with others in the
same
condition.
The student of occultism is more fortunate in this respect, for if he
fully understands the teachings given him he does not have to rely
on the
mere statement of fact alone. His knowledge of the action of law
gives him
full assurance that there is no death in reality and that the passing
from one
plane into another is but a change in the vibration of the matter and
force
which comprise the one entity in its four stages of manifestation.
IS IT REASONABLE ?
Would you place in the hands of your little child a stick of
dynamite
and a hammer with which to amuse itself ? Would you send a
beloved one
alone into the lair of a tiger, when you knew that one was subject
to attacks
of dizziness when affrighted ? Would you teach your comrade the
use of
firearms, when you knew he would turn them against you in a
passion, or
still worse, against his weaker comrades ?
What excuse could you offer to divine law should you do any of
these
three things ? None, you would say. No more could the Initiates of
the
right hand path gain forgiveness for taking a disciple beyond the
preparatory degrees of occultism, when they know that such a
disciple was
incapable of passing safely beyond that preparatory degree, the
testing
degree for that which might follow, if the disciple were proven
capable of
further advance. [TT 136]
Whenever you hear a recreant, expelled, or unreliable disciple tell
that
he has passed through the Orders of the Temple, and has not found
what
he was seeking, or had been deceived, or one who is offering any
kind of
an excuse in justification of his unfaithfulness,, you will always be
safe in
saying : "My friend, you have gone to the limit of your power of
progress
in this life."
The very fact of his unfaithfulness to his vows of Initiation, the
treachery to a comrade, he has effaced his name at the moment of
the
commission of such an act from the roll of personal disciples. "His
inner
eye is blinded and his heart is hardened, lest he should see and
understand," that path which his former comrades are entering
upon. He
would endeavor to force his way, and so compel refusal from his
Master.
He could gain just knowledge enough to injure himself or his
comrades
past his power to remedy the injury. It is the merciful law, which,
symbolically speaking, blinds his eyes, i.e., blots out his desire for
continuing on that line of endeavor. It "hardens his heart," takes
away his
aspirations along that line, and it sets his face in some other
direction.
Does it even seem reasonable to believe that the Masters of
Wisdom,
to whom all hearts are open, would open the doors of white magic
to a
libertine, a seducer of women, a liar or a thief, when absolute
purity of
body, of mind and purpose is essential to enlightenment ?
Does it seem reasonable that the Masters of Wisdom would open
the
door to unlimited power to the betrayer of his trust, to the cruel,
forktongued,
vain and ambitious woman whose longing for denied sex
expression, or over indulgence in the same, has invalided her, and
who
sees in every other woman an enemy or a tool ? Yet, evil as are
these
qualities, many possessing them are led to the very doors of
wisdom
through their longing for more abundant life. When denial of
further
advance is made they turn viciously upon those who have taken
them as
far as it was [TT 137] possible for them to go on the path of
research.
They would deny with all avidity the existence or possibility of
anything
beyond their vision.
Unfortunately, as it would seem, it is by the word of such as these
that
true occultism is judged by the great majority. Here again the
merciful law
intervenes for the protection of such. The fact that the acceptors of
such
judgments have no more power of discrimination than to accept
and be
guided by such statements as are put forth by the above mentioned
classes.
This shows conclusively that they also are unfit for the
accumulation of
divine wisdom.
MOTHERHOOD
It takes a Nero or one of his ilk in savage sacrilege, in human
bestiality, to willfully wound or slay the mother who bore him-a
man
utterly lost to all human feeling, an epitome of ambition, greed and
lust.
Yet there are more reprehensible acts, as there is a tie more sacred
than
that of an earthly mother. Great as are the sufferings, the anguish of
childbirth on the physical plane, they are light in comparison to
those
which the soul-mother of the mature man endures. For she is one
who
takes from her own being, to bring him to birth, to the life on a
higher
plane of his being than that upon which he had previously
functioned.
No more than does a child remember his own birth, does the man
know the hour of the birth of his own soul. The mother alone has
true
knowledge of that event in either case ; nor can he know before his
soul
has attained to the same degree of development as that to which all
soul
mothers have attained, save in very exceptional cases. In all too
many
instances the Nero like demon in him has slain the mother by some
cruel
relentless stroke, [TT 138] or laid her head low in the dust by his
ingratitude or blindness, or at the bidding of some other soul
matricide
who cannot bear the burden of his own sin alone, and so must
needs seek
for a companion.
Every woman who has gone down into the depths of her own soul
and
brought up the spirit of motherhood, the intuitive spirit of unselfish
service
and devotion, with the pearls of deep thought and wisdom, and
showered
them upon man, is a mother of souls. She blows into flame the live
coals in
the ashes of his ignorance or his misspent life, and brings fuel to
keep that
fire alive until the man has gained sufficient power, or has regained
his
primeval birthright through determined effort, which will permit of
his
gathering that fuel for himself.
What of the man who has once instinctively, or intuitionally
recognized that motherhood of his soul, and then deliberately
attacked, or
permitted it to be covered with slime and filth ? What of the man
who has
taken the tears of such a mother to dampen the mantel he has
thrown over
his own shoulders, in order that the fire of anger and contempt in
his
brother's eyes shall not reach to his own vitals. The history of this
cold iron
age will be blackened with many such records. Day after day
another
record is added to the long list. Day after day is a soul mother
repudiated,
scorned, maligned, and given over to the wild beasts of the world,
by the
soul child whom the malicious inciters to evil thought have
poisoned. They
who seek some justification for their own acts, can only find it in
some
such way.
The world looks on and laughs, the demons in Hades dance for joy,
but the great brotherhood of souls regenerate bow their heads in
shame,
shame for those who no longer have that redeeming feature. [TT
139]
IN ANSWER TO ADDICTION
There is no form of business life which would afford them more
opportunity for direct contact with those who, of all people, most
required
their service, namely, those who were addicted to the excessive use
of
stimulants and narcotics.
The prohibition of intoxicants and narcotics, enforced upon
disciples
by the initiates of the White Lodge, is a vital necessity. The main
reasons
for such prohibition have not been given to any body of disciples
belonging to lesser degrees of the Lodge until now. This is due to
the
almost inevitable misconstruction placed upon our endorsement of
one fact,
a fact which might injuriously modify the minds of those who seek
for
license or indulgence and who, in all too many instances in past
eras, have
believed they found such license in esoteric teaching of one
particular kind.
it has always been a mystery to extremists why so many gifted
people
of both sexes indulged in narcotics and intoxicants for the purpose
of
doing their best and highest work. The said extremists could not
reconcile
that fact with the well known teachings of prohibition given by the
Initiates of the White Lodge and many other religious, scientific
and
ethical teachings on this head. When I tell you that the highest as
well as
the lowest planes of life are contacted by those addicted to the use
of the
said narcotics and stimulants and that much of the very highest
teachings
anent art and religion ever given to the world were received under
such
stimulation, you must be careful how you reject or erroneously
criticize
my words.
It is a well established fact that the pineal gland and pituitary
bodies
are vehicles for the transmission of the highest spiritual forces.
Anything
which will stimulate the molecules of those vehicles to a more
rapid
vibratory [TT 140] action will open an interior plane to the psychic
senses,
whether the primary cause is due to high spiritual aspiration and
love of
humanity or to a strong impulse to escape from restrictions of
matter or the
inescapable sorrow and anguish of body and mind from which
humanity
suffers. Therefore that is the thing sought for most diligently by the
normal
human being. If the answer to prayer, consecration and endeavor
does not
come as quickly as seems desirable, to the naturally sensitive,
highly
developed man with a tightly strung nervous system, he is very apt
to
demand some other method for obtaining his desire. In other
instances
environment, association, etc., lead people into indulgence, which,
unfortunately, temporarily opens the door to some inner plane. In
other
words, it increases the vibratory action of the pineal gland, and this
increase, in turn, produces certain changes in the organs of sense
which
lead to grosser forms of sensation.
Be it remembered, the fundamental purpose in all instances is the
same, i.e., higher – more rapid – vibration of the molecules of the
pineal
gland and pituitary bodies. However, the final effects are
diametrically
opposite. In the first instance, prayer, consecration and good works
lead to
the normal development of the said gland and bodies and to a
vibratory
action which may be indefinitely maintained, and this will
eventually lead
to contact with higher and higher planes of action. Finally the at-
one-ment
between mind and spirit is realized. In the last mentioned
instances, the
said bodies are not sufficiently developed, physically speaking, to
stand
the pressure of those more rapid vibrations for any long period of
time.
They break down, leaving only the possibility of contacting the
lowest
planes of being, until death ends the struggle on the physical plane.
It is
this condition which is primarily responsible for delirium, for with
the
breaking down of the physical envelopes of the said gland and [TT
141]
bodies, the mysterious nervous organism of the whole body
deteriorates
and finally incapacitates all the organic structure. It is then subject
to the
control of low elementals.
If it were fully understood and accepted that narcotics and
stimulants
did, in reality, open the higher realms of wisdom and knowledge to
the
hungering soul, even the knowledge that it was done only
temporarily and
must inevitably lead to degeneration and decay would not deter the
weak
minded or vicious man or woman from such indulgence.
Consequently,
this deep mystery is held as one of the secrets of occultism.
You have doubtless heard or read that in the performance of the
mistakenly believed "sacred" mysteries in past ages, and even in
the
present age, the use of strong narcotics and stimulants was
common. The
black magicians of past ages knew, and the present ones know full
well
what the final results must be to the victims of their avarice and
cunning.
Their purpose was the destruction of the higher attributes in man
and the
cultivation of the sensuous and lewd, they kept such knowledge
from their
neophytes and urged them on to all forms of indulgence and
sensuality.
Finally nothing was or is left to the White Brotherhood but to
withdraw
and permit the destruction of all life on the planet, save the
remnants left
for the seed of a new race.
Knowing these things, it surely cannot be difficult for you to
understand what a high, holy calling it is for any man to block the
efforts
of the black brotherhood by healing the diseases engendered by
such
means, before the destruction of those all important vehicles of
transmission, the pineal gland and pituitary bodies is complete, and
the
soul irretrievably lost.
The so-called prohibition movements can do naught but palliate
the
effects of the causes set up in the bodies and souls of those whom
they
would save. In all too [TT 142] many instances, the advocates of
this
measure only increase the danger, for they arouse the natural spirit
of
rebellion against enforced authority. The will that is striving to free
itself
from bondage to matter rebels against all things which tend to
coerce it
into further bondage, whether the nature of the bonds be good or
evil.
Enforced control tends to drive the victim into greater indulgence
just to
prove his power to defy control by pressure. Such a movement
does not go
deep enough. It works on the surface, while the disease it tries to
conquer
is too deeply seated for it to touch and heal, save in such cases are
those
where the higher aspirations have been awakened and as a result
the
vibratory action is decreased to some degree.
The human will has then become subservient to the divine will, but
the real causes for such apparent effects are unknown and
unsuspected by
the majority of workers in that field. They do not realize that a
point of
decay in the molecules of the physical envelopes of the
aforementioned
gland and bodies must be reached and seared over by the action of
one of
the "sacred fires," if the victim of indulgence is to be saved. This
may be
done by the fiery elementals confined in some medicinal formulae,
or by a
higher grade of elementals subservient alone to the demands of the
divine
WILL, as is the case in those instances where the cure – the searing
– is
accomplished by the fires of high aspiration, prayer and effort. The
mystery involved, the lack of understanding and right teaching and
the
inability of the masses to correlate the physical with the spiritual
and astral
aspects and forms of life are responsible to a great degree for man's
inability to deal sanely with this very important phase of the
problem
which confronts humanity at this time.
If such a movement became strong enough to carry out its
principles
by force or by national control, there would inevitably occur such a
reaction as would sweep [TT 143] all accomplished reforms away.
Far
worse conditions would result than those which now obtain. It
takes poor,
self-indulgent, violent, unrestful human nature a long, weary time
to learn
the deep truth that "true growth is slow growth." A bud may open
in a
night, but it has taken many nights and days for the plant to reach
the point
of putting forth its bud, and even then the bud may be blasted by
any
forced action. When it opens naturally, it is due to the inherent
desire of
the whole plant to catch the fructifying light of the sun that it may
bring
forth fruit. A like desire must be aroused in the masses of mankind
to save
them from the effects of evil in any form.
Another phase of the same problem is responsible for much of the
contradiction and antagonism aroused by any extremist who
endeavors to
inject his personal experiences into a discussion of this problem.
Unfortunately, it is a phase which must be ignored to a great
degree, for
the same reason that renders it inexpedient to discuss some phases
of sex,
i.e., misunderstanding.
The elements of time, bodily infirmities, genealogical karmic
effects,
racial tendencies – all these must be taken into consideration. If so
taken
they will modify opinions and set up vibrations which may change
the
present opinions and set up vibrations which may change the
present
opinions and conditions. They can in no wise change the causes
which
primarily induced man to yield to his desire.
The same effects may be produced by under stimulation that are
produced by over stimulation, viz, molecular disintegration and
final death
of body, in those cases where genealogical and karmic effects are
manifesting and racial or family tendencies have been set up which
must
be worked out before the soul is freed from their first causes. You
have
doubtless witnessed cases where an entire and sudden change has
taken
place in an inebriate who neither he nor others can account for in
any
rational [TT 144] way. This effect is generally the result of the
release of
full karmic indebtedness in one particular line, and with the
payment of the
debt, the searing process referred to has taken place as a result of
some
action by the higher self. If such an one had been forced into an
undesired
reform of habit, he would inevitably return to former ways as soon
as the
temporary restrictions were removed. This is one of the instances
where
time enters in as a big factor.
In other instances, where not sufficient stimulant was chemically
provided for keeping the organs of the body in natural action, the
proportion required is constantly demanded by those organs and if
supplied in any measure, there is no particular desire for excess
manifested.
Any change in the molecular construction of the pineal and
pituitary
bodies is checked in such instances and if the one so using
stimulants does
not die from other causes before a definite period of his life cycle,
there
will occur a change which will do away with need for stimulants.
Then, there are still other instances. I refer to those who have fully
developed those bodies of transmission in the brain beyond need or
beyond power of being affected injuriously. They can take a
stimulant or
leave it alone, as they choose. They generally choose to leave it
alone, for
the sake of others.
If you are able to see the points I have made in their entirety, you
will
be better able to form an unbiased judgment on the whole subject
of
stimulation. It is the world old subject of extremes, and extremes in
either
direction lead to disintegration and death. [TT 145]
GOLDEN PRECEPTS
My Children :
Among your number there are a few disciples who might benefit
from
a little advice I feel impelled to offer. Like other warm-hearted,
spiritually
hungry souls they are in danger of being exploited by those fiends
in
human guise, tools of black magicians, who continually lie in wait
for new
victims of their avarice and cunning.
I refer to those misnamed teachers of Occultism who claim to be
receiving directions from some high spiritual force, or directly
from the
Great White Lodge.
Place an unscaleable barrier between yourself and the person who
offers you development, or the possession of powers of practical
occultism
at the cost of little or no effort on your own part, or who offers to
teach
you the secrets of such attainment for a set price.
If you are familiar with the book of "The Golden Precepts," or with
any other reliable work on practical Occultism, you will have seen
that
there are certain inviolable rules to be obeyed, certain unalterable
conditions to be fulfilled before it is even possible for you to take
the first
step on the "Secret Path," the Path of Power. If you feel a strong
attraction
in that direction, I would advise that you read and thoroughly
digest such
information as may be found in authentic words on the subject, and
then
create a mental mirror in which, by the aid of your Higher Self,
your
conscience, your knowledge of your personal self, your dominant
characteristics, proceed to hold that self before the mirror. With an
earnest
petition for enlightenment, question that mirror as to what are the
probabilities of your being able to live up to those rules and fulfill
the
conditions, and abide by the answers.
Ask that mirrored form what is the extent of its will-power, of its
power of endurance, its ability for [TT 146] sacrifice, such
sacrifice as is
demanded of the true Neophyte ? In 999 instances out of 1000 the
answer
will be : "I have neither power nor ability commensurate with
demand."
Then, beware lest immediately there begins to form a series of
desire-pictures upon the surface of that mirror, expressions of
intense
longing, memories of sacrifices previously made, such pictures as
generally obsess the mind that has been denied some indulgence.
Little by
little the "lions in the path" will seem to disappear ; the weakness
of will
and mind and physical limitations will seem as of less
consequence, until
finally naught remains but a picture of the lower self in abject
submission,
the Higher Self triumphant. Such is the power of the lower self if
even
temporarily divorced from that light of the Higher Self. If the
glamour of
lower desire is permitted to blind you to the warnings received, and
to the
dictates of conscience, a false sensation of peace may follow and a
desire
to acquaint others with the fact that at last you believe you are on
the path
to unlimited power. Then you have become, a fit subject for the
exploiter
who is very apt to appear, and unless you have been so fortunate as
to have
been under the protection of a true Initiate, there is sore
disappointment in
store for you. All too many ignorant victims of such exploiters
have been
forced into utter rejection of all truth, the submersion of all hope
and faith
after awakening to the fact that they have been purposely deceived
by
some false teacher aided by the desires of the lower mind.
Bear carefully in mind that not one of the rules given for your
guidance is unnecessary ; not one of the directions is superfluous ;
not one
of the sacrifices demanded is useless. Remember that a perfectly
sound
body and a sound mind are essentials for a practical Occultist,
without
which it would be impossible to pass the requisite physical tests.
Remembering all these things be content to travel the path of the
heart, the
path of the child, until [TT 147] such lime as you may have gained
the
power to tread the harder path. If that power has not yet been
gained,
accepting and being content with the guidance of "those who
know" until
in their eyes, instead of yours alone, you are capable of taking the
next
step in safety. The peace that will come to you as a result of such
submission will be a lasting peace, however great the warfare
about you.
You will be content to await recognition by others instead of
claiming it as
a right. You will recognize your Father's face, your Mother's band,
and
will no more desire to wander in strange places. Soul sight,
Intuition, will
come, and with its coming will also come the power of
Discrimination.
Hold up that mental mirror and make sure of yourself, your
strength,
your power to serve aright, ere you ignorantly put yourself into the
hands
of one who may guide you into the great abyss instead of to the
mountain
top.
If you should find that the heights are unattainable to you today,
remember that another day is coming. Yet also remember that the
first step
must be taken by every human being, therefore, must be taken by
you, and
be not discouraged or dismayed if you stumble in the taking.
Remember that you, as a disciple, have demanded of the Great
White
Lodge a chance to climb. Having made this demand your feet have
been
placed on the first rung of the ladder ; hold fast, let nothing rob you
of
your opportunity, so shah it be well with you.
THE SOLUTION
"There must be some solution to the mystery of all these
apparently
honest claims," said an earnest disciple to me as we were
discussing the
prophecies of the coming Christ and the different individual claims
made
by [TT 148] seers, prophets, psychics, etc., as to their personal
connection
with that Christ. The belief of the followers of each claim in the
genuineness of the given revelations, is there regardless of the fact
that
each one appears to be a direct contradiction to all others.
There is such a solution, and it was practically given in the
Master's
instruction on the Mothers of the Christ Child.
Even if we have known we are constantly forgetting that every true
revelation made from the higher astral, the soul plane, and made by
an
excarnate being resident on that plane, to the seer or psychic
resident on
the lower astral or the physical planes that revelation is made from
a plane
of unity by a being who has attained to unity. That unity to identify
with all
other beings or states of substance and forces, on that particular
plane of
his existence. On this plane consciousness of such differentiation
as
obtains on the earth plane has been lost in consciousness of the
unity of all
things. Therefore a revelation which may be caught by any
individual on a
lower plane is made from the standpoint of one phase of
consciousness to
that of another phase of consciousness.
Unless the seer is a fully developed Master such a revelation from
the
higher plane is very liable to become tinctured with the personal
idiosyncrasies of the seer. If he be inclined to egotism and self
assertion he
will inevitably connect the person and the detail of the revelation
with his
own person. If he be a disciple of some greatly admired teacher he
will
connect them with that teacher. If he has some strongly focused
ideal he
will connect them with that ideal alone. In all such instances it is
all but
impossible to convince the self deceived of his mistake by aught
save hard
experience.
The pronouns I and you are almost invariably misplaced in the
delivery of a revelation. From the higher astral, the revealer intends
to be
understood as speaking [TT 149] from the cosmic standpoint of
the Ego,
the I am, to the combined units, the you, of all the organized life of
that
plane. Each individual whose inner sense of hearing was open to
the plane
of the revelation would naturally believe the revelation intended
for him
alone, when, it may be, hundreds of others had heard the same
revelation
psychically and believed it was intended for them personally.
Such a cosmic revelation as that of the coming of a Christ, one that
concerns every being, every minute form of life in a world, would
inevitably be caught by all whose ears were attuned to the
vibration of the
Christ. If honest in their conviction, the many now claiming to be
reincarnations of Jesus, or looking for such reincarnation in fleshly
bodies,
to be born or that are already born on the earth, may be victims of
their
own egotism, as before stated. The fact that every human being is
an
embryo Christ fosters his conviction.
Either all the revelations of the Bible, as well as the direct
statements
of the Masters, concerning the second coming of the great Master
Jesus are
false and misleading or else there is a way by which they could be
literally
fulfilled. That way has been clearly pointed out in the Temple
Teachings,
and it is a way that does not conflict with either physical science or
revelation. It in harmony with the law of cyclic evolution ; that is,
the rapid
development of a race toward the close of a cyclic period, to a
point where
the revelator and the revealed may be recognized as one being by
means of
the same spirit in the seer of the vision. This is when the spiritual
senses of
a race may be raised to a height of vibration co-equal to those of
the
revealor and the revealed, and the three become conscious of their
unity,
their one-ness. Then will the prayer of Jesus be answered, "My
Father, I
gray not for these alone, but for all those who may come alter, that
they
may be made one, even as we are one, Thou in [TT 150] me, I in
them,
that we may be made perfect in one, that the world may know that
Thou
hast sent me." Jesus would not have made a prayer impossible of
fulfillment.
If the glorified body of that great Avatar has been lowered in
vibration
until it is identified with the substance of the bodies of the astral
plane, and
the psychic senses of the whole or a part of the human race are to
be raised
to a point where observation of the phenomena of that astral plane
is
possible, then indeed, Death will be robbed of its sting and the
grave of its
victory. The sting of death is separation, and the victory of the
grave is the
sealing of that separation. As to who will be so overshadowed, that
is, as to
who will partake so strongly of the nature. Therefore who will
become
more able to voice the new revelations of that Christ when He shah
have
come, depends upon you or me or any other soul in incarnation
who shah
have reached more nearly to His own state of perfection in the
interim.
Now is our time of preparation.
ADEPTSHIP
"Adeptship is the next step below Mastery. An Adept is not a
Master
but is nearing the state of Mastery. An Adept is personally under
the ride
and direction of the Master of the degree of the Great White Lodge
in
which both Master and disciple karmically belong. He has become
an
Adept by following the rides and directions of his Master from the
time he
became conscious of his need for guidance and became an
accepted chela.
The guidance he must secure to gain such knowledge would fit
him for
higher fields of endeavor than could be reached by adherence to
any
educational system which confined his efforts to a three
dimensional world.
There comes a period in the course of his studies when he [TT
151] must
separate himself from the masses of humanity and pass some years
in strict
seclusion. In the case of a male who has been under the conscious
direction of a Master in a former incarnation, that period will
comprise the
years between his twelfth and twenty-fourth birthdays, or until the
age of
puberty has been passed. No human being of this age of the world
can gain
Adeptship in one incarnation. Consequently, if he reaches full
Adeptship it
is evident he has passed many minor stages in previous lives. In
some
instances his memory of those stages does not awaken until he has
passed
the age of puberty, but this correlation between soul memory and
the lower
mentality, does not exempt him from the rigid course of training he
must
subsequently enter upon if he is to accomplish his purpose.
The ignorance of the average man at the point of demarcation
between
such knowledge which may be gained by mental application, and
the
knowledge which may be gained by spiritual enlightenment,
prevents him
from attempting to cross that line. Therefore he is not even aware
that the
line is there, or that it may be crossed when he has evolved the
means of
crossing. They who guide his evolution know when it has become
possible
for him to make the attempt and they see that opportunity is given
for so
doing. From the moment of his decision he comes under the strict
ride of
chelaship, whatever his age may be, and he does not enter the
world of
men and affairs thenceforth until he has reached a certain definite
degree.
No great Adept will announce himself as such, or permit such an
announcement by those who have come under his personal
direction.
Recognition of his status can only come through the awakened
spiritual
perception of those to whom he presents himself. The fact that he
had been
so recognized by the latter would assure respect for his incognito.
His
coming into the open must inevitably [TT 152] bring much
negative force
upon him from the interior planes by the entities opposed to the
evolution
of man. Therefore he seeks such seclusion as will enable him to
successfully combat the antagonistic forces, and avoid all crowds,
all
argument, all notoriety. He does this in order to preserve his
physical body
for the use of his superiors until such time as he is willing and is
permitted
to make the final renunciation, and that time comes at some period
after he
has passed the degree of Mastery. His close disciples may not
recognize
him for what he is until some necessity arises in which case he
may do
what a great Master did, i.e., take his disciples "to the top of a
mount" and
permit them to behold a transfiguration, in other words awaken
their inner
vision that they may behold his real self – the nirmanakaya form."
In reply to a question concerning the prophecy of the coming
Avatar
and the tune of His appearance the Master said, " I can do no better
than to
repeat the words of the same great Master. As lightning cometh out
of the
East and shineth even unto the West, so shah be the coming of the
Son of
Man ; but of that day and hour knoweth no man. No, not even the
angels,
but my Father only. "
The same is true in a lesser degree of the advent of every Adept
into
the field of man's outer vision, for only the Father – the Higher
Self of an
Adept – knows how, when and where he shah enter the arena of the
world's affairs. Many highly evolved teachers of humanity have
come, and
will come in the future, among the masses of humanity, but they
are not
the Adepts. Occasionally there is one who is a recognized disciple
of a
Master, and he does a great work in preparing people for a higher
step in
evolution but he is not yet able to consciously pass the line of
demarcation
above mentioned. [TT 153]
WHAT IS A "LODGE AGENT" ?
Many inquiries have reached headquarters as to just what
constitutes a
"Lodge Agent," sometimes termed "a Link." Such an Agent forms,
as it
were, a connecting link between the lesser disciples of the Great
White
Lodge and the particular division of the Masters who guide the
evolution
of those individuals to whom they are karmically related. There are
material correspondences to such Agencies in all fields of
manifested life,
i.e., between the animal and human, and the vegetable and mineral
races.
Some of the disciples of Jesus and also some of the old Prophets
referred to in the Bible were in fact Agents of the Masters. H. P.
Blavatsky
was an Agent of the same group of Masters who have guided the
neophytes of the Temple of the People. Among other qualities, to
become
such an Agent of the Lodge, one must have developed the psychic
senses
to the point where it is possible to receive and transmit any
communication
given by the Master or Masters with whom they are most closely
aligned,
and in whatever form such communication may be given. There
must also
exist a strong karmic tie between the said Masters and their Agents,
and
the relation may have been sustained during many past
incarnations. There
is a vast difference between an Agent of the Lodge and a
spiritualistic
medium. The former is a self-conscious disciple of the most
intensely alive
human beings in the universe, and must pass through a definite
training for
that office ; while the latter is an unconscious vehicle which,
unhappily,
may be used by elementary forces or even by the astral shells of
undeveloped or earthbound souls who are no longer in physical
life, yet
who hunger for material expression.
Lodge Agents must have developed certain brain centers which are
connected with the psychic senses. In [TT 154] one sense they are
Sixth
Race people, although there is nothing in appearance to
differentiate them
from the race to which they now belong. These particular brain
centers are
even now being developed in the cases of those who are to be the
progenitors of the Sixth Race.
The Master, the Agent and the disciples of any division of the
Great
White Lodge may be likened to a string of beads of graduated
size ; but
even more may they be likened to the members of one large family.
While the Agents are receivers and transmitters of high spiritual
teachings from the Masters they are the teachers (Gurus, as they
are
termed in Aryan Philosophy) of the body of disciples with whom
they are
connected, for they must be able to interpret and explain such
teachings ;
and they are frequently given in symbol, color and sound
uninterpretable
as yet by the said disciples or by others.
As an Agent and disciple of the Masters, H. P. Blavatsky was given
the Book of the Golden Precepts, (practically the book of rules for
the
guidance of the initiates), from which she often quoted to her own
personal
disciples. One of these quotations indicates the relationship which
should
exist between a teacher and his or her body of disciples.
The following are a few excerpts froth said quotation :
"To the earnest disciple his Teacher takes the place of father and
mother, whereas they give him his body and its faculties, its life
and causal
form, the Teacher shows him how to develop the inner faculties for
the
acquisition of Eternal Wisdom." "As the limbs defend the head and
heart
of the body they belong to, so have the disciples to defend the head
and
heart of the body they belong to, from injury." In this instance the
body is
the Temple of the People and the philosophy taught therein.
"As the members of the body so are the disciples to [TT 155] each
other and to the head and heart which teach and nourish them."
But it must not be understood that disciples must defend or endorse
the wrong acts of each other, or in any way to use their co-
discipleship for
personal aggrandizement or material benefits. If occasion arose,
they
should even defend their co-disciples from the effects of their own
selfish
and unbrotherly thoughts and acts.
An Agent of the Lodge is under the strongest possible pledges to
the
Lodge, and the willful misuse of power or knowledge brings a
swift
retribution, and also involves them in the karma of those who have
suffered from such misuse. The tie between teacher and disciple is
a very
sacred one and cannot be lightly ignored by either one or the other
without
sad results.
THE SPOKEN PRAYER
"A prayer, unless pronounced mentally and addressed to one's
`Father'
in the silence and solitude of one's closet, must have more
frequently
disastrous than beneficial aspects." The spoken prayers may prove
disastrous when made by those ignorant of the power of sound, as
every
sound awakens some force on the occult side of nature, and only
those
who knew the nature and the effect of the sounds uttered in spoken
prayer
could use them intelligently, successfully and safely. Remember,
Jesus
also severely criticized certain kinds of prayer.
If those students who have discarded prayer entirely had even
intelligently considered the accepted scientific theory of the action
of one
mind upon another, commonly termed "telepathy," they must at
least have
discovered a working hypothesis by which to reach a right
conclusion,
both as to the efficacy of and necessity for prayer. [TT 156]
If it is accepted that there are other planes of being than that of the
physical and that many of those planes are inhabited by Beings
infinitely
higher in intelligence and far more powerful than the Fifth Race
men –
Beings who work on those planes for the higher evolution of the
whole
human race, Beings who are in fact the and mothers of the race
now, as
they well may have been the physical fathers and mothers of the
human
race in some one or more past ages – is it even conceivable that,
with the
knowledge of the finer forces of nature which they must have
gained in
order to reach such an eminence, that they would be unable to
catch the
inner voice sent out in prayer when their children were in
extremity or
when offering thought images of love and gratitude for what had
seemed
to them direct divine guidance or interposition ?
Is it conceivable that, with the abrogation of all space and time, as
far
as they were concerned, and therefore with their appreciation of
the close
unity which must exist between them and the great Avatars – the
Elder
Brothers of the human race – as well as with those who love and
revere
them and have them in mind almost constantly, that there should
not be a
flow of thought force to and fro between them and their disciples,
or that
even the ignorantly formed and selfish requests sent forth by the
less
evolved for terrestrial things would pass them by unheeded, even if
Karmic law would not permit the fulfilling of those desires ? A
parrot –
like repetition of empty words devoid of the energy of desire and
will is
not true prayer. Currents of thought might pass through many
minds ere
reaching the inner ear of One for whom it was specially designed,
for those
many minds are one in actu.
He who refuses to believe in the results of "the effectual, fervent
prayer of the righteous man," as one of the Elder Brothers has
voiced it,
must of necessity cast [TT 157] away belief in telepathy if he
would be
logical.
If it were possible for one of the doubters to perceive the waves of
energy – prayer or aspiration, whichever you choose to term it –
rolling out
to the inhabitants of some of the higher spheres in these days of
sore trial
to the human race, and the return waves of exquisite light and
color, easily
interpreted by the trained disciple, their doubts as to the efficacy of
prayer
would vanish. Thought forms sent forth in unspeakable agony and
in
longing for that which evolutionary law cannot concede to them at
this
time are heard and answered in ways which, unintelligible as they
often
are to the spiritually deaf and blind, will one day be understood by
them.
One hindrance to recognition of the answered prayer came from a
preconceived idea as to just what that answer must be, when in fact
the
answer may be diametrically opposed to that idea, if answered
according
to "the Will of God."
You may ask, what about the personal prayers being offered for the
cessation of the awful holocaust now taking place ? I say to you
that the
answer to those prayers will one day help to fill a world with
unspeakable
joy, for in no other way could the real appeal of the twice-born soul
be
answered. Such appeals are not selfish in reality. They are for
something
which will be for the benefit of the whole race.
With the opening up of the present Messianic cycle preparations
are
being made for new conditions, for far greater opportunities than
any
which have preceded them in the sense consciousness of man – in
biblical
terms, for a New Jerusalem coming out of the clouds of heaven, in
other
words, out of the condensed, constricted conditions which now
bind the
human soul, the soul which is always in heaven (the fourth plane
of
manifestation) but which is now so constricted by elementary
forces acting
through gross matter that it is not conscious of its divine mission at
all
times. [TT 158]
The closer you come to your God in aspiration, the nearer you are
coming to a realization of that heavenly state, whether you are in
or out of
the physical plane, and the nearer you are coming to the
consciousness that
your God is the God of your neighbor also and is the first
manifestation of
the unity of Desire, Will, Manas, whom "now we see through a
glass
darkly" – that One Reality which darkness of the lower sensual self
prevents us from seeing as in a mirror.
LIGHT OF THE SUN
It should be enough and more than enough for the self styled
occultist
to catch a single glimpse of the ray of the Sun of awakening which
is
pouring the Light of spiritual revival over the world, to make him
take to
the woods or hide his head in a coal bin, if he cannot be aroused to
a sense
of his duty. Especially is this true if it has even dawned on his
consciousness that the soul hunger of the masses of humanity is
being
temporarily satisfied by means of blasphemy, irreverence and
gutter slang,
given out in chunks with a few oldtime revival platitudes, and
delivered in
the presence of or by hundreds of ministers of the Gospel who are
hypnotized by the personal magnetism of the speakers into
believing they
are listening to the very voice of God, and enjoying the
vituperation and
abuse themselves because each one believes it is directed at some
other
one of their own profession, and could not possibly be directed at
themselves. They are not asking, "Is it I, Lord ?" They are simply
urging
God on to see that the other fellow receives his due. What a picture
these
self-styled occultists must present to the Masters they claim to
serve when
they can sit back at their ease and do nothing themselves [TT 159]
or even
help those who are willing to work to counteract the evil that is
being done,
or take advantage of the outpouring of spiritual power in the
greatest of all
the cycles of the past trillions of years. Where are the men and
women
who dare to stand up and face the blasphemers in their
amphitheaters filled
with the poor ignorant masses of humanity, and say, "You have
something
more to do for these people than to give them a crumb or two of
spiritual
truth which will only leave them all the more hungry and miserable
when
the tide of emotionalism has sunk to the bed of the stream and
there is
naught to satisfy their hunger on the muddy banks."
The student of occultism who has taken advantage of the
wonderful
outpouring of truth in the last quarter of a century ought to be able
to
interpret the symbolism of the Bible mysticism and give such
interpretations to the thousands who are brought to some
realization of
their own shortcomings and who are therefore in a condition of
mind
which would make them receptive to the vast underlying truths of
the
immaculate conception, salvation by faith, the Last Supper, the
miracles of
Jesus, etc., doubt of which furnishes material for years of unbelief
and
despair, after the first effects of the emotional wave which has
awakened
them to necessity for change in former methods of life, has died
down, and
which rightly interpreted furnish rational natural solutions of the
mysteries,
and give a real foundation for belief.
HEREDITY
All preceeds from the One.
And in the One is the Essence of All.
In the above truth is the basis of the Law of Heredity. The creative
cell
of the parent becomes the child, but the child is merely an
extension of the
parent life with all the [TT 160] stored up character and potencies
of the
parent and the parent's ancestry back to the primal racial root.
Our heredity even goes back further than the racial root. As all life
has
come from the One Divine life – the one Divine Creative Cell –
God – we
have inherited divine characteristics and tendencies and powers,
latent as
yet, but ever seeking expression as outer development permits.
In heredity we have involved the law of Atavism which is the
sudden
expression in offspring of tendencies, traits and characteristics,
mental or
physical, that belonged to the ancestral line of far back generations.
The
traits have skipped several generations or many generations but
suddenly
manifest. This is the law of Atavism.
This pertains to races as well as individuals. Good, bad and
indifferent
traits and powers thus manifest. The race and the ancestral line
thus
become a storehouse of character, with now and then a burst of
expression
of qualities that pertained to ages before. Logically, then, the
Divine
potency of our primal origin from Deity may burst out at any time
either in
race or an individual. Here, then, must be the Law of the Avatar.
That
which makes an Avatar possible being an atavistic manifestation by
heredity of a period when, in the life of the race, divine attributes
were in
outer manifestation. Such attributes may have disappeared, been
sunk far
beneath the surface auric soil of the race or the individual, but the
seeds
are there and will germinate when the time and conditions are
ripe..
In this fact and law we undoubtedly find the reason for the saying,
"My redeemer liveth," for no matter how far a race or individual
may sink
in the scale of being, the atavistic or redeeming trait, based on the
essential
divinity of ancestry, far back in the morning time of the world, will
assert
itself and restore the status lost, that is, bring [TT 161] back the
consciousness of kinship with the Gods – our spiritual birthright.
In all this we see the infinite Wisdom of the Creator, for, in every
atom of matter, he has implanted by virtue of our basic heredity
with the
Divine Ancestral Cell, the redeeming quality which, like the
Christos or
Avatar, will suddenly manifest in individual, race or world, in the
hour of
direst need.
If the ruling hierarchy of a world or a nation does not prepare for
the
inevitable counter attack, at the same time it prepares for an assault
on any
defended position in life, it will most surely meet with final defeat.
The
same law which makes necessary such provision in the case of a
Hierarchy
holds good in every department of life, cosmical or individual. If
man
neglects to prepare for the negative action of a positive act, in the
line of
religion, business, personal or family life, it matters not how
successful
may be the first effects of his positive act, he will be caught in the
toils of
the negative action of the force he has set in motion, as surely as
the sun
rises and sets each day.
it takes humanity a long time to learn to apply the knowledge he
has
gained of mechanical laws to those problems which most closely
concern
his mental and spiritual progress. If the progress of higher Orders
of life
must depend upon their knowledge of the action of the said laws,
what
chance has the average man of the world to keep what he has won
as aids
in progression if he refuses or neglects to act in accordance with
the
demands of those laws, and consequently makes no commensurate
effort
to that he has put forth to win in order to protect and hold that to
which he
aspires ? [TT 162]
The great failures in all fields of life have lain at the doors of
indolence or of ignorance of the one vital necessity for success,
i.e.,
preparation for the inevitable rebound of the force or object set in
motion.
Indolence or excessive self-confidence will leave than open to
disaster,
when normal sane methods of procedure in meeting the reaction of
a
precipitated force with a like ratio of strength and endurance to that
set
free in precipitation would bring success.
You will find the same laws govern every phase of life if you
search
deeply enough. Life in action is never singular ; it is always dual ;
consequently no greater service can he given to those units of
humanity
who have had no opportunity for absorbing knowledge of the
action of this
law than by giving constant, unremitting effort to supplying this
deficiency.
TRUE LIBERTY
To be deplored is the necessity for adding vital energy to a thought
form rapidly taking shape on the lower manasic plane, as does
occur in
even considering the basic ideal of a subject which is primarily
responsible
for bringing a thought form into expression, for the more vitality a
thought
form is given the quicker it may be materialized and the stronger it
may be.
While the form in question is already in material expression in
some of the
European nations, it will inevitably eventuate in America also,
unless there
is a radical change in the minds of the people in relation to the
general
interpretation of the words, personal freedom. This is my
justification for
bringing the subject up for your consideration.
As is always the case, the awakening of one pole of force or matter
prefigures the awakening of the opposite [TT 163] pole, and with
the
awakening of the positive ideal of Liberty in the minds of a people,
its
negative pole, License, becomes the ultima thule of endeavor in
that
portion of a race which has not yet evolved to a perception of the
ideal of
Liberty which is held in the minds of a more highly developed
portion of
the same race.
The one fundamental and all-important base of a true civilization is
the ideal of the family. The purity of a race ; the possibility of a
clean
genealogy depends upon the offspring of the union of one man to
one
woman, and whatever strikes at this base-this root of civilization,
strikes at
the possibility of the continuous existence of the race. The man or
woman
who indulges in promiscuous co-habitation is guilty of a very far-
reaching
crime against the race to which he belongs.
Whatever may he the faults or failings of Orthodoxy in other
repects,
its insistence on the sacredness of the marriage tie has been a most
redeeming feature. I am bringing these points up at this time for
the days
are fist coming when one of the results of this world upheaval
which I
have termed a religious war, and of the precipitation of the
thought-form
previously referred to, will be upon you as they are now upon other
nations
of this dark star.
The days when whatever body is in power at the time may advise
and
even demand that promiscuous co-habitation shall obtain, using as
a plea
for the same the supposed need of numerically maintaining the
population
of a nation, and I ask you men who have wives and mothers, sisters
and
daughters, if you are inclined to countenance the false ideas of
personal
liberty in matters of sex now being freely discussed among many
people.
How would you feel if you were to see the bodies of those wives
and
mothers and sisters and daughters at the mercy of some of the
human
beasts of prey who are now actively supporting the acts of the
ruling
powers of the [TT 164] countries referred to, the men and women
whose
minds have been permeated with the effluvia arising from the
ravings of a
madman, because they were either too indolent or too sense
besotted to
realize the subtlety and the dangers of the philosophy presented to
them ?
There is a bar sinister on the escutcheon of the soul that can be so
utterly deceived as to make it impossible to interpret the word
Liberty as
others would naturally interpret the same word, and so far as you
are
spiritually above such a sorely deceived Soul, just so far are you
bound to
work for the dissemination of the Light of Truth herein imparted to
you
wherever you are placed. Especially is it your duty if you expect to
become leaders of men in the future.
If you do not do this, it will be upon you, and upon others like you,
that the onus of such conditions as I have referred to will rest, for
you have
had the advantage of over 2000 years of preparation and
instruction on
those lines which make for race purity and high civilization.
You may refuse to believe that here in America, or in England or
France, such conditions would be tolerated, but just calmly
consider the
fact that it only requires the addition of comparatively few more
sympathizers to each one of the many groups already formed ;
groups of
men and women who are even now advocating the repudiation of
the
present otherwise commonly accepted code of morals and high
ideals, to
bring about conditions which would make for unbridled license.
There is a tremendous responsibility resting on all clean-minded
men
and women, and there is no time to be lost. True Liberty consists of
the
power and ability to do the right thing at all times. Man has not
now the
freedom of choice which enables him to always do the right thing.
He is
prevented by the results of past License, and until it is made
possible for
him to possess freedom of choice by means of a right environment
and the
[TT 165] evolution of a higher sense of morality true Liberty is the
ideal
he must aspire to, and by constantly aspiring to it he will surely
gain it
when the cyclic hour strikes.
SOULS
It may be asserted that never since man began to believe that he
had,
or was, an individual soul, or that he was an individual part of the
oversoul,
have there been two people of opposite sexes drawn together as a
result of
mutual passion – creative instinct, who have not, at least in the
early days
of their association, convinced themselves that they were twin
souls.
If a true concept of the nature of a soul exists in the mind of man
he
believes that his soul is eternal and unchangeable. If eternal –
without
beginning and without end, it would hardly appear that separation
or
reunion of souls would be possible, and if not possible, what
becomes of
the modem theory of twin souls ?
Matter is polarity, constant, unremitting, to and fro action of
energy,
separation and recombination of electrons, atours and molecules in
all
forms of life..
There would be less cause for contradiction if the said theorists
were
willing to accept the fact that wherever polarity exists, matter
atone, and
not soul, furnishes the binding and separating influences ; but they
neither
can nor will accept that fact until they have evolved to a
consciousness of
the nature and functions of the Soul.
The illusionary power of sex is so strongly exerted wherever the
creative instinct is concerned in mankind that not until the Divine
Soul
reflected in such creation has evolved a sexless vehicle – body –
can the
lower, the human mentality be capable of facing its soul – in other
words,
be capable of knowing itself. [TT 166]
The reason for this is not far to seek. The incarnating ego is forever
seeking the next higher step on the ladder of life. The higher aspect
of the
Desire principle in man is continually striving to regain reunion
with the
universal principle of Desire – Divine Love ; and human passion,
taking
upon itself the semblance of Divine (selfless) Love, deceives the
lower self
into the belief that that which is in fact the effect of passion is of
the nature
of Soul, which is passionless. Therefore the average person in the
throes of
what is believed to be Spiritual Love, is not willing to admit that
the
attraction between the opposite sexes is the action of polarity –
matter.
When all is said, it is a curious quality of the average human mind,
which, although it is as yet wholly incapable of even
comprehending the
nature of matter, it is more or less satisfied with its solution of soul
problems. The ultimate nature of Matter still baffles all scientific
investigation. Then what probability is there that man in his present
stage
of development can comprehend the deep mystery of the Soul ?
A false belief in the modern theory of twin souls has led, and is
still
leading to the mismating of many men and women, and has led to
many
more scandals and final separations than any other one cause.
True spiritual sexless attraction between individual souls whether
in or
out of physical embodiment arises from the knowledge that they
are all
reflections of the Oversoul, and they bear no resemblance to sex
instincts
or to any grade of matter pertaining to the physical plane.
It is attainment of common consciousness-the universal
consciousness
latent or active in each reflection of the Oversoul, which alone may
give a
true perception of unity in diversity. Having once attained to this
consciousness, the attraction of the phenomena of physical plane
loses its
powers to a great extent. The mind functions no longer in matter of
low
vibration alone. The [TT 167] individual Soul then knows it is one
of the
sexless spiritual beings which came from higher spheres to redeem
gross
matter. It is our individual prayers, our aspirations and unselfish
actions
which furnish the dynamic power by which we can reach to a
knowledge
of our divine Higher Selves.
NIRVANA
What mind can picture the conditionless state in which the soul of
man exists when it has won the last of the countless prizes it has
striven for
through the eons of tune that have elapsed since it came forth from
the
absolute ? Though no man's mind could perfectly picture that
divine state
of Nirvana, yet there is one experience the soul may pass through
which
may analogically give some faint idea.
Very frequently we come upon the expression, "the great
Renunciation." In some instances there is an effort made to
interpret the
words. In their last analysis they are supposed to indicate the
sacrifice
made by the Christos – the Son of God, to redeem humanity from
sin.
While this definition seems acceptable to many people, from
another
point of view, I believe the words conveyed a much deeper ideal to
the
minds of those who first gave expression to them – the Masters of
a far
earlier Manvantara than they do to the majority of mankind at the
present
lime.
In an effort to cast aside the old crude idea of a personal God, with
its
limitations, it may well be that we are in danger of casting aside
something
that is infinitely greater than some of our present ideals of God.
We use the words "the Absolute," and "the Infinite" very glibly, but
when we come to define the words, and [TT 168] interpret the
vague ideal
expressed by the same we find ourselves at a loss.
Over and over again we hear the words, "God is Love," and the
word
Love, if rightly interpreted, may convey a more perfect idea of the
nature
of the Absolute than any other word that we are familiar with.
We know that Love is the highest, holiest, most unselfish attribute
of
human nature, and if God – the Infinite – the all inclusive is Love
itself,
and Love is expressed in sacrifice in giving up its love, its essence,
to the
primordial universe, this must be a continuous sacrifice. Let us
look for a
moment at the nature and attributes of Love as they are expressed
by man.
Aside from the commonly accepted attributes, unselfishness and
sacrifice,
we find another which is in contradistinction to these. We find an
intense
desire, an unutterable longing for reciprocation. If we truly love
another
person the reciprocated love of that person is the dearest thing in
the world
to us.
No sacrifice would be too great, no effort too wearisome that
would
enable us to gain the love we crave if it be withheld. We do not
want that
love for the purpose of exploiting it, if our love is pure ; we only
want to
be able to serve its object more perfectly. Our hearts sicken in
longing if
deprived of it, and if it be given us we ask nothing more of life-
everything
that follows is merely incidental and comes as a matter of course.
If our love is sincere we would die a thousand deaths before we
would
willfully bring sorrow, regret, disgrace, or suffering upon the
beloved one.
No greater test of true love can be given than this.
This being true, and surely no one who knows whereof they speak
can
deny it, how absurd it is for us poor human atoms, mere ebullitions
of
God's Love that we are, to deny the possession of those attributes
of Love,
which are its strongest manifestations, to our ideal of the Godhead,
and
make of that God a cold abstraction. [TT 169]
One cannot conceive of God as an abstraction, or as a Being
animated
by cyclic energy, possessing power of selection, even of abstract
justice,
but still as of a being deficient in and powerless to express the
energy or
substance of which it was formed ; at least this is truly beyond my
power
of imagination. I think all human beings have at some time in their
lives
felt an indescribable, unutterable, intense longing for something
which
they could not name, something which saddened them beyond
words, and
created an unappeasable heart hunger, while at the same time they
were
ignorant of the cause or the source of the feeling, and were utterly
incapable of satisfying that hunger.
I believe that this longing in the soul of man is the return wave of a
longing of the same nature which comes straight from the Heart of
God –
the Father-Mother of the human race – and is in fact a demand that
is
being made by God upon the soul of the creature that that God has
loved
into life, the creature for whom the great renunciation, the great
sacrifice
of His own essence has been made.
It is a commonly accepted theory that the Saviors of all time have
made the great renunciation of physical existence, for the benefit
of the
human race, but I believe they have only made in a far lesser
degree the
same sacrifice which God, the Infinite, had made in its fullness
long, long
before, and that such Saviors – Masters are only the first fruits, the
first to
give recognition and response to the call made upon them by God,
as it is
made upon us all.
If what I am so feebly trying to express of the attributes of Love,
the
inevitable effects of Love, as it is exemplified in the unselfish,
sacrificing
human heart, is fully understood, surely some little idea of what I
believe
to be the most important truth in the Universe must come to us, and
so help
us to recognize the nature of the [TT 170] ache in our own hearts
at times,
and incite us to give back to God that which is His own. In this
belief it is
easy to see what Mastery is, easy to understand what the Master's
insistent
cry for more Love really means, for Mastery is first of all the
power to
love more, and therefore to wield the forces which Love has
created ; the
power to separate Love from the selfish, lustful, cruel, death-
dealing forces
we all too often confuse with real Love, and which overcome the
latter,
and are in truth. the attributes of the forces of Evil ; and when
separated to
use it to kill out or change these demoniacal forces into forces of
goodness
and helpfulness.
We cannot send back a return wave of the Love that has knocked at
our hearts in those hours which I have mentioned, without making
a
lasting connection with Its Source, and then it depends upon our
power to
distinguish the knock from others when it comes at all times and to
answer
quickly, as to how soon the connection will he made for all time,
that
connection which means Mastery for man. In taking away our
reverence
for the name and attributes of whatever ideal of the Godhead or the
Absolute we may have, when there is literally nothing in the
universe that
can supply the same great need in the human soul, any man or
woman is
taking a fearful responsibility.
We must not forget that in the doing of anything of like nature one
is
not as lie may suppose, merely changing some wrong concept, or
correcting some mistake, he is robbing that soul of a vital necessity
for
continued life. It is not error alone that he is striking at, it is the
very
essence of life, i.e., Love and Reverence for and obedience to Law.
The state termed Nirvana can only he the individual
consciousness-the
state of the soul which has finally come into a realization of its
unity with
God-the state of such perfect Love for and unity with the beloved,
the
[TT 171] perfect sacrifice and recognition of the sacrifice which
two
perfected souls may experience, but which can never be reached by
any
other means. For the perfect sacrifice of all things mutable, and the
absolute control of all personal conditions are essential.
If the mind is clouded by the mists of selfishness, the Door of
Nirvana
is closed-and the Door to Nirvana opens into the Heart of God.
THE FEMININE CYCLE
Owing to certain developments which have occurred in recent
years,
we feel it incumbent upon us to call attention to the danger facing
those
students of Occultism who are innocently being led into allying
themselves
with the bodies of men and women who are under the direction of
false
teachers. These teachers are using methods of instruction for
selfdevelopment,
in the cases of their victims, which are greatly disapproved
by the Masters of Wisdom of the White Lodge. While on the
surface the
instructions issued by the said teachers appear to be spiritually high
and
moral in tone, it has been observed that eventually the tone of them
is
changed in private classes and the students are led into indulging in
practices of a very sensual nature. Therefore, great care should he
exercised in the selection of teachers by those students just
entering upon
the study of Occultism.
Women are more easily deceived by the adventurers who form the
said students into classes that are men ; especially is this true in
more
recent years for the following reasons :
The closing of the masculine or positive aspect of half of the
present
great world cycle opened the way for an inrush of the cosmic
forces of the
feminine or negative [TT 172] aspect of the same cycle. We are
now on
the upward arc of that cycle and the strength and action of said
forces on
the female sex in all fields of life is constantly increasing. It is due
to the
action of these great universal forces, directed as they are by high
spiritual
entities, that women have been brought to the front in all lines of
life since
the year of 1898.
The unsatisfied hunger of womankind for knowledge, especially
along
the lines of physical economy, philosophy and science, has been
met by
many opportunities for obtaining knowledge in the said fields.
Naturally,
women are drawn to the study of the philosophy of Occultism and
the
Mysteries of Sex as therein expressed appeal to them strongly, and
in
many instances have made them a prey to the false teachers who
presume
to try to explain these mysteries which no one save a Master of
Wisdom
could perfectly fathom. Naturally many men are also interested in
this
subject and have been equally deceived by the charlatans who have
preyed
upon women.
If all students of Occultism would bear strongly in mind one very
obvious fact, they might be saved much humiliation. The fact that
any one
posing as a teacher of the mysteries, agrees to reveal a secret
method of
self-development for obtaining the so-called Elixir of Life, or for
the
possession of unlimited power over matter by means of the use of
the
generative organs of sex, proves himself a false teacher, for tee
knows tee
cannot fulfill his promises and also knows that tee would be using
the
methods of black magicians in attempting to do so.
"Purity or purpose, of motive, expression and execution are the
first
essentials of true discipleship and no Master of the Great White
Brotherhood could endorse any method of self-development which
led to a
perversion of the sex forces."
The natural desire of humanity to investigate any mystery of nature
is
increased to an enormous degree in [TT 173] the case of an
occultist, and
in many instances both men and women become victims of some
emissary
of evil in the guise of an angel of light.
Similar methods have been used by devotees of Black Magic in all
ages and always with the same results – the degeneracy of the
victims of
their own sensuality, or the development of a desire for
superhuman power,
which is only obtainable by super-physical methods. The methods
of
repressing the sex forces are no more occult than are the methods
openly
taught by teachers of Sex Hygiene for preventing conception in
abnormal
cases, although given out by false instructors for their students as
great
Occult secrets, and which only lead to increase of sensuality and
are to be
avoided by all normally healthy people.
THE LAW OF LOVE
In these days we may hear much of the Christ Love with the advice
to
leave all of our problems to the Christ and all will be well with us
and the
world.
It behooves every earnest student of truth, however, to be sure tee
or
she understands what is meant by the Christ and the Christ Love as
applied
to this outer plane of manifestation and differentiation.
The Christ Principle is the Principle of Balance in manifestation in
all
things natural and Divine. It is the Crest of the Wave, but without
the wave
it could not be. It is the Mountain Top held in poise by the
inexorable
necessity of a base.
The Christ is likewise the Middle Point or path between all
extremes.
It has the power of both extremes, but bound to neither. THE
CHRIST IS
LOVE AND WISDOM CONJOINED – ETERNAL MATES. Love
atone
would [TT 174] make an imperfect unhinged Universe, but with
wisdom
to guide, Chaos resolves into the Cosmos – the Order of Heaven or
Harmony.
In the supernal example, Jesus made manifest this great principle
of
Love and Wisdom in action through Him. None were too lowly for
His
hand to touch and bless, but He did not hesitate to right wrongful
conditions by stern measures as when He drove unworthy forces
from the
Temple by the lash of His Spiritual Will. This was Wisdom acting
in
accord with the highest Love. For if evil is allowed to endure
beyond a
certain measure it can prostitute even Divine Love to unworthy
ends.
This same law of Love and Wisdom in action is daily illustrated in
the
case of earthly parents and children. Love alone would not chastise
and
save the child, but Wisdom guiding Love does chastise and make
straight
the crooked lines forming in the child's nature. So does the Christly
Law
deal with us all, and in proportion as we are able to follow this law
in our
daily lives individually and collectively so do we become attuned
to
natural and Divine Law, and find Life and Light ever more
abundantly in
the consciousness of our Higher Divine Self – or God.
CONCERNING GROUP SOULS
Matter, Force, and Consciousness are one. I am unable to give you
much information concerning the subject of Numbers present. You
are at
liberty, of course, to try to solve them if you can. I neither can nor
would
prevent you from finding out any of the secrets of Nature, but that
would
not relieve me from my responsibility. As I have told you, numbers
are
very sacred and are not given out except under very extraordinary
circumstances. I might, as so many have done, give you a series of
numbers for [TT 175] everything and cover them up with a series
of blinds
so that you could not possibly work them out, but I do not consider
it right
to do so, and for the present I must say
that I cannot enlighten you on that subject now. You will have to
wait.
On the Dais of the Great Temple all color is represented. Some one
color is a little more prominent than another, and that plainly
indicates a
development along that special line more complete than along
other lines.
In some cases the correspondences as given in the instructions give
the
true idea of the lines of development. In others they are wrong.
This is one
of the subjects that will come up when the instructions are
elaborated.
There is one item in one of the late lessons that help you in the
consideration of many things that may come up, namely, in that
vision of
the Creation of a Universe, the first Son of Light, the first Sacrifice
swept
out from the point of manifestation as far as the impulse or rate of
vibration would carry him, then he returned along the same lines to
the
Center. He had only sacrificed his body to make those points of
light. His
soul and spirit were where they always were. When he came back
to that
point of manifestation there followed a pralaya. And then there
were
three that were shot out for another Manifestation, but those Three
were
that One, and so it was when the Seven swept out. He returned for
a
pralaya and then went out under another rate of vibration. The One
was
Seven at the time. This also applies to the evolution of the whole
Universe.
There are the wheels within wheels. The evolution of a planet was
evolved
under the same laws that evolved the whole Universe. There is an
almost
perfect correspondence in the life of every atom in manifestation.
Every
atom has to retrace along the same lines.
The whole action of the Cosmic Forces is not to emphasize any
one
color but to grow so that all may [TT 176] manifest equally, so that
each
and every individual entity may grow as the tree grows when
perfectly
rounded out in every direction, with no one color prominent but all
in
equal proportion. What is true of each ray is as true of the Cosmos
and
applies equally.
The personalities are all on lower planes of manifestation when
there
are so many. It is only a higher aggregation of astral bodies – to put
it as
plainly as possible – on the same principle that aggregations of
atoms
make a body. When there are so many personalities, it is simply
because
the individualities are not powerful enough to assimilate all the
force of
that entity and it has to be distributed over a large area. By "lower
planes"
I mean astral as well as physical planes.
When the soul on its return leaves the lower astral it begins to unite
with its own special ray as the atoms of each plane go back into
universal
matter for a time, until they are called forth for another
manifestation.
Where the soul remains when it leaves the body depends upon how
far the
personality has become developed. If it has gained much
experience and
assimilated all it has gained and is ready for a high step, it will
remain in
the Upper Astral. The soul that was manifested in two bodies on
the lower
plane would have but one on its return.
A Group Soul may be represented by a seven-point star, seven
times
seven, or forty-nine. There are other figures that would represent it
on its
return better than those I have mentioned that I cannot give now.
There is
one on the Temple Pavement that represents it perfectly, and that
you will
see some day. The whole is represented in the pyramids of Egypt,
particularly in the one called "Great".
The development of all lives is like the progression of geometrical
figures, as they are called, though of course such illustrations
convey no
adequate conception of the truth, for those lines are in reality living
entities.
[TT 177] Those geometrical figures, so called, are really composed
of
substance in a state of evolution, as is all Matter, Force and
Consciousness.
Every spiritual being is a line. There is a certain individuality in
every
atom in manifestation.
THE LODGE OF MASTERS
The Masters are those beings who have by sore travail of soul, by
vast
experience, suffering and sacrifice, advanced to a degree of
evolution, far
in advance of ordinary human beings.
The consciousness of the Masters, is not limited to any one plane
of
life, as is the case with ordinary men and women.
A Master is one who has conquered the limitations of matter, as
that
term is ordinarily understood, and is able to function consciously
and at
will, on more than one plane of being, according to the degree
which he
has attained ; in other words, a Master is one who has entered the
EYE of
the Triangle in the Square, and who henceforth functions in wider
spheres
of action, where they become and are the conscious factors, forces
and
agents, in helping on the evolution of worlds and races.
The Masters are not gods – they are men and they can, if necessity
requires, work on the physical plane in a physical body. Their
greater work
is done, however, in their Nirmanakaya body, the robe of conscious
immortality, which they have won through pain and sacrifice,
endured age
upon age.
The Lodge of Masters is synthesized in the Central Spiritual Sun,
which is composed of all the Masters of the Right-hand Path.
This Central Sun is interchangable with the Christos, who is the
perfected Son (Sun) of Infinite Love. [TT 178]
DEVOTION AND RHYTHM
The agonized shriek of the mortally wounded devotee strikes the
key
to the Song of the Soul Released and establishes the rhythm of that
song.
Life sacrificed is love revealed.
God rolls up the songs of the nightingale and linnet, mockingbird
and
thrush and then sets them free within etheric waves to carry back to
earth
the first beginnings of the rose and violet, the heliotrope and
jasmine and
other flowers of odors sweet.
The Message of the Christ, the Christian Message to mankind,
conveys the idea of Devotion above and beyond all else, Devotion
to God,
to principle, to our fellowmen, even unto death, does indeed
establish the
rhythm of the Song Celestial.
The identification of the quality of Devotion with the Law of
Rhythm
would not occur to the average man, probably because he has
never quite
comprehended the quality indicated by the word Devotion. Prayer
or
consecration is naturally connected with this word. Consequently,
if you
note the interpretation of the Hindu equivalent for Devotion,
Sattwa, one
of the qualities whereby the soul may obtain liberation, you will
naturally
accept the English interpretation of the word – Prayer. But used in
relation
to liberation the word mean something infinitely greater than it
means to
the average person, for it would mean all that is comprised in the
positive
pole of life as opposed to the negative pole. Attainment by
devotion
requires the devotee to use all the qualities and attributes of the
Higher
Self, all spiritual powers as opposed to the qualities of the negative
side of
life – in other words, attainment through the power of Will.
This brings us back to the consideration of the Law of Rhythm, or
rather to the Sons of Motion, the Cyclic [TT 179] Laws. The
Divine Will
and Motion, or Vibration, are identical. Therefore, in its last
analysis
Devotion and Motion, or Vibration, are one and the same Divine
Will.
This is the secret of rhythmic breathing as it is used by the devotee.
THE RIGHTEOUS AND SELF-RIGHTEOUS
Three times in a single quarter century have we emphatically
assured
three different bodies, brought under our direction by or through
the labors
of H.P. Blavatsky, that ingratitude was not one of the besetting sins
of the
Initiates.
Three times have we pleaded with the same bodies to stand firm in
their allegiance to those individual disciples who were chosen to
direct
those bodies ; not that any advantage would come to us through
their
allegiance, but because of the perfect futility of any effort to reach
and
direct them if they wavered in allegiance to the lines established by
us and
thereby cut off communication between themselves and us, for
they can no
more afford the gratification of ingratitude than can we.
The apparent ease with which some of these pledged disciples have
determined the worthiness or unworthiness of some established
link with
us is truly remarkable, in view of the fact that not withstanding all
our
thousands of centuries of experience to draw upon for data we
could not
accurately determine the same questions until the supreme trial of
each
such individual was over, and when this occurs in any given
instance, no
question remains.
The colossal egotism of the self-righteous individual who can
presume
to designate the cause, the time and the extent of the Failure of
some
fellow pilgrim to pass [TT 180] some predetermined test put upon
him by
an Initiate, is as amazing as is the supposed list of offenses
according to
which the condemned has forfeited his or her connection with that
Initiate,
when in fact there is but one offense that is irremediable.
Truly, there would be but little encouragement for those who must
weigh and sift the wheat from the chaff, or must select the stones
for the
building of a Temple from among a group of disciples, the majority
of
which were limited to such a degree.
Were it not for the one here and there, among said groups, whose
fidelity, humility, obedience and courage, like jewels in a crown,
shine out
vividly by comparison with the qualities expressed by the former,
we
would be of all men most miserable, when the memory of the
tremendous
task set for us came over us and we were forced to review the
varied
remnants of our scattered flock, in some one era of selection, some
appointed time, when empty places in broken lines are to be filled.
It takes the great majority of the human race a long time to
appreciate
the fact that but a very limited number of its units have evolved to
the
degree where it has become possible for them to determine the
exact truth
regarding any phase of nature or any act of man.
The last word on any subject is seldom spoken, the basic cause of
any
action is very seldom determined. Irrefutable evidence is supposed
to be
furnished when a number of persons are agreed as to what was
seen and
heard by them all at the same given time, yet such evidence would
not be
sufficient to justify condemnation of a fellow being by an Initiate
of the
right hand path, for he would know that such an array of testimony
might
be truthfully refuted, and all the premises upon which the
testimony was
founded, safely rejected by some other person whose eyes and ears
were
open to higher and lower wave lengths of light and sound, and
who, therefore,
[TT 181] had been able to catch some word or tone, or perceived
some intermediate act, between two acts or scenes, which would
change
the whole character of the testimony.
Countless numbers of people have gone down to disgraceful death
or
imprisonment, perfectly innocent of the crimes for which they
were
condemned.
The lives of countless others are being made wretched, beyond
power
of description, by similarly unjust proceedings, and allowances for
such
possibilities are seldom made, even in this day, when scientific
research
has revealed the facts that the eye and ear of the average man is
blind to
the color-vibrations beyond the violet, in the scale. of colors, and
deaf to
corresponding vibrations of the scale of tones.
A very slight change in the construction of the eye and ear would
make a radical difference, and such changes have occurred in the
eyes and
ears of those who have passed beyond the degree of life where the
average
man of today functions the greater part of the time.
If it be granted that the above statements are true, it is evident that
nothing will justify a fixed and therefore inaccurate opinion or
decision in
any case where the eye and ear are involved, when the life or honor
of
another is at stake, until such time as one has evolved to the degree
where
perfect sight and hearing are attained.
But bear in mind, I would not have you rush to the other extreme
and
refuse to act upon a given conclusion, in the ordinary affairs of life,
for as
a general thing these come within the compass of the range of sight
and
hearing now possessed by the average human being.
Knowing the facts in the case, it behooves all students to keep an
open
mind on all subjects and to acknowledge the necessity for
obedience to the
behests of those who have evolved the organs by and through
which
righteous judgments become possible, in order [TT 182] that they
too may
come into their birthright of clear sight and hearing.
The present races of the earth are not human as yet. They still
retain
many animal characteristics and qualities.
When their evolution as human is complete they will have become
something altogether different.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE ?
When the purpose is served, the power won, the work done, then
comes the reward, but never before, and the reward is always
commensurate with the purpose subserved. And all this is as true of
spiritual as of material development.
It is necessary to accept the fact that psychic power is as much a
development as the development of the senses. Therefore, if we
have not
yet attained to it and so cannot satisfy ourselves personally of any
other
phase of existence than that which our outer senses will furnish, we
will
have to put the possibility out of our minds for the time being and
try to
find out what we have in the way of spiritual and material
equipment to
depend on and how we can apply the same to the purpose in view.
We have an innate sense of the possibility of a higher, a better
condition of human life than that which now exists. We have
reason to
believe that a human being is capable of being fitted for such a life.
We
can also perceive the limitations, the weakness, the lack of power
to
overcome obstacles without assistance and guidance, those features
of life
which hold man down.
If we will take the trouble to study the laws of nature and the
consensus of knowledge gained and transmitted by the races which
have
preceded ours, we will find that in all cases there must have been a
central
point, a [TT 183] combination of forces or beings in advance of
any then
existent family, tribe, or nation to make possible the birth and
evolution of
a higher race or family. In other words, we will accept the idea of
evolution with all its concomitant phenomena.
Once accepting this fact, the Lodge of Masters is a logical
necessity.
Accept the fact that all we now are or are capable of becoming will
be the
fruit of the labor, the overcoming of great difficulties, the constant
care,
instruction, and devotion of all our forebears, and humanity's
individual
and collective debt to those who have preceded and our obligation
to those
who succeed us is very evident.
If the world's greatest need – a higher type of humanity – is
perceived
by the present human race and the evidence of the existence of
such a type
is procurable, it stands to reason that those who have any interest
in the
evolution of the present race will lose no opportunity for securing
the
proof and following up any and all clues which would naturally
lead to
placing at least a few prepared pupils under the direction and
instruction of
those who constitute that typical grouping. And with the assurance
that this
is possible surely there must develop a feeling of reverence, honor,
and
love which would impel said pupils to seek with all their hearts for
a
method by which all their forces and energy could be turned in the
direction of Unity, and reject with equal power all that would tend
toward
separateness.
But when all is told, it is a matter of interior hunger and the
possibility
of satisfying that hunger which drives mankind on to the solving of
these
great questions. And where one has a personal recognition of the
divine
force to which we commonly give the name Love and is willing to
yield
himself as a channel through which that force may flow to those
who have
yet no recognition of it, the first requisite to genuine discipleship
has been
attained. [TT 184]
Oh ! what a terrible retribution will fall at no very distant day upon
the
soul of the self-righteous, spiritually selfish, condemnatory man or
woman
who heedlessly, indifferently, or egotistically sets himself in
judgment
upon the weakness of fallibility of the brother or sister with whom
karma
has linked him in a bond of discipleship and, with the expressed or
unexpressed thought, "I am holier than thou," refuses to carry out
his part
of a mutual obligation upon which may rest the final salvation of
the
accused or condemned. Many a better man and woman has gone
down into
the depths of degradation because of the loss of faith in his innate
integrity
by some self-righteous individual.
Does it ever occur to you that your brother's need should be the
measure of your helpfulness, not your own need ? I say "supposed"
advisedly, for if the need were real it would never be in opposition
to
honor, principle, and compassion, for these are fundamentals. The
ease
with which an undeveloped human soul can convince itself that its
higher
needs, the promptings of its Higher Self, are jeopardized and so
justify to
itself its cowardice, its desertion of its post of duty, its
responsibility for
other souls, is enough to sicken the heart of the Initiate to whom
the real,
though often hidden, motives are disclosed. The Higher Self of no
man
ever was responsible for the shirking of a duty to humanity, was
ever the
instigator of desertion, cowardice, or selfish emulation. But the
rapidity
with which the lower self can accomplish a similar object and
clothe itself
in the garb of the Higher Self is proverbial.
If you are ever placed on the firing line in a time of battle, whether
that battle be with material or spiritual giants, you may make sure
of one
fact, that never will there come to you from the throne of the
Higher Self
the order to desert your post, to trip up the comrade by your side,
or And
you may [TT 185] be equally sure of another fact, namely, that you
will
never stand on that firing line without being tried to the utmost as
to your
ability to hold your position until your cause is won or lost. It is in
this
wise the soldiers of that great army of souls purified which we
term the
Great White Lodge are tried.
Many a weak stomach, many an abnormal condition of other
physical
organs is responsible for the failure of a promising soldier, and by
his
failure goes his last chance of ever strengthening the weak and
overcoming
the abnormal conditions in one life-time.
In either case, the one all-important essential to security is
unceasing
effort to reach a state of a state of differentiation in the line of
disease
cannot obtain ; and every time he yields to the separative forces
when a
trial of strength comes upon him he will go to the wall, another
object for
the derision of his enemies, another deep-seated sorrow to his
friends.
SCIENCE AND RELIGION
The mysterious things and forces of past ages are commonplace
things
of today, and that which is mysterious and unknown to us today
will be a
commonplace in proportion in the ages to come. Man is ever lifting
the
veil that lies between the causes of the inner world and the effects
of the
outer world. He is insatiable in his quest for knowledge and light,
and will
never cease until he has consciously mastered all conditions and
forces of
both matter and spirit, which means that he is consciously one with
the
Godhead.
The Wisdom Religion, from which all religions and philosophies
that
have been based on fundamental truths have come, has ever taught
from
time immemorial the [TT 186] essential unity of all life, that
everything in
manifestation has come from the One, and that this one
fundamental Unity
manifests in diversity, thus bringing into existence the
multitudinous forms,
planes and sub-planes of the Cosmos. The Wisdom Religion is also
a
Wisdom Science, and all true devotees and followers of the
Wisdom
Religion who have grasped its fundamentals endeavor to prove by
outer
and inner knowledge and correspondences that every true religion
must
naturally be scientific, and every fact of Science, when pushed to
its
ultimate, is always a religious truth, because if we probe into the
heart or
essences of things we find the One Eternal Living Reality, which is
God
the Creator, and this whether we deal with living organisms, like
man, or
angels, or animals, trees, and plants, or so called inorganic
substances,
minerals, crystals and so on. Modern Science for the last thirty
years has
been on the borderland of what we call the occult or a knowledge
of the
essential unity pervading everything in existence from the tiniest
insect to
the highest Spiritual Regent ruling life in its particular cosmical
field of
work.
In the above, taken in connection with what occultists know of the
Akasha, of which either is a phase, students can easily see how, as
Science
pushes its investigations into this wonderful field of inner causes, it
inevitably touches truths so deep, profound, and comprehensive
that the
religious instinct must naturally be aroused. In other words, the
Divine
within man is made to vibrate when these deep unifying truths are
grasped ;
and thus knowledge or science becomes religion, and religion
becomes
scientific in the highest and purest meaning of the word. [TT 187]
DEITY
Deity sees Himself or some aspect or quality of Himself reflected
in
everything or creature. Some ray or sub ray of Himself is
incarnated there.
Whether it be a radiant sun in spatial depths, a rushing planet, a
bird
singing in the trees, the cattle in the fields, an insect in the grasses
or man
in his various aspects and racial divisions, it is the same, Deity
extending –
emanating Himself and knowing Himself in and from the
resplendence to
the Center of Divine Being.
And yet – the myriad creatures in which this Divine Essence
incarnates have, and are entitled to have, in their sphere, some
degree of
individualized consciousness – in other words, are entitized in the
Being of
God as living sub centers of Himself. This dignifies and justifies
the
manifestation of Deity as a Cosmos – a Divine Entity in Universal
Manifestation.
The Divine Life, Will and Love, is IMPERSONAL, but man and
all
creatures may use that Life and Will, and in so using tincture that
pure
White Essence with the quality of their desires. The Elemental
lives
incarnated in the rock, vegetable and flower, struggle for a higher
expression of the latent divine within them. Animals and men do
the same.
All of this necessitates the use of the pure colorless, impersonal,
Divine
Will which is poured out on all creation impartially as the sun
pours out its
heat and light.
Evil results from the wrong use or inversion of the Divine Will
Power
– but in the divine economy of Deity it has been arranged that this
evil can
never become as great or powerful as Divinity itself. A series of
checks or
counteractions which we call "Karmic effects" prevent the evil
from
affecting more than the periphery, the outer layer, so to speak of
the
cosmos – the lower or more material planes. Undimmed forever
remains
the pure [TT 188] splendor of the inner Spheres. Good is Infinite.
Evil is
Finite.
During the past five years counteractions of Karmic forces have
wiped
out or neutralized dense layers of evil stored up in the auric sphere
of the
races of the earth. With the clearing out of this black negative force
in the
world by great sacrifice and suffering, the Deific Light and love of
the
Inner Spheres will be able to utter itself in practical measures for
the
universal good of all peoples. And Liberty, Equality, Fraternity and
justice
will be the foundation stones of the New Order of things-the New
Civilization.
THE MANY AND THE ONE
The One Differentiates into the Many and the Many rebecome the
One.
The above expresses the mathematics of evolution and involution,
in
every field of universal consciousness and manifestations of
creative
energy.
Every human being began its embryonic existence as a single cell.
By
the differentiations of this cell into many a multicellular creature,
man was
evolved.
But the law above referred to says that the many must rebecome
the
one. How can the myriad cell lives of man's organism return into
One Cell ?
By what process ? Does Cosmos become Chaos and does Chaos
return to
Cosmos – Order ? And which is first ?
A Cell must encapsule a certain amount of life force or Prana. It is
thinkable that by some process of regeneration or re-creation the
cells may
be dispersed and the soul life, so to speak, of the cells remain
intact, no
longer having individual, separate, existence, but merged, blended
or
chemicalized into one IMPERISHABLE FORM. [TT 189]
This Form would be the Fire Body or Robe or the Nirmanakaya –
an
undifferentiated or Seamless Robe of Life, responsive to every
breath of
the Supreme Infinite Self.
This process of the Many rebecoming the One involves the most
profound esoteric functions of re-creation and regeneration
applied either
to an individual soul or the Cosmos.
SECRECY
Fortunately for the future of the child whose revolt at the secrecy
maintained by its elders regarding matters it is not yet capable of
understanding rightly, such a child is not vicious and vindictive
enough to
knife, poison or otherwise destroy the elders whose only object for
secrecy
is for wise protection.
Who does not now smile at the memory of the days when
knowledge
first came to him of "a secret" of apparently much importance,
between
him and his elder playmates, which first led to protest on his part
and
finally to pretended unbelief and contempt, while in reality he was
sick
with curiosity. Notwithstanding that memory of childish revolt
there is a
repetition of the same attitude, a similar protest, and finally
unbelief and
contempt for the secrets of occultism, in the cases of a large
majority of
students, arising from unwillingness to accept the statements of
their elders
regarding the necessity of preparation for the receipt of those
secrets, and
which has sprung from either mere curiosity or from unavailing
attempts
to develop the desired power and influence, and jealousy of those
who
have succeeded to any degree. [TT 190]
Not having arrived at a state of any great responsibility nature
protects
the child from such action as would prohibit his final accumulation
of the
wisdom of its elders ; but having arrived at maturity and become
more
responsible for his action, all too often, man refuses to profit by the
lessons
of his youth, nature has largely withdrawn her protection, and in
his
childish revolt and personal jealousy he strikes viciously, and
strikes to kill,
the institution or person that he believes has deliberately tried to
keep
something from him, or that he has convinced himself has nothing
to give.
Utterly unable to see that his own attitude, his cruelty of heart,
unbrotherly
conduct and unbelief have built an impassable barrier between him
and the
source of his elder's knowledge. If the latter should overstep the
boundaries laid down by that original source, by disobedience to
injunction, their own source of supply would be cut off.
And no more than the child is capable of judging the ability of its
elders to use the knowledge contained in the supposed secret, is the
elder
child-the man-capable of judging the ability, worthiness, and
karmic
responsibilities of the elder brother or teacher, where any of the
real
secrets of occultism are concerned, for such ability rests upon a
plane of
life outside his power of observation.
THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS
A New Day full of Divine promise and possibilities has dawned for
the races of the earth in the formation of the League of Nations.
Thirty-two
nations are banded together to promote universal peace and justice
among
the nations of the earth. The Great White Lodge composed of the
Masters
of Love and Wisdom who guide the evolution of world and races,
have,
after untold ages of [TT 191] effort and patient work with
humanity, been
able to construct a moral foundation in tangible terms through
which the
Great Unifier can work powerfully for uplifting humanity on the
basis of a
universal Brotherhood without distinctions. The League is the first
step in
the reconstruction of the earth and its peoples.
As yet the League of Nations is not a perfect instrument but is the
foundation of perfect instrument of Universal justice among the
nations.
The first step has been taken, the foundation laid, the plan born in
concrete
form. All possible conditions of injustice have not been corrected
as yet
between the nations, but these will be corrected as the League is
perfected,
unless the Great
Disintegrator can disrupt the League before it has time to function
and
prove its worth. The moral power born with the League will
compel
perfect freedom and justice to obtain on the earth as time unfolds.
In the
formation of this League we find the concrete working out of the
prophecies given through the Temple during the past twenty years.
The
Cosmic Square has been formed. In the midst will arise the
Architect-the
New State of Consciousness – the Avatar who will rule the world.
CHAKRAS
The use of the terms used by the Orientals to express different
features
of universal life has been avoided whenever and wherever it was
possible
to give an English equivalent. But as there are no exact English
equivalents for some terms, we will be obliged to make use of
some of the
Sanscrit terms in enlarging upon a recent instruction on
undeveloped or
unused centers of the brain.
The seven master chakras and the corresponding number of seven
tatwas are not observable by the microscope [TT 192] or by any
other
means on the material plane, yet they are the building and
controlling
factors of all the organs of sense and of the various plexuses which
control
nervous and muscular action. They are seven in number and have
seven
centers of activity on the seven planes of consciousness as do all
other
features of life.
The seven master chakras are the first to receive the impulses from
the
life principles and are located in the seven cavities of the brain.
These
cavities appear to be empty to the physiologist, but the occultist
whose
interior sight is open may perceive them all pulsating with color
during life.
The color is more pronounced in each according to the strength
and
increase of the sensation aroused.
The impulses from the life principles are forms of energy
commonly
termed motion, sound, heat, light, electricity, cohesion, electric and
magnetic or nerve force. As these impulses are conveyed to the
master
chakras, the centers of sense, they increase the action in the various
plexuses of the body. A plexus is a centralized group of nerves and
acts as
a way station for the above mentioned energies which are thence
conveyed
to the organs of sense along the network of nerves and muscles
which
respond to the given impulses.
The plexuses are termed the pharyngeal, laryngeal, cavernous,
cardiac,
epigastric, prostatic and sacral. [TT 193]
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Ques : What is the state of a man who bas died very suddenly ?
Ans : The man appears in a dazed state, he is not able to realize
that he
has passed from earth. Remember, everything has its astral
counterpart.
The state is as when one awakening from sleep sees about him the
same
things he saw when he fell asleep. He would not be conscious of
anything
that had happened during the interval, consequently they would
make but
little difference to him. The state of awaking from a sound sleep
and
before the scattered senses can be gathered together and into shape,
is
analogous to that soon after death. Gradually this state passes away
and
one begins to realize that there is a change in the things about him,
he
begins to grow toward the soul plane, and then commences to
realize that
he has passed out of the old conditions.
Ques : What of his feelings toward the friends he bas left ?
Ans : He has left no friends, they are all with him, he is with the
astral
of his friends. He is not at first conscious of separation, that comes
gradually. The person who attends what is called "a spiritual
seance" not
only hinders those who have departed, but the action on the person
himself
is very bad indeed, for it calls about him other entities who have
then
perfect power to commune with and fool him to the extent of their
ability.
Grief for friends who have gone may or may not prove a
hindrance. It
depends upon the way that grief is exercised. If [TT 194] it is
constantly
drawing him back to earth conditions, it does. If it is grief with the
desire
for the best for all concerned, it is different, it helps instead of
being a
hindrance.
Ques : Where is one after death ?
Ans : You will be right where you are now ; I do not mean on the
physical plane. You continually forget the oneness of all spiritual
planes of
being ; the interpenetration. Your place in the economy of nature is
right
where you are, and there is where you will remain for this
Manvantara.
You will be consciously at work on another plane at that time.
Ques : Were the old Egyptians more spiritually-minded than
humanity
is at the present time ?
Ans : There were but few advanced to that point. They were ruled
by
fear and superstition, instead of love, and that always dwarfs a
nature. A
true civilization would be built on spirituality and would be
opposed to all
that passes for that now. The nearer to nature the human being
grows the
higher will be the civilization, not a return to barbarism, but one
has to
realize his oneness with all things in order to reach the true
civilization
which will be attainable to man in future ages.
Ques : Will one have all the material advantages at that time ?
Ans : Yes, only that the spiritual meaning would be apparent to all ;
would be in the hearts of all people. When true [TT 195]
civilization is
reached and natural simplicity is understood, there will be that
perfect
beauty of feature and form that will need no adorning. The world
and its
conditions will be so changed as to obviate many of what are now
termed
the luxuries of life. People will in those days live in perfect
happiness,
even as do the birds of the air here today. Their own soul power
will then
be developed.
Ques : How about the "Icecap ?" Will it let the great amount of
water
over the earth again ?
Ans : The destruction of the civilization will come by fire, if it
must
come. This is a fire cycle. We are on the verge of a great change. It
depends upon man himself whether it does or not. If humanity will
not turn
about or change, it may and must happen, and very shortly if the
present
humanity will not hear and obey the voice of the prophets of the
people
who are speaking from all the ends of the earth today. Never in the
annals
of time, has such an effort been put forth for the salvation of the
human
race, as today.
Ques : Will you explain how the Lodge is universal ?
Ans : The words seem to explain themselves. It is the universe, if it
is
examined from every point of view, for even the lowest class of
humanity,
even the stones and the plants belong to it. They are on their way to
Mastery however far they are in the distance, the time will be when
they
arrive at that point. The Lodge is universal because it contains the
universe.
There has been such a small idea of the whole matter prevalent,
that it
seems necessary to give people in general a wider outlook. [TT
196]
Those who have not come into contact with a so-called occultist, or
Theosophist, have no conception whatever of the Lodge. Those
who are
slightly acquainted with the term, owing to their association with
students
of the occult, have in reality the concept of the Lodge as an
exoteric body,
or society, simply working on the physical plane. It is amazing
how many
different concepts have been formed of it.
Ques : Can black magicians also work on higher planes ?
Ans : Why, certainly. What have the people been taught save that
devils did just that work ? There are in fact black magicians from
the
highest to the lowest planes. They do not remain on one plane as
long as
those of the White Brotherhood. The tendency is downward to
extinction.
Ques : What do you mean by extinction ?
Ans : Extinction, as I have used the term is only relative. When one
has gone to extinction he is withdrawn, as far as any manifestation
of body
is concerned, from the planet to which he is attached, or it may be
from the
solar system to which he belongs. His Spirit returns to the
Absolute.
Ques : In the case of such return to the Absolute, would the
extremes
meet, of the one who is absorbed through his effort for good ?
Ans : The two are one. The extinction is as much atonement with
the
Absolute as is the absorption. The only difference is, there is no
individual
consciousness in the [TT 197] one case, while in the other there is
conscious reunion with the Absolute.
Ques : What Is The Damage of Stimulation by Drugs and Alcohol.
Ans : You know something of the pineal gland and pituitary bodies
of
the brain, but they are a mystery to all but the deep occultist today,
and
they have and will remain something of a mystery for some time to
come,
for the reason that the truth might lead to license in some instances.
The
fact is that whatever may cause a higher, a more rapid vibration of
the
molecules of those bodies, will produce the same results, whether
it be
stimulation or narcotizing. This is not fully understood. The great
difference lies in the fact that in the first instance the effect remains
to a
great degree, and the more rapid vibration does not tear down the
structural form of those bodies, as does unnatural stimulation from
any
cause. In the first instance the vibrations grow more rapid
continuously
during one period of life, until the neophyte raises himself, or
rather
becomes conscious of the universal consciousness of the Godhead
and
identifies himself to some degree with that Godhead.
In the last mentioned instance, the victim of his own desires is very
liable to wish to continue the experience gained at first, and in his
effort to
do so breaks down the structure and finally causes his own
degeneration
and death if the desire is not finally controlled So when you
understand
what this process means you will see that not only the death of the
body
will ensue in many instances, but the breaking down of the vehicle
through
which alone intuition and higher light can be transmitted to the
body.
Anything which can help or hinder this process is of corresponding
benefit
to the race. [TT 198]
Ques : Is there such a thing as having too much conscience ?
Ans : Not too much conscience, but a perverted use of that
function.
Ques : What is the condition of those who are what we call over
conscientious ?
Ans : The sensation of fear dwells largely in them, they are so
afraid
of doing any thing wrong that they constantly excite that center
which
responds when drawn upon.
Ques : Is there such a thing as a National conscience which speaks
collectively ?
Ans : Yes, a Nation is as much an individual as a world. A Nation
is
one of the great group souls of which I have spoken to you before,
and all
that works through the conscience of individual man works
through the
conscience of this higher soul that we are considering, and is
reflected in
the minds of the people.
Ques : Does the National conscience produce in the minds of the
people at first, the vague sense of right or wrong, as it does
individually ?
Then does the feeling grow stronger concerning the right or wrong
?
Ans : Yes, this is the voice of the conscience, and in no way
nullifies
what I have said.
Ques : Will the coming man formulate what is in the minds of the
people ? [TT 199]
Ans : He will have the right to do so. The governing entity of that
man
will be the very group soul to whom I referred. He may be called
the
Logos of the Nation.
Ques : Does the subject of trial marriage, now being advocated by
some writers help to settle that problem ?
Ans : The difficulty would be that under the present circumstances
the
conditions of the world would lead to infinitely greater controversy
than
any of the problems which have preceded it. What is termed trial
marriage,
in the coming age may be altogether another thing than what it
could
possibly become in this age. It would require different economic
conditions in society, and a higher grade of humanity.
Ques : Why are the Adepts called Serpents of Wisdom ? Why is a
serpent said to be wise ?
Ans : The serpent was used as a glyph by the ancients for several
reasons. One of which is used to designate the astral light. When
the sons
of the Fire-mist guided by Fohat first issued from the unconcealed,
they
first took a straight course outward which curved and finally
formed a
circle which is called the astral light. When on their different
orders of
manifestations it was supposed to have great wisdom and was
selected as a
correct representation of the higher wisdom.
Ques : Is the serpent on this plane a low order of manifestation ?
Ans : There are two kinds of serpents. The serpent and snake of
this
plane represent the lowest type of evil which can be expressed by
animal
life. [TT 200]
Ques : Are there serpents on other planes ?
Ans : Yes, for every low form of force there is a force
correspondingly
high.
Ques : Is it possible to discriminate to what ray one or more
entities
belong, and how is this done ?
Ans : It is possible for man, but not as he is now constituted, as a
rule.
It is possible to the Adept or the seer and even to those who have
psychic
power enough to see and examine the aura, but it is not possible
under
ordinary circumstances. There are many instructions given that will
help
one, however, to determine that point. The Law of Affinity has
much to do
with it. If the tastes, occupation, desires etc., of two people
coincide, as a
rule they belong to the same ray, although this is not always true,
there are
exceptions. When one is nearing the point of his great change and
is
passing from one ray to another, he will partake more or less of the
constituents of both the ray that he is passing from and is going to.
Ques : Could we find the key to the story of Jonah and the Whale ?
Ans : There are many legends connected with that symbol. In the
instance of Jonah it was a soul swallowing matter, or overcoming
it. It
could be expressed by saying the personal being absorbed by the
Son. The
three days in the belly, symbolizes the time of transmutation ; Jesus
is said
to have lain in the tomb three days. The grave gave up Jesus, the
Whale
gave up Jonah. There is more to that however. The vomiting him
up means
that by this transmutation [TT 201] the soul was brought into
active
relationship with the physical plane. When Jesus was resurrected
from the
tomb he brought back to the physical plane a demonstration of the
principle which had been concealed before that time, a higher
principle.
Ques : Should such accounts as these be considered as symbols of
truth, or is there some usual happening on the physical plane ?
Ans : There is as a rule some instance of this, but in other instances
there is a reason why some certain truth should be conveyed, and
could be
in no other way than by symbology. During the many centuries that
may
have elapsed since the symbols were thus conveyed, the real
interpretation
has been lost and the symbol stands as an historic event.
Ques : What role does Humility play in our evolutionary journey ?
Ans : There is a great need of this lesson of Humility among all
students of occultism. There is a great danger that threatens each
one of us.
Whenever we are or think we are taking a step above our brothers,
unconsciously we often assume airs of superiority and without our
own
knowledge convey an idea to others that we are in advance to some
extent.
While we should never belittle that knowledge, should never
depreciate
ourselves, still we must always bear in mind that we are but one
atom of
the whole and that in its own time every other atom will reach to
our
position and may pass us on the race and leave us far behind. [TT
202]
Ques : What is the meaning of the number 144,000 of Revelation ?
Ans : The whole book of Revelation is indeed a mystery. Much of
it
has never been opened to the Initiates of middle or lower Degrees.
It is all
symbolical. An aspect of Revelation refers explicitly to the twelve
divisions of the cosmos, and particularly to the twelve divisions of
the
Great White Lodge. In each one of the divisions there are twelve
subdivisions consisting of Initiates who have reached a very high
degree of
evolution – are in fact among the angels and arch-angels referred
to in the
same book. The whole number complete is the visible universe –
the
whole universe, remember. No part of the Book of Revelation
applies
specifically to the earth alone but to the twelve great constellations
of the
heavens.
Ques : Is the idea that this number 144,000 is the completed,
perfected
universe in all its divisions ? What is meant by the woman fleeing
in the
wilderness ?
Ans : The woman fleeing in the wilderness is referred to the soul,
symbolized by woman in that instance who flees to the carapace of
Self ;
in other words, who takes refuge in the Higher Self when the
conditions of
the lower self become unbearable.
Ques : How do we work for Brotherhood ?
Ans : Just do your daily duty, live one day at a time, hold the
thought
of unity, work for it, talk for it where ever you can, but do not be
alarmed
if you do not at once see the outcome. Part of initiation is working
for
Brotherhood. [TT 203]
Ques : Had the reappearance of the Halley comet any influence on
the
earth, and has it anything to do in increasing the vibration at this
time ?
Ans : It had very much to do with it. No heavenly body could
come so
close to another body, as the comet in coming to the earth, without
affecting it greatly in all respects. It could not increase the outer
vibrations
of the atmosphere and earth itself without affecting the inner
sphere of the
planet therefore there will be much excitement in all lines of life.
The
influence of the comet is not necessarily malignant. It has been
supposed
to be so, but it is not. It is the coming so close to the earth that
effects it.
The comet is a world in the process of building an embryonic
world..
Ques : What is true marriage ?
Ans : In the first place you must remember that in every great
cycle,
Maha Yuga, there is a complete cycle of development ; i.e. the one
becomes the two, the two the three, the three the four, and then on
to the
seven. Matter differentiates and again returns to the One during
every such
cycle in the same ratio. There is a separation of the male and
female,
positive and negative forces, of the fourth stage of evolution in
every such
cycle ; and then a corresponding return to the One. You are now in
the first
stage on the upward arc of the present age of your evolution when
there is
set up a tendency to return to the One. This necessitates the
agitation of
every great Cosmic question and is responsible for the agitation of
that
particular subject in the world today.
The fact of a possible perfect marriage cannot be denied by those
who
understand. The tendency in all manifested life is to seek and find
its own
in every phase [TT 204] of nature, but there are so many other
questions
involved which deeply concern the involution of man on other
lines, that it
is practically impossible to separate any one of them from the
group, and
grapple with that one alone.
True marriage is not of the world, it is of the spirit ; nevertheless,
its
correspondences are sacred if understood. If more care were
exercised in
the selection of mates, more opportunity were given for the same,
much of
the present trouble could be saved. This life is a small item in the
sum of
all your lives, and if a mistake has been made that is not
unendurable, both
parties to the mistake would gain far more spiritually then they
would lose
materially by holding to the vows they have taken than they would
by
separating and searching for a true mate. The latter would never be
found
in that way. This is a very deep subject as I have said before. There
is an
ever-increasing tendency in the world to throw overboard in regard
to
marriage, its ceremonies, its duties and privileges. In case of the
former it
must be remembered that no matter who pronounces the words (be
it Priest
or layman) it is the spirit of the words, the sound force sent forth
into the
universe, and at its base is holy and sacred ; not the mere
mechanical
speech of the same. In regard to the performance of duties, I have
only to
refer you to the Golden Rule in that respect as well as in all others
where
the relation of man to man or man to woman are concerned. Where
there is
an unendurable condition aroused between a husband and wife no
good
can come of continuing the same, but both parties must be satisfied
that it
is unendurable before a change is made that may end in much more
difficulty.
Ques : Referring to the fall of the Angels : was that a necessary
step in
order to bring about a bigher manifestation ? [TT 205]
Ans : It was inevitable. The fall of the Angels into generation has
been
but little understood, notwithstanding all the teaching that has been
given
out.
There were a definite number of Egos sent forth into manifestation
in
the beginning. Those beings were informed in lesser lives, and in
order to
bring all the substance of creation up to the point of consciousness
which
the creators themselves enjoyed, it was necessary that these lives
should
pass in turn through what the creators had passed through before in
other
lives.
Ques : Was this process of falling into creation to separate the
Angels
in a way ; to differentiate the substance which belonged to them ?
Ans : It was spiritual substance, and it was what could be termed
differentiated, but that term would hardly apply to spiritual
substance.
It should not be forgotten in discussing the humanity of any age of
any
world, that there is one small wheel within another, and that there
was no
beginning, neither will there be an end. It is simply impossible for
the
brain mind as it is ordinarily constituted to understand what might
be
conveyed if possible, of the earlier ages of creation, of which no
one has
yet the slightest conception, notwithstanding all that could be
gathered
from books on occultism. The Secret Doctrine goes into that
subject
deeper than anything else that has ever been published, but there is
little
that man is yet fit to comprehend of the Stanzas of the Secret
Doctrine.
Take for instance, one ray of light. Think of that light as a spiritual
entity clothed with a form, a body which makes it possible for it to
be
conscious on the spiritual plane. The material body of that light
which is in
manifestation then on the material plane must be raised by the [TT
206]
power of evolution to the rank of the spiritual entity which inhabits
that
body.
Ques : Is light as we perceive it the physical body of the entity ?
Ans : Yes, of the spiritual light or entity. The spiritual light is
consciousness, is love, is in its essence, unity.
Ques : Yet entity is an ever receding ideal. Is there ever any end to
it ?
Ans : There is an end to it, as man would count an end, not an end
in
reality on the spiritual plane of being. Through an era of
manifestation
consciousness is unity in diversity, as are all other forms of energy,
but is
also a body that has been spiritualized. Man will perhaps be better
able to
understand if he is told it is like that of a Master who has gained a
Nirmanakaya Robe, Who is one of the Angels of God, as it would
be
termed in an orthodox Christian Church, if its members knew what
was
meant by an Angel. It is one in thought, in feeling, in desire in will,
in
motion with the Absolute, but it has a separate conscious existence.
Ques : Is there a word of encouragement for those who are sadly
tried
and discouraged
Ans : No one who has entered the Path has been deceived. It is a
course of sorrow and on an uphill path, the way is hard : in a sense
it is the
same Path that the Master Jesus followed. There is no other path,
no other
Way to find the true self save through suffering. [TT 207]
When we think of it from an earthly standpoint, it seems pitiful
that
the poor, weak human beings should have apparently so little light
to guide
them on the way, so little comfort, that it would seem might be
theirs ; but
those of you who have had an opportunity of watching the wealthy,
the socalled
"well-to-do" those who seem to enjoy the good things of this life,
know that they are "of all men most miserable." They are using the
gauds
of earth to dress up their scarred and tainted carcasses ; and that
should
show you how little the soul can gain from worldly pursuits.
It is the strain, the stress, the exercise of power that gains the
victory.
"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link." An Angel, a God, a
human
being is only as strong as he has gained power to endure the stress,
and
that power can alone be gained through suffering. If there were any
other
way you would have been told, for I sorrow in your sorrow, suffer
in your
suffering, yet I must stand by even if it be to see you go down into
the
furnace in the midst of the flames and come up again, if it be
necessary for
your growth.
You sometimes blame me for not saving you from sorrow, for not
keeping suffering away from you ; I would gladly give myself and
all that
I am if it would aid in your development. But you are as I am, of
God, and
only through the strength of the God within yourselves and the
power that
you can gain over these adverse conditions, will you be enabled to
meet
and overcome what will be before you in this and many lives. The
effects
of suffering are never lost any more than effort in any direction is
ever lost.
From my soul I wish I could convey to you the love I feel for you,
the
desire I have for your advancement ; but every mother knows that
if her
child is to grow strong it must walk by itself, it must learn all it
knows of
physical conditions by pain, and this process continues to [TT 208]
the
end. Any human being who may try to make you believe that you
can gain
spiritual growth without passing through "Golgotha" is telling you
an
absolute falsehood. But there is no reason why you should not see
the
beauty, the good, the glory there is in life. It is around you on every
side, it
is yours to take and use as it seems best to you, always in the right
spirit. I
would not have you look at the hells of life, but at the heavens
which also
lie around you.
THE CENTRAL POINT
We are taught that there is a central point or cell in the heart of
every
living creature which encapsules the Divine Spark. Scientifically,
the
divinity of this spark may be problematical, but that the seat of
physical
life is at that point is an evident fact of nature. For the occultist the
divinity
of that life spark is as assured as is the beat of the pulse, and within
each
one is the heart in which we must encapsule the Divine Spark of
The
Temple.
The dynamo of God's love is throwing out a continuous stream of
spiritual fiery sparks between aspiring souls. It depends upon
whether we
have created within our hearts a condition corresponding to an
electrical
switchboard by means of which there may be a reciprocal
interchange of
loving thoughts and acts to and for each other as to whether God-
the
Divine Source of our being – can create the necessary spiritual
magnetic
field between Him and us, His children, which will enable us to
make such
interchange. [TT 209]
THE WAY IS HARD
In a sense we may say it is the same path that the Master Jesus
followed. There is no other Path, no other way to find the true self,
save
through effort and suffering. When we think of it from an earthly
stand
point, it seems pitiful, that poor, weak, human beings should have
apparently so little light to guide them on the way, so little of the
comfort
that it would seem might be theirs ; but those of you who have had
an
opportunity of watching the wealthy or the so-called "well-to-do,"
those
who seem to enjoy all the good things of this life, know that they
are often
"of all men most miserable." They are using the gauds of earth to
dress up
their scarred and tainted carcasses, while their souls are often
naked and
hungry ; and that would show you how little the soul can gain from
worldly wealth. It is the strain, the stress, the exercise of power,
that gives
the final victory.
"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link." A human being, an
angel, a god, is only as strong as he has gained power to endure the
stress ;
and that power can only be gained through suffering. If there were
any
other way, I would have told you – for I sorrow in your sorrow,
suffer in
your suffering ; yet I must stand by, even if it be to see you go
down into
the furnace, in the midst of the flames, and come up again, if it be
necessary to your growth.
RHYTHM MOTIVE
The trained ear of the Seer automatically catches the Universal
Rhythm – the exact beat of the Universal Heart – as it rises and
falls in
perfect time with the movements of the Suns and planets of a solar
system,
with the tides of the Oceans, the pulsing of the blood through the
[TT 210]
arteries of a living body. In the songs of the birds, the voices of all
living
creatures the rhythm is established with the sounding of the
keynote of the
creation. All other sounds, all discords as well as harmonies are
subject to
that Universal Rhythm. He who hears with the inner ear will catch
that
Universal Rhythm through all musical compositions, whatever the
time,
the technique, the theme, however numerous the performers or the
instruments on which the compositions are performed. They must
all fall
into the beat of one measure, the cyclic measure of the age in
which the
keynote has been struck – the rhythm established for that age.
To the purely mechanical ear of man a sound may seem to travel in
a
straight line, but to the ear of the Seer, it takes a circular course and
returns
to the point of its delivery bearing something back to that starting
point. It
is no longer the same sound when it starts out again to form
another wave.
It has been raised or lowered in vibration according to the power –
the
purpose of the energy which set it free – the motive power. All its
overand
undertones carry the sound into other planes and states of life and
set free
forces locked deep in the denser forms of life. But whatever their
number,
whatever their combinations, they are all subject to the control of
the
Universal Rhythm.
Blessed is he who can so attune his consciousness to the Universal
Rhythm that no discord of life hath power to move him from his
set
purpose, he who can resolve the discords into harmonies as he
listens to
the best of the Universal Heart.
WHAT IS RELIGION ?
The Temple work is a direct continuation of the line of work
started
by H.P.B. ; and H.P.B. has been closely associated with the work
throughout the Temple's existence. The fundamental objects of The
Temple of The People, just as in the founding of the original
Theosophical
Society, are to form a nucleus through which the Lodge can work
directly
for establishing a true brotherhood of man on earth according to
natural
and divine law. The philosophy of the religion of The Temple must
become a living power in the life of each and every member if the
plan and
purpose of The Temple is to be accomplished in its highest phase.
As
above, so below.
Theosophy and Occultism are religion in the highest sense ; but it
is
not a new religion ; it has always existed and is as old as mankind.
The
word `religion' means to bind back to God. The way back is to
reunite the
Soul and Spirit of man, and this can be done only by consistent
obedience
to the higher laws of life. It is a knowledge of Deity and His great
plan of
life in its minutest detail, with the full realization of the unity of all
life,
and that through the action and inter-action of divine law all life
proceeds
from the One, differentiated into the many, under exact law and
justice.
Religion has had no founder who started a new version of its tenets
nor unveiled new mysteries. There have only been initiates or
transmitters,
who from time to time, have revealed these truths to the world
throughout
the ages at cyclic periods necessary for that particular time, for the
help of
the race.
The greatest weapon occultists can use in their search for divine
wisdom is the power of a pure heart.
All students looking for practical instruction in occultism have to
know the difference between theoretical and practical occultism.
Theoretical occultism is generally [TT 212] known as Theosophy,
while
the practical application and study of occultism calls for the
highest and
best in one in order to grasp the unlimited possibilities of the occult
sciences. For to be an occult student one must know the occult
sciences
and their application to all grades of life's problems. Since
occultism is
religion in its highest aspect it is the infinite reflected into the
finite.
Through study one learns of life's forces, which thus opens the
door to the
way of right living in accordance with natural and divine law. It is
for the
seeker who desires to know the origin and ultimate destiny of man.
It is for
those who desire to win the power to discern the lesser by the
greater ; for
those who desire to know the basic principles of their relationship
to the
cosmic whole, spiritually, mentally and physically ; their
relationship to all
the lower and higher kingdoms which in its last analysis calls for
the
interdependence of all life, which is essentially one. Thus,
occultism deals
with nature's finer forces, which, by process of evolutionary law,
must
eventually merge with the lower forces of matter because they are
the
opposite pole of the same universal substance.
The path of occultism is narrow, steep and winding, and so those
who
sincerely desire to tread that path must rid themselves of all
personal
impediments as the human, transient must be discarded before the
higher
attributes can manifest.
The great ideal of all sincere aspirants is to help all of humanity ;
to
sacrifice for all peoples ; and to become One with the Whole from
which
all life came and to which it must return when its cycle of
experiences has
been completed. Narrow is the way that leads to life eternal ; few
are they
that find it, but the gates are always open for truly humble seekers.
H.P.B. says : "If one seeks the divine life, the path of occultism, he
must let go of the fleeting things of life in order to gain spiritual
discernment. One must choose [TT 213] right from wrong ; one
must
choose absolutely between the life of the world and the life of
occultism –
it is useless and vain to endeavor to unite the two for no one can
serve two
masters and satisfy both... "
One encouraging sign of the times is that scientific investigators
agree
on the great truth that all life is one ; and they realize that
substance can be
transmuted into another substance but are not yet so much aware of
the
conscious lives that cause the transmutation. Physical science
explains the
outer manifestation, and the occult sciences explain the inner
manifestation.
A student of occult science knows that these great laws are at work
and is
able to use them and apply them for the good of the whole. It is
hard for
the great majority of mankind to understand the principles back of
universal law and the requisites for gaining such knowledge.
However, it
has been told throughout the ages that there is only one way to
attain
spiritual power, and in no other way can it be achieved. The first
key to
this knowledge is sacrifice ; second, personal purity is necessary ;
third,
love for all creatures and the innate desire to help all. As one takes
up the
study of occultism certain physiological changes take place.
Certain
mental, moral and spiritual qualities are necessary – certain
spiritual
qualifications are absolutely necessary-and all of these requisites
must be
gained by personal effort ; and through obedience to the laws of
life.
We have been told there are two paths of occultism, two ways of
going ; one ascending ; climbing upward ; the other descending or
going
downward. The ascending path leads to conscious union with
God ; to
conscious at-one-ment with all that is ; the path of selfless
attainment. The
downward path, prompted by personal ambition and selfish
aggrandizement, leads to oblivion and unconsciousness until such
time as
the soul is given another opportunity to try again at some future
age. Those
joining [TT 214] a real occult group soon find out how difficult is
the true
path and those who enter with selfish ambitions are unable to keep
up. The
inventory of one's true status is measured from the higher
standpoint, and
all are accountable for their acts to the Great Law.
Self-examination must be a continual thing in order not to get
thrown
aside by personal egotism or other errors of the lower self. When
one can
blame himself for being hurt by someone else he has gone a long
way. It is
not easy to do. Personal pride comes in but that has to be overcome
too.
There are times when it is more comfortable to excuse one's
mistakes, but
the Great Law demands of a prospective disciple that he must work
this
out himself and correct the errors. Another thing, do not let a
weakness or
fault be an alibi for mistakes. In other words, do not defend wrong,
but
rather help to correct it for the sake of keeping aligned with the
higher
forces. A true disciple will not deceive himself or others if he
would climb
the winding stairway of life, the stairway that leads to the Light
Eternal –
in the Light where no darkness is. Then he will draw the higher
qualities to
himself by the law of attraction and in time he will identify himself
with
these higher forms of substance and force, and so correlate the
higher with
the lower.
In moments of aspiration and prayer one must remember the
results of
the offer to the Lodge of God, which is recorded in the Book of
Life. The
acceptance of the offer is bound to bring suffering, testing and trial
upon
one. It is the power of the "Holy Ghost which is upon them," at
such times
sent forth in moments of consecration to the highest, and it cannot
be
recalled after it has once been offered. Care should be taken that an
aspirant is willing and able to bear the results of his prayers and
aspirations.
As one bears the trials, testing and suffering, so comes his strength
for
himself as well as for those associated with him. [TT 215]
Great are the results of reaching up in aspiration with a heart in
perfect
sympathy with the Master and the Infinite. Aspiration is true
worship ; it is
the highest "of all things earthly." It is the opening up of the Soul
that
Infinite Love may flow into it. It is the going out of Love so as to
make
room for receiving the same in return. Giving rather than taking. It
is like
the outpouring of the rarest perfume, the out-rushing of inner self
to meet
the overshadowing of the Divine Spirit. It is far greater to give than
to
receive.
As aspirants for true occult knowledge we have to bear constantly
in
mind the strong ties that bind us together and the necessity of
standing
together and working for the common good of all Halcyon as a
Center
under the Lodge is a Center of inner peace and quiet for the
fulfillment of
all true seekers. That calm center can only be found and held by
holding
fast to the ascending path that leads to spiritual triumph and the
power
inherent in all practical occultists.
In a letter to one of the Theosophical Conventions, H.P.B. indicates
the deep responsibility that lies upon those who seek to align
themselves
with this movement under the Lodge. Truly it is said that many
come but
few are chosen, because of the unwillingness of most people to
recognize
the infinite greatness of the Masters work, and to assume the
sacrifices
involved in taking it up. She writes :
"Thus, even if only in name, a body of altruists, the Theosophical
Society has to fight all who under its cover seek to obtain magical
powers
to use for their own selfish ends and to the hurt of others. Many are
those
who joined our Society for no other purpose than curiosity.
Psychological
phenomena were what they sought, and they were unwilling to
yield one
iota of their own pleasures and habits to obtain them. These very
quickly
went away empty-handed. The Theosophical Society has never
[TT 216]
been and never will be a school of promiscuous theurgic rites. But
there
are dozens of small occult societies which talk very glibly of
magic,
occultism, Rosicrucians, Adepts, etc. These profess much, even to
giving
the key to the universe, but end by leading men to a blank wall
instead of
to the "Door of the Mysteries." These are some of our most
insidious foes.
Under cover of the philosophy of the Wisdom Religion they
manage to get
up a mystical jargon which for the time is effective and enables
them, by
the aid of a very small amount of clairvoyance, to fleece the
mystically
inclined but ignorant aspirants to the occult, and lead them like
sheep in
almost any direction. But woe to those who try to convert a noble
philosophy into a den for disgusting immorality, greediness for
selfish
power, and money – making under the cloak of Theosophy. Karma
reaches
them when least expected."
The Temple, as a continuation of the organization founded by
H.P.B.,
has had a great privilege and opportunity bestowed upon it by the
Great
White Lodge when the Master Hilarion, who is our spiritual
Father, again
established a nucleus on this plane for furthering and advancing in
practical ways all true religions and occult sciences. His cycle had
arrived
for bringing to the world a message of love and a power for
practical
application of these truths.
While the world today is in the throes of terrible agony, suffering
and
destruction we must remember that a greater power of
reconstruction is
moving onward and upward for the release of the earth. It is so
decreed on
the universal map of the Cosmos.
The vastness of the purpose and plan of the Lodge at the present
time
is veiled from man in its entirety but one gets a glimpse of it from
time to
time which brings a strong realization of the great responsibility of
those
who aspire to follow the path of practical occultism ; and a sincere
effort to
do one's part will help towards the final fulfillment. [TT 217]
WELL MAY THEY WEEP
Well may the Angels of the Fourth Sphere bow their heads in
sorrow
and weep as human kind never yet has wept, as age sweeps by on
age, and
so little fruit is gathered from the Tree of Life, which they must
tend in
never ceasing care.
Bud after bud starts out on its low hung branches, and with their
bursting, remembrance of former blasted buds is lost to them in joy
that
once again a new life has appeared, new hope is born ; alas ! but to
give
way once more to sorrow when the heat and light of trial beats
upon those
buds and they succumb, and, blasted and withered, die in turn, as
others
have died, while all the time at the roots of the tree a great stream
of
refreshing moisture rushes by untouched, and a single droop of the
branches would plunge their scorched buds into the life stream,
revive in
them the will to live and give strength to bear the blasting heat yet
to come.
Over and over goes up the cry, "Love God, love thy brother in deed
and in truth, and all that life holds is thine." And man in his
blindness,
rebellion or ambition drowns the cry by loud, strident tones, saying
in
effect, "Aye, I will love the sister who yields her will love the
brother who
makes of me a God ; the sister who set me on a pedestal and calls
worshippers to me. Aye, I will love the brother who loves me. I
cannot,
will not love the masses who pass me by unheeding ; I cannot, will
not
love the man who thwarts my will, or him who will not glorify
me,"
ignoring the words of the blessed Master, that only as he loves his
enemies,
only as he loves those who have no love to give to him in return
can he
touch the hem of the garment of Divinity. Only by the power of
that love
can he dip the branches of the Tree of Life, upon which his soul
bud is
clinging into the stream of the great Father-Mother love swiftly
rushing by
that [TT 218] tree. He hath no need of the love which is his
already. He
has long since gathered the fruit of that love and eaten it. What he
now
needs to sustain his life is the love not yet his ; the fruit of the love
that
will sustain him for the next life step. So he starves and dies,
crying out for
food which lies unheeded at his feet and leaves the world still more
empty
upon his passing than it was before he came.
Love God, love thy neighbor. The two are one, and "on these
commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Yet, starved
and
starving, weary, thirsty, sorrowing, suffering man, age after age,
stumbles
on, refusing obedience to that command, using all his God given
power to
thwart the law ; blind to the ever living truth that nothing else
matters –
Honor, glory, self indulgence, gratified ambition, fulfilled lust –
nothing,
nothing matters, not even his brother's sin against him ; (that sin is
his
opportunity). Nothing matters save that he loves his brother into
life and so
makes way for God, for in no other way can he win life everlasting
for
himself.
Ah, ye foolish, heedless, blind and faithless children of the travail
of
your God, will you never learn that hatred surely must breed hatred
; that
willful injury or pain inflicted on another will bring as surely
injury and
pain to thee as night will follow day. A day of satisfied revenge
will bring
a century of woe, and though the judgments tarry they are stern
and sure
and long.
TESTS
All life is a series of tests. We are being weighed in the balance,
day
by day, hour by hour. Some small event that appears trifling in its
nature is
often the one little point on which the final result of a whole
incarnation is
balancing ; a hair's weight would turn the scale in either direction,
and that
weight is frequently added by carelessness, or thoughtlessness, and
the
result is obvious to the most inattentive observer. A man's whole
character
deteriorates, and no one, not even himself, can say why. He has
simply
failed in a test made by his Higher Self ; the Law, recognizing his
unfitness for further advance, judges, condemns and executes
sentence. As
it is true of all life, it is true of every separate phase of life. It is
true of
every degree of the Great Lodge. No one can take a single step up
the path
without being tested as to his ability to sustain himself on that step.
It is a
merciful law, for far better is it for him to fall, if fall he must, from
a lower
step than from a higher, for by so doing he neither injures himself
so
severely, nor others whom he may drag down with him. If his fall
takes
place from a minor degree he may be unconscious of it on the
physical or
mental plane ; but the truth remains – he has been distanced by his
companions who have succeeded in passing the test and are led to
another
degree. As soon as a man is brought into contact and association
with a
Master, a change takes place in every fibre of his being. The
keynote is
raised, and all that is in him of good or of evil comes to the
surface, and
the work of separating the sheep and the goats of his nature
begins ; the
testing as to whether or not he can stand on an elevated plateau and
breathe
the more rarefied, spiritualized air without losing his equilibrium
and
being drawn into the vortex beneath. If he can endure this test he is
prepared for a higher degree. It is not the Master who determines
his fate,
but the man himself. No man can stand by the side of a giant
without
seeming dwarfed in stature, and this truth is applicable to all planes
of
being. If man copes with an intellectual giant his intellectual
weakness is
made manifest. By the side of a Spiritual giant he is dwarfed
beyond all
power of even self-recognition, for the higher in the scale of
development
the giant has ascended, in corresponding ratio does the common
man seem
to decrease. Every fault, every blemish or defect, becomes
manifest,
[TT 220] and he appears in truth a pigmy by comparison. This is
exemplified in the case of Jesus and his disciples. The one figure of
the
Master stands out preeminently, above all others. Matthew, Peter,
Mark,
Luke, John, Judas, how small in comparison, and how quickly the
testing
was accomplished. Then from the outer circle each step taken led
to the
inner sanctuary where John alone could lie on the Master's bosom
and take
from that great heart the seeds of life and love that have imparted
the same
vital essence to millions since that day.
TO TEMPLARS
The evolution of man raises the keynote of vibration of any and
every
plane. Everything lies in the hands of mankind. As man becomes
spiritualized and raises himself from one plane to another, he raises
with
himself every atom of matter that belongs to his special auric
center. When
a race has accomplished this, all matter is raised. All is in the hands
of
humanity and of the Entity controlling the earth. The higher
evolution of
that Entity raises the keynote of the earth so that man may
advance. There
is constant interaction between the Ruler of the earth and the atoms
–
humanity – that form his body, which are the atoms that make up
the
physical man. As I have said before, it is impossible for anyone to
either
raise or lower his own individuality without raising or lowering
everything
connected with him. This extends as far as his auric circumference,
and it
affects all planes of manifestation from the physical to the soul
plane. In a
sense, you are a part of the Ruler of the earth, as the atoms of your
own
body are part of yourself.
Remember there is no cessation in evolution. Matter, substance,
force
are constantly evolving. All fully-evolved men are self-conscious
beings.
They are conscious of their relationship to the earth Entity, but
where fully
[TT 221] evolved there is no idea of worship of that Entity. The
position is
simply that of an elder brother in the same path.
It is well that you consider this lesson at your leisure. Then you
will
not ask unnecessary questions. By doing so, you will develop your
own
intuitions. Remembers how strongly I have impressed upon you
the
importance of consideration of this triple key in every action of
life.
THE TEST OF FAITH
The Temple is a universal scheme ; each niche, each comer, each
place, wherever a stone may be laid, has since the beginning of
time had
its privation of form on the first plane of form. As fast as any
mortal
reaches a certain stage of development, he enters the niche or place
which
is his because of his evolution up to that point of the universal
scheme.
If he is unable to maintain himself in that niche, or place ; if he
totters
and weakens, there is another standing ready to step into the place
from
which he will fall. The Temple does not suffer ; it is the man or
woman
who must suffer from the fall. Each human being must face up to
the
"dweller on the threshold" at every crisis in his life. He cannot
meet this
dweller and conquer it once and for all, for it is his lower self, and
when he
is called upon to meet it, he does so by virtue of the call that his
Higher
Self has made to test his strength and courage of soul for some
future step
that he must take.
Therefore, when this trial comes upon him, he is left by that Higher
Self, and must decide the question with the mortal powers that
belong to
the man. That is, he must use his intellect ; he must use all the
power he
has developed, mental, physical and psychical. Here is where so
many fail.
The intellect alone cannot give the power he has [TT 222]
developed the
power of faith, trust and obedience in his nature, to such a degree
as will
enable him to stand still in the furnace until the dross of his lower
nature is
burned up. He must fail for that time.
It has been a wonder to many in the past why the principle of Faith
should have been so strenuously insisted upon by all occult
leaders.
Without Faith you are helpless ; you are as a ship rudderless in a
tempest.
Jesus of Nazareth met this "dweller of the threshold" and
conquered it
daily through His three years of outer work. The rich young man
who
came to Jesus faced up this "dweller on the threshold" when he
was told to
"sell all that thou hast, give to the poor and come follow me." Jesus
did not
mean, as the young man believed, that he was to part with all his
personal
possessions.
By "sell" in that sentence, the word "exchange" should have been
substituted. Jesus desired this young man to exchange the dross of
his
lower nature for the higher powers, and to give of that higher
power to
humanity. This he could only do by following Jesus, that is, by
doing the
work that Jesus did. This passage of the Bible has been
misinterpreted for
ages.
FOR THOSE WHO WOULD CLIMB
If you would truly serve one in need, take heed lest you lose sight
of
that need in self admiration of your power to serve. You can kill
out in a
single word far more than you can bring to birth in many words. It
takes a
great soul to renounce the first person singular for the sake of the
first
person plural, to lose the "I" in the "we".
There is no surer way of arousing doubt of your sincerity and
truthfulness in the mind of one who listens to your exposition of
some
fancied spiritual possession than by repeatedly disclaiming
personal
responsibility for its possession. When hunger for personal
possession of
some desirable quality rends your very soul with longing, [TT
223] take
heed lest pretense to its possession by yourself leads you into paths
where
that most desirable quality is not to be found. Unsatisfied hunger of
soul as
well as unsatisfied hunger of body may lead to dissolution, if
uncontrolled
by Will.
The distance between admiration for and fancied possession of
some
desirable, spiritual attribute is short indeed for that one whose feet
are set
upon the Path of enlightenment, but the descent from whatever
height he
has attained on that Path covers long stony stretches, until the Ego
has
discovered the difference between desire and possession.
Yet must the neophyte take the first two steps on that Path, the
steps
of desire and admiration, if he would win to the third and fourth
steps –
effort and possession. It is while he is upon the third step that his
supreme
test comes upon him, for then he is face to face with the Dweller
on the
Threshold – his personal self. Urged on by ambition, it is from this
third
step that the neophyte falls, and falls again and again until he has
discovered his climbing staff – discrimination – and uses it
continuously
thereafter.
Sad indeed it is for the great musician who must bear in patience
and
humility the criticisms of some of his pupils on his execution of the
rudimentary scales. Yet must the greatest Musician of all, the Lord
God
Omnipotent, bear not only criticism but condemnation of His
methods of
creation and the laws which govern them by the least of His
creations – the
rampant egotist.
A little child may lead a grown man, if the man is blind. So the
spiritually open-eyed though ignorant man may teach the educated
man
concerning things of greater value than any exterior method of
education
can teach, if the latter be blind to his own limitations, his own
faults of
character.
It is truly a wise man who can disguise his knowledge in the guise
of
simplicity. [TT 224]
RAPID MOTION
It is a well-known fact that the continuous rapid whirling of body
in
the religious observances of the sect known as the whirling
dervishes
produces an exaltation which may end in trance – a temporary
separation
of the astral from the physical body. The common waltz movement
of the
dancer produces a lethargic, dreamy condition of body and mind.
Other
movements in various dances produce different degrees of
exhilaration or
lethargy in the dancer according to the rapidity, the break, or the
decrease
of motion. All of these varied movements tend to arouse different
states of
consciousness in the mind and by their action on the sensory nerve
centers
will increase or decrease the rates of vibration of the physical body
to a
marked degree.
From the same or similar movements in time and space there is set
up
in the different bodies of a planetary system corresponding
influences to
those which result from the aforementioned movements of man,
and it is
these influences or forces drawn to the auric centers of man by the
power
of attraction, if left unchanged will increase or decrease and thus
modify in
some way the vibrations of lower mind and body and therefore
determine
to a great degree his life and career, for man is largely controlled
by
sensation. But man is not at the mercy of any such influence for he
has will
and power to change the vibratory impulses of his body, and
therefore to
change the influences which control him.
The aura of man is like unto a star which is in process of evolution
from the primary state of acquiescent laya center to that of an
active sun.
To that primary laya center has been attracted and is still being
attracted
the stored up substance of long disintegrated suns and
constellations, the
regents of which have passed into spiritual states of being beyond
possible
understanding by [TT 225] physical man, leaving their impress on
the
substance which has constituted their visible vehicles of
manifestation.
The physical condensations of the aforementioned substance,
keenly alive
to the spiritual impulse imparted to it by the departed regent has
been and
is still being attracted to the environment of the embryonic star and
serves
to build up the various physical bodies of the spiritual monads
which were
the units of force of the original lava centers. In effect, the bodies
of the
human and animal kingdoms are composed of the cast off
garments – the
substance of the present higher spiritual being, and said bodies in
turn will
furnish substance for the bodies of lesser orders of life as time
passes by.
Different rates of motion and vibration mark the changes in the
character and form and also the planes of action of all substance in
manifestation.
SEEK THE RIGHT PATH
It has been hard for recently enrolled Templars and students of
psychology to comprehend the cause of the difficulty in correlating
their
physical and astral brain centers to a degree where a desire to
perceive
persons or objects resident on the astral plane, might be gratified.
While in
cases of even intense concentration a psychic might be able to
catch many
glimpses of various phases or planes of life and correlate them
with eye
and ear centers of the physical brain, the more intense the desire to
witness
some particular person, object or scene, the more persistently were
their
efforts thwarted.
Not understanding the basic principles or forces in operation on the
astral planes, being familiar with corresponding principles and
forces of
the physical plane alone, and having no way of learning the
method and
manner of operating those forces on the astral planes, it is natural
that they
should take it for granted that a desire [TT 226] capable of
gratification on
the physical plane would presuppose the possibility of the
gratification of
the same or a similar desire on the astral plane, providing the
person
making the demand were a psychic capable of deep concentration.
But this
does not follow in the least. In fact, the contrary is the rule, and
this is
owing to the fact that the negative aspect of the desire principle is
preeminently active on the astral plane, and the positive aspect of
the same
principle dominates and controls all matter of the physical plane.
To every soul the astral plane is a plane of assimilation of the
gratified
desires of a previous incarnation and the majority of visions seen
by
psychics are reflections or pictures of the phenomena which has
already
occurred, or which has been mentally worked out in detail by the
subconscious mind of the psychic.
The symbolic representations sent out by an Initiate of White
Magic to
his disciples for a definite cause start from a higher plane of
differentiation,
a plane where the principles of desire and will have been combined
and the
negative aspects of both principles are brought under individual
control.
When the consciousness of a disciple is able to pass directly
through
the lower astral phase of matter there is direct contact with the
Initiates or
others who are functioning on that plane, but there are only two
ways by
which the human consciousness can contact that higher phase ; one
is after
the soul has released itself from the lower astral plane permanently,
as
after the death of the physical body, and the other is by the
attainment of
the power by the disciple to temporarily release himself after a
long course
of effort and definite personal instruction by an Initiate, and such
disciples
are rare indeed. Therefore little confidence can be placed in the
statements
of those who claim direct contact with the permanent dwellers of
the
higher astral plane, nor on messages [TT 227] claimed to have
been
received by pyschics advancing such claim, unless as above stated,
they
have come under the direct guidance of and personal contact with
an
Initiate on the physical plane who will make a close connection
between
the pyschic and the Initiates permanently resident within the higher
plane,
or with the souls that dwell therein.
It is one of the most difficult things in life to convince the average
person that the psychic vision, so beautiful, so personally helpful,
so
apparently faithful to detail and to life as they believe life to be, is
nothing
but a reflection of a foregone scene or a long since gratified desire,
and
that it has no real substance or purpose other than that given by the
mentality of the observer himself. If the rarity of vision, the
mystery of its
production, the psychic intoxication of the observer could be made
plain or
controlled, such visions would be of no more importance and
contain no
more interest than any passing scene observed from a car window.
The
persistence and unconscious self-deception of the lower psychic
who
occasionally sees visions of remarkable beauty and grandeur, far in
excess
of anything observed upon the earth plane, and apparently as real,
serves to
blind him and therefore he will not accept the truth as given by
those who
know to a certainty whereof they speak. The glamour cast over his
mentality renders him incapable of perceiving that his is doing
incredible
damage to the cause of occultism. If he were willing to learn, and
to learn
in the only possible way, the psychic sense could be so developed
as to
make it quite possible for him to correlate himself with higher
orders of
life he could prove to his own satisfaction the truth as now told to
you, but
personal desire for self-gratification almost invariably runs away
with the
power of self analysis in such a psychic. The awe and wonder of
those of
his followers who are not able to perceive such visions tends to
create
[TT 228] a spirit of self-sufficiency and egotistic pride in his
power, and
he thus becomes an impossibility as a true disciple of the White
Lodge,
and finally a physical and mental wreck unless some great sorrow
or
intense and protracted suffering annihilates those personal
limitations in
him and drives him back to "the feet of the Christ," where in true
humility
it again becomes possible for him to take up his psychic education
at the
place from which he had originally started.
Think you that the coming of the Blessed One will bring peace to
the
earth ? Think you that your periods of labor, of struggle with
limitations,
of the temptations of the flesh will be lessened, and that the
conditions
now obtaining on the Devachanic Plane will be reproduced upon
the
physical plane ? If so, great will be your disappointment.
No Avatar, no Great Leader of His People ever came to earth with
an
olive branch in his hand. Invariably He comes with a sword to
divide the
"Sheep and the Goats," to sunder the evils of ignorance from
knowledge
and truth. The olive branch materializes when the sword has done
its work
of separation, and the soul, stripped clean of all its hindrances, its
vile
imaginings, bows its head and says, "Take me, use me, trample me
if need
be, only cleanse me, purify me, lead me to the stream of living
water that I
too, in turn, may give life to those who follow me."
In the days to come, what you are working for now will come to
you,
whether it be the things of the world or the things of the spirit.
Improved
conditions may and will give you improved opportunities, but
those
particular opportunites are for the future. Your present
opportunities,
improved or neglected, will bring you peace with [TT 229] honor,
or battle
with dishonor in the coming days. The same demons of avarice, of
jealousy, of hatred and despair that now pursue you so viciously
will await
the coming of your footsteps as they pass the portal of life's
fulfillment in
Devachan to death in life on the physical plane.
The Coming of an Avatar is always the signal for a harder fight
than
that which has preceded it ; but, thanks be to the sacrifice He
makes for
you in His Great Renunciation, the weapons for use in that warfare
are of
tenfold the power and service, and your power and strength are
reinforced
by the power and strength of His great purpose. YOUR personal
responsibility for failure will not be lessened, but to that
responsibility will
be added the wisdom gained by association with His successes.
The goal
of your ambition may still seem far away and to have increased in
power
and greatness to the grandeur of a universal goal, but it will be
within the
reach of your vision.
Lay not throe head in the dust of earth, for, the armies of the
Shadow
shall trample thee under foot. Go forward with faith, and lo ! the
serried
ranks of the Hosts of Light shall encompass you, and together ye
shall win
in the battle of the ages. The Christ shall lead you, He who holdeth
the
hearts of men in His keeping and will not let them go.
THE PREDOMINATING
Three times in a single quarter-century have we emphatically
assured
three different bodies brought under our direction by or through the
labors
of H.P. Blavatsky that ingratitude is not one of the besetting sins of
the
Initiates. [TT 230]
Three times have we pleaded with the units of those same bodies to
stand firm in their allegiance to those individual disciples who
were
chosen to direct those bodies, not that any advantage would come
to the
initiates through the allegiance of those bodies, but because of the
perfect
futility of any effort to reach and direct them higher degrees if they
wavered in allegiance to the lesser degrees and orders established
by us
and thereby cut off communication between themselves and us.
They can
no more afford the personal satisfaction of ingratitude than we can.
The apparent ease with which some of these pledged disciples have
determined the worthiness or unworthiness of some established
link with
us is truly remarkable, in view of the fact that notwithstanding all
our
thousand of centuries of experience to draw upon for data, we
could not
accurately determine the same questions until the supreme trial of
each
such individual was over, and when this occurs in any given
instance, no
question remains, the answer is all too obvious.
The colossal egotism of the self-righteous individual who can
presume
to designate the cause, the time, and the extent of the failure of
some
fellow pilgrim to pass some predetermined test is as indefensible as
is the
characteristic line of offenses according to which he brazenly
condemns
his fellowman to forfeit his (or her) connection with that Initiate or
the
Lodge as a whole, when in fact there is but one offense that is
irremediable,
i.e., treachery.
Truly there would be but little encouragement for those who must
weigh and sift the wheat from the chaff or must select the stones
for the
building of a Temple from among a group of disciples, the majority
of
whom were limited to such a degree as I have intimated. Were it
not for
the one here and there among said groups whose fidelity, humility,
obedience, and courage, like jewels set [TT 231] in a crown, shine
out
vividly by comparison with the qualities expressed by the former
we
would be of all men most hopeless (when the memory of the) a
tremendous task is set for us (came over us) in those periods in
which we
are forced to review the varied remnants of our scattered flocks,
those
periods sometimes referred to as eras of selection, when empty
places are
to be filled or broken lines are to be reformed.
It takes the great majority of the human race a long time to
appreciate
the fact that but a very limited number of its units have evolved to
the
degree where it has become possible for them to determine the
exact truth
regarding any phase of nature or any act of man.
The last word on any subject is seldom spoken. The basic cause of
any
action is very seldom determined. Irrefutable evidence is supposed
to be
furnished when a number of persons are agreed as to what was
seen and
heard by them at some given time. Yet such evidence would not be
sufficient to justify condemnation of a fellow being by an Initiate
of the
right hand path, for such a one would know that the whole array of
testimony might be truthfully refuted and all the premises upon
which it
was founded safely rejected by some other observer whose eyes
and ears
were open to higher and lower wave-lengths of light and sound and
who,
therefore, had been able to catch some word or tone or perceive
some less
prominent intermediate act between two pronounced acts or scenes
which
would change the whole character of the evidence.
Countless numbers of people have gone down to disgraceful death
or
imprisonment perfectly innocent of the crimes for which they were
condemned, and the lives of countless others are now being made
wretched beyond power of description by similar unjust
proceedings.
Allowance for such possibilities is seldom made, even in this day
when
scientific research has openly revealed the [TT 232] fact that the
eye and
ear of the average man is blind to the color vibrations beyond the
violet in
the scale of colors, and deaf to corresponding vibrations of the
scale of
tones, and therefore is unfitted for exact judgment.
A very slight change in the construction of the eye and ear would
make a radical difference, and such changes have already occurred
in the
eyes and ears of those who have passed beyond the degree of life
where
the average man of today functions the greater part of the time.
If it be granted that the above statements are true, it is evident that
nothing will justify a fixed and therefore an inaccurate opinion or
decision
in any case dependent alone upon the eye and ear when the life or
honor of
another is at stake, until such time as perfect sight and hearing are
attained,
and these are dependent upon the evolving of the pineal gland and
pituitary
bodies.
But bear in mind, I would not have you rush to the other extreme
and
refuse to act upon a given conclusion in the ordinary affairs of life,
for as a
general thing such conclusions come within the compass or the
range of
the sight and hearing now possessed by the average human being.
Knowing the facts in the case, it behooves all students to keep an
open
mind on all subjects and to acknowledge the necessity for
obedience to the
behest of those who have evolved the organs by and through which
righteous judgment may become possible, in order that they too
may come
into their birthright of clear sight and hearing.
The present races of the earth are not as yet perfectly human. They
still retain many animal characteristics and qualities. When their
evolution
as perfect human beings is complete they will have become
something
altogether different from any race of beings that has ever inhabited
this
planet, and the foul evils springing from ingratitude [TT 233] and
unjust
judgments will vanish from the earth.
Keep a sharp lookout for the hydra-headed monster ingratitude.
Nothing else can so blunt your intuition and your perception of
spiritual
truth. However lowly the individual who opens your inner eye to
the
perception of some spiritual reality, cultivate the natural impulse to
gratitude and show your gratitude in some perceptible way. You
will find
that you will be the gainer each time.
THE NEW IMPULSE
When I sent a representative group to Buffalo, N.Y., in the year
1899,
at the call of the first progessive convention, I told the collective
members
of that group that an absolute necessity existed for a conscious
vehicle for
the transmission of currents of psychic energy on the part of the
Masters if
other delegates there to be in session were to receive the requisite
impulse
from the Great White Lodge.
As a result of this direction that conscious vehicle was present. The
men and women assembled at that convention who were in a
receptive
state received the impulse at that time which led to higher lines of
endeavor, more intense aspiration, and application to the purposes
which
were then outlined. That impulse has held the faithful to high
ideals
through the years that have since passed. Few among the number
have
known to whom or to what they were indebted. Some of the people
then
present with others who have more recently come under that
impulse are
among the most prominent and active workers in the progressive
factions
of the political parties of today.
The time is close at hand for the formation of the party indicated
by us
at that time. The formation of such a [TT 234] party may
eventually do
one of two things. It may either precipitate a civil struggle with
consequent
privation and suffering as a result of the withholding of capital by
those
most largely controlling it today, resulting in the closing of
industrial
centers, which has already been threatened ; or on the other hand,
the
forcible taking possession of the means of production and supply
by the
government as the only alternative to national disruption may
result.
The purchase of these great industries at this time would be
impossible. Fear, selfish interests and wrong judgment would
instigate the
owners to hold them at such exorbitant prices that they would be
unobtainable, and any wide-spread attempt to gain them by wrong
means
would call out such armed resistance by the government as would
cause
great loss of life and property.
Metaphorically, the waters have risen so rapidly in the great river
of
life during the last decade that an overflow is imminent in all fields
of life,
and it depends upon the wise action of a few public men at this
time as to
how far that overflow will reach.
It would make but little difference which one of the old parties
succeeded in electing a president, so far as any important changes
in the
policies and conduct of affairs are concerned. Even if the
progressive
element of either should succeed in seating a candidate, there
would be but
little immediate benefit, for the controlling forces behind finance
and
industry hold sufficient power to compel "the bowing of the knee
to Baal"
in the case of the supporters of the one so raised to power.
It has ever been at the opening of a new cycle that some heroic
character, imbued with the selfless spirit of the Christ and with
unbreakable courage has stepped out from the masses with a new
watchword on his lips, a new banner and shield. His devotion,
self-sacrifice and repudiation of former ties has won him the power
to
awaken the sleeping consciousness of the people and draw many
[TT 235]
of them to his side to fight for the ideal which dominates him.
In all too many instances people of a different calibre have been
drawn to such a leader from mere self-interest, those who were
willing to
do anything, however despicable, to gain power and position.
Under such
circumstances this class of sycophants have finally gained control
of the
machinery of state and have gradually led the forgetful, indolent or
ignorant masses back into the same gulf from which they were on
the point
of escaping.
This is exactly what will take place again unless the Christ
influence
can be so strongly aroused in the hearts of the peoples as to open
their
intuition to the threatening dangers, thereby providing a way of
escape by
righteous means. It is those same possibilities – nay, probabilities –
those
same dangers which furnish the gravest menace for the immediate
future
of this and other nations.
Whatever have been the results of the abuse of the religious
instinct to
the human races of past ages, they are trivial in comparison to the
results
of the evils which have fallen upon the people by the killing out of
that
instinct and the replacing of it by some form of materialism or
irreligion,
which gave free rein to human passions, thus destroying both soul
and
body.
A little handful of people gathered in a hotel room in Buffalo
during
some of the hours of the convention referred to furnished the
media for the
distribution of some of the most tremendous currents of force ever
set free
on this planet. The after effects of those forces are seething at
white heat
through this nation at the present time.
A corresponding body to that which furnished that conscious
vehicle
in Buffalo could furnish the media for the distribution of still more
vigorous and constructive forces at the present time, if it could
hold itself
to such a [TT 236] degree of loyalty, poise and harmony that it
could
receive and transmit the necessary currents of force from the
Regent of this
planet and the Masters of the Great White Lodge. The fact that
their great
service was temporarily unrecognized by the world would have no
weight
with such a body of truly unselfish souls. The knowledge that they
had
been of so much service at a critical period of the world's history
would be
sufficient.
If this all be true, what of the individual member or members of a
group formed for such a high spiritual purpose who,
notwithstanding the
possession of the knowledge of their great opportunity for working
with
and for such a body, should devote their time to petty recrimination
and
selfish pursuits ? What of those who, for the purpose of piling
dollar on
dollar, land on land, goods on goods, would refuse to give the
necessary
aid and means for accomplishing the purpose required ? What of
those
who would choose the satisfaction of revenge and hatred and
would strike
with poison-tipped tongues at the hearts of the comrades who were
striving
under specific direction to build up such a center of operations ?
Is it possible for Templars to realize the unparalled opportunity
before
them and at the same time not to realize what would be the
inevitable
result of failure to take advantage of such opportunity ? Every
individual
that has ever been gathered into the Temple ranks is facing the
gravest
crisis he has ever met. It will be of no use for him to cry out,
"deceiver,
traitor, robber !" in connection with the act of some co-disciple as
an
excuse for his own apostasy when he faces the tribunal of the
White Lodge
to answer for his cast-off opportunity, if he fails to see and seize
the
opportunity now given.
Templars, individually as well as collectively, will answer for their
failure to help provide for the Center of the Temple, which is an
instrument for the transmission of the energy upon which the
welfare of
the people is [TT 237] hanging, and to do this as a sacred duty
which they
have solemnly sworn to perform.
I make no further appeals. The cause, the opportunity, the results
have
been clearly set before you. The time for decision is close at hand
for one
and all. The hour of choice is fast waning. Will you all stand
together and
prove your ability for concerted action when the opportunity is
given for
spiritual, moral and physical regeneration ?
It is not great numbers that are needed for the transmission of
requisite
energy so much as it is unselfish devotion, unified action and
obedience to
direction. One ideal, one purpose and unswerving loyalty to that
purpose
should dominate the members of such a central group as I refer to.
We can
do little with "a house divided against itself." The words, "He that
is not
with me is against me," are peculiarly germane to this purpose and
this
time. A single discordant note in the symphony of a divine purpose
will
send a vibration of inharmony out into the world's aura, and if
sounded at
this time would be caught by all sensitive souls that are awaiting
the
sounding of the right chords to join in the symphony of human
progress,
and would turn many from that purpose.
LAW AND PRAYER
Over and over again, in some slightly changed form, some one of
you
put the same questions to me ; over and over again I make the
same reply.
Unconsciously to yourselves, you often ask that the governing laws
of the
universe be changed, in order that some personal idiosyncrasy or
desire be
gratified. I can tell you of things to come, as I am able to judge by
visible
signs, as well as by [TT 238] my knowledge of interior law. I can
tell you
how certain catastrophes might be averted if the humanity of this
age
would listen and obey, but bear in mind, I cannot change the laws
that
govern manifesting matter ; I cannot make two and two make five ;
I
cannot take two pecans from five and leave four, although I might
be able
to make you believe that I had accomplished this feat, by means of
hypnosis or some other ultra-physical power.
One of the greatest difficulties you are experiencing lies in your
inability to accept as literally true the statements given out by me
and
others, regarding the action of universal laws.
The unyielding, unpliable man is invariably the man that is broken
on
the wheel of the world. The pliable man bends beneath the storm,
and the
storm either passes over and leaves him untouched or touches him
so
lightly, in comparison, that his rebound to a normal position is
accomplished with but very little difficulty.
The strained, tense condition of the nerves, from which countless
thousands of people are now suffering is responsible for much of
the evil
that falls upon them. The same law that renders relaxation of the
body
necessary is behind an equal necessity for soul relaxation. The law
commonly known as gravitation, and true prayer (aspiration)
should be
this relaxation of soul.
If the positive energy of intense desire is sent, and the energy is not
powerful enough to force accomplishment of the desire, that
energy is
dissipated, and the body in which it was generated and by which it
was
sent forth, is broken or beaten down by the reflex action.
While in a perfect state of relaxation, if the soul, from the higher
point
of renunciation, sends forth a prayer to the infinite – not for some
personal
favor, but of faith and love for that infinite – the same law which
compels
one pole of electricity to respond to the other will compel a
response from
those infinite Domains, and [TT 239] the response will be in
accordance
with the real needs of the aspiring soul.
You will frequently find that the surest way of winning a thing is to
give up even the desire for that thing.
Thought is one form of energy ; words are another form.
Combined,
they create a third form, and true prayer is this third form.
Generated and
sent out from the human heart it can go as far as its inherent power
can
take it. If the prayer or aspiration is selfish, it meets, on an interior
plane,
other forms of the same energy, the desires of which are in
opposition to it.
One neutralizes or destroys the other, and the consequence is,
neither
reaches those who have power to answer.
The wisdom of the ages is comprised in the words spoken by Jesus
:
"Not my will, but Thine be done." It is only prayers preceded by
that
sentence, and winged by unselfish love, that asks only to love, not
for love,
that Omnipotence can answer.
The highest power is only won by renunciation. Renounce with thy
whole heart, love with thy whole heart, work with thy whole heart,
and all
things in heaven and earth are thine.
A LETTER FROM THE MASTER
My children :
Future months and years will bring to each one of you many hours
when, because of the pressure of unassimilated forces now
surrounding
you, life will seem almost unbearable ; hours in which it will
appear that
you are in a sense cut off from me ; and whenever such times
come, I
desire you to bring out this letter and strive to realize that what I
now say
to you is for all time and eternity. [TT 240]
"I will never leave you,
I will never forsake you"
Unless you felt acutely the pressure of those evolutionary forces
which have been set in operation for your ultimate development, it
would
prove conclusively they were not helping you upward as rapidly as
it was
possible for you to go. Growth is a corollary with suffering,
whether it be
growth of body or soul. The mother who simply stands and
watches the
pain inflicted on her child for its own good, suffers more in reality
than
does the child, but she may not be able to lessen that suffering for
that
reason.
No pain is more difficult to bear in silence and with patience than
the
mental agony of the long weary hours of loneliness which
invariably
succeed the moments of illumination which come to every true
aspirant.
The spiritual essence discernible in such moments is, as it were,
the flavor
of delicious fruit, while the longer periods of loneliness typify the
processes of assimilation of the gross material elements of such
fruit, its
transmutation into the blood and tissue of a corporeal body.
You must also strive to realize that whatever your relationship to
me,
or your righteous demands upon me, my duty calls for the
expenditure of
much time and labor in other directions, and neither desire nor
feeling are
safe guides in the performance of duty.
You are doing your duty to the Lodge as surely in an act of
kindness
and unselfishness to some needy member of your own family as by
the
performance of alike act to or for some Temple member.
As the outer work grows, and demands on the time and strength of
those at the head of the work become more incessant, there will
also come
many more opportunities for self-sacrifice to each one of you. You
have
been placed by Karmic Law in the thick of the fight. It is [TT 241]
useless
to say you are not fitted for work or sacrifice ; you must become
fitted for
all that will bring you into the heart of things and people. You must
occasionally "go up into the mountain to pray," but the greater part
of your
time and endeavor must be spent, as is that of the Masters, among
the
multitudes on the lowlands, until the multitude will go with us to
the
mountain.
Spirituality is not selfish ascetism ; it is selfless unity.
Every time you permit the Disintegrator to convince you that I
have
deserted you, you cast a serious reflection on my good faith and
ability to
perform what I have promised. Unless you can trust me in the
shade as
well as in the shine, your faith will never supply sufficient fuel to
the great
engine of love with which you are connected, to enable you to
receive and
disseminate to Lodge influences.
When you are suffering from mental indigestion or other effects of
unassimilated energy, set about doing some kind act for some other
human
being. This will expel the old dormant force, neutralize all bad
effects, and
make room for the new energy which is striving to gain admittance
and
expression.
You often fail to realize the effects of aspiration, and are
discouraged
at the results of the same. In some moment of exaltation you offer
to the
Lodge, to God, to the highest you are capable of aspiring to, all
you are, all
you have, all you hope to be. You do not sufficiently appreciate the
fact
that the offer has been accepted, and recorded in the "Book of
Life," and
that there have been at once set in action certain definite agents for
your
trial and testing ; and it is quite possible that your most intimate
friend may
be the unconscious vehicle through which they may work. When
the
results of aspiring thoughts begin to manifest, as noted above, only
too
often you misanthropically shrink back into your shell, and fail to
perceive
the causes which lie back of your suffering. [TT 242]
I would have you strive to understand and appreciate the power
you
awaken in aspiration and prayer, for having awakened it, you
cannot
control its action. Therefore I say : be careful ! Be sure you are
willing and
able to endure whatever effects may manifest, as a result of any act
of
consecration.
MY children, for more than one long seven-year cycle (in the past),
I
waited for a single expression of hope and encouragement, and
expression
which never came to me until I had relinquished even the desire for
the
same.
INTOXICANTS AND NARCOTICS
Before answering this question I wish to particularly enforce upon
your mind the fact that the prohibition of intoxicants and narcotics,
enforced upon their disciples by the Initiates of the White Lodge, is
a vital
necessity ; but the main reason for such prohibitions has not been
given to
any body of disciples belonging to lesser degrees of the Lodge
until now.
This is due to the almost inevitable misconstruction placed upon
our
endorsement of one fact, which might modify the minds of those
who seek
for license for indulgence and who, in all too many instances in
past eras,
have believed they found such license in esoteric teaching of one
particular
kind.
It has always been a mystery to the extremists why so many gifted
people of both sexes indulged in narcotics and intoxicants for the
purpose
of doing their best and highest work ; and said extremists could not
reconcile that fact with the well known teachings of prohibition
given by
the Initiates of the White Lodge and many religious, scientific and
ethical
teachings on this head. When I tell you that the highest as well as
the
lowest planes of life [TT 243] are contacted by those addicted to
the use of
the said narcotics and stimulants and that much of the very highest
teachings anent art and religion ever given to the world were
received
under such stimulation, you must be careful how you reject or
erroneously
criticize my words.
It is a well-established fact that the pineal gland and pituitary
bodies
are vehicles for the transmission of the highest spiritual forces.
Anything
which will stimulate the molecules of those vehicles to a more
rapid
vibratory action will open an interior plane to the senses, whether
the
cause is due to high spiritual aspiration and love of humanity or to
a strong
impulse to escape from the restrictions of matter and the
inescapable
sorrow and anguish of body and mind from which humanity
suffers, that is
the thing sought for most diligently by the normal human being. If
the
answer to prayer, consecration and endeavor does not come as
quickly as
seems desirable, the naturally sensitive, tightly strung nervous
system of
the highly developed man or woman is very apt to seek some other
method
for obtaining his desire. In other instances environment,
association, etc.
lead people into indulgence, which, unfortunately, temporarily
opens the
door to some inner plane – in other words, increases the vibratory
action of
the pineal gland. This increase, in turn, produces certain changes in
the
organs of sense which lead to grosser forms of sensation.
But be it remembered, the fundamental cause in all instances is the
same, i.e., higher – more rapid – vibration of the molecules of the
pineal
gland and the pituitary bodies. However, the final effects are
diametrically
opposite. In the first instance prayer, consecration and good works
lead to
the normal development of the said bodies and to a vibratory
action which
may be indefinitely maintained and lead to contact with higher and
higher
planes of action, until finally the at-one-ment between mind and
spirit is
realized ; while in the last mentioned instances, [TT 244] the said
bodies
are not sufficiently developed, physically speaking, to stand the
pressure of
those more rapid vibrations for any long period of time, and they
break
down, leaving only the possibility of contacting the lowest planes
of being,
until death ends the struggle on this plane. It is this condition
which is
primarily responsible for delirium, for with the breaking down of
the
physical envelopes of the said gland and bodies, the mysterious
nervous
organism of the whole body deteriorates and finally incapacitates
all the
organic structure.
If it were fully understood and accepted that narcotics and
stimulants
did, in reality, open the higher realms of wisdom and knowledge to
the
hungering soul, even the knowledge that it was done only
temporarily and
must inevitably lead to degeneration and decay would not deter the
weak
minded or vicious man or woman from such indulgence.
Consequently,
this deep mystery is held as one of the secrets of occultism.
You have doubtless heard or read that in the performance of the
mistakenly believed "sacred" mysteries of the past ages, and even
in the
present age, the use of strong narcotics and stimulants was
common. The
black magicians of the past ages knew and the present ones know
full well
what the final results would be to the victims of their avarice and
cunning ;
but as their purpose was the destruction of the higher attributes in
man and
the cultivation of the sensuous and lewd, they kept their knowledge
from
their neophytes and urged them on to all forms of indulgence and
sensuality ; until finally nothing was or is left to the White
Brotherhood
but the destruction of all life on the planet, save the remnants left
for the
seed of a new race.
Knowing these things, it surely cannot be difficult for you to
understand what a high, holy calling it is for any man to block the
efforts
of the black brotherhood by healing the diseases engendered by
such
means, before [TT 245] the destruction of those all important
vehicles of
transmission, the pineal gland and pituitary bodies is complete, and
the
soul irretrievably lost.
But the so-called prohibition movement of the present era can do
naught but palliate the effects of the causes set up in the souls of
chose
whom they would save. In all too many instances, the advocates of
this
measure only increase the danger, for they arouse the natural spirit
of
rebellion in man against enforced authority. The will that is stirring
to free
itself from its bondage to matter rebels against all things which
tend to
coerce it into farther bondage, whether the nature of the bonds be
good or
evil ; so they tend to drive the ignorant into greater indulgence just
to
prove their power to defy control by pressure. Such a movement
does not
go deep enough. It works on the surface, while the disease it tries
to
conquer is too deep-seated for it to touch and heal, save in such
cases as
are those where the higher aspirations have been awakened and
have
stopped the vibratory action in some degree.
The human will has then become subservient to the divine Will,
and
the real cause of such apparent effects are unknown and
unsuspected by
the majority of workers in that field. They do not realize that a
point of
decay in the molecules of the physical forms of the aforementioned
bodies
must be reached and seared over by the action of one of the "sacred
fires."
This may be done by the fiery elementals confined in some
medicinal form,
or by a higher grade of elementals subservient alone to the
demands of the
divine Will, as is the case in those instances where the cure – the
searing –
is accomplished by the fires of high aspiration, prayer and effort.
The
mystery involved, the lack of understanding and right teaching and
the
inability of the masses to correlate the physical with the spiritual
and astral
aspects and forms of life are responsible to a great degree for man's
inability [TT 246] to deal with this very important phase of the
problem
confronting humanity at this time.
If such a movement became strong enough to carry out its
principles
by force or by natural control, there would inevitably occur such a
reaction
as would sweep all accomplished reforms away, and far worse
conditions
would result than those which now obtain. It takes poor, self-
indulgent,
violent, unrestful human nature a long, weary time to learn the
deep truth
that "true growth is slow growth." A bud may open in a night, but it
has
taken many nights and days for the plant to reach the point of
putting forth
its bud, and even then the bud may be blasted by any forced action.
When
it opens naturally, it is due to the inherent desire of the whole plant
to
catch the fructifying light of the sun that it may bring forth fruit.
Another phase of the same problem is responsible for much of the
contradiction and antagonism aroused by any extremist who
endeavors to
inject his personal experiences into a discussion of this problem.
Unfortunately it is a phase which must be ignored to a great
degree, for the
same reason that renders it inexpedient to discuss some phases of
sex, i.e.,
misunderstanding.
The elements of time, bodily infirmities, genealogical karmic
effects,
racial tendencies – all these must be taken into consideration, and
if so
taken, will modify opinions and set up vibrations which will
change the
effects while they in no wise change the causes.
The same effects may be produced by under-stimulation that are
produced by over stimulation, viz, molecular disintegration and
final death
of body, in those cases where genealogical karmic effects are
manifesting
and racial or family tendencies have been set up which must be
worked out
before the soul is freed from their first causes. You have doubtless
witnessed cases where an entire and sudden change has taken place
in an
inebriate which neither he nor others can account for in a rational
[TT 247]
way. This effect is generally the result of the release of full karmic
indebtedness, and with the payment of the debt, the searing process
referred to has taken place as a result of some action by the higher
self. If
such a one had been forced into an undesired reform of habit, he
would
inevitably return to former ways as soon as the temporary
restrictions were
removed. This is one of the instances where time enters in as a big
factor.
In other instances, where not sufficient stimulant was chemically
provided to keep the organs of the body in natural action, the
proportion
required is constantly demanded by those organs and if supplied in
a
measure, there is no particular desire manifested. Any vibratory
change in
the molecular construction of the pineal and pituitary bodies is
checked,
and if the one so using stimulants does not die from other causes
before a
definite period of his life cycle, there will occur a change which
will do
away with the need for stimulants.
Then, there are still other instances, I refer to those who have fully
developed those bodies of transmission in them beyond need or
beyond
power of being affected injuriously. They can take a stimulant or
leave it
alone, as they choose. They generally choose to leave it alone for
the sake
of others.
If you are able to see the points I have made in their entirety, you
will
be better able to form unbiased judgment on the whole subject of
stimulation. It is the world-old subject of extremes, and extremes
in either
direction lead to disintegration and death.
HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER
The subject of my message to you at this time is so hoary with age
and
its principles have been so universally conceded that reversion to it
by me
before a class of [TT 248] students of occultism may appear
superfluous ;
yet, much to my regret, I find it obligatory upon me to attempt to
impress
it more forcibly on your minds lest you make the same mistake that
is
being made by many others who will eventually have some very
heavy
karmic debts to pay as a result of what is in fact disobedience to a
universal law.
"Honor thy Father and Mother that thy days may be long in the
land
which the Lord thy God hath given thee." In these words or in
other terms
conveying a like command there may be found in every code of
laws given
to a race of human beings by the great Group Soul of that race not
only the
command but the reason for obedience to the command, i.e., "that
thy days
may be long in the land which the Lord thy God hath given thee."
Not only length of years, but possession of the land occupied by a
race
of people will ultimately rest upon the honor and respect that has
been
shown to the aged by the younger generations of that race ; and the
same is
true in minor degree in the case of a family group. It is not alone to
their
parents that such honor and respect should be shown by children,
but to
old age in general. The loss of a country, the loss of a large estate
or even
the loss of a small home site may easily be the karmic effect of
disobedience to the given law, but of far more importance is the
loss of
opportunities for gaining wisdom and knowledge which have been
slowly
gathered in pain and sorrow throughout a long life by each one of
their
progenitors ; lost as a result of their contempt of methods used, or
means
employed to reach material success.
Not a day passes in which countless tragedies do not occur upon
this
sad dark star, tragedies bringing death, destruction, wailing and
weeping in
their train. The majority of such tragedies are ephemeral ; the worst
effects
may pass in a night, and the morning sun show but small traces of
the
night's agony ; but there is one tragedy which [TT 249] falls upon
every
man and woman who have passed the middle milestone of life, a
tragedy
which does not pass entirely until the death angel does its perfect
work for
the individual soul. A silent tragedy, unnoted at the moment by
those near
at hand who do not perceive the icy hand of fear as it descends
upon the
heart with the realization that henceforth until released by death the
soul
must enter upon an era of crucifixion. The soul has no
consciousness of
time as a factor in its development. While the body has been losing
its
power of resistance, its strength and virility, the soul has kept on in
its
course of development and in normal instances the souls of the
humanity
of the present age have reached a point where only the things that
are
worth while have any special attraction for them. The body no
longer
responds to the calls of the soul as eagerly as it was formerly
capable of
doing ; it demands more service day by day as the years pass,
service too
often unwillingly or carelessly performed by others, or only given
from a
sense of duty or pity.
With the coming of neglect and indifference by others the recipient
of
the same must often face the fact that such trials are the direct
result of
their own cruel or thoughtless treatment of the aged of a previous
generation before the faces of their own children or dependents.
The
plastic minds of their children have received impressions which
will
invariably be transmitted in later life. Careless reference to the
failing and
weaknesses of their elders, patent weariness at the repetition of a
story of
some past experience, relief at the passing on of some elderly
dependent,
all these are fitting the mind of the child for a similar course of
action in
later years.
The younger generations are now looking forward to a regenerated
world, a world in which the limitations of the present era will be
nonexistent,
and it will depend entirely upon the middle aged and the old of
this era as [TT 250] to how far those expectations will be realized ;
for
unless the younger generations can be made to gather the fruit of
the
experiences of their elders they will be caught in the same vise of
ignorance and inexperience which has hampered humanitarians in
the past.
Every experience which a human soul has passed through may
become an open door to safety or happiness for some other soul if
the
latter has the patience to seek for the key which will unlock that
door, and
if you of the older generation make no insistence upon the
inculcation of
the fundamental laws of development in the minds of your
children, the
karmic retribution of your neglect or indifference will fall heavily
upon
you in later years.
You look to me to enlighten you in regard to the more erudite or
occult mysteries which you hope will lead to some height you are
seeking
and are disappointed when I bring you a resume of some world old
teaching anent a fundamental law, yet it is upon your familiarity
with and
obedience to the principles underlying such laws that it is possible
for later
generations as well as yourselves to receive much benefit from the
higher
teachings, for the reason that you will have increased the vibrations
of the
brain centers requisite for use to a degree that would make possible
the
practical use of knowledge so gained. Disappointment in regard to
desired
advance in the development of the power to use the finer forces of
nature
has been due to your neglect of those same fundamentals in the
past ; for
instance, the very word obedience invokes revolt in the minds of
those
who have absorbed the spirit of rebellion against authority now
running
riot in the world, and until that spirit has been crushed by the final
effects
of disobedience in the life of a disciple of the Mysteries, he will
not obey
those laws upon which rests the possibility of developing the brain
centers
of which I have spoken. [TT 251]
I can say nothing of more consequence to you than I have now
said. In
the days that are coming you will have good reason to remember
my
words. With tender greeting, I am your Father.
GROUP SOULS
As the units of molecular substance which are to unite and form
the
cells of the physical body are attracted to the embryonic heart
center of
that which is to become or woman, so which are to form the
vehicle of a
God, a Sun, as they evolve in the ages to come. These souls, or
units, are
drawn to the heart center of a Great Soul – it may be to the Regent
of a
planet, a Great Group Soul – and proceed to form what may be
termed a
vehicle of expression, a Spiritual Body, which to the senses of man
may
appear as a star or a sun.
The Laws of Attraction and Cohesion, which attract and cohere all
substance into definite forms, naturally draw all souls toward one
another.
Their desires, thoughts, and acts are generally on one plane of
expression,
and it is this one universal truth of attraction and cohesion,
misunderstood
as it generally is, which has given rise to the modern theory of twin
souls.
Whether it be a group of men or of women, or of both sexes, or
even of
one man and one woman, it is all the action of the universe Law of
Attraction drawing together the units of a Great Group Soul for a
definite
purpose. Naturally there must be instances where one man and one
woman
are conscious of the action of this Law, and as the units of such a
group as
I have mentioned have reincarnated in that group repeatedly,
half-awakened memories of incidents [TT 252] in former lives
tend to
strengthen the bond between them. But the fact that they are units
of one
group does not necessitate their incarnation in the same vicinity.
They may
even be incarnated on different planets, and, in fact, this is more
frequently
the case than otherwise.
It must be understood that such relationships are not of the senses.
There may even be strong antagonisms between the members of
one group
soul so far as the physical plane is concerned ; and, so far as
recognition by
one of another of the physical plane is concerned, that is next to
impossible,
for in such a case the senses of the physical body must be
employed, and
the physical senses are useless in recognizing interior things.
The negative, or lower, aspect of the Law of Attraction, commonly
termed sex attraction, is the power which draws the opposite sexes
together ; and the very fact that the relations between the sexes,
even in
marriage, are so short-lived in countless cases, proves that such
relationships are not of the soul and clearly are of the body with its
instinct
of mating in order to reproduce its kind, exactly as is the case with
all
lesser forms of animal and plant life.
If men and women would acknowledge this instinctual attraction
and
relinquish their false ideals of twin souls, there would be some
hope of
arriving at the truth ; but so long as they consider sex instincts
disgraceful,
and raise the false ideal of twin souls to an eminence of spirituality,
they
will not accept the truth when it is presented to them.
Out of many thousands, scarcely any are aware even that they have
a
soul, or rather that they are souls. Then how can they be expected
to
recognize the soul of another and establish physical relations with
that
soul ?
With the majority of mankind, the fact that someone has told them
so
or that they have read they have a soul [TT 253] to be lost or saved
is all
they know, or are expected to know of the individual souls.
To be fully conscious of the individual soul, the incarnating Ego
must
have developed a higher order of mind than is possessed by the
average
man, and a correlation must be made between that mind and the
vehicle, or
form, of the soul in which that mind operates.
As a man beholds and is conscious of this face and form in a
mirror,
so the lower self of man becomes conscious of his soul as it
searches the
intricacies of its own nature in concentration and finds reponse to
its
queries. These reponses bear no semblance to the answers which
come as a
result of questioning his lower mind, where passion and desire for
contact,
sex attraction, hold sway, as well as all other qualities which
appeal to the
senses in any form.
MYSTERY OF LIFE AND DEATH
Nobody seems to understand the mystery of Life and Death. From
one
standpoint everything is alive. Every cubic inch of space is full of
life so
that all things alive could be swept aside and the whole plan of life
would
be repeated.
From another standpoint there is nothing but death. For instance it
is a
startling statement to say that all humanity is dead, yet it is true
from the
higher standpoint. If anyone of this humanity were to be plunged
into the
consciousness of the Trinity of Masters and their associates, they
would at
once become unconscious. For that consciousness, to the living
mortal, is
oblivion and oblivion is Death. Therefore Life and Death are the
Great
Mysteries, the pairs of opposites. Even the Sun comes into life and
pours
out its radiant energy into its worlds and [TT 254] goes into
oblivion,
Death ; the same with the planets. The only thing that endures and
lasts
forever is the principle of things but not things themselves. The
seven
great principles, or if we want to say it, the 49 great principles are
divisions of the Godhead laid down wherein things may come into
existence.
The pairs of opposites are also black and white. Black is the
negation
of all color. White is the radiant reflection of all color. Violet
corresponds
to the lower astral and is the pattern of the physical which moulds
its form
in which inhere the skandas of previous births. It is very close to
the
physical plane. For instance, to particularize according to the
spectrum, the
color red is the color that brings all form into existence. There
could be no
form without this color either in philosophy, religion, science or
spirit and
matter. The color orange gives life through these forms to the prana
which
they inhale. The color yellow is one of the points of the Trinity and
imparts knowledge without intellect. The color green is the color
that helps
the intellect to develop and in this cycle it is the color of nature.
There is a
magnetic bridge that connects this color with the next, indigo,
which
ensouls Manas or the higher mind. Then we have the blue white of
Atma
which is the synthesis of all colors. These have their
correspondences in
the universal scheme of Life and Death. The correspondence of
colors,
forces and qualities has been worked out with every organ and
tissue of the
physical body and the physical universe. When one is born on this
plane
they take on a body of life and die on another plane. When anyone
dies on
this plane they take on a body which is cosmical in its functions
and they
are nearer the Great White Throne.
So to know the real do not think you have a soul but the soul has
you.
This goes on until evolution brings you the great release into an
ineffable
and universal consciousness when you will know all truths without
the aid
[TT 255] of books or teachers. This is the Great Mystery and
difficult to
understand until one has attained to the Seamless Robe where Life
and
Death are as one.
By means of strong search and aspiration and unselfish service the
Great Mystery will be revealed to you and you will be identified
with the
All and the one Great Reality.
GOD SPAKE
God spake ! but not in words which mortal man may use to clothe
his
thoughts.
Through all the firmament, expressed in living, burning, quivering
Light, white with a whiteness never seen by fleshly eye, so came
the
speech of God.
Scorched to blackened balls would be the human eye if it but
opened
on that Light, that power unparalleled which sees in tortuous
waves the
deeps where darkness lies, inert, devoid of life and motive power.
"Let there be light !" Thus ran the thought of God and with a blast
as
from a mighty trumpet, waking earths and seas and skies from age-
long
sleep, the darkness parted as by lightning flash. Then came forth
the
awakened Eons of the Past – the Angels of the Flames – to do his
bidding.
He who stands straight and still within the radius of that splendor
so
clothes his soul with life immortal.
Yet knowing that which was to come, God the Omnipotent,
breathed
the breath of sentient life into each one of all the multitude of
human souls
born of that Light, which rose e'en to the Throne of Power
Invincible.
Overwhelmed by pride of being rose those souls and, facing God,
now
dared their Maker ever to take back the life so given. "We are as
Thou,"
said they, "made of thy [TT 256] substance, and nothing less than
Thou,
and this thy Throne can bound our wishes and our will."
Then spake their God : "In thy pride, thy daring, thou, even thou,
the
least of these thy brethren, dost flaunt me to my face, and now I
say to thee,
Thou, even thou, shalt make my words come true. Through all the
suns
and stars which thou shalt build of this my garment whence thou
camest,
thou shalt wander, more alone than any other creature, and thou
shalt fling
upon this sea of life, within a form, until each soul of all this host
shall
reach my height of being by means of self-effacement. Thou shalt
never
see my face again until thou comest, sore abased by thine own
handiwork,
back to my feet."
As is rolled scroll, so rolled a wave of darkness 'twixt the sea of
souls
and the face of God, and in the twilight lit by motion of the Angels'
wings,
long they brooded o'er the words of God.
Wisdom came unto their place and said : "take me to thine heart
and I
will lead thee back, even to the portal of thy Father's house ; but
thou, and
thou alone must force the inner door if ever thou wouldst reach thy
goal."
Then fell the veil of ignorance twixt Mind immortal and its shadow
image, and man, the Pilgrim, started on his quest.
RECORD OF LIFE
Day by day the years slip by, bearing the records of all conscious
lives
into the eternities and indelibly imprinting those records upon the
ever
widening screen of futurity. This is no trivial matter to humanity as
a
whole. Still less is it trivial to you, to whom much has been given
and,
therefore, from whom the law of equilibrium will require much in
return.
[TT 257]
If but the memory of a single act remains out of a countless
number of
acts – a single picture you have limned and hung in your individual
picture
gallery during the yearly cycle now passing-if a single act stands
out
preeminently in your consciousness, that act should furnish you
with a key
to your life's puzzle, and answer to the questions I now ask you to
put
fairly and squarely before your own higher selves.
Have you made any appreciable growth in character building
during
this past year ? Have you taken an upward or a downward step on
the hill
of attainment you started to climb the moment of your acceptance
as a
disciple of the initiates of the Great White Lodge ?
These are questions you must answer, a puzzle you must solve by
means of the key I give you. The desire, determination, and motive
of the
act which created the aforementioned picture, the method and
means of
accomplishment, and the uses to which you have put or are putting
the
completed picture are all parts of the puzzle which you must put
together if
you would answer my questions aright, and they are most serious
questions to all of your number who have taken upon themselves
the quest
of the Holy Grail – the liberation of your souls from bondage to
matter.
The record of your acts in perfect sequence has been carefully kept
by
the Lords of Karma who have seen to it that memory shall fix the
finished
product of the most far-reaching act of every cycle so vividly upon
your
screen of consciousness that it cannot be forgotten or thrust aside.
Therefore they have fixed the most vital, far-reaching act of the
year now
closing with its effects so far as those effects have culminated,
indelibly in
your mind.
The final achievement of the desire behind the act, or the failure to
achieve such desire, the methods and means used in carrying out
the desire,
will indicate the measure of the development of each one of the
seven
[TT 258] vital principles of life within your individual aura, the
principles
which make for character building, or the measure of failure to
develop
any one or all of those principles. Therefore, they will indicate the
status of
growth or of degeneration in the case of any disciple during that
yearly
cycle, for that one act does not stand alone. It is the sum and
substance of
all acts which have preceded it in the many lives of the Ego...
We, your Guides and Masters, have done what we could by word
and
deed during the years that have passed to impress upon your minds
the
importance of the present age and the present human race and your
relationship and responsibility thereto. If you have permitted
hatred,
jealousy, indifference, indolence, or any of that brood of demons to
blind
and so incapacitate you for perceiving your real status in your line
of life,
the status fixed by such acts as those to which I have referred, you
will
also be unable to even perceive the heights you have missed and
which
some other may have gained, all unknown to you.
The lower self has a method of self-hypnosis all its own, by means
of
which it is able to practice a phenomenal degree of self-deception.
Overweening self-appreciation burns out every detail of the figure
of
which it forms a part save such as minister to its vanity or worldly
interests.
Consequently it deprives itself of the help it might otherwise have
gained
to reach an altitude far beyond its present imaginings.
What I have once said I say again. Comparatively speaking, it is of
no
consequence what you were or what you had done before you took
your
first pledge to your Higher Self and the Guardians of the Path, but
it is of
infinite importance to you what you have since done, may do today
or next
year, for you have been placed by your own desire in the bulwark
twixt the
conscious evil of the world and the cradle of the spiritual good –
the Light
of [TT 259] the World now on its way here. If the materials of
which that
bulwark is built are poor and faulty, it will be breached at the first
onslaught of the enemy.
Think of this, you Templars, who are luke warm, indifferent,
untrustworthy and indolent. Think of this, you Templars, who are
one-pointed, steady, faithful, and industrious – you who stand with
a
lighted torch in one hand and a tool of service in the other. It is of
incalculable importance to each of the two mentioned divisions.
EXISTING CONDITIONS
The term "existing conditions," commonly used and generally
understood to refer to certain combinations of circumstances
established
within themselves and bearing particular influence, represents a
corresponding state of consciousness worthy of consideration at
the
present time, and whenever used or arising.
The structural derivation of the words themselves is the key to the
meaning, significance, and force contained and implied therein ;
action out
of that which is set, and is mentioned together. The action, impulse,
or
motive may be, or originally have been, either good or bad. The
fact for
consideration is the ensouled, incarnated quality, or qualities, going
out of
that which is set, and which stand mentioned together and which
therefore
have strong hold or effect upon the mental-physical planes of
consciousness which are fixed, crystallized, in nature.
The first law of occultism or discipleship is the Law of Flexibility,
obedience to the Spirit of the Highest, that the Will of the Supreme
may be
done. It is axiomatic to anyone having but first knowledge of
spiritual
matters that this cannot be done through existing conditions ; that
[TT 260]
is, anything which involves habit, attachment, fixity to the personal
planes
of activity. Spirit most high, the universal principle of life, finds
expression, vehicle for itself, in the ever-changing, ever-evolving,
transmuting, expanding, growing forces of nature and
consciousness.
"For where two or three are gathered together in my Name," the
Name
of Eternal Youth, "there am I in the midst of them." The present
cycle is
primarily one of intensive spiritual growth, transformation, change.
The
light and fire of the Christos, individually and universally, are
throwing
existing conditions, individually, nationally, organizationally,
racially, and
otherwise, into relief against the background of its own all
embracing, all
adaptable, all penetrating, permeating life and substance of life,
love and
truth, in effort to lift it to a higher and larger plane of life and
consciousness. It has been said again and over again, until it would
seem
all but unlawful and useless to reiterate, that nothing can withstand
the
might of that power if it endeavors to obstruct its path, stand
against it in
any way, to any degree whatsoever. That might is increasing daily,
hourly,
with a force and rapidity practically uncomprehended by man, save
here
and there a few who have given themselves over to its service and
obedience, by yielding themselves to its influence, becoming one
with it
through renunciation of the existing conditions, the fixed and
determined
personal opinions or attitudes within themselves. These alone shall
stand
in the actual, real sense when the Son comes forth in full radiance
of High
Noon of the day already dawned. Then shall take place the
marriage of
spirit, matter, and consciousness which shall unite those who have
permitted themselves to be caught up into that glory. Then also
shall take
place the divorce, the separation of friend from friend, man from
family,
child from parent, neighbor from neighbor, soul from body, mind
from
soul, according to the degree of resistance that shall come out of
the
existing conditions of the present, set up against the lawfulness and
fulfillment of that marriage, universal, individual and particular.
The supreme protection, guide, and solace to all who would attune
the
material, personal nature to the Light of Spiritual Will lie within
the
revered, centuries honored prayer to the "Father which is in secret"
and
which rewards "openly" ; the seventh principle within the secret
chamber
of all being ; the unceasing, unifying prayer so applicable today,
"Forgive
us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."
Forgiveness
is the leavening, leveling quality of God, and the Christ comes to
enable
man to lift himself up through forgiveness to his brother man.
Upon the clear, still lake of spirit, perfect, circular, true in
flower-bordered beauty, must man gaze earnestly, faithfully. From
that
spring may be seen to come into form the double mirror of soul
and mind,
the figure eight of ensouled intelligence. Tranquil beyond
description is
the lake of spirit with flowering border stretching into fields
elysian.
Equally tranquil must be the double mirror outdrawn from it, if it
reflects
the true image from within. Not separate from the lake is the eight,
the
double mirror, but an equation within itself, equal parts of a whole
outdrawn from the depth of nature.
From shining soul mirror the Swan of Life emerges, with graceful
movement swimming the clear waters, passing through the narrow
channel
of the eight into the dark but clear green mirror of mind. A second
swan,
slightly larger, accompanies the first through the channel into the
green.
They dip their heads, swim, dive, enjoy the bath ; and each time
they go
under, the waters change from green to blue, one wave upon
another, in
depth and hue according to the depth of the diving. Little by little
more
birds appear, smaller, varied in size, until a flock gathers, floating,
swimming, intermingling the blue waters with [TT 262] the green
until
they can no longer be separated, yet each retaining its own
integrity in the
opalescent blend.
So man must take the lesson from the Bird of Life. He must
emerge
from the waters of the lake of his own soul into the mental waters
of his
individuality, dive deep beneath the intellectual waves, transmute
the
green of self into the blue of selflessness, bring from the depths
beneath
the findings of true experience, send the wave lengths out to others
that
they too may find, pool according to the need with all others who
may
gather around him until the waters become an opalescent.
So shall existing conditions be overcome, transmuted, changed into
Christ likeness, the waters of life in which all may lave, the river
everlasting which flows from the throne of God in eternal help,
healing,
usefulness, beauty, and harmony.
SECRETS OF NATURE
Matter, Force, and Consciousness are one. I am unable to give you
much information concerning the subject of Numbers at present.
You are
at liberty, of course, to try to solve them if you can. I neither can
nor
would prevent you from finding out any of the secrets of Nature,
but that
would not relieve me from my responsibility. As I have told you,
numbers
are very sacred and are not given out except under very
extraordinary
circumstances. I might, as so many have done, give you a series of
numbers for every thing and cover them up with a series of blinds
so that
you could not possibly work them out ; but I do not consider it
right to do
so, and for the present I must say that I cannot enlighten you on
that
subject now. You will have to wait.
On the Dais of the Great Temple all color is represented. Some one
color is a little more prominent than [TT 263] another, and that
plainly
indicates a development along that special line more complete then
along
other lines. In some cases the correspondences as given in the
instructions
give the true idea of the lines of development. In others they are
wrong.
This is one of the subjects that will come up when the instructions
are
elaborated.
There is one item in one of the late lessons that will help you in the
consideration of many things that may come up, i.e., that in the
vision of
the Creation of a Universe, the first Son of Light, the first Sacrifice
swept
out from the point of Manifestation as far as the impulse or rate of
vibration would carry him, then returned along the same lines to
the Center.
He had only sacrificed his body to make those points of light. His
soul and
spirit were where they always were. When he came back to that
point of
Manifestation there followed a pralaya. And then there were Three
that
were shot out for another Manifestation. But those Three were that
One,
and so it was when the Seven swept out. He returned for a pralaya
and then
went out again under another rate of vibration. The One was Seven
at the
time. This also applies to the evolution of the whole Universe.
There are
wheels within wheels. The evolution of a planet was developed
under the
same laws that evolved the whole Universe. There is an almost
perfect
correspondence in the life of every atom in manifestation. Every
atom has
to retrace along the same lines.
The whole action of the Cosmic Forces is not to emphasize any
one
color but to grow so that all may manifest equally, so that each and
every
individual entitiy may grow as the tree grows when perfectly
rounded out
in every direction, with no one color prominent but all in equal
proportion.
What is true of each ray is as true of the Cosmos and applies
equally.
The personalities are all on lower planes of manifestation when
there
are many. They are only a higher [TT 264] aggregation of astral
bodies –
to put it as plainly as possible – on the same principle that
aggregations of
atoms make a body. When there are so many personalities, it is
simply
because the individualities are not powerful enough to assimilate
all the
force of that entity and it has to be distributed over a large area. By
"lower
planes" I mean astral as well as physical planes.
When the soul on its return leaves the lower astral it begins to unite
with its own special ray as the atoms of each plane go back into
universal
matter for a time, until they are called forth for another
manifestation.
Where the soul remains when it leaves the body depends upon how
far the
personality has become developed. If it has gained much
experience and
assimilated all it has gained and is ready for a higher step, it will
remain in
the Upper Astral. The soul that was manifested in two bodies on
the lower
plane would have but one on its return.
A Group Soul may be represented by a seven-pointed star, seven
times
seven, or forty-nine. There are other figures that would represent it
on its
return better than those I have mentioned that I cannot give now.
There is
one on the Temple Pavement that represents it perfectly, and that
you will
see some day. The whole is represented in the pyramids of Egypt,
particularly in the one called "Great."
The development of all lives is like the progression of geometrical
figures, as they are called, though of course such illustrations
convey no
adequate conception of the truth, for those lines are in reality living
entities.
Those geometrical figures, so called, are really composed of
substance in a
state of unfoldment, as is all matter, Force, and Consciousness.
Every
spiritual being is a line. There is a certain individuality in every
atom in
manifestation. [TT 265]
FEARFUL AND UNBELIEVING
The fearful and unbelieving, as well as all sycophantic devotees of
the
Beast of Mammon, have invariably attempted to stop the progress
of
evolutionary development by building mental images of disaster
and
failure, or spreading nets of discouragement to entangle the
energies
directed by true lovers of the human race toward a common goal
and a
common good.
Nature furnishes to each of her kingdoms a perfect form, and
correspondingly perfect principles of government. Only so far as
man has
observed and followed that form, and embodied those principles in
a
constitution, has been his measure of success in the creating of a
righteous
government, whether of Church or State. The outlines of the
government
of the United States were taken from the aborigines, the "Six
Nations" of
Indians. Those laws were given to the Indians by Hiawatha, an
Agent of
the White Lodge. The ancient Peruvians, the Atlanteans, and many
other
races and nations, were taught and governed by the same laws.
These are
the laws that govern the bees, the ants, and every other division of
insect
and animal life that has not deteriorated through contact and
association
with mankind.
The great rock of offence against which, one after another,
individuals,
organizations, and nations are hurled, and are either crippled, or
broken to
pieces, is the selfishness, the heartlessness, of those in authority,
whether
these be self-constituted teachers, leaders, presidents, or kings. In
religion
some one or more portions of a world-embracing philosophy is
separated
from the whole, or is misinterpreted by some seeker for power ; a
certain
coterie gathers about its expounder or teacher, who isolates them
and
ignores all philosophy that does not corroborate his exposition,
rendering it
impossible for others to associate with them because of their
evident
[TT 266] narrowness, and they themselves become incapable of
effort in a
larger field, owning to the action of the laws of constriction which
immediately come into effect when one or more separate
themselves from
the mass of humanity in thought and feeling ; and these laws
energize a
powerful force which bars one's progress, as might a rod of iron on
the
physical plane. We, as a race, must stand or fall together, for WE
ARE
ONE. When one individual rises above another in any phase of
development, he does so by reason of the inherent good which is
manifesting in him ; for evil is negative, and leaves no lasting
effect.
The great plan of the Lodge for the development of the human race
is
so superhumanly grand and perfect in its entirety, as well as in its
minutia,
that it would be useless to attempt to make it intelligible to the
masses of
the present age. It is like the foundation setting of a beautiful
mosaic, into
which a bit is being set here and there, by a Master workman, each
stone
being cut and fitted to suit each point in the setting, and all
emplaced from
the under side. Only the Adept and Master – workman is familiar
with the
design ; none other can form even the slightest concept of the
transcendent
glory that will flash from it when the light of the spiritual sun falls
on the
completed work.
DRAW CLOSER
I greatly wish that I could draw you closer to each other. I have no
words to express the pain I feel when I see you drifting away from
each
other even in the slightest degree. Any dissension that takes place
between
any two of you means so much more to you than I can possibly
express. It
does not make any difference that you are now placed in somewhat
antagonistic circumstances, [TT 267] one to the other. You have
been in
the past-and may be in the future – united members of a group –
united
members of one family, with power sufficient to wield a world. I
have told
you in the past of your relationship to me ; I have also told you that
there is
a present limit to my own evolution ; that I must bring you to a
certain
point before I could go forward ; that of course you do not
comprehend,
for I am not able to make it clear to you now. But a vital division
between
any of you may work harm that cannot be remedied in many lives.
You
have come to a point in your evolutionary career where two ways
are open
to you, one down, the other up. You cannot go up alone, you must
go
together if you would succeed, unless any one of you should
willfully elect
to go down.
If you would be more patient with each other, if you try as hard to
see
the good in each other as you try to see the faults and failures, you
would
accomplish much more than you have any idea of. I know you do
not do
things with the intention and design to hurt each other or the work.
You
are in a manner victims of the powers we are combating : there is
nothing
in the world that will give these opposing entities such supreme
delight as
to put a stone in your way that you may stumble and so hurt
yourselves or
the work. It is not so much you, on the physical or lower planes,
that they
aim at as US ; they strike you also in your Spiritual nature and
cause a
separation between you.
Oh, my children ! I wish for one instant you might be capable of
seeing the expressions on those malignant forces turned toward US
in glee
when they have caused a breech between you that may mean
centuries of
work for US. I have never been able to make you, or any group
under my
care, understand for a moment the truth of what I have told you
over and
over again : that if we could get 7 people – only 7 of our children
to love
each other, [TT 268] be patient and bear with each other, and obey
US, we
could move the world.
REAL OCCULT NEEDS
The letter herewith given was transmitted to the Temple by the
Master
Hilarion on Jan. 29, 1899. It is as applicable today as when first
received,
and as the time has come when it may be given a wider publicity
for the
sake of the good that may come there from, permission has been
extended
to make it public through the pages of the Artisan. In connection
with this
letter and referring to those old students (not yet affiliated with the
Temple)
who had become confused because of the mess that seemed to
have been
made of things, and for whose help the letter was intended, this
great
Initiate said : "We hope, in some cases, at least, to arouse them to a
sense
of duty to themselves as well as to humanity at large, for no one
can rise or
fall by himself ; every atom belonging to his own aura as well as
all others
whom Karma has placed in association with him must be
influenced
thereby, one way or another." The letter is as follows :
"MY CHILDREN :
Many of you have been recently thinking that the general trend of
things, Theosophical and Political, has had a tendency to detract
from the
value of certain truths imparted to you by us ; and also to wonder
why
directions should not be more explicitly given, though I have
repeatedly
told you that beyond a certain limited point, the law of individual
responsibility and development made it impossible for us to
interfere. "It is
only fools that rush in where angels fear to tread." But it is
permissible to
say that after the years of study and direct assistance extended in
helping
you to assimilate the fruits of such study, many [TT 269] of you
are
negligent and careless in applying the lessons so learned toward
the
solution of the problem now confronting you on the outer plane of
manifestation. Try to realize that an Initiate is prohibited from
giving more
than an intimation that any one thing had better be done, and a
failure to
see and act upon such hints often prevents a disciple from
obtaining the
very thing he most ardently desires. The existing state of affairs
among the
different branches of the T. S. activities and the special students we
have
prepared at great pains for the Temple movement, is due to the
neglect or
fear of those who have failed in this respect. The disintegrating
Karmic
Force now in action within and around the earth, gave an
opportunity to
the Lodge to break up a decaying body and place the members
prepared on
the step of the Temple stairs to which evolution and effort had
brought
them. But through the carelessness, negligence, ignorance and fear
of
those who should primarily have been leaders in the new
movement and
have taken the flood at high tide and swept into action all who
came under
their influences, this has been delayed. Honest seekers, those
whom we
have watched and guided as far as we might, have been allowed to
drift
into the wrong currents for want of the one helpful word that
would have
landed them safely on the shore, and so instead of the solid body of
workers under direct supervision that we might have had, the ranks
are
being broken up into fragments, each working on its own concept
of what
the Lodge ought to do in its special case, forgetting entirely that
without
supervision by the Lodge of their cosmic evolution as well as
personal
development, that only a very limited view was possible to them as
regards
either their own attainment or real occult needs.
It will be useless to say : "I did not know, and was not sure that this
or
that was the right thing to do," the fact remains that they should
have
known. They have [TT 270] been prepared and if they had kept in
mind
the words of former leaders and watched with unselfish eyes the
events
transpiring in the world, they would have known that the time was
ripe and
recognized the ring of truth in the messages sent to them. It is
useless to
attempt to throw off responsibility and disclaim the given
directions, or to
think that the action of one will not make much difference, for that
is
untrue, and those who have studied forces know that if two men
could
have saved Sodom the dozens prepared might now have had every
condition ready for the manifestation, which by or through their
unfaithfulness had been hindered, for they have put a great force of
instability into action that we now have to combat, with other
inimical
forces. Now believe me, I do not say this in any desire to cause
irritation,
but simply to try to arouse those pledged to the service of the
Lodge, who
would be deeply grieved at a charge of faithlessness to a sense of
their
duty.
The one great need of the hour is the awakening of the spirit of
intuition and understanding. When one desires the truth above all
things,
even above their preconceived opinions of the duty of the Lodge to
humanity, and are willing to investigate unselfishly every fact that
comes
to them, of Nature or of man, they will invariably feel the soul
within
stirring, and some bright day will come face to face with truth, and
find
that conscious contact has brought Love, Peace and Wisdom."
SONS OF LIGHT
"Ye may become Sons of Light. "
These words uttered by Jesus are of infinite importance, containing
as
they do a promise of infinite possibilities for man.
The mystery of Light and the mystery of Life are one. [TT 271]
Modern science accepts the undulatory theory of light, which
depends
on the existence of a hypothetical ether assumed to be a kind of
imponderable matter, infinitely elastic and of extreme tenuity, so
that it not
only occupies the. space between bodies, celestial and others, but
also
enters into them and performs its functions of undulation within
and
between their particles.
The luminousness of a body is assumed to be due to a rapid
vibratory
motion of the molecules of this cosmic or luminiferous ether,
propagated
in the form of waves.
The Light of the Central Sun is broken into innumerable rays as it
traverses the great Prism of Being.
Cosmic Life is broken into innumerable apparently separate
entities as
it emerges from the One and passes down the stairway of the
Seven
Worlds.
Life has been defined as a collection of phenomena which succeed
each other during a limited time in an organized body.
This definition is, however, equally applicable to the changes
which
go on after death.
Science analyses, dissects and vivisects, yet is unable to tell what
life
is. The vis vita, if a force it be, eludes both the retort and the
scalpel and all
the ingenious appliances invented to wrest from Nature her great
secret.
This was a secret well known to the alchemists of old.
The problem is to create a bit of protoplasm endowed with life and
some volition of its own, and with power to reproduce itself.
The white of an egg is nearly pure protoplasm and chemically is
made
up of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon in certain
proportions.
Artifical protoplasm has been made out of albumenous substances
and oils,
and the product has had a movement of its own simulating life. But
the
movement was due to chemical causes. Viewed under the
microscope, the
material appeared [TT 272] even to have the same structure as
protoplasm-but it had no life of its own and no reproductive
principle.
One of the simplest known forms of life, which may be found in
any
stagnant pool of water, is represented by the ameba, a microscopic
entity
made up of a single cell containing in the middle of its jelly-like
mass, a
tiny nucleus thought to comprise the elements of reproduction and
heredity
in the creature. This one cell performs all those functions which in
higher
organisms require the cooperation of many specialized cells to
carry on.
The ameba eats : It flows around a particle of food, digests and
assimilates
what it can of it and casts the residue out of its mass – the single
cell is the
whole digestive tract. The ameba is susceptible to irritating
influences,
indicating that the one cell also acts for and is the entire nervous
system.
The ameba reproduces its kind – the one cell thus also embodying
the
centers of reproduction.
In the higher and more complex forms of life, the cells are
specialized
as to function and have consequently lost the power of performing
many
parts possible to a uni-cellular organism like the ameba. In a multi-
cellular
being we might say that the cells have given up their synthetic
function,
for the sake as it were, of making a specialty of some one function
– and
so doing that with greater power as is required in the higher forms
of life.
Hence, in these higher forms we find cells specialized into groups ;
as
nerve, muscle, bone cells, etc., each group doing but a part of the
work
required by the whole, whereas in the uni-cellular creature the one
cell
must do it all. Sometimes, in these groups of specialized cells of
our
bodies, serious diseases may be induced through an effort made by
some
cells to perform functions not belonging to the group to which they
are
allied. This is evidently due to latent memory or tendency in that
cell
becoming active. [TT 273]
A plant is able to take carbonic acid, water and nitrogenous salts
and
convert them into protoplasm. Man cannot do this but he can eat
the plant
and convert its protoplasm, into animal protoplasm. When after a
while the
man or animal dies, its body breaks up into carbonic acid, water,
and
nitrogenous salts. These are again taken up by the plants and
transmuted
into fresh protoplasm. Thus is the organic world perpetuated.
Physical science may some day be able to originate, in the
laboratory,
chemically pure protoplasm-but it will never be able to construct a
living
cell until it takes into account the creative forces of nature and their
correspondences in the nature of man-and has gained the will and
knowledge to be able to intelligently direct the elemental lives that
are
these forces. Then he may be able to endow his laboratory
protoplasm with
a spark of his own life and will. When chemistry is able to imitate
the laws
of natural growth and transmutations of elements taking place so
incessantly in all organic bodies, and begins dealing with the soul
or inner
forces of matter, that science will be known as alchemy, which in
the past
has shown that all the forces of nature are actually or potentially
represented in man.
There is but One Universal Substance, which, thrown into
innumerable states and conditions, by varying rates of vibration
imparted
to it, brings into manifestation all the diverse elements known. This
One
Substance is sometimes referred to as the Waters of the Great Deep
over
which God-the Spirit of life broods-imparts vibrations, until
portions of the
One differentiate from the mass through heightened vibrations-and
the
potential becomes actual.
Swirling masses of water as' seen in pool or stream, is
differentiated
from the surrounding water by the energy imparted to it. It has a
motion of
its own and in a sense is a definite entity, of the same essential
nature,
[TT 274] existing in, yet apart from, the water around it. We might
consider the rotating swirling mass as a cell homogeneous in
material, and
ensouled by the energy that called it into being and differentiated it
from
the surrounding mass of its own kind. To the denizens in the
circumambient water, the swirling mass would be a phenomena – a
something having properties and effects peculiarly its own.
Intensify the
original motion imparted, to a very high degree, and the water
denizen
would soon think that the swirling mass was totally dissimilar in
nature to
the material around it – as the human, for example, regards a
cloud, tree,
rock or other object.
The natural corollary to the above is, that all that is – organic and
inorganic-constellations, solar systems, suns, planets, man, animal,
ameba,
or molecule, are but differentiated vortices in the homogeneous
substance
of the Ocean of Life – or Light – the "Reservoir of all substance,
all matter,
in a state of atomic separation sound being the energy or cohesive
power
that holds any individualized form of that substance in
manifestation for
any special period of time." In the phenomenal world these forms
possess
different properties, but in their real inner nature are – One.
In the oneness of that Nature is the common likeness, quality or
light
of the whole. This Light is the Christos – the cause of all light,
mental,
physical or spiritual – which is discerned and realized when we
cease to
identify our consciousness with outer properties and effects of
things. We
may then realize our life – brotherhood – in all and truly become
"Sons of
Light."
"He that saith he is in the Light and hateth his brother, is in the
darkness, even until now." – John, 1 : 9 [TT 275]
THE TETRAD
Ques. Please explain the Symbolism of the Tetrad.
The Tetrad is the first regular solid of the five existing ones, or the
Six,
counting the Sphere also. It is geometrically a regular pyramid
with four
comers, four faces which are equilateral triangles, and six edges. If
you cut
six equal sticks a few inches long, you can easily fix them together
so as to
form this pyramid. This is the best way of studying the nature of
the Tetrad.
The Tetrad is an old occult symbol and was held very high in all
times,
especially in the Hermetic and Pythagorian traditions, as the most
perfect
expression of Number Four or "Three in One" – the perfect Square.
Four is a perfect number in a way, and contains the Decad or the
Ten,
for the sum of 1, 2, 3, 4 = 10, which algebraic expression is the
foundation
of the Secret Cycles in Astronomy. The following verse of
Pythagoras
expresses well the meaning of the Tetrad :
"The Monad is the sacred source of Number ; It is from
It that it emanates and holds the virtues Which burn in
the Tetrad, Universal Mother, Which produces all things,
and embraces within her bosom, The immortal Decad
honored everywhere."
The symbolism of Number Four is so large a subject that it would
require more space than can be given here. Enough to say that the
Cross,
the Square and the Tetrad, as expressions of Number Four, are
closely
connected. Hold the Tetrad, made out of six slim sticks in a certain
position, and the six lines will form a figure which is the Square
with its
two diagonals, the Cross. The center of the Tetrad or the Fifth
point,
represents the Fifth element, the quintessence, governing the Four
lower :
Fire, Air, Water and Earth. [TT 276]
The four seasons ; the four ages ; the four weeks in a true month ;
the
four directions, North, South, East and West ; the four divisions of
the day,
morning, noon, evening, midnight, and so on, are all
correspondences in
space, to the four comers of a Tetrad or in the plane to the four
comers of
the Square or the Cross.
The polar nature of comers is best understood in the four words,
Father, Mother, Sister, Brother.
The sacredness of the Tetrad is well expressed in the Oath which
Pythagoras' Disciples had to take and which was as follows :
"I swear by Him who graved within our hearts The
sacred Tetrad, Symbol immense and pure, Source of
Nature, and model of the Gods."
THE LETTER BOX
Ques. Is the Christos the divine whole in man ?
Truly the "Christos is the Divine whole in man." Atma, Buddhi,
Manas has been called the "Divine Triad." Atma, the Synthesis of
all,
containing within Itself all that is to be in manifestation – through
the
Mother, the Buddhi principle, comes to manifestation as Manas the
Son.
The word Buddhi signifies the discrimative principle. Manas,
signifies the
thinker, the principle of classifying and arranging. This thinker can
look
both ways ; into the plane of Soul, gathering, classifying and
arranging
truth, and also into the plane of appearances, of the reflection of
the Real
Soul plane ; and it has also the power of classifying and arranging
from
that plane of shadows. What is called natural science is of that
realm of
reflection, of shadows, and human beings are now almost lost in
the mist
and the shadow ; seeing, as did Plato's "Cave dwellers" only the
shadows
on the wall of materiality, mistaking them for the Reality ; which
Reality is
Harmony, and not discord. [TT 277]
Birth on the physical plane is but a symbol. Man is not born until
The
Christos manifests Himself through Him consciously as Son of
God, one
with all manifestation of the One Life. While he believes himself
to be
something apart from his Brothers, and from All Life, he is still in
gestation and unborn as far as conscious, individualized
immortality is
concerned. Through the principle of Buddhi or discrimination,
Mana
returns to Atma in conscious oneness.
Ques. When an electric current passes through a conductor, does it
pass through the surface of the conductor, or does it penetrate the
conductor ?
According to modern science, a constant electric current will
penetrate
the whole conductor, but an alternating current will form a kind of
"skin"
on the surface. This "skin" is thinner, the more rapid the
alternations are.
You can look at this from another point of view. If the electricity
itself is a
rapid movement of etheric atoms, just as physical substance
consists of
molecules vibrating at a lower rate, this motion will stir up
synchronal
vibrations in the case of a constant or slowly alternating current,
and this
synchronism will show itself as "heat" but will gradually grow
less, the
more rapid the vibrations.
Ques. How does the anesthetic act ?
There are many kinds of anesthetics. Some in the form of solutions
of
varying degrees of strength are applied directly to the tissues of the
body
when it is desired to produce a condition of local anesthesia.
Solutions of
cocaine, etc., are much used for these purposes and produce the
desired
results by temporarily paralyzing the sensory nerve fibrils of a
particular
part or tissue involved. Sensory impulses to the inner sensorium of
the
brain and consequently to the feet or astral self are thus inhibited
for the
time being and painful impressions are no longer perceptible. A
condition
of general anesthesia is somewhat different. Ether and choloform
are used
[TT 278] most generally to produce this condition. The vapors of
these are
inhaled, absorbed by the blood stream through the medium of the
lungs,
and so carried to every part of the body, contacting every nerve
center of
the system. Chloroform is made by the action of chlorine on
alcohol ; ether
is made by the action of sulphuric acid on alcohol. In chemical
terms, ether
is hydrate of ethyl ; ethyl is the base chemical radical of alcohol.
This
radical plays an important part of the economy of the universe, for
it is the
preservative tatwa or principle of nature ; and but for it nothing
organic or
inorganic could preserve its form for any length of time. It is also
the
seventh or highest division of matter, and stands next below astral
substance. It may be said to be the doorway that connects the
physical and
astral planes.
When an excess of this force is poured into the body by means of
ether or chloroform, the body is for the time being, so to speak,
astralized ;
that is, the body consciousness is transferred to the astral plane and
held
there, and for the time being the astral body is no longer in contact
with the
physical centers and is consequently not able to sense vibrations of
the
physical body. In the delerium tremens of the drunkard, the
consciousness
is transferred to the astral plane in about the same way, by the
action of
alcohol. A low astral sub-plane is usually contacted, however, by
the
drunkard where only disagreeable and horrible forms of life exist.
The
drunkard, in some cases, may see symbolic representations of
degraded
conditions existing in his own auric body.
The astral body is the child of the physical, and is connected with it
by
a grade of substance exactly analogous to the umbilical cord that
connects
mother and child, and through which the vital force that nourishes
the
body must flow. The astral body, therefore-the vehicle for the vital
force –
cannot go far from the physical. It may "go out" of the physical a
short
distance, or rather
the physical may get out of it for a time. With the Kama Rupa it is
the
same. This latter is the "body of desires," and is a definite entity on
its way
to higher states, as are all entities. The physical is also in a sense
the child
of the desire body. The astral and Karma Rupic bodies are
intimately
connected and neither can go very far from the physical vehicle
until the
death of the latter, which in fact, means the separation of the two
former
from the latter.
GOD'S GUESTS
"We are God's guests in the Temple of the Infinite."
Men are brothers and not wild beasts, the Masters teach. Common
courtesy to the Host who has bidden us to the great feast of
conscious life
– to partake of His substance and drink of His life – should make
us gentle,
forbearing and brotherly one toward the other, were there no more
potent
reasons for so acting.
Molecule, man and angel have their respective limitations from an
outer standpoint. In their inner life or essence however, infinite
potentialities reside – they are in fact one with the infinite. A dim
consciousness of this truth filters into and becomes identified with
the
lower minds of most men. It is this consciousness that often impels
the
brain mind to try to grasp the infinite-which it cannot do. In other
cases,
when the mind is not sufficiently mobile and elastic it is the cause
of
egotism, intolerant criticism and insistence that a truth must be
looked at
from some one particular standpoint – and no other – that any other
would
be wrong. In these cases the personal consciousness becomes
absorbed by
some one mental color and glows with an exaggerated largeness
for being
permeated by the few straggling rays of cosmic consciousness
above
alluded to. Under such circumstances, the mind is identified with
but one
color of the rainbow – one aspect of any truth, and vigorously [TT
280]
combats the idea that other colors exist. Bigotry, intolerance,
unbrotherliness, manifest as a result of this mental inability to live
in more
than one ray of life.
"With the close of the last cycle and the beginning of a
new one, many of the Masters who have been working
with all the power of the Lodge back of them, to send out
once more into the world, the long forgotten and
neglected truths concerning Man, his advent and destiny,
which can only be satisfactorily accomplished during the
last quarter of each century, will return to their well
hidden retreats. During the first quarter of the present
century, these truths will become living factors in the
lives of man and nations, therefore preparing mankind
for the advent of a new Avatar."
More truth and force has been poured out during the last quarter of
a
century than humanity can possibly assimilate during the next
quarter. The
higher Masters will withdraw to more inner spheres of planes, for
seventyfive
years, when they will again emerge and pour their spiritual force
and
love into the aura or atma-sphere of the earth, raising its vibrations
thereby.
Some of the Masters having special work, must remain with the
world
until that work be accomplished in accordance with karmic and
evolutionary law. When they go in, they must take with them,
those
belonging to them – those who are a part of their vital essence. It is
nighttime
with Masters when they are working with outer realms of matter.
With the advent of the new cycle, a great Entity or form of
evolutionary energy that works with each planet of the system in
turn, has
entered the orbit of the earth. This Form belongs to the Green Ray
and
comes for the purpose of rating the lower manas or mind in
mankind to a
higher rate vibration so that it may be able to accept and realize the
occult
truths which have been so generously poured out upon it during the
last
century. It is said [TT 281] that, "the great entitized powers of the
last
century, in conjunction with that of the century now begun, has
done and
will do more to advance all grades of matter, as well as to produce
more
race changes in the evolution of humanity, than has been possible
in the
last 500,000 years, owing to the increase of vibrating action."
No discovery of the nineteenth century has had a great effect in
harmonizing the scientific and religions views on earth's creation
than that
of the Living Crystal by Von Schron. This discovery furnishes the
missing
link between the animal and vegetable kingdoms. The German
savant
clearly proves what no one will have any difficulty in believing
that the
force at work in crystallization, as in the feathers of the birds or the
flowers of the field, is the force of Life. Living crystals are formed
by all
bacilli, the first observed however, having been the living double
pyramids
of the bacillus of Asiatic cholera.
The process as seen under the microscope is thus described : In the
beginning the field is clear liquid. Then there occurs that cloudy,
slowly
thickening phenomenon, in flower leaf patterns, which we call "ice
flowers." Then a right angle appears, followed by another
diagonally
opposite. Then is before the eyes. This is a cube of living
albumenous
matter, colorless, structureless and perfectly homogeneous. The
moment it
is born, it starts of its own accord to become a mineral crystal as
rapidly as
possible. As it alters to mineral matter, granular, molecular and
atomic
changes occur. Two kinds of wave motion begin. One is
longitudinal the
other is spiral. The longitudinal waves seem to be seizing upon one
kind of
matter and carrying it out of the crystal, leaving what we call
"mineral.
The two movements seem to shape the crystal." The significance
of all this
is apparent when we bear in mind the fact, that the earth with its
mountains,
rocks, etc., is almost entirely composed of crystals. [TT 282]
Bacilli, germs and microbes are but differentiated forms of astral
matter energized by prana or life. Dr. Von Schron is quoted as
saying :
"My researches into the primary origin of crystals, into their vital
and later
mineral states, have convinced me that there is only one force
acting upon
matter in all its aspects, the force which we call Life. I have been
compelled to believe, from the way in which the life force shapes
the
crystal, and from all the attendant phenomena, that all other forces,
heat,
light, electricity, cohesion, are but different manifestations of Life
force."
This is one of the fundamental truths of occult philosophy familiar
to
students of occultism for ages past. Modern science will confirm
many
other occult truths.
THE LETTER BOX
(Ques.) "Can the amount of carbonic acid in the air influence the
temperature of the air to a great degree, and can you explain the
ice
period of the earth through the fact that a great change in the
quantity of
carbonic acid gas in the atmosphere has occurred. "
The rays of energy coming from the sun are neither hot nor cold
until
they strike in space some sphere of matter, as the earth, or
atmosphere of
the same, when these rays cause heat by the magnetic and
electrical
interaction that results. The earth-sphere would be the negative
pole to the
sun-sphere. This interaction between the earth and the sun would
be
greatly modified by the addition or subtraction of any gas to the
atmosphere surrounding either of these bodies, just as the addition
or
subtraction of a chemical fluid to a battery would modify the
action of the
battery according to the nature of the fluid and chemical reactions
induced.
Outside of the atmosphere of the earth, what we might call the
physical
[TT 283] body of the sun would simply look something like a
black hole
in the sky it is a sphere of tremendous energy, of course, or a
vortex of
forces inconceivably high in vibration.
Ques. "On what plane are Monads of the 7th Race now being born
?"
The Monads of the 7th Race are now individualized centers of
consciousness on the Higher Astral plane. The highest point of the
Higher
Astral is where soul-birth takes place. On the real soul-plane there
are no
births. Soul is Universal. When the hour strikes the Monads now
on the
Higher Astral will be born into the lower astral and then onto the
physical
plane. We are told that the Higher Astral is the plane wisdom and
therefore
order.
(Ques.) Are atoms and molecules in a homogeneous body grouped
in
the same way all through the body ?"
If we are discriminating enough to discover them, we may find in
nature a practical living illustration of every truth that we desire to
know.
So in this question : if you could see the atoms and molecules
composing a
piece of iron you could see the answer to the question. But you
cannot see
the atoms or molecules of the iron because you have not yet
developed
sensitive enough organs of sight ; but if you will remember that the
universe is built on the laws of number and proportion and
harmony, you
may see the answer to the heavens if you take a large enough view
of life.
The universe as a whole is a "homogeneous" body and the "atoms"
composing it are the suns ; and the "molecules" composing it – a
lower
rate of vibration of substance – are the planets, asteroids, etc. The
analogy
is exact as the same laws govern the infinitely little as well as
infinitely
great. So simply look at the groupings of the suns and stars in
space and
you will [TT 284] have the answer to your question. As above so
below,
as within, so without. The atom is on a higher plane – is in a higher
rate of
vibration than the molecule. The molecule is simply more material.
Matter
is but arrested motion and if the mass motion of any substance
could be
made to vibrate sufficiently high it would go back to motion again
and the
substance as such would disappear and would become force or
pure
motion.
A CITY
A City is a plexus of connected lives – a sphere of energy where
are
generated and energized currents of force that affect the world for
weal or
woe according as the desires and will of man vivify or pollute the
streams
of pure life continually pouring from inner spheres.
A hive of bees is a nature-symbol of a perfect government, either
municipal or national. Animated by a common interest, a common
purpose
and ideal, the sociological life of the bee furnishes a marvellous
object
lesson of a working model of perfect government where the life of
each is
devoted to all and all is for each. This is true brotherhood.
No City could exist on outer planes did it not possess an inner and
soul life distinctively its own. This inner life seeking outer
expression
creates communities of common interest – builds cities on the
surface of
the earth, objectivizes stars and planets in space, and utters in the
symbol-
language of Nature, the daisy growing on the mountain side.
Space is filled with myriad stars and planets not yet visible to the
human eye because these stellar lives are not yet incarnated in
mortal
vestments, have not yet brought together for outer expression the
matter
belonging to them. When sufficient strength is gained, the
planetary soul
draws from out the cosmic matrix of world building material, from
the
great asteroid and cometary belts – the cemetery of dead,
disintegrated
worlds, the birthplace of new ones – the matter that belongs to it by
hierarchial and karmic right. This collects first as a film around the
incarnating planet and as denser matter is attracted, it is born on
the fields
of space as a visible orb. A member is thus added to some cosmic
family
or solar system.
A city is born correspondingly. Common purposes and interests –
potential inner forces, draw its lives, inhabitants together –
material
conditions are attracted or made and the city – a definite entity is
evolved.
Affinitative or karmic ties formed in prior lives – iron bonds forged
by
love and hate, bring men and women together age after age, life
after life,
until the forces generated are equilibrated and the lives attuned to
cosmic
purposes and natural laws. In the Laboratory of Life – in the
melting pot of
time, and cause and effect, the great Alchemist – Nature,
transmutes the
human weaknesses of one age into the strength of another, mere
desire to
do, into power to accomplish. The aspirations of one life draw by
irresistible attraction from out the universal storehouse, the soul of
form,
and clothed with living energy, aspirations become forces in our
next
lifecycle.
As with the individual, so with nations and races. The aspiration
for
the ideal in city or national life must sometime eventuate into an
embodied
force that will compel crystallization of right outer conditions.
The City of the New Jerusalem, the city that "lieth four square,"
that
has or will have a point of contact or life on the four planes of the
cosmos,
is an existent fact in the inner spheres. As an ideal to be sometime
actualized, it has been held as an image in the mind of the Great
Lodge –
the Logos, for ages. St. John describes it in Revelation [TT 286]
and saw it
descending. It is a pattern in the heavens and every heart-thought
and
fervent aspiration toward it on the part of mortal man has drawn it
nearer
to him. The Masters work in accordance with natural law, and
before that
city with all the glory of its social and industrial possibilities can
arise on
the outer plane, it must first be built in the hearts of humanity and
the plans
held in the mind, "thus creating a matrix which will be naturally
drawn
into the greater one of the Lodge and a connecting link formed for
future
operations."
Biblical prophecy is being rapidly fulfilled. The Beast material
power
of gold – will be driven to his lair, and the woman – the soul –
clothed
with the sun or spirit, and with the moon or forces of matter under
her feet
or dominion, will reign on earth as in Heaven. And then shall be
fulfilled
an earlier prophecy that the woman's "seed shall bruise the
Serpent's head."
Whether or not America is the cradle of the human race, much
food
for thought is furnished by the colossal ruins of ancient cities
discovered in
Central America and New Mexico, and which according to some
authorities, must have flourished at a time antedating the oldest
Egyptian
cities known. The character of the ruins of once mammoth
buildings –
larger then any sky-scraper of the present day – found in some of
these
nameless cities, indicate that a high order of social and industrial
life must
have obtained with the inhabitants.
The physical forms of the dwellers in these ancient cities have long
ago returned to the dust and other elements, but their
individualities or
souls, clothed in modern garb are still working and building toward
ideal
outer conditions of order and harmony, ever impelled by the
unerring
instinct of the Christ-spark within.
The more a unity of selfless interest is observed by a multitude of
souls living together under natural conditions in a rightly governed
municipality, the more is the [TT 287] progress of each and all
enhanced.
To this end social evolution is tending, building more and more
perfectly
on the ashes of past failures.
Unity in diversity is the law of Nature, and this-as the surveyor's
report puts it "brings us back to the place of beginning," namely,
that a city
is a plexus or aggregation of lives – precipitated into the present by
causes
generated in the past.
THE LETTER BOX
(Ques.) What is the connection between practical work for
humanity
and mysticism ?
The tendency of true mysticism is to clearly show the oneness of
all
being – the solidarity of the human race. In the light of mysticism,
an
injury to one is the concern of all. When the student becomes
aware of this
unity, he hears the call made by his fellow man for help ; fortunate
is he
who responds and gives of his best, thus affording normal and
healthy
action to the newly awakened forces within him. Persistently
denying
legitimate expression of the true desire to help the race results in...
"the
originally pure impulse being further distorted, until finally the
whole
nature is turned, twisted and warped, the power to give righteously
is lost
forever. Grasping, selfish egotism is the result, whose forces,
contracting
like the twining coils of a cobra, leaves the man a soulless wreck in
the
outer world, a human being in form, yet having no share in the
spiritual
heritage of humanity.
(Ques.) What is light as we perceive it on the physical plane ?
We are told that every ray of light is a spiritual entity, clothed with
an
inner body, which makes it possible to give light on the spiritual
plane. It
is the physical body of [TT 288] that light which is in
manifestation on the
outer plane. This body must be raised by the power of evolution to
the
rank of the spiritual entity that inhabits it. The spiritual light is
consciousness and love, and in its essence is Unity. Through a
period of
manifestation, consciousness is Unity in diversity ; but as had been
said, in
its reality, in its essence, it is Unity. In the end that great entity
becomes
pure and absolute light.
(Ques.) Will hypnotism aid in opening the inner senses ?
We can but repeat the warning given to us on this subject. By
permitting your will to be dominated by another, you are allowing
that
other to draw away your soul substance. All that you can receive
from any
hypnotist is a view of whatever pictures may be in his own mind.
Outside
of the aura of the hypnotist you will get nothing whatever, no
matter how
pure the motive may be. As an indivisible atom of the whole, you
must go
to that whole, not to any individual part of that whole.
LIFES EFFLORESCENCE
Consciousness extends in an unbroken chain from the one center of
being to the lowest arc of the circle of manifested life and then
returns to
the center from which it emerged.
As the blood of a healthy person or animal circulates to all parts of
the
system, carrying nourishment to each cell, and also relieving each
of effete
matter, so the great cosmic currents of life, thought and feeling,
should
circulate freely to all that lives. Any restriction of the action of the
blood
results in impairment of the health of the part so immediately
affected, and
the diseased condition [TT 289] of the part extends its influence to
the
whole body.
The great body politic in which we live and form a part is now in
paroxysms of pain. A separation of the thought and sympathy of
the
intellectual and moneyed aristocracy from the middle and so-called
uneducated classes, is the direct cause of this. The currents of true
helpfulness are impeded in their action and in many cases well
nigh cut off.
The great cosmic tide of Love runs along the lines made by true
sympathy – the feeling of true interdependence and solidarity of
the whole
of nature. Selfishness in all its forms tends to constrict the channels
of life,
thus obstructing the flow of the vital essence in which all live and
move
and have their being. In the evolution of humanity, there is a line or
point
of attainment which divides all into two phases of life : on one side
the
consciousness inheres in the personal man as being the all-
important ; on
the other side is that portion of mankind who have awakened to the
fact
that the personal man is ephemeral, incidental to the real man or
soul who
is an evolving, persisting entity, "eternal in the heavens," who
never had a
beginning and to whose life there can be no end. With the growth
of the
idea of the soul as being the important part comes the perception of
the
unity of all life – for, as the soul frees herself from the hypnotic
effect of
matter it naturally gravitates to the upper pole of being and awakes
to the
consciousness of other beings, brothers more advanced in the scale
of
evolution, who have passed through all the phases of material life
and
transcended its limitations. The fundamental law of the life of these
Great
Ones is more and more developed in action expressive of unity and
helpfulness, and it is their province and privilege to assist in the
affairs of
the humanity now passing through stages and crises of which they
are
thoroughly informed always consciously directing as far as is
possible the
[TT 290] evolutionary forces belonging to each particular age or
cycle.
One of the principal causes of the general confusion in the lives of
man and nations, now so evident, is their inability to receive
interior and
superior direction of that life along lines of wisdom, from those
competent
to give. The normal growth of humanity is by what is known in
botany as
exfoliation – development from within. "The mysteries no longer
rule the
world of thought and beauty ; human life is the governing power,
not that
which lies beyond it." A series of crises in the life of humanity, not
far
distant, will bring to our aid the man who is prepared for the hour
when it
shall come. The time of efflorescence is fast approaching-do we
not feel
the inner struggle which means the ultimate transformation of the
world
from social chaos to peace, harmony and true growth along the
lines of
least resistance. The imminence of the soul will then be perceived
by all
and man will offer each act of his life, as a tribute of joy and
thankfulness,
on the altar of the universal heart. Then "the forces of Love, Law
and Life
may flow unobstructed."
May Thy kingdom come, and Thy will be done, on earth as it is by
those in the Heavens.
CENTER OF BEING
There must always be the within, and within this the still deeper
within. From the Center of Being which is beyond all thought, will,
sensation or consciousness, as such terms are commonly
understood, to the
outermost rim of differentiated existence, there is veil upon veil of
substance, each having a different rate of vibration, and each
screening
some esoteric center of life from the gaze of those whose soul
travail has
not yet been great enough [TT 291] to open wide the heart
understanding
to the light within the next deeper center.
These veils seem veils of darkness, but are only dark because
incomprehensible. It is not God who has put them there to shut
Himself
out from man, but it is due to man's limitations that he cannot
understand
the great mountain of darkness that seems to bar his progress.
When he has
scaled the height and can look down and understand, he sees that
what
before seemed darkness is a new thing entirely. The consciousness
of a
Master would be oblivion for an ordinary man. Personality has no
criteria
wherewith to measure such vastness, and until personality has
passed
through the fiercest fires and is able to make the most heroic
sacrifices, the
wider outlook is impossible. "The seed must die that the plant may
live."
The personal must die, yield its life utterly, renounce its husks, that
the
impersonal, the soul may live and be set – gemmed – a flashing
jewel in
the Crown of the eternal God-Head.
All manifested life is thrown naturally into degrees corresponding
to
the seven modifications and sub-modifications of the Great Breath.
True
esotericism is naturalness and is based upon the accurate
knowledge of the
degrees of power, forces and principalities into which all life is
divided. A
Master must be a perfectly natural being, and as far as the world is
concerned, he is an esoteric center of activity. An ordinary human
being is
limited by his ignorance of natural law. The Master is limited by
his
profound knowledge of the Law which he may not transgress,
being able to
know and to realize the far-reaching effects of such transgression.
Like a great river flowing into the sea is the Master Soul. In him
are
depths unfathomable to the ordinary mind, and yet so vast his
nature that it
lacks not the shallows and undulating meadows over which flow,
[TT 292]
murmuring, the waters of life from which the child may drink and
understand.
This Humanity is not born as yet, it is being born. This is why, on
the
outer planes of life, esoteric bodies come and go. Many students of
spiritual philosophy, of Theosophy and members of the esoteric
schools
connected with the same, are undergoing a severe test at the
present time.
They see the ship on which they had embarked, guideless, as far as
Lodge
direction is concerned, and foundering on the rocks. This has
embittered
many, made others rail at Lodge Agents, while others are taking
the wiser
course of simply waiting, scanning eagerly the horizon of hope for
the
beacon light that will guide their steps to the point whence radiates
the true
Lodge force.
Many cannot see that they are but suffering from an overdose of
inverted esotericism which they themselves perhaps have helped to
bring
about as much as anyone else. They cannot see that they are on the
ebbtide
of a reaction, and while reaction is the law until perfect balance be
gained in Infinite Love, still, just in proportion as any reaction is
deep and
far reaching and to that extent, prevents one from going ahead,
does it
mark out the degree of attainment in heart – knowledge of the
truth-seeker.
Esoteric schools and bodies under Lodge direction will be a
necessity
in the world so long as a partition is allowed by humanity to exist
between
head and heart. When this has been burned away by the soul's
travail and
the Spirit of Love that rules the Great Lodge of Masters may flow
in
unobstructed currents through the doorway of the heart, then
esotericism
will be known by another name.
Until that time arrives, Agents of communication between the two
great divisions, the Masters, "Those who [TT 293] Know" on the
one hand
and those who are striving to know and attain on the other, will be
necessary.
Such an Agent is one who has advanced by soul evolution to a line
which connects and links together these two great divisions of life,
and
must be one, who among other qualifications has gained a great
capacity
for suffering, as well as one who knows how to obey. A Lodge
Agent in
any great work, is also the opening or sensitive point in the great
iron wall
of selfish desires that surrounds the earth and which shuts out from
humanity the light on the other side. Through this opening the
necessary
forces may be poured for working out the ends desired.
To level all the fences and walls that we have built about us with so
much labor, true humility is required, which once won, brings the
power to
"render perfect service in exact justice," and from this point the
true
disciple begins to work consciously, not for the Master but in Him.
In no uncertain tones has the great message gone forth that the day
of
the re-creation on a broader field of action of the work inaugurated
through
H. P. B., is at hand. During the past year, hundreds of earnest souls
have
felt the ring of truth in those tones and have acted accordingly, it
sufficiently indicates that the Masters could and would not desert
us while
such loyalty to them existed. Let those who have ears to hear
hearken with
hearts unselfishly attuned, and they will not fail to see the signs
and hear
the sounds which indicate where flow the majestic currents of the
Great
Lodge of Life and Love. [TT 294]
ONE VOICE
The Great Breath has seven modes of motion.
Worlds are cosmic bubbles on the face of space : God's breath
outbreathed in Form.
The Soul is the Singer whose mission it is to voice the Song of
Life,
and yet – in the last analysis, the Singer and the Song are ONE.
Man is an instrument of seven strings played upon by the forces of
life
– swept by the hand of Desire, be it high or low. Some strings often
fail to
vibrate to the Master's touch of Love ; others are not attuned – are
too
relaxed or taut. Anon, a string snaps and breaks – and so the full
symphony
of the soul is delayed in its perfect expression in the outer world.
Nature is not confined to any one set of terms in uttering the divine
life within. Inner forces and qualities are figured forth by myriad
outer
forms and movements. And the qualities and inner forces are the
finer,
more subtle expressions of outer signs and forms.
The tenderest touches of the soul in sympathy or love are like unto
sweet clear waters murmuring over meadow lands, caressing
mossy banks
and glades with gentlest touch of freshening life. The strong deep
joys of
the heart are like a great river's majestic flow – or as a burst of
sunlight
flaming through black clouds and turning them to hues of rose and
gold.
Sorrow, grief, or loneliness is the barrenness of the desert wastes.
The dark and evil qualities in human life have their
correspondences
in the swamps and morasses of outer nature, where dwell, in slime
and
mud, the reptile forms and crawling things of night symbols of low
cunning, treachery and deceit. Here also are the pitfalls and quick-
sands
into which fall or sink the many who become lost or entangled in
the
meshes of the lower self.
High aspiration of soul, as expressed in outer sign [TT 295] by
Nature,
is the mountain peak outreaching in voiceless prayer, to catch each
morn,
the first bright rays from the Lord of Light and Life.
As there is but One Force, of which all other forces are
modifications,
so there is but One Thought, of which all other possible thoughts
can be
but parts and branches – modifications or differentiations. This is
simply
expressing, in other terms, the great truth formulated by modern
science
concerning the conservation of energy and the correlation of all
forces.
Start where you will with any thought scientific, ethical or
religious –
if you but go truly and progressively as from leaf to twig, from
twig to
branch, from branch to trunk, and do not stop or reason in a circle,
you are
bound to come to the great central thought of Unity – to the Trunk
of the
great Tree of Life – to the great fact of the inseparableness of all
lives in
the One Life or Being. "So many ways lead unto God twere
strange if any
one should miss the way."
Science, philosophy, religions, politics, sociology, ethics – all are
but
facets or faces, viewed from a different angle, of one great central
truth,
and must be considered interdependently if we would be true to life
and
Nature's great evolutionary purposes.
EVOLVING UNIVERSE
"They fought from heaven ; and the stars in their courses fought
against Sisera." – Judges, 5 : 20.
The stars are harmonious notes of force struck from life's cosmic
scale.
Persisting harmony extinguishes discord, or converts discord –
which is
chaos – into order. "One shall put a thousand to flight," and one ray
of true
light throws chaos, on whatsoever plane, into many forms of
harmony – or
true life. [TT 296]
The Universe, in all its spheres, is lighted by God's radiant love –
which love is light and life ; and the soft lovelight of star lives
gently
beating on the earth, age upon age, convey currents of wondrous
force for
helping on the world's evolutionary career.
The interdependence of all worlds, lives and atoms is the law of
nature,
internal and external. Nothing can be outside of the universe which
is one
interdependent whole, with action and interaction going on
incessantly
between all its parts, from molecule to sun ; from the tiniest
infusoria to
God – until, in the divine plan, the great Balance is again struck in
the
Bosom of Infinite Love.
Sisera, referred to in judges, is a type of officialism – the
instrument
used by selfish power for oppression – the claw of the beast,
always red
with the blood of the people. If they "fought from heaven," then
the forces
of truth, order and righteousness were arrayed against all that
Sisera, the
Captain of the hosts, represented ; and the stars themselves were
channels
for the forces sent from inner spheres.
It has been well said of the present age, by one who knows, that
"the
very stars in their courses are gathering their forces for the
destruction of
this world, unless its people can be purified – can be raised." It
may be of
interest to consider how the raising of the people can save the
planet, or
avert catastrophies.
Crises, if not cataclysms, must occur at periodic intervals in the life
of
man and worlds. The birth and growth of a planet and a human
being are
governed by the same laws, in correspondence.
The human embryo in utero, prior to birth, passes through all the
evolutionary changes that matter has passed through since organic
life
began on this planet. In other words, matter and force through long
use,
and, so to speak, training, have become so impressed and
adaptable,
[TT 297] that the task that took nature hundreds of thousands of
years to
accomplish by slow, laborious evolutionary steps, with many
failures, can
now be gone over in a short cycle of eight or nine months.
At different stages in the development of the human embryo,
certain
marked conditions or crises occur, corresponding to critical stages
that
obtained eons ago in the evolutionary career of the early root-races
of the
earth, of which man is the present summation. Thus, at certain
stages in its
embryonic development, a human being takes on the external
resemblance
of various types in the lower animal kingdom. Then comes the
bisexual
state of the root races of occult cosmogony – with the final
merging, due to
some preponderating quality, into one sex or the other.
The normal and natural development of the embryo into the higher
human type, depends on the ability to receive and assimilate, in a
natural
way, the forces of life furnished to it. Inability to receive and
assimilate
properly, would result in congenital defects, abnormalities, or even
a
monstrosity, if carried far enough. The earth and its people are
subject to
these same laws of growth and development.
Humanity is not born as yet ; it is being born – gestating in the
matrix
of matter, molded in the crucible of experience by success and
failure ; by
pleasure and pain.
The earth as well as the humanity upon it, is an evolving entity. At
certain cyclic periods there is a greater than usual outpour of
evolutionary
forces to the earth from the sun and other high cosmic centers. In
the effort
of the earth to assimilate and adjust itself to these forces,
disturbances,
seismic and otherwise, are inevitable. Humanity is affected
mentally,
morally and physically, as a result of the different vibrations
resulting.
Thoughts and ideals change and revolutions, wars and epidemics,
occur
[TT 298] and recur, until a cycle of balance is established.
Many at the present time, in all parts of the earth, are catching
reflections on the inner light of the earth, of changes imminent on
the
surface, and many prophetic warnings are being voiced in
consequence.
"Coming events always cast their shadows before," and while
many of
the prophetic utterances going the rounds of the press, are in many
cases
wrong interpretations of inner signs, seen or felt by the soul, the
fact that
so many of these prophecies refer to great catastrophes of a nature
general
to many countries – leaving out details – is prophetic in itself.
It is the soul that knows, and when a similar state of consciousness,
or
fact of knowledge, is excited in the brain-minds of many people at
the
same time, it is evidence that on the plane of soul such knowledge
is
common property, and that the inner self is trying to correlate that
knowledge with the outer world. The normal forces of evolution
cannot act
when the mental, moral and social life of the world is so unnatural
and
perverted as at the present time ; and it would seem that nothing
but
terrible calamities to the earth would be able to sweep aside the
gnarled
forms of vice, hatred and inhumanity that obstruct true progress on
all
lines – for common misfortune begets equality – a common
sympathy with
all grades of life.
The impure breath of lust and selfishness has dimmed the splendor
of
the world-soul-has dethroned the pure red of life's rose-mixed it in
the mire
of the lower nature, and changed it to forms of slime in the
dungeons of
the sense. But not always shall this be, for true hearts the world
over are
stirring with the holy force of true brotherhood, whose rays alone
can
lighten the black clouds of selfishness now darkening the world
and make
them transmuted, glow with and reflect the glory of passion
purified – of
self-seeking turned to altruism – unselfish service for humanity.
[TT 299]
A SINGLE SUN
"As a single sun illumineth the whole world, even so doth the One
Spirit illumine every body." – Bhagavad Gita.
It is a natural instinct in man to bow to or worship that which he
cannot understand. The creator is ever beyond the creature : the
spirit and
force beyond the form and instrument.
In wind, rain, storm, pestilence, and all nature-phenomena, the
savage
sees the operations of gods or devils, who must be propitiated by
worship
and sacrifices.
The Greek and other ancient races, endowed with poetical
imagination
and soul intuition, personified every force in Nature. When the sky
was
black with clouds and the lightning flashed and the thunder roared
and
torrents of rain fell on the earth, the god of heaven was angry. If
the
tranquil sea became agitated and crested billows rose mountain
high, the
sea-god was in a furious rage. When the sky glowed with the hues
of
coming day, Aurora – goddess of the dawn, with rosy fingers was
drawing
aside the dark veil of night, to allow her brother, the sun-god, to
enter upon
his brilliant career. In every tree that grew, in every stream that
flowed, in
the bright beams of the sun and the clear rays of the moon, a
divinity dwelt
and reigned – and the whole universe lived and breathed, peopled
by
myriad forms of grace and beauty.
The cold, soulless hand of a modern science reduces the gods and
goddesses, giants and Titans of ancient races to the mere level of
poetical
fancy. The temples of the gods are overthrown. Light, heat,
electricity, fire
– all the forces of utility, of love and beauty, so far as
personification is
concerned, lie buried in the tomb of the past.
The modern world bows to the lust of the golden calf and his
concomitant attributes – place and power. [TT 300] Religion – the
science
of life, is a lost science. Knowledge of God is now a mere belief in
God.
Humanity has not evolved as yet to where it can conceive of
universal
truth, save in the similitude of form-of matter. And so it has been
necessary to formulate a personal God with all the attributes of
infinity –
impersonality. In other words, one of the gods or forces of the
ancients has
been invested with the powers of all – and this reflects a true
concept of
the One God of orthodox Christianity. Moderns see and worship
the Flame
without the rays : the ancients saw the Rays possibly more strongly
than
the Central Flame that lit them into being. Both views are right.
Huxley wrote, that it was reasonable to think that beings existed in
the
scale of life, as much advanced beyond man, as man is beyond the
evolutionary status of a black beetle. All the great religions and
philosophies of the world have taught this truth, and ancient
wisdom
confirms it fully. Jesus said in effect : even these stones shall be
raised to
gods. It is literally true that from stone to arch-angel, grade upon
grade of
life arises – all of which the evolving soul must contact, before it
can gain
the perfection of divine consciousness – or become one with the
"Father in
Heaven."
In every age, there have been those who through travail of soul,
and
selfless work for others ; through the road of pain and sacrifice – of
acid
and blood – have sounded the depths of hell-and rising to heights
of
universal love, attained a consciousness of the existence of Great
Souls –
Masters – Cosmic Sentinels, stationed on the frontiers of life –
who,
through the ages, have watched over and guided the destinies of
man and
worlds.
The ineffable glory, majesty and power of one of these master-
souls,
transcend the power of language to describe. To the average man, a
master
would seem to be God Himself, and worthy of the soul's most
ardent
worship. [TT 301] They disclaim all worship for themselves
however, and
seek to lead the neophyte to a realization of, and union with, the
Great
Master of All – the Christos, the Son or manifesting WORD of
Life, that
Nature, with roll of worlds and universal song of growing things,
has been
spelling into existence, since time began.
The universe is pervaded by God in His invisible form. This is the
kingly knowledge and kingly mystery – the mystery of the Divine
Form as
including all forms ; the mystery of God as personality and
impersonality ;
of being and nonbeing ; of music – harmony – and the instrument
thereof.
The infinite cannot be demonstrated to the finite – to the reason –
more than the sun-light to the shadow. To the awakened soul, God
is a
living life – not less glorious that He veils Himself to outer sense
in garb
of Universal Form – in Robes of Matter. Does not His Fire of Love
flame
through the veil burst forth as suns – to light and nourish worlds ?
Do not
His melodies of light sweep through the stars – translate to the eye
the
hymn of life and love-sing to the soul the Christly poem of
sacrifice and
glory infinite ? God works – and Nature, with symphonies of
sound
unheard by ear, molds life to form. He fees – and rhythmic motion
fills the
spheres – undertones of sweetness mellow with compassion's
mystery –
self-sacrifice – stir the hearts of men. Only those whose souls are
as yet
unborn, can say that God is not.
Sound, color, form, light and number ; aspiration, mercy, faith,
charity
and love – all are ways to "Him whom we all adore." By means of
the
forces and qualities mentioned, the Masters are able to point out
the Path
of Light through the soul ; to clarify to the understanding, the
kingly
knowledge and mystery. To them, as Elder Brothers, we owe love,
feality,
reverence and gratitude. But to the One Spirit which sustaineth
"this and
all other worlds," is due the undivided worship of the Heart. [TT
302]
MISSING LINKS
Science has long been concerned regarding the so-called "missing
link"-the physical evolutionary link between the human and animal
kingdoms. A certain correspondence to this link will be found in
time ; but
the real link belongs to another plane or state of matter which
cannot
manifest in this age on the physical plane, but which is in evidence
on the
fields of Universal Mind – where also may be found the other two
missing
links the link between man and his own soul, the link between the
soul and
God. A correspondence to the two last mentioned will eventually
manifest
to those prepared – but only to such. Until man is willing to search
for and
accept the concealed truths in evolutionary law, and especially in
that focal
point from which he once more began to ascend the scale of life –
and so
guide his future conduct by the lessons learned by its
consideration, he can
never unveil the mysteries of the higher "missing" or as yet
undiscovered
links.
Find your own special lost link in yourself – it is there. Every
selfish
impulse ; every vibration of hate, treachery, unfaith, greed, lust and
falsehood in your present life is a reminiscence, a memory, or an
effect of
some cause set up, or in evidence, in that life when you fell from
the
human to the brute or animal plane. Your body may not show the
results of
that life, but it will in time to come, unless you can stop the
degenerating,
devastating influences generated at that time, and replace these
with the
new evolutionary forces which have the power to stop the
processes of
decay – as certain antiseptics or combinations of chemical
elements are
able to purify, sweeten, and so stop the putrefaction of a wound in
human
and animal tissue.
POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITY
"The Self of matter and the Self of spirit can never meet – one of
the
twain must disappear. There is no room for both."
Those great underlying and inner truths of life and nature
commonly
designated by the term "occultism," have a more vital connection
with the
world of outer action – even with politics – than the average
student of
occult philosophy dreams of. He who can correlate those inner
truths and
forces with the vital issues of the outer world becomes a dynamic
center
for sending out most powerful forces that make for helping the
world.
There can be no pure government of and by the people so long as
the
people sit idly by and allow the professional politicians to
manipulate at
will the vital currents of the nation's life. In proportion as those so
manipulating are animated by pure or selfish motives and
considerations,
are nation, state and society generally, uplifted or degraded.
The great double – curse of society is – religious fear on the one
hand,
and political slavery due to the apathy of the average individual
citizen on
the other. No one can say he is free until he is both able and willing
to do
his religious and political thinking for himself.
Citizenship is above partisanship ; and it is the duty of every
citizen-a
duty that he owes to God, his manhood, as well as to the
community in
which he may be placed, to take an active part in politics and throw
the
weight of his influence, whatever it may amount to, on the side of
right.
It is not necessary to wait for a new party to spring up that will
embody in its platform your ideals. Each one can begin just where
he is
now, in his own party, and do what he can to purify that in his own
ward,
precinct or election district. [TT 304]
The two great political parties of this country are so well organized
and entrenched, and the mass of voters in each so skillfully
stimulated by
the leaders throwing up for inspection whenever necessary, the
halo of past
deeds and traditions, that it is unlikely that any new party, no
matter how
pure its intentions and platform, could gain enough adherents in
fifty years
– if it held together as long as that – to make even a respectable
showing in
the political world.
The beast must be fought in his own lair and the two great political
parties purified by a movement within their respective ranks before
there
can come a single bona fide political reform in the interests of the
people
generally.
There is a point where the lines of the two great parties of this
country
converge and become one. It is the point where Mammon begins to
rule –
where the interests of the trusts, the capitalists and bond-holders
come in,
for Mammon is above all parties. Below this point the political
bosses
must keep the people and their interests divided ; must keep two
parties
well organized so that they can play into one another's hand if
necessary at
the behest of the great Lords of Finance. Many people are simply
servants
of the Beast – of the money power into whose great maw they
yield the
fruit of their labor and their birthright as well. And the Beast waxes
stronger and stronger, fiercer and more arrogant, as he is fed on
this fruit
of human sacrifice – the blood wrung from the crushed hearts of
women
and men.
A city is simply a family of families ; the same with a state or
nation,
but in a higher ratio. In any well regulated family, the interests of
each are
observed by all, and each member should ever be on the alert to
guard
jealously the common interest. This same jealous and active
interest ought
to be maintained by every citizen in every community irrespective
of party
affiliation.
The time is coming when the voters as citizens will [TT 305] band
together, and knowing what they want, will enter the primaries of
their
respective parties and put men into office of public trust who will
do the
bidding of the people and not of some influential clique known as
the
"machine."
"The monopoly of monopolies is the Legislative power, for
through it
all the other monopolies are controlled. Back of the legislative
power is the
Sovereign Power – the Voters. In other words, the voters through
the
exercise of their voting power, can control in their own interest, the
legislative power, and through it all other monopolies, including
trusts."
The fulcrum of political power is the voting citizen of ward or
election
district. In him is reposed a sacred trust. He is the custodian of
liberty-the
preserver of the rights of his fellow – selves – the people.
There is no doubt but that the great fight with Mammon must be in
the
field of political action, and to drive the beast to his lair and
effectually
cage him will indeed require the force of many "heroic men – star
led, to
build the world anew." But each one, however humble, can do his
part.
SOLAR FAMILY
The solar family or system of which the earth is a member, is
computed by astronomers to be three billions of miles in
circumference.
This group entity or soul is, however, but a cosmic molecule in a
universe
of similar solar systems, all of which it is reasonable to think, are
governed
by the same inexorable laws that govern the forces and matter of
our
system. The sun of each system may be regarded as the Master-
Father of
the worlds that revolve around Him. He is the Higher Self of the
system
[TT 306] in fact – that common center from which all draw life
and the
inspiration to be. There is a natural tendency on the part of the
planets to
fall into the sun – become a part of it-but the law of polarities
comes into
play, and a force of repulsion drives the planet away from the sun
until the
aphelion (the furthest point away from the sun) is reached, when
the return
begins again – the desire or aspiration, we may call it, on the part
of the
planetary life, to come as close to the Master – life as its
development will
permit.
As with planets, so with men. The Great Lodge of Masters is the
Central Sun around which all souls revolve until they are so
perfected as to
be indrawn into and become a part of it. In its elliptical orbit there
are
recurrent periods when the soul is nearer to the Masters than at
other times :
then the reaction takes place, and that soul is driven back the pull is
strong
enough to again draw it toward the Central Sphere of Light. It is
natural
that different qualities and characteristics must distinguish those
souls who
are approaching the Lodge and those who, filled with the force
derived
from nearness, are receding from it. One class is filled with an
indrawing,
and the other with a withdrawing force ; one is swayed by a
centripetal, the
other by a centrifugal power, which, in other terms, simply means
an
attractive and repulsive force. Hence the necessity for the utmost
charity
for, and toleration of, the opinions, beliefs and modes of life of
those
around us, whose orbits intersect our own, in daily life. To
understand a
man or woman, we must understand in what direction the soul is
traveling
in its orbital course relative to the Center of Being. Then again,
some souls
are simply satellites of other souls – and, circling around a minor
center,
are carried along the orbit described by that center.
Too much life will kill as well as too little. A planet must receive
the
greatest amount of force and energy [TT 307] from the sun when it
is at its
perihelion or nearest point in its orbital course to that sun. If the
force of
repulsion did not come into action at the point of perihelion, and
begin to
send the planet away from the sun, the planetary body would be
injured by
the excess of life poured into it at such a proximate point. In
receding from
the sun, however, opportunity is given for adjusting and
assimilating the
forces received. The same law obtains with human beings in their
relation
and contact with Master-forces – who are also Suns of Light and
Life.
Irreparable injury would be done to one who should come too near
to
Them – or nearer than their strength and evolutionary status would
karmically permit. So powerful might the reaction be in such a
case, that
the soul involved might have to touch the lowest hells ere the force
of
reaction is spent, and it could feel the first impulse to wing its way
back to
higher currents and spheres of life.
"All roads lead to Rome." Numberless paths lead to God. It is not
necessarily the professed student of occultism who makes the
surest and
most rapid progress on the path. Knowledge of occult terms and
written
opinions of others on esoteric subjects will not advance one a
single inch
on the path. True inner knowledge comes only from experience.
The artist,
the musician, the inventor, the scientist and the artisan, gain this
inner
knowledge by devotion to their work or studies. However
apparently great
or lowly the duty – if the same be performed in the right spirit, the
necessary links are being forged that some day will connect the
brain-mind
with the soul, and open up to the mind glimpses of the infinitudes.
Right
work and thought along the lines of duty at hand, prepares in the
aura,
definite grades of substance that act as conductors or channels for
inner
and latent forces to manifest through. Right occultism does not
require one
to know the name of the soul in Sanscrit and several other
languages, nor
does it require [TT 308] that the memory be stored with the
nomenclature
of the seven spheres or lokas, talas, principles etc. Right occultism
does
demand however, that the heart be set right – attuned to the great
anthem
of brotherhood – and that the neophyte should realize more and
more, that
not a person, creature or molecule of matter in the universe,
however
apparently degraded, is unworthy of his notice and love – that all
such
must be redeemed some time – brought back to the source from
which
they have fallen.
PILLAR OF THE SOUL
"As Being is to Becoming," says Plato, "so Truth is to Faith."
"Many are called but few are chosen." "Out of a thousand striving
for
perfection, one may attain." Out of Eternal substance are wrought
the
pillars of the Soul – those pillars or points of contact on which rest
those
great fundamental moral and spiritual forces by means of which
the
awakened Soul relates itself to universal being. If nine hundred and
ninety-nine fail in any one life, it is because of false building or
that the
points of contact in experience are incomplete. Right proportion,
depth and
breadth, are lacking. The connections between the inner and outer
centers
have not been made. The circuit is not closed – and the flame of
conscious
life cannot leap from point to point and run the gamut of the senses
and the
planes. As the synthetic or seventh sense – having its physical
correspondence in the pineal gland of the brain – unfolds, the
relations
between things celestial and things terrestrial become more and
more
apparent.
To the occultist – the student of life – color must be realized as
sound
changed to another octave of vibration. Sound must be realized as
form –
and form as the enbodied materialized light and life of the Great
Creative
[TT 309] Principle, or God. All the operations and phenomena of
Nature
must be sensed as the action and interaction between the "pairs of
opposites" – between positive and negative centers of poles of life.
That it
is this fact that brings the seasons ; that causes the motions of the,
stars and
planets in space ; that makes the blood and other fluids circulate in
the
body ; that makes the blade of grass to grow. Universals must be
related to
particulars – for the great is mirrored in the little – the universe in
the
molecule. Withal, it must be kept in mind that the outer is
dependent upon
the inner life.
Matter is divine as well as spirit, else the rose could not manifest
the
elements of the dark earth in terms of fragrance and beauty. The
divinity,
the divine consciousness in matter leaps forth whenever conditions
are
prepared and will permit. Forces incarnate in flowers as souls do in
man.
A wonderful day in the history of this planet was that when organic
life was born from inorganic matter – when the frontier of the
inorganic
kingdom was crossed by the first organic cell born from the travail
of the
elements. A new polarity was established on and with the earth. All
organic nature as it stands today owes a debt to that first avatar –
cell. How
many countless failures occurred before the right elements were
brought
into juxtaposition to produce that microscopic bit of encapsuled
protoplasm ! This was the of preceding geologic ages. The once
igneous
mass of the earth had cooled to this end. The heavy vapors that
filled the
atmosphere and obscured the light of the sun had condensed and
fallen on
the hot earth time after time – only to be sent back again to the
cooler
upper regions. Finally, as the earth cooled, these vapors condensed
and
formed the oceans. On the rock-ribbed bottoms of these oceans, the
waters
rolled. Tumultuous waves dashed on the rocky shores, urged by
electrical
storms and forces of terrific power. [TT 310]
The rock is ground to powder. Chemical forces come itno play.
Hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, sulphur, etc. are liberated, are
associated and disassociated, until one day, in the silence and
moisture and
steamy warmth of the ocean bed, the inorganic kingdom comes to
the first
point of consciousness of itself reflected from the molecular
elements of
itself united to form the first bit of organic cell life on the globe.
Multicellular
beings – man – now studies with scientific precision, the facts and
conditions of those early ages of the earth ; and he searches, as
well, the
inner and outer depths of life with an expanding consciousness as
he
indraws the elements of other spheres into his nature and so gains
points of
contact with such.
The imagination is thrilled, as it senses the possibilities in the great
evolutionary event that has recently occurred in the life of
humanity : in
the fact that the patient, plodding, long-suffering entity, known as
Labor in
contradistinction to Capital, has at last come to a consciousness of
itself
and realizes that it is an organic being with possibilities of power
undreamed of before. We have stated that we are in a fire-cycle,
and that
many momentous things would happen to the world connected
with that
element or its correspondences. Coal is one of these
correspondences-and
it required a disturbance connected with that element to bring the
Labor
Entity to a consciousness of its power and importance. After many
failures,
the right mixture of elements were brought together – and then
something
happened, something was born – something BECAME. And this is
not the
end, but simply the first streak of dawn in the morning of a new
day for the
children of the Earth. [TT 311]
THE FRUIT OF LIFE
Each succeeding age brings forth its quota of correspondingly
developed men and women, who surpass in power of intellect and
wisdom
all who have preceded them. These are not always recognizable
save by
the few, who are able to see that character is the natural product of
evolution, the fruit of the Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life. They are the
sole
survivors of the storms and tempests that have laid low the
blossoms and
leaves of that Tree.
To those who, with unveiled eyes, can behold the wisdom, beauty
and
perfection of the law of all laws, evolution, the perfected man, or
Master,
is a natural sequence, without which an impassable gulf appears
between
the higher and lower man, between man and angel. Look where
you may
in Nature's realms, you will find no great gaps between its different
degrees, and this fact alone proves the possibility of a final
realization of
the animating hope of the human race, the perfectibility of man.
The opposite pole to hope, which is despair, alternately drags man
down to the last extremity, and between the two poles he fluctuates
like the
pendulum of a clock until he has gained equilibrium. As
evolutionary
impulse shortens the line of life, the fluctuation becomes less and
less,
until the soul finally reaches a stationary point, where, from the
two
illusionary aspects, hope and despair, there is evolved the Thrice-
born, the
conqueror of both, Wisdom, Reality, Unity.
Every great sage has endeavored to teach mankind that the mortal
happiness he was vainly pursuing was but a will-o'-the-wisp. A
legend is
extant of a goddess who for ages had been seeking happiness, and
finally
reaching the feet of Zeus she cried – "Give me happiness, or let me
cease
to live."
He answered – "Go into the world and search for the [TT 312]
robe of
a happy virgin. Take it from her and clothe thyself, and thou shalt
evermore be happy."
Long, long was the search, but no happy maid, man or matron
could
she find. Utterly despairing, she went into the forest one day,
determined
to plead once more with Zeus for non-existence, when she saw
lying at the
foot of a tree, surrounded by denizens of the forest, birds, beasts
and
creeping things, with which she was talking and laughing in a
perfect
abandonment of joy, a beautiful maiden, clothed only in Nature's
garments,
who cried – "Long have I waited for thee, to tell thee that the robe
thou
seekest I have cast away. It fettered my limbs, bound my heart, and
girded
my loins. Throw off all thine own garments, free thyself from
bondage, sit
thee down by my side, and thou shalt find peace, not happiness, for
thy
soul."
Man seeks for happiness in other people, in conditions, and things,
but
finds naught but temporary pleasure, followed by satiety, and
finally
disgust and despair. Yet no sage, no god, can prevail with man to
accept
the truth graciously, and thus save himself years of fruitless labor.
Each
must learn for himself the long, hard lesson. The blackness, the
profundity
of the yawning gulf that stretches out before him when he sees
himself
stripped of his belongings, incapacitated by age or conditions, with
sense
of sight and sound vanishing, fairly paralyzes his mind. He cannot
believe
that anything or being, even a god, could pass that gulf and find
fulfillment,
joy and peace on the opposite side. But love for God. (or Good) far
surpasses love of woman. Love of God (Wisdom) takes him by the
hand,
and says : "Come with me and I will show treasures undreamed of
by
thee."
THE CHEERING SPIRIT
Faith, love and compassion, and their opposites, are definite grades
of
substance into which the mind may vibrate as it raises or lowers its
keynote
of desire. The universal law of demand and supply operates on all
planes. Those who go about with eyes and senses lowered to the
ground
looking for evil and filth will certainly find it. Nature has her
garbage
heaps, and the scavengers will there be found sorting over the filth
and
rubbish for whatever is akin to their own desires. These scavengers
move
about in all grades of society, and their functions must not be
condemned –
for they are a necessity to nature in working out her plans. Such
can easily
be recognized by the noisome odors of slander and gossip that
cling to
them as a result of their calling, no matter how much outer
perfume of
sophistry they may use. They never consider the excellences of
those about
them, but seek at once to look into the back yards of people around
them
for the possible garbage heaps. They are then at home in their own
stratum
of consciousness, and are oblivious to all else.
As good may be loved into life where it did not exist before-so evil
may be evoked into being by hate or envy. Every human being is a
path or
avenue to God – a ray to and from the Central Sun, by means of
the planes
of which each one is composed. If the best and highest in each one
is
demanded, the inner forces are impelled to outer expression. If the
worst is
demanded, obstructions are thrown up which darken the outer and
impede
the radiance of the Light within. The forces of Infinite Life are ever
at
work loving into being the divinity latent in the meanest forms –
even in a
lump of mud. Sometime that mud transmuted will glow iridescent
with the
power of the Eternal. If all truth and love were to pass from the
humanity
of any world, the sun would darken for that [TT 314] world, for
the
balance of forces would be disturbed, and the Great Law can only
supply
according to the demand. If no truth were asked for, no light could
come.
"If some one obstructs you by force, welcome the rebuff and own
no
pang utilizing the hindrance for exercise of virtue in another form.
Endeavor, remember, was subject to reservation, and you did not
aspire to
impossibilities. To what then did you aspire ? To the endeavor just
such as
it was. Gain that, and the object for which we were sent into the
world is
realized. But one thing is of real worth, to live out life in truth and
justice,
with charity even to the false and unjust."
Fragrant flowers of light bloom from the Heart of Being. Wreaths
of
sound mellowed in sorrow's depths vibrate in souls attuned to the
great
hymn of life and love. Mountain peaks of melody – sentinels of the
soul's
up-reaching aspiration to mix its life with God – arise from the
praise of
blended lives. The fingers of love and sacrifice alone may sweep
the
strings of the universal harp of faith and charity – arousing sweet
incense
of harmonies that ascend to the footstool of the Gods – to return as
blessings for humanity.
WE ARE ONE
The fearful and unbelieving, as well as all sycophantic devotees of
the
Beast of Mammon, have invariably attempted to stop the progress
of
evolutionary development by building mental images of disaster
and
failure, or spreading nets of discouragement to entangle the
energies
directed by true lovers of the human race toward a common goal
and a
common good.
Nature furnishes to each of her kingdoms a perfect form, and
correspondingly perfect principles of government. Only so far as
man has
observed and followed that form, and embodied those principles in
a
constitution, has been his measure of success in the creating of a
righteous
government, whether of Church or State. The outlines of the
government
of the United States were taken from the aborigines, the "Six
Nations" of
Indians. Those laws were given to the Indians by Hiawatha, an
Agent of
the White Lodge. The ancient Peruvians, the Atlanteans, and many
other
races and nations, were taught and governed by the same laws.
These are
the laws that govern the bees, the ants, and every other division of
insect
and animal life that has not deteriorated through contact and
association
with mankind.
The great rock of offence against which, one after another,
individuals,
organizations, and nations are hurled, and are either crippled, or
broken to
pieces, is the selfishness, the heartlessness of those in authority,
whether
these be self-constituted teachers, leaders, presidents, or kings. In
religion
some one or more portions of a world-embracing philosophy is
separated
from the whole, or is misinterpreted by some seeker for power. A
certain
coterie gathers about its expounder or teacher, who isolates them
and
ignores all philosophy that does not corroborate his exposition,
rendering it
impossible for others to associate with them because of their
evident
narrowness. They themselves become incapable of effort in a
larger field,
owning to the action of the laws of constriction which immediately
come
into effect when one or more separate themselves from the mass of
humanity in thought and feeling. These laws energize a powerful
force
which bars one's progress, as might a rod of iron on the physical
plane. We,
as a race, must stand or fall together, for WE ARE ONE. When one
individual rises above another in any phase of development, he
does so by
reason of the inherent good which is manifesting in him ; for evil is
negative, and leaves no lasting effect. [TT 316]
The great plan of the Lodge for the development of the human race
is
so superhumanly grand and perfect in its entirety, as well as in its
minutiae,
that it would be useless to attempt to make it intelligible to the
masses of
the present age. It is like the foundation setting of a beautiful
mosaic, into
which a bit is being set here and there, by a Master workman, each
stone
being cut and fitted to suit each point in the setting, and all
emplaced from
the under side. Only the Adept and Master – workman is familiar
with the
design ; none other can form even the slightest concept of the
transcendent
glory that will flash from it when the light of the spiritual sun falls
on the
completed work. I am here to outline one little point of that setting
for you
to work upon.
In order to labor effectually, The Temple organization must direct
its
work from a center strong enough to hold and conserve the forces
sent for
its advancement ; and powerful enough to furnish an object lesson
to all
who will turn their eyes in its direction. A dynamic center, that,
while it
may draw men who will scoff at first, will compel them to remain
and
work. With the permanent organization of the work, and as one of
the
objects of that work, there should be outlined to all interested, the
building
of a city, wherein may be faithfully carried out, the ideas of a
righteous
government of the people, by the people, and for the people, on a
spot of
ground in a western state, which will be selected by us, and where
all that
Nature can do for the benefit of man has been done ; where two
important
magnetic lines meet, and where once stood a city and reigned a
people far
in advance of the present civilization, taught and governed by one
of the
great Masters of the Lodge. The city which will some time be built
already
hangs in the heavens in form. This form will be given to you ere
long.
All of the great centers of the world have arisen and gradually
developed from a small settlement. The failure [TT 317] of many
attempts
to found such centers has been due to narrow and contracted lines
of
thought and labor.
I have not entered into advantages to occult students from the site
and
conditions that exist on the spot indicated. That must be left until a
future
time.
LIFE'S DOORWAY
To him who would penetrate and know the Mysteries of life and
death,
unselfish service is the first gate. In the Temple of the Mysteries of
old –
of Greece, Eleusis and Samothrace, or the greater Mysteries of
Egypt, each
candidate was required to devote a certain number of years of his
or her
life to serving others : the world, or the state as their qualifications
permitted, before they were fit to begin the study of Nature's inner
forces,
and to know and realize their relations thereto.
In these modern days, the Watchers of the Central Flame, having
permitted a slight knowledge of the Mysteries to percolate through
the
selfish slag of desires that surrounds the world, thousands catching
a
momentary glimpse or reflection of the glory and power possible
of
attainment have rushed forward to "enter in." Not more than one in
a
thousand have thought of, or passed through the first gate. The
many,
ignoring that gate, have found naught but a void beyond – a void of
darkness and negation. Or if, perhaps, with indomitable will and
purpose, a
very few have persisted in the attempt to break through the second
portal
or protecting wall that saves them from themselves, the strong
reactionary
lower forces aroused in their auras soon cause confusion to reign
within,
with more and more dissatisfaction, until, beaten back upon
themselves,
they disappointedly exclaim, "there is nothing in it," "it is a
delusion !"
[TT 318]
And withal, the way is so simple that only the child-heart can
understand and follow. The great divine and natural forces of life,
love,
wisdom and knowledge, are pressing upon the consciousness of
everyone
who may read these lines, are beating ceaselessly against the
strings of
human nature, ever striving to evoke a consciousness of the eternal
verities
within the heart. The birth of that consciousness is delayed year
after year,
age after age, because of the shadows that we pursue, and of the
duties at
hand that we do not do in looking for others afar off, that it may
never be
ours to do.
The great Doors of the Lodge of Life are never closed – but you
must
lose your personal life, to find it immortalized within those Doors.
You
must give up a part of yourself to gain any spiritual power. Then
you are
that power. The thing that you give up must not be something that
you do
not want – something that you can give up with a glad yielding. It
must be
something that is a part of your very life – your heart's blood,
mayhap, in
sacrificial service for others, without hope of reward – a dedication
of
every act to the Supreme Self. Then as the atoms of the personal
self
replaced by the atoms of the self, the great fact dawns that the
glorious
power is yours, to draw out the huge iron bolt of personal desire
that has
kept doubly locked the Great Gates of Negation in the wall of
impenetrable Silence that differentiates the colors and planes, that
divides
the body from the soul, time from the timeless, and man from God.
The personal desires must die, that the spiritual self may be born.
This
Resurrection of life from death is going on incessantly in all the
kingdoms
of Nature. It is the divine drama being eternally played in the
theatre of the
evolution of matter, force and consciousness. The Higher Self is
always
raising the lower from the tomb of matter into which it has been
plunged
by the two thieves of personal ambition who would steal by force
the
[TT 318] "Word" – the holy creative and constructive energy
inhering in
every atom of matter. The Higher Self symbolized by the Master, is
present at every such resurrection of the spiritual self in matter.
Henceforth
that matter has different qualities and powers. It is a spiritualized
Temple
and a fit abode for the Holy Presence. This is a literal as well as a
symbolic
truth – and is well illustrated by the changes effected in the body of
Jesus
after his supreme initiation on the Cross of Matter. There is no
other way.
It behooves the true student of life and its mysteries to look well
that
he does not grow one-sided in his development. True occultism
demands
that all of the planes be correlated. And the other. If occultism does
not
help one to live to better purpose, and if it cannot help the world
practically, it is a delusion and a snare. The great underlying
principles of
truth on which the universe is built – with the study and
understanding of
which the student of occultism is concerned – must be applied
concretely,
not only in the life of the student, but in the world conditions
around him,
as circumstances and opportunity permit. The middle line of
balance
between the planes – between the spiritual and material – must be
found.
From this middle point, one can draw from spiritual or material
forces at
will, and apply these forces with power and purpose in building
and
molding corresponding balanced conditions in the world. It is true
that
there are some who, reacting from matter, and having "hitched
their wagon
to a star" of purely spiritual attainment, will not be satisfied until
they
become saturated with some degree of that force – when they
gladly and
naturally swing back to the material again, satisfied to combine
and
interlace the powers and truths of both planes in a balanced
harmony of
feeling and action – with a resultant and corresponding benefit to
themselves and the world at large. [TT 320]
THE ONE THING NEEDFUL
Give, give, give – you cry, over and over again – to God, to the
World,
to me. Ah, when will you learn, that as the dew of heaven descends
to
water the earth, so the dew of heavenly wisdom is dropping
silently on the
parched Soil of your Souls, even while you turn in a passion of
selfseeking
from its contemplation, and absorption, to the noisy
demonstrations of the multitude, which has only lifeless husks to
offer, in
exchange for your hearts' best service.
I say to you, that not until you become capable of loving
unselfishly
can you even enter the Path. Now, alas ! you are weak and
vacillating,
even at the height of such love as you are capable of reflecting.
You are
calculating, critical and discriminating, when the reverse of such
qualities
are the first requisites of a "a Son of God," when the interests of his
"younger Brothers" are at stake. So long as you are capable of
willfully
withholding sympathy and assistance from the meanest creature
that lives,
be it criminal, profligate, or only unfortunate, you cannot pass over
the
Bridge, which has been built, and is sustained, by the Selfless
Mercy of the
Hosts of Light.
The first lesson, as well as the last, the Alpha and Omega of
Occultism, is Selflessness ; and esoteric Selfishness – its opposite
– is the
fundamental cause of your non-attainment of power, and inability
to
exercise such necessary qualifications of Selflessness as
helpfulness and
sympathy, where your younger Brother's development and interests
are
concerned.
I say to you, "follow me, (for I cannot carry you) and I point you to
the mile-stones along the Path which I have traveled." You are at
first fired
by enthusiasm, and strike out bravely, crying out before you have
passed
the first mile-stone, "Give me something harder to do," "Set me
some
difficult problem," "Pour out Secret Instructions [TT 321] upon
me, and
you will see how quickly I can absorb them."
I say to you, you must conquer certain characteristics, you must
purify
your body, before it is possible even for you to become
individually
conscious of the infinite to which you aspire ; and I show you why
this is
necessary, even from a scientific or selfish aspect ; and lo ! your
enthusiasm is dampened at once. I tell you that absolute Faith, not
only in
me, but also in those who represent me, is a necessary factor in
your
development along both psychic and spiritual lines, and endeavor
to show
you by correspondence and analogy, that the word Faith, as
understood by
you, is in reality but another name for one of the most potent forms
of
Energy in manifestation, and that its right application and use is
essential
to the evolution of certain characteristics of the soul. But
frequently one of
you revolts and exclaims, "That is very well in theory, but give us
facts, let
us see for ourselves," when it would be just as reasonable to ask
for an
opportunity for investigating the Source of Electricity, though the
effects
of both forms of energy are clearly demonstrable by means of
material
agencies.
If I were to ask some among your number to stand on one foot for
a
certain number of hours a day, and assure them that by so doing
they
would acquire the power of levitation, they would attempt to
follow such
directions, after convincing themselves by some method of
reasoning that
the power of levitation was essential to spiritual development. If
they had
acquired such power, apparently by the above mentioned or similar
means,
they would be loath to believe that its acquirement would in reality
be due,
first of all, to the awakened energy we term Faith, and finally to
the
obedience which actuated the effort.
I repeat the direction given by countless great teachers –
"Condemn
not," yet frequently you withdraw [TT 322] the faith in and
affection for
some friend, upon learning that such a one had fallen, under some
great
temptation-entirely ignoring or forgetting that you are cutting him
off from
the energy he requires to correct the fault committed, and oblivious
of the
truth that, back in your own nature, lie coiled the hidden causes for
similar
effects, which are only waiting the same environment and
temptation to
manifest as the same or similar faults.
You grow weary of the recapitulation of those directions and
practices
which are essential to the cultivation of higher spiritual attributes ;
but I
ask, would it be to your advantage to begin to study the problems
of Euclid
before you have mastered the Rule of Three ? Knowledge is indeed
power,
and power may be yours ; but if such power is to be used for the
best good
of humanity, it must rest upon a substratum of spiritual
understanding that
cannot be shaken. Therefore I say to you-whatever else you
undertake,
look first to the development of the three great Energies, Love,
Will, and
Action, upon which the Universe is built, and never permit
yourselves to
consider them as simply certain attributes of your lower human
nature.
The laws of Attraction, Repulsion, and Cohesion ; of Gravitation
and
Chemical Affinity, are but other names and other modifications of
the
above mentioned great realities. Consequently, the cultivation of
the latter
evolve or manifest the inherent powers of the former in the
individual aura
as well as in the Comos, and also furnishes the ability to direct
such
powers, to the Ego-center of each Aura.
Indications of such evolution must always be greeted with great
hope
and encouragement by those who watch and wait. [TT 323]
CENTER OF LIGHT
Cease looking for truth in shadows, or for shadows in truth. The
lower
mind fails not to find the semblance of its own dark and crooked
qualities
outshadowed in the highest truths. To the evil minded all things are
evil.
Live in the shine of life where shadows have no place.
Has not the Master said, for us : "You dwell in a universe of
shadows ;
you, yourselves are little else than shadows. The Great Divine
Forces are
trying to express the immeasurable wisdom, knowledge and
potency, now
enthroned on the "Mount of the Gods," through you – the distorted
forms
which they have thrown upon the screen of ages, while they wait
with the
patience of Christ for the unfoldment of the Germ, the real Man to
manifest to others the Heart of Gold, now hidden from all but the
Infinite
Love. You, yourselves, sense the unreality of all around you ; the
untruth ;
the wavering of the shadowy substance in which you are
imprisoned, the
depth to which it may descend, if it has not already descended.
Alas ! that
some of you cast these gloomy reflections on all you contact, and
behold
nothing but evil in all things, in all people."
True knowledge is of the soul. The soul is the Knower, who has the
power to feel and become a part of the life of things – translating
then its
feelings in forms of thought to the mind and brain – its outer
instruments.
Many and wonderful are the powers of that group of finer forces
which we
call the soul. The fourth dimension of inwardness is no secret for
it. It has
but to fling its force with concentrated effort on any object to
identify its
consciousness, for the time being, with that object, gaining thus a
knowledge of all its parts and qualities. It is not always able,
however, to
impress the more or less insensitive brain mind with the knowledge
thus
acquired. Mental rubbish accumulated in the mind, false
knowledge,
[TT 324] false ideals, selfishness and unnatural views of life may
obstruct
or distort the reflection of soul knowledge into the mind of mortal
man.
The orthodox idea seems to be, that each man has a soul which he
drags around after him with more or less trouble through life. He
has not
particular use for it on earth – but must needs give it a lot of
attention, as it
is liable to get "lost" somewhere if he doesn't watch out. At death,
however,
this soul comes in handy ; you just get into it and away you go.
The soul in
reality is a cosmic force, and is of the greatness and power beyond
the
imagination of the personal mind to conceive. It has been building
since
the world began, and is made up of qualities, substances, and
powers, won
from the experiences of a mighty past, in contacting different
grades of
matter and conditions on this and other worlds. The soul is both
practical
and ideal. It is the Knower. It is the propelling force of all progress.
Its
power enables man to wrest from Nature her secrets ; it arranges
into
forms the substance of thought for the inventor, the scientist and
the
discoverer. Flashing its light through the organs of sense, it enables
the
personal mind to judge, weigh and balance the divers qualities in
men and
things. It enables the mind to follow the sweep of stars – to feel the
infinite.
It is the Relator of God to man.
It is not the man who has the soul, but the Soul who has the man.
Each student of occultism should strive with all power to become a
true center of light. Before the inner light may break through the
outer
shell of personality, that personality must be changed and modified
to a
great extent. It must become polarized or aligned to the inner
forces.
Correlations must be made between the lower and higher selves.
How may
the outer man become so attuned ? Begin by standing on your own
mental
and soul feet. Throw away all the crutches you have been using ;
keep the
doors of the mind open ; gain the power to feel unattached to the
fruits of
your thought or work, to pleasure or pain, gain or loss, victory or
defeat.
Lean not on other personalities, nor be influenced by the opinions
of others.
The path to mastery is barred to those who follow the opinions of
others.
The advice of one eminently successful along special lines may be
helpful,
however. The Great Law decrees that each one must stand alone,
must win
his own crown ; no other, not even a Master, can win it for you.
The light
within cannot reach you if the mind is modified by the mental
force or
image of others. Yoga means union – the marriage of mind with
soul ; and
Yoga, according to Patanjali, an ancient oriental teacher, is
accomplished
"by hindering the modifications of the mind." The mind is like a
pool, and
tends to be modified and changed by the image of every object it
senses, as
well as by every thought-wave projected against it. If that fine
grade of
substance called the mind is kept clear, calm, unmodified, the self
of the
soul may reflect thereon the impress and images of the deepest
truths,
which the brain will then grasp with crystal clearness.
Draw your consciousness within, and look out on life from your
own
vantage ground your own center. See with the eyes of the soul, and
judge
from the fruits as to the values of men and things.
THE GREAT FLAME
As the waters of the Nile, the sands of the desert, the serpent neath
the
bungalow, creep on land and victim noiselessly, resistlessly,
purposefully,
so creeps on the destructive power of divided interests. Lethargy,
treachery,
cowardice and unbelief on one side ; alert, dominating self-
conscious
activity on the other – creating, molding, [TT 326] dividing and
sub-dividing class after class, laying the foundations of its arsenals,
planting shells in its harbors, casting its nets into which the masses
are
drifting, as my beloved people drifted centuries ago, first into the
power of
Moguls, Mohars, Rishes and Priests. Finally into the power of
invading
nations, all of which was primarily due first, to their inhuman
treatment of
the weaker sex, the feminine aspect of the race. Secondly, to the
mistrust
and hatred which existed between classes ; and to this day,
divisions
between such classes are so sharply defined as to admit of no
possible
bridging – which leave all classes at the mercy of the Alien, who,
to
advance his own interests, fosters and increases the bitterness
between
Sikh and Afghan, between Behari and Bengali, between Warrior
and Priest.
Knowing all this, loving my people as a father his children, forced
to see
them sink into nothingness among nations, realizing that their only
hope
lies in the Anglo Saxon race now incarnated in America – for from
it a
great Karmic debt is due-is it surprising that I should take some
interest in
the affairs of that nation, even to identifying myself in a measure
with it ?
Yet the ignorant, the self-blinded, can neither see the danger which
threatens themselves, nor the crying need of the Aryan race, nor
understand my motive in striving to draw closer together these
long
divided peoples. They can but stand aside and deny either my
existence or
my presence among them, though they may have seen me face to
face. It is
nothing – let it pass, the great law will determine the results. Alas
for the
bird that befouls its own nest ; its neighbor's nest is still less
sacred.
Outer work, work for this tortured, tried humanity, is necessary
more
necessary than many know ; for it must give the impulse to the
great
current that on the physical plane is lifting the world, as it sweeps
around
the lowest arc of the cycle. But outer work is selfish and useless
unless the
torch of love and wisdom in the heart of each [TT 327] has been
lighted
from the great flame, the flame that burns without wick or oil. The
Watchers of that flame blow it in certain directions ; those catch it
who can,
that is, those whose torches are trimmed.
THE ROBE
The thing we try to escape through hate or fear pursues us until we
have grown to love it so well that its withdrawal would be pain.
Not for fear of the soiling must the master keep his Robe
unspotted,
but lest the mud thrown against that Robe rebound and strike the
thrower.
Clothed in that spotless garment, won by sore travail of soul, again
He
spoke :
"Having seen and known, knowing well the law which must
govern
disciples of the right hand path, you cannot still my voice in your
soul –
cannot fall back into the depths of ignorance from which you have
been
rescued, and travel again this step of the Path that leads to God. To
you it
hath been given to touch the Hem of the Seamless Robe – to stand
on the
threshold of the Temple Gate, and behold a tithe of the Glory
resting on
the Altar of Sacrifice. And if you turn your back on that Altar and
pass out
into the darkness of the outer court, how great will you find that
darkness !
You are Sons and Daughters of a King. If you barter that birthright
for a
bauble – for a passing dream – I cannot give it back to you, nor can
you
win it again for many ages. You must pay right royally for your
birthright
in purity of service, in loyalty to your Father's house, in love to
your
Father's people, in fidelity to your Brethren.
"He can accept no less at your hands without degrading his Kingly
Throne. You can offer no less without [TT 328] belittling your own
ancestry. Raise high the Banner of your House, and let no earthly
honor,
no personal selfishness, no host of Hell, trample it and you
underneath the
feet of your soul's oppressors."
"Your higher evolution on certain lines rests on your solidarity of
purpose, your unity, your staunchness, and your ability to forward
the
plans of the Lodge. I wish to impress upon you, that, as in the past,
the
Lodge has always been able to make its voice distinctly heard,
though it be
amid the turmoil of the world. So it will always be.
"Each day our responsibilities and labors increase, and each day
we
meet with less encouragement from the world of matter. The Path
to the
Infinite is strewn with wrecks from end to end, and if we would
permit
ourselves to dwell upon that phase of the work, we could but add
to the
number. You are oftentimes inclined to doubt our sagacity or
wisdom in
the selecting of certain persons for certain positions, especially
when you
realize the enormity of the plan outlined to you. When your mental
eyes
traverse the fields of activity, and you behold what may be termed
mercantile and scientific giants, you wonder why such might not
be
selected to do certain parts of the work. You do not realize that
either by
the methods they have employed in reaching their present status, or
by
their ingrained selfishness and carelessness in all that pertains to
spiritual
life, they have rendered themselves perfectly useless for such as
we ; and
in a measure we can be no surer of many of the Temple members
than we
could be of the men under consideration. All we can do is to again,
until
we can gain the nucleus that can stand firm under all temptations."
[TT 329]
THE NUCLEUS
"Unless you have a central nucleus of faithful, devoted souls, who
can
stand in the furnace if necessary, you cannot make this a Lodge
center.
What I say to you is equally true where others are concerned. You
cannot
grow a crop of grain that is worth harvesting if you do not pull the
weeds
out from it.
"When a central point is established by the Lodge, the power of the
Love is centered upon that point, and goes through that point to
every
individual connected with it. We cannot break the laws, we can
only give
you the methods by which you can accomplish certain things
desired by
you, and must then leave the result with you. The fact that some of
you do
not appreciate that point of centralization makes no difference to
the law.
If you could always remember that, you would save yourselves
much
sorrow, much suffering, and be able to do much to help the work
onward.
"You have never been promised an easy time. You have been told
you
had a hard lot before you, as had every advance agent of the
Lodge. You
could not be in the position of chelas to the Lodge without going
through
the trials necessary for your development. You have much to
sacrifice. As
long as you are unduly attached to any one person or thing, you are
stopped at that point... Of one thing you may be assured : hardly a
single
person will come to this center who will not create more or less
friction. If
the friction becomes unbearable, it is a sure indication that the
person is
not in the right place.
"The trail of the black snake has once more wound in and out of
the
Temple membership, and the snake itself has dropped a bit of
poison here
and there, which some members have taken up and assimilated.
And the
consequence is, injury to themselves as well as to the work... It is
such a
difficult thing for you to realize and [TT 330] remember, that you
are
standing, as it were, almost continually with one foot on the verge
of
Hades, and the other on the verge of Devachan, and that your own
action,
your own will and desire, may plunge you into one or the other
momentarily. The experiences you gain in those lower regions may
be and
are of untold value to you, subsequently. But while your garments
smell of
brimstone, you can but give forth to those around you more or less
of that
odor. You often wonder why it is that you are suddenly tempted
into some
grievous wrong against your kind. If your inner eyes were opened,
you
would find that almost invariably the foot that rested on the verge
of Hades
had gone down deeper, and that the force and power of those
regions were
in and about you during that time of temptation. Such experiences
are, so
to speak, Christ's way of testing his disciples. But I do not desire to
have
your consciousness remain on the planes of which I am speaking,
any
more than is necessary, so will say no more about it tonight.
"The masses of humanity at present are in a condition approaching
mania to some extent. The elemental forces of the cosmos are now
stirred
to such a point of activity that the astral light is kept in a state of
commotion continually. This is reflected upon the minds of the
people, and
wherever will is brought to bear upon such reflections, another
force is
sent back into the astral which makes that state of life still worse...
When
humanity is evolved to the status where the souls of the purified
are now
existent, those opposing forces will be killed out. When the masses
of
humanity have reached that condition of life, all that you know as
the
physical plane will have disappeared from view, will be indrawn."
ASTRAL DECEPTION
As the material ocean is broken up into waves and ripples by the
power of winds and currents, and a single observer may see his
face
reflected therein, often grotesquely, wherever he may turn his eyes,
leaving the impression on his mind that his is the only reflection
being
thrown upon the surface of the whole ocean ; so the ocean of ether
and the
ocean of akasa, permeating and surrounding all forms of
manifested life,
are thrown into motion by the power of individual mind and will,
thus
creating analogous ripples and waves to those observable upon the
material ocean. Such ripples and waves are reflected to the eye of
the mind
– the organ of spiritual sight – in similarly fantastic and unreal
ideas and
figures. Often expressions are conveyed to the listening
consciousness,
creating the illusion that his personality or individuality stands out
preeminently above all other beings in existence, and that to him
are
addressed words by beings far in advance of his present status,
conveying
the idea that he has been specially chosen by God for some great
work,
when in nine times out of ten, any observer or listener from a
similar
vantage ground, would be hearing the same sounds and sights, the
same
words.
While human beings, as a rule, are willing to concede that the
universe
is a unit – theoretically speaking, they lose sight of that fact when
trying to
demonstrate any particular problem of that universe. They forget
that only
on the four lower planes of manifestation do the laws of
separateness exist
in action – that on the higher planes, the consciousness of one is
the
consciousness of all – that all are God.
A fine line must be drawn between what we term the truth and
deceptiveness of the astral plane. It is deceptive only from the
lower
physical standpoint ; it is not deceptive from the higher planes of
manifestation. The cause of [TT 332] its seeming deceptiveness
lies in our
false conception of the separateness of matter. The Cosmic Soul of
man in
communicating with any one of its expressions – that is, any one of
the
bodies it has ensouled – would convey the impression that it was
communicating with that one particular entity, when in reality all
people
who were in a receptive condition at that same time would hear
exactly the
same words, or receive the same impression, and to all intents and
purposes be justified in believing that he or she alone was under
observation, or in the right position to receive communications. If
we ever
expect to thoroughly understand the Master's instructions – the
great lesson
of unity – that is, the non-separableness of Matter and Spirit – must
first be
learned.
YOUR OFFER
Enfolded in His auric sphere, the Master thus admonished us :
"The
enemies you have to fight are the enemies of the Lodge. They are
not your
personal enemies to any extent, and the efforts made to injure are
in reality
directed at me. I told you in the beginning, I have repeatedly told
you since,
that if you took up the work of The Temple, it meant sacrifice
every step
of the way. You do not realize, any of you, the result of your own
aspirations, your prayers. In other words, in some moment or
moments of
exaltation, you will offer to the Lodge, to God, to the highest you
are
capable of reaching, all you have, all you are, ALL YOU EXPECT
TO BE.
You do not realize when you make that offer, that it is recorded in
the
Book of Life. Your offer is accepted. When the results begin to be
apparent, you shrink back into yourselves, and fail to see what it is
that has
brought suffering, testing, trial, upon you. You fail to realize that
what you
[TT 333] have offered has been accepted, and the results are upon
you. I
would have you all realize, if possible, the power sent forth from
you in
such moments of consecration and concentration. You cannot recall
that
power, having once sent it out, therefore I say, BE CAREFUL, be
sure you
are willing and able to bear what you call down upon yourselves
by such
acts. In general, you are enthusiastic, are carried entirely away, so
to speak,
by the power of the Holy Ghost which is upon you at such times,
and you
cannot sense the possibilities that the future is bound to bring forth
for
your acceptance or rejection. As you bear those trials and the
testing, so
comes your strength. Not only must the one who has made that
offer bear
the results, but also all those associated with him or her must bear
them to
some extent, as well as be partakers of the good that may come."
"The effect of calling attention to the faults of others is far greater
than
you know – or rather than you can remember at the moment. You
do not
sufficiently take into consideration the immense power of thought
and of
sound. For instance, you have a suspicion against some other
person. You
fondle that suspicion, and turn it over in your mind, thus creating
the first
live center of force. You then begin to try to corroborate that
suspicion,
sometimes by what the world calls underhand means. You then
give
VOICE to the suspicion which you have by this time decided to be
a fact,
and there springs at once into active life within your aura a center
of
consciousness and form, which is your own child. We will leave
out of the
question its effects on the first person, and return to its effects on
you. That
child which you have created, and given power of action to,
remains
indefinitely in your aura, whether you ever think of it again or not.
The
Karmic action of your fault returns to you through some one you
care for,
or who is attached to you, and who therefore receives your thought
currents. The force of the [TT 334] suspicion you first entertained
is sown
in the mind of that person, the form you have created is reflected
on his
consciousness ; suggestion awakens desire, and the first thing you
know,
the very evil you have imputed to some one else, comes back to
you with
added force through the one you love the best. That is the modus
operandi,
the Karmic action of both good and evil thought and speech ; the
evil is
intensified because of the nature of the lower plane on which you
most
commonly function."
RENUNCIATION
So long as fear of poverty, of death or suffering can influence you
to
withhold the whole or even a part of the price demanded by the
law for
your perfect development, you will never cross the threshold of the
Great
Initiation Chamber. So long as you retain any part or feature of the
great
renunciation when offered by you to the Lodge of Life, that part or
feature
will chain you to the Cosmic Wheel, a victim of your own
selfishness and
dishonesty. As Annanias and Saphira lost life and belongings
through
willful perversion of the law, so every Chela of the Lodge who has
demanded the service, love and devotion of the Masters in
exchange for
the service, obedience and love they offer, and who then undertake
to
withhold a part of the offering, must inevitably return to the diet of
husks,
the swine – selfish elements – are nourished upon.
So long as your demands remain unanswered, and your desire for
the
husks is unappeased, if you will be content to remain with the
swineherd,
the higher law will not reach you ; but you cannot wallow in the
filth of the
pen and treasure the husks, and at the same time stand before the
bright
flash of the Sword of the Spirit without being cloven in two. [TT
335]
The choice is yours ; but, having made the choice, you must bear
the
results. God will have no divided hearts. It is quite possible that
Karmic
Law will not accept a full relinquishment of all you hold dear, even
when
cheerfully offered, but so long as attachment to anything or
creature
prevents you from freely offering up that thing or creature upon the
altar of
devotion, the Holy Fire cannot descend and touch that offering,
and
thereby render it of use, and the lower fires which form such
attachments
must eventually consume the things to which you are attached, and
leave
you desolate and comfortless. Make no offer to the Law which you
are not
fully prepared to have accepted. Keep all you have and are if such
be your
desire, but in keeping it, remain on the outside of your own
divinity.
THE CAMEL'S BACK
Truly is it said, "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven." One
interpretation of the Master's words is given to the effect that there
was
formerly a peculiarly shaped gate in the wall of the ancient city,
called the
needle's eye, and the eastern beast of burden, the camel, could not
go
through that gate because of the hump on his back. Similar
impedimenta
are observed in the case of the rich man, if the above interpretation
of the
Bible statement has a basis of truth. The possessions of the rich
man
correspond to the hump on the camel's back, and while he clings to
that
burden, or it to him, he must stay on the outside of the Heavenly
city, that
is, in some lower place. But whether the interpretation is correct or
not
matters little ; in reality the statement is true as it stands. I will go
still
further and say it is impossible for a rich man to enter the path of
occultism. The first task [TT 336] given him on his application for
chelaship is to voluntarily renounce all hindrances, to give up at
once and
forever everything that can impede his progress. He may win back
all that
he renounced and ten times over that amount if he be accepted, but
it will
never be his, it will belong to the degree which he has entered. He
may be
appointed to a stewardship over it, every penny of it may pass
through his
hands, but it will be used as dictated by others, and for the benefit
of others.
If he receives any personal benefit from it it will be incidental, and
because
of his being a part of the degree which is dictating the use of it. It
requires
but a little earnest thought to show us why this must be true. We
are well
aware of the effect of riches on the average man of the world.
Autocracy,
self-indulgence, pride, greed, are some of the evils engendered by
the
possession of great wealth ; and, still worse, contempt for and
mastery
over the poor, cringing, fearful sycophants who dog his footsteps,
and
abuse of the poor man who has not inherited or gained an equal
amount of
treasure, all of which deadens the soul of the rich man, destroys all
his
confidence in human nature, and finally leaves him destitute of all
that
makes life worth living. Suspicious of his friends, despising the
rank and
file of mankind, fearful that his nearest and dearest are watching
with
longing eyes for the day that will usher him out of life and give
them an
opportunity to handle his wealth, what has he left ? The poorest
man in the
world has more cause for self laudation than he.
The man who can keep his fingers fast closed on his purse and pass
by
another man who he has reason to believe is homeless and hungry ;
who
can refrain from opening that purse while a wounded beggar, or a
sick
child lies in a hovel or on the street through which he must pass to
his own
comfortable home, could not by any possibility face the Master at
the top
of the great initiation Stair. [TT 337]
I do not pretend to say just how the rich man can most wisely
dispose
of his possessions ; that lies between God and his own soul, but I
do most
emphatically repeat, a materially rich man cannot enter the
Kingdom of
God, the height of perfection, the great Initiation. It is one of the
few
privileges that wealth cannot purchase for him. He has altogether
too many
"humps on his back." As a rule his one great haunting dread is that
he will
have to die and leave that beloved wealth. Poor man, if he only
could leave
it, there might be some hope for him ; but unfortunately he cannot,
he
takes it all with him to curse him for centuries. Not the mere
material
wealth (that has never been of any particular value, but the results,
the
lasting effects of the things he has done and left undone, the misery
he has
caused others in the gathering of that wealth, the lofty, beautiful
Christly
things he might have done and did not do. The compassion,
sympathy,
love, charity for which his hungry soul will cry, he can only see
like Dives,
"from afar." The so-called charity on which he has hitherto prided
himself,
he will find is an empty thing, for the only thing that could render
that
charity acceptable – Love – was never put into it ; therefore can
never be
taken out. A gift has no particular value – it is only too often
accursed,
unless actuated by self-surrender and love, and the selfish man has
lost the
power of loving and has put in its place an idol made by men's
hands.
Truly of all men, there are none so greatly in need of our pity as
the
selfish rich man. Unfortunately for himself, the poor man does not
always
realize the power of the curse of unlimited wealth in time to
prevent him
from trying to bring down the same curse on himself. Verily,
contentment
is a treasure. [TT 338]
GEOMETRY OF THE UNIVERSE
Force and Consciousness.
Body, Soul and Spirit.
Father, Mother, Sister, Brother.
First Plane of Manifestation.
Second Plane of Manifestation Holy Spirit or Pneuma.
Third Plane of Manifestation... Father-Mother.
The manifesting point, Father shoots out, or down, separating the
Great Mother from Himself, thus...
The power of attraction draws each toward the other, and they meet
in
the center and create, thus...
The bi-sexual Son-Daughter, the 4th Plane of manifestation ; the
Soul
Plane The "City that lieth foursquare" of the Revelation. The
entities of
which are invoked in the 2nd verse of the Rallying Cry. The first
verse of
the same refers to the spiritual prototype, and 3rd verse to the 5th
plane
represented by the double square and triangle... The 6th plane or
astral, or
plane of greater differentiation, is represented by the 16 squares.
The 7th or physical, by the 49 square. These symbols, figures, lines
are not to be understood simply as correspondences. They are
literal facts,
and are in manifestation as the divisions of the Cosmos. Each plane
being
divided in the manner indicated.
Each unit or personality on the physical plane is the representation
of
a line in the geometrical division of the universe. The fact that we
are not
conscious of the continuation of these lines from one to another, is
of no
consequence. The soul or real entity sees and understands them.
The Higher Mathematics is the most sacred science known to man.
In
returning to the Infinite the process is reversed. In order for
physical man
to understand any Cosmos one must start at the soul [TT 339]
plane, the
Four in One. There are four manifested entities belonging to each
soul, or
rather Group Soul. All of which are living entities, on one of these
three
lower planes. The double masculine and double feminine. Each of
these
soul entities belongs to a spiritual square, so high in evolution as to
be
inconceivable to mortals. These are the 32 in one which has its
exact
correspondence on the physical plane, where 32 small squares are
represented in one large square.
In considering this it will be seen that each line is the first of an
another small square, thus showing the interpenetration and unity
of all
lives. If any individual through his own fault (for all must
remember that
each of these symbols is represented in matter, force and
consciousness)
loses his place in evolution, the one next him in a lower ratio,
changes
places with him, i.e., one steps into the place of the other. This is a
crude
way of putting it, but you will all understand.
These soul squares are the foundation stones of the Great Temple,
and
have their correspondences in the organization known by that
name. The
Central Square is here in Halcyon. Each other square takes its own
place at
its own point of evolution, and each is connected by his special
line with
the Central Square.
It is impossible to put this into plainer language, Each must use his
own intuition in examining and comprehending. The whole scheme
of the
Universe is here. "Let him that hath ears hear, and hearing
understand."
[TT 340]
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Ques : Would you enlarge upon the Law of Supply and Demand ?
Ans : A very important occult law is involved ; a law immutable,
and
irrevocable. The Law of Supply and Demand. When trivialities are
demanded of life, the demand is fulfilled with trivialities. A burst
of
criticism, uncharitableness and distrust returns the same. The brain
makes
mistakes, the heart never, for it has been purified by fire. There is a
deep
underlying truth in the exhortation of Christ to His disciples, "Cast
not
your pearls before swine, lest they turn and rend you." Whether it
be swine
and pearls or rubbish and people, the law is invariably the same.
Man is
not always as charitable to his fellow man's failings as he should
be. The
lines become tangled ; this is largely due to past incarnations, but is
something be overcome. When any man can say with perfect truth,
upon
being wounded or hurt by another, that there must be something in
himself
that called forth that saying from his brother or sister, he will have
won a
battle that will help him onward. Remember, that a tangled line
with
anyone, results in a much worse tangle elsewhere.
Ques : Have volcanic disturbances any connection with
earthquakes ?
Ans : It has every connection. If you would all take the time to
study
up the correspondences you could not fail to see the causes for all
recent
disturbances, not only in Vesuvius, but Mont Pelee and all other
volcanos
whether extinct or otherwise. Exactly as the volcanos are vents for
forces
in this world of matter, so are various organs of [TT 341] the body
vents
for the same in a human body. You will find the correspondences
exact in
that respect. There was first awakened in the Astral Light, by the
selfishness and inhumanity of man the Astral forces which
afterward
developed within the earth, and when any such force is aroused
and
maintained for any length of time on the Astral plane it
materializes as
force on the material plane.
If it were not for such volcanic eruption from time to time, the
earth
itself would break into innumerable pieces, as it ultimately will in
any
event. Such a greater catastrophe must inevitably happen to a
world
governed and controlled by the lower forces, as is the earth. Those
pieces
of the shattered planet are drawn together subsequently and fall
into the
center of those forces which are to recreate that planet. It has then
passed
through its era of purification and once more becomes habitable
after
many ages.
Ques : Will this happen to the earth ?
Ans : It must unless it can be purified by other means.
Ques : Are these Cosmical forces of purification accomplisbing the
process ?
Ans : They are accomplishing the process in more ways than you
can
imagine. They are purifying the hearts and lives of the people to a
great
extent and if it were not for the opposite forces which have so
gained such
headway, that purification might be lasting. The effects of the 1906
disaster are not going to be such as could be desired. There were
being
poured into that center tremendous forces of energy that were
bound to
overthrow those of a finer nature to a great extent. The curse of
mammon
[TT 342] began to do its work. Much of the means poured into that
place
of desolation only to corrupt others who up to that time had
withstood the
forces of corruption.
Ques : There bave been a greater series of these cosmical
disturbances than for many centuries. Will they continue ?
Ans : They must continue until they have done the work for which
they have been sent. You know in some cases a lesson has to be
taught
over and over again before a pupil will accept and profit by it. The
souls of
the people on earth must be wrung as they never have been, before
the
karma they have made can be dissipated.
Ques : Are the disturbances within the physical earth not also a
correspondence to what may be called quakes and shocks that will
go
through all planes of the social organism ?
Ans : They are all due to the same causes ; the same forces of
purification are at work in all places of the earth today. They have
become
more pronounced in some cases than others, that is all the
difference.
Ques : Wbat is back of the destructive wave of animals and insects
now destroying the crops ?
Ans : The generating and expelling of a force of destruction
throughout the world can be called "The Rodent Force." Of all the
destructive forces of nature there are no others that can do the same
amount of damage in so short a time as can the devourers, one
order of the
disintegrators of the universe. [TT 343]
Birds of prey, buzzards, voracious animals, are some of the
vehicles
for the expression of that force which is generated on a more
interior plane.
There are semi-material bodies on the plane next to the earth,
which are
subject to the action of the thought currents sent out by man, and
there is a
strong tie between these and the rodents and animals and insects
referred.
The insects and rodents so numerous are the embodied thoughts of
man,
the thoughts of those whose whole mind was given up to the
accumulation
of wealth through many lives, who were embodied instruments of
greed.
These thought forms have manifested as the destructive agents.
Ques : Is the passing from one Ray to another done at the
beginning
and ending of a Manvantara, or during its progress ?
Ans : That depends upon whether it is a sub-Ray or a primary Ray.
The soul passes from one Ray to another, a sub-Ray or a primary
Ray
according to what its evolution demands. The sub-Rays during the
course
of the Manvantara ; the primary, only at the beginning or end of the
same.
Ques : What is the meaning of the `Brothers of the Fire-Mist ?"
Ans : That is a subject that it would be perfectly useless to try to
expound, as it is impossible for the human brain to understand a
being
without form, as the brain is now constituted. The Brothers of the
Fire-
Mist are formless. They passed through the human stage millions
and
billions of ages ago. [TT 344]
Ques : If forces are souls is it well to deal with each emotion as a
person standing before one ?
Ans : It would not be well to do so until one was able to
distinguish
between individual souls.
Ques : What is the difference between imagination and fancy ?
Ans : Imagination is the image making power of the soul, fancy
belongs entirely to the human brain. It is a function of one of the
centers of
the brain.
Ques : What effect has cremation upon the entity just leaving the
physical body ?
Ans : It permits the essence of the astral to escape more easily. It
makes it easier to get away ; it is not tied to the physical body as
long as it
must be if gradual disintegration of the atoms is permitted.
Ques : What is the effect of calling attention to the faults of
others ?
Ans : The effect is far greater realized, greater than known, and
greater than remembered at the moment. You do not sufficiently
take into
consideration the immense power of thought and of sound. If you
have a
suspicion against some other person, you fondle that suspicion, and
turn it
over in your mind ; thus creating the first live center of force. You
then
begin to corroborate that suspicion sometimes by what the world
would
term underhanded means. Voice is given to the suspicion which by
this
time [TT 345] is decided to be a fact. There springs at once into
active life
within the aura a center of consciousness and form, which is a
"living
child." That child which has been created and given power of
action,
remains indefinitely in the aura, whether it is ever thought of again
or not.
The karmic action of the fault returns to you through some one you
care
for or who is attached to you, and who therefore received your
thought
currents. The force of the suspicion you first entertained is soon in
the
mind of that person, the form you have created is reflected on his
consciousness. Suggestion awakens desire, and the first thing you
know
the very thing you have imputed to some one else comes back to
you with
added force through the one you love the best. That is the modus
operandi,
the karmic action of both good and evil thought and speech ; the
evil is
intensified because of the nature of the lower plane on which you
now
function commonly.
Ques : In the evolution of a planet is it inevitable that that which is
called sin enter in ? Could evolution take place without sin or
evil ?
Ans : You cannot conceive of a manifestation of matter without the
pairs of opposites. With the first separation of the masculine and
feminine
principles there came all the possibilities of the negative pole, or
what is
termed evil, which has been rightly called "matter out of place."
No
materialization of force or matter is possible without the negative
force ;
through that force, experience is gained and the manifested matter
led back
to the higher cycle of the spiral.
Ques : This negative force could not exist then as a harmonious
force,
as one note would complement another, [TT 346] or one color, like
red
and green, one being the negative of the other, yet not producing
inharmony. Is it possible that that could go on in any planet ?
Ans : No, it is not at the present time. In the coming great sixth age
such may be the case and to a greater and greater degree as the
cycles pass
and the units of all planets reach a higher stage of what might be
termed
civilization then they have as yet reached, but perfect harmony in
the sense
that you mean, on the material plane at this time is impossible. You
have
got to enter the spiritual lines to find harmony, and there you find
harmony
because unity exists.
Ques : Is there a law that causes us to go from one planet to
another ?
Ans : Yes, the law of evolution, and one has to gain all the
experience
that all can give. Life is not exactly alike on any two planets any
more than
a tree, for there are no two leaves alike. They all belong to a
universal life,
and the soul must follow from one to another gaining all
experience on
each and all.
Ques : On which planet is the evolved life as we consider it. ?
Ans : On Jupiter.
Ques : What kind of life is on Mercury ?
Ans : More of the soul or spiritual life prevails there. It is higher
than
Venus. The nearer to the Sun the higher in [TT 347] the scale of
spirituality, as the planets approach the Sun they partake more and
more of
its nature.
Ques : Would you tell something of the Holy Grail ; what the real
Holy Grail is. ?
Ans : The Holy Grail in its last analysis is the Higher Self of each
one
of you. Every cup used in the ceremony of communion or other
Holy
Feasts is a symbol of that Holy Grail, and it is for that reason that
such
vessels should be held sacred.
Ques : The cup or vessel symbolizes the soul, does it not ?
Ans : It does. Each Knight and Servant of the Holy Grail has
started
out consciously on a search for the Holy Grail, the Spirit, the
Higher Self.
He will drink of that cup consciously, when a union of the Higher
and
lower selves is accomplished. Every time he takes of the wine or
water in
the cup with heart attuned to the right key, he goes a step onward
in that
search.
Ques : What Is the Meaning of Charity ?
Ans : Seek you the true meaning of the word "Charity," as given in
the
Bible and you will understand better the action and reaction of the
forces
requisite for soul communion. As said before, here is one aspect of
love,
the energy of one is the energy of the other, and you must gain the
power
to use that energy at will. You can only gain it by obedience to that
one
attribute. [TT 348]
Ques : Is what seems to be your presence and one's perception of
the
interior voice in the Silence a true one ?
Ans : Every human being who passes up the steps of "the Path"
reaches a certain point, or step where he comes into immediate
touch with
the Divine in all ; at that moment each one partakes of the Divine
favor as
never before. He or she becomes divine, or rather realizes his one-
ness
with the Divine, and that he is the Divine ; at those moments the
personality of the man or woman is lost sight of entirely – they are
as God.
This stage of development has been the primal cause of all the
false
manifestations of The Christ, so to speak, in the world ; false only
as
regards time ; for each in reality is The Christ and has this
momentary
illusion prematurely of the fact. Sometimes this lasts a moment,
sometimes
a day, sometimes weeks, but it ends.
At such times or immediately afterward, they are conscious more
or
less of the time of the presence of the Higher Self.
That Higher Self becomes, or rather is so much of the individuality
that the person who senses this great phenomenon is unable to
distinguish
at all times, but often believes that another instead of its own self is
speaking to it. You have passed through such an experience as I
speak of.
You have not yet reached the further side of it ; but it matters not
whether
it be your own Higher Self or my individual Self, or some other
Master
Self, it is in its last analysis one and the same great Spirit. When
one
reaches this point, there is a definite change in the vibrations of the
astral
body.
It is impossible to open one door into the astral light without also
opening the door belonging to the other pole. You cannot receive
an influx
of good without awakening evil ; therefore when the manifestation
in
speech comes to the tyro in occultism there are always elementals
[TT 349]
belonging to the lower planes which can gain access to that soul. It
is
difficult for one who is not used to it to distinguish between the
higher and
the lower selves.
That is just what the study of practical occultism brings one to
understand and appreciate. No one, is always able to distinguish
between
the voices which speak in the Silence until he has developed all of
the
inner senses to the point where they will enable him to judge as
accurately
on the astral plane as he can judge on the physical by his physical
senses.
When one has not been developed to the necessary point, he must
learn to
try all the voices which come to him by the same rules or laws that
he
would try a corresponding phenomenon on the physical plane.
Ques : Is the downward course a part of the scheme of evolution ?
Ans : Yes, necessarily, black magic is the shadow of the light.
There
can be no light without its shadow. It is only too true that what
would be
called black magic on some planes, is not considered wickedness
on this
plane. It is a question that is very difficult to enter upon. In some
instances
in the past – which I cannot however enumerate-the Masters of the
1st and
2nd degrees have fallen with extraordinary rapidity from the top to
the
bottom of the ladder of Life. For temptation as it is recognized on
this
plane becomes intensified to such a degree as is inconceivable to
man. A
soul may have reached the very point of extinction at the bottom of
the
ladder, yet through some remaining good, or by the great sacrifice
of one
who was perhaps formerly his companion in the higher spheres, he
has
been led to make some great renunciation, some suddenly executed
sacrifice and so has taken the upward step that has again placed
him on the
Path from which he had wandered. [TT 350]
Ques : Can the sacrifice of another replace the wanderer ?
Ans : I had in my mind at the time I gave you that idea, a particular
case. It was that of an entity who had risen, through ages upon
ages, to be
a Master of the 5th degree. In that degree there is no separation of
sex, the
entity is altogether a different being from anything you are able to
understand, for it is impossible to give man, as his brain is now
constituted,
an adequate conception of matter or substance as it exists on the
Spiritual
plane. The entity of which I speak was subject to what you would
term a
great temptation, and fell. He went downward from one degree to
another
until he came to the plane where sex separation again obtained. He
left the
feminine part of himself on a certain plane, came into
manifestation as a
man on the physical plane, went from bad to worse, was spiritually
evil –
which is much worse than physically evil. He finally arrived at that
point
in the 8th sphere from which seemingly there was no chance of
further
development. He had in fact arrived at the point of extinction
which I have
before mentioned.
The feminine part of himself remained for a time on the plane
where it
was left. But eventually it became incarnated on earth retaining the
knowledge, to a great extent, of much that she had known before.
She
knew there was part of herself somewhere, in manifestation and
with the
aid of occultists of that day she found out where he was and went
to him.
He would have none of her. He was so steeped in vice that to him
there
was nothing attractive in her. She never left him, but followed him
from
place to place. He finally fell under the influence of a sect then
called
"devil worshippers", and committed crime and sin, the very name
of which
would be inconceivable to you. At any rate he came to that point of
extinction.
As I said, she had followed him, and at the very last [TT 351]
moment
as it seemed, by constant effort, by drawing the influences of those
whom
he had left and who were still known to her about him, she fanned
into life
the little spark that was still burning. He killed her, and she knew
he would,
but she went gladly to the sacrifice. By a supreme effort of will as
she was
dying, she absolutely threw herself as far as it was possible, into
connection with the atoms that constituted his astral body. He saw
in an
instant, as a drowning man will sometimes do, just what he had
done, and
from whence he had come. He seized an opportunity that arose at
that time,
to save the life of a companion in crime by taking upon himself the
burden
which in reality belonged partially to him. He died a terrible
physical death.
He knew he would die in this way when he made that effort at
expiation. It
was enough. Instead of going to extinction as he would have done,
he
started again the long climb that leads to the top of the ladder. He
is now
on the physical plane, and you all know him. But I cannot tell you
who he
is.
Ques : : To what extent can a Master guide individuals ?
Ans : Man has repeatedly been told that beyond a certain very
limited
point the law of individuality and development make it impossible
for the
Masters to interfere. It is only the fools that rush in where angels
fear to
tread.
But it is permissible to say that after the years of study and direct
assistance in assimilating the fruit of such study, many are
negligent and
careless in applying the lessons so learned toward the solution of
the
problems now confronting man on the outer plane of
manifestation. Man
should try to realize that an Initiate is prohibited from giving more
than
intimation that any one thing had better be done. A failure to see
and act
upon such hints often prevents the disciple from obtaining the very
thing
he has most earnestly desired. [TT 352]
From time immemorial incomplete man has attempted to guide
those
whom Karma has appointed as his guides and teachers by
formulating his
own fancied needs and insisting on their being applied. To become
as a
little child is the one essential thing in the study of true occultism ;
and
these words will bear repeating and reiterating, if need be, for ages,
or until
the disciple has learned with his heart (not only his head) their
great
significance.
It is necessary that all should be brought to consideration of the
fact
that it is immaterial to the Masters whether or not they are accepted
as
guides or Masters of individual or organized attempts at conscious
union
with the Lodge ; but it is a duty, as well as a privilege, to them to
awaken
in the mind of man an all-absorbing desire for truth and wisdom,
and this
can only be gained by development of the intuition or soul power.
They
cannot give true knowledge, it must be gained.
Another thing you and others forget too easily is that the Masters
are
more strenuously bound by law than yourselves, for They have
become a
part-a conscious part of that law, and any infringement of the same
results
in incalculably more harm than when committed by one ignorant
of its
consequences.
Ques : To what extent should students generally invite psychic
experiences ?
Ans : The greatest danger to students of occultism in inviting astral
manifestation lies in their utter powerlessness to handle the forces
invoked,
or to interpret the same. They have no idea how the aura is opened
and
taken possession of by elementary orders of beings. Students have
always
been warned emphatically that they must fortify the mind and
astral bodies
by studying and [TT 353] making part of the daily life the
personification
of the philosophical truths that have been given. These truths alone
will
enable the student to meet and deal with astral conditions.
No amount of astral experience will teach this discipline. Each one
must make the connections between the physical and astral brains
in order
to interpret aright what is perceived on the astral plane. This can
only be
done by cultivating those brain centers through rightly directed
study.
There is so much to be said on this question. There is much chance
for
misunderstanding and misconception of the Teachings. It is natural
under
the circumstances, that importance be given any astral symbols
observed,
but the student should be assured of one fact, he will never be
given a
symbol by a Master by searching for it. Anything observed in
dreams or in
such concentration as he is yet capable of will be merely the
observance of
astral counterparts of material forms or states of matter, or those
which
have not yet come into manifestation. The student would not
expect to
receive a preemptory call by a friend at a distance by sitting down
and
concentrating on that friend, or on any condition he that friend to
be in. If
he were to be called for any specific purpose, the call would come
by some
ejaculation. His mind should be at rest on this point. If there is
occasion to
test his knowledge or ability to interpret a symbol, that symbol
may come
to him suddenly while on a field he may be plowing or any floor he
may
be sweeping. He may be sure it will not be because of his desire
for such a
symbol or call on any Master until he has made the connection
with that
Master that only he can make.
[TT 355]
GLOSSARY
The following is a partial list of terms used in Temple Teachings :
ADI – The First, the Primeval.
ADI, SONS OF – Sons of the Fire Mist. The Great Creators.
AETHER – With the ancients, the luminous substance that
pervades
the Universe. The Garment of the Supreme ; with the moderns,
Ether. (See
Dictionary.)
AKASA OR ALAYA – The basis and root of all things.
ALCAHEST – The Wine of Life. The Universal Solvent.
ALCHEMY – The Divine Science of Life, from which modern
chemistry is descended.
ANDROGYNOUS – Male and female combined.
ANTASKARANA – The Bridge between Matter and Spirit. The
Understanding, or power of comprehension.
ASTRAL BODY – The ethereal counterpart or shadow of man and
animal, existent in the Astral Light.
ASTRAL LIGHT – The invisible plane (to mortal eye) which
surrounds this and all other worlds, and in which exists, throughout
the
great world periods, the astral body of every living thing or person
until it
dies a second death, and the informing principle has passed on,
leaving the
shell to finally disintegrate.
ATMA – The Divine Monad. The Supreme Soul, or Seventh
Principle
in Man.
AUM – The Sacred Word or Syllable. The Three in One.
AURA – A psycho-electric force, which emanates from all bodies
and
things, and which surrounds the body in an egg-shaped form. Its
colors
change with development of mind and soul, and are clearly
distinguishable
by the Occultist, and oftentimes by the more psychic.
AVATAR – A divine Incarnation. The descent of a God or some
other
exalted being who has progressed beyond the necessity of rebirth.
There
are two kinds of Avatars : the parentless or mind-born, and those
born
from women.
BUDDHI – Universal Soul. The Spiritual Soul or Christos in man.
CADUCEUS-The Caduceus is formed of two serpents twisted
around a
rod ; it symbolizes the fall of primeval matter into gross terrestrial
matter ;
it also symbolizes the restoration of lost equilibrium. [TT 356]
CHELA – Disciple. Student and servant to Initiate.
DEVACHAN – Heaven ; the Place of Rest between Incarnations.
EGO – The Incarnating Spirit ; the Thread-soul, which passes from
life to
life, and finally unites with the Higher – Self in Devachan or in
Nirvana.
ELEMENTALS – Beings who people the elements evolved from
the
Kingdoms of Earth, Air, Fire and Water ; the Peris, Djins,
Banshees,
Fairies, Elves, etc., and subject to the control of the Occultist, and
also of
the Elementary. Irresponsible, blind forces.
ELEMENTARIES – The disembodied souls of the depraved,
which
have been separated from the Higher Self and who have lost their
opportunity. These souls remain in the Kama-rupic shells, and are
irresistibly drawn to familiar earthly scenes and companions.
FOHAT – The energy awakened by the "WORD." Cosmic power
of
sound. The propelling power and, resultant of Vital force, or the
Essence
of Electricity.
GURU – Guide or teacher of the secret laws of life and its
mysteries.
HIEROPHANT – A title belonging to the chief of Adepts or
initiates
in Ancient Temples. The Great Teacher.
KALPA – A period of mundane evolution.
KAMA-MANAS – Lower mind.
KAMA-RUPA – Lower desire body – a form which survives the
death of the physical body ; a shell from which the real soul has
departed.
A spook, capable of being drawn into observation by the mediums,
and,
once having learned the way, it returns again and again,
vampirizing the
body of the medium.
KUNDALINI – One of the forces of nature latent in all men, and
developed in those who, by concentration in Yoga, have opened the
way
for its manifestation.
LINGA SHARIRA – Astral body. It is born previous to birth on the
physical plane, and dies with the last molecule of matter.
MANAS – Mind.
MANASA-PUTRAS – Sons of Universal mind. Beings who live
and
work on the Third plane of Universal consciousness.
MANTRAMS – Verses of single sentences from metaphysical
works,
used in connection with certain sounds, numbers and letters in
those
sentences.
MANTRAS – Verses from the Vedic works, used as incantations or
charms. [TT 357]
MANVANTRA – A period of manifestation as opposed to Pralaya
or
Rest. A cycle of 4,320,000,000 solar years.
MAYA – Illusion. Applied to all four lower planes of
consciousness.
MONDA – The immortal part of man, which reincarnates in the
lower
kingdoms, and gradually progresses through them, raising at the
same time
all grades of matter with which it is associated, by imparting a
higher rate
of vibration.
NEOPHYTE – A beginner. Also applied to the students or chelas
of
the lower degrees of the Great Lodge of Universal Life.
OCCULTIST – A student of occultism or the secret laws which
control the Universe.
PRALAYA – Period of rest between two periods of manifestation.
Corresponds to sleep of human and animal kingdoms.
PRANA – The Life Principle. The Breath of Life.
PSYCHE – The animal, terrestrial soul. Lower Manas.
PSYCHIC – From PSYCHE, or soul. Applied to two different
planes
of consciousness, or what is sometimes called the higher and lower
astral
light.
RUPA – Form. The body of anything or person.
SAT – The Indivisible. That. The Eternally Concealed.
SKANDA – A characteristic. A finite principle brought into
manifestation by a thought, word or deed ; and thereafter attached
to the
aura of the incarnating Ego through its series of lives.
TATWA – A fundamental principle of Nature, correlative to some
one
physical sense. There are five Tatwas exoterically ; there are seven
Tatwas
esoterically, two of which are still latent in the human race.
WARRIOR, THE – The Higher-Self. The first manifestation of The
Christos.
YOGA – Concentration in meditation for the purpose of attaining
Enlightenment.
YUGA – The one-thousandth part of a Kalpa or great World-
Period.
END OF THE BOOK