The Two Paths

[Ani]

THE TWO PATHS

 

What is the main intent of the students entering school? They want to become learned scientist, attain knowl-edge, cultivate what is invested in theirs souls, minds, and hearts. And after they attain knowledge and develop their tal- ents and abilities, they should also preserve them. For this purpose, good soil is needed for every thought falling in it to bear fruit. Therefore, as spiritual students, you also want to learn and deal with science.
What is to be understood by the word “science”? If we consider the meaning of the letters used to write this word in Latin and some Slavic languages, we see two different con- cepts hidden behind it. From the combination of the Cyrillic letters in the word “science” it is seen that the Slavic people search in science some method for reconciliation of the con- tradictions in life.

 

Yet, the spelling of the Latin word scientia used by the Anglo-Saxon nations for the notion of knowledge and science shows that they focus on studying the relationships between the various material forms and the eternal changes occurring in Living Nature. The first letter “s” in the word scientia means “infinity.” Therefore, from an esoteric point of view, science can be studied either for discovering a method of reconciling the contradictions in life or in order to find out a way of using the forces of Nature.

 

However, someone who studies science only for the pur- pose of manipulating the natural forces may encounter a big danger hidden in the eventual appearance of spiritual ego in that person. If they begin to see themselves superior to others acquiring an inflated image of themselves, they say, “I am in command of powers, which I can use at my will.” Therefore, there are two categories of people. In the first one, people have sense of superiority and the belief that they can achieve what- soever, that they possess considerable knowledge, and so on. Others, like the Slavs for example, search methods for resolv- ing the conflicts met in life, meanwhile healing the pains in their hearts. In this respect, the Slavs are closer to Truth. So, if you wish to occupy yourselves with the esoteric science, you should, first of all, come to know yourselves. Socrates said, “Know yourself!” What is the meaning of these words? What should you know about yourselves? Do you need to know the Sublime or the basic? “To know yourself” implies com- ing to know the Sublime or the Divine within you; in other words, to come to know God in your inner self. When you come to know God from within, you will be able to recognize the conditions beneficial for your spiritual growth and devel- opment and you will make the choices, which on one hand, give direction to your growth and development, and on the other hand, bring balance to the forces acting and operating in you. Imagine an evolving person with well-developed mind and heart—all expect him to realize his potentials. But one day something unexpected happens to him and his physical form is destroyed; nothing remains of it. What is the cause of this misfortune? The cause is the Creator who has made this form. Many people would say it was his destiny. When a potter makes a warped or poorly-fired pot, whose fault is it? The potter himself is at fault. What does he do with such a pot? He breaks it apart, mixes it into slurry and makes a new pot—bet- ter fired this time, more beautiful and solid. Therefore, the Sublime always shatters the form of what is low and remakes it, sculpting it so that a more beautiful and perfect form is made. What else could be done with the failure pots, but shat- tering them in order to remake and transform them into new ones—more durable and perfected?

 

Often the young think of themselves as being smarter than the old people and say, “The old folks have outlived their time. We will show them how they should live.” And yet, these old people said exactly the same at one time. After them, come the young who do not approve their lifestyle and think that they can set it right. They, too, will grow old without having set their own lives right. And so, one after the other, the young generations who desire to show the old people how to live take their turn, but do not succeed. Why? It is because they too, like the old people, use the same old methods. I say: Old methods cannot resolve the fundamental issues of Life. The young need to guard themselves against repeating the weak- nesses of the old. May they learn from their experience and see what they missed so that their life has become unsuccess- ful. Many and serious are the causes for the failure of the old. They represent an entire history that needs to be studied.

 

Now, I am going to give you a topic which all should think about. It is about the best method for work. Маy everyone decide which is the most mindful method for work. Esoteric science is based upon experience and for this reason, knowl- edge is valuable only when it can be applied in Life. It is ex- actly what determines your place as spiritual students. When a student wants to enter a school of music to study playing the violin, he is given an instrument to play and from the way he performs, it is determined which class to join. If the student proves to be mediocre, the professor advises him to apply to another school and not waste his time.

 

In one of my next lectures, I am going to speak about the conscious relationships between human beings and Living Nature. But first, you should make a presentation on the fol- lowing topic: “The most efficient and mindful method of spir- itual work.” It is a privilege for people to express opinion on a given topic: it is an extraordinary occasion. From an esoteric point of view, the best method is that one which can be ap- plied in real life. If a given method is not applicable, it leads astray and diverts from the purpose of one’s work, not bring- ing any effective results. You are not all at the same level of development, so every one of you will propose their individu- al specific methods for work applicable to their life.

 

Some of you are materialistic idealists, giving preference to the material achievements in life; while others are idealistic materialists, giving preference to the ideas. This is the main difference between all people. The idealists state that ideas create everything. Which ideas do they mean? They are not speaking about their own ideas, of course. There are ideas higher than the human ones. These are the ideas coming from the Great Divine Source.

 

And so, in this School, you will learn how to use the meth- ods applied by Nature. As flowers utilize the rays of the Sun, you, too, need to utilize the forces of Living Nature. Then, you will be able to fulfill whatever purpose you were born for. This Law has an application in the human body as well. Each organ of the human organism has a specific service. For ex- ample: legs walk and also carry the whole body weight; arms work: they grip, lift, and move various loads; eyes see; ears hear; and so on. Therefore, every organ of the human body has a specific function. In this respect, every human being represents a special part of Nature’s all-inclusive organism and, as such, it needs to fulfill this function. Those who find their proper place in Nature and understand their purpose in life will be able to perform their mission as a part of the Great Divine Organ.

 

Now, as students in this School, you can raise some ques- tions which are of interest for you. But you can also raise questions, which are related to your needs. For example, what is the main concern of a hungry person? Bread! The hungry person wants to know what kind of bread will be given to him: warm or cold, fresh or moldy.

 

If you are determined to create something of enduring value within yourselves, you must apply the same Law with respect to knowledge. As young people, you should not re- peat the mistakes of that gypsy who ate some grape leaves as a first meal followed by some bread and cheese. He went to the vineyard to work and took with him a bag with a little bread and cheese for breakfast. After working for a while, he felt great hunger. He looked at the bread and cheese and concluded that it would not be sufficient to satisfy his hunger. For this reason, he picked some grape leaves and started to eat them. Finally he ate the bread and cheese and told him- self, “This was an excellent lunch.” No, I do not advise you to gulp first some grape leaves and then to nibble a little on the esoteric knowledge. Beware of this mistake! No mistakes are permitted in spiritual work. If you make a mistake—correct it. The crime lies not in your mistake being made, but in leav- ing your mistake uncorrected. As soon as you become aware of it, correct it. If a negative thought comes to your mind, there is nothing bad about it. Yet, this negative thought needs to be transformed. The striving of your mind, heart, and will should be directed toward correction of the mistakes. In this way only, you will build up the character on which you can always rely.

 

Now, you should keep in mind the following: when students enter school, the teacher is friendly and attentive to them at the beginning. The further they progress in their studies and the more difficult the material becomes, the more demand- ing the teacher becomes, especially toward those who do not study well. It means that the teacher changes his attitude to- ward the students who do not make efforts to study.

 

The first thing that is required of a student is to be capable of studying. Therefore, you too, need to learn and study very seriously indeed. Each science has its principles, which must be learnt and observed. Self-control is required of the young: not superficial, external, but real self-control. There are two kinds of self-control. The first is external and superficial—whereby one’s inner balance is always disrupted. The other is inner and deep—whereby one’s inner balance is always pre- served.

 

I will give you an example of external self-control. A young man became engaged to a beautiful young woman who seemed to be good-hearted and self-possessed in actions. Often he boasted about his fiancée to friends. One day he brought a friend on a visit to his fiancée’s home and introduced her to him. They sat and conversed for a while. Then the fiancée brought a tray with glasses of water and jam as a treat. The young man purposely tripped his fiancée to see her reaction in this situation: she dropped the tray, everything fell to the floor—the jam and water spilled down. The fiancée kept total self-control and presence of mind saying, “It is okay.” Calmly, she bent down and gathered up the glasses, wiped up the wa- ter and went out of the room. The young man turned to his friend and said, “She is an example of self-control and noble character. She is the ideal young woman.” Yet, after the mar- riage, things did not go as he had expected. Once he asked her, “Where has your self-control disappeared?” She replied, “You should have gone to the other room to see what was going on in there. Only the timber of the furniture could tell you how angry I was!”

 

I say: This is not true self-control. Someone wants to open the window. He pushes it, but it does not budge. He pushes it for a second and third time, but it still does not open. He be- gins to get agitated and angry, so he pushes it even harder, as if it is the window’s fault. First of all, the window is not con- scious and cannot understand that someone is irritated with it. You can say the same about the esoteric forces. Some of them are forces of awareness, of reason, and others are only partly so. Saying that certain forces are forces of awareness means that they move in the same direction with us. By contrast, the forces lacking awareness move in a direction opposite to ours. Therefore, everyone needs to know if a given force is in accordance with their individual development. In the same way, you should observe whether your thoughts, feelings, and actions keep in accordance with your development. Whenever you are aware of a certain thought or feeling, immediately check it and decide where to place it: left or right. Spiritual students need to learn how to sort things out by knowing the exact place of each of their thoughts, feelings, and actions. In this respect, some will succeed in 25, 50, 75 percent of the time, but the most successful will do it all the time. The spiri- tual student should work to gradually increase this percentage and not to fall into error and delusion.

 

And so, after each lesson, we will proceed with the experi- ments; that is to say: after each lesson, you will be tested— not only theoretically but practically as well. All theoretical knowledge needs to be applied in life where it will be further developed and tested. Those who want to study esoteric sci- ences, should know that they will be subjected to certain tests and trials, which they should pass well. You say, “We have difficulties anyway.” Yes, but now you will understand their meaning and purpose. When you understand their meaning, you will be able to use them as methods of healing. For ex- ample, someone complains of pains in different parts of his body: his hands and feet hurt, his head and back hurt, his stomach is upset too. So, the Invisible World will create from all these smaller aches one bigger pain in order to direct his mind to it and make him start the healing process. In this way, he will forget the small pains and will begin to work intensely in one direction. This means that the greater hardship directs one’s energy toward one center. Otherwise, a dissipation or scattering of one’s energy and concentration occurs. Nature acts in the same way. She creates a great pain for someone, within which all is healed. But you have not yet come to the “great pains.”

 

When you reflect upon the topic that I have assigned to you, write as little as possible, only about the essence of the idea. Each one of you will answer on your own which is the best method for work. It is of no importance for you what sci- entists have said on this subject. Sometimes it will correspond to your understanding, to your nature; but sometimes it will not. It is important to align your work not with the methods of ordinary scientists, but with the methods of Living Nature. Only in this manner, will you work your way toward the es- sential principles of Life. Each one should apply these prin- ciples, each one should work with an individualized method. It depends on your conscientiousness, dedication to work, and your deep desire to achieve something valuable.

 

Many will say that they lack the favorable conditions for work. In this respect, the Americans set an example. In America, there are college and university students, who en- gage to work in kitchens, in various offices as servants in order to finish their college or university studies. It is good to have favorable conditions in life, but any conditions should be utilized mindfully. Even in the most difficult conditions, one can spend at least 10–15 minutes in reading and study- ing. What hinders a housewife from focusing her mind on the Divine while she is chopping onions or cooking a meal? Both bad and good situations are set up for the purpose of placing the spiritual students in the position to cope with various diffi- culties. Only in this way they can grow and develop rightly.

 

First lecture of the Master held for the Youth Esoteric Class, February 24, 1922, Sofia.