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").