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Leaves of Morya's Garden - Book 1 - The Call (1924) - 275:
Within a small room, upon a small rug, you have shed your former skin. What cannot be laved in the snows of the mountains and in the warmth of the sun? The wisdom thus released will inhabit its new skin. We rejoice at your observation of man's ways, unmasked, denuded. As though the curtains of the windows were drawn aside and the innermost recesses revealed. And it is easy to offer counsel when reading from an open book. You evolve under My Eyes. Yes, yes, yes! Your steadfastness strengthens Us. It is easy to walk along a precipice when you know of the flying carpet. Observe everything. Leaves of Morya's Garden - Book 2 - Illumination (1925) - 3.3.10:
Let the things of everyday life vanish, but let the country of the future be embodied in thought. And what cleanses the spirit more thoroughly than the thoughts about the welfare of others? And what tempers the armor of steadfastness better than the wish to lead others to Light? And what weaves a better smile than a desire to see the very last child laughing? I urge you to think thus about the future, to place daily a pearl into the necklace of the Mother of the World.. And so, concisely and simply think how to adorn the Hearth of the World. Leaves of Morya's Garden - Book 2 - Illumination (1925) - 3.4.1:
3.4.1. Prayer is the realization of eternity. In prayer there is beauty, love, daring, courage, self-sacrifice, steadfastness, aspiration. But if in the prayer are included superstition, fear and doubt, then such an invocation is related to the times of fetishism. New Era Community (1926) - 117:
117. It is absurd to think that perspiration is only a physical manifestation. During mental work a particular emanation valuable for the saturation of space issues forth. If bodily perspiration can fertilize the earth, then that of the spirit restores prana by being chemically transformed in the rays of the Sun. Labor is the crown of Light. It is necessary that school pupils remember the significance of labor as a factor of world-creation. As a result of labor there will be steadfastness of consciousness. It is necessary to emphasize strongly the atmosphere of work. New Era Community (1926) - 153:
153. Someone will say "Is vigilance, or co-measurement, or mobility, or devotion difficult? Here, I feel that I can contain all these conditions; will you not take me on the distant journey into the Community?" But has this hasty traveler thought about a certain requisite in the qualities mentioned by him? Steadfastness was forgotten. Little fires flickering only for an instant contain all the qualities of flame, but darkness engulfs them as swiftly as a brazier does a snowflake. One cannot trust an isolated moment of containment; only steadfastness, tempered by toil and by obstacles, results in a trustworthy containment. New Era Community (1926) - 153:
Ponder how like a fiery ladder is steadfastness. New Era Community (1926) - 191:
Can the above-mentioned concepts be applied in city life? Just now We were speaking about the absence of observation power, without which diagnosis is impossible. We spoke about lack of patience, and this means analysis is impossible. Lack of courageous steadfastness excludes control. Falsehood and hypocrisy will not admit cooperation. Fear will becloud any prognosis. There remains to set the longest tables and to repeat in chorus half-understood words. Agni Yoga (1929) - 38:
38. One who desires to join in cooperation must be given an opportunity to show his understanding. Thus, say to the physician, "You can show resourcefulness in applying musk, valerian, and cedar tar." Also, one can demonstrate observation in describing the flow of life. One can show steadfastness in striving to the Teacher, without doubt and without prejudice. Agni Yoga (1929) - 72:
72. Have you finally learned to rejoice at obstacles? Can We be assured that what seems like an obstacle will multiply your resourcefulness tenfold? Can We accept you as conquering warriors? Can We send you the arrow of help, assured that you will catch it in flight? Can We pronounce the word of the New World in unison with you? Can We believe that for the sake of the beauty of creation you have burned your outworn garments? Can the Mother of the World entrust to your vigilance the texture of Light? Can the Lion hasten to your aid? Can the Light illumine your path? And finally, do you understand how to apply to yourself the given Teaching? Can We entrust to you the wearing of the given signs? Can We dispatch the ray of perfectment? Can We vouch for your vigilance? Can We construct a stronghold from your understanding of self? Can We rejoice at the steadfastness of your path? Can the Mother of the World call you just? Can the Lion become the protector of your dwelling? Can the Light bathe the new steps? Unbolt your doors! Victory is at the threshold! Agni Yoga (1929) - 227:
The problem of possession should be approached scientifically. Two aspects of existence should be remembered. First - the continuity of life through different states. Second - the influence of the will of one upon another. Thus, beings existing in subtle bodies of different levels can direct thoughts to those on Earth. This unrealized energy can aid in the unifying of the worlds. However, uniting with the highest also opens the path to the lowest. You already know how much the lower spirits try to attach themselves to earthly emanations. Therefore, people should be warned about the need for steadfastness of the will, because possession is the most inadmissible condition. Only the intervention of a third will, firm and pure, can terminate this violation of the law, which affects people without regard for age or position. Agni Yoga (1929) - 656:
656. Remember the laws of gravitation and repulsion, action and counteraction. Steadfastness results from attraction, and tension from repulsion. Attraction along the line of Hierarchy leads to Me, and repulsion from the enemy to glorification. Thus, the Teacher and the enemy are cornerstones. Hierarchy (1931) - 37:
37. Remember the law of gravitation and counteraction. Steadfastness issues from gravitation and tension from counteraction. Gravitation along the line of Hierarchy leads to Me, and counteraction from the enemy to glorification. Thus, the Teacher and the enemy are cornerstones. Hierarchy (1931) - 217:
217. One of the mighty qualities of spirit is steadfastness. How can one develop and expand one's consciousness when steadfastness is lacking? How else can one verify intentions and actions if there exists no such mighty impulse as steadfastness? For each one on the path there is but one immutable Might - Hierarchy. Upon this sacred Principle one may construct; from this sacred Summit one may contemplate the world; upon this Stronghold the spirit becomes winged; upon this Summit can be built a mighty evolution. Therefore, when the spirit tries to create an illusory world of selfhood, it is certainly difficult to advance. Thus, in limitless creativeness there is the beacon fire - Hierarchy. Thus, by steadfastness in Service one can broaden one's consciousness and encompass the law of Fiery Hierarchy. Hierarchy (1931) - 223:
223. All events collect around one focus. All signs point to the one focus. One manifested fire exists in everything, the seed of which attracts all corresponding energies. Thus all cosmic events are fulfilled. Hence, only a full realization of the one focus can direct the spiritual quests to the affirmed seed. The immutability of creativeness enters vitally when the focus is realized. For thus, verily, striving enters into the channel of action! Therefore, only in this way can we attain steadfastness of spirit. Thus can one be imbued with a subtle realization of Infinity. Hierarchy (1931) - 233:
233. It is necessary to become as accustomed to battle as to daily labor. One should understand a battle not only as a test of excelling in strength but also as a source for the accumulation of energy. We cannot think of mastering the elements without a battle. And how ready must we be at a call, for otherwise we may waste the action of the Higher Forces. Hierarchy does not mean the steadfastness of repose, but steadfastness in the midst of battle. Can something else be substituted for battle, when Our Magnet is tense and each victory is the joy of the entire Hierarchy? If it is difficult for some to accept Hierarchy through love, let them accept it as a fundamental necessity. Hierarchy (1931) - 248:
248. Each ploughman will say that he wants the plough that makes the largest and deepest furrow. Indeed, why cross the field twice, and why not reach the fertile strata? Let the depth of the furrow be reverence to Hierarchy and the width of the furrow be steadfastness of motion. Let us watch where there is a lack of reverence for Hierarchy and where non-fulfillment of Commands. Let us notice where there is readiness to retreat. Each harm must be eradicated. Rising in spirit one should watch where are the unprotected spots. Hierarchy (1931) - 287:
287. Let us turn to devotion. This concept is also subject to many distortions. Devotion does not resemble a windmill, or a hired singer of praises. Rather, it resembles a firm tower upon a summit, which the enemies avoid in awe, but in whose chambers a shelter is ever prepared for a friend. Devotion is the opposite of doubt, which is nothing but ignorance. It means that devotion rests upon enlightenment. Thus, validity of learning is akin to devotion. It is not credulity, not levity, but firmness and steadfastness. Truly, the tower of devotion is not constructed by haphazard toil or by petty decisiveness; and devotion can be violated only by perfidy, which is the same as betrayal. But valuable are the towers of devotion! Such ashrams, like magnets, attract powerful hearts; they are nurseries of spirituality. Even material nature is transformed in the proximity of these towers. Hierarchy (1931) - 320:
320. What undertakings enter into life without great tension? Each creative step is the affirmation of great battles. Each battle has its predestination, and each design its significance. Thus, those who walk along with the Powers of Light must know that without a tense battle there is no victory. Thus, when the step of great victory is being affirmed, the disciples of Light must feel entire invincibility of the spirit and entire steadfastness of actions. When the affirmation of great foundations was given to humanity, each tension was accepted as a further impulse for new structures. Thus, in evolution each banner has been affirmed by the greatness of the steadfastness manifested. Verily, only thus can one conquer! Heart (1932) - 346:
346. One should also not forget that all the details of these days take on a highly confused aspect. One should not demand customary thinking from people when the air itself is unusual. One must accept the difficulties of the period, preserving steadfastness. Consolation lies in that we can mentally affirm the future. Thus, hold firmly; beyond the heart's thread there is nothing. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 21:
21. The human eye does not see the most powerful electric vibrations. The same is true with regard to fiery gradations. Incidentally, this circumstance always hinders the Teaching of Fire. The smaller manifestations of fiery energies will be sensed, and thus admitted, but higher and more refined manifestations will become imperceptible to the modern apparatus, and to the consciousness which has not karmically approached the element of fire. But contemporaries do not readily admit the imperfection of the apparatus and especially their own inexperience. The lack of such acknowledgement becomes a great obstacle, and instead of moving forward valuable time must be spent in instilling an understanding of the nature of Fire. However, during these reiterations about the concept of Fire, a useful accumulation takes place, which will be indelibly inscribed upon the brain. Whatever is done, at least let those who cannot assimilate through the heart perceive through the brain. Our duty is to proffer the shortest paths, but patience will be found to follow the longest roads also. The chief requisite is steadfastness, when in your heart you yourself know that there is no other way; therefore The Subtle World is achieved only by means of Fire. Thus, knowledge of our essential nature is not only in knowing but also in sensing. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 68:
68. Stand firm, stand more firmly than a rock. The miraculous fire is intensified by steadfastness of spirit. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 94:
94. When I call, "Help through thought." I show a special trust. Not everyone can be asked to help in thought. One must be certain of the quality of thought and the concentration of heart energy. Such choice thoughts are like a powerful radio. One should know how to muster complete devotion, and how not to encumber thoughts with irrelevant feelings. A hurricane is necessary to carry sendings - steadfastness also will be urgently needed. It is erroneous to think that thought is important only for the earthly plane; perhaps it is even more important for the Subtle World, to create a powerful collaboration. During the tension of the world, equilibrium can often be created precisely by thoughts. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 111:
111. On approaching the Fiery World one must firmly assimilate the quality of steadfastness. This is not a very easy quality to attain in connection with mobility. Neither quality implies that one should chew only one and the same crust, or scurry about in the same mouse-trap. It is not easy to affirm these qualities in the spirit as long as the three-dimensional boundaries are not discarded. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 304:
304. People love to discuss evolution and involution, but avoid applying these concepts to themselves. Not following their own evolution, people attract similarly insignificant satellites from the Subtle World! The Subtle World is really striving toward the earthly one, but in full conformity. Consequently, if people would strive toward evolution, they would attract evolving beings. Thus, the betterment of world conditions would be in the hands of humanity itself. Thus, each striving for the Good creates a response not only in the Subtle World but also in the Fiery World. If for some reason such striving remains unexpressed, it nevertheless remains in space in full measure. The potential of Good is like a pillar of light. A carpenter, shoemaker, or physician can think equally of the Good. Constancy and steadfastness in Good is already a conquest. Some may regard the time spent in the Ashram as imprisonment, but with the development of the spirit it will be the most salutary of all sojourns. You know how time flies, and in this flight one becomes accustomed to Infinity. Fiery World - Book 2 (1934) - 370:
370. The wayfarer affirms that he goes to the Lord Himself. It is true, people are amazed at such a resolution, but they respect such steadfastness. One must set before oneself the loftiest goal; only then does the road not appear forbidding. One must adjoin the highest quality throughout all existence. One must accept higher measures as alone worthy of the Highest forces. Only a trained and tempered imagination gives access to the Fiery World. And such meditation is useful on the pathways to the Fiery World. Fiery World - Book 3 (1935) - 112:
112. The protective network is formed out of subtlest energies. All centers participate in the formation of this powerful shield. For a complete circle it is necessary that all the spiritual centers intensify their energies. From out of the centers of the spirit it is especially necessary to tense the heart, because by its power it can transmute thinking. Right thinking produces stability, which is the first requirement. Steadfastness expels duplicity, fear and doubt. The protective net can defend a man, making him invulnerable. But this shield can only then be affirmed when all subtle energies have been harmonized. The experience of Agni Yogi truly provides this shield, but a most cautious regard for the centers is necessary. The protective net must be continually saturated with the energies from within, as a fiery, eternally ascending spiral. Spiritual centers must nurture this power. The protective net passes on with the spirit into the Subtle World. Woven from the subtlest energies, it can become assimilated into the Fiery World; only the highest strivings may be reflected in it. People who live by means of lower centers have no protective net. Obsessed ones do not have this shield. Therefore, on the Fiery path one should take care of the interweaving of the subtlest energies. Fiery World - Book 3 (1935) - 313:
313. For affirmation of actions and of progress it is indispensable to be imbued with the essence of the acting manifestation. When action premises a great goal, each step must conform to the destination. One cannot mix the great with the insignificant. One cannot mix treachery with the higher destination, or a lower impulse with a higher goal. Such a confusion inevitably causes a sharp reaction. Each higher destination is in need of fiery saturation and non-resistance to spatial designations. Besides higher vigilance, a conscious discernment of the forces of Light and darkness is indispensable. Only steadfastness and conscious fearlessness will bring victory. Fiery World - Book 3 (1935) - 484:
484. Steadfastness is an attribute of the shield; the strength is not in it, but in the directing hand. Fire is manifested to the eye but realized by the heart. AUM (1936) - 95:
95. The law of Cosmos is adamant, but at the same time we see apparent fluctuations of it. If we take karma, affirmation of karma too can be changed, just as the span between returns to carnate life may vary in different cases - from an instant to millennia. Those who do not know will be perplexed as to how such steadfastness can be at the same time so variable. Such ignorance will merely prove the lack of understanding of containment. AUM (1936) - 252:
It is also said that the general significance of the word yes as affirmation is the same. It can be found in all tongues; sometimes it will even resound externally. So let us not be inordinately submerged in explanatory interpretations which have frequently been altered. The chief consideration is that the essence of the concept remain inviolate. Let us invoke all steadfastness. AUM (1936) - 253:
253. Lack of steadfastness was especially condemned in antiquity. It was called ruination and was regarded with reproach, as the barrier to advancement. Wavering was considered to be ignorance and failure in the primary education. It was assumed that the disciple would not wander away from the true basis, but would continue persistently to perfect himself. AUM (1936) - 315:
315. You have a wide correspondence with various countries. If your friends begin to record such notes about psychic energy, an important comparison can be made, not only of the facts themselves but also of the individual attitude toward them. Likewise, climatic conditions and local events necessarily infuse a characteristic note. The entire variation of conditions of life can be observed by means of such writings. The steadfastness of unwavering attention helps to deepen observations. AUM (1936) - 443:
443. Who, then, are they who do not esteem and love unity? They have never experienced the feeling of steadfastness which is always connected with unity. They do not know valor, which is indissoluble from unity. They have renounced advancement, which is strong in unity. They have not absorbed the joy existing in unity. They have scorned the stronghold of unity. What, then, is left for them? Either to crumble under the hurricane, or to wither under the sun, or to rot in the moldiness of prejudices. Who, then are those who disdain unity? AUM (1936) - 585:
585. It may be observed how greatly cosmic currents increase the reactions of different organs. One may perceive, as it were, fluctuations of hearing and sight, discomfort of the solar plexus, tension of ligaments, and ardent burning of the centers. The microcosm is responding to the tempest of the Macrocosm. How much steadfastness one must find within oneself! With what can man overcome the tension of space? Aum, as a sounding of harmony, will be a healing agent. Brotherhood (1937) - 18:
One can deprive oneself of courage and steadfastness when one begins to repeat to oneself about difficulties of fulfillment. It makes no difference how courage is applied, it must grow untiringly. Instead of speaking about broken courage, it would be better for people to call this condition simply faint-heartedness. Bones and muscles can be broken, but the spirit is unbreakable! The faint-hearted and wavering man cannot serve the Brotherhood. Brotherhood (1937) - 181:
181. A wayfarer cannot foresee all encounters, but he can find time to follow whoever is proceeding to the crossroads. He should not be distressed if by and by he may be left in solitude. There are paths difficult to traverse in company. Sustained attention to the goal leads to new traveling companions. On the path, it is necessary to keep to the goal with steadfastness. Brotherhood (1937) - 321:
321. In general, fearful wayfarers are not fitted for the path. Can one imagine a swimmer who is afraid of the water? Likewise harmful is fear before advancing into the Subtle World. Only steadfastness and aspiration to the Highest can further the ascent. He who strives toward something beloved does not count the steps of the ladder. Thus, it is necessary to love in order to attain. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 72:
It will be asked what calmness there can be when the world is in convulsion, but it is precisely when the world is in extreme tension that calmness is needed. At such times problems are not solved by usual methods. It is necessary to call forth from the depths of one's accumulations all Primal Energy and all the steadfastness upon which calmness rests. However, there is much earthly impatience, which, like a hail of arrows, shatters the concentration. One must stop to remove these arrows and in doing so diverts one's attention from the most important. At decisive times it is most important to take part in Our Concentration. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 73:
73. Urusvati knows how to discern the veils of Maya. When We speak about veils, it is because there is something being veiled, and that is Primal Energy. Wise is the one who can perceive in different manifestations where the eternal, indestructible foundation lies. Without this discernment everything will be Maya, a baseless mirage. It is impossible to live among such phantoms. The very foundation of eternal life requires a realization of where to find that steadfastness upon which the tired traveler can lean. Inevitably man will come to seek the eternal foundation. Thought about immutability can inspire man to action, and this striving to action is a healthy sign. We may be asked what conditions are required for Us to be able to help people better: of course, the answer is in action. We can say to those who ask for help, "Act!" for then it is easier for Us to help. Even a small unsuccessful action is better than no action, since We can then add Our energy to the energy shown by you. It is no wonder that a substance will blend more easily with one that is similar. When We wish to apply Our energy, We look for its most useful application. We send Our energy not just to awaken, but also to increase the power of those who strive. A person suddenly awakened can perform the most foolish actions. The sleeping one should not be disturbed unexpectedly, but when one is on a conscious vigil, We can help. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 2 (1938) - 415:
The Teacher will say that it is useless to regret the past, and He will be right, for regrets are fetters. But one should examine why the advice was not applied, and among the reasons we will find fear and selfishness. These vipers can turn the most attentive listener into an unbridled opponent! In his negation he will develop a peculiar bravado, and will cheat in order to justify himself and his deviations. The Teacher knows these human traits, and He will not regret the spilled seeds, for the earth may produce an unexpected yield. We have observed over and over how different listening is from actual application. We look into the future, and in this aspiration We find steadfastness and courage.
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