1923_07_08 GUIDANCE

[Ani]

Note 2p

 

GUIDANCE

 

33rd Lecture of the General Class of the Occult (July 8, 1923)

 

 

We will now do a short exercise: to begin, your arms are stretched forward parallel to the ground, palms down. The right hand is placed over the left and slowly slides up the arm to the left shoulder, then in front of the face and above the head to complete a circle and then again forward coming back parallel with the left. After that, the left hand is placed over the right and the same movement is repeated with the left hand. After that, the arms slowly move to the side, then rise and then down again.

 

Now, the left arm is stretched out to the front and the right hand is placed on the left shoulder then glides from the shoulder over the arm to the fingers and in the end, comes down to the side of the body. The same is repeated with the left hand.

 

Several of the students writing were red(? read) of the assigned theme "The purpose of the brothers and sisters"

 

Sing the song "The Spirit of God".

 

2nd exercise: The right arm is brought forward. The thumb touches the little finger and releases, after that the thumb and the ring finger touch and then release, after that the thumb and the middle finger touch and release and lastly the thumb and the forefinger touch and then release. The palm opens wide.

 

The thumb, the little finger and the index join, then the ring finger joins, only the middle finger remains straight, after that it too joins. After that, the index loosens, after that the middle, the ring and the little finger loosen. The arm then returns to your side ? The same exercise is repeated with the left hand. When you do these exercises, your mind must concentrate on the fingers. At first, this exercise will look childish but in this case, when you concentrate your mind you will realize that it has good results. Every single finger is connected with certain currents. For example, if you want to cultivate in yourself dijents and kindness. If you wish to work on your mind join the thumb with the index very slowly, while the other fingers remain flexed. Concentrate your mind on this group of fingers (the thumb and index when are touching affect). Or if you wish to develop your conscious awareness, unite the thumb with the middle finger and you will receive the energy which will work on your consciousness. If you want to develop the arts, or love of nature unite the thumb with the ring finger. Lastly if you wish to be tactful? unite the thumb with the little finger, because sometimes you are short tempered. Do this exercise in the morning and at noon and observe how it works. These are elementary exercises.

 

Remember the following: if you go and share these things with others, you loose the key. Do you know why? That person will try the exercise and think of what are you doing. Thinking like this about you, the connection will be lost. When you share this exercise with someone else he says that this is childish and he does not wish to occupy himself with stupid things. You will come home with a broken heart. You should not act this way. First you will prove these things yourself. You will do the exercise once or twice and when you see that it works then you can share it with others. You can use these exercises also in your childregoing(?). You will say to your child: "Come dear, lets try an exercise."

 

Sometimes the mother has a hard time calming down her child. Let her try this exercise and the child will calm down. Sometimes there is a fight in the family. Do these exercises with the fingers, it is like playing an instrument and the conflict will be resolved. It is an excellent exercise.

 

Sometimes if you are despondent, do this exercise and you will see that within five or ten minutes you will be in excellent disposition of Spirit, otherwise you will sit and contemplate why the world was created this way and who knows what other questions will disturb you. This way you will move a little with your fingers and that which you need you will receive.

 

There may be sometimes some exceptions but you must be sure that your mind is present while you do the exercise, and to believe with certainty and not only a superficial faith. You must try a law to see if there will be a result or not. Persistence is necessary and nature has created the hands for some purpose.

 

Now exercise 3

 

Hands in front fingers laced together and palms facing out thumbs together. The little fingers separate, after that the ring finger, then the middle fingers and at the end the index fingers, only the thumbs remain touching. The hands turn together like a bouquet with the fingers touching. After that the right hand glides along the left, passes in front of the face above the head, passed down to the right side, comes down, reaches forward the thumbs touch, after that the index, after that the middle fingers, the ring fingers, and the little fingers. This way the hands pass over the head, then in front over the head and in this position the following formula is pronounced:

 

"In the unity of God's Love (the hands come down to the heart, fingers still joined) and Wisdom (hands go up to the same position over the head), Truth (down) accomplishes her (it's) purpose (hands up).

 

In the name of God's Wisdom (hands down) and God's Love (up), Truth (down) achieves her sacred purpose (up)" and after that slowly the hands glide down.

 

The remaining themes were read. The resume on the theme: "The difference between good and righteousness" was read.

 

The theme for next week will be "The Relationship between the air and the water".

 

The mind of the student of the Occult must learn to differentiate, to know how to distinguish things. I would like you to know in any given moment without self-criticism, in what category the state in which you find yourselves belongs and to see what the results are. For example, at one time during the day you experience melancholy. This should not worry you, it is normal. Or, sometimes you may be in a state of cheerfulness. This should not make you glad, because you do not know which is better, which of the two states will produce a better result! A pleasant state my be good but the possibility in both cases is equal to 50%.

 

The students of the Occult must constantly be aware of his states. You still tend to wonder about your states. Sometimes you find yourself in a position as if you are absent, you feel as if you are emptied, your mind does not work, not only this, but you come to a state as if you loose your consciousness, as if another power has the upper hand over you. Even if you should loose your consciousness do not be disturbed because it is evening, when you fall asleep you loose consciousness. yet the student of the Occult must always have awakened consciousness. You do not know at present how to fall asleep in this lies all the evil - you fall asleep unconsciously, but when you become disciples you will fall asleep and will awake up consciously. therefore you will have an excellent experience in respect to your states. A good deal of exercises are needed to achieve such an awakened consciousness. For example let some of you try to fall asleep consciously - to know that they are falling asleep. I will give you a small explanation of what will happen to you when you are falling asleep. Let's say you sit, your consciousness calm and tranquil. Suddenly inside your brain you feel a murmur as if something takes hold of you and you cannot return and you are feeling an inner fear. In such cases some people feel a certain torture and start screaming. Remain calm and peaceful, because you become frightened a moment of darkening comes about, you loose consciousness and in this darkness you will find yourselves in a dark zone. You must guard the thought and? yourselves, to recognize yourself so that you may emerge safely from this dark zone. Not too long after that you will enter the spiritual world, you will know the difference, you will know when you sleep, when you dream, when you walk, you will differentiate things. Then, upon returning from the Spiritual world you will be able in the same way to awaken. However when this murmur comes the dense magnetic states interfere whereby one looses his consciousness, does not recognize himself, for him everything is confused, all circumstances, situations, which he sees all this represent phantasmagoria but as soon as he enters his consciousness, he will see that there exist an inner connection between all things. In order to overcome a great deal of effort is required, because some of you while concentrating fall asleep. Falling asleep is nature's method. There is nothing easier than falling asleep but man can learn nothing from easy things. Sometimes even while asleep ones consciousness awakens. This happens when one is to be made aware and protected of some future event. Those who guide you will awaken your consciousness by giving you a vivid dream. Be aware and remember this dream. Sometimes one remembers a dream that has deeply engraved itself in one's mind and this is forewarned of a misfortune. Understanding this represents one part of the science of the occult, one of the difficult questions is how one can regulate one's energies. These energies come from the centre of the earth pass through the spinal cord and in the form of a strong flow rushes into the central brain system. The modern world has lost its control over these currents. There is also another flow which comes from the Sun. It moves in the opposite direction from the brain to the sympathetic nervous system or to the stomach.

 

Thus today we find ourselves between two waves which splash us constantly. We are like an eggshell thrown into the water and pulled about by the waves. First to one side and then on the other. When we have the benevolence that God has shown us we do not know how to benefit from it and when suffering comes again we do not know how to use it and thus we meander. These sufferings are needed because when you enter the spiritual world, when you are free of the body you will need to know how to control your spiritual body. This you need to learn still now. You can do small experiments. I have made such observation of your present state. For example you meet a person to whom you take a disliking to because his magnetic and electric flows are dense, you don't wish to lift your eyes and meet his since to look at some one always creates a connection. The evil is not in your objection to look at him but because fear and repulsion arise within you. These are harmful to man. Therefore imagine that God is between you and this man who you do not want to see. Or imagine that your instructor, or your Master, or someone of great kindness is between you and him. Try to become reconciled with this state. In order to erase your karma you must reconcile with everyone. As long as they are alive, it is easier to become reconciled with them. Once they pass on the conditions change and as a result it is more difficult to erase karma. You must try to resolve all your relationships, very quickly if possible. If you cannot do that why do we need this school. When you enter the other world it should only be for the resting of your soul. He who has not worked in this world when he passes on he will have to stay in a dreamlike state or he will have to wait for his karma to ripen in purgatory. It is not necessary to wait for years in purgatory, to be tormented. Here in this school within half a year you can pass through purgatory and beyond, it will take four or five years. Why wait four or five years until you pass through purgatory here on earth you can complete this course in 6 months. Someone says what is the achievement of a student of the Occult school? The benefit is in saving three and a half years. Do you know what these three and a half years are equal to? They compare to many years. The best thing of all in the school of the Occult which follow the methods of the White Brotherhood is that they prepare their students to be ready for the new conditions under which life can manifest. This is the purpose of the school. Knowledge can be achieved when the conditions are favourable. It is not attained on the physical plain. Knowledge is a mixture of all worlds. Man must understand the properties and qualities of matter on the physical plain, in addition he must also understands the properties, the qualities of the astral matter, of the matter with which the mind operates and lastly of the matter with which the soul operates - all this is Knowledge. These are laws which are so interconnected that there is much for man to learn. There exist many things to learn for the student and for those who are children for them there is plenty to learn in the physical world. Those who are more advanced will occupy themselves with the other worlds, the more ratified matters.

 

If I wished to improve your intelligence, I would choose Wednesday for meetings at the school. If I wished to convey noble qualities to you, I would choose Thursdays. If I wished to increase Love in the school, I would choose Friday. If I wished to develop the sober mind of the students I would choose Saturday, if I wished to develop their imagination I would choose Monday. If I wished their marcial character to develop, I would choose Tuesdays. If I wished them to individualize - the Sunday. Each method has its application. Some students ask me why we are holding the meetings on Sunday evening. There is a purpose for that it is not arbitrary. We have changed them from Thursday to Sunday evening.

 

One thing is missing in the school: a good disposition of the feelings must be created. In you, the students, is lacking good disposition of feelings. In order to attain this disposition you must dedicate a whole year of hard work to improve your feelings to act harmoniously. This is true art. But now because you don't have this art, the energy which you gain from outings you loose. You waste with one stroke the wealth which you possess and after that you suffer. You must have a good disposition of feelings. You must train yourself in that.

 

I will give you an exercise for disposition of feelings.

 

Exercise:

 

In the morning when you rise kneel on your left leg, knee on the floor, while the? of the right foot is up. Place the elbow of your right arm on top of the right knee, while the index and the middle fingers support the head from the side. The left arm is at ease at your side. This is an excellent position for contemplation. Guide your mind up forward the eternal, towards God and at the same time think of a place where harmony is reigning. True life can be found there. This exercise you can do at noon and in the evening but at last once in the morning before prayer. It will bring disposition of the feeling and you will be in a good mood during the entire day.

 

You can do this exercise for four weeks in a row for 5 min. at a time. This is an excellent position for contemplation.

 

Now remember that every pose has its meaning within nature. This is true science. Each position of the muscles, tae eyebrows, every pose in general in the given moment comes about in alphabetical, geometrical order. Therefore when we come to the position to control ourselves, right away we will? our muscles geometrically. This is an assignment.

 

There exist people who cannot control their eyes, their ears, eyebrows, mouth. For the disciple everything has to make sense. Many movements in man are due to great torment. Someone who has suffered much becomes nervous, someone else who has been reprimanded a lot certain spasms occur in him. When children have been regard? well or when a person is in a religious mood, or has a good disposition of the soul, the muscle of the face become plastic. As soon as he is placed in abnormal conditions it is expected of him to control himself with the power of his will. For example, in the case of an offence or fear a man winces and runs. No, when your heart flinches immediately you must control yourself. It is good to run too, because if a man does not run some misfortune can come on him and so when he runs he goes to safety. Yet, the mind must always be aware because one may be surprised. When a man winces, when he jumps and runs this is a means of safety. Take for an example a soldier. If he is alert he must keep his presence of mind and will not be harmed. It is good to have such presence of mind. There are students from India who have been sent to Europe purposely to take part in the fight so as to learn how to? fear with their mind. Often some adepts create war purposely in order to give real lessons to their students. They purposely create a war between two nations to put their students to the test. What do you think. You fight and the? disciples learn, the bullets fly around them but they sit calmly and learn. This cannot be considered sacred egoism, this is heroism.

 

You must now take advantage of the conditions. People bring about wars, they are responsible for them but in this case you will pass the exams. Take for example a nurse. She goes into the battlefield to pick up a wounded soldier and bring him to safety. This is a trial for her. Consciously or not. Soon there may be war within ten years at the latest or even sooner. Some of you will be sent to be tried in the battlefield. We will make use of every situation. We do not make wars but as disciples you must be tried.

 

Some people ask if it is possible without wars?

 

- There exists only one way. When the people accept Love in their hearts wars will be done away with. There will be one more war and after that the people will come to their senses. Thus war is being enforced. The conditions for it exist for someone to ignite it.

 

The great law which rules the world does not concern us. There are other Rational Beings which guide the destiny of humanity. We will make use of the conditions.

 

Whatever the results will be, the responsibility falls upon others. We are observers of that which happens and make the best use of the conditions in which God has placed us.