"Christ advised to distribute spiritual wealth. But, as the keys to it are far away, people have applied this advice toward the distribution of pillaged money. First to steal and then to give away with a tear and become enraptured by one's own goodness. As if in speaking of distribution the Teacher could have had in mind chairs and old coats! The Teacher meant imponderable wealth. Only the spiritual gift can move the cup of the scales. Let us examine the row of coworkers. Was anyone deprived of anything? No, all have been enriched. Is it not enrichment to become a ruler of a new kingdom? So rich is that kingdom that without too much harm we can break a few dishes. Positively the hands are growing, and the book of gratitude can be examined ...
"Who can justly assert that he has been the giving one? We will open Our account books and show how much every one received. For it is not at all easy to sacrifice when a sacrifice is a possibility, and the possibility is a benefit, and the benefit is a sound cooperation, and the cooperation is the Alatir-Stone, which either resurrects or consumes. But self-abnegation can open the Gates of Understanding, and the decrepit sacrifice of unneeded things will swing upon one branch with self-love."
We invite you to ponder upon the meaning of sacrifice as written in this verse during the next two months. Then, write us of your understanding. You may send your papers to us through our e-mail address on the Internet: wtmtn@primenet.com, our FAX number (520) 776-4005, or to our post office box address.
May we all listen and be silent so we can attune ourselves to the Divine Sources of the Teaching.
Shanti,
Joleen D. Du Bois
President
Joleen@wmea-world.org
Return to the Table of Contents
The origin of the term sacrifice is found in the Latin roots - "sacer" and "facere," which together form the meaning "to make sacred." When reflecting on the sacredness of life as exemplified in nature, it seems most crucial that humanity understand and consciously live a sacrificial life in order to live in equilibrium with the planet. One of the ways this can be accomplished is through the increase of gratitude and humility toward the natural world.
A tree begins as a seed, which roots itself and begins
a life surrounded by adversity. Through cooperation with the soil, water,
air, and sunlight, many obstacles are overcome and the tree becomes stronger.
As it grows, it endures setbacks due to extreme weather conditions, the
effects of parasitic hosts, fires, and the competitive environment of the
forest. What motivates a tree to endure all things lies in its beneficent
purpose. During its struggle to become a mature tree, it continues to supply
oxygen to the animal and human kingdom. Through its aesthetic beauty, it
can be a source of emotional tranquillity and mental inspiration. Over
the years, it stands as a sentinel of security, holding the earth to prevent
erosion, creating watersheds which feed our aquifers and rivers, and contributing
to rainfall through the transpiration of water through its leaves. Lastly,
the tree becomes the timber that provides us with shelter and a home. 
The tree is but one example of how nature assures us humanity's needs will be met now and in the future. This demonstration of sacrifice exemplified in nature might be correlated with a person's home life. For nature's many gifts, gratitude could be demonstrated by giving and cooperating in a similar sacrificial spirit by creating a family environment in which sacrifice becomes a keynote-placing the needs of the family ahead of one's own personal desires, and persevering through troubled times. Hopefully, the result would be a family rooted in beauty and harmony, withstanding the tests of time as a mighty tree in the forest.
"Sacrifice means the outer manifestation of inner divinity, the manifestation of divinity that exists within a person and the whole of Nature." 2
By Richard Woodard
__________________
Return to the Table of Contents
Great Teachers, acutely aware of mankind's pain and suffering, tried to teach people to detach from worldly things. They taught people to focus on the immortality of the Spirit, and by doing so lessen the chains of attachment. As Christ said, "Place the Kingdom of God before all things."
When a person starts the lengthy journey on the Path of Discipleship, he or she quickly discovers that certain aspects of the personality are deleterious and must be consciously renounced.
The levels of sacrifice can be generally divided into the following:
1) The first level is related to self-absorption, when as a result of painful life circumstances, sacrifices must be made for a spouse, a child, a relative, or an employer.
2) On the next level, a person wants to make sacrifices, but the sacrifices are personally motivated-to advance in a career, or to fulfill a great desire. This step in the process of a person's evolution allows for the development of natural abilities and talents, which, in the future will necessarily be utilized in group-oriented work.
3) On this next level a person wants to make sacrifices for others, but the actions are made with the expectation of receiving love, affection, gifts, praise, or flattery.
4) The fourth level is made up of people who make modest sacrifices for their friends, family and employer without thought of reward.
5) On the fifth level a person wants to make sacrifices
to advance spiritually. Although proceeding with the best of intentions,
this is in essence sacrifice that is personally and individually motivated.
The aspirant wants to gain personal wisdom, power, prestige, position,
or notoriety within a spiritual community. 
6) Through spiritual disciplines, including meditation, the aspirant rises to this next level in consciousness and the desires of the personality bodies begin to loosen their grip. This is when a selfless desire to sacrifice for his spiritual group arises.
7) Through continued growth, the disciple feels a need to sacrifice selflessly for a greater group, i.e., a community, state, or nation.
8) At this very highest level of spiritual development, the disciple sacrifices everything for the good of humanity.
Rising from one level to the next is a very gradual process and we must "pay our dues" if we are to advance. This process takes lifetimes of experience and gained wisdom. The different levels of sacrifice can be compared to a lodestone and a piece of uranium. A lodestone is like an undeveloped man; it draws things to itself. Uranium is like a highly advanced initiate; it radiates in all directions.
Heroes are considered to be those people who have made extraordinary sacrifices in their lives. Some have sacrificed for their own self-interest; others, for the benefit of all humanity. Thus, there are two types of heroes - personality heroes and Soul heroes, both of which act as points of inspiration for others. When striving in the material world to be like that well-known businessman, scientist, educator, politician, writer, lecturer, doctor or painter, an individual can develop discipline, organization, sacrifice, hard labor, perfectionism, punctuality, cooperation, efficiency, patience, determination, persistence, courage, daring and fearlessness.
The development of careers, talents and material needs is important, but must also be balanced by the progressive expansion of the soul. To aid in everyone's spiritual growth, Soul heroes are vital. Their heroic lives contribute to the continuing progress of humanity.
A Soul hero can be recognized by the following:
1) His activities are beyond the norm. Most people are involved in activities that help them secure food, clothing, shelter and pleasure. A hero's actions have far greater scope. Jesus, as a youth, told his mother, "I must be about my Father's business." Buddha, when he discovered the existence of disease, old age and death, left the comfort of a palace to try to solve the dilemma of the sufferings of humanity.
2) His actions are unselfish. Having detached from the personality, his life is focused on helping others.
3) He is Soul-directed. A Soul hero is in contact with his Higher Self. He has renounced his separative nature so that he is able to serve the Greater Lives -"Not my will, but Thine be done."2
4) His actions liberate others through his teaching, lectures, writing, painting-whatever his field of endeavor or specific mission in life may be.
5) His actions are fiery, dynamic and powerful and his motives are pure.
6) He invokes great inspiration in others because his Soul radiates a light that charges the consciousness of humanity with vision, and this Soul energy contacts the souls of others. This radiation of light inspires joy, love, enthusiasm and magnetic attraction. This is why tens of thousands of people have followed Christ and Buddha, as well as great leaders such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.
7) He has a vision. A hero has been given the mighty task of fulfilling a part of the Plan for humanity to aid in its progressive unfoldment. The hero has developed himself through the sacrifice and discipline of many lifetimes, enabling him to withstand the tremendous pressures of the tasks confronting him and the opposing forces that fight against him.
When asked how he attained his level of spirituality, Buddha replied, "By serving many Buddhas." There are many great people and great causes to whom people can serve and sacrifice. As humanity increases its sacrificial nature, it will advance on the path of Life and enter heroically into the rhythm of cosmos.3
by Lewis Agrell
3. For further information, read The First Steps Toward Freedom. Phoenix: Akbar Publishing, 1995.
Return to the Table of Contents
Australia,
and Russia linked together. Its initial practical task was to establish
goodwill networks across the line formerly called the "iron curtain."Global Unity has long been a dream, which now must be turned into reality through focussed group action. We can do this by
1) establishing an International Networking Bureau that links and provides information about servers for goodwill and global unity all around the world.
2) educating men and women around the world in a meditation of unity and synthesis. Such a meditation is the most powerful tool available for global transformation. As we then live and experience our essential unity and synthesis, we naturally offer our hearts in the service work for global healing;
3) integrating as a world group of servers for goodwill and global unity. We do this by embracing the essence of creative synthesis and offering ourselves unconditionally and wholeheartedly to fulfilling our part of the One Work.
Group Participation guides all decisions made within the East-West Network. Most people find it difficult to understand group work. They much prefer to be instructed. This situation is all the more evident in former communist countries where, until recently, it was illegal to gather in groups to express goodwill. Yet, it is through the group that truly creative and effective work arises.
The East-West Network publishes a regular newsletter, which is distributed free to anyone who is interested. In addition to English, it is also distributed in Russian and Czech languages. The purpose of the newsletter is to reach out to those who would not otherwise receive information about the good news of global friendship and goodwill and loving service.
One of the most important tasks for global healing is to develop in poorer nations effective educational programs in spiritual basics: meditation, service, true values and principles, the art of invocation. We are a small group with limited finances, nevertheless, we choose to stand at the point of tension of educating the public about this need. Anyone who wishes to join in the group work to develop this great field of service is invited to contact us.
Our future directions of activity open to us through the principle of inclusiveness. There is much interest and discussion at present within our Network in developing networking contacts with Third World servers and groups, in developing a school for exoteric discipleship training, in developing an agenda for anchoring upon Earth the New World Religion, and in educating the public in an exoteric meditation of synthesis.
We invite anyone who is interested in knowing more about our activities, in receiving a more detailed statement of our purposes, or in receiving a free copy of our newsletter, to contact us.
by David Keane
______________________
You may reach East-West Network contacts by writing to:
USA-P.O. Box 3527, Durango, CO 81302
Great Britain-c/o Synthesis Unit of Service, 21a Horsebridge
Hill, Newport, Isle of Wight P030 5TJ
Australia-P.O. Box 582, Gosnells 6110, Perth
Czech Republic-c/o Awakening Unit of Service, Wuchterlova 3/567,
160 00 Prague 6
Russia-Domodedovskaya Str. 6-2 Apt. 59, Moscow 115569
Return to the Table of Contents
"When you present children with beautiful fairy tales and parables, they learn how to live as noble people. They develop virtues to meet the world with a spirit of sacrifice and kindness. Children who are filled with heroic images grow up to be courageous men and women who care more about their worth as human beings than about the size of their bank accounts."1
Q:How can a person become an enlightened being?
A: Through the discovery of Self. Self-discovery cannot be achieved until a person empties himself of all that is not real. For example, one filled with vanities is controlled by who he is not, or by the unreal.
A Parable: One day a crow was sitting on a branch of a tall tree with a golden piece of cheese in his beak. While he was enjoying his golden piece of cheese, a very hungry and clever fox spied him sitting on the branch. The fox quickly thought of a plan to get the cheese away from the crow. The fox ran over to the crow saying, "My, what a beautiful bird! I must say that you have the most elegant black plumage I have ever seen. Look how it shines in the sun. You are really magnificent!" The crow listened to every flattering word the fox said. "I must say," said the fox out loud, "that this is the most beautiful bird in the world. But I wonder, can such a splendid bird have an equally beautiful voice? Perhaps that would be just too much to hope for." The crow now believing the words of the fox, opened his beak to let out a horrible ear piercing screech of a sound. As he did, the cheese tumbled out of his mouth to be instantly gobbled up by the fox.
By constructing our self-image from the materials of vanity, we prevent making contact with our true Self, delaying our enlightenment and realization of Self.
Q: Who is the person called "Origen?"2 I came across his name in the books of Agni Yoga.
A: Origen (c.185-c.254)
was a key figure in mystic and aesthetic traditions, the study of spirituality,
early church history, and medieval studies. He lived and worked in the
late Roman Empire which predates contemporary society by almost 2000 years.
He was head of the Catechetical School of Alexandria (203-231). According
to Joseph Trigg, his doctrines were condemned by the second Council of
Constantinople in 553, three- hundred years after Origen's death.3
_________________________
3. Joseph Trigg is a member of the American Society of Church History and the North American Patristic Society. He has taught at Ohio Wesleyan University and received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago
Return to the Table of Contents
If you have any comments or questions please contact us - webmaster@wmea-world.org
Return
to the First page.