New Era Community (1926) - 111: 111. Many warnings were given against selfhood. This deadly sister of ignorance smites and extinguishes the best fires. Do not consider a reminder about egoism out of place during the establishment of cooperatives. On the contrary, each statute must be written not for oneself but for others. Among various appellations the word "friend" will be a most hearty one. Indeed, the heart does not admit egoism. The heart lives in self-abnegation. Thus, strong is the heart when it is concerned about the future, not thinking about self. Agni Yoga (1929) - 159: 159. Why is the Yoga termed Fiery? Its power enhances the vividness of life and extinguishes all that is unworthy. The manifestation of fire brings light into matter. Properly speaking, where there is fire, there is clear evidence of progressive perfectment. Hierarchy (1931) - 272: 272. True, in irritation lies the chief harm to the fires. At the symptoms of irritation one is advised to inhale deeply ten times. The inhaling of prana has not only a psychic significance but also a chemical one, for prana is beneficial to the fires and also extinguishes irritation. Heart (1932) - 536: 536. Among the fires of the heart the most vivid is the flame of self-sacrifice. Precisely this armor diverts the hostile arrows and creates the renowned invulnerability. The fire of courage is only a part of the flame of self-sacrifice. Of course, self-sacrifice does not mean necessarily to offer oneself as a victim, but it corresponds to the readiness to conquer for the work of the Highest World. One can also notice a decline of the fires upon the slightest deviation from Hierarchy. As a whirlwind extinguishes the torches, the deviation into the abyss of Chaos destroys the fires of the heart. Is it not strange to see at one table the deviating ones and those who walk to victory? They seemingly share together equally the earthly food, but their spirits are already in opposite regions. The purified heart senses these contrasts. Often the heart hesitates to decide by the outward appearance, but the substance is clear to it. Fiery World - Book 3 (1935) - 554: 554. Despair is called darkness. Such a definition is precise; indeed, it extinguishes radiation and the Fire of the heart grows dim. Such a state is not only harmful, it is unworthy of man; he becomes lower than an animal. It is possible to brave the condition of despair. The most frightful entities employ it. Behind it stalks terror itself. Where then will be the garden of beauty?
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