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Leaves of Morya's Garden - Book 2 - Illumination (1925) - 3.5.9:
3.5.9. Outside the window sounded a call. One worker ignored it with "Don't disturb me, I am busy!" Another promised to come but forgot. A third came after his work was finished, but the place was already empty. A fourth was set a tremble at the call, and, putting aside his tools, went forth at once with, "Here I am!" This is called the tremor of sensitiveness. Leaves of Morya's Garden - Book 2 - Illumination (1925) - 3.5.19:
I have spoken about secret dugpas for your information; but for yourselves you need pay no attention to them, as to every striving worker they are mere dust. New Era Community (1926) - 1:
1. Family, clan, country, union of nations - each unit strives toward peace, toward betterment of life. Each unit of cooperation and communal life needs perfecting. No one can fix the limits of evolution. By this line of reasoning a worker becomes a creator. Let us not be frightened by the problems of creativeness. Let us find for science unencumbered paths. Thus, thought about perfectionment will be a sign of joy. New Era Community (1926) - 11:
11. Many falsehoods have been piled around the concept of labor. Only recently was labor scorned and considered harmful for health. What an outrage this is - this regarding of labor as harmful! Not labor is injurious but the ignorant conditions surrounding labor. Only conscious cooperation can render healthy the sacred labor. Not only must the quality of labor be high, but there must be strengthened the mutual desire to make the conditions of labor clearly understood. One must not curse labor, one should set forward the better worker. New Era Community (1926) - 103:
103. The schools must be a stronghold of learning in all fullness. Each school, from the very primary up to the highest institution, must be a living link among all schools. Study must be continued during one's entire life. Applied knowledge must be taught, without breaking away from historic and philosophic science. The art of thinking must be developed in each worker. Only then will he grasp the joy of perfectionment and know how to make use of his leisure. New Era Community (1926) - 152:
152. We condemn every delay. Riddance from delay is accomplished by two particular external qualities in life precision in labor, and vigilance. Precision in labor must be developed in each worker. New Era Community (1926) - 163:
163. Creativeness is the basis of evolution. With what then is it possible to strengthen the acts of creative power? Only with cheerfulness. Joy is a special wisdom. Cheerfulness is a special technique. This enhancement of vigor arises out of a conscious realization of the creativeness of elements. Truly, creative patience and cheerfulness are to two wings of the worker. New Era Community (1926) - 176:
We used to perform experiments in textile factories, where there were hundreds of looms and up to a hundred more or less experienced workmen. The looms, irrespective of the experience of the operator, demanded rest beyond the apportioned period. By submitting the operators to a psychic test, it was clearly perceived that in the hands of those possessing psychic energy the looms were less in need of rest, as if a living current were communicated to the loom and prolonged its vitality. This living coordination between worker and machine must be applied in the communities of labor. It is possible to attain this advantageous condition only through study of psycho-mechanics. New Era Community (1926) - 202:
202. Often the community is accused of doing violence to the freedom of individuality. This charge is applicable to any compromise state but not to the community. In a conscious community there is a place for every labor. Each one may select his task at will, for every labor is sharpened by new attainments. There is not the tedium of mechanical performance, for the worker is at the same time an experimenter. He understands the significance of the problem of introducing perfectionment of work without disturbing the general complex of rhythm. New Era Community (1926) - 224:
It is impossible to glut oneself with knowledge; incalculable are the ascents of creativeness. In this infinity lies the stimulus of eternal labor. The worker may be saturated, and the watch is for him just the joy of conscious vigilance. One's being quivers in spirals of light, and light rings out. New Era Community (1926) - 228:
228. The time has come when We shall say to each worker "You belong to Us!" The time has come when we shall re-examine the paths and signs, starting from the stellar ones; when we shall abbreviate languages and expressions of thought; when we shall reread the verses of antiquity for the last time. New Era Community (1926) - 273:
273. Humanity must suffer very much before it comes to an understanding of the advantage of unity. Most destructive forces have been directed for the purpose of obscuring the embryos of unification. Each unifying agent is subject to personal danger. Each peace-maker is disparaged. Each worker is ridiculed. Each builder is called madman. Thus the servants of dissolution try to drive from the face of the Earth the Banner of Enlightenment. Work is impossible amid enmities. Construction is inconceivable amid explosions of hatred. Fellowship is battling with man-hatred. Agni Yoga (1929) - 452:
Fire requires caution. One should develop this, and service is the measure of one's solicitous vigilance. Just as the petals of a flower curl and droop from a clumsy touch, so does the protective lotus close itself when a violent threat pierces one's space. As a solicitous worker I commission the co-workers to carry the treasure. Infinity - Book 1 (1930) - 35:
Do not think of Fire as an abstract concept. Although we do not summon you to the stake, We do not detach you from daily life. Verily, We see Fire even in the most humble worker, if in his spirit lives the song of the endless joy of labor. We shall say that We value each manifestation of true labor, leading toward evolution. Search for this identity and you will become identical with the higher. Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 106:
106. The master smelter counseled the new worker on how to approach the fiery furnace. But the worker's only concern was to learn the chemical composition of the flame. The master said to him, "You will be burned alive before you reach the flame. Knowing the chemical formula will not save you. Let me give you the proper clothes, change your footwear, shield your eyes, and indicate the proper breathing. First, keep in mind all the rapid transitions and fluctuations from heat to cold. I can make the most fiery work attractive to you. You will love the flashes and the glow of fires. In the tension of the flame you will find, not terror, but the tremor of ecstasy, and a proper conception of fire will fortify your being." Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 472:
472. Poor is the master craftsman who does not make use of all the riches of nature. For the skillful carver, a bent tree is a precious treasure. A good weaver uses each spit for the embellishment of his carpet. The goldsmith rejoices at each unusual alloy of metals. Only the mediocre craftsman will deplore everything unusual. Only an impoverished imagination is satisfied with the limits set by others. The true master develops great acuteness and resourcefulness in himself. The blessed spell of his craft frees the master worker from discouragement. Even the night does not bring darkness for the master, but only a variety of forms of the one fire. No one can entice a master toward aimless speculations, because he knows the inexhaustibility of the essence of being. In the name of this unity, the master gathers each blossom and constructs an eternal harmony. He regrets the waste of any material. But people far from mastery lose the best treasures. They repeat the best prayers and invocations, but these broken and unrealized rhythms are carried away like dust. The fragments of knowledge are turned into the dust of a dead desert. The human heart knows about fire, but the reason tries to obscure this evident wisdom. People say, "He was consumed with wrath; he withered from envy; he was aflame with desire." In a multitude of expressions, precise and clear, people show knowledge of the significance of Fire. But these people are not master artisans, and are always ready thoughtlessly to scatter the pearls they themselves so need! One cannot understand the human prodigality which destroys the treasures of Light. People do not deny themselves a single opportunity for negation. They are ready to extinguish all fires around them, only to proclaim that there is no Fire within them. Yet to extinguish fires and admit the darkness is the horror of ignorance. Fiery World - Book 2 (1934) - 118:
118. Labor may be of four kinds - toil with repulsion, which leads to decomposition; unconscious toil, which does not strengthen the spirit; toil devoted and loving, which yields a good harvest; and finally, toil which is not only conscious but also consecrated under the Light of Hierarchy. The ignorant may suppose that uninterrupted communion with Hierarchy can distract one from striving for the work itself, but, on the contrary, constant communion with Hierarchy lends a higher quality to one's labor. Only the eternal Source deepens the significance of perfectionment. This flaming measure of labor must be established. The very approach to the Fiery World demands realization of earthly labor as the most proximate step. Few of the workers can discern the quality of their own work, but if the worker were to strive to Hierarchy, he would immediately advance to a higher step. The ability to establish the sacred Hierarchy in one's heart is also an inner concentration, but such action comes through toil. By not wasting time upon oneself, it is possible in the midst of labor to become linked to Hierarchy. Let the Lord live in the heart. Let Him become as inalienable as the heart itself. Let the Name of the Lord be inhaled and exhaled with each breath. Let each rhythm of labor resound with the Name of the Lord. Thus should each one who thinks about the Fiery World know how to conduct himself. Can I lie before the Lord? Can I conceal anything from the Lord? Can I contemplate treason in the presence of the Lord Himself? Thus let each reflection only strengthen and restrain one from the evil of faint-heartedness and dark thoughts. Fiery World - Book 2 (1934) - 160:
160. One may apprehend through many examples how wisely are distributed the Hierarchic forces of advancement. You yourselves see how a Worker, revered by you, remained in the Ashram because His spiritual forces were ablaze near the hearth of accumulations. Only the ignorant think that from earthly consideration alone He did not come out into the field of battle. Everyone who has any conception of spiritual forces will agree that only their conscious application will be wise. Thus, let us realize goal-fitness; it is needed immeasurably on the path to the Fiery World. Fiery World - Book 3 (1935) - 36:
36. In the community one should remember about the sacredness of feelings. One should especially remember that it is inadmissible to evoke forcibly the subtle feeling in a fellow worker. One should not develop subtle vibrations in the heart by outside demands. Only an inner, merited action gives birth to a conformable vibration. Rarely is this life of spirit found amidst choking earthly vibrations. Yet this manifestation - when spirit resounds in harmony with spirit - is so beautiful! First of all, in the development of the consciousness of the community one should affirm the understanding of cooperation. In this understanding the community can become strengthened, and the worm of self-pity will vanish. Thus do We administer advice to the disciples, affirming the joy of labor without encroachment upon the heart of another. Long since was it said "One cannot be dear by force!" This is also a cosmic formula. But one can greatly purify the path of concerted labor. Thus let the disciples remember the manifestation of cooperation as an important step in the daily life of the community. Fiery World - Book 3 (1935) - 38:
38. The most powerful path of manifested reciprocity is the one of the spirit manifesting a subtle flow of energy. The most subtle reciprocity is through spirit-understanding. The force of the reciprocity of spirit-understanding is incomparable to anything. Of course, in spiritual construction one must make use of many channels, but one should distinguish between the channels which are governed by the will from without and from within. The great Source of spirit-understanding is the most subtle and the most high affirmation. The outside source is simply a channel through which one may send - even paralyzing the will. But there is so much inaccurate information, because one may not too often paralyze the will. Besides, these channels are very unilateral, whereas in the cosmic structure they are like a single retort. Hence, it is so important to cognize the power of spirit understanding. Mediums, and other sources as well, receive only partial sendings which crowd the space. The solicitude of Hierarchy is expressed in sendings to the workers, but if they do not transmit that which is sent to the community the channel is impure. Would Hierarchy send visions for one worker alone? Again, the channel is impure. Therefore it is so difficult to broaden the consciousness. AUM (1936) - 43:
43. Some devote themselves entirely to prayer, others are able to combine prayer with labor. Let us not weigh which is the more precious; suffice it that prayer and the link with the Higher World do exist and transform life. Do not be astonished if a worker produces a better quality of work by performing it with an invocation of higher Assistance. Be not amazed if the shortest prayer will be the most efficacious. AUM (1936) - 323:
323. After labor the worker is better and more tolerant. A great deal of perfecting takes place in work. In toil lies evolution! AUM (1936) - 510:
510. Each toiler has the right to the improvement of his field of labor. This is not only a right but also an obligation. Each task can be improved. Such creativeness of improvement will be the joy of the worker. Brotherhood (1937) - 92:
92. Detested labor is not only a misery for the unsuccessful worker but it poisons the whole surrounding atmosphere. The discontent of the worker does not permit him to find joy and to improve the quality. Moreover, imperil born of irritation redoubles gloomy thoughts, with effects fatal to creativeness. But the definite question may arise as to what is to be done if not everyone can find work corresponding to his vocation. Undoubtedly, many people cannot apply themselves in the way they would like. There exists a remedy for lifting such a blight. Scientific attainments show that above the everyday routine there is a beautiful domain accessible to all - the realization of psychic energy. In experiments with it one may be convinced that farmers often possess a goodly store of the energy. Likewise, many other fields of labor aid the conservation of energy. Therefore, amid the most diverse labors one may find uplifting strength. Brotherhood (1937) - 119:
119. It may be noticed that patience is developed to the extreme in certain people while others are totally lacking in this quality. What is the reason for this? Such a basic quality cannot be a matter of chance. Know that the possessor of patience has built it up in many lives. A patient man is a worker of vast experience. Only in great labors does a man cognize the worthlessness of irritation. Before the Great Image he perceives the complete insignificance of transitory manifestations. Without many testings it is impossible to appraise and distinguish the qualities of manifestations in life. One should not assume that patience is a distinction conferred without reason; on the contrary, it belongs to the qualities that have been earned with special difficulty, both in the earthly and in the subtle sojourn. Hence, the patient man is rich in experience while the impatient one is a novice in life. Thus let us remember, for the Path. Brotherhood (1937) - 258:
258. Seeds may be scattered by the whirlwind; they may be nibbled by birds; they may be washed away by a downpour of rain - many are the causes and the effects. It is especially difficult for man that he cannot predetermine the result of a sowing. But because of this he should not distribute arbitrarily the results of labor. Man must clearly picture the goal of his work, but the paths of movement and the new obstructions must not distress the worker. In the earthly way it is not easy to reconcile oneself to the thought that seeds can sprout in unexpected places. But let man not forget that the vitality of a seed is great. Thus let us sow, without thinking where the beautiful garden will spring up and expand. A man may select for his garden a splendid place, according to his way of thinking, while the place next to it may prove to be a far more fertile soil where even a seed brought by the wind will flourish. Thus let us sow, having no doubts about the vitality of seeds. Brotherhood (1937) - 277:
277. Each true worker sometimes experiences, as it were, the fall of all his work into an abyss, moreover an abyss which is unfathomable. Thus the spirit of the worker suffers a most dangerous predetermination. A weak one senses the abyss and falls into despondency, but a strong one recognizes the touch of Infinity. Many observations and experiments confront a man before he can encounter joyfully the face of Infinity. Gone will be regret for human creations which have been dissolved. They, even the most sublime ones, will be dispersed in Infinity. The earthly mind does not realize where its accumulated treasures can be made manifest. A man wishes to bring good to humanity, but instead of the fruits of his labor there lies before him an unfathomable abyss. A formidable mind may shudder at that, but the tempered, manifested warrior of labor sees before him, not a chasm but the radiance of Infinity. Brotherhood (1937) - 377:
377. Each machine creates a particular psychology on the part of the worker. The rhythm of a machine is a strong indication of the structure of thinking. Therefore one should study the rhythm of different machines. It may be said that a machine is a sign of an existing condition. A machine worker should receive special intellectual cultivation in order not to fall under the influence of the machine's rhythm. Many will not comprehend what has been said and will think that such abstract reasoning has no meaning. It is time to discriminate where is abstraction, and where actuality. Brotherhood (1937) - 596:
596. A city of science will always be the dream of enlightened people. Not one would presume to raise objections to an abode of scientists, where in peace and wise communion truths would be brought to light. Each learned worker would have the best equipment at his disposal. One can picture what discoveries would issue from general concordance and cooperation of all the branches of science! No one would consider the idea of such a city utopian. If only the means and good will could be found! But if one were to say that a certain Abode of Knowledge does exist, a multitude of doubts and denials would come tumbling out. And if to the word science one were to add the word Brotherhood , it will certainly be said that such a chemical combination is impossible. But who has said that science and Brotherhood are incompatible? Brotherhood (1937) - 600:
600. Let it not be thought by scientists that any censure of them issues from the Brotherhood. Scientists are Our friends. We do not call bookmen, full of superstition, scientists; but each enlightened scientific worker receives a greeting of welcome from the Brotherhood. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 3:
We watch inventors with great attention. We sometimes rejoice, but more often grieve. Our Tower is open to all that is new, and it is a special joy when the thought that is sent by Us has been accepted by a worthy worker. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 18:
Our manifestations and help are different. We save worthy people at moments of danger. By gentle contact We draw the attention of seekers, whom We forewarn about their harmful decisions. We help to create and assist the Good. Our Work is dedicated to knowledge. We help each useful worker, unhindered by conventional distinctions of race and class. We watch diligently to discover where the ray of self-sacrificing achievement will flash. Our Temple is the Temple of Knowledge. We bring to it all the highest and We guard there all the affirmations of the future. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 121:
Sometimes it seems that certain discoveries were made as if by chance, but was there not a whisper of help from the Tower of Chun? Scientists seldom heed Our Advice however, and We are often compelled to give an indication, not to the specialist, but to a receptive worker in a related endeavor. Wives, sisters, and other close co-workers of inventors can testify how sometimes they led the scientists to predestined discoveries because of their straight-knowledge. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 1 (1938) - 214:
Every worker also receives help from the Subtle World, and people would be much more successful if they realized that this invisible cooperation exists. Scoffers will say, "Can it be that even carpenters, farmers, and masons receive help from the Subtle World?" This mockery is out of place, for each appreciated labor receives help. People should think more about the inexhaustible store of energy in the Subtle World. Supermundane - The Inner Life - Book 2 (1938) - 297:
297. Urusvati knows the meaning of labor. It is an intensification of psychic energy that can be understood in many ways. Some think of it as prayer, others joy, and still others ascension. People can create a natural discipline out of labor. The rhythm of labor is a form of pranayama, and can be made into a natural discipline. It is wrong to assume, as many people do, that routine work is repellent. The experienced worker is a master of his task and perfects every detail.
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