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Infinity - Book 1 (1930) - 193:
So complex is the combining of all the elements that it is impossible for man to discern all the life manifestations. The Universe is in flame and the Spatial Fire blazes. It is easy to observe how one link draws after it another, how one excrescence induces another, how one life predicates the next. But it is not easy for man to admit this truth of his dependence. This chain of existences cannot be broken, and it is impossible to eject oneself from or to arrest the current. The entire Universe is as one stream! Infinity - Book 1 (1930) - 193:
The freedom which so entices man is an illusion. In Infinity, there is freedom of choice, and herein is contained all beauty. Freedom of choice affirms man, and man determines for himself the world of effects. Thus is built the life of dependence. Numberless are the existences, and they are linked by manifestations of constructiveness. Infinity - Book 1 (1930) - 194:
194. Dependence in thinking imposes upon man the belief that he cannot advance by himself. However, each one determines his own path. Striving creates life. Therefore, let each spirit find his own path. We respect greatly one's own determination for self-renunciation. When the spirit knows its destination and strives toward it, in spite of all evidence, a great chain is being affirmed. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 566:
566. Let us pay especial attention to the battle in the Subtle World. Innumerable hordes are battling on all planes. A stout heart is needed to realize these forces. And even on Earth the shoulders can ache from these battles. One must warn people about the extent of their dependence upon the Subtle World. People often search for answers. Whence comes a seeming inner shock? Its cause may lie in some manifestation of the Subtle World. Fiery World - Book 2 (1934) - 224:
224. Investigate, and distinguish two kinds of thought. Everyone knows that at times, in the midst of clear thinking, there appear confused, floating thought-forms. Some will advise to ignore these unclear smudges of thinking, but others will recommend the investigations of such visitors. There can be advancement from paying attention to such thought forms. They come from without, which is but the more reason why we must not cast them aside. Who knows - perhaps they are directed to us intentionally, and are not clear merely because of their dependence upon our attitude. Therefore it is best to take pains not to reject any thought, even a fleeting one. When our heart is aflame, it quickly senses the value of such sendings. Fiery World - Book 3 (1935) - 386:
386. The conditions of existence place the spirit in dependence upon unification with cosmic currents. It is indeed necessary to develop the consciousness in this direction. When mankind will become intensely occupied in conscious labor, then will all energies be accessible to it. The charmed circle is indeed created by humanity itself, and the cul-de-sac is also a creation of man. Enlightenment can come only through a conscious relationship with cosmic energies. Isolation from the Higher Forces has led to certain events which have so strengthened their course. On the path to the Fiery World let us manifest a conscious relationship with the cosmic energies. AUM (1936) - 504:
504. One ought to test all useful qualities. It is not enough to imagine courage, tolerance, devotion, and all that goes to make up the armor of achievement. He is not a fit leader who has not proved fearless in action. Each one can imagine himself brave, but in action it often turns out to the contrary. One needs to oppose oneself to great terror in order to prove to oneself whether or not fear can creep in. When I speak about growth's dependence upon obstacles, I have in mind just such testings in actions. Brotherhood (1937) - 144:
Discourses about causes and effects should be introduced in the schools. Let the teacher propose a cause and the pupils think out the effects. In such conversations there will be displayed also the qualities of the students. It is possible to imagine many effects from one cause. Only a broadened consciousness will apprehend what effects will correspond to all the attendant circumstances. One should not be consoled by the fact that even a simple farmer can calculate a harvest. The manifestation of cosmic currents and of mental conflicts is far more complicated. From childhood on, let youth be accustomed to complicated effects and to dependence upon spatial thoughts. It should not be supposed that children need to have safeguards erected against their thinking. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 2 (1938) - 270:
People's dependence on free will is reinforced by their passion for technology, and We have already spoken about the danger of this attraction. The free will must not contend with the Primal Energy, for this would bring great pain and even ruin. And so we arrive once again at the idea of the golden mean.
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