|
New Era Community (1926) - 43:
Three Arhats importunately besought Buddha to permit them to try a miracle. Buddha placed each one in a dark room, and locked them in. After a long time the Blessed One called to them and asked what they had seen. Each one told about different visions. But Buddha said "Now you must agree that miracles are not useful, because you did not perceive the main miracle. For, you could have sensed an existence beyond the visible, and this sensation could have directed you beyond the limits of Earth. But you continued to be conscious of yourselves as seated on the Earth and your thoughts attracted to the Earth waves of the elements. The swelling of the Elements evoked agitations in various countries. You caused rocks to fall and destroyed ships with a hurricane. You saw a red beast with a flaming crown, but the fire attracted by you from out of the abyss burned the houses of defenseless ones - go and bring help! You saw a dragon with the face of a maiden, simultaneously causing waves to wash away fishing boats - hasten with assistance! You saw an eagle flying, and a hurricane destroyed the harvest of toilers - go and bring amends! Where then is your usefulness, O Arhats? An owl in the hollow of a tree has passed the time more usefully. Either toil on the Earth in the sweat of your brow, or in a moment of solitude lift yourselves above the Earth. But let not the useless commotion of the elements be the occupation of the wise." Agni Yoga (1929) - 540:
540. True, people make contact with many kinds of energy, but in most cases in a very limited way, and they experience only one aspect of the energy. Out of this limitation can arise many dangers. For example, universal electrification is of benefit to civilization, but since people approach it too one-sidedly, the artificial saturation of space by electricity may cause dangers. One can receive discharges of considerable strength in places highly charged with electricity. But if the cause is intensified so also will be the effects. Thus, instead of just a powerful discharge, mass destruction can occur. Likewise, one can envision the overfilling of space with currents of many kinds of energy, causing most unexpected disturbances in life. Hierarchy (1931) - 173:
173. Therefore there is no way by which one can escape responsibility. Even the smallest thought enters into the megaphone of space and attracts to itself the same kind of locust, causing the smoky atmosphere of the planet. Thought can purify by destroying the microbes of disintegration, but it can likewise attract unbridled elements. Not without reason do the dark ones use especially underdeveloped people for certain machinations. You often utter the word cult-ur; it means the cult of Light. I remind you of how great is the common responsibility before Light if each thought can either obscure or purify space. Thus let us remember. Heart (1932) - 451:
451. We do not like to give narrow, precise advice. First of all, people do not accept it for fulfillment. People do not care for the fundamentals of the Teachings. They always prefer fakirs and fortunetellers. But even these cherished methods are not accepted for execution. Naturally, they seek advice, but will not make the effort to understand it and will distort it, even causing harm. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 554:
554. He who says that heroes are not needed expels himself from evolution. Observe that on the border of mediocrity, lack of faith, and egoism, lies self-annihilation. Decades may pass before the process of self-devouring becomes evident, but it grows from the very hour that Hierarchy is denied. It is impossible to imagine the affirmation of a progressive action without Hierarchy. One must repeat this most simple Teaching, because people are headed toward the abyss. The rays from the shoulders are causing pain not because of the convulsions of the planet but because of the raging of humanity. As waterspouts divide water into columns, so disunited humanity whirls about. It is a very significant year of the revolt of the human spirit. Fire can be held back only up to a certain point. Inevitably it will break through all manifested obstructions. Brotherhood (1937) - 251:
251. Threat and violence are not of Our domain. Compassion and warning will be the province of Brotherhood. One would have to be of a cruel nature to take a warning for a threat. People judge according to themselves; they try to insert their own meaning into each word they hear. It is instructive to give to a most diverse group of people the same simple text for interpretation. It is astonishing how differently the contents may be explained. Not only basic traits of character but also casual moods are reflected, causing the contents to be misconstrued. Thus, it may be confirmed that the evil see evil, whereas the good see good. The same truth carries through in all branches of knowledge. Only very keen eyes distinguish where is reality and where the mirage of a casual mood. Brotherhood (1937) - 571:
571. Do not cause suffering - such is the Covenant imparted by the Brotherhood to the wayfarer. Let him realize how much easier it is not to cause suffering than to treat it afterwards. Should humanity renounce the causing of suffering, life would be immediately transformed. It is not difficult not to torment one's friend. It is not difficult to think of how to avoid inflicting pain. It is not difficult to imagine that it is much easier not to allow illness to take place than to cure it later. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 28:
It is difficult for many to imagine how cooperation can proceed between entities in three different states of consciousness, but in reality it is not so complicated. Co-workers in the subtle body are often visible. For this no ectoplasm is required, but certain chemical compounds are used that aid in the densification of the subtle body. During the last war many people had visions, but no one realized that the cause of this lay in particular chemical agents. The conditions differ to such an extent that often something causing decomposition in the physical world can serve quite the opposite purpose in the Subtle World. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 112:
Certainly, We are always ready to stretch out Our hand, but absolute trust is necessary for such a handshake, and complete trust can flourish only when there is awareness of one's own uprightness. We insist upon this type of consciousness because it makes collaboration easier, and the purified energy reaches its destination without causing painful reactions. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 178:
The Teacher pointed out many times that the conversion of adversaries can be beneficial. However, His attitude toward betrayers was different. He said, "If a man has been entrusted with guarding a treasure, and instead of guarding, steals it, he certainly cannot be trusted, and has prepared a hard destiny for himself. Sometimes it overtakes him quickly, but at other times the predestined is delayed, causing an especially difficult karma." Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 190:
190. Urusvati knows how little people understand the link between cause and effect. The Thinker related the legend of a man who was filled with a desire to search for gold. "He thought that a certain place at the foot of a large, overhanging rock seemed suitable to begin his search and started to dig excitedly. A passer-by saw there was a danger the rock might come down and warned the man. But the glimmer of gold was so attractive that he continued digging until the rock began to fall. The passer-by, seeing the danger, cried out a warning in time to save the man from certain death. The man was not grateful, however, and blamed fate for causing him to lose the gold. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 211:
211. Urusvati knows how difficult it is to achieve harmony of consciousness. We do not speak here about the leveling of all consciousnesses, because, owing to cosmic multiformity, equality does not exist. Because nothing is repeated, the harmony of all parts is essential. It is difficult to imagine what complicated methods would have to be applied to try to equalize consciousnesses. One person may already be approaching the summit, while another has not even reached the foot of the mountain! Truly, in their thinking they have nothing in common. If you give them equal knowledge, for one it will be insufficient, and for the other too much, confusing him and even causing him to betray. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 219:
219. Urusvati knows that the subtlest combinations are unrepeatable. Once the Thinker noticed that His listeners had not completely understood the concept of uniqueness. He took a large bronze mirror and covered it with an even layer of sand. Then He tapped out different rhythms at the edge of the mirror, causing the sand to fall into different designs. Afterward, the Thinker asked His disciples to repeat precisely the same rhythms and produce the same designs. Of course, no one could do it. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 219:
"I give you this advice now, but it will be of value only if you apply it immediately. There is hardly any benefit in medicine taken a year after it is prescribed. In the secret archives one can find many examples of unapplied counsels. The hunter is advised, 'Quick, do not miss the bird!' But the hand delays, and the arrow is shot in vain, perhaps even causing harm where it was not intended. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 220:
There are many descriptions of the Subtle World, but all of them are limited by the individual experience of the observer. Thus one person speaks about the lowest level, of almost monstrous ghosts; another describes sleeping shadows; a third finds an absolute similarity to the physical world; and a fourth talks about luminous bodies. They all describe what they have seen, but their perceptions were limited, causing them to think that one stratum is the entire Subtle World. Because of this error people quarrel and accuse one another of falsehood. If they could understand the manifoldness of the Subtle World, they would realize how beneficial it would be for them to strive to the higher spheres. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 249:
249. Urusvati knows that even an accelerated evolution must go through lawful stages, or chaos will inundate it, and under such conditions it is particularly difficult for a person to cope with his own free will. Even intelligent people cannot always reconcile the personal with the evolutionary. They cannot grasp the idea that there are dates destined for the world that they cannot separate themselves from. Such lack of understanding would be harmless if it were not for the rebellious action of the free will, causing harmful conflict. Man stubbornly persists in his own perceptions and does not admit other solutions. Much energy is required to tame such a free will, therefore, when We speak about alertness and flexibility of mind, We want to prevent the harm that comes from such stubbornness. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 2 (1938) - 282:
282. Urusvati knows how harmful it is to pollute space. We have already offered many indications about how to avoid causing harm, but now We advise you not to dwell on mistakes or remain in places where there is blasphemy or irritation. Gossiping about mistakes pollutes the atmosphere around you, and attracts the fluids that will intensify the original errors. In the same way, it is harmful to stay in a place that is polluted by blasphemy or irritability. I speak as a physician. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 2 (1938) - 288:
There were no periods in antiquity that compare to the present era of total global confusion. While in ancient times perhaps thousands were involved, today there are hundreds of millions! Try to imagine the difference in the power of the emanations, and the myriad invisible participants that everybody is surrounded by. Let us not attempt to calculate the multitudes causing disorder in the earthly sphere, but rather consider the innumerable invisible stings. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 2 (1938) - 320:
In the same way, the command to use every possible resource for keeping the peace stands for all time to come. Although mankind seems to have forgotten Him who gave this command, it has nonetheless entered into human consciousness. One should always question whether all peaceful measures have been applied, but without causing the loss of human dignity. One should understand both the mundane and the supermundane measures; only through harmony and dignity can the beauty of peace be realized. Disregard of human dignity can only result in ugliness. He who knows nothing of beauty cannot think of peace, nor can the concept of unity be realized by the ignorant. Yet all people have reverence for the Unifiers. Thus We labor for peace.
|