AGNI YOGA WEB TV
SERIES
„INTRODUCTION TO AGNI YOGA“
BROADCASTING
22
Joy is a special Wisdom
Dear Brothers,
dear Sisters,
today, I am looking forward to going, together with
you, in search of a precious treasure, the most valuable of all: joy of being!
The synthesis of the Spiritual
Path is: Joy!
The achievement of mirthfully mastering the various
circumstances of life embraces all other experiments of Living Ethics.
1st Guiding Thought:
Without joy
everything else
is reduced to nothingness!
If you succeed in keeping a cheerful mind and attitude
even in the most terrible conditions, you are an Agni Yogi and a New Man of the
sixth race!
This is a spiritual exercise
which requires right thinking, much knowledge, an expanded consciousness and
great mental strength.
If, on the other hand, you fall into dejection,
irritability or aggressiveness, you are and remain the old man.
Like a touchstone, your joy shows whether your
practice of Agni Yoga is successful or not.
Joy is perfection. (Fiery
World II, 258)
1. Agni
Yoga – a School of Joy!
Agni Yoga is the first high
teaching that places joy at the centre of spiritual life.
In the first volume (Leaves of Morya’s Garden
I), there is a separate "Book of Joy" (§§ 301 [357] to 303 [359]).
The Living Ethics are truly an "Ode to Joy", a "spark from the
gods"!
For centuries We have applied
Our striving to give humanity joy of being. (Infinity I, 71)
The Mahatmas have established a very special
school:
Guiding Thought:
Agni Yoga is a school of joy!
Each teacher should teach the
Higher World as a higher joy. No one will condemn him who brings true joy. (AUM
127)
Where is the school that can
teach people joy? (Supermundane 600)
We have to get away from the old religion and
world view: It preaches many terrible things: Constant bad conscience and
feelings of guilt, original sin, omnipresent fear of punishment and hell,
hostility towards body and senses, ceaseless commandments, prohibitions and
compulsion, and finally the catastrophe of death purportedly completely
destroying our existence:
It constantly puts before our
eyes a ghastly skull and the depressing admonition: "Memento mori –
Remember you must die!" (Dürer "St. Jerome
in the Study")
But you will never make people
happy with fear and terror!
We need a new outlook on life, attitude towards
life and way of life which are based on infinity – namely, joy of being!
We are not talking theoretically. What we shall
be discussing concerns each one of you, even those who do not regard themselves
as spiritual disciples, because
Suffering is a disease of the
soul! (Munch "Melancholy")
Guiding Thought:
Joy is the characteristic
of a beautiful, strong soul!
Joy is the health of the
spirit. (Fiery World I, 298)
2. No Higher
Path without Joy
How can you tell whether you are on the right
path or not? Only by your enthusiasm! Obedience, discipline and selflessness
are of no value if you exact them from yourself as a joyless sacrifice.
Is a
heroic deed possible without exaltation? Is self-sacrifice possible without
joy? Is courage possible without enthusiasm? (Agni Yoga 547)
Nothing great is created
without joy!
Where should the strength come from? You can
accomplish no important task and reach no high goal without this power at your
side.
Remember – until you have
given service in actual joy, nothing of value is really accomplished. "The
Lord," it is said, "loveth a cheerful giver." (Teachings of the
Temple Vol. II, Lesson “If we knew”)
This applies all the more to the Spiritual
Path. Do you want to walk it reluctantly or faintheartedly? Can you imagine an
embittered Master or a morose disciple of wisdom? An absolute impossibility!
Without enthusiasm you can only fail in this
steep ascent.
One does not go far by
growling. (Fiery World I, 524)
Chapter I: Joy is a special Wisdom
Nicholas
Roerich "Glory of the Himalayas"
The disciple asks, "How do I find joy
in life?" (Gudrun
Stiasny „The Wanderer through the Zodiac“)
True merriness is not drawn from external
sources, but from within:
Joy is within yourself!
If you do not find it there, you will look for
it in vain everywhere else! To understand this, we have to start with a little
theory:
1.
Mastery of Emotions
"What is joy?"
When you feel happy.
"Ha, ha, how funny. What an
enlightening answer."
Well, what I mean is:
Joy is first of all an emotion
you can control.
External circumstances are insignificant. You alone
decide what you may rejoice about even in the worst of conditions! Take another
look at our Video "Mastery of Feelings".
True, spiritual joy, however, is much more than
just a passing emotion! That is why we are now proceeding further:
2.
Attaining Joy through Cognition
Contrary to popular belief, a sunny disposition
is not a quality that falls by mere chance into the lap
of the one and is unfairly withheld from the other.
Guiding Thought:
Joy is the result of inner work,
of a process of cognition,
expanding consciousness
and gaining experience
The path to joy cannot be
easy. (Supermundane 14)
Joy is the result of
manifested labour. (Fiery World III, 424)
"How exactly does this process,
this spiritual work progress?"
You recognise: The magnificence
and justice of the Cosmic Order with the eternal laws of karma, reincarnation
and correspondence, the uninterrupted continuity of life, the creative
possibilities of immortal man, the beauty of striving for perfection and the
benefits of burdens and obstacles.
Without the realisation of
these fundamentals, joy is not possible!
You realise: As an immortal
you are a higher being of spirit: imperishable, invulnerable, invincible,
fearless and free.
You are living in the most beautiful world
imaginable: In a paradise, in an Interior Sanctuary.
You walk the highest way: the Spiritual Path.
You are pursuing the highest goal: mastery.
You take part in
the work on the greatest mission, on the gigantic project of the Brotherhood of
Shambhala: On the New Construction, the creation of a New Man and a New World.
You experience: As long as you
keep this knowledge of feeling incontestably in your heart, you will find an
access to joy in any situation.
The realization of joy grows
through conviction, not through things. (Supermundane 55)
Man possesses the great gift
of cognizing joy. The high forehead was given to him to perceive the Highest.
From the far-off worlds down to the smallest flower everything offers people
joy. (Supermundane 231)
*****
"Why are people lacking
joy so much today?"
We have lost the knowledge of the
fundamentals of existence, of our destiny, our path and our goal.
Without this understanding, our existence is
indeed absurd, and there is no happiness to be gained from a meaningless life.
Guiding Thought:
Without knowledge
there is no joy!
If gladness comes from cognition, the reverse
is true as well:
Suffering is nothing but
ignorance!
Knowledge, knowledge,
knowledge! If people would ponder upon the fact that knowledge is the only
salvation, there would not remain a particle of the present suffering. All
human sorrow is the result of ignorance. Knowledge, let us reiterate, will put
an end to the suffering of mankind. (Infinity II, 828 [428])
3.
Attain Joy through right Thinking
Rodin
"The Thinker"
Joy comes through right
thinking.
Man is what he thinks.
(Buddha)
If you always think joyfully, if you manage to
find the thought that leads to happiness in every situation, you are a happy
person.
4. Joy
as a State of the Consciousness
van
Blommendeal "Socrates with his two wives"
Right thinking, continuously cultivated, leads
to a new, expanded consciousness.
Joy is a state of
consciousness!
These perpetual grumblers, the
Xanthippes, who make a fool of themselves by emptying their chamber pot upon
the head of a wise philosopher like Socrates, are so embittered only because
they are not even aware of how much reason for happiness they have!
Guiding Thought:
The further advanced a consciousness is,
the higher it is spiritually,
the greater is its joy of being!
5. Joy as
a mental Attitude
Nicholas
Roerich "Krischna"
You express a higher consciousness outwardly,
in the material, earthly world, by preserving in any situation, even the most
terrible one, a happy disposition.
Joy is an unshakeable mental
attitude!
You free yourself from the slavery of
circumstances. The state of your being no longer alternates constantly,
depending on the situation, between exhilarated and saddened to death.
6. Joy
as a special Wisdom
Leonardo
da Vinci "Self-Portrait
Once you have truly accepted and internalised
this knowledge, this thinking and this awareness, your being is full of
indestructible bliss.
Endowed with this attitude you
are truly wise.
He who has learned joy has
already stepped onto the path of wisdom. (Supermundane 559)
We are not talking about the naïve silliness of
young, ignorant souls who have not yet experienced at all the malice and
violence, hardship and pain of the world.
Certainly this does not mean
the fun a calf is having on a meadow, but the creative joy which transfigures
all difficulties. (Fiery World I, 663)
The Mahatmas rather value the life experience
of someone who has been tried and tested more than once, who feels all the
suffering of earthly life first hand and yet retains his joy of being.
Only in the acceptance of
suffering can the germ of wise joy be born. It cannot be achieved without
suffering. (Supermundane 21)
This true happiness resides in the heart and
does not come from the intellect.
Practical
Tip: Do not become a lucky Beggar
Nicholas
Roerich "Brahmaputra"
Do not even try to imitate the so-called lucky
beggar, to whom everything seems to come effortlessly! In truth, such a one
does not even exist. Everyone has his burden to bear. As popular wisdom so
aptly says:
Unter jedem Dach ein Ach –
Under every roof a sigh of woe – even under the most stately one. (Forbidden City, Beijing)
Rather follow the wise man who keeps a sunny disposition
in all circumstances, even in apparent misfortune. He shows you a great art of
living which you still have to learn.
*****
Such a great, wise soul was Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, who was able to confidently write this poem in a concentration camp
shortly before his execution (!):
Von
guten Mächten wunderbar geborgen,
erwarten
wir getrost, was kommen mag.
Gott
ist mit uns am Abend und am Morgen
und
ganz gewiss an jedem neuen Tag.
By gentle powers wonderfully
sheltered,
we are looking forward
confidently to what may come.
God is with us at dusk and in
the morning
and most assuredly on every
new day.
One can indeed assess the level
of wisdom by the degree of joy a person attains and maintains even in mortal
peril.
This is why Agni Yoga emphasises over and over
again:
Joy is a special wisdom.
(Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 159; Gem 156, 163; AY 185, 293, 404; Here 96,
216, 343; AUM 113; Br II, 231).
Chapter II: How to attain joy?
"How do I practically
begin to attain joy?"
Yes, after theory we are now coming to
practice:
You follow a path we have already discussed
many times before (Videos " Transformation into a spiritual Being",
"Exercise The Fiery Condition" and "We are creating the Man of
the Future"): In the morning in meditation you establish a bright state of
mind, and in the course of the day you defend this high condition of your
being.
Guiding Thought:
Achieving joy
is a spiritual exercise!
Establishing
Joy in the Morning Meditation
In the morning meditation you raise the vibration
of your body of light. You retune its waves or strings. You tighten one of them
in such a way that it does not resound as indifference or even sadness, but as
joy. We had already discussed this practice in the Video "Exercise The
Fiery Condition".
You fill your soul with the
divine joy that permeates the whole Universe.
It is desirable to heighten
one’s vibrations. The easiest way is to fill oneself with solemn joy.
(Supermundane 750)
"I do not yet fully
understand: What am I to do concretely and practically to raise my vibration
and fill my being with cheerfulness."
As we had just said, this is a process of
growing realisation! Call to your mind the many reasons there are to look
forward to the coming day!
"What are those
reasons?"
Here they are! We will now consider them in
detail:
Chapter III: Joy for what?
Remember any moment, look every minute for
precisely that which you can get excited about! Here are the most important
examples:
1. Joy
about the Possibilities of earthly Life
First of all, let us say quite simply:
Guiding Thought:
Be happy
that you are alive!
Our Teaching represents the
world as rich, joyous and attractive. (Community 263)
Rejoice over every single day on
which you may stay on this earth!
It offers you irretrievable opportunities to
realise the ideals which you have conceived in the World Beyond or which were
handed down from Above for your own or for the progress of humanity as a whole.
I predict: After death you will soon be longing
to return to earth, because only here is it possible to transform your dreams
into complete, tangible, material reality.
You are excited like an
inventor who has planned and built a moon rocket. (Wernher
v. Braun)
He has no greater longing than to find out:
Does the plan work? Does the device fly or does it fail? Will it really reach
the moon? Only on the material level will it come to light: Was this really a
good idea to improve human life or not?
The experiences you are
allowed to gather on the physical plane – even in pain – are your true wealth
und thus your real joy!
2. Joy
through Love
Gustav
Klimt "The Kiss"
Here is the royal path to joy:
You love the beauty of your Paradise, your
Eternal Home in the Supermundane Spheres.
You learn to love the earthly world as well!
You love your heavenly soulmates and the great
teachers with whom you live together in the Spiritual World.
You grow to love your earthly fellow men as
well!
You love to co-operate with the rulers of this
earth, the Brotherhood of Shambhala, for the progress of evolution.
So you learn to love your earthly work as well.
"Am I really to train
love?"
Yes! Love is more than just a passing feeling.
It is an attitude towards life, the world and your fellow men which you can
learn and acquire with a lot of practice.
*****
Love transfigures your earthly existence.
Without love for life there is
no joy!
However, we do not mean the egotistic desire to
be loved by others, but the selfless endeavour to actively love our fellow men.
Lord, let me strive not to be loved,
but to love. (Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi)
Not taking, grabbing and collecting, but
giving, sacrificing oneself is the highest happiness!
Better to give to others, if
in return you receive the lofty ecstasy of the spirit. (Leaves of Morya’s
Garden II, 206)
The more anyone renounces, the
more he receives. (Community 49)
Practical
Tip: Love yourself!
Love yourself too! Do not let your little
weaknesses, infirmities and shortcomings spoil your happiness! Rather laugh at
them! You should be indulgent not only towards others, but towards yourself as
well!
3. Joy
over the Beauty and Justice of the Cosmic Order
We stand in awe of the sublime
order of the course of the stars. (van Gogh
"Starry Night")
But our human life as well is governed by
eternal, immutable laws which make our existence beautiful.
He who repeats, “How beautiful
everything is!” will be right; because the flow of evolution follows immutable
law, and therefore is beautiful. (Agni Yoga 15)
Guiding Thought:
You are secure
in the sublime, beautiful and just
Cosmic Order!
The Divine Order is beautiful above all because
it is just. Don’t you also agree with Immanuel Kant:
If justice perishes,
there is no longer any value in human beings’ living on earth.
That is why your joy is so great when you
realise:
Justice reigns in the
Universe.
Urusvati knows the joy of
Universal Justice. Various names were given to this concept in different
nations. Each one in its own language called it Karma, Moira, Fatum,
Kismet—thus did people name destiny. Some approached it with joy, others with
gloom. But no one denied the existence of the Law that revealed itself
throughout Cosmos. The wisdom of this dynamic power indicates the harmony of
the Universe. If we trace the history of nations and of individual leaders, we
will see that the law of Universal Justice is one of Beauty. (Supermundane
522)
"I for one am unable to recognise
this justice. I only perceive how countless greater and lesser evildoers get
away unpunished!?"
But you are aware of the law of Karma (see the Video
"Karma – The Law of Cause, Effect and Responsibility"), aren’t you?
Therefore, you should know: The villains will have to make amends for every
evil they committed; if not in this life, then in one of the next. The Cosmic
Order makes sure:
Suum Quique – Everyone gets what he
deserves.
It is vital that you preserve the childlike trust in
the goodness and righteousness of the Divine Laws! Many a one who cannot absorb
this Higher Knowledge actually falls into despair because of the apparent
injustice of the world order. He then soon begins to doubt even the meaning of
his life and the existence of Higher Worlds and Higher Powers in general –
according to the motto:
"How can the good Lord allow such
things to happen?"
He who thinks like this is creating a joyless
existence for himself.
Practical
Tip: Trust the Law of Correspondence!
Another guarantee for beauty and justice and thus for
joy is the law of correspondence, about which there is a separate Video:
Do not be depressed if your endeavours initially fail
to produce the desired results. Keep on trying undeterred and rely confidently
on the Universal Order, which ensures:
Success will come as soon as the time and
you yourself are ripe for it.
None of our efforts are ever wasted, and
if not in this incarnation, such strengthening of the will would bring good
results in the next one. No striving, no rhythmical or continuous effort will
remain without results. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol II, letter of 19.11.1937)
4.
Gratitude for Repayment of Debts
Your mortal personality tries to postpone the payment
of debts as far as possible. It bursts into wailing and moaning when a stroke
of fate befalls it.
As opposed to that, your Eternal Individuality is
grateful and actually rejoices at every opportunity to redeem old Karma, that
is, to be allowed to make amends for wrongs it has itself committed.
Many timid ones try to put off karmic
consequences, but a fiery spirit wisely hastens them by all means. He
understands that the ends of a torn fabric can but hinder the ascent. He
recognizes within his heart that the inevitable must come to pass, and he only
rejoices that everything can be passed through—the strength of Agni is in him.
(Fiery World I, 625)
You can approach Higher Spheres and the Brotherhood of
Shambhala only by improving your Karma.
Only karma can bring a person into the
Community of the Brotherhood. So, if such karma is ready, nothing can stop its
realization, unless the man himself wills it. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol I,
letter of 06.05.1934)
As long as you are still weighed down and obstructed
by burdens of the past, you are unable to take office in a spiritual community.
Free yourself from your debts!
You must first solve your personal problems before you
are in a position to serve the common good.
A man who is overburdened with karma
cannot approach the Great Teachers. He may receive some support, but an
approach is something entirely different. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol II,
letter of 19.07.1937)
Your Karma will even be accelerated once you enter the
Spiritual Path!
The teacher accelerates the Karma of the
disciple, which otherwise might have been dissipated or have come at a more
distant time, in order to give the disciple an opportunity for the attainment
of a far greater good. (Teachings of the Temple Vol. II, Lesson
“Concentration”)
This may seem hard, but nevertheless you can only be
glad about it, because then you will also ascend more rapidly.
5. Joy
about Eternity and Immortality
Louis
Rhead "Gulliver"
You are excited about the new, more beautiful image of
man that Agni Yoga presents (see the Video "We are creating the Man of the
Future").
You recognise your true greatness,
strength, beauty and dignity.
You are an immortal, a cosmic giant! You are walking
an eternal path through the most diverse material and non-material worlds,
spheres and planes of existence. There are no limits to your growth!
Thought about eternity will cause joy in
the here and now, too. (Supermundane 578)
He who feels the presence of the spirit
already rejoices in recognition of his boundlessness. (Agni Yoga 212)
Ignorant, your heart has become harder
than stone if you have lost the joy of Infinity. (Supermundane 371)
"But I little midget do not feel like
a giant at all!?"
Well, anyone can establish in any situation and at any
time the sublime Fiery State of his being, the ideal condition of his soul, of
which we shall be talking about in a moment.
6. Joy
about Invulnerability, Fearlessness and Freedom
Nicholas
Roerich "Lama"
Rejoice in the superiority of the New Man, in the
invulnerability, fearlessness and perfect freedom of your true, spiritual
being, your Eternal Individuality (see the Video "The Secret of
Immortality Part III")!
Don't we all rejoice in a beautiful body? (Sophia Loren)
All the greater is the delight in a great,
strong and beautiful soul!
7. Delight
in the Fiery Condition
In the morning you establish harmony with your Higher
Self and the Fiery State of your soul, as described in our Video "Exercise
The Fiery Condition". Then the waves or fibres of your being of spirit
vibrate in purity, wisdom, power, light and love – but above all in joy!
"I am still having difficulties
imagining the Fiery Condition practically and vividly. How do I feel in the
ideal state of my soul?"
Let us consider an example:
Example:
Being in Love
Nicolas
Roerich “Holy Himalayas”
You have certainly been in love before. How would
you describe the wonderful state of loving and being loved?
I am dwelling in a higher
world, in seventh heaven. It is as if paradise on earth has become a reality. I
could embrace the whole world and all my fellow men. My grey everyday life is
suddenly colourful, enchanted and transfigured. (Pierre August Cots "Spring")
Yes, that's how it is! We may add: You are in
high spirits, in a higher vibration. You completely forget yourself. Your
earthly worries do not disappear, but they lose their weight in view of the
much greater and beautiful things that happen to you. The couple loves the
good, abhors evil and wants to build a better world for themselves and everyone
else. You do not need or want food, you feel no hunger, no thirst and not even
appetite.
Being in love is more than a
feeling: It is an elevated state of your being!
Joy of being as well can and should become such
a heavenly condition of your Self.
*****
You need not wait until the woman of your
dreams or a white knight crosses your path – you can create a sublime vibration
similar to that of being in love yourself by practising the exercise "The
Fiery Condition"!
"What if I don’t want to
have anything to do with a being of high vibration, with the 6th race and a
higher level of evolution?"
Then put yourself in the high mood of joy –
that is enough.
Practical
Tip: Joy of Being through Music
Another way to create a blissful state of your
being is to listen to good music. Take five minutes time, close your eyes and
hearken to Mozart's wonderful liturgical chant "Laudate Dominum".
Feel how you are immediately elevated; how at the
end of the piece the world of the soul, Heaven, the realm of true, eternal joy
opens up – not for your distraction, but so that you may enter there already
now, during the earthly incarnation. And so that you may remain in the sublime
state of joy of being, even after the tones have faded away and you have returned to everyday life.
(Nicholaus
Roerich „Mount Shatrovaya“, „Guru Guri Dhar“, „Blue Mountains“, „Northern
Midnight“, „Evening in the Himalayas“, „Holy Himalayas“, „Holy Himalayas
Study“, „Himalayas Sikkim“, „Nanda Devi (Himalayas)“, Nanda Devi“, „Mountain
Lake“, „Lahul“, „Lahul Mountains“, „Himalayas 3; Aiwasowsky „Mountains“;
Nicholaus Roerich „Himalayas 4, 5, 6, 7, 8“, „Mountains 1“, „Mountains 2“,
„Evening“, „Pink Mountains“, „Mount M“, „Himalayas Golden Dawn“, „Himalayas
Rain“, „Himalayan Landscape“, „Ladakh Kashmir Sunset“, “Kanchenjunga”, “Sacred
Thang La”, “Himalayas”)
8. Joy
about Striving to the Future
Many a one deprives himself of happiness by
clinging to the past. Such turning back however blocks your creative
possibilities!
Joy is about the future and
cannot live in the past. (Supermundane 55)
Find joy by looking forward, into the future!
Urusvati knows the true
meaning of love for the future. Life is a flight into the future. Only very few
people love the future. It is right to call them the winged ones. They sense
how invisible wings carry them above the earth. Love the future, and your wings
will grow. (Supermundane 861)
"At the moment, however,
there is not much for me to laugh about!?"
Yes, exactly then you should overcome anger and
sadness about the present by striving forward!
It is wise not to worry but to
strive joyfully. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 167 [187])
Strive to the future, it is
calling! (Supermundane 860)
You may be happy in spite of all the misery
around you if only you set about building a better future!
When joy for the future lives
in the heart, then each impediment is merely a step for ascent. Therefore it is
so important to cultivate the heart in this striving for the creation of a
mighty future. (Fiery World III, 239)
Working on a future-oriented project
is a source of strength and joy.
Such work is possible always and under all
circumstances. Everywhere, in any place, constantly and at all times there is
something you can improve.
One can change all earthly
conditions by striving into the future. (Hierarchy 291)
People who deprive themselves
of this fountain of youth, for example because they vegetate in retirement
homes, quickly deteriorate.
Practical
Tip: Walk a Path and pursue a Goal!
"How does cheerful
striving into the future become concrete and practical?"
Your greatest happiness is:
Guiding thought:
You know your goal.
You know the path to get there.
You approach the goal every day,
by actually walking this path
People who love the future greet
each day as a new possibility. Love for the future is the most powerful
impeller and it safeguards the worker from stagnation. (Supermundane 861)
"What aim do you have in
mind?"
The goal of an Agni Yogi is
the New Construction.
First, the transformation into the New Man,
into a spirit-being of the next level of evolution, into an immortal, a king of
the spirit or a disciple of the Brotherhood.
And second, the building of the New World.
Earthly existence can be
transfigured only through the force of a clear visualization of the future
life. Such visualization is like casting an anchor—the ship is then drawn
towards the desired goal by a strong anchor. Thus the sensible thinker will be
able to draw himself toward the desired goal. (Supermundane 476)
You exclaim enthusiastically:
"I am striving towards my
goal! Nothing can stop me!"
Every hour repeat to yourself:
“Nothing will hold up my race to the Teacher!” (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II,
266 [269])
9. Joy
over Work
Dantan
"Une Restauration"
Your work is the best you have to contribute,
whether you do it professionally, in an honorary capacity or as a hobby. It
would be terrible if you had nothing to do or were to carry out your work in a
disgusted, bad-tempered or even hostile mood. Therefore, look for work so
meaningful and useful that it uplifts you!
The most difficult thing for
people is to combine the utmost spiritual exaltation with tireless action.
(Heart 35)
Work is a source of joy!
I affirm that the joy of
labour is the best flame of spirit. Many great achievements come through the
manifestation of joy. Joy is fire! (Agni Yoga 459)
Know how to find joy in
eternal labour. (Community 224)
If you are unable to find valuable earthly
work, there always remains the supermundane one:
You are an artist! (Dantan "Une Restauration")
Besides your worldly tasks, you are busy every
moment with creative labour on two works of art at the same time: Namely with
the creation, constant beautification and improvement of the New Man (see the
Video "We are creating the Man of the Future") and of the New World
(see the Video "We are building the World of the Future").
Isn’t that a reason for you to be proud and
glad?!
Guiding Thought:
The highest satisfaction of an artist
is to watch his work of art
growing and flourishing
Doing this work, joy does not lie in perfection
– in a constantly evolving world nothing whatsoever is ever completed – but in
eternally progressing refinement.
Can there be joy in
completion? We gain impetus from the joy of new beginnings. (Agni Yoga
463)
10. Joy
over Ascent
You are walking the Highest Path: the ascent up
the ladder of Hierarchy.
You are on the way to God!
On such a glorious hike there can only be joy!
Every traveller who is
enlightened by thought about the eternal path can proceed in joy. (Fiery World
II, 425)
When we take the true path, we
sense the power of joy. Our heart rejoices, feeling that our striving is the
right one. (Fiery World II, 371)
To walk this high trail gives you a much
greater satisfaction than any physical pleasure!
The joy of ascent must
transcend any earthly joy. (Fiery World I, 638)
Like a child which absolutely wants to grow
greater, you rejoice in unlimited growth, in ever-advancing self-perfection, in
the development of the potential slumbering within you.
The heart’s joy lies in
striving upward. (Heart 39)
Joy is born out of striving
for perfection. (Supermundane 792)
You put the Mahatmas before your eyes, these
sublime beings, and are excited about the possibility to follow them and perhaps
even to be accepted into their ranks one day.
Let the possibility of
approaching the Lords of Light become our daily joy; verily, this possibility
is within ourselves and we alone can hasten its realization. (Helena Roerich
Letters Vol I, letter of 12.12.1934)
11. Joy
over Service
Especially when things are going badly for you,
here is an attitude to save you: Do not always revolve around yourself! Do
something for others! Become a co-worker of the Brotherhood! Participate in
Their work for the good of the world!
Service, in the name of a
powerful achievement, bestows beauty upon existence. (Infinity II, 902
[502])
Whether you bring up your children, pursue your
professional work or take up an honorary office, you are always acting on
behalf of a Higher Authority. Conscious of serving the common good, you
transcend the personal and everyday life as well.
I do not speak casually about
the full understanding of service, which dispels the atmosphere of the
commonplace and leads to the harmony necessary for the fulfillment of one’s
tasks. (Agni Yoga 452)
Guiding Thought:
The attitude of service
solves your life’s problems!
Life is service for evolution.
Life’s full expression can come only under conditions of voluntary service.
Even on Earth it is possible to almost forget time, and service becomes joy. I
affirm that one can prepare oneself for such service under all circumstances.
It was the loss of this concept of service that turned earthly life into
slavery and insanity. The concept of service is the solution of life’s
problems. (Supermundane 305)
Find joy in serving!
When the consciousness is
broadened, when all feelings and comprehension are refined, the law of
sacrifice will be accepted as the highest achievement. There will be no room
for self-pity, fear for the future, offences and envy because with every breath
will sublimity, beauty, and the highest joy of service be realized. (Helena
Roerich Letters Vol I, letter of 15.01.1931)
The sixth sign by which the
entrance upon the path of Service is defined will be the joy of Service and
completely offering oneself for the good of the world. (Hierarchy 196)
"How do I manage to find
this joy?"
Just get down to work, then pleasure will come
by itself!
Duty will become privilege,
law the path to growth, and service a delight. (Teachings of the Temple Vol.
II, Lesson “Freedom for the Soul”)
To recognise and reliably
fulfil your duty rightly imbues you with pride and joy!
"Isn't that a matter of
course?"
Not for everyone! Many a saint
turns out to be a hypocrite. I used to know someone who spent the whole day in
meditation, leaving his wife the burden to work for the family's livelihood and
to bring up their numerous children. (Carlo
Dolci “St. Mary Magdalene”)
*****
In the Video "The
Brotherhood of Shambhala" I told you the legend of St. Christopher. Follow
this example and find your happiness in life in seeking and serving the highest
Lord there is on earth. (Bosch “St. Christopher”)
Blessings to those who even
once have reflected over the fact that possibilities are being given them for
Service. One such thought already opens the initial Gates to the Fiery World.
But it is joyful to think — “I still can bring more to Thee, O Lord!” (Fiery
World II, 136)
Let thy prayer be—"Thee,
O Lord, I shall serve in everything, always and everywhere. Let my path be
marked by the heroic deed of selflessness.” (Fiery World III, 7)
When the disciple realizes in
his heart the joy of the path, a path which knows no friction because all is
transformed in the joy of Service, then it is possible to open before him the
Great Gates. (Fiery World III, 7)
You may take part in
the Great Work of the Brotherhood, in furthering the progress of evolution.
You may relieve the Mahatmas at least of a part of their burden. They honour
you with a commission!
Every work carried out in the
name of the Hierarchy, however insignificant it might seem, is true Divine
Service!
Could there be a greater joy
than that during the fulfillment of a Mission of the Brotherhood? (Fiery World
II, 393)
Not discontent, not
irritation, but the sensation of happiness is necessary. It is truly happiness
to build the works of the Teacher. (Agni Yoga 368)
Realize the joy of fighting
for My Cause. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 77 [82])
Joy arises as soon as you cast off personal
concern! You fulfil your mission to the best of your ability. Nothing more is
required. The outcome is not up to you.
Let us only apply all our
forces and best strivings, leaving judgment to the Higher World. (AUM 170)
In your teacher's Ashram you are entrusted with
a Cosmic Office, even if it is only that of a porter. You are now a link in the
chain of Hierarchy and by that alone a VIP, a very important person, namely
irreplaceable!
You are proud of this office
like an officer of his rank and medals.
Practical
Tip: Take the Path of Heroism!
Did you not always dream, at least as a child,
of being a hero? Will that not be the greatest happiness and the highest joy!?
Above every joy is the smile
of heroic deed. Joyously accept the austerity of heroic deed! (Leaves of
Morya’s Garden II, 239 [240])
Now is the time to make this dream come true:
Every work you do for the
Mahatmas is truly a heroic deed!
On the path of heroic deeds
there is no selfhood or fear, only the high joy of serving the Great. (Helena
Roerich Letters Vol II, letter of 14.01.1937)
The path of joyous heroic
deeds is a hundredfold shorter than the path of mournful duties. The
significance of achievement must be cultivated in the heart as joy of the
spirit. (Fiery World II, 427)
12. Joy
over Beauty
Kandinsky
"Improvisation 26"
Joy in beauty is the driver of evolution from
which originates the impulse to transform the ugly, the chaotic, and to make
the good ever more magnificent.
Guiding Thought:
Evolution is ever
unfolding beauty!
Without assimilation of the
Beautiful there can be no evolution. (Supermundane 783)
Joy is called the hardy
mainspring
Of the universe eterne.
Joy, oh joy the wheels is
driving
Which the world’s great clock
do turn.
(Schiller, Ode "To
Joy")
So you find satisfaction and pleasure by
creating beauty.
Be able to summon joy. It
comes only by the path of Beauty. (Supermundane 231)
Man is uplifted when he
associates with the Beautiful, looks at the Beautiful, listens to the
Beautiful, thinks in the ways of the Beautiful. People do not understand that
each grain of the Beautiful turns man into a co-worker of Higher Forces. Live
always with a dream about the Beautiful, and you will be given joy and love.
(Supermundane 783)
Are you weighed down by hideous circumstances?
Then striving for beauty will lift you up.
He who understands
imperfection must enter upon perfectionment. Be able to discover possibilities
in imperfection! (Community 226)
In beautiful thinking an Arhat
beholds the ladder of ascent. Thus can we remember when we are especially
oppressed. When the shutters of selfhood are being fastened everywhere, when
fires are extinguished in the darkness, is it not the time to reflect about the
Beautiful? We anticipate a miracle, we strive to break the lock, but the ladder
of the Arhat is only in the Beautiful. Why have people clipped the wings of
beauty? (Fiery World I, 177)
But even without becoming active: What happiness
can you find just in contemplating the beauty of nature or art.
People have only two real
joys—thinking and the ecstasy over beauty. (Brotherhood 85)
When you rejoice at flowers,
when you seek in thought to penetrate into their wondrous structure, into the
creation of a small seed, when you value the fresh fragrance, you already have
contacted the Subtle World. Even in the flowers of Earth, in the plumage of
birds, and in the wonders of the heavens, one can find that very joy which
prepares one for the gates of the Fiery World. Chiefly, one must not be dead to
beauty. Where can one find a better setting than beauty for devotion, for
aspiration, for indefatigability? But one must not lose even an hour here on
Earth in learning to rejoice at each flower. (Fiery World I, 638)
Art in particular is destined to elevate you,
to preserve your joy of being during the toils of everyday life.
The wondrous pearls of art can
actually uplift and transmute the spirit instantaneously. (Hierarchy 359)
Art brings moments of highest
joy. (Supermundane 557)
Look for beauty everywhere, delight in it, and
thus transfigure your earthly existence.
Everyone who loves the
beautiful transforms thereby a portion of earthly life. (Fiery World I,
576)
The rapture of lofty
perceptions can transfigure life, if man is able to preserve such healing
vibrations in himself. (Supermundane 857)
13. Joy
over Trials
Your transient personality shuns trials.
Whoever fears testing is an
ignorant coward. (AUM 297)
Your Eternal Individuality, on the other hand,
rejoices in every test: It is sent by your teacher so that you may prove the
power of your spirit!
One must discriminate the circumstances:
where is the new touchstone? Thus, with sharp-sightedness we reach the
realization of joy for each probation. (Hierarchy 78)
On the Spiritual Path you will grow to love
trials: They are milestones of your progress.
The strong in spirit will come
to love the difficult path, for how otherwise will they test themselves? (AUM
522)
One should test oneself
untiringly and learn to love such tests. The testing of one’s armour is a sign
of readiness for battle. (Supermundane 595)
14. Joy
over Obstacles
Your mortal personality whines, moans and
complains about the stones that life throws in its path.
Your Eternal Individuality looks at them quite
differently: You are already practising to take pleasure in adversities, aren’t
you, by using them for spiritual ascent, as we discussed in the Video
"Rejoice at Obstacles"!?
Much
is spoken about obstacles, little use is made of them. Understanding how to
make use of obstacles infuses joy into one’s work. (Agni Yoga 262)
I
teach you to face life’s experiences merrily. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 114
[127])
As if winged this spiritual
joy lifts you above the abysses of earthly life!
One who thinks about the
meaning of life, about soaring over earthly obstacles, knows how to feel joy. Some wonder how
it is possible to speak of joy during times of hardship. But it is on the wings
of joy that one flies over the abyss. It is happiness that the wings of joy are
always with him. (Supermundane 578)
Joy over obstacles is one of the most important
practices of the man of the future. Every new day you encounter innumerable
difficulties which threaten to break you if you do not take the right, namely a
positive attitude towards them.
There will always be stones on
the path ahead. They can be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends
on how we use them. (Nietzsche)
To find joy, remember this quote from the
Teaching:
Blessed are the stones that tear
the sandals of those who ascend! (Agni Yoga 406)
and keep this picture before
your eyes:
After all, you want to become greater! So do
not be stupid but seize enthusiastically every opportunity for growth that life
offers you!
15. Joy
over Battle
Raphael
"Archangel Michael"
You go joyfully into battle with the dragon
within you, through which a New Man is created.
Buddha’s disciples only knew
joy in spiritual battle, which is why the thorns on the path are spoken about.
(BGM II, 251 [254])
You go joyfully into battle with the chaos in
your surroundings, through which a New World is born.
Is not the overcoming of chaos
a joy? Is not the bringing of light into darkness a joy? Is not the
understanding of service a joy? You must realize that one of the greatest joys
comes from the awareness and understanding of danger. Through vigilance and awareness
man becomes victorious, and this victory is joy! (Supermundane 371)
You cannot realise your dreams and ideals in
material life without overcoming the resistance of the forces of indolence,
ignorance and malice.
16.
Transforming Suffering into Joy
Michelangelo
"Pietà"
Buddha taught his son to maintain
joy, because this is the most difficult challenge on Earth. (Agni Yoga
239)
Every day we have to struggle anew to conquer
moods, oppression and sorrow.
A slave can toil in
depression, but the fiery spirit transforms everything by very luminous joy.
And warmth flows out from joy. Each one loves warmth, calling it cordiality.
(Fiery World III, 597)
Thus we learn to rejoice and
to be calm, where yesterday we sorrowed. (Hierarchy 81)
For the wise man there is no
suffering that he cannot transform into joy.
There is no condition that
cannot be turned into joy. Let people remember that no one can deprive them of
their joy. (Supermundane 55)
Be able, amidst any existence,
to strive to the ocean of joy. (Supermundane 823)
To translate this into
practical terms, let me challenge you: I bet you are not able to tell me any
misfortune, however terrible it may be, from which Agni Yoga does not show the
way out towards joy!
"I accept the bet! Are
you going to rejoice at the massacre of the innocent children of Bethlehem or
at the drowning of a refugee child in the Mediterranean?"
No, of course not, that would
be the worst kind of gloating. But a wise man can maintain his serenity even in
the face of these terrible images because he knows: There are no innocent
children! All suffering is but the effect of a cause. It serves a purpose,
namely to incite people to expand their consciousness, to develop and to move
forward. (Rubens “Massacre of the Innocents”; Alan Kurdi)
Much talk is heard about those
unfortunates who suffer innocently, but let us look at the root of their way of
life and we will find many causes for their misfortunes. These causes can be
direct or indirect. When a person experiences suffering caused by another, some
link between them, resulting from past actions, must exist. (Supermundane 596)
Again and again, you have to summon the
strength for this inner work, for the mighty spiritual battle to turn the
thorns of the earthly path into roses.
Find the resourcefulness to
summon joy even during difficult days. Find the strength to create joy, for
there are many possibilities in space to kindle bonfires of joy. (Supermundane
843)
A wise hero knows that even at
the hour of persecution the path to joy is not closed. Be able to summon joy!
(Supermundane 231)
We had already discussed the details in the
Video "The Secret of Immortality Part III". The essence of this
exercise is:
He who thinks beautifully will
not suffer! (Brotherhood 160)
"How exactly do I achieve
this miraculous transformation?"
By transforming all negative thoughts and
feelings into joyful ones.
"That is easier said than
done!"
Well, the panacea for despair at the
adversities, hardships, injustices and ingratitude of this world is this new
attitude:
First: Your soul lives in
its own, higher, spiritual world and up there is not affected at all by events
taking place below on the material plane.
When depressed, remember this
picture:
(Nicholas
Roerich "Tsong kha-pa")
Second: While your
perishable personality is suffering on earth, your Eternal Individuality in
Heaven realises the meaning of all that grief: It shows you that you have
behaved wrongly or still have a weak spot somewhere.
Guiding Thought:
By perfecting yourself,
you end suffering
Example:
Jesus on the Cross
Greater suffering than being
crucified is hardly imaginable. (Grünewald
"Crucifixion")
And yet even this horror can be transfigured
with a mere thought:
Jesus can be fully satisfied
with a sign he has set for eternity. (Mantegna
"Crucifixion")
For more than 2000 years, the crucifix is
present in billions and billions of homes and churches, at crossroads and on
mountaintops all over the world, strengthening Christians in their faith. Is
such a mighty effect bought too dearly with a few minutes of pain?
Harbouring this thought, even
his mother Mary can console herself, overcome her sorrow and be proud of her
great son. (Michelangelo "Pietà")
17. Joy as Triumph of the Spirit
Raphael "The Triumph of Religion"
Only if you preserve
a happy disposition even in the worst situation you have truly overcome the
world.
Joy
is the victory of the spirit over circumstances.
Joy
is in the triumph of the spirit. (Heart 71)
It is from your
gaiety that you can see how great the power of your soul already is.
Guiding Thought:
Despair is a sign of weakness,
joy of strength of spirit
A
strong spirit does not suffer – just as a healthy body does not hurt. (Michelangelo “David”)
Chapter IV: Joy of Being
One cultivates the
art of idleness, another that of indulgence.
An
Agni Yogi masters the art of joy of being.
"What
do you mean by 'joy of being'?"
Your cheerful,
superior state of mind must not depend on external circumstances: On the
weather or the state of world affairs, on wealth or poverty, health or
sickness, good or bad luck, and certainly not on whether your fellow men treat
you well or badly.
The
ignorant connect the sensation of joy with a healthy digestion or with success
in life, but joy lives beyond health and success. It can also exist amidst
sickness and humiliation. (Supermundane 55)
Guiding Thought:
Besides the fleeting earthly
pleasure of the body
there is also the eternal
supermundane joy of the soul!
Teacher,
let me participate in the Supermundane Joy! (Supermundane 843)
1. Joy over real Existence
Nicholas Roerich "Star of the Morning"
To understand this
better, let us now read one of the most beautiful and most important paragraphs
of the Teaching:
Where
does this stimulating feeling, called joy of being, arise? It does not come
from wealth or self-satisfaction, but is often experienced amidst the most
grievous difficulties and persecutions. In times of stress, joy is especially
valuable and healing. We call it joy of being, for it does not depend on
personal circumstances, success, or benefits.
Can
there be feelings of joy when one is afflicted with disease or when one is the
victim of injustice and insult? Indeed, for even in such circumstances the eyes
may sometimes fill with fire, the bowed head may rise, and new strength may be
experienced. Then man will begin to rejoice at life, perhaps not at his earthly
life, but at his real existence. (Supermundane 281)
That means, in
short:
I
love life! I rejoice in life – but in my real life!
This is why I love
Agni Yoga so much: A few short, simple sentences that establish a whole new
worldview. But not a theoretical, philosophical or abstract, but an eminently
practical one: It's all about joy of being!
*****
The Mahatmas tell
you: You may rejoice in your life under all circumstances, even in the midst of
the greatest difficulties, persecutions, illnesses, injustices and afflictions.
"How
am I to understand this? In such a situation there really is nothing to be glad
about!"
Well, the crucial
sentence is at the end of the paragraph: You rejoice
not
at your earthly life, but at your real existence. (Supermundane 281)
"That
is not easy to understand, though. What is my "real" existence? Is
there also an unreal existence?"
Yes, one must indeed
have grasped the Agni Yoga Teaching in its entirety to be able to get this
point. We know:
An
Agni Yogi lives simultaneously in two worlds.
Besides the
existence of the body on the material plane, you also lead the life of your
soul in the Supermundane World.
The Teaching contrasts
the "real existence" of the Eternal Individuality with the
"earthly life" of the transient personality. The higher, spiritual,
subtle reality is indeed – because it is imperishable – more "real"
than the material one which is constantly changing and will soon pass away,
wherefore it is called maya, illusion.
"But
why is the subtle reality more joyful than the material one?"
Watch again the
Videos "The Path of the Interior Temple" "Participation in the
Life of the Higher World" and "Living in the Ashram of the
Teacher". There we had said: The soul creates its own world, its personal
paradise, however terrible the material circumstances may be.
Guiding Thought:
In this Inner Heaven there is
nothing but purity, joy, peace,
light, love and solemnity!
Now you realise: It
is immensely important that you learn to live in the Spiritual World already
during your earthly, everyday existence:
There
you will find that true joy of being which you usually look for in vain on
earth!
A
thinker will learn and attain joy beyond the earthly existence. (Fiery World
III, afterword)
Example:
Closeness of the Homeland
Let us look at an example and hear another
beautiful, important teaching:
The more perfect the spirit, the
more infallibly it understands the deep suffering of earthly life. And yet I
myself speak again and again about joy, the joy that lies in the realization of
the far-off worlds. (Agni Yoga 152)
"I don't understand this
yet. Why does cognition of the Higher World lead to joy?"
Well, the paragraph goes on. The Master tells a
story:
Let us take a simple example.
Through the darkness of night your carriage rushes homeward. The bad weather
around you should depress you, but instead your spirit is jubilant. Why? You
know that your home is near and that not even the darkness prevents you from
discerning those close to your heart. (Agni Yoga 152)
Here is the crucial step: Attach yourself to
your Eternal Home! Feel the presence of your true spiritual relatives! In the
circle of your family you are safe.
Guiding thought:
The basis of true joy
is an expanded consciousness,
that grasps the closeness of Heaven
and of the soulmates!
So the marvellous paragraph ends:
What does the misery of
earthly life amount to when the far-off worlds have become real to us? Make
haste to realize the path to the far-off worlds! Only this broadening of the
understanding of life will provide your spirit with the foundation of the path
of joy. (Agni Yoga 152)
Please realise:
If you do not expand your
consciousness so that it grasps your true existence as well, you close the path
to true joy!
May this supermundane joy become a mental
attitude, a way of life that transforms you into a sunny being!
Let us now take a closer look at the individual
aspects of your "real existence", which you may enjoy so much:
2. Joy over true, eternal Identity
Grünewald "Isenheim Altar"
You are a Cosmic Giant which
reaches with the head, with your Eternal Self, to the Heavens.
An Agni Yogi is not vain, but may well
occasionally look in the energetic mirror and enjoy his greatness, strength and
beauty – but not that of the body, but of the soul.
"What does he see
there?"
The glorious radiance of a
golden aura! (Grünewald "Isenheim Altar")
The joy is all the greater as he has created
the work of art of his Eternal Individuality himself!
*****
If you look in the virtual mirror, you will
also delight in the Invisible Toga, in the subtle white robe of the spiritual
disciple that you wear (see the Video of the same name).
A computer-loving teenager can
nowadays spend thousands of euros to wrap his avatar, his fictitious
personality on the Internet, in virtual clothes and to fill an entire digital
wardrobe with such garments.
We spiritual people are in line with the trend
of the times by wrapping ourselves in a virtual gown. It costs us nothing, and
yet it is much more effective and useful, because we do not appear with it in a
dream world of games, but in real everyday life, where it gives us dignity.
3. Joy
about Living in the Higher World
Neuschwanstein
Castle
What is man's highest bliss?
To live in Heaven!
"How do I reach this
fantastic goal?"
As we had just said: The New Man creates his
own world of marvellous beauty! You live independently of external
circumstances in the sphere of the soul.
Guiding Thought:
Your life in the Higher World
must become a living reality!
"How can I create such a
reality?"
This varies from person to person. One listens
to good music, the other goes to the forest, but the safest way is meditation.
Living in the Higher World means staying on a
plane with a higher vibration.
"How do I put myself into
such an elevated vibration?"
Guiding Thought:
You form an idea
of the Supermundane World.
You visualise yourself
in a sublime place
among sublime beings!
Imagine the place, your
personal paradise, where you take refuge, and visit it again and again in
spirit. (Nicholas Roerich "River in the
Himalayas - Santana")
In this way you put yourself and your
surroundings into a corresponding vibration. Then on the spiritual plane, in
the 4th dimension around you, exactly this Higher World comes into existence.
Einstein teaches:
Everything is energy and that
is all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you
cannot help but get that reality. This is not philosophy. This is physics!
Agni Yoga puts it this way:
The invisible sphere which
surrounds humanity is being woven out of the strivings of the human spirit.
(Infinity II, 501 [101])
If you – your Higher Self –
are a king of the spirit, the world you are living in will be a castle. (Neuschwanstein Castle)
If you are a spiritual
disciple, you are dwelling in the Ashram of your teacher. (Nicholas Roerich "Mountain Abode")
*****
Just dwelling in the
solemn atmosphere of such a temple fills you with the greatest felicity – even
if this is only a virtual, spiritual process.
Eternal
joy reigns in the Ashram of the Teacher!
Joy
is easily attained if at each moment you feel devotion to Us. (Agni Yoga 110)
Participating in the
life of his ashram, in a sanctuary, elevates you high above the lowlands of
everyday earthly life.
Joy,
thou beautiful divine spark,
Daughter
from Elysium,
Fire
drunken we are ent’ring
Heavenly,
thy holy home!
(Schiller,
Ode "To Joy")
(Paris,
Place de la Concorde; Malta, La Valletta, Triton Fountain ; Beethoven
Symphony No. 9)
In a visit Above
there lies your true delight, which on earth is hardly ever to be found.
A time
of happiness—thus We call that step in the development of consciousness when,
without turning away from life, Our co-workers are given the opportunity to
join Us in Our Abode. (Agni Yoga 338)
Give
freedom to the spirit; do not bind it with human limitations. It will soar by
itself and return triumphant; thus man attaches himself to the Supermundane
World. (Supermundane 759)
You take this
magnificent world with you wherever you go, making every room you enter a
Heaven, an outpost of the Kingdom of God!
Practise
meditation, and you will find that you are carrying within your heart a
portable paradise. (Yogananda)
"But
I am not yet a saint at all!?"
Well, it is enough
to be dwelling in a sanctuary among saints. You do your training there. You
fulfill, as best you can, the tasks assigned to you, however small they may
seem. Thus you become an apprentice, a co-worker and finally a member of the
Community of Saints.
"I
am sorry, but that is still too highflying for me!"
Well,
then imagine yourself living among ordinary people in the village that lies at
the foot of the ashram. There, too, the blessed guidance of the Masters has
created a paradise. (Nicholas
Roerich "Tibet Himalayas")
Practical Tip: Do not look for Heaven on Earth!
Oh
that I had wings like a dove! For then would I fly away, and be at rest!
(Psalms 55:6)
This is how the
psalmist sighs. He dreams of escaping the omnipresent misery and of finding
somewhere the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey, where he will be free
of all worries.
Everyone
is drawn to faraway places: Some to the mountains and others to the South Seas,
but as far away from everyday life as possible.
Although they know
very well that in the long run they will not be any happier there than at home.
Meinen
Sie Zürich zum Beispiel
sei
eine tiefere Stadt,
wo
man Wunder und Weihen
immer
als Inhalt hat?
Meinen Sie, aus Habana,
weiß
und hibiskusrot,
bräche
ein ewiges Manna
für
Ihre Wüstennot?
Bahnhofstraßen
und Rueen,
Boulevards, Lidos, Laan –
selbst auf den Fifth Avenueen
fällt
Sie die Leere an.
Ach,
vergeblich das Fahren!
Spät erst erfahren Sie sich:
bleiben und stille bewahren
das sich umgrenzende Ich.
Do you think Zurich for instance
is a more profound town
where
wonders and blessings
always
follow you down?
Do you think that Havana,
white
and hibiscus-red,
exudes
an eternal manna
for
your inner desert?
Bahnhofstraßen
and Rues,
Boulevards, Lidos, Laan –
even on the Fifth Avenues
the
void is attacking you.
Oh, you travel in vain!
Only late you experience
yourself:
staying and quietly preserving
the self, imposing limits on
itself.
(Gottfried
Benn “Reisen” – "Travelling")
Your
longing for Paradise is a genuine and precious feeling.
You have stayed
there often and for a long time, longer than on earth. This memory continues to
live on within you, even if not yet fully consciously.
However, stop
looking for Heaven on earth because here it does not exist. Such a search only
distracts you from the right place. Direct your efforts not to the material but
to the Subtle World, to your Eternal Home, from which you came and to which you
wish to return.
Guiding Thought:
Heaven is within you
– if only
you succeed in arranging your inner, spiritual world beautifully.
Heaven
is not a place but a state of consciousness. (Teachings of the Temple Vol. II,
Lesson “Reality”)
Once your being is
steadily filled with solemn joy, you are living in the highest world.
4. Joy over living together with your Soulmates
Nicholas Roerich "Zvenigorod"
What a bliss that
you may be dwelling surrounded by your beloved soulmates,
by your true, Spiritual Father, your eternal brothers and sisters, disciples,
fellow disciples, friends and co-workers! There you are at home, safe and
secure.
Your
personal Nirvana is where your loved ones are. (Nicholas Roerich "Zvenigorod")
The mere closeness
of your teacher and your Supratemporal Family fills you with delight – even if
this is only a virtual, spiritual fact.
In
the presence of the teacher there can be nothing but joy!
Guiding Thought:
Dwelling with your spiritual family
must become a living reality!
"What
do you mean by that?"
Improve your
perception, expand your consciousness, refine your centres (chakras), your
inner senses – then one day you will sense their presence!
"I
still find that quite difficult! They are in Heaven, aren't they, and I am on
earth!?"
Well, overcome the division of the worlds!
Imagine that your soulmates are living and working nearby, in the next room,
and that you are separated from them only by a very light wall, or better by a
permeable curtain or a barely perceptible veil.
For practical purposes it does
not matter in the least whether your teacher is present physically next door or
spiritually in the 4th dimension around you!
The king who rules you is also
far away, and yet you love and obey him. (Anton
Graff “King Frederic the great of Prussia”)
*****
Your real existence in the Spiritual World goes
beyond living together with your Supermundane Family:
You may be in contact with great spirits like
Pythagoras, Plato, Francis of Assisi, Hildegard of Bingen, Catherine of Siena,
Gandhi, Mother Teresa and even Jesus.
What a delight to be a member of the Invisible Community
of those who are fighting for a better world, for the realisation of truth,
justice, beauty and love on earth.
What an honour to belong to
those whom the Mahatmas call the "Community of Maitreya" or "My
people".
Although I am a typical loner
in my daily life, my awareness of belonging to the invisible community of those
who strive for truth, beauty, and justice has prevented me from feelings of
isolation. (Einstein)
5. Joy
over Discipleship
Nicholas
Roerich "Pearl of Searching"
There is nothing greater than
being accepted as a disciple by a wise teacher.
The pledged disciples of the
Great White Lodge are those who have demanded opportunity to try for the
greatest prize human life can offer. (Teachings of the Tempel Vol II, Lesson
“Divine Indifference”)
You walk the path to that goal in quiet
serenity, beginning as a disciple on probation.
A disciple looks up at his
teacher with a blissful, enthusiastic smile. (Svetoslav
Roerich "Sacred Words")
You find your life’s happiness in receiving the
initiation to Agni Yoga from your teacher (see the Video of the same name) –
just as the Ethiopian eunuch found his through baptism; of him the Bible tells
so wonderfully:
And he went on his way
rejoicing. (Acts 8:39)
6. Joy
about the Connection with your Teacher
Carlo
Crivelli "Annunciation"
It is love that unites you with your teacher,
with your disciples and fellow disciples, friends and co-workers.
The relationship with your soulmates
is that true love which you usually look for in vain on earth!
Is there any greater happiness? You love and
are being loved!
Und
doch, welch Glück, geliebt zu werden!
Und
lieben, Götter, welch ein Glück!
Yet, to be loved, what
happiness!
And to love, ye gods, what a
bliss!
(Goethe "Welcome and Farewell")
You simply want to be near them, that is all,
then you are perfectly happy and desire nothing more.
Your greatest pleasure is the intimate dialogue
with your teacher in meditation.
The sacred moment when
comfort, strength, joy, light, love, knowledge and guidance flow to you through
the Silvery Thread of the connection. (Carlo
Crivelli "Annunciation")
Verily, the path of the heart
is light when the current of courage and joy passes incessantly through the
Silvery Thread. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol. II, letter of 16.08.1937)
Practical
Tip: Joy of Being requires Desirelessness
Joy of being is a spiritual pleasure!
We are not talking about the everyday
joy of a fulfilled birthday or Christmas wish.
Through such a wish you make yourself dependent
on external circumstances which you cannot control.
True spiritual joy, however, is independent of
material conditions. It requires purity, freedom from desire and wants!
You have attained the highest
state of your being, called "Nirvana" in the East, when you are happy without any wishes left.
Chapter V: How to preserve Joy
Do not allow adverse circumstances or ignorant,
chaotic or malicious fellow men to spoil your joy of being. Noone and nothing
must succeed in taking you out of this glorious state.
"How can I achieve
this?"
With the help of discipline and spiritual
exercises, as we shall now be discussing.
1. Spiritual Discipline
Many a time we have heard the Master say:
Discipline is the beginning of
everything. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 250 [253])
Surprising as it may seem, this also applies to
joy – at least if we have in mind not everyday merriness, but the joy of being
in our real existence.
It lies, as we just heard, in your
participating in the life of the Spiritual World in communion with your teacher
and your soulmates.
You want to prevent the fire of this joy of being
from going out? Then you must refrain from everything that excludes you from
this community, that severs the attachment to your paradise!
See to it that you are not,
all of a sudden, as the saying goes, "abandoned by all good spirits"
and instead surrounded by evil ones! (van
Gogh "Crows in the Wheatfield")
You are unable to enjoy the "hours of
happiness" (Agni Yoga 338) of meeting your spiritual brothers and
sisters if you have drunk alcohol, eaten too much or given in to irritation,
dejection or aggressiveness. We see:
Guiding Thought:
Spiritual discipline is not an ordeal,
but a source true joy –
because it keeps your vibration
at an elevated level
The discipline of Good is a
self-generated joy. The calmness of a yogi is not due to detached
imperturbability, but to an inner, flaming joy. Such is the path of discipline.
(Supermundane 559)
Discipline of spirit
strengthens the wise. (Fiery World II, 42)
2. 4
Main Exercises
Nicholas
Roerich "Warrior of Light"
To preserve joy is a spiritual
exercise!
The four main exercises that help you to
transform into a New Man, which we discussed in the Video "We are creating
the Man of the Future", also apply to the attainment and preservation of
joy:
At the beginning of this Video, we had already
dealt with the 1st main exercise, namely establishing a serene state of your
being in the morning meditation.
Finding elation in contemplation is relatively
easy. The great difficulty on the Spiritual Path is to maintain this high
vibration in everyday life on earth; to fill the whole day, every moment with
joy; to do every, even the most boring work cheerfully.
To be glad when the sky is
blue and the sun shines brightly is not much of an
achievement.
But very few succeed, and only with much
practice, in keeping a merry disposition under all circumstances, even in bad
weather, misfortune, hardship and worry.
Guiding Thought:
The fire of joy
must never go out!
"What a beautiful goal!
How do I reach it?"
With the help of the other three main exercises
we are now going to talk about:
2nd Main
Exercise: Close your Eyes and step before the Teacher
"When I am cast down by the
ignorance, wickedness, or selfishness of my fellow men, I often fail to find
joy through a mere change my thoughts. It seems hardly possible to rejoice in
such an attack."
Yes, I often feel the same way. The reason for
this is:
It is hard to find joy on your
own.
You can hardly pull
yourself out of the swamp by your own pigtail or bootstraps. That is why
Agni Yoga teaches:
One cannot pass without a
teacher, one cannot advance without him, one cannot attain without him. (Fiery
World III, 154)
So the solution is: You close your eyes once in
a while during the day.
Guiding Thought:
Visit in spirit
the ashram of your teacher
and throw yourself at his feet
For a tiny moment you leave the
evil world. You take refuge in the teaching, in the teacher and in the
community.
Believe me, you will experience yourself: In
this supermundane atmosphere of solemnity and peace, all the burdens and
sorrows of the material plane fade away. You are instantly being uplifted
Here you will get back quite
naturally to the right, namely to joyful thoughts!
Here other standards apply: What happens to
your transient personality on earth has no significance whatsoever for your
Eternal Individuality in Heaven.
You may weep at the breast of
your Heavenly Father and let Him comfort you, like St. Bernard was consoled by
Christ. (Francicso Ribalta "Christ embraces
St. Bernard of Clairvaux")
"What is your advice to someone
like me who does not yet have such a close relationship with his Spiritual
Guide that he can go to see and embrace him?"
Create in spirit, with the help of your
imagination, your own personal place of refuge in the Higher World to which you
can withdraw at any time.
For example, on a mountain
peak or in another place in nature. (Nicholas
Roerich "Mountain Peaks")
Retreating there has the same uplifting effect
as visiting the teacher in meditation. Watch again our Video "Exercise
Elevation".
You should go to your
meditation-room, -rug or -cushion much more often during the day – physically
or in spirit. Remember the salutary custom of the 5 prayer times in Islam!
3rd Main
Exercise: Immediately counteract a Drop in Vibration
When your vibration drops and your joy of being
dries up, restore it immediately.
"How do I do that?"
Guiding Thought:
You reject sad thoughts
and replace them
with cheerful ones!
"You say this so simply
as if it were that easy!?"
First: Watch again our Video "Mastery of
Thoughts" where this exercise is explained. Then we repeat: We are talking
about a process of awareness: Just become aware again of the many reasons for
joy we just listed in Chapter III. Memorise the most important ones so that you
have them ready in case of emergency!
Do not remain struck down on
the ground – get up again immediately!
You may also go through the 7 steps of the
"Initiation to Agni Yoga" (see the Video of the same name) in a
matter of minutes – this will get you back on your feet immediately!
The essence of this main exercise is:
You are living in constant vigilance.
You control every moment the state of your mind.
You sensitively register the slightest attack
on your joy of being, for example through moods such as irritation or
dejection, through desires of your body, or through assaults from your fellow
men.
The sooner you notice a drop in your vibration,
the easier will it be for you to rise again. The deeper you fall, the more
difficult it is to regain the summit of a serene state of mind.
Guiding Thought:
Only you
can deprive yourself
of happiness!
You do not control the events (which is often
impossible), but your reaction to them in thoughts, feelings, words and deeds.
This is completely and solely in your power.
4th Main
Exercise: Evening Meditation
At the latest in the evening meditation, you
return to the realm of eternal joy. You give yourself an account of when and
why you lacked cheerfulness during the day, so that you can do better tomorrow.
This must not remain abstract!
You should focus your day entirely
on enjoying your greatest happiness in the evening!
Practical
Tip: Mantram "Joy, Joy"
To cheer ourselves up, my wife and I are used
to call out the words "joy, joy" to each other as a mantram every now
and then during the day.
You may have heard that wise
people, in an hour of danger, have sometimes exclaimed—joy, joy! This
exclamation could not have signified mere autosuggestion. They knew about the
treasure of joy and, as it were, wished to draw therefrom a kindling of feelings
necessary for achievement. One can borrow out of the Treasury inexhaustible
forces, but they should be evoked flamingly. (Fiery World II, 258)
Rejoice! rejoice! rejoice! For
the yogi must know the wisdom of joy. The teaching of the Blessed One [Buddha] is to
safeguard the joy of spirit. (Agni Yoga 212)
Exercise:
Create a Stock of joyful Thoughts!
Build up a store of joyful thoughts that you
can draw on in gloomy moments!
Auch das ist Kunst
ist Gottes Gabe,
aus ein paar sonnenhellen
Tagen
sich
so viel Licht ins Herz zu tragen,
dass,
wenn der Sommer längst verweht,
das
Leuchten immer noch besteht.
This too is art,
is God's gift
to take from a few sunny days
so
much light into your heart
that
when the summer has long since passed
the
resplendence is still there.
(Goethe)
One should succeed in building
up a stock of joy, and in testing it in diverse circumstances and in all kinds
of weather. (Brotherhood 20)
Chapter VI: What do you achieve through Joy?
Let us now look at what you can achieve through
joy.
1.
Strength through Joy
Popular wisdom has always known: Through joy
you gain strength!
Urusvati knows that even
during difficult days joy generates power. A new supply of strength comes to
you every time you allow yourself to be joyous. Among the Muses there is
the Muse of Joy, but you can invite this Protectress only by beautiful words
and thoughts. (Supermundane 231)
Urusvati knows the power of
joy. Each experience of joy in the good, even the most ordinary, heightens
one’s vibrations. Thus can be shown how a joyous person is made stronger.
(Supermundane 823)
If you go through life in good spirits, you are
protected from negative influences!
Joy at achievement is a shield
of beauty. You already know how abysses have been crossed through joy and
trust. Not only courage, but precisely joy makes you invulnerable. Even great
achievements have been simplified through joy and trust. (Fiery World II, 110)
It sounds incredible, but the Masters teach:
Even machines work better when people operate them in a cheerful mood. The good
vibration also has an effect on the apparatus.
Even a machine works better
when it is used with joy. (Supermundane 55)
With this power you realise the Kingdom of God
on earth, a Heavenly world, which obviously can only be a sphere of joy!
When
joy keeps its glow even under the most difficult circumstances, the Agni Yogi
is filled with impregnable strength. There, beyond the most difficult ascent,
the Fiery World begins. The manifestation of the Fiery World is immutable. A
Yogi knows that nothing can stop him from attaining the Fiery World. (Fiery
World I, 561)
2. Success through Joy
Only if you approach
an issue with enthusiasm will you be successful.
How
can one attain success? Remember, through joy. Does your joy suffice to quicken
the ascent? We always counsel joy. It is necessary to realize and remember that
you have succeeded when you rejoiced. (Fiery World I, 663)
We
have spoken many times about this bridge of joy. One’s joy will be the
guarantee of future success. The Guide helps best where the spark of joy glows.
(Supermundane 639)
This is not
esotericism, mysticism or philosophy, it is physics! According to the Law of
Correspondence (see the Video of the same name), if you radiate good energies,
you will attract positive forces which will help you to succeed.
Also,
physics teaches that success is created in joy. (Fiery World I, 659)
If
people would only understand that the sending of sorrow returns as sorrow, but
joy sent is joy increased. Such filling of space was known even to primitive
man, when he said, “I will not allow sorrow to interrupt the stream of
happiness.” (Agni Yoga 618)
3. Health through Joy
Dejection
makes you ill. Joy makes you healthy.
Illnesses
can be cured by joy. (Supermundane 763)
A high vibration has
a healing effect on the organism as well.
Joy
provides the highest vibrations. The Thinker always called for the realization
of joy as the highest form of healing. (Supermundane 741)
A happy disposition
is actually a cure-all for all kinds of physical and mental ailments. Every
doctor knows: a life-affirming, joyful attitude is half the way to recovery!
We
want people to know where their panacea is – in joy. (Supermundane 55)
What
an indestructible immunity is created through joy! (Supermundane 559)
Let us hear how
ancient wisdom made use of this particular medicine:
In
ancient India there was a community of physicians who were called “creators of
joy.” They believed that for successful healing the patient had to be
surrounded by joy. They had learned about the healing properties of joy that
attract the best vibrations, both mundane and supermundane; by this method, the
patient’s condition was improved and his cure proceeded successfully.
Physicians
of other schools ridiculed the creators of joy. They could not admit that the
quality of vibrations assisted the physical healing. Nor could they imagine the
spatial power attracted by psychic influences. Such an influence should not be
a command, but a festival of the spirit.
Also,
it can be seen that when the physician speaks with joy, the patient more
readily trusts him.
Whether
near a patient, or in the entire scope of life’s creativeness, do not forget
the healing quality of joy. (Supermundane 843)
This approach is an
entirely scientific one, as it is based on observation and experience.
Scientists
must learn how much the rhythm of joy opens the gates to an influx of psychic
energy. Science should demonstrate how the power of joy heals. (Supermundane
732)
4. Connection with the Higher World through Joy
Nicholas Roerich "Ecstasy"
Neither grimly nor morose,
but only full of solemn joy can you approach Paradise, the Higher World, the
sphere of eternal happiness.
Learn
to accumulate energy through joy, for with what else shall we weave the threads
to the far-off worlds? (Agni Yoga 546)
Urusvati
knows how essential is joy of being. It is not only a healing remedy but also
the best helper for communion with Us. (Supermundane 281)
5. Spreading Joy is building the New World
Doré “The Valley of Tears”
A joyful mind is
more than just a private achievement.
Joy
is indeed service to the common good! (Coat of Arms of the Prince of Wales)
You thereby raise
the vibration of your whole environment.
What
strong thoughts will come to those who perceive joy of being! The atmosphere
around them will be purified, those near them will feel relief, and We will
smile from afar and approve the better currents. (Supermundane 281)
You help your fellow
men by radiating warmth and bringing light into gloominess.
The
Thinker constantly exhorted the disciples, “Let us be joyous, let us be
light-bearing.” (Supermundane 810)
Guiding Thought:
In the darkness of the world
be a giver of light and of joy!
Teaching
joy you will not be mistaken. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 220 [251])
A
yogi brings the gift of joy. (Supermundane 948)
May your enthusiasm
shine and show others with your example the marvellous path of joy of being!
Joy
must shine, and by its Light be a beacon to many. Who, then, can deride joy and
Light? (Fiery World I, 638)
Let
us take an example from those Fire-bearers, who have traversed their assigned
earthly path in beauty. (Fiery World I, 358)
Most people let
themselves go and actually pollute the planet with their depressing radiations.
You
spread joy and thereby elevate your fellow men!
This is no small
thing, but a heroic deed!
How
much enthusiasm must one develop in oneself in order to be a harbinger of joy!
If a teacher has attained such a degree, he merits all reverence. (AUM
127)
In
this way, you humble pipsqueak can become a real
healer of the earth and of people! (Duccio di Buoninsegna: "The Healing of the Man Born
Blind")
This is how you create
the New World in your environment, which will certainly be a kingdom of joy!
Imitate
Jesus: He descended into hell and created even there an oasis of joy by
bringing light into the darkness and leading the suffering out of their misery.
(Beccafumi “Descent of Christ into Hell”)
"Many
a grumbler, however, does not wish to be ignited!”
Then, for your own
protection, you should withdraw, so that at least your fire is preserved.
Chapter VII: Pleasure and
Renunciation
There is a whole
philosophy (e.g. by Camus) which warns you not to renounce any pleasure in the
here and now because of the vague hope of finding some uncertain fulfilment
sometime in the future. This is nonsense, of course:
Every day begins
with a renunciation: If you want to participate in life, you have to get up and
leave the cosy warm, soft feather pillows of your bed.
1. Walk a Path and pursue a Goal
Cézanne "Landscape. Road with Trees"
Many a person
proclaims:
"Joy
means doing only what I feel like doing at the moment. I do not renounce
anything and relish everything that life has to offer."
What a wretched
attitude! There is a much higher and deeper satisfaction than indulging in the
brief pleasures of your lower nature!
It
is in the nature of man to walk a path and to pursue a goal.
Thereby we differ
from the animals!
Great
minds have purposes, others have wishes. (Washington Irving)
Guiding Thought:
If you do not strive
to advance evolution
– your own and that of humanity as a whole –,
you will fail in your mission
You want to achieve
a goal: For example, to become a top athlete, a concert pianist or a master
craftsman? Then you will have to perform, adhere to a certain way of life and
give up many a thing. You must learn and practise a lot (for example, playing
the piano) while others enjoy themselves – there is no other way.
The same applies to
a disciple who has resolved to follow the Spiritual Path, the ascent to
Mastery, and to take the earth a step forward towards a better world.
2. No Compulsion and no Prohibitions
Compulsion,
commandments and prohibitions have no value. You will feel yourself when
further progress towards your goal makes it necessary to give up meat, tobacco,
alcohol, sweets and other material pleasures – at some point in time may be
even sexual intercourse.
The
longer you keep yourself in the Fiery State, the more the craving naturally
decreases.
One day you will
feel disgust for too sweet chocolate, fatty food, coarse meat and dazing
alcohol. Then abstinence becomes a relief, even a liberation for you.
Throwing
off a physical burden enables you to tread new, higher, more spiritual paths!
Privation
means acquisition of possibilities. (Community 263)
Practical Tip: Not Renunciation, but Goal-fitness
A way you take not
of your own accord, but under pressure, is certainly not the right one for you
yet.
On
the right path there is no compulsion.
Voluntarily you
learn, practise and give up certain pleasures.
"Why
should I?"
Because it is so
much more important for you to reach your goal. That is why Agni Yoga does not
speak of renunciation, but of goal-fitness!
On
the path of goal-fitness, a yogi appropriately relinquishes desires in the name
of the most essential. (Agni Yoga 259)
If you want to
strengthen your soul, you must not take any poison that weakens it. If you wish
to become greater, you must give up that which makes you small. If you want to
fulfil your mission, you have to avoid everything that stands in the way of
achieving it. It is as simple as that – namely, pertinent and purposeful!
3. Pleasures of the Body and of the Soul
Barlach "Spiritual Warrior"
The fanatics pretend
that there is something evil about the natural functions of the body.
"Do
you not also teach struggling with the dragon and thus hostility to the
body?"
No, our tool was
created by the spirit. It is a necessary, advanced stage of evolution. We will
not demonise it, but:
Guiding Thought:
We want to reach higher!
We want to overcome
the animal within us. Not because it is evil, but because it is outdated. Because
we do not like it ourselves any longer! Because we feel that we have to leave
it behind us if we want to climb the next rung of the ladder. Because we want
to fulfil our destiny, which is to develop the higher potential hidden within
us.
You
defeat the dragon within you in order to reveal the divine that slumbers there.
*****
Nothing of what the body delights in can
satisfy the soul!
Our spiritual being longs for
spiritual pleasures.
In exchange, we must give up lower delights
because they make the higher ones impossible.
Austere is the path of
approach to Brotherhood. Earthly joys leave us. But much higher and deeper joys
come to take their place. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol 2, letter of 19.07.1937)
You leave the earthly behind, beneath you, in
order to be able to live in Heaven.
"What are these higher
enjoyments?"
Helena Roerich gives the answer:
The joy of the nearness of the
White Brotherhood, the joy of the possibility of cooperation with Them, the joy
of constant broadening and deepening of the understanding of life and active
cosmic laws. Likewise there is no small joy from contacts with the harmonious
hearts of the closest friends and co-workers. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol 2,
letter of 19.07.1937)
Example
Meditation
To begin very simply: You cannot enjoy the
bliss of meditation, of communing with your teacher, if you have cheated a
fellow man or committed other evils during the day. You experience that you are
unable to connect if you have drunk alcohol or eaten too much or too heavy.
Therefore, you will voluntarily refrain from
everything which deprives you of your highest, namely of a spiritual pleasure.
I entrust you to reject all
that demeans communion with Us. (Agni Yoga 183)
4.
Overcoming with joy
Far better than mournful renunciation is:
You are enthusiastic!
About the ideal, the goal you want to reach;
about a high being, your teacher, whom you want to imitate and approach; about
the Kingdom of God you wish to establish on earth. Therefore, you cultivate
what brings you closer to the higher level and avoid what takes you away from
it.
In surmounting, there is joy.
(Supermundane 922)
Every spiritual pleasure
strengthens your soul and makes it joyful.
"What are spiritual
pleasures?"
Anything that raises the vibration of your
Eternal Individuality, for example: Studying the Holy Scriptures, meditation,
elevated thoughts, ideas and ideals, enjoying the beauty of nature or art. In
these pleasures of the soul you will indulge.
Your Eternal Being is full of joy when its
vibration is high, when it is in its original state of purity, wisdom, power,
joy, light and love. Then it is great, strong, beautiful and healthy.
Every physical pleasure
weakens your soul and makes it sad.
Post coitum omne animal triste est. After coitus every
being is sad.
"Why is that so?"
Your soul is saddened by every step backwards
that lowers its vibration and makes it impure, small, sick, weak and ugly. Feel
the pain of your heart over every unworthy deed! Do not pass over or suppress
it!
Guiding Thought:
It is a pleasure to avoid everything
that defiles my Higher Self!
So far we had said: Most physical pleasures, at
least if they exceed a certain, small measure, are harmful to your soul. Now we
go a step further and recognise:
Spiritual poison is also
lethal for your joy of being!
Example
Food
Every, even the smallest intake of material
food lowers the vibration of your Eternal Individuality, which after all is a
spiritual being. This is not asceticism, but physics!
"So shall I now gulp down
my food listlessly?"
No, of course you may eat with pleasure (just
as you should do everything that is necessary cheerfully!) – but only that
small amount which your body really absolutely requires for its survival.
5. The
Rule of the Ashram
Nicholas
Roerich "Stronghold of the Spirit"
"Don’t you establish
numerous rules as well? For example, in the 10 Pillars of the Practice of Agni
Yoga where there are precise instructions as to the rhythm of the day, diet and
much more? Do not the words "one must" constantly appear in the books
of Agni Yoga?"
This is a misunderstanding: With his Ashram, a
great teacher has founded a Holy Place and is cultivating a higher way of life
there.
The greatness of this project excites you. You
want to join in and enter the temple. Then you cannot help but adapt to the
(higher) order that prevails there.
The teacher has created a
paradise. If you wish to live there, you must not disturb it. (Nicholas Roerich "Star of the Morning ")
Do not follow the regulations of strangers!
Hearken to the knowledge of feeling of your own heart that whispers: You had
better stick to these laws and customs, for it is they which create the
sublime, solemn atmosphere in the first place, which attracts you, which you
love, for which you long and in which your Eternal Individuality can best grow
and flourish.
6.
Synthesis: Overcoming for the Love of something Higher
It makes no sense to ban fun-loving young people
from dancing, drinking wine, going to the cinema, playing cards and similar
pleasures, as the fanatics do. The better way is:
Guiding thought:
You learn to grow fond of
your dreams and ideals!
Only enthusiastic love for a
higher cause is the right impulse to give up something outdated.
It is easy to say that people
should not drug themselves, but they should then be offered a higher
alternative. (Supermundane 500)
"What are these higher things
which I can love so much that I will joyfully give up lesser delights?"
We summarize: The synthesis of
all thoughts that lead to elevation and joy is: I am a Higher Being, an
immortal man of spirit of the 6th race. I am in the Fiery State of high
vibration and resplendent with purity, wisdom,
strength, joy of being, light and love. I am living in a Higher World, in my
personal paradise. (Nikolaus Roerich „Stronghold in the
Mountains“)
Maintain unshakably this
attitude! Then no sadness or desires will come up.
Chapter VIII: Enthusiasm
A particularly high form of joy, namely fiery
joy, is enthusiasm!
The joy of achievement is
luminous, but even more luminous is spiritual joy. There is no precise term for
the essence of spiritual joy, but it would be most appropriate to call it fiery
joy. With the help of spiritual joy, we can sense the fieriness of all of
nature. This understanding will most easily elevate us to the Supermundane
World. (Supermundane 810)
1. What
is Enthusiasm?
Titian
"The Descent of the Holy Spirit"
“By the way, what exactly is
‘enthusiasm’?”
Enthusiasm is an expression of the fact that
you are filled with higher energy.
At times people notice a
particularly intense manifestation of psychic energy. They may call such a
state enthusiasm, or attribute it to particularly high spirits, or sufficient
rest, or renewed strength. However, they simply sense the intensity of their
own energy. (Supermundane 382)
This energy transports you to a higher state,
also called rapture or ecstasy. What we have called "energy"
scientifically, we can understand spiritually as "spirit":
The enthusiast is filled with
the Holy Spirit.
One may suffuse one’s heart with
the Holy Spirit. (Fiery World I, 336)
A person thus "seized", as is aptly
said, is in constant communion with the Higher World.
To be filled with the spirit
means to place oneself in direct communion with Hierarchy. All kinds of magical
methods are used in attempts to achieve Higher Communion. But the new approach
to the Highest directs one to the example of spiritual warriors who approached
direct Communion above all through the heart. We learn of prophets, spiritual
warriors, who never fell into ecstasy, yet their every word was a word of the
Testament. Even in the old Testaments we see prophets who were always saturated
with the spirit. (Fiery World II, 236)
People must grow to love
enthusiasm as higher communion. (AUM 449)
In this the new differs from the old man: Does
the Brotherhood's call for progress and heroic deed arouse your fieriness, or
are you already inwardly dulled or even dead?
There are many touchstones. It
is possible to test the consciousness of people by the most fundamental
concepts. Tell them about evolution and development, advancement and heroic
deed; and without any apparatus you will perceive how such a call is received.
It must be accepted joyously, courageously, and with enthusiasm; but most often
you will note faltering, doubt, and self-pity. Whereas a single word about
heroic deed ought to inspire. A single thought about advancement should
multiply forces tenfold. (AUM 446)
2. How
to achieve Enthusiasm?
“Tell me, how is it even
possible to find enthusiasm in these depressing times?”
Enthusiasm is kindled by elevated thoughts and
ideas.
Enthusiasm of the spirit is a
fierily creative energy. Enthusiasm of the spirit saturates each manifestation
with the best aspirations. Every attraction of fiery energies from space is
based on an exalted feeling. (Fiery World III, 384)
However, only if you do not remain inactive but
actually strive to realise your ideal.
The fiery magnet of the heart
is ignited by lofty thinking and striving. (Supermundane 860)
A true yogi also burns to expand his
consciousness and to increase his knowledge.
The expansion of thinking will
already be an immeasurable joy. Only along with true discoveries is it possible
to arrive at permanent enthusiasm. (AUM 449)
Is there anything that can
replace the joy in the growth of consciousness? (Community 216)
Attached to the Higher World and inflamed with
love for your teacher, you yourself become fiery.
Turning to the Higher World
must evoke enthusiasm and expansion of one’s forces for the expression of the
beautiful. Such qualities are born not of fear but through love. (Fiery World
II, 292)
3.
Enthusiasm for what?
"What is it I can be
excited about? Often it is not easy for me to jump out of bed in the morning
with enthusiasm for the coming day."
Oh, if you do not know that it will be hard to
find your life’s happiness.
Why aren’t you passionate about the four heroic
deeds of an Agni Yogi, which we had already talked about in the Videos
"Exercise The Fiery Condition" and "Initiation to Agni
Yoga":
Working on the artwork of the
New Man, working on the artwork of the New World, spreading the New Man and
spreading the New World.
Guiding Thought:
Get enthusiastic about every new day,
because it offers you the opportunity
to take your transformation into a man of spirit a step forward
and to make the world a better place!
"Can you express this less
highflying and more suitable for application in everyday life?"
It is precisely high ideals that allow you to
overcome the horrors of grey everyday life! But I understand what you mean. We
can express it more simply: According to the 10 Pillars of the Practice of Agni
Yoga, what, for a spiritual person, are the four spheres of life?
Connection with the Higher
World or meditation, service to the common good, service to the neighbour and
education or self-improvement.
This, in the spiritual sense, is your daily
work, the content and meaning of your life. Strive to find ever new enthusiasm
for these exciting projects:
To weave another fibre into
the Silvery Thread of the connection with your teacher, to contribute another
stone to the building of the New World, to do another good deed and to take
another step on the Spiritual Path. (Verhaecht
"The Tower of Babel"; Schnorr von Carolsfeld "The Good
Samaritan")
If today in one year the Silvery Thread is 365
fibres stronger, the building of the New World is 365 stones higher and you
have climbed 365 further steps on the ladder of ascent, that will mean a
tremendous achievement and great progress which will make you joyful and proud.
4. What
do you achieve through Enthusiasm?
Ubertini
"Baptism of Christ"
“How does enthusiasm help me?”
Elation strengthens your powers and elevates
your being.
Depression reduces vitality,
but exaltation creates a beautiful renewal. (Supermundane 247)
Enthusiasm knows no obstacles or limits! It
overcomes all difficulties victoriously.
All obstacles fall before
fiery exaltation. (Supermundane 810)
People will no longer be
perplexed by the problems of earthly life, knowing that many tasks can be
solved by a higher degree of enthusiasm. (Supermundane 141)
If, on the other hand, you are lacking fire,
even trifles will obstruct your progress.
A warrior can be intimidated
by a mouse if in his heart burns not the fire of faith and striving. (Fiery
World II, 379)
Being inflamed at work, you can raise the
quality of any labour, even the most commonplace, indefinitely.
The quality of an action
depends upon one’s enthusiasm. We know that enthusiasm affects and ignites the
aura. This state of enlightened tension can arise during any labour. The
ancients called it divine greeting, for it alone can endow every task with the
radiance of perfection. We emphasize that each task must be performed with
enthusiasm which leads to improvement. The finest craftsman knows that the
quality of all levels of work can be continually improved. (Supermundane 461)
The embers of the fire of the
spirit purify you. (Tintoretto "Baptism
of Christ")
Ignited, in a Fiery State, you are not
susceptible to the desires of the body.
Enthusiasm of the spirit burns
away the physical. (Supermundane 810)
Fiery joy expands the
consciousness, and draws all the best accumulations toward itself, as a fiery magnet.
The essence of man is transformed and the so called old man is burned away.
(Supermundane 810)
Enthusiasm is a powerful protection against
disease and the many dangers that are lurking around every corner in everyday
life.
Not without reason is the
state of ecstasy called the radiance of the Fiery World. Such a radiance
protects man against infection. It purifies the secretions, it is as a shield.
Therefore a state of joy and exaltation is the best prophylaxis. Whoever knows
enthusiasm of the spirit has already been cleansed against many dangers. (Fiery
World III, 450)
Elated you are immune!
What matter all dragons to a
spiritual warrior? He takes no notice of the enraged monsters, because
enthusiasm is a secure shield. You already know how closely enthusiasm unites
one with the most powerful energies. (AUM 446)
Inflammation of the spirit is your last resort
and refuge when the world around you collapses.
Only the flame of the heart
can warm when the accumulated coverings are torn apart by the storm.
(Supermundane 232)
5.
Maintain Enthusiasm at all times
It is a mighty challenge to keep your ardour
undiminished in the midst of grey earthly routine!
Inspiration, exaltation, and
also enthusiasm, as it is called, must be consciously sustained. It is a
mistake to surmise that the rewards of self-development come from without; a
fiery hearth lives in the depths of the consciousness. Man must perceive it,
must safeguard it lovingly, and must summon its forces, only then can outward
help be given. (Supermundane 704)
Do not allow your fire to be suffocated by the
trivialities of daily life!
People must not kill each
enthusiasm. (AUM 449)
The sacred tremor must never
become an everyday porridge, but when the tremor left the very best Teachings,
they turned into assemblages of empty husks. Take an oath that the sacred
tremor shall not leave you. (Heart 509)
Inflammation must not be a
brief, temporary state. It should carry you through the whole of your daily
life.
We do not value ephemeral
flashes, but We do value the inextinguishable flame. (Supermundane 455)
Each man experiences
enthusiasm, but these sparks of lofty elation occur as isolated flashes and do
not transform the whole life. But such states of the spirit are possible even
amid trying conditions. Let us imagine such an exalted state as continuous, it
will then bestow a still higher enthusiasm, and all that exists is likewise
being elevated. (AUM 449)
Guiding Thought:
The ideal is:
You are continuously inflamed with enthusiasm!
How
beautiful it is to be constantly aflame! There is no dungeon such that the fire
of the heart cannot illumine it. Thus, be aflame with beauty! (Fiery World I,
410)
The Sacred Fire must always be
alight. (Fiery World III, 526)
The
Teaching of Agni Yoga demands you to be continuously on fire. Sometimes respite
from outer manifestations is needed, but the inner flame is inextinguishable.
One should accustom oneself to the manifestation of constant fire. Our flame
burns like a bonfire. It is unworthy to suppress it. (Agni Yoga 414)
6.
Spreading Enthusiasm
First ignite the fire of the spirit
within yourself so that your whole being is inflamed!
Man is destined to kindle the
fire, which dwells in all manifestations of creation. One should remember that powerful
energies have been entrusted to man; therefore, whoever does not kindle the
spirit does not fulfill his destiny. (Fiery World II, 447)
Then pass on your fire!
Ignite your fellow men with
the embers of your enthusiasm; kindle with your flame the fire of their spirit!
This is true success, when the
invisible fire kindles human hearts. (Agni Yoga 375)
One flame becomes two!
There was one flame, now it
has become two – which means good has been accomplished. (Fiery World I, 192)
No great words or gestures are required for
this. When you are on fire, your very presence, your high vibration, is enough
to inflame your fellow men.
The Teacher must be aflame to
such an extent that his approach alone imparts the fire. Such an everyday task
is difficult, yet people are tested precisely in everyday life, which is the
sister of Infinity. (Brotherhood 471)
Chapter IX: Transfiguration of Life
My favourite term from the vocabulary of Agni
Yoga is "transfiguration".
"What is meant by
this?"
You transform distress, suffering and
unhappiness into joy not by altering the circumstances (which is usually
impossible), but by using the power of your spirit, by changing your
consciousness.
When our consciousness is
completely transported into the domain where there is no fear and depression,
then we are invulnerable to any filth. (Fiery World II, 72)
Guiding Thought:
Transfiguration of life means
overcoming external difficulties
through a proper mental attitude!
Whatever the conditions are – you rise above
them. You maintain serenity even in the worst situation. With this mental
approach you turn the thorns on your path into roses.
No other joys can be compared
with those spiritual exaltations which are experienced by a true disciple.
(Helena Roerich Letters Vol I, letter of 24.06.1935)
If you do not succeed in this adjustment of
your thinking, you will remain stuck in the darkness of material hell.
Life is dark without the
transfiguration of the spirit. Why disfigure life, when it can be beautifully
transfigured? (Supermundane 921)
"How do I attain this
wonderful transformation?"
Live the life of the heart!
Bringing the heart closer to
life as the guiding principle is not simply repeating previous Teachings but
brings about a true transfiguration of life. (Heart 447)
"What does that mean in
practical terms?"
Listen to your soul: it is
always full of joy!
It lives in a higher sphere where it is not
affected by material things and takes advantage of apparent misfortune to
gladly continue its spiritual ascent.
Let us not forget the symbol
of transfiguration, which shows the physical existence being transformed into
the subtle. (Heart 245)
1.
Transfiguration of everyday Life
"Where is the way out of
the depressing joylessness of grey everyday life?"
You cannot change the narrowness and pettiness
of the surrounding circumstances. But you can adopt a new attitude towards
them:
Guiding Thought:
You can transfigure any everyday situation!
"How exactly am I to
achieve that?"
There are two things you have to do:
First: You bring a breath
of fresh air into your life by changing, so to speak, the wallpaper against
which your everyday existence takes place.
You choose a new scenery, a different spiritual
background for your earthly life:
In your true existence, at the
foot of the Holy Mountain, in the presence of your teacher, every hour of your
life is sublime, great, beautiful and solemn. (Nicholas
Roerich "Mount of five Treasures")
For a man who stands in the
presence of eternity, everything that happens to him, and everything he does,
is great and beautiful, for then everything has a sublime meaning.
Few know how to overcome the
dragon of everyday routine. But such heroes multiply their forces tenfold, and
each day they raise their eyes anew unto the heavens. Since Infinity exists,
the spirit of man has no single commonplace instant. (AUM 319)
Second: You redefine the
role you play on the material plane.
Grow to become a hero of
everyday life!
"How can I little midget
rise to the height of a hero?"
Strive to appear in the grey monotony no longer
with your transient personality, but with your Eternal Individuality: As an
immortal, as a king of the spirit, or as a disciple of the Brotherhood.
One should note not only the
achievements of apparent heroism, but also the great path of kingliness of the
spirit amidst daily life. How beautiful is the path of a kingly spirit! (Fiery
World III, 41)
A king of the spirit must
first of all reveal himself in a small circle of life. (Fiery World III,
56)
In such a high function every one of your
actions becomes a great deed!
Man transforms his life into
an unending heroic deed. (Supermundane 865)
It is better to transform
everyday life into a festival of the spirit than to dirty the flowers with
everyday dust. (Agni Yoga 304)
Guiding Thought:
Your everyday life is transfigured
because every step is a heroic deed
that brings you closer to your goal
The Service is so great that each
step already constitutes a heroic deed. Each day, with each thought, something
significant is being accomplished. (Fiery World II, 465)
This is meant literally: With every word you
speak, with every deed you perform, and with every errand you are running, you have your mission in mind and think:
I am about to carry out the Higher Will.
I am walking the path to God! (Yesudian “Path to the Summit”)
When action premises a great
goal, each step must conform to the destination. (Fiery World III, 313)
We see again:
You rise from the filth of the
earthly existence by changing your thinking!
I shall not weary of reiterating that one
must think loftily in order to rise above the dust. (Fiery World I, 510)
*****
Always remember: Everyday life in your family and at
work, not some fictitious dream world, is the touchstone of your achievement.
Guiding
Thought:
Do
not run away
from
everyday life,
but
transfigure it!
Above all, We value the achievement of
harmony in everyday life. Most of human life passes in such routine, and people
should be evaluated by how they stand this test of daily life—whether they can
preserve harmony in their domestic environment, resist petty irritations, and
rise above boredom. (Supermundane 324)
In everyday life – where else? – you must know how to
remain attached to the Higher, luminous Spheres of eternal joy.
Many unseen circumstances are hidden in
daily life, and one must find in them the joy that elevates one into the
supermundane existence. May people remember that they build their human dignity
amid daily turbulence; such an achievement will be permanent. (Supermundane
324)
Let us not forget that in the most
everyday life are laid the foundations of the world’s grandeur. (Fiery World
II, 97)
2.
Transfiguration of Work
Georges
de la Tour "Joseph as a Carpenter"
A free consciousness can transform labour
into a festival of spirit. (Agni Yoga 347)
"How do I accomplish this?"
Change your attitude! Remember what you are labouring
for: With your effort you are contributing to the Great Work of the Brotherhood
for the common good, for the progress of evolution.
Work on behalf of the Hierarchy is never
boring!
People turn everything into the ordinary,
and then not only the personal, not only the public, but even the spiritual
cannot be pursued with all enthusiasm. But if our daily labour is consecrated
in the Name of the Teacher it cannot be ordinary or tiresome. If we forget for
what we labour, boredom will cover us with its shroud of decay, and all the
jesters of the world will not be able to provoke a smile in us. (Agni Yoga
467)
With every work necessary in the community, however
insignificant it may seem, you relieve the Mahatmas of a part of their enormous
burden.
Let us remember the shocking case in
Halcyon, California, the seat of the community Temple of the People: Because
the members assigned to the job failed to milk the cows, the head of the
community, the high priest, the doctor and chief of the hospital had to take
over even this task, too!
You fulfil your duties reliably! The Masters can
depend on you! This thought alone should make you happy at work!
Whoever can rejoice at each day’s labour
is on the way to Brotherhood. (Brotherhood 350)
The person who carries out the most
tiresome labour most joyously proves himself an unshakable winner, for he is
overcoming the burden of boredom. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 358 [362])
Practical
Tip: Improve the Quality of your Work
Guiding
Thought:
Whatever
you do,
do it
well!
This applies even, indeed especially, to the small
everyday tasks like cooking, washing up or dusting.
Striving for quality transfigures all
work.
Not by manifestating a special world, but
through the quality of daily labour do we approach the Fiery World. (Fiery
World I, 307)
Find pleasure in improving indefinitely the quality of
all your work!
Each task must be performed with an
enthusiasm which leads to perfectment. The finest craftsman knows that the
quality of all levels of work can be continually improved. We can say the same
about Our labours. (Supermundane 461)
Everything can always be perfected: On the one hand
the circumstances and on the other hand you yourself! There is something great
and beautiful to be done at every moment!
Joy in eternal labour is the destiny of
the great and ascending one. We speak of eternal ascent. (Fiery World I,
385)
3.
Transfiguration of Property
The existential question of the right attitude towards
property as well we solve through the concept of transfiguration:
People do not know how to deal with
possessions because they do not wish to understand the meaning of the mental
transfiguration of the earthly into the subtle plane. (Heart 281)
Eliminate egotism! Consider your goods as the property
of the Hierarchy and yourself as their manager on
behalf of a Higher Authority. Then you can joyfully and with a good
conscience cultivate a small and even a large estate.
So let us once again invoke the Teacher
and in thought pass this cumbersome load on to Him. He will be able to transfer
our mental gift still higher. That is how we can solve the problem of
possessions. Thus, even the very concept of ownership disappears, and we remain
the custodians of the property of the Hierarchy. Thus, the Name of the Teacher
will constantly accompany us, and we shall smile as we dust off the objects
that the Teacher, out of confidence, has entrusted to us. (Heart 281)
Thus the concept of personal property will
be easily transformed into one of property owned in common. Man will be the
guardian of the earthly treasures. (Supermundane 831)
Guiding
Thought:
Manage
your possessions as
trustee
for humanity.
Improve
them constantly
for
the benefit of the common good
It is good to understand that one can
possess things without a feeling of ownership. It is good to possess things in
order to take care of them, and even to imbue them with a benevolent aura, with
the intention of passing them on to others. The “hand of creativity” dwells in
a home that is free of attachment to property, and that which has been improved
will spread joy further. The principle of the giving hand will be constantly
put into practice; in this lies the justification for possession of objects. Once
people understand this, the most difficult problem is solved. (Leaves of
Morya’s Garden II, 92)
We human beings need material things for our survival.
It is just a matter of using them properly, that
is, in the interest of all of us. It is therefore advantageous if land,
tenement houses, means of production, business enterprises and all other goods
are in the hands of selfless, spiritually minded people, and not of egotists.
I am saying this for the world, because
the main cause of the world’s destruction is attachment to non-existent
property. When possession free of a sense of ownership arises, it will open up
the path to everyone without the restrictions of conventional inheritance.
Whoever can improve something shall possess it. This pertains to lands,
forests, and waters. The law is simple, as is everything of the spirit. (Leaves
of Morya’s Garden II, 92)
Renunciation of earthly possessions is an
aberration.
How is one to deal with possessions? We
know about renunciation, but if something already exists, how is it possible to
regard it as non-existent? Besides, wouldn’t looking at things in that way be
destructive? (Heart 281)
It is hypocritical first to give up everything and
then to live at the expense of the community, off the work of others.
There are some people who think they
should give everything away, thereby becoming a burden to others! To such
people we might speak with these words of the Teaching, “Who has said that one
should give away foolishly? The folly remains even then.” (Helena Roerich
Letters Vol II, letter of 24.09.1935)
Even the much-reviled business of traders can be
justified and transfigured if it does not serve a profit interest but the
exchange of products, which is vital for humanity.
People found ways to interpret Truth for
their own profit. The expulsion of the merchants from the Temple is a symbolic
warning, but the Temple must be in spirit. This means that greed must be
banished in spirit. No one can forbid the exchange of daily necessities, but
merchants must attend to their business enlightened by the fire of their
hearts. In this way even the most basic elements of life can shine with the
radiance of good. (Supermundane 168)
4.
Transfiguration of Obstacles
We have just spoken about how you can transfigure
obstacles and difficulties: You learn to rejoice at them and take advantage of
them for your spiritual ascent. This is one of the most important exercises in
practical daily life.
5.
Transfiguration of earthly Sorrows
Van
Gogh "Mourning Man"
The worries remain. They even increase the
higher you climb! That is unimportant. The crucial thing is the attitude you
take towards them.
My advice is that you realize
that the number of cares cannot be lessened. Only thus do we realize that joy
is a special wisdom. (Fiery World I, 522)
Have you really internalised this? Then you
will also realise: The solution cannot lie on the material but only on the
spiritual level:
You overcome everyday worries
by recognising their deeper meaning:
They show you where there is still something
left to be done. They offer you the opportunity to perfect yourself or the
world a little bit further. You can only be happy about that reminder!
Earthly cares are like stones
rolling down a mountain. The lower down they roll, the more violent the impact
of the landslide. Would it not be better to ascend to the very summit where
there are no falling stones? Upward striving also transfigures earthly cares.
Even though they continue, their meaning is altered. (AUM 304)
Cast the sunlight of the Self
obliquely on the cares of daily life, and they will swiftly turn to golden
opportunities. (ALH I, 5)
You may as well hand your worries over to the
Hierarchy – then you carry them together with others, which is much easier.
When I say, “Be not too much
concerned about tomorrow,” this does not mean that I am advising you to be a
sluggard. All thinking must be directed into the future; one should labour for
the future, but one’s care about the sacred future ought to be directed through
Hierarchy. Then one’s thought about tomorrow will assume its proper meaning.
Thus, the care, purified by Hierarchy, will not be an earthly one, though it
will preserve action and usefulness. (Fiery World II, 125)
Even popular wisdom knows:
A sorrow shared is a sorrow
halved. Together we are strong.
6.
Transfiguration of Dangers
Carus
"Clouds of Mist"
The Teaching gives a beautiful example of how you
can transfigure terrible things such as fears and dangers: Transform them in
spirit into something positive, namely into obstacles and thus into stepping
stones, without which you would not be able to climb the summit at all.
Think about the meaning of
danger. So-called danger is nothing but fear for one’s present condition. But
if we know that every condition is created by the consciousness, which is
indestructible, then there can be no fear for one’s well-being. The dangers
that one customarily fears are dispelled by a broadened consciousness.
Therefore, the growth of consciousness is the essential foundation for
progress.
Then there will be no dangers,
there will be only obstacles. Overcoming obstacles is a means for the
developing of energy. If the mountain is perfectly smooth, one cannot ascend to
the summit. Blessed are the stones that tear the sandals of those who ascend!
Assure yourself, therefore, that dangers do not exist. Poor is the
consciousness that has no control over passing emotions. (Agni Yoga 406)
7.
Transfiguration of Death
Dürer
"Death"
We immortals transfigure even death, which is
so terrifying to our mortal fellow men, merely by changing our thinking:
You realise: You continue to live on, you cross
over to a higher, better world, and will receive a new, beautiful, young body
in due course – now, then, what is there to be afraid of? You can only rejoice
at this prospect!
Once the truth of eternal life
is broadly accepted, the world will be transformed. (Supermundane 348)
Chapter X: Transformation into a cheerful Sun-Heart
Occasionally I hear that the ideals of an
immortal, a king of the spirit or a disciple of the Brotherhood, which I
regularly present, are too ambitious for some of you.
"Yes, I don't regard
myself as a king either, and I'm not sure whether I can meet the strict
requirements that are placed upon a disciple."
Well, then let us choose a very simple role
model which will embellish the life even of any "normal" person:
Let us transform into cheerful
beings with a sunny disposition!
Instead of an Interior Monastery, we are now
speaking of inner joy, and instead of a monk or a spiritual warrior, of a
sun-child.
"What do you mean by
sun-child?"
Well, someone who, like the sun, constantly
radiates light, love and warmth into his surroundings. Agni Yoga calls such a
person a "sun-heart."
Just as the sun is the heart
of the solar system, the human heart is the sun of the organism. There are many
sun-hearts, and the Universe represents a system of hearts. Everyone has felt
astonishment at how a ray of the rising sun instantly warms everything. The
heart can do the very same thing! (Heart 62)
One who has been warmed by the
sun carries warmth with him. People wish to warm themselves in proximity to
him. Is it not the same with the flaming heart which is attached to the Fiery
World? People hasten to the glowing heart to warm themselves, and avoid the
deadly cold. (Fiery World III, 478)
Modifying a word of the Master about the New
immortal Man (Agni Yoga 553), we may say:
Joyful man – will this not be
worthy of the future?
Begin your transformation into
the New Man by making yourself a joyous man! (Nicholas
Roerich "Krishna")
"How do I become such a
darling of fortune?"
As we had discussed in the beginning: You step
before your teacher in the morning and put yourself in a state of high
vibration, which means: You fill your being with purity, wisdom, power, light
and love, but above all – with joy.
At this moment you are a
sun-heart!
We remember the wonderful words of the Dalai
Lama:
If every 8 year old in the
world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within
one generation.
If meditation can turn you into a peaceful, it
can also make you a cheerful person.
*****
In the course of the worldly day, you then
"only" have to defend this higher state of your being and meet all
challenges with a serene smile.
We had already discussed this practice in the
Video "We are creating the Man of the Future": A mental attitude
becomes a habit over time, and a habit grows into a quality. In this way, you
too can make yourself a merry, sunny person.
Superior
Smile
Leonardo
da Vinci "Mona Lisa"
You had asked every now and then how you
recognise a New Man when you meet him (Video "We are creating the Man of
the Future"). Here is another characteristic feature: The outward
expression of the successful transformation into a sunny being is a superior,
loving smile.
A smile carries power. (Leaves
of Morya’s Garden I, 47 [50]
And that in all, even the most terrible
circumstances.
Smile at the difficulties upon
your path. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 105 [116])
Accept the harsh lessons with
a smile. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 109 [121])
Smile at each disparagement;
this is the sure sign of a miracle. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 372
[436])
Equipped with this unshakable
inner serenity, despite all your toiling, you have not only a smile but even a
cheerful song on your lips. (Nicholas Roerich
"And we are trying")
Thus, porters bear their heavy
loads up mountains with a song. (Community 180)
To pass over all abysses in
song, is possible only for a selfless spirit. (Fiery World III, 75)
In this elevated state of mind higher energies
flow down to you.
We send the light to those who
smile at darkness. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 6)
The flame of the smile cannot
be extinguished, because it is fed by the Divine warmth. (Leaves of Morya’s
Garden I, 307 [363])
Guiding Thought:
As long as you maintain
this superior, loving smile,
you are a higher being!
We conclude the Video on joy with magnificent
words of the Master:
Walk light
of heart, rejoice even more, and follow the higher path! (Leaves of Morya’s
Garden I, 43 [46])