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Discipleship in the New Age II - Talks to Disciples - Group Instruction
March 1949 MY BROTHERS: I have no group instructions for you now. Nor shall I have again. When the instructions on the designated themes are completed, I will write an instruction upon group work which will close all that I have to say on the subject in the two volumes of the book Discipleship in the New Age. The major intention of this book is to awaken the aspirational public to the opportunity for training which is theirs if they so choose; it should make them think with greater clarity of the Hierarchy and its functions; much good may come of sending forth its teachings and a new era in the field of spiritual instructions may result. My present objective is now to help A.A.B. conclude the important teaching which I have - with her aid - been giving to the group over a long period of years; it will then be available to the general public, after certain specific deletions, about which she knows and which are similar to those in the first volume. You have had more, much more, than you can assimilate; of the original group of students only a few are left; of the more than fifty original members who have been affiliated with my Ashram, only sixteen remain, and of these only eight are truly active; and of these eight, two are causing me some questioning. You might at this point appropriately ask the following questions: Wherein lies the fault, and was there error in the choices I made? Where does the blame lie for what - on the surface - appears to be such an outstanding failure? It may perhaps interest you to have some of the reasons presented to you: 1. A Master, in choosing the personnel of his Ashram, is himself governed by certain unavoidable factors: The fact that the aspiration and the development of a disciple (usually stimulated by some senior disciple) has enabled him in thought and consciousness to reach the periphery of the Ashram; sometimes the spiritual forcing process brings him to that [91] point prematurely. The disciple is, however, there; the next move is (as you say) up to the Master; he must then give the disciple the opportunity to move closer, if the capacity for such a step lies in him. The fact of karmic relationship. Many of those who have been given the opportunity to work with me have had some relationship with me over past lives and - because of certain activities - have warranted the opportunity to work in a still closer relationship. This they prove by working off karma. Such were H.S.D. and S.S.P., neither of whom has completely failed. The fact of the need - existent in the world today - for workers. The Masters are perforce driven to use people to carry out certain phases of the exoteric work of service for which they may be fitted but for which they, from other angles, are not ready. Such a one was W.D.B. All these factors necessarily governed my choice, for I too (even though I may be a Master) am controlled by esoteric Law and must proffer opportunity. Among those chosen there has been much failure, but because consecration and devotion to either the Hierarchy or Humanity are still to be found in them, the affiliation with my Ashram still persists, even though in so few cases can permission to move closer be granted; they are not yet ready to reach a "more enlightened ashramic position," as it is called. 2. Affiliation with an Ashram subjects the aspirant to intensified stimulation; in many cases it proved impossible for some chelas to handle it. Spiritual energy pouring into the personality, via the aspirant's own soul, fostered the emergence of that which was good but also of that which could not be taken closer into the Ashram itself. The undesirable qualities had to be eliminated. (Such were S.C.P. and L.U.T.) This stimulation cannot be avoided and is one of the tests of an accepted disciple's fitness for "ashramic sharing." [92] Perfection is not looked for or expected, but certain personality faults of pride, temper and an undisciplined nature must at least be controlled. 3. A dislike of criticism eliminated others from the group. They could not stand the exposure of their faults, either to themselves or to the group. They knew certain tendencies existed but not how serious they were; when I attempted to help them along these lines, resentment only was evoked. In many cases (as I have elsewhere told you) the position was taken that praise, commendation and interesting personal instructions were written by me, but should any criticism be involved - then A.A.B. was responsible. This was never once the case. In fact, several times I have modified my criticism (or analysis, as I prefer to call it), and once or twice eliminated it altogether at the request of A.A.B., who knows the Western mind better perhaps than I do. (Such members were I.S.G-L. and D.E.I.) 4. Several of the students did not spiritually appreciate the opportunity with which they were faced. It was in reality a case of non-recognition, of which they were practically unconscious; they remain in this condition, awaiting another incarnation. (L.D.N-C. was a striking instance of this attitude; another was J.A.C. though he would greatly like to be reinstated. This is not possible; however, had the tenure of life by A.A.B. been better, it might have been accomplished. Another of these types was B.S.D.) 5. Certain other students regarded "occult obedience" as an infringement of their free will, as did D.A.O. Quite a number of you simply suffered from inertia, and though pleased and excited over the material received from me, in the group or personal instructions, were too lazy to avail yourselves to the full of that which was given, and consistently failed to comply with my requests. It is valuable to note a most significant point of interest: All those who passed through the gates of death passed to a [93] definitely closer relationship; they had earned this reward and have availed themselves of that which I had taught them. They are, as you know, C.D.P., K.E.S., D.P.R. Two others are today rapidly fitting themselves to follow these three disciples into the Ashram. They are: B.S.W., who was temporarily sidetracked for a few years prior to his death, and G.S.S., whose personality vehicles could not carry the stimulation which reached her via the group. This sensitivity to undue stimulation is a matter easily rectified now; it does not constitute a fault, but only a karmic liability. I have taken the time to say these things so as to make clear to you certain reasons for what may look to you as failure. I am greatly pleased with the work being done by some of the eight members who remain truly active. Two of you have fought through great tests and are today very much better servers. They are D.H.B. and R.S.U. One of you, R.S.W., is in danger of sidetracking her activities but will, I believe, come through the test; it will take her two more years to fight through to clarity of vision. To the other eight remaining of the original group I have no comment to make but that of encouragement. They are holding steady, but have enough teaching whereon to work and can take no more stimulation. The majority of them will not be kept waiting for admission to a definitely more positive penetrating in the Ashram when they pass through the gates of death. H.S.D. for the remainder of her life should work at the attainment of a quiet spirit, and she should also stand by A.A.B. as long as A.A.B. needs her. L.D.O. must attain to a broader point of view in place of her limited approach to humanity's problems; she must give up her assurance that the palliatives and solutions which she suggests are completely right. F.C.D. is doing well, but he is an old and trained disciple, and about him no anxiety has been needed. The same is true of J.W.K-P. I have not, as you will note, covered the whole ground. I have, however, indicated enough to show my reasons why there is so poor an exoteric showing of a truly esoteric, inner movement - an inner movement which remains intact even though the outer form does not hold together, owing to the weaknesses of its members and the pressure of daily life upon [94] the outer group. All of you - from the first admitted to the last who joined the group - are still within my aura or within the aura of the greater Ashram of the Master K.H., and will, I am confident, remain so. I would remind you also that there are many members of my Ashram of whom you know nothing and who came into my Ashram without the help of A.A.B. You are not the group of major importance. Forget not these other co-disciples. Some day, when you have established continuity of consciousness, you will know them, for you will consciously meet with them within the ring-pass-not of my Ashram. You will know also and discover the reasons for the experiment with these outer groups which is now being tried by the Hierarchy, if you will read with care the teaching upon the externalization of the Ashram of Sanat Kumara, the Hierarchy.
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