68. ALICE BAILEY - Discipleship in the New Age,Vol. II - 09. SECTION TWO - TEACHINGS ON MEDITATION - PART 3

SECTION TWO - TEACHINGS ON MEDITATION - PART 3


In the second three lines, the Heart of God is evoked and the focal point of love is considered. This "heart" of the manifested world is the Hierarchy—that great transmitting agency of love to every form in the divine manifestation. Upon the essentially "loving nature" of the Hierarchy I need not dwell; too much has been written about it; too little understood; too much has been talked about love and not enough has been realised as to the task confronting the Hierarchy [159] as it transmits love. Love is an energy which must reach the hearts of men and which must fecundate humanity with the duality of loving-understanding—that is what is expressed when love and intelligence are brought together.

In the third three lines, we find reference to Shamballa—"the Centre where the Will of God is known"—the centre from whence the Hierarchy draws its life, as it draws its impulse towards service from humanity. You well know that there is indication in these lines that humanity itself cannot as yet grasp the purpose of Sanat Kumara. Only advanced Members of the Hierarchy and initiates of at least the third degree (the first degree of the Lodge on Sirius) have any idea as to the nature of the purpose which underlies the Plan. Ponder on that phrasing.

Having invoked the three aspects or potencies of Mind, Love, and Will, in the fourth three lines we have indication of the anchoring of all these powers in humanity itself, in "the centre which we call the race of men." Here and here alone lies the promise of the future and its hope and opportunity. Here and here alone can all the divine qualities—in time and space—express themselves and find fulfilment: here and here alone can love be truly born, intelligence correctly function, and the Will of God demonstrate its effective goodwill. Through humanity, alone and unaided (except by the divine Spirit in every human being), can the "door where evil dwells be sealed." It is not Sanat Kumara who seals that door; it is not the Hierarchy which forces evil back into the place from whence it comes. It is struggling, aspiring and suffering humanity to whom the task is committed and, my brother, humanity is adequate to the task.

This statement is borne ever in mind by Those most potent in using the Invocation; it serves to focus and anchor the invoked energies in the human kingdom. That is Their task. From that point, humanity takes over the undertaking.

This Invocation is also unique in the sense that it invokes all the three divine aspects. It is synthetic in its approach. This is the first time in human history that this has been done. Hitherto the development of mankind did not warrant such an utterance.

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In Lemurian times, the third divine aspect, that of Intelligence, was invoked by the mass appeal of instinctual animal-man; he little knew what that almost inchoate appeal would invoke. Light appeared on Earth and true progressive enlightenment became possible. I am not here referring to physical light, but to the light of the intellect.

In Atlantean days, as a result of the strife between the Lords of Light or of the Shining Countenance and the Lords of the Dark Face (as they are called in the ancient Scriptures and in The Secret Doctrine) another "era of invocation" occurred and the second divine aspect of Love became a possible unfoldment, though still only an embryonic quality of mankind. The mass appeal was then more intelligently voiced, though the instinctual appeal still persisted. It was not intelligence, however, as we understand the term.

In our Aryan cycle, another great invocative cry is issuing forth. It is this time a threefold cry. It is the cry for light upon our way and for light to flow into the dark places of the Earth; it is also a cry for more love in the world as voiced by the men of goodwill and of humanitarian attitudes: it is, finally, the intuitive appeal of the aspirants and the disciples of the world for the full expression in time and space of the will-to-good—the Will of God. Average instinctual humanity, the men and women of goodwill, and the disciples of the world are all concerned in this invocation, bringing in the attributes of instinct, intelligence and intuition. All three are blended in this great Invocation. Have also constantly in mind this basic fusion, now finding voiced expression, and take courage from the massed approach to the Source of all Life, Love and Light. Nothing can withstand the united demand of men everywhere in their graded and their serried ranks.

This entire Invocation refers esoterically to the "raincloud of knowable things" to which Patanjali refers. It is that impending, overshadowing and revelatory storehouse of energy which is the immediate cause of all events on Earth and which indicates the emergence of that which is new and better and progressively right. The events and happenings thus precipitated demonstrate the moving onward into [161] greater light of the human consciousness. These "knowable things" are the sources of all revelation and of all human realisations—cultural and leading to what we call civilisation. Their "condensation" (if I may use such a word) is brought about by the massed invocative appeal of the entire human family at any one period. This appeal has been, on the whole, projected unconsciously, but more and more it will be consciously voiced. Results, therefore, can be expected more rapidly and prove more effective. This raincloud is formed through the joint action of the Central Spiritual Sun, working through Shamballa, and humanity itself, working hitherto through appeal to the Hierarchy, but increasingly making its own direct appeal.

There is necessarily a subtle indirect appeal going forth continuously from the three subhuman kingdoms in nature, but that appeal focusses itself in the human kingdom, for that kingdom is the receiving and the transmitting agent for these kingdoms, just as the Hierarchy has been and is the receiving and the transmitting agent for every human appeal. Note here the beautiful interlocking and the fine interrelation which has been established by our planetary Logos. This new Invocation expresses this complete interdependence in an unique manner.

Precipitation of the new and long awaited energies is brought about in three ways:

1. By the direct action of the Hierarchy as its Members train Their disciples to tap this source of inspiration, to become sensitive to the awaited impression, and to bring down that which is needed for the enlightenment and restoration of mankind to its original high spiritual state. There is a higher condensation awaiting precipitation, but to humanity that will form a "raincloud of unknowable things" and necessitates not, therefore, your consideration.

2. By the disciples and aspirants of the world who provide a channel by means of which the energies and the fructifying forces can reach mankind. This they bring about by:

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a. The deepening of man's spiritual realisation through reflective meditation, aspiration and devotion. These in time give place to conviction and mental knowing.

b. Receptiveness to spiritual impression. This entails the awakening of an intelligent use of the intuition, plus the capacity to hold the mind steady in the light whilst the brain is quiescently ready to record that "descending knowledge."

c. Practical ability to relate the idea to the ideal and to take those steps which will create the form of that ideal upon the physical plane.

3. By the steady progress of humanity, en masse, towards the light. This in time produces in humanity itself a quality and a vibration which make themselves felt. This quality and this vibration are essentially evocative.

Today this "raincloud of knowable things" has condensed or brought together energies which have been made available by the Spirits of Restoration, Reconstruction and Resurrection. These now available energies are—on a larger scale and of a higher nature—similar to those which the individual soul (paradoxical term) makes available to the personality when that personality is ready for the Path of Probation or of Discipleship. These energies are far more potent because they are, in their turn, a precipitation of energies which have been placed at the disposal of Shamballa, plus energies and forces generated by the Hierarchy. Extra-planetary forces can now be utilised on Earth, owing to the forward progress of our planet and its relation to the solar system as a whole.

There has never been a period in our planetary history in which opportunity has loomed so large or when so much spiritual light and force could be contacted and utilised by humanity.

The first indication of this massed and available energy produced coordination of the New Group of World Servers upon the physical plane.

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The second indication produced a pronounced cleavage between the forces of evil and the Forces of Light; this cleavage resulted in the world war (1914-1945) and initiated the seething emotional and psychic turmoil in which humanity today finds itself.

The third indication was the release of atomic energy and the discovery of how to transmute energy into matter and matter into energy.

The spiritual energies have, therefore, impersonally and with a "vivid directive of pure intent," penetrated from the highest point of spiritual purpose to the lowest aspect of matter, the atom; they have thus proved the truth of the statement that matter is spirit at its lowest point and spirit is matter at its highest, and that the apparent duality is but an essential unity.

A concentration of spiritual forces in and through the New Group of World Servers, the production of a world conflict with its disrupting and at the same time its unifying result, and the release of certain impressive energies in matter itself for the benefit of all created things on Earth—these are the immediate results of the pressure of the overshadowing spiritual resources.

These forces have affected the spiritual and the humanitarian people of the world, blending them into one group upon the inner planes (even if this still remains outwardly unrealised), and have thus given a death blow to the great heresy of separateness. This will later make itself invincibly apparent. They brought pure evil to the surface in such a manner that the issues between good and evil became apparent in a clearer light and the causes of human misery received fresh and keener recognition; the knowledge and the responsibility of mankind everywhere cannot now be denied. They also made possible the use of energy locked up in substance itself; this, if rightly used, can and will completely alter and change man's attitude to life, his sense of values and his use of time.

All this has been brought about by what we might call with exactitude the first precipitation. Its effects have been mass effects to a very large extent. They have affected the [164] spiritual workers and the men of goodwill, producing the purifying fires of pain and agony through the medium of war, and making available also the essence of the material world. I have endeavoured to express the majesty of the recent happenings in various ways in order to impress upon you all the stupendous nature of what has occurred.

The second precipitation must be more consciously brought about by humanity itself, and it is to facilitate this that the new Invocation has been given, and for this reason it must be widely distributed.

This precipitation is to be brought about by the gradual engendering of the divine idea in the human consciousness. Above everything else required at this time is a recognition of the world of meaning, a recognition of Those Who implement world affairs and Who engineer those steps which lead mankind onward towards its destined goal, plus a steadily increased recognition of the Plan on the part of the masses. These three recognitions must be evidenced by humanity and affect human thinking and action if the total destruction of mankind is to be averted. They must form the theme of all the propaganda work to be done during the next few decades—until the year 2025—a brief space of time indeed to produce fundamental changes in human thought, awareness, and direction, but—at the same time— a quite possible achievement, provided the New Group of World Servers and the men and women of goodwill perform a conscientious task. Evil is not yet sealed. The spread of the Christ consciousness and Hisrecognised Presence with us is not yet attained. The Plan is not yet so developed that its structure is universally admitted. Evil has been driven back; there are enough people aware of the possibility of divine enlightenment and of the interdependence (which is the basis of love) to form a potent nucleus, provided again that the inertia so prevalent among spiritual people is overcome. There is divine indication of coming events and a planned progress towards them, and this is already arousing interest among thinkers in many lands. However, the necessary responsive planning is still lacking.

This new Invocation, if given widespread distribution, [165] can be to the new world religion what the Lord's prayer has been to Christianity and the Twenty-Third Psalm has been to the spiritually minded Jew.

I would like to indicate to you three approaches to the subject of this Invocation. I will do so briefly, as time lacks. It is for you to arrive—according to your evolutionary status and the depth of your reflection—at what I may leave unsaid. These three approaches are:

1. That of the general public.

2. That of the esotericists, that is, of aspirants and disciples.

3. That of the more advanced disciple (as far as I can) and of the Hierarchy.

First, the general public will regard it as a prayer to God transcendent. They will not recognise Him yet as immanent in His creation; they will send it forth on the wings of hope—hope for light and love and peace, for which they ceaselessly long. They will also regard it as a prayer for enlightenment of all rulers and leaders in all groups who are handling world matters; as a prayer for the inflow of love and understanding among men so that they may live in peace with one another; as a demand for the working out of the will of God—a will of which they can know nothing (this is, after all, quite true for all except initiates) and which ever seems to them so inscrutable and so all-inclusive that their normal reaction should be patience and a willingness to refrain from questioning; as a prayer for the strengthening of human responsibility, in order that the recognised evils of today which so distress and trouble mankind may be done away with and some vague source of evil may be harnessed; they will regard it finally as a prayer that some equally vague primeval condition of blissful happiness may be restored and all unhappiness and pain disappear from the Earth. This is, for them, entirely good and helpful and all that is immediately possible. I have so worded and rendered the Invocation that the Christian world, through its churches, may not find it impossible to use.

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Second, esotericists and aspirants of the world will have a deeper and more understanding approach. To them it will convey the recognition of the world of causes and of Those Who stand subjectively behind world affairs, the spiritual Directors of our life. They stand ready to strengthen those with true vision, ready to indicate not only the reason for events in the various departments of human living, but also to make those revelations which will enable humanity to move forward out of darkness into light. With this fundamental attitude, the necessity for widespread expression of these underlying facts will be apparent and an era of hierarchical propaganda, engineered by disciples and carried forward by esotericists, will mature. This era began in 1875 when H.P.B.'s proclamation of thefact of the existence of the Masters of the Wisdom was made. It has been carried forward in spite of misrepresentation, attack upon the concept and scorn; recognition of the substantial nature of the available evidence, and an appearance of an intuitive response by occult students and many of the intelligentsia throughout the world have been present.

A new type of mystic is coming to be recognised; he differs from the mystics of the past (except in a few outstanding instances) by his practical interest in current world affairs and not in religious and church matters only; he is distinguished by his lack of interest in his own personal development, by his ability to see God immanent in all faiths and not just in his own particular brand of religious belief, and also by his capacity to live his life in the light of the divine Presence. All mystics have been able to do this to a greater or less degree, but he differs from those in the past in that he is able clearly to indicate to others the techniques of the Path; he combines both head and heart, intelligence and feeling, plus an intuitive perception, hitherto lacking. The clear cold light of the Spiritual Triad now illumines the way of the modern mystic, and not simply the light of the soul, and this will be increasingly the case.

Both of these groups—the general public and the world aspirants in their varying degrees—have among them those who stand out from the general average as possessing a [167] deeper insight and understanding; they occupy a no-man's-land, intermediate in the one case between the masses and the esotericists, and on the other between the esotericists and the Members of the Hierarchy. Forget not that They also use this great Invocation and that not a day goes by that the Christ himself does not sound it forth. As you read the next few pages, you may find some clue to the attitudes and points of view of these spiritual Intelligences.

On the surface, the beauty and the strength of this Invocation lies in its simplicity, and in its expression of certain central truths which all men, innately and normally, accept—the truth of the existence of a basic Intelligence to Whom we vaguely give the name of God; the truth that, behind all outer seeming, the motivating power of the universe is Love; the truth that a great Individuality came to Earth, called by Christians the Christ, and embodied that love so that we could understand; the truth that both love and intelligence are effects of what is called the Will of God, and finally the self-evident truth that only through Humanity itself can the divine Plan work out.

This Plan calls mankind to the expression of Love and challenges men to "let their light shine." Then comes the final solemn demand that this Plan of Love and Light, working through mankind, may "seal the door where evil dwells." The final line then contains the idea of restoration, indicating the keynote for the future and that the day will come when God's original idea and His initial intention will no longer be frustrated by human freewill and evil—pure materialism and selfishness; the divine purpose will then, through the changed hearts and goals of humanity, be achieved.

This is the obvious and simple meaning and it ties in with the spiritual aspiration of all men everywhere.

There are deeper implications and upon them I will later touch, but the clarity of spiritual desire and aspiration is expressed in these words in such a form that its use offers no barrier to the different types of mind which may receive it. Only those who recognise no subjective or inner world, and who reject the concept of an inner world of causes being responsible for the outer world of effects, will deny its truth [168] and usefulness; such people are fortunately few and far between.

It is apparent, therefore, that the first three stanzas or verses invoke, call for or appeal to the three aspects of divine life which are universally recognised—the mind of God, the love of God, and the will or purpose of God; the fourth stanza points out the relation of humanity to these three energies of intelligence, love and will, and mankind's deep responsibility to implement the spread of love and light on Earth.

Right here the work of the Triangles—so close to the heart of the Hierarchy at this time—becomes obvious. Through the network which the Triangles are creating, light or illumination is invoked by the daily work and attitude of the Triangle members; thus light can indeed "descend on earth" and goodwill, which is the love of God and basically, the will-to-good, can also stream forth in fuller livingness into the hearts of men; thus they are transformed in their lives and the era of right human relations cannot be stopped. This is an era hitherto only dimly sensed and which only the forward-thinking people of the world have desired. Thus through the "centre which we call the race of men" the Plan of love and light works out and strikes the death blow to evil, selfishness and separateness, sealing it into the tomb of death forever; thus also the purpose of the Creator of all things will be fulfilled.

No one can use this Invocation or prayer for illumination and for love without causing powerful changes in his own attitudes; his life intention, character and goals will be changed and his life will be altered and made spiritually useful. "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he" is a basic law in nature; the constant turning of the mind to the need for light and the prospect of illumination cannot and will not be ineffectual. Also, as the work of the Triangles grows and the network spreads all over the Earth, the idea of a downpouring of light and goodwill (which is the immediate aspect of love required today among men) can be looked for; nothing can prevent the appearance of the expected results, for the eternal law holds good. The illumination of men's [169] minds, so that they can see things as they are, can apprehend right motives and the way to bring about right human relations, is now a major need; the motivating power of goodwill is an essential to right action; given these two—light and love—it will not be many decades before the idea of right human relations will have become the ideal of the masses and will be rapidly taking form in all national, public and community affairs. The history of humanity has been that of the apprehension and the use of ideas as applied to human living and as expressing forward moving concepts; today the two ideas needed are light upon our way and practical goodwill.

I would like now to touch upon some of the deeper meanings for you who are disciples or who are in training for discipleship. If I can do this, your meditation work may be useful in linking hierarchical intent with human aspiration; such should be the work of all disciples.

You will already have noted—as you have studied the Invocation—that the three major centres in our planet are linked up: Shamballa, "where the Will of God is known," the Hierarchy, where Christ rules and from whence He seeks closer contact among men, and the centre which we call Humanity. There is a close relation between the first stanza and the final one; humanity's destiny is, as you know, to be the exponent of the mind of God, thus expressing active intelligence, motivated by love and implemented by will. That time has not yet come, but if human timing is correct and right desire is potent enough, for the first time in human history this destiny can be publicly recognised and people can be swept increasingly and voluntarily into an activity which is particularly their own destiny. That again is one of the primary objectives of the Invocation; its steady use will bring about an inclusive view of spiritual development and impart a synthesis to human thinking which has hitherto been lacking. As "light streams forth into the minds of men" the divine plan will be more widely sensed and the will-to-good will be more widely desired and invoked.

It is necessary always to remember that light is active energy and that love is also an energy. It is useful also to bear in mind that light and matter are synonymous terms scientifically [170] and that the network of light is veritably substance, and therefore the carrier of goodwill. That is why, consequently, it is necessary to realise that it is one network, composed of two types of energy. For this reason, the work of creating Triangles falls into two categories; some people work more easily with one type of energy than another; it is interesting also to note that the Triangles of Light are basically more material than the Triangles of Goodwill because they are related to substance, to the energy which mankind wields familiarly, and to etheric matter. The Triangles of Goodwill are hierarchical in origin. I would ask you to ponder on this.

However, in this world crisis, the origin of the network in both its aspects is hierarchical; the Masters work in substance (i.e., light) though not with matter; the work to be done by Triangle members is consequently purely mental and hence exceedingly powerful—this of course when rightly done. "Energy follows thought" and the work of the Triangles is that of directing thought. The work therefore falls into two categories: that of invoking divine aid (to use Christian phraseology) and then—through faith and acceptance—directing the energies of light and love (which have been invoked) to all men everywhere. They will, from the popular attitude, be registered as illumination and goodwill. It is a deeply scientific work but fundamentally simple. Invocation, prayer or aspiration, meditation—it matters not what word you use—by means of these three methods spiritual energies are tapped and brought into activity. By clear thinking, directed thought and mental perception, they can be made objects of human desire. Ideas are simply channels for new and desired divine energies; ideals are these ideas changed or reduced into thought forms, and thus presented to the public. Ideas telepathically become ideals, which is another phrasing of the old law, "energy follows thought."

The work of the network of light and goodwill, focussed on the plane of mind, is the utilisation of this knowledge in order to affect the public consciousness. These are points which should be simplified and gradually taught, and in the clearest language, to all Triangle members. The work of the [171] Triangles is to work with the minds of men, and with a factor which is used and exploited by leaders everywhere; the effort is to impress these minds with certain ideas which are necessary to human progress. People recognise the present darkness and misery, and consequently welcome light; men are tired of hating and fighting, and therefore welcome goodwill.

Let me touch for a moment upon another point of view. Just as stanzas one and four are related, so stanza two and the final line are also related. The Plan will be restored on Earth through illumination and goodwill, and when that takes place Christ will return to Earth. I would ask you not to misunderstand this phrase. Christ has never left the Earth and He said when bidding farewell to His disciples: "Lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the days." His Presence, however, is not recognised by the masses of men, and is only sensed and dimly hoped for by the orthodox religionist of all the world faiths.

As I have earlier pointed out, the return of Christ will be expressed, in the first place, by an upsurging of the Christ consciousness in the hearts of men everywhere; its first expression will be goodwill.

In the second place, disciples everywhere will find themselves increasingly sensitive to His quality, His voice and His teaching; they will be "overshadowed" by Him in many cases, just as before, He overshadowed His disciple Jesus; through this overshadowing of disciples in all lands, He will duplicate Himself repeatedly. The effectiveness and the potency of the overshadowed disciple will be amazing.

One of the first experiments He made as He prepared for this form of activity was in connection with Krishnamurti. It was only partially successful. The power used by Him was distorted and misapplied by the devotee type of which the Theosophical Society is largely composed, and the experiment was brought to an end: it served, however, a most useful purpose. As a result of the war, mankind has been disillusioned; devotion is no longer regarded as adequate or necessary to the spiritual life or its effectiveness. The war was won, not through devotion or the attachment of millions [172] of men to some prized ideal; it was won by the simple performance of duty, and the desire to safeguard human rights. Few men were heroes, as the newspapers stupidly proclaim. They were drafted and taught to fight and had to fight. It was a group recognition of duty. When Christ again seeks to overshadow His disciples, a different reaction will be looked for. It is because of this that A.A.B. has so consistently belittled devotion and advocated spiritual independence. No devotee is independent; he is a prisoner of an idea or a person.

When Christ comes, there will be a flowering in great activity of His type of consciousness among men; when disciples are working under the recognition of the Christ, there will then come the time when He can again move among men in a public manner; He can be publicly recognised and thus do His work on the outer levels of living as well as upon the inner. For these three events, which are connected with the inherent divinity in man, the Hierarchy is working and preparing, and it will essentially register another of the results of the successful use of the new Invocation to aid in this task of preparation.

Those of you who are disciples will easily see the significance of the third stanza. Its meaning is that the Invocationas used by the Hierarchy (note this) will help to bring about the evocation of the spiritual will in humanity and the recognition of the divine will by the Hierarchy. There is little that can be said to the general public anent this third stanza. They will interpret it in all simplicity as a prayer that the human will can be brought into conformity with the divine will, even though that may not be understood. Even from the angle of the Hierarchy, the divine will as it is essentially remains the great mystery, but in spite of that They can and do "know and serve" the purpose; the purpose is that aspect of the divine will which seeks immediate expression on Earth. The Hierarchy is the distributor of energy—the energy of love. Therefore, as the purpose of the will of God (known and understood in the Council Chamber of Shamballa) seeks to influence human will, it is an expression in hierarchical terms as the will-to-good and in human terms as [173] goodwill, as loving determination or as a fixed intention to bring about right human relations.

Even Christ Himself struggled with the problem of the divine will, and addressed Himself to the Monad at the moment when He first realised the extent and the complexity of His mission as World Saviour. He then cried aloud: "Father, not My will but Thine be done." Those words marked the relinquishing of the vehicles through which He had been attempting to salvage humanity; it indicated to Him what might at that time have appeared to be an apparent failure and that His mission was not accomplished. For nearly two thousand years He has waited to bring that mission to fruition; it has marked also for Him the entrance into a new cycle of activity; this cycle will culminate during the next three hundred years in success if this Invocation—as used by all of you and by the Hierarchy—proves its effectiveness. He cannot proceed with His assigned mission without reciprocal action by humanity.

This mantram is peculiarly and essentially Christ's Own mantram and its "sound has gone forth" to the entire world through the medium of His enunciation of it and through its use by the Hierarchy. Now its words must go out throughout the entire world by means of its enunciation by men everywhere, and its meaning must be expressed by the masses in due time. Then Christ can again "return to Earth" and "see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied."

The final line of the last stanza is also perhaps in need of explanation. It speaks of the task of the Plan as implemented by humanity to "seal the door where evil dwells." This is (needless to say) a symbolic way of expressing the idea of rendering evil purposes both inactive and ineffectual. There is no particular location where evil dwells; the New Testament in the Book of Revelations speaks of evil and of the destruction of the devil and of the rendering of Satan impotent. Those passages all refer to the same time cycle with which this Invocation deals and which it seeks to bring about.

The "door where evil dwells" is kept open by humanity through its selfish desire, its hatreds and its separateness, by[174] its greed and its racial and national barriers, its low personal ambitions and its love of power and cruelty. As goodwill and light stream forth into the minds and hearts of men, these evil qualities and these directed energies which keep the door of evil open will give place to a longing for right human relations, to a determination to create a better and more peaceful world and to a worldwide expression of the will-to-good. As these qualities supersede the old and undesirable ones, the door where evil dwells will symbolically slowly close through the sheer weight of public opinion and through right human desire. Nothing can possibly stop it.

Thus the original Plan will be restored on Earth; this is symbolically referred to in the Bible as the Garden of Eden; the Angel with the Flaming Sword will no longer guard the Door of Initiation into the Kingdom of God, but will be transformed into the Angel of the Presence. Simultaneously, the door into the world of spiritual reality will open before mankind, and the door where evil dwells will be closed. These few thoughts may serve to make this Invocation live afresh in your minds and take on a new and vital livingness. It is uniquely related to all true and ancient beliefs: it holds out hope for the future, and it is of present import and of practical importance.

Your meditation work should be confined exclusively to a deep understanding of this stanza ^[xiii]* of the Great Invocation, and of the production within yourself of the invocative spirit.

I am going to give you today a very ancient mantram which is called the Affirmation of a Disciple. It has been used by disciples in the Masters' Ashrams for thousands of years and is today given out by me to all true disciples; it can now be used by them upon the outer plane and incorporated daily in their meditation. During this coming year I would like you to follow a meditation procedure as outlined below, the intention of which is to strengthen your pledge through [175] affirmation, stabilise your orientation and give you intuitive insight into this new Invocation.

1. The Stage of Alignment and Recollection. This produces recognition of spiritual status and objectives. It involves recognition also of the Ashram and dedication to the Master, under two symbols: the soul and the central Point in the Ashram.

2. The Stage of Affirmation. Say with your whole heart as a soul the following ancient mantram:

"I am a point of light within a greater Light.

I am a strand of loving energy within the stream of love divine.

I am a point of sacrificial Fire, focussed within the fiery Will of God.

And thus I stand.

I am a way by which men may achieve.

I am a source of strength, enabling them to stand.

I am a beam of light, shining upon their way.

And thus I stand.

And standing thus revolve

And tread this way the ways of men,

And know the ways of God.

And thus I stand."

This, brother of mine, is the best I can do with words and phrases as I attempt to transcribe into language words so ancient that they antedate both Sanskrit and Senza. But the meaning is clear and that is the point of importance.

3. The Stage of Orientation. This is a period of quiet thought upon the significance of the affirmation.

4. The Stage of Meditation. This is concerned with the four stanzas of the new Invocation. I am going to leave you free to consider this Invocation in your own way and to approach this most important and significant mantram from the highest possible point of your individual intuitive perception. I would ask you to meditate [176] on what appear to you to be the planetary implications, but would also remind you to consider the individual parallels. All that is invoked on behalf of humanity is also susceptible of interpretation in a personal sense, regarding the personality as the microcosm of the Macrocosm and as the field for the circulation of light and love, for the expression of the Christ Life and of the sacrificial Will, plus the instrument of service and an area in which evil is sealed, frustrated and rendered futile. At the end of the year, I would ask you to embody your understanding of the Invocation and your interpretation of it (both macrocosmically and microcosmically approached) in a paper. These papers, if truly the result of intuitive perception, could constitute a useful book, giving the general public a truer comprehension of words which will condition the thinking of spiritually-minded people for many decades.

5. The Stage of Fixed Determination.

a. A reflection upon the distinction between Purpose, Will and Intention.

b. A period of complete, focussed silence as you seek to present an unobstructed channel for the inflow of light, love and strength from the Hierarchy.

c. A statement to the personality, made by you the soul, the disciple:

"In the centre of the will of God I stand.

Naught shall deflect my will from His.

I implement that will by love.

I turn towards the field of service.

I, the Triangle divine, work out that will

Within the square and serve my fellowmen."

PART IX

Six meditations have already been given to you, culminating in the meditation on the Great Invocation. How closely you have followed this last meditation I know not. My attention [177] has been occupied with many vital matters and also with the effort to render futile a series of attacks upon the Hierarchy; these are being engineered in various parts of the world by spurious claimants to world discipleship. They were mainly aimed at A.A.B., and she could have absorbed them, as she has frequently done in the past, had it not been for the direct line of attack on my Ashram.... As I have told you, my Ashram, and to a lesser extent that of K.H., have felt some of the repercussions, and A.A.B. has been unable to deflect all of it. I have had, therefore, to do some protective work; that is now finished, and I am somewhat freer.

I plan to give you the seventh and last meditation, and with these seven outlined meditations you will have plenty of work to do for the remainder of this incarnation. The ones hitherto given are all planned and sequentially related to each other. The first one started with the heart, as must all divine expression and all true creative work. Next the factor of energy was considered and the seven points of energy reception were noted. Then followed an exercise on alignment, so that the structure or the "set-up" (if I may use such a word) of the inner spiritual man might be correctly oriented and aligned, and thus present no obstacle to the inflow of divine energy. These three meditations are of major importance, but quite elementary. They had, however, to precede any meditation (and its subsequent effects) that was in any way related to my Ashram as was the next. A meditation on certain theme words, as they embodied an idea, was then given; the meditation was totally different to the preceding three in its emphasis, which now has no relation to the disciple—as had the earlier three; they related almost entirely to preparatory work for ashramic service.

The first definite act of this type of service was embodied for you in the sixth meditation, in which the group was given the task (or rather the spiritual enterprise) of launching the great Invocation. The magnitude of this task you have never realised and you have done little of a truly objective nature to bring this Invocation to the attention of the public. Three of you have done a great deal; the rest little or nothing at all.

[178]

Now I will outline for you a meditation which is not easy for you to do, but which symbolises both the vertical and the horizontal life of the disciple; this meditation is, again, built up around certain words esoterically understood.

1. Affirm earnestly your discipleship and endeavour to link up with me, as the Master of the Ashram.

2. Say the Great Invocation, emphasising one of the four stanzas during each of the four weeks of the month, and dwelling on its significance longer than the others.

3. Your meditation must then be built up around eight words which you can arrange within your consciousness in the following manner:

This Cross concerns your VERTICAL life

This Cross concerns your HORIZONTAL life

The mode of your application of all this must be related to your daily life expression, and at some point you (the incarnated soul) must realise the factual nature of your dual life as a disciple. This the superimposed Crosses show.

[179]

4. Give ten or fifteen minutes to the consideration of the Vertical-Horizontal life and note how one vertical line supports the other lines in many cases, but that no horizontal lines do this.

5. Taking your stand at the point where all the lines meet, endeavour to realise yourself as the one at the centre, radiating throughout your most definitely defined ring-pass-not.

6. Then sound the OM seven times inaudibly.

One of the formulas, brother of old, is related to this meditation. You would find it of value to contrast what is said.

PART X

In the last set of papers I gave you a group meditation; this completed a unit of seven meditations, all of which were sequential and all of which were intended to bring about creative results in your lives.

I would like to repeat at this time some of the ideas which I earlier gave you; I would like also to show you the synthesis of the entire seven meditations and demonstrate to you how they can lead the aspirant on, step by step, from knowledge into wisdom; I would like you to grasp the fact that if these meditations are carefully followed by you they can change you from a heart-focussed aspirant to an ashramic worker, implementing the Great Invocation. This Invocation, which I have lately given to you, is the group prayer of all humanity in the Aquarian Age; therefore it is essential that every disciple (aspiring to the service of humanity) should make its distribution as well as its daily use a major duty and obligation. This I have earlier impressed upon you and would ask you now if you are doing so?

Meditation I . . . Heart Control . . . Transference

You have here a technique whereby you create a line of related energy between the solar plexus centre and the heart centre. This is in reality a reflection or a symbolic activity [180] (within the physical man, or rather, his etheric centres) of the building of the antahkarana. Bear in mind here, as always, that the etheric body is a physical mechanism.

It was this meditation which started the rhythm which made possible the presentation of the new Invocation to the world; I refer not solely to its use by you but to its use by many disciples in many Ashrams. The exhaustion of emotion and its transference—as a force—into the heart, there to be transmuted into the energy of love, was symbolically undertaken during the time that humanity was developing certain new recognitions. Humanity, through the exhaustion of emotional energy (incidental to the war agony) is today far more heart- conscious than at any other time in its history. Had you realised that and the opportunity with which you were presented?

The world of men has been subjected to such strain and suffering that hundreds of thousands in nearly every land—either factually or imaginatively—could "feel" no more; the solar plexus centre could take or absorb no more. Nothing was left to the sufferer but the realisation that all men everywhere were in a similar plight and that this community of shared agony brought all men together, irrespective of nation, religion or class.

Therefore, for the first time in their history, humanity began to recognise a definite phase of universality: mankind as a whole began to "share in the heart's reaction." This happened so generally and so acutely that the heart—as a motivating radiance—became a point of human focus. One of the first fruits of suffering, as universally shared, has appeared on Earth, and in its appearing all future suffering will be greatly lessened.

I seek to give this first meditation an added importance in your eyes. Much that I have given you has significance far beyond your crediting; these significances will appear if you follow instructions and do these meditations carefully, regularly and sincerely. It would profit you much in the years to come if you followed this meditation formula each day for two months, doing so with intensity. You should also endeavour to realise not only your individual reaction, but to [181] recognise also the symbolic import of what you are doing. Those of you also who know with certainty that you are being specifically prepared for the second initiation would do well to follow this meditation for one week in each month of the year.

Meditation II . . . Directed Energy . . . Circulation

This meditation constitutes the second stage of the first one given. That first meditation was in the nature of a foundational exercise, related to the control and the direction of energy; it was so planned that it could enable you to enter into the field of energies and from there—choosing the needed energy—direct a particular type of energy through some particular centre to a particular point. I gave you only the preliminary idea, for all physical plane demonstrations are founded on an ideal. Do not forget that "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." There is therefore a direct relation between Meditation I and Meditation II; the first makes the second possible and eventually effective.