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Discipleship in the New Age II - Teachings on Initiation - Part IX
Hint Four. "The initiate knows, because he works. What does this hint mean to you?" The entire story of evolution is covered in these few words. The Christ put it in other words when he said "If any man shall do his will, he shall know"; under the occult law, doing ever precedes knowledge because knowledge is gained through experiment and experience. The disciple or aspirant works always in the dark, particularly in the [394] early stages of his unfoldment, following a deep and hidden instinct towards right activity. By that hard and persistent performance of duty, under the pressure of conscience at first, under the impulse of his awakening soul, and under the influences of the Master, he moves forward from darkness to light; he discovers that obedience to his spiritual instincts leads him inevitably into the realm of knowledge, and that knowledge - when acquired - is transformed eventually into wisdom. He then becomes a Master and walks no longer in the dark. Aspirants usually bitterly resent the many cycles of darkness through which they seem to go; they complain of the difficulty of working in the dark and of seeing no light anywhere; they forget that the ability to work in the dark or in the light is all one inherent capacity. The reason for this is that the soul knows nothing but being, and light and dark are - to the soul - one and the same thing. Above everything else, knowledge comes through conscious experiment, and where there is no experimental activity no experience can be gained. Knowledge is the reward of both these factors - a knowledge which is not theoretical but which is proven, factual, and the intelligent result of hard work; it is also the result of frequent distress (rightly handled) and of spiritual anticipation. The above is true of the life and work of the individual aspirant as he tackles the problem of his own lower nature and prepares for the stage of becoming a soul-infused personality; it is true also of the working disciple, seeking knowledge and wisdom as he works out the hierarchical Plan as best he can. He must perforce experiment and gain practical experience; he must learn the meaning of both success and failure, and the knowledge which can be gained thereby. Knowledge comes at first through the struggle to move forward into greater and clearer light; then it comes as the aspirant (seeking soul expression) learns to forget himself in the need of others as they demand whatever light and knowledge he may possess; wisdom takes the place of knowledge when, in the transmitting fires of struggle, pain and [395] hard work, the aspirant transforms himself into the working disciple and is gradually absorbed into the ranks of the Hierarchy. There are other and deeper meanings than the above, but I have here indicated to you the way to fuller knowledge; the latent significance will inevitably reveal itself, as you work through experiment and experience and from experience into a manifesting expression of divinity.
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