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Discipleship in the New Age II - Talks to Disciples - Group Instruction
August 1942 My BROTHERS: I would like first to remind you briefly of three points which I made in my last instruction. This is my last effort to bring you each in this incarnation up to the point in your spiritual development which would be entirely possible, if you so desired. Success or failure in conforming to requirements is entirely your personal affair. Each of you can be active or inactive as it seems best to you, but I would remind you that whatever you do affects your group - either constructively or adversely. There are outer processes at work which are effects of inner happenings in your own souls, in the Ashram and in the Hierarchy itself. My task is to aid you in fusing the inner and the outer events so as to bring about a true expression of the facts as they are in your life, in the Ashram life and in the Hierarchy. Your task is to develop sensitivity in these three classes of spiritual events. The group is the factor of importance and, as I said, increasingly the individual life of the disciple lessens and his group awareness and sensitivity increases. Bear this in mind as you master the hard lesson of impersonality - an impersonality shown to you by me, by A.A.B. and (so difficult a thing to learn!) by your own souls. It is an impersonality which you yourselves must develop and apply, once you love enough. Love is the basis of impersonality. This is, as I have repeatedly told you, an experiment in group initiation. This means that though each of you takes various steps in line with your particular point of development, there is also being developed by the Hierarchy a new technique which - when perfected and understood - will [24] initiate entire group units into the Light and into the "Labor of the Plan." Such a group must itself be composed of people who have taken initiation. As one of your group members will only take the first initiation next life, it is obvious that the group initiation to which I refer will not be taken in this immediate cycle. The rest of the group have to wait for him. In any case, they are not yet ready and there is much preparatory work to be done, much unfolding of awareness and developing of sensitivity before there can be a going forward together as the situation desired demands. The time equation is one of great difficulty to the average disciple. He is either working constantly under a sense of pressure and of haste or he is "strolling along the path of life," feeling that evolution is long and why, therefore, the need to make speed? Only a very few work from that point of balance which inhibits the spasmodic rushing activity of the intense devotee or the lazy moving forward of the awakened aspirant. I would ask you to study time in relation to your own souls, having in mind the peculiar opportunities of the present cycle and the outstanding need of humanity. Many are still too preoccupied with what they are attempting to do, with their own development and with their own capacity or non-capacity to help; but at the same time they are inadequately handling the problem of self-effacement and complete dedication to their fellowmen. "What can I do?" is of less importance to them than "What am I learning, and is the Master satisfied with me?" I shall be satisfied with you when you have forgotten both yourself and me in your strenuous service for mankind. Service, I would remind you, is a scientific process, calling forth all the soul powers into full expression on the physical plane. It is service which causes a divine manifestation or what you call a divine incarnation. If a man is truly serving, he will perforce draw upon all the resources of spiritual strength and light and all the wisdom and directing power of his soul, because the task to be done is always too big for the personality. Some of the world's greatest servers are men and women who are very close to the spiritual Hierarchy and working under its direction, inspiration and [25] impression, but who know naught of esotericism so-called, do not recognize the Hierarchy and (in their brain consciousness) remain unaware of its Personnel, the Masters of the Wisdom. One of the tragedies today of the esoteric world is the vast amount of facts in the possession of esoteric students, and the piling up of knowledge anent the Hierarchy and its Personnel. In the minds of disciples this knowledge and this aspiration obliterates the need of their fellowmen. This constitutes one of the problems with which the Hierarchy is faced. The problem of balance and of dual orientation is a very real one. As regards the impartation of spiritual knowledge, the Masters who take pupils are faced with two problems: The problem of the unawakened aspirant. The problem of the learned disciple. Ignorance and knowledge must both give place to understanding and wisdom. I particularly wish to speak about the work that I desire you should do at the time of the full moon during the coming year. This aspect of your work should become increasingly potent and interesting. I regard it as of major importance in the group endeavor, and if I, your teacher and friend (under the pressure of the present world opportunity), can spare the time to aid the group in this particular way, it is surely not too much to ask that I receive reciprocal attention. Perhaps some of you may get increased light upon the usefulness of the attempt if I tell you the interesting fact that - at the time of the full moon - it is almost as if a door suddenly opened wide, which at other times stands closed. Through that door, ingress is possible; through that door or opening, energies can be contacted which are otherwise shut off; and through that door approaches can be made to the planetary Hierarchy and to reality which are at other times not possible. In this statement, you have the rude outlines of a Science of Approach which has been little known up to the present time, even to advanced disciples, but which it is intendet [26] during the New Age to develop. It is a part of the true and emerging technique of the Path. I would like somewhat to change your work in connection with your full moon contact. Two days before the time of the full moon, I will ask you to begin to cultivate that inner attitude of poised recollectedness which will lay the right foundation for further work and which will help to shift the focus of the attention from the objective to the subjective work. It is an attitude more than an activity. Ponder on this phrase. It is a state of consciousness which can be carried forward, no matter what may be the outer activity or interests, and it involves no outer silence, or cessation of normal behavior. It is part of the training which has for its goal the living (by the disciple) of a dual life - a life of active participation in world affairs and a life of intense mental and spiritual preoccupation.
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