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AGNI YOGA WEB TV
SERIES
„INTRODUCTION TO AGNI YOGA“
BROADCASTING
12 The Mission of Man Ladies and Gentlemen,
welcome, how nice that you are watching our
program again. We are nearing the end of another section of
our Broadcastings. Let us therefore briefly look back: In the Series "Experiment
Immortality", we had spoken about the very first and easiest steps of the practice
of Agni Yoga: Know thyself - namely, as an immortal, spiritual being; transform
yourself - into an immortal, spiritual being; and transform the world – into a
better place. We have then, in this Series "Introduction
to Agni Yoga", looked at the main theoretical foundations, the cosmic
laws, without the knowledge of which practical progress is not possible: The significance
and the expansion of consciousness, evolution and hierarchy, karma and reincarnation
and the conditions in the Supermundane Worlds. We now return to practice: We shall be discussing
in this Broadcasting the mission and in the next Broadcasting the path and the
goal of man. Thereafter will follow a new Series entitled "The 10 Pillars
of the Practice of Agni Yoga". It will address the concrete implementation
of the higher knowledge in our ordinary everyday life. 1. Meaning
of Life on a scientific Basis We had already said several times: The Agni
Yoga is a synthesis of science and religion. We therefore show you now how to find
the meaning of your life on a scientific basis: Man has a dual nature: He consists of a
visible, perishable and an invisible, eternal part. We need to develop both
sides of our nature, the body and the soul, otherwise we shall miss our mission. You remember the cycles of involution and
evolution (see Broadcasting 4 "The Law of Evoluti-on")? According to
this, humanity has developed, on the descending arc of the involution of the spirit,
the physical, material, intellectual part of our being. Today, after crossing the lowest point, we are required,
on the ascending arc of the evolution of the spirit, to refine and to
spiritualize the material creature that the spirit has produced: ourselves, our
body. In today's fifth and in the upcoming sixth and
seventh race - and even more so in the coming V., VI. and VII. cycles! - the
development of our mortal Ego (lower tetrad: physical body, body of feelings,
body of instincts and body of thoughts) has largely been completed. It is now
the development of our immortal self, the soul (higher triad: Manas, Buddhi,
Atma) that is on the curriculum of the evolution. Consciously must the spirit be nurtured. (Agni Yoga 27) Please review once more our Broadcastings 4
("The Law of Evolution") and 11 ("The subtle Constitution of Man"),
if you do not remember these indispensable foundations of a scientific
understanding of the meaning of life. 2. Man created
in the Image of God Evolution of the spirit means: The divine
spark, the particle of the divine spirit within us strives to express itself in
matter, to realize or to manifest itself through matter. For every one of us is true, what the Church
admits only for Jesus Christ: We are an incarnation of the divine spirit or
logos. We were created in the image of God. We must never forget this high
dignity. According to this inner model we should mould ourselves - make of
ourselves a work of art, as a sculptor does. As it says in the Bible: And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. So God
created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him. (1. Moses 1,
26, 27) Similarly says Agni Yoga: One cannot express
it more powerfully than to say that man is created in the image of the Highest. Mediocrity arises from the failure of man to realize his inherent
forces. (Fiery World I, 490, 491) This is the mission of every one of us: To embody
the divine spirit that animates us. As so often, here, too, Goethe has found the right words: I believe that we
carry a spark of that eternal light within us that needs to shine in the ground
of all Being and which our feeble senses have guessed only from afar. To make
that spark within us become a flame and to realize the divine within us - that
is our highest duty. 3. Man as a
Manifestation of the Divine Reveal the divine within you means: Let this
part of your being - not your perishable, animal Ego – act on earth through
thoughts, words and deeds. Your dignity as a human being demands that you bring
your higher Self to expression. The divine of your nature yearns to grow, to
flourish. It strives to imbue, to transform, to transfigure, to spiritualize -
that means to deify - not only you, but the whole material world as well. Agni Yoga says: All the forces of Cosmos should be consecrated to the blossoming of the
spirit. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 238 [272]) In every situation there is a higher and a
lower path. The choice is always to you: Do you want to manifest your animal
nature or the sacred within you? Every thought, every word, every action should
be marked by your spiritual being, the soul. Allow to the spirit its will. Ask yourself: "What does the spirit
wish?" As it wishes, so you should act. (Leaves of Morya’s
Garden II, 120 [ Part Two III 13]) The scientific answer to the question of our mission,
of the meaning of our life, thus leads us to a mantram that you should keep in
mind at every moment: "I shall realize the
divine of my nature only." (Elisabeth Haich) 4. Higher Step
of Evolution according to the Manifestation of the Divine The goal of our earthly stay, the new stage of
evolution, the new man, is only achieved when we have learned to manifest at
every moment our higher self. The higher and lower levels of evolution -
stones, plants, animals, human beings, Masters of Wisdom, angels, rulers of
planets, solar systems and universes – differ only insofar, as some manifest
their divine core already to a greater extent than others. Helena Blavatsky
recognized Jesus’ Divinity only so far as He had cultivated the Spark of the
divine in His nature to a greater degree than had the masses of humanity. (Teachings
of the Temple, Vol. II, Lesson “Faith in Christ - a spiritual Guidepost”) We had already said: Evolution means: Man is on
the way to God. You actually become a god to the extent that you embody the
eternal, the royal, the priestly, the divine side of your nature. The spiritual greatness of a man is determined
not so much by what he is doing (because our opportunities for action depend upon
circumstances that we cannot fully master), but more by what he is – namely by the
extent to which he already manifests the attributes of God. 5. Man as the
Light of the World Man is the light of the world. He is sent to
bring the divine light into the darkness of the material spheres. As it says in the Bible: Ye are the light of the world. Neither do men light a candle, and put
it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are
in the house. Let your light shine before men. (Matthew 5, 14-16) This mission you realize by kindling, maintaining
and nourishing the divine fire within yourself; by letting this flame permeate and
transform your whole being. When the fire of the spirit burns within you, you
shine in its glory. Then you are a pure chalice from which the divine light can
radiate into the world. We must attain the stage where we radiate light from our innermost
being, for it is then that we are true coworkers with the higher worlds.
Radiating the light of Grace, we are at the same time doctors, creators, and
protectors on the descending line of the Hierarchy. First we see the outer
light, and then we come to know the light within ourselves; but only after the
kindling of the “torch” can we radiate Light. (Heart 38) The divine light that transfigures you, also
flows into your environment. A light bearer, by emitting warmth, knowledge,
peace and blessings, not only raises himself, but also everything else with
which he gets in touch. How, then, does a Hierarch create upon Earth? By uplifting everything
that surrounds him. (Infinity II, 722 [322]) You can light the fire of the spirit
everywhere. If you are yourselves imbued with the spirit, your fire can ignite
others, enlighten the darkness of the world and show the way upwards. Though not many people know the fires of the heart, these torches must
provide light for all. (Heart 20) Let your fire be a beacon for your companions. (Fiery World I, 464) 6. Man as Mediator
between the Worlds What does science tells us more about our mission? Man belongs with his perishable body to the
earthly plane and with his immortal soul to the higher, spiritual world. He is
the creature that rests with his feet on the ground and touches heaven with his
spirit. This dual nature determines our mission: Man is
a mediator, a bridge between the two worlds. Man is
a bridge to the Higher Worlds. (AUM 67) He is a link between the material and the
spiritual world. The Agni Yogi is a
link between the planet and the Higher Worlds. (Infinity I, 238) 7. Unification
of the Worlds This bridge serves to connect the two worlds, to
bring the spiritual and the material spheres closer together, so that heaven descends
to earth and the earthly life is raised and brought nearer to the higher realms. The chief task of humanity is to unite the world of matter with the
world of spirit. (Infinity II, [I] 360) Man is the center for the unification of the
worlds, because he comprises both a material and a spiritual nature within himself
and is the first earthly being to become aware of the latter. When a traveler stands on a summit, does he not feel that his body is
being raised as if he were a unifier of worlds? Indeed, not breaking away from
the Earth, but the capacity for unifying is what makes man a creator. (Community 215) 8. Establish
the Conditions of both Worlds Man brings about the unification of the worlds
by establishing the conditions of both levels: the conditions of the material
world from which he cannot part anyway, and the conditions of the higher world
with its solemnity, dignity and serenity, peace and joy, beauty and justice. So, each one of us can at any time and at any
place where he happens to dwell, create a state where the two spheres touch
each other, where both can reveal themselves: Then the gate to heaven is open. This is a process of mutual rapprochement: The
material world, strained by the indwelling divine spark, strives upwards. The
divine spirit is directed from above to penetrate the gross sphere in order to come
to tangible material expression down here. Man as the head of the material
world is the focus in which this unification is realized. To uphold this link is a daunting task: We are
exposed in these times to a tremendous tension, because heaven and earth have moved
so far apart from each other: The level of ideals and the level of the tough
material reality can hardly be reconciled in the daily life of our time. The world suffers from a dismemberment which engulfs all great
beginnings. In place of unity, dismemberment is preached everywhere. The
invisible is isolated from the visible World. The Higher is isolated from the
Earth. Only striving for the unity of the concepts of magnitude can establish
the necessary link between the Worlds. The dismemberment of the Worlds leads to
a state of savagery. (Fiery World III, 124) Instead of getting closer together, heaven and
earth are drifting farther and farther apart. Man, belonging to both spheres, is
threatened no longer to endure this tension and to be torn apart. The evolutionary movement is not realized so long as the correlation
between the spheres is not established. For, when the Higher World is striving
upward and mankind propels itself downward, then indeed the cosmic current
cannot be realized. Therefore, disharmony rules in the World. (Fiery World III, 189) 9. Establish
the Rule of the Spirit If it is our mission to express our higher self,
to reveal the divine within us, this means: We are to establish the rule of the
(divine) spirit! We establish the rule of the spirit over ourselves
by enforcing the interests of our soul against those of our body. And we establish the rule of the spirit in the
world by introducing here on earth the higher, heavenly conditions of our true
home, the world beyond of the soul. 10. Incarnation
of higher Principles What does it mean concretely to establish the
rule of the spirit, to introduce the conditions of heaven on earth, to manifest
the divine down here? The unification of the worlds is achieved when the
spiritual principles that prevail in the supermundane spheres are turned into reality
on the material level. In heaven rule truth, justice, beauty and love.
Because heaven is the highest world you can imagine. And the highest world you
can imagine is a world, where exactly these principles apply. The supermundane world differs only insofar from
the earth, as people fail to give validity to these principles down here. The bridge between the two Worlds can be made real if the actions are
filled with beauty. (Fiery World III, 115) If life on earth is arranged according to the
principles of the spiritual world, if as many of us as possible assume these
ideals and express them in their daily lives - then the divine spirit, the
Higher Will rules not only in heaven but on earth as well; then we have
established the kingdom of God, paradise on earth. Therefore it is said in the Bible: Thy will be done in earth, as it is in
heaven. (Matthew 6, 10) Or in the Agni Yoga: The victory of the spirit lies in the enforcement
of the unshakeable principles. (Heart 71) To manifest God means: Put into effect truth,
justice, beauty and love. The divine is made a reality in the material world by
embodying these principles. God reigns wherever man ensures the realization of
His principles. A servant of God is the one who enforces these ideals on earth. The correspondence between the Worlds is manifested by the action which
realizes the firm foundations. (Fiery World III, 246) The mission of mankind is to fight for the
victory of the spirit against the powerful resistance of the forces of
ignorance, unbelief and materialism. How easy it is to ameliorate life only by striving to the victory of
the spirit! (Hierarchy 453) This applies to the individual as well as to
humanity as a whole: The opposition against spirituality must be overcome both within
ourselves and in the world. Instead, both we ourselves and the order of human
society must reflect the divine. 11. Unalterable
Principles You will only be able to cope with this task if
you realize: Principles such as truth, justice and beauty, which make life so
wonderful in heaven, are absolute and immutable. There is only one truth, one
justice and one beauty. Many truths are spoken of. Should one not break through their shells
and strive to the One Truth? (Agni Yoga 590) Only absolute values can provide an
unassailable basis for the transformation of life and the building of the New
World. Without them, you will find neither support and nor orientation. Therefore, on the loftiest principles will be erected the future
evolution, for that which was destroyed must enter anew into life, as a great
guiding foundation. (Fiery World III, 162) It is one of the most harmful diseases of the
time that people no longer believe in the one truth, the one beauty and the one
justice. People mistakenly presume that justice is a relative concept, that
everyone has his own justice and his own good. Such a misconception can cause
irreparable harm. (Supermundane 820) If, as the saying goes, every man has his own
truth and his own ideas of beauty and justice, that means only: Everyone has its
own individual approach to these principles – the one a higher, more advanced,
and the other a lower, more limited one. The ability of us humans to recognize and
to put into practice these high principles is still imperfect. Truth is always the same, but the connexions are different, as they
depend on the consciousness. (Heart 5) The world is very different from the state
which most of you imagine: The phrase "everything is relative" applies,
as Einstein proved, only for the
seemingly fixed and invariable plane of matter, space and time. On the
spiritual plane, however, nothing is relative, but everything is absolute. 12.
Creative Task The victory of the spirit must be won in the
midst of life. Down here, in everyday life on earth, the carrier of a higher mission
has to prove himself. Here, his faithfulness to principles and his perseverance
are required. The suffering, the tension that we feel between
the higher reality and the imperfect earthly conditions, call us to action, to
amend the conditions, to bring the material circumstances closer to the ideal. How beautiful is the spirit that ascends and transforms life into the
radiance of Infinity! (Infinity I, 21) Wars, disasters and destruction, chaos in
public and personal life are setbacks on the way which are incompatible with
human dignity. They must be fought and overcome. He who understands imperfection must start with perfectionment. (Community 226) Only the mainspring of transformation of darkness into light can
strengthen the spirit. (Infinity I, 108) Every man has to seek the path that raises his
life and that of his surroundings. This is the truly creative task of man, the much
brooded over meaning of life: To find ever new ways to bring the warmth of
the heart into the world; to introduce the high teachings, commandments, advices
and principles into daily life; to enforce the spirit against all the chaos and
all the resistance of matter. Let us inflexibly strive to be aware of the warmth of the heart, and
let us start feeling ourselves to be bearers of this temple. (Heart 5) Above all the questions of everyday toiling
must stand the one: How can I, at any moment, advance the cause of truth,
beauty, justice and love? This is the task we need to work on. Only then the
spirit prevails over the material circumstances. Without betraying one's principles it is possible to find hundreds of
worthy solutions. I wish to see you upon the next step. (Community 17) The ideal is given to us from Above. Its realization
in each, even the most insignificant everyday situation, is the truly creative
human achievement. One should sow the good with every glance, with every touch. And the
heart will grow in this exercise of goodness. (Heart 410) 13. Living
Truth We are not uttering dead words. Everyone can
feel the living truth: A moment in which we manage to realize in our
everyday life truth, beauty, justice and love, fills us with a satisfaction
which is higher than any other feeling. We feel that, at this moment, we lived
up to our highest mission and are close to heaven. When through the rags of your temporary bodies shines the splendor of
your spirit, are you not filled with might and joy? And then I am near to you. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 277 [332]) We actually suffer from situations in which the
spirit is gone, which are determined by the narrow earthly conditions: By material
hardships, discord, evil or chaos, by falsehood, injustice, ugliness or lack of
love. Even if we ourselves are not at all affected, we long to help to overcome
such unworthy situations. 14. Battle Evolution means fight. The coming Age of
Aquarius puts, in contrast to the departing Age of Pisces, fighting into the
center. Without struggle, there is no life and no progress. Every atom of Cosmos is battling. (Community 39) We do not mean the wars of nations against each
other. We are talking about the struggle between ideas, spiritual principles; about
the confrontation between the forces of Light, of progress, and the powers of
darkness, of chaos, whose purpose is to prevent any higher development. The
material forces have grown to a mighty power during the descending half of the
cycle of evolution: They will not give up their position without a fight. So, Jesus
says in the Bible: I came not to send
peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10, 34) And Agni Yoga: Never before has the
World been so in need of the sword of the spirit! (Fiery World III,
191) The forces of the spirit and of materialism are
hostile to each other. They are struggling for supremacy - over every single individual
and over the planet as a whole. Man alone has it in his hand, to help the one
or the other side to victory. For you, without need of hypocritical softening, it may be said that
the battle of Light against darkness proceeds incessantly. (Hierarchy 354) In this battle, every one of us must choose his
place. Make sure that you do not serve the wrong side with your work - not even
under the pretext of the necessity to earn your daily bread! Verily, when the highest and the lowest meet in the Cosmic Battle, let
us defend that which is sacred. In the Cosmic Battle let us manifest that by
which the life of the future is constructed. (Fiery World III,
197) 15. Warrior
of the Spirit Therefore, it is the mission of man to be a spiritual
fighter, a warrior of light. Fight is the purpose of our life. He who cannot
find, in spite of all the misery, suffering and imperfection in his environment,
anything worth fighting for, has missed his mission. The New Era calls for warriors of the spirit,
for knights, Samurai or Shaolin who stand up for the higher values against
materialism. Battle is our destiny, and one must simply include it in the daily
plan. (Agni Yoga 179) Only the fighting man can establish the rule of
the spirit. It is necessary to become as accustomed to battle as to daily labor. We
cannot think of mastering the elements without battle. (Hierarchy 233) The sign of the departing Age of Pisces was the
dove, the symbol of a pure, peaceful creature in a brutal environment. The leading
sign of the coming Age of Aquarius is the spiritual warrior, the Archangel
Michael, the fighter with the dragon who subdues the evil within himself and in
the world and enforces everywhere the supremacy of the noble and the holy. Its
symbol is the lion (AY 438). Even a dove should become a lion. (Leaves of Morya’s
Garden II, 72 [Part One XI 3]) Formerly We sent the olive branch of peace. Formerly the dove was Our
symbol; now it is the chalice of achievement. Yes, each age has its symbol. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 261 [264; Part Three I 4]) The New World does not need saints anymore; it
needs fighters! Not the receiving of sweet pastry but the forging of a sword; not
sugared fingers but the strong hand of a warrior of the spirit. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 156 [Part Two V 8]) 16.
Conscious Co-moulding of the Evolution At the lower levels, creatures like the animals
are driven by the evolution without their being aware of it. They are the weak-willed
objects of seemingly blind forces which they do not understand. Man, however, has gained a consciousness of his
higher nature. He has acquired so much insight that he can recognize the course
of evolution, its laws and its direction. Moreover, he is so far advanced that he, as the
first living being on earth, is able to work together with the higher powers, to
purposefully drive evolution forward and to consciously participate in the uplifting
and the spiritualization of himself and of the earthly conditions. Life is service for the evolution of the spirit. (Supermundane
305) It is up to ourselves how completely the spirit
expresses itself in the flesh - within ourselves and in the world we dominate. 17. Cosmic Co-Worker
What a wonderful idea! You are called upon to
participate as a creator and a builder side by side with the higher powers in
the great, universal work of evolution! Can there be a more beautiful, a greater,
a more worthy task? People must be participants in evolution. (Supermundane 515) A great many people prefer not to realize that they can take part in
world construction. (Fiery World I, 492) Not many are aware of this holy mission. Man, who has been predestined by Cosmos to be a builder and co-creator,
has turned himself away from this crown. (Fiery World III, 374) When thought wandered from the sacred destination of Being, the very
meaning of Being evaporated. (Infinity I, 95) Man is not a plaything of the higher powers,
but is summoned to a conscious cooperation with them. I shall say that you can become participants in the evolution of
Cosmos. You can improve the fate of the planet. (AY 640) How can one be isolated from the entire cosmic creation when man is the
creative fulfiller of the Cosmic Will! (Hierarchy 72) The further evolution of man is only possible with
our conscious participation: No one can be forced to spiritualization against
his will. To God-Men, people cannot be made by anyone else; you must reach this
level yourselves by your own efforts. 18.
Cooperation with the Hierarchy The mission to enforce the higher will on earth
leads us to the collaboration with the Hierarchy and its Representatives on
this planet, the Brotherhood of the Mahatmas of Shambhala. Hierarchy is nothing
else but cooperation between above and below. Striving toward the higher powerful cooperation has given a direct contact
with the cosmic forces and with the Highest Fiery Brotherhood. (Fiery World III, 75) Man as a cosmic co-worker must understand himself
as a helper of the Brotherhood. Each of us was summoned, at his place,
according to his abilities, to participate in the realization of the cosmic
plan. It is of no importance where you stand, whether
at the top or at the bottom. As long as you are a link in the chain of the Hierarchy,
as long as you serve at your designated place, you take part in the dignity of
the Great Work. Two of my favourite saints had, during their entire
life, no other external, worldly position than that of a gatekeeper of their
monastery: St. Alfonso Rodriguez and St. Konrad of Parzham. Therefore, let each one ponder on how better to serve Hierarchy,
eliminating all evidences of selfhood, injury, levity, and the standardized
formulas of the crowd. (Hierarchy 218) You would commit betrayal to yourself - to your
higher self - and to your mission, were you to refuse this call for
cooperation. Usually man dissipates his energy in an aimless striving for a vegetating
life, excluding himself from the cosmic chain. Therefore, We say that a man can
create his own world as a part of the World Community or become a link with the
Cosmos and thus become a cosmic co-worker. Thus, striving brings one to
Infinity. (Infinity II, 681) With whom of you will the Elder Brothers of
humanity find support for their efforts to advance the evolu-tion on earth? But where are the people who will direct the cooperation of their
energies to the Subtle World? Where is courage? Where is solicitude about the
Invisible? (Heart 204) 19. Man as
an Instrument of the Spirit Ultimately, it is the mission of man to withdraw
completely, to lay his life in sacrifice at the feet of the Elder Brothers, not
to pursue his own purposes anymore but to be active only as an instrument of the
Mahatmas, as a pure channel of the spirit in the world. If you have reached such a high level that the
forces of evolution can act through you on earth; if only the divine spirit
thinks within you, speaks out of you and acts with you - then you have
fulfilled your mission. Then it is not you who acts, but the Hierarchy, the spirit,
and ultimately God through you. 20. Your
personal Mission in Life As carrier of a spark of the divine fire, every
man is a son of God - like Jesus, who was sent into the world with a higher assignment.
Each one of us has in each earthly life his very own individual mission. This you
need to identify and to fulfill. They came to Earth to fulfill some task, and should honor their
obligation and love their task. (Supermundane 641) This mission may concern your own personal development,
or worldly duties in the interest of the cosmic plan, or both. Not only are great missions given, but also some very ordinary ones,
within the limits of everyday life, where one can be useful. (Supermundane 633) No one else can fulfill your life's work, your
very own personal mission. If you fail, the loss to the world is irreparable. In a well-designed machine each of its parts is irreplaceable. One
should more often imagine oneself as part of the Universe. (Supermundane 627) You must try to ascertain: What role has your
higher self to play in this earthly life? Will it not be a wonderful progress
to realize the benefits that you were called upon to bestow on the world? This role you will need to fill in an entirely
impersonal manner, only the higher goal in mind. Whether it requires a work in
poverty or wealth, at the top or at the bottom of society, in happiness or
unhappiness, in secret or in public, must be indifferent to you. To every human being
has been given some particular field of work, for training in and performance
of which he is best fitted by nature and desire. It matters not whether that
work is to rule a nation, to build a road, or to take up some profession or
trade; it is his divinely appointed task. As a general thing, his restlessness,
his discontent, or tendency to crime is the result of his betrayal to his task,
his not raising his work to the highest point of service and efficiency
possible to him, thereby losing all interest in it. (Teachings of the Temple,
Vol. I, Lesson “A Supreme Being”) Whether your soul, in order to reach its goal,
has to appear, in this short, transient life, as a king or a shoemaker, as a
beggar or a millionaire, is unimportant. It is difficult for humanity to understand that a king and a shoemaker
are congruent in every respect. (Agni Yoga 645) 21.
Enlightenment at Incarnation Before each earthly incarnation, in the Subtle
World, you will be told your mission. You must try to remember it. Every dweller of the Subtle World receives a task according to his
abilities. But there are few who can remember these missions. (Supermundane, 633) The task was entrusted to you with your
consent. In the higher world, you were well aware of the necessary development.
Unfortunately, this memory is lost on earth. It is one of the most important
exercises to regain it. Decisions are made in the Subtle World concerning the tasks in one's
future earthly life. Most people in the earthly state do not accept this, but
those in the Subtle World know that their incarnations will take place with
their knowledge, and, more importantly, with their consent. When they are about
to incarnate, people have a spark of enlightenment when they understand the
karmic load that will compel them to undergo certain trials, but once in the
earthly state they lose the memory of how their destiny was determined. (Supermundane 256) Even those who are more likely to be counted
among the opponents of evolution, do not come to earth with bad, but with good
intentions! Souls incarnate with good intention; such is the Great Law. Even the
spirits in the lower strata, just before incarnating, receive a ray of
enlightenment about goodness as the foundation of life. But just as the finest aroma
cannot permeate space for long, kind intentions are dissipated by the influence
of the varied conditions of life. (Supermundane 328) 22. Signs
of Life If it is difficult for you to remember, you can
find out your life's mission by paying attention to the circumstances into
which destiny has placed you: It is not without reason that someone is born in a certain country and
belongs to a certain people. Karma leads one not only to a particular place,
but also to certain tasks to serve a certain people. (Supermundane 565) The historical and personal conditions that
call for a change; the responsibility that falls on you; the people you meet on
your way - all this points clearly to where there is need to act, to improve and
to spiritualize. If you go through life with the open eyes of your higher self,
you will find work enough. Some sense that they must fulfill something, but their consciousness
does not provide a clear indication. For such born heroes circumstances will be
the key. The circumstances awaken the hero. (Spermundane 664) The very circumstances mould themselves in such
a way that you are strongly pushed to a certain direction. The world of effects draws man into a current which carries him toward
his destination. (Infinity I, 250) Do you not often recognise in retrospect that
seemingly accidental or even circumstances initially perceived as unfavourable
were in truth helpful in order to come closer to your goal in life? In biographies it is highly instructive to trace the intervening
circumstances which help to conclusively define a life task. It may be noted
that many apparently accidental factors helped along in the predestined
direction. As a matter of fact, not accident but many profound causes contributed
to such achievement. In this can be seen the participation of the Subtle World. (Fiery World I, 551) In addition, there are smaller and larger signs
sprinkled into your life again and again. Those you must notice sensitively and
follow. That is why we have to be so assiduous in observing and examining the
manifestations of our own lives. Quite often important signs surround us and
reveal the significance of our future, but because our power of attention is
undeveloped we are unable to discern the convincing reality. (Heart 211) Your true, spiritual father, the teacher who
guides you, will make sure that you get the necessary information if you turn
confidently to him. There rules the law of goal fitness: The Hierarchy
will not allow any energy that offers itself to be wasted. It will, therefore, help
each one of you who is looking honestly and selflessly for his task. It is best to seek the Teacher's Indications in the various
manifestations of life. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II,
236 [237; Part Two IX 11 (12)]) Live a full life, rich in experience. Whatsoever your doubts We shall
dispel them in life — but hearken. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 13 [15]) 23.
Orientation The execution of your higher mission is the
thread that guides you through life. When you have recognized your task, you
have found a guide that clearly and unmistakably shows you the direction with
all questions of your life. It is essential that amidst all one’s labor and difficulties should firmly
stand the Beacon of the Higher World. (Supermundne 708) All your actions must be guided by the desire
to come closer to this true, spiritual goal of your life. Only if you have meaning and goal of your life firmly
in mind, you will be able to find your way in every situation. He who, like so
many, does not even know why he lives and what he is working for - he cannot know
to which external demands he should adapt himself and which he should oppose;
where upon he should use his powers and what he should refuse; where the
essential and necessary lies in contrast to the insignificant; he will be
tossed to and fro like a leaf in the wind. Man should know what he is striving for and which good deed he is
rushing to perform. May man not forget that he has a mission here on Earth which he must fulfill. (Supermundane, 188) The knowledge alone that your life has a deep
meaning, that you have to fullfil a higher mission down here on earth, entrusted
exclusively to you, is a source of strength which will enable you to overcome
all difficulties.
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