February/ March 1997
Dear Networkers,
It is inspiring to give thought to the road we have traveled as an unfolding human soul.
In reading, studying, and thinking about Life and Nature as it is described in the Teachings, it becomes increasingly observable that the future of the human soul shines like a radiant sun. We can distinguish the long, well-traveled path where we were an atom, then a mineral, a rose, and an animal, to the present, where we have evolved into the human stage of Life.
The next stage is the superhuman stage, a stage that will be experienced when the soul breaks through his limitations within the human stage.
The sage M.M. tells us, “Flee not from life, but walk the path of salvation.”1 To advance toward the radiant sun, and beyond the sun to the Self, means not to flee from the present conditions in our life, nor from our responsibilities with these conditions. To flee from the conditions in our life means to reverse our progress and backslide. To backslide means the soul will lose ground. Nature, watching us move away from the future, seems then to organize the backslider’s life exams to where the tests become increasingly more difficult, difficult to a degree where he can no longer ignore his conditions and flee to the “refuge” of his limitations.
Striving to break limitations through observation and hard work advances the human soul to the next stage of its future. As the individual labors and strives in his day-to-day life, he discovers the path of salvation, the path of self-mastery. To advance toward a future where the soul can experience higher worlds, other planets and galaxies; where he can pass through the gates of the infinite, he must dissolve the present conditions within his physical, emotional, and mental bodies in which he finds himself trapped—traps such as hatred, prejudice, anger, jealousy, vanity, ego, selfishness, and self-centeredness; traps of maya, glamor, and illusion.
As we advance toward the Self, our sense of responsibility increases. The Self is the future of the soul, the Pole Star leading the soul toward greater and greater light. “The Self is a diamond radiating seven powers, seven rays.”2
As we think about the well-traveled road, we should not mourn past or present conditions. We may encounter difficult events in our travels, but our future is a vision of Cosmic Beauty.
Shanti,
Flame of the Future
by Joleen D. Du Bois
The Flame is the Teaching; it is the fire of love, light, and power. The Future is our Path, our destiny and hope, our vision.
Found within each life form is a Spark of Fire; it is within man and within the planet; it is called the Spark of Infinity. The essence of man, the essence of the planet and of space, is Fire. Just as modern science knows that a sudden release of radiating energy from our Sun is called a solar flare, esoteric tradition reveals that Space is a fiery entity, a purifying and creative agent. When the Spark within man is released, he becomes a flame of purification and creativity, a flame of the future. To be a flame of the future means you are becoming a source of creativity, of inspiration and hope, an ideal that encourages others to strive toward Self-actualization, toward the manifestation of the innermost Core—your life Purpose. An awakened being becomes a flame of Beauty, Goodness, Justice, Joy, and Freedom. In all that he is, in all that he creates, and in all that he speaks, is found the result of his communion with the flames of Beauty, Goodness, Justice, Joy, and Freedom. As the fire in man fuses with the fires of space, he gives birth to the future. “Once the flames in man and Space make creative contact, the current of light brings the treasures of Space in the form of enlightenment.”1 When the spark of fire in man fuses with the fires of Space, he has contact with the Divine side of his being and he becomes a radiating flame.
The flame is the light of the Soul that is fused with the Teachings in Space. Through the light of the Soul we become inspired with a vision of the future. As our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies unite with the vision, the vision becomes part of all that we are—our thinking, feelings, and actions. The vision becomes manifested through our fiery creativity, through our writings, lectures, activities, and relationships. “Let thy flame be steady” reminds us not to waver from the virtues and principles of the Great Teachings of life. It reminds us not to be a flickering light, not to be a “doubting Thomas,” nor “weeping willow,” but rather to stand for the Great Principles in all that we think, feel, and take action upon.
An example of a flame of the fu- ture is former U.S. president George Washington. In the memorable words of Congressman Henry Lee, who was chosen to deliver the official eulogy following the death of President Washington in December 1799: “First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in humble and enduring scenes of private life. Pious, just, humane, temperate, and sincere; uniform, dignified, and commanding; his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effects of that example lasting.... Correct throughout, vice shuddered in his presence and virtue always felt his fostering hand. The purity of his character gave effulgence to his public virtues.... Such was the man for whom our nation mourns.” Two centuries later, President Washington remains one of the most recognized and widely respected figures in American history.
The twelve petals of the Lotus are also called flames. The Lotus in the Higher Mind is a receptacle of spiritual consciousness and contact with higher forces; it is our spiritual heritage. It is a resource of greater contact with the creativity within our Self. “When the etheric centers, astral centers, and mental centers are in tune with the Lotus. . . then the base of the spine, the generative organs, the solar plexus, and the spleen act in higher dimensions. For example, the fire of the base of the spine reaches up to the center of the Lotus and unites with the fire of the astral and mental centers and produces Transfiguration in the physical, emotional, and mental bodies, creating the fire of incessant labor, aspiration, and striving. On the mental, astral, and physical planes, the generative organs, instead of being used for procreation, turn into the agents of highest creativity through art in its various manifestations. A genius is a man whose ‘generative organs’ center is aflame with the fire of the Lotus.”3
To be a flame of the future is to travel on the path of Reality, the path of Beingness. It means to travel on a path on which your higher senses are developed and where your unfolding soul enters into a future of superhuman evolution. It is a path upon which you become a flame of radiant light, where you become a path of living energy.
______________________
1. Torkom Saraydarian, The Creative Fire (T.S.G. Publishing Foundation,
Inc., 1996), p. 364.
2. Leaves of Morya’s Garden, Agni Yoga Society Inc. 1952.
3. Torkom Saraydarian, The Creative Fire (T.S.G. Publishing
Foundation, Inc., 1996), p. 90.
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If
we examine the nature of people, we can see that men are polarized physically
and mentally, while women are polarized emotionally and intuitionally. This
is detailed, in somewhat whimsical terms, in the book, Women are from Venus
and Men are from Mars. The author points out the differences in approaches to
life between men and women, and the difficulties the sexes have with communication
because of these differences. The purpose for these differences is to help in
the expansion of the other sex. If man is stuck in a physical polarization,
the woman’s loving nature will lift him to a higher level. If a woman is stuck
emotionally, the mental nature of man will lift her to a new level. Then, if
the man is stuck in his concrete mind, a woman with developed intuitional awareness
can pull him up to a far greater level of consciousness.
Humanity has taken logic and reasoning to tremendous heights. We can see the evidence in remarkable inventions: the computer, space shuttles, laser technology, and medical advances. These inventions have helped society to advance. However, we have also seen the destructive power of the mind: the atomic bomb, nuclear waste products, chemical pollutants, industrial wastes, and the pollution from internal combustion engines, which is choking the world.
It is time for the developed heart and intuition of women to lead men to a time of peace, unity, sanity, health, and prosperity. The future survival of humanity lies in the power, beauty, and leadership of women. The world has already been blessed by the presence of extraordinary women: Helena Blavatsky and Helena Roerich. These women have been torches of the Hierarchy. They were chosen because of their highly developed spiritual qualities.
There are twelve qualities that these women manifested in their lives: sensitivity, solemnity, humility, courage, daring, persistence, sacrificial service, wisdom, dedication, love, cooperation, and group consciousness. These three women are great examples for all men and women of the world who are seeking the Path of Life.
These women were in telepathic contact with members of the Hierarchy. Telepathy is a natural power of the higher mind, a sensitivity of the mind, but it must be developed through lifetimes of dedicated meditation and concentration. The future for all of humanity is to develop this degree of sensitivity. When these women were contacted by members of the Hierarchy, they understood the tremendous responsibility that was being handed to them. They knew that they would be acting as the hands, the arms, and the voice of the Great Ones, and they proceeded in their activities with great solemnity. They never lost their humility, even though they were given tremendous power and knowledge. They were very aware of their place in the Plan for humanity, and they were never swept off their feet by ego or vanity. They were able to maintain their balance and the focus of their labor. It took tremendous courage and daring for these three women to record the Ageless Wisdom and give it to a spiritually hungry world. Anyone spreading new spiritual concepts is open to attack by crystallized, fanatical minds.
Madame Blavatsky, the first of these three great ladies, faced continual attacks throughout her life for the labors in which she was engaged.
Spiritual labor demands persistence and sacrifice. It is a labor not of years, or even decades, but of lifetimes. These three women must have been striving on the Path for centuries to have been able to accomplish what they did. Their sacrificial service for humanity laid the foundation for a new spiritual vision and expansion. They dedicated their lives and their hearts to spreading the Wisdom of the Great Ones. What greater love can there be than this? Their words will benefit countless generations of aspirants and disciples.
It is only through a developed group con-sciousness that cooperation is possible. These women were not only one with the Brotherhood, but they were one with all of the people of the world. The suffering of the world became their suffering. Their only goal was to work as hard as they were able to try to ease the pain of the world. We can all profit from the life example of these three great women. They are the torches of the future. Their goal was to pass the torch to women who are courageous enough to carry this light to build a brighter future.
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Future - An Agni Yoga Compilation
Thus, thought can be commanded
to direct itself to a benevolent inten- tion. Humanity dreams of a better
future, still it does not know how to pierce the depths of darkness, because
the basis manifested by the Cosmic Fire is not observed in life....
Hierarchy, Verse 189, p. 107
Many pillars of salt are spread upon the face of the
Earth. Not only did Lot’s wife turn back to the past but numberless are
those who have looked back. What did they expect to see in the burning
city? Perhaps they wished to bid farewell to the old temple? Perhaps they
looked for their cozy hearth? Perhaps they looked in anticipation of seeing
the house of their hated neighbor collapse? Certainly, the past chained
them for a long time. Thus, one must strive onward for enlightenment and
health and for the strength of the future. Thus it should be always; but
there may be cosmic knots when an impetuous onward motion is urgent. One
should not be disconcerted and mourn over the past. Even mistakes are obvious,
yet the caravan does not wait, and the very events press onward. We hurry,
and We summon to hasten. The future is crowded, but there is no darkness
ahead!
Hierarchy, Verse 347, pp. 189-190
Help each other, hearken! Help in the small and in the great.
Help is a rap upon the future. You
know not which is the drop that filled the cup to the brim....
Hierarchy, Verse 433, p. 234
Many are altogether incapable of thinking about the
future, lulling themselves with the misunderstood letters of the Scriptures.
We must not think too much of the earthly, yet it is not said anywhere
that we should not think of the future. The thought of the future is already
like gates to the Infinite. Thus, think of the future, and you may be sure
that this thought will be supported by Hierarchy.
Hierarchy, Verse 451, p. 244
Motion into the future is similar to the movement of
a flame. It is amazing how fire, at times visibly and at times invisibly,
lives, while vibrating and preserving the balance of the world. Thus let
us strive into the future, because sustained by the fiery element we shall
not fail. But the fire can be invoked only by an action of the spirit.
Thus, let us apply the higher laws to the earthly plan. One may even change
karma, which means that one can change all earthly conditions by striving
into the future. Apply My Command to life. The particles of precious energies
adhere only to him who strives.
Hierarchy, Verse 291, pp. 159-160
He who understands the significance of unceasing labor,
he who strengthens himself by concentration on Hierarchy, he who discards
complicated formulas in order to transfer concentration to the heart, shall
understand the essence of the future.
Heart, Verse 117, p. 79
Should one not fill one’s conscious-
ness with an influx of energy since even the smallest accumulation by the
spirit is significant for the future? Decidedly, everything positive determines
our future treasury....
Heart, Verse 230, p. 141
When you meet a man who is truly striving toward the
great constructions, you will not begin to talk about the daily gruel or
about the trivial happenings of yesterday; you will strive into the future
according to the level of your companion’s thought....
Heart, Verse 81, p. 56
It is not fear of hell but a desire for perfection
that will lead people to the betterment of life.... We know the past, yet
live in the future; We do not fear Infinity, and welcome each advance.
The future stands as a great reality, separated from us by only a thin,
closed door, and even now is being created by our every breath. When one’s
consciousness is directed into the future, can one harbor rancor? There
is not time for immersion in the past.... Let us understand that each moment
is already the past, and that the future is given to us. This is Our advice
to everyone who loves Our Abode.
Supermundane I, Verse 75, p. 130
Urusvati knows that We never regret
the past. Precious is the striving to the future, and a special energy
is attracted when thought about the future is alive. The most brilliant
past cannot compare to the possibilities of the future. Science confirms
that thoughts of the future are salutary, and regretful thoughts about
the past are poisonous. We offer knowledge about the past, but the heart
should be filled with striving to the future. Let the ability to perceive
better possibilities for mankind be developed out of such thoughts. Do
not think that it is easy to reject the past. Great knowledge must be acquired
before one can recognize the spiral of evolution, which perpetually surges
forward. Usually people dwell on yesterday, not realizing that each tomorrow
brings new knowledge, and the day that is hardly over has already engendered
new accumulations.
Supermundane I, Verse 138, pp. 220-221
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