Agni Yoga Society, Inc., New York

www.agniyoga.org

© 1952, 2016, 2021 by the Agni Yoga Society.

First published 1952. Third edition 2021.

Translated from Russian by the Agni Yoga Society.

Book Two

ILLUMINATION

Welcome to seekers!

Welcome to bearers of the Common Good!

Welcome of the East.

People will ask, “Who gave you the Teaching?”

Answer, “A Mahatma of the East.”

They will ask, “Where does He live?”

Answer, “The place where the Teacher lives cannot even be uttered, much less be made known. That very question shows how far you are from grasping the meaning of the Teaching. Even by ordinary human standards you ought to understand how harmful your question is.”

People will ask, “When can I be of use?”

Answer, “From now until eternity.”

“But when can I prepare myself for the work?”

“Lose not an hour.”

“And when will the call come?”

“Even sleep vigilantly.”

“How shall I carry on until the time comes?”

“By improving the quality of work.”

You need to exercise discipline of the spirit, for without it you cannot become free. For the slave, discipline of the spirit will be a prison; for the free, it will be a wondrous healing garden.

So long as discipline of the spirit seems like shackles, the door will stay shut, and one cannot go up the steps bound in chains.

You can think of discipline of the spirit as wings.

Whoever understands discipline of the spirit as a light that illumines the future worlds is already prepared.

A person who has awakened to evolution will approach it carefully; with mind unclouded he will clear away the dust on the path. Above all, he will be free of fear. And abandoning the unnecessary, he will find simplicity.

Naturally, the realization of evolution is always something wondrous, something beautiful.

Again people will ask, “Why are so many pleasant things provided and so much forgiven at the beginning of the path?” It is because in the beginning the fires are fanned, and the person called goes forth aflame like a bright torch. It is up to that seeker to choose the quality of his or her fire.

An aspirant who understands discipline of the spirit will also understand the direction of the fire and eventually attain to cooperation for the Common Good.

The end of the path can be illumined with a thousand fires of the Common Good. These thousand fires will kindle the rainbow of the aura.

This is why discipline of the spirit is wings!

ILLUMINATION

1. Once even a hundred warriors was considered a fighting force.

Later a thousand made up an army.

In time a hundred thousand men conquered the world.

After that millions arose, but they too were unable to alter the Orbit of the Spirit.

And so I shall gather one billion under the Banner of the Spirit—

This will be a sign of My army.

Figure out when this sign will manifest

And when the seven banners will be planted firm!

2. The spirit is perfect only when it is conscious of the Cosmos; and although that consciousness often arises, we are not always able to ground ourselves in awareness of our communion with the Truth.

The sky seems alive, and we say, “Flies are swarming.” That is how people explain away the finest touches of invisible wings.

The Void is the storehouse of the Source, but you can feel the path of the Source.

3. Each day think over how you can accomplish My Work.

Teach those who will inherit—teach them beauty. Establish their eye.

Why take years to do what you can accomplish in weeks?

It is easier to endure a single roar than to deal with thoughts that have grown moldy.

That is why I say, “Let us go forward,” and why I will increase your powers.

4. I will send you My Will—carry it out.

Be wary when coming in contact with worldly things. On the path there is no need for gourmet cuisine.

5. For the inner work, one should sell the shield of falsehood.

6. I want to speak about karma that is pure and has been passed through carefully.

Touch the tarred knots of destiny with caution.

It is far more dangerous to touch the past events, already hardened, that drag after you. That is why I am warning that failure to carry out orders and lack of respect for the Hierarchy are more harmful than they seem.

The current of karma can be covered with the ice of understanding.

But beware of destroying this cover with obtuseness or savagery, which is forbidden under Our Shield.

I repeat: Keep to the path you have been given!

7. Whom to address? When even a mule can draw its cart, is it possible that the human spirit would fail to make the body rejoice in labor?

When even the mule carries its rider to shelter in stormy weather, could the human spirit grow anxious about the flow of karma?

8. You need to keep in mind what the Master is; you need to hold the shield in purity.

I will send you every means of defense, I will send you every possibility, but hold the channel steady.

In the midst of the maddened crowd, keep the fire of the spirit concealed. Read My book, and do not be frightened by the voices of doom, for the blind do not see what is being revealed to you.

For your benefit I am telling you to recall My Name more often. Do you think it is fun to see dead nations? However, observe the downfall of the world of falsehood.

Lie, lie, lie—perish!

9. The Teaching should be better understood; the Teaching should be applied creatively.

Smile at small stones!

10. The Master says that you should learn to feel the bonds that have united you, linked you up through the manifestation of marvels.

A wondrous fiber binds your footwear for the long journey ahead.

As the past has unfolded, so shall the future.

One cannot keep track of all the predestined encounters.

Nor can one take into account everything that has been transmitted to the pages of life.

So everything is in readiness—just do not tear the fabric of My web.

A whirlwind of foolishness is blowing away the best designs I have sent. Treasures are being given so they may be made manifest to the world, and they should not be squandered.

Not having grown up yet is no excuse.

It is better to celebrate victory after the first battle than end up wandering about beneath the earth.

That is why I tell you to go forward together under the cover of a single shield.

Let each of you purify his breath without stirring up the dust of anger.

And by gathering the flowers of devotion, each will better understand the benefit of My path.

Do I lead you by force? Coerciveness is not one of Our traits.

But since we are walking together, why not give some advice?

That is why I advise you to improve your thinking and avoid stumbling.

11. On Our scales, the striving of the spirit is the weightiest thing of all.

Success in life is consolidated only by the electricity that the prayer of podvig generates.

The teaching of the spirit creates an armor for the body.

As you experience the bolts of the world’s lightning, lay the foundations of a book for the winter ahead. I teach you to understand the future wisely.

Wherever my people go, success is sure to follow.

You can apply wisdom in accepting the milestones I lay down.

12. Sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice; after sacrifice one receives, and after that the spirit triumphs.

13. Each person has a purpose. I provide a gateway that is suitable to the person’s spirit, and through it the seeker can enter into a transformed world, where the mind is at home in every land.

The spirit learns to fly when sorrow sharpens its eyesight.

The ray of awareness of the Infinite illumines the blessing sent.

There is the path of earth and the path of wings, figure it out and apportion your share.

14. Storm clouds are all around, but the Star of the Morning is ascending.

15. Each moment that the spirit shows understanding, a diamond is deposited in the treasury of possibilities.

16. Often achievements are intensified by illness.

St. Francis and St. Teresa were frequently ill.

Pythagoras had heart disease. Even the best zurnas had strings break.

17. Mothers, in their wisdom, foresee the occult conditions surrounding the birth of their children. The mother’s spirit knows how the enemy is attempting to injure the newly arrived traveler. During the transitional time between conception and birth, it is easier for the enemy to send poison. It is easy to rouse the mother’s anger and fill the home with the dust of discontent.

Wisely do mothers turn their eyes to the images of saints or find comfort in the beauty of nature.

18. In giving we receive. Holding worldly goods in small esteem, we receive the heavenly garb.

19. A form is brought to life by its content, and one does not forget it.

20. Boldly take your shield in hand.

I ask just one thing: Do not weaken your strength with gold. My Teaching has no love for gold.

21. There can be no mercy when the law of karma has to be carried out to the very letter. Karma will catch up with you, but its quality can be changed by a voluntary sacrifice on behalf of people you do not know.

22. Sow better, sowers! The soil will soon be ready!

If the world is not helped by a special manifestation, the earth will not endure.

23. I will call into My House those whom I see approaching.

The dangling sword fills the spirit with pain.

24. Carry to success the work that is pleasing to Me and useful to you, the friendly work that makes My House ready.

Gather images of love. Let love inspire you with an understanding of how to make My House more beautiful. Beseech goodness and inquire what contents would befit My House.

Let honor show you how the pure House is a manifestation of beauty. The manifestation of your work is like that of flowers.

I will not take a penny, but I will reward a hundredfold.

25. Even a simple housewife will say, “Don’t get the steps dirty or you’ll have to clean off the dirt yourself.”

Similarly, assailants who pierce the auras of the Master and those linked to Him end up making holes in their own. This is neither punishment nor revenge, but simply the return spark.

So let them be careful not to touch Our projects, especially now when the electricity is intense.

Let people like them and others who do not believe there may be thunder during sunshine be told: “Better not touch.”

But blessed are those who strengthen the armor of the aura.

26. A reply can be given only to the pure of heart.

Be able to combine the power of love with sternness.

27. Health and wellbeing are rooted in trust: My Ray always prepares whatever is necessary.

Misjudgments tear the body’s tissue.

28. A concession made to cunning hands should not be considered a loss.

One who follows wisdom loves to look far ahead.

Stay the ugly slanders with a smile free of irritation.

The success of people who have worn themselves out is like the spray of a short-lived fountain; but a wise homeowner works to bring in water from the ocean and then enjoys the eternal coolness of the fountain.

29. Enough about enemies, since it is podvig that can kindle a great light.

Solitude will transmit the message more effectively than the rumors of the multitudes.

30. The world’s basin is overflowing with bacilli, and the cloth that covers it is quivering. Still, the magic flower must be plucked on Earth by human hands.

I am with you; when I become silent it means that I am receiving in My Shield arrows that are aimed at you.

Standing united, look forward to the day of manifestation, the day when knowledge will enter My House. The bearers of knowledge have already been born.

31. I am speaking about bridges and gates that are not part of your path. Such alien bridges are encountered on the way, and you need to cross them quickly, without looking downward, and with one thought in mind—to get to the other side right away.

Likewise, when you come to alien gates do not vacillate, but demand right of way without losing your composure, because your path has been determined.

By pure motivation you should close your pores to bad air.

And when times get difficult, repeat: “Whatever happens, I’m going into the beautiful garden. I’m not afraid of the destined gates.

“Why is the shield above me? To protect me.

“If new dams appear, I’ll go across on them, because I am not afraid!”

32. Why immerse oneself in the astral world?

They rejoice who suffered, who were aflame in spirit, and who toiled. Here are the sowers, and there the reapers.

All earthly seeds yield a rich harvest.

The kernel is growing; the broadened understanding is mastering the new dimensions of the future seeds.

That being the case, why look to the astral world for answers?

33. Now, about the messenger.

Just as you might hurry to meet a mail carrier in everyday life, you need to extend your hand to receive what We send.

A barricade of prickly impediments hinders Our messengers, but you have wondrous shears that can cut through the obstacles. Help the messengers reach you by keeping your aura clear.

It is difficult for a dove to fly through fog.

I am leading you by the swiftest path, and I am ready to send a messenger at the moment of confusion; but unlock the doors so he can enter, for it is not easy to stand knocking in the rain.

Love the solitude of thought, when the sparks of understanding weave a garland of knowledge.

Just as I have vouched for you, you should entrust yourselves to Me. With the Hand of Power I am establishing the path to the Heights.

Accept the good fortune when My envoys bring the tidings, “He has come!”

The hour of happiness has been ordained, and there are flowers along the way.

What do filching fingers, dogs, and tigers matter to you? Carry out the great task of the living God.

34. The meaning will become clear when you view things from the mountaintop.

You should observe the sparks; soon they will start to merge into a flame of new understanding—understanding of the fundamentals.

To build an arch between the path of full decline and the path of ascent is not easy.

Those who bear the spirit do not recognize each other.

Pay attention to the voices of the strange characters you meet on your path and make a record of them. Later you will join these bits of information, and that will reveal a ladder of practical possibilities.

The knife of attention grows sharper and the bond becomes stronger as the skillful sparks put your power on guard without affecting karma.

35. I shall explain why it is important to pay heed to the words and images you are given.

Our disciples have a thought exercise in which a word or part of a complete message is given. The recipient divines the drift of thought and builds onto the words according to his own understanding and what he senses to be closest to himself. But in time the personal is supplanted by the collective awareness, and a complex structure is built upon a single word—something like a cipher of the spirit.

36. From an occult point of view, the circle is a personification of the human organism, but one with expanded possibilities. The people who are central to the circle perform the venerable functions of the heart.

The growth of the organism and its injuries affect the heart. If throwing your arms about may bring on fatigue, unawareness of objectives can do so even more.

You already know the parable of the ring-dance, and you know about the shields. You already know that the best number for the circle is seven. Five represents the extremities of the body. Appendages, at most, can carry out special functions or adjust a karmic condition.

It is difficult to form a circle, but still more difficult to make changes, because you cannot replace the heart with an extremity, nor can you introduce a person whose spirit is undisciplined.

In such cases there exist near and dear witnesses who will not burden the artery of a heart far away.

37. Now, about karma.

When the bonds of karma are added to the load that has been foreseen, it becomes quite burdensome to shoulder the whole mass of disorganized thinking.

This can be alleviated by gentle touches upon the surface of nervous sensibilities. However, human thinking quite easily tosses a dumbbell onto the scales, just to throw off the weight that has been dragging it earthward.

But in the end, each such motion of the hand makes the poor heart ache.

38. To avoid making new enemies is a difficult task. You ought to be aware of the stones lying at the threshold, but you should not let them upset you.

39. Not one, not two, but a multitude of hearts have been directed to you, and a net of possibilities is being woven by deft hands. Only, do not rip the net. Take into account what manifests each day.

Luxury must leave you.

You will develop a distinct appearance, and you will discover it through the nature of My country.

With every molecule of your brain, you should immerse yourself in awareness of My possibilities. Moping suits nobody.

40. The gnats are not pleased with the breeze; they cannot reach you, much less sting you.

There is no need to make new enemies. Those who are destined for you will come of themselves.

41. Only the harmonious nature of the battery can control the power. The Ray can manifest its meaning only when one acts according to the Decree.

42. When you speak in My Name, say, “The Hand of the Creator is always in motion, which is why everything is moving.” You see two spirals on your ring. Just as you can ascend on one spiral, you can descend on the other. Even an Arhat can descend by misusing a miracle.

Stay constant not only when in communion with Me but also when left to your own devices, for only then is resourcefulness of the spirit forged.

When people suspect you of harboring love for Us, cover yourself with My Shield.

I shall send you seven chances to display resourcefulness. A great deal of glass may get broken, and a house is unhealthy if it has nothing covering it.

Through the Will of the Hierarchy you are able to safeguard the treasure entrusted you.

Gird yourself with the requisite desire and, looking at the ring, repeat: “I will not fall!”

43. Think of rapture as a powerful manifestation on the path to Us.

The old is for the old. My Sign should be preserved in a new book, with a new spirit, through new action.

44. When a raindrop taps on the window—it is My sign!

When a bird flutters—

it is My sign!

When leaves are carried away by the whirlwind—

it is My sign!

When the sun melts the ice—

it is My sign!

When waves wash away the soul’s sorrow—

it is My sign!

When the wing of illumination touches the perplexed soul—

it is My sign!

Count the steps on your way to the Temple, for every seventh step bears My sign!

When you show a new understanding of My sign, you will see the lightning of the Worlds flash across the horizon.

I have opened a door for you, but you must enter it yourself.

45. Once and for all: When you are with Me, free of irritation and free of doubt, there are countless streams of possibilities.

Ineffable are the Forces that are serving you.

Those who are carrying the Stone radiate stars of divine grace. New possibilities are provided every day.

Weave baskets so these stars may be gathered.

Spread out the canvas of the tents so you can catch the gifts—for that is how I lead you!

46. Work in the morning hours; in the evening rejoice in My Name. Godspeed on your new path!

47. My Ray—your breath.

My Hand—your banner.

My Shield—your pride.

My House—your refuge.

My Mountain—your miracle.

My Wish—your law.

My Manifestation—your happiness.

May the spirit of Our Brotherhood abide with you.

48. Understanding deeply, through the Teaching, the essence of the happiness sent to you, you should move forward with firm tread, aware of how humanity’s greatest hope, which depends on the Stone, is being resurrected.

Let us in prayer await our destiny.

49. Cunning voices are trying to spread rubbish, but remember that irritations are no better than dust, and avoid them.

I teach through the manifestations of life, I give signs every day.

The signs rain down like rose petals, because the time is near. Think of the New World; think of the procession of peoples.

50. I reimburse a hundredfold, but what is lost drags one back a hundredfold.

Oh ball of fate, where will you fall and where rebound? The light awaits you—succeed, oh ball, in reaching it! Restrain your cunning whirl!

51. When you stand at the wailing wall, remember that joy is on its way!

To you I say: Turn to the East and behold My Dawn!

How wondrous is the chrism, accumulated in timely fashion!

Precious is the flower planted in My hour!

Do not spill the chalice of My hour!

A miracle is coming! You who wait, accept your heritage!

The vessel of ancient times has returned!

52. Why are you so surprised about the significant dates that have been foretold? We do not surmise—We see.

You will ask how you should gather together, and I shall tell you to gather in prayer. It is better to be silent, without banging things about or raising your voices, because the wings of the spirit grow in quietude.

With a prayer devote time to Our Communion, for We shall bring it the very best.

The current of Communion extends a wondrous ladder to the loftiest manifestations of the Creator—a ladder of Spirit.

Fight your battles in life, and you will come to know when to call upon My Hand.

53. How should you wait for the work to develop?

Just as waves have a rhythm, works grow in ascending steps, in the expectation that their tide will flow forth.

Recognize the hour when the drum beats out, and you will catch the pace of life.

In moments of quietude, lay up the teaching on the shelf of experience.

How should you read the writings of the Wise? Seclude yourself, and apply what you read to your various frames of mind.

Here I am, a newborn.

Here I am, an elder.

Here I am, an exile.

Here I am, a Ruler.

Here I am, a sightless wanderer.

Here I am, a knower of the worlds.

Think of every source as possessing all the grandeur of the Lotus that can be conceived.

54. Do not put on airs, but walk like lions!

Goodness adorns your armor.

I will send you the power to become anglers and thrust My Hand into the wheel of threats.

I think you should learn from various examples of attack. The fire of Earth wants to force its way through.

My command to disciples, and my request is only fair: Stride forward sternly without getting irritated.

Irritation makes your vessel glassy and fragile.

A silver chalice better suits the Stone.

I deflect the shower of small arrows.

The time is so very near when the ancient pledge will be fulfilled.

55. Through spirit keep hold of the spiritual Teaching; only the spirit can bring the Kingdom of God to Earth.

As simply as My Words are conveyed will the Kingdom of Spirit draw near.

As simply as the dry leaves of last winter will be swept away.

There is no past, there is the light of the future: Go forward with that light.

I summoned you from the abyss of life.

I sharpened your teeth.

I placed before you the color of the banner.

Understand the Teaching with a full sweep of wings.

Only the higher path leads to Me; the lower path does not reach Me.

Place My commands under wise locks.

Ascend by the most courageous thoughts, for I have raised the flap of your tent with lightning.

Through the spirit forget the insignificant.

Great is the destined light! So stride forward!

56. Pure thoughts are sullied by the gratuitous opinions of the local people. It is difficult to hear beyond all the trees.

My laws must be upheld when you are engaged in your favorite activities.

57. I want to tell you to move forward more boldly, with all the strength of the spirit. The shackles of the Earth will not hold you back. Good fortune will lead the courageous ones onward.

Like alpine flowers that find it hard to pass a single night in a swamp, things are not easy for you.

The blow from the enemy resounds upon the strings, but claws cannot compose a symphony.

My Shield has warded off many spears and darts aimed at you.

58. It is easy to dig a ditch, but hard to build a house.

Hostile jeers litter up the corners.

But with a feather of the wing you will sweep away the dust, so take good care of the wing.

59. My sign can lead you to the goal.

Keep My House in mind. Only by this podvig will you attain.

Your destiny is to avoid the masses while sending them the highest Blessing.

Pure is the mountain’s silver, but you have to find the way to it. The mud of these times is filthy, but insignificant compared with the light of the future.

You can understand why your melancholy thought arose if you peer into people’s breath—their exhalation clouds the air like smoke.

Suffering is transmitted on the waves of ether.

Before the destined date arrives, the Earth must not break the chain that we humans have forged.

60. Great is the light that Our Teaching gives.

Only the new for the new.

61. In order to create a wave of power, it is enough to have faith in the signs; then from both sides we are helping on the luminous manifestation.

Bear within yourself a wondrous, enlightened thought—the thought of seeing Our House.

When you sense that podvig is near, then remember that the wondrous thread is beginning to shine.

My Soul rejoices in realizing that no one will stop you.

I am sending you joy—pay attention.

Show calmness, because the convulsion will end.

62. The opinion of a light-minded person spins around like a wheel.

A daring one asks for a bow and gets the bird himself.

63. Success has to be nurtured like a flower.

64. My Eye is your light!

My Hand is your defense!

My Heart is your anchor!

A single love holds the thread of the spirit’s achievement.

The abyss will not swallow up the fire.

65. Forward flies the shot—there is no turning back.

66. Success manifests wings.

You who are seeking podvig, I shall guard you when you ride the wave’s crest and set you safe above the abyss, as if you were on an unassailable tower.

67. Wishing evil on others, they themselves die away.

Dark are the times. Hold the shield firm.

Those who retreat will be scattered like a spray.

68. Show a steady stride, guard the heart, because a vessel that holds the entire world must be carried with caution. Walk forward simply, without fidgeting.

By restraining your irritation you create a new sheath for the spirit.

Even a horse gallops better when it is not frothing.

69. Just as sparks create ozone, the labor of spirits weaves a web of assistance.

You have only to open a clean window, and help comes flying in.

70. The invisible teaching flows ceaselessly.

The change in a spirit is perceived only at the boundary of its next step.

The growth of a spirit is perceived by an invisible thermometer.

71. Pluck up courage and walk like lions—that is how podvig grows. Do not grieve over bygone days, but be ready to raise the shield at any hour.

72. Courage I enjoin to everyone—even a dove ought to become like a lion. It is you, not We, who are in need of your courage.

With a smile stop the destruction of the temple. Only by courage can you master flight.

Everything will happen at the right time.

Understand that you need to repeat, “Courage and patience.” Let people watch the work of polishing a stone. How firmly and carefully the workman’s hands move—and all for his daily wage. How much more valuable is the work of a Creator!

73. Knowledge emerges only when there is readiness of spirit. Orders and fear are for enemies alone.

74. I shall reveal to each according to his deserts—the more one sacrifices, the more one receives. I shall silver-plate every act of self-sacrifice. I shall subdue every sort of forgetfulness. I shall give joy!

If someone finds the path of fire perilous, let him go freeze with the cockroaches.

Be satisfied with the flow of wondrous Grace, for hail hurts when it hits—it is better to receive My Ray.

75. Whoever goes along with the New World will receive a silver staff.

76. I say that everyone and everything has a lesson to learn. Who will not be afraid to ascend to Us?

77. We can give you a thread, but you have to sharpen the needle yourself. The material is given, but you have to pierce it yourself.

Follow the loftiest path. The sail should be white as snow.

78. Through fire, through smoke, through miracles, through faith—stride forward! Sparkle with youth of spirit. Be the youngest, the most mobile.

The sail of podvig is the most durable.

79. Only by exultation of the spirit can you cross the radiant bridge.

I sow signs—gather them resourcefully.

80. Your power will grow; but if you smother the flame, you will scorch your hands. Let the flame of faith gives its light freely.

The Teacher follows each thought, ever ready to select the best seeds of the one spirit.

81. M∴ and an understanding of the Buddha’s Teaching lead to a vital understanding of the law conceived upon the Mountain of Light.

His Law will be of great help on the path to knowledge.

His Teaching is a joy to Me. My Hand leads to knowledge.

Smile when people call spiritual beggars “scholars.”

Smile when people speak disrespectfully about the spirit’s knowledge, when they read spurious works, when pure thoughts frighten the fainthearted.

82. Learn to regard a Decree as irrevocable.

You will marvel when the waves of the peoples raise high the pledge of ancient times.

83. Maladies of the spirit are as contagious as those of the body—this is a simple scientific consideration. In the same way that striking a table makes the objects on it tremble, a spiritual blow shakes the nerves, only more.

You can touch old things and consciously expel the harm of their accumulations.

84. In love forge an affirmative path that expresses utmost self-mastery. The foolish words of hostile slanderers are unable to discredit My Teaching. I see that they will bruise their brows badly—just give them time.

When we are approaching the Teaching of Christ and the Buddha, what is the trash on the threshold to us? An empty oyster shell.

85. Make haste— seeds lost are difficult to gather.

86. Learn to comprehend each miracle through the lens of the Teaching, in order that you might manifest the shield on every path. I sense every moment that is useful to you.

Our Front Line stands as solid as a wall, and a smile flashes like lightning over every face whenever you make a right move.

Like a gardener who enables the garden to burst with buds by banishing the dark banks of weeds, We keep watch on the movements of the chosen hands. Each display of resourcefulness brings joy, for the shield is being forged on both sides.

Broad is My Work; everyone is given a place. By the breadth of your vision will you measure out your share. Unparalleled possibilities await you up ahead. Give Us reason to rejoice!

87. It is good to be in the sunshine, but the starry sky also brings harmony to the nerves. The moon, on the other hand, is not for us. The pure light of the moon affects prana. The magnetic force of the moon is very strong, but not good for rest. Often the moon evokes fatigue, just like a person who devours vital energy. The manifestation of miraculous power increases when the moon is shining.

Pure prana must correspond to the attractive force; otherwise instead of a miracle there is destruction of the vital treasury. It is good to laugh while resting, for the thyroid gland is cleansed by laughter. Purification of the glands is of primary importance.

88. Shambhala is the indispensable site where the spiritual world joins the material. In a magnet there exists a point where the attractive power is strongest; similarly, the Mountain Abode is the point into which the gates of the spiritual world open. The very height of Gaurizankar aids transmission of the magnetic current.

Jacob’s Ladder is a symbol of Our Abode.

89. People can expel superstition by learning to respect man’s innate powers.

You should realize how much people are awaiting My advent. Their desire is forging a new step in the ladder.

90. The dense nature of matter obstructs every experiment of the spirit. This applies to human beings and all of nature.

To be accessible, matter has to be melted. The melting process gives rise to a certain gas that assimilates to the substance of the spirit. In the case of a person, the nerve centers release a gas during every ecstasy—whether an ecstasy of happiness or of ill fortune. Here we have a sort of workshop of the spirit. That is why hardship is called a visitation of God. On the other hand, every kind of listless, somnolent existence is equivalent to the death of the spirit. In nature ecstasy manifests as thunderstorms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. A similar workshop of the spirit begins to function, which is why all the sparks of ecstasy are a blessing. Once it is melted, matter gives way to improvement and yields new formulas. Instead of undertaking lengthy investigations, it suffices to reflect the elements in Our mirrors and thereby accumulate new formulas.

Then comes the second part of the work: patiently to convey the formulas to people at the appropriate time. Upon the fires of ecstasy roams Our Ray, knocking at the entrance of the heart. Where is the happiness or ill fortune that let It in? But when you contact molten matter, you feel the pulse of the Earth, and the heart must be able to bear the gravity. Those who take part in this work must protect their hearts.

That is why I tell you to take good care of the heart—everything else is easy to repair. The heart represents matter, while the nerves are subject to spirit. At the knock of spirit, the door of the solar plexus opens. But each blow, each stroke of matter beats upon the heart. Whoever wishes to come into contact with the formula of matter must protect his heart. Our medicine teaches how to armor the heart through breathing, but let us discuss that another time.

91. The emanation of the nerves is weightless, odorless, and invisible, because it issues from the spirit. The product of the heart is blood, with all its earthly dimensions. Therefore, when you are told, “You should feel with the heart,” you ought to apply this to the earthly plane.

The sole bridge between the spirit’s understanding and the acceptance of the earthly plane is the white blood cell. You know all the conflict that accompanies the cells’ existence. Being subject to the forces of earth and yet bearing the knowledge of the spirit, do not the white blood cells seem to you like the White Brothers? That is why it is so hard to attain harmony on the Earth. To work where spirit has descended to matter, you have to meet the conditions of both planes. You must not withdraw from earth, yet you have to abide in spirit.

In order to master the earthly formulas, you need to have a strong channel of the heart, because the reflection of earthly signs bears dangerous sparks. But for the Earth, everything must be accomplished on the earthly plane. That is the main reason why the Brotherhood exists here.

Therefore, it is on the earthly plane that you must reach Us; you have to discover Us as you discover silver ore, mining the best from beneath earth’s crust.

92. At present a great understanding is arising, understanding of the manifestation of the celestial Teaching.

It is good to understand that one can possess things without a feeling of ownership. It is good to possess things in order to take care of them, and even to imbue them with a benevolent aura, with the intention of passing them on to others. The “hand of creativity” dwells in a home that is free of attachment to property, and whatever the hand improves will only serve to spread joy further. The principle of the giving hand will be constantly put into practice; in this lies the justification for possession of objects. Once people understand this, the most difficult problem is solved.

I am saying this for the world, because the main cause of the world’s destruction is attachment to nonexistent property. To impart this to the new people means to cure them of the fear of old age. When possession free of a sense of ownership arises, it will open up the path to everyone without the restrictions of conventional inheritance. Whoever can improve something shall possess it. This pertains to lands, forests, and waters. All mechanical achievements and the various types of inventions are also subject to the same principle. It is easy to imagine how collective creativity will set to work, especially as people will realize that only the spirit provides the best solution. To the hearth of spirit will be directed questions as to how to do things best; and the sword of spirit will strike down every sort of sneakiness. Precisely, it profits you to do better. The law is simple, as is everything of the spirit.

93. Events have piled so high that the organisms of sensitive people are shuddering in response. The trembling of the nerves can be traced to cosmic perturbations.

Nothing should be brought forward under a heavy shower, but once it is over, the sun shines especially bright.

94. Monetary alms ought to be abolished; help can be given in the form of labor or objects. No one will be without work once the people turn to the path of the spirit. Our job is to show people how the process of perfection brings blessings not for the invisible world but for the people themselves. We call them to Our path.

95. Gather the most unfortunate ones, the most obscure young students, and reveal to them the gift, the ability to benefit humanity. Advise them to write the rules in the Temple. A long time has passed since the world witnessed people assembling in the Temple. Christ will bestow His grace upon those who are attaining knowledge. We wish to see the Temple beautiful and alive. And no one shall drive away those who are proceeding to the Light, for doing so would court ruin. Miracles shall be confirmed on the tablets of knowledge.

If someone has been illumined by the spirit, let them walk boldly into the Temple, for Our path means that the Earth will be transformed into a palace. There are no poor. Who would be unwilling to receive riches?

96. I rejoice in seeing how well you understand the details of My Decrees. When preparing for an event, I foresee every detail. Do the same thing, and it will be easier for us to meet each other.

You should not scatter to the winds so much that has been destined. Sharpen your wits, and you can avoid deviating from the path. Intense attention is important: A watchful spirit walks ahead of its understanding. My Ray is ready to kindle the lightning of thought. Thus shall we make our way through all the perilous straits, and failure will turn into success.

97. Maitreya is sending courage. Maitreya will accept the gift. Maitreya feels the love with which it is given. Maitreya blesses the labor done joyously. Maitreya is sending work to the earthly plane in the name of the miraculous. Walk forward radiant! It is a joy for Me to guide those who smile. Discover the Teaching of Light in each manifestation. Resourcefulness is a quality My disciples possess.

98. I will urge you to recognize the miracle that the nations need. You will learn how to reach their hearts.

Just as the arm moves only from the shoulder, the consciousness moves from the brain. You have to detonate the brain so the consciousness is projected forward, as if fired from a cannon.

The Teaching flies on the wings of events. Say, “I will bide my time today, for since tomorrow is coming, with or without me, I need to refresh myself.” Is advice really needed about what old stuff to sell at the bazaar and when? We shall not let people know when we put on the new garments. Let them think that there is nothing to put on. Even the keys to the trunks must not rattle. We shall draw the window curtains.

99. The law governing transition into the Spirit World is not complex. No two conditions are exactly alike. Like the specks of dust flying forth from a volcano, countless are the spirits returning to the spiritual world. Naturally, matter is a condition of spirit; but blood, or its equivalent, is so different from spirit, which is nurtured by prana, that the boundaries are broken throughout the worlds. With difficulty does a spirit become aware that it has left matter behind. A spirit attached to the earthly world cloaks itself in the astral body, and that creates for it the illusion of earthly experience right there in the hearth of cravings and remorse. But the spirit that speeds forth solely in upward striving can avoid the astral plane altogether, because the astral body is nothing but unnecessary rubbish. The less rubbish, the purer the consciousness. On the earthly plane it is difficult to imagine that you can abandon matter without despising it, giving it up for a new formation. But you have an excellent example of this process in a person’s letting go of an object. The best giver will come up with the best gift. Thus, the matter that has garbed a lofty spirit is more useful because nothing is wasted.

Certainly, in the case of lofty spirits conscious communion is possible if the appeal to them is sufficiently free of questions of matter and blood. The spirit, being nurtured by prana, is incompatible with blood. Therefore, one can divide the world on the basis of blood; no other boundary exists.

The seed of the spirit carries life on without interruption, and the balloon of the nerve emanations lifts the spirit to the heights that it has created. That is why it is profoundly correct to speak of immortality as one would speak of a purely scientific fact. When leaving matter behind, the final thought is like an arrow. This final moment determines the direction of the flight; the rest depends on the desire. Let us know how to desire. Let us build a rainbow that joins the steps of the spirit’s ascent.

100. Let us talk about death.

Death is no more than the shearing away of hair, for matter is let go of in just the same way. The question of Guides is determined by the familiar law of attraction and repulsion. Since the principle of giving and being helped is a powerful one in the spiritual world, every appeal from a spirit on the material plane calls forth a response. It all depends on who is asking. One can attract the loftiest spirits and keep them near. Likewise, one may end up with the lowest spirits attached. What one wishes, one receives. When people come to realize the usefulness of giving with a pure heart, they will receive riches.

The spirit is the light radiating from the beauty of the stars. However, few spirits merge into that light—more of them inhabit astral bodies. It is better to glow as a star, retaining knowledge and the possibility of returning to the planets to help. One can choose a better fate—doesn’t a giving person possess obvious possibilities?

You can strive upward to the light in order to help, and then there is no parting. If those left behind would regard the departed as being sent to light and for light, the communion would be sounder. The loftier the spirit, the more it sees; everything depends on the spirit.

A lofty spirit has a sense of where it is speeding off to, and it flies away like an arrow. But a dark spirit prowls around the furnace. That is why a bold desire to seek is so precious—he who seeks will find. If its desires are lofty ones, the spirit can discover lofty forms and, by creating them, contribute to the process of perfection.

101. The law governing the saturation of space is similar to that governing cementation. Legends, prophecies, and signs of all kinds are significant not for separate individuals but for the cementation of space.

Our discourses reveal the way the spirit’s understanding grows. Not through miracles but by means of the daily routine do We work. I guarantee, you can even learn from fish spawn. Each egg in itself bears a complete organism. So it is that a many-hued sac of thought saturates space.

102. A dark cloud is no miracle, scum no hero, nor collapse cleverness; but the spirit, having awakened, immediately acquires the ability to understand. That is why the Brotherhood has made away with the manifestation of miracles. Moreover, signs may accompany events only as “banners.” One should give up miracles as a means of persuasion, because they have never convinced anyone.

Some people speak about their personal communion; but the air is for everyone, though many do not want to understand its benefits—precisely, its benefits.

New strivings may be born above the graves of old prejudices, and this will constitute one more conquest.

I have already spoken about how the spirit understands. When the ray joins the Master with the disciple, then the main flow of understanding is transmitted by the spirit’s perception. What then guides the disciple’s conduct is neither a note nor a sign, but the spirit’s incontestable knowledge. This certain knowledge provides the swiftest channel. Precisely, not a mental decision but the knowledge of the spirit.

I am sending you arrows for simple attainments. The simplest path is not accessible to everyone, but if you can accommodate it, good for you!

103. Thus is the call of the Mother heard! Not by magic but by the spirit will you succeed. Could magic possibly establish the Stone? Could a people establish itself on the basis of magic? But when each person understands that the path of the spirit is simple, that it brings the call of the Mother of the World, then he will find the Gates open.

Every seeker can, without lamentations or invocations, approach the apparatus of life—through spirit, not intellect. Human hands will be stretched forth not to supplicate but to gather in.

The call of the Mother will indicate the Gates, for the time has come to enter them—precisely, the call of the Mother. When the whims of childhood have been forgotten, only the Mother can call.

The meal is ready—the hour has come when a new table is ready. Come before the plates get too hot!

Many will be unable to swallow the hot food, but the boldest one, like the fairy-tale prince, will devour the fire of the world. And the path of fire will illumine the nearest path.

104. Our thoughts are turned to you. We are sending forth the Teaching, guidance on how to walk along the sheer cliff and transform it into a wondrous valley. Humanity senses that it is impossible to walk on a sword, and the indication of the Gates is conveying the final possibility.

Success is only a sign that the direction is correct. Success is only an understanding of the nature of the moment. The Teaching is only the lifting of the theater’s curtain. How wondrous it is to be a performer in the world mystery!

Go forward in joy! Only the unbroken chain has value.

My Hand sends the rays of the mountains. We will begin the New Era at once. I teach you not to dream but to listen to the course of events.

105. Memory and consciousness.

If memory is for the past, consciousness is for the future. That is why We replace memory with consciousness. With memory I cannot penetrate the boundaries of the sun; it is consciousness that opens the gates. For Us, the museum and library replace memory, which is why disciples should not complain about the loss of the old memory. It is simply a matter of the small being replaced by the great. Consciousness resembles the spirit’s understanding; it grows until it swallows up one’s whole being like an all-embracing flame. During this process, the fragments of memory hinder the burning like dross. To know does not mean to remember. A person who attains hurries on without looking back. Humanity is at a point where it needs to remember the transformation of consciousness.

In what does the power of Our experiments lie? In the solar consciousness, poured forth as prana. Beyond the strata of earthly thoughts flow the currents of the sun’s wisdom, and in these realms begins the great Teaching ordained. We call you to the encompassment of the Universe. But it is only the instrument of consciousness that will make possible new experiments that blend spirit and matter.

Karma cannot complicate a harmonious body. Therefore, the path of ascent is one of practical benefit.

106. Go beyond the roots of eternal Truth and there is a great deal of dust. The time has come to get rid of the excess baggage.

107. My book should be better understood. The Teaching of how to walk on earth is revealed to those who consider heaven to be alive. A teacher is someone who can walk on earth with a steady gait.

I repeat: It is vital that one understand phenomena in life, without forsaking the earthly plane. One should penetrate the manifestations of each day with sensitivity. When the date draws near, even an ant may come as a messenger.

108. While merging into the cosmic heights, one must find correlation with Earth. Each moment We are ready to abandon everything of the Earth, and at the same time We love every blossom. And therein lies wisdom about which memory to take along: remembrance of the crown or of the fragrance of freesias, of victory cries or of the shepherds’ songs. What is most loved but belongs to us least of all is the best load to carry on the path. A song brings us health, and blossoms heal wounds. That is why I say: Happy are those who understand sound and color.

From time immemorial prophets have touched on sound and color. The ancient instructions about the ringing of bells are rich in meaning. Wreaths and garlands recall the ancient understanding of healing power. Everyone is attracted to different flowers according to the color of his radiation. White and lilac have affinity with purple, while blue goes with blue, which is why I recommend keeping more of these colors in your room. You can follow this scheme in your selection of living flowers. Plants chosen wisely according to color are more healing. I advise you to have more freesias. Our Ray, with its silvery quality, is more reminiscent of white flowers. Color and sound are Our finest feast.

109. A cyclone called forth by crimes suffocates the aged earth. Carbon monoxide creeps about, obscuring the mind. The iron shower is unbearable. You need to keep watch cautiously, for success lies not in haste but in an understanding of the times. The hand of destiny leads to the unavoidable dates. Desire that the New World manifest. It is not We who set the empires atremble; We merely sweep away the decay.

It is important to understand the rhythm of the rising tide: There is either the lofty joy of understanding or downfall.

110. Not treatises, not reasoning, but the channel of the spirit brings perception of the Cosmos. The contemporary lifestyle has cut humanity off from any understanding of the universal power. Insight into the supermundane spheres manifests only at the borderline of sleep. A person who appreciates this sacred moment has already begun to lift the veil. Not vision but consciousness is important; not what is compelled by training but what results from a voluntary revelation is valuable.

The approaching time must make the Pythian tripod available to every sensitive spirit—a sort of democratization of the features of aristocracy. Everyone bears in their breast scales that are impossible to avoid or cheat. Everyone will immediately weigh out the portion that they deserve. This is in keeping with the New Era and easily registers with the mentality of the people. By understanding the flow of people’s thinking, one can easily predict its consequences.

111. Be able to turn attacks to advantage. Desire many enemies, but avoid making them.

Let us finish what we began yesterday. Requital for actions, good and bad, ought to be accelerated. The primary concern of religion should be that of providing a practical solution to the problems of life. The heavenly reward is too remote; recompense ought to be brought down to earth. The people can now understand the miracle of renewed possibilities as something within reach of the entire world. Thus, there is the hand of an Invisible Friend—or a sharp sword. And recalling that the benefits of requital manifest immediately, the people will discover a new path to the Temple.

Instead of entreating a Deity to do it for them, people themselves need to find what is best for them to do.

112. The grandeur of the Cosmos leaves no room for reasoning; it astonishes and uplifts. The spirit’s knowledge is grasped by the spirit’s knowledge.

Pay attention to the silvery thread that links the spirit to the spirit of the Guide. Its silvery manifestation extends to the Ruler of the planet. There results something like a chain that acts as a channel up to the Highest Spirit. The highest individuality does not fear union but sends the gifts of what it has discovered upward along the silvery thread to the highest spheres. Something similar may happen when at the moment of conception a lofty Spirit sends forth its connecting thread.

Remember, every sort of event is possible in the world of the spirit. New possibilities take shape not by means of a made-up formula but through the indescribable power of the spirit. It is difficult—and wonderful!

113. I rejoice in prophetic possibilities, because only through them can one ensure the best evolutionary course in the future. Unless it is founded on foresight, knowledge of the past does not lead onward.

114. The purification of religions is a necessary condition for a new, direct relationship with the spiritual world. Christ, the Buddha, and their closest assistants made no use of magical formulas; rather, they acted and created in a way that fully merged with the spirit. Therefore, in the new evolution the old artificial methods have to be abandoned. Cause and effect. The mechanical side of yoga no longer answers to the world’s need for regeneration. A teacher who sits under a tree pronouncing prohibitions does not meet that need.

From where does one draw strength and the ability to impart understanding? When we link ourselves with the Great Spirit, recognizing cause and motivation, we set up an immediate consequence. We call on Those who earlier trod the great path of personal awareness and responsibility. And our appeals reach Them, through thousands of raised hands. There is no need for demands and no need of terror, for it is spiritual merging that moves mountains. In desiring what is good, we receive the legacy of the Great Beings who bear the Good. We leave open our spiritual vessel that we might receive the benefit of Their help. Nothing evil will touch us, for we desire the good that has been confirmed by the spirit. And we will gently carry the cobweb-laden scriptures into the archives, because we are on our way to the Sources.

To be ready, to be self-renouncing, to be wounded, to be belittled, to be joyful, to be triumphant, to be silent, to be one who brings and bestows, to be taught by the light of the sun in this very lifetime—that is how We wish to see you and how We send you forth. And that is how your spirit has accepted its mission.

“Not by the conquest of royal domains, nor by experiments in an alchemist’s cellar, nor by intonation of magical spells, but in the midst of our daily life do we drop in on You, our Elder Brothers and Sisters, to receive the treasures that we have accumulated and You preserved, for we are going to the simple Temple of the Supreme Spirit. And we shall return to You, because that is what You have wanted us to do. As for the load You have placed on us, we shall carry it to the goal, regarding it as a Chalice of Immortality.”

115. It is no accident when pieces of the luminaries reach neighboring spheres—they are a means of communication. These signs are overlooked by contemporary science. The point is not that a meteorite may contain several carats of diamonds, but that it has significance as a psycho-magnet. This is a means that people can use to expand their sphere of communication. In the future when matter is being coordinated with spirit, this quality of psycho-magnetism will prove important. This is because matter must eventually merge with spirit; it is something like glass becoming malleable.

As the new step of evolution draws near, a new method of healing can be applied by arranging people according to the rays of the luminaries. To pass beyond the confines of the planet is the immediate objective. A human being is not a spectator watching the worlds but a conscious coworker; and the human path lies not through puddles but through the radiance of the spheres.

Why search for light when you can sense it? The spirit knows that it has access to light, that it is destined. If that were not the case, why even have the ladder of Our Brotherhood? The ladder rests on earth and vanishes into the heavens.

116. Bear the dreadful attacks with courage. Your spirit should rejoice in every action. While the hens cackle away, the rain comes and the harvest is good. The threshing floor may have lots of dust, but that is where bread comes from.

117. There is power in repetition; although incorrectly applied in religion, in daily life this armor is indispensable. One has to wrap oneself up again and again.

118. “Whoever succeeds in hearing the voice of his spirit will rise above the abyss.” Thus spoke St. Sergius. “He who has left for the woods cannot hear what people are saying, and he who then falls asleep will miss hearing the birds, heralds of the sun. And he who does not respond to an obvious miracle will relinquish his sight. And he who does not respond to a brother in need will not draw the splinter from his own foot.” Thus spoke St. Sergius.

It will be necessary to speak about Sergius, for the people will want to know about Him. Thus, We shall add the colors to His Image, highlighting His life and sayings through stories.

119. Let us talk about auras.

The egg-shaped aura is characteristic of the astral body. The most ordinary is the narrow aura that radiates from the entire body, extending about two inches. According to the degree of the person’s spirituality, it begins to grow from the upper centers. It starts from the solar plexus, but later rises to the brain centers and forms the so-called solar aura. Powerful influxes of blood typically occur during the shifting of the aura, when the current of tension is shifting its pressure, as it were. Even fainting spells may occur. Eventually the radiation disappears from the lower extremities and gathers into a ring. While still in the midst of ordinary life, the organism becomes keenly sensitive, especially to sounds and colors. It is necessary to have as much tranquility as possible during this transitional period. The solar aura may extend ten or fifteen inches. Of course, its dimensions may increase still further.

In spite of the discomfort involved in this transposition of the aura, one can congratulate a person who has obtained the upper radiation. Care should be taken in creating opportunities to rest. Later a new armor grows, as it were, and the nerves of the skin become firm. One cannot draw a hard-and-fast line between the physical and the spiritual. The balance fluctuates, and the waves travel about the organism. Although this state should not be called an illness, moment by moment one has to help the organism to gain strength in its new condition.

120. Just as you felt loneliness before, now you must feel the knowledge of the spirit. There is a “fare thee well” for each new step. Allow the spirit to aspire. Exercise discretion in accordance with your spiritual awareness. Ask yourself, “How does the spirit want to act?” This stage of “spirit-knowledge” is important. As you approach it, it seems as if the spirit is very far away; but this is only apparently so, for in reality the spirit is knocking hard. It is important to grasp the spirit’s knowledge and take a direct course of action—you should act in the way that you wish to. It is better if you can apply this approach on details rather than risk using it on a massive scale.

121. Now let us compare the knowledge of the spirit and the command of the will. The spirit’s knowledge blossoms, providing protection and illumining the fundamentals. The command of the will is thrust into alien domains, which it conquers and annexes. The command is designated by the symbol of a sword and an arrow. The symbol of the spirit’s knowledge is a flower. The command of the will can be communicated to a disciple from without by means of a swift sending. The spirit’s knowledge, on the other hand, blossoms from within; no wand can evoke it. Just like a flower, knowledge blooms at the hour ordained.

How, then, can you help the flower out? Place it in a quiet spot, give it sunlight, and forbid anyone to touch or pluck the leaves. Without the knowledge of the spirit, you cannot elevate to its full height the knowledge destined for humanity.

122. Works grow in the same way lilies do. Near one garden fence a white sister has concealed herself. She has no companions, but the tender stalks bear evidence of new ones on their way.

Not often does one incarnate as a flower. Some aspire to have the more massive forms of trees; but the charm of flowers is not always within reach, and one cannot necessarily go back to them a second time. Nothing forbids bypassing one of the animal incarnations by way of the plants. Regarding many insects, I would not say their consciousness is necessarily higher than that of beautiful flowers. It is wise to sit out certain incarnations by being born as a flower. “Hurry if you like, while I dwell in a beautiful shelter in order to outstrip you.” That is how the path of beauty shortens the way.

123. To the deceiver say, “Your deception is really useful to me.” To the plunderer say, “I guess the time has come for me to receive something new, but actually it would be better for you not to touch my things. Abuse and usurpation will bring lightning down on you. Your knife will be blunted by invisible armor, and you will wreck your strongest weapons. And where will you go, all dented up and reduced to ashes?”

I spoke to you about your smile and about your strength. And on this anniversary of the day I spoke, those sailing with Me can be given a sword. The law of requital triumphs, and those who have given shall receive.

“Why do you go along with Them?” It is easy and useful to go with Them—swift as the flight of a falcon, unexpected as the transformation that Jonah experienced, and inexhaustible as a flame! Only by giving back in spirit and on earth do you attain the manifestation of light and truth. Inexhaustible is this Source!

On earth, amidst threats, bereft of help, and seemingly debased, they provide, they offer, they endow, and they follow the star. And that is why We rejoice on the anniversary night. Not only do they go and light up the auras, but they resolve to push forward with irrepressible power. That is why We rejoice.

124. We end one phase with a holiday and begin the next phase with work. Let us determine what to do—to act. In this eternal action is Our holiday. Only, in following Our example you should act without getting upset. Desire to act in calmness, knowing that Our spring trickles through you ceaselessly. And when you ask yourself, “Where are the Ones who made the promises?” We are standing right behind you. And We rejoice, measuring how much the flower of your aura has grown, for this is Our Garden. Beyond the distant horizon, Light unites hearts.

125. Visions are just as real as the photo-telephone. One may consider them more real than the physical world. The only problem is what source they come from, but the spirit controls this. A good inquiry will get a good answer.

I will say something very important: People do not study visions enough. It is by tracing the character of visions that a researcher could write the best history of the intellect. Even just by studying the crude remnants of visions, we begin to behold certain periods. Of course, the visions of sensitive spirits take on characteristic forms.

When people started turning Christ into an inaccessible idol, there began a period of visions in which He manifested in the most lifelike forms. He appeared very close to people, entering into their daily lives. In short, for every widespread error a corrective is manifested. You can trace back the appearance of the Divine Mother to a time when women were abased.

Now, when the continuity of the chain between earth and the heavens must be brought to light, visions reveal the unity of the manifestations on the various planes.

After Augustine the Church began sinking into the darkness of the Middle Ages, and Christ found Himself locked in behind bars of gold. In order to break out, Christ Himself descended even in lesser Images, if only to manifest once more the majesty of partaking in unity. The wisdom of antiquity understood well the waves of the world’s needs.

Of course, the path from the One Source is one. Just as the loftiest spirits know this unity, so do sensitive earthly apparatuses. The world of the Higher Reality flashes into the windows opened by the fathomless whirlwind of the rotating planet that has attracted portions of the spirit.

When spirit and matter have attained equilibrium in the future, one will be able to obtain the “clear eye.” Now, however, only fragments are seen. That is why the ancients guarded this natural telescope with such care. The most powerful telescopes were women, and the primary condition for their protection was tranquility.

126. The Blessed One says: All is for all and forever. Keep in mind the four laws: the Law of Encompassment, the Law of Fearlessness, the Law of Proximity, and the Law of Righteousness.

There is no need to explain the Laws of Fearlessness and Righteousness, and it is easy to understand the Law of Encompassment, but the Law of Proximity needs to be elucidated. When images and signs destined to appear by certain dates have drawn near, an especially saturated atmosphere emerges; it is as if plumes of smoke were covering heaven and earth. That which once was clear begins to crumble and, as if caught up in a whirlwind, falls to pieces. Even physically speaking this is a difficult time to go through, but during this period certain dates are being announced, dates that stand like milestones on the path.

However, since we know that nothing can alter the fact that the predestined people belong to these dates, we must pass through this period calmly, like a person getting acclimated to new gases. Remember that not only the Master but the entire Brotherhood is watching; do not be surprised if you hear individual voices. It is good to keep flowers around you during this period—above all, flowers!

127. In very old books of magic you can find the term, “Illuminacio Regale,” which means the “Royal Illumination.” It is such an important principle that Hermes ends his treatise with the words, “Blessed are those who have chosen the path of Illumination.”

The symbolic anointment of kings has the same basis. Absolutely all the masters of the Secret Power agree in affirming that the highest harmony lies in manifestations of the power of Illumination. That is why the king is symbolically the anointed one—without drawing away from the earthly plane, he expresses the will of Heaven. Beyond the conventional formulas that are frozen in a crust of prejudices, there is knowledge pervading the air, as it were.

Erect the lightning rod and attract the heavenly arrow. For one person the arrow is dangerous, for another it is the best of weapons. The entire future is based on obtaining Illumination. Humankind will have in its hands the most difficult kind of telephone.

128. Not in jest are planets beyond Uranus mentioned. Often a spirit overwhelmed by the cosmic whirlwind cannot get its bearings and make observations, but it is only a matter of time and technique. Our protracted experiments will prepare you for a great many things, including lengthy labor. Many of Our experiments take centuries. So if you feel the endlessness of labor, you know one more of Our feelings—all of the time is filled.

Sounds and flowers are an absolute necessity for subsequent flights. The sounds of the life of the spheres and the vital emanations of flowers truly are ingredients in the recipe of Amrita.

It is valuable if one can approach the highest paths without being a medium and without forsaking life in the world. Where there is intellectualizing, where there is fear, where there is a germ of prejudice, it is difficult for the white flowers to flourish. Do things simply, simply, simply, applying love, courage, and readiness. This is not the time for bloated bubbles; pompousness is totally out of place, especially if you think of how Christ washed the fishermen’s feet.

In simplicity of life, in awareness of the value of service to the New World, love for all that merits love opens the Gates.

129. You must have noticed certain phrases that sound quite colloquial or even like something a child might say. This is typical of Our communications, for just as We watch over you, We also watch over the development of children all over the world from the cradle on and weigh their best thoughts. Naturally, it is not often that a spirit reaches its highest potential, and a great many fall away, but We take joy in beholding a pure thought as We would in viewing a beautiful garden. Therefore, do not be surprised that Great Masters repeat simple phrases. By fixing these thoughts We sometimes make it possible for a superb flower of the spirit to grow stronger. Thus, while We attend to great cosmic discoveries and world events, We just as carefully cultivate the flowers of the spirit. That is how diverse the work of Our Brotherhood is.

There is thought that leads inward, without ruffling the surface of the spirit, and there is thought that flies into space like a shell with an explosive charge. A ray accompanies the shell in flight. Every spirit knows it when thought flies like a boomerang. It is especially desirable that a thought acquire its own color, but only open centers ensure that instead of taking on its particular color the thought is enveloped in the color of the thinker—and it is then that true individuality begins. Instead of the thought’s being colored by its content, the entire transmission is steeped in the color of the individuality. That is how the ray is generated physically.

The rainbow is the best sign; every allusion to a rainbow points to the development of the third eye.

130. Christ said, “Not in a temple but in spirit shall you pray.” Truly, religious prejudice is the lowest form of vulgarity. Often even religious ecstasies result in more harm than good. The crowd has turned them into a vulgar display, which is why it is important to show people the practical nature of Those who are standing on a rung of the Ladder.

It is time to do away with the diamonds that desecrate the sacred images. In accordance with the teaching of Christ, it is time to burn the relics. It is time to enter the Temple of Spirit-understanding and consecrate one’s powers, the powers that perfect knowledge of the spirit’s true might.

Neither in remote laboratories nor in monastic cells will you gather the truthful records, but in the very midst of life—there where Christ, not in the folds of a tunic but in the beauty of toil, assembles those who seek freedom of the spirit.

Many times saints have had to return to earth because they went too far in conveying their exaltation to the crowd instead of communicating the structure of life.

We are absolutely opposed to monasteries, as they are the antithesis of life; only the seedbeds of life, the communities displaying the best manifestations of labor, will find Our assistance. It is through life that one has to attain the goal. It is conventional religiosity that is unnecessary. Facts arising from conscious communion with the Abode of Light are what are needed. Here you are, aspiring to do good and proceeding mindfully, without magic, to the practical Source. In this simplicity lies the entire secret at hand, a secret still so inaccessible to people who trudge along, up to their waists in prejudice.

It is impossible for them to understand beauty, simplicity, and fearlessness.

131. Fearlessness is Our leader. Beauty is Our ray of understanding. Simplicity is Our key to the secret doors to happiness.

You may write about simplicity in particular, because nothing bars the way as much as the obesity of an overinflated ego. You need to do your utmost to rid yourself of every germ of self-importance, and do so without assuming false modesty. It would seem to be an old, old truth, but now it has to be repeated. Everyone has to understand for himself where his simplicity is lacking.

132. Just as self-confidence in action is blessed, self-conceit is disastrous. Self-conceit is hostile to simplicity. Even great minds are subject to this malady, and must return once more to work until this husk is obliterated. Lack of simplicity is one of the conditions that hold people back. A person can wear coarse sandals and still not be simple. But with simplicity you can build the most magnificent temple.

Simplicity, beauty, and fearlessness—Christ and the Buddha spoke of nothing more. And it is a blessing if the spirit thrills to these teachings.

You see how We even try to speak in the simplest words, if only to hasten the collapse of the towers of Babel. Say: We will reduce their commentaries to ashes if they have turned the incisive words of Christ into a heap of savage notions. It was said so simply: “Pray in no way but in spirit.”

The Buddha passed through life peacefully—and people forgot Him. Christ suffered—and people forgot Him. It is now time for everyone to raise his sword above his head, each according to what he desires.

People, rummage among your rags! Somewhere there is a white garment ready for everyone. Let us consign the monkey costumes to the circus, along with all the conceited fools. Yes, yes, yes! Better to be with savages than in a pharmacy full of quack cures. It’s as simple as that.

133. Because Our disciples bear within themselves a microcosm of the Brotherhood, they never meet with a neutral reaction. The details that characterize Our Life gradually appear in their way of life: There is the same endlessness of work; an absence of any sense of finality, even finality of knowledge; loneliness and the absence of a home in this world; an understanding of joy in the sense of being aware of possibilities—for it is rare that the best arrows actually reach their target. And when We see the hearts of people who strive to the very same garden, how can We not show joy?!

But it is especially important to be fearless when facing the endlessness of work. However, awareness that the possibilities of the human apparatus are limitless makes it easier.

The serpent of the solar plexus helps to overcome the discord of the nerve centers, which is why the snake was a symbol of kingship. When the coils of the serpent begin to wind, the organism becomes especially sensitive. Flowers transmit their vital emanation through fibers in the membranes of the white blood cells that are defending the citadel of the serpent. In nature, serpents love flowers; similarly, the serpent of the solar plexus is nourished by them.

Pigs also move among flowers, but without getting anything out of it. In the same way, unless a person consciously absorbs the vital emanation, he may pass by the most effective remedies—hence the desire to see the flowers unplucked.

134. The refraction of the rays gives rise to sounds that enter into the orchestra of the music of the spheres. One can imagine the crystalline nature of the subtlety along with the power of the whirlwind.

There is a center in the brain called the bell. Like a resonator it gathers in the symphony of the world and can transform the most profound silence into a thundering chord. It has been said, “He who has ears, let him hear.”

Similarly, the spinal chord is called the spear, because we have to tense this channel if we wish to ward off blows. The centers of the shoulders are called wings, because the rays extending from them grow stronger when a self-sacrificing achievement is being undertaken. The legend about wings is quite suggestive. Likewise, there was a good reason for the ancient custom of wearing a round metal plate on the breast.

The crown of the head is called the well, because the waves of alien influences penetrate from this direction. Everywhere in antiquity we find that what covered the head was connected with a symbol of the priesthood, while nowadays there is the logo of a business firm instead—a sign of how people are growing spiritually bald!

Let us conclude with a message to newcomers: You have a lot to learn if you are to obtain the wisdom of calmness and action. You have to discern the faces under the masks and learn how to make My Name the armor of your every action.

I will come to the land indicated—learn to be sensitive and do not sleep through that dawn. Also, be able to keep a luminous garment on hand. And when you get tired, remember that inaction is unknown to Us. Try to adopt Our customs, and love flowers and sound.

Stride forward like lions, but take good care of the little ones, for they will help you to open My doors. Have understanding!

135. When many earthly apparatuses will have to be destroyed because of the harm they do, it will be time to draw humanity closer by means of a natural apparatus.

An apparatus is a first step. The true conquest will have been made when the spirit has replaced every apparatus. For man to be fully equipped without possessing a single machine—what a conquest that will be!

The literate in letters can act only on the surface of the earth, but the literate in spirit can act beyond all boundaries.

The formation of new worldwide combinations is not flowing smoothly. The obsolete centers are trying to hinder the efforts of the new ones.

We shall withstand the thunder and the rain—Our mirror shines bright.

136. It was sensitive of you to feel that you needed to summon up all your courage to attain. There may be tiresome or dangerous stages of the journey that can only be endured through trust in the Guide. He must lead you to the goal without overtaxing your strength, for if He were to put too great a strain on your forces, how would He replace them?

The lofty mission of women has to be made manifest by woman. And it is woman who should dwell in the Temple of the Mother of the World.

The manifestation of the Mother of the World will create unity among women. Right now the task is to create a spiritually sovereign position for woman. Direct communion with the Highest Forces needs to be passed on to women in order to give them a push forward psychologically. Of course, the necessary respect will arise through the new religion.

I feel how tense the current is, how saturated the atmosphere, but soon the pressure of the stars will shift. Even the approach of the friendly planet has brought difficulties, because its new rays are piercing new strata of the atmosphere. Naturally, they are better than the rays of the moon, but this new pressure has yet to be distributed properly.

137. With profound symbolic meaning, Christ pointed to the children. Let us approach the Gates of Great Knowledge with equal simplicity.

True, We do compose formulas that are complicated and precise, but the method of discovery is rooted in the spiritual consciousness. It is through this consciousness that We discover new ways to connect unexplored realms of the various worlds to those accessible to thinking, until We reach the very boundaries of thought. It is as if the consciousness were immersed in a bottomless ocean where it assimilates new spheres. Mighty and majestic is the creativity of the Cosmos!

138. Urusvati—it is time to say that this is the name We have given to the star that is approaching the Earth with irresistible force. For long ages it has been a symbol of the Mother of the World, and the Epoch of the Mother of the World must begin when Her star has made an unprecedented approach to the Earth.

The Great Epoch is beginning, because spirit-understanding is linked to the Mother of the World. Even to those who know the date it is wonderful to witness the physical approach of the destined. The advent of this great Epoch is so very important, for it will bring about substantial changes in life on Earth. A Great Epoch! I rejoice, seeing how the new rays are penetrating the thickness of the Earth. Even though the rays are hard to bear at first, their emanation is bringing in new elements, so necessary for the forward push. These new rays are reaching the Earth for the first time since it was formed.

Today is the beginning of the feminine awakening, for a new wave has reached the Earth today, kindling new hearths, and the substance of the rays is penetrating deeply.

It is joyous to feel the New Era approaching.

139. The need to tell lies is what compels the priests of the old religions to push the people into an abyss of darkness. Yes, it is all right to do what Moses did and leave them at the foot of the mountain, but one has to reveal the tablets on which the Commandments have been inscribed.

How perishable everything once seemed! Our disciples, appearing on the earthly plane for the last time, experience a feeling of loneliness and estrangement. Only through consciousness do we understand the value of the earthly world, but nothing forces us to look back if the spirit has already filled its treasure chest. The main thing is the modification of the human feeling of joy. And what joy can there be once you realize the imperfect nature of life? But when the spirit awakens to the dimensions of the Cosmos, this joy is replaced by awareness of possibilities.

And when I whispered, “Your joy will go away,” I had in mind the way that human joy transitions into a cosmically manifested concept, as if it were entering into a vacuum. The rays of the new life wrap you up better than mosquito netting, and you do not need to push yourself toward the earthly plane: This is the source of harmony when we are working for the earthly world. For outsiders this seems like sheer nonsense, but you understand how you can grasp every pure earthly thought and make it develop and grow without even touching on its contemporary meaning.

It is only when one has traced the thread from Christ to a blade of grass that the scope of all the tasks has been fully covered.

Great is the knowledge of the absence of death. Everything has been forgotten—otherwise people would live differently.

140. This is the story of Mary Magdalene.

You know about my way of life, how people knew us at night but shunned us in the daytime. So also with Christ—at night the people came, but in the daytime they turned their faces away.

It occurred to me, here I am, the lowest of the low, and while the sun is shining people are ashamed of me. But He, the most exalted of Prophets, is also avoided by day. The loftiest is just as avoided as the lowest.

So I decided to go find Him in the daytime and reach out my hand to Him. I put on my finest cloak and my necklace from Smyrna, and perfumed my hair. And I went to tell everyone, “Here in the light of day are meeting the two people you avoid, the lowest and the highest.”

And when I saw Him sitting among the fisherman and wearing the coarsest cloth, I just stood on the opposite side of the street, unable to approach. Between us passed the people, avoiding one of us just as much as the other.

And that was how my life was decided, because He said to His most beloved disciple, “Take a pinch of dust and give it to that woman, so she can exchange her necklace for it. Truly, there is more light in these ashes than in her stones, for I can create a stone from ashes, but from stones only dust.” He did not pass judgment on me, but only weighed my chains, and the chains of shame crumbled into dust.

He decided things simply. He never hesitated to send the simplest object, something that determined the entire course of a person’s life. He touched the objects He sent as if He were filling them with spirit.

His path was empty, because no sooner had the people received gifts from Him than they scattered. He wished to lay His hands upon them, but it was empty there.

After He was condemned, the furies of shame rushed after Him, waving their branches with mockery. The price of the robber was worthy of the crowd.

He truly broke the chains, because He gave out knowledge without accepting payment.

141. The plans for construction proceed in such diverse ways! There was a time when We said, “Give up everything.” Now we go further and say, “Take everything but don’t look upon it as your own.”

Simple logic shows how impossible it is to take earthly things with you. But objects have been created with the spirit taking part, which is why one should not despise them.

Could you pass by the flowers of nature without a glance? But the creations of labor are also flowers—the flowers of humanity. If their scent and color are imperfect, you should feel compassion.

142. Every useful thought finds approval—stroke a string and you call forth a similar resonance. A clear, courageous formulation of thought is very useful.

We can enjoy medieval lute music as well as Wagner’s Die Walküre. The ancient Chinese crystal instrument is also wonderful, the purity of its tone corresponding to that of colors. It is called a rainbow harp. Its rays produce splendid trumpet-like sounds, and its spiral rings are irreplaceable, as are the strings on a stringed instrument.

Truly, it is worthwhile living with such perspectives.

143. Accumulation has to take place again and again in accordance with the rhythm of the world’s motion. Display of haste is opposed to the worldwide creation.

The way in which crystals and flowers form shows how perfection develops.

144. The link between Christ and the Buddha flickers faintly in people’s understanding.

145. Let us discuss the application of My medicines.

All the powers of the vegetable kingdom must be directed toward the sole purpose for which they exist—the increase of vital capacity. Every ailment can be cured by the contraposition of vital capacity.

Certain plants exist as reservoirs of prana, so to speak. Conifer needles collect it much as electric needles do. As a link between heaven and the depths of the earth, living antennae cover the earth, gathering and preserving the factor that truly renews the spiritual tissue.

Ignorance may conceal illness, but it is better to burn it up with the fire of life. You can restore the balance not with some energy-depleting manmade stimulant, but by use of the vital force.

You should not search among the minerals for a cure, for they have long lacked the influence of prana. Their role is different. Rather, it is the sun’s manifestation that gives life.

True, the mineral soil provides something of a foothold on life, but this is only a pedal that is useless without strings.

So My pharmacy will focus on the essence that is common to humankind. It will establish the vital capacity without shedding blood, because plants pass easily into the next state.

Inoculations are fine if the vital capacity is up to receiving them; otherwise they act like a destructive plaster. A being who possesses full vital capacity is not in need of inoculations, because he has the so-called “solar immunity.”

There is not much vital capacity in villages, because prana only helps when it is consciously assimilated. The nourishment of the spirit can only take place consciously.

To what was indicated about medicines one should add that in Lemuria the skins of musk animals were highly valued. Also, a chalice of cedar resin was part of the consecration rites for kings in ancient Khorasan.

The Druids also called a chalice of cedar resin the “chalice of life.” Only later was it replaced by blood, as people lost awareness of the spirit.

The fire of Zoroaster arose from the burning of resin in a chalice.

146. Half the sky is filled with an unusual sign. Around an invisible luminary a seemingly boundless circle has begun to shine forth, rays running along its rim. The furies, with all their terrors, have hidden in caves, smothered by the aureole of this sign. The path lies before the people who are headed to the West.

The people are bringing the best abilities. The giving hand lives wisely. Let the old places have a rest.

To whom should the new land be given? Who will bring a pinch of the old Knowledge? The knot of the peoples is anchored on an empty place. Let the departed ones return.

If seas can cover mountains and deserts can replace ocean floors, why should it be impossible to imagine the miracle of a desert being populated? A plowman, a simple farmer lets his field rest, allowing it to grow thick with weeds. Likewise, in the Great Plan the places of harvest have to be changed. It is only right that the new be built in a new place.

I feel that the human spirit will rise, but you should welcome the most unfortunate: “Come, naked ones, and we will clothe you; come, little ones, and we will raise you; come, mute ones, and we will give you speech; come, blind ones, for you shall see the destined domain.” Whose hand is stretched out to the bolt on the gate of My House? Traveler, you bring nothing of your own, and that is why you shall enter. That is how we will reach the goal.

147. It is time to do away with the imperfection of matter. For this purpose people have to become conscious of spirit; otherwise the general condition tends to reduce individual possibilities to its level, as it were, in the same way that the waves of the ocean maintain a common rhythm.

That is why it is time to arouse the peoples by sword or lightning, if only to elicit the cry of the spirit.

148. If you could see the templates of the earliest creations, you would be horrified. The main problem is that only matter can act on matter. Building a bridge from the spirit to the Brotherhood was not that hard, but establishing a regular link between the Brotherhood and the people has proven inexpressibly difficult. People parrot the remarkable formula, “By death is death defied,” but they fail to think about what it means.

It has been decided that the future destiny will rest on conditions that demand the cooperation of the spirit in ordinary life. The difficulty lies in the new ways that humanity is being differentiated. The old, primitive categorization into castes, classes, and professions is being replaced by a complex distinction according to light and shade. As a purified form of communism, this manifestation will select the best strata of humanity. Without going into details, one has to outline a general principle demarcating light and shade, as if one were setting standards for recruiting a new army.

How hard it is to select without resorting to special measures!

149. The waves of the currents swell spirally. The principle of the spiral whirlwind is found in everything.

150. The Mother of the World is manifesting as a symbol of the feminine Origin in the new epoch, and the masculine Origin is voluntarily returning the treasure of the World to the feminine Origin.

The Amazons were a symbol of the feminine Origin’s power, but now it is essential to show another side, the spiritual perfection of woman.

Great crimes have been committed in the name of Christ, which is why nowadays Christ clothes Himself in other garments. All the embellishments need to be discarded. We are not just talking about works that one might expect to be embellished; even the works of Origen were subjected to alteration. It is high time to change the state of the world.

The springs cannot go into action until the destined date; to hasten means to sever the strings.

151. Regarding the spirit’s conquests, its possibilities know no limits. The seed of the spirit is self-containing, but the direction of its striving can be judged according to the aura.

There are thoughts turned within and absorbed by the potential energy of the spirit. There are thoughts that are not expressed upon the earthly plane.

152. One could build a whole city, and one could give people the most valuable knowledge, but what is really difficult is washing off the true image of Christ. Think about how you can wipe clean the body of Christ.

By gathering the bits and pieces of truth in the popular concept of the Savior and replacing his splendid tunic with overalls, seekers may be able to find illumination.

By human hands must the Temple be built.

153. The Star of Allahabad showed Us the way, so We visited Sarnath and Gaya. Everywhere We found the desecration of religion. On the way back, under the full moon, Christ spoke those memorable words.

During the night journey, the guide had lost the way. I found Christ seated upon a mound of sand. He was looking on as the moonlight poured onto the sands. “We have lost the way,” I told Him. “We have to wait and find out the positions of the stars.”

“Rasul Morya, why should We bother about the way, when the entire world is waiting for Us?” Then, taking His bamboo staff He traced a square around His footprint and said, “Truly, by human feet.” And having made an impression with His palm, He enclosed it in a square. “Truly, by human hands.”

Between the squares He drew what looked like a pillar crowned with an arc. He said: “Oh, how Aum will penetrate the human consciousness! Here I have drawn a pistil with an arc above it, and have laid the foundation in four directions. When the Temple is built by human feet and human hands—the Temple where the pistil placed by Me will blossom—then may the builders walk My path. Why wait for a path, when the path is before Us?” And standing up, He erased with His staff everything that He had drawn.

“When the Name of the Temple is uttered, this image shall appear. As a reminder of My constellation, a square and nine stars shall shine above the Temple. The sign of the foot and the hand shall be inscribed on the cornerstone.” That is what He Himself said on the eve of the new moon. The heat of the desert was great.

The Star of the Morning is a sign of the Great Epoch, the first ray of which will flash forth from the Teaching of Christ; for who is to glorify the Mother of the World if not Christ, He who was belittled by the world?

Give Us the arch of the Vault through which to enter!

154. Contact with the ray of the Brotherhood increases the insightfulness of one’s perceptions, which is why you need to take every perception into consideration.

Small events, as well as important ones, strike the aura as if it were musical strings. The growing aura brings certain benefits, and these Aeolian wings resound in a variety of ways. The whole weight of the world plays its symphonies upon them. One cannot say that a person with such a radiant aura is motionless. The outer casing of the aura is like a rough sea. What a task it would be for a scientist to trace the nourishment of the aura from within as well as the process of reflection and repulsion from without! Truly, it is a universal battle!

The symbol of the weight of the world is a man carrying a sphere. All of the complex sensations intensify until they actually become painful. You may get the impression that you are lodged between a hammer and an anvil. That is why it is so practical to attain a rainbow aura, for it possesses the capacity to assimilate everything that exists. Even the finest monochromatic auras have to quench conflagrations by themselves, drawing from their own ocean. A rainbow aura, on the other hand, easily repels the rays and takes them in. Therefore, the most practical thing one could do is podvig.

155. When you are perplexed, sit together in silence and think one thought. Soon you will understand how practical such silent counsel is. We speed the power of the spirit along one channel, and this results in an unusual discharge, which is intensified by magnetism and harmonized by rhythm. The law is that two harmonious thoughts increase the power sevenfold. This is not magic but a practical consideration.

156. Be able to face the waves of life with beauty. This is a matter not of getting sweet pastries but of forging a sword, not of licking sugarcoated fingers but of extending the powerful hand of a spiritual warrior. To advance toward an enemy without acknowledging him as such, and to reach the Gates without looking back—that is Our path! We know the tread of the destined victors. Just make sure that you do not hop about on the path. And make sure that We can rejoice in the invincible character of your stride. It is more appropriate for the ray to illumine those who walk than to leap after those who hop about. People know how to do many things, but they seldom know how to end on a beautiful note. At dawn or at dusk, in advance or in retreat, flying high or diving deep, think of Us—Those Who watch. What is done with beauty is done with dignity. Do we need to remind you of giants who were stopped by a little stream? The ugly obscured the easy, and the mind faltered, losing discernment of beauty. But a mathematician only feels joy when complex problems come up. And then there is the power of silence, which has already been discussed.

157. Fire singes imperfect thoughts. Otherwise how could one replenish the cradle of authentic attainments? The experiment of filtering thought through a ray is very important. Everyone expresses the essence of his or her aura, but the value of individual thoughts may differ according to their spiritual makeup. Then the “body” of the thought can be tested with a special ray. The presence of inner spirituality illumines the thought with the color of the aura, but if the thought is a base one, it will burn under the ray. There results not only a testing of thought but also a disinfection of space.

You can imagine how a ray penetrates space and discovers beautiful treasures—as well as little red and orange fires, which are like malicious poisoners.

How could the layers above the Earth not be undergoing purification, when even to the eye they have a smoky orange color?

The main thing is to destroy the germs of base thoughts, which are more infectious than any disease. Care should be taken not so much about spoken words as about thoughts. While one word is being uttered, ten thoughts are born.

158. The truthfulness of the fundamentals needs to be discussed. You noticed that We call the astral world a heaped-up pile. We emphasize how much We avoid it.

You already know that astral bodies have volume as well as weight, and that they take with them many of the peculiarities of earthly life. It is commonly recognized that earthly knowledge is relative. Naturally, astral bodies carry a good share of that relativity away with them; at the same time, being freed of their earthly envelope, they also acquire the creative power of the spirit.

You can imagine how the relative nature of their knowledge is reflected in the structures that they create!

Alongside an Olympus that somebody has dreamed up, you may come across a hideous factory that someone was unable to realize in his earthly life.

Oases of harmony do exist, but in general a fantastic cemetery of human vestiges holds sway.

It would not work to delve deep into the astral clichés, because only a false representation would result. In this respect, ordinary mediums are harmful.

Let us not count up all the consequences of the fumes that issue from the earthly kitchen. It is important, however, to understand how we can reduce the consequences of relativity. They can be reduced by real truthfulness; but truthfulness can be perceived only through spirituality, which is why the awakening of spirituality is a condition for knowing the cosmos.

159. Joy is a special wisdom—thus spoke Christ.

Nothing gathers the essence of prana as well as plants do. Even pranayama can be replaced by association with plants. It is useful to understand how intently the eye should penetrate the structure of plants. The pores of plants expand not only with the growth of new leaves and flowers but also through removal of dead parts. The law by which the earth is nurtured through the antennae of plants makes it possible to use smell and sight in drawing from this reservoir the precious essence of vital capacity, the so-called Naturovaloris, which is acquired through conscious striving.

Just as living plants that have not lost their vital capacity are valuable, preparations obtained by drying them in the sun may also be useful. You should avoid anything that has reached the stage of decomposition, however, because decomposition is the same in everything and attracts spirits that are full of imperfections. That is why you should be careful about the condition of cut flowers. You need to smell it when they start decomposing, because it is not the outer appearance but the smell that conveys the signs of decomposition.

When it is not the season for flowers, it is useful to have small conifers. Like an electrical generator they accumulate vital capacity, and are more effective than correct breathing. Instead of relying on ritual breathing, you can use conifers to obtain an extremely condensed supply of prana. Of course, they are still more efficacious when you are in a state of rest.

An open-minded understanding of the power of nature will allow one to revive possibilities without resorting to magic.

160. It is impossible to separate the conditions of the earthly world from those that surround it, because the mental world has no hard-and-fast boundaries.

Again one has to speak out against the astral world, because in the future it will be desirable to shorten this stage considerably. Now it is unavoidable, but the manifestation of the mental body will become more accessible as the spirit develops.

Devachan is a place of pleasant realizations; but at the same time it is dangerous, because a weak spirit is reluctant to leave such a pleasant station and it generates great unwillingness to go back to work. When the time comes to take leave of this Valhalla, the mental body impels one toward podvig, but the astral finds its habitat nice and comfortable.

It is the spirit that does not allow itself to settle in, for somewhere deep inside, the spirit remembers beautiful worlds. Beyond the various recollections there dwells an awareness inexpressible and firm—an awareness that it is possible to return to the Light from which the spark emanated.

How can a sensitive spirit avoid the onslaught of intense anguish? There has never been a case where someone was able to detach himself from the earthly plane without contraction of his nerve centers. His experience is just like that of a brave aviator who, on lifting off from the earth, feels nothing but the tremor in his heart.

The goal and meaning of existence is to strive upward beyond the limits of the known and to help one another.

If, without resorting to any mechanical techniques, we recall the sensation of standing on a cliff before a natural phenomenon, and during the resultant ecstasy our heart does not contract, then this stage will be followed by the feeling of embracing the Boundless.

Some people easily reconcile themselves to the finery of the astral world, but you will not find it attractive. Only Our nests of knowledge will convey the path.

161. You have noticed that every Great Teacher spoke about the continuity of life. You may also notice that precisely this indication is expunged from every teaching, because materialism has to protect itself. On Earth this condition is especially important.

You should realize that earthly matter is very dense. On planets at a lower level than the Earth the matter is very coarse, while on those higher than the Earth the matter harmonizes with spirit. In that sense the Earth is a turning point.

There are imperfections on the higher planets, but the matter there does not have the same refractory nature. There it is easier to follow a quest without wasting strength in useless struggle. There matter becomes inseparable from spirit, free of opposition.

Nobody denies the value of matter, but it makes no sense for the wheels on a locomotive to quarrel with the engine. It would seem that the better the engine works the better the wheels should turn. But the manager of the wheels thinks that they are the most important part of the organism and invites everyone to take a ride on them, concealing the fact that without the engine the wheels can only roll downhill.

The structure of matter and spirit contains no fundamental antagonism. Why arrest their progression into the Infinite, the beautiful and boundless? And why encircle the Earth with one illusory dam after another?

We feel sorry for the travelers so needlessly delayed, for these earthly stations will not serve them beyond a certain point.

Why incarnate a hundred times if you can cross the threshold in ten?

How vividly one can recall that the last Great Teacher suffered an outrageous death for affirming something humanity had seemingly learned long before!

162. You should keep in mind that refined matter has an absorptive quality. When somebody approaches matter for the sake of its immediate condition, he or she does not receive the immunity of the spirit and sinks into illusion—the so-called maya—because unless the essence of things is perfected their shell becomes poisonous.

163. Growth in the understanding of the spirit also attracts the cooperation of the small entities that inhabit the air. That is why the animosity of matter is so regrettable. Conscious cooperation with matter could have been attained sooner.

It is tempting to receive immediate material advantages. Even intelligent people are not averse to receiving some title, not weighing the consequences that come with it. The cemetery, with all its lofty titles, is a memorial to the fence that isolates matter.

Of course, matter is very important, but only with spirit does it attain its sacred significance. Just as an ardent admirer of matter without spirit lacks harmony, so does an adept without intellect. Still, a person can fly in spirit, while matter has no wings. Spirituality in the earthly world can open lofty Gates.

And when a person is free of fear, he can know the genesis of reality.

164. The quality of rays is infinite in its diversity, but two categories of rays are easy to distinguish. One category consists of rays that can be revealed to contemporary humanity, while the other comprises rays whose use requires that people have understanding of the spirit, for without it those rays can be very destructive.

The Ray of the Mother of the World may be given to humanity in the not too distant future. A luminous auger can be entrusted to a few. The fiery wall is dangerous for those who deny the spirit, because the orange and crimson auras may all be drawn into the orbit of the fire and unable to endure.

Every ray is able to manifest a defense only within the limits of its generic colors. If even a very lofty yellow is disagreeable for a violet ray, then how strongly must colors of the crimson family clash with the outer envelope of such an aura. Perfectment provides a new mode of defense, one by which we perceive various rays by absorbing them with our own ray. By our own gamut of colors we shield ourselves, as it were, from fatigue brought on by all sorts of flashes.

For example, someone with a violet aura starts to see everything in waves colored violet and blue. This means that his shield is growing stronger. It means that instead of suffering stings and wounds, he inundates everything in his own ocean, and alien colors seemingly sink into his aura’s accumulations. But the difficult thing about these accumulations is that they cannot be sent from without but have to be brought forward from within. That is why it is a good sign when the fire of the spirit radiates its own color.

Every monochromatic aura has three waves within it corresponding to the three main principles of nature: physical, astral, and mental.

165. The dream revealed the meaning of the last missions. We see the march of the destined events and the appearance of quiet figures who, though they seem to be traveling outside the course of events, are valued by Us on the basis of their spiritual achievements. Their lives flow onward amidst a sort of withdrawal punctuated by a podvig, which flashes like a spark in the darkness.

The events before and after flow by utterly unnoticed. Whether a life passes in a throne room, a monastic cell, or a cobbler’s corner makes no difference: the entire aura that has been accumulated accompanies this final path. Of course, the aura grows and, as it were, veils an extraordinary sensitivity, but its quality no longer changes. You can distinguish such children from an early age, children who bear their own world of spiritual manifestations.

Very rarely, almost never, do they limit themselves to just one specialization. In fact, the absence of specialization is a defining characteristic. Their hands, as it were, are reaching out to the chalice.

When you look through their past lives, you can see representatives of religion, royalty, science, art, and mechanics, who are waiting, well equipped for the journey ahead, and ready to leave at any hour without regrets.

The combination of a correct appreciation of the beauty of matter with readiness to plumb the depths of spiritual attainment is what brings achievement to maturity. The hustle and bustle of life loses its attractiveness, and of course there emerges awareness that things can go no further in the same way.

Their podvig may be of relatively short duration, or it may be instantaneous. Realization of the vital need to manifest a specific action arises from past accumulations, and it is carried out as simply as an everyday deed.

So the most difficult thing is to encompass admiration for matter along with the manifestations of the spirit. How many wonderful quests have been hampered by some regret concerning matter or by spiritual insularity! Sometimes the affinity of spirit and matter arises easily, in which case you should look for the cause in the past lives selected.

The highly refined recluse who curses the beauty of the world shuts the Gates before himself. Likewise, the scientist who forgets about the Source robs himself of flights into the realm of higher conquests. Children will grasp this simple condition, but often adults reject it as nonsense.

Only by the special means of communion can one ride forward on the train of podvig. And to wait for something that the spirit anticipates and knows to be its destiny can be so painful that one feels as if time has stopped, as if a fire had destroyed one’s accumulated wealth.

Truly did Christ say, “You know neither the day nor the hour.” He revealed another truth in asking, “Why have you forsaken me, Lord?” This refers to the knowledge of the spirit, for at the last moment we sink into a vacuum, as it were, just before the end of the earthly cycle, so that all the fires accumulated may blaze forth. The leap over the abyss is made possible by restraining the consciousness of the past.

166. Even earthly things preserve a special atmosphere around them, just as the records of events in Our Repositories retain their particular fluids. Even before reading a document, one may get a strong sense of its gist. The Teaching will penetrate much deeper when at the very beginning the essence of the subject can be conveyed. I guarantee that very soon sensitive apparatuses will be able to assimilate it. The ability to sense things develops normally if spirit is acknowledged.

In particular, people often say, “Nothing surprises us anymore,” and then are startled at the first inexplicable creak.

You are about to ask why the final incarnation necessitates solitude. This requirement is very difficult to explain from the perspective of the earthly world, but appears absolutely natural and simple as soon as one crosses beyond the boundary of earthly existence. Even in the ordinary phenomenon of a ship coming into port, you can see something similar. Life on the ship ceases: the journey is winding up, and the passengers are busy getting ready to disembark. It seems as if the recent activities in which everybody joined never even happened.

How much more does this apply to the feeling of an organism approaching a condition in which everything changes! It instinctively guides the stream of striving toward the means by which to express the final action.

Of course, you noted two paths: departure in the physical body, and departure for work through the densified astral body. Each of these conditions has its advantages, and only the spirit can decide which way suits it better. For work on the earthly plane the distinction between the two conditions may be a very fine one. Certainly, for work on that plane the physical is more suitable, but maintaining an external connection is easier in the densified state. Both conditions allow communication. The physical body can easily send forth its astral, but the densified astral cannot take on all the peculiarities of the physical.

Naturally, tissue that maintains vital capacity is able to keep the physical body from disintegrating. Even some densified astral bodies remain under the covering of such tissue while distant flights are being undertaken.

167. It sometimes happens that before departure all the voices fall silent, and even those who know the law governing departure are struck with awe.

In the Egyptian mysteries there was a certain moment when the candidate, having been placed before a threshold in pitch darkness, had to enter the Unknown without slackening his pace.

Especially now that Christ has repudiated miracles, this instantaneous step into the Unknown has to be taken through special means, for the future epoch must erase the boundaries between worlds. The Egyptian mysteries have been transformed into the formula, “By human feet.”

168. There needs to be a protective net around the body. It is very important that the aura conclude in a net of vital sparks, which is why even lilac and blue auras must have ruby-colored sparks at their peripheries. A gamut consisting of only those tones, which are remote from the earthly world, makes their bearer overly sensitive to terrestrial phenomena. The width of the aura often grows, and the features of the earthly world are dislodged. Teros and Tamas must work together like brothers, because the representatives of Tamas and Teros should be inseparable.

The spirit fills the aura with radiation, while the net makes it compact. By being aware of the defensive net, you can enclose the radiations in a protective perimeter; but you cannot extend the net without Teros, the ray of which must, like a lantern, detect breaks in the net. As a result, there may arise a lack of coordination in one’s contact with the outer world. So this simple process has to be thoroughly mastered, for the net is regulated by the ordinary consciousness and the command of the will.

At first glance, the leaping sparks only seem to remind one that the apparatus is working; but they are guards, ready to repel the enemy.

169. Let us talk about why a decision was made to give up performing miracles. The path of miracles is the farthest from harmony. Either the miracle comes to nothing, in which case it is simply harmful; or it jerks a person up to a level that the atmosphere around him cannot sustain; or it falls under the gaze of envious eyes and generates evil.

To courageously acknowledge the possibility of penetrating the full light and consciously conceal unusual manifestations means to bring harmony nearer. To walk the path of the expansion of consciousness means to approach true action.

The ray of understanding, in comprehending that the manifestations of power are destined to be boundless in their scope, is able to connect ready souls, and without this readiness every miracle turns into a curiosity.

You may have powers at your disposal, but these are for progressive actions, not for displays. When the essence is invisible to the crowd and, being upstaged by the result, attracts no attention, it will penetrate into the people’s consciousness and accustom them to the reality of creation by human hands. In this way the highest spirit-creativity will result in actions “by human hands.” It is appropriate that the spirit dwell in spirit. Let the hand show the earthly direction, for creation by human hands does not arouse hatred.

In ancient times, the face of the person communicating the commands of God was covered. Later people tried to overcome matter by proclaiming the existence of powers they had not really mastered. Of course, this gave rise to the Inquisition. The essence of an inquisition is persecution of the unusual.

If as a result of cooperation you can turn the unusual into the destined, even the stupidest people will have to accept it. Therefore, let miracles exist only in the consciousness of the few, those who are able to catch a glance of the Infinite.

You end up with the opposite of what the ancients had. Formerly the priests kept the miracles for the crowds, but now the miracles are for the priests.

At the foundation of evolution lies striving to true cooperation. The path of ignorance can be wiped away only by the awakening of creativity. Though the forms it takes may even be monstrous, though people may attempt to make a backyard fire of woodchips into something as bright as the sun, the seething stream of creativity will break through the walls of matter all the same. New discoveries will stimulate the process of collecting knowledge. Instead of stock market speculation let there be striving for discoveries, supported by cooperative societies.

170. The spirit senses how a new understanding and new people are coming. The chaos of fragments can be understood through beauty. What other standard can be applied in making sense of the jumble of thought dross? When you find a heap of goodness, readiness, and mobility, you can only set to work on it with a shovel of beauty. A miraculous fire is contained in communion with the people.

Dissatisfaction is no more than the knowledge of possibilities. In Our Brotherhood there is no satisfaction, for satisfaction means the death of the spirit.

171. Where the people are waiting, We send those We have chosen. Above the earthly rays blaze the rays of the spirit. Burn the garments of the days gone by. A mole is no companion. I attest, the destined day will come before the moles of the world succeed in digging a trap. Hands off, hands off, hands off! Our Shield is forged by earthly hands. The manifest power will come through the people. There is no need for angels to deafen ears with their trumpets when there are found human hands able to accept the chalice.

172. The conventional life has to be skillfully avoided. The best people have passed ahead of the world, which is weighed down with dark clouds.

Those who wish to reach the New Country must not only cast aside all prejudices but also get there by taking a new path.

Every affirmation of life has to be developed by applying it to local conditions. Where a hundred tongues are spoken, one has to understand a hundred psychologies. Adopting one approach for all is like building with prefab columns.

Unity in diversity yields the best harvest. You must grow the fruit by grafting on the necessary new currents. That is why We shall often speak about the New Country—this is the most urgent matter.

173. We wander from the small to the great, from the everyday to the various worlds, but nobody will say this is inconsequential, nor will the result ever turn out to be untrue.

Someone will ask why the Teaching is scattered about like seeds. Answer that a complex pattern can only be created from a variety of threads.

Someone will ask why the Teaching has no completed tenets. Answer that in completeness lies death.

Someone will ask why the parts of the Teaching cannot be logically connected. Answer that it would be ugly to grow only a head or only a hand.

Someone will ask why the Teaching does not first pronounce the formula of Heaven and later the invocation of Earth. Answer that every thread of the Mother’s garment runs from the top to the bottom and from the bottom to the top.

Someone will ask why the destined cannot be manifested at once. Answer that the pillars of a house are erected in a certain order. If the workmen say, “Let’s raise all the pillars at once,” the builder replies, “You’re going to ruin the house!” This shows how a single drop contains the entire world.

Knowing that possibilities are boundless will give you calmness of perception.

How, then, does an earthquake affect everything that exists? What about the impact of different kinds of winds and storms? How do the various auras of people act upon plants? An entirely new research institute could be established.

Truly, you can find the thread of cosmic coordination by comparing the pulses of the various elements. There is nothing new in this, but you can graphically demonstrate the significance of worldwide cooperation even to readers whose spirits are like cockroaches hiding in the corners.

Sow more broadly than the broad. Establish a prize in schools for the greatest number of questions submitted. Until now students have been rewarded for answers, but now it should be for questions.

174. Before the astral body exits the physical, one feels an outflow from the vertebrae. The various nerve centers develop differently, and a time comes when this difference has to be brought into balance by rest, in the same way that a tuned piano should not be touched for a while nor hit with any metal object.

You can split a rock to pieces by knocking it with a metal object vibrating in a dissonant tone. Although this phenomenon is well known, it is hard to imagine how it relates to the human organism. Only by experience can one become aware of how some whispers may impart a much greater shock than an explosion. In this regard, you should remember that the combinations of the nerves vary so greatly that it is difficult to rely on laws alone in determining what the results will be.

The physical condition is so closely connected with the spirit that only personal experience can show how to make it safe for the fires to arrive. The fires are the wells of the rays.

175. World-scale thought communicates a world-scale decision, and the construction of the New Country can only take place in understanding on a world scale.

Are We really in need of eloquence? A path that proceeds by the contact of the spirit is far more powerful. When one sees how a single gesture leads to important decisions, then it becomes clear that the value of words lies in their inner essence, not in their quantity or external form.

People need to speak still more concisely. The blacksmith must not bang his hammer around. The Teaching of Christ could be written on the palm of one hand.

176. The flight of the spirit is not reckoned in hours. When it speeds between the planets, that manifestation is beyond time. It takes but a moment, for it cannot be prolonged without a rupture resulting between the densified body and the mental. But you should remember that the spirit, which acts beyond time, can perceive without numbers and is able to comprehend up to the fourteenth degree of hearing, while in the earthly realm one can only reach the ninth.

By attaining the different degrees of hearing, people can turn the various elements into the coworkers of humanity. The sound of rain also has its significance. Many are the ways to enrich earthly creativity.

177. You can dispel darkness and gloom by changing the direction of thoughts. Not words but the swift runners of thought weave the aura.

We wish to make Our works profitable in the material sense as well as the spiritual. I assure you, the quality of thoughts has great significance in making things profitable.

You should emphasize benevolent, useful unity, and stress that We appraise foolishness for what it is worth. Of course, in a vast undertaking even foolishness can find a room, but not on the top floor.

People can keep on living, but the future world requires enlightenment of consciousness, not the muttering of lofty maxims.

We place greater value on a businesslike financial statement than on a string of pompous precepts. People need to think about the world and express practical thoughts.

On the eve before the New Temple is established, you must show resourcefulness and astonish the people with the keenness of your mind. It is awkward to walk around in diapers.

178. Trust me, it is easier to cross over mountains than to straighten out a human tail. Our Ray is focused in a thoroughgoing search.

You should understand Our Shield—truly, courage is needed.

179. In an intelligent religion there is no perplexity.

180. Those who deny God have not seen Him. But what does the God of the tavern-keepers look like? Christ would have to be terribly corrupt to cover up any kind of betrayal for the cost of a candle!

There is nothing worse than a votive candle of villainy. Christ has no need for such worshippers, for the smoke of their candles blackens His garment. All the waters of the Jordan and the Well of Urdar would not wash away the traces of such offerings.

181. A legend about the Buddha.

A man of pure heart wished to see the Buddha, but his attention was taken up with all sorts of things. His hands did not catch hold of wise images, nor did his eyes penetrate objects of worship. The manifestation did not come.

Finally, as he bent low in prayer the seeker felt as if the thread of a spider web had descended upon his forehead. When he brushed it away, he heard a clear voice ring out: “Why do you reject My Hand? My Ray has followed you. Allow Me to embrace you.”

Then the solar serpent began to tremble in the man, and he found the thread that he had brushed away. And in his hands it turned into forty pearls, each of which bore the Image of the Buddha. In the center was a stone, and on it was inscribed, “Valor—despair—joy.”

The follower of the Buddha received joy, because he knew the path to it.

I am thinking about wings. Truly, the works are winged. The horses speed through the earthly expanses, and all creative efforts are borne along by whirlwinds. Onward to battle, to battle, to battle!

Truly majestic is the picture of the ocean of the spirit! The sound of the call hums and rings forth, and those who have accepted the weapon of the spirit are heading to the Altar, because the daughter of the world has completed the mantle of the spirit.

Onward to battle, to battle, to battle! I hear the call and bow my head before the Command of the Blessed Lord.

182. It is necessary to speak about those who are hindering and menacing Me. It is frivolous to hope that a tear in the tissue of the world might be easily mended. Even a simple sound may bring an unexpected echo from far away. How much deeper does a transmission of the spirit pierce space! And it is almost impossible to heal such wounds.

A hand that inflicts a wound upon the Plan of the Lords thereby rejects the Shield. A person might demolish a house or cut up a tree, but how could anyone dare to impede the Plan of the Lords?

I am not making a threat but stating a simple consequence. Once a person has come in contact with the cosmic whirlwind, any deviation will bring on the next wave. Falling under that wave is like falling under the heel of a giant.

Out of kindness We ask that people not reject the Guiding Hand. Alas for anyone who remains behind!

And what honor would it be to inflict a wound on Me? Before you do so, first give back everything you have received from Me. But you cannot do that, even if you threw in your liver and your heart.

Would you strike the Hand who gave you your talent? If you did so, how would you be any different from a looter? Do not soil the giving Hand, for that mud will turn into your leprosy.

That is why Our Brotherhood esteems a sense of gratitude. Therefore, understand what benefits you!

Kindling the fire of the Buddha, you will illuminate the entire ladder—I assure you, it is not idolatry.

183. You have already been given a teaching about sacrifice. Sacrifice means power. Power means possibility. In other words, every sacrifice means first of all a possibility.

It is time to cast away the hypocrisy that sacrifice means being deprived. We do not accept deprivations, but We do give possibilities.

Let us see what possibilities and opportunities arise from so-called sacrifice. Where is a true sacrifice that belittles the person making it? There is a vast collection of sacrifices in Our Treasury, and each one of them was useful to the person who made it. Not for Us is all the talk about sacrifices, since a sacrifice is really a very profitable undertaking.

Small traders love to lament their expenditures and pretend that they are taking a loss. But a true entrepreneur, one who manufactures for life, considers each expenditure to be no more than a guarantee of future business. You have lost not through making sacrifices but through plundering.

Christ advised people to give out spiritual wealth. But since the keys to spiritual wealth are so remote from them, people have applied this advice by giving out money that they have plundered. First to plunder, and then to give things away with a tear, enraptured by one’s own kindness. As if the Teacher, when He spoke of giving, might have had in mind chairs and old coats! The Teacher was pointing to imponderable wealth. Only spiritual giving can move the cup of the scales.

Let us look over a row of the coworkers. Has anyone been deprived of anything? No, everyone has been enriched. Is it not enriching to become the ruler of a new kingdom? That kingdom is so wealthy that we can break a few dishes without causing much harm. Certainly, the hands are developing, and one can look over an entire book of gratitude.

I advise the entrepreneurs of life to have substitutes for every position. In large enterprises business depends on business, not on personality.

Who can declare that he has truly given? We shall open Our account books and show how much every person has received. And that is why it is not at all easy to sacrifice when a sacrifice means a possibility, and the possibility means a benefit, and the benefit means rational cooperation, and cooperation means the Alátyr, the stone that either resurrects or consumes.

But selflessness and self-sacrifice can open up the Gates of Understanding, and then the shabby sacrifice of unneeded things will swing on one branch with self-love.

184. Every incarnation brings with it a bond with a certain personage from one’s past lives, the one who has the closest connection with the present age.

Knowledge of past manifestations can be helpful to the vigilant in spirit, but it is harmful to those who are asleep. They need to outlive the lunar life.

185. Regarding the immutability and the mobility of the plan.

It is especially difficult to harmonize these conditions, although their boundary is clearly discerned by the understanding that accompanies the ray of the solar consciousness. In order to put the plan into life, you need to be ready to apply mobility at any time.

How many times have We started out for Egypt and ended up in Mongolia? How many times have We found a manuscript only to lock it up again? How many times have We begun to build walls but ended up reducing them to rubble? How many times, after turning the horse homeward, have We spurred it into the darkness so that We would not rob the plan of immutability by spending the night at home? This seeming changeability is no more than the vibration of life. The paths to the milestones of immutability breathe and billow like waves.

In affirming the plan, We are wholly focused on taking the shortest path. We may have just put on European clothes, but We are ready to change into a Mongolian kaftan. No sooner have We cast anchor than We are ready to set sail. Such mobility can only arise from being aware of the immutability of the plan.

Our path is that of a speeding messenger, not an eternal wanderer. The immutability of the plan illumines one’s consciousness with the manifestation of forces. We shall cross every suspension bridge if the light of the plan shines clearly. You should understand the immutability of the plan so thoroughly that nothing can obscure it. A plan is immutable if it benefits everyone.

We do not see anyone who would not benefit by the plan of the New Country, and therefore we go forward with eyes ever watchful, even in the darkness. If the Master says, “Rush across the stream!” it means that the footing is foreseen, but let the foot step on the stone.

One person will start to build a bridge, a second will hire a swimmer, and another will sit down and wait for the water level to drop. But there will be someone who weaves the silver thread of the spirit and crosses on it without the burden of the body, for I will take on his load.

That is how the two sisters of podvig, immutability and mobility, live under one roof.

Beautiful striving leads to the Highest Light.

186. He who has comprehended all creeds and spent time in every nation decrees: “I shall allocate to each person according to his growth. Each will weave his own purse. Anyone who harbors misgivings will have to settle accounts with Me. A smile to My enemy will turn into a grimace, because you should leave My enemies to Me.

“Anyone who thinks falsely about his brother will be fastening a heavy weight to his leg. Weeds will make the spirit apathetic. I cannot cast gold coins into nettles. It is no great honor to grow a garden of resentments. A person with better sight will reap a richer harvest.

“To those who have encountered Us and those who have responded I will say: Leave to Me My sorrow and My joy about you. With the power of Christ, with the power of the Buddha, with the power of the Messiah whom the prophets of Truth proclaim, set up the scales.

“Show Us all the great things, and be ashamed of the tiny worm that ruins the accuracy when they are weighed. The person who gives is the one who is able to receive.

“Reckon how much each person has given. Let us make an accurate count.

“On the left: fear, self-love, greed, suspicion, belittlement, self-pity, misinterpretation of the Teaching, sordid whispering, betrayal in thought and deed.

“On the right: giving, pity for others, daring, fearlessness, devotion, immutability, vigilance, mobility, awareness of the Shield, the path of podvig and its light, adornment of the temple of the spirit, impartiality of understanding, glorification of the good. On the left, loss and payment. On the right, receiving.

“Each will mete out his own measure, for We see and hear. There is neither day nor night, and the messenger is already saddling his steed.

“I am sending you My power to succeed, under seal for centuries. Keep the key to it clean.”

Proclaim this.

187. The parable about the disciple who kept asking.

Dgulnor was considered extremely wise. He had the good fortune to be taught by a Teacher who came from the Sacred Subterranean Land. As the Teacher was missing his tongue and his right hand, his disciple, ever aspiring, asked a question and the Teacher nodded. The disciple asked two questions and the Teacher nodded twice. Soon the disciple was asking ceaseless questions, and the Teacher was nodding ceaselessly.

For three years the questions continued, and for three years the Teacher nodded. “Then according to your experience, everything is possible?” And the Teacher not only nodded but also bowed to the ground. And opening the robes over his breast, he revealed upon his bosom an image of the Blessed One bestowing with both hands. In this way was wisdom affirmed and the creativity of life exalted.

Truly, we comprehend Space in a single sigh. No word can convey the Boundless, and no thought can encompass the Light.

But he who stands before the sun as it rises and receives the ray into his solar plexus can feel a victory over the ocean, because through light one can touch the light of the spirit.

However, this awareness is only for a spirit that can say, “I have given up everything in order to receive everything.” Thus, it is not a negation but an affirmation that has the Hand of the Buddha above it.

188. The flights of the subtle body fall into two categories: either the body flows out from the feet and aimlessly wanders about, or it passes through the upper centers and flies forth on spiritual missions—it speeds across oceans in an instant, teaches people, and saturates auras.

It should be mentioned that only extraordinary effort and resourcefulness can make the subtle body concentrate its touch upon a physical object, because usually the spirit strives to act on spirit, losing sight of the fact that objects can be excellent conductors.

Besides the astral body, the mental body also acts. Certainly, the astral body does leave the physical, but We do not place much value on its actions. For Us the consciousness of the mental body is more important. Sharpening the focus of this force is not so simple.

189. Contentment and vigilance are two qualities that accompany Our work. If people could see the results of their discontent, if they could understand that dozing off means death, they would avoid two of the chief collaborators of darkness. The sly sting of discontent penetrates even the best places. A dull drowsiness may fog up the head of a conqueror.

When you realize the solicitude shown you, would you scorch it with discontent, with a quality that has disrupted great undertakings and brought lightning down upon the person who sent it forth?

Remember, there are no malcontents among Us. Nor is there the drowsiness that the dark forces sprinkle on you.

Is there not ossification concealed in this poisonous fragrance? Drowsiness is no sister of Ours. Those who have touched the Light will not pierce themselves with discontent, nor will they turn to stone.

You should avoid drowsiness and other manifestations of dust. It is the manifestation of the Shield that should be valued.

I shall repeat this again, but no more, because the Law forbids Us to repeat to deaf ears.

190. Tell the new ones that they need to realize responsibility for thought.

Formerly people were responsible for their actions, and later the significance of the word was understood; but now is the time to become aware of the conflagration of thought. You should get better at keeping silence and purifying your thoughts.

Could the growl of a tiger possibly be worse than treacherous thinking? Humanity is accumulating heavy karma not only for its actions but also for its thinking. Thought inflicts tortures on the spirit, for there is no difference between word and thought.

Mad is he who takes this warning for a threat. There is no threat; We have only examples to offer—and solicitude. Each person is free to leap into the abyss, but he must be forewarned.

I do not think there is any need to say more about the significance of thought.

Although we live in a sordid age, we had better think of the future.

191. Each will mete out his own measure. Even with the best plan in hand someone may end up making a chicken coop.

Measuring out gold and silver is not Our job. You have to forget all terms and conditions—then the light kindles. Every joyous loss means measureless gain.

The valor of despair means self-sacrifice. The highest valor does not expect reward. And despair expects no reward.

In Our language despair is the designation of a limit. Podvig is close to this limit. On the door of the house where it dwells, one can screw on an iron knocker.

I am knocking in the rain. Why do people fear only lightning? Sometimes there is greater reason to fear what is in the bag of a beggar.

192. A parable about Christ.

Night had fallen, and Christ was sitting at the threshold. A scribe came up and asked, “Why are you sitting in a passageway?” “Because I am the threshold of the spirit,” Christ answered. “If you wish to pass, then pass through me.”

Another scribe asked, “Could it be that the Son of David sits at a place for dogs?” “Truly,” Christ said, “You are maligning David, my Father.”

It grew dark, and a third scribe asked, “Why are you sitting there as if you were afraid to go into your own house?” “I am waiting for the darkness of night to free me from the sight of you,” Christ answered. “Truly, let darkness depart into darkness.”

Then rising and pointing to Mount Moriah, where the Temple stood, He said, “My Grandfather built a Temple of stone, but He is sitting in a canvas tent.”

“Madman,” said the scribe, “He thinks that Solomon is still alive.” And they left in ignorance.

Later Mary came out of the house, and seeing Christ, she said, “Teacher, come and share our evening meal.”

Christ answered, “A gift of the heart shines in the darkness.”

193. A parable about Christ.

A member of the Sanhedrim asked Christ, “Would you come to us if we invited you?” “It would be better to go to a cemetery,” Christ answered, “for there are no lies there.”

“Why have you refused to acknowledge us,” the member of the Sanhedrim continued, “when your own father was married by one of our members?”

“Wait until your house crumbles, and then We shall come.”

“And what will you come to do—destroy or build?”

“Neither to destroy nor to build, but rather to purify, for I shall not turn my steps to the old hearth.”

“Then you do not respect your forefathers?”

“New cups are provided for a feast. You can respect your grandfather without drinking from his cup.”

194. Two parables of the Buddha.

A shepherd saw a man sitting in meditation beneath a tree. He sat down beside the man, and in imitation of him he tried to lose himself in thought. He began counting his sheep and figuring out the profit from the sale of their wool.

Both men sat in silence. Finally, the shepherd asked, “Sir, what are you thinking about?”

“About God,” the man answered.

“And do you know what I’ve been thinking about?” the shepherd asked.

“Also about God.”

“You’re wrong. I was thinking about the profit from the sale of my wool.”

“Truly, you were also thinking about God. My God has nothing to sell, while your God must first head for the marketplace. It could be that along the way He’ll meet a brigand who’ll help Him to return to this tree.”

Thus spoke Gautama.

Head for the marketplace. Think faster so you can return faster.

A monkey-trader was traveling on a ship. In his spare time he taught the monkeys to spread the sails in the same way the sailors did. A storm arose, and the sailors hurried to strike the sails. The monkeys, however, only knew how to spread them. They followed after the sailors and hoisted the sails back up. The ship was lost because the teacher had only foreseen fair weather.

Thus spoke the Buddha, He who revived the Lotus of Life.

195. You will ask why I speak against magic when I myself discuss the cementing of space, the significance of the circle’s influence, and other conditions reminiscent of magic.

The difference is that magic offers a substitute for life, while We teach people to make reality better by taking advantage of the possibilities that life itself provides.

196. It is good to tell people, “Read the old Decrees more carefully.” I teach the new when the old has been put into practice. I teach the useful when people have accepted and entered into cooperation as devised and instructed.

The best tinplating takes place when the fire does not scorch the ware. Success can be tinned only if its shell has been completed in spirit.

The hammer is working and the chains are clanking, and the grey people continue to find pleasure in the cup of lechery. They do not realize that the hands of the clock have moved forward imperceptibly, that tomorrow the gates to all their ingenious amusements will be closed, and My gatekeeper shall tell them, “At dawn an altar to the Lord of Wisdom was erected.” And the grey people will depart.

Stern and unyielding stand My guards—the gold of the grey people is no match for the steel of the guards’ helmets.

197. A parting precedes a meeting, and a meeting precedes a parting. That is why it is wiser to rejoice when parting.

A command to all of the warriors: When somebody leaves the ranks, keep going in the same direction as before. When the banner has been unfurled, the warriors do not desert. When the bonfires are ablaze, the warriors do not push and shove and try to take someone else’s place. When the signal has been given for a night march, the warriors do not complain, they advance with caution.

Before each manifestation you noticed what might be called a moment of emptiness or cosmic calm. The magnitude of this moment is proportionate to that of the manifestation. It is understandable that the physical world is very much on its guard when it lets through a spiritual discharge. That is why it is such a difficult task to lead the physical world out of its inertia.

198. Our ideal is to be not Teachers but Coworkers. But for this to occur, there has to be a steady awareness that both sides will be contributing absolutely everything necessary for success. When that happens, mastery of the physical plane is being attained.

In worldly churches people call out to Christ and wonder at His silence, while you sense how one can resurrect Him in the midst of earthly life without putting on sackcloth and disturbing space with discontent. That is the way plans are forged.

199. As the various seas have various waves, the densification of space must be consolidated by a variety of means. It can be greatly intensified not only by the content sent but also by the process employed.

200. The most terrible thing to say is: “We’ve already learned it all.” The Master Himself would never utter this destructive formula.

We know the Plan, and We are tirelessly learning new details.

201. Why do I sense the sublime spirit? The Master is sending His Shield.

The Master wants to see you creating a mountain.

The Master envisions you being unperturbed by anything.

The Master feels how courageous you have to be to go forward.

The Master will tell you when a serious danger is on its way.

The Master advises you to keep courage on hand.

The Master will help you to subdue the harmful hand.

The Master repeats long familiar thoughts with good reason.

The Master looks ahead.

The Master instructs you to keep your spirit unyielding.

The Master wishes to drive fear away.

The Master wants to make your judgment calm.

The Master keeps you from falling into distress.

The Master advises you to keep coming up with bold projects.

The Master is looking after your health.

The Master sends you forth.

The Master has given you plenty of warning.

202. Learning about sacrifice, you are receiving power. Success follows sacrifice. His Teaching is steady and strong, for it is founded on sacrifice. Success is nothing else than the return stroke of sacrifice. The success may come before the sacrifice, like a loan, but the debtor’s fate is a cruel one. Today he may get along by just paying a little, but in a year the payment will have increased. Before a year goes by, the debtor will be bent over with the burden.

I shall illustrate this with a parable.

A man sat in prison, having refused to confess to a crime he had committed. At home he had left behind great riches that had come to him unexpectedly. The sound of every step outside his cell suggested to him that a pardon was on its way. The man sent couriers to deliver the riches to the judge. But a simple confession would have set him free and preserved his wealth.

It is easier for a man to sit in prison than to pronounce the confession that saves him. When the judge is ready to set someone free, he has to hear the redeeming “Yes.” Desire to give up.

203. About the circles of sharp sight and hearing.

The first circle concerns people close to one as well as future events. The second limits itself to current affairs and the near future. The third captures the past concerned with those close to one. The fourth seizes on past events. The fifth lies within the limits of the contemporary world. The sixth reveals the future of worldwide currents. The seventh encompasses all of the signs.

Somebody can be strong in the first circle without being able to master the rest of them. That is why it is better to develop the seventh circle, because all of the manifestations are accessible to it, only without a personal bent—without the limitation of the narrower, personal sphere. It is better if the reception of a personal sign can be followed by one concerning the future course of nations, or by glimpses of the cosmic order.

You should realize that awareness of beauty hardly ever lives in the midst of spirituality. A wise sense of beauty is the rarest of qualities, one that will be valued by the Lords above many others.

It is better to approach the great with difficulty than to master the small with ease.

Drawing on a series of historical instances, We shall reveal the path of evolution.

204. In ancient cults there was a stage of development called “the state of opened treasures,” when a priestess was dwelling on the eighth floor, entry to which was prohibited. The stairs were covered with the skins of leopards so that no sound might penetrate.

This “state of opened treasures” was so deeply revered that any violation of the quietude was punished as a religious offense.

Anything inharmonious is especially startling, which is why a thunderclap is less dangerous than the squeal of a newborn baby. This simple truth was never written down. It is absolutely impossible to draw a theoretical boundary line for harmony, because the tonality underlying the harmony of spirituality is such an individual matter.

The ancients knew that the “treasures” could not be replicated, and they guarded against accidents. While the treasures were developing, the Elder of the temple observed which of a gamut of sounds had the greatest effect. Every sound was accompanied by a definite color, so the conditions were discovered in each instance.

205. A smile of determination is the best guide. You should acknowledge the goal and devote yourself to the Master’s plan.

Every desire is harmful, but aspiration to podvig is necessary. Desire does not mean podvig. Podvig means comprehending necessity. Desire can grow; it can be renounced or modified. The torrent rushes forth not out of desire but out of an inevitability rooted in necessity.

The spirit knows where there is a jolt of desire and where a rock of necessity. I see how the torrent of truth rushes onward, and nothing can check its course.

How often does the Name of a Lord, when spoken with faith, help to create a bridge of assistance!

A lot of what We see is far from beautiful. When you work on humanity, you have to wash your hands frequently.

When you feel heavy-hearted, do not always attribute it to yourself, but remember that the waves of the world impact you.

Only when aware of dire necessity will you swim to the other side.

The dark ones’ modus operandi is first to sow disbelief, then to inflame the mind with desires, and finally to fan these flames into crimes, thereby reaping a twofold harvest.

Think up ways to make things more intelligible to humanity.

Besides the sacred language, We also have a language of silence.

The condemned language of rejection and negation tears the edges of the garment.

206. Turning to the right, be ready to veer to the left. Coming into shore, be ready to set sail once more. After all, every Command is designed to make things better and speed things up. When you feel the stillness, hold your breath, for footsteps may begin to sound.

Better to put up with a few annoyances, if it means important events can draw near. Better to suffer a bout of fatigue, if it means you can come close to the Master. Better to undergo grueling journeys, if it means you can approach the Master. Better to sink into the dust, if it leads to purification of the spirit. Better to reject conventional measures, if doing so leads to mastery of light. Better to feel regret about a ray, if it means you can receive the Light of Christ. Better to give to others, if in return you receive the lofty ecstasy of the spirit. Better to subordinate your spirit to the Command, if it means you can reach the Master Himself. Be able to truly guard and preserve.

When you feel life to be a wondrous fairy tale, then your spirit is speaking the truth. When you draw the line of the future life, Our Mirror shines. When you count the parts of the world, Our Banner flutters. And when you survey space with a watchful eye, light knocks at My Tower.

Thus, when you think about ownership in common or about the healing of humanity, We feel the flutter of your wings.

Drive out small thoughts; they are stifling to Us.

207. In a card game you may be dealt the best cards, but it is up to you to make the best use of them.

I am talking about the pictures of the future. In a way that corresponds to the quality of the recipients’ auras, these pictures are realistic and extend in a certain direction.

Of course, ill will may push the traveler in a different direction, and then he will see signs of a different nature.

Therefore, when pictures of the future are received, it is important to keep in mind the condition of the recipient’s spirit at the time of transmission. A corresponding opportunity comes with the ray; otherwise justice would be violated. You should understand the transmission of dates in the same way.

For the dates with cosmic significance, manifested “vessels” are made use of, and such vessels bring with them a chain of coworkers. That is why coworkers may be replaced at the request of the chosen vessels.

Even if We notice that a coworker is lame, We do not replace him unless the elders desire it. But if the spirit of the chosen ones is aware that the work is being betrayed, then let it turn to Us and say, “Oh Sponsor, replace the coworker.” This means that a link in the chain will be unlocked, and the consciousness of the chosen ones will be freed from the effects of the departing coworker’s aura. Similarly, the person departing takes his fate upon himself, for each is free to build his own house.

We can summon, and We can reveal pictures of the future that show the appropriate direction, but how Our Call is applied is left to the recipient’s free will.

Only devotion and awareness of the wisdom of the Plan can ensure that the pictures of the future convey reality.

The vistas from the mountains are so vast, which makes the urge to crawl into a hole that much more deplorable.

Long ago debtors were cast into a pit called gehenna. Why crawl there of one’s own accord? On this note, let us conclude about the vitality of the dates and mirrors of the future.

I wish to see everyone in place, with greater awareness of podvig, achievement without expectation of personal gain. Is it possible to call a warrior a hero if he goes into battle filled with expectation of reward?

Long ago the Teacher Mohammed had to promise raptures in paradise to the warriors of Islam. Will I have to promise the sparkle of rubies? You must go forth without expectation; otherwise there results a grievous waste of time in eternal evolution.

208. Let us now conclude about the law of co-measurement.

A builder has to know how heavy a load the pillars of a house can bear.

A lack of co-measurement results in destruction, blasphemy, falsehood, betrayal, and every sort of ugly phenomenon.

Can a structure stand in which the features of a giant are attributed to a flea? In which a soak in the hot tub is sought for more than the Lord is? In which a whirlwind is likened to a mosquito’s flight?

A condition required by the Brotherhood is full co-measurement in one’s thought and expression—this is a stronghold for the truth of beauty. It is easy to go through life without passing things over in silence or exaggerating them.

We keep close watch on Our coworkers to make sure that the way they express themselves corresponds to what they mean to say. That is the only way different beings can cooperate.

The best judgment will be based on beauty. It is ugly to say, “I’ll fit the giant into a little box,” or, “The eagle soars like a hen.”

The best apparatuses are so often ruined by a lack of co-measurement, something that could easily be avoided with a little attentiveness.

209. While reading the books recommended, you will discover sparks. Place the fragments of reverence for Maitreya into a single receptacle, just as I Myself have placed the fragments of One Stone over the face of the Earth. A new miracle will bring the nations together. Our Ray will drive away doubt.

The bonds of podvig act in a way that is similar to work in a laboratory. The researcher’s hand does not shake while measuring out an experimental liquid, because he knows that spilling a drop can blow up the house. Only faith and courage uphold his hand.

210. The Ray of Christ has as much scientific basis as a ray of the sun, but for the multitudes the simple discovery of an object seems like a miracle.

But was the change of races a miracle? Was the coming of the Great Teachers a miracle? Was the appearance of Christ a miracle? Does one prophesy a miracle centuries ahead? A miracle violates harmony, whereas cosmic events only affirm evolution.

Dreams and visions are not miracles, either, but are a thread of life, an awareness of the essence of what is on its way, revealed to a degree that does not affect karma. If people could accept dreams and awareness without succumbing to preconceptions, the path could be improved.

When new images manifest, they are often refracted in a distorted way. The mirror either expands the image or contracts it, as if its surface were quivering under unusual pressure.

You should take a cautious approach to the so-called nightmares, for their meaning may be significant.

211. What I am about to say is very important. The rule “By your God” is the foundation of the New World. In former times people would intone, “My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior,” but now you will say, “My spirit rejoices in God, your Savior.”

Solemnly do I say that in this lies salvation. “Long live your God!” That is what you will say to everyone, and exchanging Gods you will walk onward to the One.

There where you might have gotten stuck, you can tread lightly if you avoid negation. Where you might have suffocated, you can pass onward by recalling, “Your God.” Where matter is esteemed, you can pass onward only by exalting the earthly matter into the Cosmos. The main thing is that one should not be attached only to the earthly world.

Why is there a legend about Christ descending into hell? The Master addressed the lower strata of the astral world, saying, “Why bind yourself to earth forever by thinking about earthly things?” And many beings were stirred up and rose higher.

Therefore, find the God of each person and exalt Him. You can understand this logically, but it is more important to embrace it in the smile of the spirit. When the most difficult becomes easy, in the way that flight is easy for birds, then the very stones will unite into the Dome, and to each one Christ the Mason will manifest.

212. Synthesis of spirituality is the rarest of gifts; it is what kindles the light of the world. Nothing compares with the light of the world. Though the light burns, its ray is being sought.

213. Do not make enemies—everyone should follow this rule. Know your enemies, beware of them, put a stop to their actions, but bear them no malice. And if an enemy comes under your roof of his own accord, give him warmth, because your roof is large, and the newcomer will not take away your space. But if it is difficult to redirect the momentum of a deep feeling, then cover it with a smile of Light.

A grudge based on old, fictitious accounts is completely incommensurate with the Plan of the Lords. If we place on a scale the occurrences in their original form and then weigh the fictions cooked up by the exertions of hatred, the latter will turn out to be heavier.

In the name of co-measurement you have to find the right place for people. Otherwise, we might as well speak in the same tone of voice about the center of the planet and an inkblot.

A piece of music performed in a monotone disgusts the listeners; that is why We urge you to understand how practical co-measurement is.

And if you notice a conversation going on and on about an empty shell, draw the speaker’s attention to the impractical nature of the trivial. There are many people who require this discipline.

Do not be afraid if people say that you are insane, for the path is open to you. Do not forget to praise the enemies.

Let us stop here about the enemies.

214. About the lack of co-measurement regarding dates.

Along with a wave of the ocean, small streams of events are transmitted.

Is it possible to confuse a rivulet with an ocean? But in the earthly world people are always in a hurry to confuse the personal with the world-scale. Like a hand feeling the thickness of a fabric, the spirit should discern the depth of events.

Do not get carried away by the apparent magnitude of events, because between the basic nodes there may be phantoms of many colors, and the rivulets may temporarily change their beds.

A chance moment, or a silence, or a bout of ill health should not be attributed to the wave. So if a traveler takes a short rest along the way, it does not mean that he has deviated from the path.

A nodal wave lifts everything up in an instant, but before each such current the boat hesitates. A more sensitive boat will shudder more strongly, because the dust of the explosion already fills the atmosphere.

That is why the co-measurement of dates and events must not be forgotten.

Especially an acceleration of the current may affect the organism. The complexity of events may sometimes even sever the thread, as it were, but this only goes on for a limited time, while the organism is digesting a double helping of the flow of world events. The complex of physical conditions may intensify physical sensations; you should avoid getting tired then, because the waves of the ocean are coming in quick succession.

215. Both acceleration, which brings success, and deceleration progress in waves. Therefore, when you catch sight of a wave of acceleration, you should seize the opportunity and cast as many seeds into it as possible.

216. The laws governing the manifestation of Teachers are connected with the plan for the entire culture. Karma rolls up like a scroll, and the signs of the departing earthly power begin to flicker forth.

For those who know the future, it is painful to observe these departing flickers. Tomorrow stands as clear as yesterday. And the pace is measured not in feet but in three-year periods—here we have the stride of giants who are unafraid to step over whole centuries. And that is how the psychology of the spirit filters through to the earthly world.

For earthly shells each century is like a looming threat. But the bridge of spirit bestows the wings of truth.

To those who stride in three-year periods, it sometimes seems as if life has been suspended. A sphere moving very rapidly sometimes appear motionless because its momentum does not correspond to its surroundings.

217. He who bears the knowledge of the future can stride boldly even on unsteady stones.

Success is when the end is beautiful. Success is when you can set forth on a new journey.

A wish is already part of its own fulfillment. Forward courageously to the Light!

Separation is a threshold to reunion. As St. Sergius used to say, “Let us part so we can meet again.”

218. I would like to remind you of the cult of high priestesses. There was one group that was brought into an exalted state by means of chemical preparations, and another by means of magnetic currents. There were also lower grades involving incantations and whirling about mechanically. Later there began inward concentration on the threshold of sleep or intense focus on a brilliant object.

Knowledge that arose from within, without any apparent conditions, was considered the highest.

The path of global evolution that is unfolding before your eyes requires different conditions; the time is approaching when psychic forces must be greatly curtailed for the sake of the spirit. In the past decade the lower strata of nature have taken hold of lower psychic phenomena to such an extent that it is posing a danger to evolution.

You can move forward not through the lower strata of phantoms and clutter but through cooperation with the Higher Planes.

219. Now, about the circles of receptivity.

The circles of sharp sight proceed centrifugally, while those of receptivity proceed centripetally. From symbols and fuzzy outlines they advance spirally to sharp fact: clair-call, clairvoyance, clairaudience, clair-understanding, clair-podvig, clair-knowledge.

You should understand that a fact is not found in the category of “call,” because in this category a sharp action could be misunderstood and would only heighten the danger.

I have no wish to belittle those who need a call, but a fact in their hands would be like a bullet in a pistol held by someone who knows nothing about handling weapons.

Of course, the boundary of the call is quite relative, but when someone can pass on to the circle of understanding, We heartily rejoice.

Every circle is like a caravan. Naturally, a caravan consists of more than one horse, yet a single horse can delay the progress of the whole. Timidity or a misstep may upset the onward march. In this sense the concepts of podvig and clair-podvig differ a great deal. A flash of podvig may be checked, but not the fire of clair-podvig.

The flame of clair-podvig may flicker amidst the gusts of cosmic whirlwinds, but it is impossible to remove it from the head. You will understand, then, why up to a certain degree a symbol is necessary as a conventional sign, but later becomes unbearable and begins to drop away like a husk.

Like the music of the spheres, all existence resounds along the paths of Boundlessness and Non-recurrence.

Just as a bird first flutters and then flies, a word gushes forth from Our Furnace, and afterwards it can only be confirmed. The first moment has more occult significance; therefore, making out even a single word when first spoken is more important than hearing it repeated. And when you can catch the boiling of the Furnace, the word glows more powerfully than a command.

220. I have already told you that the Mother of the World conceals Her Name. I have already shown you how the Mother of the World hides Her Face. I have already made mention of the Mother of the Buddha and Christ.

Certainly, it is now time to tell people that the Mother of both Lords is not a symbol but a Great Manifestation of the Feminine Origin—the spiritual Mother of Christ and the Buddha.

It was She who taught Them and ordained Them for podvig.

From time immemorial the Mother of the World has sent forth Her children to podvig. Throughout the history of humanity, Her Hand traces an unbreakable thread.

On Sinai Her Voice rang forth. She assumed the image of Kali. She was at the foundation of Isis and Ishtar. After Atlantis, when a blow was inflicted upon the cult of the spirit, She began to spin a new thread, which now is beginning to shine forth. After Atlantis the Mother of the World veiled Her Face and forbade anyone to utter Her Name until the hour of the constellations struck. She has only manifested Herself partially, and never manifested Herself on a planetary scale.

One could cite many examples where even high-ranking Magi left behind them unexpected consequences and a desire to find support in the lower strata of matter.

That sort of aberration could be called the channel of the intellect, and it could set back communion with other worlds for a long time.

Nowadays people are searching by mechanical means even for what has been spiritually predestined.

The Teaching of the future epoch will be a joining of the spirit with the intellect.

The course of the planets is making it possible to speed up the communion between the worlds, and the development of the human spirit will proceed along new paths.

221. The luminaries are making it possible to speed up humanity’s path.

Now, more about the Mother of the World.

The Mother is beauty, and the world is self-sacrifice. It is by these two fundamentals that the Gates are opened.

The bridge between the planets and the abbreviation of the race cycles rest upon these two fundamentals.

Why follow a path of gradual progress if a single flash of illumination will lift you above the boundaries?

Someone whose path is to a distant world usually meets a messenger upon departing Earth. The liberated one tells the messenger whether he prefers to accept a new path or will return to help out the Earth again. Naturally, many prefer a new path, but there are some who choose the path here.

Truly, it is better to wait things out in the plant kingdom and bypass the insect stage. One can even bypass a whole planet.

222. Just now, during this critical time when Mars is approaching and the lower currents of the past are disturbing the world, We are thinking only about the future.

The unprecedented deviations of the planets are helping the consciousness to awaken. Banks of clouds are gathering around the fulfillment of the prophecies. Space is being densified, and the ray of Mars will be drowned out in the light of the Mother of the World.

223. Healer, tell the ill that the use of wine cuts their chances in half, and that the use of narcotics does away with three quarters of their vital capacity.

Naturally, in My pharmacy there is no place for narcotics. Before using My medicines, one has to spend three years in the midst of prana.

A deep interest in flowers is quite typical of the final stage of the path. Not the intellect but the spirit understands the significance of plants. You should no more pass by the treasures of prana than a person ascending would pass by the significance of the sun or the planets. Soon every chemist will be making use of the radiation of the luminaries.

224. M∴ has left many magnets on Earth, which is why I say that My Path is an easy one to walk. The work to link up with the higher planets requires the existence on those planets of spirits harmonized in conscious work. Usually the inquiry comes from below and the answer from above. The higher you go, the deeper the connection.

The isolation in which the Earth finds itself must end, and the Earth must finally be brought into the destined circle. Otherwise, not only the Earth but also Mars and Saturn will lag in their development.

Why do only a few go to Jupiter, when the atmosphere of the Earth is so cluttered up?

One feels like saying, “Dear travelers, turn your eyes upward. Rather than clinging to the illusions of the Earth, if you wish to fly further, your wings will surely grow. In the meantime, you have jammed the astral plane chock-full with the same miserable shacks. The same slander, the same phantasmal smoke, but you forget about the foul fumes that your phantoms exude. The rays of the sun grow dim through your feasts of stupefaction. Empty shells create empty shells.”

But imagine what would happen if the phantoms aspired to creation of a beautiful movement. Then the rays, instead of being a disinfectant, would turn into rays of light.

Indeed, it is thought which creates beyond earthly limits. Therefore, learn to govern thoughts.

225. For a consciously developed spirit, the sojourn on the astral plane could be limited to a span of forty days, but various earthly conditions have turned this stay into an interminable period. The hapless regret of those carried away from the earthly world bind them to it.

This is best illustrated by what happened in the story of Lot. For the sake of a new life, Lot’s family left the city with only one condition imposed on them, not to look back. But Lot’s wife looked back—and bound herself to the earth.

Religion says: He who goes to the fathers will dwell with them; he who goes to the angels will dwell with them; and he who goes to God will dwell with Him. It means that a person who sets himself the maximum degree of motion will arrive at the best attainment. So the best farewell for someone leaving the earthly world will be, “Hurry onward without looking back.”

What about one’s nearest and dearest? Well, the higher you ascend, the better and closer you will see them. Of course, not infrequently delays are caused by the last dear ones left. That is why efforts to shorten the stay on the astral plane depend on proper cooperation.

The higher up, the more pleasant the stay; and when it reaches the border of the mental plane the spirit can rest, because there it is already subject to the attractive force of the loftier spheres. But one should consciously bypass the lower strata. It is necessary that the explosive burst of consciousness be able to propel the kernel of the spirit as far as possible. That is why the moment of transition is so important, for it allows the spirit to transport itself to the higher strata. Once the spirit hooks on to the lower strata, it is very difficult for it to rise further.

If the condition of the spirit permits, it is far better to use the last flash of the nerve emanation for flight; that way the lower strata thin out. It is important to do away with the atmosphere of the lower strata, so that it no longer weighs upon the earthly world. Cooperation from above and below will deliver the speediest results.

It has been correctly observed that sometimes a transition happens without the spirit being aware of it. This need not be a problem: If a desire for lofty flight has already been planted firm, then the emanation of the nerves acts almost automatically.

Prayers that speak about the “wandering of the soul” are very helpful, to be sure, but there is one thing wrong with them: They repeat about repose, while it would be more appropriate to repeat, “Hurry!”

Everyone should read this and keep it in mind, and thus help not only themselves but also the world plan.

226. Laboring for the future means transforming the present. If people understood that only the future exists, cooperation would draw near.

There are two kinds of knowledge: the knowledge expressed in words, and the exact knowledge understood by the spirit but not expressed in words. Words cannot even begin to explain how such understanding arises; all we can say is that it is truly wondrous.

Our experiments and flights bring straight-knowledge. Though the spirit’s subtle body may prevent it from penetrating beyond certain spheres, the illumination of the spirit brings it into contact with the most distant radiation of the Cosmos.

It would be foolish and crude to try to transmit the Light of Knowledge in unrefined language. It would be as ludicrous as resorting to absurd conventional terms.

I can whisper one thing: Having a presentiment that knowledge through the window of individual flights is possible, you are right to stand up against its belittlement.

227. It may well be time to throw light on the miracle of elemental spirits. Their main property is elasticity. Their form depends on the nature of the aspirations and impulses of those who behold them; falling into the focus of human sight, they are sucked into human form. Because they have no shell, men see them in human form, and animals see them as animals.

I assure you that whether the forms are terrifying or beautiful depends on the reflex of the nerves. The potential energy of the elements is always ready to respond by intensifying a reflection, ready to amplify what we transmit in a definite direction.

It is wrong to think that the elemental spirits are our offspring. It would be accurate to liken their manifestation to a spark generated at the moment they contact a reservoir of dynamite tension, and the consciousness of this spark is ignited by the touch of a human spirit. Of course, their grades vary, as do the degrees of the dynamic energy’s intensity.

You can evoke this energy’s intensity by mechanical means, but We are opposed to such magic because it disturbs the regularity of the elemental waves and is full of repercussions. One may make use of this energy outside of ordinary worldly conditions.

Rays can bring the waves of the elements into balance.

Naturally, you are also making use of them; as long as this action arises from the spirit, it is less dangerous.

It would be easy to turn many factories into focuses of magic.

Of course, it is difficult to convey the nature of cooperation with the elements in ordinary words. Yet, there is a sense in which a magical circle has as much scientific basis as a generator. Naturally, with people working so diligently in the mines of evil nowadays, it is impossible to give them access to the possibilities close at hand.

The collision of the two Hierarchies is unavoidable, and the sooner it takes place, the better.

228. The spirits of the elements are progressing toward connection with humankind. They experience consciousness of the lower forms in the elements, which is why it is possible, in rare cases, for their consciousness to grow to the human level. Similarly, in exceptional cases human beings can bypass an entire planet. Of course, if you are making a strict classification, you can place the great mass of elemental spirits into the primary forms.

You know how diverse the various evolutions are. Awareness of this makes it possible to embrace a broader understanding.

One could devote a special discussion to the elements—this domain is very beautiful.

229. The path of construction is absorbing, but one can guarantee that the stages of self-forgetfulness will also bring joy. Precisely, it is the beauty of the Cosmos that brings self-forgetfulness closer to the consciousness.

Awareness of cosmic solitude is but awareness of the straight paths, for it is only through this awareness that man can fly on to other worlds, helping others for their sake alone.

230. Let whirlwinds and sandstorms darken the air; amidst the dross that they stir up shines the generative silver that spiritualizes the colors of the Earth.

With the onslaught of turmoil there may be very distressful moments, for the upheaval of an entire part of the world is like a powerful volcano.

Since ancient times people have been advised to repeat a short appeal in an hour of turmoil and turn back the wave of disruptive influences by these strokes of rhythmic repetitions. Later these methods turned into the meaningless repetition of religious words, yet the principle remains sound. There are times when our spirit requires some kind of repetition or enumeration.

During the best periods of the priesthood, the chosen words were: Adonai, Ishtar, Alleluia, and Aum. The repetition of the alphabet or numbers was also used. Naturally, the actual power is not in the words themselves but in the creation of waves.

The fact is that sometimes you can create a beneficial wave through an appeal of the spirit. But habits are like necrosis, which can stop even a powerful remedy from working.

At times when a whirlwind is blowing strong, you can create your own wave to render it harmless.

When a poisonous breath is on the point of touching you, it is best to breathe out. Likewise, you can create a protective veil with will power. During the Mystery rites, the priestesses were wrapped so deeply in an invisible veil that they ceased to hear or see, as if the thread of existence had been severed—a kind of purification when the atmosphere was full of turmoil.

I am reminding you about the mystery of the protective wave because its origin was in Asia.

Humanity is in need of new paths, and the window into the astral world must be opened. The wise feel cold on the weather-wasted earth.

231. I have said, I am saying, and I will continue to say, “Help build My Country.” And remember this request of Ours not in warmth and abundance but in the cold and in times of trial.

You have been told that there will be times that demand courage, that there will be steep precipices that you can only cross in the Name of the Master.

People will say, “It’s warm by the fire,” but you will answer, “I’m hurrying into the cold.”

They will say, “A full-length fur coat feels wonderful,” but you will answer, “It’s too long to walk in.”

They will suggest, “Shut your eyes,” but you will answer, “That’s forbidden on watch.”

You can cross the bridge with indomitable strength, and at a moment of hardship remember Our request, for the Plan is as beautiful as the radiance of the elements.

232. The elements are spatial substance, which can neither be weighed nor measured, and semi-amorphous crystals when they take the form of so-called elemental manifestations. The essence of the unmanifested spirit saturates the substance of space.

It is said of a person that he is born and he dies. About an elemental spirit one can say that it flashes forth and goes out. The consciousness of a manifested spirit pierces the substance of the elements like an arrow, and like a magnet it gathers that molten substance. The birth of an elemental spirit is conditioned by the contact of the manifested consciousness. Truly, cooperation knows no bounds!

The quality, outward appearance, and dynamic power of an elemental spirit depend upon the spirit of its creator. That is why evil thinking is condemned as a progenitor of ugliness. The power of the consciousness calls forth a corresponding reflex in the substance of space. The focuses of space that have flashed forth remain close to the person who created them. An insignificant consciousness will give birth to sparks that sputter out, but a consciousness that is growing in potency can engender giants. It is a factory of good and evil, which is why the quality of thought is so very important.

So We have carved out a picture of evolution—the evolution of the life of space. And we can urge humanity to do better and not besmirch the waves of the wondrous Light. The spheres of the elements are of dazzling beauty, and defiling them is like destroying a marvelous flower.

I feel how deeply the teaching of pure thoughts can penetrate into the consciousness of the people. “The sower of thoughts gathers the harvest”—this needs to be written on the doors of cooperation. Thus, all-seeing cooperation is inseparably linked with the Mother of the World; and the state of the substance of space, which is being permeated by combinations of new rays, is making it possible for the New Era to begin. Everything that is Good should be gathered.

233. The Blessed Buddha told a parable about the Wheel of the Law.

An honorable man brought an ample parchment to an accomplished scribe and asked that he copy out an appeal to God.

Another man came right after him with a request that the scribe copy a letter full of threats. He also provided a parchment and urged the scribe to finish the work quickly.

In order to get that letter done in time, the scribe gave it priority. In his haste, he wrote it out on the parchment that the previous customer had given him. The man who brought the threatening letter was very pleased and rushed away to spew his spite.

When the first customer came back, he looked over the parchment and asked, “Where is the parchment that I gave you?” On hearing what had happened, he said, “The parchment for the prayers bore a blessing that was to aid their fulfillment, while the parchment for the threats was made void of such power. Faithless man, by violating the law of timeliness, you have deprived a prayer of its power, a prayer that would have given succor to the ill. Not only that, you have put into action the threats with all their unprecedented consequences. The work of the Arhat, who blessed my parchment, was in vain. The work of the Arhat, who acted to deprive evil of its power, was in vain. You have loosed on the world a spiteful curse that is sure to come back to you. You have pushed the Wheel of the Law from the path; it will not lead you onward but will stand in your way.”

Do not write laws upon a dead parchment, which may be carried off by the first thief who comes along. Bear the laws in spirit, and the breath of the Good will bring you before the Wheel of the Law and ease your path.

Faithlessness like that of the scribe can draw the entire world into disaster.

234. My Ray is manifesting the sign of the spirit, and it senses a fierce battle ahead.

You can conceive of the New World as the destiny of the spirit; you can recognize it according to the significance given to knowledge. The coiled spring of the spirit brings health. The years rush by, placing the spirit on a firm footing. The spirit is summoning and transforming the mark of the priesthood into spiritual wonderment in the face of humanity’s fate.

235. Friends! Place four stones in the foundation of your actions: First—Reverence for the Hierarchy. Second—Consciousness of unity. Third—Consciousness of co-measurement. Fourth—Application of the principle, “By your God.”

To establish the first stone, call forth all your love. Think back to your childhood and recall the best smiles, the brightest rays of the sun, and the first song of the birds outside your window.

For the second stone, gird yourselves with the weapons of the day, don the armor of your actions, and refresh your receptivity with a mouthful of sobering water.

For the third stone, select the longest vertical line in your workroom and make it the scale for measuring the Plan. Mentally measure every discontent, irritation, and fatigue on the scale of the World Plan, and in making this comparison you will find that there is not even the smallest place for illusory moods.

For the fourth stone, picture to yourself the boundless nature of the starry world. Truly, the Father has many abodes; which of them shall we denigrate? Recalling the rule you have been given, imagine that you are coming out of a closed house into the light. In this way, everything that you need will come to you.

Upon the first stone inscribe A Dove; upon the second, A Warrior; upon the third, A Pillar; and upon the fourth, The Sun.

236. You may have noticed in My Words cryptic passages or certain words that are not clear at the moment of reading. Remember, guidance is given on condition that it not violate karma.

A sense of the Good should prompt you to place milestones correctly along the road.

237. It is better to strive onward; everyone has their own path. It is beneficial to tune the organism so that it assimilates what the Master teaches.

Our Ray is constantly at work, but it is necessary for the spirit to concentrate. It is better to seek out the Instructions of the Master in the various manifestations of life. It is good to know how to pray. Prayer, or spiritual conversation, is the highest manifestation, but for this one must have refinement of mind and strength of spirit.

The knowledge of Communion is dangerous; it can bring on a weakening of the organism, just as narcotics do.

238. People often lack discipline of the spirit and a sense of proportion. Finding the key to the next attainment is the most difficult step on the path. That is why many newcomers regard the path of an Adept as galley slavery. Not a flattering opinion, but I prefer the austerity of the spirit’s command.

The despair of the spiritual emptiness felt before the anointing was well known to initiates in the mysteries of Isis.

On the night of the anointment the candidate was locked in a special chamber where he drank to the dregs the chalice of despair and rent his garments, undergoing a mortal anguish of spirit.

Before dawn he sank into a stupor, and when the rising sun illumined the pylons of the temple and the priests intoned the morning prayer, the High Priest opened the door, awakened the candidate, and led him into a dazzling chamber, where he received a new name and was reborn in ecstasy of the spirit.

239. A clean place is absolutely necessary at certain stages. Our Ashrams are notable for their cleanliness. The hygiene of the spirit presupposes the hygiene of the body. The emanations of the human body are harmful for a certain aspect of spiritual life. Many of Us with especially sensitive physical bodies cannot bear the emanations of the physical world.

Ritual ablutions should be understood in both a literal and a symbolic sense.

The highest and very last act of all the mysteries was notable for its absence of ritual. Often the Initiator said to the neophyte, “Here you have come to me, armed with the Secret, but what can I give you when the crown of completion is there, preserved within yourself? Sit down and open the last gates, while I ease your final ascent with prayer.”

240. Let the best warriors of the Holy Grail gather for podvig. Above every joy is the smile of podvig. Accept the baptism of podvig with a smile. Give the sternest command with a smile. The Master walks beside you. He will support your right hand in battle, and in council will point out the solution.

Everywhere you go there are guards walking behind you. Time flies, so hurry to obtain knowledge. Joyously accept the austerity of podvig!

241. The air trembles with joy the hour before dawn, the hour when the Buddha perceived the greatness of the Cosmos, the hour when Christ the Lord prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.

242. There are few workers. In their search for the miraculous, people have lost the Guiding Hand. We are coming into the world once more. Once more We are bringing proof of the spirit.

But now We shall decide the victory on the battlefield and in the laboratory of the scientist. Man will startle when a sword is raised above him and a voice cries out, “Awaken!”

The time for lectures is past; now work in laboratories is needed. We will demonstrate many things scientifically.

Our Manifestation thunders and terrifies; the barriers the world has erected will crumble. I shall manifest My messengers with fire, for I myself am leading!

243. It is better to know the weaknesses of humanity than to feed on the images created by wishful thinking. The truth is distressing, but it is time to realize that the world is populated with shadows. Before every catastrophe, only shadows are walking about. The hammer has been raised; hideous is the dance of the shadows who have forgotten the spirit.

Shadows who do not know, shadows who have lost everything, they are unaware of the New World. I sense that the enemy camp will fall. I sense that the gold they wear will lose its luster. I sense that the temple of amusements will grow hateful. Radiant is Our Path.

244. The human mechanism is complex; it is a special conscious evolution. From the moment consciousness comes into being, there is no common evolution. Everything is built upon an infinite diversity of types. General laws are established with difficulty. Even such basic, immutable laws as the law of perfection or the law of compensation cannot be expressed in a single formula.

Statements made in books are not so simple in practice; only an especially enlightened mind can penetrate into the structure of human evolution. Many lances have been broken on this issue. But one is allowed to knock on the door.

245. Nowadays it is hard to imagine the fall of Alexandria. It is better not to even recall the years of that transitional period.

One is seized with horror at the sight of the religious superstitions of that time. Origen walked upon the still hot coals of the ancient world. Knowing what Jesus had laid down, he suffered on seeing how little the crowd understood. Knowing the sacraments of the ancient mysteries, he suffered on seeing the failure to comprehend the unity of the Source. Knowing the simplicity of the Teaching of Jesus, he suffered on seeing the erection of churches.

He labored alone, suffering from the too great contradictions in his own spirit. While he had an unusual clarity and simplicity of spiritual cognition, his entire being was characterized by an unusual complexity.

In himself Origen atoned for the tempest of those early years of Christianity. Being a fervent adherent of knowledge, he was indignant at the decline of knowledge among the priesthood.

246. I repeat—the world’s careless attitude is criminal. Is it possible that people do not notice the danger? Tongues of flame signal that a storm of the spirit is approaching, but people are unwilling to understand Our warning.

247. Events are thundering. I am trying to rein in the madness.

If only you could see all the crimes being committed! But we will not let the panther leap out. The seekers of the spirit shall receive a Guiding Hand. The seekers of knowledge shall receive instruction. Those in affliction shall receive solace. Those who have raised the sword shall be smitten. Those who mock and jeer shall be banished. Those who have occasioned evil shall be stricken down. Thus do I decree.

248. It is astonishing how the world is going to ruin. The destroyers and the destroyed will be swept away. The new, the new ones are coming. From pure places will the new ones appear: nomads and ploughmen, orphans and vagabonds, monks and convicts, scientists and minstrels—in short, everyone who is strong in spirit, a legion of its own kind, endowed with understanding of the spirit.

You should know that among the rejected people are real pearls. Accept anyone who comes to you and says a word about the spirit. Even in the hardened eyes of a brigand there sometimes shines the thought of podvig. And even a convict is able to make a sacrifice when he is standing on watch.

I want to see your squads become real homes for strong spirits. Remember that Christ prayed among brigands and that the Buddha revealed a sacred mystery to a bandit. Of course, you should judge by the eyes. Note that down.

249. Let us speak about a sensitive apparatus.

Imagine yourself a fine needle of unusual sensitivity, which reacts to every change in its surroundings. The needle is connected to a special apparatus that expresses in a formula all of the currents that surround it. The needle vibrates to every current, to all the sounds and images, and the formulating apparatus records everything that the needle receives. Its sensitivity is so great that even a thought is registered.

For the apparatus to work precisely, constancy in the surroundings is a must. A predominant current creates something like constancy; in other words, the apparatus adapts to the current. If one current is replaced by another, the apparatus often comes to a stop; this is especially true when the currents are not in harmony.

250. I rejoice when you are filled with understanding of the significance of the future. These are especially crucial times. People’s old prejudices are virtually a mountain of incomprehension. Their paths are dark. Truly, it is only Our effort that can alter the swift course of events. Brutish habits have come to fill the leisure-time of humanity.

Christ taught compassion, and the law of love is flouted.

Gautama, called the Buddha, asked for courage and energy, and His followers have surrendered themselves to sloth.

Confucius taught an orderly system of government, and His followers have given in to bribery and corruption.

It is hard to say which crime is worse. Therefore, it is impossible to speak about peoples; you can only speak about individuals. Sloth is dreadful and may border on the criminal. Its consequences are hard to see, but laziness turns a human being into an animal.

Understand that sloth is one of the main obstacles on the path. There are times when a murderer is more mobile on the spiritual plane than a lazy person.

Also, a person who accepts bribes deprives himself of the Brotherhood’s trust, because the treachery of such people is great. And a lack of compassion makes a person unfit for podvig, because such souls also lack courage.

251. Clearly, the entire Universe is made up of diverse principles. By “principle” I mean a number of basic elements.

We say that elements are “primary” if they are to be found in a free state—that is, a state in which they have not yet entered into combination with one another. One of the principal features of creative power is its need for combination.

For Us the universal principle is the basic law of the Cosmos, which can only be partially investigated. Of course, investigating the basic law is difficult, but opportunities exist. Many of Us have grasped it spiritually, but it is impossible to express it in a general laboratory formula so long as uninvestigated cycles remain.

The play of the Cosmos is like the sparkle of a crystal with many facets. The mind is capable of catching only one flash from the crystal. This is joyous, not sad. Of course, butchers cannot transmit all the subtlety of the concepts.

252. Leaders will forget about resting and begin raving in their folly. There is too little imagination, too little understanding, too little knowledge, too little sense of proportion, no beauty, no podvig, and no desire to renounce comfortable habits.

Be ready to see comical characters, too. You must be able to lead. You must, you must, you must!

If you only knew how often We have to praise piles of sand and call them castles. Certainly, We rejoice when the builder blazes up with enthusiasm at the praise and is ready to build new piles. Keep this in mind.

253. Discipline is the beginning of everything.

254. Let us speak about Lord Buddha.

People do not grasp the foundation of the Teaching of the Blessed One. The foundation is discipline.

With spiritual and physical striving, the monastics of the Community endeavored to stay on the path. In the first years a monastic underwent a rigorous regimen. He was forbidden to kill himself with ascetic practices; rather, he was ordered to do battle along the lines of the spirit alone. Thus, the Buddha was strict in teaching His disciples. In fact, they only knew joy in spiritual battle, which is why the thorns on the path are spoken about.

Only when the will of the practitioner had grown strong as a lion’s, and the silver bridle of the spirit guiding the disciple’s senses had begun to sparkle—only then did the Lord lift the veil slightly and assign a task.

Then gradually the disciple was initiated into the mysteries of knowledge.

255. The Blessed One said, “Truth is the sole source of courage.” When correctly understood, truth is the wisest and most beautiful chapter in the book of the Cosmos.

256. Going to Devachan is not a matter of compulsion. Devachan is like a reservoir of energies where renewal of the spirit takes place. But many souls, possessing a large store of energy, have no need of Devachan. They are waiting for a date to manifest anew. That is why it is important to grasp the true teaching about the skandhas.

The law of dates is as important as the law of karma.

The law of dates governs the combination of the skandhas.

The spirit can correct the defects of the physical body: The main factor is spirit.

A prodigious memory does not exist; there is only an aptitude for calling up facts and images.

The astral plane is still full of earthly possibilities, but further on the knowledge of the spirit prevails; “consciousness” exists only in the earthly shell. In the astral there is still a remnant of the personal consciousness, but this consciousness is not the knowledge of the spirit.

Consciousness is only one combination of the skandhas. It is an enclosed knowledge of the spirit. The knowledge of the spirit possesses clarity of conception, but it can be manifested in action only when it enters into a combination of the skandhas and fecundates the consciousness of that given combination.

In saying this I have in mind spirits subject to karma and the law of dates. The evolution of free spirits is different.

We will draw nearer to the question of the impact of karma on the essence of a spirit in other spheres. This is important to know, for you should understand the distinction between consciousness and the knowledge of the spirit.

257. Know that the diversity in different worlds is great. Name a person and I will tell you his evolution, but it is almost impossible to point to a general law.

The pride of the spirit is a step toward podvig. If all people were monarchs of the spirit, there would not be half the harm.

258. Now, about dates.

The law of karma and the law of dates are like the double-faced Janus; one gives birth to the other.

Karma bears the fruit of actions and calls forth the date of manifestation.

Note that personal karma, group karma, and cosmic karma ought to coincide, and then the date will be the right one. Often the development of a personal karma draws the group karma after it. Some spirits are completely ruled by karma, which means that the knowledge of the spirit is minimal and karma is the only way the spirit can evolve.

259. New, new, new ones! There is no place for the old in the new construction. Why turn to the old when already the lightning of the new world is flashing upon the horizon? When the traveler spurs his horse to reach the goal and even We watch the clock of evolution, We put an ear to the sand and hear distant voices that speak of an epoch without precedent.

260. There is no permanency in the Cosmos. Even a simple object is different in two consecutive moments.

261. Naturally, one’s own canoe, though full of holes, is better than someone else’s ship. We value sailing only in one’s own boat.

262. Certainly, life is beautiful, but until now it was judged according to animal instinct, which is why it was impossible to point out life’s beauty.

Egypt had lofty culture, but one cannot say that the present-day culture is lower. Culture used to be centered in the north of India, but only a limited class of people possessed knowledge. The foolish mustiness of castes impeded the culture. This class nonsense is exactly what Lord Buddha wished to abolish. Joyous was the Teaching of the Lord.

263. Truly, Lord Buddha was able to make Himself manifest. The Lord appeared to many, but He wished to make His Teaching the sole source, and therefore did away with personal manifestations.

Worship had no place in the Teaching of the Lord; it was all about knowledge and personal podvig. Just this was the characteristic feature of the Lord’s Teaching. It was because of this that His symbol was the lion. We often call the Lord, “The King of Thought.”

You have a correct understanding about the unreality of the surrounding world. When I told you to walk the higher path of life, I was repeating the Words of the Lord. As you see, the Lord recognized the reality of the surrounding world for the present cycle and taught duty to His disciples.

264. Close your visors tight. On the verge of events there is silence. On the eve of battle, quietly ready the weapons.

Though we once passed through the cities amidst the cries of the people, now we shall pass silently at dawn.

Though salutes once thundered, now is the time for podvig.

We suffocate from people’s worship.

Benevolence and sternness are one and the same concept. We used to send the olive branch of peace; now We discuss the ornament on a weapon. Formerly the dove was Our symbol; now it is the chalice of podvig.

Yes, each era has its own symbol.

265. The age of individual commerce has come and gone. There will be no more petty predators. It is better to think about the welfare of the people.

I do not like to talk about reward for work, but the recompense will not be long coming. I am talking about the joy of work. A cooperative system is the sole salvation.

266. Value spaciousness of thought. I teach you to esteem giants of will power.

I will tie a Sacred Knot around you—an invisible one.

Our Decree is that you take on your shoulders the mission of testifying to My Advent. Raise the heavy shield with the firm will of your awareness. Let us say: “Lord, I will help Your Country. My spirit is arrayed in the armor of fearlessness. Your star shines bright upon the shield. I will receive in my shield all the arrows of Your adversaries. I wish to assist You.”

267. I would like to tell you about two of Akbar’s commanders.

One of them received very detailed instructions, while the other got only the most fragmentary orders.

Finally, the latter appealed to Akbar, saying, “Why don’t I deserve detailed instructions? Look at all the victories I’ve brought you.” Akbar answered, “Your comprehension held back the flow of words. Let each moment that you saved be commemorated with the most precious of pearls.” That is why great joy is felt by those who can comprehend, and thereby conserve a drink from the Source.

The essence of the Teaching can be correlated with what is needed at certain moments of the battle. Being aware of the fact that the dark intelligence always takes note when a success is scored, you should allow time for the missiles to fly by, especially when your fortress has been marked on the enemy’s map. But when the missiles furrow the ground all around, it will only be that much more suitable for future foundations. Thus, whoever has patience will be able to lay the future foundations. When we sit in silence, the bond grows stronger.

The new expansion marks a new step, and we already know some refined enemies. But new forces are called up behind us, so we have no need of the old ways.

268. The main mistake is that the issues and needs of life have not been formulated; meanwhile, I may ask at any moment, and an opportunity lost does not come around again. It has been said: “You know not the day nor the hour.”

I urge you to sharpen thought, as you would a sword. You can learn without end.

When I ask you to help build My Country, I am appealing not to skeletons but to living spirits, creative spirits. Each is assigned his sacrifice. The symbol of open eyes is such an important one.

269. Help to build My Country. People do not want to see the trembling of the old world. Not sternness but concern about the wondrous Plan makes Me repeat this request. Why turn Amrita into a mess of pottage?

Every hour repeat to yourself: “Nothing will delay my race to the Teacher. I have a thousand eyes, and my strength grows only in mobility.”

Mobility and resourcefulness are inseparably linked.

270. You already know about the conjured circle, and you know about its scientific significance. One feature of the Plan is that it has been decided to smooth away the safeguard of this circle, because it is a cosmic impediment.

A kind of timidity has girdled humanity with all sorts of artificial circles. Now it is time to abandon conventional formulas. It is time to welcome with awakened spirit both Earth and Heaven. It is time to have open eyes and tell the offspring of the elements, “I am not afraid of you! You cannot block the path that I’ve been pointed to.”

It is time to say to the Light, “I come as your helper, and to the sun itself I’ll extend my hand. As long as the silver thread stays unbroken, the stars themselves shall be my armor.”

And so humanity has been ordained a simple path. At last the idolatry of symbols is being erased by the ray of Light. And We shall be allowed to be not gods but coworkers. This is the dictate of simplicity.

271. Do not be afraid to give the armor of your brother a close looking over. Only after fingering every link in the coat of mail with a careful hand will you be able to identify which side of your brother is the least protected. An armor that glitters on the outside will not be able to withstand even a light arrow.

So if any of you detect a weak link you can say, “Brother, in the Name of the Master, go over your coat of mail and finish tempering it. Otherwise, you’d be better fighting without any armor.” In the same way examine the weapons before every battle. Cruel is the lot of one who is holding only a hilt.

We especially rejoice when the greatness of the Plan is clothed in simplicity. Remember, simplicity possesses the power to attract. This magnet is suited to the new house.

Horned thinking does not allow even birds to sing, but My march only goes forward with a song.

272. People will ask, “What is your heaven like?” Answer, “It’s a heaven of labor and battle.” From labor springs invincibility; from battle, beauty.

Yes, even today I told you—I myself am coming! Indeed I am, and My arrows are flying into My Country, where sprouts of every color are awaiting the gardeners.

On the walls are My signs, and in the whisper is My breath.

Let the bushes grow wild; it is easier to expand than to plant anew. Fear nothing, for though Our flowers are diverse, you will bring them into order with the Voice of the Lords.

Notice how Our field is abounding with life. The necessary sprouts are green, while the dry ones fall off and blacken. Already you can draw a map of the new battle. You will add new regions to the struggles of the spirit and blacken out the mountains of one-time pride.

As I have said, better be with ragamuffins than with hypocrites. Get used to catching the fire of spirit in the eyes.

The swallowtail coat lacks the star of struggle that shines on kaftans.

Today let us keep in mind the heaven of labor and battle.

273. Necessity should be understood alongside co-measurement. The final test will be that of necessity; in other words, each person being tested has to say what he considers most necessary. His consciousness will be measured on the quality of his immediate reply.

274. The degree of a person’s usefulness may change. Usefulness has as many degrees as a tree has leaves.

If we wish to have an Advent that is not delayed, then the paths should be cleared without delay. Day and night you should accustom yourselves to carrying out the Decrees and imbuing yourselves with the Rules.

I dislike every kind of hypocrisy. Let the Ray illumine podvig. Where am I to send the Ray, if there is damp muslin instead of a shield!? The main thing is to be prompt and steady of hand when striking.

Just as I send you every shield you need, you should make good use of every moment. Act not out of desire for reward or from fear, but because you are conscious of cosmic beauty.

275. Let me tell you how the controversy between the Buddha and Devadatta began.

Devadatta asked, “Where does each action begin?” “From the most necessary,” answered the Blessed One, “for each moment has its own necessity, and this is called the rightness of action.”

Devadatta persisted, “How does it become clear what is necessary?” “The thread of necessity runs throughout the worlds,” replied the Blessed One. “Whoever fails to understand it remains in a dangerous defile, without protection from falling stones.”

Devadatta was thus unable to make out the line of necessity, and this obscurity impeded his path.

A spirited horse feels with the end of the hair on its mane which stone to step on next. That is the way to sense the sequence of mobility, co-measurement, and necessity.

Many of Our historic records are taken for inscriptions left by ancient lawgivers.

Often the Name of Christ or the Buddha may even make an inscription less easy to accept, while letters on an unknown stone attract serious attention more readily.

Does one really need to explain that the best result is when the spark of the spirit flashes forth? Therefore, discern when it is better to remind someone of a Name and when more useful to transmit the essence of a Teaching. Keep that in mind when you are walking various paths.

276. Let Us send seven servants to the market to fetch some grapes.

What do I see? The first has lost the money given him. The second has exchanged it for some heady wine. The third has pocketed it. The fourth did not notice that the grapes were unripe. The fifth tested their ripeness and crushed the entire bunch. The sixth chose the grapes wisely, but brushed them loose and scattered them out of carelessness. The seventh brought a ripe cluster and even found a leaf to adorn it.

That is how seven servants walked one road at one and the same time.

Follow the rules of the New World. Let us bring both spirit and body, for there has not been a more beautiful podvig. I consider the time we are living through to be a quite complicated one. The reflexes of events are crowding against the gates.

You know how a ship surges forward on a wave. That is why, truly, you should nourish the spirit, not the ear.

277. About placing magnets.

A magnet forges a projection of the planet’s evolution. A magnet manifests immutability. A magnet establishes humanity’s path. There are several types of magnets: the unbroken body of the leading planet; a part of that body, which is connected to the remaining parts; or a random object that has acquired a connection with the magnet through contact.

The magnet remains invisible while attracting the current of events; or it serves as a center of conscious action; or it illumines the person who found it.

In the history of humanity you can trace a network of magnets that have blazed forth like guiding fires.

Then how does a magnet work? It puts the ideas of space into action. There are many magnets lying under the foundations of cities. And many have been discovered.

The symbol of diamonds in a meteor sent from outer space must, I repeat, be understood in a scientific sense.

One should gather all the minutes of the morning and the evening. The commonplace life is over, and the dawn of podvig has begun. Fate is ready to take on every burden, every hardship, but you have to accept it.

A ray can shine through the window.

278. Being invisible is often a saving virtue. Being silent is often a saving virtue. Being the keeper of secrets is an honorable position. Being trusted is an honorable position. The power of a prayerful state of mind leads to spiritual growth.

279. I believe that all the signal fires must be kindled, so that the signs may be easily understood. To each of those summoned I will give signs, but the signs need to be accepted. Yes, there are times when one has to resort to excessive signs, but there are also times when they cannot be made use of.

I recall how once We succeeded in saving a man from fire, but he did not listen to the signs and ended up breaking his leg.

Another time, to save somebody from signing a disastrous document, We not only had to apply spiritual influence but also had to resort to such great muscular force that his hand was paralyzed for a long time. In order that he be saved from a dangerous animal, one man had to be pushed off a path.

That is why one should not necessitate the use of extraordinary measures, but instead lend a sensitive ear to the saving signs.

280. You should convey spiritual upliftment. In Our camp reverence for the Master is expressed through action. Those who follow Us live by embracing a wondrous vision. Their road is studded with the horseshoes of heroic achievement. Above Our followers’ tents shine the rays of courage. For Our people it is a joy to be singed by the flame of Truth. The length of their path is tripled, vastly extended.

Is it not happiness to strive against lifeless matter, to rouse oneself into action and kindle the sparks of creative spirit with the spirit’s lance?

The Master, the Master, the Master strides onward with the arrow of the Decree.

I will never accept the calm surface of still water; instead I will embrace every whirlwind. I will receive all the thunder, and with lightning My scrolls will transform the dome of the universe. I will send forth the dove as a messenger, but I will descend as the eagle!

Thus, let each of My warriors get his armor ready!

281. You already know about two of Akbar’s commanders; now let us add something about a third. This one asked, “Why is being too early condemned just as strongly as being too late?” “My friend, no two things are equal,” Akbar answered. “Therefore, if being premature includes being resourceful, its value is greater, because the only thing that tardiness leads to is death. Prematurity has to be judged, but tardiness is already condemned.”

282. Heed my Command—understand the significance of what is happening. I have promised to issue a Command today, so be ready to act.

If I see that you should go by camel, go!

If I see that you should fly, fly!

If I see that you should sail, set sail!

If I see that you should crawl into a hole, crawl!

If I see that you should appear at midnight, appear!

If I see that you should get somewhere by dawn, be on time!

If I see that you should cover the Sacred with a shield, cover it!

If I see that you should not doze off, stay awake!

If I see that you have to trust Me, trust!

And let your mantram be: “I will help to build Your Country in the Name of the Mother of the World and the Name of my Father!”

So we shall increase our power with the fire of preparedness and walk upon golden sands, for we are going to the Lords.

283. Speak up about My desire to see everyone busy at work. One needs to exert one’s aura, or else it cannot grow.

Everyone should understand clearly how useless heavenly rays are unless they are received by emanations from the nerve centers.

I have already spoken about how loss of speech and broken arms may result when a heavenly influence does not meet with an earthly response.

284. I want to see cooperation not on paper or in assurances but in action. The right way is not to talk about love but to show it in action. The right way is to do away with assurances of devotion, for it manifests in action. The right way is to avoid uttering unnecessary words, for words are needed in action. It is deplorable if warriors break rank during an assault and begin assuring their captain of their love. Truly, we are passing through a time of assault, and each stone must be secured by making an adroit maneuver. Shoot the arrows with skill.

From the very beginning I have spoken about the inefficacy of rays when the intended recipient’s emanations do not correspond to them. Fatigue and irritation may deprive one of an urgent message. Aspirants need to know how to reach Us over and above their sensations.

285. Let us turn from cosmic inscriptions to the work of carrying stones, and on each of them We shall inscribe the symbol of the cross.

I shall remind you how the Buddha selected disciples for podvig.

When the disciples were in the middle of work and already giving way to fatigue, the Buddha would ask the most unexpected question and wait for the promptest reply. Or He would put the simplest object in front of them and tell them to describe it in no more than three words or no less than a hundred pages. Or He would place a disciple before a locked door and ask, “How will you open it?” Or He would have musicians come to a window and sing hymns with sharply contrasting contents. Or having noticed an annoying fly, He would tell a disciple to repeat some words uttered unexpectedly. Or having passed back and forth in front of His disciples, He would ask them how many times He had done so. Or having noticed that a disciple was afraid of animals or a natural phenomenon, He would set him the task of overcoming the fear. That is how the mighty Lion tempered the blade of the spirit. Keep this in mind and apply it!

286. The Ushas of a new dawn may now be proclaimed. Already the power of Light is burning away the darkness. M∴ is a steadfast Spirit.

My Spirit knows how the power is being forged. I suggest that you not pray to Me but call on Me. Do so and My Hand will not delay in asserting itself in time of battle.

How did We cross deserts? How were We able to avoid black arrows? How could We break in untamed horses? How could We sleep with a traitor in the same tent? How were We able to improve Our lot as We faced the feather grass burning across the plains? How did We overcome the stones in the stream? How could We find Our way in the darkness of night? How could We fathom incomprehensible desires? How could We discern the path of life? Truly, by wakefulness of the spirit.

Every moment We are ready to bestow the bread of life on whoever will choose this same path of spiritual wakefulness. My Ray can shine light on the actions of the spirit.

Those who attend to My Ray are the ones who have clothed themselves in the protective purple of courage. Where the dusty mold of fear dwells, the sword of the Ray turns into a whip.

287. Realize how difficult it can be to reach people’s hearts. The spirit is not breaking through the barriers, and the carnal shell is growing fat. How much more, then, should you welcome those who look about like eagles, those for whom the haze of the future is a clear mirror!

Although the events in the battle are great, there is one thing I can promise the faithful: We will guard their dignity in every situation. We will turn the hostile currents to profit.

A command to My warriors is not repeated. Let us do a better job of building Our paths, identifying possibilities.

Let us not be afraid if at first glance these possibilities appear too disconnected. Grass does not grow all at once. But fortunately I see young heads worthy of being entrusted with loosened strings.

You must rely on those you do not know and Those you do not see.

288. When people leave a place, they feel one of two ways: either they feel that they have lived a long time there, which means that their aura has attached to objects, as it were; or they feel that everything around them has come to an end, which means that their aura is surging forward in aspiration.

It is very important to distinguish these two types of people. Often you can judge this most crucial difference by something external.

Who, then, are My people? Those who do not feel any place to be their home; who do not attach any value to objects; who love to go up the mountains; who love the song of the birds; who value the morning air; who value action more than time; who understand flowers; who show fearlessness without noticing it; who hate gossip; who treasure the joy of beauty; who understand life beyond the limits of the visible; who sense when they may partake of Amrita; who hurry to fulfill the prophecy. These, My people, may use My Power.

Like a king in the land of the whirlwinds, I can send them a dewdrop from Elgario, the tree that reveals the life of the future.

289. Let Me tell you how Timur achieved one of his greatest victories. He set fire to the steppes behind his own troops and gave a thousand horses to his prisoners so that they could escape. The prisoners fled in terror to the enemy camp and spread fear there. On their heels came Timur’s hordes who, seeing no other way out, advanced quicker than the flames and trampled the foe underfoot.

A foolish leader sets a fire behind the enemy forces, while a wise one lights a fire behind his own.

Similarly, when the first wanderers of Asia were on the march, they destroyed the bridges and crossings behind them so that no one would think of retreating.

290. There is an oriental riddle: “What is it that loves to be buried?” Answer: “A seed.”

Precisely, the seed of a plan must lie under the earth, but when it comes to life, it only grows upward.

The Master sees new possibilities, and the fire blazing across the steppe chases the riders in one direction.

291. Among the dust-covered daisies rises a lily of Heavenly Purple. It is better to live near the Heavenly Blossom, for earthly flowers are the sole living link between Earth and Heaven.

In the creation of floral pollen, crystals of prana precipitate, as it were. It is not a joke to say that in flowers Heaven settles onto Earth. Take away flowers from the Earth, and half of its vital capacity would disappear. Snow is just as important. The snowy mountains stand as beacons of salvation.

292. When the scope of a project grows, the floors and ceilings start to crack. It is very hard for people to understand the difference between “it can happen” and “it will happen.” It seems to them that if something can come to pass then it surely will. But where is podvig and the desire to pass over every wall?

293. Let us imagine the Earth crowded with wireless stations. Just a few of the stations are of very high tension, high voltage. Only these few will be directing the life of the planet. In just this way there exist spirits of high voltage, spirits who charged up their accumulators when manifesting in the past. Their distinguishing feature is a firm awareness that their inner “I” is indissoluble, and from this consciousness is born the concept of a higher freedom. To the high-voltage station is attached a network of smaller stations that receive its continual waves. That is how a spirit of high voltage nourishes its surroundings; it resembles a solitary tower that reigns over the entire region. This is the reason people are attracted to such magnets from their childhood, and even overwhelm them.

Podvig is not renunciation; it is encompassment and movement.

So when I speak of someone who has renounced, you should understand it to mean someone who has encompassed. It is impossible to find much substance in renunciation, because prohibition nestles so close to it. But encompassment demonstrates conscious understanding.

How, then, did the Sovereign Mother renounce the worlds? She encompassed the grandeur of the construction of the future, and now nothing can arrest the growth of the spirit.

Faithfulness is a quality that belongs to a spirit of high voltage, and the mastery of encompassment makes true podvig a joyous acceptance. That is the way podvig can be developed, because one luminous acceptance leads to the next.

Bearers of podvig have been aptly depicted as sailing a boat. That is how the wave of worldwide energy carries forward those who have entered its current.

Once more you should recall the difference between threat and solicitude. When I warned a distinguished horseman that he should learn to jump off a galloping horse, he spurned this advice as contrary to the customs of his native steppe country. But when a frenzied horse suddenly brought him to the edge of a precipice, he had to make an awkward jump and ended up lamed for life.

By being faithful it is easy to partake of the worldwide wave. We aspire only to joy.

294. Direct your striving into the future, passing by the soot of the present.

295. Learn this: you should not destroy, but instead summon up the strongest patience.

It is frightening to see how few there are who respond to the call without making excuses or complaining. One can give people the most precious, but when the call is sounded they will forget everything they have received.

How can they think about the New World when they have yet to understand the old? A porcupine has plenty of quills, but these do not make him a king.

The help We indicated can flourish once it is accepted by those to whom it is sent. We rejoice when the Hand is not rejected.

296. Do not live on income from money. Such profit is unclean.

The best way of transferring goods is an exchange of things; or, in extreme cases, a direct money-for-goods exchange is permissible.

Do not be dissatisfied with anyone except yourself. Do not have others do what you can do for yourself; that way you will get rid of the bondage of servants. Do not say twice what can be said just once. Do not walk the same path again, for even the stone on a threshold wears away. Do not sail where you need to fly. Do not turn back where you should be making haste. Do not twist and tear your mouth with malicious words where you should pass on in silence. Shield yourself not with rays but with the steel of podvig. No need for a saddle where wings are growing. The hammer, not the fist, drives in the nail. The arrow, not the bow, reaches the mark. Not by my God, but by yours. Ring yourself with the fire of thought, not the circumference of a magical circle.

297. Think that nothing belongs to you, and it will be that much easier for you to avoid damaging things. Think of the best way to beautify each place, and you will be more certain to protect yourself from trash. Think how much better than the old each new thing must be, and thereby plant firm the ladder of ascent. Think how beautiful tomorrow will be, and thereby learn to look ahead. Think how cruel the animal state is, and you will start to pity lower beings. Think how small the Earth is, and you will improve your understanding of correlations. Think how beautiful the sun is, hiding beyond the Earth’s sphere, and you will refrain from irritation. Think of how white the doves look in the light of its rays, and you will shore up your hope. Think of how blue the sky is, and you will approach eternity. Think of how black the darkness is, and you will avoid the cold of retreat. Think courageously about the Images of the Great Ones, and you will draw a line of unity. Think of what happiness it is to walk on the crust of the planet, imbuing it with awareness of the spirit. Think of what happiness it is to pass under the rays of the constellations, being a focus for rays that are tens of thousands of years old.

Think about Our Hand, which guides without slackening, and you will extend the thread of life.

298. When somebody bars your way, step aside in silence if you know your path. When you need to seek shelter for the night, have some good news ready for your host. When the time comes to leave and the path is broad, have a friendly farewell for those who remain. When a tree by the roadside is in bloom, do not break off a branch, for it may give joy to those who come after you. When someone calls out a greeting, do not respond with a snarl. When you hear a bird singing, do not shake the tree. When you see children coming, say, “We’ve been expecting you.” When you are hurrying off to dinner, step on dry stones. When you are going to take a rest, put your thoughts in order. When you hear something nice about yourself, do not write it down in your notebook. When you dwell on an injury someone has done you, look around to see where there is trash on the floor.

299. “Better to accept an urgent message than to hide from the messenger. Better not to paint the gates bright colors on a dusty road. Better to let your horse loose in the vegetable patch than to let it starve. Better to forgive the village constable than to get into a lawsuit with the sheriff. Better to give up carrots than to go without peas. Better to fall asleep on a board than on an anthill. Better to receive sound reprimands than to smirk at sugary words. Better to be friends with a donkey than to listen to a fox. Better to call a doctor than to bleed a demon. Better to shudder over the sufferings of the past than to harbor doubts about the future. Better to judge in the morning and forgive in the evening. Better to think by day and fly by night.” So says the book The Pearls of Dreams, written in China.

300. The Teaching of the new possibilities in life is attracting practical minds. Once a manifestation becomes possible, it will be accepted as easily as taking a photograph. It is gratifying to realize that two worlds will unite before the very eyes of humanity. Spiritual cleanliness will come to be understood as a practical requirement of material life. And once again the fire of knowledge will begin to blaze forth, just as it did in the most ancient eras of the priesthood’s prime, but in a form that the multitudes can apply. The main need is to bring into balance the forces of visible nature and the Power of the Invisible Sources.

One could easily take an apparatus used in “visible” science and attune it to the channels of the Higher World. For example, clairaudience will be as easily understood as the wireless telephone, which will soon become an established part of life. It is then that attention will be paid to differences in the quality of communications, and when people compare the characteristics of various intermediaries, they will come to understand how practical spirituality is.

Just as photography will never replace creativity, no physical apparatus will ever substitute for spirituality.

One can discern a special harmfulness in phenomena, because the discharge from the matter that has been crumpled and crushed gives rise to a repulsive atmosphere of disturbed electrons. Nothing injures the organism as much as unnecessary phenomena.

301. I rejoice to see in the midst of your thoughts flashes of insight into how the people’s welfare can be improved. Such thoughts need to be projected into space. If only you could spare half an hour each day for the future! Truly, the bonfire of your thoughts would receive Our welcome.

It does not matter much if everyday objects disappear, so long as the country of the future be embodied in thought.

And what cleanses the spirit more completely than thoughts about the welfare of others? And what steels the armor of steadfastness more strongly than the wish to lead others to Light? And what weaves a better smile than the desire to see the very last child laughing? So I urge you to think about the future, to place each day a pearl in the necklace of the Mother of the World. And so, concisely and straightforwardly think about how to beautify the hearth of the world.

You should not make comparisons with the past, for a wrinkle from the past is usually a nest of errors. You can sail right past the shores with which you have no connection; you need only feast your eyes on the world of light given to everything alive. Light is the best bridge between the visible and the Invisible.

When you are able to think about the future not by the evening fire but in the radiance of the sun, then dewdrops of prana will bestow illumination on your thinking brow.

302. Let the new countries also realize the power of an appeal from the pure of heart. Let them understand: Duplicity of thought is an obstacle to attainment of communion in spirit.

Tell all who hope to be with Us that they should keep watch on their thoughts. Podvig is born of pure thoughts. No ostentatious action will bear fruit unless it has been lifted high on the wings of a rainbow thought.

I understand how difficult it is to capture the fleas of thought. That is why I repeat that seekers should ventilate the folds of their brain so that the tiny jumpers will have no chance to lodge their progeny there. The legacy of shaggy thinking engenders small bugs and cuts short the best paths. If the vermin of the body cause a person to be shunned, how much more repulsive must be the vermin of the spirit!

When thoughts flow broad and wide, even if they have a disagreeable direction they may not be harmful in the end. But when the content of a person’s thinking resembles a drop from a stagnant bog, there is no way that the face of the New World can be revealed.

We should ground our thinking and keep firmly in mind the four principles laid down. Draw two arrows crossing each other, and between them the four images given: the Dove, the Pillar, the Sun, and the Warrior. We need to remember; we need to avoid muddled thoughts.

I strongly urge everyone to emphasize the beauty of the heavens and link it with thoughts about the future.

303. One can recognize the dates of the nations’ destinies by watching the waves of how religion is understood. Where there is obvious unbelief, the harvest of the Lord is already at hand. But where there is hypocritical splendor, there the sword is raised and ready. The example of Saul is something we can learn from.

Now, on this anniversary day, we understand how a hobo in rags may manifest podvig, while an elegant chiton may hide ill-smelling sores. And so we see the world being divided along new lines. One can forgive a vagabond for many things, but the blinding gold of sumptuous chambers cannot outweigh the cup of justice.

304. Write down a legend about Babel.

I have told you that language can be understood by the inner sense. This ability was revealed to the world through a certain high priestess, and it yielded wondrous results. Envoys from distant lands spoke to her in their own languages and she understood them. This gave rise to the legend about the eternal language of Babylon.

But the multitudes decided they wanted to see it for themselves.

Many foreigners were brought forward, and the priestess was led down from the eighth floor in spite of her protests. But nothing was manifested before the people, and the foreigners repeated their words in vain.

That is how one of the finest possibilities was ruined; but the same possibility will be realized when the aura is studied, for the aura is the bridge of both wellbeing and infection.

The ability to understand even one’s native tongue depends not on the ear but on contact with other centers through the aura. That is why it is better to say, “I get it,” than “I hear you.”

For that reason, when it comes to the aura, it is not the color that is important so much as the inner intensity.

305. My Hand will not grow tired from leading, but you have to do your part by striding forward, each with all his strength. It is right to use your strength to do what is difficult, for everything easy is incommensurate with what is ahead.

What does a mother say to her son as he goes off to war? “Be able to stand up for yourself.” In the same way, My warriors will understand how to fight single-handed.

Though the chain of a circle may make things easier, resourcefulness is tested when one is left to oneself.

306. We seldom choose to travel by water. The element of water is in opposition to the magnetism of the mountains. Arrows of lightning pierce the water without any increase in results. We, however, try to insulate every current.

Metals are selected not for their monetary value but for their relative resistance. One should not wear copper things. The ancients knew that bronze is much more useful. Also, zinc should no longer be used in the household. Not only may infection be spread by contact with a metal, but the channel of a metal also brings illnesses, which is why copper coins should be abolished. Very small silver ones would be better.

Criminal speculation should be prosecuted unflinchingly, because the Earth is ill with speculation. Each epoch has its plague; at present there is an epidemic of speculation. One should not think that humanity has always been plagued by this illness. But it is a sign that a radical change is on its way, for this infection is not able to pass away gradually—a paroxysm of evolution is necessary to crush it out.

307. To pray means to realize eternity. In prayer there is beauty, love, daring, valor, selflessness, steadfastness, aspiration. But if prayer includes superstition, fear and doubt, then it is more like an incantation from the times of fetish worship.

Then how should one pray? A person can spend hours in aspiration, but there exists a prayer of lightning speed. Then, without words one instantly places oneself in continuity with an entire chain that reaches into the Infinite.

Resolving to unite with the Infinite, the aspirant inhales emanations of ether, so to speak, and without mechanical repetitions obtains the best circuit for the current. Thus, without words or waste of time, one can receive a stream of refreshment.

Only a well-developed spirituality can raise the human consciousness with a single sigh. But We must repeat about prayer, because people are sure to ask about it.

There is no need for incantations, no need for entreaties, no need for the dust of humility, no need for threats, because it is we who transport ourselves to the distant worlds, into the repositories of possibilities and knowledge. We sense that they are meant for us, and we approach them with daring.

That is how you should understand the advice, “Pray in no way but in spirit.”

308. If we begin to break matter down into its constituents, we see that the atoms liberated start to arrange themselves according to their basic tone and, passing into the ether, form a rainbow that sounds like the music of the spheres.

If an entire planet decomposes into its parts, then of course a rainbow will result. This can be observed whenever visible matter decomposes.

Our Ray sends out myriads of purified atoms that enwrap a person if there is no astral whirlwind around him. This is the foundation for calmness of spirit, for without it the residue of karma will obscure what is being sent.

The lower spirits tear away at the Ray like monkeys, ripping up the precious fabric without any benefit to themselves, since the atoms of matter are useless for agitated shells.

One should keep this in mind when uniting the spirit with the Infinite in prayer.

309. Just keep in mind now that in case of danger you should surround yourself with an awareness of being personally invulnerable, and then send forth your awareness to meet My Ray.

Imagine how your spark speeds to My current. Such reciprocity intensifies the current and is beneficial in times of fatigue. On the path all sorts of situations may come up in which a reciprocal current is particularly useful. It is best to enhance every possibility.

310. Surrounded and threatened, Akbar addressed his commanders, “The less disturbed the substance, the clearer the reflection of the peaks.”

After inspecting his army Akbar said, “A fourth of what we have to do has been achieved, for I have seen well-fed men. The rest we shall see after a day of intense heat, after a day of rain, and after a sleepless night.”

311. Now, if people say, “Don’t tell me you recognize astrology!” answer, “Don’t tell me you deny medicine!”

If they ask, “Do you insist on the life of the spirit?” answer, “Do you deny the development of matter?”

If they ask, “Why do you care about Teachers who are dead and gone?” answer, “Is science really too difficult for you?”

If they say, “It seems you don’t mind poring over old parchments,” answer, “Go back to school and then we’ll talk.”

If they ask, “How do you picture the universe?” answer, “As a drop of water.”

If they ask, “Why have you acknowledged the Master?” answer, “Because the Master Himself has addressed us to help develop our knowledge.”

312. I shall set forth the characteristics of those seeking the Common Good. First: constancy of striving. Second: the ability to encompass, for the community member who denies is wrong, while the seeker of truth is deserving of the Common Good. Third: the ability to work, for most people do not know the value of time. Fourth: a desire to help, free of prejudice and the urge to encroach. Fifth: renunciation of a sense of ownership along with readiness to safeguard the fruit of other people’s creativity. Sixth: expulsion of fear. Seventh: display of vigilance in the midst of darkness. Tell this to people who, being in the grip of fear, cover themselves with denial.

Point out that millions of people are waiting for the Gates to open. The shackles of hardship should not be replaced with the fetters of fear! Fear might be compared to leprosy, for they both cloak a person with a repulsive rime.

The grayish dusk of servility has led to a disorderly perspective on life. This must now end in storm and tempest.

313. No clairvoyance can compare with the knowledge of the spirit. Truth can come through this knowledge. Only by this path comes understanding of the needs of the time.

While prophetic ecstasy bypasses the precise details of time and place, the knowledge of the spirit foresees the very quality of an event. The path of the spirit’s knowledge blossoms without visible signs, but it is based upon the opening of the nerve centers.

Ancient priests considered the knowledge of the spirit to be the highest manifestation, for it could not be attained by any physical exercises but consisted of accumulations from former lives. That is why care for the knowledge of the spirit finds expression not in exercises but in improvement of the vital conditions of the blood vessels that supply the nerves. The blood pressure should be the main focus of attention, because when the nerves absorb the emanations of the white blood cells, the opposite polarity reacts strongly.

314. People will ask, “Who is greater, Christ or the Buddha?” Answer, “It is impossible to measure the distant worlds; we can only be enraptured in their radiance.”

The Ray of Christ nourishes the Earth, just as the Rainbow of the Buddha conveys an affirmation of the law of life.

The New World will establish bold learning and cognition in which the Images of the Masters enter into daily life as Friends.

The Decree issued by the Masters will take its place on a shelf for beloved books.

During the period when money is being abolished, its authority should be replaced by the spirit’s power to help.

It is high time that knowledge scientifically built a bridge of aspiration to the spirit.

Instead of the shameful condition of the societies for psychic research, there should be judgments that are fearless and just.

How can one sit down with hypocrites and liars who are adept at guarding their pockets?

Podvig must be made manifest and freed from the dust of prejudices.

Can a respectable man concern himself with podvig? Why, there is not enough room on his chest to display all the decorations people have awarded him. He is at a loss as to how he can uphold all of grandfather’s customs. But customs make one customary. That is why I urge you to look up at the sky as if for the first time.

I urge you to look with horror on the squalor of the cities as if for the first time.

I urge you to think about Christ and the Buddha as if for the first time.

I urge you to look at yourself as if for the first time.

I urge you to picture the New World as if for the first time.

The slightest sense of personal ownership lingering from bygone days is like a millstone around one’s neck.

315. Unexpectedness is a sister of mobility. Mobility is a sister of podvig. Podvig is a brother of victory, for within every podvig lies a victory—a victory that may be invisible, but one whose impact is deep and wide.

316. What is violated most of all? Co-measurement, of course!

I have spoken so much about it, but I have to return to this old theme. Even those few who sense how important co-measurement is only remember it under special circumstances. When a person is drowning he recalls the noblest of principles, but it is far more important to remember them in the midst of everyday life. The pettiest thoughts will be carried off by the whirlwind of a correct judgment. Good or bad, useful or harmful—such judgments will be singled out, for where big trees tower, shrubs do not grow.

If we apply ourselves to changing the humdrum hustle and bustle into a beautiful podvig, right away the gnarled thorn bushes will turn into a towering grove. If we can transfer our thought to the frontiers of the miraculous, then we shall no longer expound at length about a sole with a hole in it.

I strongly advise doing away with gossip. That will free up half the day, and there will only remain a lonely cup of coffee or an abandoned glass of beer. Mealtime should be shortened in order to preserve its human character. Nothing lacks co-measurement as much as gossip and prattle during meals. Nothing lacks co-measurement as much as petty slander. Nothing lacks co-measurement as much as putting off an urgent action. Nothing lacks co-measurement as much as venting resentment like a petty trader. Nothing lacks co-measurement as much as divesting oneself of all responsibilities. Nothing lacks co-measurement as much as abandoning thought about beauty. Co-measurement is like a pillar that holds up an entire house.

Considering all the care we take even in choosing the color to paint the walls, are we going to destroy the pillar under the archway? Master co-measurement inside out.

317. If co-measurement is not observed, resoluteness also goes to ruin. Our resoluteness reaches to the utmost limit.

It is not the kind of resoluteness that proceeds in comfort, in conformity with personal habits, not the kind that bends to the body’s benefit. Our resoluteness is only confined by the limits of the spirit. That is why it is impossible to block the course of Our striving. The warriors and builders march onward thanks to Our resoluteness.

If timidity gets in your way, better burn the bridges crossed. If stinginess holds you back, better throw your purse across the next river. If stupidity impedes, better give the reins to the horses. If rancor hampers progress, better hang an effigy of your enemy between the horse’s ears. Only beauty can assist resoluteness. Then thinking about your purse or your enemy will seem like a child’s whim.

Just as a magnet’s center exerts attraction, the fundamental quality of resoluteness is invincibility. Naturally, the invincibility of resoluteness is convincing; it is an immutable condition of the true mysteries. A mystery should be regarded as a guiding drama of life. Thus, Our resoluteness is connected with a guiding concept. Put resoluteness into practice.

318. Resoluteness is what brings into play and regulates the law of occult facets—the law of occult boundaries and periods.

Even a stone is cut straight in facets so that its inner fire finds expression. The path to light is also divided by definite lines. Of course, rather than a clear boundary you can always create a pile of broken stones, but that would be deplorable.

A rational path is divided into periods of roughly a thousand days each. Such three-year periods may be similar externally, but they are completely different in terms of the qualities of spiritual awareness. The sharper the dividing lines, the steadier the path.

Usually the first year of a triennial period is preparatory, the second is active, and the third an anxious, onerous threshold to the next period.

Let us begin a new period. It can be called “earthly homelessness.” You must cast aside everything you have weighed and pondered in the past, and charge into a desert of boundless quietude where thunderstorms and whirlwinds will wind about you to form a radiant dome.

Amidst the storms a new raiment will be woven. Let the following period be called the “Light-bearing,” and let us shape it accordingly.

With courage let us turn our horses toward the desert haze. The principle of homeless wandering has to be lived through. In a thousand days one has to be able to get used to homelessness. Great is the sense of freedom’s wings, when the sands cover over one’s tracks. This is a path that all seekers have walked.

We can welcome this stage, when the boundaries of countries are being erased.

319. About occult murder.

The number of bloody murders cannot begin to compare with the number of invisible ones. Out of hatred, out of ignorance, and out of fear, people plant poisoned arrows that may be very powerful. One of the best means of defense lies in the concept of the occult circle. But the best remedy must be applied according to precise instructions.

The power of the circle is so great that even something presaged by the stars may be modified. The circle has been known to alter death and illness.

Like any well-tuned instrument, the circle’s significance has to be carefully protected. Do not forget that every interaction between the members of a circle ought to be circumspect. If members are allowed to make snide remarks about each other, everything useful may end up doing harm.

When someone thoughtlessly casts a snide stone at his brother, who can say where it may land? Often the condition of the auras deflects the stone, and instead of hitting someone’s foot it strikes his temple.

That is why it is so essential to put the stones out of commission and protect the treasure of the circle with all your strength. Heed My warning.

320. About the characteristics of action.

If an action is small, it needs the help of all sorts of manmade objects. But when an action becomes large, it has no need of earthly objects. That is the first touchstone of action.

When a magician talks about a whole panoply of props, it means that his action is on a very small scale.

The second characteristic of action is its mobility. True action must vibrate with possibilities, like a whirlwind of primordial matter. A light-bearing, manifested thought can only conclude with a flight.

The third characteristic of action is its unexpectedness. Every mind-staggering action has been the result of an unexpected train of thought.

The fourth characteristic of action is its elusiveness. This quality alone protects action from destructive attacks.

The fifth characteristic of action is its convincingness. Just as every lightning bolt connects our consciousness with the Cosmos, every action should strike and astonish like the flash of a sword.

The sixth quality of action is its lawfulness. Only awareness of the fundamentals of world evolution will advance an action in an immutable way.

The seventh quality of action is the pure way it is performed. Thanks to this purity one can move heavy loads without fatigue.

The actions of the body and those of the spirit should be understood equally well; this must be repeated because after all that has been said, the action of thought is still not appreciated.

In particular I wish to address people who believe in matter. Your thought is saturated with the emanations of your nerve centers, and in terms of its specific gravity it is heavier than many microorganisms. Doesn’t this mean that your thought is matter? In which case, we need to measure our thoughts with great precision! We are as responsible for those thoughts as a person who misuses carbon monoxide is culpable. It is simpler to think from the standpoint of matter, for where are its boundaries? Thus, the teaching of spirit and the teaching of matter will stand side by side. It means that those who deny spirit will also be denying matter.

321. About the characteristics of expectation.

The loftiest expectation is that the world will evolve. Ordinary expectations are divided into the dark, the drowsy, and the alert. The chaos of dark expectations only brings harm to space. Drowsy expectations are like smoldering coals. Alert expectations show readiness to accept the new at any hour.

I have said, “Know how to desire.” I will also say, “Know how to expect.” Be able to purify the quality of expectation. Carry expectation through the storm like an inextinguishable torch.

An inner characteristic of expectation is its ability to grow and intensify. With what could one connect this trait if not with the evolution of the world? Such expectation should penetrate our entire life and fill our work with a tremor of action, for in this conjunction is the best and most beautiful.

On entering a house full of fidgety people, tell them, “Look forward to the evolution of the world!”

322. People will ask, “How can you refer to a Creator whom you don’t even know?”

Answer, “Thanks to history and science, we know the Great Teachers who have created the quality of our consciousness.”

“In acknowledging the influence of your Masters’ ideology, aren’t you restricting your freedom?”

Answer, “The quality of freedom is remarkable. If freedom exists, then there is nothing that can restrict it.” The body may be in shackles, but nothing can diminish the consciousness except ugliness. When we touch the heights of freedom, we must protect ourselves from ugliness. If we wish to exalt matter, we need to think wisely about Beauty.

In Beauty the Infinite will manifest. In Beauty the teachings of the seekers of Spirit are illumined. In Beauty we are not afraid to reveal the truth of freedom. In Beauty we kindle the radiance in every drop of water. In Beauty we transform matter into a rainbow.

There is no ugliness that will not be swallowed up in the rays of the rainbow, the rainbow formed when matter is decomposed. There are no fetters that will not decompose in the freedom of Beauty.

How can we find words to discuss the universe? How shall we speak about the evolution of forms? How shall we raise the consciousness to a level where it studies the fundamentals? How to advance humanity to a point where it cognizes the world scientifically?

Every cognition is born in Beauty.

Learn how to think luminously, and nothing terrifying will touch you. Remember, We have no prohibitions.

323. It is said that blasphemy against the spirit is the worst of all—because he who speaks against the spirit shows himself ignorant!

Saints have been spoken about, but to whom can this still unexplained concept be applied?

Those who work miracles will be learned magicians. Those who lead pure lives will be practical people.

Only those who have consciously renounced the personal and invested their consciousness in the concept of world evolution can, in Our understanding, be called podvizhiniki.

It is essential that this process be accomplished consciously, apart from fortuitous circumstances.

It is impossible to implant religion anew through force; it would only result in a sacrilegious monstrosity.

A path that renounces the ugliness of life will summon the spirit to truthful quests. Then the obvious nature of the bond between the worlds will compel people to ponder upon it scientifically.

This inexpressible thought is the source of spiritual discipline. Being void of the personal principle, these quests awaken a reflex of action, and this is what is called podvig.

Generally speaking, it is better to replace the word “saint” with the quite definite term, podvizhnik.

Podvig will not cease to manifest in life, so without sanctimony or hypocrisy we will be able to determine its obvious manifestations.

The podvig of life must be created with human hands.

324. A prophet is a person who possesses spiritual foresight. Recall that there is nearsightedness and farsightedness on the physical plane, and it will be easy to understand the quality of spiritual farsightedness.

It would be utterly ignorant to deny prophecy.

It would be completely stupid to reproach the prophets.

If we investigate the prophecies that happen to have been preserved, examining them with an impartial, scientific eye, what do we see? We find people who, with no regard for personal profit or loss, caught a glance of an approaching page of history, were alarmed, and forewarned the people.

Among what are known as prophecies one does not find selfish intentions, one does not find criminal self-interest, one does not find slander. The symbols in the images seen are attributable to the tinting in the distant lenses.

When will scholars find the time to do scientific research on prophecies and draw historical comparisons? That would be a wonderful book for a young scholar to write!

Yes, friends, it is time to learn to approach obvious manifestations from a cultural perspective. Otherwise, future attainments will be to you what electrons are to infants in their cradles.

Your splendid uniforms and togas do not conceal your timid infantility.

Look around and ask who came up with your rankings and titles. Truly, you would be horrified to see the progenitors of your contentment. Those dwarfs of self-interest attempted to eclipse the Giants of the Common Good.

From all your awards and decorations can be woven not a garter but a tether for a domestic animal—and there you sit, tied to your tether! The radiance of the New World does not penetrate into your burrow! So let a whirlwind sweep away all the roots that hide the Dawn.

There is nothing more beautiful than the sunrise, and the sun rises in the East!

325. Can it be so difficult for you to understand what astrology means?

If you lack sufficient knowledge, I suggest you perform an experiment.

You will need to take four organisms: a plant, a fish, a bird, and an animal—say, a lily, a carp, a dove, and a dog. Provide seven specimens of each, and for each group set up a completely sunless area that is saturated with electric light of a particular color. The glass that you use for each area should be as close as possible to the hues of the rainbow. At night you should just reduce the amount of light. Observe the specimens for about four months.

By the end of this period, even a blind man will understand the difference in the results. This in spite of the fact that the principal factor in the stellar ray, its chemical composition, is absent from the experiment. It is impossible not to understand the significance of the physical influence that the planetary bodies exert.

The eyes and expectations of humanity need to be directed to the distant worlds. That is why everything touching on this subject ought to be investigated without prejudice. If this requires exact knowledge, astronomy is just what is needed.

326. One can issue edicts, make promises, and strike hearts with terror, but only understanding gets people going. What could substitute for awareness that an idea is applicable?

People will say, “How beautiful! How powerful! How sublime!” But all these outbursts are like will-o’-the-wisps above a bog—they disappear as easily as they arise. Pure but superficial thoughts are like specks of iridescent dust; the first wind carries them off into space. The value of such particles is paltry.

We appreciate a thought that has engendered a decision. The decision is evaluated according to the degree of its applicability. Applicability is judged by the knowledge of the spirit, and then one obtains an action that is cause for rejoicing. Whoever rejoices also believes. Even belief must be well-founded—that way the Teaching can live.

We calculate carefully and apply with a firm hand.

If people accuse you of being thrifty, do not reject what they say, for thrift is opposed to madness, and madness is opposed to the knowledge of the spirit.

Whatever circle of reasoning we assign ourselves, we inevitably return to the great knowledge of the spirit.

I do not sense, I know! Not superstition, but immutability. When we touch the immutable, it is as if we have touched the very magnet of the planet. It is then that we stand steadfast.

327. Avoid uniformity, both in place and in work. Uniformity is what accompanies that greatest of fallacies, the concept of ownership.

The slave of property first of all loses mobility of the spirit. A slave of that sort ceases to understand that each day of work should be colored with a special quality of the spirit. He cannot change his place, because his spirit stays cooped up in its earthly home.

Ask yourself: Is it easy for you to move to another place? Is it easy for you to change the nature of your work? If it is, that means you can understand the value of the Common Good.

If every journey prompts you to write your last will and testament, and a change of work makes you miserable, it means that you need a cure. Perilous journeys should be prescribed, as well as changes in work that require performing highly diverse tasks. This will develop the courage and resourcefulness needed to deal with the primary cause of the problem—fear.

The germ of the sense of ownership is also fear, the need to feel fastened to the earth at least by something. As if some shabby shack could act as an adequate anchor for the spirit! As if a cluster of personal possessions could protect a person from lightning! Periodically the harmful playthings of ownership have been taken away from humanity; but once more fear, the father of lies, spins his web, and once more imaginary worries take over. That is why we shall do away with fear. With it will disappear ownership and boredom.

How much new health there is in diversity of place, diversity of work!

328. Nirvana is a quality that encompasses all actions—saturation of the capacity to embrace. True knowledge flows through the tremor of illumination. Languages offer no more precise definitions of this process. Calm is only an external sign of Nirvana, for it does not express its essence.

The Buddha spoke of calm, but only its outer aspect was understood by his listeners. After all, his listeners were humans, and calm rest was what sounded good to them. People rarely understand action as something meritorious.

You like to construct things scientifically, and so do We. If you have heard about the theory of spiral rings, the theory of waves, the theory of magnetism, attraction and repulsion, then surely you understand that on Earth there exist places of very diverse significance. Even obtuse people have pondered on the strange fate of many cities. A combination of physicist, astrochemist, biologist, and astrologer would yield the best solution to this puzzle without resorting to mysticism. The construction of large cities ought to be planned very carefully. The least significant factor involved is contemporary politics, for its underlying concept lacks both scientific basis and beauty.

When weighing the requirements of a future city, do not get wrapped up in a seemingly broad concept; often a small detail is more revealing.

Also, in selecting coworkers pay attention to the details when they perform small actions.

Having determined the essence of a person through the pupil of his eye, We flesh out Our picture of his character by observing the habits that surface in his small actions. Attach the least significance to words, for they flow like water. The small actions with which a person’s entire life is saturated are the best markers of his or her nature; the big actions grow out of them. We do not place much stock in accidental acts of valor. A person may perform a feat of courage out of fear.

Conscious actions are what are necessary, for they alone lead to Nirvana.

329. Let us imagine a person preoccupied with the thought that each of his eyes sees differently. Of course, he would be right, but by this very thought he would ruin his eyesight. Coordination of reflexes is not easy, but it is the only thing that guarantees an apparatus will work. The difference between the eyes is what gives an image perspective.

In just the same way, two truths can grow together in a healthy organism. A man who is engrossed in thinking about the gap between different truths is like a man who fixates on the difference between his eyes; his vision loses perspective.

330. Outside the window a call was heard. One worker brushed it aside: “Don't disturb me, I’m busy!” Another one promised to come but forgot. A third came after work, but the place was already empty. A fourth began to quiver on hearing the call, and setting down his tools, went out at once: “Here I am!” This is called the tremor of sensitivity.

Only this tremor, illumined by awareness day and night, leads to the knowledge of the spirit. Over and above reason, the gates are opened by a tremor that can be heard even by the human apparatus.

If you are able to avoid stifling this tremor of sensitivity, good for you!

331. Try asking a composer whether he likes unison choirs and symphonies, and he will tell you that your question does not make sense because there is no such thing as a symphony in unison. To get a new tone, a composer is ready to introduce a completely unexpected instrument.

The same principle applies to the formation of a group; do not be surprised at the seeming diversity of its members. Not by birth, nor by habits, nor by mistakes are they connected, but by spirit. They are united in a chorus by spirit that is imponderable, invisible, and inaudible. Therefore, do not criticize anyone for the timbre of his voice, for the quality is what is important.

It is joyful to realize that quality can always be improved so long as there is discipline of the spirit.

332. Betrayal, slander, and insult are censured in religions and laws; but it is not made clear why these actions are essentially harmful, with the result that the censures appear to be prohibitions. But any prohibition is relative and unconvincing. To make clear harm and benefit, you need to get to the essence.

The harm of betrayal, slander, and insult can be demonstrated with an ordinary example. Of course, the harm will be done not to the betrayed but to the traitor.

The entire world is divided by the line between personal welfare and the common good. If we act on sincere intentions within the sphere of the common good, a whole treasury of cosmic accumulations is there to support us. This chalice of the best achievements begins to act under an invisible ray.

Imagine that there is a candle full of malice, which is attempting to singe you. You have yet to take any defensive measures, but already a powerful torch is coming up from behind you. Try acting this out, and you will see how the candle dwindles down, chars, and sputters out. It is not a punishment but a consequence of the laws of nature.

People betray, slander, and insult the bearers of the Common Good, but the fate of these singeing flames is not an enviable one. That is why betrayal, slander, and insult are not expedient.

Therefore, do not think about revenge. The ancients expressed it metaphorically: “‘Vengeance is Mine, and recompense,’ saith the Lord.” Is the life of a traitor an easy one?

Similarly, religions and laws have spoken against theft, and this also sounds like a prohibition; whereas, it ought to be shown that the very notion of theft is harmful, because it reinforces a sense of personal ownership. Theft does damage to the evolution of the world, and the fate of those who harm universal evolution is not an enviable one. They send themselves a long way back.

It is not important that some object changes hands; what is important is that two people will suffer an outburst of acute feelings of ownership.

The law governing theft is incomplete, because the principal thefts, those of knowledge and creative ideas, cannot be forestalled.

Theft will be eradicated once private property ceases to exist.

333. Lack of moderation is greatly condemned in religions and laws, but again without explanation. The practicality of moderation in food and speech can be seen over a period of several months. Of course, as usual We are opposed to fanaticism and tortures; the body knows how much fuel it needs. It is necessary to speak in more detail about sexual moderation; too much space has been given to this problem by contemporary thought.

The very ancient mysteries said, “The lingam is a vessel of wisdom,” but with time this knowledge turned into hideous phallic cults, and religions began to prohibit something without knowing exactly why. Whereas, it ought to have been simply stated that conception is so wondrous that one cannot just talk around it with the usual clichés.

One can weigh and analyze down to the tiniest particles, but there still remains a substance that cannot be perceived or predicated, a substance as irreplaceable as the vital force of a seed. When the time comes, We shall direct attention to certain characteristics of this substance, which may be seen; but for now it ought to be agreed that such an extraordinary substance must be very precious and must have certain important properties. Even a fool will understand that much. Of course, the best evidence will come from experience. If we compare two individuals, one of whom wastes the vital substance while the other consciously conserves it, then we will be astonished at how much more sensitive the spiritual apparatus of the latter becomes. The quality of his work becomes completely different, and the quantity of his projects and ideas increases. The centers of the solar plexus and brain are roused, as it were, by an invisible fire. That is why moderation means not pathological renunciation but sensible action.

Bestowing life does not mean casting away one’s entire supply of vital substance.

If at the first stage people would at least remember about the value of the vital substance, that alone would significantly reduce the need for prohibitions. Prohibition must be refuted; this is a law of striving. But something of irreplaceable value will have to be protected—this is a law of conservation.

Let us look at things more truthfully: Everything irreplaceable will be the first in line for conservation.

Could we really just fling the treasure into space? Naturally, this force adheres to the elements from which it has been extracted with such difficulty, and instead of cooperation with evolution one gets rubbish that has to be reworked.

Therefore, let us envision moderation to be wings.

334. Two signs that a Teaching is authentic are: First, it embodies striving to the Common Good; and second, it accepts all of the previous Teachings that are in harmony with the first sign. You should note that in its original form a Teaching does not contain negations. But instead of following the good, superstitious believers start to fence in the Teachings with negations. A ruinous formula arises: “Our creed is the best,” or, “We alone are the faithful; everyone else is an infidel.” From there it is a single step to the Crusades, to the Inquisition, and to the seas of blood shed in the Name of Those who condemned slaying. No occupation is more harmful than that of imposing one’s faith on other people.

Whoever wants to follow Us first of all has to forget negation and carry on a renewed life freely, without coercing others. People are attracted by beauty and luminous knowledge. Only a Teaching that embraces the hopes of the people, that makes life blossom, that manifests action, can help true evolution to unfold. Surely life is not a marketplace where one can make a good bargain for getting into the Kingdom of Heaven. Surely life is not a tomb in which one trembles before the justice of an Unknown Judge!

Scholars have come up with what is, in their opinion, a clever consolation: “Man begins to die from the moment he is born.” What meager, morbid comfort! But We say that man is forever being born, especially at the moment of so-called death.

The servants of distorted religions encourage their wards to purchase plots in the cemetery where it has been arranged that they will lie with greater advantage and honor than others who, being indigent, are undeserving of lengthy prayers. The incense for the poor will be counterfeit, and the hymns for them will be sung horribly.

In the end one has to ask what authentic Teaching has bequeathed this monstrosity to humanity? Truly, we have had enough of graves, cemeteries, and intimidation!

One can see how lucidly the Teachers have looked upon the transition to future manifestations, and how little concern they had about a plot in some graveyard.

The attitude toward death is a very important sign of a Teaching’s character, for it includes the understanding of reincarnation.

I urge you to approach reincarnation from a strictly scientific point of view.

If you are able to put forward an alternative structure of the universe, We shall grant you a professorship in theology and promise you a first-rate funeral; for in the eyes of the enlightened you virtually will have decided to die.

Read with attention the writings of the Teachers that you have published, and you will be amazed how in every era they have spoken in one voice about the transition of life.

The Path of Light will appear when you dare to look at things scientifically and without prejudice.

The daring seekers are with Us. Joy to the daring!

335. The action of the spirit is incalculably swift. And thought being a reflex of the spirit, the motion of thought is incredibly rapid.

Only after one has advanced many steps on a slow scale do calculations involving the speed of light begin.

If the significance of the spirit is great, then how much value has the child of spirit—thought? The deep significance of thought is even shown by a simple device for study of the aura’s spectrum. The aura changes color not only from consciously perceived thoughts but also, to the same degree, from the flies of our spirit’s reservoir that flitter about without reaching reason or memory.

Everywhere it is said that thought and action are identical in terms of their significance. This is easy to establish. Compare how a thought about murder affects the spectrum of the aura, and how an actual murder does so—the results will be identical. It is difficult for people to grasp the fact that the thought has the same effect as the deed. But whoever wishes to take part in the evolution of the world must understand the significance of thought.

Because thoughts are transformed into physical colors, their effect over a distance is just as obvious as the radiation of light waves. One should approach the theory of thought force from a scientific standpoint. It is wrong to think that it only applies to exceptional individuals, because this law is universal in its scope.

The main result of its acceptance will be the recognition that falsehood and hypocrisy are counterproductive, and solicitude to one’s near and dear ones is essential.

Open-minded scholars know that the entire aura may be colored by a single fleeting thought. It might seem that the thought is absolutely secret, but it gives rise to a physical color that can be established scientifically.

A device that measures auras will provide plenty of proof for the ignorant.

We have to deal with civilized ignoramuses as We might deal with children. A burnt finger teaches them how to handle fire. We speak about prejudice, but not every high official knows what a savage beast prejudice is. Let us stride onward to joy!

336. People say that work may be tiring and even harmful to one’s health. At least that is what lazy, immobile people say.

Understand: Work itself cannot be tiring when it is properly distributed. You just need to understand how to properly switch the group of working nerves, and then no fatigue can take hold. Do not try to find rest in idleness, for it is nothing more than the microbe of fatigue. Your muscles may ache after being tensed, but it is when you sink into idleness that you really feel the pain. On the other hand, by summoning the opposite centers to work you can completely avoid the reflex of the previous tension. Naturally, this presupposes a high degree of mobility, which is developed by conscious experience.

When a doctor prescribes a varied treatment, the patient finds the time and means to carry it out. Similarly, you can find a sensible way to switch your work. This pertains to all kinds of work.

It is sad to meet with an immobility of mind that hinders the work of the higher centers.

Keep in mind that certain physical positions ought to be avoided, or at least alternated with other ones. Bending down from a standing position disturbs the solar plexus. Throwing one’s head back hampers the brain centers. Stretching one’s hands forward burdens the center of the aorta. Lying on one’s back hinders the center of kundalini, although it does arouse it. Clear thinking may arise instantly when the position of the lighting is changed. Try turning toward the light or away from it, and you are sure to feel the influence.

First of all keep in mind that every position has its particular advantage; but if you turn into a weathervane that shifts with every wind, the orderliness of ascent will be disturbed.

337. Success will not forsake those who are striving, for it is difficult to hit an arrow in flight. The dates of the destined ones are approaching so swiftly, but in the midst of the movement you need to distinguish the bygone day from the one that lies ahead.

Nations have risen in rebellion, and kings are departing—is this just by chance? Only the blind do not notice the movement of evolution. Every youthful heart quivers with a presentiment of the new forms. In these moments each new form, though imperfect, is more valuable than the old, well-polished one.

To be able to call yourself a bearer of the sun, you need to forget about the darkness.

How could one fail to support those who are striving to the sun? It is easier to explain the meaning of the solar prana to them. The solar ray will illumine new depths for them—all they need to do is accept it.

Every person summoned is offered the entire chalice. If he does not accept the messenger, he will get only a part of what has been destined. If he cannot accommodate this portion, he will be given a still smaller fraction. That is how each measures out his own allotment.

Those choosing a fraction need to be told, “You who diminish yourself, it is through habitual thoughtlessness that you have expelled yourself from the garden! See how easy it would have been to accept the messenger of the chalice. You could have joined with him in planting a seedling of great freedom. How painful it is now to peer into the eyes of passers-by, seeking for the one who was knocking at your door. What is easy today is inaccessible tomorrow. Therefore, gird yourself with all vigilance.”

One can repeat a Decree, but it is impossible to open someone’s eyes by force. Let the slumberer sleep on!

But can anyone sleep while the heavens are aglow and the whole earth atremble?

338. Let us recall several behaviors repeated many times over various lives. People have waited ten years for the Messenger, then shut the door the day before He arrived. Or choosing a mere fraction, they imagined that everything was permitted, everything tolerated. Or choosing a fraction, they fell into blissful inaction and were amazed when their tiny share wasted away. Or choosing a fraction, they decided to stick to their old habits—as if you could deposit a portion of goodness on one breast and raise pet cockroaches on the other. Or choosing a fraction, they decided to hop off the train for a minute, forgetting that to leap off something in motion carries one backward into harm’s way. Or choosing a fraction, they thought to slander a brother, forgetting that the slander would beat back painfully on their own brows.

You will ask, “How can one act in a way that avoids polluting the portion chosen?” I can give you this advice: Instead of a fraction, accept the entire chalice of the Common Good. This will serve to shield you from every impurity. Instead of timid hesitation, resolve to undertake an experiment, to adopt for seven years the plan of the Common Good. If it turns out I have given you poor advice, you can always go back to breeding your cockroaches.

To those for whom the chalice of the Common Good seems heavy, I shall say: The Teaching is neither cedar nuts coated in sugar nor little silver trinkets. The Teaching is powerful silver ore, destined and preserved. The Teaching is healing resin, revealed and focused.

I shall tell the wavering one: Just be careful not to turn traitor, for a horrible fate awaits even a small traitor!

I shall tell the hard worker: There is great merit in attracting even a small force, but attracting a large one is a luminous achievement. Truly, to a hard worker the chalice of the Common Good does not feel heavy!

When you are seeking out coworkers, do not get confused. Working hands may disguise the Messenger; His complexion may be due to the mountain snows. A Messenger of Truth will not go shouting in the marketplace.

So keep all of these characteristics in mind—the time is near!

339. Now that you have grasped the features of the Messenger, let’s go over the features of the coworkers. They are free of prejudice, mobile in action, young in spirit, and unafraid of abysses. And let us not forget the nameless ones and the orphans.

Next let us discuss the features of the path that leads to Us. First of all, do you definitely accept the existence of the Masters?

When you read about the discovery of some dinosaur eggs, you have no problem accepting that information. With similar ease you accept information about a new primate species, about the vital capacity of the seeds found in the tombs of the Pyramids, about an unknown metal, or about a new tribe that consists of the descendants of some island castaways. You have little resistance to accepting a whole train of information lying outside your everyday experience.

Why, then, would it be difficult to accept that a group which has acquired knowledge by working persistently could unite in the name of the Common Good? Empirical knowledge has helped to find a suitable place where the currents of energy allow Us to more easily communicate in various directions.

You must have heard about the accounts of travelers who tell how they discovered unknown Yogis living in caves. Take this fact and extend it in a direction that incorporates broad, practical knowledge, and you will easily get a sense of what a group of Teachers of Knowledge might be like.

How, then, can you find the way to Our Laboratories? No one arrives without being called. No one will get through without a guide! At the same time, the seeker needs indomitable personal striving and readiness to meet the hardships on the path.

Custom dictates that the one on his way must travel a certain portion of the path alone. Just before arrival, even those who have been in direct communication with Us cease to sense Our messages—everything must go forward strictly by human effort.

Unless there are profound reasons for making an exception, those arriving alone fall into two groups: those on a personal quest, and those who have been summoned to carry out a mission.

Unless there is a special Indication, nobody will recognize those who have been with Us.

Just as Our Messenger does not cry out in the marketplace, those who have been with Us know how to safeguard the Common Good.

The chief characteristic of Our Call is the experience of being carried onward irresistibly, as if being borne on wings. That is how you should accept Our Community of Knowledge and Beauty. Be assured, people may search every ravine, but an uninvited visitor will not find the way.

We have visited your cities many times, so nobody can say We are estranged from the world. You yourselves locate observatories outside of cities and take care to leave your scientists in peace and quiet. So accept Our reasons, and do not moan about the lack of a definite address.

Remember Those who are laboring for the Common Good!

340. You are sure to encounter a certain kind of person who flies into a frenzy at the mere mention of the Masters. Such people are ready to put their trust in any shameless stock market speculation, they are ready to believe in any swindle, but for them the idea of the Common Good is inadmissible. Gaze into the pupils of such people’s eyes, and you will find a restless shadow. They will not be able to stand your gaze for long. These people are secret dugpas. Often they are more dangerous than their colleagues who openly practice black magic.

If they are sent a purse of money, they will recall some nonexistent debtor. If they are saved from ruin, they will write a thank you note to the police. If you brought these seemingly well-meaning people to the very edge of Our Abode, they would declare that they were seeing a mirage. It might seem that this is all due to ignorance, but the real reason is far worse.

Beware of them! Most of all, protect the children. These people are the cause of many of the disorders that children suffer. They manage to get into schools. Historical fact and the law of knowledge do not exist for them.

When you come across sickly children, ask about the nature of their teachers.

Now that an important time is drawing near, it is necessary to decontaminate as many children as possible. They will be the ones who think about the cities of the future. They need to be given a truthful book about the heroes who have championed achievements for the Common Good, but this book has yet to be written. Children’s books are phony, their playthings are fake, their tutors’ smiles are shams.

How can one expect truthfulness in the midst of constant falsification?

I advise you to take time for the children. Let them lug the lumber for their city.

I have spoken about the secret dugpas for your information, but you do not need to concern yourselves about them. For a worker who is striving hard, these dugpas are mere dust.

And if you show the children Our Abode, they will walk with joy through all the laboratories and observatories. Our prismatic mirrors will give them unforgettable joy, because children love everything genuine, and We Ourselves are striving to the truth.

Give the children only genuine things!

341. From Our Community We sow seeds of the Common Good in every part of the world. You will ask how to keep to the Code of the Community. You are already familiar with many features of Our Work; keep in mind now that what I am going to tell you is not just for your information but for you to put into practice immediately. While renunciation of the personal brings one closer, renunciation of action for the Common Good separates one from the Community by an immeasurable gulf—this is a rule of the Community.

By exercising mobility of mind it is quite easy to maintain the personal while striving to the Common Good.

You will ask why so many trials are necessary. In the Community everything is attained by experience, so it is right to regard trials as a process of growth. Trials are like the thresholds before the gates of beauty.

Do away with the sighs and whiny expressions when talking about trials.

Rejection of the Common Good hurls even a giant into a pit.

Anyone who has had the privilege of listening to Us speak can testify to how efficiently Our time passes in diverse activities. In order for possibilities to increase, We have had to give up lengthy forms of speech and seek in different eras for better, briefer modifiers. One has to be able to convey in three minutes the salient content of a three-hour speech.

In saying this, I am braving the indignation of lawyers and preachers.

You can value the treasure of time only if you work for the Common Good. It is least permissible to steal your sister’s or your brother’s time. Aimlessly stealing time is no different from stealing ideas.

As for tests, one can add a question that even a child might be asked: “What do you regard as most important right now?” In understanding the flow of a person’s thought, you can get insight into his real character from the reply. It is sad to observe people who conceal what they are thinking. Thought is lightning!

342. Whoever devotes himself to a henhouse will be responsible for how the eggs turn out. Whoever devotes himself to part of the world vibrates with the soil.

People have corrupted the meaning of the word harmony. Into this concept they have introduced something clerical, the fold of a tunic, a dried bouquet of nonexistent love, and even a hand-knitted stocking. Better to do without the harps and replace this desiccated concept with something more energetic—let us say, “sensitivity in cooperation.” The Community cannot exist without it. When it is violated, wounded feelings arise, and they, in turn, give birth to stupidity.

A person who grows depressed from nurturing grievances is fixated on a single point. Becoming immobile, a person inevitably grows stupid; and stupidity, like rust, eats away a portion of the fundamental substance.

Everything vibrates, billows, and breathes, illuminated by flashes of lightning.

At a time of great upheavals, do not put up with a rusty anchor; rust will not withstand a whirlpool that washes away everything in its wake!

343. A doctor may ask, “If the aura is a physical phenomenon, can’t it be grown from the outside, by physical means?” To a certain extent this will be indeed be possible.

You have already been told about external blows that strike the aura. Similarly, it is possible to create a hothouse atmosphere that heals the aura; but hothouse conditions are the same everywhere and not suitable for evolution.

Just as an organism must be formed from within, independent of outer conditions, the steadfast strength and purposiveness of an aura grows only from within. Straitened circumstances are especially beneficial for broadening the aura. The hand’s generosity does not depend on the quantity that it gives.

I see a young scholar who has collected tenets from all the Teachings of the East and said to himself, “I will select the precepts of life from everywhere; I will discard all hymns and prostrations; I will ignore the differences in the various eras and ignore the mistakes made by slanderers and translators, for the simplest will turn out to be the most fundamental. I shall work all of these fragments into a single life—the life of the East.” In spite of its fragmentary nature, this life will be wise and rich in evolutionary actions.

Why have all of the Teachings been born in Asia? What magnets have gathered there the progressive energy of the spirit?

A waterspout requires assistance from above and below. Where is the hoariest antiquity that corresponds to the wings of the future?

The antiquity of Atlantis may correspond to flight beyond the planet. These gates are so broad that everything else in the picture enters easily.

344. Is Our Community able to intervene in the affairs of the world and provide assistance effectively?

Every community is free of egoism, in the vulgar sense, and has a role in finding a solution to world issues in the name of the Common Good. The transmissions of the Community plunge like arrows into the brains of humanity.

One can trace in scholarly literature a series of influences, psychic and physical.

Cases are known in which objects of great significance were sent. It is known that sums of money were dispatched. It is known that dangers were warned against. It is known that letters were sent about the solution to problems. Meetings are known to have taken place under various guises.

We have traveled on steamships and worn the clothes of many countries.

We have assumed different names and have appeared when circumstances absolutely required it.

I already see that somebody is getting indignant, claiming that this is made out of whole cloth. And yet before his very eyes the dormitory of a university received a contribution from an unknown donor. Also, an acquaintance of his was brought a valuable bust by someone he did not know. An envoy of Ours urged a queen to act in accord with the laws of the times. An envoy of Ours gave advice to a young inventor. An envoy of Ours guided a promising scholar. A list could be shown of people who received money orders. These are all facts, borne out by physical documents.

Why does this all seem so mystical and enigmatic to some people, when everyone has done the very same thing, only to a lesser degree?

Being that the principle of the Common Good is embedded in humanity, we can carry it further and obtain a Community that is strong in experience.

Only the blind do not notice the direction in which the spiral of evolution has turned! And We, who do exist, are sending help to the young in spirit.

345. Being that Our central Community has significance for constructive activities around the world, the communities that We have established also exert influence on the world’s evolution.

Let us take a look at the main types among these widely scattered communities.

First are unconscious communities whose members are working out an acceptable way of getting along together. These can be found among workers, farmers, students, and, less frequently, families.

The second kind of community knows about the plan of earthly evolution, but it does not connect this plan with a definite action or timeframe. This type includes: circles of political idealists; certain occult organizations; learned societies; and, least frequently, clerical bodies.

The third kind of community knows not only the plan of evolution but also a timeframe and action. Naturally, these communities are rare, and they are receiving Our Instructions.

A person who has spent time with Us learns silence. Likewise, it is difficult to discern those who take part in communities of the third kind. The second kind of community is more talkative; the members already have a lot to say about the Common Good.

Truly, the dark age will end with proclamation of the Community! Sergius hewed it with his ax. Boehme beat it with his hammer. The Teacher Buddha shaped it with his hands. Christ prepared a bridge to it. The most ancient of Masters said, “I see no objects that I own!”

Now it remains to send a punitive expedition after Us; but it will get nowhere, because We possess certain scientific resources.

Regarding gases, although the subject has not come up in this book, I have named several powerful components. What a wondrous, unique time of transition, coming as it does after a long, painful period!

346. Here is an instructive story about how a useful coworker suddenly reached Our Community.

You already know that before a person joins Us for good he or she suffers peculiar attacks of physical weakness. This is explained by the condition of the nerve centers, which rises and falls like waves. There may be fainting, spasms, fits of anguish, and aching in various centers.

One of Our Friends needlessly went out on a mountain path and, being accustomed to hiking long distances, walked outside the protected area and fell into a deep faint. What did Our telescopic apparatus show? Our Friend was lying on a very dangerous ledge. A member of a geographical expedition, who had become separated from his caravan, was hastening to Him. Although he himself was hungry and weakened, the man lifted up Our very tall Friend and carried Him along the path.

The man’s ability to lift such a heavy load can only be explained by a heightening of his nervous tension.

When the people We sent arrived on the scene, the traveler himself fell into a still deeper swoon. But his excessive load made him Our coworker.

Presently he heads the patrolling of the paths and is engaged in historical research. He often repeats, “Don’t be afraid of an excessive load.” Of course, there was a reason why he found himself in Our mountains.

“Enemies” should be thought of in connection with the peculiar sickly condition that I have just mentioned.

Looking at things from a human perspective, it is easy to understand how objectionable Our Community seems to some people. No need for magical powers to imagine how some people are attempting to block the path. But these enemies are neither yours nor Ours; they are enemies of enlightenment—persistent foes who inevitably appear. That is why We advise you to take things as they are and not be afraid of an excessive load.

347. During the formation of new communities, one needs to keep in mind a certain troublesome human trait—I am speaking of envy. From rivalry there gradually arises the viper of envy, with falsehood and hypocrisy inhabiting that same nest.

The viper’s size is small; sometimes it is impossible to notice it being born. Therefore, during the formation of a community one needs to foresee the differences between its members and make clear why no member can be substituted for or compared with another, any more than parts of the body can replace each other.

The time is drawing near when My Teaching will not easily reach communities in various countries.

Before the third book is issued, you should not only assimilate the contents of the second book but also put them into practice in your life.

I already know how superficially many people read the first book. Some used it to interpret their dreams or for fortunetelling. Others took it as a sedative. Few are those who took it as an urgent call to work for world evolution.

Those who have understood the call in the first book will find in the second the features of the work desired.

The unfolding of world events will place the book on the worktable. And We can meet with you at this table.

An excessive load sometimes turns into the feather of a wing.

348. In carrying out communal work do not get preoccupied with thoughts about the recent past; think about either the future or the wisdom of the ages. Space is too full of the splinters and dust from the husks of the past; and these, attracted by the magnet of thought, weave impure illusions that are difficult to drive away. Kicked out of one corner, they go camp in another, until finally they are turned into dust by a conscious stroke of the will.

It is more practical to think about the future—such thoughts address themselves to the solar prana. The magnet of such thoughts is able to attract particles of cosmic dust; and this dust from the distant worlds is beneficial for new formations.

If astronomy means geography, then cosmic dust means history; and every meteorite is an archeological artifact.

The historical account of Solomon paying reverence to a peculiar meteorite has a basis in fact. So it is that a fairy tale often turns into a page in a scholarly work.

Galileo, too, in his own time told dangerous tales. Could you possibly want to resemble the cardinals who persecuted Galileo?

Get used to thinking about the future. When you gather, send forth thoughts about the future. That will make your gatherings purer.

349. Some more advice.

To hurry and to be late are equally wrong, but if you have to choose, it is much better to hurry. Similarly, it is better to leave out than to add on.

If the members start lodging complaints in a community, it is turning from a community into a police station.

If self-love begins appearing in a community, it is turning from a community into a zoo.

If My Teaching is not being applied in a community, it means that there is somebody who is concealing himself.

Anyone who has entered may depart, but the one who leaves takes along the true possessions he has acquired.

If sometimes an excessive load is as light as a feather, then often an ounce of falsehood is heavier than a hundredweight.

If community members get all worked up and start comparing their own worth with that of other members, it will end up in a horrible defeat.

The path is painful for those who, though summoned, have not entered it easily. I urge you not to make yourselves weak.

Within an intense tempo of work is concealed a remarkable occult quality. No intensification of the will can attain the results that intensified work yields. The tempo of the work and the saturation of its rhythm can come close to a cosmic tension.

350. You have already heard about the saturation of rhythm in one’s work, a special quality that people possess only occasionally. Its beneficial nature has far greater significance than may appear.

The ancient mysteries were already familiar with two expressions: “to work in the wave of Great Nature” and “to work with the heartbeat of the Mother of the World.”

Those who explored profound subjects had to learn how to do work with a saturated rhythm, so that nothing could hinder them. The Teacher, Buddha, took great care in seeing that His followers knew about changes in rhythm. He advised that before great attainments they not rest but rather work with a saturated rhythm. Keep this in mind.

Regarding the tasks of evolution in the future, after doing solitary work one has to move on to organization of more complex units.

Examples of work done with a saturated rhythm are found in individual cases or in very small communities, but a crowd or assembly of people does not know how to make use of this principle.

An old saying goes, “Be cautious with a crowd”; but an equally ancient one advises, “The spirit of the crowd must be taught how to work.”

Whatever may be the various external aspects of a job, once its rhythm is sensed it will be imbued with a completely different quality.

If the majority of contemporary families were not hotbeds of vulgarity, precisely they could serve as guides in the work of the communal spirit. But mechanical mothers and fathers only know how to chirp, “Do the same as everyone else!”

Teach the children to build their own cities!

351. About handwritten manuscripts.

The significance of the handwritten manuscript has been completely forgotten.

Even a very ordinary doctor understands that infection can be transmitted on a piece of paper.

Pious kings and most holy cardinals have used this method many times to enhance their prosperity. You are also familiar with the experiments of contemporary hypnotists in which sealed letters are read at command. Even circuses offer this attraction without extra charge.

These phenomena show that both the outer and the inner significance of handwritten items are great.

Just rubbing your hand on a piece of paper makes little cork figures spring up. Think how much energy can be impressed onto a piece of paper if the nerve centers cooperate.

One can observe energy radiating from the fingertips. These flashes can be seen in the dark. When the emanations are particularly strong one can see their blue light even in the daytime. Along with the radiation, the paper is stratified with an indelible energy whose working is similar to that of word and thought.

A written note transmits not only the letters of the alphabet but also a powerful dose of the human essence. From this perspective, it may be good to hold a certain letter in your hands and reread it, while with another it may be better not even to touch it. Of course, there are flying through the world plenty of empty sheets of paper, devoid of a single spark of human consciousness.

How can you tell the difference? By using the knowledge of the spirit, the same knowledge that decides where you can apply a handshake.

A handwritten note is a handshake at a distance.

352. People may ask, “How can we reach the final Gates? We know the rules and the signs, we don’t waste time, and we remember how to observe the Teaching—but what shall we do if we find the Gates closed?”

To answer this question, let us turn once more to the mysteries of ancient Egypt, for these mysteries were paths of life with a scientific basis. An accepted candidate had to walk to the Teacher without slackening the rhythm of his pace.

Before him stretched a luminous line, which he had to follow without deviating from it or touching it. The chambers that he passed through were illuminated with fires of various colors. At times the line almost disappeared; but finally it began to shine and, as it were, turned into a dazzling ray that passed under a massive closed door. The door appeared to be impassable, for there was no lock or handle. It was decorated and reinforced with bars and plates made of various metals.

The timid in spirit grew confused and broke the rhythm of their pace; but a candidate who knew the meaning of the immutable went forward resolutely. The barrier crumbled when his body hit it, and he entered the final Chamber.

This immutable impact of our earthly envelope is indispensable in creating a rhythm of ascent.

The knowledge of the spirit shows us how the scope of our goal creates the scope of our possibilities. The symbol of a massive door falling to pieces expresses best of all how a person should act.

Nowadays know-it-alls mock the idea of breaking a wall with one’s forehead, but the ancient Egyptians came up with a beautiful symbol of the power of our essence. Therefore, stride forward along the line of the ray.

Learn how to begin the new after assimilating what came before.

Be able to ignore it when people sneer at your courage, because you know where you are going.

353. People will come to you again with the problem of how to deal with obstacles. Some are hindered by family, some by disagreeable occupations, some by poverty, and some by the malicious attacks of enemies.

A good horseman likes to refine his skills by mounting untrained horses; he would rather face obstacles like ditches than ride a smooth road.

Every obstacle should become the birth of a possibility.

Show of confusion before an obstacle always arises from fear. Cowards may cover themselves with all kinds of bonnets, but eventually we will have to show them the page about fear.

Friends! Until obstacles become for us the birth of possibilities, we will not understand the Teaching.

Success lies in the expansion of consciousness. It is impossible to draw near while feeling fear. The ray of courage will lead you over obstacles, because now, when the world knows where it is headed, the seed of blood grows, the seed of knowledge grows, the seed of beauty grows!

If the path is scattered with bones, you can stride forward boldly; if there are different peoples speaking different tongues, it means you can open your soul to them; if you have to hurry on, it means that somewhere a new shelter is ready.

Blessed be the obstacles, through them we grow!

354. It is just to ask how one should treat animals. Either they are handled with cruelty, or made into parasites by sentimentality, or turned into instruments for mechanical crossbreeding.

Of course, a standard of treatment for animals should be established in line with the unity of the world’s rhythm—the same standard would apply everywhere. Since a human being must be a coworker of evolution, animals must also answer to this law. Species that do not answer to evolution become extinct. The species that are able to adapt to evolution must prove their ability by doing work.

It is necessary to study the true usefulness of animals. It is foolish to suppose that plesiosaurs are necessary for the future. Granny’s dress looks very touching in a museum, but does not have much application to modern life.

The world can attain happiness without the hippopotamus and the rhinoceros, who were well suited to the wrinkles and folds of earlier geological strata. If a certain kind of person behaves like a hippopotamus, then they belong to the same stage of evolution.

Animals must work and win the right to life, which is why neither cruelty nor sentimentality is applicable. You cannot help but love everything that is working with full vitality.

355. If even animals have to work, then with what conscious care must human labor be applied!

Let us not draw distinctions between types of work. The only real difference is between a deliberate, conscious approach and a senseless one. It is also necessary to discern the difference in the age of the spirit. You can distinguish the striving of a recent spirit from that of an old spirit.

A recent spirit does not have the profound perceptions that are accumulated by experience over many lives, but often it is less egoistic and goes along with evolution more easily.

Sometimes an old spirit acquires something like a funnel that draws extraneous elements into the transformation of its personal self.

Once such an abscess has formed, it can only be cured through podvig.

Podvig, beautiful and brilliant, helps to renew the subtle body. So long as an old spirit strives for podvig, it still has vital capacity.

Since there is such a thing as physical gangrene, there must also be gangrene of the spirit. A dead limb can be removed in time, but gangrene of the spirit may only be removed with a shock, a blow.

The spark of the blow gives birth to podvig. Naturally, it is preferable that podvig develop consciously, when one’s entire being knows that the Teacher of Light does exist.

We knew a little girl in whom this knowledge flashed forth with immutable power. Even sickness could not destroy this knowledge of the spirit. Its forms were refracted, but its essence remained unshakeable.

Thus, extend the essence into Infinity.

356. What external condition is essential for enhancing the quality of work? Light. Only light makes work productive and useful. A butterfly can fly as long as its rainbow pollen does not run out. Human beings possess the very same rainbow force, which takes in the power of light by means of photoplasm. The various plasms are intermediaries between the visible and the invisible. Being an emanation of the nervous system, photoplasm forms a rainbow pollen that receives rays of light and conducts them into the nerve channels.

Since the best links with light are obtained in the morning, do not shut out the morning light. Work in the light, make decisions in the light, make judgments in the light, grieve in the light, rejoice in the light. Nothing compares with the light wave. Even the very best electricity, even the bluest, yields eight thousand times less light than a ray of the sun.

Soon the study of photoplasm will impart a new direction to methods of work. One can see how the pollen of photoplasm surges forth and conveys through tiny funnels the treasure received, carrying it into the pores of the skin.

Not only the spaciousness of work areas but also proper access to light needs to be studied.

The sun’s rays should be appreciated as a universal treasure.

A scientist who studies the topics above will also easily come to understand the flow of rays from other luminaries.

Why should people pass by the treasures of the universe that have been destined for them?

The rhythm of the planets is made up of magnetic vortices and light. Can they not be put to use, just as the power of waterfalls is? Inexhaustible are the forces made available!

New Joes and new Janes, you who number in the hundreds of thousands, take your share! Soon, what was a mere attempt will become a conquest, and the seed of the Common Good will give every person the power of the ray.

Let us remember this when we begin our morning work and courageously continue it into Infinity.

357. It is especially hard for humanity to understand the relationship between the quality of work and the infinite. An ignorant know-it-all assumes that a higher quality of work leads to the finite. For him, quality consists in completeness, which we call deadness. It is quite impossible to explain to the know-it-all that the highest quality means striving to the infinite. Precisely in the incompleteness of the highest tension lies the capacity to discover knowledge. You must discover the courage to work for the infinite.

You can develop within yourself a process of continual learning, which is important not as an enumeration of facts but as an expansion of consciousness.

It is not important by what means the consciousness grows as long as its capacity allows it to encompass the scope of great events.

What teaching leads most quickly to the expansion of consciousness? It is necessary to admit people to this meadow on a completely individual basis. To each his own herbage, provided that the inner fire answers to human dignity. The sleepy, the self-important, and those raging with suspicion and doubt will not find nourishment.

Tell your students and friends that they must learn. Let them learn in tension of the spirit, let them learn with eyes opened, let them learn absolutely without end—because there is no end. This simple statement fills many with terror.

But We are with those who say that light extends into the boundless, that entire eons glow like a string of pearls.

Let us not make little when we learn.

358. When gathering students, think about where to begin. A common mistake is to disregard the nature of the student and start with the alphabet. Our rule is to give fragments of the highest possibilities along with the fundamental principles.

Likewise, you should not forget the favorite game that the Buddha played with His disciples in moments of rest by casting into space a single word upon which the disciples had to build an entire thought. There is no wiser way to test the state of someone’s consciousness.

Imagine that the Teacher says, “Death,” having in mind the death of vulgarity; yet a disciple may blurt out, “Death to the poor!”

Like landmarks on a path, such single words can weave out a complex pattern of the spirit, from which one can discern what sort of fires are alight.

In a case like the above you might respond, “Your consciousness wished death on the poor, so the riches readied for you have departed.” While conveying this rudimentary law, you can also strike a spark about the evolution of the distant worlds.

By counterposing the evolution of the worlds and a small everyday affair, you can hit home with a stroke of enlightenment.

The most difficult case is when a student wishes to develop the spirit by attending a class on methodology. There he sits going over the course literature where slogans are written out on glossy paper, and he taps his pencil on a list of precepts he has yet to apply.

We are not in the business of organizing funeral processions or establishing zoos. You who wish to follow Us, move onward like life itself, luminous and saturated with irrepressible power; and love it whenever the consciousness expands, for that is the primary objective.

One can forgive everything, but a moldy, musty consciousness is worse than a decomposing corpse.

359. Even in children’s magazines there are photographs of well-known people in which appear faces one would not expect to see, faces nobody knows. Even a mechanical plate takes in more than the eye. And perhaps that is better, because people do not trust the eye but are full of respect for the plate.

Crowds of astral visitors appear in the very midst of life without anyone paying attention to them. Of course, it is not always easy for them to make their way to various people, and then physical visitors serve as their intermediaries. The various strata intercommunicate with difficulty, but the emanations of auras left by visitors and servants act as a bridge for invisible guests. Their quality is quite diverse—from the touch of a butterfly to the jaws of a tiger.

That is why it makes sense to admit fewer people into your sleeping area and workroom, if your own aura is already sufficiently stable.

Especially dangerous are children’s tutors who come in with the most horrifying companions. The best transmissions are often rendered powerless by the presence of nannies and nurses. That is why it is always useful to do things oneself.

It is also necessary to pay attention to secretaries, because they have ruined so much work.

Do things yourself—I repeat, do things yourself—and you can rest assured, being certain about the quality of your own emanations.

360. “Why him and not me?”—that is what envy whispers after midnight. Keep this reptile out of your endeavors.

The growth of the spirit does not tolerate coercion. This explains why humanity evolves so slowly. One cannot force the spirit to grow. One cannot even compel with unsolicited advice. One can only respond to the knock of a sensitive heart.

If you send the most obvious advice—“Envy ruins your health”—unless it is realized by the spirit, it will only give rise to a new bout of hypocrisy.

On the other hand, the paths of individual spiritual growth will glow brightly.

Every drop of the ocean yields its own rainbow, which is why the radiance of the Cosmos is so beautiful! So you should be very careful in giving answers, because they are directed to an individual spirit.

We have spoken out against present-day churches, but it would be wrong to criticize the clergy in its entirety.

We knew an outstanding Catholic priest in Poland, but instead of being made a cardinal, he was transferred to a poverty-stricken parish.

We knew a rabbi filled with rapture, but people considered him insane. We knew an Orthodox priest of noble character, but his fate was banishment to a remote monastery.

I know a cultured bishop in America, but his life is not easy.

Every thought about the Common Good meets with merciless persecution; meanwhile, only the growth of the individual spirit can fill the treasury of the Common Good.

In this correspondence between the individual spirit and the universal Common Good also lies the Beauty of the Cosmos.

If every plant has its own irreplaceable character, then what special treatment must be given to each human spirit!

Such a tremor of sensitivity should be a sign of Our disciples; and when it is there, then without even a word, through simple touch, light can be shed.

And not only by day but also by night one can make contact and bring the help of enlightenment.

Be enlightened through expansion of consciousness, just as travelers on a distant journey accumulate knowledge through the rainbow pollen of the entire world.

361. Pure thoughts are like the ozone of space. You can actually fill your surroundings with them, but only in a definite harmonic progression. To project a pure thought into space and then drown it out with a dozen desires is like creating a horrible dissonance. Harmonic progression is to be understood as a series of resonant transmissions. Therefore, when it comes to self-motivated, self-sustained activity, We appreciate an orderly sequence of actions. Not a benevolent exclamation rising randomly from the lips, but a conscious process of continuity is what gives the aspirant an advantage.

There was once a parrot that knew how to screech, “Blessed Master!” but that did nothing to improve the parrot’s possibilities. A bear happened to leave its prey on the doorstep of a starving man, but that did not mean it stopped being a wild animal. A bee happened to pierce a sick man’s abscess, but that did not earn it any bliss. Even a serpent once saved a life with its poison. Only consciousness and immutable resolve yield results.

Think of the smile of podvig as something easy to achieve. And podvig that grows out of unbending resolve shines forth like a bountiful sun. Since the sweetness of a fruit does not depend on its skin, you should let your activity flow beyond the crowd. Only by avoiding crowds will you reach the people.

I can just picture a present-day cabinet minister or pope driving up to Our Towers in a car. Is this more of a comedy or a drama? In any case, a simple Mongolian will be found to behave with more dignity, for in him the nerve of receptivity has not been ruptured.

Friends, maintain a pure channel of receptivity, for pure thoughts are forged in this furnace. Look upon pure thoughts not as a wondrous Heavenly Being who descends for festivals, but as your workaday fare.

362. The first book called to podvig—to attainment of beauty, simplicity, and fearlessness. This second book conveys the quality and characteristics of the work that establishes the expansion of consciousness.

The idea of Community and the Common Good is the first sign that the consciousness is expanding. It should be clear that the notion of quality in work is not merely for information but for application.

This book is given not to soothe souls but to guide the work of the ascending spirit. Strive to do the best work that you can. Wrap each task with the best emanation.

The person who carries out the most tiresome labor most joyously proves himself a stalwart champion, for he is overcoming the burden of boredom. After all, every path, even the path to Our Community, has its difficult passages. The scope of a person’s consciousness is measured not when he walks in the midst of flowers, but when he crosses over an abyss.

The work of endless perfection is what We ordain. In moments of difficulty think about Us, knowing that the wireless apparatus will not be slow in connecting you to Us. But learn to think and be able to discern the moment of real difficulty.

Often people mistake good fortune for disaster, and vice versa. Expansion of the consciousness will establish the knowledge of the spirit, and this knowledge will lead to Our Community.

Will there be a third book? Certainly there will be, when the work mentioned in the second book has been brought to life. The third book must concern itself with Our Community. But can Our Community be spoken of when the consciousness has no room for the concept of community?

Therefore, if you wish to reveal Our Community in life, you must first manifest your own community. And We will help you.

Observe the course of world events with a mind free of prejudice and you will see Our Hand.

The time has come for a turning point in evolution, and the forces have been gathered.

Learn to put your best work to good use, and in the midst of this work accept Our greetings.

Greetings to all seekers of the Common Good!

GLOSSARY

Alátyr (183). A sacred stone in Russian folklore that is said to be the navel of the earth and the father of all stones.

Amrita (128, 269, 288). Immortality. The elixir of life. Uninterrupted consciousness on all planes of existence.

anniversary (123, 303). March 24, the day on which, in 1920, the Master gave the first passages in Leaves of Morya’s Garden I: Call, the first book in the Agni Yoga series.

astral world. The plane of existence immediately adjacent to the physical plane. The astral world and its inhabitants, including the astral bodies of physical beings, consist of subtle matter. “Astral world” often refers to the postmortem state experienced immediately after death and before the soul moves on to Devachan (q.v.).

the Blessed One. Here the Buddha, Gautama. Bhagavan in Sanskrit.

Devachan (160, 256). A blissful postmortem state that follows the purification of the soul in the lower astral world (q.v.).

Devadatta (275). A cousin and disciple of the Buddha who betrayed him and created a schism.

dugpa (340). A Tibetan term here referring to servants of the dark forces.

Gaurizankar (88). A name for a mountain, probably Mt. Everest.

Origin(s) (150, 220). One or both of the male and female principles, Yin and Yang.

perfectment (164).An ongoing process of ever greater spiritual, intellectual, and physical perfection.

podvig. A selfless, transformative achievement, often involving sacrifice, courage, and heroism. From the Russian подвиг.

podvizhnik (323). A person who devotes himself to a lofty cause, selflessly undertaking hard work and facing trials. From the Russian подвижник.

skandhas (256). In Buddhism the five material and mental aggregates that constitute a person.

Tamas (168). The energy of matter. Inertia.

Teros (168). The energy of spirit. Light.

Urdar (180). In Norse mythology the Well of Urdar is said to be located beneath the sacred tree Yggdrasil.

Translator

Agni Yoga Books

Leaves of Morya's Garden I

Leaves of Morya's Garden II

New Era Community

Agni Yoga

Infinity I

Infinity II

Hierarchy

Heart

Fiery World I

Fiery World II

Fiery World III

Aum

Brotherhood

Supermundane

Letters of Helena Roerich I

Letters of Helena Roerich II

On Eastern Crossroads

Foundations of Buddhism

Agni Yoga Glossary

Agni Yoga Society

www.agniyoga.org

Table of Contents

Leaves of Morya's Garden II (Illumination)

Agni Yoga Books