Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 511: 511. He who thinks of modesty and humility is by virtue of this neither modest nor humble. Natural virtues do not require forced considerations. Much vanity has originated from such forced pseudo-modesty and suede-humbleness. In all qualities connected with fieriness, directness is needed. If a man has not acquired reverence for Hierarchy, no command can make him feel the beauty of this striving; external conditions will shatter the seed of striving. It is a great fallacy for people who have begun to think of the Supreme to alter the outer conditions of their lives. A shoemaker known to you could have abandoned his craft, but he preferred to affirm himself in the rhythm of the past in which his highest thoughts had been generated. This is not inflexibility, but a due regard for the precious rhythm already established. One can observe that external conditions can give the impulse to thought. This consideration is very useful during fiery achievements. A musician does not part with his instrument even when traveling. The reason for this lies not only in mechanical technique but, consciously or unconsciously, the virtuoso thus preserves an already established rhythm. Continuity of work is needed for the coordination of the centers just as much as is pranayama. But an experienced workman does not ponder over the use made of his work. Work for him is food; he cannot live without it. Let the physician cite examples of this. In connection with Agni, disorderly, unrhythmic work is especially harmful, and it is necessary that a rhythm should become habitual without forcing. Then one may expect Agni to become indeed a self-acting armor. The quality of self-initiated action is a fiery achievement. It does not come from outside, but only together with the broadening of consciousness. Without the affirmation of consciousness, self-initiated activity cannot be established. AUM (1936) - 586: Likewise, let the investigator be not worried by a peculiarity of his own energy, in comparing it with the experiments of others. Certain people are inclined to exaggerate, but others through modesty, underestimate; thereby they frequently lose sight of their most valuable qualities. One should be armed with patience and devotion for the observations. One should not yield to unsteadiness and impulsiveness, which so often lead to irritation. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 114: We have learned much from Our experiences in the physical and Subtle Worlds. We observed and then preserved in Our Chalices the individual experiences, marveling at their variety. We advocate the same practice for Our co-workers. However, it is especially harmful to proclaim laws when one has experienced only a minute part of the manifestations that are the evidence of those laws. It is not out of a sense of modesty that I say this, but out of a realization of the grandeur of Cosmos. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 2 (1938) - 254: However, there are those seeking inner peace who are filled with selfishness and false modesty, and believe that they will acquire inner peace by doing nothing. These are not bad people, they do no evil, but their "good" is of little value. What kind of peace can come from inertia? True inner peace can be likened to Nirvana, in which all the energies are so intensified that they are unified in their ascent.
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