AGNI YOGA WEB TV
SERIES
„INTRODUCTION TO AGNI YOGA“
BROADCASTING 3
Expansion of
Consciousness
Ladies
and Gentlemen,
welcome to
Broadcasting 3 of our Series "Introduction to Agni Yoga"!
In Broadcasting 2,
we had spoken about the significance of consciousness. Today we are asking: How
can we expand our consciousness?
Part I: New
Path of Cognition: Heart Knowledge
1. Cognition of the Reality
You expand your
consciousness, when you:
Open up new
horizons; realize more and more of the immeasurable, not nearly captured
reality; look more and more through false appearances; expand your outlook
constantly beyond what is usual into the area of the unusual; look at that what
you have hitherto overlooked; push the boundaries of understanding further and
further off; reduce the area of the impossible and extend the area of the
possible.
For a person with a rich imagination the realm of the
impossible is diminished, and possibilities multiply. (Supermundane 568)
Everything unknown we call hostile. It must be
recognized, conquered, and transformed into the known—properly speaking, the
cognized. (Agni Yoga 303)
Thereby, you will
discover completely new realities, which you have so far overlooked, although
they have always existed and influenced your life.
Humanity’s conception of the world is quite far from
the truth. (Infinity II, 787 [387])
Man is caught up in
prejudice. He is blinded by false appearances. He refuses to recognize the
truth. He perceives things not as they really are, but as he wants them to be,
namely according to his consciousness.
To observe, it is necessary not to look for what one
wishes to see but to search for reality. (Community 161)
Indeed, the battle is against the apparent. Reality is
not the apparent. (Community 206)
Apparently the apple falls
from the tree. You think: It was "above" and therefore must fall "down". However, on this constantly rotating
planet, there is no "above" and no "down" (otherwise, our
antipodes would indeed fall off the globe). Only Newton has looked at the
situation correctly and identified gravitation, the attraction of the earth, as
the force, which moves the apple.
Apparently the earth is flat;
apparently the sun sets in the sea (although it is the earth that rotates);
apparently the moon is sometimes full, sometimes half full, etc.
*****
As surprising as it
may sound, it is nevertheless true: The crucial step towards the expansion of
consciousness is: Recognize that what is! See things as they really are, not as
you think they are, or as you think they ought to be.
What perfection can be achieved upon cognizing
reality! Once reality is brought to the foreground and affirmed as a completely
valid concept, the surroundings will change beyond recognition. The most
precise and objective observation of reality will broaden the consciousness.
(Agni Yoga 590)
Your consciousness
is expanded by accurate observation without prejudice!
The refinement of consciousness primarily depends on
attention to the surroundings. (Fiery World II, 27)
By making observations, we ourselves will bring to
light new structures that only yesterday were imperceptible or invisible. And
in doing so, we will be able to accustom ourselves to things that once seemed
extremely unusual. (Heart 426)
2. Realization of the Higher Reality
At the present
time, the next level of cognition is: Recognize the higher, non-material,
invisible, intangible aspect of reality.
The aura of a
person, higher phenomena such as working with a pendulum or a dowsing rod,
transmission of thoughts, the influence of the stars on our life, the reality
of the higher, spiritual world, its interference with our earthly life and our
connection with it: These and many others more are facts that are as real as
the material world, even if we cannot touch them.
If you refuse to
recognize this immaterial part of the reality, you eliminate half of that what
is – and indeed even the more important half! From such an attitude, only
suffering and misfortune can result.
3. No blind Faith
It is of the utmost
importance that you do not blindly believe what I am telling you here!
It is not Our custom to demand blind faith. What would
be the use of such a demand, since observation and attentiveness yield better
results? (Brotherhood 256)
People tend to go repeatedly from the one extreme,
blind faith, to the other, blind denial. (Supermundane, 591)
It is of no use to
repeat dogmas like "I believe in the Holy Spirit, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life
everlasting." These are dead letters; we scarcely know any more what their
meaning is.
The word which does not contain the affirmation of the
heart is void. (Infinity II, 737 [337])
There exists the blind faith
and the seeing faith; be among those who see. (Supermundane 943)
We must penetrate
again to the living reality behind these formulas.
We prefer the alertness of experience to the tear of
faith. (Community 250)
4. Agni Yoga as a Science
Of course, we are
unable to prove the existence of the so-called "higher phenomena"
with the methods of classical physics or chemistry. Nevertheless, it is a
perfectly scientific method when we are now proceeding to investigate the
reality by means of observation and experience. We are not spinners, mystics or
occultists – we are scientists!
We want the Supermundane to be cognized in a
scientific way, through research and observation. For this man must deepen his
consciousness and elevate his thought. (Supermundane 592)
Only one thing is
vital: Examine without prejudice that what is – no more, but no less either.
Why are you living? In order to
cognize and to perfect yourselves. Nothing misty should satisfy you. (Community
230)
To this end, we have to expand the methods of the classical natural sciences
and to add to them the cognition of the heart.
*****
We do not hesitate
to call Agni Yoga a science. We explore the higher, non-material spheres by the
means of observation, experiment and experience – that is, in a scientific
manner!
How to reconcile the Teaching with science? If science
teaches authentic knowledge, then the Teaching is science. (Community 154)
The time will come, indeed, has already come, when
cognition of the Supermundane will be a very real science. (Supermundane 707)
Do not be afraid to
use methods of cognition such as meditation, vision and inspiration – but with
a clear, sober, scientific mind.
Let the transmission of thought at a distance be
compared with the radio. Let us apply to visions the principles of television.
Let us not be afraid to compare visions with scientific discoveries. Let
physics confirm the very highest psychic manifestations. (AUM 487)
Even the loftiest inspiration must be confirmed by
scientific investigation. (Supermundane 532)
The time is coming when even the highest concepts must
be proven by science. (Supermundane 698)
5. Continuation of the classical Laws of
Nature
The new spiritual
science does not override the traditional laws of natural science,
but carries them further – exactly like the theory of relativity, which
does not contradict the laws of classical physics, but on the contrary, is
built upon them and completes, expands, and refines them.
Again one has to remind the
scientists that the theories of Einstein do not upset the laws of Euclid but
encompass them. Just as the third dimension does not nullify the laws of the
plane, but is infinitely larger than the latter, so also the laws of spiritual
knowledge encompass all your laws, being infinitely broader. (Infinity II, 829
[429])
We are still moving
in the area of natural laws, which we can recognize
and apply to our earthly life – but we are concerned with more subtle laws than
the ones known up to today.
6. Agni Yoga as a Religion
With the same
justification as “science”, Agni Yoga may be called a “religion”, because we
explore the other, the spiritual world and our connection with it.
However, Agni Yoga
breaks with the disastrous habit to recognize only one’s own confession and to
discard every other faith.
It must be noted that the primary form of a Teaching
does not contain negative postulates. But superstitious followers begin to
fence in the Covenants with negations, obstructing the good. There results the
ruinous formula: “Our creed is the best,” or, “We are
the true believers; all others are infidels.” From this point it is a single
step to the Crusades, to the Inquisition, and to seas of blood in the name of
Those Who condemned killing. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 330 [334])
We would like to
introduce you to a better attitude: There is only one truth. But man's ability
to recognize it is limited. Therefore, at different times different people have
taken different approaches to this one and only truth.
The same unalterable Truth is given to humanity repeatedly, but clothed in various garments. (Agni Yoga 178)
The fundamental truths as expressed by each one of the
Buddhas and Avatars of the human race have ever been
the same whatever the nation or the language in which they were expressed. They
may be found in the Upanishads, the Vedas, the Commandments of Moses, as well
as in the Teachings of Jesus, Confucius and others. (Teachings of the Temple
Vol. I, Lesson 208 “The Momentous Question”)
The truth is always the same, but the connections are
different, as they depend on the consciousness. (Heart 5)
All the great
religious teachings originate from one and the same source. Therefore, they all have to be observed!
Is it possible that humanity cannot comprehend that
knowledge emanates from the One Source? Therefore, the dividing line between
knowledge and ignorance is the dividing line between light and darkness. We are
easily able to bring together the Torah with the hymns of the Vedas, or the
precepts of Buddha with the words of Christ, for We do not discern differences
between Teachings emanating from the One Source. (Agni Yoga 90)
Once unfettered and delivered from their dead weight
of dogmatic interpretations, personal names, anthropomorphic conceptions and
salaried priests, the fundamental doctrines of all religions will be proved
identical in their esoteric meaning. Osiris, Krishna, Buddha, Christ, will be
shown as different names for one and the same royal highway to final bliss,
Nirvana.
(Mahatma Letters, Letter of the Maha-Chohan of
1881)
All the great Teachings issue from the One Source, and
it is impossible to accept one and reject another. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol.
I, letter of 30.06.1934)
You must not reject
the old knowledge: the new one is built upon it and expands it in a quite
natural way.
The two signs of the authenticity of a Teaching are:
first, striving for the Common Good; second, acceptance of all previous
Teachings which are congruous with the first sign. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 330
[334])
Each era chooses its new, corresponding Teaching. No
new Teaching ever excludes the preceding ones. Little attention is paid to this
fact, for the followers of every Teaching like to build their success on the
denial of the previous Teachings. (Agni Yoga 416)
If there is only
one truth, it can do no harm if all of you take different, individual
approaches to it: If you pursue them honestly, they will all lead, from different standpoints, steps and sides of the pyramid,
to the same goal: to the top!
Poor is the method of pedagogues who ridicule each
attempt at an original solution of a problem. Quests of new approaches to truth
should be welcomed. If one’s conviction is steadfast that there is only one
Truth, there can be no fear that some other truth will be found. (AUM 484)
By whatever Paths ye come to Me, I shall meet ye. (AUM
584)
The religions
differ slightly because they were revealed in different ways at different times
in different places and in different cultures to people with different levels
of education; and were understood differently; and were often misrepresented.
I say as much as is necessary and possible. (Heart
513)
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot
bear them now. (John 16, 12)
We, Brothers of Humanity, transmit a part of the
Truth. When I say a part of the great Truth, I indeed mean that part which can
be assimilated upon this planet. (Infinity I, 287)
What I have perceived and not communicated to you is
far more than what I have communicated to you. (Buddha, according to Helena
Roerich, Foundations of Buddhism)
The law of
correspondence applies: Everything that humanity can grasp with its limited
abilities of cognition will be imparted.
All that is possible will be done. (Supermundane, 439)
In all times that part of the Truth which humanity
could assimilate was always given to the world. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol. I,
letter of 20.04.1935)
The same applies to
each individual: The one is capable
of absorbing more, the other less of the higher knowledge.
Each summoned one is offered the entire chalice. If he
does not receive the messenger, he will get only a portion of what has been
decreed. If he cannot assimilate this part, he will be given a still smaller
particle — thus does each one determine his own allotment. (Leaves of Morya’s
Garden II, 333 [337])
7. Progress of spiritual Cognition
It is a terrible
aberration, in contradiction to evolution and incompatible with scientific
thinking, to believe that religious insight does not change over the millennia.
It is not fundamentally different from any other knowledge.
It would be an
indictment to mankind if we had made no progress in the area
of religion over the ages. Why should our ability to explore the higher
reality not continue to grow, as every other knowledge, with increasing age and
maturity? Only fanatics reject the possibility of any further development of
religious knowledge.
The Sacred Teaching cannot become congealed at one
level. Truth is one, but each century, and even each decade, approaches it in
its own way. New scrolls are unrolled and the human consciousness observes in a
new way the manifestations of the Universe. The world lives by motion, and the
issuance of the Sacred Teaching is evoked by advancing. Each decade reveals a
new approach to the Sacred Teaching. One should not speak about new Teachings,
since Truth is one! New data, and new perception of them, will be only the
continuance of cognition. Each one who impedes this cognition performs a
transgression against humanity. Sectarianism and fanaticism are out of place on
the paths of knowledge. Whoever can impede cognition is no follower of Truth.
Quarrel and strife is the lot
of the litterers. (Brotherhood 188)
Therefore, together
with the progressing expansion of its consciousness, humanity will gain higher
religious insight as well – such as, for example, today the new wisdom conveyed
by Agni Yoga.
A fanatic deprives himself of progress. He cannot
perfect himself or succeed. A fanatic is as if dead. Fanaticism can be
contagious, for weak people fear any kind of advancement; their dark existence
rests upon a foundation of dogma. Regrettably, fanaticism tends to form around
any teaching and does not permit the deepening of its foundations. Fanatics
believe that it is precisely they who are the true guardians of the pure
teaching. A fanatic insists that the teaching he adheres to cannot change. He
does not acknowledge that learning is a living process. There can be no
stagnation in Eternity; all is in motion — in the striving toward perfection.
(Supermundane 791)
Agni Yoga is a
synthesis of all previous religions. It confirms them where they proclaim the
truth. It corrects them where they were distorted. Above all, Agni Yoga
develops them further – to that extent which modern man is
able to grasp. Thus, Agni Yoga forms the basis for a new world religion!
8. Synthesis of Science and Religion
Religion and
science were in conflict with each other for
centuries. Faith and knowledge seemed to exclude one another. This separation
must be overcome if we wish to gain higher insight.
Take a better
standpoint: In truth, science and religion are complementary ways of
understanding the one and only indivisible reality. The world consists of
spirit and matter. Therefore, we need science and spirituality alike in order to fully – not only in limited aspects – capture
its essence.
*****
You certainly agree
with the scientist who rejects the idea of God as an old man with a white
beard, and who refuses to believe in unnatural concepts. Spiritual cognition
should not be separated from reason. It stands higher than reason – but it must
not contradict reason!
Even faith must be well-grounded,
and thus can the Teaching live. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden, 322 [326])
However, we urge
the scientist to broaden his horizon and to explore the invisible reality and
the often witnessed apparitions and phenomena of a
higher order in a scientific manner, namely through observation, experiment and
experience.
Agni Yoga is actually a synthesis of science and religion. We are working
on the basis of reason. But we add to the conventional
ways of scientific research the spiritual, intuitive understanding of the heart
– without allowing any contradiction between the two to arise.
Religion and science must not be considered separate
in their essential nature. Thus science and religion
merge upon one single principle. Science cannot destroy the concept of the
divinity of Fire, nor can religion impose an interdiction on the subtle
analyses made by science. (Fiery World III, 60)
Knowledge without religion is lame. Religion without
knowledge is blind. (Einstein)
Thus, something new
is being born: A divine science or a scientific spirituality, which will raise
the knowledge of mankind to a higher level.
Let priests become more scientific, and scientists
more spiritual. (Fiery World I, 325)
The Divine Science will exist. The Supermundane will
become visible to us, but then, earthly life too will become Supermundane. (Supermundane
591)
This synthesis was
already familiar to the more spiritually minded Middle Ages. It was lost in the
West following the Enlightenment.
Link as much as you can faith with reason (Boethius)
Credo ut intelligam
- I believe so that I understand. (St. Anselm of Canterbury)
9. Refinement of Cognition
You cannot explore
the other sphere of reality, the higher, invisible world, with your coarse five outer senses, but only with the help of your
inner senses.
One must cultivate subtlety of the senses within
oneself, so that through the earthly din the Supermundane manifestations can be
heard. One should learn to perceive the Supermundane Light with closed eyes.
(Supermundane 786)
If you want to
penetrate through the material spheres into the spiritual realm, you need to
refine your cognition – that is it receptive for manifestations, for parts of
the reality, which are more subtle than those which you can see with your eyes
and touch with your hands. The finer your receptivity becomes, the higher will
be the phenomena, which you are able to perceive.
When gross methods are replaced by subtle ones, the
spirit will possess sensitiveness of perception. (Fiery World III, 265)
The expansion of
consciousness, therefore, is a refinement of consciousness.
The warrant of the broadening of consciousness lies in
the development of sensitiveness. (Hierarchy 45)
We always underline the concept of refinement, for it
is bound up with the growth of the spirit. Realizing refinement of thought, we
all must command ourselves to move with evolution; then every day becomes a
conquest. (Agni Yoga 580)
It is above all
lack of sensitivity which prevents man from rising to a higher level of
evolution.
The ignorant show prejudice against everything not
perceptible to their coarse senses. Man must realize and feel all the subtle
sensations. (Hierarchy 425)
The finer, the higher; the higher, the more powerful!
Nothing holds back evolution so much as coarseness of receptivity! (Helena
Roerich Letters Vol I, letter of 03.12.1930)
The entire evolution is based on refinement. (Infinity
II, 774 [374])
You can refine your
sensitivity infinitely.
The consciousness directed to Us is continually being
refined. The process of refinement becomes a code of every day. One must hasten
with the refining process. Create a manifestation of refinement in the very
midst of life. (Fiery World II, 240)
Humanity must strive to subtle sensations. All
beautiful forms of Cosmos are built upon the subtlety of sensations. All
refined feelings create refined forms. Humanity can refine its sensations in
Infinity. (Infinity II, 763 [363])
Since the reality,
the universe around you, is infinite, there are no limits to the expansion of
your consciousness either!
One can develop within oneself a continual learning,
which is important not as a cataloguing of facts but as an expansion of
consciousness. Tell pupils and friends that they
must learn absolutely endlessly, for there is no end.
(Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 353)
This broadening of
consciousness, like any other expansion of our abilities, is a process of work
and experience, not of ecstatic rapture.
As a result of unlimited labor
there may be a broadening of consciousness. (Community 133)
We call the human consciousness Our garden, where grow
the fruits of labor. (Agni Yoga 464)
It is a mistake to think that the ascent of
consciousness can be accomplished by supernatural exaltation. As below, so
above: everywhere labor and experience. (Agni Yoga
225)
In fact, it is
governed by the principle:
The higher, the more subtle. (Infinity I, 100)
Permit the use of all sources, and the one who grasps
more will gain more. (Agni Yoga 310)
10. Heart Knowledge
The means, which
allows you this higher, finer insight is – the heart. The path of the future is
to complement the work of the intellect by cognition through sensitivity, by
the knowledge of the heart. Agni Yoga is the yoga of the heart!
Let us listen to
what St. Exupéry says in "The Little Prince":
One sees clearly only with the heart; what is
essential is invisible to the eye.
Allow this sentence
to melt on your tongue. Are you aware of its immeasurable significance? The
essential, that what really counts in your life, you can neither see nor touch;
you can only "grasp" it with the help of your heart.
Similarly, the
Living Ethics teach:
He who said, “We see with the eyes of the heart,” had
in mind not a symbol but a physical law. (Heart 559)
Long ago We spoke about the eyes of the heart. Indeed,
man sees through them, and hears with the ears of the
heart. How could we exist without such senses? (Supermundane 91)
The heart
recognizes that what the eye does not see and the ear does not hear.
Though the eye did not see nor the ear hear, yet the
heart has already sensed. (Fiery World II, 144)
It senses the many
things that
can be unalterably sensed, but
cannot be calculated by physical measurements. (Fiery World I, 637)
That means: You
should begin to take seriously and include into your research that what your
feeling, your heart tells you. You must develop your inner senses. With them,
not with the intellect, you penetrate the outward appearances and approach the
essence of things. Education of the heart – this is the path of the future!
Truly, only the language of the heart can convey the
essence of existence. (Heart 228)
Verily, only the heart is able to
penetrate into all actions, into all motives, into all
beings, by manifesting discernment. For the affirmation of one’s forces in the
Higher Spheres it is indispensable to intensify the forces of the heart. All
the Higher Spheres are attained by the tension of the heart. (Fiery World
III, 101)
There are a few seekers of truth who even in their
earthly state can penetrate to the real essence of things. For cooperation with
Us, one must learn to see with the eyes of the heart. (Supermundane 307)
Your outer senses
can deceive you, but not the heart.
The eyes and ears can be deceived, but nothing can
delude the heart. I see with the heart, I hear with the heart, and nothing
impure will touch the heart. For the sword entrusted to me is kept sharp. (Agni
Yoga 520)
You expand your
horizon by developing thesensitivity of your heart.
A sensitive heart captures a greater part of the still
hidden subtle reality. Expansion of consciousness is effected
by refinement of the heart.
This path is
subjective, but not arbitrary. You will find: The truth is cognizable not only
with the intellect, but also with the help of the feeling of a pure heart.
Be able to find in your heart the truth of turning to
the one Light. The ability to hear the voice of the heart already leads to the
truth. (Fiery World II, 251)
How often do we
notice in retrospect, how accurate the sensitivity of our heart, how
incorruptible our feeling was – and how often do we regret not to have listened
to it!
Ask an intelligent person what has most often warned
him of danger and protected him from making mistakes or deviating. An honest
person will say the heart, not the brain or the intellect. (Heart 334)
Who is unaware of the warnings the heart gives every
time an unworthy act is about to be performed? Often people force the heart to
be silent. This is a grave crime. (Heart 367)
You will see: We
can find a consensus, a general view about the correctness of the feelings of
our heart, in the same way as about the reasons of the intellect. We can
communicate and come to a common understanding with others about the findings
of the heart in the same way as about the results achieved by the intellect.
This spiritual path of cognition opens up new,
immeasurable possibilities for Western thinking.
11. Only the Heart is
able to recognize the Essential
Believe it or not:
That what really matters in your life, you can only recognize with the help of
the heart. Let us listen to some examples given by Jörg Zink:
You have only what you believe. This is meant exactly
as it is stated. Everything that is really worth
owning it, you have to believe. There is a saying
which I often hear, especially from adults. They say it proudly and
superciliously and do not know how stupid it is: "I only believe what I
see." No one would pronounce it, who has really thought about it. He would
see that not only in the area of religion we have to
do with faith, but that rather our whole life is based on that what we believe.
A family in which everyone believes only what he sees
is not a family, but hell. The father believes the mother that she uses the
household money sensibly, only if she proves this to him of every penny. That
she works when she is alone at home, he believes her only when she has written
down what she was doing every quarter of an hour. As the son lied to her once,
the mother now considers each of his words a lie. That it is true, what he
says, she would have to believe him. No one believes that the daughter really
goes to the evening course and not perhaps to a rendezvous; she must prove it
by the signature of her teacher. That she has really swept under the cupboard
is only admitted after the mother has moved the cupboard and checked.
And if a man offers his wife flowers? What does that
prove? That he loves her or that he wants to calm his guilty conscience? If his
wife does not believe his love, the flowers she sees do not help her. And what
a woman really thinks and feels, the man does not see. He thinks she loves him.
It could, however, be that she is only good to him because she wants to be
alimented. By believing each other, they belong together. There are no
"proofs of love". There is only the trust in the love of the other
and in his word.
All life among people which deserves this name stands
and falls by the fact that the participants are ready to believe each other a
lot without being able to prove anything. In all important matters, you really
have not what you see, but only what you believe.
And how can a successful man realize that his life and
work have a meaning? In his balance sheet he sees only the success, but not the
meaning. This he must believe. And if he cannot believe it, he is a poor man in spite of all his profits.
That he is not exposed to the horoscope, or to chance,
he must believe. He cannot prove it. That someone has given a meaning to his
life and fate, this he must believe. You cannot be a human being if you want to
believe only that what you see. (Jörg Zink)
Likewise, Helena Roerich says:
Man does not realize that throughout his entire life
he does the things he believes. Precisely that what one believes and how one
believes it comprises the solution of the problems of being. (Helena Roerich
Letters Vol II, letter of 12.07.1938)
All these and many
more – indeed all – existential questions cannot be answered by the intellect
or by the five external senses, but only by the heart.
You must rely upon the Unknown and the Unseen. (Leaves
of Morya’s Garden II, 284 [287])
Worst of all are those people who cannot trust, and know not the power of trust. (Agni Yoga 140)
12. The Intellect
The intellect can
gather facts. It can find reasons for all sorts of views, even the most absurd.
But first to weigh the innumerable quantity of more or less
relevant reasons, and then to come to a decision – this only the heart
can do.
Without the
education of the heart, without a reliable feeling for the things that are not
visible and not touchable, without the ability to distinguish between good and
bad, high and low, meaning and nonsense, pure and unclean, you are completely
disoriented and will walk one wrong track after the other.
The reason prompts such people to gather detailed
arguments, but the purpose of this conglomeration remains undisclosed, for the
heart is silent. (Heart 23)
The reasoning mind must not be allowed into the domain
where the heart should reign. (Supermundane 719)
Refinement of the
heart does not depend upon intellectual education.
In order to harken to the voice of the heart it is not necessary
to be poor or rich, lofty or lowly; it is not even necessary to be very
learned. (Fiery World III, 603)
The intellect may
be wrong, but not the heart.
Feeling will always prevail over reason. One has to accept this as a truth that cannot be suppressed.
(Heart 391)
The brain makes mistakes, the heart never. (Teachings
of the Temple Vol. II, Lesson “Supply and Demand”)
Reason is the guide of misunderstanding. Rational
thinking is being condemned, but irrational actions have also been condemned.
This means that there is some force that should supplement the action of the
reason. The heart must be the supreme judge.
(Brotherhood 385)
The wise men of the
Middle Ages knew:
The intellect is not a suitable means of researching
the truth. (Richard of St. Victor)
13. The Heart as a subtle Organ
In this context, of
course, by "heart" we do not understand the organ of the physical
body, which regulates the blood circulation. We refer to one of the higher
centres of man, which responds to finer vibrations than the five gross outer
senses.
The heart is the
most important organ of your spiritual nature, your Eternal Individuality.
Its location has
been correctly ascertained at the place of the physical heart. In this
spiritual sense, man has understood the heart since times immemorial. Thus, Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount:
Blessed are the pure in
heart: for they shall see God. (Matthew 5, 8)
Even in the most ancient times people understood the
significance of the heart. They regarded the heart as the Dwelling of God. But
now, in our enlightened times, the heart has been reduced to nothing more than
a physiological organ. (Heart 73)
The heart is the
subtle organ which connects us to the Higher World.
Think of the heart as a mediating principle that
connects you with the distant worlds. (Heart 313)
The flesh is crude, and only the heart beats in the
name of the Higher World. (AUM 83)
The heart is the
inner sense, which guides us infallibly along the right path.
To approach the heart to life as the guiding principle
is not simply repeating previous Teachings, it rather brings about a true
transfiguration of life. (Heart 447)
The heart is a guide; the heart is a prophet; the
heart is a supermundane messenger. (Supermundane 819)
Part II:
Conditions of Heart Knowledge
1. Purity and Refinement
Tintoretto
“Baptism of Christ”
There are two main
conditions for cognition by the heart: purity and refinement.
Only a pure heart is able to recognize the highest. That means above all: A
heart unaffected by egotism; a heart that looks for knowledge in the interest
of the common good and does not seek personal gain.
And the insight
that goes beyond our coarse, outer senses, is given to
fine, sensitive people only.
*****
The conventional
scientist, working purely intellectually, could actually be
a coarse fellow and nevertheless win the Nobel Prize. In contrast, the new
spiritual researcher must strive for the purification and refinement of his
whole life and of his cognitive apparatus as well, that means of his own body,
his senses, and his heart, otherwise he will be unable to make progress.
It is high time for scientists to realize that for
subtle experiments subtle conditions are needed. Each experiment requires a
fiery spiritual purification. In fact, much may be achieved amidst nature and
in temples where the emanations are not so polluted. (Fiery World I, 453)
Higher knowledge
comes from within yourself. Your essence intuitively captures the essence of
other persons, things and the circumstances around you.
The higher this
inner being, your essence stands spiritually, that is, the finer and the purer
it is, the more it can perceive of the essence of others.
A great message cannot penetrate a small ear.
(Supermundane 176)
Pure hearts will perceive the Highest. (Fiery World
III, 576)
The low consciousness will see the low, but spiritual
purification will make higher vision possible. (Heart 416)
Thus, the path to
higher knowledge is actually self-perfection.
Those who come to gain knowledge advance only through
the transmutation of the Ego. (Infinity II, 525 [125])
If you want to make
use of your inner feeling, you must protect it from being distorted. It must
not be feigned or simulated.
There is no need to fall into self-deception and
imagine what does not exist. (Supermundane 552)
It is necessary to replace fanciful drivel with sound
reason. (Community 123)
The cognizance of the Supermundane requires utmost
honesty. (Supermundane 574)
Above all, it must
not be driven by selfishness.
The more subtle the energy, the more indistinguishable
to the crude vision will be its qualities. Thus, it is necessary first of all to establish firmly the basic quality, which is
the touchstone. This quality is purity of thoughts, arising from the desire
toward unselfish usefulness. (AUM 269)
2. Way of Life and Cognition
Titian
“Annunciation”
In the New Age, way
of life and cognition can no longer be separated. The expansion of
consciousness requires a transformation of our whole life. We actually need to live more purely and more subtly, if we
want to gain higher knowledge.
No one will reflect that nothing clean comes out of
dirt. (Brotherhood 502)
Every coarseness of
feeling, thinking, speaking and acting must be overcome. The more subtly we
express our higher self in daily life, the finer our sensitivity will become.
People do not realize that one cannot undertake pure
work with dirty hands. (Supermundane 487)
We again refer to
the law of correspondence: The highest is only accessible to the one standing
high. Only a sage can attain wisdom.
*****
The old,
intellectually working scientist could actually live
like a pig and yet produce remarkable results.
One can be a learned scientist and still
remain coarse. Clearly, formal education alone does not necessarily eradicate
coarseness. A coarse nature cannot deal with subtle perceptions, and the
science of the future will require genuine refinement, without which synthesis
is impossible. (Supermundane 326)
The new divine
science no longer allows this to happen. On the contrary, if the researcher
does not lead a spiritual life, he will not be able to unearth any higher, any
true knowledge. Intuition, visions do not come to a crude spirit.
Someone wished to know about the highest worlds, but
he lived like a pig. Undermining the roots is not consistent with upward
striving. For pigs—the pigsty. (Fiery World I, 327)
A student cannot be heartless. The cruel scientist is
far from Truth, the obstinate one not worthy of knowledge, and the depressed
one blind to the treasures of nature. (Supermundane 235)
Therefore, the way
of life of the scientist of the future must meet the highest ethical standards.
Without the Shield of Faith, the Gospel of Peace, the
Breast Plate of Righteousness and the Sword of the Spirit, no man, angel or
demon can enter the Spiritual domain and wrest from its Guardians true
knowledge and power. (Teachings of the Temple Vol. II, Lesson “Scientific Research”)
Science without a moral foundation is lifeless. A
scientist without ethics is not working for evolution. Powerful thinkers must
also be ethical people. (Br II, 718)
3. The Age of the Woman
Nicholas
Roerich “Mother of the World”
Agni Yoga speaks of
the coming era as the age of the woman. Why?
The woman is
usually finer, more sensitive and closer to the higher reality than the man.
This is why the
popular wisdom speaks of the "better half," and Goethe of the eternal
woman who lifts us up.
The woman succeeds
more easily than the man in uniting the worlds and in creating conditions
favourable for the approach of the spiritual world.
Over and above man’s work stands the manifestation of
woman. She leads, she inspires, she guides on all paths, and she displays an
example of synthesis. It is astonishing how quickly she enters any domain. From
the Earth up to the far-off worlds she succeeds in
weaving wings of Light. (Brotherhood 282)
It is not the task
of the woman to imitate the man in all areas. Accordingly, the feeling is
justified that coarse acts, hard physical work, football, boxing, or the life
of a soldier are not in accordance with the fine nature of a woman.
The era of the Mother of the
World is not a return of the age of Amazons. A far greater, loftier, and more
refined task is before us. (Supermundane 458)
No doubt, in many respects, it is woman’s own fault,
especially now when she tries to imitate all the vices of man, instead of
expressing her own character and originality. The result is an indecent
caricature. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol. I, letter of 17.04.1934)
It is essential to change the status of women. The
subtlety and refinement of women’s nature must be understood, so that they may
achieve equal rights and the desired balance. It would be a sad mistake for
women to replace soldiers on the battlefield, or
perform heavy labor. (Supermundane 458)
Everyone must act
in his place according to his particular individual
abilities, otherwise he will spoil his mission.
Both sexes have their characteristic features and this makes life more beautiful. (Helena Roerich
Letters Vol. I, letter of 17.04.1934)
We must find the right use for every ability.
(Supermundane 458)
Let not the woman lose the beauty of the feminine
image; let her not lose tenderness of heart, subtlety of feelings,
self-sacrifice and the courage of patience. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol. I,
letter of 07.10.1930)
As
long as the domination of the outer world is concerned – the construction of
houses, the building of bridges, the defence against external dangers, – male
physical strength and intelligence are required. The more, in the further
course of evolution, the emphasis shifts to the development of our inner being,
the more feminine creativity, intuition and knowledge of the heart will take
the lead.
The great Epoch of Woman will be distinguished by
greater refinement of feelings and of consciousness. (Fiery World III, 116)
The liberation of
the woman consists in adding the particular female
essence, her capacity for cognition and acting, to that of the man.
Are we men not
experiencing again and again that the women point out
to us subtleties which simply have escaped our attention? The women are ahead
of us regarding the culture of the heart, and
therefore predestined to take the lead in this area.
There are many
spheres where precisely the female principle is urgently required.
Why is the participation of woman so necessary in
experiments with psychic energy? Why is woman’s care for flowers so beneficial?
Why is woman’s touch so curative in cases of illness? But due attention has not
been paid to such special qualities of women. It is rarely understood among
physicians why the participation of a woman in operations can be particularly
useful. The eternal Feminine Principle has not yet found its just
interpretation. (AUM 428)
One can observe that machines often function better,
and plants can live longer, in the hands of women. (Supermundane 458)
4. She who leads
Nicholas
Roerich “She who leads”
The woman has her
own sacred mission: She leads to the heights. She is to raise the man in the
spiritual domain.
As the Teacher creates through the disciples, so does
woman create through the masculine principle. Therefore
woman flamingly uplifts man. (Fiery World III, 241)
Hence, the woman must raise herself to such a degree,
spiritually, morally and intellectually, that it will enable her to carry the
man with her. Thus the woman must occupy the place
destined for her. She must become not only an equal cooperator in the
management of the whole life, but also an inspirer. The greatest task is to
spiritualize and to restore the health of humanity by filling it with
aspiration toward great deeds and beauty. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol. I,
letter of 17.08.1934)
The higher mission
of the woman results from the fact that she has a closer connection to the
Supermundane World than the man. Therefore, she is a born priest. To exclude
her from this very office is evidence of gross ignorance of the human nature,
and of the cosmic laws as well.
Why is it that women are often awake to the Subtle
World? It is because their hearts are far subtler, which makes transcendental
perception easier for them. Truly, the Epoch of the Mother
of the World is based upon the cognition of the heart. It is women, and women
alone, who can solve the problem of the two worlds. And so
you can summon women to understanding through the heart. (Heart 106)
The lofty mission of women must be performed by the
woman. And in the Temple of the Mother of the World
should abide the woman. The task now is to create a spiritually sovereign
position for the woman. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 136)
It is no
coincidence that the conveyors of the Teachings of the Mahatmas in the last 150
years were women: Helena Blavatsky, Francia LaDue and Helena Roerich.
The woman manifests the highest degree of devotion.
The greatest truths are revealed by her. (Supermundane 458)
We are not talking
about a primacy of women over men.
Of course, I do not speak of all women, but of those
exceptional ones who manifest the subtlest energy. (Supermundane 458)
This difference is
illusory: The immortal incarnates on his eternal path sometimes as a man,
sometimes as a woman. He has therefore assembled both male and female
qualities. The antithesis is within ourselves.
Therefore, the Brotherhood speaks of the importance of
the feminine principle for the New Age. This is embodied in both women and men.
In individual men it may be higher developed than in many women, and some women
still have to learn certain male characteristics such
as discipline and determination.
The Masculine Principle strives for seizure,
regardless of the heart of man. The Masculine Principle makes bridges for its
achievements by stepping upon hearts and heads. But the Feminine Principle is in need of freedom for heart expression. When it becomes
customary to allow the Feminine Principle to live and develop its potential
toward regeneration through its feeling of continuous giving, then will the
Feminine Principle outdistance the Masculine in all directions. (Fiery World
III, 284)
Cosmic Right reveals the greatness of the Feminine
Principle, which manifests self-renunciation, and before which verily the great
Arhats bow themselves. Verily, We reverence the great
Feminine Principle. Verily, We reverence the giving
Principle which bestows the life of Beauty and of the Heart. (Fiery World III,
194)
It has always
worked to the detriment of the common good and was a sign of decline when one
of the two principles was suppressed.
According to the Sacred Teaching, the fall of humanity
began from the time of the abasement of the Feminine Principle. (Helena Roerich
Letters Vol. II, letter of 09.08.1937)
Today’s women are
called upon to struggle to recover the rights of which they were unjustly
deprived.
But the woman must first of all
change herself! Therefore, the call to the woman must be primarily the call to
self-perfection, for the realization of her dignity and her great destiny to
lay the foundation of Be-ness and for the awakening of the impulse toward
creativeness and beauty. (Helena Roerich Letters Vol. I, letter of 17.08.1934)
Part III:
Application of Heart Knowledge by exploring higher Phenomena
Let us begin the
expansion of our consciousness by exploring the so-called "higher
phenomena".
We can no longer
dismiss as phantasy the innumerable well founded
reports on the "miracles" worked by Christ, the saints and many
others: Spiritual healing, reading and transmission of thoughts, knowledge of
ancient languages in hypnosis, telepathy, telekinesis, clairvoyance, and an
immeasurable abundance of similar skills.
One should not assume that people of the most diverse
cultures could be mistaken or be intentional liars. (Brotherhood 475)
Evidence of these particular abilities is already being collected and examined
by the science of parapsychology. They are nothing else than natural states of
a higher capacity to perceive or to act. For the new divine science, a vast
area of research is opening up here.
*****
The realization of
the higher reality begins with the observation of those phenomena of daily
life, which are still regarded as extraordinary, although so many people have
experienced them that we can no longer exclude them from our worldview.
Will it be superstition if a man observes all that
takes place around him? May he not be justified when gradually he learns to
appraise all that is invisibly occurring? (Fiery World II, 452)
More than anything else, the direct sensation of the
Invisible World is what transmits an understanding of it. (Heart 298)
Let us now look at
some of the so-called "higher phenomena" which we should recognize,
study and, above all, make use of as a normal, everyday reality:
1. Dowsing Rod, Pendulum
Undeniably
effective and tested for thousands of years are practices like working with a
pendulum or a dowsing rod.
By means of his fiery nature man can discover
subterranean ores and waters. (Fiery World I, 239)
Apparently, there
are radiations, not yet explored, emanating from water and from sick organs
that a sensitive organism can sense.
The conditions of cosmic magnetizations are
successfully expressed in the so-called metal and water diviners. The existence
of such people has been known since ancient times. Fortunately, contemporary
science does not deny these facts. But it is most remarkable that these people
sense precisely the subterranean waters and metals. Such a diviner will not
react to a tank of water or a house constructed of steel. This magnetism is
directed along the fiery channel and responds primarily to the natural state of
a substance. (Fiery World I, 493)
2. Mutual Influencing of Man and Nature
How do human beings
influence plants, and plants human beings? The effect of the human aura on
plants is scientifically well documented by the well-known work of
Tompkins/Bird "The Secret Life of Plants". This investigation is a
good example of the coming subtle science.
How then does an earthquake reverberate upon all that
exists? Also various winds and storms? How are the
diverse auras of people reflected upon plants? An entirely new institute for
research could be established. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 173)
A sensitive
organism is able to sense not only distant
earthquakes, but even the approach of important events.
Space is linked with each human organism, but do many
pay any attention to such influences? If a sensitive organism re-echoes distant
earthquakes and eruptions, and trembles at atmospheric manifestations, the same
thing occurs before great events. Already long ago was it said that the better
people will become specially sensitive before great
events. (Fiery World III, 541)
3. Effect of Sounds, Colours and Fragrances
Other subtle,
intangible realities are sounds, fragrances and colours. Their effect on man
and the environment should be explored, for example, for healing purposes. The
delicate vibrations of the sounds of a symphony or of the colours of a painting
actually elevate a human being.
*****
Try, for example,
to decipher the message of classical music. This is a language without words,
which every human being is able to understand. Do you
not feel that Mozart, Beethoven, Bruckner, and Mahler – or rather the spirit
who inspired them – are trying to tell you something?
To capture this
message is a first step towards understanding the language of the Subtle World.
In the world beyond, you must be able to communicate without words. (See Series
"Introduction to Agni Yoga", Broadcasting 10 "The Supermundane
World")
Professor George
Balan (another exponent of the new subtle science) is a pioneer in this area
with his Musicosophia School at St. Peter/Schwarzwald,
Germany.
4. Thoughts
An immense field of
research and practice concerns the nature, the effect, and the transmission of
thoughts, which are also a subtle, non-material reality.
The nature of thought must be investigated. Can
thought thunder? The phenomenon of the echo shows that thought, like sound,
expands in magnetic waves. Is it possible that thoughts of a certain quality
and intensity can influence plant life? How do animals react to certain thoughts?
And finally, how do thoughts affect “sir man”? How does thought act as an
element in chemical compounds? Would it not be advisable to test thought with
litmus paper? Could thought not rival virulent poison or music in its power? In
general, thought must be investigated as a living factor of existence. (Agni
Yoga 81)
We shall discuss
this subject in more detail later. Here are just two examples:
*****
Explore, like the
Japanese Masaru Emoto (another pioneer of the new divine science), the impact
of positive or negative thoughts, or of good or bad music on water. The
beneficial effect of good thoughts on the food, which lies before us on the
plate, is the scientific basis for the ancient practice of saying grace before
a meal!
*****
Furthermore, we
would like to mention the experiments with thought-reading and
thought-transmission, which are already being carried out by the science of
parapsychology. Here, too, many examples are documented of how sensitive people
produce results that cannot be a coincidence.
Do not old married
couples, who are familiar with one another for a long time, feel exactly what
the partner thinks or wishes, even without words? Agni Yoga gives an abundance
of hints on how we can develop this ability.
5. The Aura
Why do dogs and horses sense whether their master is cheerful, distressed,
or restless? Do not you, too, perceive the same when you approach another human
being? Or is your organ less sensitive than that of the animals?
The aura is the
manifestation of our spiritual being; invisible and intangible, but
indisputably real: Each of you feels the aura, the thoughts and intentions of a
person who enters a room.
Make every effort
to practice, refine and develop this sensitivity in your everyday life. This is
a first practical step towards mastering the divine science. In this way, you
will learn with time to better assess the people you meet.
A human being cannot conceal his inner intentions.
With education of the heart, one can obtain a solid understanding of human
intentions. (Heart 551)
In addition, you
will find that objects (such as works of art, or old furniture) and places (a
cathedral, a battlefield, or a room where once a murder was committed) have an
aura as well, which you better capture before you approach them.
6. The Glance
Leonardo
da Vinci "Mona Lisa"
Why do we not study
the properties, the effects and the significance of the glance?
How does it come to
pass that you notice and even involuntarily turn around when somebody gazes at
you from behind?
Does not a fiery gaze compel people to turn around and
even to tremble? (Fiery World III, 517)
Cannot you tell the
nature of a human being from his eyes?
People can sometimes notice an unusual light in the
eyes of one who is in a state of so-called inspiration. The eyes do not shine
from any outside source but from an inner fire. (Supermundane 429)
The glance is like
the thought: immaterial or of very fine substance. It spreads infinitely. It
can be photographed, and its effects cannot be extinguished.
The significance of the gaze can be shown when
radiations will be photographed. (Fiery World II, 256)
By conducting a series of experiments, you could
observe the distance over which the radiations of the eye act. The physical
particles of the glance do not disappear. (Heart 28)
Would it not be an extremely beneficial task for a
true scientist to research the chemical composition of the glance? (Heart 519)
The glance like the
thought influences people and objects. There is a "deadly" and a
healing gaze.
Once the effect upon the human organism has been
investigated, attention ought to be paid to deposits left by the human glance
on inanimate objects. If the glance may reach a stage where it has become
poisonous, then it might also be able to precipitate its poison upon water and
all kinds of objects. (Heart 569)
Prayers often contain the supplications, “Look Thou
upon me” or “Turn Thy gaze to me.” In such words there is expressed great
knowledge of the significance of the look. Precisely a look can change even the
composition of the aura. Not only thought, but the very chemism of a glance has
a fiery consequence. Those who know this ask the Higher Forces to look upon
them, because in this magnetic chemism there is contained all-encompassing
benevolence.
Let us not forget that each look of a man has
correspondingly the same significance; the more saturated with thought, the
more powerful the glance. It is a joy to see how comforting looks can make the
aura healthful. (Fiery World II, 256)
7. The Hand
Auguste
Rodin "The Cathedral"
The human
hand possesses a magnetism of its own.
The hands are particularly valuable and interesting,
because they contain the media for the expulsion of a peculiar form of energy,
commonly termed magnetic. (Teachings of the Temple Vol. I, Lesson 129 “Hands”)
Your emanations are
transferred to documents, which you write by hand. A manuscript is actually saturated with the psychic energy of the writer.
Often the hand that is writing about a lofty subject
radiates a light that can be seen against a white sheet of paper. The radiation
then accumulates in the manuscript and imparts to it a special significance.
These luminous emanations of light remain for many centuries. (Supermundane
429)
The coarse, unpleasant habit of shaking hands serves to grasp
the nature of another man. Today we should rather try to sense the radiance of
our counterpart with the help of our heart.
Certain peoples used to greet each other by smelling.
It may be said—what a dog-like custom! But even in this ugly custom there is a
reminder about psychic energy, which was used when people by means of smell,
touch, hearing and the eye determined the essential nature of a newcomer.
Nowadays there has remained the custom of handshaking, which is also not far
from the other strange custom. (Fiery World II, 355)
Learn to sense whom
or what you should better not touch in order not to pollute yourself.
If man were more alive to the inner promptings of the
soul he would know immediately, at the first impulse to lift his hand, whether or not it were desirable to
take the hand of another. You all ought to be able to tell a friend from an
enemy, a harmonious or inharmonious factor, the instant a hand meets a hand,
but as it is, that power is resident in but few for the reason that you have
trifled with those finer forces of nature to such an extent that their vehicles
of operation within your hands have become partially atrophied or paralyzed.
(Teachings of the Temple Vol. I, Lesson 129 “Hands”)
It is perfectly
natural to consciously use your emanations by placing your hand on the shoulder
of someone whom you wish to convince.
The Thinker [Plato] advised that to convince a listener one should place one’s hand upon
his shoulder. (Supermundane 423)
Some regard the hand as being sufficient in itself, and suppose that the palm of the hand is what communicates
the power of thought; very rarely do people realize that the fingertips have
stronger radiations. (Heart 507)
Such a transfer of
energy is also the basis of healing by laying on of hands. Have you never tried
to soothe a feverish child by putting your hand on his head?
The rays of light emitted from the ends of the fingers
of those who are able to use their hands effectually
in healing the sick, or operating on the body, can be seen and felt very easily
by a sensitive person. (Teachings of the Temple Vol. I, Lesson 129
“Hands”)
8. Morphogenetic Fields
The same applies to
the so-called morphogenetic fields, explored by Rupert Sheldrake (incidentally,
a further true pioneer of the new spiritual science!): These fields cause rats
in New York to learn a trick faster if other rats in Japan had been taught the
same trick before.
Apparently, there
is a "spiritual field" around the earth (the technical term of
occultism is “Akasha Chronic”), where there is stored and made available
everything that the creatures on earth have appropriated.
9. Intervention of Higher Powers in our
Lives
Let us continue the
research in the area of higher phenomena by looking at
our own destiny.
In the Book of Life one must
look for the manifestations leading to the understanding of the Higher Being.
(Infinity II, 903 [503])
If you analyze your life scientifically, accurately and without
prejudice for a longer period of time (Agni Yoga
recommends keeping a diary!), you will find: Much of that what you commonly
dismiss as pure "chance" carries a meaning and a purpose within
itself.
The Invisible World takes part in the earthly life
much more than is generally supposed. Advise people to pay attention to the
multitude of small phenomena that usually go unnoticed, those that the limited
mind calls “coincidence” or “accident.” One has to
understand the essence of these manifestations without losing the ability to
think rationally. (Heart 40)
You recognize:
There occur in your life encounters with people or events, which are not
accidental, but aim at leading you in a certain direction.
The world of effects draws man into a current which
carries him toward his destination. (Infinity I, 250)
Man should free himself, the sooner the better, from
his absurd ideas about the accidental nature of events. There is a cause in
everything, and it is wise to find its source. (Supermundane 856)
You will find:
Exactly that befalls you, which reveals your difficulties – so that you may
learn, train, make progress, and fulfill the mission
of your life. Why else is there no life without suffering for anyone?
In biographies it is highly instructive to trace the
intervening circumstances which help to conclusively define a life task. It may
be noted that many apparently accidental factors helped along in the
predestined direction. As a matter of fact, not accident but many profound
causes contributed to such achievement. In this can be seen the participation
of the Subtle World. (Fiery World I, 551)
History shows:
There are men who have to fulfill
a higher mission. A guarding hand watches over them, so that nothing can affect
them – until they have completed their task.
*****
Regularly people
receive hints from the world beyond and are rescued by the higher powers. Take
the example of the woman who awoke at night screaming from a nightmare, thus
waking up and rescuing from mortal danger her husband, a soldier, who fought
thousands of miles away on the eastern front.
Only obstinate prejudice prevents people from
understanding reality. So many people have been saved by indications from the
Subtle World. So many matters of state have been decided according to
information from Beyond. (FW II, 422)
People are reluctant to imagine how many dangers are
taking place around them. How many times have the Higher Forces and
participants in the Subtle World saved them! (Heart 524)
You receive,
indeed, higher guidance from the leaders of this earth, the Brotherhood of
Shambhala, from your teacher or your guardian angel.
Few realize that there exists a power beyond earthly
considerations that can affect the flow of events. If people made
an effort to carefully investigate the essence of events, they would
discern signs of Our influence. (Supermundane 263)
Observe without prejudice the course of world events
and you will see Our Hand. (Leaves of Morya’s Garden II, 358 [362])
Read again the best
biographies of world history, the greatest works of literature. You will notice
how much the great spirits of all ages knew about this spiritual science.
Precisely these works are regarded as the greatest, which succeed to reveal the
higher reality, the profound context, the meaning and the functioning of the
order in which we all stand.
One cannot but feel that something over and above
earthly reasoning guides the circumstances. (Fiery World II, 454)
People are guided far more often than they think.
(Fiery World I, 181)
Just walk through
life sensitively with your eyes – or better your hearts – open! Then you will
learn to notice such interventions from the spiritual world almost daily.
10. Astrology
The new divine
science includes astrology, that is, the research into the influence, which the
celestial bodies exercise on our lives.
Each of you has
already observed that people born under a certain sign of the zodiac actually possess corresponding characteristic features:
There are really "leos",
"libras", "ariesses" and "taurusses".
Many sense the
influence of the moon, especially at full moon. Why should particularly
sensitive people not be able to feel the influence of the energies emanating
from Jupiter or Saturn? Much discomfort that afflicts us has its cause in
currents of cosmic energy.
*****
Astrology is a
synthesis of intellectual and heart knowledge. A good astrologer should master
on the one hand the natural sciences (especially astronomy and mathematics for
the calculation of the positions of the stars). On the other hand, he has to have a high sensitivity of the heart, without which
an interpretation of the facts of natural science and their application to
answer a particular question of a certain person in a given
situation is impossible.
Do not think that
man is subjected to the influence of the stars like a slave. Astrology is about
detecting harmful and useful influences so that you can adjust your conduct
accordingly. With the help of your free will you can
turn adverse constellations into step boards for your spiritual ascent.
If you want to
learn more about this topic, please read our Booklet "What does Agni Yoga
teach about Astrology?": www.lebendige-ethik-schule.de/liste.htm
11. No "Miracles"
We are coming to
the end of this Broadcasting. Agni Yoga teaches:
There are no
miracles. Nothing unnatural can exist beyond, above or outside nature.
Everything, absolutely everything, right up to God, is a part of nature.
There can be nothing unnatural in Nature.
(Supermundane 318)
Humanity is terrified of everything so-called
supernatural, forgetting that above that what exists there can be nothing
supernatural. (Heart 113)
Everything,
absolutely everything, right up to God, is subjected to the laws of nature.
Not without reason is it said that metaphysics does
not exist—only physics. (Fiery World I, 659)
There will be no dividing line between physical and
metaphysical, for all exists—which means that everything is perceptible and
cognizable. (Community 114)
Equally outmoded is the term metaphysics. All
manifestations of Nature, from the lowest to the highest, belong to the
physical domain. (Supermundane 653)
It is only when physics is insufficiently understood
that metaphysics exists. (Supermundane 766)
Therefore, all
higher phenomena, all the so-called "miracles" which Jesus and the
saints have worked, must have natural explanation.
*****
Phenomena of a
higher order, which we cannot explain with the means of today's science, are
occurring daily.
Every unusual earthly manifestation is a particle of
the Highest World, in other words, of reality. (AUM 83)
Each one of you is
familiar with such manifestations. You have either experienced them yourself or
learned of them from a reliable source.
If each person wrote down a description of something
phenomenal that had taken place in his life, humanity could compile an
extraordinary book in just one day. Everyone has had authentic glimpses into
the supermundane and many could provide revealing accounts. Not even a naysayer
can claim that he could provide mundane explanations for everything that has
happened in his life. (Supermundane 346)
Such experiences occur daily, and each one can be a
witness to wonderful phenomena. (Fiery World I, 40)
The ancient
principle applies: As in heaven so on
earth (FW II, 16): All higher phenomena are accessible to a perfectly
normal scientific explanation. They form an organic extension and continuation,
a new dimension of our daily life, into which we did not yet penetrate with our
narrow worldview.
Without any miracles you will find plain reality, and
as with the prospector’s pick you will discover hidden treasures in the depths.
(Community 121)
One day, scientific
explanations will be found, such as: Rays or vibrations emanating from persons
or objects, which work in a hitherto unknown way, and which can be felt if we
develop our sensitivity. Or, more generally, energies of a higher order that were
not yet discovered, which people or objects can absorb, or radiate, or use.
A miracle is a manifestation of subtler energies,
forces that are not accounted for in schools of chemistry and physics.
“Miracle” does not just mean levitation or loss of weight, phenomena that you
have witnessed; the same subtler energies are utilized in life more often than
people think, and these manifestations, being incomprehensible to the majority,
ought to be studied. This is neither necromancy nor spiritualism, but simply
the science of the subtler energies. (Heart 319)
And thus, gropingly, we shall discover evidence of the
action of the subtle energies in everyday life. (AY 378)
Above all, it is
the spiritual power of your higher self, the psychic energy, that enables you
to work "miracles". For example, to heal spiritually, to read
thoughts, to move objects or to practice clairvoyance. For more information,
please watch our Series "Psychic Energy".
So-called phenomena are nothing but unrecognized
psychic energy in its various manifestations. (AUM 287)
The more your
consciousness grows, the more you will be able to recognize, explain and
consciously use the so-called higher phenomena. You just have
to remove the word "impossible" from your vocabulary, and
instead confirm confidently:
You can do everything! Everything is possible! (Gem
102, Leaves of Morya’s Garden I, 175 [199])
*****
A part of the
immeasurable field of the expansion of consciousness is the penetration into
yet further spiritual realities, which we will treat in other Broadcastings,
such as for example:
The development of
the consciousness of your immortality (Series "Experiment
Immortality"); the cognition of the Supermundane World (Series
"Introduction to Agni Yoga", Broadcasting 10 "The Supermundane
World"); your connection with the higher world in meditation (Series
"The 10 Pillars of the Practice of Agni Yoga", Broadcasting 7
“Connection with the Higher World - Meditation"); and your participation
in the life of the Spiritual World (Series "The 10 Pillars of the Practice
of Agni Yoga ", Broadcasting 5 “Living in Two Worlds").