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Leaves of Morya's Garden - Book 1 - The Call (1924) - 232:
232. The path of virtue is not a singing of psalms, but labor and service. If Karma is violated, it will react against you. The travail of the spirit is the one ladder on the shortest path. The suffering of a decade is crowded into one day in the lives of the chosen ones. Better a full cup of misery than a life of mild sadness. Pay your accounts in the hostelries on the way, and with a bow they will carry your trunks onto the ships. New Era Community (1926) - 46:
46. Never did I speak about any ease in bringing the new consciousness into life. Not the destroyers, but the moldy, conventional virtue is the enemy. The destroyers know the instability of that which they destroy, and the principle of remittal is easier for them. But rosy-cheeked virtue loves its chest of savings and will always defend it with eloquence. Such people recite the sacred words of the Scriptures, and will find subtle arguments why they are indeed ready to surrender it not to this but to that man who does not yet exist. New Era Community (1926) - 46:
Conventional virtue manifests superlative cupidity and loves to tell lies. And such handsome, rosy-cheeked teachers of virtue are these, and so oily in their affection! Achievement, human achievement, is unknown to these teachers of virtue, and their resplendent garments are starched with slavery! Agni Yoga (1929) - 13:
13. The book of Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, has long been appreciated in the East not only by virtue of its content but because of the meaning of its title. In the midst of medieval idolatry of Christ, the voice of Thomas à Kempis resounded in protest. From behind the walls of a Catholic monastery rang out a voice to clarify the Image of the Great Teacher. The very word imitation comprises a vital action. The formula - Imitation of Christ - is an achievement of daring innate in the conscious spirit that accepts all responsibility of creation. Truly, the conscious pupil dares to approach the Teacher in imitation. Such an example brought light into the musty darkness and behind the monastic walls provided the impetus to strive toward creative daring. Infinity - Book 1 (1930) - 173:
The cause of extinguished consciousness lies in a decline in the reflection of the power of the Cosmic Magnet. It is difficult to detect the connecting levers which propel striving. Of course, one cannot exclude the waves of the will of spirit. Each human virtue or defect can be measured according to the intensity which impels the action. The precision is very indicative, and thus the forces of movement can be determined - be they with evolution or against the surging current. Thus, let each spirit determine for himself the intensity in the quality of his fire. Only through such measurement can one apprehend the Infinite. 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) - 48:
48. Some may ask why I speak of a Leader and not of a Ruler. The difference between them is enormous. the conception of Ruler presupposes the present and the ruling over something already existing, but the Leader manifests the future in the very significance of the word. He has not received anything already built; he leads, and each of his actions impels forward. The ruler knows that which is already built and accomplished, but the Leader confronts nothing which is already affirmed and must bring the people to the Mount of Perfection. If the burden of the Ruler is great, then the responsibility of the Leader is still greater, and therefore the Highest Powers affirm their Altar there, where there are signs of such Leadership. Precisely the Leader must discriminate between hypocrisy and sincerity. The manifestation of the virtue of the heart differs greatly from a forced servility. The Leader has the power to discern this quality. Brotherhood (1937) - 63:
63. It has been said that virtue has a rainbow aura. The rainbow is the symbol of synthesis. Is not virtue revealed as a synthesis of qualities? In each ancient symbol can be found an unquestionable truth. People have understood that virtue is not simply the doing of good. They have distinctly known that only consonances of tensions of the best qualities provide the synthesis of ascent. They have known that only the motive will be the affirmation of virtue. No outward actions can testify to the intentions. Experiments with psychic energy will reveal to what extent action is to be distinguished from motive. No glittering words and actions can conceal intention. Many historical instances can be cited when, because of an unworthy motive, even useful actions could not be justified. On the other hand, much that remained inexplicable and under suspicion has shown the radiance of beautiful motives. Such evidences of the essence of life will be confirmed by the primary energy.
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