New Era Community (1926) - 238: In legends giants crossed the seas, breaking off monolithic rocks. Let us resemble the giants and our thoughts the monoliths. Let us dispel any timid half-wayness, as otherwise it will take possession of us and deliver us to a shameful execution by beating with accounting books. We know monolithic thinking. Hierarchy (1931) - 302: 302. People's striving is always measured by their service either to Light or darkness. By this may be judged their destination in life. Thus, the worst of all is half-way thinking and half-way striving. The destroyers always build upon half-way striving. There is nothing worse than a half-way servitor, for he screens himself by half-wayness. Therefore a direct enemy of Light is preferred by Us. We do not admit into the great battles the small worms that crawl in the mist. Thus, half-wayness must be avoided. One should always and in all ways avoid any intercourse with half-way people. Half-wayness shown by the disciples throws them back a millennium, and therefore one should know when to affirm one's own consciousness. Thus, the servitor of Light will not admit half-wayness. Hierarchy (1931) - 303: 303. It is most pernicious when half-wayness insinuates itself into one who is affirming himself upon the path, because then there results duality of thought and action. Hence, half-wayness is the enemy of the Teaching, and when We see half-wayness in relation to Hierarchy, this destructive attitude must be eradicated; for without integrity there can be no construction. Hence, the disciples must understand how important it is to have complete striving. For this one should renounce personal comfort, conceit, self-pity, self-deception, and should always remember that Hierarchy must not be burdened. This should be remembered by those who misunderstand Service as reliance upon the Lord and the Hierarchy. Hierarchy (1931) - 314: 314. Amidst the concepts of courage, the most invincible is the courage of the flaming heart, when, with full decisiveness, with full realization of achievement, the warrior knows only the path of advance. To this achievement of courage only the extreme degree of the courage of desperation is comparable. With the same speed with which the courage of the flaming heart overcomes the future, desperation flees from the past. Thus, where the courage of the flaming heart is lacking, let there be the courage of desperation. Only thus can the warrior gain victory when the offensive is great. All other aspects of courage are of no significance, because in them will be half-wayness. This quality, next to cowardice and treason, must be avoided. Fiery World - Book 3 (1935) - 8: 8. Among the manifestations which are particularly harmful for ascent may be noted half-way service. It is impossible to advance without casting away this terrible half-wayness. It must be remembered that, having once chosen the Teacher, the disciple must always act with an understanding of all the harmful effects of half-wayness. Not only is an obvious betrayal (against which one can openly fight with a sword) dangerous, but these pernicious burrowings of half-wayness are so harmful. One must direct the consciousness of people along the path of honesty. People must understand that the most important thing is the honesty of Service. How can one affirm the growth of the spirit, how can one prove devotion to Hierarchy, how can one purify the consciousness? By observing this one law - honesty of Service. Thus let us always keep in mind the harm of half-wayness. The records of darkness contain all half-way decisions and actions; therefore, on the fiery path one should remember the consequences of half-wayness. If it were possible to make manifest all the records of the Subtle World, humanity would be terrified at the gray shadows around destruction, half-wayness, betrayal, incitement to strife, blasphemy, intolerance and selfhood. Thus, on the fiery path let us remember about the danger of half-wayness and its undermining effect. Fiery World - Book 3 (1935) - 160: 160. Indeed, the Fiery spirit creates powerfully; indeed, strongly does its word resound. Indeed, the Fiery spirit knows no half-wayness. The creativeness of the heart will make manifest all that is designated. Verily, the fiery heart is an invincible force. Thus do We create together. The time is saturated with manifestations of constructions for a great future. Fiery World - Book 3 (1935) - 279: 279. There is no evil to equal the offense of faint-heartedness. In it is hidden treachery, in it is concealed a fraudulent magnanimity; in it is secreted a ruinous half-wayness; its master is Satan; its motive power is selfhood; its actions include construction with the one hand and destruction with the other; its face displays aspiration but its reality manifests egoism; its domain is a manifestation of selfhood; its affirmation is selfhood; its evidence is compromise, and each of its manifestations for good is a self-affirmation and justification of obvious destruction. The pledge of selfhood lies in the foundation of faint-heartedness. Brotherhood (1937) - 125: 125. Likewise, of little use are those who work in half-wayness. They are easily disappointed and obtain no results. Labor must be built upon complete devotion. Often it is not given to one to see the fruits of his work, but one must know that each drop of labor is already an indisputable acquisition. Such knowledge will permit prolongation of the work in the Subtle World also. Is it not all the same, if the task is fulfilled mentally and is impressed in thought-forms? The only condition is that the work be useful. It is not up to us to judge where labor is of the greatest usefulness; it has its own spiral.
|