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New Era Community (1926) - 70:
70. My Hands know not repose. My Head upholds the weight of the works. My Mind searches out the solidity of solutions. The power of experience defeats alien infirmity. At the point of loss do I pour in the new possibilities. On the line of retreat I build strongholds. In the eyes of the enemy I wave the banner. I call the day of fatigue a day of repose. I recognize a manifestation of non-understanding as rubbish on the threshold. I can conceal the sacred in the folds of a working garment. A miracle means for Me only the mark of a horseshoe. Courage means for Me only the arrow in the quiver. Resoluteness for Me is only the daily bread. Agni Yoga (1929) - 68:
68. Let children describe their ideas of the New Country. In this way we can observe how the unseen is made manifest. Inspire in the children the impulse to realize their dreams. This is the best task that we can offer them. Afterwards, let them describe a common piece of granite. That will be a test of their resourcefulness. Perhaps the stone will give them an idea of the strongholds of the far-off worlds. Out of the ordinary one can evoke the sparks of beauty. Agni Yoga (1929) - 114:
114. The karma of one's actions cannot be compensated for by inaction. He who built a pyre to incinerate Truth will have to bend and remove each cinder. The command of justice neither burns nor smolders. It flares up, unexpected, and consumes the strongholds of obstruction. Infinity - Book 1 (1930) - 349:
349. One of the most powerful magnets is the magnet of the spirit. A most powerful force, which transmutes various energies, is the magnet of the heart. All currents are transmuted by this magnet. Man is attracted to this magnet; therefore, the power of his transmutation lies in the heart. The sun seen in the region of the solar plexus is that powerful magnet. Its location is certainly in the heart, and its reflection is great. It is a most powerful force! Its rays penetrate all strongholds and can be manifested as a most radiant magnetic force. Hence, the sun of the heart is the force which determines the balance. In ancient times this truth was as well known as the laws of attraction. Therefore, We value the centers which glow as the sun. Infinity - Book 2 (1930) - 353:
353. The enemies are afraid of these volcanic actions. The volcanoes of the spirit are active, and the instinct of the enemies leads them to detect the Carriers of Fires. Only the Fire of Our Towers can conquer. The volcanoes are acting and the strongholds of the enemies are being destroyed. Hierarchy (1931) - 146:
146. When the link with the Lord is strong, mountains can be moved. Striving to Hierarchy creates that culture about which so much is spoken. Dead are those who presume that by means of earthly Maya they can create strongholds. It is as unwise as children dreaming to build a fortress out of mud! Only the world of spirit is truly strong, for it is indestructible and invincible. It may be pointed out that the first sign of culture is the absence of personal discords. Hierarchy (1931) - 358:
358. Humanity must build its strongholds as a wondrous indivisible circle. Each creative inception must be built upon integrity and indivisibility, affirming itself in an orbit around the center. Only thus, by a radius, can one reach all points and establish the right scope. It should be understood that each stronghold must be nurtured from the center. The more superficial the receptivity, the more perilous it is in all directions. Therefore one should harken to the inner manifestation of the center. The indivisibility of the stronghold is its might. Integrity is its beauty. The center is the Hierarchy of Bliss. Thus the highest step is built. Each spirit must realize that all lives through the light of integrity. Each Ashram is nurtured by integrity and lives by the Light of Hierarchy. Each atom lives by integrity. In this is beauty; thus is the world constructed. Heart (1932) - 294:
294. Of course, disparagement is a bad adviser. The most insignificant is born of disparaging. Let those who belittle not be regarded as martyrs; they have sown rotten seeds, and they creep low hoping to see the sprouts. Quite the contrary, by affirming, people right themselves, and thus they build strongholds. You already have examples of the usefulness of affirmation. Works can only grow by benediction. Think about benediction. Heart (1932) - 338:
338. A vast amount of courage is needed in order to build up the forces of the heart in the midst of destruction. Were one not aware of the need of these metamorphoses for all worlds, one would believe the heart's attainments to be useless. But fortunately this is needed for all that exists. Therefore, even in the dust of destructions one should build the strongholds of the heart. Heart (1932) - 476:
476. Even the most tender, the most compassionate heart should not be lacking in courage. The heart is a rock on which strongholds can be built. Can a stronghold prevail without courage and solemnity? In the most limited circumstances courage gives sweep to the horizons, and solemnity leads to the Heights. One should be tireless in the quest for courage and solemnity. Courage may either be buried under the fragments of destructions or remain incompletely developed. This is a quality that belongs to the list of those which are developing. Each courageous quality has been tested in the past, thus the igniting of courage is not difficult when its blade has already experienced battle People often use beautiful expressions without realizing their origins. They say correctly, "The heart became alight," or "The spirit was kindled." This means that time was when they remembered the fire of the heart, but now they are ashamed of this fire. They are primarily ready to explain their beautiful expression either as a superstition or the fantasy of a nursery rhyme. But during the best moments let us recall fire, courage, and solemnity. Love, which is comprised in pure solemnity, is always in need of defense against dark maligners. Courage becomes a shield, and fire welds its streams into a fiery sword. Heart (1932) - 490:
490. When a house is for rent, even the crudest people will inspect every corner and express their feelings. Could We, then, place our disciples in uninspected dwellings? One must be aware of everything that surrounds one. One must sense all stratifications of the past before striving into the future. But when the decision about the future comes, the past falls away like the shadow of the passing sunset; and it is only the glow of sunrise that illumines the brow. Some people suspect Us without cause of insufficient cooperation. Our care about them is far greater than is their thought about Us. If one were to enumerate the great number of wasted counsels and incomplete structures, one could imagine how difficult it is to fill the abysses! Thus, even now beautiful strongholds can be erected! Heart (1932) - 556:
556. You will not be astonished at My confirmation that black magic is increasing greatly. Of course, this is one of the weapons used by the opponents of Light. They gather conscious and unconscious co-workers. Conjurations, incantations, and also all the accumulations of the dark ones, are broadly utilized. In addition to the dark centers previously indicated to you many small circles are arising, often based on the most primitive rituals. But general harm is great. Of course, white magic possesses the most powerful formula - but above all formulas stands the energy of the heart. All formulas and conjurations presuppose mechanical apparatuses, remaining within the confines of the lowest teachings. But now, when the forces of darkness are so aroused, the forces of the heart are set against them in opposition. It can be noticed how gradually the rituals of white magic were carried to the highest concepts of Fire and the heart. The dark ones do not possess these strongholds. Only the pure heart can act. Only the link with the Hierarchy of Light can kindle the inextinguishable fires. Thus, the opposition of the heart to all dark forces will be the sign of victory. I affirm the might of the heart and from your experience you know how close and powerful is this weapon of Light. The fiery sphere cannot be approached without the flame of the heart. Initiation by fire is only for the pure heart. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 560:
560. It must be remembered that Great Service brings one closer to cognition of the Great Goal. Comprehend it in its entire scope, to the best of your ability, in complete tension of the spirit. Beautiful is such tension when invisible co-workers gather around it. They strengthen the armor, protect from arrows, and illumine the path. Man can advance as if winged; he has gained numberless co-workers, and they are obedient to Hierarchy. Thus, above all physical considerations, let us at times lift our spirit toward the loftiest strongholds. This must be affirmed as the shield of the Great Service. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 592:
592. Evil can be eradicated only by good. Such a truth is simple, and yet it remains not understood. The good in people is usually not operating and therefore remains inactive. They cannot imagine how good can expel evil, thus cutting short its existence. Good is the most active, vital, inexhaustible, invincible principle, but in its entire action it is devoid of cruelty. Therein, and also in its freedom from egoism and conceit, lies one of its most significant distinctions from evil. So if a religion and its emissaries display cruelty, it cannot be a religion that is a link with the Highest Good! How can one imagine a servant of religion as cruel? By this cruelty he would become the enemy of good. Moreover he would be indicating his ignorance with regard to the very covenant of religion. Good cannot sanction cruelty! But in affirming the sacred Teaching of active good one must ponder how to use one's entire time in the glorification of good. And such glorification will be not only a symbol, it will be the fire of the heart. If we want to advance we must apply active goodness. We must understand that we can replace a pit with a true temple. Step by step we must fill the abyss with strongholds of Light. We must put together the stones of good, over and above any personal moods. Let the small planet burn itself out, but our Father's house has many mansions. Each action for good is an eternal achievement. When the dross of evil shall have long since disintegrated, the sites of good will flourish. Fiery World - Book 2 (1934) - 261:
261. It is an error to think that the forces of darkness attack only weak spots. Very often chaos presses deliberately upon the most powerful strongholds. Likewise breakers are more violent against cliffs. Therefore every wall must be guarded, both low and high ones. Let us not forget this, for people often think about shielding the weak and abandon the strong. Everywhere there are intimidations by chaos, and tensions are tripled. Read about the downfall of great nations to anyone who does not cherish the feeling of protections. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 41:
Every co-worker of the Brotherhood comes into close contact with the Subtle World. We have entire Strongholds in that world. You already know their names, you have heard about the wondrous tree, Elgatir, and about the structures created by thought. One must clearly realize these conditions in order to direct oneself to Dokyood. Thought not obscured by doubt will lead to Our supermundane Abodes. The Abode of the Hierarchy in the Himalayas is in constant communication with the Abodes in the Subtle World, and the earthly battle resounds and thunders there. People do not want to understand this correlation, therefore even Armageddon is to them only an earthly conflict between peoples, and the most important aspect of Armageddon remains misunderstood. How can one participate in something when only the smallest part of what is happening is known? We affirm that the battle raging in the Subtle World is far more violent than that which is fought on Earth. Truly, much of the spatial battle resounds on Earth. Often Our World tries to warn people of this terrible danger, but in vain. One of Our Brothers used to say, "Let us tell people once again, but how difficult it is to speak to deaf ears." Their warnings will be words of justice and compassion. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 49:
You may be sure that these many centuries have taught people to harken to Our Advice. Let us not forget that at various times We have appeared in the countries of the West. In addition to Our Eastern Ashrams, We have had Our Abodes in Western cities - in Lyon, in Nuremberg, in places near London, near St. Petersburg, and in Italy. Besides the Oriental and Egyptian Ashrams, it was necessary to have Strongholds in some big cities. Let us not forget that the struggle with the forces of darkness evokes the need for many measures. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 93:
93. Urusvati knew long ago the identity of the Founder of the Brotherhood. It is possible to trace the long chain of incarnations and the periods in the Subtle World, yet in all this diversity the fundamental, unchanging goal of existence should be discerned. Similarly, one can see how, though earthly temples and strongholds have perished, the ideas that brought them into being have not died. Not only do they nourish entire generations, but, as centuries go by they continue to flourish beautifully with a new understanding. We pay no attention to superficial fluctuations, knowing that the essence is unchangeable.
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