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AGNI YOGA WEB TV SERIES „THE 10 PILLARS OF THE PRACTICE OF AGNI YOGA“ 4th Pillar: Obedience Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to a new Broadcast. Everything great is simple. Therefore, in
essence, it is very simple to walk the spiritual path, the path of the soul: You
just need to be obedient and follow the instructions from Above, that is all -
no more and no less. Then you will ascent with certainty, how ever the
circumstances look like in which you live. In his great work "Resurrection", Tolstoy describes with wonderful words
his revelation: Man must fulfill the will of God in order to attain the state
of salvation for himself and for human society as a whole. When he had read the
Sermon on the Mount, which had always touched him, he saw in it for the first
time today not beautiful abstract thoughts, setting forth for the most part
exaggerated and impossible demands, but simple, clear, practical laws. If these
laws were carried out in practice (and this was quite possible), they would
establish perfectly new and surprising conditions of social life, in which the
violence that filled him with such indignation would cease of itself. Not only
this, but the greatest blessing that is obtainable to men, the Kingdom of
Heaven on Earth would be established. The Master's will is expressed in these
commandments. If men will only fulfill these laws, the Kingdom of Heaven will
be established on earth, and men will receive the greatest good that they can
attain to. Today, we will be talking about this exercise
of obedience. 1. Repetition Let us start with a short repetition too make sure
that we all know where we stand: You remember the 10 pillars of the practice of
Agni Yoga? We had discussed in
the last three Broadcastings the threefold spiritual discipline, namely defence
of the higher consciousness, rhythm of the day and nourishment according to
spiritual principles. In today's and the following
two Broadcastings, we shall turn to the three principles of a spiritual life,
namely obedience, living in two worlds and selflessness. 2. Submission to the Cosmic Law The old man has lost the consonance with the
cosmic order. He fancies to be entitled to give himself his own laws and to be
allowed to unscrupulously pursue his small, limited, personal interests. This attitude
has dreadful consequences for the planet. Our age suffers from the fact that people no
longer believe in a higher law and in binding instructions from the upper world.
It is not so long ago that at least our leaders knew that they were installed due
to the "grace of God" and are responsible to Him. We ought to obey God
rather than men. (Acts 5, 29) The much-ridiculed and misunderstood term
"sin" means nothing else than a violation of the cosmic order. Humanity grows weak to such an extent, because it evidences disunion
with the Highest Will. (Hierarchy 293) Our higher mission requires that we adapt to
the current of the evolution of the spirit. Evolution is the plan of God for
the earth, for man and for cosmos as a whole. To this Higher Will we have to
submit unconditionally. There exists only one law which governs the entire Cosmos — the Higher
Will; along this line the evolution of the spirit is created. (Hierarchy 88) This is the only way out for today’s suffering,
baseless, insecure and wavering humanity. Only the realization of the Higher Will can lead the spirit toward its
goal. (Agni Yoga 660) It is only by carrying out the divine will on
the material level, that man fulfills his task as a co-worker of evolution. Man is the creative fulfiller of the Cosmic Will! (Hierarchy 72) Without obedience there is no progress for
humanity. Thus, let us apply the higher laws to the earthly plan. (Hierarchy 291) You are on the spiritual path, if you no longer
live as you please, according to your moods, but if you allow the personal to
be dissolved into the higher, the greater; if you give up your own will and
submit to the divine will. So Jesus
says: Thy will be done, as
in heaven, so on earth. (Luke 11, 2) For I came down from
heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (John 6, 38) And Agni Yoga: Personal desires are transformed into the all-guiding Universal Will.
That is how cooperation with the distant worlds develops. (Heart 68) Obedience means living rightly, disobedience wrongly.
The latter leads to suffering. Live aright today and
the morrow will be right; live wrongly today and tomorrow will surely bring you
remorse and discouragement. (Teachings of the Temple, Volume 1, Lesson 135
“Blood Sacrifice”) People must learn that they harm themselves
when they do something that violates the cosmic law, such as selfish acts,
cruelty to animals in industrial farming, abortions, wars, etc. When you violate the
Law you bring violation upon yourselves. Only themselves can they injure. Every soul should order his life according to
Higher Law. (Teachings of the Temple, Volume 2, Lesson “The Crossing of Swords”) To obey means to live in harmony with the
cosmic order and your own mission. Only thus you can act successfully. Every
disobedience is a violation of this order, which inevitably leads to chaos. 3. Integration into the Order of Hierarchy In addition to the principle of infinity -
applied to us humans: of the immortality of the soul -, the principle of
hierarchy is the second fundament of the New World. The New Man must recognize the Hierarchy of the
souls that ranges from the blade of grass to the Christ and beyond (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 139 [Part Two
IV 12]). He must take his place in this line of development. The laws of
cosmos imperatively require the subordination of the lower under the higher,
the small under the great. Verily, the sign of belonging to the Sixth Race will be the acceptance
of the law of the Highest Leadership, the acceptance of Hierarchy in all its
magnitude. (Helena Roerich, letter of 31.07.1937) Without integration into the Hierarchy, there
is no construction of the New World and no fulfillment of the human mission. In
the temple of the Hierarchy, every single little stone has a function only by
its place in the larger structure. So, if you want to take your place, you need
to confidently assume the leadership of the Mahatmas
who alone know the plan for the whole construction and therefore your place within
it. How can we expect to build anything strong if we do not accept the
irrevocable Indications of Hierarchy? The Guiding Hand is the Uplifting Hand. (Hierarchy 32, 33) The whole Hierarchy from the lowest up to the
highest levels, is built upon the principle of obedience. Obedience is the
foundation without which no hierarchy can exist. Everyone must be fitted in. He
who does not want or is unable to achieve this, has no place in a hierarchy. A Hierarch is a link of a chain and One who fulfills the Will of a
Higher One. Only thus can one respond to the higher assignment. (Hierarchy 35) Only obedience can ensure that the Higher Will is
passed down from the highest point through the many intermediate steps of the
ladder to the lowest everyday level. Here, the Higher Will is converted into
material reality. Disobedience interrupts this flow of the Higher Will. The Chain of Hierarchy is built by fulfillment of the Higher Will. (Agni Yoga 661) The law of the Hierarchy states: The higher
levels take the lead, and the lower ones follow. Only contact with the
Higher can give the direction. (Hierarchy 63) If, as it is unfortunately often the case on
earth, we allow the lower levels to guide us, it is chaos that reigns. This severance from the Higher and submission to the lower, in other
words, equation with the lower, is the menace of our time, and it is leading
toward the deterioration of our planet and its possible premature destruction. (Helena Roerich, letter dated 10.09. [10.?] 1934) 4. Joyous Obedience The real disciple loves to be led by a wiser
man. This makes his life and the fulfillment of its tasks easier. In fact, it is
a relief to be able to serve under the guidance of someone greater than you yourself. Let us receive the command of the Cosmos not slavishly but impetuously! (Community 58) He who understands this, obeys not grudgingly
but joyfully. Please try to understand that every cell of our being should rejoice
when we fulfill the Higher Will, as only in this way can we learn and broaden
our consciousness. The one who fulfills more precisely will approach closer. (Helena Roerich, letter of 21.01.1931) The immutable integration into the chain of Hierarchy
is a source of strength and a real support on the path. On the Path of the Soul,
the Crystal Path of the Higher Law, there is no support whatsoever, to grasp or
lean upon, save direct obedience to the soul's own decision and command to
stand within the Crystal Light, which gives it sheer power to hold, to walk
upright and scale the sharp incline to the top. The slightest deviation from
such course must invariably loosen the feet from their security, cause them to
slip or fall. They fall because they deviated from principle, came under the
spell of the Tempter for the slightest fraction of a second it may be, thus
yielding to the doubts, subtleties, ambitions and snares of their lower nature,
thereby losing their grip on the one sure support for spiritual mountain
climbing, the support of obedience and faith. (Teachings of the Temple, Volume
2, Lesson “The Crystal Path”) Only if you are on the right path of succession,
support is flowing down to you from above. If you are integrated, you can be
certain that the blessings of Hierarchy rest on everything you are doing. You
can even make use of the power of the Hierarchy if you are working on their
behalf and in their name on earth. These, My people, can use My Power. (Leaves of Morya’s
Garden II, 285 [288; Part Three II 18]) Only if you yourself obey those above you, you
can demand obedience from those beneath you. A Master has won
whatever power he possesses by means of obedience to the laws. (Teachings of
the Temple, Volume 1, Lesson 41 “Our Natural Birthright”) 5. The Rule of the Disciple We had repeatedly spoken about the need to choose
a teacher and follow him. It is obvious that in the relationship between
teacher and disciple, the duty to unconditional obedience applies even more:
The teacher walks ahead. He knows the way better than you. When I speak of the need of fulfilling My Indications, I ask you to
fulfill them with complete precision. I can see more clearly, and you must
learn to follow the Indication, which has in view your own good. (Fiery World I, 79) He has a plan, which you do not fully grasp. We should always remember that sometimes we have no idea what result
the Teacher has in mind. A careful fulfillment of the command — that is all that is expected of us. (Helena Roerich, letter of 07.07.1932) The only just woken up soul is still like a little
child, who has no choice than to make his first insecure steps trustingly at
the hand of an adult. Small children, even without knowing the reason, tend to obey the
guiding hand. (Agni Yoga 278) Your teacher has already overcome the
difficulties with which you are still struggling. He leads you on a safe path,
which has been tested for eons again and again by himself and others. One may remember that We lead those who have entrusted themselves to Us
along the paths of well-tested magnets. One can trust a helmsman who has
already crossed the oceans. (Agni Yoga 657 = Hierarchy 40) It must be clear to the Agni Yogi: The concept
of succession necessarily requires the concept of leadership. Without obedience
there is no succession. Each teacher has his own requirements - if they do not
suit you, you should turn elsewhere. What sense would it make to choose a
spiritual teacher if you do not intend to follow his advice? If you really want to be a chela[disciple], i.e.
to become the recipient of our mysteries, you have to adapt yourself to our ways, not we to yours. (Mahatma Letter No. 30 Whoever enters the Ashram of a teacher has to
submit to the rules in force there. Otherwise it will not be possible to live
together in community with the teacher and the classmates. The student of higher
wisdom differs from other people precisely in this, that he puts his entire
life under the iron law of the disciple, under the rule of Inner Monastery. The
small success of the pseudo-spiritual ones is due to the fact that they do not
get serious about the integration into the Hierarchy and the compliance with
the instructions from Above. If you would pass
beyond the masses, you must be subject to higher laws than those which govern
material substance. (Teachings of the Temple, Volume 1, Lesson 21 “Prayer”) The community of the teacher and his disciples
is a fighting force with an almost military discipline. What more nearly compares with Our Communit — a choir of psalm-singers
or an armed camp? Rather the second. One can imagine how it must conform to the
rules of military organization and leadership. (Community 183) The teacher loves those disciples who are
devoted to him. How can a servant please his master? Only through obedience. He
must give the master what is rightfully due to him. The least that the Lord may
require is obedience, otherwise there will be no fruitful cooperation. Cooperation in the Great Work of the
Brotherhood is possible only on Their terms. He who is unwilling to submit, is useless
for Them. So it says in the Bible: If you love me, keep
my commandments. (John 14, 15) Why call ye me, Lord,
Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6, 46) And in Agni Yoga: My warriors, I can assemble you according to usefulness and devotion. (Hierarchy 118) No one may expect personal leadership if he is
not willing to subordinate himself. No spiritual teacher will undertake the
effort of personally leading someone who is not even willing to follow the
basic instructions, the most elementary laws of the spiritual path. Why should
he spend his valuable time and energy on someone who in fact does not want to listen? So that My Forces not be spent in vain, you should obey. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 186 [212]) He who does not obey deprives the Hierarchy of the
opportunity to lead him. Until the disciple is
willing to accept the estimate of the Master as to the possibilities for
profiting by the personal supervision of that Master, the latter would be
wasting his time and effort. (Teachings of the Temple, Volume 2, Lesson “Attainment”) Only if you are close enough to the higher
powers, you can expect to receive reliable instructions. The Higher Will is transmitted to the closest spirit. (Hierarchy 178) Who is nearest to the teacher? The most devoted,
the most obedient disciple! The most devoted will be the greatest. Is it not said that Ananda, the
most devoted disciple of Buddha, was a thousand times greater than the other
Buddhist Arhats? (Helena Roerich, letter of
15.01.1931) Therefore, not only for humanity as a whole,
but also for the individual there is no progress without obedience. In fulfilling My Will, thou givest Me the possibility to fulfill thy
will. Where is the boundary line between the wills that strive toward Light? (Hierarchy 40) 6. The three Sources of Obedience There are three sources of obedience: First there are the Holy Scriptures - such as
Bhagavad Gita, Bible, Koran and Agni Yoga. Here the necessities of the cosmic
order are reflected. Next you have to obey the instructions and
orders of your immediate superiors, of your teacher and the masters of the
higher degrees. If in a particular situation concrete
directions cannot be obtained, you need to learn to act in the spirit of the teaching
and the teacher. Ultimately, obedience is due to the law which you
find within yourself: To obey also means to trustingly fulfill the commandments
which are given by your own higher self. 7. Complete Devotion The inclusion into the Hierarchy requires total
devotion. How, then, can one be affirmed in the Chain of Hierarchy? Only by
complete assimilation of the Plan of the Lords. (Hierarchy 228) The higher instructions must be fulfilled to
the smallest detail. Strive to fulfill the smallest instructions of the Teacher. This is the
only way to victory. (Helena Roerich, letter of 17.12.1930) That means: Fully, unconditionally and without the
least qualification. Devotion is of value only
when it is manifested in the fullest measure possible, to such an extent that
man cannot manifest it more strongly. Each half-measure in devotion must be attributed
to the field of evil. (Supermundane 492) Half-measures are inadmissible. The worst of all is
half-measured thinking and half-measured striving. Halfness shown by the disciples
throws them back a millenium. (Hierarchy 302) This is especially true for the one who decided
to follow the spiritual path. He must not allow the slightest deviation of his
daily practice from the chosen ideal. It is most pernicious when halfness insinuates itself into one who is
affirming himself upon the path, because then there results a conflict between
thoughts and actions. Without wholeness there can be no construction. Hence,
the disciples must understand how important it is to have complete striving. (Hierarchy 303) Higher instructions must be carried out either completely
or not at all, otherwise they miss their purpose. If you are given a piece of cloth sufficient for only one garment, you
will not be able to make a complete garment out of just half of it. Similarly,
if you accept only half the advice you are given, you will not achieve a full
result. People like to extract a part of given advice and afterward complain
about their unfulfilled expectations. Wise advice is a medicine whose formula
cannot be changed. (Agni Yoga 488) He who, depending on how it pleases him, partly
follows and partly dissents, is in truth disobedient and causes only damage. A half-fulfilled instruction is like a house without a roof or a
half-dose of a salutary medicine — either may bring harm or death. (Helena Roerich, letter of 13.05.1931) The false friends are picking out of the law
only those parts which are agreeable to them. Because of the other parts, which
they reject, they are in fact apostates. When they are told
that sacrifice is the first key to this knowledge they begin to seek for some
personal cause for the suggestion in the mind of the one who has given them the
knowledge of that key. If they are told that personal purity is a requisite
they begin to search for some way of minimizing the necessary degree or finding
some method of indulgence which will modify the severity of the demand and
still permit them to retain their standing. If they are shown their duty toward
those who are pointing the way, they lose no time in trying to see how far they
can go in an opposite direction without jeopardizing their chances of success,
or in finding some excuse of a personal nature which will justify their
recreancy. (Teachings of the Temple, Volume 1, Lesson 143 “Unity”) If you are unable to accomplish this obedience,
you rather should not start with the spiritual path at all, because otherwise
he runs the risk of committing treason. People hypocritically repeat the words of the Teaching and at the same
time think without shame about inadmissible actions. The instructions that are
sent can only be applied to life in full measure. Therefore We advise you
either to approach with full devotion or not at all. (Supermundane 376) Such an obedience is a difficult task.
Unfortunately, usually only a small fraction of the instructions is being
carried out. Let everyone think and recollect how many instructions were not
absorbed, how many were fulfilled only partially, and how many precious advices
and hints were not applied at all.
But usually a disciple does not
see and does not fulfill even a tenth part of the instructions. (Helena Roerich, letter of
21.01.1931) 8. Cooperation Obedience is the first step towards a conscious
cooperation with the supermundane powers. The first tender bond between us and
the Masters is woven by our following their commandments. What is Hierarchy if not discipline? Obedience is the first step toward
it. (Helena Roerich, letter No. 29 of 1937) Here comes a very important sentence: Every
executed instruction brings you one step closer to the Mahatmas. Any disregard of their decrees moves you away from them. Each instruction applied in life is a step closer toward the Great
Teacher. (Helena Roerich, letter of 12.12.1934) When the teacher sees that you have fulfilled an
instruction, he will give the next one. Only thus the cooperation with the
higher spheres is growing. The one who better fulfills the Cosmic Law will be closer to Hierarchy. (Agni Yoga 659) Disobedience damages the Great Work of the
Brotherhood: A co-worker is lost because he proved to be unsuitable for further
tasks. The connection fades when that what is given is not applied. 9. Test Obedience is the first test for an Agni Yogi:
Is he really ready to recognize the greater ones above himself, to trust and to
follow them unconditionally? Or does he remain entangled in selfishness, does he
continue to go on his own small, insignificant and unapproved ways? The true total devotion to the Master is proved
not by words, but by obedience. You are being tested by difficulties, whether you
are reliable and worthy of your master. Prove your ability for
discipleship by obeying the laws of discipleship. (Teachings of the Temple, Volume
2, Lesson “Your Choice”) Only if you have proven your ability to obey in
all the small trials of everyday life, you recommend yourself for higher tasks. Each entering member
receives what he demands by his adherence to or repudiation of the said laws.
He can rise to the apogee of his opportunity, or fall below the level and be
placed accordingly by the Lodge in some other sphere of experience or activity.
(Teachings of the Temple, Volume 1, Lesson 128 “The wise Man”) In the chain of the Hierarchy applies: Those
who cannot obey, will not be admitted to serve, and certainly not to rule. Each
general must begin as a common soldier. Every leader and teacher has not only disciples
beneath him, but also a Hierarch above him, whom he himself must obey. The one who does not know the art of obeying will not attain the art of
commanding. (Helena Roerich, letter of 19.10.1929) Every leader must first of all learn to
obey, otherwise how will he know what is a command and what is fulfillment? (Helena Roerich, letter No. 29 of 1937) This means above all: He who is unable to rule himself,
cannot be allowed to rule others. How can we rule
cities, nations, planets – rule with God – until we rule ourselves? (Teachings
of the Temple, Volume 2, Lesson “The
Foundation Stones of the spiritual Temple”) So everyone has to start the exercise of
obedience with himself. A youth asked a Sage to teach him how to be the ruler of a nation. The
Sage said, “Willingly, but first you must become the ruler of your heart; when
you have mastered that kingdom, come to me.” (Supermundane
658) Larger power you will only get when you have
proved that you are able to establish the rule of the spirit over yourself. If you cannot be
faithful to the vows you have taken to your Higher Selves, what security can
you give to the Law that you will remain faithful? If you cannot obey the laws
you have sworn to uphold, how can you sit among the Law-Givers and hand down
just decrees to the executors of those laws? (Teachings of the Temple, Volume 1,
Lesson 34 “Fulfillment”) 10. Freedom and Necessity The old man fancies that obedience is incompatible
with his freedom. By freedom he means to be able to do and to omit to do whatever
his lower self suggests. The immortal, however, joyfully accepts the
immutable laws of the Universe as a reasonable and equitable order and brings his
thoughts and actions in accordance with them. Therein lies the true freedom. The loftiest freedom can be realized in the Supermundane World, where
laws are understood as a beautiful and immutable reality. (Brotherhood 3) Obedience to the law
by love for law and order gives highest freedom to the soul. (From the Mountain
Top, Volume 3, Lesson “Freedom”) Once again, Goethe has found the appropriate
words: Not that makes us free
that we do not want to recognize anything above us, but on the contrary that we
worship something that is above us. For by worshipping it, we rise up to it and
reveal through our recognition of it that we ourselves bear the Higher within
us and are worthy to be its equal. (Goethe to Eckermann, 18.01.1827) Cosmos does not work according to desire, but according
to necessity. The torrent is rushing on not because of its own desire, but because of
an inevitability born of necessity. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 205
[Part Two VII 16]) He who sees the observance of the cosmic laws
and necessities as a restriction of his freedom, does not yet understand the
order of the world. It should be remembered that freedom requires a high discipline, and
those who manifest disorder and confusion cannot be regarded as free. (Supermundane 832) If you do not adapt to necessity, you must
fail. What is success if not the effect of the correct application of the
law? (Hierarchy 230) Really free you are only when you realize: The
laws of existence are unchangeable. Whoever does not comply with them, will be
forced to do so one day by sheer grief. Therefore, it is better to voluntarily
accept them as a just order and to bring one's individual will in harmony with
the global plan. Man imagines that his will is unrestricted and begins to violate the
fundamental laws. But the will is of value only when it is strictly in harmony
with the laws of life. Most people do not understand this, for to them the will
is equivalent to wilfulness, but a wise man knows that will and freedom can
live only in safeguarding lawfulness. (Supermundane 327) Of course, you have a free will. But that only
means: You have at any given moment the option to proceed in accordance or in
conflict with the Higher Will. The point is that the will may be harmonious with the Higher Forces, or
it may be chaotic and working against construction. Freedom of will is a
prerogative of man, but without harmony with the Higher Forces it becomes a
misfortune. (Brotherhood 103) We can actually - seemingly paradoxically -
say: Obedience is the price of freedom! Freedom is the release
of the soul from the ancient bondage of the lower self. Having paid the price
demanded by the Higher Self, by perfect obedience to the Law it has previously
broken, the soul is free indeed, free of all things save the Law; and having
become one with the Law, through that perfect obedience, it is its own lawmaker
thereafter. (Teachings of the Temple, Volume 1, Lesson 244 “The Cause of Failure”) The recognition of the necessary should not be a
restriction, but on the contrary a help to you. A heroic act is a realization of a necessity. Only through
consciousness of utter urgency will you swim across. (Leaves of Morya’s
Garden II, 205 [Part Two VII 16]) Because the recognition of the necessary means
already half the way to the goal. If one is imbued with a realization of the necessity, then more than
half the obstacles in the way will be removed. (Community 136) As long as you act in accordance with the
higher plan, you will overcome all difficulties. But if you turn against the
current of evolution, of necessity, you cannot succeed. People realize that their heart is aflame. Thus it is, as it were,
joined to something unalterable. In conformity with this immutable law it is
possible to pass over the most dangerous abyss. (Fiery World II, 454) A real master in the art of living makes conscious
use of the existing laws in order to achieve his objectives. By his powers of
invention and mechanical skill man is able to take advantage of the divine laws
to carry out his purposes. Yet those very powers are powers of the divinity in
man, and his success in any field of life depends upon implicit obedience to
the divine laws which govern that field. (Teachings of the Temple, Volume 1,
Lesson 230 „A Supreme Being”) 11. No Compulsion You must obey voluntarily. Obedience under
compulsion is of no value. Hierarchy has nothing in common with coercion. It is the law which is
disclosed. We oppose any coercion. (Hierarchy 410) Agni Yoga strictly rejects any constraint. All compulsion is condemned. Compulsory slavery, compulsory marriage,
compulsory labor, incites rebellion and condemnation. Each compulsion is doomed
to a reaction, and the worst form of compulsion is doomed to the worst
reaction. (Community 219) The disciple obeys his master with enthusiasm. Not the process of compulsion, but the smile of summons. (Community 108) The freedom of choice, the free will must never
be restricted, otherwise human dignity is violated. The freedom of the will must not be violated. (Agni Yoga 220) The principle of freedom of approach, freedom of service, freedom of
labor must be safeguarded. (Community 259) Agni Yoga rejects any fanaticism. It is a
terrible mistake to try to enforce an ideal by force. A man who affirms that in serving his own ideal he must destroy all
others not coinciding with his path, is a destroyer of the fundamentals of
evolution. The Cosmos requires expression of all that exists, and on the
spiritual plane equalization cannot take place. (Fiery World
III, 387) Leadership there must be - but without any
physical or psychical coercion. What is the nature of the Bodhisattvas' compassion? Without coercing
the will, They invisibly and patiently direct each suitable force toward good. (Agni Yoga 332) 12. Loyalty towards Yourself Obedience to God is obedience to yourself - to
your own higher self. If you obey, you remain faithful to yourself - to the law
hidden within yourself. Then you are living out of your true, divine nature.
Each deviation means betraying yourself - your higher mission. Prove your willingness
to serve God by serving the God in each other. If you will do these things you
will be swept on in the flood tide of the White Lodge force to final success. If
you will not do these things you will go down and out of incarnation, the world
no better for your having been in it, your opportunities wasted. It is yours to
choose. (Teachings of the Temple, Volume 2, Lesson „Your Choice”) This loyalty is the basis of your progress. Until man can learn to
be true to his Higher Self, true to his plighted words, true to the obligations
he is under, he can make no great advance on the ladder of life, no matter what
else he may do on other lines to effect such advance, for the foundation stone
underneath that ladder is Loyalty and without Loyalty life has no meaning. Then
the disciple may win the right to the title of Warrior of Light. (Teachings of
the Temple, Volume 1, Lesson 146 “Soul Memory”) As long as you remain faithful to yourself, you
will overcome all difficulties. There is but one
virtue which can take a chela over all the obstacles the whole of the Black
Lodge may lay in his pathway, and that is faithfulness. (Teachings of the
Temple, Volume 2, Lesson „Spiritual
Triumph”) The unconditional loyalty to yourself is the
guarantee for achieving the highest goal. A man or woman who
persists in being true to the Higher Self, who cannot be deceived by the
specious tales of others, that one takes his or her place with the Initiates of
the White Lodge when his trial is over as surely as tomorrow’s sun will rise in
the east. (Teachings of the Temple, Volume 1, Lesson 94 “The Soul Redeemed”) 13. Loyalty to the chosen Ideal Basically, the spiritual path is about one
thing only: To commit yourself to certain principles and to prove yourself by realizing
these values in the vicissitudes and trials that life offers every day. The Crystal Path, the
Path of the Soul Direct, requires closer adherence to principle. (Teachings of
the Temple, Volume 2, Lesson „The
Crystal Path”) The greater the principles are to which you
have pledged yourself, the higher is your path. To be a human being means to cultivate
an ideal and to fight for its realization on earth. If you could at all
times remember the great ideals you have loved and longed to materialize in the
days that are gone – ideals of courageous, selfsacrificing, noble Knights of
the Holy Grail; of sweet womanly, tender and faithful Ladies worthy of the love
and sacrifice of those Knights; of the unselfish, undying devotion, the
charity, helpfulness, wisdom and beneficence of the Priests and Priestesses of
the great Temples of antiquity, unweariedly pursuing the Path, sometimes by
fire and flood, in the midst of carnage and blood, through years of martyrdom,
on, on, to the topmost step of the great Initiation Stair; I repeat, if you could
always remember those ideals – remember what they meant to you when you made
the first conscious effort to reach to some height of the ladder of self help,
as well as what they have been to you on every upward step you have taken
since; through every soul-scorching sorrow or great joy; would you not be more
careful how you debased them, how you dragged them in the mire and mud of a
treacherous, unstable, unloving maze of mind ? (Teachings of the Temple, Volume
1, Lesson 67 “Love of Ideals”) It is really better to die than to be unfaithful
to the chosen ideal. The body perishes anyway, while damage done to the
immortal soul will continue to operate far beyond a single short earthly life. If
you give up your ideal, you sell your soul! The failure of men in
religious, in business, in social life might all be traced back to their loss
of faith in themselves or their ideas, and therefore a similar loss in the case
of their associates. He would be conscious of a loss of something in himself
that was the mainspring of his action. He would no longer be a magnet to
attract success to himself or those associated with him. (Teachings of the
Temple, Volume 1, Lesson 123 “The Responsibility of Leadership”) We therefore need to unconditionally defend our
vision. Therefore it behooves
you all to watch closely and protect the qualities in yourselves to which you
look for success. Keep your ideals strong and pure, and reject the thoughts and
influences which would tend to lower them. (Teachings of the Temple, Volume 1, Lesson
123 “The Responsibility of Leadership”) Our loyalty must serve especially the Brotherhood of Shambhala. They are in
urgent need of co-workers on earth, on which they can rely. Accept every instruction with all your heart. Devotion and loyalty are
the highest qualities. Only on loyalty one may build upon. Without loyalty
there is no true greatness. (Helena Roerich, letter of
29.05.1931) 14. Knowledge of the Higher Will Anyone wishing to serve the highest Lord, must
endeavour to find out His will. If the disciple is unable to recognize what the
teacher wants, he can neither follow him nor promote his plans. Do you want to
follow the commandment "Thy will be
done" (Luke 11, 2)? This presupposes the knowledge of that will. The words "Thy will
be done" do not mean to invite cowardly submission to circumstances and
conditions. They should voice the cry of the Soul for perception of the nature
of the divine Will and for strength to use that Will aright. (Teachings of the
Temple, Volume 1, Lesson 144 “Only one Will”) The first words of Saul, just having become Paul,
to his new God were: What shall I do, Lord?
(Acts 22, 10) This is also the crucial question of our life. True attainments are realized by the striving to cognize the Will of
Highest Reason. It is difficult to accept the cosmic direction without
understanding the Will of Highest Reason. (Infinity II, 458 [58]) People are helpless to despair when they do not
know where to go and what to do - when their Lord is silent and His will is not
clear. Where can the spirit direct itself without the Guiding Hand? (Infinity II, 548 [148]) Let us hear the distressing words of Jochen Klepper with regard to the
"Soldier King" Frederick William I of Prussia: God's will was not to
be recognized. How could kings govern? (Jochen Klepper, The Father) The disciple must in every detail, in the management
of all the great and small matters of his private and public life, find out and
enforce the Higher Will. Here always to make the right decision is our great
creative task. In some way one should combine the urgent problems of life with the
highest resolutions. (Fiery World II, 176) 15. Inner Guidance If you find an earthly teacher who reveals to
you the Higher Will, the better. However, evolution requires that you learn to wake
up the forces of cognition slumbering within yourself. You cannot rely forever
on the instructions given by others. The Temple student can at any time turn to his
spiritual leader for advice. In many cases, the teacher will respond when
called. Often, however, it must suffice to withdraw to
the higher self, and to look from this far-off height on the problem, in order then
to find a solution out of one’s own inner intuition. The language of the heart is the breath of the Supreme. (Heart 249) Both possibilities are virtually
indistinguishable anyway: The teacher, the higher guidance speaks to you through
your higher self! The spirit tells you how the teacher would act in your place.
The guide is within yourself! And now regarding the Voice of Silence, or the voice of the Invisible
Teacher. Most certainly, this voice may not necessarily be the voice of our
higher Ego, but precisely the voice of the Teacher; for these manifestations
are almost indissolubly linked with each other. Is it possible to hear the
voice of the Teacher if our higher Ego is in a "somnolent" state? In
true spiritual development our higher Ego is indeed receptive to the voice of
the Invisible Teacher. Therefore, when we begin to hear the voice of the
Teacher, we also hear the voice of our higher Ego. (Helena Roerich,
letter of 05.09.1935) The inner voice, our conscience, the voice of
the Divine in us shows the true and right path. Urusvati knows how decisively the voice rings from the depths of our
consciousness. Only the one who can acknowledge this voice can consider himself
to be on the path toward knowledge. Fortunate are those who have learned to
harken to the voice of the depths of the consciousness. Listen to the
forewarning and encouraging voice. Your judge – your friend – is always with
you. (Supermundane, 629) Let us therefore listen to our divine self! There is an Angel in
the heart of every human being. Ah ! children of mine, listen to the voice of
that Angel. (Teachings of the Temple, Volume 1, Lesson 217 “The World’s Travail”) You feel very accurately when you behave
unworthily. The fine sense of the heart is an infallible guide. Doesn’t a child feel ashamed after his first feeble attempt to lie? Who
is unaware of the warnings the heart gives every time an unworthy act is about
to be performed? Such actions of the heart transmit the best calls, but often
people force the heart to be silent. This is a grave crime. (Heart 367) The angel within yourself and the guardian
angel who accompanies you - both cover their heads in sadness when you deviate
from the path. Man himself is fully aware when he does something unworthy. Old
governesses used to say to children who had done something wrong: "Your
angel will weep." (Supermundane 431) You higher self speaks as an internal guide to you,
with the greater clarity and precision, the farther you have advanced on the
spiritual path. There is within each
and every disciple of the Lodge, even though he may have taken but the first
step on the conscious march toward victory of the Higher Self over the lower,
the instinct, intuition, or actual voice, according to the degree of his
development, which warns, protects, counsels, guides aright, if time be given
to silence the outer stir of emotions and listen to the word of light and
command within. (Teachings of the Temple, Volume 2, Lesson “The Crossing of Swords”) You must train yourself in order to be able to more
and more perceive the voice of the teacher within you. The Teacher watches the progress of the yogi. The sign of his progress
will be the ability to hear the voice of the Invisible Teacher. (Agni Yoga 174, 181, 185) The inner guidance is developed and
strengthened when you rely on it and follow its call. However, if you hear the
instructions of the Master, but do not execute it, then you corrupt the higher
senses and deprive yourself of help from Above. There is danger when an instruction is not carried out right away. This
is also harmful to the heart itself, for what could be more destructive than
commands to the heart that are not carried out? (Heart 486) If you, on the other hand, get used to execute
even the smallest order immediately and in full, you strengthen the connection,
and your inner voice will gradually speak to you clearer and clearer. The more
faithfully you perform what the Master requires, the more you will realize the Higher
Will, and the easier it will be for you to receive and to implement the next
instruction. Striving toward fulfillment of the Higher Will leads to sensitiveness
of perception. (Hierarchy 88) Let us listen to the great Indian theosophist Taimni: The ability to
recognize what is right, can only be acquired through making it our unshakeable
habit to do conscientiously and at all costs whatever is right, regardless of
inconveniences or losses that may arise for the moment. Again, we are dealing
with a virtuous circle. The more we adjust our lives to what we perceive as
right, the easier and more clearly we can recognize what is right; and the more
clearly we can see what is right, the easier it is for us to convert this perception
into right action. (I. K. Taimni, Self-Education and Self-Realization,
(Self-Culture in the Light of Occultism), 244, 245) By this exercise of obedience, we nourish our
higher nature, let it grow and gain power. As Sri Aurobindo says: The soul begins to unveil itself, the psychic personality reaches its
full stature. The soul, the psychic entity, then manifests itself as the
central being which upholds mind and life and body. A guidance, a governance
begins from within which exposes every movement to the light of Truth, repels
what is false, obscure, opposed to the divine realisation: every region of the
being, every nook and corner of it, every movement, formation, direction, inclination
of thought, will, emotion, sensation, action, reaction, motive, disposition,
propensity, desire, habit of the conscious or subconscious physical, even the
most concealed, camouflaged, mute, recondite, is lighted up with the unerring
psychic light, their confusions dissipated, their tangles disentangled, their
obscurities, deceptions, self-deceptions precisely indicated and removed; all
is purified, set right, the whole nature harmonised, modulated in the psychic
key, put in spiritual order. (Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, 941) Thus, the path lies clearly before us: To become
an ever more effective tool of the Master, an ever purer channel of His spirit.
This path starts with the small exercises of obedience of everyday life. If you
do not leave it, it continues up to highest cooperation. At the end, it is less
and less you yourself and more and more the Master, the Divine Spirit, which acts
through you on earth. To conclude this Broadcasting, let us hear
again Taimni with magnificent words: We try to do even the
most boring, unpleasant work with a song in our heart, if we feel that we are doing
it for Him. And if we continue to act in this attitude, we will find that
within ourselves takes place a very fine transformation. We feel that we become
more and more a tool of His life and His love. We feel that His power, His love
and His help flow through us to those with whom and for whom we are working,
but regardless of our own person. We are becoming a mere channel; but through
this channel flow His life and His love. And then, on an even
higher level, something more becomes clear. We feel that He dwells in our heart
and guides all our activities. He has always done this; but we, in our
selfishness and in the mistaken perception that we are the doers, were unaware
of this. We put all kinds of obstacles in His way and inhibited the flow of His
power and love. But now we have realized it and surrender entirely to this
inner guidance and current. Henceforth, He reigns within us and we are happy to
be His instrument. (I. K. Taimni, Self-education and Self-realization, (Self-Culture
in the Light of Occultism), 248, 249)
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