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1926_07_04 The Lit Candle


Ani
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From The Truth

 

The Lit Candle

 

"No man lights a candle and puts it in a hidden place, nor under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that they who come in may see the light." (Luke 11:33)

 

Because of the growing expansion of desires and thoughts, the ordinary concepts in life have lost their meaning. It is said in the Gospels, and contemporary science also proves it, that life does not consist in the plenitude which man possesses. Life does not consist in the big amount either, nor in the little amount. Life does not consist in the largeness of knowledge, too. Life also does not consist in the abundance of love such as the people of today understand it. When Love is spoken about, we always include time and space.

 

The first condition which you should have in mind is that man does not acquire his knowledge on earth by himself alone. It is another question whether you agree with this statement or not. I will explain what the word " acquisition" means. Man caries knowledge within himself in the so-called by the scientific language potential or embryonic state; on the Earth only the conditions are given for this knowledge to be examined. The Earth is a place where our knowledge is applied or tested so that we can acquire it [the knowledge]. This is one of the internal laws of existence.

 

Now, many hold back and ask: why is this so? Do not rummage the roots so as to see why they go down; do not take the branches down so as to see why they climb up, but rather, study the qualities of the roots and branches. Do not preoccupy yourselves with the philosophy of why the roots let themselves down. This philosophy is for the great minds. You should rather occupy yourselves more with the fruit which the tree gives. In the end, sow the seed, bring the tree up and benefit from its fruit, whilst you leave the philosophers to worry about the roots, the branches and the secrets of existence. Some of you know nothing about the fruit but ask, "why do the roots go down"? I ask: why do some people lay on their backs when they go to sleep? Can they not sleep upside-down? Or is it not possible for Nature to put them to sleep in some different position? - It cannot do it. Why? Because if man's head is placed in a position towards the center of the Earth, all his blood will go to his brain and this will disturb him. With the weaker natures, the blood will pour itself into the brain and this will cause a flood there, which will sweep everything away. Because man's Spirit is rational, and in order to avoid the great floods which occur in the Cosmos, he has established a certain order. If there is excess water somewhere, he has provided some pumps with which this water can be sucked out. Some will say: we understand this business. No, you do not understand it. These are symbols. To understand the symbols, man has to have an excellent mind. We predominantly use mathematical formulas, symbols; we speak one thing, but understand another. For man the symbolic language of Nature is intrinsic, and because of this everyone understands it. When we start to elucidate a symbol physically, we darken its internal meaning. For instance, in the Scriptures it is said that the coming of the Lord will happen in an instant. What kind of a moment is this? Some think that this moment is a very short time. No, during such a moment many things can happen. People have the habit to blink. If you take the owl, for example, it keeps its eyes permanently opened; man, on the other hand, blinks all the time. Why has Nature put the eyelids, this delicate cloth over our eyes? - because they have to be clean, that is why. If your eyes did not have eyelids, the dusty Sofia [1] would have closed them. And so the eyelids perpetually clear the eyes. Blinking means clearing the eyes. If you blink, this implies: clear your eyes and then look! You have to look at things with clear eyes. For the same reason there are such eyelids in the mind of man, which clear the thoughts. The Good is the upper eyelid, the evil is the lower one. They get together, touch, open up again and distance themselves from each other - they do not love each other. But in a given case, the evil also has some benefit from the eye and says to it: "You will work for me too, because I purge you" And the Good tells it: "You will serve me as well, because I also purge you". These are symbols. The eye says: "I do not know what I should do; both of them do service for me". You will ask: "Is it true, that the upper eyelid is (represents) the Good and the lower one - the evil?" These are our concepts; for us bad things are those which cause us pain, and those that cause us pleasure we consider good. However, in Nature there are a number of conditions which show that the external (the visible) Good does not bring good fruits in some respects. In the world there exists one Absolute Good, which is rational; it is not some sort of mood.

 

Let us go back to the verse: "No man lights a candle and puts it in a hidden place." The candle is an emblem of the thinking man. Therefore, when your mind is lit, you should not put it in favor of the materialistic world, you should not envelop it with mean desires, ignoble thoughts and you should not pervert it. You will say: "then, what benefit will this mind bring for us?" - You will put it on the highest place so that it shines over the state of your life, because life on earth is movement. None of you stay in one spot; you move all the time. The conditions in which you were living yesterday are not the same today, and will not be the same tomorrow. Today other conditions are acting. After I finish this lecture, we shall be far away in space, millions of kilometers further from the previous place. Our Earth moves constantly. With its changing position in space, our state changes accordingly. Why is this so? As the Earth travels through space, the conditions of this space differ and, as a result, the influences upon us are different. Those who are not familiar with this Cosmic influence think that space is empty. It is not like this. The philosophers who study Space work on the question of whether there is space or not [and] does time exist or not. The issue does not subsist in this - whether time and space exist. Regardless of how space is explained, this concept exists in the human mind. The concept of time also exists in the human mind. You cannot unriddle their essence, but you can reflect upon them as concepts. The concept of space includes in itself the matter. In the concept of time our life is projected. Let us put aside the question about the essence of time and space. There is not a single philosopher who has ever determined what time and space are. There is something close to the truth in their explanations, but, in essence, what space is and what time is - only God knows. Only the most advanced, the most sublime Spirits, Who have finished their development, their evolution in the Universe, know what time and space are. All other beings who have not yet finished their development have a childish understanding of these issues. They say about someone: so-and-so has graduated from the University in Berlin, or in London, or in Paris. I ask: what does this man know? This man, who has graduated from four faculties, gets ill tomorrow from the simplest influenza and immediately calls for a doctor. That is how much this man knows! As you can see, he is not able to heal himself. You may ask for a doctor only in the case that you have an illness which you cannot cure alone. And he will be the real doctor.

 

"No man lights a candle and puts it in a hidden place". I understand what interests you. All of you are from this kind, who wish with one blow to learn everything (Master speaking to his audience --note tr.). At the moment, you want to go out from here, just wave with a hand and immediately the cash-desk of some banker to come into your room with his money at your disposal. Is there anyone who does not desire this! This wish is deposited even in the smallest of animals. For instance, contemporary people study hypnotism, they wish to use it. Contemporary scientists have found what hypnotism is and have observed that many plants and animals make use of it. Snakes, for example, have used hypnotism up to now. They are capable of attracting their victim directly into their mouth. Cats also use hypnotism with respect to mice. Cats have known what hypnotism is for a long time. Do you know what hypnotism is? - it is applied everywhere. Who does not use hypnotism? Do the flowers not hypnotize the bees? Is every attraction not a hypnotism? Some say that such-and-such a scientist in France possesses the skill of hypnotizing. I say: that scientist does not even posses this art as much as the animals [who] know it. In general, today's hypnotists know very little about this art. The powers in Nature which we use nowadays are so configured that they also have a contrariwise action. There is a law of balance: we must not misuse certain powers in Nature, because we will always be bringing upon us their consequences. In the same way there is a law of thought, and the human mind works in accordance with it. If you deviate from the first direction of thought, i.e. if you hide the lit candle, you will have bad consequences. When is a candle hidden under a bushel? - when you want to smooth things over, to represent them in such a form in which they do not exist. You know that what you say is not quite the truth, but yet you do otherwise. This reminds us of a situation in life which had happened somewhere in Bulgaria, but during the [far distant] time of the Turkish occupation [2]. Two Turks were suing each other; one of them went to the judge and told him: "Your Honor, take this lira [3] from me and when I say to you: look at my face, please, remember that I have given you something". Then the second one went [to the judge] and told him: "Your Honor, I am giving you two liras, please, look at my two faces." The judge [4] kept the money from both of them. He has put the lit candle under the bushel. During the examination of the case, the first defendant told him: "Your Honor, look at my face". "Very well," - the judge told him - "but what should I do with the one that has two faces?" Then the first man understood that the second one had given the judge more [money]. Consequently, the trial was ruled in favor of the one who had two faces. The people of today have lost their faith in the judges and say: "there is no justice in the world". I say: in the world there is a Divine, Absolute Justice in which no exception exists. This Justice applies equally to all. What we see now is that people constantly judge each other. The whole life is about nothing but a correction of mistakes. You suffer from illnesses, your children are born ill; you lose your wealth; a catastrophe befalls a nation; another nation is wiped out from the face of the earth. Do you think that all this is without a cause? All the nations who have vanished from the face of the earth - they have extinguished their candelabrum. On the other hand, the ones who are put to the test, like the Bulgarians, have placed their candelabrum under the bushel. But there is another danger - the candle may become extinguished. Nature sends all these trials.

 

Contemporary people are afraid from the thought that if they walk in the right Path they will die hungry. This is not true. There is not even a single fact known in history of someone who has been thinking righteously and has died hungry. All those people, however, who have not been thinking righteously have died hungry. [Even] the most learned ones have died hungry. Kings have died hungry. Princes, generals have [also] died hungry. Who has not died from hunger? You say: all people have died from hunger. This is a fact. The old and the young die from hunger, but man dies from hunger only when his candelabrum is extinguished. If his candelabrum shines, he cannot die. There are number of reasons why people die. The world, [as well as] life have to be studied in all their manifestations. For instance, have you ever asked yourselves why the Lord has created the head? What is the purpose of the head? What is the purpose of the lungs, what is the purpose of the stomach, what is the purpose of the brain? In Russian the word for stomach is "life" [bg.: "jhivot"] [5]. Some call the stomach "bag" [bg.: "tarbuh"]. In reality, the purpose of the stomach is completely different from that which is ascribed to it by some. Nowadays its service is perverted and all the bad results in [the life of] contemporary humanity are due to this perversion. What is the service of the stomach in reality? What is the service of the lungs, of the brain, and so on? After all this, we speak about the human heart, too. We have a heart which moves the blood and we also have a heart which feels; finally, we have a mind with which we think. For the time being what is important is the function of the brain; man's mind manifests there. In the nineteenth century a whole science was established for the study of the human brain. Earlier on, the human face was studied; going even further into the past, the human body was studied - the way it had been created, what its functions are and so on. Included in this is Astrology, which shows what the relation of the body to the outer world is. If man does not study these sciences he will believe that the connections between him and the external world are very distant, as though they do not exist. It is not like this, though. Venus, for example, has an influence upon the feelings of man; Mars has an influence upon the belligerent mood of man; Saturn has an influence upon the powers of thought in man; Jupiter has an influence upon the nobility, upon the intellectual feelings in man; Mercury has an influence upon the mind of man; the Moon on the other hand has an influence upon his imagination, upon his fantasy. What influence does the Earth have upon man? But the Sun and the Earth influence the human being most. Life itself is so distributed, that between the chemical processes which happen within the Earth and the life which comes from the Sun there is a constant interweaving. And vice-versa: between the life on Earth and the chemical processes which happen on the Sun, there is also a certain interweaving. So I say: Christ deeply understood Nature and its laws. Some think that Christ was not educated. No, He was quite a well educated Man. If Christ was a professor today, He would be the most eminent professor in contemporary culture. Do not think that those Sublime Teachers, those great Adepts do not understand science. They understand it very well, they have their laboratories where they do a number of experiments. The greatest Teachers have methods through which they can reach the Sun and they are able to return back from there. An Adept has positive knowledge, he [may] know everything but he keeps silent, [and] does not say anything. Contemporary culture, which I call "the culture of the little children", now preoccupies itself with the question - what is there on the Sun? They have just started to study how many elements there are and what these elements are. They have done [some] small experiments and [then] they say that contemporary science is very exact. The contemporary learned scholars have done a number of calculations to determine the distance between the Earth and the Sun. How exact their calculations are, we can see from the fact that one mathematician calculates using all the exactness of the mathematical science and finds that the distance between the Earth and the Sun is 92 million miles, but another one calculates that the same distance is 93 million miles. What kind of exactness is this, if in the calculations of two mathematicians there is a difference of one million miles? What would I have done if I had taken a train which left me at a distance of one million miles from the Sun? When we come to [know] all the theories of contemporary mathematics, we see its unsoundness. I do not want to criticize science, but I say that the true scientists upon whose backs science stands keep silent. The true adepts know the exact distance between the Earth and the Sun. In their calculations there is a difference of only one centimeter, and if you go to the Sun you will find that indeed, there is only one centimeter difference. This interval does not allow you to touch the Sun completely. If you touch it, an explosion will occur. The same interval of one centimeter exists between one man and another. Some of you wish to destroy this distance and say: let us unite and let us destroy this border! All quarrels, all misunderstandings between people start precisely when they [the people] get too close to each other. If they touch each other, an explosion occurs between them. Why do these things happen? The handsome lad who is deprived of a mind, searches for some beautiful maiden to connect with. But the beautiful maidens are the worst house-wives. If a lad wants his hair to turn white, let him take on a pretty woman. And the opposite is also true. If a maiden wants her hair to turn white, let her take on a handsome lad. To be beautiful in mind, in soul, in heart, that I [can] understand; but to be only externally beautiful, this is the worst misfortune. The soul of man must be noble, mighty! The mind of man also must be pure and full of light! Every man [male] has to perceive the needs of his female companion, to sympathize fully with her situation. And in every moment, if he sees that she is in a difficult state, let him consider the problem in the same way as he would have done it for himself. If he is a clever man, let him put himself in her place. The same thing can be said about the woman. If we do not respect this [attitude], we put the candle under the bushel. So, to put the candle under the bushel, there must be a number of conditions.

 

Now, we desire to live. It is a correct desire, life is a necessity. Every young person wants to live. The old ones also wish to live. There are a number of conditions, however, and if we fulfill them, we may live as long as we wish. For this, knowledge is required. The first quality required of the occult pupils is absolute patience. Patience is a conscious process of the mind. Nowadays people do not have patience. Someone is beaten up, and he is told: be patient! This is not patience, this is wretchedness. Patience is a quality of the free man. The patient man should not be outwardly indifferent to things. The statesman can be a patient man. The minister can be a patient man. The philosopher can be a patient man. The mother can also be patient. To be a patient man means to be a great man, to endure all difficulties in life; to lose $200,000 levs [6] and to walk as though even a flea has not bitten you. I will give you an example (a symbol --note tr.), let me see how you will interpret it. Imagine that your brother has gone somewhere and ten years later writes to you that he is about to return. You have attained wealth during that time and now you start preparing to meet your brother. But before your brother comes back, you have lost all your possessions, worth $500,000 levs and you are left with nothing. I ask you: will you be able to meet your brother in this case as cordially as you would have done if you had not lost that money? You will say: this is a misfortune! I will give you the same symbol in another form. Imagine that your brother is caught by a bandit's gang. You love your brother as you love yourself. They send people to tell you that your brother will be released, only on the condition that you pay $500,000 levs for him. You give this money and when your brother comes back, you are joyous. Why? - because your profit in this case is your brother. The $500,000 are gone, but you have saved your brother's life. That you gave $500,000 for the life of your brother, this is nothing. Some [people] say: Bulgaria has lost because of a similar act. What has Bulgaria lost? If those money have gone to pay ransom for something extremely valuable, are they not put in the right place? Who do you ransom? How many Bulgarians are there locked, imprisoned in the invisible world? The University professors know nothing about them. Do you know that for these prisoners in the invisible world the Bulgarians must pay $30 million levs in gold? You say: "Somehow Bulgaria does not have good luck". That is exactly why Bulgarians do not have a good luck. Those enslaved Bulgarians must be redeemed. How are you going to redeem them, can you tell me? Christ says: "I shall redeem them". And in truth, Christ will redeem them. But I ask: "Is Christ's Love manifested here in Bulgaria as Christ manifests it? I take Christ as He was 2000 years ago, the same way I take now the Bulgarian nation, at the head of whom is the whole priesthood, as followers of Christ, and I ask you like an external, unbiased person: "have the Bulgarian priesthood, also the Bulgarian people, applied Christ's Love? Go abroad and you will see that when they want to offend someone they call him Bulgarian. Go to Germany, go to England - everywhere the Bulgarian has a discredited name; everywhere the Bulgarians pass for barbarians. There is a very bad opinion about Bulgarians everywhere. I would consider that Christ's Love is applied in Bulgaria [only] if there were no gallows to be found anywhere, if no murder was taking place anywhere. In the war which the British waged for four years, only 3,500 people were killed and about 250 executed. How many people were killed and executed in the war which Bulgaria waged? I was told about a Bulgarian who was suffering from an epileptic illness and because of this, he stepped back on the battlefield at the time of a battle. But as a result of his action he was accused for not wanting to serve his country and was sentenced to be shot. They say: "these things should not be made public because they shake the nation's morale". It is not me who brings them up, these things are everywhere. The stability of a nation depends on the Love it contains in itself. A people cannot raise itself with killings, there must be stability within it! In this Love everyone must wish the well-being for all the Bulgarian people; and the whole Bulgarian people must wish the well-being for its members. Thus, when you visit some village, the villagers should meet you and treat you with a hearty meal. And when a villager comes to the city, you should meet him in the same way, there should be a competition between you all in this respect. When the villagers [7] come to visit you, how do you welcome them? And when you go and visit them, how do they welcome you? And all these are Bulgarians! One is a man of the city - Bulgarian, the other is a farmer - [also] Bulgarian. When you meet them, you see all of them separated in parties. And all are faithful, always thinking of their people. But of which people - of the city-dwellers or of the farmers? Some think of the city-dwellers, some of the farmers. The separation in parties is not a bad thing, but let this people learn. Those who are for the city-dwellers, let them teach the city-dwellers how to love; those who are for the villagers, let them teach the villagers how to love; those who are for the farmers, let them teach the farmers how to love; those who are for the military men, let them teach the military men how to love; those who are for the professors, let them teach the professors how to love; those who are for the mothers, let them teach the mothers how to love. The fathers, the brothers, the sisters, let them all preach about Love. I do not speak about the contemporary love. A young lad, Bulgarian, armed with two pistols during the uprising [8], said to his sweetheart: "Genka, do you see these Turks, I will kill them all! Come with me and do not be afraid". He was traveling with her through the Old Mountain (Balkans) when a bear jumped out at them. He left Genka and climbed up a beech tree, and from there told her: "Do not be afraid, I will be shooting from here". Genka saw her hero up in the tree, and said to him: "nothing can be achieved with shooting from above". I would consider that lad a hero who could get the bear by the ears and tell it: "Do you know that I love this girl? Do you know that I have faith? Come on, go away!" After this he would stroke the bear a little bit and say: "Off you go, let us not quarrel! You have to know that I love [Genka]." The bear will look at him and will say to itself: "If you love, then there is no problem any more". This is what I call heroism. While you are shooting with the rifle from above, your Genka will be finished ten times over. If you are in India, before you turn, the tiger will swipe your Genka and no one will be able to find her. These are figurative things.

 

A student fails her exams with some schoolteacher. She says: "I do not want to live any more, I will kill myself." And indeed, when she fails [the exam], she buys poison and goes to poison herself, or hangs herself, or kills herself. How many students are there who have poisoned themselves in this way! What kind of morality is there in the act of failing a student? If he is going to kill himself, give him a mark of 3 (bare pass --note tr.) [9]. If you give him 3, the Lord will also give you 3, He will bless you. Sometimes the schoolteacher does not give way, he says: "Let him kill himself, I do not step back from my convictions." When the student kills himself, his mother, father, brothers, sisters and all his relatives mourn [for him]. Give him 3, be generous with this one digit. After this, tell the student: "I believe that in the future you will learn better, I have faith in you!" In view of him killing himself, give him 3 and let him live. You say: such is the morality of the schoolteacher. What kind of morality is it to let a student kill himself! Some students, when they find themselves in a difficult situation, beat their schoolteachers. I was told an anecdote about a student at University who compelled his professor to give him a good score. This student failed the exam with his professor, so he visited the professor's office one day and told him: "I have studied but failed; because of this I want you to correct my score." - "I cannot correct it" - "You cannot? Listen, you shall correct it, otherwise you will fly out of the window! Will you correct the score?" - "Please, please wait!" And the professor corrected the score, and gave 5. The student said: "Do not mess with me again". I will not narrate the story to you any further. This professor has convictions, he does not want to change the score, but when the subject comes to the point where he has to fly out of the window, he gives the student 5. The teachers should behave with love and the students should behave with respect.

 

This candle must be ignited. If some of my lectures reach one of the high schools [10], the whole teachers' council will gather and will seek a way to safeguard the students from being captivated by the New Teaching. Their parents complain that these lectures have shaken the minds of their kids. They say that these lectures are not for the young ones. Who are they for then? I will prove to you that up to now the Sunlight has caused the worst evils [to happen]. Are not all the floods caused by the warmth and by the light? Are not all illnesses due to the warmth and the light? Is death not due to the warmth and the light? Are all fires not because of the Sun? Are all quarrels between men and women not because of the Sun? If the man and the woman were living in darkness, would they quarrel? No, they would not. Is the Sun guilty because of all this? No, it is not. We should understand the meaning of this light. If we do not know how to use the light, it shall bring in our lives the worst possible evils; but if we know how to use it, it shall bring the greatest blessings. Just as Christ turned to those who lived 2000 years ago, [so now also] He says: "The mind, which God inserted in man should not be put under a bushel, but rather, under a wide horizon, so as to serve for the well-being of those people in whom it lives". And all true learned people who occupy themselves with science are sent by the invisible world for the well-being of [all] other people. Every man is born with a certain inclination for something. I praise the scientists for one thing, namely, that they live all their lives working without being paid. Every scientist who dedicates 20 or 30 years of his life to science without payment, he is an idealist. A musician who dedicates the whole of his life to music, or a sculptor, or an artist who dedicate the whole of their lives to art, these are the people who stimulate mankind [to go] forward. Thus all of us must work without payment, and must obey the Law of God. And when this candle becomes kindled in the mind of anyone, that man shall know how to use the powers and the laws of Nature. A farmer would not till 100 acres of land; for him 10 acres are enough [11]. If a Chinese man possesses 4 acres of land, he is considered a rich man. A Chinese man is capable of receiving as much harvest [from 4 acres] as the Bulgarian can from 50 acres. If we had true knowledge, we would have known how to shorten our labor. The students of today use a lot of time for their studies; such is our contemporary educational system. According to my understanding, four hours are enough for studying: two hours before lunchtime and two hours after lunchtime. Most of the time should be spent [by the students] studying Nature in the midst of it, together with the schoolteachers. For instance, botany should be studied among the flowers. And where should religious life be studied? Not in the Church, but rather in the midst of the poor folks. When some people desire to pray, they should not go to the Church, but they should visit a poor widow instead. This is the best Church. This is the best prayer. If you wish to pray, we will send you to the poor foster children, those who are left without their mothers and fathers. This is the best Church. There you will be the priest; you will pray and you will take them to the Lord. In this way you will send the best prayer. And so, when you get up in the morning you will put on new garments and [clothed] like that you will enter [the place] where the foster children are, so they can enjoy your visit. What kind of garments will you put on? Living garments; [made] of bread, of water, of little clothes, of warmth, of knowledge, of sweet words. This is what I understand to be religion! The modern-day religion which we have in America, in England, it used to be good, but in the past; in the future this religion will not be capable of uplifting you, because it is said: "This people approach me with their mouth, but their hearts are far away from me". You have gathered here to hear my lecture, but you must know that what will uplift you toward God are your good intentions which you can apply even today. All of you are rich, you just have to kindle your candles, to take your keys and to open your safes. I do not want you to give away all your treasure, but give as much as your heart allows you to do, by love, and think how you would like others to behave towards you if you were poor. If we apply all this in exactly this way, we will have the greatest science. When good intentions are formed in the human soul, only then will Nature reveal its knowledge, its secrets and will start to teach us. The man who gives is [also] given. For a man who is generous, poverty does not exist. What poverty means, he does not [even] know. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you.". Attract clever people, do not befriend the silly ones. When you gather with stupid people, you should have the wish to throw more light so they can also become bright. When you gather with bad people, you should awaken in them with your righteous life their fervent wish to be righteous too. We should not be excessively zealous; but how should we work? Without [any] force, but with love. How do they act in the contemporary governments? When a new law is released in the parliament, all newspapers announce it and insist on its application. All policemen watch for its application and woe to the one who does not apply it. But this is oppression. If this application [of the law] has to come through oppression, what would the results be? You know the consequences of oppression. Oppression gives birth to oppression.

 

Why did Christ not come with His Angels, to introduce fear and shuddering, and to impose Himself? Why did He come poor and had to be persecuted, He had to be denigrated by the Jews and had to be crucified by the Roman soldiers? In the coming of Christ precisely in this way is hidden the salvation of the world. In suffering is the salvation of humanity. I speak about sufferings in which man can rejoice. Christ says about the conscious sufferings: "I have come for this hour. My sufferings will become the cause for many people's upliftment and rejoicing." Only through sufferings the future great souls can be born. Through this act, an impulse for the sublime in the world will be accumulated. If Christ had come as a King, this internal impulse would have not been born in people. Every one of you who wishes to understand the sufferings of Christ must by all means acquire internal humility. The Scriptures say: "God lives in the Souls of the humble". You must understand humility in its depth and life-giving power. To be humble means that you are aware of your capabilities to do everything, but at the same time are so sweet-hearted, that you would give way [even] to an ant. Christ says: "No one lights a candle and puts it in a hidden place". You too, [should] kindle your candles! And then, if you are an artist, paint on [the light of] this candle, on this Sun! If you do not posses this candle, nothing will come out of you. If you are a poet, write on [the light of] this candle! If you are a preacher, preach on [the light of] this candle! If you are a farmer, the first thing you should do is to ignite this candle and than go and plough. If you go [to plough] when this Sun has not yet risen, nothing will come out [of your work]. I am speaking about the internal candle, not about the external Sun. The kindling of this candle represents an internal process inside us. We have deceptive objective understandings, we think that the light is outside of us. No, the internal light is much stronger than the external. Christ says: "You are light". That light which comes from the Sun, this is the life of those Beings which shine; They are radiant Beings. From these rational Beings proceeds the light in the world. Where there is light, there is life and rationality. Where there is no light, there is no life, there is no rationality. About the latter situation, it is said with the words of Christ: "This light is put under the bushel".

 

And so, work only under this light, which God has instilled in you. Sometimes you speak about the Sun; it is an emblem. This external Sun is a reflection of the other Sun, which is invisible. Also, the Scripture says that in the future God shall be our Sun. Thus, this [external] Sun only represents the Power of God, which is projected through it. And in the mind which God has implanted in us, we must inscribe faith. We should have faith in this mind, in this candle, because it is from God. Through it God manifests Himself to us. If we do not have faith in our mind, if we do not have faith in our thoughts, in our feelings, than who can we have faith in? Man has faith in other people as much as he has faith in himself. Man must acquire faith in its fullness - in himself and in the Divine. If he restores this faith, he will restore his relationships with others also.

 

The first thing [is]: we must acquire complete faith in the Divine which lives within us.

 

Lecture 4 July 1926, Sofia

 

 

--==[][][]==--

 

 

___________________________________________

Notes:

 

[1] Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria.

[2] This is reference to the time before 1878 when Bulgaria was under Ottoman rule.

[3] Lira was adopted as the national currency in the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century.

[4] Kadhi (also Qadi, Kadi etc.) during the Ottoman period was a local judge in charge of minor disputes and/or magistrate responsible for the city services.

[5] i.e. the Russian word for 'stomach' (jhivot) coincides with the Bulgarian word for 'life' (also 'jhivot')

[6] Lev (pl. leva) is the currency of Bulgaria.

[7] Shop (pl. shopi) is an ethnographic group inhabiting Shopluk, a region located in the whole of Western Bulgaria and parts of today's Eastern Serbia and Macedonia. Colloquially, the terms is often used to refer to the peasants in the area around Sofia.

[8] Most probably the Master refers here to the April (1876) uprising in Bulgaria against the Ottoman rule, which was ultimately seeking re-establishment of an independent Bulgarian state.

[9] In Bulgaria the students were marked from 2 (fail) to 6 (equivalent of A). 3 (roughly equivalent to D) although a very low mark, ensures a pass.

[10] A 'gymnasium' is a type of school providing secondary education, comparable to English grammar schools and US preparatory high schools. It is designed to prepare pupils for College/University education.

[11] The Master uses the unit 'decare' which was and still is typically used in the measurement of land in Bulgaria. One decare [da] (from 'deka', i.e. 10 and 'are') is the same as 10 acres, which is the same as 1000 square metres. Consequently, the numbers mentioned in the lecture are approximately: 100 decares are 25 acres, 10 decares are 2.5 acres, 4 decares are one acre, 50 decares are 12 acres. This note is just to give an idea of the sizes of land the Master speaks about.

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