References compiled from the Agni Yoga Series
2. People do not realize the meaning of God or Bodhisattva. As though blind, they ask, “What is light?” But people even lack words to describe its properties, though daily they perceive light.
So wary are people of the unusual that they are confused about the boundaries of light and darkness. It is simpler for them to conceive of God inhabiting a palace upon the largest star. Otherwise their God would remain dwellingless. Their manifest lack of co-measurement impels them to demean what exists.
332. What is the nature of the Bodhisattvas' compassion? Without coercing the will, They invisibly and patiently direct each suitable force toward good. It is not difficult to conduct oneself according to the Guidance of the Bodhisattvas, for all characteristics of the spirit are allowed for by Them. …
Not a single Teacher ever thought that His work was completed, or that He deserved reward. This is the quality of the self-sacrifice of the Bodhisattvas: creation by the labor of each sweep of the untiring hand, because the eye knows the distance to the goal. Such will be the labor of the Bodhisattvas—like Fire—omnipresent, self-sacrificing, and inexhaustible in its essence.
294. The fluidic currents sent out by an Agni Yogi are correspondent with evolution. The fluidic current sent forth generates its seed, which produces a corresponding action. All Bodhisattvas utilized these fluidic currents in their self-sacrificing service; hence, We esteem these manifestations so highly. The constantly outgiving Agni Yogi creates the fluidic spheres. Therefore, We value so highly the assertion of fiery creativeness.
522. Among the privileges of the Bodhisattvas, solicitude for everything that exists is the gem of their crown. Likewise, solicitude should be welcomed as the kindling of Fire. Not petty reflections, but a most solicitous thought strikes sparks of light from the heart. It is unwise to avoid cares, for one must make haste with the fires of the spirit. Those who fear cares reveal but meager accumulations. The experienced wayfarer says, “Burden me with care when I enter the Beautiful Garden.” Man, who has received the gift of thinking, has accepted not the least of these responsibilities. ... 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.
20 December 1934.
Many think that they possess cosmic consciousness, that they have been through the highest degrees of initiation, etc. etc. The self-conceit of people is a most tragic page is the history of humanity. And only when people are able to see the true records of the history of the planet will this tragedy become clearly seen. The time will come when they will realize that if it were not for the great self-sacrifice of a small group of the Highest Spirits who, through aeons, have incarnated among the people at the great turning points in the history of the planet in order to give a new impulse to the human consciousness, and if their efforts had not been continued on by a small number of their disciples and the co-workers of these disciples, our humanity would even now be on the level of the troglodytes!
Thus, one may see how the same Ego of the Greatest Individuality has appeared in a whole series of Great Images. Truly, very few significant incarnations are left to the earth-dwellers! Verily, to these Bodhisattvas, as They are called in the East, we are obligated for all that is most precious, most high, most essential in the world, for They have nurtured the human consciousness and thus transformed and prolonged our lives.
I shall quote a few extracts from N. Rokotoff’s Foundations of Buddhism, pertaining to Bodhisattvas:
“The word Bodhisattva comprises two concepts: Bodhi—enlightenment or awakening, and Sattva—the essence. Who are these Bodhisattvas? The disciples of Buddhas, who voluntarily have renounced their personal liberation and, following the example of their Teacher, have entered upon a long, weary, thorny path of help to humanity. Such Bodhisattvas appear on earth in the midst of the most varying conditions of life. Physically indistinguishable in any way from the rest of humanity, they nevertheless differ completely in their psychology, constantly being the heralds of the principle of the common welfare. ... What qualities must a Bodhisattva possess? In the Teaching of Gotama Buddha and in the Teaching of Bodhisattva Maitreya, given by Him to Asanga, according to tradition in the fourth century, the maximum development of energy, courage, patience, constancy of striving and fearlessness were first of all underlined. Energy is the basis of everything, as it alone contains all possibilities. Buddhas are eternally in action; immobility is unknown to Them. Like the eternal motion in space, the actions of the Sons of Conquerors manifest in the worlds. ...
“Mighty, valiant, firm in His step, not rejecting the burden of an achievement for the General Good. ... There are three joys of Bodhisattvas: the joy of giving, the joy of helping and the joy of eternal perception. Patience always, in all, and everywhere. The Sons of Buddha, the Sons of Conquerors, Bodhisattvas, in their active compassion are the Mothers to the all-existing.” (Mahayana Sutra.)
Are not these Bodhisattvas leading that hundred who are to be found on our planet? But burdensome is the lot of these Bodhisattvas; no one has endured (and They continue to endure) so much slander and persecution as these true Saviors of the human race. From among their number came the Founders of great kingdoms, great religions and philosophies, many alchemists and several saints. But do not look for Them among the narrow dogmatists! They are Founders of the living religion of the Heart, but not of enslaving dogma. They are the Founders and the Fiery Purifiers of religions.
12 April 1935.
That Individuality which, in the Eastern conception, took on the Image of Maitreya, became a Buddha long ago.
At the end of Five Years of Theosophy there is a Glossary which gives the following brief definition: “Bodhisattvas, Egos evolving towards Buddhahood.” The Theosophical Glossary gives a more lengthy definition. For further information students are referred to The Secret Doctrine Index.
In the limited space allotted to a leaflet, another presentation of this wondrous theme is offered.
In the Himalayan Ashram where she received her training for work in the world, H.P.B. was required to learn by heart certain Stanzas, the origin of which is obscured in great antiquity. From the same Source came the Stanzas of The Book of Dzyan on which the Volume of The Secret Doctrine—Cosmic Evolution and Anthropogenesis—were based.
The Book of Golden Precepts is the title of the book of precepts which H.P.B. was required to memorize. In her translation of some of these precepts she later presented to her pupils that priceless gem—The Voice of the Silence, composed of three sections—1) The Voice of the Silence, 2) The Two Paths, 3) The Seven Portals.
The series should be regarded as one continuous Teaching—for meditation and complete absorption. The footnotes are of great importance and should not be neglected.
Near the end of The Seven Portals will be found the following: “Compassion is no attribute. It is the law of laws—eternal harmony, Alaya’s Self; a shoreless universal essence, the light of everlasting right, and fitness of all things, the law of love eternal. The more thou dost become at one with it, thy being melted in its being, the more thy Soul unites with that which is, the more thou wilt become compassion absolute. Such is the Arya path, path of the Buddhas of perfection.”
The following paragraphs are all footnotes:
“This compassion must not be regarded in the same light as ‘God, the divine love’ of the Theists. Compassion stands here as an abstract, impersonal law, whose nature, being absolute harmony, is thrown into confusion by discord, suffering and sin.”
“A Bodhisattva is, in the hierarchy, less than a perfect Buddha. In the exoteric parlance these two are very much confused. Yet the innate and right popular perception, owing to their self-sacrifice, has placed a Bodhisattva higher in reverence than a Buddha.”
“This same popular reverence calls ‘Buddhas of Compassion’ those Bodhisattvas who, having reached the rank of an Arhat (i.e. having completed the fourth or seventh Path), refuse to pass into the nirvanic state or ‘don the Dharmakaya robe and cross to the other shore,’ as it would then become beyond their power to assist men even so little as Karma permits. They prefer to remain invisible (in spirit, so to speak) in the world, and contribute towards men’s salvation by influencing them to follow the good law, i.e., lead them on the path of righteousness. It is part of the exoteric Northern Buddhism to honour all such great characters as saints, and even to offer prayers to them, as the Greek and Catholics do to their saints and patrons; on the other hand, the esoteric teachings countenance no such thing. There is a great difference between the two teachings. The exoteric layman hardly knows the real meaning of the word Nirmanakaya—hence the confusion and inadequate explanations of the Orientalists. For example, Schlagintweit believes that Nirmanakaya means a physical form assumed by the Buddhas when they incarnate on earth—‘the least sublime of their earthly encumbrances’ (vid. Buddhism in Tibet)—and he proceeds to give an entirely false view on the subject. The real teaching is, however, this:
“The three Buddhic bodies or forms are styled:
l. Nirmanakaya.
2. Sambhogakaya.
3. Dharmakaya.
The first is that ethereal form which one would assume when leaving his physical he would appear in his astral body—having in addition all the knowledge of an Adept. The Bodhisattva develops it in himself as he proceeds on the path. Having reached the goal and refused its fruition, he remains on earth, as an Adept; and when he dies, instead of going into Nirvana, he remains in that glorious body he has woven for himself, invisible to uninitiated mankind, to watch over and protect it.
“Sambhogakaya is the same, but with the additional lustre of three perfections, one of which is entire obliteration of all earthly concerns.
“The Dharmakaya body is that of a complete Buddha, i.e., no body at all, but an ideal breath; consciousness merged in the universal consciousness, or soul devoid of every attribute. Once a Dharmakaya, an Adept or Buddha leaves behind every possible relation with, or thought for, this earth.
“Thus to be enabled to help humanity, an Adept who has won the right to Nirvana, ‘renounces the Dharmakaya body’ in mystic parlance; keeps of the Sambhogakaya, only the great and complete knowledge, and remains in his Nirmanakaya.
“The esoteric school teaches that Gotama Buddha, with several of his Arhats, is such a Nirmanakaya, higher than whom, on account of his great renunciation and sacrifice for mankind, there is none known.”