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Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 81:
81. Sincere striving for self-perfection is not egoism, but has universal significance. The thought about improvement does not concern oneself alone. Such thought carries within itself the flame needed for many kindlings of hearts. As fire, when brought into a place filled with inflammable substance, will unfailingly ignite it, so fiery thought pierces space and infallibly attracts seeking hearts to itself. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 269:
269. Freedom of choice is predicated in everything. No coercion whatsoever should obstruct the path, but it is permitted to give a torch to everyone on a long journey. Enlightenment alone can help one to comprehend freedom of choice, therefore enlightenment is the affirmation of being. From the earliest years every school should provide instruction in linking reality to the essence of that which is predestined. Only thus can we link our existence with self-perfection. Freedom of choice, enlightenment, self-perfectment, are the paths of Fire. Only fiery beings can independently perceive these abutments of ascent. But everyone must be led through these gates, otherwise destructive disturbances arise which, together with the chaos of the elements, throw the planet into tremor. Thus, unbridled human confusions are added to the agitation of the elements. I consider it necessary to reiterate about the confusion which crushes all inceptions of evolution. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 316:
316. Why wonder that the development of vision demands moderate lighting? It is quite clear that sharp light does not permit the increase of inner light. Yet only striving for self-perfection provides a solid foundation. Therefore, in ancient times the initiations into the Mysteries were accompanied by prolonged stays in darkness, until the eye overcame the obstacles of darkness by its inner sight. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 541:
541. Earth still harbors the good robber and the cruel devotee. One would suppose that people, as the highest elements of Earth, would evolve far more rapidly than other elements of the planet. But a strange phenomenon is taking place - rejecting the ethics of spirit, people have encased themselves in a spiritual inertia. It seems that even the climate changes more rapidly than the human consciousness. Many inventions have appeared on this planet more than once. Bygone nations knew much, but the quality of thinking has progressed very little. And still people talk a great deal about a new race and a new humanity. But no Golem is to be the prototype of the new race. The quality of thinking will differ from that of past ages. The art of thinking must be completely and consciously regenerated, but without understanding the three worlds it is impossible to raise thinking to a new level. He who does not yearn for self-perfection will not think on a planetary scale. He who considers discussion of the Fiery World as superstition or paganism cannot revere the Image of the Savior. One need not wonder that people become accustomed to honest thinking so slowly, for throughout their many incarnations they have been bereft of the best images of the heroes of mankind. People have continually seen that it was precisely the heroes who were tortured and killed before their very eyes. By such thinking one does not arrive at the concept of the new man. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 642:
642. The seed of the spirit is in need, as it were, of strengthening blows. Deathlike contentment and senseless dissipation of life are actions contrary to nature. People cannot comprehend the salutary character of blows that push one forward like explosions of a motor. The explosions of energy move humanity. One must cognize the degree to which Agni begins to act precisely during the manifestation of energy. One can observe many examples in nature, but people prefer to exempt themselves from the law of unity. It is true that without an understanding of the future the blows, as motive forces are incomprehensible. They can give rise to complaints and despondency. Therefore it is so necessary to adopt the fundamentals of self-perfection for the great future. Striving toward the future will already be an evidence of Agni. Do not think it superfluous that Agni and the future are again spoken about. The infant must be reconciled to its first pain. Expressions of complaint mean lack of understanding of the problems of life. During the propelling blows it is especially difficult to understand their true significance. But the inception of heroic achievement in itself denotes the acceptance of the propelling blows. Let us not forget the formula of propelling blows. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 660:
660. Discrimination is one of the most pronounced fiery qualities. It is not straight-knowledge, but a glimmer, as it were, of the language of the Fiery World.. Truly, the man with open centers does not judge by words; he understands all the inner meaning of speech. If all judges were at such a level of fiery discrimination, many offenses would appear in a different light. But such discrimination needs cultivation. It exists in the seed of the spirit, but one must evoke it from the storehouse of the Unmanifest. Therefore a sharpening of the consciousness must be urged. Let each approaching one manifest himself as an exemplary judge. Let one begin to judge according to the eyes; another by the intonation of voice; a third according to the bodily movements. It is immaterial where one begins, because the inner fire is reflected on all the nerve centers. And it is instructive to observe how words often fail to reflect the inner condition. With patience one can attain great results and disclose signs of fiery understanding. Certainly, this will be only a glimpse of the Fiery World, but each spark of such cognizance is already an achievement. Upon entering the Subtle World one should firmly bear in mind the resolution to go toward Light, to hasten to self-perfection, and for this each advice is extremely important. If here upon Earth we already approach discrimination, then upon crossing into the Subtle World this achievement will be a benefaction. The principal difficulty is that despair and perplexity hinder the assimilation of the new conditions. But if we remember firmly whither and wherefore we go, we will instantly find many helpers. Yet people are especially disconcerted by the absence of secrecy when the Ineffable Light penetrates all that exists. Blessed are those who do not have to be ashamed of their heart's accumulations. Love everything that can uplift the heart. Fiery World - Book 2 (1934) - 134:
134. Competition is one of the difficult concepts. Only the fiery heart understands how many measures may be placed upon the light and upon the dark side. A pure understanding of self-perfection will not evoke competition. Where the consciousness is wild and unrestricted, there competition leads to mutual destruction. Envy nests around competition. It leads to the most subtle crimes. Cooperation must bring balance to the misunderstood competition. It is not easy to fix for oneself the boundary of a reasonable competition. The word competition itself is already dangerous; in it is expressed jealousy, in other words, a corrupt devotion. Therefore, it is best wherever possible to replace the concept of competition with that of perfectionment. A great number of concepts must be revised from their contemporary connotation. It should be acknowledged that a just history of beliefs would reveal the roots of many most perverted concepts. Care should be taken that the language of the basic ideas be resounding and as clear-cut as possible. One may enrich the language with new definitions, but senseless buzzing will not bring any benefit. Each letter denotes by its sound a vibration of the centers. It is foolish to infringe uselessly upon harmony. Turn your attention to the resonance of the ancient names of places. The new places do not always produce the same useful vibration. The ancient names had a timeless significance. Often no philology can discover the root inserted by manifest powerful peoples. The more carefully, then, must we regard an inheritance which is unknown but which forces our hearts to resound. Fiery World - Book 2 (1934) - 447:
447. The embryo of the spirit actually does not begin with human evolution; its manifestation refers to an indescribable fiery process. That is why you apply to man the words - kindling of the spirit. Precisely, given to man was the kindling of fire, which dwells in all the manifestations of creativeness. One should remember that powerful energies have been entrusted to man; therefore, whoever does not kindle the spirit does not fulfill his destiny. Precisely, self-perfection itself is first of all attained in the consciousness of the manifestation of spirituality. There can be no approach to the Fiery World without the manifestation of spirituality. This must be remembered by all. AUM (1936) - 211:
211. It is necessary for people to free themselves from any arrogance in relation to all that is unknown to them. Thus, one can observe continually that the ignorant ones express themselves offensively about everything inaccessible to them. It is indispensable that the foremost scholars make themselves worthy examples of broadmindedness. Evolution is completely excluded where people do not recognize the possibilities of infinite cognition. I repeat, the success of perfection begins with self-perfection. AUM (1936) - 254:
254. The process of self-perfection was not regarded as egoistic. Improvement has the General Welfare as its goal, and by its nature cannot be a personal acquisition; for example, each good thought is universally beneficial in space. AUM (1936) - 357:
357. There exist self-styled invalids who suggest to themselves all the symptoms of disease. But there is a still more dangerous case, when a man has in himself the germs of a disease, and instead of opposing it he gives in to it and deprives himself of the possibility of recovery. In the first case it is possible to act by means of suggestion, for there is no real disease. But in the second it is far more difficult; the man himself hastens the process of disease. He becomes the slave of his sickness and tries with all his strength to aggravate the symptoms of the disease. He constantly observes himself, but not in a desire to recover. He falls into the deepest self-pity and thus drives away every possibility of suggestion. The man is even offended and angry when spoken to about the possibility of recovery. Thus he can reach a dangerous degree of depression which cannot be transformed into a rising strength. This acts as a counterenergy; and the man deprives himself of his basic value - striving toward self-perfection. AUM (1936) - 425:
425. The question of self-perfection and of national health are closely connected. Let us summon woman to one and to the other. Both tasks are in need not so much of governmental as of family enjoinment. One cannot command purity of thought; one cannot even command purity of speech. One cannot command a healthful cleanliness of the home. Only enlightenment affirms sanity of spirit and body.
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