www.theosophie-spiritualite.com

May 1963 to June 1963

Pages 87-89 – The Theosophical Movement – May 1963 (pp. 273-275)

Of course unlearning is difficult; our likes are countered; our dislikes have to be encountered. People would be clear-sighted if intellectual integrity were to develop. But it seems to me that the starting point is Vairagya. My own experience is that not many people like to be told the truth about themselves. They will agree if you say to them that falsehood is bad; but tell them that falsehood is in them and we are up against it. Love’s labour of one’s very heart is not only lost but it arouses resentment and violence. And yet how can we say nought, face to face with clear-cut wrong-doing? Impersonal preaching is the best for all such; but will they apply what is said from the platform, or what appears in The Theosophical Movement? Of course one’s own example also tells, and sometimes that is more effective than talk. Therefore one has to aim high, very high, and though our ideals are not realized, if we steadily work towards realization then good will come not only to us but to some others also. It is well that we desire to see the next step only, but after having seen the step do we keep on looking at it or do we take the step and look for the next one? Marking time will never do. Masters and Their Work seem to me the very best ideal, for there is constant opportunity for a partial realization — something attempted, something achieved. It is a strengthening feeling.

A retaliatory attitude is a sure sign of violence in the mind. People may suppress verbal violence and repress violence in action; but, as long as they harbour it in the mind, come out it will in speech and deed. Though in more than a dozen places the truth is reiterated, especially by Judge, we do not try with might and main to uproot the power of violence from the mind. This power is Ahriman and is of the “I”-making faculty of Ahankara. When we fight other personalities we overlook curbing our own. Ahimsa's kinship with Karma needs to be stressed, and the fact that the fight is in one’s own mind needs to be realized.

To recognize that one is violent in mind is a vital perception. Most people do not register it and are blissfully ignorant of the fact. Knowing it as you do, you are bound to check the violence, but herein comes memory, which gives us the slip. The great part played by this memory is another thing not usually noticed. Without remembering, the control of violence is not possible. After memory follow attentiveness, patience and “try, try, try again.” The factor of study in remedying violence is to be recalled: the mirror of the mind requires “the gentle breezes of soul-wisdom to brush away the dust of our illusions.” This verse also points to the coming of “dust” from the Astral Light, and we have to be vigilant and not allow that “dust” to settle on and in our minds.

About violence and retaliation: Oppose evil we must, even attack it, but without venom and anger and pride in our own consciousness. Gandhiji ordered marauding monkeys to be killed with a purpose, a motive and a method. He said that in defence of wife or daughter one must fight even physically, but in proportion as there is the spirit of violence in the fighter he will be the loser in the battle. Destruction does involve “violence,” but it is the power which works at death and at Pralaya The power of decay and disintegration of the body is a good example. Do we destroy our own body? Do people hate their own body? Most would like to live on and on. What causes decay in the body? What disintegrates the corpse? We must distinguish between human violence, which involves hatred in some form, and that other destructive-regenerative power of and in Nature symbolized by Shiva-Rudra. Are we violent when we eliminate waste matter from our body? Between natural death and suicide the difference is of this pranic character. Technically speaking, what is the nature of my magnetism when I am “violent”? The flow of astral fluid charged by one’s thought, will and feeling is the factor. The Buddhi Yoga of the second chapter of the Gita teaches: “Do not count on or care for the fruits of deeds.” This is a thought-will-feeling process on the side of consciousness and a magnetism and astral fluid process on that of substance. In Master’s letter (U.L.T. Pamphlet No. 29) this is explained.

As to the Critic, —— is doing very good work, and what if he attacks the U.L.T.? The thing for us to note is — do we deserve these attacks? If we do, then we have to change ourselves; if we do not, then we must thank —— for publicity, even though it comes through an unjust channel. It does not show tolerance on the part of people who do not want to read the Critic because it contains attacks on the U.L.T.

As for our attitude when we are thanked and praised for whatever we have done: well, there is a thought in the Ramayana, I believe. It is said that it was Rama’s rule to remember the smallest deed of good rendered to him and to forget the critical and the evil. That is one thing. Then we have to turn round and make an offering of the praise bestowed on us to Them whose service we are performing. This cannot be done loudly and openly always, but whenever it is discreet and possible one should say, “Give the credit where it belongs, to the Great Ones.” We accept in silence and learn when people criticize or condemn. We rejoice that our Lord’s work, done by Him through us, has helped or pleased others. But the sweetest feeling is our doing works in quiet, unknown and unnoticed by others; this expands our hearts and minds because the constant Watchers bless it. Often we do not feel this blessing, but sometimes we do. There is no greater recompense, believe me. Thus we do not remain unaffected by praise — that is the necessary early step — but we use that very praise for some further beneficence. Is that not so?

Gratitude is rare. It is said that the sun feels grateful that it can warm the earth and the trees and the creatures, including human beings. It a very superior quality and has aspects and phases not easily understood. The third chapter of the Gita offers basic ideas; the proper understanding of the World of Light and Lights is another factor; and there are others. The development of gratitude does not emanate from ordinary study, it is a feeling related to the Buddhi, which is passive. In proportion as Buddhi is activated the power of gratitude comes forth. Think along this line. Compassion and Wisdom are two powers which coalesce in man. Gratitude and other moral aspects pertain to compassion.

H.P.B.’s article, “Let Every Man Prove His Own Work,” is full of real Occultism. You should read it de novo. It is true that good done to others, in certain cases, evokes, not gratitude, but the reverse. There is a strange aspect of the Law of Justice when its real mercy comes to the man in pain and suffering. Pride of a peculiar nature suffuses a personality, and to be kind to such an one proves unhelpful, to say the least. The beggar problem also has its awkward side: sometimes a test is revealing; a man wants money and he says he is hungry. Offer him food to eat and he resents it; he wants money. Personal and collective Karma is very intricate. I personally prefer to err on the side of mercy than to emphasize the aspect of justice.

To be like his Guru in all things, and as much as is possible, is the expression of real gratitude, or, shall we say, the real expression. Here is still another aspect of silence and secrecy used for right development.

Pages 90-92 – The Theosophical Movement – June 1963 (pp. 314-316)

Loneliness — that is the-badge of all our tribe. At times it becomes intense; at times it has only a numbing effect. Loneliness is part of the inner life. We leave off, or try to, the lower; we do not become accustomed to the Higher; we are in mid-air, like Trisanku. Look up his story; Longfellow has a poem about him, if I am not mistaken. Do not be frightened. This loneliness acts both in good and bad ways and we have to learn to make good use of it.

Right Loneliness of the Noble Eightfold Path is “want of pleasure in congregations of men.” But the next exercise is meditation which unfolds companionship with our Inner Ruler, followed by that with fellow pilgrims. To get away from the lower into the higher is the War; to enjoy the higher is light, peace and divine contentment which, through divine discontent, urges us on to progress to perfection.

Of course companionship is necessary, and not only for ordinary people; for students there should be the cultivation of sat-sang. All chelas of all Masters form a band of Companions; and further, disciples of the same Guru cultivate a deeper friendship. The institution of gurubhais is real and represents a grand occult truth. So, asceticism of the right type demands cultivation of the spirit of companionship. You are bound to come to that stage and it will call for considerable discrimination.

Affinities, says Judge, anon bless and anon damn. Again, H.P.B. says that love and hate both are immortal feelings. We are attracted by those we love and also those we dislike— I hope we hate no one. We have to learn to open our big hearts in a big way — love, love and love all. Draw a circle and take all in. It requires heart-wisdom and charity of mind and speech — Shila-harmony between our words and acts, balancing the credit and debit sides of our own Karma so that the Law does not react on us; and we learn to use the Great Law which is both Justice and Mercy. So let us act in a friendly way, never mind what anyone does. When we depart from the body let us not leave behind anyone who dislikes us. Let us leave only friends and friendship all along the line.

Our esoteric principles demand that feelings of dislike for persons be promptly adjusted. Read and apply the principles of W.Q.J.’s article on “Friends or Enemies in the Future”; also numerous passages in his priceless Letters. This is essential for you, your own inner growth. Whenever and wherever and for whomever you find a feeling the reverse of loving friendliness, better to throw it out, as quickly as possible. We cannot possibly change others, however much we may advise and try to guide and help them. But ourselves we can and should transform. Spiritual transmutation is not only possible but very desirable. A major part of our inner training consists in just such a task of transmuting the rough, drossy material into sparkling diamonds. Spiritual alchemy is the real science and the soul of material alchemy.

As to likes and dislikes, loves and hates — we have to remove from our being this pair of the human personal character. Only a Bodhisattva has fully succeeded in that grand task. But we must begin. Here is an ascetic exercise. How to win over those who dislike us? By, first, liking them. Both mental effort and imagination have perforce to be used. This is a major trial in chelaship. Take your feelings which, so to speak, create non-understanding and/or embarrassment for you in reference to —— or anyone else. How to begin to overcome that? You will need to see their good points, gain knowledge about those, come closer to them in and by imagination. By the way, this is one aspect of working in silence and secrecy. Then bit by bit you pass out of the dislike stage into the like stage. In the case of those you already like, expansion into love should be attempted and then impersonalization of that like and that love. This is practising Brotherhood. You are correct — understanding is comparatively easy; application requires the aid of imagination.

As you have the spirit of true give-and-take you are bound to gain friends and companions and devotees. Acquaintances grow into friends, or drop out; so also friends cultivated and who cultivate us become companions and these become devoted to us and we to them. You are beginning the good life of Brotherliness and so I have been writing you to cultivate the spirit of friendship. From the occult point of view the rule of discipleship seems to be that chelas go in groups and establish real companionship. Dissimilar magnetisms, like differing colours, are so mingled that a pleasing picture is created, which grows into real beauty. The Master and chela relation no doubt is strictly individualistic, but He uses other individuals to chip off our rough or sharp edges, for in the process those others get their own edges smoothed and rounded. Then there is an old song they used to sing: “Your friends are my friends and my friends are yours.” It contains another phase of this creative work in and for groups, which ultimately aids every individual in the group. So it goes.

We attract to ourselves, impersonally from the Astral Light and through persons who are our agents of Karma, love or hate vibrations. We feel hot and cold — it is our body in relationship to the earth’s temperature rooted in the earth’s magnetism, etc. The same about emotional vibrations. The Buddha did not feel the hate when Devadatta vibrated the full force of hatred. We feel and respond to kindness or to cruelty and feel elevated or depressed. So it is we. This is nothing new and we all know it; but metaphysically it is better to register the nature of this phenomenon. Also, it is understandable why resentment arises in us when resentful vibrations attack us. Now, “Resist not evil” offers an ascetic exercise to be used subjectively. It is within our own personal life that we have to practise not to resent resentment. We do not will; will is forgotten but that means that memory-will is weak. Vigilance is will of memory — remembrance. All this is simple to understand, difficult to apply. And yet we must apply. In what measure? My dear, in full measure.

Kinships will not be marred if hearts are true. Points of view are bound to differ. It is a scientific fact that no two persons see the same view they are beholding with the same accuracy or understanding. If that be so on the physical plane, how much more it must be so on, the mind-heart plane! Let us trust each other, have faith in the good of each other’s minds (for it is in lower Manas that bickerings, etc., arise), seek what unites and eschew what divides, and above all be patient with each other. There is occult wisdom in one of the sonnets of Shakespeare on love. Judge’s phrase, “Hold grimly on,” has numerous applications. Of course egotism is the source of troubles, dislikes and hatreds at every turn and at every stage. To settle or sink personal differences in the larger interests of our Great Work is an art in itself, which many, even among our students, have not acquired. To succeed in this with one or half-a-dozen we need to practise this forbearance and fortitude with all and sundry. If we develop amicability, and so adaptability, in our own character, two-thirds of our work is done; not only for our own self but for the Cause also.

To forgive and forget is the practical technique to be employed for the application of compassion in the heart. A similar connection there is between love and understanding; the latter is born of the former; no love, no real understanding. But one may have love and not understand because of absence of philosophy and of knowledge.