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New Era Community (1926) - 180:
The great artist Asvaghosha preferred the bazaar and the public square, in order to find the way to the people's heart. Beauty teaches aspiration. 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. Heart (1932) - 260:
260. Since the so-called state of Nirvana is not rest but the highest tension of energy, one may ask whether rest exists altogether. Indeed, how is it possible to imagine rest if everything is in motion and exists by reason of motion? The very concept of rest was invented by those who desired to hide from existence. They preferred passivity, forgetting that there can be no moment without motion. Balance is the concept needed. One should think not of rest but how to preserve the balance amidst the whirlwinds. The silver thread is tautened by the power of striving, hence one must know the meaning of balance, lest one burden the thread of Hierarchy through faltering. The thread will not break when tautened. For even a straw resists as long as it is not bent. The silver thread is founded upon the law of concatenation, but if someone does not refrain from hasty fluctuations, he usually cannot hold the link. Thus, let us not bemoan the lack of rest, because it does not exist at all. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 340:
340. Follow Me. Strive to Me. Only thus can you understand the future. What could be preferred to the Forces of Light? One's faith can be renewed as an immutable force. Faith that does not guide one's entire life is worthless. I indicate the countries that have lost their path; the machine is still in motion, but without a regeneration of the consciousness there is nothing on which to exist. New consciousness can come only from the spirit. The new force can be strengthened only through knowledge of the higher worlds. The accumulation of such knowledge will strengthen life. One may reject the most essential if one fails to consider the future! One must accept all transitions as improvements. A single flight of thought can transport us across the abyss. Even that which seems most inevitable depends upon the quality of thought. The affirmation of thought can even alter the return to Earth. The Subtle World is regarded generally as a passive state, but it need not be merely passive; it can be active as well. If it has been said, "As in heaven, so on earth," this means that there, also, conditions exist for the higher achievements. We should not judge only by average measures. If the average period between incarnations is approximately seven hundred years, there can also be spans of seven or even three years. Karmic conditions themselves must yield to the hammer of the will. Thought itself is the best fiery guardian. Thought is unconsumable! Even on Earth, a man suffused with faith and thought loses weight. Thought also leads to the higher worlds. When thrown off balance, a man requests a moment's respite. This respite affords an accumulation of will. Without will there is no faith. Thus We arm people with weapons of Light. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 406:
406. Magnetization of water has now been virtually abandoned, yet not so long ago it was used for purposes of both light and darkness. The significance of such magnetization is apparent, and indicates once again the fieriness of such a process. As a precautionary measure a goblet containing an unknown beverage was covered with the hand, in the belief that the skin would reflect symptoms of poisonous ingredients. Also, for magnetization, iron and lithium waters were used, but all sulphuric admixtures were avoided. In the most ancient writings there are references to the transmission of thought through water and chrism. Milk was not used for magnetization because of its organic constituents. This was an error, for the milk of healthy cows is well suited for this purpose. But in ancient times people feared rabies and preferred to avoid magnetizing milk. 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. Fiery World - Book 2 (1934) - 47:
47. The application of psychic energy was differently pointed out in various Schools. Some proposed to strain the energy continuously, while others preferred to interrupt this current by repressing the energy into inaction. The two methods in their essence do not differ from each other, if the consciousness is developed. In an exalted state the energy receives continuous impulses, and when it seems to be inactive it is merely submerged into the depth of consciousness. Such seeming contrasts are manifested during inner concentration. Some believe that the uttering of certain words is essential, others directly transmit this mental action into the rhythm of the heart. The two ways are equally useful if the spirit is already elevated. During the elevation of the spirit one must maintain an even warmth of the heart. One must avoid shocks as unnecessary and harmful. One may become convinced that the heart can be in constant service to Hierarchy. With it the heart does not lose its responsiveness to all everyday questions. Such combination of contrasts does not alter the rhythm of the heart. I draw attention to the most everyday conditions because the Leader must deal with every mediator of life. AUM (1936) - 407:
Long ago people already knew about the two methods of magnetizing water. One, magnetization by passes, the other, a natural one, when water was allowed to stand at a bedside. The first was preferred for certain ailments, but the second was considered better for general sustenance of strength. Such water was either drunk or sprinkled over one. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 25:
One may recall an arrogant monarch who, before the Great War, received Our warnings, but preferred to lose his throne by rejecting Our Advice. Likewise, another head of state did not want to listen to Our Ambassador and preferred to plunge his country into confusion. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 90:
Most of the time people rebuke Us before the completion of their deeds, or think of Us only after their actions have already taken place. We wish to establish as many conditions as possible that will facilitate normal contact with Us. There was a time when We preferred not to tell people how to communicate with Us, but now We find it necessary to remind people that We are ready to help them when conditions are appropriate. In the previous books many conditions were mentioned that promote the harmonizing of human consciousness. Those who study the Teaching attentively can easily understand the way of communion with Us. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 163:
The Teacher preferred to discuss those subjects that caused arguments with each person individually, for only in this way could he transmit the Truth according to the listener's level of consciousness. There were many such talks with individuals, which at times dealt with elementary subjects. At other times highly educated philosophers came to Him. Some came timidly and only by night, while others were bold enough to come during the day. He practiced great patience with all of them. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 166:
Let us now turn to the great philosopher, Anaxagoras. The foundations of his Teachings seemed new for many centuries. Even today, his theory of the indestructibility of matter as the fundamental substance can be considered new, and his idea of the Highest Intelligence could easily have been conceived by modern scientists. He absorbed the refinement of Greek thought, loved art, and frequently helped Pericles with his sound advice. He was therefore an inner director of many decisions. He possessed great dignity, defended his friends, and preferred exile to dishonor. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 227:
227. Urusvati knows that goal-fitness and appreciation are among the most essential foundations of the Brotherhood. It is unreasonable to think that the Brotherhood would accept someone's services and later discard him as one would a worn-out garment. If the co-worker proves to be helpful and never commits betrayal, he certainly will not be rejected. Such a co-worker is appreciated and will be recognized. However, recognition can take different forms and is not always noticed. Look into the consciousness of those who expect signs of appreciation and you will be amazed to see that, like the child who prefers a shiny toy to a valuable object, false gems are preferred. Many cherish a secret desire to be admitted into the Brotherhood with the sole idea of obtaining an abundance of gold from the Abode! Such people make no distinction between the Brotherhood and a bazaar. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 2 (1938) - 263:
It may be recalled that We repeatedly warned certain countries, and they rejected Our advice. Their free will preferred to choose destruction through slow decay. Compare the character of a nation before and after Our warning. Great deeds become rare, and people lose the ability to preserve their values, degenerating into criers in the bazaar. Corruption creeps into all spheres of life, and though people can easily choose to follow the Advice, they prefer to bring on their own doom. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 2 (1938) - 428:
Often people preferred to see the Great Teachers in the attire of their own country, which lent a special character to the Image. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 2 (1938) - 444:
A sensitive physician will prescribe a patient's favorite foods; the same is done when a preferred substance is indicated for the success of an experiment. Even the simplest man has an inner sense of what is especially close to him, and remarkable experiments could be performed comparing the different substances that are especially suitable for each organism. It can be shown that man himself senses what is best for him. But everything superficial must be eliminated, or drunkards will insist that only alcohol is good for them!
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