AGNI YOGA WEB TV
SERIES
„INTRODUCTION TO AGNI YOGA“
BROADCASTING
22
Joy is a special Wisdom
Dear
Brothers,
dear
Sisters,
today, I am
looking forward to going, together with you, in search of a precious treasure,
the most valuable of all: joy of being!
The synthesis of the Spiritual Path is: Joy!
The
achievement of mirthfully mastering the various circumstances of life embraces
all other experiments of Living Ethics.
1st Guiding Thought:
Without joy
everything else
is reduced to nothingness!
If you
succeed in keeping a cheerful mind and attitude even in the most terrible
conditions, you are an Agni Yogi and a New Man of the sixth race!
This is a spiritual exercise which requires right thinking, much
knowledge, an expanded consciousness and great mental strength.
If, on the
other hand, you fall into dejection, irritability or aggressiveness, you are
and remain the old man.
Like a
touchstone, your joy shows whether your practice of Agni Yoga is successful or
not.
Joy is perfection. (Fiery World II, 258)
1. Agni Yoga – a School of Joy!
Agni Yoga is the first high teaching that places joy at the centre of
spiritual life.
In the
first volume (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I), there is a separate "Book of
Joy" (§§ 301 [357] to 303 [359]). The Living Ethics are truly an "Ode
to Joy", a "spark from the gods"!
For centuries We have applied Our striving to give humanity joy of
being. (Infinity I, 71)
The
Mahatmas have established a very special school:
Guiding Thought:
Agni Yoga is a school of joy!
Each teacher should teach the Higher World as a higher joy. No one will
condemn him who brings true joy. (AUM 127)
Where is the school that can teach people joy? (Supermundane 600)
We have to get away from the old religion and world view: It
preaches many terrible things: Constant bad conscience and feelings of guilt,
original sin, omnipresent fear of punishment and hell, hostility towards body
and senses, ceaseless commandments, prohibitions and compulsion, and finally
the catastrophe of death purportedly completely destroying
our existence:
It constantly puts before our eyes a ghastly skull and the depressing
admonition: "Memento mori – Remember you must die!" (Dürer "St. Jerome
in the Study")
But you will never make people happy with fear and terror!
We need a
new outlook on life, attitude towards life and way of life which are based on
infinity – namely, joy of being!
We are not
talking theoretically. What we shall be discussing concerns each one of you,
even those who do not regard themselves as spiritual disciples, because
Suffering is a disease of the soul! (Munch "Melancholy")
Guiding Thought:
Joy is the characteristic
of a beautiful, strong soul!
Joy is the health of the spirit. (Fiery World I, 298)
2. No Higher Path without Joy
How can you
tell whether you are on the right path or not? Only by your enthusiasm!
Obedience, discipline and selflessness are of no value if you exact them from
yourself as a joyless sacrifice.
Is a heroic deed possible without exaltation? Is
self-sacrifice possible without joy? Is courage possible without enthusiasm?
(Agni Yoga 547)
Nothing great is created without joy!
Where
should the strength come from? You can accomplish no important task and reach
no high goal without this power at your side.
Remember – until you have given service in actual joy, nothing of value
is really accomplished. "The Lord," it is said, "loveth a
cheerful giver." (Teachings of the Temple Vol. II, Lesson “If we knew”)
This
applies all the more to the Spiritual Path. Do you
want to walk it reluctantly or faintheartedly? Can
you imagine an embittered Master or a morose disciple of wisdom? An absolute
impossibility!
Without
enthusiasm you can only fail in this steep ascent.
One does not go far by growling. (Fiery World I, 524)
Chapter I: Joy is a
special Wisdom
Nicholas Roerich "Glory of the
Himalayas"
The
disciple asks, "How do I find joy in life?" (Gudrun Stiasny „The Wanderer
through the Zodiac“)
True
merriness is not drawn from external sources, but from within:
Joy is within yourself!
If you do
not find it there, you will look for it in vain everywhere else! To understand
this, we have to start with a little theory:
1. Mastery of Emotions
"What is joy?"
When you
feel happy.
"Ha, ha, how funny. What an
enlightening answer."
Well, what
I mean is:
Joy is first of all an emotion you can control.
External
circumstances are insignificant. You alone decide what you may rejoice about
even in the worst of conditions! Take another look at our Video "Mastery
of Feelings".
True,
spiritual joy, however, is much more than just a passing emotion! That is why
we are now proceeding further:
2. Attaining Joy through Cognition
Contrary to
popular belief, a sunny disposition is not a quality that falls by mere chance into the lap of the one and is
unfairly withheld from the other.
Guiding Thought:
Joy is the result of inner work,
of a process of cognition,
expanding consciousness
and gaining experience
The path to joy cannot be easy. (Supermundane 14)
Joy is the result of manifested labour. (Fiery World III, 424)
"How exactly does this process, this spiritual work progress?"
You recognise: The magnificence and justice of the Cosmic Order with the eternal laws
of karma, reincarnation and correspondence, the uninterrupted continuity of
life, the creative possibilities of immortal man, the beauty of striving for
perfection and the benefits of burdens and obstacles.
Without the realisation of these fundamentals, joy is not possible!
You realise: As an immortal you are a higher being of spirit: imperishable,
invulnerable, invincible, fearless and free.
You are
living in the most beautiful world imaginable: In a paradise, in an Interior
Sanctuary.
You walk
the highest way: the Spiritual Path. You are pursuing the highest goal:
mastery.
You take part in the work on the greatest mission, on the gigantic project of the Brotherhood of
Shambhala: On the New Construction, the creation of a New Man and a New World.
You experience: As long as you keep this knowledge of feeling
incontestably in your heart, you will find an access to joy in any situation.
The realization of joy grows through conviction, not through things.
(Supermundane 55)
Man possesses the great gift of cognizing joy. The high forehead was
given to him to perceive the Highest. From the far-off worlds down to the
smallest flower everything offers people joy. (Supermundane 231)
*****
"Why are people lacking joy so much today?"
We have lost the knowledge of the fundamentals of existence, of our
destiny, our path and our goal.
Without
this understanding, our existence is indeed absurd, and there is no happiness
to be gained from a meaningless life.
Guiding Thought:
Without knowledge
there is no joy!
If gladness
comes from cognition, the reverse is true as well:
Suffering is nothing but ignorance!
Knowledge, knowledge, knowledge! If people would ponder upon the fact
that knowledge is the only salvation, there would not remain a particle of the
present suffering. All human sorrow is the result of ignorance. Knowledge, let
us reiterate, will put an end to the suffering of mankind. (Infinity II, 828
[428])
3. Attain Joy through right Thinking
Rodin "The Thinker"
Joy comes through right thinking.
Man is what he thinks. (Buddha)
If you
always think joyfully, if you manage to find the thought that leads to
happiness in every situation, you are a happy person.
4. Joy as a State of the Consciousness
van Blommendeal
"Socrates with his two wives"
Right
thinking, continuously cultivated, leads to a new, expanded consciousness.
Joy is a state of consciousness!
These perpetual grumblers, the Xanthippes, who make a fool of themselves
by emptying their chamber pot upon the head of a wise philosopher like
Socrates, are so embittered only because they are not even aware of how much
reason for happiness they have!
Guiding Thought:
The further advanced a consciousness is,
the higher it is spiritually,
the greater is its joy of being!
5. Joy as a mental Attitude
Nicholas Roerich "Krischna"
You express
a higher consciousness outwardly, in the material, earthly world, by preserving
in any situation, even the most terrible one, a happy disposition.
Joy is an unshakeable mental attitude!
You free
yourself from the slavery of circumstances. The state of your being no longer
alternates constantly, depending on the situation, between exhilarated and
saddened to death.
6. Joy as a special Wisdom
Leonardo da Vinci "Self-Portrait
Once you
have truly accepted and internalised this knowledge, this thinking and this
awareness, your being is full of indestructible bliss.
Endowed with this attitude you are truly wise.
He who has learned joy has already stepped onto the path of wisdom.
(Supermundane 559)
We are not
talking about the naïve silliness of young, ignorant souls who have not yet
experienced at all the malice and violence, hardship and pain of the world.
Certainly this does not mean the fun a calf is having on a meadow, but the
creative joy which transfigures all difficulties. (Fiery World I, 663)
The
Mahatmas rather value the life experience of someone who has been tried and
tested more than once, who feels all the suffering of earthly life first hand
and yet retains his joy of being.
Only in the acceptance of suffering can the germ of wise joy be born. It
cannot be achieved without suffering. (Supermundane 21)
This true
happiness resides in the heart and does not come from the intellect.
Practical Tip: Do not become a lucky Beggar
Nicholas Roerich "Brahmaputra"
Do not even
try to imitate the so-called lucky beggar, to whom everything seems to come
effortlessly! In truth, such a one does not even exist. Everyone has his burden
to bear. As popular wisdom so aptly says:
Unter jedem Dach ein
Ach – Under every roof a sigh of woe – even under the most
stately one. (Forbidden City, Beijing)
Rather
follow the wise man who keeps a sunny disposition in all circumstances, even in
apparent misfortune. He shows you a great art of living which you still have to learn.
*****
Such a
great, wise soul was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was able to confidently write
this poem in a concentration camp shortly before his execution (!):
Von guten Mächten wunderbar geborgen,
erwarten wir getrost, was kommen mag.
Gott ist mit uns am Abend und am Morgen
und ganz gewiss an jedem neuen Tag.
By gentle powers wonderfully sheltered,
we are looking forward confidently to what may come.
God is with us at dusk and in the morning
and most assuredly on every new day.
One can indeed assess the level of wisdom by the degree of joy a person
attains and maintains even in mortal peril.
This is why
Agni Yoga emphasises over and over again:
Joy is a special wisdom. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 159; Gem 156,
163; AY 185, 293, 404; Here 96, 216, 343; AUM 113; Br II, 231).
Chapter II: How to attain
joy?
"How do I practically begin to attain joy?"
Yes, after
theory we are now coming to practice:
You follow
a path we have already discussed many times before (Videos "
Transformation into a spiritual Being", "Exercise The Fiery
Condition" and "We are creating the Man of the Future"): In the
morning in meditation you establish a bright state of mind, and in the course
of the day you defend this high condition of your being.
Guiding Thought:
Achieving joy
is a spiritual exercise!
Establishing Joy in the Morning Meditation
In the
morning meditation you raise the vibration of your body of light. You retune
its waves or strings. You tighten one of them in such a way that it does not
resound as indifference or even sadness, but as joy. We had already discussed
this practice in the Video "Exercise The Fiery
Condition".
You fill your soul with the divine joy that permeates the whole
Universe.
It is desirable to heighten one’s vibrations. The easiest way is to fill
oneself with solemn joy. (Supermundane 750)
"I do not yet fully understand: What am I to do concretely and
practically to raise my vibration and fill my being with cheerfulness."
As we had
just said, this is a process of growing realisation! Call to your mind the many
reasons there are to look forward to the coming day!
"What are those reasons?"
Here they
are! We will now consider them in detail:
Chapter III: Joy for what?
Remember
any moment, look every minute for precisely that which you can get excited
about! Here are the most important examples:
1. Joy about the Possibilities of earthly
Life
First of all, let us say quite simply:
Guiding Thought:
Be happy
that you are alive!
Our Teaching represents the world as rich, joyous and attractive.
(Community 263)
Rejoice over every single day on which you may stay on this earth!
It offers
you irretrievable opportunities to realise the ideals which you have conceived
in the World Beyond or which were handed down from Above for your own or for
the progress of humanity as a whole.
I predict:
After death you will soon be longing to return to earth, because only here is
it possible to transform your dreams into complete, tangible, material reality.
You are excited like an inventor who has planned and built a moon
rocket. (Wernher v. Braun)
He has no
greater longing than to find out: Does the plan work? Does the device fly or
does it fail? Will it really reach the moon? Only on the material level will it
come to light: Was this really a good idea to improve human life or not?
The experiences you are allowed to gather on the physical plane – even
in pain – are your true wealth und thus your real joy!
2. Joy through Love
Gustav Klimt "The Kiss"
Here is the
royal path to joy:
You love
the beauty of your Paradise, your Eternal Home in the Supermundane Spheres.
You learn
to love the earthly world as well!
You love
your heavenly soulmates and the great teachers with whom you live together in
the Spiritual World.
You grow to
love your earthly fellow men as well!
You love to
co-operate with the rulers of this earth, the Brotherhood of Shambhala, for the
progress of evolution.
So you learn
to love your earthly work as well.
"Am I really to train love?"
Yes! Love
is more than just a passing feeling. It is an attitude towards life, the world
and your fellow men which you can learn and acquire with a lot of practice.
*****
Love
transfigures your earthly existence.
Without love for life there is no joy!
However, we
do not mean the egotistic desire to be loved by others, but the selfless
endeavour to actively love our fellow men.
Lord, let me strive not to be loved, but to love. (Peace Prayer of St.
Francis of Assisi)
Not taking,
grabbing and collecting, but giving, sacrificing oneself is the highest
happiness!
Better to give to others, if in return you receive the lofty ecstasy of
the spirit. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 206)
The more anyone renounces, the more he receives. (Community 49)
Practical Tip: Love yourself!
Love
yourself too! Do not let your little weaknesses, infirmities and shortcomings
spoil your happiness! Rather laugh at them! You should be indulgent not only
towards others, but towards yourself as well!
3. Joy over the Beauty and Justice of the
Cosmic Order
We stand in awe of the sublime order of the course of the stars. (van Gogh "Starry
Night")
But our
human life as well is governed by eternal, immutable laws which make our
existence beautiful.
He who repeats, “How beautiful everything is!” will be right; because
the flow of evolution follows immutable law, and
therefore is beautiful. (Agni Yoga 15)
Guiding Thought:
You are secure
in the sublime, beautiful and just
Cosmic Order!
The Divine
Order is beautiful above all because it is just. Don’t you also agree with
Immanuel Kant:
If justice perishes, there is no longer any value in
human beings’ living on earth.
That is why
your joy is so great when you realise:
Justice reigns in the Universe.
Urusvati knows the joy of Universal Justice. Various names were given to
this concept in different nations. Each one in its own language called it
Karma, Moira, Fatum, Kismet—thus did people name destiny. Some approached it
with joy, others with gloom. But no one denied the existence of the Law that
revealed itself throughout Cosmos. The wisdom of this dynamic power indicates
the harmony of the Universe. If we trace the history of nations and of
individual leaders, we will see that the law of Universal Justice is one of
Beauty. (Supermundane 522)
"I for one am unable to recognise this justice. I only perceive how
countless greater and lesser evildoers get away unpunished!?"
But you are
aware of the law of Karma (see the Video "Karma – The Law of Cause, Effect
and Responsibility"), aren’t you? Therefore, you should know: The villains
will have to make amends for every evil they committed; if not in this life,
then in one of the next. The Cosmic Order makes sure:
Suum Quique – Everyone gets what he deserves.
It is vital
that you preserve the childlike trust in the goodness and righteousness of the
Divine Laws! Many a one who cannot absorb this Higher Knowledge actually falls into despair because of the apparent
injustice of the world order. He then soon begins to doubt even the meaning of
his life and the existence of Higher Worlds and Higher Powers in general –
according to the motto:
"How can the good Lord allow such things to happen?"
He who
thinks like this is creating a joyless existence for himself.
Practical Tip: Trust the Law of
Correspondence!
Another
guarantee for beauty and justice and thus for joy is the law of correspondence,
about which there is a separate Video:
Do not be
depressed if your endeavours initially fail to produce the desired results.
Keep on trying undeterred and rely confidently on the Universal Order, which
ensures:
Success will come as soon as the time and you yourself are ripe for it.
None of our efforts are ever wasted, and if not in this incarnation,
such strengthening of the will would bring good results in the next one. No
striving, no rhythmical or continuous effort will remain without results.
(Helena Roerich Letters Vol II, letter of 19.11.1937)
4. Gratitude for Repayment of Debts
Your mortal
personality tries to postpone the payment of debts as far as possible. It
bursts into wailing and moaning when a stroke of fate befalls it.
As opposed
to that, your Eternal Individuality is grateful and actually
rejoices at every opportunity to redeem old Karma, that is, to be
allowed to make amends for wrongs it has itself committed.
Many timid ones try to put off karmic consequences, but a fiery spirit
wisely hastens them by all means. He understands that
the ends of a torn fabric can but hinder the ascent. He recognizes within his
heart that the inevitable must come to pass, and he only rejoices that
everything can be passed through—the strength of Agni is in him. (Fiery World
I, 625)
You can
approach Higher Spheres and the Brotherhood of Shambhala only by improving your
Karma.
Only karma can bring a person into the Community of the Brotherhood. So,
if such karma is ready, nothing can stop its realization, unless the man
himself wills it. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol I, letter of 06.05.1934)
As long as you are still weighed down and obstructed by burdens of the past, you
are unable to take office in a spiritual community.
Free yourself from your debts!
You must
first solve your personal problems before you are in a
position to serve the common good.
A man who is overburdened with karma cannot approach the Great Teachers.
He may receive some support, but an approach is something entirely different.
(Helena Roerich Letters Vol II, letter of 19.07.1937)
Your Karma
will even be accelerated once you enter the Spiritual Path!
The teacher accelerates the Karma of the disciple, which otherwise might
have been dissipated or have come at a more distant time, in
order to give the disciple an opportunity for the attainment of a far
greater good. (Teachings of the Temple Vol. II, Lesson “Concentration”)
This may
seem hard, but nevertheless you can only be glad about it, because then you
will also ascend more rapidly.
5. Joy about Eternity and Immortality
Louis Rhead "Gulliver"
You are
excited about the new, more beautiful image of man that Agni Yoga presents (see
the Video "We are creating the Man of the Future").
You recognise your true greatness, strength, beauty and dignity.
You are an
immortal, a cosmic giant! You are walking an eternal path through the most
diverse material and non-material worlds, spheres and planes of existence.
There are no limits to your growth!
Thought about eternity will cause joy in the here and now, too.
(Supermundane 578)
He who feels the presence of the spirit already rejoices in recognition
of his boundlessness. (Agni Yoga 212)
Ignorant, your heart has become harder than stone if you have lost the
joy of Infinity. (Supermundane 371)
"But I little midget do not feel like a giant at all!?"
Well,
anyone can establish in any situation and at any time the sublime Fiery State
of his being, the ideal condition of his soul, of which we shall be talking
about in a moment.
6. Joy about Invulnerability, Fearlessness
and Freedom
Nicholas Roerich "Lama"
Rejoice in
the superiority of the New Man, in the invulnerability, fearlessness and
perfect freedom of your true, spiritual being, your Eternal Individuality (see
the Video "The Secret of Immortality Part III")!
Don't we all rejoice in a beautiful body? (Sophia Loren)
All the greater is the delight in a great, strong and beautiful soul!
7. Delight in the Fiery Condition
In the
morning you establish harmony with your Higher Self and the Fiery State of your
soul, as described in our Video "Exercise The
Fiery Condition". Then the waves or fibres of your being of spirit vibrate
in purity, wisdom, power, light and love – but above all in joy!
"I am still having difficulties imagining the Fiery Condition
practically and vividly. How do I feel in the ideal state of my soul?"
Let us
consider an example:
Example: Being in Love
Nicolas Roerich “Holy Himalayas”
You have
certainly been in love before. How would you describe the wonderful state of
loving and being loved?
I am dwelling in a higher world, in seventh heaven. It is as if paradise
on earth has become a reality. I could embrace the whole world and all my
fellow men. My grey everyday life is suddenly colourful, enchanted and
transfigured. (Pierre August Cots "Spring")
Yes, that's
how it is! We may add: You are in high spirits, in a higher vibration. You
completely forget yourself. Your earthly worries do not disappear, but they
lose their weight in view of the much greater and beautiful things that happen
to you. The couple loves the good, abhors evil and wants to build a better
world for themselves and everyone else. You do not need or want food, you feel
no hunger, no thirst and not even appetite.
Being in love is more than a feeling: It is an elevated state of your
being!
Joy of
being as well can and should become such a heavenly condition of your Self.
*****
You need
not wait until the woman of your dreams or a white
knight crosses your path – you can create a sublime vibration similar to that of being in love yourself by practising the
exercise "The Fiery Condition"!
"What if I don’t want to have anything to do with a being of high
vibration, with the 6th race and a higher level of evolution?"
Then put
yourself in the high mood of joy – that is enough.
Practical Tip: Joy of Being through Music
Another way
to create a blissful state of your being is to listen to good music. Take five
minutes time, close your eyes and hearken to Mozart's wonderful liturgical
chant "Laudate Dominum".
Feel how
you are immediately elevated; how at the end of the piece the world of the
soul, Heaven, the realm of true, eternal joy opens up
– not for your distraction, but so that you may enter there already now, during
the earthly incarnation. And so that you may remain in the sublime state of joy
of being, even after the tones have faded away and you
have returned to everyday life.
(Nicholas Roerich „Mount Shatrovaya“,
„Guru Guri Dhar“, „Blue Mountains“, „Northern Midnight“, „Evening in the
Himalayas“, „Holy Himalayas“, „Holy Himalayas Study“, „Himalayas Sikkim“,
„Nanda Devi (Himalayas)“, Nanda Devi“, „Mountain Lake“, „Lahul“,
„Lahul Mountains“, „Himalayas 3; Aiwasowsky
„Mountains“; Nicholas Roerich „Himalayas 4, 5, 6, 7, 8“, „Mountains 1“,
„Mountains 2“, „Evening“, „Pink Mountains“, „Mount M“, „Himalayas Golden Dawn“,
„Himalayas Rain“, „Himalayan Landscape“, „Ladakh Kashmir Sunset“,
“Kanchenjunga”, “Sacred Thang La”, “Himalayas”)
8. Joy about Striving to the Future
Many a one
deprives himself of happiness by clinging to the past. Such turning back
however blocks your creative possibilities!
Joy is about the future and cannot live in the past. (Supermundane
55)
Find joy by
looking forward, into the future!
Urusvati knows the true meaning of love for the future. Life is a flight
into the future. Only very few people love the future. It is right to call them
the winged ones. They sense how invisible wings carry them above the earth.
Love the future, and your wings will grow. (Supermundane 861)
"At the moment, however, there is not much for me to laugh
about!?"
Yes,
exactly then you should overcome anger and sadness about the present by
striving forward!
It is wise not to worry but to strive joyfully. (Leaves of Morya’s
Garden I, 167 [187])
Strive to the future, it is calling! (Supermundane 860)
You may be
happy in spite of all the misery around you if only
you set about building a better future!
When joy for the future lives in the heart, then each impediment is
merely a step for ascent. Therefore it is so important
to cultivate the heart in this striving for the creation of a mighty future.
(Fiery World III, 239)
Working on a future-oriented project is a source of strength and joy.
Such work
is possible always and under all circumstances. Everywhere, in any place,
constantly and at all times there is something you can
improve.
One can change all earthly conditions by striving into the future.
(Hierarchy 291)
People who deprive themselves of this fountain of youth, for example
because they vegetate in retirement homes, quickly deteriorate.
Practical Tip: Walk a Path and pursue a
Goal!
"How does cheerful striving into the future become concrete and
practical?"
Your
greatest happiness is:
Guiding Thought:
You know your goal.
You know the path to get there.
You approach the goal every day,
by actually walking this path
People who love the future greet each day as a new possibility. Love for
the future is the most powerful impeller and it
safeguards the worker from stagnation. (Supermundane 861)
"What aim do you have in mind?"
The goal of an Agni Yogi is the New Construction.
First, the
transformation into the New Man, into a spirit-being of the next level of
evolution, into an immortal, a king of the spirit or a disciple of the
Brotherhood.
And second,
the building of the New World.
Earthly existence can be transfigured only through the force of a clear
visualization of the future life. Such visualization is like casting an
anchor—the ship is then drawn towards the desired goal by a strong anchor. Thus the sensible thinker will be able to draw himself
toward the desired goal. (Supermundane 476)
You exclaim
enthusiastically:
"I am striving towards my goal! Nothing can stop me!"
Every hour repeat to yourself: “Nothing will hold up my race to the
Teacher!” (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 266 [269])
9. Joy over Work
Dantan "Une Restauration"
Your work
is the best you have to contribute, whether you do it
professionally, in an honorary capacity or as a hobby. It would be terrible if
you had nothing to do or were to carry out your work in a disgusted,
bad-tempered or even hostile mood. Therefore, look for work so meaningful and
useful that it uplifts you!
The most difficult thing for people is to combine the utmost spiritual
exaltation with tireless action. (Heart 35)
Work is a source of joy!
I affirm that the joy of labour is the best flame of spirit. Many great
achievements come through the manifestation of joy. Joy is fire! (Agni Yoga
459)
Know how to find joy in eternal labour. (Community 224)
If you are
unable to find valuable earthly work, there always remains the supermundane
one:
You are an artist! (Dantan "Une
Restauration")
Besides
your worldly tasks, you are busy every moment with creative labour on two works
of art at the same time: Namely with the creation, constant beautification and
improvement of the New Man (see the Video "We are creating the Man of the
Future") and of the New World (see the Video "We are building the
World of the Future").
Isn’t that
a reason for you to be proud and glad?!
Guiding Thought:
The highest satisfaction of an artist
is to watch his work of art
growing and flourishing
Doing this
work, joy does not lie in perfection – in a constantly evolving world nothing
whatsoever is ever completed – but in eternally progressing refinement.
Can there be joy in completion? We gain impetus from the joy of new
beginnings. (Agni Yoga 463)
10. Joy over Ascent
You are
walking the Highest Path: the ascent up the ladder of Hierarchy.
You are on the way to God!
On such a
glorious hike there can only be joy!
Every traveller who is enlightened by thought about the eternal path can
proceed in joy. (Fiery World II, 425)
When we take the true path, we sense the power of joy. Our heart
rejoices, feeling that our striving is the right one. (Fiery World II,
371)
To walk
this high trail gives you a much greater satisfaction than any physical
pleasure!
The joy of ascent must transcend any earthly joy. (Fiery World I,
638)
Like a
child which absolutely wants to grow greater, you rejoice in unlimited growth,
in ever-advancing self-perfection, in the development of the potential
slumbering within you.
The heart’s joy lies in striving upward. (Heart 39)
Joy is born out of striving for perfection. (Supermundane 792)
You put the
Mahatmas before your eyes, these sublime beings, and are excited about the
possibility to follow them and perhaps even to be accepted into their ranks one
day.
Let the possibility of approaching the Lords of Light become our daily
joy; verily, this possibility is within ourselves and
we alone can hasten its realization. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol I, letter of
12.12.1934)
11. Joy over Service
Especially
when things are going badly for you, here is an attitude to save you: Do not
always revolve around yourself! Do something for others! Become a co-worker of
the Brotherhood! Participate in Their work for the good of the world!
Service, in the name of a powerful achievement, bestows beauty upon
existence. (Infinity II, 902 [502])
Whether you
bring up your children, pursue your professional work or take up an honorary
office, you are always acting on behalf of a Higher Authority. Conscious of
serving the common good, you transcend the personal and everyday life as well.
I do not speak casually about the full understanding of service, which
dispels the atmosphere of the commonplace and leads to the harmony necessary
for the fulfillment of one’s tasks. (Agni Yoga
452)
Guiding Thought:
The attitude of service
solves your life’s problems!
Life is service for evolution. Life’s full expression can come only
under conditions of voluntary service. Even on Earth it is possible to almost
forget time, and service becomes joy. I affirm that one can prepare oneself for
such service under all circumstances. It was the loss of this concept of
service that turned earthly life into slavery and insanity. The concept of
service is the solution of life’s problems. (Supermundane 305)
Find joy in serving!
When the consciousness is broadened, when all feelings and comprehension
are refined, the law of sacrifice will be accepted as the highest achievement.
There will be no room for self-pity, fear for the future, offences and envy
because with every breath will sublimity, beauty, and the highest joy of
service be realized. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol I, letter of 15.01.1931)
The sixth sign by which the entrance upon the path of Service is defined
will be the joy of Service and completely offering oneself for the good of the
world. (Hierarchy 196)
"How do I manage to find this joy?"
Just get
down to work, then pleasure will come by itself!
Duty will become privilege, law the path to growth, and service a
delight. (Teachings of the Temple Vol. II, Lesson “Freedom for the Soul”)
To recognise and reliably fulfil your duty rightly imbues you with pride
and joy!
"Isn't that a matter of course?"
Not for everyone! Many a saint turns out to be a hypocrite. I used to
know someone who spent the whole day in meditation, leaving his wife the burden
to work for the family's livelihood and to bring up their numerous children. (Carlo Dolci “St. Mary
Magdalene”)
*****
In the Video "The Brotherhood of Shambhala" I told you the
legend of St. Christopher. Follow this example and find your happiness in life
in seeking and serving the highest Lord there is on earth. (Bosch “St. Christopher”)
Blessings to those who even once have reflected over the fact that
possibilities are being given them for Service. One such thought already opens
the initial Gates to the Fiery World. But it is joyful to think — “I still can
bring more to Thee, O Lord!” (Fiery World II, 136)
Let thy prayer be—"Thee, O Lord, I shall serve in everything,
always and everywhere. Let my path be marked by the heroic deed of
selflessness.” (Fiery World III, 7)
When the disciple realizes in his heart the joy of the path, a path
which knows no friction because all is transformed in the joy of Service, then
it is possible to open before him the Great Gates. (Fiery World III, 7)
You may take part in the Great Work of the Brotherhood, in
furthering the progress of evolution. You may relieve the Mahatmas at least of
a part of their burden. They honour you with a commission!
Every work carried out in the name of the Hierarchy, however
insignificant it might seem, is true Divine Service!
Could there be a greater joy than that during the fulfillment
of a Mission of the Brotherhood? (Fiery World II, 393)
Not discontent, not irritation, but the sensation of happiness is
necessary. It is truly happiness to build the works of the Teacher. (Agni Yoga
368)
Realize the joy of fighting for My Cause. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I,
77 [82])
Joy arises
as soon as you cast off personal concern! You fulfil your mission to the best
of your ability. Nothing more is required. The outcome is not up to you.
Let us only apply all our forces and best strivings, leaving judgment to
the Higher World. (AUM 170)
In your
teacher's Ashram you are entrusted with a Cosmic Office, even if it is only
that of a porter. You are now a link in the chain of Hierarchy and by that
alone a VIP, a very important person, namely irreplaceable!
You are proud of this office like an officer of his rank and medals.
Practical Tip: Take the Path of Heroism!
Did you not
always dream, at least as a child, of being a hero? Will that not be the
greatest happiness and the highest joy!?
Above every joy is the smile of heroic deed. Joyously accept the
austerity of heroic deed! (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 239 [240])
Now is the
time to make this dream come true:
Every work you do for the Mahatmas is truly a heroic deed!
On the path of heroic deeds there is no selfhood or fear, only the high
joy of serving the Great. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol II, letter of
14.01.1937)
The path of joyous heroic deeds is a hundredfold shorter than the path
of mournful duties. The significance of achievement must be cultivated in the
heart as joy of the spirit. (Fiery World II, 427)
12. Joy over Beauty
Kandinsky "Improvisation 26"
Joy in
beauty is the driver of evolution from which originates the impulse to
transform the ugly, the chaotic, and to make the good ever more magnificent.
Guiding Thought:
Evolution is ever
unfolding beauty!
Without assimilation of the Beautiful there can be no evolution.
(Supermundane 783)
Joy is called the hardy mainspring
Of the universe eterne.
Joy, oh joy the wheels is driving
Which the world’s great clock do turn.
(Schiller, Ode "To Joy")
So you find
satisfaction and pleasure by creating beauty.
Be able to summon joy. It comes only by the path of Beauty.
(Supermundane 231)
Man is uplifted when he associates with the Beautiful, looks at the
Beautiful, listens to the Beautiful, thinks in the ways of the Beautiful.
People do not understand that each grain of the Beautiful
turns man into a co-worker of Higher Forces. Live always with a dream about the
Beautiful, and you will be given joy and love. (Supermundane 783)
Are you
weighed down by hideous circumstances? Then striving for beauty will lift you
up.
He who understands imperfection must enter upon perfectionment.
Be able to discover possibilities in imperfection! (Community 226)
In beautiful thinking an Arhat beholds the ladder of ascent. Thus can we remember when we are especially oppressed. When
the shutters of selfhood are being fastened everywhere, when fires are
extinguished in the darkness, is it not the time to reflect about the
Beautiful? We anticipate a miracle, we strive to break the lock, but the ladder
of the Arhat is only in the Beautiful. Why have people clipped the wings of
beauty? (Fiery World I, 177)
But even
without becoming active: What happiness can you find just in contemplating the
beauty of nature or art.
People have only two real joys—thinking and the ecstasy over beauty.
(Brotherhood 85)
When you rejoice at flowers, when you seek in thought to penetrate into their wondrous structure, into the creation
of a small seed, when you value the fresh fragrance, you already have contacted
the Subtle World. Even in the flowers of Earth, in the plumage of birds, and in
the wonders of the heavens, one can find that very joy which prepares one for
the gates of the Fiery World. Chiefly, one must not be dead to beauty. Where
can one find a better setting than beauty for devotion, for aspiration, for
indefatigability? But one must not lose even an hour here on Earth in learning
to rejoice at each flower. (Fiery World I, 638)
Art in particular is destined to elevate you, to preserve your
joy of being during the toils of everyday life.
The wondrous pearls of art can actually uplift
and transmute the spirit instantaneously. (Hierarchy 359)
Art brings moments of highest joy. (Supermundane 557)
Look for
beauty everywhere, delight in it, and thus transfigure your earthly existence.
Everyone who loves the beautiful transforms thereby a portion of earthly
life. (Fiery World I, 576)
The rapture of lofty perceptions can transfigure life, if man is able to
preserve such healing vibrations in himself. (Supermundane 857)
13. Joy over Trials
Your
transient personality shuns trials.
Whoever fears testing is an ignorant coward. (AUM 297)
Your
Eternal Individuality, on the other hand, rejoices in every test: It is sent by
your teacher so that you may prove the power of your spirit!
One must discriminate the circumstances: where is the new touchstone?
Thus, with sharp-sightedness we reach the realization of joy for each
probation. (Hierarchy 78)
On the
Spiritual Path you will grow to love trials: They are milestones of your
progress.
The strong in spirit will come to love the difficult path, for how
otherwise will they test themselves? (AUM 522)
One should test oneself untiringly and learn to love such tests. The
testing of one’s armour is a sign of readiness for battle. (Supermundane
595)
14. Joy over Obstacles
Your mortal
personality whines, moans and complains about the stones that life throws in
its path.
Your
Eternal Individuality looks at them quite differently: You are already
practising to take pleasure in adversities, aren’t you, by using them for
spiritual ascent, as we discussed in the Video "Rejoice at
Obstacles"!?
Much is spoken about obstacles,
little use is made of them. Understanding how to make use of obstacles infuses
joy into one’s work. (Agni Yoga 262)
I teach you to face life’s experiences merrily.
(Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 114 [127])
As if winged this spiritual joy lifts you above the abysses of earthly
life!
One who thinks about the meaning of life, about soaring over earthly
obstacles, knows how to feel joy. Some
wonder how it is possible to speak of joy during times of hardship. But it is
on the wings of joy that one flies over the abyss. It is happiness that the
wings of joy are always with him. (Supermundane 578)
Joy over
obstacles is one of the most important practices of the man of the future.
Every new day you encounter innumerable difficulties which threaten to break
you if you do not take the right, namely a positive attitude towards them.
There will always be stones on the path ahead. They can be stumbling
blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how we use them. (Nietzsche)
To find
joy, remember this quote from the Teaching:
Blessed are the stones that tear the sandals of those who ascend! (Agni
Yoga 406)
and keep this picture before your eyes:
After all,
you want to become greater! So do not be stupid but seize enthusiastically
every opportunity for growth that life offers you!
15. Joy over Battle
Raphael "Archangel Michael"
You go
joyfully into battle with the dragon within you, through which a New Man is
created.
Buddha’s disciples only knew joy in spiritual battle, which is why the
thorns on the path are spoken about. (BGM II, 251 [254])
You go
joyfully into battle with the chaos in your surroundings, through which a New
World is born.
Is not the overcoming of chaos a joy? Is not the bringing of light into
darkness a joy? Is not the understanding of service a joy? You must realize
that one of the greatest joys comes from the awareness and understanding of
danger. Through vigilance and awareness man becomes victorious, and this
victory is joy! (Supermundane 371)
You cannot
realise your dreams and ideals in material life without overcoming the
resistance of the forces of indolence, ignorance and malice.
16. Transforming Suffering into Joy
Michelangelo "Pietà"
Buddha taught his son to maintain joy, because this is the most
difficult challenge on Earth. (Agni Yoga 239)
Every day
we have to struggle anew to conquer moods, oppression
and sorrow.
A slave can toil in depression, but the fiery spirit transforms
everything by very luminous joy. And warmth flows out from joy. Each one loves
warmth, calling it cordiality. (Fiery World III, 597)
Thus we learn to rejoice and to be calm, where yesterday we sorrowed.
(Hierarchy 81)
For the wise man there is no suffering that he cannot transform into
joy.
There is no condition that cannot be turned into joy. Let people
remember that no one can deprive them of their joy. (Supermundane 55)
Be able, amidst any existence, to strive to the ocean of joy.
(Supermundane 823)
To translate this into practical terms, let me challenge you: I bet you are not able to tell me any misfortune, however terrible it
may be, from which Agni Yoga does not show the way out towards joy!
"I accept the bet! Are you going to rejoice at the massacre of the
innocent children of Bethlehem or at the drowning of a refugee child in the
Mediterranean?"
No, of course not, that would be the worst kind of gloating. But a wise
man can maintain his serenity even in the face of these terrible images because
he knows: There are no innocent children! All suffering is but the effect of a
cause. It serves a purpose, namely to incite people to
expand their consciousness, to develop and to move forward. (Rubens “Massacre of the Innocents”;
Alan Kurdi)
Much talk is heard about those unfortunates who suffer innocently, but let us look at the root of their way of life
and we will find many causes for their misfortunes. These causes can be direct
or indirect. When a person experiences suffering caused by another, some link
between them, resulting from past actions, must exist. (Supermundane 596)
Again and again, you have to summon the strength for this
inner work, for the mighty spiritual battle to turn the thorns of the earthly
path into roses.
Find the resourcefulness to summon joy even during difficult days. Find
the strength to create joy, for there are many possibilities in space to kindle
bonfires of joy. (Supermundane 843)
A wise hero knows that even at the hour of persecution the path to joy
is not closed. Be able to summon joy! (Supermundane 231)
We had
already discussed the details in the Video "The Secret of Immortality Part
III". The essence of this exercise is:
He who thinks beautifully will not suffer! (Brotherhood 160)
"How exactly do I achieve this miraculous transformation?"
By
transforming all negative thoughts and feelings into joyful ones.
"That is easier said than done!"
Well, the
panacea for despair at the adversities, hardships, injustices and ingratitude
of this world is this new attitude:
First:
Your soul lives in its own, higher, spiritual world
and up there is not affected at all by events taking place below on the
material plane.
When depressed, remember this picture:
(Nicholas Roerich "Tsong
kha-pa")
Second: While your
perishable personality is suffering on earth, your Eternal Individuality in
Heaven realises the meaning of all that grief: It shows you that you have
behaved wrongly or still have a weak spot somewhere.
Guiding Thought:
By perfecting yourself,
you end suffering
Example: Jesus on the Cross
Greater suffering than being crucified is hardly imaginable. (Grünewald
"Crucifixion")
And yet
even this horror can be transfigured with a mere thought:
Jesus can be fully satisfied with a sign he has set for eternity. (Mantegna
"Crucifixion")
For more
than 2000 years, the crucifix is present in billions and billions of homes and
churches, at crossroads and on mountaintops all over the world, strengthening
Christians in their faith. Is such a mighty effect bought too dearly with a few
minutes of pain?
Harbouring this thought, even his mother Mary can console herself,
overcome her sorrow and be proud of her great son. (Michelangelo "Pietà")
17. Joy as
Triumph of the Spirit
Raphael
"The Triumph of Religion"
Only if you preserve a happy disposition even in the worst situation
you have truly overcome the world.
Joy is the victory of the spirit over
circumstances.
Joy is in the triumph of the spirit. (Heart 71)
It is from your gaiety that you can see how great the power of your
soul already is.
Guiding Thought:
Despair is a sign of weakness,
joy of strength of spirit
A strong spirit does not suffer – just as a healthy
body does not hurt. (Michelangelo “David”)
Chapter
IV: Joy of Being
One cultivates the art of idleness, another that of indulgence.
An Agni Yogi masters the art of joy of being.
"What do you mean by 'joy of being'?"
Your cheerful, superior state of mind must not depend on external
circumstances: On the weather or the state of world affairs, on wealth or
poverty, health or sickness, good or bad luck, and certainly not on whether
your fellow men treat you well or badly.
The ignorant connect the sensation of joy with a
healthy digestion or with success in life, but joy lives beyond health and
success. It can also exist amidst sickness and humiliation. (Supermundane
55)
Guiding Thought:
Besides the fleeting earthly
pleasure of the body
there is also the eternal
supermundane joy of the soul!
Teacher, let me participate in the Supermundane Joy!
(Supermundane 843)
1. Joy over real
Existence
Nicholas
Roerich "Star of the Morning"
To understand this better, let us now read one of the most beautiful
and most important paragraphs of the Teaching:
Where does this stimulating feeling, called joy of
being, arise? It does not come from wealth or self-satisfaction,
but is often experienced amidst the most grievous difficulties and
persecutions. In times of stress, joy is especially valuable and healing. We
call it joy of being, for it does not depend on personal circumstances,
success, or benefits.
Can there be feelings of joy when one is afflicted
with disease or when one is the victim of injustice and insult? Indeed, for
even in such circumstances the eyes may sometimes fill with fire, the bowed
head may rise, and new strength may be experienced. Then man will begin to
rejoice at life, perhaps not at his earthly life, but at his real existence.
(Supermundane 281)
That means, in short:
I love life! I rejoice in life – but in my
real life!
This is why I love Agni Yoga so much: A few short, simple sentences
that establish a whole new worldview. But not a theoretical, philosophical or
abstract, but an eminently practical one: It's all about joy of being!
*****
The Mahatmas tell you: You may rejoice in your life under all
circumstances, even in the midst of the greatest
difficulties, persecutions, illnesses, injustices and afflictions.
"How am I to understand this? In such a situation
there really is nothing to be glad about!"
Well, the crucial sentence is at the end of the paragraph: You rejoice
not at your earthly life, but at your real existence.
(Supermundane 281)
"That is not easy to understand, though. What is
my "real" existence? Is there also an unreal existence?"
Yes, one must indeed have grasped the Agni Yoga Teaching in its
entirety to be able to get this point. We know:
An Agni Yogi lives simultaneously in two
worlds.
Besides the existence of the body on the material plane, you also lead
the life of your soul in the Supermundane World.
The Teaching contrasts the "real existence" of the Eternal
Individuality with the "earthly life" of the transient personality.
The higher, spiritual, subtle reality is indeed – because it is imperishable –
more "real" than the material one which is constantly changing and
will soon pass away, wherefore it is called maya, illusion.
"But why is the subtle reality more joyful than
the material one?"
Watch again the Videos "The Path of the Interior Temple"
"Participation in the Life of the Higher World" and "Living in
the Ashram of the Teacher". There we had said: The soul creates its own
world, its personal paradise, however terrible the material circumstances may
be.
Guiding Thought:
In this Inner Heaven there is
nothing but purity, joy, peace,
light, love and solemnity!
Now you realise: It is immensely important that you learn to live in
the Spiritual World already during your earthly, everyday existence:
There you will find that true joy of being
which you usually look for in vain on earth!
A thinker will learn and attain joy beyond the earthly
existence. (Fiery World III, afterword)
Example: Closeness of the Homeland
Let us look
at an example and hear another beautiful, important teaching:
The more perfect the spirit, the more infallibly it understands the deep
suffering of earthly life. And yet I myself speak again and again about joy, the joy that lies in the
realization of the far-off worlds. (Agni Yoga 152)
"I don't understand this yet. Why does cognition of the Higher
World lead to joy?"
Well, the
paragraph goes on. The Master tells a story:
Let us take a simple example. Through the darkness of night your
carriage rushes homeward. The bad weather around you should depress you, but
instead your spirit is jubilant. Why? You know that your home is near and that
not even the darkness prevents you from discerning those close to your heart.
(Agni Yoga 152)
Here is the
crucial step: Attach yourself to your Eternal Home! Feel the presence of your
true spiritual relatives! In the circle of your family
you are safe.
Guiding Thought:
The basis of true joy
is an expanded consciousness,
that grasps the closeness of Heaven
and of the soulmates!
So the
marvellous paragraph ends:
What does the misery of earthly life amount to when the far-off worlds
have become real to us? Make haste to realize the path to the far-off worlds!
Only this broadening of the understanding of life will provide your spirit with
the foundation of the path of joy. (Agni Yoga 152)
Please
realise:
If you do not expand your consciousness so that it grasps your true
existence as well, you close the path to true joy!
May this
supermundane joy become a mental attitude, a way of life that transforms you
into a sunny being!
Let us now
take a closer look at the individual aspects of your "real
existence", which you may enjoy so much:
2. Joy over true, eternal
Identity
Grünewald
"Isenheim Altar"
You are a Cosmic Giant which reaches with the head, with your Eternal
Self, to the Heavens.
An Agni
Yogi is not vain, but may well occasionally look in
the energetic mirror and enjoy his greatness, strength and beauty – but not
that of the body, but of the soul.
"What does he see there?"
The glorious radiance of a golden aura! (Grünewald "Isenheim Altar")
The joy is
all the greater as he has created the work of art of his Eternal Individuality
himself!
*****
If you look
in the virtual mirror, you will also delight in the Invisible Toga, in the
subtle white robe of the spiritual disciple that you wear (see the Video of the
same name).
A computer-loving teenager can nowadays spend thousands of euros to wrap
his avatar, his fictitious personality on the Internet, in virtual clothes and
to fill an entire digital wardrobe with such garments.
We
spiritual people are in line with the trend of the times by wrapping ourselves
in a virtual gown. It costs us nothing, and yet it is much more effective and
useful, because we do not appear with it in a dream world of games, but in real
everyday life, where it gives us dignity.
3. Joy about Living in the Higher World
Neuschwanstein Castle
What is man's highest bliss? To live in Heaven!
"How do I reach this fantastic goal?"
As we had
just said: The New Man creates his own world of marvellous beauty! You live
independently of external circumstances in the sphere of the soul.
Guiding Thought:
Your life in the Higher World
must become a living reality!
"How can I create such a reality?"
This varies
from person to person. One listens to good music, the other goes to the forest,
but the safest way is meditation.
Living in
the Higher World means staying on a plane with a higher vibration.
"How do I put myself into such an elevated vibration?"
Guiding Thought:
You form an idea
of the Supermundane World.
You visualise yourself
in a sublime place
among sublime beings!
Imagine the place, your personal paradise, where you take refuge, and
visit it again and again in spirit. (Nicholas Roerich
"River in the Himalayas - Santana")
In this way
you put yourself and your surroundings into a corresponding vibration. Then on
the spiritual plane, in the 4th dimension around you, exactly this Higher World
comes into existence. Einstein teaches:
Everything is energy and that is all there is to it. Match the frequency
of the reality you want and you cannot help but get
that reality. This is not philosophy. This is physics!
Agni Yoga
puts it this way:
The invisible sphere which surrounds humanity is being woven out of the
strivings of the human spirit. (Infinity II, 501 [101])
If you – your Higher Self – are a king of the spirit, the world you are
living in will be a castle. (Neuschwanstein Castle)
If you are a spiritual disciple, you are dwelling in the Ashram of your
teacher. (Nicholas Roerich
"Mountain Abode")
*****
Just dwelling in the solemn atmosphere of such a temple fills you with
the greatest felicity – even if this is only a virtual, spiritual process.
Eternal joy reigns in the Ashram of the
Teacher!
Joy is easily attained if at each moment you feel
devotion to Us. (Agni Yoga 110)
Participating in the life of his ashram, in a sanctuary, elevates you
high above the lowlands of everyday earthly life.
Joy, thou beautiful divine spark,
Daughter from Elysium,
Fire drunken we are ent’ring
Heavenly, thy holy home!
(Schiller, Ode "To Joy")
(Paris, Place de la Concorde;
Malta, La Valletta, Triton Fountain ; Beethoven Symphony No. 9)
In a visit Above there lies your true delight, which on earth is hardly
ever to be found.
A time of happiness—thus We call that step in the
development of consciousness when, without turning away from life, Our co-workers are given the opportunity to join Us in Our
Abode. (Agni Yoga 338)
Give freedom to the spirit; do not bind it with human
limitations. It will soar by itself and return triumphant; thus
man attaches himself to the Supermundane World. (Supermundane 759)
You take this magnificent world with you wherever you go, making every
room you enter a Heaven, an outpost of the Kingdom of God!
Practise meditation, and you will find that you are
carrying within your heart a portable paradise. (Yogananda)
"But I am not yet a saint at all!?"
Well, it is enough to be dwelling in a sanctuary among saints. You do
your training there. You fulfill, as best you can,
the tasks assigned to you, however small they may seem. Thus
you become an apprentice, a co-worker and finally a member of the Community of
Saints.
"I am sorry, but that is still too highflying for
me!"
Well, then imagine yourself living among ordinary
people in the village that lies at the foot of the ashram. There, too, the
blessed guidance of the Masters has created a
paradise. (Nicholas
Roerich "Tibet Himalayas")
Practical Tip:
Do not look for Heaven on Earth!
Oh that I had wings
like a dove! For then would I fly away, and be at
rest! (Psalms 55:6)
This is how the psalmist sighs. He dreams of escaping the omnipresent
misery and of finding somewhere the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey,
where he will be free of all worries.
Everyone is drawn to faraway places: Some to the
mountains and others to the South Seas, but as far away from everyday life as
possible.
Although they know very well that in the long run
they will not be any happier there than at home.
Meinen Sie Zürich zum Beispiel
sei eine tiefere Stadt,
wo man Wunder und Weihen
immer als Inhalt hat?
Meinen Sie, aus Habana,
weiß und hibiskusrot,
bräche ein ewiges Manna
für Ihre Wüstennot?
Bahnhofstraßen und Rueen,
Boulevards,
Lidos, Laan –
selbst auf den Fifth Avenueen
fällt Sie die Leere an.
Ach, vergeblich das Fahren!
Spät erst erfahren Sie sich:
bleiben und stille bewahren
das sich umgrenzende
Ich.
Do you think Zurich
for instance
is a more profound town
where wonders and blessings
always follow you down?
Do you think that Havana,
white and hibiscus-red,
exudes an eternal manna
for your inner desert?
Bahnhofstraßen and Rues,
Boulevards,
Lidos, Laan –
even on the Fifth Avenues
the void is attacking
you.
Oh, you travel in vain!
Only late you experience yourself:
staying and quietly preserving
the self, imposing limits on itself.
(Gottfried Benn “Reisen” – "Travelling")
Your longing for Paradise is a genuine and
precious feeling.
You have stayed there often and for a long time, longer than on earth.
This memory continues to live on within you, even if not yet fully consciously.
However, stop looking for Heaven on earth because here it does not
exist. Such a search only distracts you from the right place. Direct your
efforts not to the material but to the Subtle World, to your Eternal Home, from
which you came and to which you wish to return.
Guiding Thought:
Heaven is within you
– if only you succeed in arranging your inner,
spiritual world beautifully.
Heaven is not a place but a state of consciousness.
(Teachings of the Temple Vol. II, Lesson “Reality”)
Once your being is steadily filled with solemn joy, you are living in
the highest world.
4. Joy over
living together with your Soulmates
Nicholas
Roerich "Zvenigorod"
What a bliss that you may be dwelling
surrounded by your beloved soulmates, by your true, Spiritual Father, your
eternal brothers and sisters, disciples, fellow disciples, friends and
co-workers! There you are at home, safe and secure.
Your personal Nirvana is where your loved ones are. (Nicholas
Roerich "Zvenigorod")
The mere closeness of your teacher and your Supratemporal Family fills you with delight – even if this is only a virtual,
spiritual fact.
In the presence of the teacher there can be
nothing but joy!
Guiding Thought:
Dwelling with your spiritual family
must become a living reality!
"What do you mean by that?"
Improve your perception, expand your consciousness, refine your centres
(chakras), your inner senses – then one day you will sense their presence!
"I still find that quite difficult! They are in
Heaven, aren't they, and I am on earth!?"
Well,
overcome the division of the worlds! Imagine that your soulmates are living and
working nearby, in the next room, and that you are separated from them only by
a very light wall, or better by a permeable curtain or a barely perceptible
veil.
For practical purposes it does not matter in the least whether your
teacher is present physically next door or spiritually in the 4th dimension
around you!
The king who rules you is also far away, and yet you love and obey him. (Anton Graff “King
Frederic the great of Prussia”)
*****
Your real
existence in the Spiritual World goes beyond living together with your
Supermundane Family:
You may be
in contact with great spirits like Pythagoras, Plato, Francis of Assisi,
Hildegard of Bingen, Catherine of Siena, Gandhi, Mother Teresa and even Jesus.
What a
delight to be a member of the Invisible Community of those who are fighting for
a better world, for the realisation of truth, justice, beauty and love on
earth.
What an honour to belong to those whom the Mahatmas call the
"Community of Maitreya" or "My people".
Although I am a typical loner in my daily life, my awareness of
belonging to the invisible community of those who strive for truth, beauty, and
justice has prevented me from feelings of isolation. (Einstein)
5. Joy over Discipleship
Nicholas Roerich "Pearl of
Searching"
There is nothing greater than being accepted as a disciple by a wise
teacher.
The pledged disciples of the Great White Lodge are those who have
demanded opportunity to try for the greatest prize human life can offer.
(Teachings of the Tempel Vol II, Lesson “Divine Indifference”)
You walk
the path to that goal in quiet serenity, beginning as a disciple
on probation.
A disciple looks up at his teacher with a blissful, enthusiastic smile. (Svetoslav Roerich
"Sacred Words")
You find
your life’s happiness in receiving the initiation to Agni Yoga from your
teacher (see the Video of the same name) – just as the Ethiopian eunuch found
his through baptism; of him the Bible tells so wonderfully:
And he went on his way rejoicing. (Acts 8:39)
6. Joy about the Connection with your
Teacher
Carlo Crivelli "Annunciation"
It is love
that unites you with your teacher, with your disciples and fellow disciples,
friends and co-workers.
The relationship with your soulmates is that true love which you usually
look for in vain on earth!
Is there
any greater happiness? You love and are being loved!
Und doch, welch Glück, geliebt zu werden!
Und lieben, Götter, welch ein Glück!
Yet, to be loved, what happiness!
And to love, ye gods, what a bliss!
(Goethe
"Welcome and Farewell")
You simply
want to be near them, that is all, then you are perfectly happy and desire
nothing more.
Your
greatest pleasure is the intimate dialogue with your teacher in meditation.
The sacred moment when comfort, strength, joy, light, love, knowledge
and guidance flow to you through the Silvery Thread of the connection. (Carlo Crivelli
"Annunciation")
Verily, the path of the heart is light when the current of courage and
joy passes incessantly through the Silvery Thread. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol.
II, letter of 16.08.1937)
Practical Tip: Joy of Being requires Desirelessness
Joy of
being is a spiritual pleasure!
We are not talking about the everyday joy of a fulfilled birthday or
Christmas wish.
Through
such a wish you make yourself dependent on external circumstances which you
cannot control.
True
spiritual joy, however, is independent of material conditions. It requires
purity, freedom from desire and wants!
You have attained the highest state of your being, called
"Nirvana" in the East, when you are happy
without any wishes left.
Chapter V: How to preserve
Joy
Do not
allow adverse circumstances or ignorant, chaotic or malicious fellow men to
spoil your joy of being. Noone and nothing must succeed in taking you out of this glorious state.
"How can I achieve this?"
With the
help of discipline and spiritual exercises, as we shall now be discussing.
1.
Spiritual Discipline
Many a time
we have heard the Master say:
Discipline is the beginning of everything. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II,
250 [253])
Surprising
as it may seem, this also applies to joy – at least if we have in mind not
everyday merriness, but the joy of being in our real existence.
It lies, as
we just heard, in your participating in the life of the Spiritual World in
communion with your teacher and your soulmates.
You want to
prevent the fire of this joy of being from going out? Then you must refrain
from everything that excludes you from this community, that severs the
attachment to your paradise!
See to it that you are not, all of a sudden, as
the saying goes, "abandoned by all good spirits" and instead
surrounded by evil ones! (van Gogh "Crows in the Wheatfield")
You are
unable to enjoy the "hours of happiness" (Agni Yoga 338) of
meeting your spiritual brothers and sisters if you have drunk alcohol, eaten
too much or given in to irritation, dejection or aggressiveness. We see:
Guiding Thought:
Spiritual discipline is not an ordeal,
but a source true joy –
because it keeps your vibration
at an elevated level
The discipline of Good is a self-generated joy. The calmness of a yogi
is not due to detached imperturbability, but to an inner, flaming joy. Such is
the path of discipline. (Supermundane 559)
Discipline of spirit strengthens the wise. (Fiery World II, 42)
2. 4 Main Exercises
Nicholas Roerich "Warrior of
Light"
To preserve joy is a spiritual exercise!
The four
main exercises that help you to transform into a New Man, which we discussed in
the Video "We are creating the Man of the Future", also apply to the
attainment and preservation of joy:
At the
beginning of this Video, we had already dealt with the 1st main exercise,
namely establishing a serene state of your being in the morning meditation.
Finding
elation in contemplation is relatively easy. The great difficulty on the
Spiritual Path is to maintain this high vibration in everyday life on earth; to
fill the whole day, every moment with joy; to do every, even the most boring
work cheerfully.
To be glad when the sky is blue and the sun shines brightly is not much of an achievement.
But very
few succeed, and only with much practice, in keeping a merry disposition under
all circumstances, even in bad weather, misfortune, hardship and worry.
Guiding Thought:
The fire of joy
must never go out!
"What a beautiful goal! How do I reach it?"
With the
help of the other three main exercises we are now
going to talk about:
2nd Main Exercise: Close your Eyes and step
before the Teacher
"When I am cast down by the ignorance, wickedness, or selfishness
of my fellow men, I often fail to find joy through a mere change my thoughts.
It seems hardly possible to rejoice in such an attack."
Yes, I
often feel the same way. The reason for this is:
It is hard to find joy on your own.
You can
hardly pull yourself out of the swamp by your own
pigtail or bootstraps. That is why Agni Yoga teaches:
One cannot pass without a teacher, one cannot advance without him, one
cannot attain without him. (Fiery World III, 154)
So the
solution is: You close your eyes once in a while
during the day.
Guiding Thought:
Visit in spirit
the ashram of your teacher
and throw yourself at his feet
For a tiny moment you leave the evil world. You take refuge in the
teaching, in the teacher and in the community.
Believe me,
you will experience yourself: In this supermundane atmosphere of solemnity and
peace, all the burdens and sorrows of the material plane fade away. You are
instantly being uplifted
Here you will get back quite naturally to the right, namely to joyful
thoughts!
Here other
standards apply: What happens to your transient personality on earth has no
significance whatsoever for your Eternal Individuality in Heaven.
You may weep at the breast of your Heavenly Father and let Him comfort
you, like St. Bernard was consoled by Christ. (Francicso
Ribalta "Christ embraces St. Bernard of Clairvaux")
"What is your advice to someone like me who does not yet have such
a close relationship with his Spiritual Guide that he can go to see and embrace
him?"
Create in
spirit, with the help of your imagination, your own personal place of refuge in
the Higher World to which you can withdraw at any time.
For example, on a mountain peak or in another place in nature. (Nicholas Roerich
"Mountain Peaks")
Retreating
there has the same uplifting effect as visiting the teacher in meditation.
Watch again our Video "Exercise Elevation".
You should go to your meditation-room, -rug or -cushion much more often
during the day – physically or in spirit. Remember the salutary custom of the 5
prayer times in Islam!
3rd Main Exercise: Immediately counteract a
Drop in Vibration
When your
vibration drops and your joy of being dries up, restore it immediately.
"How do I do that?"
Guiding Thought:
You reject sad thoughts
and replace them
with cheerful ones!
"You say this so simply as if it were that easy!?"
First:
Watch again our Video "Mastery of Thoughts" where this exercise is
explained. Then we repeat: We are talking about a process of awareness: Just
become aware again of the many reasons for joy we just listed in Chapter III.
Memorise the most important ones so that you have them ready in case of
emergency!
Do not remain struck down on the ground – get up again immediately!
You may
also go through the 7 steps of the "Initiation to Agni Yoga" (see the
Video of the same name) in a matter of minutes – this will get you back on your
feet immediately!
The essence
of this main exercise is:
You are living in constant vigilance. You control every moment the state
of your mind.
You
sensitively register the slightest attack on your joy of being, for example
through moods such as irritation or dejection, through desires of your body, or
through assaults from your fellow men.
The sooner
you notice a drop in your vibration, the easier will it be for you to rise
again. The deeper you fall, the more difficult it is to regain the summit of a
serene state of mind.
Guiding Thought:
Only you
can deprive yourself
of happiness!
You do not
control the events (which is often impossible), but your reaction to them in
thoughts, feelings, words and deeds. This is completely and solely in your
power.
4th Main Exercise: Evening Meditation
At the
latest in the evening meditation, you return to the realm of eternal joy. You
give yourself an account of when and why you lacked cheerfulness during the
day, so that you can do better tomorrow.
This must
not remain abstract!
You should focus your day entirely on enjoying your greatest happiness
in the evening!
Practical Tip: Mantram "Joy, Joy"
To cheer
ourselves up, my wife and I are used to call out the words "joy, joy"
to each other as a mantram every now and then during
the day.
You may have heard that wise people, in an hour of danger, have
sometimes exclaimed—joy, joy! This exclamation could not have signified mere
autosuggestion. They knew about the treasure of joy and, as it were, wished to
draw therefrom a kindling of feelings necessary for achievement. One can borrow
out of the Treasury inexhaustible forces, but they should be evoked flamingly.
(Fiery World II, 258)
Rejoice! rejoice! rejoice! For the yogi must know the wisdom of joy. The
teaching of the Blessed One [Buddha] is to
safeguard the joy of spirit. (Agni Yoga 212)
Exercise: Create a Stock of joyful
Thoughts!
Build up a
store of joyful thoughts that you can draw on in gloomy moments!
Auch das ist Kunst
ist Gottes Gabe,
aus ein paar sonnenhellen Tagen
sich so viel Licht ins Herz zu tragen,
dass, wenn der Sommer längst verweht,
das Leuchten immer noch besteht.
This too is art,
is God's gift
to take from a few sunny days
so much light into your heart
that when the summer
has long since passed
the resplendence is still there.
(Goethe)
One should succeed in building up a stock of joy, and in testing it in
diverse circumstances and in all kinds of weather. (Brotherhood 20)
Chapter VI: What do you
achieve through Joy?
Let us now
look at what you can achieve through joy.
1. Strength through Joy
Popular
wisdom has always known: Through joy you gain strength!
Urusvati knows that even during difficult days joy generates power. A
new supply of strength comes to you every time you allow yourself to be joyous. Among the Muses there is the Muse of Joy, but you
can invite this Protectress only by beautiful words and thoughts. (Supermundane
231)
Urusvati knows the power of joy. Each experience of joy in the good,
even the most ordinary, heightens one’s vibrations. Thus
can be shown how a joyous person is made stronger. (Supermundane 823)
If you go
through life in good spirits, you are protected from negative influences!
Joy at achievement is a shield of beauty. You already know how abysses
have been crossed through joy and trust. Not only courage, but precisely joy
makes you invulnerable. Even great achievements have been simplified through
joy and trust. (Fiery World II, 110)
It sounds
incredible, but the Masters teach: Even machines work better when people
operate them in a cheerful mood. The good vibration also has
an effect on the apparatus.
Even a machine works better when it is used with joy. (Supermundane
55)
With this
power you realise the Kingdom of God on earth, a Heavenly world, which
obviously can only be a sphere of joy!
When joy keeps its glow even under the most
difficult circumstances, the Agni Yogi is filled with impregnable strength.
There, beyond the most difficult ascent, the Fiery World begins. The
manifestation of the Fiery World is immutable. A Yogi knows that nothing can
stop him from attaining the Fiery World. (Fiery World I, 561)
2. Success
through Joy
Only if you approach an issue with enthusiasm will you be successful.
How can one attain success? Remember, through joy.
Does your joy suffice to quicken the ascent? We always counsel joy. It is
necessary to realize and remember that you have succeeded when you rejoiced.
(Fiery World I, 663)
We have spoken many times about this bridge of joy.
One’s joy will be the guarantee of future success. The Guide helps best where
the spark of joy glows. (Supermundane 639)
This is not esotericism, mysticism or philosophy, it is physics!
According to the Law of Correspondence (see the Video of the same name), if you
radiate good energies, you will attract positive forces which will help you to
succeed.
Also, physics teaches that success is created in joy.
(Fiery World I, 659)
If people would only understand that the sending of
sorrow returns as sorrow, but joy sent is joy increased. Such filling of space
was known even to primitive man, when he said, “I will not allow sorrow to
interrupt the stream of happiness.” (Agni Yoga 618)
3. Health
through Joy
Dejection makes you ill. Joy makes you
healthy.
Illnesses can be cured by joy. (Supermundane 763)
A high vibration has a healing effect on the organism as well.
Joy provides the highest vibrations. The Thinker
always called for the realization of joy as the highest form of healing.
(Supermundane 741)
A happy disposition is actually a cure-all for
all kinds of physical and mental ailments. Every doctor knows: a
life-affirming, joyful attitude is half the way to recovery!
We want people to know where their panacea is – in
joy. (Supermundane 55)
What an indestructible immunity is created through
joy! (Supermundane 559)
Let us hear how ancient wisdom made use of this particular
medicine:
In ancient India there was a community of physicians
who were called “creators of joy.” They believed that for successful healing
the patient had to be surrounded by joy. They had learned about the healing
properties of joy that attract the best vibrations, both mundane and
supermundane; by this method, the patient’s condition was improved and his cure
proceeded successfully.
Physicians of other schools ridiculed the creators of
joy. They could not admit that the quality of vibrations assisted the physical
healing. Nor could they imagine the spatial power attracted by psychic
influences. Such an influence should not be a command, but a festival of the
spirit.
Also, it can be seen that when
the physician speaks with joy, the patient more readily trusts him.
Whether near a patient, or in the entire scope of
life’s creativeness, do not forget the healing quality of joy. (Supermundane
843)
This approach is an entirely scientific one, as it is based on
observation and experience.
Scientists must learn how much the rhythm of joy opens
the gates to an influx of psychic energy. Science should demonstrate how the
power of joy heals. (Supermundane 732)
4. Connection
with the Higher World through Joy
Nicholas
Roerich "Ecstasy"
Neither grimly nor morose, but only full of solemn joy can you approach
Paradise, the Higher World, the sphere of eternal happiness.
Learn to accumulate energy through joy, for with what
else shall we weave the threads to the far-off worlds? (Agni Yoga 546)
Urusvati knows how essential is joy
of being. It is not only a healing remedy but also the best helper for
communion with Us. (Supermundane 281)
5. Spreading Joy
is building the New World
Doré “The
Valley of Tears”
A joyful mind is more than just a private achievement.
Joy is indeed service to the common good! (Coat of Arms
of the Prince of Wales)
You thereby raise the vibration of your whole environment.
What strong thoughts will come to those who perceive
joy of being! The atmosphere around them will be purified, those near them will
feel relief, and We will smile from afar and approve the better currents.
(Supermundane 281)
You help your fellow men by radiating warmth and bringing light into
gloominess.
The Thinker constantly exhorted the disciples, “Let us
be joyous, let us be light-bearing.” (Supermundane
810)
Guiding Thought:
In the darkness of the world
be a giver of light and of joy!
Teaching joy you will not be mistaken. (Leaves of
Morya’s Garden I, 220 [251])
A yogi brings the gift of joy. (Supermundane 948)
May your enthusiasm shine and show others with your example the
marvellous path of joy of being!
Joy must shine, and by its Light be a beacon to many.
Who, then, can deride joy and Light? (Fiery World I, 638)
Let us take an example from those Fire-bearers, who
have traversed their assigned earthly path in beauty. (Fiery World I, 358)
Most people let themselves go and actually pollute
the planet with their depressing radiations.
You spread joy and thereby elevate your
fellow men!
This is no small thing, but a heroic deed!
How much enthusiasm must one develop in oneself in order to be a harbinger of joy! If a teacher has attained
such a degree, he merits all reverence. (AUM 127)
In this way, you humble pipsqueak can become a real healer of the earth
and of people! (Duccio di Buoninsegna:
"The Healing of the Man Born Blind")
This is how you create the New World in your environment, which will
certainly be a kingdom of joy!
Imitate Jesus: He descended into hell and created even
there an oasis of joy by bringing light into the darkness and leading the
suffering out of their misery. (Beccafumi “Descent of Christ into Hell”)
"Many a grumbler, however, does not wish to be
ignited!”
Then, for your own protection, you should withdraw, so that at least
your fire is preserved.
Chapter
VII: Pleasure and Renunciation
There is a whole philosophy (e.g. by Camus) which warns you not to
renounce any pleasure in the here and now because of the vague hope of finding
some uncertain fulfilment sometime in the future. This is nonsense, of course:
Every day begins with a renunciation: If you want to participate in
life, you have to get up and leave the cosy warm, soft
feather pillows of your bed.
1. Walk a Path
and pursue a Goal
Cézanne
"Landscape. Road with Trees"
Many a person proclaims:
"Joy means doing only what I feel like doing at
the moment. I do not renounce anything and relish everything that life has to
offer."
What a wretched attitude! There is a much higher and deeper
satisfaction than indulging in the brief pleasures of your lower nature!
It is in the nature of man
to walk a path and to pursue a goal.
Thereby we differ from the animals!
Great minds have purposes, others have wishes.
(Washington Irving)
Guiding Thought:
If you do not strive
to advance evolution
– your own and that of humanity as a whole –,
you will fail in your mission
You want to achieve a goal: For example, to become a top athlete, a
concert pianist or a master craftsman? Then you will have to perform, adhere to
a certain way of life and give up many a thing. You must learn and practise a
lot (for example, playing the piano) while others enjoy themselves – there is
no other way.
The same applies to a disciple who has resolved to follow the Spiritual
Path, the ascent to Mastery, and to take the earth a step forward towards a
better world.
2. No Compulsion
and no Prohibitions
Compulsion, commandments and prohibitions have no value. You will feel
yourself when further progress towards your goal makes it necessary to give up
meat, tobacco, alcohol, sweets and other material pleasures – at some point in
time may be even sexual intercourse.
The longer you keep yourself in the Fiery
State, the more the craving naturally decreases.
One day you will feel disgust for too sweet chocolate, fatty food,
coarse meat and dazing alcohol. Then abstinence becomes a relief, even a
liberation for you.
Throwing off a physical burden enables you to tread
new, higher, more spiritual paths!
Privation means acquisition of possibilities.
(Community 263)
Practical Tip:
Not Renunciation, but Goal-fitness
A way you take not of your own accord, but under pressure, is certainly
not the right one for you yet.
On the right path there is no compulsion.
Voluntarily you learn, practise and give up certain pleasures.
"Why should I?"
Because it is so much more important for you to reach your goal. That
is why Agni Yoga does not speak of renunciation, but of goal-fitness!
On the path of goal-fitness, a yogi appropriately
relinquishes desires in the name of the most essential. (Agni Yoga 259)
If you want to strengthen your soul, you must not take any poison that
weakens it. If you wish to become greater, you must give up that which makes
you small. If you want to fulfil your mission, you have to
avoid everything that stands in the way of achieving it. It is as simple as
that – namely, pertinent and purposeful!
3. Pleasures of
the Body and of the Soul
Barlach
"Spiritual Warrior"
The fanatics pretend that there is something evil about the natural
functions of the body.
"Do you not also teach struggling with the dragon
and thus hostility to the body?"
No, our tool was created by the spirit. It is a necessary, advanced
stage of evolution. We will not demonise it, but:
Guiding Thought:
We want to reach higher!
We want to overcome the animal within us. Not because it is evil, but
because it is outdated. Because we do not like it ourselves any longer! Because
we feel that we have to leave it behind us if we want
to climb the next rung of the ladder. Because we want to fulfil our destiny,
which is to develop the higher potential hidden within us.
You defeat the dragon within you in
order to reveal the divine that slumbers there.
*****
Nothing of
what the body delights in can satisfy the soul!
Our spiritual being longs for spiritual pleasures.
In
exchange, we must give up lower delights because they make the higher ones
impossible.
Austere is the path of approach to Brotherhood. Earthly joys leave us.
But much higher and deeper joys come to take their place. (Helena Roerich
Letters Vol 2, letter of 19.07.1937)
You leave
the earthly behind, beneath you, in order to be able
to live in Heaven.
"What are these higher enjoyments?"
Helena
Roerich gives the answer:
The joy of the nearness of the White Brotherhood, the joy of the
possibility of cooperation with Them, the joy of constant broadening and
deepening of the understanding of life and active cosmic laws. Likewise there is no small joy from contacts with the
harmonious hearts of the closest friends and co-workers. (Helena Roerich
Letters Vol 2, letter of 19.07.1937)
Example Meditation
To begin
very simply: You cannot enjoy the bliss of meditation, of communing with your
teacher, if you have cheated a fellow man or committed other evils during the
day. You experience that you are unable to connect if you have drunk alcohol or
eaten too much or too heavy.
Therefore,
you will voluntarily refrain from everything which deprives you of your
highest, namely of a spiritual pleasure.
I entrust you to reject all that demeans communion with Us. (Agni Yoga
183)
4. Overcoming with joy
Far better
than mournful renunciation is:
You are enthusiastic!
About the
ideal, the goal you want to reach; about a high being, your teacher, whom you
want to imitate and approach; about the Kingdom of God
you wish to establish on earth. Therefore, you cultivate what brings you closer
to the higher level and avoid what takes you away from it.
In surmounting, there is joy. (Supermundane 922)
Every spiritual pleasure strengthens your soul and makes it joyful.
"What are spiritual pleasures?"
Anything
that raises the vibration of your Eternal Individuality, for example: Studying
the Holy Scriptures, meditation, elevated thoughts, ideas and ideals, enjoying
the beauty of nature or art. In these pleasures of the soul
you will indulge.
Your
Eternal Being is full of joy when its vibration is high, when it is in its
original state of purity, wisdom, power, joy, light and love. Then it is great,
strong, beautiful and healthy.
Every physical pleasure weakens your soul and makes it sad.
Post coitum omne animal triste est. After coitus every being is sad.
"Why is that so?"
Your soul
is saddened by every step backwards that lowers its vibration and makes it
impure, small, sick, weak and ugly. Feel the pain of your heart over every
unworthy deed! Do not pass over or suppress it!
Guiding Thought:
It is a pleasure to avoid everything
that defiles my Higher Self!
So far we had said: Most physical pleasures, at least if they
exceed a certain, small measure, are harmful to your soul. Now we go a step
further and recognise:
Spiritual poison is also lethal for your joy of being!
Example Food
Every, even
the smallest intake of material food lowers the vibration of your Eternal
Individuality, which after all is a spiritual being. This is not asceticism,
but physics!
"So shall I now gulp down my food listlessly?"
No, of course you may eat with pleasure (just as you should do
everything that is necessary cheerfully!) – but only that small amount which
your body really absolutely requires for its survival.
5. The Rule of the Ashram
Nicholas Roerich "Stronghold of the
Spirit"
"Don’t you establish numerous rules as well? For example, in the 10
Pillars of the Practice of Agni Yoga where there are precise instructions as to
the rhythm of the day, diet and much more? Do not the words "one
must" constantly appear in the books of Agni Yoga?"
This is a
misunderstanding: With his Ashram, a great teacher has founded a Holy Place and
is cultivating a higher way of life there.
The
greatness of this project excites you. You want to join in and enter the
temple. Then you cannot help but adapt to the (higher) order that prevails
there.
The teacher has created a paradise. If you wish to live there, you must
not disturb it. (Nicholas
Roerich "Star of the Morning ")
Do not
follow the regulations of strangers! Hearken to the knowledge of feeling of
your own heart that whispers: You had better stick to these laws and customs,
for it is they which create the sublime, solemn atmosphere in the first place,
which attracts you, which you love, for which you long and in which your
Eternal Individuality can best grow and flourish.
6. Synthesis: Overcoming for the Love of
something Higher
It makes no
sense to ban fun-loving young people from dancing, drinking wine, going to the
cinema, playing cards and similar pleasures, as the fanatics do. The better way
is:
Guiding Thought:
You learn to grow fond of
your dreams and ideals!
Only enthusiastic love for a higher cause is the right impulse to give
up something outdated.
It is easy to say that people should not drug themselves, but they
should then be offered a higher alternative. (Supermundane 500)
"What are these higher things which I can love so much that I will
joyfully give up lesser delights?"
We summarize: The synthesis of all thoughts that lead to elevation and
joy is: I am a Higher Being, an immortal man of spirit
of the 6th race. I am in the Fiery State of high vibration and resplendent with purity, wisdom, strength, joy of
being, light and love. I am living in a Higher World, in my personal paradise. (Nikolaus Roerich „Stronghold in the Mountains“)
Maintain unshakably this attitude! Then no sadness or desires will come
up.
Chapter VIII: Enthusiasm
A
particularly high form of joy, namely fiery joy, is enthusiasm!
The joy of achievement is luminous, but even more luminous is spiritual
joy. There is no precise term for the essence of spiritual joy, but it would be
most appropriate to call it fiery joy. With the help of spiritual joy, we can
sense the fieriness of all of nature. This understanding will most easily
elevate us to the Supermundane World. (Supermundane 810)
1. What is Enthusiasm?
Titian "The Descent of the Holy
Spirit"
“By the way, what exactly is ‘enthusiasm’?”
Enthusiasm
is an expression of the fact that you are filled with higher energy.
At times people notice a particularly intense manifestation of psychic
energy. They may call such a state enthusiasm, or attribute it to particularly
high spirits, or sufficient rest, or renewed strength. However, they simply
sense the intensity of their own energy. (Supermundane 382)
This energy
transports you to a higher state, also called rapture or ecstasy. What we have
called "energy" scientifically, we can understand spiritually as
"spirit":
The enthusiast is filled with the Holy Spirit.
One may suffuse one’s heart with the Holy Spirit. (Fiery World I, 336)
A person
thus "seized", as is aptly said, is in constant communion with the
Higher World.
To be filled with the spirit means to place oneself in direct communion
with Hierarchy. All kinds of magical methods are used in attempts to achieve
Higher Communion. But the new approach to the Highest directs one to the
example of spiritual warriors who approached direct Communion above all through
the heart. We learn of prophets, spiritual warriors, who never fell into
ecstasy, yet their every word was a word of the Testament. Even in the old Testaments we see prophets who
were always saturated with the spirit. (Fiery World II, 236)
People must grow to love enthusiasm as higher communion. (AUM 449)
In this the
new differs from the old man: Does the Brotherhood's call for progress and
heroic deed arouse your fieriness, or are you already inwardly dulled or even
dead?
There are many touchstones. It is possible to test the consciousness of
people by the most fundamental concepts. Tell them about evolution and
development, advancement and heroic deed; and without any apparatus you will
perceive how such a call is received. It must be accepted joyously,
courageously, and with enthusiasm; but most often you will note faltering,
doubt, and self-pity. Whereas a single word about heroic deed ought to inspire.
A single thought about advancement should multiply forces tenfold. (AUM
446)
2. How to achieve Enthusiasm?
“Tell me, how is it even possible to find enthusiasm in these depressing
times?”
Enthusiasm
is kindled by elevated thoughts and ideas.
Enthusiasm of the spirit is a fierily creative energy. Enthusiasm of the
spirit saturates each manifestation with the best aspirations. Every attraction
of fiery energies from space is based on an exalted feeling. (Fiery World III,
384)
However,
only if you do not remain inactive but actually strive
to realise your ideal.
The fiery magnet of the heart is ignited by lofty thinking and striving.
(Supermundane 860)
A true yogi
also burns to expand his consciousness and to increase his knowledge.
The expansion of thinking will already be an immeasurable joy. Only
along with true discoveries is it possible to arrive at permanent enthusiasm.
(AUM 449)
Is there anything that can replace the joy in the growth of
consciousness? (Community 216)
Attached to
the Higher World and inflamed with love for your teacher, you yourself become
fiery.
Turning to the Higher World must evoke enthusiasm and expansion of one’s
forces for the expression of the beautiful. Such qualities are born not of fear
but through love. (Fiery World II, 292)
3. Enthusiasm for what?
"What is it I can be excited about? Often it is not easy for me to
jump out of bed in the morning with enthusiasm for the coming day."
Oh, if you
do not know that it will be hard to find your life’s happiness.
Why aren’t
you passionate about the four heroic deeds of an Agni Yogi, which we had
already talked about in the Videos "Exercise The
Fiery Condition" and "Initiation to Agni Yoga":
Working on the artwork of the New Man, working on the artwork of the New
World, spreading the New Man and spreading the New World.
Guiding Thought:
Get enthusiastic about every new day,
because it offers you the opportunity
to take your transformation into a man of spirit a step forward
and to make the world a better place!
"Can you express this less highflying and more suitable for
application in everyday life?"
It is
precisely high ideals that allow you to overcome the horrors of grey everyday
life! But I understand what you mean. We can express it more simply: According
to the 10 Pillars of the Practice of Agni Yoga, what, for a spiritual person,
are the four spheres of life?
Connection with the Higher World or meditation, service to the common
good, service to the neighbour and education or self-improvement.
This, in
the spiritual sense, is your daily work, the content and meaning of your life.
Strive to find ever new enthusiasm for these exciting projects:
To weave another fibre into the Silvery Thread of the connection with
your teacher, to contribute another stone to the building of the New World, to
do another good deed and to take another step on the Spiritual Path. (Verhaecht
"The Tower of Babel"; Schnorr von Carolsfeld "The Good
Samaritan")
If today in
one year the Silvery Thread is 365 fibres stronger, the building of the New
World is 365 stones higher and you have climbed 365 further steps on the ladder
of ascent, that will mean a tremendous achievement and great progress which
will make you joyful and proud.
4. What do you achieve through Enthusiasm?
Ubertini "Baptism of Christ"
“How does enthusiasm help me?”
Elation
strengthens your powers and elevates your being.
Depression reduces vitality, but exaltation creates a beautiful renewal.
(Supermundane 247)
Enthusiasm
knows no obstacles or limits! It overcomes all difficulties victoriously.
All obstacles fall before fiery exaltation. (Supermundane 810)
People will no longer be perplexed by the problems of earthly life,
knowing that many tasks can be solved by a higher degree of enthusiasm.
(Supermundane 141)
If, on the
other hand, you are lacking fire, even trifles will obstruct your progress.
A warrior can be intimidated by a mouse if in his heart burns not the
fire of faith and striving. (Fiery World II, 379)
Being
inflamed at work, you can raise the quality of any labour, even the most
commonplace, indefinitely.
The quality of an action depends upon one’s enthusiasm. We know that
enthusiasm affects and ignites the aura. This state of enlightened tension can
arise during any labour. The ancients called it divine greeting, for it alone
can endow every task with the radiance of perfection. We emphasize that each
task must be performed with enthusiasm which leads to improvement. The finest
craftsman knows that the quality of all levels of work can be continually
improved. (Supermundane 461)
The embers of the fire of the spirit purify you. (Tintoretto "Baptism
of Christ")
Ignited, in
a Fiery State, you are not susceptible to the desires of the body.
Enthusiasm of the spirit burns away the physical. (Supermundane
810)
Fiery joy expands the consciousness, and draws all the best
accumulations toward itself, as a fiery magnet. The essence of man is
transformed and the so called old man is burned away.
(Supermundane 810)
Enthusiasm
is a powerful protection against disease and the many dangers that are lurking
around every corner in everyday life.
Not without reason is the state of ecstasy called the radiance of the
Fiery World. Such a radiance protects man against infection. It purifies the secretions, it is as a shield. Therefore
a state of joy and exaltation is the best prophylaxis. Whoever knows enthusiasm
of the spirit has already been cleansed against many dangers. (Fiery World III,
450)
Elated you are immune!
What matter all dragons to a spiritual warrior? He takes no notice of
the enraged monsters, because enthusiasm is a secure shield. You already know
how closely enthusiasm unites one with the most powerful energies. (AUM 446)
Inflammation
of the spirit is your last resort and refuge when the world around you collapses.
Only the flame of the heart can warm when the accumulated coverings are
torn apart by the storm. (Supermundane 232)
5. Maintain Enthusiasm at
all times
It is a
mighty challenge to keep your ardour undiminished in the
midst of grey earthly routine!
Inspiration, exaltation, and also enthusiasm,
as it is called, must be consciously sustained. It is a mistake to surmise that
the rewards of self-development come from without; a fiery hearth lives in the
depths of the consciousness. Man must perceive it, must safeguard it lovingly,
and must summon its forces, only then can outward help be given. (Supermundane
704)
Do not
allow your fire to be suffocated by the trivialities of daily life!
People must not kill each enthusiasm. (AUM 449)
The sacred tremor must never become an everyday porridge, but when the
tremor left the very best Teachings, they turned into assemblages of empty
husks. Take an oath that the sacred tremor shall not leave you. (Heart
509)
Inflammation must not be a brief, temporary state. It should carry you
through the whole of your daily life.
We do not value ephemeral flashes, but We do value the inextinguishable
flame. (Supermundane 455)
Each man experiences enthusiasm, but these sparks of lofty elation occur
as isolated flashes and do not transform the whole life. But such states of the
spirit are possible even amid trying conditions. Let us imagine such an exalted
state as continuous, it will then bestow a still higher enthusiasm, and all
that exists is likewise being elevated. (AUM 449)
Guiding Thought:
The ideal is:
You are continuously inflamed with enthusiasm!
How beautiful it is to be constantly aflame! There is
no dungeon such that the fire of the heart cannot illumine it. Thus, be aflame
with beauty! (Fiery World I, 410)
The Sacred Fire must always be alight. (Fiery World III, 526)
The Teaching of Agni Yoga demands you to be
continuously on fire. Sometimes respite from outer manifestations is needed,
but the inner flame is inextinguishable. One should accustom oneself to the
manifestation of constant fire. Our flame burns like a bonfire. It is unworthy
to suppress it. (Agni Yoga 414)
6. Spreading Enthusiasm
First ignite the fire of the spirit within yourself so that your whole
being is inflamed!
Man is destined to kindle the fire, which dwells in all manifestations
of creation. One should remember that powerful energies have been entrusted to
man; therefore, whoever does not kindle the spirit does not fulfill
his destiny. (Fiery World II, 447)
Then pass
on your fire!
Ignite your fellow men with the embers of your enthusiasm;
kindle with your flame the fire of their spirit!
This is true success, when the invisible fire kindles human hearts.
(Agni Yoga 375)
One flame becomes two!
There was one flame, now it has become two – which means good has been
accomplished. (Fiery World I, 192)
No great
words or gestures are required for this. When you are on fire, your very
presence, your high vibration, is enough to inflame your fellow men.
The Teacher must be aflame to such an extent that his approach alone
imparts the fire. Such an everyday task is difficult, yet people are tested
precisely in everyday life, which is the sister of Infinity. (Brotherhood 471)
Chapter IX:
Transfiguration of Life
My
favourite term from the vocabulary of Agni Yoga is "transfiguration".
"What is meant by this?"
You
transform distress, suffering and unhappiness into joy not by altering the
circumstances (which is usually impossible), but by using the power of your
spirit, by changing your consciousness.
When our consciousness is completely transported into the domain where
there is no fear and depression, then we are
invulnerable to any filth. (Fiery World II, 72)
Guiding Thought:
Transfiguration of life means
overcoming external difficulties
through a proper mental attitude!
Whatever
the conditions are – you rise above them. You maintain serenity even in the
worst situation. With this mental approach you turn the thorns on your path
into roses.
No other joys can be compared with those spiritual exaltations which are
experienced by a true disciple. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol I, letter of
24.06.1935)
If you do not succeed in this adjustment of your thinking, you will
remain stuck in the darkness of material hell.
Life is dark without the transfiguration of the spirit. Why disfigure
life, when it can be beautifully transfigured? (Supermundane 921)
"How do I attain this wonderful transformation?"
Live the
life of the heart!
Bringing the heart closer to life as the guiding principle is not simply
repeating previous Teachings but brings about a true transfiguration of life.
(Heart 447)
"What does that mean in practical terms?"
Listen to your soul: it is always full of joy!
It lives in
a higher sphere where it is not affected by material things and takes advantage
of apparent misfortune to gladly continue its spiritual ascent.
Let us not forget the symbol of transfiguration, which shows the
physical existence being transformed into the subtle. (Heart 245)
1. Transfiguration of everyday Life
"Where is the way out of the depressing joylessness of grey
everyday life?"
You cannot
change the narrowness and pettiness of the surrounding circumstances. But you
can adopt a new attitude towards them:
Guiding Thought:
You can transfigure any everyday situation!
"How exactly am I to achieve that?"
There are
two things you have to do:
First: You
bring a breath of fresh air into your life by changing, so to speak, the
wallpaper against which your everyday existence takes place.
You choose
a new scenery, a different spiritual background for your earthly life:
In your true existence, at the foot of the Holy Mountain, in the
presence of your teacher, every hour of your life is sublime, great, beautiful
and solemn. (Nicholas
Roerich "Mount of five Treasures")
For a man who stands in the presence of eternity, everything that
happens to him, and everything he does, is great and beautiful, for then
everything has a sublime meaning.
Few know how to overcome the dragon of everyday routine. But such heroes
multiply their forces tenfold, and each day they raise their eyes anew unto the
heavens. Since Infinity exists, the spirit of man has no single commonplace
instant. (AUM 319)
Second: You
redefine the role you play on the material plane.
Grow to become a hero of everyday life!
"How can I little midget rise to the height of a hero?"
Strive to
appear in the grey monotony no longer with your transient personality, but with
your Eternal Individuality: As an immortal, as a king of the spirit, or as a
disciple of the Brotherhood.
One should note not only the achievements of apparent heroism, but also
the great path of kingliness of the spirit amidst daily life. How beautiful is
the path of a kingly spirit! (Fiery World III, 41)
A king of the spirit must first of all reveal
himself in a small circle of life. (Fiery World III, 56)
In such a
high function every one of your actions becomes a great deed!
Man transforms his life into an unending heroic deed. (Supermundane
865)
It is better to transform everyday life into a festival of the spirit
than to dirty the flowers with everyday dust. (Agni Yoga 304)
Guiding Thought:
Your everyday life is transfigured
because every step is a heroic deed
that brings you closer to your goal
The Service is so great that each step already constitutes a heroic
deed. Each day, with each thought, something significant is being accomplished.
(Fiery World II, 465)
This is
meant literally: With every word you speak, with every deed you perform, and
with every errand you are running, you have your
mission in mind and think:
I am about to carry out the Higher Will.
I am walking the path to God! (Yesudian “Path
to the Summit”)
When action premises a great goal, each step must conform to the
destination. (Fiery World III, 313)
We see
again:
You rise from the filth of the earthly existence by changing your
thinking!
I shall not weary of reiterating that one must think loftily in order to rise above the dust. (Fiery World I, 510)
*****
Always
remember: Everyday life in your family and at work, not some fictitious dream
world, is the touchstone of your achievement.
Guiding Thought:
Do not run away
from everyday life,
but transfigure it!
Above all, We value the achievement of harmony
in everyday life. Most of human life passes in such routine, and people should
be evaluated by how they stand this test of daily life—whether they can
preserve harmony in their domestic environment, resist petty irritations, and
rise above boredom. (Supermundane 324)
In everyday
life – where else? – you must know how to remain attached to the Higher,
luminous Spheres of eternal joy.
Many unseen circumstances are hidden in daily life, and one must find in
them the joy that elevates one into the supermundane existence. May people
remember that they build their human dignity amid daily turbulence; such an
achievement will be permanent. (Supermundane 324)
Let us not forget that in the most everyday life are laid the
foundations of the world’s grandeur. (Fiery World II, 97)
2. Transfiguration of Work
Georges de la Tour "Joseph as a
Carpenter"
A free consciousness can transform labour into a festival of spirit.
(Agni Yoga 347)
"How do I accomplish this?"
Change your
attitude! Remember what you are labouring for: With your effort you are
contributing to the Great Work of the Brotherhood for the common good, for the
progress of evolution.
Work on behalf of the Hierarchy is never boring!
People turn everything into the ordinary, and then not only the
personal, not only the public, but even the spiritual cannot be pursued with
all enthusiasm. But if our daily labour is consecrated in the Name of the Teacher it cannot be ordinary or tiresome. If we forget for
what we labour, boredom will cover us with its shroud of decay, and all the
jesters of the world will not be able to provoke a smile in us. (Agni Yoga
467)
With every
work necessary in the community, however insignificant it may seem, you relieve
the Mahatmas of a part of their enormous burden.
Let us remember the shocking case in Halcyon, California, the seat of
the community Temple of the People: Because the members assigned to the job
failed to milk the cows, the head of the community, the high priest, the doctor
and chief of the hospital had to take over even this task, too!
You fulfil
your duties reliably! The Masters can depend on you!
This thought alone should make you happy at work!
Whoever can rejoice at each day’s labour is on the way to Brotherhood.
(Brotherhood 350)
The person who carries out the most tiresome labour most joyously proves
himself an unshakable winner, for he is overcoming the burden of boredom.
(Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 358 [362])
Practical Tip: Improve the Quality of your
Work
Guiding Thought:
Whatever you do,
do it well!
This
applies even, indeed especially, to the small everyday tasks like cooking,
washing up or dusting.
Striving for quality transfigures all work.
Not by manifestating a special world, but
through the quality of daily labour do we approach the Fiery World. (Fiery
World I, 307)
Find
pleasure in improving indefinitely the quality of all your work!
Each task must be performed with an enthusiasm which leads to perfectment. The finest craftsman knows that the quality of
all levels of work can be continually improved. We can say the same about Our
labours. (Supermundane 461)
Everything
can always be perfected: On the one hand the circumstances and on the other
hand you yourself! There is something great and beautiful to be done at every
moment!
Joy in eternal labour is the destiny of the great and ascending one. We
speak of eternal ascent. (Fiery World I, 385)
3. Transfiguration of Property
The
existential question of the right attitude towards property as well we solve
through the concept of transfiguration:
People do not know how to deal with possessions because they do not wish
to understand the meaning of the mental transfiguration of the earthly into the
subtle plane. (Heart 281)
Eliminate
egotism! Consider your goods as the property of the Hierarchy and yourself as
their manager on behalf of a Higher Authority. Then
you can joyfully and with a good conscience cultivate a small and even a large
estate.
So let us once again invoke the Teacher and in thought pass this
cumbersome load on to Him. He will be able to transfer our mental gift still
higher. That is how we can solve the problem of possessions. Thus, even the
very concept of ownership disappears, and we remain the custodians of the
property of the Hierarchy. Thus, the Name of the Teacher will constantly
accompany us, and we shall smile as we dust off the objects that the Teacher,
out of confidence, has entrusted to us. (Heart 281)
Thus the concept of personal property will be easily transformed into one of
property owned in common. Man will be the guardian of the earthly treasures.
(Supermundane 831)
Guiding Thought:
Manage your possessions as
trustee for humanity.
Improve them constantly
for the benefit of the common good
It is good to understand that one can possess things without a feeling
of ownership. It is good to possess things in order to
take care of them, and even to imbue them with a benevolent aura, with the
intention of passing them on to others. The “hand of creativity” dwells in a
home that is free of attachment to property, and that which has been improved
will spread joy further. The principle of the giving hand will be constantly
put into practice; in this lies the justification for possession of objects. Once
people understand this, the most difficult problem is solved. (Leaves of
Morya’s Garden II, 92)
We human
beings need material things for our survival. It is
just a matter of using them properly, that is, in the interest of all of
us. It is therefore advantageous if land, tenement houses, means of production,
business enterprises and all other goods are in the hands of selfless,
spiritually minded people, and not of egotists.
I am saying this for the world, because the main cause of the world’s
destruction is attachment to non-existent property. When possession free of a
sense of ownership arises, it will open up the path to
everyone without the restrictions of conventional inheritance. Whoever can
improve something shall possess it. This pertains to lands, forests, and
waters. The law is simple, as is everything of the spirit. (Leaves of Morya’s
Garden II, 92)
Renunciation of earthly possessions is an aberration.
How is one to deal with possessions? We know about renunciation, but if
something already exists, how is it possible to regard it as non-existent?
Besides, wouldn’t looking at things in that way be destructive? (Heart
281)
It is
hypocritical first to give up everything and then to live at the expense of the
community, off the work of others.
There are some people who think they should give everything away,
thereby becoming a burden to others! To such people we might speak with these
words of the Teaching, “Who has said that one should give away foolishly? The
folly remains even then.” (Helena Roerich Letters Vol II, letter of
24.09.1935)
Even the
much-reviled business of traders can be justified and transfigured if it does
not serve a profit interest but the exchange of products, which is vital for
humanity.
People found ways to interpret Truth for their own profit. The expulsion
of the merchants from the Temple is a symbolic warning, but the Temple must be
in spirit. This means that greed must be banished in spirit. No one can forbid
the exchange of daily necessities, but merchants must attend to their business
enlightened by the fire of their hearts. In this way even the most basic
elements of life can shine with the radiance of good. (Supermundane 168)
4. Transfiguration of Obstacles
We have
just spoken about how you can transfigure obstacles and difficulties: You learn
to rejoice at them and take advantage of them for your spiritual ascent. This
is one of the most important exercises in practical daily life.
5. Transfiguration of earthly Sorrows
Van Gogh "Mourning Man"
The worries
remain. They even increase the higher you climb! That is unimportant. The
crucial thing is the attitude you take towards them.
My advice is that you realize that the number of cares cannot be
lessened. Only thus do we realize that joy is a special wisdom. (Fiery World I,
522)
Have you
really internalised this? Then you will also realise: The solution cannot lie
on the material but only on the spiritual level:
You overcome everyday worries by recognising their deeper meaning:
They show
you where there is still something left to be done. They offer you the
opportunity to perfect yourself or the world a little bit further. You can only
be happy about that reminder!
Earthly cares are like stones rolling down a mountain. The lower down
they roll, the more violent the impact of the landslide. Would it not be better
to ascend to the very summit where there are no falling stones? Upward striving
also transfigures earthly cares. Even though they continue, their meaning is
altered. (AUM 304)
Cast the sunlight of the Self obliquely on the cares of daily life, and
they will swiftly turn to golden opportunities. (ALH I, 5)
You may as
well hand your worries over to the Hierarchy – then you carry them together
with others, which is much easier.
When I say, “Be not too much concerned about tomorrow,” this does not
mean that I am advising you to be a sluggard. All thinking must be directed
into the future; one should labour for the future, but one’s care about the
sacred future ought to be directed through Hierarchy. Then one’s thought about
tomorrow will assume its proper meaning. Thus, the care, purified by Hierarchy,
will not be an earthly one, though it will preserve action and usefulness.
(Fiery World II, 125)
Even
popular wisdom knows:
A sorrow shared is a sorrow halved. Together we are strong.
6. Transfiguration of Dangers
Carus "Clouds of Mist"
The
Teaching gives a beautiful example of how you can transfigure terrible things
such as fears and dangers: Transform them in spirit into something positive,
namely into obstacles and thus into stepping stones, without which you would
not be able to climb the summit at all.
Think about the meaning of danger. So-called danger is nothing but fear
for one’s present condition. But if we know that every condition is created by
the consciousness, which is indestructible, then there can be no fear for one’s
well-being. The dangers that one customarily fears are
dispelled by a broadened consciousness. Therefore, the growth of consciousness
is the essential foundation for progress.
Then there will be no dangers, there will be only obstacles. Overcoming
obstacles is a means for the developing of energy. If the mountain is perfectly
smooth, one cannot ascend to the summit. Blessed are the stones that tear the
sandals of those who ascend! Assure yourself, therefore, that dangers do not
exist. Poor is the consciousness that has no control over passing emotions.
(Agni Yoga 406)
7. Transfiguration of Death
Dürer "Death"
We
immortals transfigure even death, which is so terrifying to our mortal fellow
men, merely by changing our thinking:
You
realise: You continue to live on, you cross over to a higher, better world, and
will receive a new, beautiful, young body in due course – now, then, what is
there to be afraid of? You can only rejoice at this prospect!
Once the truth of eternal life is broadly accepted, the world will be
transformed. (Supermundane 348)
Chapter X: Transformation
into a cheerful Sun-Heart
Occasionally
I hear that the ideals of an immortal, a king of the spirit or a disciple of
the Brotherhood, which I regularly present, are too ambitious for some of you.
"Yes, I don't regard myself as a king either, and I'm not sure
whether I can meet the strict requirements that are placed upon a
disciple."
Well, then
let us choose a very simple role model which will embellish the life even of
any "normal" person:
Let us transform into cheerful beings with a sunny disposition!
Instead of
an Interior Monastery, we are now speaking of inner joy, and instead of a monk
or a spiritual warrior, of a sun-child.
"What do you mean by sun-child?"
Well,
someone who, like the sun, constantly radiates light, love and warmth into his
surroundings. Agni Yoga calls such a person a "sun-heart."
Just as the sun is the heart of the solar system, the human heart is the
sun of the organism. There are many sun-hearts, and the Universe represents a
system of hearts. Everyone has felt astonishment at how a ray of the rising sun
instantly warms everything. The heart can do the very same thing! (Heart 62)
One who has been warmed by the sun carries warmth with him. People wish
to warm themselves in proximity to him. Is it not the same with the flaming
heart which is attached to the Fiery World? People hasten to the glowing heart
to warm themselves, and avoid the deadly cold. (Fiery
World III, 478)
Modifying a
word of the Master about the New immortal Man (Agni Yoga 553), we may
say:
Joyful man – will this not be worthy of the future?
Begin your transformation into the New Man by making yourself a joyous
man! (Nicholas Roerich
"Krishna")
"How do I become such a darling of fortune?"
As we had
discussed in the beginning: You step before your teacher in the morning and put
yourself in a state of high vibration, which means: You fill your being with
purity, wisdom, power, light and love, but above all – with joy.
At this moment you are a sun-heart!
We remember
the wonderful words of the Dalai Lama:
If every 8 year old in the world is taught
meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.
If
meditation can turn you into a peaceful, it can also make you a cheerful
person.
*****
In the course of the worldly day, you then "only" have to
defend this higher state of your being and meet all challenges with a serene
smile.
We had
already discussed this practice in the Video "We are creating the Man of
the Future": A mental attitude becomes a habit over time, and a habit
grows into a quality. In this way, you too can make yourself a merry, sunny
person.
Superior Smile
Leonardo da Vinci "Mona Lisa"
You had
asked every now and then how you recognise a New Man when you meet him (Video
"We are creating the Man of the Future"). Here is another
characteristic feature: The outward expression of the successful transformation
into a sunny being is a superior, loving smile.
A smile carries power. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 47 [50]
And that in
all, even the most terrible circumstances.
Smile at the difficulties upon your path. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I,
105 [116])
Accept the harsh lessons with a smile. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 109
[121])
Smile at each disparagement; this is the sure sign of a miracle. (Leaves
of Morya’s Garden I, 372 [436])
Equipped with this unshakable inner serenity, despite all your toiling,
you have not only a smile but even a cheerful song on your lips. (Nicholas Roerich
"And we are trying")
Thus, porters bear their heavy loads up mountains with a song.
(Community 180)
To pass over all abysses in song, is possible only for a selfless
spirit. (Fiery World III, 75)
In this
elevated state of mind higher energies flow down to you.
We send the light to those who smile at darkness. (Leaves of Morya’s
Garden I, 6)
The flame of the smile cannot be extinguished, because it is fed by the
Divine warmth. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 307 [363])
Guiding Thought:
As long as you maintain
this superior, loving smile,
you are a higher being!
We conclude
the Video on joy with magnificent words of the Master:
Walk light of heart, rejoice even more, and follow the
higher path! (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 43 [46])