Meditation Monthly International - MMIMMI cover - new look


HAS A NEW LOOK...

October / November 1999

Discipleship
  Included in the hard copy version were these flyers:


Networkers Letter,

The Bard's Corner

Zi-Shen & The Golden Race
by Kathryn & Lewis Agrell





It was the Year of the Dragon when the Emperor announced that a special foot race would be held, with the prize of a thousand pieces of gold to be presented to the village who produced the champion. Throughout the provinces the fastest and strongest young men were closely observed and tested until each village had their chosen one. In the village of Ming Lai, Zi-Shen was the swiftest of all the youth, and, being so, soon found himself at the foothills of the Golden City. The race was to be 30 kilometers long and whoever arrived first at the gates of the Emperor’s Golden City would be proclaimed the winner.

   The day dawned and the race began. Hour after hour the young runners flew down and over the dusty mountain roads and rocky hills. But as the hours wore on and the sun grew hotter, each runner’s pace slowed, and soon most searched for the shade of a nearby tree or a cave in which to rest before continuing on.

   As Zi-Shen neared the halfway point of the race, he realized that it had been hours since he had spotted any of his fellow competitors. Yet he allowed himself only a moments pause by a stream for a cooling drink of water. Zi-Shen’s stamina was great and he had no doubt in his mind that he could win the race. He walked over to the road and began to run at a nice steady pace. Soon he came upon a cart filled with goods sitting by the side of the road and, as he passed, he heard the sound of weeping. He stopped and ran back to the cart to find a young woman in tears,who was seated on the ground with a broken wheel beside her. Seeing Zi-Shen, the young woman wiped her tears from her face. “My father is expecting me to bring back these supplies, but the wheel on my cart has broken. What am I to do?”

   “Where do you live?” said Zi-Shen.

   “My village is but a few kilometers away,” she sniffled, “but it may as well be a million.”

   After pausing to consider the possible effects of his choice, Zi-Shen placed the supplies in the cart’s oiled cloth, and after tying it together, heaved the pack onto his back. The trip was longer than he had anticipated and the supplies weighed him down and slowed his pace. It was not until sundown that Zi-Shen and the young woman reached her village. With respect for her family, he let himself be fed, but after less than an hour’s rest, he said his goodbyes and took up his race again.

   Under the bright moonlight, his legs carried him quickly back to the spot from which he had strayed and from there his pace quickened. Up and down the many foothills he ran until he rounded a bend—and there before him stood three men. Zi-Shen had heard horrific stories about thieves in the night who attacked unsuspecting travelers. He could feel his fear rising and his  breath quicken.

   “Where are you going in such a hurry?” said one of the men.

   “Don’t you know the hills are not safe for one as young as yourself?” said another.

   “What do you want?” said Zi-Shen. The men surrounded him. “I have nothing to give you—no money, no goods, not even fine clothes.” The three moved menacingly closer. Suddenly, Zi-Shen sat himself upon the ground and said, “Then take my life or leave me be.” With great dignity and solemnity in his posture, Zi-Shen closed his eyes and waited. “This is too easy,” said one of the men. “There must be others waiting nearby to attack.” In amazement, Zi-Shen heard the three men run away.

   In the distance Zi-Shen could also hear the sounds of cheering and he realized at that moment that the race had been won. Determined though to finish what he had started, he began to run once more. As he reached the gates of the Golden City, the sun was rising. When he reached the gates, he collapsed onto the ground and leaned himself up against the wall.

   “Where have you been?” said a gruff voice from behind him. “I thought you were the fastest and the strongest of all the young men.”

   “I failed,” said Zi-Shen.

   “Did you?” said the Emperor, stepping out from behind the gates with a royal entourage of smiling faces behind him. The Emperor took a bewildered Zi-Shen into the palace’s royal garden, sat him down and gave him a cup of cool jasmine water to drink. “Observe,” said the Emperor. The young woman with the broken cart stepped out from the shadows of the palace as did the three thieves. “You see,” explained the Emperor, “this was more than a mere foot race. Whoever was the clear winner was also to be tested for his sacrifice, compassion, courage and perseverance.”

   “But I did not win.” said Zi-Shen. “I failed my village.”

   “No,” said the Emperor sternly. “Today you have won a prize far more precious than gold.”

    From that day forward, Zi-Shen became a student on the golden path of discipleship in the Emperor’s service, and through the years the village was richly rewarded for producing such a shining son.
 
 

Agni Yogi and Discipleship
A Sunday lecture given by Joleen Dianne Du Bois
 

“Let us talk about the accepted and destined disciples, and about discipleship in general. In their unawareness, many imagine that so long as they are reading the books of the Teaching, and have some desire to become disciples of this or that Great Teacher of the White Brotherhood, they will be accepted and quite welcome. But almost no one ponders what he has done in his life, or rather, lives, to deserve this greatest of privileges. Truly it is the greatest, and before we expect to receive this privilege we should realize what it means....”1

   Agni Yoga is a living Teaching. It is a Teaching of living ethics and of synthesis. It is a Teaching that was given to us in 1921 and is, today, the most modern branch of the Ageless Wisdom. A “living Teaching” means that the Teaching can be applied to a person’s day-to-day life, not to the exclusion of, but in harmony—in synthesis—with all streams of Life. If we want to be an accepted disciple, we must live the life of an accepted disciple.

   What does it mean to be an accepted disciple? It means to be one who is free from his lower chaotic nature, one who is free from his debts, one who is not burdened by personal karma. “A person overburdened with karma cannot hope to become a close disciple. Only those whose earthly karma is almost completed can be accepted among the closest disciples.”2  Accepted disciples are those who are trustworthy and have a remarkable sense of responsibility. They are recognized as people of dedication who are devoted to higher ideals. They are men and women who live a sacrificial life for the greater good of all life. Accepted disciples can be found in any field of human endeavor: in the field of politics or education, in communication or philosophy, the arts and sciences, religion or economics. But no matter into what field of service their life direction and dedication take them, they will be recognized as tireless workers who treat all life as sacred. They have multiple talents; their creative legacy is a gift generously given to the world, to meet world need. The multidimensional form of their talents becomes a legacy inherited by those who follow upon the same path. You can recognize the legacies of accepted disciples by the results of their talents; their genius will serve mankind for hundreds of years. Accepted disciples are bridges between the present and the future. They are enlightened men or women. Accepted disciples pass “from one stage of achievement to another; they [leave] the results of their experiments and experiences on each stage as guidelines to those who would follow the same path of striving toward perfection.”3

   An accepted disciple is one who is in contact with the underlying Core of his existence. As a result of the contact, one is able to intuitively transcribe the causes and the meaning and purpose of life according to one’s level of consciousness. One’s experience, knowledge, revelation and wisdom are then expressed through one’s creative talent.

   If we want our destiny to be that of an accepted disciple, we must travel now on the path of discipleship. To voice that we are a disciple of the living Hierarchy does not make us an accepted disciple. To be a disciple, one must apply the Teachings in everything one does, feels and thinks. An accepted disciple has a pure heart, and draws from the treasury of the Chalice; he lives his life as a conscious living soul. His many life experiences—what he has learned over many incarnations of pain and suffering, success and failure—have formulated his life in such a manner that he follows certain credible rules of the higher road, where he himself has become a living ethic.4

   Signs of discipleship can be demonstrated in children.

For example:
   One day a teacher gave a little chick to ten different children and told them, “Go and kill the bird, but no one must see you kill it.” Each little child went to kill his bird. Then each returned to the Teacher except for one little boy. When the nine children and the teacher finally found the little boy, he still had his chick in his hand. The Teacher said, “Why didn’t you kill the chick?” The child replied, “I couldn’t find any place to kill it where God would not see.” This child was demonstrating the heart of a disciple. He was applying the ethics of life to a real life situation; he was showing that each life is sacred.

   A person’s life, as a soul, from the moment of incarnation to the moment of death, from the beginning to the end, must be recognized as an opportunity to live life as a living ethic. Each situation, each condition that is given to us must be viewed as an opportunity to cultivate the Beauty that is within each one of us, the Love that is within each of us, the Joy and the Power that is within each of us. Each situation, each life condition must be viewed as an opportunity for accepted discipleship, as a moment of self-confrontation. It is at that moment that we will either awaken and change ourself, or flee and hide.... losing the opportunity for the soul to evolve. We are told that it is only while we are in incarnation that we can erase our habits, glamors, illusions and karma; we cannot do this after death, but only during incarnation.

   We are told that “all that we have, all that we know, all that we are, passes through continuous tests. Each test reveals the ground on which we stand. Each test reveals the future to us. Each test makes us realize whether we can step into the future.”5

   You see, discipleship and the path of Agni Yoga is the path to becoming Real. Agni Yoga teaches the technique of how to reach the true Self. If we apply the technique and live according to the demands of this discipline, we will have the opportunity to become an accepted disciple. To say one is a disciple because he has the knowledge of discipleship, because he attends lectures or has read scores of books, none these things make him an accepted disciple unless he also lives the Teachings and applies what he knows.

   We are told that one of the greatest signs of discipleship is when one is no longer influenced by the changing nature of his body, emotions and thoughts. He is stable, and when he makes a promise or decisions, he can be counted upon to carry them out to his fullest capacity. When a person’s decisions and promises are affected by his moods, emotions, feelings, likes and dislikes, he proves that he is not yet a disciple but still controlled by his lower nature—his threefold personality.

   In the book Invincible by Nicholas Roerich (p. 360), I found a beautiful story about a disciple, Maxim Gorki,who was a great and talented writer. At his funeral, state representatives stood as guards of honor, and the entire diplomatic corps was present. French newspapers commented with amazement at how the whole nation was paying tribute to this national hero. The foreign press unanimously hailed Gorki’s achievements. There were wreaths from the French and Czechoslovakian governments; Russia resolved to erect monuments in his honor in Moscow, Leningrad and other places. H. G. Wells sent a message from England at Gorki’s passing.

   Let me read what N. R. says: “The Paris papers that have reached the Himalayas record many signs of a world-wide esteem for the late writer. He was honored not only by friends but by all countries and by all sections of cultural life. Even the most restrained obituaries comment highly upon his works, saying ‘a man and an artist whom we all loved has passed away.’

   “Gorki died as he lived, a great man. In these painful hours of illness he never once spoke about himself. All his thoughts were in the Kremlin, in Moscow. Even in the interval between two oxygen masks, he asked me to show him the newspaper with the plan of Stalin’s new constitution. During the short periods of relief from his illness, he spoke about his beloved subjects—literature and the possibility of a future war, which worried him very much.” The last words he spoke were, “There will be war.... one should be ready....”

   We are told that no one can advance on the path of discipleship without passing a test. Too often we dismiss a test as “something that should have never happened to us” and, as such, attribute the cause of the condition or situation to “another’s ignorance,” to their prejudice, ego or vanity, or even to their darkness. But if we are wise, we will take the view of the disciple, which is to take a closer look at each test life confers upon us, treating each situation with respect and, perhaps in some form, even welcoming it and treating it with honor. How do you treat a test with honor? By giving it all the attention it deserves by way of using and applying all that we know, all that we are, and all that we know we can be; and in so doing, helping our soul to advance upon the path of discipleship in preparation to better serve Hierarchy—the kingdom of God. If the test is not passed, it will come around again, but with tenfold the difficulties and with greater intensity.

   I’ve always considered the cyclic tests of Saturn, Uranus and Pluto as times in which we can recognize the tests of discipleship. Saturn tests seem to be very prolonged and heavy. During the tests of Saturn we discover our fears, our endurance levels and our level of consciousness. With the tests of Uranus we see how far from the path we have strayed. With the tests of Pluto we see to what we are attached and what is non-essential.

   To be an accepted disciple takes a principled foundation. “It is impossible to create disciples and people who are really dedicated to the living Teaching unless they have a foundation. If they don’t have a foundation, it is impossible to build anything in them....”6

____________________

1. Letters of Helena Roerich, 1929–1938, Vol I. (New York: Agni Yoga Society, 1954), p. 283.
2. Ibid,  p. 284.
3. Torkom Saraydarian, The Psyche and Psychism (Sedona, AZ: Aquarian Educational Group, 1981), p. 451.
4. A living ethic means that the disciple’s experiences, his sense of right and wrong, his contact with his own soul and heart, serves as a continuous fountain of action through Light, Love, Beauty, Joy and Freedom.
5. Torkom Saraydarian, From My Heart (Cave Creek, AZ: T.S.G. Publishing Foundation, Inc.), pp. 497–499.
6. Torkom Saraydarian, Talks on Agni (Sedona, AZ: Aquarian Educational Group, 1987), p. 235.
 
 

The Agni Yogi and Discipleship
 

An Agni Yoga Compilation
 

29 August  1934

   Let us talk about the accepted and destined disciples, and about discipleship in general.

   In their unawareness, many imagine that so long as they are reading the books of the Teaching, and have some desire to become disciples of this or that Great Teacher of the White Brotherhood, they will be accepted and quite welcome.

   But almost no one ponders what he has done in his life, or rather, lives, to deserve this greatest of privileges. Truly it is the greatest, and before we can expect to receive this privilege we should realize what it means. In their naiveté , the majority think that the Great Teachers are desperately seeking disciples and are ready to accept with open arms any person who is not too bad and who wishes to be accepted. There is no greater delusion! The Teachers are not looking for disciples because the fundamental rule is that the disciple must look for the Teacher, and must find Him. At the same time, the Teachers are indeed looking for every possibility of extending help through all suitable channels. That explains why we occasionally find beautiful little books written automatically by pure psychics. Often these psychics, after acting as a channel, never hear again from the real Author, who transmitted through them one or another precious gem. Sometimes not even the Author’s name is known, as very often the Wisdom is given by the Great Teachers through a disciple who has already passed into the Subtle World. Furthermore, these psychics do not have to undergo any specific discipline, which is so completely essential for the accepted disciples. The chief, unfailing sign of nearness to the Teacher is the perpetual “Ocean of the Teaching,” which such a disciple receives, together with a precise knowledge of its Source. Also, there is the broad constructive work of the disciple, the receiving of indications, knowledge of the future and of exact dates, and, of course, the very character and mode of living of such a disciple. Letters of Helena Roerich, Vol. I, p. 283

   From the moment of acceptance, the disciple begins a new and also not an easy life, due to terrible inner and outer tensions. During these tensions, not only are all his energies awakening (this partially takes place during the preparatory stages), but there comes also their accelerated development and transmutation. A whole battery of invisible but powerful rays are directed toward the disciple. These rays become more and more intense and varied in their quality, according to the striving and broadening of the consciousness of the disciple and the refinement of his organism. The object is to transform the inner man and to refine and separate his three bodies for independent activity on the corresponding planes. Great is the tension of the disciple, his physical strength temporarily decreases, and without giving up the duties of every day the disciple must live according to a certain regime. Higher altitude, pure prana and certain isolation are necessary conditions of such regime. All these rays can be assimilated by the disciple only if the highest striving is manifested. Everything requires reciprocity, correspondence and harmony.

   This harmony the Great Teachers find in the so-called destined disciples. Thus we designate those who, in   their previous lives, were disciples of the Great Guardians, or were connected with Them by bonds of devotion and love. Such a disciple, in his present incarnation, from the moment of birth is under the High Guidance of the Teacher. The very conditions of his birth are determined by the Teacher, and the essential abilities are manifested in accordance with his mission. Such a disciple carries the full chalice. From the earliest days he knows the Teacher, knows his Image. Therefore, such spirits are unable to turn away, and the events of their lives, like an irresistible current, carry them toward the predestined shores. Blessed is the karma of those who in their previous lives united themselves, with bonds of devotion and love, with one of the Great Spirits, or with their nearest disciples; such karma is the shortest way to the goal. That is why the Hierarchic Chain is so sacred. Hence, in this life one should manifest love and devotion, those qualities which are the first conditions on the path of approach.

   The second condition is striving and readiness to sacrifice self in the service of the General Good, as no one will be permitted to approach if he intends to obtain knowledge for personal aggrandizement, for such is the way of the black magician. When self-renunciation and striving are affirmed in the heart they will become as second nature. The application of the Teaching to oneself and in the life of every day will become joyous, and then progress and even achievement of the sacred aim is assured. But one must ask oneself, and answer with full sincerity, whether there is really such fiery striving and self-denial, or whether there is some secret selfish desire to achieve greater knowledge for covetous purposes. The slightest signs of such hidden desire will be the greatest obstacle on the path of spiritual progress. For success one must have understanding, as well as readiness to practice podvig—the great self-denial—in life.

   One must seriously ponder the concept of podvig as the necessary condition. The profound understanding of all the qualities that are included in podvig is extremely important. Therefore, it is useful to write down from the books of the Teaching all the necessary qualities enumerated there, as well as all vices which are obstacles on the path. Verily, it is most difficult for people to realize that the foundation of discipleship and of all spiritual achievement is the striving toward the Highest Ideal and the fiery purification of all one’s feelings and one’s whole character.

I shall quote to you a page which I have just sent to one of my correspondents:

   “It is much easier for people to give up certain excesses and to perform mechanically a pranayama than to restrain a single habit which is a stumbling block on the path of spiritual progress. But, as it is said, everything mechanical concerns only the outer man and cannot reorganize the inner man, and therefore is worthless; for the transformation of the inner man is the only aim of all true Teachings. Therefore, one must clearly remember that all the Great Teachers care for and deal only with the inner man, whose sphere lies in the realm of thought. Thus, not a single high Raja Yogi or Agni Yogi needs any mechanical or physical exercises. The only concentration allowed by them is concentration on the chosen High Ideal, performed with an unfailing and continual determination to reach it. And such concentration continues perpetually, regardless of what the Yogi or the disciple is doing. Everything is performed in the name of the chosen Image. Every moment he feels in his heart love and the presence of this Image....” Letters Of Helena Roerich, Vol. I, pp. 285–286